CAUSTICUM

CAUSTICUM

(Hahnemann’s Tinctura Acris Sine Kali)

Caust.
Primarily affects chronic rheumatic, arthritic, and paralytic conditions, shown by tearing, drawing pains in muscles and fibrous tissues with joint deformities; progressive muscle weakness and tendon contractures. Suitable for elderly patients. In catarrhal issues of air passages, often affects dark-skinned, rigid-fibered individuals. Restlessness at night with tearing joint and bone pains, and weakness progressing to gradual paralysis. Local paralysis of vocal cords, swallowing muscles, tongue, eyelids, face, bladder, and extremities. Children slow to walk. Skin is dirty, white, sallow with warts, especially on the face. Emaciation from long-term illness or worry. Burning, rawness, and soreness are key symptoms.

Mind: Child resists going to bed alone. Easily cries. Sad, hopeless, intensely sympathetic. Ailments from prolonged grief or sudden emotions. Thinking of complaints worsens symptoms, especially hemorrhoids.

Head: Sensation of empty space between forehead and brain. Pain in the right frontal eminence.

Eyes: Cataracts with motor disturbances. Inflamed eyelids; ulcerative blepharitis. Sparks and dark spots before eyes. Ptosis (Gels.). Vision impaired, as if a film covers eyes (amaurosis, cataract). Paralysis of ocular muscles after cold exposure.

Ears: Ringing, roaring, pulsating noises with deafness; words and steps re-echo; chronic otitis media; ear wax accumulation.

Nose: Coryza with hoarseness. Scaly nose. Ulcerated nostrils. Pimples and warts.

Face: Right-side paralysis. Warts. Pain in facial bones. Dental fistula. Jaw pain with difficulty opening mouth.

Mouth: Bites inside cheek when chewing. Paralysis of tongue with indistinct speech. Rheumatism of the lower jaw joint (temporomandibular joint). Gums bleed easily.

Stomach: Greasy taste. Aversion to sweets. Feels like lime burned in stomach. Worse after fresh meat; smoked meat agrees. Sensation of a ball rising in throat. Acid dyspepsia.

Stool: Soft, small size like goose-quill (Phos.). Hard, tough, mucus-covered; shines like grease; small shaped; expelled with much straining or only when standing. Pruritus. Partial rectum paralysis. Sore, burning rectum. Fistula and large piles.

Urinary: Involuntary during coughing, sneezing (Puls.). Slow expulsion, sometimes retained. Involuntary during first sleep (nocturnal enuresis); also from slight excitement. Retention post-surgery. Loss of sensation while urinating.

Female: Uterine inertia during labor. Menses cease at night; flow only during the day (Cycl., Puls.). Night-time leucorrhea with great weakness (Nat-m.). Delayed menses (Con., Graph., Puls.).

Respiratory: Hoarseness with chest pain; aphonia. Sore larynx (laryngitis). Cough with raw chest soreness. Scanty expectoration; must be swallowed. Cough with hip pain, especially left, worse in evening; better with cold water; worse with bed warmth. Sore streak down trachea. Mucus under sternum. Chest pain with palpitations. Cannot lie down at night. Voice re-echoes. Own voice roars in ears. Difficulty with singers’ and public speakers’ voice.

Back: Stiffness between shoulders. Dull nape pain.

Extremities: Left-side sciatica with numbness. Paralysis of single parts. Dull, tearing hand and arm pain. Heaviness and weakness. Tearing joint pain. Muscle unsteadiness in forearm and hand. Numbness; loss of hand sensation. Contracted tendons. Weak ankles. Painful walking. Rheumatic limb pain, better with warmth, especially bed heat. Joint burning. Slow to walk. Unsteady walking, easy falling. Restless legs at night. Knee cracking and tension (arthritis deformans); stiffness in knee hollow. Foot dorsum itching.

Sleep: Very drowsy; hard to stay awake. Nocturnal sleeplessness with dry heat, restlessness.

Skin: Soreness in skin folds, behind ears, between thighs. Large, jagged, easily bleeding warts on fingertips and nose. Old burns that do not heal; pain in burns. Cicatrices reopen old injuries. Prone to intertrigo during teething.

Modalities: Worse with dry, cold winds, clear weather, cold air, carriage motion. Better with damp, wet weather, warmth, bed heat.

Relationship: Dr. Wagner of Basel’s investigations show Causticum corresponds to Ammonium causticum 4x. Do not use with Phosphorus. Diphthrotoxinum follows Causticum in chronic bronchitis.

Antidote: Paralysis from lead poisoning. Complementary: Carb-v., Petros.

Compare: Rhus-t., Ars., Am-ph. (facial paralysis).

Dose: Third to thirtieth attenuation. In chronic ailments, especially paralytic states, higher potencies once or twice a week.