LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM

(Club Moss)

Lyc.

This drug is inert until the spores are crushed. Its medicinal properties are revealed through trituration and succussion. Lyc. is typically indicated when urinary or digestive disturbances are evident. It aligns with Grauvogl’s carbo-nitrogenoid constitution, particularly in non-eliminative lithemia. It is suited for conditions that develop gradually, with weakened functional power and disturbed liver function. It is ideal for mild temperaments with lymphatic constitution, catarrhal tendencies, older people with earthy complexions, uric acid diathesis, yellowish skin spots, and precocious, weak children. Symptoms usually run from right to left, predominantly affecting the right side of the body, and worsen between 4 to 8 p.m. In kidney issues, there is red sand in the urine, and backache in the renal region, which is worse before urination. Patients crave warmth and are intolerant of cold drinks. Lyc. suits intellectually sharp people with weak muscular power, those with deep-seated, progressive chronic diseases, carcinoma, emaciation, morning debility, and glandular secretion issues. They tend to be thin, withered, gassy, dry, lack vital heat, have poor circulation, cold extremities, and sudden pains. They are sensitive to noise and odors.

Mind: Melancholy, fear of being alone, easily annoyed by small things, extremely sensitive, averse to new tasks, headstrong and haughty when ill, loss of self-confidence, hurried eating, constant fear of stress-induced breakdown, apprehensive, weak memory, confused thoughts, misspelling or miswriting, failing brain power, dislike for new sights, inability to read own writing, morning sadness.

Head: Shakes head without cause, twists face and mouth, pressing vertex headache worse from 4 to 8 p.m., lying down, or stooping if not eating regularly, throbbing headache after coughing, headaches over eyes in severe colds improved by uncovering, morning vertigo, temples feel screwed together, tearing pain in occiput improved by fresh air, severe hair fall, moist eczema behind ears, deep forehead furrows, premature baldness and gray hair.

Eyes: Styes near inner canthus, day blindness (hemeralopia), night blindness (nyctalopia) is more characteristic, sees only half an object (hemiopia), ulceration and redness of lids (blepharitis), eyes half open during sleep.

Ears: Thick, yellow, offensive discharge, eczema around and behind ears, otorrhea and deafness with or without tinnitus, post-scarlatina humming and roaring, echo in ear from every noise.

Nose: Very acute sense of smell, posterior dryness sensation, scanty, excoriating anterior discharge, ulcerated nostrils, crusts and elastic plugs, fluent coryza, nasal blockage, snuffles with nose rubbing in sleep, fan-like motion of alae nasi.

Face: Grayish-yellow discoloration, blue circles around eyes, withered and emaciated appearance, copper-colored eruption, lower jaw dropping in typhoid fever, itching, scaly herpes on face and mouth corners.

Mouth: Excessively painful teeth, toothache with cheek swelling relieved by warmth, mouth and tongue dryness without thirst, black, cracked, swollen tongue oscillating to and fro, watery mouth, tongue blisters, halitosis.

Throat: Throat dryness without thirst, food and drink regurgitation through nose, inflammation with swallowing stitches improved by warm drinks, tonsil swelling and suppuration, right-side tonsil ulceration, diphtheria with right-to-left spread, worse with cold drinks, vocal band ulceration, tubercular laryngitis with ulceration.

Stomach: Dyspepsia from farinaceous and fermentable foods, excessive hunger, bread aversion, sweet cravings, sour-tasting food, sour eructations, digestive weakness, bulimia with bloating, post-meal stomach pressure with bitter mouth taste, fullness from little food, oyster intolerance, night hunger, burning eructations stopping at pharynx, preference for hot food and drink, night-time sinking sensation.

Abdomen: Post-light meal bloating, fermentation sensation in upper left abdomen, right-side hernia, sensitive liver, abdominal brown spots, hepatic disease dropsy, atrophic nutmeg liver hepatitis, lower abdomen pain from right to left.

Rectum: Diarrhea, inactive intestines, ineffectual urging, hard, difficult, incomplete stools, painful hemorrhoids.

Urinary: Pre-urination back pain ceasing post-flow, slow urination requiring straining, nighttime polyuria, heavy red sediment, child crying pre-urination.

Male: Erectile dysfunction, impotence, premature emission, enlarged prostate, condylomata.

Female: Late, long, profuse menses, dry vagina, painful coition, right ovarian pain, pudendal varicose veins, acrid leucorrhea with vaginal burning, genital bleeding during stool.

Respiratory: Tickling cough, dyspnea, chest pain, downhill cough worsening, deep, hollow cough, gray, thick, bloody, purulent, salty expectoration, nocturnal cough, infant chest catarrh with mucus rattling, neglected pneumonia with severe dyspnea, alae nasi flaring, mucus rales.

Heart: Aneurism, aortic disease, night palpitations, inability to lie on left side.

Back: Scapular burning as if from hot coals, lumbosacral pain.

Extremities: Numbness, drawing, tearing in limbs, rest or night worsening, heavy arms, shoulder and elbow joint tearing, chronic gout with chalky deposits, profuse foot sweat, heel pain as if from pebble, painful sole callosities, contracted toes and fingers, right-side sciatica, painful side lying difficulty, numb hands and feet, right foot hot, left cold, night cramps in calves and toes, limb sleepiness, twitching and jerking.

Sleep: Daytime drowsiness, sleep starting, accident dreams.

Fever: 3 to 4 p.m. chill followed by sweat, icy coldness, ice-like feeling, multiple chills.

Skin: Ulcerates, abscesses worsened by warmth, warmth-worsened hives, violent itching, fissured eruptions, acne, chronic eczema with urinary, gastric, hepatic disorders, thickened and indurated skin, varicose veins, nevi, erectile tumors, left-side facial and nasal freckles, dry, shrunken palms, premature gray hair, dropsies, offensive secretions, viscid, offensive perspiration, psoriasis.

Modalities: Worse on the right side, from right to left, downward, 4 to 8 p.m., heat, warm rooms, hot air, bed, warm applications except for throat and stomach which are better with warmth. Better with motion, after midnight, warm food and drink, cold, being uncovered.

Relationship: Complementary to Lye, Calc., Sulph., Iod, Graph., Lach., Chel. Antidotes include Camph, Puls., Caust. Comparison with carbo-nitrogenoid constitution: Sulph, Rhus-t., Urt-u., Merc., Hep., Alum. Hydr. follows Lyc. in indigestion.

Dose: Lower and higher potencies yield excellent results. For aiding elimination, the second and third attenuation of the tincture, a few drops three times daily, have proved effective. Otherwise, the 6th to 200th potency and higher, in infrequent doses, are recommended.