PHYSOSTIGMA VENENOSUM

PHYSOSTIGMA VENENOSUM

(Calabar Bean)

Phys.
This remedy, along with its active component Eserine, is a valuable addition to the materia medica. It stimulates the heart, raises blood pressure, and enhances peristalsis. It causes the pupil and ciliary muscles to contract, leading to short-sightedness (myopia). It is associated with spinal irritation, loss of movement, prostration, and hypersensitivity in the vertebrae, as well as fibrillary tremors (chorea), muscle rigidity, and paralysis. It depresses motor and reflex activity in the spinal cord, causing loss of pain sensitivity, muscle weakness, and complete paralysis, without impairing muscle contractility. Conditions such as tetanus, trismus, and anterior poliomyelitis are also addressed. Eserine is used locally to contract the pupil.

Head: Constant pain at the top of the head, vertigo, and a constrictive sensation. Pain over the orbits, with difficulty raising the eyelids. Symptoms of cerebro-spinal meningitis, general tetanic rigidity, and facial muscle spasms.

Eyes: Night blindness, photophobia, pupil contraction, twitching ocular muscles, lagophthalmus, muscae volitantes, flashes of light, partial blindness, glaucoma, astigmatism, profuse tearing, and spasms of ciliary muscles leading to increased myopia. Post-diphtheritic paralysis of eye muscles.

Nose: Fluent coryza, burning and tingling in the nostrils, congestion, and fever blisters around the nose.

Mouth: Soreness at the tip of the tongue, sensation of a lump in the throat.

Throat: Strong heart pulsations felt in the throat.

Stomach: Severe pain immediately after eating, sensitivity to pressure in the epigastric region, pain extending to the chest and arms, gastralgia, and chronic constipation.

Female: Irregular menstruation with palpitations, congestion in the eyes, and rigid muscles.

Heart: Feeble pulse, palpitations, spasmodic action, strong heartbeats felt throughout the body, especially in the chest, head, and throat. Fatty degeneration.

Extremities: Pain in the right popliteal space, burning and tingling along the spine, numbness in hands and feet, sudden jerking of limbs, tetanic convulsions, locomotor ataxia, numbness in paralyzed parts, and crampy pains in limbs.

Relationship: Compare with Eserinum, the alkaloid of Physostigma, for conditions like slowed heart action, increased arterial tension, ciliary spasm, blepharo-spasms, pupil contraction, and eye pain. Eserinum also contracts pupils dilated by Atropinum but not by Gelsemium. Internally, use 6x potency.
Eserinum salicylicum is used for post-operative intestinal paralysis and meteorism.

Antidote: Atropia can relieve most of the effects of Physostigmine in full medicinal doses.

Dose: Third potency. Eserinum neutral sulphate is applied to the eye, using one-half to four grains in one ounce of distilled water, to induce pupil contraction in conditions like mydriasis, eye injuries, iritis, and corneal ulcers.