Terebinthina

Terebinthina.

Oleum terebinthinae. Oil of Turpentine. C10 H16. The oil distilled from the oleo-resin (turpentine) obtained from various species of Pinus, purified by repeated rectification with water. Solution in rectified spirit. Ozonised Oil of Turpentine (prepared by exposure of the common oil to sun and air in a half-filled bottle and shaking from time to time).

Albuminuria. Amblyopia potatorum. Asthma. Backache.

Bladder, irritable. Brachial neuralgia. Bronchitis. Chordee.

Chorea. Ciliary neuralgia. Cystitis. Dentition.

Dropsy. Dysentery. Dysmenorrhoea. Enteric fever.

Epilepsy. Erysipelas bullosa. Erythema. Fibroma.

Gall-stone colic. Glands, inguinal; swelling of. Gleet. Gonorrhoea.

Haematuria. Haemorrhoids. Hernia; strangulated. Herpes labialis pudendi.

Hydrophobia. Hypochondriasis. Insanity. Intestines, ulceration of.

Iritis. Jaundice. Kidneys, congestion of; neuralgia of. Lumbago.

Neuralgia; supraorbital. Ovaries, pains in; dropsy of. Pityriasis. Purpura haemorrhagica.

Scabies. Scarlatina. Sciatica. Spermatorrhoea.

Strangury. Stricture. Tetanus. Tympanites.

Uraemia. Urine, suppression of; retention of. Worms.

Ter. was introduced to homoeopathy by Hartlaub. A proving of it appeared in Hartlaub and Trinks' Annalen. Many symptoms have been added from poisonings and overdosings in old-school practice. According to Taylor, children are particularly sensitive to its action.

Illness caused by sleeping in newly painted rooms is due in great part to the turpentine. "A stimulant and tonic to the mucous membranes, especially of the bladder and urethra: it proves useful in gleet, leucorrhoea, and cystorrhoea." This is Milnes' account of the old-school use of Ter. as an internal remedy. Brunton gives these points: (1) Applied to the skin Ter. acts as an irritant and rubefacient, causing a sensation of burning, and vesicles if applied for any length of time.

(2) Inhaled it causes sneezing, tightness across eyes, and dyspnoea. (3) Given internally it causes burning in mouth and salivation; in stomach, sensation of heat or cold; gastro-enteritis, with vomiting and diarrhoea; ulceration of intestines. The pulse is sometimes slowed, sometimes quickened. Respiration is quickened and spasmodic; the drug is partly excreted by the lungs and acts on the mucous membrane, lessening its secretion.

The temperature sometimes rises, sometimes falls. Voluntary movement is diminished; reflex action lowered; blood-pressure lowered, and vessels dilated. Diminishes the quantity of urine; gives the urine an odour of violets; causes lumbar pain, burning in urethra, painful micturition, haematuria. Among the uses of Ter., Brunton mentions the treatment of biliary colic.

For this it is given in ether in the proportion of one part of the Oil of Turpentine to three of Ether. Homoeopaths have confirmed the value of this. Throughout this list of effects burning is a constant note, and gives the key to many cases calling for Ter.—burning in gums, tongue, tip of tongue, mouth, throat, stomach, rectum, and anus, kidneys, bladder, and urethra, uterus, air passages, chest, and sternum. The last was particularly noticed after warm drinks, the pain running along the sternum with the drink and spreading in the chest.

Burning extends from kidneys along ureters. Ter. is an irritative, sensitive remedy. Cooper has found it indicated in children (especially teething children) when they fly into passions. There is irritation of the meninges and often ascarides or other intestinal worms.

In one case of maniacal fury in a man it did good. This irritability manifests itself in some cases of spasms and convulsions, and Lippe observed a case in point (H. P., x. 480). A woman had made her feet sore by walking, and applied turpentine to them.

This was followed by a state like hydrophobia; she had spasms whenever she saw water or heard it poured, or saw a bright object; and also whenever she attempted to urinate. Ter. is a great haemorrhagic and its haematuria is particularly characteristic: Smoky, turbid urine depositing a sediment like coffee-grounds. Dull pain, or burning pain in region of kidneys, burning during micturition are leading indications. Ter. corresponds to many cases of albuminuria and haematuria after scarlatina; and also to the consequent dropsy.

This last may indicate Ter. in many affections of the genito-urinary sphere. "Burning in uterus" is very characteristic. Peritonitis, metritis, metrorrhagia will probably need Ter. if the burning is present. The haemorrhages of Ter. are generally passive; dark, and fetid.

Purpura haemorrhagica calls for it if there are fresh ecchymoses in great numbers from day to day. The haemorrhages may occur from any orifice. Additional keynotes of Ter., which will be decisive if combined with others, are: (1) Smooth, glossy, red tongue, as if deprived of papillae. (2) Excessive tympanites.

(3) Drowsiness. In capillary bronchitis, the child is drowsy. Stupor and great weakness are found in many Ter. conditions, rendering it appropriate in cases of typhus, typhoid, and uraemic poisoning. "Drowsy with retention of urine." With the tympanites there is generally extreme sensitiveness to touch.

With cystitis and uro-genital and rectal troubles there is sensitiveness of hypogastrium and pains in symphysis pubis. Pains go from left to right across bowels and then shoot upward. From being exposed to turpentine odour, a lady, 35, got pain as from pinchings in the throat, with lifeless feeling in the tongue and dryness of the mouth, followed by pains in r. eyeball, which extended back to same side of occiput (Cooper). S.

H. Roberts (B. M. J., Dec. 25, 1875) maintains Ter. has a specific effect in tonsillitis when applied externally.

Marc Jousset gave Ter. 1x with marked benefit in two cases of bronchial asthma. He was led to give it in the first case by coincident haematuria; but this was not present in the second (L'Art Méd., April, 1901). A remedy may be known by its antidotes and antidotal properties. Ter. antidotes and is antidoted by Phos.

A young man who was badly poisoned by a low attenuation of Phos. got more relief from Ter. 3x than from any other remedy. Brunton says it is only Ozonised Ter. that is effective here. The preparation I used was the ordinary one. Hering says the ozonised oil is recommended as a prophylactic in malarial and African fevers, a few drops being given daily on a lump of sugar.

George Royal (Med. Cent., ix. 70) gives three cases illustrating the action of Ter.: (1) Typhoid, third week, in man 24. Extreme distension, rapid, small, compressible pulse, cold sweat in lower limbs. Ter. 6x two drops in water every half-hour.

Oil of Ter. was applied locally to the abdomen mixed with lard, and later in the evening, when there was already slight improvement, an injection containing turpentine was administered. This relieved the patient of a large quantity of flatus, and next morning he was on the high-road to recovery. (2) Pyaemia after abortion at third month, brought on by patient herself. Enormous distension; lower limbs covered with cold sweat; lochia thin, scanty, offensive.

Ter. given in another case brought about slow improvement for three days, when Chi. 30 was indicated and finished the cure. (3) Teamster, 36, had severe nephritis after being out in cold rain. Constant desire to urinate, severe pain in back, down ureter, to bladder; urine scanty, very high-coloured. Temperature 102°.

Pulse weak, 130. Ter. 6x every half-hour; and hot fomentations on kidneys greatly relieved. After three days he was able to leave his bed. Royal considers cold sweat of lower limbs, and rapid pulse with the distension, as leading indications.

A keynote of Burnett's for Ter. is: "Pains in the bowels which = frequent micturition." Peculiar Sensations are: As if he would pitch forward on walking As of a band round head. As if sand thrown violently in eye. As of a seashell sounding in l. ear. In ear as of striking of a clock.

As from hasty swallowing in epigastrium. As if he had swallowed a bullet, which had lodged in pit of stomach. Sense of anxiety and utter prostration about epigastrium. Umbilical region as if covered with a round, cold plate.

As if intestines were being drawn towards spine. As if abdomen distended with flatus. As if diarrhoea would set in. As if inguinal hernia would appear.

As if symphysis pubis were suddenly forced asunder. As if foreign body had entered windpipe. As from electric shocks. Twitching of limbs.

Crawling tingling as if parts were asleep. As if hot water running through a tube in nerve. Sprained pains, contusive pains, and rheumatic pains appear in the pathogenesis, and notably pressure and drawing pains. These show the suitability of Ter. to the effects of injury and rheumatic conditions.

It is on this property that certain popular embrocations containing turpentine owe their reputation. Ter. is specially Suited to: Children (dentition, nose-bleed, worms). Bleeders. Nervous women (amenorrhoea; dysmenorrhoea; headache).

Complaints of old people; of people of sedentary habits. Chronic rheumatism and gouty complaints. The symptoms are: < By touch. < By pressure (in region of bladder it = convulsions).

Effects of falls and injuries. < Lying on left side, > turning to right. Sitting <. Stooping >.

Motion >. (Pain in crest of ilium < from motion and least jar.) Walking in open air <. < Night; 1-3 a.m. Damp dwellings <.

Damp cellar = diarrhoea. Damp weather = neuralgia in legs. (Ter. is hydrogenoid.) Cold water > burning in anus. > Belching and passing flatus.

Loose stool > nausea.

Antidoted by: Phos. Antidote to: Phos., Merc. Followed well by: Merc. cor. Compare: Botan., Thu., and other Coniferae.

Haemorrhage in typhus, Alum. Melaena, Arn. Albuminuria, Ars. Smoky urine, dropsy after scarlatina, dry, glossy tongue, Lach.

(Ter. has more tympanites). Capillary bronchitis, drowsiness, lungs clogged up, urine scanty, almost dark from blood, Ipec. Dropsy from kidney congestion, Hell. Renal congestion, smoky urine, Colch.

Urticaria after eating shell-fish, Aps., Urt. ur. Glazed tongue, K. bi., Lach., Pyrog. Haematuria, Pul. Burning tip of tongue, Mur. ac.

Burning in anus and rectum, fainting and exhaustion after stool, Ars. Worms, with foul breath, choking, Cin., Spi. Purpura, fresh ecchymoses in great numbers from day to day, Sul. ac. Burning and drawing in kidneys, bladder, and urethra, Berb., Can. s., Canth.

Passive haemorrhages, strangury, Camph. Metritis, peritonitis, bearing down, burning in hypogastrium, cloudy, dark, muddy urine, tongue dry, red, Bell. Catarrh in children, Pix. Umbilicus retracted, Pb.

Kidney-ache, Santal. Warmth at heart, Kalm., Rhod., Lachn. Pains = frequent micturition (Thuj., urging to urinate accompanies the symptoms). Rheumatism, Sul. ter.

Alcohol. Falls. Strains. Tooth extraction. Damp cellars.

Pale, earthy colour of the face.—Herpes on lips.

Haemorrhage from the urethra Worms, particularly lumbrical Some forms of gonorrhoea Great prostration

Occasional subsultus Spasms every time she saw water, or heard it poured, or saw a bright object, or attempted to urinate (from applying turpentine to feet; Canth. relieved) Violent convulsive paroxysms producing the most frightful opisthotonos.—(Chorea

R. T. C.) Shooting, lightning-like pains

Neuralgia with sensation of coldness in nerve, occasionally like hot water running through a tube Has no power of balancing body, stands with feet apart Dropsy Natural heat increased.