Cactus Grandiflorus
Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 12,700 chars · source ↗
General
Cactus Grandiflorus.
Cereus grandiflorus. Night-blooming Cereus. (Mexico and the West Indies.) N. O. Cactaceae. Tincture of youngest and tenderest stems and flowers collected in summer.
Clinical
Aneurism. Angina pectoris. Apoplexy. Arteries, atheroma of.
Asthma. Bladder, paralysis of. Brain, congestion of. Bronchitis.
Diaphragm, rheumatism of. Dropsies. Ear, inflammation of. Fistula.
Goître, exophthalmic. Haematuria. Haemorrhages. Headache.
Heart, affections of; hypertrophy of. Indigestion. Intermittent fevers. Lungs, haemorrhage from.
Melancholy. Menstruation, painful. Miliaria. Neuralgia.
Otitis. Ovaritis. Pneumonia. Prostate, affections of.
Rheumatism. Sun, effects of. Sunstroke. Traumatic fever.
Vaginismus.
Characteristics
We are indebted to Rubini of Naples and his devoted wife for the first provings of this great remedy. Cactus affects powerfully the entire organism, but its intensest operation is on the heart and circulation. In congestive violence it rivals Acon., which is one of its antidotes. As with Acon., too, the pains are unendurable; they extort screams.
Sadness, apprehension, fear of death and a tendency to be easily frightened characterise the Cactus mental state, as they do many conditions of heart disease. Given as an organ-remedy it will benefit a large number of cases of weakened and painful heart; and if its keynote symptom of constriction—"as if an iron band prevented its normal movements," or "heart as if compressed violently and as violently struggled to burst its bonds"—is present, it will cure. Pain and numbness in left arm accompanying heart disease.
Sharp pains in diaphragm and girdle pain round its attachment. Indigestion with these symptoms. Snader considers Cactus specially indicated where the heart is weak and the arteries atheromatous. This is confirmed by a venerable correspondent of the Hom.
World (July, 1898), who, finding his temporal arteries much swollen and hard to touch, took several doses of Cact. 1x, with the result that in a few days they became normal. Snader uses the lower attenuations in this condition. A case of angina pectoris was cured by the 30th, with the following characteristic: sensation as though a swarm of hornets were going from pectoral region to heart. Cactus has the weakness and coldness of the extremities which characterise many heart cases, and render it an appropriate remedy.
Constricting pains run through the pathogenesis (throat; chest; heart; bladder; rectum; vagina). Twitching of muscles, and sensation of constriction produced by touching the affected part. Haemorrhages (nose; lungs; rectum; stomach). Sanguineous congestions, which are in a way a counter-part of the constrictive sensations.
Prostration. Among the other prominent symptoms of Cactus are: "Heavy pain in vertex, like a weight." "Periodical attacks of suffocation, with fainting, cold sweat on face, and loss of pulse." "Fluttering and palpitation of heart, < when walking or lying on left side." "Heart disease with swelling of left hand only." "Numbness of left arm." "Rheumatism of all joints, beginning in upper extremities." The pains are very sharp, causing the patient to cry out. Many symptoms are < at night ("Night-blooming Cereus").
Menses cease at night. Many symptoms < lying down, or come on when lying down. Periodicity is well marked (quotidian fever, 11 a.m.). Chill at same hour every day, 11 a.m. or 11 p.m.
Choudhury has reported a case cured, the characteristics being: "Chill severe, 11 a.m., thirsty, headache, body hot; no separate heat." When there is heat there is thirst and short breath. At times there is entire absence of sweat. There is < after eating (weight at stomach); and also < from missing a meal or fasting (prosopalgia and other neuralgias); < from lying on left side; from noise and light from heat; from sun's rays; from exertion; from damp.
Relations
Botanical relatives: Cereus bonplandii, C. serpentinus, Opuntia, and, in a sense, Coccus cacti, Antidoted by: Aco., Camph., Chi., Eup. perfol. Compatible: Dig. (tumultuous action of heart; slow, irregular pulse; scanty urine; dropsy); Eup. perf., Lach Nux, Sul.
(pleurisy). Follows well: Aco., Arn., Ars., Bell., Bry., Cham., Gels., Ip., K. bro. (diaphragmitis), Lach., Nux, Rhus. Compare: In mental symptoms, Dig., Lach.
In congestions to head, Bell., Glo. In pain and pressure in head, Arn., Carb. v., Coral., Iod., Nux, Op., Spi. Weight in vertex, Alo., Alum. In heart affections, Aco., Act. r., Amyl. n., Arn., Bell., Bov., Crotal., Dig., Eup. perf., Kalm., Lach., Lil. t., Naja, Puls., Spi., Zn.
(as if a cap over heart); irritable heart, Cer. b., Hep., Pho. In constrictions (of chest) Zn., K. chlo., Cad. s., Alum., Bell., Bov., Arn., Cain., K. nit., Lach., Stram., (uterus) Murex, (vagina) Kali c. In menses ceasing at night, Caust. In leucorrhoea, Am. mur.
In intermittents, Ars., Bry., Calc., Eup. perf., Nat. m:, Rhus, Sul. In dropsies, Dig., Kalm. In sleeplessness, Sul. Neuralgia and other forms of pain which are sure to appear when an accustomed meal is missed, Ars.
Haemoptysis, strong throbbing at heart, Aco. (Aco. has more anxiety and fever). Pain in diaphragm, Ran. b. (Ran. b. has pains shoot from front to back;
Cact. has sharp pains in diaphragm and girdle pain round attachment). Reptile sensation, Crocus.
Causation
Sun. Damp. Love disappointment.
Mind
Sadness and bad humour; taciturnity; melancholy; hypochondriasis
Cries, knows not why;
< by consolation
Screaming with pain
During menses, hysteria
Fear of death, belief that his disease is incurable
Love of solitude.
Head
Vertigo, from sanguineous congestions to head
Heavy pressing in the head as if a great weight lay on the vertex;
> from pressure;
< from noise (even talking) and light
Throbbing pain with sensation of weight and violent neuralgias in r. side of head; periodic
Feeling as if head compressed in a vice, and would burst from severity of pain.
Eyes
Dimness of sight; cannot see at a distance; objects seem obscured.
Ears
Hearing diminished by the buzzing in the ears.—Pulsations in the ears (otitis).
Nose
Profuse epistaxis; soon ceasing.
Face
Paleness of the face
Bloated and red; with pulsations in head
Prosopalgia, right-sided, chronic;
< from slightest exertion; bearable only when lying still in bed; brought on by wine, music, strong light, missing dinner at usual hour.
Mouth
Loss of taste for food with nausea
Tongue purple, thick brown sordes on teeth
Prickling on point of tongue
Breath very offensive.
Throat
Feeling of warmth about throat and chest
Constriction of oesophagus, which prevents swallowing
Constriction of throat exciting a constant desire to swallow
Suffocative constriction at throat with full, throbbing carotids
Scraping sensation at soft palate.
Stomach
Appetite good; digestion weak
Complete loss of appetite, stomach rejects everything
After eating weight and distress in stomach
Nausea in the morning, lasting all day
Acrid, sour fluid in stomach which rises in throat and mouth
Frequent vomiting
Copious haematemesis
Burning pulsation or heaviness in stomach
Constriction or pulsation in scrobiculus
Gastro-enteritis.
Abdomen
Pulsation in the coeliac artery (after dinner), burning extends down from it in flashes
Sharp pains shooting through diaphragm and up into chest
Colic with loose stool
Insupportable heat in abdomen
Pain and bearing-down in lower abdomen.
Stool And Anus
Constipation; stool hard and black
Diarrhoea, watery, mucous, bilious (in forenoon)
Sensation of great weight (in anus), and urging to evacuate a great quantity, but nothing passes
Copious haemorrhage from the bowels (from the anus)
Itching in the anus
Fluent haemorrhoids
Fistula in ano with violent palpitation of heart.
Urinary Organs
Constriction of neck of bladder
Irritation in urethra, as if he would pass water constantly
Urine passes by drops, with much burning
Profuse urine, of a straw colour
Urine, on cooling, deposits a red sand
Haematuria; urination prevented by clots
Frequent urging; at night, with a copious flow each time.
Male Sexual Organs
Prostatic affections; weight in anus.
Female Sexual Organs
Pulsating pain in uterus and ovaries
Constriction in uterine region; round pelvis
Constriction of vagina preventing coition (vaginismus)
Very painful menstruation; extorting loud cries
Menses too early; scanty menstruation, ceasing while lying
Labour suppressed
Breast, tumour in; inflammation of.
Respiratory Organs
Difficulty of breathing; attacks of suffocation with fainting
Chronic bronchitis, with rattling of mucus
Spasmodic cough and copious mucous expectoration
Pricking pains in chest with oppressed respiration (pneumonia)
Oppression of breathing in going upstairs
Catarrhal cough with much viscid expectoration
Much rattling of mucus
Cannot lie in a horizontal position
Periodical suffocation, with fainting, and sweat on face and loss of pulse
Haemoptysis, with convulsive cough
Sharp pains shooting from body to back and up into chest, with sensation of rush of blood to chest (rheumatism of diaphragm).
Chest
Difficulty of breathing; continued oppression and uneasiness as if the chest were constricted with a (hot) iron band, hindering respiration
Whirling sensation from chest to brain; arterial throbbing
Oppressed breathing from a weight on chest
Congestion of the chest which prevents lying down; palpitation; constriction as from a tight cord around false ribs
Sensation of a great constriction in middle of sternum, as if the parts were compressed by iron pincers, with oppression of breathing; worse on motion.
Heart And Pulse
Pain deep in heart like a jerking body, frequently repeated
Something seemed to be whirling up from chest to brain
Sensation as if heart turned over ; as if it whirled round; as if some one was grasping heart firmly, with sensation as if it whirled round; as if heart was bound down and had not room enough to beat; as if bolts were holding it; as if compressed or squeezed by a band
Lancinating pain in heart when perspiration fails
Deathlike feeling at heart and round to l.
Back
Acute pains, pricking and stitches in the heart
Palpitation of the heart, day and night;
< when walking, and at night, when lying on l. side
Palpitation in small irregular beats (at times frequent, at others slow), from slightest excitement or deep thought, with necessity for deep inspiration
Pains in apex of heart, shooting down l. arm to ends of fingers; feeble pulse; dyspnoea
Endocardial murmurs; excessive impulse; increased precordial dulness; enlarged ventricle
Heart disease with oedema of l. hand only
Aneurism
Atheromatous arteries.
Neck And Back
Exophthalmic goître
Cold in back and icy cold hands
Rheumatism of shoulder
Pain under l. shoulder-blade (with palpitation)
Lumbar muscles tender on pressure and stiff, esp. on first moving after repose.
Limbs
Rheumatic pains, in shoulders, upper and lower arms, in hips down to feet; < in rest and in motion, and in all positions.
Upper Limbs
Pain in shoulders and arms
Sore aching in l. arm down to elbow; down to fingers
Numbness of l. arm
Formication and weight in arms
Oedema of the hands; worse in the l.
Lower Limbs
Restlessness of legs; cannot keep them still.—Oedema of the feet, extending to the knees; the skin is shining; pressure with the fingers leaves an indentation.
Generalities
General weakness and prostration of strength.—Sensation of constriction: in throat; chest; heart; bladder; rectum.—Haemorrhages: from nose; lungs; rectum; bladder;
Stomach
Congestions.
Skin
Dry, scaly herpes on the outside of the elbow, and on the r. internal malleolus.
Sleep
Sleeplessness without cause; or from arterial pulsations in the scrobiculus, and in the r. ear.—Dreams: frightful; lascivious.
Fever
Slight chilliness towards 10 a.m
Chilliness, with chattering of the teeth
Chilliness not relieved by covering; 11 a.m. and 11 p.m
Burning heat, with shortness of breath
Scorching heat at night, with headache, following a chill and terminating in perspiration
Coldness in back and icy cold hands
Intermittent fever (quotidian) recurring every day at the same hour (for many successive days)
One o'clock in the afternoon slight chill, then burning heat, with dyspnoea, pulsating pain in the uterine region, terminating in slight perspiration
Quotidian, 11 a.m., great coldness for two hours; then burning heat, with great dyspnoea, violent pain in the head, coma, stupefaction, insensibility till midnight, and unquenchable thirst and perspiration.