Corallium Rubrum
Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 8,323 chars · source ↗
General
Corallium Rubrum.
Gorgonia nobilis. Class, Zoophytes. N. O. Gorgoniaceae. Trituration.
Clinical
Asthma milleri. Catarrh. Chancre. Cough. Eruptions. Glands, inflamed. Hysteria. Measles. Post-nasal catarrh. Psoriasis. Purpura. Syphilis. Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
Red coral, the product of a coralligene zoophyte, contains carbonate of lime, oxide of iron (whence its colour), gelatin, and other elements. In old physic it was considered to have "strengthening properties," and to be astringent, sudorific, diuretic, and absorbent. In homoeopathic practice Corallium corresponds to a combination of syphilis and psora. Is suited to persons of nervous temperament; nervous coughs.
It causes eruptions which are for the most part of its own colour, coral-red. Red spots on the palms of the hands, at first coral colour, then darker, and finally coppery. The chancres to which it corresponds are coral-red. The cough is of the whooping-cough type; smothering sensation before, and great exhaustion after cough.
Cough in "minute-gun" paroxysms. Crowing inspiration; sensation as if inspired air was icy cold. There is much drowsiness with Coral., and many symptoms appear during sleep. J.
N. Lowe cured with Coral. an infant, almost a year old, suffering from laryngismus stridulus, the indications being < during sleep and after waking. Lach., given first, failed to relieve. Guernsey's indication is: "Whooping-cough, or any other kind of cough when the attack comes on, with a very rapid cough, and the attacks follow so closely as to almost run into each other." I have found it most effective in the nervous "minute-gun" cough where the patient gives an isolated cough at regular intervals through the day.
Nash finds it the most useful of all remedies in post-nasal catarrh. Guernsey's other indication is: "Red, flat ulcers on the glans and inner surface of the prepuce, with secretion of a quantity of yellow ichor." In the head there is a sensation of emptiness or hollowness. Head feels very large. Sensation as if forehead were flattened.
Change of air causes coughing. Feels cold when uncovered and too hot when covered.
Relations
Antidote to: Mercury. Complementary: Sulph. Compare: Bell., Caust., Coff., Coc. c., Con., Hyos.; Hydrphb. (inspired air feels cold—also Cistus.); Nit. ac., Nux v., Mephit., Staph.; Dros. (cough always moist—Coral. always dry); Petrol., Selen., Graph.; teeth feel too close together, Tuberc. (Koch). Teste, who proved Coral. and elicited its respiratory symptoms, groups it with Caustic.
Mind
Grumbling humour, with oaths in consequence of the pain
Irascibility and ill-humour
Wine has a natural taste, but immediately stupefies him.
Head
Head bewildered, as if in consequence of drunkenness
Confusion in the head, which feels empty and hollow
Intoxication after drinking very little wine
Pressive cephalalgia, as if everything were going to protrude through the forehead, compelling motion of the head, and mitigated only by uncovering the body, which is burning hot
Pressing headache in the forehead; she cannot keep the eyes open; relieved by walking in the open air
Violent cephalalgia with nausea, greatly aggravated on sitting down
Pain in the sinciput as if it were flattened
Aggravation of the headache, and congestion in the head and in the face, on stooping
Sensation, as if wind were traversing the head, on moving it rapidly (or rocking it)
Sensation, as if the head were increased in size (three times its size).
Eyes
Pressure, as from sand, in the reddened eyes (evening)
Sensation of compression in the orbit
Pain, as from excoriation in the eyes, on moving the balls or the eyelids
Sensation of heat in the eyes, on closing the lids, with a sensation as if they were swimming in tears
Sensation of burning in the eyes, by candle-light.
Nose
Semi-lateral swelling of the nose, with heat, pulsation and sleeplessness
Painful ulcer in the nostril (on the inside of the r. wing, with the sensation as if the nasal bones were pressed asunder)
Epistaxis, sometimes at night
Bleeding of the nose, from one nostril at a time (at night)
Great dryness of the nose
Fluent coryza, with excessive secretion of an inodorous mucus, resembling tallow
Profuse secretion of mucus through the posterior nares, obliging one to hawk frequently.
Face
Heat in the face, < by stooping
Pain, as from a bruise in the cheek-bone, < by touch
Pain, as from dislocation in the maxillary joint, on masticating, and on opening the mouth wide
Painful swelling of the sub-maxillary glands;
< when swallowing and on bending the head forward
Lips cracked and painful.
Teeth
Every tooth on the l. side feels as if set on edge; it feels as if the teeth were too close to one another, or as if a tenacious body were lodged between them.
Throat
Great dryness of the fauces
Constant hawking, owing to an accumulation of mucus in the posterior nares
Great dryness of the palate and of the throat, with sensation of excoriation on swallowing.
Appetite
Insipidity of food
Sweetish taste of beer
Violent thirst; longing for acids and salt food
After a meal, the head turns round, as during intoxication
After dinner, hot cheeks and forehead, with cold feet.
Stomach
Nausea, with dryness of the tongue and violent headache; < when sitting up.
Stool And Anus
Constipation (for six days), followed by copious papescent stool.
Urinary Organs
Loam- or clay-coloured urine, with similar sediment.—Burning urine.
Male Sexual Organs
Copious sweat on the genital parts
Swelling of the prepuce, with pain as from excoriation when it is touched
The margin of the prepuce feels sore when the linen touches it
The fraenum is painful, as if pricked by needles
Pseudo gonorrhoea (balanoblennorrhoea) with fetid secretion of a yellowish-green colour
Red and smooth ulcers on the glans, and in the internal surface of the prepuce, with sanious and yellowish secretion
Pollutions
Involuntary seminal emissions during sleep (without dreams or erections).
Respiratory Organs
Painful cough, as if a stone were depressing the pleura
Yellow, puriform expectoration, in consequence of the cough
Sensation of cold in the respiratory organs, on taking a deep inspiration; inclination to cough, with difficult hawking up of bronchial mucus (in the morning)
Crowing during inspiration
Violent, spasmodic cough, "firing minute-guns" of short, barking cough all day
Whooping-cough, or other rapid cough, attacks following so closely as almost to run into one another; cough till patient falls back exhausted
Cough with morning aggravation; smothering sensation before paroxysms
Cold expectoration.
Neck And Back
Stiffness in nape of neck.—Pain, as if the small of the back were broken.
Upper Limbs
Pressive pain in the shoulder-blades, aggravated by coughing
Pain in the wrists, as if he had been writing much and rapidly
Pains in the shoulder-joints, as if the head of the humerus were pressed violently outwards
Smooth spots of a deep-red colour, in the palms of the hands and in the fingers.
Lower Limbs
Pain in the knees, tibia and tarsal joint, as if he had walked a great deal.
Generalities
Failing of the limbs, after the least exercise in the open air.—Sensation of cold in the hot parts, on uncovering them.—The symptoms of heat and cold are > by artificial heat.
Skin
Red and smooth spots on the skin
Smooth spots on the palms of the hands and fingers, first of a coral colour, then dark-red, and lastly copper-coloured
Measles; purpura; psoriasis.
Sleep
Yawning, violent, frequent and in rapid succession, with pain in the articulation of the jaw
Great sleepiness; falls asleep while standing
As soon as she falls asleep she starts up, on account of frightful dreams
Cannot sleep before midnight tosses about; if he uncovers himself, he feels too cold, and when covered, he feels too hot.
Fever
Pulse full and hard
Chill; the skin is of the ordinary temperature, with headache and violent thirst;
> by external heat
Febrile shivering, with burning thirst, and pains in the forehead
Dry heat, internally and externally, with full and hard pulse
Dry heat without thirst, and not followed by perspiration
The hot parts feel cold when uncovered.