Causticum

LARYNGITIS.

Causticum. Acute or chronic when there is sense of rawness or soreness in throat and larynx, sometimes extending down the trachea, with soreness on coughing even through the whole chest. There may be partial or complete loss of voice; the hoarseness is generally < in the morning (Carbo veg. evening). Sometimes involuntary escape of urine with the cough.

BRONCHITIS.

ACUTE BRONCHITIS.

Causticum coughs hard and dry with great SORE-NESS from larynx down through trachea into the chest. There is apt to be great hoarseness < in the morning, and involuntary escape of urine with the cough.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.

Causticum is a remedy of which the old school knows almost nothing, and it is not well understood by all who call themselves homœopaths.

It is of first importance in those cases where laryngeal trouble is the first symptom. There is great hoarseness, worse in the morning, with rawness, burning and soreness in the chest. Dry, hacking COUGH, with soreness in the chest and in a streak down the trachea. There is sometimes involuntary spurting of urine with the cough, cough is worse when exhaling and is relieved by a swallow of cold water. There is very little expectoration. It cannot be raised but must be swallowed. The hoarseness and inability to expectorate seems to be due to a weakness or semi-paralytic state, and general weakness and paralytic tendency seem to characterize this drug generally. Soreness, rawness and burning is found in all mucous membranes and especially in those of the respiratory tract. Psoric and sycotic manifestations are additional indications for the use of this remedy. It is often well followed by Sulphur or Carbo veg. This latter when the hoarseness changes from morning to evening. But we will have more to say of this latter remedy when we come to the second or more advanced stage of the disease.

COUGH.

Character—Mostly dry, sometimes mucus, which it is difficult to raise; must swallow it; hollow racking cough.

Aggravated—< by bending forward; from exhaling.

Ameliorated—> by a swallow of cold water.

Accompaniments—Sensation as if patient could not cough deep enough to raise mucus; soreness in chest as if raw; tightness of chest, wants to take a deep breath; pain in hip; involuntary escape of urine; hoarseness with rawness in throat and chest; worse MORNINGS; cannot speak aloud, muscles refuse to act; influenza with tired sensation in limbs and rheumatic pains.

One of our best remedies for cough, following after colds, the hoarseness, soreness and involuntary escape of’ urine being leading symptoms. The soreness in the chest may be compared with Bryonia, Eupatorium, Nux vomica and Natrum sulphuricum. The Bryonia often has pains in the head and is always < on movement. In Eupatorium the bone-pains are greatest. The Natrum sulph., unlike either, generally has loose cough with the soreness, and often a pain in left lower chest. Causticum is often attended with greater weakness, almost semi-paralytic. Arnica and Phosphorus must also be remembered in cough with soreness of the chest, both having peculiar symptoms accompanying by which to differentiate.