Dulcamara

Affections caused by taking cold when the air changes suddenly from dry and warm to wet and cold.

Tongue and jaws become lame, if cold air or water chills them; neck stiff, back painful, loins lame, after taking cold.

Colic as if diarrhœa would occur, from taking cold.

Yellow watery diarrhœa with cutting colic before every stool, or dysentery from taking cold.

Most catarrhal states, with secretion of much mucus, caused by exposure to damp cold.

Dropsical swelling after suppressed sweat, or paralysis and other troubles from suppressed eruptions, after taking cold.

Modalities: < from wet, cold weather after warm, dry; at nights and when at rest; > rising from a seat; motion; warmth in general, and dry weather.

Glands; swell and hypertrophy on repeated exposures to cold, damp air, also acute and chronic tonsilitis.

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This remedy, like many others, finds its chief characteristic in its modality. “Complaints caused or aggravated by change of weather from warm to cold.” Of course all kinds of inflammatory and rheumatic diseases may spring from such a cause, and so Dulcamara comes to be indicated in a long list of them. For instance: After taking cold the neck gets stiff, back painful, and limbs lame, or the throat gets sore and quinsy results, with stiff tongue and jaws; the tongue may even become paralyzed. We see here a resemblance to Baryta carb., and indeed the two remedies complement each other nicely. If we had present in a sore throat the above mentioned stiffness and lameness, Dulcamara would be preferred. This cold in throat may travel downward and invade the bronchi and lungs, and cough and bloody expectoration result. It is especially apt to occur in children or old people this way, and then there is apt to be much mucous secretion, hard to raise, with threatened paralysis of the vagi. Here it again resembles Baryta carb. It also resembles it in the tendency to get these colds. Asthma humidum, loose cough and rattling of mucus is another affection, and the choice here may lie between Dulcamara and Natrum sulphuricum, which is another wet cold weather remedy. Colic and diarrhœa, from cold exposure, are often quickly relieved by Dulcamara, especially if taking place in hot weather, when the days or nights become suddenly cold; also dysentery. Let me repeat that it is a great remedy for back troubles from taking cold. I have made particular mention of these affections because such marked relief has followed its administration; but we need not by any means stop here. The bladder, skin or any other part of the body comes in for the beneficial action of this remedy, when we have present its characteristic modality. Dulcamara is for affections from damp cold, what Aconite is for the same from dry cold.