Guajacum Officinale

Resin of Lignum Vitæ

by William Boericke — Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory

(GUAIACUM)

Chief action on fibrous tissue, and is especially adapted to the arthritic diathesis, rheumatism, and tonsillitis. Secondary syphilis. Very valuable in acute rheumatism. Free foul secretions. Unclean odor from whole body . Promotes suppuration of abscesses. Sensitiveness and aggravation from local heat. Contraction of limbs, stiffness and immobility. Feeling that he must stretch.

Mind

Forgetful; thoughtless; staring. Slow to comprehend.

Head

Gouty and rheumatic pain in head and face, extending to neck . Tearing pain in skull; worse, cold, wet weather. Feels swollen, and blood-vessels distended. Aching in left ear. Pains often end in a stitch , especially in head.

Eyes

Pupils dilated. Eyelids appear too short. Pimples around eyes.

Throat

Rheumatic sore throat with weak throat muscles. Throat dry, burns, swollen, stitches toward ear. Acute tonsillitis . Syphilitic sore throat.

Stomach

Tongue furred. Desire for apples and other fruits. Aversion to milk. Burning in stomach. Constricted epigastric region.

Abdomen

Intestinal fermentation. Much wind in bowels. Diarrhœa, cholera infantum.

Urinary

Sharp stitches after urinating. Constant desire.

Respiratory

Feels suffocated . Dry, tight cough. Fetid breath after coughing. Pleuritic stitches . Chest pains in articulations of ribs, with shortness of breathing till expectoration sets in.

Female

Ovaritis in rheumatic patients, with irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhœa, and irritable bladder.

Back

Pain from head to neck. Aching in nape. Stiff neck and sore shoulders . Stitches between scapulæ to occiput. Contractive pain between scapulæ.

Extremities

Rheumatic pain in shoulders, arms and hands. Growing pains ( Phos ac ). Pricking in nates. Sciatica and lumbago. Gouty tearing, with contractions. Immovable stiffness. Ankle pain extending up the leg, causing lameness. Joints swollen, painful, and intolerant of pressure; can bear no heat. Stinging pain in limbs. Arthritic lancinations followed by contraction of limbs. A feeling of heat in the affected limbs.

Modalities

Worse , from motion, heat, cold wet weather; pressure, touch, from 6 pm to 4 am. Better , external pressure.

Relationship

Guaiacol (in the treatment of gonorrhœal epididymitis, 2 parts to 30 vaselin, locally).

Antidote: Nux . Follow Sepia.

Compare: Merc; Caust; Rhus; Mezer; Rhodod .

Dose

Tincture, to sixth attenuation.

Guajacum Officinale across the other classic books

Guajacum Officinale appears in 8 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“Secretions: Glands. TONSILS. Ovaries. Skin. Fibrous tissue: Ligaments. Joints. Chest. HEAT. Touch. Motion. Exertion. Rapid growth. Mercury. Cold (locally). Apples. Rigid , painfully swelled joints. Arthritic symptoms. FREE, FOUL SECRETIONS, expectoration, sweats, etc. Impending suppuration, quinsy, old bronchitis…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Gum guaiacum. Guaiacum officinale. The gum-resin of Lignum sanctum or Lignum vitæ, a large tree growing in W. Indies. N. O. Zygophyllaceæ. Tincture of the gum-resin. Abscess / Amenorrhœa / Aneurism / Bones, affections of / Bronchitis / Caries / Cholera infantum / Constipation / Contraction / Cough / Diarrhœa /…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Gum Resin of Lignum Vitæ. Zygophilleæ. A large tree growing in the West Indies. The tincture is prepared from the resin. Introduced by Hahnemann (Chr. Krankheiten) and proved by himself, Hartmann, Langhammer, Teuthorn, etc. CLINICAL AUTHORITIES. Neuralgia , Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 88 ; Sharp, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol…”
Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“This is a very deep acting remedy, even deep enough to cure the symptoms of and turn into order a constitution that is rheumatic, gouty, and has inherited phthisis. Rheumatism: These patients are subject to diarrhoea; the tendons are too short, or they have abscesses, catarrhal troubles, bronchitis. Drawing, tension…”
Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Forgetfulness, especially of names. Thoughtless staring during the morning. Violent sharp stitches in the brain. Rheumatic pains in one side of the head, extending to the face. External headache, with the sensation as if the blood-vessels were overfilled. Pulsative throbbing in the outer parts of the head, with…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: lignum vitae. Gouty nodosities (Am-M., Caust., Benz-Ac., Lyc., Sars.) (D.). The affected parts are very sensitive to contact (Arn., Kali-C., Lach.). Rheumatic affections, with contraction of the flexors and stiffness of the joints (Am-M., Caust., Cimex, Nat-M.) (A.). JOINTS BECOME DISTORTED BY CONCRETIONS…”
Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Cough with expectoration of fœtid pus.”

Guajacum Officinale in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Guajacum Officinale in 844 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (218), GENERALITIES (118), HEAD (95), BACK (46), MIND (44).

BACK - PAIN - contracting - Dorsal region - scapulae - between
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Leg - growing pains
BACK - PAIN - contracting
BACK - PAIN - drawing - Dorsal region
EYE - SWOLLEN - sensation of swelling
EYE - OPEN lids
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - rheumatic - mercury,abuse of
FACE - EXPRESSION, - old looking
RECTUM - CHOLERA - morbus
EXTREMITIES - TENSION - Thigh - hamstrings
EXTREMITIES - CONTRACTION of muscles and tendons - Thigh - hamstrings
BACK - PAIN - drawing - Dorsal region - scapulae - between
EXTREMITIES - CONTRACTION of muscles and tendons - Knee,hollow of
RECTUM - CHOLERA - infantum
EYE - SWOLLEN
GENERALITIES - PAIN - stitching - tearing in muscles
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - tearing - Joints
EXPECTORATION - ODOR - offensive
THROAT - INFLAMMATION - Tonsils
HEAD - PERSPIRATION scalp

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