Cistus Canadensis
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Rockrose ; Iceplant ; Frostweed. Cistaceæ.
"It is an old, popular medicine in this country for all kinds of scrofulous diseases.
It grows on low, dry, mica slate hills and serpentine rocks. It is abundant at the foot of Pine Rock, New Haven, on the barren plains, and seems to be dependent on the presence of talc (magnesia).
It is said that in the months of November and December these plants send out near the roots broad, thin, curved ice crystals, about an inch in breadth, which wilt in the day and are renewed in the morning."
Proved under the supervision of Dr. Hering, by J. H. Bute, in 1835-6, with the tincture and first centesimal potency, and by Gosewich, with globules of the X., in 1837. See Hering's Monograph, Philadelphia, 1866, or Hale's New Remedies.
"It has been recommended in hospital gangrene, phagedenic ulcers, bites of rabid animals, poisoned wounds, etc., a wash to arrest fetid discharges, ozæna, leucorrhœa, gonorrhœa, gargle in diphtheria, etc." --U. S. D.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Sore throat , Guernsey, Hering's Monograph ; Colic after acid fruit , Lilienthal, Hering's Mon. ; Chronic dysentery , T. J. Comstock, Am. Hom. Obs., vol. 1, p. 123 ; Mastitis , Pehrson & Guernsey, Hering's Mon ; Cough, with tumors on neck , D. A. Tyler, Am. Hom. Obs., vol. 3, p. 474 ; Goitre and erysipelas , Gabalda, Hering's Mon. ; White swelling of knee joint , Bradshaw, M. H. Rev., vol. 13, p. 28 ; Intermittent fever , Marenberg, Organon, vol. 3, p. 361 ; Scrofula, etc ., Bute and Ives, Hering's Mon. ; Herpes , C. Hg, Hering's Mon.
MIND [1]
Cheerfulness after supper, until bedtime.
All mental excitement increases the suffering.
Bad effects of vexation ; feels as if paralyzed.
Every mental excitement is followed by stitches in throat, producing cough.
Mental agitation increases cough.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo.
INNER HEAD [3]
Headache in sinciput after being kept waiting for dinner ; > after eating, < towards evening and lasts all night ; in right side, with piercing pain in eye.
Pressure above eyes in forehead.
Violent pain in head ; stitches from temples into ears. θ Intermittent fever.
Sick headache with chilliness.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Forehead cold, and sensation of coolness inside forehead, in a very warm room.
Pressing pain at root of nose with headache.
Head drawn to one side by swellings in neck.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Pressure above eyes and feeling of weight.
Stitches in left eye.
Left eye most affected.
Scrofulous inflammation of long standing ; feeling as if something was passing around in eye, with stitches.
Spasmodic, piercing pain in middle of upper rim of right orbit, with some headache on that side.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Itching : in ears ; intense and deep in l. ear.
Stitches from temples into ears, swelling below and behind ears. θ Intermittent fever.
Discharge from ears ; watery, bad smelling pus ; inner swelling of ears.
Tetters on and around ears, extending into external meatus.
Swelling beginning at ear, and extending half way up cheek.
Swelling of parotids.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Cold feeling or burning in nose.
Frequent and violent sneezing, mostly evening and morning ; chronic nasal catarrh.
Left side inflamed and swollen ; burning sensation in left nostril.
Tip of nose painful.
Eczema of nose.
UPPER FACE [8]
Feeling as if facial muscles would be drawn to one side.
Flushes of heat in face.
Heat and burning in face and bones of face.
Half way up cheek, swelling at ear. θ Parotitis.
Vesicular erysipelas on face.
Sharp shooting, intolerable itching, and thick crusts, with burning on right zygoma.
Lupus on face.
LOWER FACE [9]
Caries of lower jaw ; with suppurating glands on neck.
Open, bleeding cancer on lower lip.
Lupus exedens about mouth and nose.
Pains in all the joints of face ; drawing, tearing ; < in evening.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Twitching, stitching toothache in an upper left molar, which was decayed.
Scorbutic, swollen gums, separating from teeth ; easily bleeding, putrid, disgusting.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Dryness of tongue and roof of mouth.
Tongue sore, surface as if raw.
Sensation of coldness of tongue, larynx and trachea ; saliva is cool ; breath feels cold.
Impure breath.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Scorbutis.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Coolness particularly in throat, continues all day.
A feeling of softness in throat.
A feeling as if sand was in throat.
Continuous feeling of dryness and heat in throat, < after sleeping, eating and drinking.
Dryness of throat from midday until 1 till 3 A. M., then > until next noon.
A small dry spot in gullet ; < after sleeping ; must get up and drink ; > after eating ; throat looks glassy ; on back of throat stripes of tough mucus.
Must swallow saliva to relieve unbearable dryness, especially during night.
Periodical itching in throat.
Crawling-itching in throat and fauces.
Rawness extending from chest into throat.
Burning in throat high up in cavity posterior to uvula.
Stitches in throat cause cough ; when mentally agitated.
Tearing pain in throat when coughing.
Tickling and soreness in throat.
Sore throat from inhaling the least cold air, not from warm air.
Sore pain in throat and dryness of tongue, in morning.
Fauces inflamed and dry, without feeling of dryness.
Hawking of mucus, tough, gum-like, thick, tasteless ; mostly mornings.
Expectoration of bitter mucus.
After discharging phlegm from throat he feels generally much relieved.
Scrofulous swelling and suppuration of glands of throat.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Desire for acid food and fruits, but pain and diarrhœa follow after eating them.
Desire for cheese.
Thirst, with fever.
EATING AND DRINKING [15]
Eating and drinking relieve dry throat and pain in sinciput.
After eating : pain in stomach ; cold feeling in stomach ; after fruit or coffee, diarrhœa.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Empty and cool eructations.
Eructation, with feeling as though it would relieve.
Frequent nausea ; nausea with diarrhœa.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Cool feeling in stomach before and after eating.
Pain in stomach after eating, with diarrhœa.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Much flatulence and pain in hypochondria.
Bruised pain under hypochondria, with flatulence, in morning on awaking.
Stitches in left hypochondrium.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Cool feeling in whole abdomen.
Flatulence and bruised pain in hypochondria ; evening and night.
Belly puffed up with flatulency.
Itching of belly and umbilicus.
Colic with diarrhœa.
Pain in groin coming from back.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Thin, greyish-yellow, hot stools, squirting out ; irresistible urging ; < after part of night until noon.
Diarrhœa : from coffee, acid fruits ; with goitre ; chronic ; in wet weather ; in scrawny, scrofulous children.
Discharge of much flatus.
Irresistible urging to stool early in morning.
Diarrhœa with desire for acid food, nausea, pain in stomach after eating, or swelling and suppuration of cervical glands.
Chronic dysentery.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Itching on scrotum.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Catamenia absent after erysipelas.
Induration and inflammation of mamma.
Left mamma inflamed, suppurating, with a feeling of fulness in chest ; sensibility to cold air ; scrofulous.
Cancer of mamma.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Inhaled air feels cool in larynx and trachea.
Itching and scratching in larynx at night, with anxious dreams.
Dryness in larynx.
Chronic itching in larynx and trachea.
Feeling as if windpipe had not space enough.
Pain in trachea.
Goitre size of a hen's egg ; frequent diarrhœa.
RESPIRATION [26]
Impure or cold breath.
Asthmatic in evening after lying down and at night ; loud wheezing ; sensation as if trachea had not space enough.
In evening soon after lying down a sensation as if ants were running through whole body ; then anxious, difficult breathing ; is obliged to get up and open window ; fresh air relieves him ; immediately on lying down again these sensations return.
Inhaling slightest cold air causes sore throat, which he has not when inhaling in a warm room.
COUGH [27]
Cough < by mental agitation.
Cough from stitches in throat ; with painful tearing in throat ; neck studded with tumors.
Expectoration of bitter mucus.
After raising phlegm he feels very much relieved.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Pressure on chest.
Fulness in chest.
Raw feeling in upper chest, extending up into throat.
Pain in chest accompanied by desire to eructate.
Pain in chest and shoulder.
OUTER CHEST [30]
Chest hurts when touched.
Pressure on chest.
Small painful pimples, which bleed easily and heal slowly, across shoulders and on breast.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Scrofulous swelling and suppuration of glands of throat.
Itching and scratching on outside of throat near larynx.
Itching on back.
Below right shoulder blade, extending around to front of body, a very much inflamed spot, about size of palm of hand, painfully sore to touch ; soon after pimples appear on this spot in a large group, causing violent burning ; later, rheumatoid pain from this spot into l. hip and groin, < from motion.
Eruption on back like zoster.
Scrofulous ulcers on back.
Burning, bruised pain in os coccygis, preventing sitting ; < from touch.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Pain in front of right shoulder.
Violent pain in left shoulder and chest ; feels as if eructation would relieve it.
Tearing pain in nerves of shoulder, drawing pain in ulnar nerve, pain extending to point of little finger.
Periodical, sensitive, piercing, drawing pain in arm, extending to tip of little finger, drawing it up.
Right arm and back of hand painfully sensitive to least touch.
Sprained pain in wrists, drawing and scraping.
In hands, drawing, trembling feelings.
Bad pain on right hand, in afternoon, so that he cannot use it.
Hard, thickened places on hands of workmen, with deep, oblique cracks.
Tetter on hands ; blisters, oozing after scratching, with hot swelling.
Tearing in finger joints.
Pain in fingers (right hand) while writing.
Panaritium.
Tips of fingers sensitive to cold air.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Scrofulous hip disease, with fistulous openings leading to bone, and ulcers on surface, with night sweats.
Pain as from a blow or shock in left buttock, going down on inside of thigh bone, distinctly felt in knee joint, and spasmodic drawing together of calf of leg.
Tearing pain in sciatic nerve.
Drawing, trembling feeling in lower extremities.
Pains in knee and right thigh, walking or sitting.
Tearing in knees ; evening.
Hard swelling around mercurial, syphilitic ulcers on legs.
Piercing pain in great right toe ; evening.
Cold feet.
Swelling of left leg, ulcer thereon ; skin copper-colored.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Bruised pain, as from fatigue.
Tearing pain in joints.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
After lying down in evening : asthmatic sensation as if ants were running through whole body ; anxious, difficult breathing, is obliged to get up and open window.
Sitting : pains in knee and right thigh.
While writing : pain in fingers of right hand.
Motion : < rheumatoid pain from inflamed spot under r. shoulder blade into left hip and groin.
Walking : pains in knee and right thigh.
NERVES [36]
Neuralgia.
Involuntary drawing and trembling feeling in muscular parts of hands and lower extremities, with pain in wrists, fingers and knee joints.
Trembling with fever.
A feeling of lassitude and depression through whole body.
Very sensitive to a draught of air.
SLEEP [37]
Restless at night ; pain from flatulence.
Sleeplessness from dryness of throat, constantly swallows saliva, must get up, dryness < after sleep.
Anxious dreams.
On awaking, pain under hypochondria.
TIME [38]
Early in morning : irresistible urging to stool.
In morning : frequent or violent sneezing ; sore pain in throat and dryness of tongue ; hawking of tough, gum-like, thick, tasteless mucus ; on awaking, bruised pain under hypochondria, with flatulence.
In afternoon : bad pain on right hand so that he cannot use it.
In evening : sick headache in right side, and piercing pain in eye < ; frequent and violent sneezing ; pain in all joints of face < ; flatulence with bruised pain in hypochondria ; after lying down, asthmatic ; as if ants were running through whole body ; tearing in knees ; piercing in right great toe ; tearing, piercing pain <.
At night : must swallow saliva to relieve unbearable dryness of throat ; flatulence and bruised pain in hypochondria ; itching and scratching in larynx, with anxious dreams ; asthmatic ; night sweats ; very restless ; sensation as if ants were running through whole body.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
In a very warm room ; forehead cold, and sensation of coolness inside forehead ; skin grows moist.
Draught of air : very sensitive to.
Fresh air : > anxious, difficult breathing, and sensation as if ants were running through whole body.
Cold air : sore throat from inhaling least ; sensibility of inflamed and suppurating left mamma ; tips of fingers sensitive ; < scrofula ; extremely sensitive to ; pains in throat from.
In wet weather : diarrhœa.
FEVER [40]
Chilliness ; chill succeeded by heat, with trembling, accompanied by a rapid swelling and great redness of glands below ear and in throat.
Cold feeling : in abdomen ; in larynx.
Cold feet.
Heat in face.
Heat with thirst, causing to drink frequently.
Intermittent fever, with violent pain in head, and swelling below and behind ears.
In a warm room, skin grows moist ; forehead externally cool, with an internal feeling of coolness.
Night sweats.
Sweats very easily.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Frequent : sneezing ; nausea ; diarrhœa ; drinking.
Spasmodic : piercing pain in middle of upper rim of right orbit.
All day : coolness in throat ; dryness of throat.
From noon until 3 A. M. : dryness in throat <.
After supper until bedtime : cheerfulness.
After part of night until noon : diarrhœa and urging <.
All night : sick headache in right side, with chilliness and piercing pain in eye.
Periodical : itching in throat ; pain in arm, extending to tip of little finger, drawing it up.
Intermittent fever.
Continuous : feeling of dryness and heat in throat ; swallowing of saliva.
Chronic : diarrhœa ; dysentery ; itching in larynx and trachea ; catarrh ; scrofulous inflammation.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : sick headache with piercing pain in eye ; spasmodic, piercing pain in middle of upper rim of orbit, with some headache on side ; sharp shooting, intolerable itching, and thick crusts, with burning on zygoma ; below shoulder blade, extending around to front of body, an inflamed spot, about as large as palm of hand, painfully sore to touch ; pain in front of shoulder ; arm and back of hand painfully sensitive to least touch ; bad pain in hand so that he cannot use it ; pain in fingers of hand while writing ; pain in knee and thigh, walking or sitting ; piercing in great toe.
Left : eye most affected ; stitches in eye ; intense and deep itching in ear ; side of nose inflamed and swollen ; burning sensation in nostril ; toothache in upper decayed molar ; stitches in hypochondrium ; mamma inflamed, suppurating ; rheumatoid pain in hip and groin, extending from inflamed spot below right shoulder blade ; violent pain in shoulder and chest ; pain as from a shock or blow in buttock, going down on inside of thigh bone, felt in knee joint, and spasmodic drawing together of calf of leg ; swelling of leg, ulcer thereon, skin copper colored.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if paralyzed ; as of coolness inside of forehead ; as of weight above eyes ; as if something was passing around in eye ; as if facial muscles would be drawn to one side ; surface of tongue as if raw ; as of softness, in throat ; as if sand was in throat ; as if windpipe had not space enough ; as if ants were running through whole body ; as if eructation would relieve violent pain in left shoulder and chest ; as from a blow or shock in left buttock, going down on inside of thigh bone, distinctly felt at knee joint, and spasmodic drawing together of calf of leg ; as of lassitude and depression through whole body.
Pain : in head violent ; in tip of nose ; in all joints of face ; in sinciput, > by eating and drinking ; in stomach, after eating ; in hypochondria ; in groin, coming from back ; in trachea ; in chest, with desire to eructate ; in chest and shoulder ; in front of right shoulder ; violent in l. shoulder and chest ; on right hand ; in fingers ; (r. hand) while writing ; in knee and right thigh ; in wrists, fingers, and knee joints ; under hypochondria on awaking ; in head.
Piercing : in eye ; in arm, extending to tip of little finger ; in right great toe.
Spasmodic piercing : in middle of upper rim of right orbit.
Stitches : in throat ; from temple into ears ; in left eye ; in upper left decayed molar ; in left hypochondrium ; sharp shooting on right zygoma.
Scraping : in wrists.
Scratching : in larynx ; on outside of throat near larynx.
Tearing : in all joints of face ; in throat when coughing ; in nerves of shoulder ; in finger joints ; in sciatic nerve ; in knees ; in joints.
Drawing : in all joints of face ; in ulnar nerve ; pain extending to point of little finger ; in wrists ; in hands ; in lower extremities.
Involuntary drawing feeling in muscular parts of hands and lower extremities.
Burning : in nose ; in left nostril ; in face and bones of face ; on right zygoma ; in throat high up in cavity posterior to uvula ; in inflamed spot about as large as palm of hand below right shoulder blade ; in os coccygis.
Soreness : of tongue ; in throat.
Rawness : from chest into throat.
Pressing pain : at root of nose.
Pressure : in forehead above eyes ; on chest.
Sprained pain : in wrists.
Bruised pain : under hypochondria ; in hypochondria at evening and at night ; in os coccygis ; in limbs.
Rheumatoid pain : from inflamed spot below right shoulder blade, into left hip and groin.
Sensitive pain : in arm, extending to tip of little finger.
Fulness : in chest, with inflammation and suppuration of l. mamma.
Twitching : in upper left decayed molar.
Trembling feeling : in hands ; in lower extremities ; in muscular parts of hands and lower extremities.
Crawling-itching : in throat and fauces.
Tickling : in throat.
Itching : in ears ; intense and deep in left ear ; intolerable on right zygoma ; in throat ; of belly and umbilicus ; of scrotum ; in larynx ; at night ; on outside of throat near larynx ; on back ; all over body.
Dryness : of tongue and roof of mouth ; in throat ; of small spot in gullet ; in larynx ; in trachea.
Heat : in face and bones of face ; in throat.
Cool feeling : in throat ; of eructations ; in stomach ; in whole abdomen ; of inhaled air in larynx and trachea ; inside forehead.
Cold feeling : in nose ; in stomach ; in abdomen ; in larynx ; of tongue and trachea.
TISSUES [44]
Glands swollen, inflamed, indurated, or suppurating ; scrofula ; caries ; old ulcers.
Chronic catarrh, with strumous disease of glands.
Chronic diarrhœa and dysentery.
(OBS :) Hospital gangrene, phagedenic ulcers, bites of rabid animals, poisoned wounds, etc., a wash to arrest fetid discharges, ozæna, leucorrhœa, gonorrhœa, gargle in diphtheria.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
When touched : chest hurts.
Touch : below right shoulder blade, extending around to front of body, a very much inflamed spot, about size of palm of hand, painfully sore to ; pain in os coccygis ; right arm and back of hand painfully sensitive to least.
Scratching : oozing from blisters on hand after.
SKIN [46]
Itching all over body, without eruption ; sensation as of ants running through whole body, especially at night.
Herpetic eruption on various parts.
Scrofula ; extremely sensitive to cold air.
Mercurio-syphilitic ulcers, surrounded by hard swelling ; on lower limbs.
Adenitis.
Panaritium.
Small, painful pimples, which bleed easily and heal slowly, across shoulders and on breast.
Vesicular erysipelas on face.
Lupus on face.
Eruptions on back like zoster.
Furuncles which commenced with a number of small blisters.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Scrofulous subjects with great sensitiveness to cold air.
A lad, æt. 7 years ; scrofulous hip disease.
Mrs. C., æt. 19 ; delicate constitution ; cough with neck thickly studded with tumors.
RELATIONS [48]
Antidotes : Rhus tox., Camphor (?), Sepia (swollen nose).
Compatible : Magnesium (the plant requires a magnesian soil), Bellad., Carb. veg., Phosphor .
Incompatible : Coffee causes diarrhœa.
Compare : Argent. nitr., Bellad., Calc. carb., Carb. veg . (cold breath), Corydalis, Graphit., Hepar, Kali bich., Laches., Nitr. ac., Paris quad., Phosphor., Sulphur (stool in morning with urging).