Theridion Curassavicum
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Orange Spider. Araneideæ.
A small spider known to people as very poisonous, chiefly found in the island of uraçoa.
This spider, about the size of a cherry stone, is found upon orange trees in the West Indies. When young it is velvety-black in appearance, marked with antero-posterior lines composed of white dots ; on posterior part of body there are three orange-red spots, while upon belly there is a large square yellow spot. --Am. Hom. Pharmacopœia.
The alcoholic tincture is prepared from the live spider crushed.
Introduced and proved by Hering in 1832 ; symptoms printed in Stapf's Archives, vol. 14, p. 157.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Vertigo , Cochran, Hah. Mo., vol. 5, p. 24 ; Affection of head , Berridge, A. J. H. M. M., vol. 4, p. 84 ; Nasal catarrh , Korndoerfer, Hah. Mo., vol. 12, p. 36 ; Hepatic disorder , --- Hom. Cl., vol. 1, p. 31 ; Cough , Simmons, Hom. Phys., Dec., 1889 ; Clark, Hom. Phys., vol. 9, p. 135 ; Spinal irritation , Farley, Hom. Phys., vol. 9, p. 135 ; Hysteria , Mohr, Hah. Mo., vol. 24, p. 811 ; Korndoerfer, MSS. ; Scrofulosis , Baruch, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 444 ; Hom. Phys., vol. 8, p. 331 ; Scrofula , corroborations, C. Neidhard, Philadelphia.
MIND [1]
Time passes too quickly.
Talkative, inclined to mental exertion ; hilarity.
Want of self-confidence. θ Hysteria.
Great aversion to work ; especially to his usual avocation.
Great depression during headache ; weeping during toothache.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo : with nausea even to vomiting ; < from stooping, from least movement ; on closing eyes ; on board a vessel ; from every noise or sound ; with cold sweat ; awakes from sleep at night, at 11 o'clock ; with slow pulse.
It feels so thick in her head as if it were another strange head ; nausea and vomiting on least movement, particularly on closing eyes.
Vertigo with blindness caused by pain in eyes.
Whenever she closes her eyes she is afflicted with nausea and vertigo, < by noise and motion.
INNER HEAD [3]
Violent frontal headache with throbbing extending into occiput.
Violent frontal headache with heavy dull pressure behind eyes.
Heavy pressure on head ; pressing downward. θ Hysteria.
Headache on beginning to move.
Headache which she cannot describe or make clear to herself.
For fourteen days feeling as if vertex did not belong to her ; it felt as if separated from rest of head, as if she could lift it off ; felt she would like to remove it.
Headache deep in socket of eyes, < in left eye ; head feels thick. θ Hysteria.
Sunstroke.
It feels so thick in her head as if it were another strange head, or as if she had something else upon it.
Head very much oppressed and heavy.
Oppression and fulness behind ears.
Headache behind eyes.
Headache like a pressing band in root of nose and over and around ears.
Pressing together in temples.
Stinging in left temple.
Suddenly in morning pressing pain over left eye, < by slightest motion, talking ; sickness of stomach with retching ; > from drinking warm water ; bowels open twice with colic and flatulency, after which head is <.
Throbbing over left eye and across forehead ; also in a slight degree in right eye, with sick stomach, particularly on rising from a reclining position, like seasickness.
Head internally hot, oppressed and heavy ; at same time joyousness and singing.
Evenings while walking is attacked with general headache with great depression.
Owing to pains deep in brain she must sit or walk ; it is impossible to lie.
Headache with nausea and vomiting like seasickness, and shaking chills. θ Climacteric period.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Itching on scalp.
Itching on head and nape of neck, in evening.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Flickering before eyes in frequent paroxysms, even when closing eyes ; like a veil before eyes ; she must lie down. θ Hysteria.
Sensitive to light ; things look double ; fluttering, nausea and cold hands.
Dizziness and confusion of vision, everything went together, and became indistinct. θ Hysteria.
Hard, heavy dull pressure behind eyes.
Twitching in right eye.
On awaking, burning pain, internally, above inner canthus.
Sensitiveness to light ; when in light she experiences a dark sparkling before eyes ; everything appears double, and through this fluttering nausea is created ; cold hands ; long afterward dares not stoop.
(In sick :) Nausea while closing eyes ; changed into nausea when opening eyes (relieved by Moschus).
On closing eyes nausea and vomiting.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Worse from least noise, every shrill sound and reverberation penetrates her whole body, especially teeth, makes vertigo <, and causes nausea.
Rushing in both ears like a waterfall ; roaring.
Itching behind ears ; would like to scratch them off.
Pressure above ears ; fulness behind ears.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Sneezing ; watery discharge, < in evening.
Chronic, offensive-smelling discharge, thick, yellow or yellowish-green. θ Nasal catarrh. θ Scrofulous ozæna.
Pressure in root of nose and heaviness.
Nose dry as if too much air passed in ; itching in nose.
Paroxysms of frequent violent sneezing, and frequent necessity of blowing nose ; heaviness deep in upper nose.
UPPER FACE [8]
Face pale.
LOWER FACE [9]
In morning on awaking and sometimes at other times of day, lower jaw is immovable. θ Tetanus.
Froth before mouth with shaking chill.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Cool water affects teeth as if too cold.
Every shrill sound penetrates teeth.
Toothache in afternoon and evening causes weeping.
Burning, tensive pain in teeth, gums and palate.
Soreness of gums.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Mouth feels furred, benumbed ; no proper taste ; tongue as if burned.
Salty taste, hawking of salty mucus.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Mouth feels numb or slimy.
Foam at mouth during chill.
Mouth and nose feel too dry ; as if too much air were passing into mouth.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Sore throat ; chilly ; bones sore ; difficult swallowing ; constipation ; urine scanty and high-colored.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Desire for wine, brandy, tobacco and acidulous fruits and drinks.
Much thirst.
Desire for food, does not know what to eat ; craves oranges and bananas. θ Hysteria.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Nausea : with headache ; on rising in morning ; from sounds ; with vertigo ; on closing eyes ; like seasickness ; from sparkling before eyes ; when gazing steadfastly on an object ; on motion ; from talking ; from fast riding in a carriage.
A woman having had in childbed a violent spell of sickness at end of first week and apparently recovered, was, in third week after washing clothes, suddenly attacked by nausea and vomiting ; after it very pale and sick at stomach as soon as she closed her eyes, with vanishing of thoughts.
Nausea increased to vomiting during vertigo.
Nausea and vomiting like seasickness, with headache.
Vomiting : from vertigo, on least motion ; first of slimy, acrid water, then ineffectual retching ; of bile in morning ; of bile at 4 A. M., chronic consumption, cough.
Nausea and retching > by drinking warm water.
Seasickness of nervous women ; they shut their eyes to get rid of motion of vessel, and grow deathly sick.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Sensitiveness of region of stomach and epigastrium.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Violent burning pain in hepatic region < from touch ; retching, bilious vomit.
Abscess of liver ; vertigo and nausea.
Anthrax of sheep, with great tumefaction of hypogastrium and great thirst.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Pain in groins, after coitus.
Pains in region of groin on motion ; when she draws up her leg it seems as if some one tapped her hard on groin.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Small, soft stool daily, with much straining.
Diarrhœa without colic, with vomiting and vertigo at night.
Spasmodic contraction of rectum and anus.
Bowels open twice with colic and flatulency, after which headache is <.
Heaviness in perineal region noticeable at every step ; it seems to him as if a lump were lying there.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Increased urination.
Has to get up four or five times at night to pass water, does not pass much during day.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Sexual desire lessened ; weak erection during coition ; after coitus, pain in groins.
Seminal emission during siesta, with great force.
Small red spots upon glans.
Scrotum very much shrivelled.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Hysteria : during puberty ; at climaxis.
Menses omitted more than ten weeks in a woman in climacteric years ; gave birth to a son in following year.
Bruised sore pain in both ovarian regions, < from motion and pressure ; pain in lower part of abdomen, like labor pains, with sensation as if a child were bounding in body ; tickling in both sides. θ Hysteria.
RESPIRATION [26]
Increased inclination to take deep breaths, to sigh.
Difficulty in breathing on going up and down stairs. θ Hysteria.
COUGH [27]
Night cough.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Violent stitches in chest beneath l. shoulder through to throat.
Phthisis florida, in beginning.
Pinching stitches in left pectoral muscle.
Pressure as if something in œsophagus were slipping toward epigastrium, taking away breath for a few moments.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Anxiety about heart ; sharp pains radiate to arm and left shoulder. θ Climaxis.
Pulse slow with vertigo.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Itching in nape of neck, at edge of shoulder and on back.
Pain between shoulders.
Spinal irritation ; great sensitiveness between vertebræ sits sideways in a chair to avoid pressure against spine.
Could not bear least noise, and jar of foot on floor was so aggravating that it made her cry out. θ Spinal irritation.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Stinging pain from elbow to shoulder.
Violent burning itching on inner and upper part of left ringfinger ; spot becomes very red, soon disappears.
Small hard pimple beside ball of thumb.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Itching and nodes on nates.
In evening, while sitting, and later, peculiar drawing in r. thigh ; it began in hip and passed downward with a cold sensation below knee ; it felt everywhere cold, internally, but not to touch ; external warmth was agreeable.
Little toe pains as if pressed in walking.
Violent itching on calf.
Swelling of feet.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Pains in bones as if broken, as if they were about to fall asunder.
Heaviness in limbs before chill.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Lying : impossible, pains deep in brain ; must lie down with flickering before eyes.
Sitting : drawing in right thigh.
Stooping : < vertigo.
On rising : sick stomach <.
Drawing up leg : as if some one tapped her on groin.
Motion : least, vertigo < ; < headache ; pain over left eye < ; nausea < ; vomiting < ; pains in groin ; pain in ovarian regions.
Walking : headache with depression ; little toe pains ; sweats easily.
After every exertion : fainting.
Going up and down stairs : dyspnœa.
After washing clothes : nausea and fainting.
NERVES [36]
Every shrill sound and reverberation penetrates through her whole body, particularly through teeth, and increases vertigo, which causes nausea.
Hysteria during puberty and in climacteric years, and from spinal irritation ; is sensitive to light, faints after every exertion, and has weakness, trembling, chilliness and anxiety ; restless, must busy herself about something, though nothing gives her pleasure ; great sensitiveness to noise and sensitiveness between vertebræ, sits sideways in a chair to avoid pressure.
From washing clothes in third week after confinement, attack of fainting.
(In sick :) Could not move hands or feet ; sitting with feet crossed, could not uncross them ; head bent down on chest ; eyes partially closed, could not move any part of body ; looks and feels as if dying, but hears and understands all that is said. θ Hysteria.
Great lassitude and debility as if from great losses of blood. θ Anemia.
Tetanus.
SLEEP [37]
Sleepy all morning.
Deep night sleep.
During sleep bites tip of tongue.
Long and dreamful midday sleep ; dreams of journeys in distant regions and riding on horses ; a person who scarcely ever sat upon a horse.
Dreams that he broke off a tooth.
TIME [38]
At 4 A. M. : vomiting of bile.
Morning : lower jaw immovable ; nausea ; vomiting of bile ; sleepy.
Midday : long and dreamful sleep.
Afternoon : toothache.
Evening : headache with depression ; itching on head and back of neck ; coryza < ; toothache ; drawing in right thigh.
At 11 P. M. : wakes with vertigo.
Night : cough ; deep sleep ; vomiting.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Temperature and Weather
Warm water : nausea and retching >.
Warmth : agreeable ; pain in right leg with cold sensation.
FEVER [40]
Shaking chill ; with foam at mouth ; during headache with vomiting.
Bones pain as if they would fall asunder ; coldness, cannot get warm.
Sweats easily after walking.
Icy sweat covers body, with fainting and vertigo, and vomiting at night.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
For more than ten weeks : menses omitted.
During puberty : hysteria.
At climaxis : hysteria ; suppression of menses.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Left : throbbing over eye and across forehead ; pain in socket of eye ; stinging in temple ; pressing pain over eye ; stitches from shoulder to throat ; stitches in pectoral muscle ; pains from heart to shoulder and arm ; burning itching on ring finger.
Right : twitching in eye.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if her head were another, strange head ; as if vertex did not below to her ; like a pressing band in root of nose and about ears ; as of a veil before eyes ; as if too much air passed into nose and mouth ; mouth as if furred, benumbed ; as if some one tapped her on groin when raising leg ; as if a lump were lying in perineal region ; like labor pains in lower part of abdomen ; as if a child were bounding in body ; as if something in œsophagus were slipping toward epigastrium ; as if bones were broken and would fall asunder ; feels as if dying.
Pain : deep in brain ; in region of groin ; between shoulders.
Sharp pain : from heart to left shoulder and arm.
Stitches : beneath left shoulder through to throat.
Pinching stitches : in left pectoral muscle.
Stinging : in left temple ; from elbow to shoulder.
Burning : above inner canthus ; in teeth, gums and palate ; in hepatic region ; in left ring finger.
Bruised pain : in ovarian regions.
Soreness : in throat ; in bones.
Pressure : behind eyes ; on head ; in temples ; over left eye ; above ears ; in root of nose ; in little toe.
Drawing : in right thigh.
Throbbing : over left eye and across forehead ; in right eye.
Tensive pain : in teeth, gums and palate.
Fulness : in head ; behind ears.
Heaviness : in head ; in root of nose ; in perineal region ; in limbs.
Thickness : in head.
Numbness : in mouth.
Tickling : in both sides of abdomen.
Itching : in head ; in nape of neck ; behind ears ; in nose ; at edge of shoulder and on back ; in left ring finger ; on nates ; on calf ; of skin on various parts.
Dryness : in mouth and nose.
Coldness : below right knee.
TISSUES [44]
Hysteria ; spinal irritation.
Scrofula ; rachitis, caries, necrosis.
Bones pain as if they would fall asunder.
Chronic catarrh of nose, discharge offensive, thick, yellow or yellowish-green.
Phthisis florida.
Infantile atrophy, scrofulous enlargement of glands ; constant desire for food and drink, but does not know what.
Nodosities on various parts, especially buttocks ; scrofulosis.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : pain in hepatic region <.
Pressure : pain in ovarian regions ; spine sensitive.
Closing eyes : vertigo.
On board a vessel : vertigo and seasickness.
Riding in a carriage : nausea.
From person walking over floor : headache < ; spine sensitive, must cry out.
From least noise : headache < ; vertigo < ; penetrates whole body, especially teeth.
SKIN [46]
Violent itching.
Itching of skin on various parts of body. θ Hysteria.
Itching : on head ; behind ears ; in nose ; on back of neck ; on edge of shoulders ; on back ; on nates ; on calf.
Pimples near ball of thumb.
Knots on nates.
Scrofula.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Mrs. S., æt. 38, rather fleshy, bilious temperament, suffering several weeks ; vertigo.
XX, in W., suffered for five years from painful pressure in region of liver, with periodical vomiting.
Mrs. ---, symptoms of spasms during labor ; second month after confinement hysteria.
A woman, æt. 70 ; sick headache.
RELATIONS [48]
Antidoted by : Acon . (sensitiveness to noises) ; Moschus (nausea) ; Graphit .
Compatible : after Calcar . and Lycop .
Compare : Aranea .