Hydrastis canadensis

by H. A. Roberts — The Rheumatic Remedies

Historical reference for practitioners and students. The statements below reflect the named author’s homeopathic teaching and do not establish treatment effectiveness. This text is not medical advice and must not replace appropriate diagnosis or care.

Hydrastis is not frequently indicated in rheumatic troubles, yet with the aching pains constantly shifting from the right to left side and associated with the chronic inflamed liver and its concomitant symptoms, it is sometimes very useful.

The sciatic pains of Hydrastis may be antidoted by Sulphur.

Hydrastis antidotes Mercury and Kali chlor.

NECK AND BACK

Muscles of neck feel sore.

Pain in back and shoulders.

Aching pain in small of back.

Debility and weakness in back, > from walking about.

Tired aching across small of back.

Stiffness of lumbar muscles after bending over for a short time, causing great difficulty in assuming an erect posture.

Dull heavy dragging pain and stiffness across small of back, making it hard to rise from a seat; must walk some time before being able to straighten up.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES

Aching pain from head to shoulders, < in left.

Rheumatic pains in elbow, forearm, right shoulder and first finger of left hand.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

Pain from right hip to knee while walking; cannot stand nor bear one’s weight.

Aching in legs with weakness.

Outer part of left knee aches while sitting, < from walking.

Aching pain in sole of left foot, not > by change of position.

Œdema of feet.

EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL

Shifting pains in right side, then go to left.

Tired aching pains in limbs.

CONCOMITANTS

FAINTNESS, “ GONENESS “; GREAT WEAKNESS AND PROSTRATION.

SORENESS IN RIGHT HYPOCHONDRIA; CUTTING PAINS.

SKIN YELLOW.

CONSTIPATION WITH LIGHT COLOURED STOOLS.

Hydrastis canadensis across the other classic books

Hydrastis canadensis appears in 13 of the 27 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.

Allen TF — A compiled symptom record drawing on proving reports and other named observations.
“Hydrastis Canadensis, Linn. Natural order , Ranunculaceæ. Common names , Orange-root, Yellow Puccoon. Preparation , Tincture of the root. Authorities. ( 1 - 16, Lippe's class provings , Hahn. Month., 2, 260)”
Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Golden Seal (HYDRASTIS) Acts especially on mucous membranes, relaxing them and producing a thick, yellowish, ropy secretion. The catarrh may be anywhere,-throat, stomach, uterus, urethra,-it is always characterized by this peculiar mucous discharge. Hydrastis is especially active in old, easily-tired people, cachectic…”
Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“BURNT, scalded as if CALCULI, atheroma, etc. DRUGS, abuse of., Agg. EMPTY, hollow, sinking, internal weakness, sense of, etc. HEMORRHAGE, bloody discharges MUCOUS SECRETIONS, altered. NASO-PHARYNX, POSTERIOR NARES NASO-PHARYNX, posterior nares, discharge thru. NOSE AND ACCESSORY CAVITIES RAWNESS RETRACTED, depressed…”
Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“MUCOUS GLANDS: Nasal cavities. STOMACH. Gall-ducts. Intestines. Muscles. Uterus. AIR: Inhaling, cold. Dry winds. Open. Slight bleedings. Washing. Old age. A mucus remedy; hawks up much mucus; mucus in stools, urine, etc. Atonic, cachectic or degenerative conditions. Shallow ulcers. Hæmorrhagic or CATARRHAL processes…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“canadensis. Golden Seal. Orange-root. Yellow Puccoon. N. O. Ranunculaceæ. Tincture of the fresh root. Alcoholism / Asthma / Cancer / Catarrh / Chancroids / Constipation / Corns / Dyspepsia / Eczema impetiginoides / Ears, affections of / Faintness / Fistula / Gastric catarrh / Gonorrhœa / Hæmorrhoids / Jaundice /…”
Hale — The introduction story — early pathogenetic and clinical evidence for medicines new to Hale's generation.
“{Golden Seal.) Description. — An indigenous plant found growing in shady woods, in rich soil and damp places. The root is of a beautiful yellow color, and imparts its virtues to water or alcohol. [The Muriate of Hydrastia is a valuable preparation, especially as a topical application. The medicinal properties of the…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Golden Seal ; Orange Root. Ranunculaceæ. Grows in most parts of the United States, in rich woodlands, most abundantly in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. The tincture is prepared from the fresh root. This plant was first mentioned by Linnæus, in 1753. The first provings were made under Hale, by…”
Hughes & Dake — The source evidence — provings and poisonings retained with their experimental context.
“HYDRASTIS . Hydrastis canadensis, L. Golden seal. Nat. Ord., Ranunculaceæ. I. Provings.-1. Nov. 9th, 1862, took 10 gr. of powdered root at 3 p.m. Constant slight pain in umbilical region with hot sensation there. 7, soft stool followed by severe cutting pains in hypogastric region, and dull aching pains in testicles…”
Kent — The mental and general picture — how Kent organizes the remedy’s historical symptom portrait.
“Hydrastis is a slow, deep acting remedy, required in many trophic disturbances. where there is emaciation, catarrhal conditions and ulceration, even malignant ulceration. Defective assimilation. When it is noticed that the stomach is the center of most of the symptom complex. The desires and aversions often give the…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: golden seal. Adapted for debilitated persons, with viscid mucous discharges (A.). Cachectic or malignant dyscrasia, with marked derangement of gastric and hepatic functions (A.). Broken down by excessive use of alcohol (Carb-V., Mur-Ac., Nux-V., Puls., Sulph.) (A.). Sensation of sinking in the epigastric…”
Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Pain and very weak, faint, gone feeling in stomach, which is sometimes actually sunken. Affections of the mucous membranes, where there is a viscid stringy discharge: stomach, bronchi, uterus, etc. Chronic constipation, that is remarkable for its absence of any other symptoms. This is a more celebrated remedy with the…”
Nash (Respiratory) — The respiratory picture — the cough, the breathing, and the expectoration that separate one remedy from another.
“Hydrastis Can. Stuffiness of nares, discharge of thick, yellow and stringy mucus, or dropping down into posterior nares. So profuse as to be raised in long tenacious strings (Kali bich.). Ozæna with purulent, bloody discharge. Hydrastis.—Senile catarrh; thick, yellow, tenacious stringy sputa.”

Hydrastis canadensis in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Hydrastis canadensis in 889 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in HEAD (106), EXTREMITIES (91), STOMACH (72), NOSE (65), MOUTH (50).

NOSE - DISCHARGE, - yellow - posterior nares,from
EAR - DISCHARGES - thick
ABDOMEN - RUMBLING - diarrhoea,as if,would come on
ABDOMEN - ANXIETY in - stool - after
FEMALE GENITALIA - LEUCORRHOEA - ropy,stringy,tenacious
STOMACH - ULCERS
NOSE - DISCHARGE, - yellowish-green
FEMALE GENITALIA - LEUCORRHOEA - thick
NOSE - DISCHARGE, - viscid,tough
ABDOMEN - RETRACTION
FEMALE GENITALIA - CANCER of - Uterus
STOMACH - INDIGESTION (Includes Complaints After Substances Not Otherwise Described)
FEMALE GENITALIA - LEUCORRHOEA - yellow
ABDOMEN - PAIN - diarrhoea - as if,would come on
ABDOMEN - DIARRHOEA - sensation as if,would come on
EXPECTORATION - THICK
NOSE - DISCHARGE, - yellow
NOSE - DISCHARGE, - thick
RECTUM - INACTIVITY of rectum
GENERALITIES - MUCOUS secretions increased

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