Nux vomica

CATARRH.

ACUTE NASAL CATARRH.

Nux vomica is another splendid remedy for the first stage of a “cold.” The nose is stopped, or stops at night and runs through the day. There is frontal headache. Throat sore and very sensitive to inhaled cold air. But the most characteristic indication is that the patient is chilly on the least motion or uncovering. Even during the fever, must be covered and keep quiet.

PERTUSSIS (Whooping Cough).

If, instead of becoming loose and wheezing, it continues dry and hard, and hurts the head and stomach or abdomen, is < in the morning or after eating, Nux vomica is better. Belladonna and Nux vomica given early in the case will sometimes so modify it as to need very little medicine afterwards. If the case does not come to us until after the whooping stage is already on, there are a large number of remedies which will have to be chosen from. If the case is in a young child, the cough is violent and the child becomes stiff during the paroxysm, it chokes and swallows as if trying to swallow something down; it looks pale with pale streaks around mouth and nose rubs its nose, urine profuse or milky after standing awhile, we have a case for Cina, which will often do wonders. With Drosera the paroxysms are very violent, drawing the whole abdomen spasmodically inward, vomiting of food or mucus, and bleeding from the nose, and sometimes the mouth.

COUGH.

Character—Dry fatiguing cough, seldom loose.

Aggravations—< after eating or drinking; mental or physical exertion; when lying on the back; when cold; early in the morning.

Ameliorated—> in warmth or when quiet.

Concomitants—Hoarseness with roughness or sense of rawness in the nose and throat < inspiring cold air. Chilliness on the least motion, even when peevish. Pain in head or abdomen on coughing. Generally sensitive, irritable and ugly. Specially in literary subjects who lead a sedentary life.

This remedy like Mercurius is seldom of much use in chronic respiratory trouble, only as it n ay be called for in dietetic errors and sufferings therefrom. But it is often the best remedy in the acute stages of common colds, especially if Aconite or Bryonia have only half cured the case. It follows well, i. e., of course if indicated by the symptoms. The pain in head on coughing is found strong under Nux vom., Bryonia, Lycopod. and Capsicum. The nervous constitution and disposition of Nux vom. are so patent that its success in our hands has led to its abuse (as usual) in the form of its alkaloid in old school hands. They never know when to stop with enough.