CANTHARIS V

HOMEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by William BOERICKE, M.D.

CANTHARIS VESICATORIA
Spanish Fly
(CANTHARIS)

This powerful drug produces a furious disturbance in the animal economy, attacking the urinary and sexual organs especially, perverting their function, and setting up violent inflammations, and causing a frenzied delirium, simulating hydrophobia symptoms (Anagallis). Puerperal convulsions. Produces most violent inflammation of the whole gastro-intestinal canal, especially lower bowel. Oversensitiveness of all parts. Irritation. Raw, burning pains. Hćmorrhages. Intolerable, constant urging to urinate is most characteristic. Gastric, hepatic and abdominal complaints that are aggravated by drinking coffee. Gastric derangements of pregnancy. Dysuria, with other complaints. Increases secretion of mucous membranes, tenacious mucus. The inflammations cantharis produces (bladder, kidneys, ovaries, meninges, pleuritic and pericardial membranes)are usually associated with bladder irritation.

Mind.--Furious delirium. Anxious restlessness, ending in rage. Crying, barking; worse touching larynx or drinking water. Constantly attempts to do something, but accomplishes nothing. Acute mania, generally of a sexual type; amorous frenzy; fiery sexual desire. Paroxysms of rage, crying, barking. Sudden loss of consciousness with red face.

Head.--Burning in brain. Sensation as if boiling water in brain. Vertigo; worse in open air.

Eyes.--Yellow vision (Santon). Fiery, sparkling, staring look. Burning in eyes.

Ears.--Sensation as if wind were coming from ear, or hot air. Bones about ear painful (Capsic).

Face.--Pale, wretched, death-like appearance. Itching vesicles on face, burning when touched. Erysipelas of face, with burning, biting heat with urinary symptoms. Hot and red.

Throat.--Tongue covered with vesicles; deeply furred; edges red. Burning in mouth, pharynx, and throat; vesicles in mouth. Great difficulty in swallowing liquids. Very tenacious mucus (Kali bich). Violent spasms reproduced by touching larynx. Inflammation of throat; feels on fire. Constriction; aphthous ulceration (Hydr mur; Nit ac). Scalding feeling. Burnt after taking too hot food.

Chest.--Pleurisy, as soon as effusion has taken place. Intense dyspnśa; palpitation; frequent, dry cough. Tendency to syncope. Short, hacking cough, blood-streaked tenacious mucus. Burning pains.

Stomach.--Burning sensation of śsophagus and stomach (Carb). Disgust for everything-drink, food, tobacco. Burning thirst, with aversion to all fluids. Very sensitive, violent burning. Vomiting of blood-streaked membrane and violent retching. Aggravation from drinking coffee; drinking the smallest quantity increases pain in bladder, and is vomited. Thirst unquenchable.

Stool.--Shivering with burning. Dysentery; mucous stools, like scrapings of intestines. Bloody, with burning and tenesmus and shuddering after stool.

Urine.--Intolerable urging and tenesmus. Nephritis with bloody urine. Violent paroxysms of cutting and burning in whole renal region, with painful urging to urinate; bloody urine, by drops. Intolerable tenesmus; cutting before, during, and after urine. Urine scalds him, and is passed drop by drop. Constant desire to urinate. Membranous scales looking like bran in water. Urine jelly-like, shreddy.

Male.--Strong desire; painful erections. Pain in glans (Prunus; Pareira). Priapism in gonorrhśa.

Female.--Retained placenta (Sep), with painful urination. Expels moles, dead fśtuses, membranes, etc. Nymphomania (Plat; Hyos; Lach; Stram). Puerperal metritis, with inflammation of bladder. Menses too early and too profuse; black swelling of vulva with irritation. Constant discharge from uterus; worse false step. Burning pain in ovaries; extremely sensitive. Pain in os coccyx, lancinating and tearing.

Respiratory.--Voice low; weak feeling. Stitches in chest (Bry; Kal c; Squilla). Pleurisy, with exudation.

Heart.--Palpitation; pulse feeble, irregular; tendency to syncope. Pericarditis, with effusion.

Back.--Pain in loins, with incessant desire to urinate.

Extremities.--Tearing in limbs. Ulcerative pain in soles; cannot step.

Skin.--Dermatitis venenata with bled formation. Secondary eczema about scrotum and genitals, following excessive perspiration. Tendency to gangrene. Eruption with mealy scales. Vesicular eruptions, with burning and itching. Sunburn. Burns, scalds, with rawness and smarting, relieved by cold applications, followed by undue inflammation. Erysipelas, vesicular type, with great restlessness. Burning in soles of feet at night.

Fever.--Cold hands and feet; cold sweat. Soles burn. Chill, as if water were poured over him.

Modalities.--Worse, from touch, or approach, urinating, drinking cold water or coffee. Better, rubbing.

Relationship.--Antidotes: Acon; Camph; Puls.

Compare: Cantharidin--(Glomerular nephritis). The immediate pharmacological action of Cantharidin is irritability of the capillaries, rendering the passage of nutritive fluids through them less difficult. This is most marked in the capillaries of the kidneys. The increase of blood sugar coincident with the glomerular nephritis appears to be a valuable observation. Vesicaria--(Urinary and kidney remedy. Smarting, burning sensation along urethra and in bladder with frequent desire to void urine often with strangury. Cystitis, irritable bladder. Tincture 5-10 drop doses). Fuschina coloring substance used in adulteration of wine (Cortical nephritis with albuminuria, 6th-30th potency. Redness of ears, mouth, swollen gums; deep, red urine; red, profuse diarrhśa, with severe abdominal pains). Androsace lactea (urinary troubles, diuretic; dropsy). Apis; Ars; Merc cor.

Complementary: Camph.

Dose.--Sixth to thirtieth potency. Bears repeated doses well. Locally, in burns and eczema, 1x and 2x, in water, or as cerate.