Drosera rotundifolia
Sundew, common sundew, round-leaved sundew, red rot, youthwort, moorgrass. · Plant · Droseraceae
Drosera is usually prescribed to treat a deep, violent, spasmodic cough, especially whooping cough. Associated symptoms may include restlessness, anxiety, retching, vomiting, cold sweats, and nosebleeds. There may also be a feeling that there is a feather or crumb in the larynx, which triggers coughing. The voice is often toneless, hoarse, and deep.
There is some indication that Drosera may be helpful in treating behavioral problems, particularly in children. It is best suited to children who are restless, anxious, peevish, and distrustful. Their emotions seem unbalanced, and they often have difficulty concentrating. Their anxiety may increase when they are alone, and can be associated with a fear of ghosts.
Drosera may also be given for childhood growing pains, especially if they are accompanied by emotional imbalance. Symptoms may include stiff ankles and pains in the joints and bones, particularly affecting the hips and thighs.
Key symptoms
- Principal remedy for whooping cough with violent, spasmodic paroxysms
- Spasmodic, dry, irritative cough; paroxysms follow each other very rapidly
- Cough worse after midnight; deep, hoarse voice and laryngitis
- Yellow expectoration with bleeding from nose and mouth; retching after cough
- Sensation of feather in larynx or crumbs in throat
- Asthma when talking; contraction of throat at every word uttered
- Harassing cough in children beginning as soon as head touches pillow at night
- Laryngeal phthisis with rapid emaciation
- Paralytic pains in hip joint and thighs; all limbs feel lame
Worse (aggravation)
Better (amelioration)
Sundew (DROSERA)
Affects markedly the respiratory organs and was pointed out by Hahnemann as the principal remedy for whooping-cough. Drosera can break down resistance to tubercle and should therefore be capable of raising it (Dr. Tyler). Laryngeal phthisis is benefited by it. Phthisis pulmonum; vomiting of food from coughing with gastric irritation and profuse expectoration. Pains about hip-joint. Tubercular glands.
Head
Vertigo when walking in open air, with inclination to fall to the left side. Coldness of left half of face, with stinging pains and dry heat of right half.
Stomach
Nausea. Aversion to and bad effects from acids.
Respiratory Organs
Spasmodic, dry irritative cough, like whooping-cough, the paroxysms following each other very rapidly; can scarcely breathe; chokes. Cough very deep and hoarse; worse, after midnight; yellow expectoration, with bleeding from nose and mouth; retching. Deep, hoarse voice; hoarseness; laryngitis. Rough, scraping sensation deep in the fauces and soft palate. Sensation as if crumbs were in the throat, of feather in larynx. Laryngeal phthisis, with rapid emaciation. Harassing and titillating cough in children-not at all through the day, but commences as soon as the head touches the pillow at night. Clergyman's sore throat, with rough, scraping, dry sensation deep in the fauces; voice hoarse, deep, toneless, cracked, requires exertion to speak. Asthma when talking, with contraction of the throat at every word uttered.
Extremities
Paralytic pains in the coxo-femoral joint and thighs. Stiffness in joints of feet. All limbs feel lame. Bed feels too hard.
Fever
Internal chilliness; shivering, with hot face, cold hands, no thirst. Is always too cold, even in bed.
Modalities
Worse, after midnight, lying down, on getting warm in bed, drinking, singing, laughing.
Relationship
Antidote: Camph.
Compare: Fluoroform (2 per cent watery solution, 2-4 drops, after paroxysms, considered specific for whooping-cough). Ouabain from leaves of Carissa schimperi-arrow poison (Respiratory spasm-Whooping cough is cut short in first stage and reduced in frequency of attacks and hastens convalescence). Chelid; Corall; Cupr; Castanea; Argent; Menyanth.
Dose
First to twelfth attenuation.
Generalities
The use of this medicine has been mostly limited to whooping cough, but it has a more extensive use.
When we examine its spasmodic nature, its exhaustion, its cramps, which extend through a large number of complaints, we must realize that it is a more extensive remedy. Epileptiform spasms, prolonged sleeplessness, copious sweat on waking from sleep, restlessness and anxiety. imagines that he is constantly persecuted. Flashes of heat, dread of the night. Many complaints come on in the night. Anxiety, sleeplessness, and fear of ghosts. Spasmodic cough. Fear of being alone and suspicious of his most intimate friends.
Confusion of mind and much dizziness. Lancinating pains in various parts of the body, especially in the head, and must support the head with the hands.
Drosera rotundifolia. Round-leaved Sundew. N. O. Droseraceæ. Tincture of active fresh plant.
Clinical
Amblyopia. Asthma. Bronchitis. Catarrh. Consumption. Cough. Coxalgia. Epilepsy. Hæmorrhage. Headache. Laryngitis. Measles. Nausea. Phthisis. Sciatica. Vomiting. Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
The chief feature of the Drosera effects is a spasmodic cough resembling whooping-cough, in which affection it is one of the leading remedies, as it is also in the spasmodic cough of phthisis. The characteristic cough is: Frequent spells of barking cough; < evening and after midnight; patient holds his side; vomits if he cannot get up phlegm; every effort to raise a little phlegm ends in retching and vomiting; there may be bloody stools. Teste, who places Drosera in his Zincum group of medicines, mentions that it grows in damp prairies, along the border of marshes, and is avoided by animals. Barrich states that when eaten by sheep it gives them a cough which is fatal to them. Curiously enough, it was recommended …
Sundew. (Droseraceae.)
Whooping-cough with violent paroxysms which follow each other rapidly, is scarcely able to get breath (wakes at 6-7 a. m. and does not cease coughing until a large quantity of tenacious mucus is raised, Coc. c. - profuse epistaxis during every paroxysm, Ind.; "minute gun" during the day, whooping at night, Cor. r.). Deep sounding, hoarse barking cough (Verb.), < after midnight, during or after measles; spasmodic, with gagging, retching and vomiting (Bry., Kali c.). Constant, titillating cough in children, begins as soon as head touches pillow at night (Bell., Hyos, Rum.). Nocturnal cough of young persons in phthisis; bloody or purulent sputa. Cough: < by warmth, drinking, singing, laughing, weeping, lying down, after midnight. During cough; vomiting of water, mucus, and often bleeding at the nose and mouth (Cup.). Sensation of feather in larynx, exciting cough. Diseases prevailing during epidemic pertusis. Clergyman's sore throat; with rough, scraping, dry sensation deep in the fauces; …
Stomach
Constriction of stomach and abdomen when coughing.
Respiratory Organs
During the paroxysms the coughs follow each other so rapidly and violently that he is scarcely able to get his breath.
Respiratory Organs
Great hoarseness, voice has a deep bass sound.
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Dry spasmodic cough occurring in paroxysms, which follow each other so violently that he is scarcely able to get his breath, with inclination to vomit.
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Rough, scraping, dry sensation deep in the fauces, and in soft palate, with deep hoarseness and oppression of the chest, causing difficult expiration.
Phatak's chapter on Drosera rotundifolia is available in the app.
Read Phatak in the appClassical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
