Ictodes foetida
Symplocarpus foetidus · Plant · Araceae
Ictodes foetida is indicated primarily in asthmatic and respiratory complaints, especially asthma worse from inhaling any dust and relieved by stool. It has a will-o'-the-wisp character of subjective symptoms and a physometric (gas-producing) property noted by Samuel Jones. Inflation and tension in the abdomen and erratic spasmodic pains are characteristic features.
Key symptoms
- Asthmatic complaints worse from inhaling any dust
- Asthma relieved by stool
- Inflation and tension in the abdomen
- Headache in single spots with violent pulsation of temporal arteries
- Spasmodic croup; troublesome respiration with sudden anguish and sweat
- Hysteria; erratic spasmodic pains
- Sneezing with pain in throat
- Headache better in open air
Worse (aggravation)
- Inhaling any dust (asthma)
Better (amelioration)
- Stool (asthma relieved)
- Open air (headache)
Skunk-cabbage-Ictodes (POTHOS FOETIDUS)
For asthmatic complaints; worse from inhaling any dust. Hysteria. Erratic spasmodic pains. "Will-o'-the-wisp" like character of its subjective symptoms and its physometric property are special features (Samuel Jones). Inflation and tension in the abdomen. Millar's asthma.
Head
Absent-minded, irritable. Headache in single spots, with violent pulsation of temporal arteries. Outward drawing from glabella. Better in open air (Puls). Red swelling across the bridge of the nose.
Abdomen
Inflation and tension in abdomen.
Respiratory
Spasmodic croup. Troublesome respiration, with sudden feeling of anguish and sweat.
Sneezing, with pain in throat. Pain in chest, with difficult breathing. Tongue feels numb. Asthma; relieved by stool.
Dose
Tincture and lower potencies.
Pothos fœtidus. Symplocarpus fœtidus. Skunk-weed. Skunk Cabbage. N. O. Orontiaceæ (Calliaceæ, Orontoidæ, allied to Araceæ). Tincture of whole fresh plant-including root.
Clinical
Asthma. Catarrh. Cough. Dropsy. Herpes. Hysteria. Rheumatism.
Characteristics
The Treasury of Botany thus epitomises the traditional uses of this plant in medicine: "The roots in cases of asthma; the leaves as an application to ulcers. The seeds are also considered to be anti-spasmodic, and useful in coughs." Hering and others proved it, and largely confirmed its popular reputation, as also its clinical relationship to the Arum family. Burning sensations from fauces down throat; enlarged glands of throat; swelling of nose and sneezing; spasmodic cough and skin affections are common to Ictod. and the Arums. Motion <. All complaints > in open air. Asthma is < or caused by dust.
Phatak's chapter on Ictodes foetida is available in the app.
Read Phatak in the appClassical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
