Nux vomica

Poison-nut

Is the greatest of polychrests, because the bulk of its symptoms correspond in similarity with those of the commonest and most frequent of diseases. It is frequently the first remedy, indicated after much dosing, establishing a sort of equilibrium of forces and counteracting chronic effects.

Nux is pre-eminently the remedy for many of the conditions incident to modern life. The typical Nux patient is rather thin, spare, quick, active, nervous, and irritable. He does a good deal of mental work; has mental strains and leads a sedentary life, found in prolonged office work, overstudy, and close application to business, with its cares and anxieties. This indoor life and mental strain seeks stimulants, coffee, wine, possibly in excess; or, again, he hopes to quiet his excitement, by indulging in the sedative effects of tobacco, if not really a victim, to the seductive drugs, like opium, etc. These things are associated with other indulgences; at table, he takes preferably rich and stimulating food; wine and women play their part to make him forget the close application of the day. Late hours are a consequence; a thick head, dyspepsia, and irritable temper are the next day's inheritance. Now he takes some cathartic, liver pills, or mineral water, and soon gets into the habit of taking these things, which still further complicate matters. Since these frailties are more yielded to by men than women. Nux is pre-eminently a male remedy. These conditions, produce an irritable, nervous system, hypersensitive and over-impressionable, which Nux will do much to soothe and calm. Especially adapted to digestive disturbances, portal congestion, and hypochondrical states depending thereon. Convulsions, with consciousness; worse, touch, moving. Zealous fiery temperament. Nux patients are easily chilled, avoid open air, etc. Nux always seems to be out of tune; inharmonious spasmodic action.

Mind

Very irritable: sensitive to all impressions. Ugly, malicious. Cannot bear noises, odors, light, etc. Does not want to be touched. Time passes too slowly. Even the least ailment affects her greatly. Disposed to reproach others. Sullen, fault-finding.

Head

Headache in occiput or over eyes, with vertigo; brain feels turning in a circle. Oversensitiveness. Vertigo, with momentary loss of consciousness. Intoxicated feeling; worse, morning, mental exertion, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, open air. Pressing pain on vertex, as if a nail driven in. Vertigo in morning and after dinner. Scalp sensitive. Frontal headache, with desire to press the head against something. Congestive headache, associated with hæmorrhoids. Headache in the sunshine (Glon; Nat carb). Feels distended and sore within, after a debauch.

Eyes

Photophobia; much worse in morning. Smarting dry sensation in inner canthi. Infra-orbital neuralgia, with watering of eyes. Optic nerve atrophy, from habitual use of intoxicants. Paresis of ocular muscles; worse, tobacco and stimulants. Orbital twitching radiating towards the occiput, Optic neuritis.

Ears

Itching in ear through Eustachian tube. Auditory canal dry and sensitive. Otalgia; worse in bed. Hyperæsthesia of auditory nerves; loud sounds are painful, and anger him.

Nose

Stuffed up, at night especially. Stuffy colds, snuffles, after exposure to dry, cold atmosphere; worse, in warm room. Odors tend to produce fainting. Coryza: fluent in daytime; stuffed up at night and outdoors; or alternates between nostrils. Bleeding in morning (Bry). Acrid discharge, but with stuffed up feeling.

Mouth

Jaws, contracted. Small aphthous ulcers, with bloody saliva. First half of tongue clean; posterior covered with deep fur; white, yellow, cracked edges. Teeth ache; worse, cold things. Gums swollen, white, and bleeding.

Throat

Rough, scraped feeling. Tickling after waking in morning. Sensation of roughness, tightness, and tension. Pharynx constricted. Uvula swollen. Stitches into ear.

Stomach

Sour taste, and nausea in the morning, after eating. Weight and pain in stomach; worse, eating, some time after. Flatulence and pyrosis. Sour, bitter eructations. Nausea and vomiting, with much retching. Ravenous hunger, especially about a day before an attack of dyspepsia. Region of stomach very sensitive to pressure (Bry; Ars). Epigastrium bloated, with pressure s of a stone, several hours after eating. Desire for stimulants. Loves fats and tolerates them well (Puls opposite). Dyspepsia from drinking strong coffee. Difficult belching of gas. Wants to vomit, but cannot.

Abdomen

Bruised soreness of abdominal walls (Apis; Sulph). Flatulent distension, with spasmodic colic. Colic from uncovering. Liver engorged, with stitches and soreness. Colic, with upward pressure, causing short breath, and desire for stool. Weakness of abdominal ring region. Strangulated hernia (Op). Forcing in lower abdomen towards genitals. Umbilical hernia of infants.

Stool

Constipation, with frequent ineffectual urging, incomplete and unsatisfactory; feeling as if part remained unexpelled. Constriction of rectum. Irregular, peristaltic action; hence frequent ineffectual desire, or passing but small quantities at each attempt. Absence of all desire for defecation is a contra-indication. Alternate constipation and diarrhœa-after abuse of purgatives. Urging to stool felt throughout abdomen. Itching, blind hæmorrhoids, with ineffectual urging to stool; very painful; after drastic drugs. Diarrhœa after a debauch; worse, morning. Frequent small evacuations. Scanty stool, with much urging. Dysentery; stools relieve pains for a time. Constant uneasiness in rectum. Diarrhœa, with jaundice (Dig).

Urine

Irritable bladder; from spasmodic sphincter. Frequent calls; little and often. Hæmaturia (Ipec; Tereb). Ineffectual urging, spasmodic and strangury. Renal colic extending to genitals, with dribbling urine. While urinating, itching in urethra and pain in neck of bladder.

Male

Easily excited desire. Emissions from high living. Bad effects of sexual excesses. Constrictive pain in testicles. Orchitis (Hama; Puls). Spermatorrhœa, with dreams, backache, burning in spine, weakness and irritability.

Female

Menses too early, lasts too long; always irregular, blood black (Cycl; Lach; Puls) with faint spells. Prolapsus uteri. Dysmenorrhœa, with pain in sacrum, and constant urging to stool. Inefficient labor-pains; extend to rectum, with desire for stool and frequent urination (Lil). Desire too strong. Metrorrhagia, with sensation as if bowels wanted to move.

Respiratory

Catarrhal hoarseness, with scraping in throat. Spasmodic constriction. Asthma, with fullness in stomach, morning or after eating. Cough, with sensation as if something were torn loose in chest. Shallow respiration. Oppressed breathing. Tight, dry hacking cough; at times with bloody expectoration. Cough brings on bursting headache and bruised pain in epigastric region.

Back

Backache in lumbar region. Burning in spine; worse, 3 to 4 am. Cervico-brachial neuralgia; worse, touch. Must situp in order to turn in bed. Bruised pain below scapulæ. Sitting is painful.

Extremities

Arms and hands go to sleep. Paresis of arms, with shocks. Legs numb; feel paralyzed; cramps in calves and soles. Partial paralysis, from overexertion or getting soaked (Rhus). Cracking in knee-joints during motion. Drags his feet when walking. Sensation of sudden loss of power of arms and legs in the morning.

Sleep

Cannot sleep after 3 am until towards morning; awakes feeling wretchedly. Drowsy after meals, and in early evening. Dreams full of bustle and hurry. Better after a short sleep, unless aroused.

Skin

Body burning hot, especially face; yet cannot move or uncover without feeling chilly. Urticaria, with gastric derangement. Acne; skin red and blotchy.

Fever

Cold stage predominates. Paroxysms anticipate in morning. Excessive rigor, with blueness of finger-nails. Aching in limbs and back, and gastric symptoms. Chilly; must be covered in every stage of fever. Perspiration sour; only one side of body. Chilliness on being uncovered, yet he does not allow being covered. Dry heat of the body.

Modalities

Worse, morning, mental exertion, after eating, touch, spices, stimulants, narcotics, dry weather, cold. Better, from a nap, if allowed to finish it; in evening, while at rest, in damp, wet weather (Caust), strong pressure.

Relationship

Nux seeds contain copper, notice the cramp-causing proclivites of both. Complementary; Sulphur; Sepia.

Inimical: Zinc.

Compare: Strychnia.

Compare: Kali carb; Hydr; Bry; Lyc; Graph.

Antidotes: Coff; Ignat; Cocc.

Dose

First to thirtieth potency and higher. Nut is said to act best given in the evening.