Squilla maritima
Drimia maritima · Urginea maritima ,Sea onion, sea squill. · Plant · Asparagaceae
Squilla is most appropriate for people who are irritable, weak, and weary. They tend to sleep badly, and definitely prefer to sit up rather than lie down.
This is a slow-acting remedy, used for conditions that take several days to develop. It can be used for chronic bronchitis in the elderly, or for childhood measles, but its primary use is for chronic respiratory conditions, including bronchitis, pleurisy, coughs, and asthma with panting. Squilla is typically prescribed for symptoms such as a dry, loose, short, violent cough that comes from deep in the lungs, sharp pain in the lower left side of the chest, and involuntary passing of urine.
Key symptoms
- Violent exhausting cough with profuse salty slimy expectoration
- Involuntary spurting of urine and sneezing during cough
- Child rubs face with fist during cough
- Dyspnea and stitches in chest with painful contraction of abdominal muscles
- Chronic bronchitis of old people with mucous rales and scanty urine
- Stitches under left free ribs; spleen medicine
- Cough provoked by deep breath, cold drinks, exertion, or change of temperature
- Frequent calls to urinate at night passing large quantities
Worse (aggravation)
Better (amelioration)
Sea-onion
A slow acting remedy. Corresponds to ailments requiring several days to reach their maximum. Persistent, dull, rheumatic pains permeate the body. A spleen medicine; stitches under left free ribs. Important heart and kidneys medicine. Broncho-pneumonia.
Acts especially on mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive tracts, and also upon the kidneys. Valuable in chronic bronchitis of old people with mucous rales, dyspnœa, and scanty urine.
Eyes
Feel irritable; child bores into them with fists. Sensation as if swimming in cold water.
Stomach
Pressure like a stone.
Respiratory
Fluent coryza; margins of nostrils feel sore. Sneezing; throat irritated; short, dry cough; must take a deep breath. Dyspnœa and stitches in chest, and painful contraction of abdominal muscles. Violent, furious, exhausting cough, with much mucus; profuse, salty, slimy expectoration, and with involuntary spurting of urine and sneezing. Child rubs face with fist during cough (Caust; Puls). Cough provoked by taking a deep breath or cold drinks, from exertion, change from warm to cold air. Cough of measles. Frequent calls to urinate at night, passing large quantities (Phos ac). Sneezing with coughing.
Heart
A cardiac stimulant affecting the peripheral vessels and coronary arteries.
Urinary
Great urging; much watery urine. Involuntary spurting of urine when coughing (Caustic; Puls).
Skin
Small, red spots over body, with prickling pain.
Extremities
Icy cold hands and feet, with warmth of the rest of the body (Menyanthes). Feet get sore from standing. Tender feet with shop girls.
Modalities
Better, rest; worse, motion.
Relationship
Compare: Digit; Strophant; Apocyn can; Bry; Kali carb. Squilla follows Digitalis, if this fails to relieve water-logged cases.
Dose
First to third potency.
Squilla was given in the olden times by the old school in all lung, bronchial, and kidney affections; pneumonia, asthma, scanty urine and dropsical affections.
Cough
Has a loose morning cough and a dry evening cough (Alum., Carbo veg., Phos. ac., Sep., Stram., Puls., Squilla).
Puls. and Squil, being strong here, but Squil. has a hard cough; coughs, gags, sneezes; urine escapes and quite frequently faeces; the patient coughs until be is covered with sweat; he gags and coughs and finally succeeds in raising two or three little lumps of white, tenacious mucus; it is a spasmodic cough caused by mucus in the trachea or a tickling, creeping sensation in the chest.
Respiratory Organs
Cough excited by drinking cold water, with involuntary urination.
Phatak's chapter on Squilla maritima is available in the app.
Read Phatak in the appClassical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
