Kent's - Classical Homeopathy Online

with the expulsion of the stool, as if the rectum would protrude. Clinically it has been described as ifthe pain followed the intestines all the way down to the anus. The taking of a little water, or of a littlemilk, what would ordinarily be suitable food for such a diarrhea, will at times cause an instant urging tostool; he must go to stool immediately after eating. This gives the general features of the Croton tig.diarrhea. If it is in an infant there is great exhaustion, tympanitic abdomen, much rumbling of thebowels, great sinking, and as soon as the infant takes one mouthful of milk or draws from the mother'sbreast it expels a gush of liquid or pappy stool.Another most important group of symptoms is its eye symptoms.It has eye symptoms of an inflammatory character, and around the eyes and upon the lids arevesicles and pustules. Pustules upon the cornea, granular lids. Inflammation of all the tissues of the eye.It has an inflammation of the iris and conjunctiva. The bloodvessels of the eyes are distended, the eyelooks red and raw. The eyelids when turned out are seen to be greatly inflamed and granular, coveredwith vesicles and pustules. With this inflammatory condition there is a sensation very commonlypresent in the Croton tig. eye cases, as if the eye were drawn backwards by a string, or as if the opticnerves were dragging the eyes backwards into the head. This drawing in the back of the eyes as with astring is also peculiar to Paris quadrifolia, but the conditions are different in Paris quad. In headachesfrom overuse of the eyes in engravers or those doing fine needle work, with much neuralgia in thehead, due probably to the overuse of the eyes, when the pains in the eyes are not attended withinflammation but are more of the type of dull aches and pains that you might call only rheumatic orneuralgic, with this sensation as if the eyes were drawn back into the brain; in these neuralgic cases useParis quad. But in the inflammatory conditions such as I have described, with the same drawing back aswith a string, Croton tig. is the remedy.Troublesome eczema of the scalp in infants, either purely vesicular or intermingled more or lesswith pustules. The vesicles dry up and then desquamate, and now there is a red, raw, inflamed surface,sensitive to touch. After desquamation has pretty nearly finished, a new crop of pustules and vesiclescomes out, and while one place is clearing off another is vesicular.This is how it goes on with a chronic eczema. The eruptions are often about the eyes, on thetemples, over the face and on top of the head. The appearance is so nearly like Sepia that the two veryoften cannot be distinguished. Sepia has the same vesiculation intermingled with pustules, the bleedingand rawness of the surface and the eruption of new crops. Sepia is more frequently indicated in this rawand bleeding state of the scalp, in crusta lactea, or the eruption of children than Crot. tig.Under Croton tig. infants in this state very often have attacks of gushing diarrhea, coming onfrom the slightest disturbance or indigestion; this is a great help in guiding to the remedy. When thetwo groups of symptoms are combined, the scalp symptoms and the diarrhea you can hardly make amistake. You will see this also, that if the diarrhea is at all prolonged, the head will steadily improveand you will think your patient is getting well of the scalp trouble, but when the diarrhea slackens up alittle out will come a fresh crop. If the diarrhea becomes chronic the external eruption will disappear,and if the diarrhea improves the external eruption gets worse. It seems necessary in such a constitutionto have a vent. The mucous membrane is but the internal skin, and the integument of the body theexternal skin, and this remedy especially manifests itself upon one or the other of these, the mucousmembrane or the integument.It has another manifestation that you want to carry in mind, a group of symptoms in relation tolactation. After confinement the mother may go on a little while with all things following normally, butall at once she commences to have pains in one or the other mammary gland, and the drawing as with astring comes up again. It feels to her as if a string were attached behind the nipple pulling backward, asharp, drawing, stinging pain that will in some instances keep her walking the floor night and day.Though it is but a little thing it is a very important symptom to know with Croton tig. We seethis drawing, as with a string, in the eye and in the breast, and also the symptom, very like theplumbum symptom, drawing in the navel upon pressure, somewhat like a string. Associating suchthings together will enable you to understand them as a part of the nature of the remedy and to keepthem in mind. I once cured a woman of this painful drawing from the nipple as with a string. I watchedher walk the floor and saw that the suffering must be very intense, for at times it brought tears to hereyes. She had borne it several nights, which shows that Croton tig. is capable of curing a pain that isvery prolonged or tedious. The breast had been poulticed, hot applications had been put upon it, andthey did not give relief, a point which is worth remembering.In cholera infantum we will naturally have the symptoms of vomiting, which, however, are notso common to Croton tig., although it has some vomiting. So in cases of cholera infantum, in which thevomiting is not so important a feature as the loose bowels, the remedy may be Crot. tig. A symptom isreported that is of great value. Excessive nausea with vanishing of sight, vertigo, worse after drinking,