• Transparent, jelly-like lumps, mucous in stools
• Want of confidence over sphincter ani, especially early in the morning
• Colicy, cutting, griping pain
• More of flatus and less of stool
• Lumbago alternates with haemorrhoids or with headache

Source: Vegetable kingdom

Synonyms: Socotrine aloes

Family: Liliaceae

Prover: Dr Helbig of Germany in 1833 but Hering, Raue and others added a great deal to the remedy.

Duration of Action: 30 to 40 days

Miasmatic Background: Psora

Temperament: Lymphatic and hypochondriacal temperament

Thermal Relationship: Hot patient

Introduction and History: Aloe was known to Greeks in 400 BC. Aristotle persuaded Alexander to occupy the ‘Socotra’ land, which was producing Aloe. Aloe was known to Celsus, Dioscorides and Pliny, as well as, to later Greek authors and Arabian physicians. The word ‘aloe’ has originated from an Arabic word ‘alloch’ meaning a shining bitter substance. It is an excellent remedy for the re-establishment of physiological equilibrium after much drugging. Dr Choudhary has given much importance to this drug. He said, To write a materia medica without Aloe is to write a novel without a hero. Aloe is known to the World as a purgative. Its effect is mainly on the colon. It is also used externally for painful inflammations.

Habit and Habitat: The genus Aloe consists of about 200 species. It is found growing upon the shores of the Indian ocean and the Island of Socotra. The plant grows even in poor grades of soils. Leaves of the plant are sessile and have a strong spine at the apex.

Preparation and Parts Used: The mother tincture is prepared from the juice of the plant leaves.

General Uses of Aloe

• Aloe is used as a purgative.
• Its effect is mainly on the colon.
• It has a stronger purgative action in the series of all crude drugs.
• To counter effect the griping action, it is given with carminatives.
• Aloe is preferred now-a-days for diarrhoea and piles.
• Besides it’s purgative property, Aloe enjoys many other uses.
• It is an ingredient of the compound tincture of benzoine.
• Aloe gel consisting of the mucilaginous juice of Aloe is used in the treatment of radiation burns to get relief from pains and itching and also to slow down ulceration and keratosis, otherwise these may lead to malignancy.
• Aloe is also used externally for painful inflammations.

Constitution and Physiognomy

1. It is specially adapted to old people and hypochondriac temperaments.
2. Indolent and weary persons leading a sedentary life and women of relaxed phlegmatic habit and old beer drinkers.

Ailments From: Drinking beer, by taking oysters.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): Veins, blood, portal system, rectum, skin, head, liver, nervous system, female organs, lumbar region, etc.

Active Principles (Chemical Constituents)

1. All the varieties of Aloe are a major source of anthraquiinone glycosides.
2. The principle active composition of Aloes is ‘aloene’, which is a mixture of glycosides, among which barbaloin is the chief constituent.
3. It is chemically aloe-emodin, anthrone C-10, glycosides and is water soluble.

Physiological Action

1. In small doses, Aloe is a tonic and increases the secretions of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.
2. In large doses it is a purgative and emmenagogue.
3. It causes pelvic congestion, haemorrhoids and haemorrhage from the uterus, and general relaxation of the body.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It mainly acts on the mucous membrane of the colon.
2. It has stronger purgative actions so it produces diarrhoea, dysentery and also bleeding.
3. It acts on the gastrointestinal tract and produces a griping action.
4. It acts on the round ligaments of the rectum and produces piles.
5. It produces congestion of different parts like rectum, head, pelvic organs and abdomen.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Great disinclination to mental labour.
2. Patient thinks that ‘life is a burden’,
3. Aversion to labour, it makes him very fatigued.
4. Dissatisfied and angry with himself or his complaints.
5. Patient thinks that he is approaching death, especially when constipated and when he is in pain.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Weakness of sphincter: Patient feels weakness and loss of power of the sphincter ani. So there is escape of stool when passing flatus or urine.

Diarrhoea: Morning diarrhoea, has to run to the toilet immediately after eating or drinking, early in the morning stool; with jelly-like mucous.

Constipation: Constipation for several days, no desire for stool; passes flatus without stool.

Headache: Congestive type of headache due to heat, alternating with constipation.

Lack of sensation: Complete loss of sensation in anus; solid stool passes unconsciously.

Fullness: Distension and fullness of abdomen with rumbling noise of flatus; heaviness in rectum.

Appetite: Generally there is a good appetite, desire for foods, but aversion to meat.

Debility: General debility and great weakness. Sensation of much heat in all orifices of the body.

Piles

(i) Haemorrhoids blue, like a bunch of grapes; bleeds very easily, with soreness and tenderness.

(ii) Piles prolapse with rectum during stool; pains relived by cold application; external and strangulated piles.

Hot: Patient is very hot; in general; aggravation by warmth, heat and better in cold climate.

Flatulence: Gases pass before stool with the sensation as if stool would pass with gases, which are very offensive and burning.

Alternations: Diarrhoea and lumbago alternate with headache; mental activity alternates with lassitude.

Stool: Involuntary; solid stool passes with a rumbling noise, sudden and violent, yellow, offensive and excoriating, jelly-like stool.

Important Characteristic Features

Diarrhoea: Early morning diarrhoea caused by eating and drinking oysters and beer. Patient has to run immediately after eating or drinking with want of confidence in sphincter ani. Jelly-like mucous in stool; stool yellowish, watery and painful. Abdomen is distended with gas, feels full and tight; gas passes with a rumbling sound and stool. Flatus is very offensive, burning and copious, Patient feels very hungry during stool; diarrhoea alternates with headache and is accompanied great weakness.

Piles: Haemorrhoides are blue in colour and like a bunch of grapes. They are bleeding in nature, generally caused by a sedentary life and portal congestion. Constant pain in rectum with itching and burning in anus; pains are relived by cold application. Prolapse of rectum during stool along with external piles.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Hot, dry weather, early in the morning, after eating and drinking, by a sedentary life, walking and standing, from mental work, from hot damp Weather.

Amelioration: Cold weather, cold water, by passing flatus or stool, cool and open air.

Remedy Relationships

Complementary: Sulph.

Antidotes: Op, Nux-v, Sulph and Camph.

Compare: Nat-m, Bell, Lach, Sulph.

Comparison

Passes involuntary hard stool: Aloe, Bell.

Diarrhoea with much flatus: Aloe, Arg-n, Nat-m.

Rumbling before stool: Aloe, Crot-t,

Headache alternates with diarrhoea: Aloe, Podo.

Jelly-like stool: Aloe, Podo,

Sudden imperative diarrhoea: Aloe, Sulph, Psor.

Potency: 3x, 6x, 12x, 30, 200, 1000.

Dosage: In case of dysentery low potencies are useful; also used in higher potencies.

Repetition

1. It maybe repeated in acute conditions frequently.
2. Dr J.H. Clarke recommends 2 hourly repetition of Aloe 3 in dysentery in his Prescriber.

Therapeutic Value: Abdominal colic, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Flatulence, Haemorrhage, Headache, Piles, Skin disease, Varicose veins.