• Profuse watery and acrid nasal discharge with profuse bland lachrymation
• Severe cough seems to split and tear the larynx; compels the patient to grasp the larynx
• Shooting pains, as fine as a thread following amputation or injury to nerves or other surgical operations
• Headache ceases during menses, returns when flow disappears

Source: Vegetable kingdom

Synonyms: Onion

Family: Liliaceae

Prover: Dr Constantine Hering in 1847

Duration of Action: 24 hours to 7 days

Miasmatic Background: Psora

Temperament: Melancholic

Thermal Relationship: Hot patient

Introduction and History: Allium cepa, one of our polychrest medicines was first introduced by Dr Constantine Hering on September 15, 1847. Subsequently, it was proved by sixteen other persons or groups and more than five hundred symptoms were recorded. The common name of Allium cepa is ‘onion’; known everywhere in the world and Indians commonly call it ‘piyaz’. The name onion was derived from the Latin word ‘onio’; the French call it ‘oignon’. From time immemorial, onion has been known all over the world, both as food and medicine, although it may have started its travel from central Asia, Egyptians were using it as early as 3200 BC and in our country, Charak was using it during ‘120-162 AD’. It has been used as an ayurvedic medicine from the very beginning. It is a great catarrhal remedy, mostly involving the eyes, nose and larynx. According to Hering, ‘Diosorides, the Greek physician, and the physicians following him, among the Arabians, had a glimpse of the truth of similia, for they used the onion to cure the symptoms.

Habit and Habitat: It is found all over the world and is very common in India. It is an annual plant, cultivated throughout our country during the winter season for food. It is a small vegetable plant with a rounded bulb of many concentric coats, Both the onion bulb and the modified stem are found under the earth, are composed of scales and have hollow, tube-like green leaves, tapering on the other side. It is an extremely popular food of the earth. Onion comes in different sizes, shapes and colours.

Preparation and Parts Used: The mother tincture is prepared from the fresh red bulb.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is a very acute drug, best suited to the tired patient. Aching throughout the body with a strong desire for raw onion.

Ailments From: Getting wet, cold damp winds, by eating salad, cucumber, exposure to damp north-western cold air, by trauma, amputation, etc.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): Eyes, nose, mucous membrane, larynx, throat, respiratory tract, veins, nerves, stomach and intestines.

Active Principles (Chemical Constituents)

• The chemical composition of onion is organic sulphides, cotechol and protocatechnic acid, essential oils as allyl propyl disulphide, etc. and active principles as glycollic acid, etc.
• It also contains the highest percentage of ammonia.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. Its physiological properties are to be noted like, stimulant, diuretic, expectorant, aphrodisiac, emmenagogue and germicidal.
2. It can reduce flatulence, cholesterol and arrest dysentery, influenza, gout, inflammation, anaemia, jaundice, malarial fever, splenomegaly, insomnia, ear ache, hyperglycemia, etc.
3. It acts on the mucous membrane of eyes and nose, and produces bland lachrymation with acrid coryza and sneezing.
4. It acts on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and produces acute catarrhal inflammation with copious discharge.
5. It acts on veins producing inflammations and neuralgias.
6. It acts on the stomach and intestines, and produces colic.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

• Patient is very melancholic and anxious.
• Fears that the pain may become intolerable.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Sneezing: Unbearable sneezing and catarrah is the characteristic of this medicine, particularly when going into a warm room.

Coryza: Profuse, watery, acrid discharge from the nose and bland, profuse, watery discharge form eyes is the characteristic of Allium cepa.

Left-sidedness: It is a left sided medicine; symptoms start from the left side and go to the right side.

Rawness and excoriation: Rawness all over the body, in the nose, larynx and throat; nasal discharge is acrid and excoriating.

Pains: Neuralgic type of pains, thread-like in head, chest, neck and face.

Laryngitis: Laryngitis is very prominent; hoarse cough, seems to split and tear the larynx.

Desire: Strong desire for raw onion.

Weakness: Patient feels completely tried and debilitated; aching throughout the body.

Sensitiveness: Patient is very sensitive to light and odour.

Drowsiness: Patient is very drowsy and becomes very lazy, with yawning.

Loss of appetite: There is loss of appetite with offensive flatus.

Dribbling of urine: In old people urine is spurting and dribbling.

Colic: Colicky pain in abdomen on eating cucumbers.

Polypus of nose: Nose blockage due to polypus with congestive headache.

Cough: Tickling sensation in the throat with spasmodic cough and coryza.

Important Characteristic Features

Coryza: It is a very good medicine for cold and coryza. This occurs due to exposure to damp, cold winds and by getting wet; raw felling in the nose with sneezing and headache. Discharges from the nose are acrid and excoriating; they corrode the nose and upper lip. Coryza from left to right and blockage of nose. Bland watery discharge from eyes. Generally, the symptoms are aggravated in a warm room and in the evening; better in a cold room and in open air. Sometimes spasmodic cough and spring catarrh.

In Euphrasia also the same condition is found but the difference is that the lachrymation of Euphrasia is acrid and excoriating but the nasal discharge is bland which is exactly opposite to Allium cepa,

Phlebitis: It is a well known drug for phlebitis and generally develops after forceps delivery or puerperal sepsis. It is very effective in raw and sore feet, heels, etc.

Eyes: It is a very effective medicine for lachrymation which is very profuse and bland. There are burning and smarting pains in the eyes. Patient wants to rub the eyes for feeling better. Discharge from nose is acrid and profuse with Sneezing.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Warm room, in the evening and by sitting.

Amelioration: By moving, in a cold room, open air, etc.

Remedy Relationships

Complementary: Thuj, Puls, Phos.

Follows well: Psor, Sang.

Antidotes: Verat, Arn, Nux-v, Cham.

Compare: Euphr, Nux-v, Nat-m, Rhus-t.

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

Dosage: 3 to 30 potencies are commonly used.

Repetition: It works in a single dose in acute conditions. In nasal polyps, it may be repeated weekly if indicated.

Therapeutic Value: Abdominal colic, Cold, Conjunctivitis, Coryza, Cough, Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Hay fever, Headache, Influenza, Injury, Laryngitis, Nasal Polyps, Pharyngitis, Sneezing, Spring catarrh, whooping cough, etc.