• Left sided renal colic with a bubbling sensation in the kidneys
• Sensation of a tight cap pressing upon the whole scalp

Source: Vegetable kingdom
Synonyms: Barberry, Pipperdge bush, Kashmal
Family: Berberidaceae
Prover: It was proved for the first time by Dr Hesse of Germany in 1834 Duration of Action: 20 to 30 days
Miasmatic Background: Psora
Temperament: Melancholic
Diathesis: Rheumatic and gouty
Thermal Relationship: Neither hot nor chilly

Introduction and History: It is a well known left sided remedy. It occupies a very important place in our materia medica. The main influence of this remedy is found on the kidneys. It has been used with miraculous success in renal calculi. It is a naturalized plant in the eastern United States. The East Indian variety of Berberis was used in medicine by Galen, Pliny and Dioscorides.

Habit and Habitat: The plant grows in Europe and north Asia. It is indigenous to Great Britain. It is a deciduous shrub. The plant is 3 to 8 feet high. Branches are well supplied with hanging clusters. Fruit is small, oblong, scarlet coloured with a pleasant acrid taste.

Preparation and Parts Used: Mother tincture is prepared from the bark of the root.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is especially adapted to persons having an earthy complexion with sunken cheeks, blue rings around the eyes and those who are pale, fleshy, prematurely old, and wrinkled men and women.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): Kidney, urinary bladder, ureters, liver, digestive tract, lumbar region, gall bladder, joints, spermatic cord.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It acts upon the kidney and bladder, producing soreness and burning in the renal region.
2. Acts upon the liver, produces jaundice.
3. It acts upon mucous membranes resulting in an aphthous and depraved condition.
4. Specially acts on the left side of the body.
5. Due to the action on the kidneys it causes inflammation of kidneys with haematuria. Pains may be felt all over the body.
6. It acts forcibly on the venous system, producing pelvic engorgement and haemorrhoids.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Defective recollection and weak memory.
2. Patient is anxious and fearful.
3. Everything seems twice as large as natural.
4. Patient is indifferent, clam and apathetic.
5. Weak memory and forgetful.
6. Melancholic with an inclination to weep.
7. Least interruption breaks the chain of thoughts.
8. Mental labours prove fatiguing, especially in the morning.
9. Fretful humour, with weariness of life.
10. Sensation as if the head were becoming larger.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Vertigo: Vertigo with danger of falling when stooping and rising.

Dullness: Heaviness and dullness of the head like from coryza.

Pains: Everything centers around pain; wandering, radiating from one part to another, especially along the course of left kidney and ureter.

Left-sidedness: This is purely a left sided remedy.

Hepatitis: Pressure and stitches in the hepatic region, sharp, pinching pains in liver which come suddenly and with great severity.

Gall stone colic: Tingling, shooting, burning and pressing pains in the region of gall bladder.

Soreness: Soreness of the kidney, bubbling sensation worse from jar and motion.

Urine: Greenish, bloody red, with thick slimy mucous, transparent, reddish or with jelly-like sediment.

Numbness: Numbness, stiffness, lameness with painful pressure in the renal and lumbar regions.

Gout: Rheumatic and gouty complaints, with diseases of the urinary organs.

Fistula in ano: Fistula in ano alternating with chest symptoms.

Weakness: Great weakness, trembling, lassitude, muscular palpitations and paralytic weakness.

Genitals: Genital organs weak; burning and soreness in vagina, uterine symptoms and leucorrhoea associated with painful urinary symptoms.

Digestion: Digestion is very slow and feeble. Great sleepiness during the day and after dinner.

Aversion: Aversion to coition and diminished sexual desire in women; orgasm delayed, coition is painful.

Sensation: Sensation of a tight cap pressing upon the whole scalp; puffy feeling in the head.

Change of symptoms: Pains change in regard to place and character. Thirst alternates with thirstlessness, hunger with loss of appetite, etc.

Important Characteristic Features

Urinary symptoms: It is a very good remedy for urinary complaints. There are burning pains in the renal region and ureters. Sensation as if some urine remained after urinating. Constant urging to urinate, bladder becomes very irritable and urine flows very slowly.

Urine is greenish, bloody with mucous and jelly-like sediments; it may be dark and turbid. Bubbling, sore sensation in kidneys. There may be haematuria with soreness in the urethra.

Pain in the thighs and loin on urinating; frequent urination, urethra burns when not urinating. Numbness in the kidney region. Symptoms always start in the left kidney following the course of ureter, bladder and then to urethra, after that goes to the right side. In acute conditions the pain is more severe.

Gall stone collic: Berberis vulagris has a great action over the gall bladder and liver. Gall stone colic followed by jaundice. Aching in the small of back, aggravation by sitting or lying. There is short, sudden, stabbing and puncturing type of pain in the liver region. The pain is stitching and tingling, wandering from one side to another. Gall stone colic is often associated with jaundice,

General Modalities

Aggravation: From jarring, motion, stepping hard, rising from sitting, fatigue, urinating, walking, carriage riding, etc.

Amelioration: From standing.

Remedy Relationships

Follows well: Lyc, Calc, Calc-p, Bry, Sulph, Rhus-t, Kali-bi.

Antidotes: Bell, Cham.

Antidotal to: Acon, Canth, etc.

Comparison

Fistula in ano alternating with chest symptoms: Berb, Sil, Calc-p.

Frequent and intolerable urging to urinate with severe pain at close of urination: Berb, Thuj, Sars.

Renal colic, left sided: Berb, Calc, Tab.

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

Berberis Vulgaris Dosage: Tincture to sixth potency in organopathic disorders. Higher potencies when the keynote characteristic symptoms are present.

Repetition: It is to be repeated in specific and organopathic disorders.

Therapeutic Value: Biliary colic, Dysmenorrhoea, Fistula in ano, Gall stone colic, Gout, Jaundice, Kidney diseases, Lumbago, Polypus of vocal cord Renal colic, Rheumatism, Urinary affections, etc.