• Burning in every part of the body internally and externally
• Intolerable and constant urge to urinate before, during and after urination
• Dysentery with stools, like scraping of intestines; white or pale, red with tough mucous

Source: Animal kingdom
Synonyms: Cantharis vesicatoria, Blister bettle, Spanish fly
Class: Cantharideae
Prover: Dr Hahnemann and reproved by others in USA
Duration of Action: 30 to 40 days
Miasmatic Background: Psora
Temperament: Irritable
Thermal Relationship: Hot patient

Introduction and History: This is a very useful medicine prepared from the Spanish fly. It has been used for centuries as an irritant and aphrodisiac. The conditions are chiefly produced because of the irritant properties of Cantharis.

Habit and Habitat: These flies are found in middle and southern Europe; for example, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Russia and India. They appear in the month of May and June. They are found on a particular tree; they feed upon the leaves of that plant. Their eyes are large and deep brown in colour, they have two wings and a strong disagreeable odour. Their blistering properties are due to a substance called cantharidin. Pure cantharidin is insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and completely soluble in ether.

Preparation: The whole dried fly is used for preparation of the medicine. The flies are killed by exposing them to fumes by boiling vinegar. They are then dried and powdered with the help of a pestle and mortar. The powdered flies are triturated in alcohol. Higher potencies are prepared from triturations or mother tincture.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is best suited to people who are uneasy, restless, dissatisfied and want to move about constantly.

Ailments From: Sunburns.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): Genitourinary system, mucous and serous membranes, skin, urinary bladder, ureters, digestive system, respiratory System, etc.

Active Principles (Chemical Constituents): The chemical substance is called cantharidin. It has a blistering property.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. Externally it is a powerful irritant. It acts on the skin and produces blisters, redness, burning and small vesicles.
2. It acts primarily on the mucous membrane of the urinary tract and procures violent inflammation due to its irritant action, may even lead to cystitis, nephritis, and blood and albumin in urine.
3. It acts on the gastrointestinal tract, especially of lower bowels, stimulates gastric secretion, dilates gastric vessels and excites the muscular coat.
4. It acts on sexual organs and prevents their functioning by setting up violent inflammation.
5. It acts on ovaries, meninges, pleura and pericardium disturbing their function respectively.
6. It acts on the nervous system producing irritation, delirium and convulsions.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Furious delirium, anxious restlessness ending in rage. Crying and breaking things. Paroxysms of rage, sudden loss of consciousness with a red face.
2. Constantly attempts to do something but accomplishes nothing.
3. Acute mania, generally of a sexual type; amorous frenzy, flurry of excessive desire.
4. Forgetfulness, confusion in head and pulsation in forehead in the morning. Distraction of mind, confusion, inability to concentrate.
5. Irritable, dissatisfied with everything and everyone. Despondent and low spirited, says he must die.
6. Crying, barking and beating renewed by the sight of dazzling, bright objects, when touching the larynx or when trying to drink water.
7. Anxious restlessness, worse on motion, better by lying quite.
8. Vertigo and fainting while walking in open air.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Oversensitiveness: Oversensitiveness of all parts of the body.

Stool: Stool with white or pale reddish mucous, like scrapings of intestine, burning and stinging at anus.

Urging: Intolerable urging before, during and after urination, constant urging to urinate, passing only a few drops at a time.

Bleeding: Burning in every part of the body, both internal and external. This is the keynote of this remedy.

Pain: Violent, burning, lancinating pains in every part of the body with extreme weakness. Drinking even small quantities of water increases pain in the bladder.

Aversion: Disgust for everything, drink, food, tobacco, etc.

Sexual desire: Increased sexual desire in both sexes, preventing sleep; violent priapism, with excessive pain.

Skin: Vesicles all over the body; vesicular eruptions which are sore and Suppurating.

Inflammation: Inflammation of all organs internally with raw and Sore pain.

Nocturnal emission: Bloody nocturnal emission and constant urging to
urinate.

Tenacious: Tenacious ropy mucous in the air passages with urinary Symptoms.

Micturition: During micturition there is burning and cutting pain in the urethra.

Gastric complaints: All gastric complaints are aggravated by drinking coffee.

Expulsion: It has a property to expel the placenta, dead foetus and moles.

Hydrophobia: Symptoms of Cantharis are aggravated due to dazzling objects and by water producing a typical picture of hydrophobia.

Important Characteristic Features

Urinary symptoms: A very effective remedy in diseases of the urinary system, like renal colic, cystitis, gonorrhoea, urethritis, etc. Cutting and contracting pains; from the ureter down to the penis; dull pressure in the region of kidneys.

Constant urging to urinate before, during and after micturition. Tenesmus of the bladder, only a few drops of urine pass at a time with burning pain. Sometimes there is retention of urine causing pain. Nephritis; urine is red due to mixing of blood. Oversensitiveness of all parts is characteristic of Cantharis.

Skin: It is a very useful remedy in skin diseases like erysipelas, burns and scalds. Inflammation, forming blisters, ulcerative pains. There is burning and a raw sensation. Dermatitis and secondary eczema about the Scrotum and genitals following excessive perspiration. Scabies, itching vesicles which burn when rubbed. Tendency to gangrene, Sunburn, burn, scalds with rawness and Smarting pain relieved by cold application.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Drinking cold water, coffee, urinating, touch, right side, heat, Seeing running water, etc.

Amelioration: Cold application, lying down, rubbing, morning, evening, perspiration, rapid motion, etc.

Remedy Relationships

Complementary: Camph.

Follows well: Bell, Merc, Phos, Puls, Sep, Sulph, etc.,

Inimical: Coff.

Antidotes: Acon, Apis, Camph, Puls, Rheum.

Comparison

Violent burning and drawing pain in kidneys, bladder and urethra: Berb-v, Canth, Cann-s.

Sudden urging to urinate: Canth, Petros.

Constant desire to urinate but a few drops pass: Apis, Canth.

Dysentery, fluid, mucous-like scrapping of intestine with great tenesmus: Canth, Colch, Carb-ac.

Promotes expulsions of moles or foreign bodies from uterus: Canth, Sab.

Satyriasis: Canth, Pic-ac, Phos.

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

Cantharides Dosage

1. 3x to 30c for internal use. 1x to 2x in water or vaseline for external use.
2. If skin is broken, alcoholic preparations should not be used; dilution in boiled water promptly relieves the burning pain.

Repetition: Bears repetition very well.

Therapeutic Value: Bladder affections, Burns, Cholera, Colitis, Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Erysipelas, Fits, Gangrene, Gonorrhoea, Haematuria, Hydrophobia, Neuralgia, Nymphomania, Pleurisy, Pregnancy troubles, Renal calculi, Respiratory affections, Retention of urine, Scalds, Skin affections.