• Confusion, worse bread
• Weight of hat causes headache
• Drinking cold water when overheated causes complete loss of voice
• Feeling of anxiety as though some personal misfortune would befall him
• Cannot think outside himself: HIDE-BOUND

Source: Vegetable kingdom
Synonyms: Croton oil seeds, Tiglium officinalis
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Prover: Mr Hernar
Duration of Action: Short acting remedy
Miasmatic Background: Psora in the background
Thermal Relationship: Ambithermal

Introduction and History: It is one of the most important remedies of homeopathic materia medica. It was used as a powerful purgative and irritant of the skin which causes a watery discharge. It was also used as a good remedy in acute troubles.

Preparation and Parts Used: It is prepared from croton oil seeds.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It has psoric and allergic constitutions.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts on the gastrointestinal tract, mucous membranes, respiratory System, skin,etc.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It acts on the oesophagus and causes burning and congestion.
2. Also acts on the gastrointestinal tract producing copious watery stools with peritonitis.
3. Acts on glands producing hyperaemia.
4. It acts very well on the skin producing irritation and inflammation which results in the formation of vesicles and mucous discharges.
5. It acts on the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract producing transudation of the watery portion of blood, with copious watery diarrhoea.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Feeling of anxiety. Cannot think outside himself.
2. Feels all spent up, morose, dissatisfied, not disposed to work.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Cough: As soon as the head touches the pillow, a spasmodic paroxysm of cough sets in. Suffocated, wants to sit in the chair, must walk in the room.

Stools: Spasmodic jerks of bowel coming out like a shot as soon as the patient eats or drinks. Yellow watery stools with constant urging.

Sensation: Swashing sensation in intestines as from water before the stool.

Pains: Drawing pain through the chest, from breast to scapula at same site every time the child nurses. Nipples are very sore.

Itching: Intense itching of the skin with erysipelas, eczema, herpes and pustules. Severe itching of genitals in males and females.

Eczema: Acute eczema develops all over the body.

Important Characteristic Features

Diarrhoea: Constant urging to stool followed by sudden evacuation. Pain in the anus, as if a plug were forcing outwards. It is suitable in both acute and chronic diarrhoea, also in cholera infantum. The marked feature is extreme suddenness with which the stool is ejected. Stools are yellow, watery, soft and copious. Distended abdomen, gushing of thin, yellow, watery stools; swashing sensation in the intestines as from water. Colic before diarrhoea.

Skin complaints: Eruptions pustular; blisters clustered which burst and form a crust. Feels hide-bound. Intense itching, but scratching is painful. Pustular eruptions especially on the face and genitals. Itching followed by painful burning. Oozing eczema. Burning red skin. Vesicular erysipelas, herpes zoster with stinging and Smarting pains.

General Modalities

Aggravation: From drinking, eating, motion, by sitting, in open air, hot milk.

Amelioration: Sleep, gentle rubbing.

Remedy Relationships

Antidotes: Rhus-t.

Antidoted by: Ant-t.

Compare: Kali-bi, Phos in chronic infantile diarrhoea, Kali-p, Sil.

Therapeutic Value: Cholera, Colds, Colic, Corneal opacity, Cough,
Diarrhoea, Eczema, Herpes zoster, Hypopyon, Keratitis, Ophthalmia, Rashes, Rheumatism, etc.