Anacardium Occidentale anac-oc.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

John Henry Clarke · A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · 1st edition (1900-02, three volumes); homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML digitization

General

Cashew Nut. (West Indies.) N. O. Anacardiaceæ. Tincture of the black juice between outer and inner shell. (This nut is kidney-shaped, that of Anac. orient . is heart-shaped.)

Clinical

Corns. Erysipelas. Imbecility. Itching. Paralysis. Rhus poisoning. Ringworm. Small-pox. Warts.

Characteristics

The effects of the Cashew nut are known through instances of poisoning. It acts powerfully on the skin, causing erysipelas, blisters, and swelling, and has been used as an antidote to Rhus poisoning. The juice has been used locally as an applications to corns, warts, hard excrescences, ringworms, and obstinate ulcers. It causes weakness of memory and mind like A. orient . General paralytic state. Tongue painfully swollen. Vesicular eruption, on face especially. Itching almost intolerable; umbilicated vesicles as in small-pox. The erysipelas spreads from left to right, and it cures erysipelas spreading from right to left; Rhus t . cures cases spreading left to right.

Relations

Compare: Anac. orient., Rhus, Canth., Mez., Crot. t. Antidoted by: Rhus, Iodine locally.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

Constantine Hering · The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica · 1879–91

General

Cashew Nut. Anacardiaceæ.
The common cashew nut of the West Indies. It is easily distinguished from our Anacardium which comes from the East Indies, by its being kidney-shaped, while the Oriental nut, our well-proved medicine, is heart- shaped. It was never proved and is only known by the frequent cases of poisoning which occur from peeling or roasting the nut. The kernel is edible, but it is advisable first to remove the germ between the halves.
The poisonous black juice contained between the outer and inner shell contains two peculiar principles, Anacardic acid and Cardol. Poisonings are frequently mistaken for Rhus poisoning.
The effects on the skin are mentioned by C. Hg. in Cl. Müller's Vierteljahrschrift in 1861, Vol. 12, p. 276. No cures on record excepting from Segin in Hygea.

Mind

Loss of will ; cannot control voluntary muscles. θ Paralysis with imbecility.
Did not know his surroundings. θ Paralysis with imbecility.
Weak memory.
Difficult thinking.
Melancholy.
Hypochondriasis.

Sensorium

Apathy or anesthesia.

Inner head

Tearing headache on left side.
Head falls forward, difficult to keep it up. θ Paralysis and imbecility.

Sight and eyes

(OBS :) Scrofulous ophthalmia.

Hearing and ears

Swelling of ears with burning and itching.

Upper face

Erysipelas over whole face (from applying juice to destroy marks).
Swelling of face with itching and burning ; next night after handling nuts.
Applied to face to remove cuticle and produce a fresher and more youthful appearance.
Face so much swollen that for a time not a feature was discernible (in a lady exposed to fumes of nut while roasting).

Lower face

The juice corrodes lips and mouth.

Taste, speech, tongue

Cannot speak, only mutters unintelligible sounds. θ Paralysis and imbecility.
Painfully swollen tongue from handling nuts.

Inner mouth

(OBS :) Aphthæ.

Eating and drinking

Drinks run out of mouth. θ Paralysis with imbecility.

Stools and rectum

(OBS :) Dysentery.
Increased urination.

Urinary organs

Stimulates sexual desire.
Testicles swelled when touched with hands after handling nuts.

Male sexual organs

When during menses juice is applied, it causes erysipelas of face.
(OBS :) Uterine complaints and dropsy.

Respiration

Respiration free. θ Paralysis and imbecility.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Pulse slow, moderately full, 60. θ Paralysis with imbecility.

Upper limbs

Large blisters filled with a yellow fluid are raised on hands, followed by desquamation.
(OBS :) Warts.

Lower limbs

(OBS :) Corns.

Fever

Temperature of body cool. θ Paralysis.

Locality and direction

Left : tearing headache.
Left to right : red itching spots.

Sensations

Tearing pain : in left side of head.
Burning and itching : of ears and face.

Tissues

(OBS :) Scirrhous swellings.
(OBS :) Hard excrescences.
(OBS :) Proud flesh.

Skin

If hands are not washed carefully after handling nuts, they cause itching and painful burning swellings wherever they touch skin.
(OBS :) Corroding or dry tetters.
Red itching spots like nettlerash, similar to that of Rhus tox., spreading from left to right.
Used as a vesicant it causes itching and burning ; then gradual reddening and swelling, followed by vesicles which become pustular ; these are large and flat at first and gradually become confluent and break ; the epidermis peels off, but leaves surface swollen, hyperæmic and suppurating for days.
The juice is used on corns, warts, ringworms and obstinate ulcers.

Stage of life, constitution

A woman, æt. 70, lost two grown-up children who died in the insane asylum ; ulcers on the leg and attacks of vertigo so that she fell from chair ; a year ago had what was called an apoplectic-attack. θ Paralysis with imbecility.
A lady, swollen face, from exposure to fumes when roasting nuts.

Relations

Collateral relations : Anac. orien. ; Rhoes .
Similar to : Canthar. ; Mezer . (as a vesicant) ; Crot. tigl. ; Rhus rad. ; Rhus tox .
Antidoted by : Rhus tox .
The tincture of Iodine was found useful as a local application to parts affected.