Inula Helenium inul.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Scabwort (INULA)

General

A mucous membrane medicine. Bearing-down sensations in pelvic organs and bronchial symptoms are most marked. Substernal pain. Diabetes.

Head

Vertigo on stooping; throbbing after eating, pressure in temples and forehead.

Respiratory

Dry cough; worse at night and lying down; larynx painful. Chronic bronchitis; cough, with much thick expectoration, with languor and weak digestion. Stitches behind sternum. Teasing cough with much and free expectoration. Palliative in tubercular laryngitis.

Female

Menses too early and painful. Labor-like pains; urging to stool; dragging in genitals, with violent backache. Itching of legs during menses, chattering of teeth from cold during menstruation. Moving about in abdomen, stitches in genitals. Chronic metritis.

Rectum

Pressing toward rectum as of something extruding.

Urinary

Frequent urging to urinate; passes only in drops. Violet odor (Tereb).

Extremities

Pain in right shoulder and wrist; tearing in left palm, unable to double fingers; pain in lower limbs, feet and ankles.

Relationship

Compare: Crocus; Ignatia; Arum dracontium (loose cough worse at night on lying down).

Dose

First to third potency.

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

Inula helenium. Elecampane. Scabwort. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of fresh root dug in autumn of the second year. (The juice of the root was proved.)

Clinical

Backache. Cough. Cramp. Dysmenorrhœa. Erysipelas. Leucorrhœa. Rectum, pain in. Sciatica. Toothache.

Characteristics

Inula is a "perennial plant with a stem from three to four feet high; large saw-toothed leaves tapering to a stalk; and large heads of yellow flowers. The root has an aromatic camphor-like taste, due to the presence of a crystalline substance called Helenin , allied in chemical constitution to Kreosote . It also contains a quantity of starchy material, called Inulin , which differs from ordinary starch in being coloured yellow by Iodine . Elecampane was formerly much used as an aromatic tonic, and as a stimulant of all the secreting organs, likewise in coughs, dyspepsia," &c. This quotation from the Treasury of Botany well sums up the chemistry and ancient medical history of the plant as handed down from the time of Dioscorides. Ben Jonson refers to it in one of his poems. A popular tradition credits it with the cure of facial erysipelas, and certain symptoms of the face in the provings seem to confirm this. The homœopathic knowledge of it is due to. Fischer, who proved the root-juice. Clinical experience has confirmed and added to the symptom list. The old reputation of the remedy in coughs is confirmed: "Violent tickling in larynx, producing dry cough, < lying-down, < at night; larynx painful," also "dry cough, with constant tickling in throat-pit, difficult breathing and sensation as if hoarseness would occur." A very pronounced effect was observed in the pelvic organs; pressing and dragging towards the rectum and genitals, headache and labour-like pains. Inula is one of the remedies which has sensation as of something alive moving about internally; also twisting as of a ball in umbilical region; as if a substance would come out of rectum and genitals. Another peculiar sensation is: as though some one was poking him with a finger in various parts of the body, especially in diaphragm, so painful he awoke with clenched teeth. Sticking pains as with pins or a knife are numerous. The majority of the symptoms occurred on the right side. The symptoms are < at night; < lying down (except the uterine pain, which compels patient to remain lying); < by motion; after eating.

Relations

Compare: Sep. (forcing in genitals and rectum), Crocus and Thuja (sensation of something alive); Tereb. (urine smelling of violets); Ign. (cough < lying down and in evening); Sul. (psora; < at night in bed).

Mind

Excessive anxiety and trembling of the whole body, chattering of teeth from cold, during menstruation.

Head

Vertigo on stooping. ─ Confusion of head with nausea, in evening. ─ Headache in r. side, afterward in l. ─ Tearing, throbbing in forehead and vertex after eating. ─ Sticking headache in r. side. ─ Jerking, tearing pain in occiput. ─ Rush of blood to head with sleeplessness. ─ Burning headache in l. temple, in a spot as large as a silver dollar, in evening.

Eyes

Twitching in upper lids. ─ Burning in l. eyeball. ─ Swimming before eyes and pressure in temples and forehead.

Ears

Dull stitches in l. ear, with transient sticking above r. eyebrow in evening.

Nose

Stitches in r. side of middle of nose. ─ Sticking, crawling in root of nose, extending to eyebrows.

Face

Left side of face red and hot, a white spot near nose. ─ Flushes of heat; l. cheek glowing.

Teeth

Pain in decayed teeth, < at night.

Mouth

Dryness of mouth with scraping and tickling in throat, swallowing difficult.

Throat

Pain in throat on swallowing; tickling causing cough.

Stomach

Nausea in morning coming from stomach. ─ Twisting as of a ball in epigastric region, above umbilicus. ─ Sticking pain in epigastric region.

Abdomen

Violent motion beneath r. hypochondrium, as though something living were moving about, during menstruation. ─ Sticking: as with two pins to r. of umbilicus; as from a knife between umbilicus and r. groin. ─ Stitches in l. side of abdomen towards l. groin.

Stool and Rectum

Pressing dragging towards rectum and genitals, as in labour; as if substance would come out, occurring repeatedly.

Urinary Organs

Urging to urinate ten times in one hour; urine passes by drops. ─ Urine smells of violets.

Female Sexual Organs

Movings about in abdomen, as at appearance of menstruation, followed by yellowish leucorrhœa. ─ Pain in uterus, with pain in small of back, very violent, with pressure as in labour; urging to stool, which she dreads; is obliged to remain lying. ─ Dragging in genitals, with more violent backache than she had ever had before. ─ Stitches in region of uterus and genitals. ─ Menses too early and painful.

Respiratory Organs

Violent tickling in larynx, producing dry cough, < lying down; < at night; larynx painful. ─ Cough with abundant thick expectoration; accompanied by weakness of digestive tract, general languor and debility and much leucorrhœa; skin has been the seat of psoric manifestations; engorged glands (chronic bronchitis). ─ Difficult breathing with dry cough, constant tickling in throat-pit. ─ Dry, tickling cough.

Chest

Stitches behind sternum and beneath l. seventh and eighth ribs. ─ Throbbing, jerking pain as from suppuration, in middle of chest.

Back

Pain through back and chest, on inspiration. ─ Transient pain in r. scapula. ─ Violent backache during menstruation.

Upper Limbs

Stitches and tearing pain in r. shoulder and wrist. ─ Tearing, cramp-like pain in tip of l. shoulder; in scaleni muscles on l. side of neck, as if pulled by pincers. ─ Tearing, jerking in r. arm. ─ Upper arms as far as elbows fall asleep. ─ Tearing in palm of l. hand, unable to double fingers. ─ Fine stitches in index finger. ─ Tearing in r. little finger, it seems dead.

Lower Limbs

Tensive drawing in hips extending to nates. ─ Sticking in r. hip extending to groin; in middle toes of r. foot in r. heel. ─ Stitches: in thighs; in l. ankle, when walking; as if sprained in r. heel. ─ Spasmodic sticking beneath bend of r. knee, hot face and chilliness. ─ Cramp in calves during sleep.

Skin

Itching: as from fleas; violent on legs during menses, with burning after scratching, in bed.

Sleep

Sleep restless, starting and crying out. ─ Dreams: lascivious; disgusting.

Fever

Coldness, shaking in bed, cold, blue hands and nails.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

General

Elecampane ; Scabwort. Corymbiferæ.
An ancient medicine known to Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Eben Sina, etc.
The plant is a native of Europe, Central Asia and Siberia, but grows wild along roadsides in the Northern part of the United States.
The tincture is prepared from the fresh root dug in Autumn of its second year.
Proving with the juice of the root on a female prover, by Fischer. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 5, p. 112 .
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Bronchitis , Chargé, Hahn. Mo., vol. 10, p. 228 ; Laryngitis , Lingen, MSS.

Mind

Excessive anxiety and trembling of whole body, chattering of teeth from cold, during menstruation.

Sensorium

Confusion of head with nausea, in evening.
Headache, in right side, afterward in left.
Sticking headache in right side.
Jerking, tearing pain in occiput.

Inner head

Rush of blood to head with sleeplessness.
Tearing, throbbing pain in forehead and vertex, after eating.
Burning headache in left temple, in a spot as large as a silver dollar, in evening.

Sight and eyes

Twitching in upper lids.
Burning in left eyeball.
Swimming before eyes and pressure in temples and forehead.

Hearing and ears

Dull stitches in left ear, with transient sticking above right eyebrow, in evening.

Smell and nose

Stitches in right side of middle of nose.
Sticking, crawling in root of nose, extending to eyebrows.

Upper face

Left side of face red and hot, a white spot near nose.
Flushes of heat ; left cheek glowing.

Teeth and gums

Pain in decayed teeth, < at night.

Inner mouth

Dryness of mouth with scraping and tickling in throat, swallowing difficult.

Palate and throat

Pain in throat on swallowing ; tickling causing cough.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Nausea in morning coming from stomach.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Twisting as of a ball in epigastric region, above umbilicus.
Sticking pain in epigastric region.

Hypochondria

Violent motion beneath right hypochondrium, as though something living were moving about, during menstruation.

Abdomen and loins

Sticking : as with two pins to right of umbilicus ; as from a knife between umbilicus and right groin.
Stitches in left side of abdomen, towards left groin.

Stools and rectum

Pressing dragging towards rectum and genitals, as in labor ; as if a substance would come out, occurring repeatedly.

Urinary organs

Urging to urinate ten times in one hour ; urine passes by drops.
Urine smells of violets.

Female sexual organs

Movings about in abdomen, as at appearance of menstruation, followed by yellowish leucorrhœa.
Pain in uterus, with pain in small of back, very violent, with pressure as in labor ; urging to stool, which she dreads ; is obliged to remain lying.
Dragging in genitals, with more violent backache than she had ever had before.
Stitches in region of uterus and genitals.
Menses too early and painful.

Voice and larynx. trachea and bronchia

Violent tickling in larynx, producing dry cough, < lying down, < at night ; larynx painful.
Cough with abundant thick expectoration ; accompanied by weakness of digestive tract, general languor and debility and much leucorrhœa ; skin has been the seat of psoric manifestations ; engorged glands. θ Chronic bronchitis.

Respiration

Respiration
Difficult breathing with dry, tickling cough.

Cough

Dry, tickling cough.

Inner chest and lungs

Stitches behind sternum and beneath left seventh and eighth ribs.
Throbbing, jerking pain as from suppuration, in middle of chest.

Neck and back

Pain through back and chest, on inspiration.
Transient pain in right scapula.
Violent backache during menstruation.

Upper limbs

Stitches and tearing pain in right shoulder and wrist.
Tearing, cramp-like pain in tip of left shoulder ; in scaleni muscles on left side of neck, as if pulled by pincers.
Tearing, jerking in right arm.
Upper arms as far as elbow fall asleep.
Tearing in palm of left hand, unable to double fingers.
Fine stitches in index finger.
Tearing in right little finger, it seems dead.

Lower limbs

Tensive drawing in hips extending to nates.
Sticking in right hip extending to groin ; in middle toes of r. foot ; in right heel.
Stitches : in thighs ; in left ankle, when walking ; as if sprained ; in right heel.
Spasmodic sticking beneath bend of right knee, hot face and chilliness.
Cramp in calves at night during sleep.

Rest. position. motion

Lying down : tickling in larynx.
Obliged to remain lying : on account of pain in uterus.
Stooping : vertigo.

Sleep

Sleep restless, starting and crying out.
Dreams : lascivious ; disgusting.

Time

Morning : nausea.
Evening : confusion in head with nausea ; burning in left temple ; sticking above right eyebrow.
Night : toothache < ; tickling in larynx < ; cramp in calves.

Fever

Coldness, shaking in bed, cold, blue hands and nails.

Attacks, periodicity

Ten times in one hour : urging to urinate.

Locality and direction

Right : sticking headache ; transient sticking above eyebrow ; stitches in side of middle of nose ; sticking side of umbilicus ; cutting between umbilicus and groin ; transient pain in scapula ; stitches and tearing pain in shoulder ; tearing, jerking in arm ; tearing in little finger ; sticking in hip, in toes, in heel ; spasmodic sticking beneath bend of knee.
Left : burning in temple and eyeball ; dull stitches in ear ; side of face red and hot ; cheek glowing ; stitches between seventh and eighth rib ; tearing, cramp-like pain in tip of shoulder, in muscles of side of neck ; tearing in palm of hand.
Right then left : headache.

Sensations

As though some one was poking him with finger, in various parts of body, especially in diaphragm, so painful he awoke and clenched his teeth ; as of a ball twisting in epigastric region ; as though something living was moving about beneath hypochondrium ; sticking as with two pins to right of umbilicus ; as from a knife between umbilicus and right groin ; as if a substance would come out of rectum and genitals ; pain as from suppuration in middle of chest ; neck as if pulled with pincers ; itching as from fleas.
Pain : in decayed teeth ; in throat ; in uterus ; in small of back ; through back and chest.
Violent pain : in back.
Tearing pain : in right shoulder and wrist ; in palm of left hand ; in right little finger.
Tearing, throbbing pain : in forehead and vertex.
Tearing, cramp-like pain : in tip of left shoulder ; in scaleni muscles on left side of neck.
Throbbing, jerking pain : in middle of chest.
Sticking pain : on right side of head ; in epigastric region ; to r. of umbilicus ; in right hip to groin ; in middle toes of right foot.
Jerking, tearing pain : in occiput ; in right arm.
Sticking, crawling : in nose, extending to eyebrows ; in right heel.
Spasmodic sticking : beneath bend of right knee.
Stitches : in right side of middle of nose ; in left side of abdomen ; in region of uterus and genitals ; behind sternum and beneath left seventh and eighth ribs, in right shoulder and wrist, in thighs ; in left ankle ; in right heel.
Fine stitches : in index finger.
Burning pain : in left temple ; in left eyeball.
Transient stitching : above right eyebrow.
Transient pain : in right scapula.
Dull stitches : in left ear.
Burning : on skin.
Headache : in right side, then in left.
Cramp : in calves.
Twisting : as of a ball in epigastric region.
Pressing and dragging : towards rectum and genitals.
Tensive drawing : in hips.
Pressure : in temples and forehead.
Violent tickling : in larynx.
Scraping and tickling : in throat.
Dryness : of mouth.
Confusion : of head.
Twitching : in upper lids.
Trembling : of whole body.
Itching : on legs.

Skin

Itching : as from fleas ; violent on legs during menses, with burning after scratching, in bed.

Relations

Compare : Crocus and Thuja (movements as of something alive in abdomen) ; Tereb . (urinary symptoms) ; Ignat . (cough < lying down and in evening) ; Sulphur (psora).