Clematis Erecta

Clematis, like other Ranunculi, is a direct irritant of the skin producing

inflammation and vesication. It was used by Stoerck before Hahnemann's time in cancerous and

other foul ulcers, inveterate skin eruptions, syphilis, and rheumatism. In the provings, the

external head (left), eyes, teeth (left), skin, urinary and male sexual organs show the greatest

number of symptoms. Inflammation of eyes (< left), smarting, burning, stitches, redness,

lachrymation, photophobia. Sensation as if fire were streaming from eyes. There is mucus in the

urine, but not pus. Flow of urine by fits and starts; or has to wait a long time before he can

urinate, with intense pain along fore part of urethra. Beginning of inflammatory stricture.

"Affections of urethra; penis in general; prepuce in particular." Swelling of inguinal glands.

Painful, inflamed, swollen testicles. Clematis acts best on light-haired people; torpid, cachectic

conditions; swellings and indurations of the glandular system; syphilitic taint. Great debility;

twitching of, muscles; vibrating sensation through body. The symptoms are < by touch and

generally by motion; headache and toothache < lying down in evening. Eyes < on closing them.

• ▸Headache < bending head backward.
• ▸Great debility 3-5 p.
• ▸m.
• ▸; nearly all symptoms < night.

Weakness after eating. Aversion to be washed. < By cold water; cold air; cold weather; moist

poultices. Toothache, temporarily > by drawing in cold air; < from heat of bed. < During

increasing, > during waning moon. Giddiness when lifting up head, or when moving head.

Sadness and apprehension.—Moroseness.—Aversion to

conversation.—Indifference.—Fear of being alone, but disinclined to meet otherwise agreeable

company.—Memory impaired.

Boring pain in temples. Confused feeling; better in open air. Eruption on occiput at base of hair, moist, pustular sensitive, itching.

In the morning, confusion and heaviness of the head.—Giddiness if he lifts his head

up, or when moving the head.—Head feels full and heavy, hanging down.—Headache, aggravated

by bending the head backwards.—Pressive tension in the forehead and sides of the head, as well

• ▸as in the bones of the cranium.
• ▸—Digging pressure on the brain.
• ▸—Piercing in the temples.
• ▸—Boring

pains in the temple-—Hammering and strokes in the head.—Purulent pimples on the forehead,

painful on being touched.—Burning, incisive pains in the skin of the forehead —Eruptions on the

head.—Moist phlyctenz on the occiput and at the nape of the neck; sore, tingling and stinging-

itching; often drying up in scales; when getting warm in bed, violently itching; only temporarily

relieved by scratching; with soreness and rawness.—Itching on the hairy scalp.

• ▸Heat in eyes and sensitive to air; must close them.
• ▸Chronic blepharitis, with sore and swollen meibomain glands.
• ▸Iritis, great sensitiveness to cold.
• ▸Flickering before eyes.
• ▸Pustular conjunctivitis, with tinea capitis; eyes inflamed and protruding.

Pressure on the ball of the eye-—Smarting in the eyes, and in the margins of the eyelids,

esp. on closing them.—The closed eye is very sensitive to the air (cold air), and when it is opened

very sensitive to the light—Shootings in the corners of the eyes.—Itching in the canthi—Burning

and heat in the eyes, with dryness, as if fire were streaming from the eyes.—Inflammation of the

iris.—The white of the eyes has a yellow tint—While writing, the letters momentarily run into

one another; at times, double vision, with flickering before the eyes.—Inflammation of the eyes,

with profuse lachrymation.—Inflammation and ulceration of the margins of the

eyelids —Photophobia.

Burning pain in exterior of the ear —Tinkling in the ear.—Ringing, as from bells in the

ear.

Purulent pimples, painful on being touched at the root, and on the point of the

nose.—Fluent coryza (with sneezing), with abundant secretion of mucus, streaked with blood.

White blisters on face and nose, as if burned by sun. Swelling of submaxillary glands, with hard tubercles, throbbing, aggravated on being touched. Pain in right side of face to eye, ear and temple; better, holding cold water in mouth.

Face pale and sickly.—Sensation of burning in the skin of the cheeks (momentary

flushes).—Incisive burning pains in the lower lip.—Cancer of the lips —Phlyctenoid eruptions on

the lip.—White vesicles on the nose and on the face, as from a sunburn.—Moist eruption on the

face, preceded by stinging pain.—Purulent pimples on the chin.—Swelling of the submaxillary

glands, with nodosities, hard, tensive, pulsative, and painful on being touched.

Dryness of the tongue in the morning.—Dull shootings and piercings in the root of

the tongue.—Small blisters on the tongue and in the throat, which soon become

ulcers.—Expectoration of sanguineous saliva.

Toothache, < by smoking tobacco.—Toothache in a decayed molar tooth, much <

from a crumb of bread coming into it; much > by cold water.—Nocturnal pains in the teeth,

which, in a horizontal position, are aggravated so as to occasion despair, with tossing, weakness,

anxiety, and insupportable suffering on being uncovered.—Shooting pains or successive pullings

in the teeth, extending even into the head and producing incapacity for intellectual

labour.—Sensation as if the decayed tooth were too long; the least contact is exceedingly painful,

with an excessive flow of saliva.

Ache; worse, at night and from tobacco. Teeth feel too long.

After eating, weakness in all limbs and pulsation in arteries.

Prolonged satiety, though the food continues pleasant to the taste —After eating,

nausea, and sleepiness.—Nausea on smoking tobacco, with weakness of the legs.—Aversion to

beer.—Increased thirst, with desire for ice.

Pains, as from a bruise in the hepatic region, on touching the part, and on

stooping.—Stitches in the liver—When walking, incisive contractions in the regions of the

loins.—Pressure towards the exterior of the inguinal ring, as if a hernia were about to

protrude.—Swelling and induration of the inguinal glands, with jerking pains.—Sensation of

constriction in the lower abdomen, which is hard.—Stitches: shooting up, < on breathing and

urinating.

Frequent, liquid, or loose evacuations, without colic.—Loose stools, with

burning at the anus.—Burning heat, and itching at the anus (in the evening); better after an

evacuation.—Hemorrhoids, itching, discharging some mucus.—Hard stool, difficult to discharge

(in the evening).

Increased secretion of urine.—Purulent urine.—Urine turbid, milky, dark,

with flakes of mucus and frothy.—Secretion diminished; the last drops cause violent

burning.—Secretion slow and in a small stream.—During the emission of urine, pulling in the

spermatic cord.—Burning sensation and smarting in the urethra, on commencing to

urinate.—Stitches in the urethra; stitches from the abdomen into the chest.—Contraction of the

urethra, with the urine stopping suddenly, or only flowing drop by drop; jerk-like tearing in fore

part of urethra in the intervals.

• ▸Tingling in urethra lasting some time after urinating.
• ▸Frequent, scanty urination; burning at orifice.
• ▸Interrupted flow.
• ▸Urethra feels constricted.
• ▸Urine emitted drop by drop.
• ▸Inability to pass all the urine; dribbling after urinating.
• ▸Pain worse at night, pain along the spermatic cord.
• ▸Commencing stricture.

Swelling and induration of the mammary glands; cancer of the

breast; and womb.—Menses too early.

• ▸Ilio-scrotal neuralgia.
• ▸Testicles indurated with bruised feeling.
• ▸Swelling of scrotum (Orchitis).
• ▸Right half only.
• ▸Troubles from suppressed gonorrhoea.
• ▸Violent erections with stitches in urethra.
• ▸Testicles hang heavy or retracted, with pain along spermatic cord; worse, right side.

Itching on the genitals.—Violent, long-continuing erections, with

stitches in the urethra—Swelling of the r. half of scrotum.—Drawing pains, in the testes and in

the spermatic cord, extending to the groins and the thighs.—Painful inflammation and swelling of

the testes.—Induration of the testes —Thickening of the scrotum.—Aversion to sexual enjoyment,

as after excessive indulgence.—Burning pain in the penis, during emission in coition.

Violent cough, with irregular respiration, at times too slow, at times

too rapid; barking cough, with burning pain in the sternum and stitches in both sides of the lungs.

Violent shocks, with dull shootings in the sides of the chest and of the

abdomen.—Shootings in the chest, aggravated by breathing.

Itching pustules round the neck, with excoriation after scratching —Humid

tetters from the nape of the neck to the occiput.—Eruption of pustules in the lumbar region.

Swelling and induration of the axillary glands.—Pressure or pullings in the

muscles of the arms and of the hands.—Gnawing blisters on the hands and fingers, with swelling;

cold water aggravates the sufferings.—The hands feel as if they were too large; they are dry and

hot.—Arthritic nodosities in the joints of the fingers.

Tearing in the thighs.—Scaly tetters in the thigh—Furunculi in the

thigh.—Itching of the toes and perspiration between them.

24. Generalities—Convulsive movements of the muscles in different parts of the

• ▸body.
• ▸—Relaxation of the muscles.
• ▸—Great emaciation.
• ▸—Fatigue of all the limbs, esp.
• ▸after a meal,

with beatings in all the arteries —Vibration through the whole body, after lying down.—Great

• ▸debility and weakness, 3-5 (p.
• ▸m.
• ▸).
• ▸—Lancinations from below upward, < on breathing, or

urinating, concomitant with uterine or other affections.

• ▸Red, burning, vesicular, scaly, scabby.
• ▸Itches terribly; worse, washing in cold water; worse face and hands and scalp around occiput. Glands hot, painful, swollen; worse inguinal glands.
• ▸Glandular indurations and tumors of breast.
• ▸Varicose ulcers.

Obstinate miliary eruptions —Vesicular eruptions on the body.—Scaly tetters,

discharging a sanious pus, yellowish and corrosive, and with redness, heat and swelling of the

skin.—Obstinate tetters, red and moist, with insupportable itching in the heat of the bed, and after

washing.—Itching over the whole body.—Aggravation of all skin symptoms by the heat of the

bed and from washing.—The tetters (painful, not itching over the whole body) are red and humid

while the moon is increasing, and pale and dry when the moon is waning.—Burning or tingling,

and pulsation in the ulcers, with shootings in the edges when touched.—Psoric pustules over the

whole body.—Painful swelling and induration of the glands.

Great drowsiness during the day, even in the morning after rising.—Sleeplessness in

the evening and, at night —Sleep, with frequent dreams, agitation, and tossing; vivid, lascivious

dreams; profuse perspiration after midnight——In the morning, sensation of not having slept

enough.

Pulse accelerated —Quartan fever, characterised by shuddering, followed by

sweat.—Sweat on waking, and sensitiveness of the skin, which the patient cannot bear to be

uncovered.—Dry heat, with sensation of general heat (at night).

• ▸Cancer.
• ▸Eves, affections of.
• ▸Face, pimples on.
• ▸Gonorrhcea.
• ▸Headache.
• ▸Rheumatism.

Testicles, inflammation of. Toothache. Urethra, stricture of.

Antidoted by: Bry. (toothache, urinary symptoms), Camph. Antidote to: Merc.

• ▸Compatible: Sil.
• ▸Compare: Ars.
• ▸(skin; Clem.
• ▸has more redness, is < from washing; has moist,

alternating with dry scabs); Puls. (gonorrhceal orchitis, testicle tender and hard as a stone); Bell.,

• ▸Bry.
• ▸, Calc.
• ▸, Canth.
• ▸, Con.
• ▸, Caust.
• ▸, Dulc.
• ▸(syphilitic ulcerations); Graph.
• ▸, Merc.
• ▸(iritis, sensitive to

• ▸cold); Petr.
• ▸(impetigo on neck and occiput); Sars.
• ▸(syphilitic ulcers).
• ▸In "aversion to be washed,"

• ▸compare Ant.
• ▸c.
• ▸, Hep.
• ▸, Pho.
• ▸, Sep.
• ▸, Spi.
• ▸, Sul.
• ▸In bending head back, Cinnabar.
• ▸Cobalt.
• ▸has <

bending head forward.

Compare: Clematis vitalba (varicose and other ulcers); Sil; Staph; Petrol; Oleand; Sarsap; Canth; Phos ac; Pulsat.

Antidotes: Bryon; Camph.

Third to thirtieth potency.

Clematis has only been partially proved, and consequently it applies

only to a few conditions, but these arc very important, so that it cannot

be passed over. It has vesicular eruptions almost erysipelatous in

character. One almost constant mental state is that he fears to be

• ▸alone, yet dreads company.
• ▸He dreads the necessity of having company, and it seems that the atmosphere is full of frightful and distressing things to worry him.
• ▸This makes him low-spirited.
• ▸The remedy

seems to fit the sycotic constitution in its mental state and its generals.

It seems to be fitted to those who had gonorrhoea recently suppressed,

because after that suppression will come on this mental state with

inflammation of glands.

It is rather singular about the eruptions. One would not think that

from so harmless a little shrub so much trouble would come ; but there

are persons who are just as sensitive to this vine as to Rhus, and it

resembles Rhus to a great extent in its manifestations. It produces

just as poisonous a condition as Rhus, Here I might speak of several

remedies which relate to the Rhus poison, There are many vesicular

CtEMAllS ERECTA

remedies that look like Rhus, and all oi‘ them you will have to use

more or less in their antidotal relations to each other, but it is well to

be sure in a given case which one of them produced the poison.

Croton tig., Rhus, Ranunculus, Anacardium and Clematis at times look

so much alike that I am unable to tell them apart by their eruptions.

They are all similar enough to each other to become universal antidotes. The others are all deeper acting than Rhus. The Ranunculus,

the little buttercup, has cured epithelioma of the lids. It has cured

cancerous affections, so we say it goes deep into the tissues.

On the outer head we have a part of the manifestations of Clematis ;

vesicular eruptions with great itching, stinging and crawling. Now

what is true of the eruption here will be true of the Clematis eruption

everywhere. It is aggravated from washing. It will smart and burn,

and a quasi-inflammation will set in from washing. Contrast this

with the internal features of the remedy. In the teeth and jaws the

pain is violent, but while the eniption is made worse from cold applications, the pain inside the jaw and the teeth is relieved by cold

water held in the mouth, and aggravated violently from heat, and

from the warmth of the bed. The eruption is aggravated from the

warmth of the bed, and also from cold washing. We have to go into

the details a little to see whether an eruption is Rhus or whether it ts

Clematis, or something else. Vesicular eruptions filling with yellow

fluid and with induration under the vesicles. It produces eruptions

very closely related to herpes and eczema, and they spread. About

the eyes we have vesicular eruption^. If seen in one stage it will be

vesicular, and if later, it will be sren as an ulceration. Simple and

graver forms of herpes. Herpes zoster about the body. “Burning

and smarting of the eyes; worse from closing them. Inflammation

of the iris. Eyes inflamed, protruded, dim. Chronic irritation of

The pains in connection with the teeth are aggravated from the

warmth of the bed, which is general ; they come at night are aggravated from warm things held in the mouth ^d

ing cold water in the mouth. Stitching and drawing pams in the meth

wfrse at night ; better for a short time from holding cold water in the

mouth; better from drawing in cold air; worse from the warm

the bed. The toothache is tolerable during the day, but as soon as h

lies down in bed and assumes a horizontal position it

intolerable degree. Pain in hollow tooth, better by cold water

tf the glands of the groin is a striking feature even when

connected ^th scirrhus. It is connected also with suppressed go

rhoea, and with rheumatism of the joints. Pam and swelling of the

right spermatic cord; this is worse at night, worse from wa g

3^8 clematis EflECTA

from the warmth of the bed. While it has both sides, strange to say

there is more trouble in the glands that are on the right side of the

body than on the left. It has produced much trouble in the bladder.

Constant urging to urinate, most painful tenesmus. Flow stopping

and starting. The urethra is painful to pressure. Micturition is remarkably slow, only a feeble stream because of the smallness of the

urethra.

It is the nature of this remedy to infiltrate and inflame tissues, and

hence it is useful in those cases of gonorrhoea where they have been

slow in passing away, where they have been treated by injection.

That slow inflammation of the urethra will infiltrate and the urethra

feels like a large whip-cord, painful upon pressure, and this goes on

until the canal is almost closed. You will be surprised to find, when

Clematis is indicated, that after giving that remedy the discharge is

re-established, and soon the old stricture goes away. At the end of

two or three months he feels nothing of it.

A striking feature in connection with the urine, bladder, etc., is

that the patient cannot quite empty the bladder. He always feels as

if there was a little more, and when he appears to have finished it

will keep dribbling away. This is a common feature of stricture.

‘Inability to evacuate all the urine at once. When beginning to

urinate it burns the worst, while urinating it sticks in urethra, and

after urinating it still continues to burn. Discharge from the urethra

• ▸of thick pus.
• ▸'' It is seldom indicated in the very first stage of gonorrhoea during the highest inflammation, but in those cases that are inclined to hang on.
• ▸Then come the sequelae if gonorrhoea be suppressed.
• ▸Inflammation of the testes is common, and this is one of

the medicines suitable. Strange to say, the right side of the body is

more commonly affected than the left. Intermittent flow of the urine.

Urine stops and starts with the chordee still present. The right

• ▸spermatic cord is very sensitive.
• ▸Pain in the testes, drawing.
• ▸Painful, inflamed and swollen testes.
• ▸Orchitis with much painful swelling

and hardness. Now when the swelling has gone down — ^perhaps you

gave Puls,, which was the remedy for the time, but it did not finish

the case — there is induration of this portion. Swelling of the right

half of the scrotum with thickening and hanging low down.

Provings have not been made very much in women, which is to be

regretted, because it would be well to know if this remedy affects the

ovaries as it does the testes. It has been clinically used, and has

cured many troubles in women, especially inflammation in the mammary gland. “Ulceration and hardness of glands. Scirrhus of the

breast with induration and ulceration. Scirrhus of the left mamma

with stitches in the shoulder this is a clinical symptom, “worse in

the night.’' She cannot bear to be uncovered.