Coccus Cacti

Coccus cacti acts more especially on mucous membranes. It compares with

Cantharis in its action on the renal organs, and with Cactus in causing hemorrhages, in

disturbing the heart and in causing lancinating, stitching, and pricking sensations. Itching,

sticking and biting in various parts of the skin; red spots and itching pimples. Sensations of

irritation predominate, especially in throat and respiratory organs, eyes and urino-genital organs.

In the throat there is a sensation as if a hair or crumb were lodged behind larynx, and as if a

thread were hanging down the back of the throat causing a cough. Hemorrhages are apt to be in

large black clots, especially haemorrhages from kidneys and uterus. Lancinating pains and itching

of glans penis, symptoms of the passage of small calculi. The cough exactly corresponds to the

whooping-cough type, there is no remedy which has a wider range in this affection. "Cough < in

morning; the child awakens and is immediately seized with a paroxysm of coughing ending in

vomiting clear, ropy mucus hanging in long strings from the mouth," Hoarseness. Fatigue of

vocal organs. Violent tickling in larynx. Stitching and ulcerating pains below clavicles,

especially left. Peculiar sensations are: As if a ball or stone lying in stomach; raging pain as

though a fluid were injected into a small blood-vessel; as if something ascending towards

stomach; as of mucus ascending and descending trachea; as of a plug of mucus moving in chest;

as if head would split. Kunkel records the case of a man, 75, an who had suffered from nocturnal

enuresis up to the age of seven. When almost 20 he frequently passed large quantities of uric

acid, and at the same time he began to have symptoms of chronic catarrh of the colon, frequent

scanty stools, much mucus, cross humour, itching anus, threatening of piles but no bleeding.

• ▸Insomnia soon followed.
• ▸Coc.
• ▸c.
• ▸2 and 3 was given without benefit.
• ▸Aqua calcis did some good

but not much. In three successive years he was sent to Carlsbad with good result to the intestinal

catarrh, but the sleeplessness was untouched. Gradually all kinds of arthritic symptoms

developed, especially in knees. There was occasionally considerable flow of urine, and the more

copious it was the better the patient slept, and the less pain in the joints. The same relief followed

an attack of diarrhoea. Four weeks at Assmanhausen caused the excretion of large quantities of

uric acid one year, but had no effect the next, and the knee got worse. Wiesbaden did good one

year and none the next. Half a tumbler of Kronenquelle water drunk every morning did good to

the knee and enabled him to walk better than he had done for a long time. In three or four years

the excretions of uric acid had ceased and the patient's state grew worse: insomnia recurred,

diarrhoea became much more frequent. A fortnight previous to such attack, patient noticed he had

• ▸great aversion to butcher's meat.
• ▸Coc.
• ▸c.
• ▸30 gtt.
• ▸i.
• ▸morning and evening was given.
• ▸Gradually

sleep returned. There was almost daily excretion of uric acid, sometimes in the form of large

shot; the diarrhoea ceased and the patient went about his work with pleasure. Berridge cured with

Coc. c. a case of gonorrhoea, guided by the symptom: "Excruciating pain in left iliac region

extending to groin and halfway down thigh, as if. fluid were forcing its way there."

There is general sensitiveness to touch and pressure; rinsing mouth or brushing teeth causes

cough and vomiting. Warmth < most symptoms; cough < entering warm room; throat < by

• ▸warmth of bed.
• ▸Tickling in trachea and cough > open air.
• ▸Teeth very sensitive to cold.
• ▸Catarrh <

on slightest exposure. Catarrh from autumn till warm weather. Symptoms < night and early

morning; cough < on waking. Symptoms are often periodic. The symptoms are < lying down.

But the least exertion causes lassitude and tendency to perspire or cough, < during exercise.

Mental exertion < pain in occiput. Rising up = hemorrhage with passage of large clots from

uterus.

Early morning or afternoon sadness.

• ▸Suboccipital soreness; worse after sleep and exertion.
• ▸Headache, worse from lying on back, better with the head high.
• ▸Dull pain over right eye in morning.
• ▸Sensation of a foreign body between upper lid and eyeball.
• ▸Distress from cinders lodged in eye.

Giddiness; the head feels dull (pressive headache, also in frontal region), as if he had

drunk too much, with a white-coated tongue.—Congestion of blood to the head when entering a

warm room; > in the open air.—Throbbing, pressing, or sticking pains in temples.—Violent

raging pain extending from r. eye along squamous portion of temporal bone on its inner side to

occiput; it seems as though a fluid were injected paroxysmally into a small blood-

vessel.—Sensation as though a hot constricting band extended from one mastoid process across

occiput to the other; this region seemed tense and constricted; the condition became worse, until

at last it affected the whole skull, in which the pain seemed to fix itself, and it seemed as though

the bones became drawn closer and closer together; the whole scalp was also involved and

seemed to be drawn tighter about the skull.

Sensation as if a foreign body were lodged between the eyelid and the eye.—Sensation

as if the edges of the eyelids were swollen.—Conjunctivitis; increased lachrymation.

Sudden violent stitch in 1. internal ear, extending into |. side of neck and into

• ▸sternum.
• ▸—Intolerable itching in 1.
• ▸ear—Tickling and itching in ears.
• ▸—Cracking in ears on

swallowing.—Great roaring in ears as from a storm.

Dryness of the nose, with inclination to sneeze.—Swelling of nose, with itching, violent

sneezing, and increased secretion of mucus.—Redness on the edges of the nostrils.—Crusts

(yellow) on the edges of the nostrils.

Sweetish, metallic taste in the mouth (with accumulation of water in the

mouth).—Taste: metallic; bitter; sweetish; sour.—Dry, brown-coated tongue —Mouth and tongue

dry, with much thirst—Burning in mouth and throat.—Rawness of mouth and throat.—Stitches

and burning in the throat and on the tongue.—Great sensitiveness of mouth and fauces, so that

rinsing of the mouth caused cough and vomiting of thick masses of mucus.—Sensation as if the

palate were elongated, with continuous hawking.—The arches of the palate are very irritable.

Sensation as if cold air were blown on the teeth.—Great soreness of the teeth to

contact.—Drawing and jerking pains in teeth; teeth sensitive to cold things.—Loud speaking or

brushing teeth causes cough and vomiting.

Swelling of the tonsils, with continuous desire to swallow, and sensation as if a plug

were lodged in the throat —Swelling and redness of r. tonsil—Dryness and burning in throat and

fauces.—Rawness and scraping in throat, with expectoration of mucus.—Sensation as if uvula

were elongated, causing constant hawking.—Throat symptoms < from warmth, esp. in

bed.—Difficult deglutition.

Desire to eat often and much at a time; much thirst.—After dinner much thirst, and

when he drinks water then chill—Sensation of hunger, with colic.—Canine hunger.

Spasmodic empty eructations.—Heartburn.—Sensation as if something

indigestible were lying in the stomach.—Nausea and vomiting; vomiting of mucus.—Retching;

inclination to vomit.—Distension of stomach.—Heaviness and pressure in stomach; sticking

pains.—Stitches in the pit of the stomach when inhaling —Epigastric region sensitive to touch.

Fulness in the abdomen, as if he had eaten too much, with swelling and

tenderness of the pit of the stomach.—Pains in |. hypochondrium, as from incarcerated flatulence;

pains extend to |. side of back and lumbar vertebree.—Burning drawing in region of

spleen.—Flatulent distension of abdomen, with much rumbling.—Griping in abdomen followed

by diarrhcea.

During stool, burning in rectum; stitches in rectum.—Itching in anus, with

tenesmus from slight exertion.—Stitch from the anus, extending into the urethra.—Copious, soft

or pasty stools.

Stitches extending from the kidneys through the urethra into the

bladder.—Dull, pressive pain and soreness in region of kidneys.—Pressure in

bladder.—Spasmodic pain in the bladder, with alternate coldness and heat.—Itching at the end of

the urethra.—Stitches and itching in urethra—Burning pain in urethra while urinating.—Frequent

and great desire to urinate.—Great desire to urinate in the morning (with erection).—Frequent

micturition.—Frequent and copious urination, urine clear as water—Red sediment like

brickdust.—The discharge of urine is slow, in small quantities, with violent burning pain.

Urging to urinate; brick-red sediment. Urinary calculi, haematuria, urates, and uric acid; lancinating pains from kidney to bladder. Deep-colored, thick urine. Dysuria.

• ▸Menses too early, profuse, black and thick; dark clots, with dysuria.
• ▸Intermittent menstruation; flow only in evening and at night.
• ▸Large clots escape when passing water.
• ▸Labia inflamed.

Swelling and heat of pudenda.—Soreness of vulva; cannot bear

pressure of clothing. —Inflammation of labia.—Great tenderness and irritation in extreme lower

part of vagina, < when urinating; can walk a long distance, but is < after sitting in the house all

day.—Menses too early; too profuse; and last too long —Hzemorrhage from uterus, with passage

of large clots, which escape when quiet, or when getting up to pass water.—Enormous black clots

pass from vagina.—Mucous leucorrhcea, preceded by drawing, thrusting pain in inguinal, vesical,

and pubic regions.

Genitals hot, red, swollen.—Frequent erections, with increased

desire.—Lascivious mood, nocturnal emissions.—Loss of sexual power with constant dull burning

pains in 1. hypochondrium and pains across loins as if broken.

• ▸Constant hawking from enlarged uvula; coryza, with inflamed fauces; accumulation of thick viscid mucus, which is expectorated with great difficulty.
• ▸Tickling in larynx.
• ▸Sensation of a crumb behind larynx, must swallow continually; brushing teeth causes cough.
• ▸Fauces very sensitive.
• ▸Suffocative cough; worse, first waking, with tough, white mucus, which strangles.
• ▸Spasmodic morning cough.
• ▸Whooping cough attacks end with vomiting of this tough mucus.
• ▸Chronic bronchitis complicated with gravel; large quantities of albuminous, tenacious mucus, are expectorated.
• ▸Walking against wind takes breath away.

Fatigue of the vocal organs, even after speaking without exertion; the

voice becoming rough and hoarse; respiration somewhat laborious.—Scraping sensation in the

throat.—Hawking and coughing, with increased thirst.—The bronchial tubes are loaded with

mucus.—Rawness in air-passages, causing cough.—Sensation of a crumb the size of a walnut

sticking behind the larynx, obliging him to swallow constantly—Whooping-cough; nightly,

periodical attacks of cough from tickling in the larynx, ending with expectoration of a large

quantity of viscid, stringy mucus.—Morning cough (6 am.); first barking, dry cough, followed by

expectoration of viscid mucus; the difficult expectoration causes retching and vomiting.—Cough

with expectoration of viscid, stringy, yellow, sour-tasting or reddish mucus.—Cough, in a warm

room; > in a cold room.—Short paroxysms of cough, followed by easy expectoration of globules

of mucus.

Sensation as if everything were pressed toward the heart.

Burning under the sternum.—In the chest sensation of heat, of soreness.—Oppression

and soreness in chest.—Stitches and sticking pains in sides of chest.

Pressive pain in precordial region.—Sensation as if everything were

pressed towards the heart.—Heavy pressure in the region of the heart.—Irregular beating and

palpitation of the heart, with anxiety after eating.—Pulse accelerated.

Stitches between the shoulders.—Bruised pain in small of back and region of

kidneys.—Violent pressive pain in region of kidneys.

Sensation as if a fine glass splinter were sticking in the tips of the fingers,

under the nails.

Violent stitches in the r. hip-joint—Hot swelling of the knees.—Pain in the r.

patella when walking.

• ▸Irresistible desire to sleep.
• ▸—Great sleepiness (after dinner).
• ▸Vivid dreams.
• ▸—Uneasy,

restless sleep, interrupted by vivid dreams.—Frequent awaking during the night, with excitement,

as if he had taken too much coffee.

Chilliness all day; cold feet in the morning, with perspiration of the whole

• ▸body.
• ▸—Chilliness all over the body, esp.
• ▸in the afternoon and evening.
• ▸—Increased warmth of

body.—Greatly overpowered by moderate heat.—Chilliness in the evening, with heat in the head,

followed by general heat, and then perspiration all night, which relieves.—Perspiration when

walking; on the lower extremities; in the morning.

• ▸Asthma.
• ▸Backache.
• ▸Catarrh.
• ▸Gonorrhoea.
• ▸Gravel.
• ▸Heemorrhages.
• ▸Heart, affections of.

• ▸Impotence.
• ▸/rritation.
• ▸Labia, inflammation of.
• ▸Menorrhagia.
• ▸Nephritis.
• ▸Phthisis.
• ▸Spasms.

Tinnitus. Uric acid diathesis. Whooping-cough.

• ▸Compare: Canth.
• ▸, Cact.
• ▸, Ocim.
• ▸can.
• ▸, Sars.
• ▸; apices of lungs sore, tenacious mucus,

Kali bi. Many of the Cactus symptoms -pricking and sticking pains, heart disturbances,

&c.—reappear in the pathogenesis of this Cactus-fed insect.

Compare: Canth; Cact; Sars.

Lower triturations.

coccus CACTI

mental symptoms have been brought out. Its use, so far as demonstrated, is mostly in catarrhal conditions of the air passages, and

whooping cough, with copious, ropy, jelly-like mucus. Great quantities of this mucus form in the nose, in the throat, in the air passages generally, and in the vagina. The routine practitioner, whenever he sees thick, ropy, gelatinous mucus, thinks only of Kali bi.

That comes from the study of key-notes. But it must be remembered

that other remedies besides Kali bt. have this.

Spasmodic cough : whooping cough ; the cough of drunkards. The

chronic catarrhal state of the Coccus cacti patient comes on especially

in the winter. It comes on when the cold weather begins and lasts

till the warm weather conics. The patient is cold, and his complaints

come on in cold weather. He is sensitive to cold, easily takes cold.

But you must distinguish between the patient himself and his complaints, because they are entirely opposite to each other. When he

once becomes sick from exposure to cold, he is always worse in a

warm room and better in the cold air. His cough is brought on in a

warm room ; from being too warm in bed ; from drinking warm things.

It is better from drinking cold things in a cold room ; worse from

exertion ; from getting heated up ; from becoming warm ; that is, after

the complaint has once set in, it reverses itself.

This is not unlike many other remedies. I have received many

letters from doctors, saying : ‘"Why is it that in your repertory and

in Boenninghausen’s, certain remedies are put dowm as better from

cold and worse from cold? They certainly cannot have both.'’ But

they do have both, sometimes under different conditions and sometimes under the same conditions. Sometimes these are primary, sometimes they are secondary symptoms. A remedy must be examined to

ascertain how it is that these circumstances can be the very oppovsitc

of each other. But commonly Boenninghausen registers both those

things that belong to particulars and those things that belong to generals, and if the symptom, in his judgment, is strikingly worse by a

certain circumstance, even if it is the very opposite of the general, he

has that symptom in boldfaced type. Phos, is a good illustration of

what we have been talking about. If you make a careful study of

Phos, you will see that the complaints of the chest arc all worse from

cold, from cold air and from being cold. He catches cold and it

settles in the chest, and the cough and irritation in the chest are worse

from cold and being exposed to cold air. But he wants cold things in

the stomach* His stomach feels better from cold things, Let him

have head trouble and his head is better from cold, he wants cold

things in his stomach. If he has stomach trouble, it is made worse

by linything hot ; he w^ants cold water to drink, and as soon as It gets

warm, he vomits it up. You see Pho$, is worse from cold and wor»^

coccus CACTI

from heat. The pains in the extremities are better from heat.

The chronic cough, as has been said, is likely to begin with cold

weather and last all winter, v/ith a copious formation of mucus in the

chest. It is a spasmodic cough, forcing the patient into the most

violent efforts. The face becomes purple. Finally he retches and

vomits long strings of tough, ropy mucus, filling the mouth and throat

and causing him to choke. This is due to the fact that the mucus is so

tenacious that it cannot be ejected from the pharynx in the usual way,

therefore he must vomit. Now, there is a striking feature of this

remedy. Anything coming in contact with the pharynx, the inside of

the mouth, or even the gums, produces gagging and retching and will

bring on the cough. We find this in the chronic states of sensitive

persons, who are unable to brush the teeth or rinse the mouth without

gagging and sometimes vomiting.

There is a general hypera'sthesia of the skin and mucous membranes. Sensitive to the presrurc of the clothing.

With the chest troubles there is much dyspnoea. He cannot walk

without bringing on difficult breathing. He cannot ascend a height

without suffocation. After the quantities of mucus are cleared out the

cough is better and he goes on for two, three or four hours, when

another one of these awful attacks comes on. They are apt to be

worse at night when he becomes warm in bed. If he can lie in a cool

room without much covering he will go longer without coughing.

The whooping cough is of a similar character. You will see the

child lying in bed with the covers off. It wants the room cold, and

the mother will tell you that if she can get to it quickly enough with a

drink of cold water she can ward off the paroxysm. The chest fills up

with mucus untill respiration cannot be carried on any longer and it

must be cleared out, yet the child will resist and hold its breath to prevent coughing. You will be astonished to sec how speedily Coccus

cacti will change the character of that cough. One of the earliest signs

of improvement will be observed in the easier respiration. The cough

becomes less violent, the retching passes away, and in a week or ten

days the cough will go, too. Cough worse after eating, worse on

waking, worse in a warm room.

In the early stages of whooping cough Carbo veg, will develop and

bring out the symptoms and furnish a good picture for a second

prescription, even if it does not cure.

Discharge of thick yellow mucus from the nose : nose stopped up,

• ▸with inclination to sneeze.
• ▸Great dryness of the nose.
• ▸The air passages burn after the mucus has been cleared away.
• ▸The chest burns

from the mere exhaling of air. Sore throat with redness. Tickling

in the throat. Sensation of a hair or crumb lodged in the throat

behind the larynx. Fauces very sensitive. Arch of palate and

39 ^

fauces, as far as visible, very red. Burning in the throat < in the

warmth, especially when warmed up in bed, < from warm drinks,

though hot drinks are not so bad. Better from cold drinks. If the

patient gets warm in bed or the room gets warm he commences to

clutch the larynx and cough. The slightest touch on the palate or

even the gums in examination of the throat will cause gagging sometimes when the parts look normal. He cannot hawk without gagging.

On swallowing food sometimes it will come right back again and

cause gagging and retching.

Great thirst ; wants water often and in large quantities. Nauseous

taste in the mouth ; never rid of it. Nausea in the throat. Vomiting

of white, bitter tasting froth. Toothache ; sudden drawing pains in

the teeth, worse from cold and from touch.

The mental symptoms are chiefly depression and anxiety. Great

sadness ; a cloud seems to hang over everything. Apprehensiveness,

especially at 2 to 4 a. m. This state may alternate with loquacity and

liveliness, like Lachesis, There are other symptoms worse after sleep ;

wakes in the morning with basilar headache, or with headache in the

forehead ; < mental exertion ; after lying down ; sometimes > from

slow motion ; < on coughing and from exertion ; > after sleep.

A strong feature is its action on the kidneys, resembling acute parenchymatous nephritis. Albumen in the urine. Dark red sediment in

the urine. Pain shooting from the kidney to the bladder and down

the legs ; < from motion. Renal colic. Urging to urinate, but

inability to pass urine until a large clot of blood has been paSwSed. In

Coccus cacti the right side of the heart is affected, the vessels become

friable and there is haemorrhage, oozing of blood, forming great black

clots. The above symptom suggests a woman with uterine haemorrhage. There are haemorrhages of the uterus where the blood flows

freely, coagulates slowly and does not form much of any clot in the

vagina. But in this remedy the clots form very rapidly and the

vagina becomes packed, and the bladder cannot be emptied untill the

clot is expelled. Uterine haemorrhage is a strong feature of this

remedy. Copious, frequent, prolonged menstrual flow. Large, hard,

black clots fill the uteru.s, are expelled by labor-like pains, and form

again. Inflammation of uterus and vagina, with copious, thick, white,

jelly-like, ropy mucus. Soreness of the vulva ; cannot bear the

pressure of the clothing.

Haemoptysis, dark, clotted < from exertion.

In the male there is impotance with dull pain in the loins. Dull

pains in the region of the kidneys, with albuminuria ; heavy sediment

in the urine, etc., just such a state as you would find in a child that

had taken cold after scarlet fever.