Grindelia.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 Jan / Feb Vol IV No 1.
Kasivishwanathan T K.
Materia Medica.
` Grin.
There are two main species-Grindelia-robusta and Grindelia-squarrosa. Both are similar in action. A tincture is made of the leaves and unexpanded flowers.
Mind: Anxiety, confusion as if intoxicated; fear of dark, of suffocation of, desire for light.
Head: Terrible fullness of head as if he had taken ten or more grams of quinine.
Eyes: Pain in eye balls running directly back to the brain worse from moving eyes. Pain in left eye along with pain in right knee joint like rheumatism, though pain in the knee did not last longer than half an hour; pain in left eye became more intense and 2 hours later the right eye was affected. Conjunctivitis and purulent opthalmia. Iritis-traumatic, from cold; metastasis of rheumatism; pain intense and fever high.
Abdomen: Unbearable pain in the region of liver and spleen, so severe that he cannot lie still for moment; more like acute rheumatism in the same region.
Gastric pains associated with splenic congestion; dull pain and fullness in left hypochondrium. Hyperchlorhydria when attended with asthmatic and other neurotic symptoms, Hyperaemia of gastric mucous membrane with difficult respiration.
Respiratory: Fear of going to sleep on account of loss of breath which awakenes him. On falling asleep respiratory movement ceases and is not resumed till awakened by suffocation. Asthma with profuse secretions, which are tenacious and expectoration relieves. Paroxysmal dyspnoea with palpitation, faintness an inability to lie down; starting up with convulsive efforts to breathe with livid face, Cheyne stokes respiration.
Humid asthma from bronchitis; chronic bronchitis and severe cough with muco-purulent expectoration after pneumonia, Bronchitis accompanying heart disease. Hay fever-pneumonia. After an attack of pneumonia vital force greatly reduced. Patient adopts a sitting position in bed with a peculiar interrupted breathing which entirely prevents sleep. Pneumogastric nerve appears half paralyzed and action of heart very weak.
Cough from reflex causes much tenacious mucous difficult to detach.
Extremities: Leg greatly swollen especially about the joint. Chronic ulceration of the leg with foetid secretion, pain and much swollen, purplish black skin.
Skin: Epidermic rash like roseola in neck, face and often the whole body with severe burning and itching. Irritable eruptions popular or vesicular; Rhus-tox poisoning; bites of insects and fleas.
Female Genitalia: Pruritis of vagina and vulva whether from leucorrhoea or aphthae or of venous origin.
Relations: Antidotes - Rhus Tox
Compare - Amm Mur, Ant tart, Kali-bi, Lach (worse from sleep, left then right). Gels wakes
up with a feeling as if heart has stopped and must keep moving to keep it going while
Grindelia feels respiration has stopped.
SOME CASES KEN:
Case 1:
Mrs G. aged 70 had cough for many years, with copious, thick, yellow green sputum. Recently had a severe cold and has taken to bed. She was greatly prostrated, has sinking spells, more at night. Sleeps badly and sweats most of the time. She arouses from sleep with fits of suffocation. Physical signs indicate bronchial trouble. Every time she goes to sleep she stops breathing.
Grindelia cured promptly not simply the bronchitis but also chronic cough.
Case 2:
A 70 years old lady, had suffered many years with severe bronchitis with copious, yellow, thick expectoration. Bed ridden with weakness and seemed about to die. There was copious sweat while sleeping. The purulent expectoration became so thick that she suffered much from dyspnoea on attempting to get it up.
On going to sleep the breathing would cease and she would spring up in bed with violent anguish and then begin to breathe. The instant she closed her eyes copious sweat stood on the forehead.
She was prescribed Grindelia 5 M after which a marked anxiety followed that seemed to look like the ending but soon reaction began and symptoms gradually subsided. The chronic bronchial catarrh almost disappeared.
(In both the cases Dr. Kent observed copious sweating on falling asleep-a clinical symptom not observed in proving. The peculiar respiratory symptom observed led to the similimum).
SOURCES:
- Herings Guiding Symptoms.
- T F Allen-Hand book on Materia Medica
- Clarke-Dictionary of Materia Medica.
- Boericke-Materia Medica.
- Kents Minor Writings-by Gypser (P 194, 295-96).
- New Comprehensive Materia Medica of Mind by HL Chitkara.
