Rhus Toxicodendron:
Common name of Rhus Tox is Poison Oak.
It belongs to plant kingdom.
Its thermal state is Chilly.
Keynotes of Rhus tox:
Cheerful, joking, lively, quick-witted, friendly, timid.
Restlessness, agitation, irritable, frustrated.
Serious, hardworking, impatient. Stiff, rigid, morose, compulsive, superstitious, ritualistic. < cold, damp, wet, drafts < cloudy weather > warm, warm bathing < initial motion > continuous motion. Fever blisters about the lips.
Triangular red tip of tongue. Burning, vesicular eruptions.
OTHER KEYNOTES:
1. Prolapse uterus from over reaching or straining.
2. Tonsillitis, after riding in cold wind.
3. Tearing pains down the thighs in dysentery.
4. Diarrhoea in typhoid fever, worse during night, better during day.
5. Dry cough during chill stage of fever.
6. Hypertrophy of heart from violent exercise, gets out of breath on exertion.
A/F Rhus Tox:
-Spraining or straining a single part, muscle or tendon
-Overlifting, particularly stretching high up to reach things
-Lying on damp ground
-From wetting, and too much summer bathing in lake or river
-Getting wet when heated
-Cold air
Modalities Rhus Tox:
< Exposure to cold air
< Before storm
< Wet, draft
< Ice cold drinks
< Chilled when hot or sweaty
< Blows, jar
< Uncovering parts (head)
< Sprains
< Beginning of motion
< Overexertion
< Damp rainy weather
< Rest
< Cloudy, foggy weather
> After midnight
> Continued motion
> Rubbing
> Heat, hot bath
> Warm wrapping
> Change of position
> Warm dry weather
Mind of Rhus Tox :
-Extreme restlessness, with desire for continuous change of position.
-Impatient and hurried.
-Delirium with fear and suspicion of being poisoned.
-Sad, patient begins to weep without knowing why < evening.
-Anxious, sadness, helplessness and profound despondency.
-Anxiety for his own children.
-Causeless weeping.
-Answers correctly, but slowly or hastily, or reluctantly.
-Timid, self-conscious.
-Dwells on past disagreeable events after midnight.
-Thoughts of suicide, wants to drown himself.
-Forgetful, cannot remember the most recent events.
-Fear < at night, cannot lie in bed, killing someone, poison.
-Dreams of great exertion, rowing, swimming, orking hard at his daily occupation.
-Great apprehension at night. Drives him out of bed.
-Its a trio of Restlessness (Acon, Ars) cannot lie in one place, must change the position frequently to obtain relief from pain.
-Joking and cheerful patients.
-Superstitious.
Guiding Symptoms of Rhus Tox :
-All complaints brought on exposure to cold, damp weather, getting wet.
-Great rigidity, stiffness, numbness and pain are experienced on first motion, after the rest > walking or continued motion.
-Most complaints are relieved by movement and aggravated by rest.
-< at night and in damp, rainy weather > heat in general e.g. covering the body, warm application, etc.
-Great sensitiveness to open air, putting the hand outside from under the bed covering brings on cough.
-Triangular, red tipped tongue, with imprint of teeth and bitter taste in the mouth.
-Complaints travel from left to right.
-Pains-as if sprained
-as if a muscle or tendon was torn from it’s attachment
-as if bones were scraped with a knife
-affected part sore to touch.
-Head-Vertigo-when standing or walking, worse when lying down < rising from lying or stooping.
-Headache-A/F-beer, returns from least chagrin.
-brain feels loose when stepping or shaking the head
-sensation of swashing in brain
-stupefying as if torn
-< from sitting, lying in bed > warmth and motion.
-G.I.T.-Tongue-Triangular red tip of tongue.
-Desires-Cold milk which relieves gastric complaints.
-Craving for beer, cheese, cold drinks, sweets, oysters.
-Aversion to meat and liquor.
-Thirst for sips of water.
-Diarrhoea with beginning of typhoid. Involuntary stools with great exhaustion.
-Rhus Tox has Tearing pain down the posterior part of limb during stool.
-Dysentery-during rainy season, pains running down the thighs.
-Urinary system-Enuresis, especially in boys.
-Frequent urination.
-C.V.S.-Angina, extending to left arm < exertion.
-Cardiac hypertrophy from violent exercise, gets out of breath on exertion.
-Valvular disorders.
-Rheumatic fever.
-C.N.S.-Parkinson’s disease with great stiffness.
-Chorea, Tics, Twitches.
-Left sided hemiplegia is treated by Rhus Tox.
-Male genitalia-Herpes.
-Eruptions on inner thighs and genitalia.
-Back-Pain between shoulders on swallowing.
-Pain and stiffness in small of back.
-< sitting or lying > by motion or lying on something hard.
-Cervical stiffness causing patient to stretch and move about.
-Pain in inner, upper left scapula.
-Extremities-Muscular Rheumatism. Arthritis.
-Sciatica, left side.
-Paralysis with numbness of affected parts from getting wet, or lying on damp ground, or after exertion, or parturition.
-Sprains and strains. Bursitis, tendonitis.
-Rhus Tox is medicine for Arthritic nodosities.
-Restless legs in bed.
-Skin-Erysipelas, from left to right.
-Yellow vesicles, much swelling, inflammation, cellulitis.
-Burning, itching, stinging > warmth.
–Chicken pox, Herpes, Impetigo, Pemphigus, Urticaria.
-Fever-Dry teasing cough, before and during chill, in intermittent fever. Cough with taste of blood.
-Fever blisters around mouth and on chin.
-Great thirst with dry tongue, mouth and throat.
-Thirst for cold water even though the person is chilly.
Confirmatory Symptoms of Rhus Tox:
1. A/F dampness, getting wet, over exertion.
2. All the complaints < initial or first motion < rest > continued motion > warmth, warm application.
3. Left sided symptoms, or symptoms go from left to right.
4. Pain-aching, tearing, sore, bruised,
-stiff, as if bones were scrapped with a knife, lameness
-all these are associated with rheumatic conditions.
5. Sprains and strains- very useful in sprains and strains and for soreness of muscles and tendons.
Nucleus of Rhus Tox:
-Suited to complains arising from over exertion, over straining, or from dampness, or getting wet.
-The most severe symptoms are excited when the body or the limbs are at rest. Initial motion linkers up the patient. He is restless, gets relief from continued motion.
-Tension, as if shortening of muscle.
Clinicals of Rhus tox:
-Angina, Arthritis, Asthma, Bronchitis, Cervical spondylosis, Chicken pox, Contusion, Eczema, Enuresis, Erysipelas, Fibrositis, Hemiplegia, Herpes, Impetigo, Influenza, Lumbago, Parkinson’s disease, Pemphigus, Rheumatic fever, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Sprains, Tendonitis, Urticaria.
-Beneficial to control threatened iritis, formation of pus – Dr. Davey.
-As a preventive of sepsis in abdominal surgery- Dr. R.B.Das.
-Rhus tox has volvulus of intestines- Dr. Grimmer.
-A remedy for musicians who suffer from pulmonary haemorrhage due to prolonged performance.
-Bad effects of oil bath – Dr. C. Boericke
