M.T. Ahmad J.T. Kent
Drosera is a plant which is carnivorous in nature (it devours insects). Its leaves have a reddish, hairy structure on the surface, which produce a secretion to attract insects and helps to digest them. This secretion glitters like dew in the sunlight. The leaves remain spread on the surface of the ground. As soon as an insect comes near they immediately close and the insect becomes their food.
In the 16th century, Drosera became very famous in the treatment of tuberculosis, but it killed more people than it saved from the disease. Besides tuberculosis, it was also used for the treatment of toothache, insanity and problems related to childbirth.
In homoeopathy, the medicine is prepared from an extract of the plant and is commonly used for the treatment of cough. Its use has mostly been restricted to whooping cough. It has a much wider range of action in the treatment of convulsive disorders. Drosera is not only of use in coughs, but is also used for the treatment of convulsions related to other diseases. Therefore, it is also useful in the treatment of epilepsy. The Drosera patient becomes very worried and anxious after the convulsion and the subsequent unconsciousness. Drosera is a very highly effective remedy for the treatment of this confusion, perhaps an aftereffect of the convulsion.
Drosera should also be used in the treatment of menopausal syndrome because the symptoms of Drosera are very similar to that of menopause, such as flushing of the face, selective congestion of any part of the body and restlessness.
A Drosera patient is afraid of being alone and suspicious. He will not even trust his close friends. Such symptoms are also seen in the case of medicines prepared from snake venom. A patient of the constitution of Drosera is the victim of superstitions. He is restless, cowardly and a pessimist as well as extremely irritable. There is headache, especially over the forehead, which radiates outward through the cheekbones. The patient feels dizzy in the open and has a fear of falling on the left side. A feeling of severe cold and a stinging pain on the left side of the face while the right side of the face is dry and warm, are all typical features of Drosera.
Drosera may be of use to treat the cough arising out of irritation inside the windpipe after taking food.
An epidemic cough spreads wide during the formation of pods on the wild Acacia trees, Drosera is very useful in treating this cough. In Drosera, the windpipe feels tight and contracted. Drosera is very useful for the treatment of the cough associated with constant irritation in the throat, which is not relieved even after coughing. Any kind of cough which starts after midnight or which gets worse on talking will respond to Drosera. In children, bouts of whooping cough come on as soon as the child puts his head on the pillow, and then continue for two to three hours. Constant coughing makes them exhausted and there is no relief.
If such a patient contracts fever, he feels very cold and shivers. The face is flushed, while the hands become cold. There is complete absence of thirst. Typically, the Drosera cough becomes worse on lying down, laughing and singing or due to the warmth of the bed.
Antidote: Camphor
Potency: 6 or 30 up to 200
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA
Generalities: The use of this medicine has been mostly limited to whooping cough, but it has a more extensive use.
When we examine its spasmodic nature, its exhaustion, its cramps, which extend through a large number of complaints, we must realize that it is a more extensive remedy. Epileptiform spasms, prolonged sleeplessness, copious sweat on waking from sleep, restlessness and anxiety. imagines that he is constantly persecuted. Flashes of heat, dread of the night. Many complaints come on in the night. Anxiety, sleeplessness, and fear of ghosts. Spasmodic cough. Fear of being alone and suspicious of his most intimate friends.
Confusion of mind and much dizziness. Lancinating pains in various parts of the body, especially in the head, and must support the head with the hands.
Must support the chest when coughing. Must press upon the abdomen. Pressive, congestive headaches. Corrosive itching in various parts of the body with measles -like eruptions. The eyeballs become prominent and congested from coughing during measles and in convulsions. Stitching pain in the eyes. Noises in the ears, roaring, bumming and drumming. Earache in children. Stitching in the ears. Bleeding from various orifices, especially from the nose, throat, larynx, and chest when coughing, in connection with the spasmodic coughs.
Face: Ordinarily the face is pale and sunken with beat of the face and he has cold extremities, except when coughing, at which time the face becomes red, congested, and purple like Bell. and Cupr. Stitching pains will be found in many complaints.
Putrid taste in the mouth is a common symptom when it is found in phtisical conditions of the lungs, larynx, and also in whooping cough. Bloody saliva and hemorrhage from the mouth. Difficulty in swallowing solid foods.
Constriction of the throat and of the larynx and constriction of the oesophagus preventing swallowing. Cramping constriction runs all through the remedy. Cramping of the hands upon undertaking to hold on to something. When grasping the broom handle.
In the throat there is burning and scraping. Stitching pains in the throat. The throat is dark red or purple. I believe that Drosera has a clinical symptom of great value. Scraping hi the larynx and cough after eating. In its proving it has cough after drinking. It has especially cough after eating and drinking cold things. This cough comes from tickling in the larynx and constrictions in the larynx. Nausea and vomiting. Vomiting of blood and bile in the morning and vomiting of mucus, and food when coughing. Coughing until he retches and vomits.
Constricting pains in the pit of the stomach. Constricting pains in the sides of the abdomen. Colic after sour food. Perhaps the most troublesome irritation found in this remedy is in the larynx, where there will be found clutching, cramping, constricting, and burning.
Larynx: Hoarseness and continued irritation causing coughing and continued irritation and scraping of the larynx. Accumulation of mucus in the larynx, dryness in the larynx, spasms of the epiglottis. Violent spasmodic cough from tickling in the larynx.
Violent tickling in the larynx brings on cough, rousing him from sleep, coming on every few hours with increasing intensity making the remedy resemble whooping cough, in which it has been very useful. Sensation in the larynx like a feather. Spasms of the larynx. Spasms of the extremities when coughing. The cough is brought on from tickling, from accumulation of mucus in the larynx. These conditions are found in phthisis of the larynx, in whooping cough, in laryngitis, and in catarrh of the larynx.
Spasmodic difficulties of the chest and larynx cause difficult breathing and suffocation. Sensation as of something in the chest preventing breathing when talking or coughing. Difficult breathing and cough coming after midnight.
Difficult breathing especially on waking. Not able to utter a sound. Difficult breathing and suffocating sensation. The face becomes purple from spasms in the larynx. Compression of the chest. These attacks of suffocation come on with the cough or come upon lying down.
Asthmatic breathing from talking and constriction in the larynx. Deep sounding, hoarse cough, rough scraping cough, loud whooping cough, spasmodic whooping cough. Violent constriction of the chest and muscles of the throat and larynx with whooping cough. Whooping cough coming in paroxysms of two or three hours, but violently worse after lying down at night and toward 3 o'clock in the morning. Most tormenting tickling in the larynx urging to cough.
Paroxysmal dry cough from tickling in the larynx. Spasmodic cough, sympathetic cough from spinal irritation. Violent spasmodic cough in young girls going into consumption. Cough with expectoration of bright red or black clotted blood. Bloody expectoration.
Cough: These spasmodic coughs come often during measles or after an attack of measles. An irritation in the larynx remains. It is one of the most frequently indicated remedies for measles. Like Carbo veg.
Severe attacks of stitching in the chest when sneezing or coughing. He must press on the chest with the hand for relief. Makes an effort to hold chest with the hand when coughing, the cough is so violent. Compression of the chest, burning sensation in the chest, stitching pains in the chest. It is a very useful remedy in chronic bronchitis with spasmodic cough. It is a great palliative for the spasmodic cough that occurs in consumption and all along the course of tuberculosis of the lungs. In these chest complaints, pains between the shoulders, pains in the back as if bruised from coughing.
Coldness in the bands and feet and blueness of the extremities. Cramps in the extremities with the cough. The cough becomes so violent that the patient goes into convulsions. Along with these spasmodic coughs especially in phtisical conditions there are febrile attacks. Chill and chilliness and one-sided chill. Chill and fever with whooping cough. Chill and fever with inflammation of the larynx. The heat as well as the cough is worse after midnight. Cold sweat on the forehead and on the extremities.
Sweat over the whole body following the fever. Copious sweat all over the whole body with the cough. The cough ends in great exhaustion. Whooping cough with fever.
by James Tyler Kent