M.T. Ahmad J.T. Kent
Euphrasia is a specific kind of plant called Eyebright. The Homoeopathic medicine is prepared out of it. As the name implies, it is used in the treatment of cold affecting the eyes, which become extraordinarily red.
The effect of Euphrasia is rather short-lived and certainly neither does it work for a long time nor does it have any deep effects. Hence, Euphrasia is useful in the kind of cold which, though severe, is but of a fleeting nature, especially with the effect being mostly on the eyes. Any kind of cold, which attacks the eyes at the outset with excessive watering, burning and redness, will respond to Euphrasia. During the daytime, while the eyes are watering and red, the patient does not have any cough. There is no burning or irritation in the throat either. As soon as the patient retires to bed, the excessive secretions of the eye divert towards the throat and injure the windpipe leading to coughing. At the outset, the cough is only at night, but after some time, due to persistent burning and irritation, sores develop in the throat and the cough lingers. It can remain during the day also. Along with the cold, there is an attack of severe headache. The eyes feel heavy as if somebody has put a heavy bandage over them. Ulcers form over the cornea. The secretion of the eye being acidic in nature shows its ill effects for a long time and can cause blurring of the vision.
A peculiar symptom of Euphrasia is the pain experienced over the nerves supplying the eyes. Although Euphrasia is an acute i.e. short acting remedy, however, the resulting eye condition may become chronic. It mostly afflicts the third cranial nerve (oculomotor).
Euphrasia has a distinct beneficial effect in the treatment of German measles. Measles are treated with Pulsatilla, but in German measles Euphrasia is a must. In this condition, the disease process starts at the eyes, which become extremely red. As such, German measles is not a dangerous disease but in pregnant women, it can produce severe bad effects on the foetus. If German measles attack women in the first trimester, the development of the foetus stops there and then, and the foetus does not grow. Pregnant women have to be extra careful during an epidemic of this disease because it is really very dreadful. In the first three months, the eyes may not form at all or there can be a serious maldevelopment of the heart. Similarly, the hearing can also be seriously affected. Sometimes, the child is born completely blind or completely deaf. Most of these children die in the first few months after birth. It may be taken as a blessing for the parents otherwise, if they survive, they become a cause of constant worry and anxiety. If a woman contracts German measles in the first three months of her pregnancy, she should be admitted into a well-equipped clinic and it should be ensured that the foetus has not been afflicted with German measles. If so afflicted, the doctors would certainly advise abortion for the benefit of the mother and the child.
In Euphrasia, there is extreme hypersensitivity to light. A similar kind of photophobia is seen in measles also. The ailments of Euphrasia become worse in the evening, in hot weather and in bright light.
Antidotes: Camphor, Pulsatilla, Causticum
Potency: 30
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
EUPHRASIA
Head: Euphrasia is a short acting remedy of great usefulness in acute catarrhal affections with or without fever. Headaches that occur with coryza and eye symptoms, head aches in the evening as if bruised. Stitching pain in the head.
Headaches; as if the head would burst with dazzling of the eyes from sunlight. These are catarrhal headaches with profuse watery discharge from the eyes and nose. The eye symptoms of Euphrasia are its most prominent feature.
Catarrh condition of the eyes with copious, acrid, watery discharge with or without coryza. Cutting pain in the eyes extending into the head, pressure in the eyes as if caused by sand. Sensation of dryness, burning, biting in the eyes. Sensation of dust in the eyes. Violent itching of the eyes obliging rubbing and winking, with copious lachrymation. Pupils much contracted and much tumefaction of the mucous membrane with redness and enlarged blood vessels and smarting.
Iritis: from rheumatism or in connection with rheumatic joints. Copious thin or thick discharges. General inflammation of all the tissues of the eyes. Ulceration of the cornea. It has cured Pannus. Pustular inflammation. Opacity of the cornea after injuries of the eye. It is suitable in the most violent acute conjunctivitis. Amblyopia with inflammation of conjunctiva and lids.
Copious lachrymation and burning. The mucous membranes of the lids and eyeballs are injected, red, and vascular. agglutination of the lids in the morning. Copious, acrid lachrymation with fluent discharge from the nose during coryza. Dryness of the lids and the margins of the lids red swollen, and burning. The lids are very sensitive and swollen. The margins of the lids itch and burn.
Suppuration of the margins of the lids. Much swelling of the lids with inflammation. Fine rash about the eyes with puffiness of the lids. Blurred vision. Paralysis of the third nerve.
The next most important group of symptoms is in connection with the nose. Sneezing and fluent coryza. The discharge is bland and this occurs with acrid lachrymation. The nasal mucous membrane is swollen.
Profuse, bland, fluent, coryza. After this coryza has existed for a day or two it extends into the larynx with a hard cough. The coryza is worse during the night while lying down. The cough is worse in the daytime and ameliorated by lying down.
The remedy has a rash like measles and it has febrile symptoms; therefore, when these symptoms are duly considered, it will be seen that Euphrasia is similar to the symptoms that occur in measles. It is a wonderful medicine in measles though not so frequently indicated as Pulsatilla, owing to the fact that this combination of symptoms does not often come.
Larynx and cough: Hoarseness in the morning. Irritation in the larynx compelling him to cough, followed by pressure beneath the sternum. Abundant secretion in the larynx causing loose cough with rattling in the chest.
Deep inspiration is difficult. The cough, considered by itself, furnishes a very rare group of symptoms. Cough with copious expectoration along with or following coryza. Difficult respiration ameliorated at night while lying down.
Worse in the morning when moving about with copious expectoration. Violent cough from tickling in the larynx. No cough at night causes the remedy to resemble Bry. and Mang. The dyspnoea and cough are ameliorated by lying down. The coryza symptoms, otherwise, are worse at night and from lying down. When these symptoms occur in grippe or influenza, this becomes a very suitable remedy.
The abundance of mucus scraped from the larynx and trachea is often like the ending of bad colds. The expectoration is easy and almost without cough. It comes up without much effort. Pressive pain beneath the sternum showing that the trachea is especially involved in the catarrhal condition. The pain in the eyes is worse in the open air. The coryza is worse in the open air. The cough sometimes comes on in the open air.
Windy weather causes fluent coryza. Cold air and windy weather cause lachrymation. He is a chilly patient and cannot get warm in bed.
There is chill, fever, and sweat in this remedy. This chill predominates. The fever occurs mostly during the day with red face and cold hands. The heat descends the body. The perspiration is often confined to the front part of the body. Perspiration during sleep at night. Strange odor sometimes very offensive and most profuse upon the chest. It is especially suitable in catarrhal fever, influenza and measles.
When the symptoms agree, it will make a violent attack of measles turn into a very simple form, making the patient feel better, bring out the eruption, control the fever, and relieve the cough, coryza, and other catarrhal symptoms. Streaming, hot, burning tears with rash, photophobia, running from the nose, intense throbbing headaches, redness of the eyes, photophobia from fever, dry cough during measles.
by James Tyler Kent