Castoreum

Castor Fiber. Rodentia.

Tincture of secretion contained in preputial sacs of the beaver.

Mentioned by Galen, Hippocrates and Pliny, and in use among the Arabians, who gave it in hepatic and uterine troubles, and in epilepsy and convulsions. Recommended later for hysterical complaints by Pomet and Hill; for deafness, by Lemery.

The only provings are by Caspar! and Kenning; the former proved the Russian, the latter the Austrian variety. See Allen's Encyclopedia, Val. III. The original in Hartlaub and Trink's Annates, Val. Ill, p. 314.

Clinical symptoms are from Gosewisch, Siegrist, Neidhard, Trousseau and Pidoux and H. M., 1879.

Mind

Very peevish humor, indisposed to talk.

Very sensitive to all kinds of impressions.

Irritable in morning ; cheerful abandon in evening.

▌ Melancholic and full of anxious longing. θ Hysteria.

Angry exclamations during sleep.

Sensorium

Giddiness and fainting.

Inner Head

Headache, with giddiness and fainting.

Heaviness, with drawing pain in head.

Transitory pressure in forehead.

Dull headache from in outwards in r. forehead.

Sight and Eyes

▌ Dimness of vision, and lachrymation. θ Catarrh.

Appearance before eyes, as though he had not slept enough.

││ Eyes are agglutinated nearly all night.

Hearing and Ears

Earache and buzzing in ears.

Pain behind 1. ear.

Otorrhoea.

Teeth and Gums

Pain in 1. lower row of molar teeth.

Swelling of gums.

Taste and Tongue

Swelling of tongue.

▌ A rounded elevation in centre of tongue, the size of a pea, surrounded by an angry suspicious-looking base, the size of a nickel five-cent piece, extremely sensitive to touch or food, with a drawing sensation as if a string was pulling centre of tongue towards hyoid bone, with burning in tongue.

Inner Mouth

Bad smell from mouth.

Throat

Dryness of oesophagus.

Appetite, Thirst. Desires, Aversions

Want of appetite.

││ Thirst is so violent that she could not drink enough water, after dinner.

Hiccough, Belching, Nausea and Vomiting p. 389

Belching, with stitches in chest.

Nausea after urinating.

Scrobiculum and Stomach p. 389

Weight at stomach.

Griping in stomach.

Tenesmus in stomach, with constrictive pain under sternum.

Tension and heaviness in stomach.

Emptiness in stomach.

▌ Sensation in stomach as though it would go to sleep.

Hypochondria p. 389

Pressure in region of liver from in outwards.

Abdomen p. 389

Pain in 1. side of abdomen.

Colic from flatulency.

▌ Yawning, in abdominal complaints.

Abdomen distended, in afternoon.

││ Umbilical hernia, with colic, in a screaming infant.

Abdomen feels as though full and distended.

Above 1. ilium in flanks, sensation of soreness as though from an internal wound.

On taking a deep breath stitching pains on both sides in abdomen, above hips to spinal column, extending to region of liver, as though he was being stuck, in various places above ilium, with needles.

Stool and Rectum p. 389

Stools: l whitish, watery ; bloody mucus; greenish mucus; frequent.

▌ Stools contain pus; patient is compelled to sit bent double; feels gagged when lying down.

Before stool : cutting or pinching colic ; painful rumbling ; dragging in groin.

During stool : fetid flatus ; I burning at anus.

▌ After stool: burning at anus.

Accompaniments of bowel complaints : yawning ; chilliness ; bad smell from mouth ; violent thirst.

Urinary Organs p. 389

Scanty urine; heat and burning when urinating.

After urinating : nausea.

Male Sexual Organs p. 389

▌ Seminal emissions, with great excitability of sexual parts.

Female Sexual Organs p. 389

During menses : pain commences in middle of thighs, extending over limbs, and more or less over entire body.

• Dysmenorrhoea ; abdomen distended ; blood leaves uterus in drops, with tenesmus-like pain.

Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation p. 389

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Voice and Larynx. Trachea and Bronchia p. 389

Hoarseness with disposition to clear throat.

Respiration p. 390

Shortness of breathing, in forenoon; when walking fast.

▌ Short, difficult breathing, with frequent, long inspirations.

▌ Very deep inspirations, with heat in breast and in face.

▌ Frequent, slow, deep inspirations, with short expirations.

Inner Chest and Lungs p. 390

Stitches in chest, with belching.

Heat in breast, as though a fire was burning there, in evening.

Heart, Pulse and Circulation p. 390

Feeling of oppression about heart.

Outer Chest p. 390

Cramp-like pains extending across breast.

Pain under sternum, when touching it.

▌ On taking a deep breath, sensation as though something heavy lay under sternum.

Pressure on sides of sternum, especially on expiration.

Sensation of internal heat under sternum.

Upper Limbs p. 390

Pain in r. shoulder, when at rest and in motion, as though he had carried something heavy.

Hot hands, with distended veins.

Lower Limbs p. 390

Great feeling of lassitude in lower limbs.

Pressure in 1. flank downwards through inguinal gland, when walking.

Feet are weary, cannot walk any farther.

Limbs in General p. 390

Spasms of hands and feet.

Rest. Position. Motion p. 390

Lying down : feels gagged.

Nerves p. 390

Jerking of small groups of muscular fibres.

Sensation of heaviness in whole body.

Trembling of limbs.

\ Chorea, epilepsy, whooping-cough, nervous palpitation, cramp in various parts of body, and tetanus.

Paralysis.

Sleep p. 390

Sleepiness.

▌ Constant yawning, though never sleeping in day-time.

In sleep, angry exclamations.

Cannot sleep after eating.

Time p. 390

Morning : irritable.

Night: eyes agglutinated.

Afternoon: abdomen distended.

Fever p. 390

Shuddering of single parts, back, vertex, forehead, elbow, feet.

│ Typhus.

Locality and Direction p. 390

Left: behind ear, pain; lower row

of molars pain; abdomen, pain; ilium, soreness; flank, pressure.

Right : forehead, dull headache ; shoulder, pain.

Within out: dull headache; pressure in region of liver.

Sensations p. 390

Tearing drawing pains in various parts of body.

Burning: in tongue; at anus; in breast, as of fire.

Stitching: pains on both sides of abdomen ; inchest.

Griping: in stomach.

Drawing pain : in head.

Pressure: on sides of sternum ;. in 1. flank.

Heaviness : in whole body ; under sternum.

Tension : in stomach.

Emptiness : in stomach.

Tissues p. 391

: Enteralgia, having its seat in small intestines, no evacuations ; appearing suddenly after mental emotions, or getting cold feet; accompanied by pallor, cold sweat and fainting.

Inflammatory and spasmodic affections of digestive and sexual organs.

Stages of Life, Constitution p. 391

Hysterical individuals.

Relations p. 391

Antidotes: Camphor., Opium and vegetable acids.

Compare: Ambra gris., Ignat., Moschus, Valer., especially in nervous women with pains, cramps and weakness after severe illness.