Causticum – Potassium Hydrate

The attenuations are prepared from Hahnemann’s causticum according to Homeo- pathic Pharmacopoeia.

Hahnemann’s Causticum is one of the most controversial homoeopathic remedies since, from a purely chemical point of view, it ought to be simply distilled water. Causticum is produced by leaving a piece of calcium oxide for one minute in dis-

tilled water, and then placing it in a dry bowl, where this lime disintegrates into powder. Then follows a distillation of a mixture of this powder with the same quan- tity of potassium hydrogen sulphate, which is mixed to a thick paste in a warmed porcelain mortar, the potassium salt having first been brought to red-heat, melted, cooled, pulverised and dissolved in boiling water. The distillate is mixed with the same amount by weight of 90% ethanol and filtered.

In spite of the controversy over the pharmaceutical action of Hahnemann’s Caus- ticum, this remedy is in constant use by numerous homoeopaths as a highly effective polychrest. Nor should there be any doubt as to the fact that when the indications are right, the action ascribed to Causticum can be reproduced. This applies e.g. in the treatment of burns, where Causticum’s action can be lifesaving. On the other hand the remedy-picture contains such characteristic symptoms and disease-states, that it would be utterly astonishing if the cure of many conditions which are often intransi- gent and have been going on for weeks, and for which Causticum is indicated, e.g. weakness of the bladder sphincter, rheumatic complaints, hoarseness etc., which have not responded to other remedies, or only temporarily so, and then got better in a flash under Causticum, were simply the result of the power of suggestion.

The remedy-picture of Causticum embraces complaints of a neuralgic-rheumatic nature with restlessness and tearing pains in the nerves and muscles, especially at night and in the legs, possibly associated with paralytic conditions, e.g. Bell’s palsy after exposure to cold east winds. Causticum symptoms are often brought on by dry cold. This is the case with hoarseness and laryngitis, dryness and rawness in the throat, and pain on coughing, possibly extending down one side into the abdomen just above the hip. The coughing is relieved by a sip of cold water (the opposite of Spongia, where the coughing is ameliorated by hot drinks). In addition, Causticum has in its symptom-picture a typical stiffness in the joints, in the whole musculature, in the back, the sacrum, especially when sitting up in bed or on standing up after sit- ting for a long while, as in Rhus Tox. Warts are frequently present on the face and hands, dry, hard warts, rhagades, fissures, herpes, especially on the hands, and also Dupuytren’s contracture.

The Causticum patient generally feels worse in dry, cold air (east wind), but is very comfortable in the warmth. Also striking in the Causticum patient is a high de- gree of weakness, often associated with trembling and an unsteady gait, so that the patient stumbles easily. Causticum is especially indicated in enuresis, above all in pregnancy and post partum, particularly in stress-incontinence, but also in nocturnal enuresis, when the urine is passed involuntarily during first sleep.

Burning pains, like raw flesh, are typical of Causticum. Stomach pains, (e.g.) of this kind can respond extraordinarily well to Causticum. In such cases the patients complain of a sensation as if everything were sore and raw, or as if lime were being slaked in the stomach. The sensation of soreness and rawness of the mucosa, in the larynx, stomach and other areas (e.g. also in the fingertips), is typical of Causticum. Ptosis is also a typical Causticum symptom, so that it is frequently indicated after apoplexy (as with Gelsemium). The typical Causticum pareses are mainly localised on the right side (in contrast with the Lachesis pareses which are more on the left).

Causticum’s emotional mood corresponds to hopelessness, melancholy, sadness and depression, everything being seen from the black side; often there is an underlying chronic worry or cause of concern.

Causticum can also be useful in incipient glaucoma, since the remedy-picture con- tains the symptom “as of a mist or a cloud in front of the eye.”

A few further symptoms include yellowness of the complexion, and pains in the face of a neuralgic nature, possibly associated with facial paralysis and also with stiffness of the jaw, so that the mouth cannot be opened, a state such as one may find at the onset of tetanus, for example.

The Causticum tongue is coated white at the edges and red in the middle, but this is not such a distinct red streak as in Veratrum Viride.

The stool-symptoms correspond to tenesmus, with fruitless urging and constipa- tion, similar to Nux Vomica. The stool can be passed better when standing. There are also haemorrhoids in the picture, with the typical feeling of rawness, which is ag- gravated by walking, thinking of it, speaking or even exertion of the voice. Beside the weakness of the bladder sphincter muscle, Causticum has a typical feeling of rawness or roughness and also an itching at the urethral orifice, with constant fruit- less tenesmus, urination only being possible drop by drop. Most Causticum patients are overloaded with uric acid and urates, resulting in thick sediments of varying colours in the urine.

On account of the symptoms of tiredness, painful and battered sensations and pain in the chest, Causticum is an excellent remedy in influenza, along with Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Rhus Toxicodendron, Aconitum and others. Causticum complements Rhus Tox. and Sulphur well, especially in the treatment of rheumatism and chronic gouty illnesses, when the joints crack on motion. In rheumatism and arthritis there is also the burning sensation of rawness which is so characteristic of Causticum.

Like Sulphur, Causticum is also able to bring out suppressed eczema, i.e. to resolve suppressive (retoxic) phases and bring about a healing which is biologically correct. Thus one may describe Causticum as an anti-psoric. Equally it would be right to classify it as anti-sycotic, since it is often extremely effective in treating warts.

Thus Causticum is one of the most important homoeopathic polychrests, and may be used as a thoroughly effective antihomotoxic in numerous impregnation phases. An example would be asthma which is better in dull, damp weather (as is the case with Nux Vomica, where as a general modality we have aggravation from clear, fine weather). If we classify all the symptoms once again, we have the following outline:

1. Weakness associated with trembling, and with unsteadiness while walking, pos- sibly to the point of paralysis, especially localised on the right side.
2. Local pareses, e.g. of the vocal cords, muscles of deglutition, the eyelids, the bladder sphincter, musculature of the extremities, and Bell’s palsy.
3. Neuralgias of an intransigent nature, likewise arthroses and rheumatic symp- toms. Chronic polyarthritis with cracking and raw pains in the joints. Dull pains in limbs and back, and in the sacrum. Paralysed sensation. Rheumatic and gouty inflammations with stiffness of the joints.

• Typical soreness as of raw flesh, or as if lime were being slaked in the stomach. Soreness in very varied areas.
• Melancholy mood, hopelessness, looking on the black side, sadness, conse- quences of chronic worry.
• Formation of glaucoma, like fog or a cloud in front of the eyes. Tinnitus like the echo of one’s own voice. Often marked flushing of the ears.
• Sickly yellow complexion with facial pains or neuralgia, caused rheumatically or retoxically. Stiffness of the jaws with trismus (lock-jaw).
• Paralysis of the tongue or indistinct speech. Tongue coated white at the edges and red in the middle. Burning throat-pains like raw flesh with tickling and dry, protracted coughing with some expectoration at the end.
• When Sulphur does not work in similar conditions, Causticum is often the rem- edy.
• Gastric catarrhs with sensation of rawness, likewise haemorrhoids, inflamed, itching, painful. Itching of the urethral orifice, tenesmus of urine, tenesmus at stool, fruitless. Raw pain in the bladder, enuresis day or night. Stress inconti- nence of urine, especially on coughing, blowing the nose, sneezing.
• Hoarseness with coughing, ameliorated by a sip of cold water. Battered feeling in influenza.
• Dry, hard warts on the hands and face. Papilloma.
• 13.  All complaints are ameliorated in dull, damp weather. Aggravation in dry, fine weather (Asthma, rheumatism, etc.).

The German Monograph-Preparation Commission for the Homoeopathic Field of Therapy has, under the Preparation Monograph for Causticum hahnemanni, pub- lished the following indication(s) in the German Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) for causticum: disorders of the respiratory passages; disorders of the uri- nary tract, chronic eczema; chronic disorders belonging to the field of rheumatic dis- eases; spasmodic contractions; paralysis; emotional discord or upset.