Schwabe News Volume 3| Issue 1 | February 2012
Parthenium hysterophorus
It is commonly called as bitter-broom, congress grass, escoba amargo. It is a plant up to 1.0 m in height, that is native to the American tropics, but also seen in almost all over India and other countries like Australia, parts of Africa, etc. In India, it was first present as a contaminant in imported wheat. Since then it is reported in this sub-continent to trigger allergies, specially air-borne contact dermatitis (ABCD) and is a common cause of pollen allergy. To counter its toxic and allergic effects, homoeopaths started using this drug in homoeopathic doses. Earlier E. P. Anshutz, A. Blackwood, W. Boericke, J. H. Clarke, A. H. Grimmer and others have reported on this drug. Recently a clinical verification1 with over 235 cases between 1990 and 1996 has been published. It further enlightens our knowledge on this drug.
Verified symptoms are as follows:
Asthma, respiratory distress, tubercular laryngitis, abnormal breath sounds, prolonged expiration, irritation on skin, itching and sinusitis. From 235 cases marked improvement was observed in 123 cases (51.13%), moderate improvement was observed in 52 cases (22.34%), Mild improvement was observed in 33 cases (14.04%), no improvement was observed in 6 cases (2.5%) and symptoms worsened in 7 cases (2.98%).1
Following are the reported symptoms in literature2,3,4:
Mind
Feels dull and stupid. Difficult to fix attention. Malaise, apathy, lassitude. Indifference.
Head
Aches, extending to nose; feels swelled; pain in frontal eminence.
Eyes
Eyes heavy; eyeballs ache. Disordered vision.
Ears
Ringing in ears. Tinnitus and pain in ears.
Nose
Pain at root of nose; feels swollen.
Mouth
Aching in teeth. Teeth feel on edge; too long.
Stomach
Goneness in epigastrium; hunger. Irrepressible, tasteless eructations. Eructations tasting of the drug. Hard lumps at epigastrium. Heat and weight in stomach.
Abdomen
Pain in left hypochondrium. Spleen affections.
Stool
Stabbing pain runs up rectum after passing flatus.
Respiratory
Slow, irregular breathing.
Heart
Excitation of heart-beats; or slow heart. Pulse slow, soft, compressible.
Generalities
Tremors. Muscular relaxation
Sleep
Restless night
Fever
Rise and fall of temperature, shivering, diminished perspiration.
Modalities
Worse, after sleep, sudden motion. Better, after rising, and walking about.
Relationship
Compare: China, Ceanothus and Helianthus.
Reference:
- Sudershan Bhatti. Published in Advent of Homoeopathy April/June 99
- W. Boericke, Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica
- J. H. Clarke, Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica
- R. Murphy, Homoeopathic Remedy Guide