Azadirachta indica
Commonly known as Neem, it is a tree native to India and Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. It grows in tropical and semi-tropical regions. It homoeopathic medicine is prepared from the bark. It is covered by Homoeopathic Pharamocopoeia of India. It was introduced by Dr. S. C. Ghose. In mother tincture useful for chronic malarial fever, the liver and spleen are enlarged and indurated, paroxysm of fever in the evening with bilious complaints with cough and burning in the eyes specially when the ague is suppressed with overdose of quinine. It is also useful in skin diseases and leprosy. Numerous recent studies have proved its traditional uses. A recent study has shown the leaf extract of Azadirachta indica to possess chemoprotective action against hepatic cancer.
Hahnemannian proving was conducted by CCRH and published in 2005. The proving duration was in 1988-89 using 6, 30 and 200 centesimal potencies at Homoeopathic Drug Research Institute, Lucknow and Drug Proving Research Institute, Ghaziabad. 27 provers in the age group of 20-39 years took part in the proving. 9 of them were females. A combined materia medica from the existing as well as new literature is given below. Some uses of azadirachta indica in homeopathy are:
Mind
Depressed, patients makes mistakes in writing and spelling. Difficulty to remember of well-known person. Irritability, no desire to talk. Irritability, rage and fury, worse any noise. Anxiety, Apprehension with palpitation for some evil thing.
Vertigo
Giddiness especially at 10 A.M which is worse when rising from sitting posture. Vertigo with constipation, worse standing, walking.
Head
Frontal headache, especially on the right side, in the open air. Throbbing in the vertex, by stooping; scalp is painful and sensitive to touch, even the hair are painful. Tearing pain in forehead till midnight, better pressure. Heaviness, dullness in right frontal region, extending to supra-orbital region. Pain in eyeball with sleeplessness, worse under sun; better pressure. Sensation of weight over vertex, worse stooping, morning; better evening. Heat and pressure on vertex till midnight, better tight bandage, drinking cold water. Throbbing pain in head, worse raising the head, pressure; better after sleep, drinking tea, evening, rest. Heaviness of head, worse while sitting; better lying down, drinking tea. Dull aching pain in left side of head, worse movement; better rest and lying down. Throbbing pain in forehead, worse movement, evening; better pressure. Bursting pain in frontal region with impaired appetite and fever, worse stooping, morning, under the sun; better evening, rest, lying down. Heaviness in frontal region, worse morning; better pressure.
Eyes
Pressive pain in right eye-ball. Heaviness of lids, worse staying outdoors, open air. Stitching pain in eyes, better applying cold water.
Ears
Feather like tickling sensation in ear. Buzzing sound in ear, worse morning, talking. Hissing sound, worse morning, talking.
Nose
Tickling in nose with sneezing, headache, coryza, watery, fluent, bland discharge with thirst for cold water, worse open air; better warm room. Obstruction of nose followed by thin, watery, fluent discharge with hoarseness of voice and loss of appetite. Redness, rawness of nostrils with burning and sore feeling, worse learning head downwards, morning; better rest after sleep.
Nose dry, crust formation with bleeding and sneezing after removing the crusts, better pressing the nostrils.
Mouth
Dryness of mouth during sleep. Tearing pain in gums, worse hot drinks; better cold things.
Bitter taste with desire for salty things. No thirst but clammy and bitter; tongue is painful.
Throat
Pain with choking sensation, better hot drinks. Dryness and roughness in throat, worse swallowing solids; better hot drinks. Soreness of throat, worse evening; better drinking water. Irritation in throat with inflammation and redness upper palate, worse swallowing solid food, hot and cold drinks.
Stomach
Impaired appetite, nausea, sour eructation with anxiety and restlessness, worse after eating.
Abdomen
Dull pain in abdomen with flatulence and heaviness, better after eructation. Colicky, cramping, intermittent pain while straining for stool and after stool, with heaviness and distension in abdomen and constipation. Griping, cramping, colicky pain around umbilicus. Recurrent pain in abdomen, worse before stool, after eating; better lying down straight. Distension of abdomen with heaviness and pressure in upper part with rumbling. Stitching pain in hypochondrium, worse after eating.
Rectum
Diarrhoea yellowish stool containing white, frothy mucus with cramping pain in abdomen, worse during stool. Stool scanty, hard with urging for stool after eating.
Male
Spermatorrhoea. Great excitement of sexual organ. Urine is pale, scanty, offensive.
Female
Menses early and profuse with backache.
Respiratory
Cough with feeling of constriction in chest, worse morning and evening. Cough with yellow and thick expectoration. Voice hoarse, worse coughing, morning. Cough, short, dry, hacking with chocking sensation in throat, worse undressing. Cough, deep, spasmodic, pain in chest and headache with salty expectoration, easy to expel. Irritation and rawness in larynx during cough better hot drinks. Stitching pain in chest, better deep inspiration.
Back
Stiffness with drawing pain in back, worse sitting; better lying down.
Extremities
Pain in muscles of lower limbs with violent twitching, worse movement; better pressure. Pulsating pain in the knee joints, worse walking, cycling; better warm application, rest. Heaviness from shoulder joints to elbow, worse hanging down the arms; better flexing the arm, pressure.
Fever
Fever with chill, restlessness, bitter taste, thirstlessness, weakness and thick, white-coated tongue.
Skin
Red, dry itching eruptions on legs, burning after scratching, worse undressing, in evening. Itching without eruption.
References:
- 1. Azadirachta indica. In: Homoeopathic Drug Provings, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, 61-65, Institutional Area, Opp. ‘D’ Block, Jankpuri, New Delhi, First Edition, 2005
- 2. E. P. Anshutz, New, Old and Forgotten Remedies, 2nd Edition, RadarOpus 1.33 (Homoeopathic Software), Archibel S.A. Rue Fontaine 3. St. Pierre 1E, Zoning Industriel de la Fagne, 5330 Assesse, Belgium.
- 4. J. H. Clarke, Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Reprint Edition 1992, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
- 5. W. Boericke, New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory [with Relationship of Remedies], Second Re-Augmented & Revised Edition Based on Ninth Edition, Reprint Edition 2002, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
