Causticum

Introduction: Manifests its action mainly in

chronic rheumatic, arthritic and paralytic
affections, indicated by the tearing, drawing
pains in the muscular and fibrous tissues, with
deformities about the joints; progressive loss of
muscular strength, tendinous contractures.
Broken down seniles. In catarrhal affections of
the air passages and seems to choose preferably
dark-complexioned and rigid-fibered persons.
Restlessness at night with tearing pains in joints
and bones and faint-like sinking of strength. This
weakness progresses until we have gradually
appearing paralysis. Local paralysis, vocal cords, muscles of deglutition of tongue, eyelids, face,
bladder and extremities. Children are slow to walk. The skin of a Causticum person is of a dirty
white sallow with warts, especially on the face. Emaciation due to disease, worry, etc and of
long standing. Burning, rawness, and soreness are characteristic.
Scientific Name: Causticum Hahnemanni
Synonyms: Hahnemann’s causticum; Tinctura acris sine Kali; Causticum Hahnemanni;
Potassium hydrate.
Source: The main source of Causticum is mineral kingdom. This preparation has been
introduced into Homoeopathic Pharmacy by Hahnemann and peculiar to homoeopathy. It is of
indefinite composition and hence it should be made in strict accordance with Hahnemann’s
instructions. Take a piece of freshly burnt lime of about 1 kg, dip this piece into a vessel of
purified water for about 1 minute; then lay it in a dry dish in which it will soon turn into powder
with development of much heat and its peculiar odor, called lime vapor. Of this fine powder
take 60 g and mix with it in a (warmed) porcelain triturating bowl, a solution of 60 ml of
bisulphate of potash, which has been heated to red heat and melted, cooled again and then
pulverized and dissolve in 60 ml of boiling water. This thickish mixture is put into a small glass
retort, to which the helm is attached with wet bladder; into the tube of helm inserted the
receiver, half submerged in water; the retort is warmed by gradual approach of a charcoal fire
below and all fluid then distilled over by applying suitable heat. The distilled fluid will be about
30 ml of watery clearness, containing causticum in concentrated form. It smells like the lye of
caustic potash. Taste burning in the throat; it freezes only at a lower temperature than of
water. It does not respond to the tests for sulphates and for calcium.
Composition:

Tincture θ. Drug Strength 1/10

Active ingredient:
Causticum, in the concentrated form = 500 cc.

Excipient:
Strong Alcohol = 500 cc.
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 To make one thousand cubic centimeters of tincture.

Prover Name: Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann.

Spheres of Action: The principal organs affected by this great drug, are medulla oblongata and
vagus nerve, larynx, trachea, urinary bladder and mucous membrane, flexor tendons and skin.
It is a right sided remedy.
Pathogenesis: The generally physiological action of this drug is paralysis, slow pulse, low
temperature and general paralytic, weakness. Paralysis, especially of vocal cord, paralysis of the
urinary bladder leading to retention of urine or incontinence of urine. Contraction of muscles
and tendons is a striking characteristic phenomenon of Causticum. On mucous membranes of
different hollow organs, Causticum produces an irritant action with increased secretions.
Clinical: Acne rosacea. Agalactia. Amaurosis. Apoplexy. Arthritis deformans. Bladder, affections
of. Bronchitis. Burns. Cataract. Chorea. Coccygodynia. Constipation. Convulsions. Cough.
Deafness. Dentition. Diphtheritic paralysis. Ears, otorrhoea. Emaciation. Enuresis. Epilepsy.
Eyes, affections of. Facial paralysis. Fistula. Fistula dentalis. Haemorrhoids. Headache. Heart
affections. Heel, blistered. Herpes zoster. Hip disease. Hydrogenoid constitution. Impotence.
Influenza. Intermittent fever. Intertrigo. Laryngitis. Lead poisoning. Leucorrhoea. Locomotor
ataxy. Menstruation, disorders of. Myalgia. Nails, crippled. Neuralgia. Nose, crusts in; acne on.
Paralysis. Pemphigus. Pregnancy. Prostatitis. Ptosis. Rheumatism. Scabies. Scrofula. Skin,
eruptions of. Small-pox. Stammering. Syphilis. Tendons, contracted. Throat, affections of.
Tongue, affections of; paralysis of. Ulcers. Urethritis. Urine, disordered. Varicose veins. Voice,
lost. Warts. Whooping-cough.
Constitution:
Physical make-up: Person of hydrogenoid constitution with shallow complexion, dark
hair and rigid muscular fibers. Physically very much weak, emaciated and anaemic.
Relation of heat and cold: Chilly patient.
Miasm: Anti-psoric and anti-sycotic.
Causation: Burns or scalds; Fright; Grief or sorrow; Night-watching; Suppressed eruptions;
Ulcers maltreated with lead.
Guiding Symptoms:
1. Rawness and Soreness all over the body, especially in throat with aphonia.
2. Paralysis of single parts, usually right sided, with gradual decrease of muscular power,
twitching and jerking of muscles.
3. Great sympathy for the suffering of others.
4. Skin prone to intertrigo during dentition or convulsion with eruption of teeth. Tendency
to form warts and keloids.
5. Children are late in learning to walk due to nervous weakness, unsteady walking and
easy falling,
6. Great weakness, sinking of strength with trembling and drooping of eye-lids.
7. Generally worse in clear fine weather and better in damp wet weather.
8. Insanity after suppression of skin eruptions.
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 9. Epilepsy is cured by this great remedy when it occurs during sleep and urine escape
involuntary.
10. Passes stool better when standing.
11. Guernsey commends causticum in the after effects of burns and scalds. Patient says, “I
have never been well since that burn”.
12. Weakness of memory and absence of mind are very well-marked.

Particulars:

Mind: Child does not want to go to bed alone. Least thing makes it cry. Sad, hopeless. Intensely
sympathetic. Ailments from long-lasting grief, sudden emotions. Thinking of complaints,
aggravates, especially haemorrhoids.

Head: Sensation of empty space between forehead and brain. Pain in right frontal eminence.

Face: Paralysis of right side. Warts. Pain in facial bones. Dental fistula. Pain in jaws, with
difficulty in opening mouth.

Eyes: Cataract with motor disturbances. Inflammation of eyelids; ulceration. Sparks and dark
spots before eyes Ptosis (Gels). Vision impaired, as if film were before eyes. Paralysis of
ocular muscles after exposure to cold.

Ears: Ringing, roaring, pulsating, with deafness; words and steps re-echo; chronic middle-ear
catarrh; accumulation of ear-wax.

Nose: Coryza, with hoarseness. Scaly nose. Nostrils ulcerated. Pimples and warts.

Mouth: Bites inside of cheek from chewing. Paralysis of tongue, with indistinct speech.
Rheumatism of articulation of lower jaw. Gums bleed easily.

Stomach: Greasy taste. Aversion to sweets. Feels as if lime were burned in stomach. Worse
after eating fresh meat; smoked meat agrees. Sensation of ball rising in throat. Acid
dyspepsia.

Stool: Soft and small, size of goose-quill (Phos). Hard, tough, covered with mucus; shines like
grease; small-shaped; expelled with much straining, or only on standing up. Pruritus.
Partial paralysis of rectum. Rectum sore and burns. Fistula and large piles.

Urine: Involuntary when coughing, sneezing (Puls). Expelled very slowly, and sometimes
retained. Involuntary during first sleep at night; also from slightest excitement.
Retention after surgical operations. Loss of sensibility on passing urine.

Female: Uterine inertia during labor. Menses cease at night; flow only during day (Cycl; Puls).
Leucorrhoea at night, with great weakness (Nat mur). Menses delay, late (Con. Graph;
Puls).

Respiratory: Hoarseness with pain in chest, aphonia. Larynx sore. Cough with raw soreness of
chest. Expectoration scanty must be swallowed. Cough with pain in hip, especially left
worse in evening; better, drinking cold water; worse, warmth of bed. Sore streak down
trachea. Mucus under sternum, which he cannot quite reach. Pain in chest with

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 palpitation. Cannot lie down at night. Voice re-echoes. Own voice roars in ears and
distresses. Difficulty of voice of singers and public speakers (Royal).

Back: Stiffness between shoulders. Dull pain in nape of neck.

Extremities: Left-sided sciatica with numbness. Paralysis of single parts. Dull, tearing pain in
hands and arms. Heaviness and weakness. Tearing joints. Unsteadiness of muscles of
forearm and hand. Numbness, loss of sensation in hands. Contracted tendons. Weak
ankles cannot walk without suffering. Rheumatic tearing in limbs; better by warmth,
especially heat of bed. Burning in joints. Slow in learning to walk. Unsteady walking and
easily falling. Restless legs at night. Cracking and tension in knees; stiffness in hollow of
knee. Itching on dorsum of feet.

Skin: Soreness in folds of skin, back of ears, between thighs. Warts large, jagged, bleeding
easily, on tips of fingers and nose. Old burns that do not get well, and ill effects from
burns. Pains of burns. Cicatrices freshen up; old injuries reopen. Skin prone to intertrigo
during dentition.

Sleep: Very drowsy; can hardly keep awake. Nocturnal sleeplessness, with dry heat,
inquietude.

General Modalities:

Aggravation: Dry, cold winds, in clear fine weather, coming from the air into a warm
room (Bry.); cold air, especially draft of cold air; on becoming cold; from getting
wet or bathing; from motion of carriage.

Amelioration: in damp, wet weather; warmth. Heat of bed.

Relationship:
Caust. is antidoted by: Asaf., Coff., Coloc., Dulc., Guaj. (rheumatic contractions); Nit. spir. dulc.,
Nux.
Is antidote to: Asaf., Chi., Coloc., Euphras., Plumb. (lead poisoning); type-poisoning; abuse of
Merc., and Sulph. in scabies.
Incompatible: Phos. Must not be used before or after Phos., always disagrees; the Acids;
Coffea.
Compatible: Before─Calc.; Kali i. (facial paralysis from an abscess); Lyc., Nux, Rhus, Ruta, Sep.,
Sil., Sul. Intercurrently─Ars., Cupr., Ign., Pod., Puls., Rhus, Sep., Stan. AHer─Calc., Coccul., Coloc.,
Cup., Hyo., Ign., Petrol., Petrosel., Rhus, Sep., Stram., Sul.
Complementary: Carbo veg., Petrosel. Merc. cor. assists the action of Caust. and vice versâ (in
small-pox, according to Teste).
Compare: Nit. ac. is like Caust. in being at once antipsoric, antisycotic, and antisyphilitic. Phos.
touches Caust. at many points, and is too near it to be compatible with it. (This only applies to
cases in which either of the two has done good; if one has been given without any result the
other, if indicated, will very likely succeed.) Both Caust. and Phos. are taciturn and distrustful,
or inclined to fits of anger; both are < at twilight; both have sensations of tension. The
hoarseness of Phos. (like that of Carb. v.) is < in evening. Phos. has extreme sensitiveness of
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larynx and dreads to cough or talk. The Caust. cough is > by cold drinks. Rumex and Carb. v. has
rawness and burning down throat (like Caus.) and hoarseness from damp evening air. Arn.,
must swallo mucus; Gels., Graph., Sep. in ptosis; Sulph. in chronic aphonia. Causticum antidotes
paralysis from lead poisoning (bad effects of holding type in mouth of compositors). and abuse
of Merc. or Sulph. in scabies. It affects the right side most prominently.
Compare also: Calc. (images on closing eyes); Nat. m. and Sep. (spurting of urine with cough);
Rhus (rheumatism from damp and cold; but With Rhus there is restlessness and > from motion
always─Caus. has restlessness at night only); Eup. perf. (hoarseness < in morning; influenza with
aching all over body; has more soreness on chest than Caust.); Salic ac., Chi., Carbo. sul.
(Menière's disease); Coloc. (colic); Lyc. (sweat and heat < 6 to 8 p.m.); Bar. c. (mental weakness,
paralysis; < damp weather); Sep. (enuresis in first sleep;─in deep sleep, Bell., Sul.); Calc.
(scalding urine); Sars. (urine, especially in women, passed without patient's knowledge); Bell.,
Hyo., Ign., Lach., Lyc. and Pho. (difficulty swallowing of liquids); Calc., Carb. an., Stro. and Stram.
(fear of darkness); Tarentula (restlessness) Gels. (ptosis, paralysis, faint-like weakness and
trembling, blindness) Ant. t. (laryngeal affections); Lyc. (contraction of brow with pain in head);
Cepa (sore heel); Sep. (sadness, especially before menses. Face yellow); Am. c. (rawness and
burning in chest); Aco. (paralysis from cold); Puls. (cystitis; failure of milk after labour);
Euphorb. (ptosis from cold); Nat. c. Sul. and Sul. ac. (falls easily); Kali bi. (blindness with
headache;─Kali bi. has blindness >, as headache <); Arsenic; Ammphos (facial paralysis).

Dose & Administration: Mother Tincture 03 or 04 drops mixed with water four or five times
daily or as directed by the Homoeopathic Physician.

Side effects: No significant side effect has been observed in proper doses.
Contraindication: There is no known contraindication.
Use in Pregnancy and breast-feeding: The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been
studied; therefore it should be used with caution during pregnancy. If necessary consult with
Homoeopathic Physician.
Storage: Keep out of reach of children. Keep away from sunlight. Store in a cool and dry place.

Presentation: 30 ml, 100 ml & 450 ml in bottle.

References:
1. HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA by Dr. William BOERICKE, M.D.
2. Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of M. BHATTCHARYYA & CO.’S
3. A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICAL MATERIA MEDICA by Dr. John Henry CLARKE, M.D.
4. Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons, Allen H. C.
5. Text Book of Materia Medica by Dr. S. K. Dubey.
6. https://herbpathy.com/Uses-and-Benefits-of-Causticum-Cid3982
7. Infallible Mother Tincture and Indian drugs by Prof. Dr. A. K. Chaklader.
8. Encyclopedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia by Dr. P.N. Varma & Dr. Indu Vaid.