Cantharis

CANTHARIS

Source: Spanish Fly

Cantharis  is one of  best rated prescription for Urinary Tract Infections in Homeopathy.This is a wonderful remedy for kidney and bladder complaints.  This  is the remedy of par excellence in the following ailments:

(i) Urethritis     (ii) Cystis   (iii)  Sunburn, Burns and Scalds      (iv) Impotence   (v) Eryseplas 

(vi)Haemorrhages.

Typical Subjects:  A typical Cantharis patient is chracterised by burning inflammation, whch gets rapidly worse. It is no good ignoring the patient - they want something done, and done quickly.  When they are ill like this they are very peculiar. They have extreme anxiety with any

acute condition. They may scream or lose consciousness.  They may be extremely peevish. They have a definite afternoon aggravation, very often with a delirious, semi-violent state at this point. Cantharis patients do not look happy - as a rule they look as if they are suffering intensely.  They have a disgust for food and often an urgent unquenchable thirst.  They may bring up masses of frothy mucus. Their chief guiding symptoms are bladder symptoms, the peculiar symptoms being- cutting, contracting pains in region in the region of kidneys, with an urge to urinate, and a history of it getting worse and worse.

Points &  Features:-

Frequent urging to urinate, with straining and cutting, burning pains.

Urine: Small unsatisfactory quantity passed at a time, or bloody urine.

Burning pains: Excessive burning pains (eyes, mouth, throat, stomach, intestinal tract; all the mucous surfacaes and skin.).

Discharges: Stringy and tenacious discharges from the membranes

Erysipelas, with blebs or large blisters filled with water and burning pain; useful for surface burns (locally).

Temperament: Uncontrollable anguish, furious rage, frenzied delirium,  strong sexual desire, both sexes.

Disgust for everything; drink, food, tobacco.

Stools : Dysenteric stools, bloody and shreddy, like scrappings from intestines, with tenesmus in rectum and bladder.

All complaints: Nearly all complaints accompanied with the characteristic urinary symptoms.

Dr. Nash says ,"If I were to select the one remedy with which to prove the truth of the formula similia, etc., I thaink this would be the one. Thee is no remedy that so surely, and so violently, irritates and inflames the urinaryh organs, andno remedy so promptly cures such irritation when it puts on the Cantharias type or form, which it often does."

Dr. H.N.Guernsey wrote: " It is a singular fact, though, known to mot practioners, that if there be frequent micturition atttended wih burning, cutting pain, or if not so frequent and the cutting, burning pain attens the flow, Cantharis is almot always the remedy for whatever other suffering there may be, even in inflammation of the bring or lungs." He might have added in the throat, and mucous membrances all through the intestinal tract, even to the rectum and anus, and in the pleura or on the skin.

Dr. Kent further says,  "On the strength of urinary symptom, for I knew nothing of its curative powers on the respiratory organs at that time, I gave a patient suffering from acute respiratory conditons a dose of Cantharis based on her peculiar urinary symptoms, the effect was magical. 

Mind:-The mental symptoms are striking.  Among those that are guiding are sudden loss of consciousness with red face. Suddenly goes into stupor.   Confusion of mind.  Overwhelmed with strange ideas. Thoughts run riot and go whatever way they will, as if possessed by outside influence. Crying, barking; worse touching larynx or drinking water.  Constantly attempts to do

some thing, but accomplishes nothing. Acute mania, generally  of a sexual tyupe; amorous frenzy, fiery sexual desire. This kind of mental conduct in Cantharis is similar to what will take place in

Hyos., Phos., and Secale, a violent delirious state intermingled with sexual ideas and talk. In some instancaes he deliriously sings lewd songs and prattleson the subject of human genitals, urine and faeces, a wild raving on subjects not talked about in health except among the depraved. But in disease, chaste and modest persons, virgins, will speak so that it is surprising where they have picked up such lanvuage Dr Kent quotes, "I have seen a dear old mother weep and wring her hands and say:'Where did my daughter learn such language?' The daughter is not to blame. It is simply a condion of the urinary tract or the menstrual fucntion, brought on from cold or exposure, or through the mother's neglect to tell her daughter what she should know in regard to her menstrual function, and now there is inflammation of the ovaries or uterus, or outside pars, and the urine burns and causes an inflammatory conditon of the outer parts, or the urine is retained and there is frenzy. Such is Cantharis." Then there are paroxysms of a rage, crying, barking.

Head: Burning in brain. Sensation as if boiling water in brain. Vertigo: worse in open arir.  

Eyes: It is seldom indicated in eye troubles, alone, except such as come with head and mind symptoms. Burning and smarting  in the eyes and the whole atmosphere looks yellow.   Fiery, sparkling, staring look. Inflammation of the eyes if caused by burn.

Face; Erysiplas of the face, dorsum of the nose, involvng the lids. Rhus is more commonly used in this condition, but when it is violent, Cantharis will often be indicated and preferable to Rhus.  Rhus has the blisters and the burning, but Canth. Between your two visits the erysepelas has grown black, it is dusky, a rapid change has taken place, and it looks as if gangrene would set in. Burning in the erysipelatous area and the kin around burns from the touch and the usual characteristic symptoms of urine are present. In Rhus this is not so. In Cantharis the little blisters even if touched burn like fire. .

Throat: Burning in throat. Great thirst, with burning in the throat and mouth and throat are antagonized by the mental state. Thirst in the throatand an aversin to water in the mind.Scalding feeling . Burnt aftger taking too hot food. Constriction; aphthous ulceration. [Hydr.mur; Nit. A.]

Chest: Pleurisy, as soon as effusion has taken place.  Short, hacking cougjh, blood streaked tenacious mucus. Burning pains. Dr. Guernsy wrote "Cantharis should always be remembered and studied in treating affections of the air passagaes when the mucus is tenacious." (Hydrastis, Kali bich., Coccus cacti, etc.)."   Dr. Nash says that  " I have the pleasure of verifying the truth of this in the case of a lady who had suffered a long time with bronchitis. The mucus was so profuse, and tenacious and ropy, that I thought of kali bich. and thought it must be the remedy; but it did not even ameliorate, and she got worse all the time, until one day she mentioned that she had gret cutting and burning on urinating which she must do veryh frequently. On the strength of the urinary symptom, for I knew nothing of its curative powers on the respiratory organs at that time, I gave her Cantharis.  The effect was magical."

Stomach:-Violent burning in the oesophagus, stomach, pylorus, abdomen[Carb]. Disgust for everything-drink, food, tobacco.  Buring thirst, with averion to all fluids. Aggravation from drinking coffee; drinking the smallest quantity increases pain in bladder, and is vomited. Thirst unquenchable.

Stools: Shivering with burning. Dysentery; mucous stools, like scrapings of intestines. Bloody, with burning and tenesmus and shuddring after stool.

Urine:-"Violent pains in bladder, with frequent urging to urinate with intolerable tensesmus." "Violent burning cutting pains in the neck of the bladder."  Before, during and after urinating fearful cutting pains in the urethra. "Constant urging to urinate; urine passed drop by drop with extreme pain." "urine scalds him, it is passed drop by drop."Then there is desire for stool while urinating.  The patient will sit on the commode with violent tenesmus to pass urine and stool, feels tht if hcould onlyh pass a few more drops of urine or a little more bloody stool he would get relief, but no relief comes. All the parts are inflamed and on fire. .

Male:-Strong desire; painful erections. Pain in glans (Prunus; Pareira.) Priapism in gonorrhoea.

Female:- In the female there is oversensitiveness of all parts.Nymphmania. [Platina, Hyos; Lach; Stram,.] Inflammation of ovaries and uterus. Burning in the vagina. Membraneous dysmenorrhea. Menses too early, profuse, black. Puerperal convulsions. Retianed placenta. Burning pains. When thee have been no expulsive pains present to expel the afterbirty, with the syumptoms running all through this remedy, after it has been given normal contractions of the uterus have come on with expulsion of the membranes.

Heart:- Palpitation; pulse feeble, irregular; tendency to syncope. Pericarditis, with effusion.

Back : Pain in loins, with incessant desire to urinate.

Extremities:- Tearing in limbs. Ulcerative pains in soles, cannot step.

Skin:- Cantharis has a very decided action upon the skin  In erysipelas it is sometimes the best remedy, and choice has to be made between it and Apis, which also sometimes has great urinary irritaion in such cases. In the Apis cases there is apt to more oedema; in Cantharis more blistering.  In Cantharis the burning is more intense than under the Apis, while in the later there is more stinging. The urinary symptoms, if  present , are very much more intense under Cantharis.Burns, scalds, with rawness and smarting, relieved by cold applications., followed by undue inflammation. Hering used to challenge skeptics to burn their fingers, and then cure them by dipping the fingers into water medicated with Cantharis.  Burning in soles of feet at night.

Fever: Cold hands and feet; cold sweat; Soles burn. Chill, as if water were oured over him.

Modalities: Worse: From touch. Urinating. Drinking cold water. Coffee.

                    Better: From rubbing. Sight and sound water.

Relations: Similar to Apis Mell., Arsenicum album, Equisetum hyemale and Merc. viv. In some disorders.

For burns, before and after blisters have formed. If the skin is unbroken, an alcoholic solution of any potency (diluted as  a lotion)  is applied and covered with cotton; this will promptly relieve the pain and often prevent vesication. If skin is broken, use in boiled or distilled water externally and the potency is administered internally.

Antidotes: Acon. nap, Camphora; Puls Nig., Apis mel. Kal. Nit. Rheum.

Summary of Indications: Haemorrhages-urethritis-impotency-erysipelas-sunburn, burns& scalds-cystitis.