Croton Tiglium crot-t.

MUCOUS MEMBRANES: Bowels. Eyes. Bladder. Mammæ. Uterus. Skin: SCROTUM. FACE.

DRINKING. Eating. Washing. Motion. Receding eruptions.

Drawn backward feeling; in eyes; nipples, etc.

Neuralgia of tongue. Pressure excites rectal pain or a stool. Gurgling or swashing as of water in bowels; THEN SUDDEN, PROFUSE, GUSHING STOOL OF YELLOW WATER, < DRINKING; then prostration. Diarrhœa. Cholera infantum. Can't inhale deeply enough. Pain from nipple to back, as child nurses. Nodes in mammæ. Neck and shoulders pain. Violently itching, tense burning, red skin; sore if scratched, > gentle rubbing. Eruptions; clustered; of blisters which burst and form crusts; vesiculo - pustular (Sep.), < genitals, temples and crown of head. Eczema. Zoster.

Related: Rhus-t.

Affects mucous membrane of intestinal tract, producing transudations of watery portions of blood, a copious, watery diarrhoea (Ver.), and develops an acute eczema over the whole body (Rhus). The bowels are moved as if by spasmodic jerks, "coming out like a shot" (Gamb.); as soon as patient eats, drinks, or even while eating; yellow watery stool. Constant urging to stool followed by sudden evacuation, which is shot out of the rectum (Gamb., Grat., Pod., Thuja). Swashing sensation in intestines, as from water, before stool (rumbling before stool, Aloe). Drawing pain through the chest from breast to scapula, of same side every time the child nurses; nipple very sore. Intense itching of skin, but so tender is unable to scratch; > by gentle rubbing; eczema over whole body. Intense itching of genitals of both sexes (Rhus); vesicular eruption on male; so sensitive and sore is unable to scratch. Cough: as soon as the head touched the pillow a spasmodic paroxysm of cough set in; suffocated, must walk about the room or sleep in a chair.

Compare: Kali br., Phos. in chronic infantile diarrhoea; Sil. pain from nipple through to back when nursing.

Diarrhoea; every motion; after drinking; while eating or nursing (Arg. n., Ars.); during summer; from fruit and sweetmeats (Gamb.); the least food or drink.

In any skin disease which itches very much, but the patient can't bear to scratch very hard as it hurts; a very slight scratch, a mere rub suffices to allay the itching. Erysipelas that itches exceedingly.

In diarrhœa, when the bowels are moved with a spasmodic jerk or burst, and it is all out: coming out like a shot.

Otorrhœa when there is great itching. Drawing pain through the left pectoral region into the back: asthma with cough, which produces this pain; this pain is often felt (on either side) by nursing women, and every suck the child gives, causes this terrible pain, running through from nipple to back, Inflamed breasts, or breasts that threaten to gather, accompanied with this pain. (On giving Croton, the pain may at first shift from one side to the other, but do not change the remedy.) Sensation as if hide-bound.

Feeling as though one cannot think outside of himself, "feels all pent up" inside, and no chance for the thoughts to flow out.

Rhus tox.

Constant urging to stool, followed by a sudden, pasty, offensive evacuation of a dirty green colour, which is forcibly shot out of the rectum.

Croton-oil Seed

Is a valuable remedy in diarrhœa, summer complaint, and skin affections. These may alternate with each other. Feels tight all over. It is one of the antidotes to Rhus poisoning, as is evident from its wide and intense action upon skin and mucous surface, causing both irritation and inflammation, with formation of vesicles and mucous discharges. Has elective affinity for skin of face and external genitals. Burning in the œsophagus.

Pressing pain in forehead, especially orbits.

Granular lids; pustules of cornea. Red and raw appearance. Feel drawn backward. Eruptions around eyes. Tensive pain above right orbit.

Copious watery stools, with much urging; always forcibly shot out, with gurgling in intestines; worse, drinking the least quantity, or even while eating. Constant urging to stool, followed by sudden evacuation. Swashing sensation in intestines.

Night urine foaming; dark orange color; turbid on standing; greasy particles floating on top. Day urine is pale, with white sediment.

Drawing-pain through the left chest into the back. Asthma, with cough; cannot expand the chest. Nursing women; every suck the child gives produces pain from nipple back. Inflamed breasts. Cough; as soon as he touches the pillow must get up. Sensitive to deep breathing.

Feels hide-bound. Intense itching; but scratching is painful. Pustular eruption, especially on face and genitals, with fearful itching, followed by painful burning. Vesicles; confluent oozing. Vesicular erysipelas, itching exceedingly. Herpes zoster; stinging, smarting pains of the eruption.

Worse, least food or drink; during summer; touch, night and morning, washing.

Compare: Momordica charantia-Hairy Mordica--(has marked drastic properties, producing colic, nausea, vomiting, cholera-like symptoms, abdomen seems full of fluid discharged explosively, thin, watery, yellow. Great thirst). Rhus; Anagallis; Anacard; Sepia.

Antidote: Ant tart.

Sixth to thirtieth potency.

Stool yellow, watery, coming out like a shot, all at once; < after least food or drink.

Excruciating pain, running from nipple to scapula; of same side when child nurses.

Eczema, especially of the scrotum; itches intensely, but is so sensitive to touch and sore that he cannot scratch.

When the Allopaths, in any case where they considered an operation of the bowels imperative, had exhausted all other resources, Croton tiglium was their "biggest gun for the last broadside." In other words, this is a most violent cathartic. Now if Similia, etc., is not true, Croton tig. ought utterly to fail to cure diarrhœa; but it is true, and notwithstanding this remedy has proven its truth over and over again the Allopaths deny and reject Homœopathy. As in Podophyllum and Aloe, Croton tig. cures its kind and no other. Its guiding symptoms are:

First: "Yellow watery stool."

Second: "Sudden expulsion, coming out like a shot, all at once."

Third: "Aggravation from the least food or drink."

In this combination Croton tig. leads all of the remedies. The first symptom is found notably under Apis mel., Calcarea ost., China, Gratiola, Hyoscyamus, Natrum sulph., and Thuja. The second under Jatropha, Gratiola, Podophyllum and Thuja. The third under Argentum nit. and Arsenicum alb. The Calcarea ost. is found in the Calcarea temperament and China in cases weakened by loss of fluids, and all the others have strongly marked symptoms which distinguish them from Croton tiglium. For want of space we cannot give them here. Aloe has rumbling before the stool, while Croton tig. has washing in the intestines as from water. Both of these remedies having aggravation after eating or drinking, we would have to look further for the symptoms deciding between them. Another symptom that has frequently been verified in this remedy is -"Excruciating pain running from nipple to back (scapula) of the same side when the child nurses." I have cured bad cases of mastitis guided by this one symptom. Croton tig. cures eczema especially of the scrotum, where the eruption itches intensely, but is so sensitive and sore to touch that he cannot scratch. This comprehends the main uses of this valuable remedy.

Vertigo, with dulness of the head, pale complexion, debility and nausea ; worse in the open air. Heaviness of the head. Sensitiveness of the head to the pressure of the hat. Headache ; worse in the morning.

Itching of the eyelids. Œdematous swelling of the eyelids (eyelids look puffed). Twitching of the eyelids. Stinging in the eyeball. Burning pain in the inflamed eye, with burning in the ear, vertigo, and fainting. Ulceration of the conjunctiva, contraction of the pupil, and profuse lachrymation and dimness of the cornea.

Burning in the nostrils ; inflammation of the nose.

Dry, parched lips. Burning of the lips. Sensitiveness of the tip of the tongue. White-coated tongue. Scraping (disagreeable) taste in the fauces. Burning in the fauces and pharynx. Constrictive sensation in the throat.

Excessive nausea, with vanishing of sight, sweat on the forehead, distention of the abdomen, excessive gagging, vertigo ; worse after drinking. Burning in the stomach. Sensitiveness of the region of the stomach to the touch. Abdomen distended ; coldness. Colicky pain in the transverse colon before every stool. Colic relieved by hot milk.

Stools liquid (yellow-colored water), with tenesmus, or with nausea and colic, or coming out like shot. Stools dark-green or greenish-yellow. Stools, with burning at the anus. During stool, perspiration. Stool as soon as he drinks (the child has a stool and colic as soon as it nurses). At the anus, itching ; pulsations ; constrictive sensation ; stitches ; sensation as if a plug lodged in the rectum were pressing out.

Stitches in the region of the kidneys, arresting the breathing. Increased secretion of (turbid) urine. Burning in the urethra when urinating.

Men. The left testicle is drawn up ; the right testicle is relaxed. Women. Catamenia too scanty. Pain and stitches ; through the breasts into the chest, and extending to the back, as soon as the child begins to nurse.

Hoarseness and hollow voice, which obliges ; him to hawk constantly. Accumulation of rattling mucus in the larynx. When coughing, soreness in the abdomen. Cough, morning and evening. Burning on the chest. The chest is ; painful when touched. Sensation of hollowness in the chest. Palpitation of the heart, with difficulty of breathing, especially on going up stairs. Stitches in the region of the heart during an expiration.

Upper. Sticking or aching pains in the shoulder-joints. Lower. Lancinations in the big toes ; pricking in the toes.

Drowsiness ; the palpitation of the heart prevents him from going to sleep.

Weariness ; ill-feeling and irresistible desire to sleep. Fainting spells. Weakness and bruised feeling through the whole body.

Pulse frequent and full. Chilliness over the back. Ascension of heat on the body. Heat and fever accompanying the cutaneous eruption. Perspiration on the forehead.

Scarlet redness of the skin (with rash-like vesicles). Redness warmth, stinging here and there ; pustules running into one, oozing and forming a gray-brown crust, which finally falls off. Itching, followed by a painful burning. Herpetic eruption on the scrotum. Painful swelling of the submaxillary glands and tonsils.

Aggravation. Stools, nausea and vomiting, colic, after drinking (and eating). Amelioration, after sleep (headache, colic, pains).

Tiglium. officinale. Croton oil seeds. N. O. Euphorbiaceæ. Tincture of the oil from the seeds.

Cholera. Cholerine. Colds. Cornea, opacity of. Cough. Diarrhœa. Ear, affections of. Eczema . Eyes, affections of. Hypopion. Keratitis. Neuralgia. Nipples, painful . Ophthalmia. Proctalgia. Rheumatism. Rhus poisoning.

Croton oil is best known in its uses as a powerful purgative, and as an irritant of the skin. The characteristic stool of Croton is a sudden evacuation in one gush, like a shot; followed by great prostration. Colic before stool; constant urging; < from eating and drinking and from every movement. The evacuation is yellowish or yellowish green. On the skin Croton produces erythema, erysipelas, eczema, herpes pustules. The antidote to Croton is Ant. tart . Croton antidotes Rhus tox . Some peculiar sensations are: produced by Croton : "As if the skin were hide-bound", (Also mentally hide-bound; can't think outside of himself.) "As of a string pulling from one part to another; from eyeball to back of head; from nipple to back with pain in nipple when the child nurses." "As if a plug were forcing outwards at anus." Cutting, sticking, stinging, stitching pains and burning stitches. Writhing in transverse colon. Guernsey gives the skin indications thus: "In any skin disease which itches very much, but the patient cannot bear to scratch very hard as it hurts; a very slight scratch, a mere rub suffices to allay the itching. Erysipelas that itches exceedingly." He also gives: "Otorrhœa when there is much itching." Teste, who was among the first to use Croton homœopathically, gives a very interesting account of it. He quotes Trousseau and Pidoux as saying that it often happens that eruptions are developed on parts not touched by the remedy, in those who have been engaged in making Croton inunctions on patients. The face and the scrotum especially have been thus attacked. The itching which it causes, says Teste, is at first more tingling than burning (the contrary taking place with Rhus ). The itching changes to burning (like the itching of Rhus ) if it is taken in large doses or applied externally. The eruptions in which he succeeded were: urticaria; large copper-coloured spots almost like liver-spots: small red blotches, not very apparent, in thighs, abdomen, and genitals, of fifteen years' standing-all accompanied with intolerable itching. Two remarkable cases are recorded by Teste. A delicate, cachectic, psoric girl of four had suffered for two years without interruption from a fetid discharge from the nose, less in winter more in summer. Before this she had a vesicular eruption on chest and neck, which disappeared of itself, being followed in three or four days by the discharge. After the failure of Sul., Merc. sol., Calc ., on the indication of the previous eruption Teste gave Croton , and in less than a fortnight the disease lost three-fourths of its intensity, although it was in mid-summer. Six months completed the cure, the only other remedies given during the time being Lob. i ., and Kreas . The other case was that of a man of forty, very fleshy, who for fifteen years had been subject to attacks of gout returning every spring, except on two occasions when a most fatiguing and obstinate exanthem appeared instead. This consisted in an intense redness of the whole body, accompanied with a burning itching, especially in the hollow of the hands, at the chest, and behind the ears. These parts were the seat of a yellowish, plastic exudation, emanating from a multitude of small vesicles in close contact with each other, which were only distinctly perceived in places where they were less numerous, and where a greater degree of resistance on the part of the epidermis imparted to them a certain persistence. Each time this eruption broke out it lasted three months in spite of purgatives and the baths of Barèges and Aix les Bains. When Teste saw the patient he had neither gout nor eczema, but a dry, racking, almost convulsive and unceasing cough. Skin rather hot, thirst, a little headache, heat in chest, no dyspnœa. Sometimes, especially in the evening, but only for a few days, he showed a tendency to syncope. At the end of three weeks, having received no benefit from Teste's treatment, the patient took of his own accord three tablespoonfuls of the "Syrup of White Poppy," at bedtime. The cough ceased entirely for some hours, and then returned in its old intensity. But during the intermission the malady had come out on the skin, and at daybreak the patient found himself covered from head to foot with his old horrible eczema. He was almost unrecognisable, and in a state of the deepest anxiety and despair. He expected three or four months of it. Teste now gave Croton . The itching disappeared the same day. Within five or six days there remained not a trace of either cough or eruption. As the patient removed from Paris, Teste was not able to follow the case in subsequent years. Conrad Wesselhœft cured a case of proctalgia in a woman of thirty with Crot. tig . 3x. The attacks came on after stool, lasting half a day, and preventing her from fulfilling her duties of teacher. There were no piles, only sensitiveness of rectum to touch. He was led to the remedy by having previously had another patient who suffered from a similar pain after using Croton pills; pain in the rectum came on with extreme intensity after straining at stool; and the patient (also a woman) was in agony for three hours afterwards, with frequent tenesmus. The pills were stopped and Nux v . given, and she was well in a week. The eye symptoms of Croton are very strongly marked. Purulent ophthalmia, ulceration, and hypopion have been cured by it. Many of the symptoms of Croton spread from below upwards. Touch, pressure and motion < . < When sitting or crouching. Open air < dizziness and faintness. Drinking cold water while heated = complete loss of voice. Hot milk < colic. Diarrhœa is < in summer. Many symptoms are < at night. > After sleep.

Continue in Clarke 27 more passages →

Not disposed to work.
Feeling of anxiety, as though some personal misfortune would befall him.
Morose, dissatisfied.
Deep depression, peevish and restless.
Feeling as though one cannot think outside of himself, "feels all pent up" inside, and no chance for thoughts to flow out ; as if hide-bound.

Dulness, heaviness, or confusion of head.
Dizziness and faintness, < in open air, with drowsiness, nausea, pale complexion, exhaustion and diarrhœa.

Sensitiveness of head ; weight of hat causes headache.
Heat and heaviness in head, soreness in eyeballs when turning eyes ; bad taste in mouth, feels clammy and nasty ; thirst ; weak, faint spells ; flushes of heat.
Sticking pain in head, eyes and forehead.
Headache worse in morning.

Sensitiveness of head to pressure of hat.
Boring of head into pillow ; fontanelles sunken. θ Cholera infantum.
Crusta lactea.

Opacity of cornea.
Keratitis pustulosa : with much eruption on lids and face ; with excessive photophobia.
Ulceration of conjunctiva, contraction of pupil, profuse lachrymation and dimness of cornea.
Conjunctivitis pustulosa, eyes feel hot and burning, especially at night ; face red and burning ; feverish ; marked photophobia, ciliary injection, with considerable pain in and around eye, usually worse at night.
Pustules terminating in ulcers and ulceration of cornea, with much pain in supra-ciliary region and eruption on face ; much pain in eye, whenever a movement from bowels occurred.
Iritis with pustular eruption on face.
Irritation and inflammatory redness of conjunctiva.
Violent ophthalmia ; on second day, ulceration of conjunctiva over cornea and sclera, irritation of sclera and iris ; contraction of pupil ; injected state of vessels of conjunctiva, sclera and eyelids, profuse lachrymation, photophobia, violent pains disturbing night's
rest ; burning and violent pain of eye.
Pain which seemed to extend from pupil of left eye to back part of head. θ Neuralgia.
Sensation as of a string pulling eyeball back into head.
Sticking pain in eyes ; eyes swollen ; veil before eyes.
Stinging in eyeball.
Soreness in eyeballs when turning eyes.
Burning pain in inflamed eye, with burning in ear, vertigo and fainting.
Blepharitis with vesicular eruption on lids and face.
Itching of eyelids.
Œdematous swelling of eyelids (eyelids look puffed).
Twitching of eyelids.
Copious lachrymation.

Spasmodic twinging pains, deep within left ear.
Otorrhœa, with great itching.
Deafness.

Burning in nostrils ; inflamed nose.
Eruption upon septum of nose plugging nostril.

Swelling and redness of face and eyelids, which are covered with small vesicles.
Sensation as though insects were creeping on face.

Lips dry and parched. θ Cholera infantum.
Burning of lips.

Bad taste in mouth, clammy and nasty.
Sensitiveness of tip of tongue.
Tongue coated white ; generally dry, red and shining.

Burning and smarting in mouth.
Irritation of salivary glands.
Painful swelling of submaxillary glands and tonsils.

Burning and scraping in fauces and throat.
General irritation in fauces, redness, swelling and elongation of uvula.
Constrictive sensation in throat.

Continue in Hering 33 more passages →

Croton oil, when applied to the skin, produces both vesicles and pustules upon an inflamed base, and the part becomes very red and sore.

The inflammation often increases until it resembles erysipelas, but more commonly the eruption produced resembles a vesicular eczema. This eruption will come on for a few days and will then desiccate, and in a few days longer it will desquamate.

When one has been overdosed, as is done in a too prolonged proving, or by the crude drug, or when the prover has been markedly sensitive, we get an alternation of states, the internal alternating with the external.

After the eruption is out the internal manifestations are not present, as is seen in the rheumatic state, the cough and the bowel symptoms. If we study these groups separately we will find they are all interesting.

The eruptions of Croton tig. very often select as a location the genital organs. Rhus does the same, and when the genital organs are the principal seat of the eruptions in Rhus poisoning Croton tig. will commonly be its antidote; also when the eruptions are most about the eyes and scalp Croton tig. will often furnish an antidote.

When the symptoms, however, confine them selves to the palms of the hands Croton tig. is not the remedy, but it is Anagallis. Anagallis does upon the palms of the hands just what Croton tig. does upon the genitals. If you examine Anagallis you will find that the eruptions will come out and desquamate, and no sooner does the surface look as if it would heal than a new crop comes out. Rhus is similar in that it locates upon the palms of the, hands, but Rhus does not repeat itself. upon inflamed surfaces. In the Croton tig. eruption there is some burning, but nothing like that of Rhus.

The Rhus burning pain in eruptions that are marked is almost like fire. It is worse from the air, and it is better from dip ping the part in water as hot as it is possible to endure it. Persons who have these Rhus eruptions talk about scalding their hands to relieve the itching and burning.

So it is with Croton tig, but it is usually so sore he cannot touch it; when the eruption is so mild that he can handle it, we find that the slightest rubbing relieves the itching.

In Rhus touch aggravates the itching. In bad cases of Rhus poisoning he will hold his fingers far apart if they have very large blisters upon them, and he will not touch the place because it establishes a voluptuous itching that nearly drives him wild.

Although this is not so with Croton tig., still they are similar enough to each other to be antidotal; they do not have to be exactly alike, but they need to be similar.

It is true that remedies that are relieved by scratching are more nearly antidotal to such remedies as are relieved by scratching. The more similar the better; but medicines will antidote each other when they are similar only in general character, and they will cure disease when they are similar in general character.

It is also true that medicines while they are not similar in general character may be similar enough in special localities to remove the symptoms in these localities, while the disease will go on. The remedy in this case is not similar enough to cure the disease, but it has removed some of the symptoms. That is the most miserable kind of a prescription, as it changes the manifestations of the disease without changing its nature. In that way, a very poor prescription may hunt around and get one remedy for one group of symptoms and another remedy for another group, and the patient be worse off than before. If the remedies are similar as to their general nature, then the little superficial symptoms are not so extremely important.

"Frequent, corrosive itching on glans and scrotum."

"Vesicular eruption on scrotum and penis."

It is a remedy for vesicular and pustular eruptions upon the genital organs. It is closely related to Petroleum, which has fine red vesicular and granular elevations, intermingled with fine red rash upon the genitals, itching intensely, worse at times by scratching until burning comes on and then bleeding which relieves.

First, its cough. It has an asthmatic cough, coming on in the middle of the night, often arousing the patient from a sound sleep. Attacks of violent coughing, with dyspnoea and choking, worse at night and worse on lying down, compelling him to sit up, to be bolstered up in bed, or to sit up in a reclining chair.

His friends wonder if he is not going into consumption. If it is a child they wonder whether it is not whooping cough. There is extreme irritation of the air passages, so that the inhalation of air brings on the cough. Sensitive to deep breathing. Now, this will go on for a while and finally he will break out with an eruption somewhere upon the body, vesicles and pustules, in clusters and patches, that become inflamed and red and finally dry up and desquamate and disappear, and then back comes his cough. This may go on as a chronic state, and when such is the case it will be very well to know this remedy.

The next most important symptoms are the bowel symptoms, and perhaps they are the best known of any of its symptoms outside of the eruption. It is suitable in both acute and chronic diarrhoea. It is suitable in cholera infantum.

The marked feature is the extreme, suddenness with which the stool is ejected. It seems to come out in one gush of yellow, watery or pappy stool; soft, thin fæces, coming, out with one gush, so marked is this that it is not an uncommon thing for a rural patient to describe it as "like that of a goose."

It all gushes out in one squirt.

The mother says of the little patient:

"You would be astonished, doctor, at the violent rush, for it all comes out with one squirt."

That is descriptive. Many remedies have a holding on and a prolonged effort at stool, until it takes quite a long time. Many of the diarrheas are prolonged with numerous little gushes of thin fæces or water, but this particular feature is striking.

It may not always be so, but this violent gush of thin, yellow faeces or yellow water is a striking feature of the remedy.

With this the abdomen is very sensitive, and is greatly distended; there is much gurgling in the bowel, and when the physician puts his hand upon it the patient will say he feels the gurgling, as if he were full of water, and it probably is so, for the expulsion of the stool would not occur in one strong gush were it not for the fact that the colon and rectum were full of fluid.

Another peculiar thing commonly attending Croton tig. diarrheas is that pressure over the abdomen or pressure about the umbilicus causes a pain in the rectum and urging to stool, and a feeling, with the expulsion of the stool, as if the rectum would protrude. Clinically it has been described as if the pain followed the intestines all the way down to the anus.

The taking of a little water, or of a little milk, what would ordinarily be suitable food for such a diarrhea, will at times cause an instant urging to stool; he must go to stool immediately after eating.

This gives the general features of the Croton tig. diarrhoea. If it is in an infant there is great exhaustion, tympanitic abdomen, much rumbling of the bowels, great sinking, and as soon as the infant takes one mouthful of milk or draws from the mother's breast it expels a gush of liquid or pappy stool.

Another most important group of symptoms is its eye symptoms. It has eye symptoms of an inflammatory character, and around the eyes and upon the lids are vesicles and pustules.

Pustules upon the cornea, granular lids. Inflammation of all the tissues of the eye. It has an inflammation of the iris and conjunctiva. The blood vessels of the eyes are distended, the eye looks red and raw. The eyelids when turned out are seen to be greatly inflamed and granular, covered with vesicles and pustules.

With this inflammatory condition there is a sensation very commonly present in the Croton tig. eye cases, as if the eye were drawn backwards by a string, or as if the optic nerves were dragging the eyes backwards into the head.

This drawing in the back of the eye as with a string is also peculiar to Paris quadrifolia, but the conditions are different in Paris quad. In headaches from overuse of the eyes in engravers or those doing fine needle work, with much neuralgia in the head, due probably to the overuse of the eyes, when the pains in the eyes are not attended with inflammation, but are more of the type of dull aches and pains that you might call only rheumatic or neuralgic, with this sensation as if the eyes were drawl) back into the brain; in these neuralgic cases use Paris quad.

But in the inflammatory conditions such as I have described, with the same drawing back as with a string, Croton tig. is the remedy.

Troublesome eczema of the scalp in infants, either purely vesicular or intermingled more or less with pustules. The vesicles dry up and then desquamate, and now there is a red, raw, inflamed surface, sensitive to touch.

After desquamation has pretty nearly finished, a new crop of pustules and vesicles comes out, and while one place is clearing off another is vesicular. This is how it goes on with a chronic eczema. The eruptions are often about the eyes, on the temples, over the face and on top of the head.

The appearance is so nearly like Sepia that the two very often cannot be distinguished. Sepia has the same vesiculation intermingled with pustules, the bleeding and rawness of the surface and the eruption of new crops.

Sepia is more frequently indicated in this raw and bleeding state of the scalp, in crusta lactea, or the eruption of children that Crot. tig. Under Croton tig. infants in this state very often have attacks of gushing diarrhea, coming on from the slightest disturbance or indigestion; this is a great help in guiding to the remedy.

When the two groups of symptoms are combined, the scalp symptoms and the diarrhea, you can hardly make a mistake. You will see this also, that if the diarrhea is at all prolonged, the head will steadily improve and you will think your patient is getting well of the scalp trouble, but when the diarrhea slackens up a little out will come a fresh crop.

If the diarrhoea becomes chronic the external eruption will disappear, and if the diarrhea improves the external eruption gets worse. It seems necessary in such a constitution to have a vent. The mucous membrane is but the internal skin, and the integument of the body the external skin, and this remedy especially manifests itself upon one or the other of these, the mucous membrane or the integument.

It has another manifestation that you want to carry in mind, a group of symptoms in relation to lactation. After confinement the mother may go on a little while with all things following normally, but all at once she commences to have pains in one or the other mammary gland, and the drawing as with a string comes up again.

It feels to her as if a string were attached behind the nipple pulling backward, a sharp, drawing, stinging pain that will in some instances keep her walking the floor night and day.

Though it is but a little thing it is a very important symptom to know with Croton tig. We see this drawing, as with a string, in the eye and in the breast, and also the symptom, very like the Plumbum symptom, drawing in the naval upon pressure, somewhat like a string.

Associating such things together will enable you to understand them as a part of the nature of the remedy and to keep them in mind. I once cured a woman of this painful drawing from the nipple as with a string. I watched her walk the floor and saw that the suffering must be very intense, for at times it brought tears to her eyes. She had borne it several nights, which shows that Croton tig. is capable of curing a pain that is very prolonged or tedious.

The breast had been poulticed, hot applications had been put upon it, and they did not give relief, a point which is worth remembering.

In cholera infantum, we will naturally have the symptoms of vomiting, which, however, are not so common to Croton tig., although it has some vomiting, So in cases of cholera infantum, in which the vomiting is not so important a feature as the loose bowels, the remedy may be Crot. tig.

A symptom is reported that is of great value. Excessive nausea with vanishing of sight, vertigo, worse after drinking, with frequent discharges of yellowish-green water from the bowels; excessive nausea, much water in the mouth. So we note the excessive nausea and not so great vomiting.

The nausea is more like that of Ipecac, but in Ipecac. we have nothing like the stools of Crot. tig., we have only scanty little gushes, every minute a little gush with tenesmus. Vomiting is the all important symptom in the cholera infantum of Ipecac., and when the stomach is emptied there is overwhelming retching and exhaustion from it, and the stools are scanty; but in Croton tig., the stools are copious and while there is nausea the vomit ing is seldom and scanty.

Another feature to be considered in this remedy is its relation to Rhus.

It is an antidote to Rhus. Croton tig. is closely related in its vesicular eruption to the Rhus family (particularly Rhus tox.). Anacardium, Sepia and Anagallis.

Not disposed to work.
Feeling of anxiety, as though some personal misfortunate would befall him.
Morose, dissatisfied.

Dulness, or heaviness of the head.
Dizziness and faintness, with exhaustion and diarrhœa.

Sensitiveness of the head; the weight of the hat causes headache.

Opacity of the cornea.
Copious lachrymation.
Keratitis pustulosa; with much eruption on the lids and face; with excessive photophobia.
Conjunctivitis pustulosa, eyes feel hot and burning, especially at night; face red and burning; feverish.

Spasmodic, twinging pains, deep within the left ear.

Lips dry and parched. θ Cholera infantum.

Eating: 20. Drinking: 20. Hot milk: 19.

Sensation of emptiness in the stomach.
Sinking in the stomach, with sensation of weakness.

Abdomen full and distended, with griping pain about the navel.
Unpleasant sensation of emptiness and hunger; rumbling in the abdomen.
Gurgling in the intestines, as though only water were in them, mostly on left side.
Griping about the umbilicus.
Colic better from hot milk.
Swashing in the intestines as from water.

Flatulence, soon followed by urgent desire for stool.
Evacuation sudden, with much flatus.
Stools: yellow water; light brown, covered with mucus, with frequent urging; dark green, or greenish-yellow, liquid; tenacious mucus; watery, mixed with whitish flakes; coming out like a shot.
Diarrhœa worse after drinking; while nursing; while eating; during summer.
Upon pressure on the umbilicus, a painful sensation is felt down to anus, where there is constant pressure outwards.
Dragging in the anus, as if diarrhœa would easily ensue.
Burning in the anus.
Pain in the anus, as if a plug were forcing outwards.

Frequent corrosive itching on the glans and scrotum.
Scrotum shriveled, itching severely, disturbing sleep; better from scratching, which, however, caused a better from scratching, which, however, caused a voluptuous sensation.
Corrosive, itching pain on the scrotum, worse while walking; redness of the part.
Eczema scroti worse at night.
Vesicular eruption on the scrotum and penis.

Intense itching of the genitals, relieved by very gentle scratching.

Breasts hard and swollen, with pain from nipple to scapula.
Nipple very sore to touch, excruciating pain running from nipple through to scapula of same side, when the child nurses.

Feels as though he could not expand the lungs.

Feeling of fulness in both sides of the chest, with burning stitches in left side of thorax and toward both scapulæ.

Walking: 22, 46.

Very great debility.

Night: 5.

Summer: 20.

Coldness of the feet, extending as far up as the calves.

Left: 6, 19, 28, 46. Before backwards: 24.

Touch: 24, 46. Pressure: 3, 20. Scratching: 22, 23.

Red moist spot, exuding an offensive moisture, on left thigh opposite scrotum; it is painfully sore to touch and on walking; troublesome smarting when walking.
Itching and painful burning, with redness of the skin; formation of vesicles and pustules; desiccation of the pustules; desquamation and falling off of pustules.
Itching pustules.
Itching attending eczema.

Crot. tig. antidotes Rhus tox. poisoning.

One part of Croton Oil (expressed from the seeds of Croton tiglium, L.) is dissolved in 99 parts of alcohol, and diluted for use. (much of the commercial "Croton oil" is obtained from the seeds of Jatropha curcas.).

A powerful drastic purge. ▶ When applied to the skin it produces an eruption of small pustules with inflamed areolæ.

Jatropha, Gamboge.

Sudden emaciation. ▶ Generally lying quietly on belly, but occasionally tossing about. ▶ Tossing about convulsively. ▶ Trembling of whole body. ▶ Sticking, with sweat on forehead. ▶ Nauseating pain, agg. lying. ▶ Malaise; agg. bread and butter, she must lie down. ▶ Discomfort after dinner. ▶ Dullness of whole body. ▶ Uneasiness. ▶ Lay in a lethargic state sometimes drawing himself up as if in pain. ▶ Collapse. ▶ Faintness; during and after vomiting. ▶ Disinclination for every exertion. ▶ Weakness; in morning on waking, with weakness of limbs; in morning on rising, with trembling of hands and feet; after stool, with pain in abdomen; with nausea; with ill humor.

Sadness. ▶ Anxiety. ▶ Dissatisfaction. ▶ Disinclination to speak. ▶ Disinclination to work, would rather play than attend to his business. ▶ Frequentness. ▶ Thought difficult. ▶ Memory lost.

Jerkings; sticking. ▶ Sticking extending to vertex. ▶ Aching; when walking, amel. taking off his hat; agg. the middle of the day and a few hours after dinner; as from a disordered stomach; burning. ▶ Confusion; on rising; in morning on waking, with heaviness and dullness; all night; on going into open air; till super, with vertigo; agg. bread and beer, with pain, throbbing, tension and pressure downward from vertex, so that sometimes sticking extends below ear, with impaired hearing in right ear; with dullness and pressure in forehead; with heaviness of head and crawling in eyes; with pain, then general heat and sweat; with pressure towards forehead and nausea; with vomiting and loss of appetite. ▶ Fulness. ▶ Heaviness. ▶ Feeling as after intoxicants. ▶ Vertigo; in the room, with vanishing of vision; agg. open air, with nausea, pallor and weakness; agg. right side, with pressure in right eye and falling down insensible; with roaring in ears and inability to stand from fear of falling; so that she could scarcely remain sitting, agg. looking up; threatened, when walking in open air.

Sticking in brain above right eye; in sinciput, on walking. ▶ Pain; right side and temple; left half of sinciput; amel. keeping quiet; with tearing extending to right temple, where it remains as a sticking; confusing P. in anterior and upper part of head. ▶ Tensive pain in sinciput, with pressure and sticking; T. pain above right orbit, with pressure and sticking; T. pain above right orbit, with pressure in right side of occiput. ▶ Dragging in sinciput. ▶ Fulness and pressure. ▶ Confusion; in sinciput; with pressure and heaviness. ▶ Vertigo in sinciput.

Sticking in left temple. ▶ Pain in temples; twinging; in left, as if burnt. ▶ Tearing towards vertex. ▶ Pain in occiput. ▶ Confusion of left half of occiput, as if held tight. ▶ Confusion in occiput. ▶ Crawling on occiput. ▶ Prickling in scalp of vertex.

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A powerful drastic purge. When applied to the skin it produces an eruption of small pustules with inflamed areolæ.

Heat and heaviness of the head, with soreness of the eyes.

Lachrymation; inflammation.

Clinical:
Pustules and vesicles on the eyeball.
Ciliary neuralgia, and feeling as if a string were pulling the eyeballs back into the head.
The pustules and ulcers in the eye are characterized by excessive photophobia, superciliary pain, and often by eruption about the eyes, on the lids and face.

Spasmodic, twinging pains deep within the left ear.

Eruption on the right side of the septum, followed by desquamation, associated with eruption about the nose.

Vesicular eruption about eyes, nose and mouth.
Sensation as if insects were creeping over the face.
Lips burning, dry and parched; cracked.

Vesicles on the tongue and mouth.
Taste nauseous and flat.
Tip of the tongue very sensitive.

Throat red, inflamed, with swelling of the submaxillary glands.

Hunger, with rumbling in abdomen.
Excessive nausea, worse from drinking.
Retching and vomiting, > pressure.
Sensation of emptiness and sinking of the stomach.
Sensitive to touch.

Distention.
Sensation of swashing water, gurgling, rumbling.
Flatulent distention, with rumbling, then urging to stool, followed by sudden watery stool.
Cutting and griping colic.
Swashing in the intestines as from water.
Pressing on the umbilicus causes pain, extending to anus, where there is constant protrusion.

Constant urging to stool, followed by sudden pasty, dirty green, offensive, forcible stool.
Pain in the anus as if a plug were forced outward.
Burning in the anus.
Stool watery, forcible, painless.
Stool pasty, light brown, preceded by urging, then rumbling and gurgling in the abdomen.

Clinical:
A very valuable remedy in diarrhœa, with the general character of sudden expulsion and great aggravation from taking anything into the stomach; stool occurs immediately after eating or drinking, generally very watery and yellow, passed with a gush, sometimes associated with nausea and vomiting, sometimes with pain following the colon down to the rectum.

Vesicular eruption on the scrotum and penis.
Scrotum shriveled and itching, > scratching.
Corrosive itching of scrotum and glans, < walking, with redness.

Sensation as if he could not get air enough into the lungs.
A feeling of fullness in the chest, with burning, sticking in the left side, extending towards the scapulæ.

Clinical:
Nipples very sore, with excruciating pain running through to scapulæ on nursing.

Itching and burning, somewhat > gentle scratching.
Eruption of vesicles, surrounded by inflammation, with great itching.

General coldness, especially of the feet and legs.
General heat not marked.

Indicated in diarrhoea and in vesicular and pustular eruptions of the skin.

Intense itching of the skin, better from gentle scratching, worse from hard scratching.

Sore nipple of nursing women; while nursing the child, excruciating pain from the nipple to the scapula.

Diarrhoea, sudden, expulsive, forcible, immediately after nursing, followed by great postration.

Pressing headache in the forehad, especially the orbits.

Burning in the oesophagus.

Red-scarlet skin.

Nausea.