Strychnos henningsii = Afrikaans:
koffiehardepeer./rooi. bitter.bessie;
English: coffee bean strychnos/= coffee. hard pear/= Natal teak (Lamiales.)/=
panda’s strychnos/= walking stick, Zulu: umdunye, umnonono, umqalothi
(AgroForestry Tree Database, 2009) (also in van Wyk et al.)
Vergleich: Siehe: Gentianales.
[Poonam Maharaj]
MIND: Cheerful
MIND: Irritability
MIND: Prostration
GENERALS: Sides; right
GENERALS: Weariness
Repertorium:
Strychnos henningsii
Magen: im Allgemeinen
Rektum: Beschwerden durch Bandwürmer
Glieder: Schmerz - rheumatisch
An
appraisal of homoeopathic proving methodology as a bridge between the
indigenous and rationalist-scientific understandings of medicinal plants: the
case of Strychnos henningsii
A comparison between the traditional use of Strychnos henningsii and the homoeopathic indications of Strychnos henningsii 30CH.
After critical
evaluation, it was found that overlaps
exist in the treatment of liver disease, nausea, dysmenorrhea, rheumatism,
chest pain, malaria and dizziness, no
overlap was found in the use of the homoeopathic remedy in snakebites. In
addition the proving revealed symptoms that were not indicated in traditional
use such as headaches, asthma, influenza, sinusitis and hayfever, as well as
infections of the eye, ear, nose and throat.
Conclusion
Thus, upon comparison of
the traditional uses of Strychnos
henningsii to the symptoms produced in the proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH, revealed
that similarities pertaining mainly to the gastro-intestinal system, female
gynaecological tract and
rheumatic complaints exist. However, the proving elicited many new symptoms
that are purely homoeopathic.
In modern society;
majorities of people are still reliant upon traditional medicine (van Wyk &
Wink, 2004). Furthermore, according to Sherr (1994:49) a suitable reason for
choosing a certain substance is that upon examination
of the material medica
gaps are found which that particular substance may fill. Therefore, more
provings of substances could prove useful. Most indigenous medicine was
transmitted via word of mouth from one generation to
the next. This is
exemplified within the context of African traditional medicine, where the
various regional healing practices are not well documented and not yet
systemized, (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
The proving substance
chosen was Strychnos henningsii which
is a tree that is indigenous to South Africa. Strychnos henningsii forms an important part of the ecosystem
and has a multitude of uses which has lead to overexploitation, causing the
tree to become rare in some areas.
Strychnos
henningsii belongs
to the Strychnaceae (formerly Loganiaceae)family and the genus Strychnos. The Strychnos species of plants consists
of 190 species, distributed throughout Africa, Asia and America. This species
of plants are
characterized by the presence of strychnine and its alkaloid derivatives, which
are known to be highly poisonous (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
Trees and shrubs
belonging to the Strychnos species
are usually fruit bearing and are characterised simple leaves which have three to
five prominent veins that arise from the base of each leaf (van Wyk &
Gericke, 2000:58).
Fruit of the trees
belonging to this species are a common source of food, however only the pulp of
the ripe fruit are eaten because the seeds and unripe fruit contain the poison
and its derivatives (van Wyk, van Heerden& van Oudtshoorn, 2005:204).
Strychnos
henningsii is
a common source of food in certain parts of Africa where it is added to fatty,
meat based and milky soups and stews and in beer, and is also used in building
and providing live fencing.
The Strychnos henningsii tree may have
several uses but it is more commonly known for its therapeutic properties and
is widely utilized in Traditional African medicine (van Wyk, van Heerden &
van Oudtshoorn, 2005:204):
Snakebites/malaria/gastro-intestinal
complaints/dysmenorrhea/rheuma and other conditions.
It has also been used in
malaria and several studies have been performed on isolated alkaloids to test
its anti-malarial properties (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
Although it is used
medicinally, Strychnos henningsii is
often used as a poison because of the high toxicity of its strychnine
component. Due to its extensive use within the context of traditional medicine,
it was hypothesized
that this substance
prepared in homoeopathic potency could provide a valuable contribution to
Homoeopathy.
Historical perspective
In Aphorisms 105-114 of
the Organon of the Medical Art, Hahnemann laid down detailed instructions on
performing homoeopathic provings. Up until the 18th century, drugs
were prescribed based largely on observation of their toxic effects/poisonings.
Hahnemann’s, theory of provings, was revolutionary, as it introduced the
concept of scientific experimentation with medicinal substances, as a basis for
prescribing with them (De Schepper 2006:32).
In addition to expanding
the Materia medica, provings are of great significance and should be continued
as Hahnemann recognized that, for every disease a remedy can be found that fits
its symptom picture (Aphorism145, O’ Reilly 2004: 162).
Furthermore, the process
of a proving is one that should be ongoing as, according to Sherr (1994:49),
there is an abundance of substances in nature, which are waiting to be proven.
In addition, he states that ‘Of course it is
impossible to prove
nature in her entirety, but in order to find a true simillimum for the majority
of our patients many more provings must be undertaken’(Sherr 1994:49).
Therefore, provings are an integral component of expanding homoeopathy as a
discipline.
Traditional medicine
The World Health
Organization (WHO), defines traditional medicine as, ‘the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating
plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual
techniques
and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and
preventillnesses or maintain well-being (World Health Organization 2003).
Traditional medicine is
steeped in philosophical and cultural origins (van Wyk & Wink, 2004). In
modern society majorities of people are still reliant upon traditional medicine
(van Wyk & Wink, 2004). Furthermore,
according to Sherr
(1994:49) a suitable reason for choosing a certain substance is that upon
examination of the materia medica gaps are found which that particular
substance may fill. Therefore, more provings of substances
could prove useful.
Most indigenous medicine
was transmitted via word of mouth from one generation to the next. This is
exemplified within the context of African traditional medicine, where the
various regional healing practices are not yet
systemized, (van Wyk
& Wink, 2004).
Due to the lack of
scientific insight on predicating the curative nature of a medicinal substance,
the knowledge of these traditional medicines, was obtained through trial and
error (van Wyk & Wink, 2004). People who use
traditional medicines
have largely relied on personal experience to determine the efficacy of
medicinal plants when used in therapeutic doses, rather than understanding the
scientific basis (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
In addition, the use of
medicinal substances is often steeped in superstitious beliefs and witchcraft.
An example of such a
practice is in the practice of Shamanism, which encompasses a variety of
traditional practices and beliefs that is primarily concerned with
communication with the spirit world (Stutley, 2002:2).
This practice makes use
of a Shaman, who serves as an intermediary between the spirit and human worlds.
By transcending into the supernatural realm, they are capable of treating illness
and providing answers for human
troubles (Stutley,
2002:2).
Within the South African
context, Zulu traditional medicine (umuthi) consists of practices that include
making use of witchdoctors (isangoma) who communicate with ancestral spirits
and treat accordingly, as well as a
traditional herbalist
(inyanga) who make use of traditional medicines from plant and animal
substances. Furthermore, diviners who ‘smell out’ evil doers and sorcerers are
also part of the Zulu traditional medicinal system.
In Zulu traditional
medicine, the traditional healer uses intuition and certain unique methods of
diagnosis (ThinkQuest, 2009). In this system of medicine the healer, very
rarely diagnoses by touching the patient and employs a more perceptive
approach. This power of perception is regarded as an innate ability inherited
by the isangoma and so the isangoma has no choice and is sacredly called upon
to pursue this particular career (ThinkQuest, 2009).
In the practice of
traditional Zulu medicine, there are three primary methods of diagnosis:
1. Throwing of bones (amathambo) is a method of diagnosing illness that
involves the Doctor interpreting the arrangement of bones and aligning them
with certain health problems.
2. Transmental diagnosis, is a form of diagnosis in which the Sangoma,
gets into an altered state of consciousness (trance- like state) in order to
determine what is wrong with the patient. This trance- like state is often
self- induced as with autohypnosis or brought on by certain drugs or
plant substances.
3. Perceptive diagnosis is a means of diagnosing the patient by
perceiving either by feeling or seeing vibrations emitted by the patient and
interpreting them. In this form of diagnosis, the doctor sits away
from the patient and has the ability to experience the pain felt by the
patient (ThinkQuest, 2009).
Another concept, which
permeates many cultures, is the Doctrine of Signatures (van Wyk & Wink,
2004). This concept is based on the belief that the appearance of a plant
indicates its medicinal properties. This has been
interpreted as God’s
signature on the plant (van Wyk & Wink, 2004). A successful example of
this, being the use of Chelidonium majus - that consists of yellow flowers as
well as a yellow alkaloid that contains latex, In the
treatment of jaundice,
(van Wyk & Wink, 2004). Within the context of Zulu medicine, the inyanga
gains knowledge of an animal medicinal substance by observing the behaviour,
the agility, strengths, poison as well natural defence mechanisms of these
animals in response to injury and disease (ThinkQuest, 2009). From this
knowledge, they are able to manufacture medicines to treat illness. Plants are
also used often; some are used as magical
plant medicines. This is
done for their psychoactive properties (intelezi) to ward of evil and calm
fears. Certain plants are used more scientifically to treat specific ailments.
Traditional medicine in
Africa is a holistic one, which consists of the traditional healer diagnosing and
treating illness on a psychological basis before prescribing the required
medicinal remedies (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
South African records of
the traditional usage of medicinal plants have revealed that a substantial
amount of information has been inaccurately recorded (Normann, Snyman &
Cohen, 1996:39). An example being, that which
was recorded previously
as a ‘chest complaint’, in fact revealed itself to be cardiac asthma (left
ventricular heart failure) and so the traditional medicine worked as a diuretic.
In keeping with traditional concepts of healing,
the diuretic was
prescribed to eradicate the cause of the disease and in this case, the
treatment used is very similar to therapeutics used by modern medicine
(Normann, Snyman & Cohen, 1996:39).
However, in many
instances, there is no relation between modern therapeutics and traditional
medicine but traditional therapeutics appear to be highly effective as it
achieves the therapeutic objective from the traditional therapeutic paradigm.
Therefore, the efficacy of each medicinal substance in relation to certain
conditions should be considered from within the biomedical perspective and from
within the traditional paradigm (Normann,
Snyman & Cohen,
1996:39).
Homoeopathy is a system
of medicine that is based on the theory that medicinal substances can be used
in dilute forms in the treatment of illnesses associated with the symptoms
produced by high doses of the same substance. Therefore, crude doses are not
used. Potentisation is a means of releasing the immaterial forces of a
substance that is inert in its crude form (van Wyk & Wink, 2004).
Homoeopathy makes use of
substances derived from the plant, animal, mineral, insect, microorganisms and
imponderable sources. African traditional medicine is a holistic system
involving body and mind (van Wyk & Wink, 2004). It makes use of substances
derived from plant, animal, micro - organisms, minerals and insects. This form
of medicine makes use of extracts and crude doses either given individually or
in a combination. The relationship between these two medicinal systems needs to
be explored.
A proving of Strychnos
Henningsii
Strychnos
henningsii is
a substance that is indigenous to Africa. Upon studying the uses of the
substance, it was revealed that Strychnos
henningsii is widely utilized in traditional African medicine for a
variety of conditions.
This study aimed to
examine the symptomatology produced by the potentised substance, Strychnos henningsii 30CH, by means
of a homoeopathic proving.
This data, once collated
was analyzed and compared with the indigenous uses of the substance.
Family: Strychnaceae (formerly Loganiaceae)
Genus: Strychnos
Common names: Red bitterberry; Coffee bean
strychnos; Coffee hard pear; Walking stick; Panda’s strychnos; Natal teak (English)
Rooibitterbessie; Koffeehardepeer (Afrikaans)
Umqaloti; Umqalothi; Umdunye (Zulu) Umnonono; Umkaloti (Xhosa)
Strychnos
henningsii is
widely distributed throughout South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania,
Kenya, Angola, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda (WorldAgroForestry, 2009). The
distribution of the tree along the
East Coast of South
Africa is significant, as these areas are endemic of malaria: (van Wyk, van
Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:244)
This is important
because this tree is often used traditionally in the treatment of malaria and
according to Sherr (1994:49); nature usually provides an accessible cure, which
is well within the reach of the patient.
The tree usually grows
throughout woodland areas, moist and dry forests, on stream banks, as well as
evergreen thickets on rocky hills. This species tends to be associated with Olea and Podocarpus pp. (WorldAgroforestry,
2009).
The appearance of Strychnos henningsii ranges from a
large shrub to a tall tree, ranging from 2-15 meters in height and is highly
branched. The leaves of the tree are simple, opposite and consisting of three
prominent veins that arise from its base, a feature common to all plants
belonging to the Strychnos species.
The colour of the leaves
is a bright glossy green. The bark of the tree is usually pale gray and has a
smoother texture in younger plants, which become flakey, rough and a darker
shade of brown in older specimens. In the early spring and summer, small
fragrant flowers which are yellow in colour are produced along the branches
(van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:244). This tree also bears fruit
that range from red, brown to orange when ripe
and are either round or
oblong in shape and contain seeds that resemble coffee granules. (van Wyk, van
Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:244)
Traditionally, the Strychnos henningsii tree has wide
variety of uses. The structure of the tree allows it to be used for adequate
shade and shelter as well ornamental purposes due to its shiny foliage shade
and fragrant flowers.
It also forms as an
important part of the ecosystem where it assists in preventing water erosion (
WorldAgroforestry, 2009).
Timber from the tree
which is dark brown to grey is known for its strength and durability and is termite-resistant.
The strength of the wood makes it ideal in forming tool handles, arrow shafts
and walking sticks. The poles
provide fencing for
cattle enclosures and are also used to build huts (WorldAgroforestry, 2009).
Strychnos
henningsii is
also an important source of food. In East Africa, a bitter decoction is
prepared by first boiling the stems or roots for 45 minutes and then straining
the mixture, which is then added to a soup - usually
cattle bone soup and
stirred with a traditional stirrer (Fastonline, 1999). Roots of the tree are
usually more bitter than the stems and so only a small amount is added and
taste can be improved by adding milk, cream, meat or salt.
In addition, fruit from
the Strychnos henningsii tree is used to flavour traditional beer.
Despite these uses, Strychnos henningsii is most well
known for its medicinal properties and is used extensively in traditional
African medicine. The parts of the plant are prepared in a number of ways in
different parts of Africa and depending on the condition being treated. Whilst
the roots, stems and fruit are used, the most often used part of the plant is
the bark (PROTA, 2009).
Traditionally, in South
Africa it is mainly used in the treatment of stomach-ache and colic. An extract
of the bark is usually utilized for these purposes and boiling the roots of the
tree, or chewing the bark are other common
dosage forms. South
African healers prepare a decoction of the bark for use as an antihelminthic in
children, whereas in the Tanzania the fresh pounded roots are used to treat
hookworm. It is also used quite often as a bitter tonic and purgative due to
its effects on the liver (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:244). The
bark is pulverized and the patient takes 10mm of bark in cold water to alleviate
nausea (Scott, Lewis& Cunningham, 1996:238). Diarrhea in cattle caused by
heartwater and rikkettsial parasites is effectively treated with Strychnos henningsii (PROTA, 2009).
In addition, the bark is
commonly used in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. A decoction of the root is used
for chest pain as well internal injuries Strychnos
henningsii is also said to have antiseptic properties and so the bark is
ground and applied to wounds and mouth ulcers in cattle and horses to assist
with healing (PROTA.2009). In South Africa snakebites are also treated with
bark and unripe fruit of the tree, whereas the fresh roots are chewed on,
in Kenya and Tanzania.
It is also useful in malaria where a decoction is prepared from leaves and
roots and served with honey.
Rheumatism is another
complaint that is commonly treated with Strychnoshenningsii
and this is done in a number of ways using various preparations, which
include ingesting a drink made from the leaves and bark; boiling the roots and
making a soup. Backache is often treated with boiled bark. In South Africa, a
decoctation is prepared from boiled bark together with the roots of Turraea floribunda (Scott, Lewis&
Cunningham, 1996:238).
The medicinal properties
of Strychnos henningsii are believed
to be due to the strychnine-type alkaloids that it contains. Strychnine is
highly poisonous and has a marked effect on the central nervous system causing
paralysis,
these properties allow
for it used as a poison on arrow heads, for rodents, as well for its muscle
relaxing effects in anaesthesiology (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke,
2005:244). Furthermore, these strychnine related alkaloids are thought to have
anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-cancer potential as well as showing
mild to moderate activity against malaria (PROTA, 2009). Thus, due to its
extensive and diverse traditional uses the researcher believes that Strychnos henningsii 30 CH could
provide a significant contribution to the homoeopathic treatment of a variety
of conditions.
Furthermore, the
relationship of the traditional use to the strictly homoeopathic use as
evidenced through the proving would be of particular interest, in terms of
informing our understanding of the relationship between traditional medicinal
systems, and providing insight into the sustainability of South African plant
resources.
Methodology
The homoeopathic drug
proving of Strychnos henningsii 30 CH took
the form of a mixed-method triple-blind, placebo-controlled study. Thirty-two
provers were selected after meeting the inclusion criteria (Appendix A) and 50% of the subjects
(16 of the 32) received placebo in a random manner. The 32 provers were
randomly divided into four equal groups of eight provers, with each group
supervised by one of four M.Tech.Hom student researchers (Durban University of
Technology, Durban).
Repertory:
Mind: Absentminded
Abstraction of mind
Activity;
desires activity
Ailments from –
(suppressed) anger (with indignation)/from bad news/cares,
worries/disappointment/scientific failure/fright/from mental shock/from losing
money
Alert
Anger at trifles
Anxiety [night/about
business/of conscience/with fear/about (own) health/hypochondriacal]/Fear (being alone/dark/of death/of
evil/to go to sleep/sudden/terror)
Ardent
Awkward (drops things)
Busy
Carefulness
Cares; full of
Censorious
Cheerful (# sadness)
Clarity of mind
Company
- aversion to/desire for - > in company
Concentration;
active/difficult (with headache/studying)
Confident
Confusion of mind/”As if
in a dream”
Conscientious about
trifles
Content
Delusions [a heavy black
cloud/is dead/devil (sees/is present)/enlarged/hearing (footsteps)/is
forsaken/is in the presence of God/head belongs to another/images, phantoms (at
night/frightful)/intoxicated/were looking down/someone is behind him/is
sick/things appear small]
Despair
Detached
Discontented (with
everything)
Dream; as if in a
Dullness
Egotism
Ennui
Estranged from own
family
Excitement/exhilaration/high
spirited/elated
Fastidious
Flattering
Forgetful
Forsaken feeling (“As if
isolated”)
Generous; too
Giggling
Haughty
Heedless
Home; desires to go
Homesickness
Hypochondriasis
Ideas; abundant
Impatience
Inactivity
Indifference (to
everything)
Industrious
Injustice;
cannot support
Intolerance
Irritability
[morning (on waking)/during
headache/during menses/from trifles)
Lamenting
Lascivious
Laughing (immoderately)
Laziness
Light; desire for
Loquacity
Memory – active/weak for
what he was about to do
Mental exertion -
</impossible/aversion to
Mildness
Mirth
Mood
– agreeable/changeable
Morose
Occupation >
Passionate
Pleasing; desire to
please others
Positiveness
Praying
Prostration
Quarrelsome
Quiet disposition
Religious affections;
too occupied with religion
Religious; want of
religious feeling
Reproaches others
Restlessness
(tossing about
in bed)
Sadness
Senses
– acute/dull
Sensitive (to noise/to
odors)
Sentimental
Shrieking
Starting (during sleep)
Stupefaction/stupor
Suspicious
Sympathetic
Taciturn
Thinking of his
complaints <
Thoughts –
sexual/vanishing
Tranquility
Trifles seem important
Unobserving
Vivacious
Weary of life
Weeping (after
anger/cannot weep, though sad/easily/with sobbing/from vexation)
Vertigo: Afternoon/evening
+ pain in head
> closing eyes
Tendency to faal to
right
“As if floating”/”As if
intoxicated”
> quickly on motion
of head
Rising - from bed/from a
seat
Standing
Head: Congestion
Dandruff
Fullness
Hair – dry/greasy
Heaviness
(from headache)
Itching of scalp (not > after scratching/on
occiput/vertex)
Looseness of brain;
sensation of (morning on waking)
Motions in head
Pain [one
side/l./r./daytime/morning (on waking)/afternoon (15 h.)/night (after
midnight)/+ nausea/+ pain in neck/catarrhal/on closing eyes/with coryza/before
eating/on exertion of the eyes/gastric/> light/< motion (of eyes)/>
external pressure/rising from lying/> rubbing/> sitting/pain in small
spot/violent/while walking open in the air/from exposure to wind/ext. cervical
region/in forehead (above eyes alternating sides/above l. eye/ext. to eyes/
pulsating behind
eyes/occiput (< motion/pulsating/ext. ears)/temples (r./l./pulsating/<
noise/ext. eye/ext. neck/ext. jaw/and occiput/in vertex/aching/boring in
sides/dull pain (in forehead)/pressing (“As from a band”/like
a cap/inward/in
forehead/pulsating/sore in temples)]
“As if a cap on skull”
Eye: Discharges
Red/yellow
Dryness
“As if enlarged”
Heaviness in lids
Itching
(> rubbing)
Lacrymation (after
rubbing)
Opening the eyelid:
difficult
Pain [l./in lids/>
closing eyes/from exertion of eyes/pulsating/reading/burning (l. ext.
r./burning in outer canthi/”As from sand”/sore (on motion of eyes)/stinging in
upper lids/stitching during headache]
Photophobia
Pupils contracted
Staring (with pain in
forehead)
Styes (lower lids)
Tired sensation
Twitching (l.)
Vision: Blurred/dim
Ear: Abscess in meatus
Itching - in lobes/in meatus
Pain (on touch/sore)
Swelling in meatus
Wax yellow
Hearing: Impaired
Nose: Constant inclination
to blow the nose
Catarrh (postnasal)
Coryza
(morning/night/> open air/with
discharge/without discharge/> walking)
Discharge – burning/copious/excoriating/thick/viscid,
tough/watery/yellow)
Hayfever
Itching (inside)
Obstruction
(r./night)/”As
if obstructed”
Pain
Sneezing
(morning/frequent)
Tingling inside
Smell: acute
Odors imaginary and real
(like wet dog)
Face: Congestion
Cracked lower lip
Dryness
Eruptions [acne (with
indurated papules/on forehead/rosacea)/itching/pimples/rash/vesicles on lips
(fever blisters/zygoma)
Greasy
Itching
Pain -
r./burning/pressing/pulsating/sore in lower jaw
Tingling (in lips)
Mouth: Dryness at night
Pain sore in gums
Taste bad (in morning)
Taste –
nauseous/offensive/sour
Teeth: desire to bite on
something hard which relieves pains
Pain - pressing
outward/sore
Throat: Catarrh
Discoloration; red
Dryness (morning)
Hawk;
disposition to
Inflammation
Itching
“As
if a lump” (on swallowing)
Mucus
Pain
(morning/night/swallowing/rawness/sore)
Roughness
“As if sand in throat”
Stomach: Appetite - capricious
appetite/diminished/increased (evening)/with wanting of thirst
Eructations
(foul/putrid)
“As if full” (after
eating)
Heaviness after eating
Hiccough
Nausea
(morning/afternoon 16 h./evening/after eating fats/during pain in abdomen)
Retching (ineffectual)
Thirst (extreme/for
large quantities/unquenchable)
Vomiting (morning/of
bile)
Abdomen: in general
Distension [morning (on
waking)]
Distension - after
dinner/after eating/hypochondria (l.)
Flatulence
(evening/night/after eating/obstructed)
Heaviness (hypogastrium)
Liver and region of
liver; complaints of
Pain [morning/after
eating/during menses/> after stool/after/sugar/hypochondria/in inguinal
region (l.)/(region of) umbilicus/cramping (after eating/in hypogastrium)/in
umbilicus (drawing/stitching)]
Rectum: Constipation
(difficult stool/stool insufficient)
Diarrhea (morning/after
eating)
Flatus (involuntary/offensive)
Pain - at stool
(before/during)/pressing/scraping
Urging – frequent/sudden
Stool: Black/dark/thin
Bladder: Sensation of fullness
(without desire to urinate)
Pain in neck after
urination
Urging to urinate –
frequent/sudden
Urination – frequent/involuntary
Urethra: Pain – burning (during
urination)/pressing
Female organs: Conscious of the
uterus
Leukorrhea
Menses –
clotted/copious/too late (two days)/offensive/painful/protracted
Pain - in uterus (during
menses/> pressure)/bearing down in uterus “As if everything would come
out”/cramping in uterus during menses/labor-like (during menses)/twisting
Sexual
desire – increased (noon/at night/< cold)
Respiration: Asthmatic
(morning/evening)
Difficult
(morning/evening/+ cough/after exertion/inspiration/laughing)
Impeded, obstruction
(from oppression on chest)
Wheezing
Cough: Evening in bed
Dry (from tickling in
larynx)
From irritation - in air
passages/in larynx/in trachea
Expectoration: Morning (after waking)
Mucous/thick/white
Chest: Anxiety internal
Catarrh
Constriction (morning)
Eruptions
(itching/rash/in axilla)
Itching (in sternum)
Oppression (morning/on
inspiration)
Pain
[morning/sneezing/in nipples/sides (r./morning)/sore in mammae/stitching (in r.
nipple)]
Palpitation of heart [with
anxiety/(slightest) motion]
Swollen mammae (during
menses)
Back: Eruptions –
pustules/rash
Itching
Pain [during menses/>
pressure/walking/in cervical region/lumbar region (l.)/in spine
(burning)/aching/drawing/sore (lumbar region/spine)/ stitching in lumbar
region]
Spasmodic drawing in
cervical region
Stiffness [cervical
region (during headache)/lumbosacral region]
Extremities: Coldness (hands/foot)
Contraction
of muscles and tendons (lower limbs)
Convulsion (upper limb)
Cramps – menses/upper
limbs/shoulder/forearm
Discoloration – redness
hand/foot
Dry hands
Eruptions –
itching/urticaria/upper limbs, rash/thigh (pimples)/knee rash
Heaviness (lower
limbs/foot)
Itching - upper limbs/upper arm/lower limbs
Itching – leg (over
tibia)
Brittle finger nails
Numb hand (r./on waking)
Pain
[motion/rheumatic/< touch/> warm applications/joints (rheumatic)/upper
limbs (l./morning/bending arm/on motion/joints/(r./l.) shoulder (ext. neck)/in
upper arm - deltoid region/bend of elbow/wrist (on motion)/thigh/
Knee (bending/> ext.
limb)/aching in thigh/shooting (upper limbs)/shooting r. shoulder/sore
(morning/upper limbs/upper arm/forearm/wrists/thigh (after walking/posterior
part)/stitching (shoulder during motion)]
Perspiration palm
Pulsation in hand
Restless
Stiff (after exertion/on
beginning to move/after resting/shoulder/wrist/lower limbs/knee)
Trembling hand
Weakness in knee
Sleep: Disturbed (from anxiety)
Falling asleep –
difficult/late
Interrupted
Restless (after
midnight/from bodily restlessness)
Sleepiness
(morning/forenoon/during heat/with weariness)
Sleeplessness
[night
(before midnight/midnight until morning/after midnight - 3h – 4h.)/+ sleepiness
in daytime/from anxiety/from restlessness/from activity of thoughts/after
waking/in spite of weariness]
Unrefreshing
Waking - after midnight
(3 h.)/difficult/by dreams/too early (and falling asleep late)/frequent/as from fright/from and with
heat/with palpitations
Yawning
Dreams: (<(<(< viele
>)>)>)
Chill: in general
Fever: heat in general
Skin: Burning
Coldness
Dry (unable to perspire)
Eruption –
itching/rash/stinging/urticaria
Formication
Itching (>
scratching)
Prickling
Sensitiveness
Generals: r./l. then r./morning (on waking)/afternoon (16
h./17 h.)/night (after midnight)
> Activity
Air; open air, desire it
Bathing; > warm
bathing
< Bending affected
part
Cold >/<
Energy;
excess of
Exertion physical <
Faintness (in a crowded
room)
Food and drinks:
Desires: Chocolate/cold drink, cold water/fat/fish fruit juice/juicy
things/meat/spices/sugar/sweets; <: Onions/rich food/sweet; Aversion to:
food + hunger;
Heat - flushes
of/sensation of (at night)
Heaviness externally
Influenza
Irritability, physical:
excessive
Knotted sensation
internally
Lassitude
(afternoon)
Motion
- </desires it
Mucous secretions increased
Numbness internally
Pain – in small
spots/muscles/sore (externally)/twisting
Pressure <
Pulse frequent (<
motion)
Rubbing
>
Sick feeling; vague
< loss of sleep
Sleep > short sleep
Sluggishness
of the body
Strength, sensation of
Touch <
Trembling externally
(from anger)/internally
Twitching
Uncovering >
Walking <
Warm >
Weakness [morning (on
waking)/evening/after stool]
Weariness [morning (on
waking)/afternoon (16 h.)/evening]
The Symptoms
Mind
A wide variety of mind symptoms
were produced during the course of the proving. These symptoms were placed into
themes, in order to gain a better understanding of the entire remedy picture.
Heightened senses
A majority of provers
experienced symptoms of heightened sensitivity. These symptoms included and
increased sensitivity to noise as well as feeling more alert and full of energy
and lively. These heightened senses gave rise
to a general feeling of
well being and happiness. However, in certain instances there were feelings of
annoyance, as depicted by Prover 14 in describing her annoyance at not being
able to wash off the smell of food from her
hands after cooking or
eating.
Good mood and happiness
There was a general
sense of happiness as well as an upliftment in mood. Prover
23 described the happiness as being in ‘such a good mood’ and being “happy for
no reason’. These symptoms even came through in situations that
would usually upset the
patient, as expressed by Prover 04 in describing her mood even after having an
argument with her fiancé as well as by Prover 02, who described her mood as
feeling ‘lighter and happier than last week’
even though she was
frustrated with research. Most provers experienced feelings of happiness that
was unusual to them, in certain instances even surprising the provers and the
people around them. Prover 23 described it in the following manner: “I’m too nice. I even scare myself; made my
sister breakfast in bed “. These feelings of good mood and happiness
continued throughout the proving.
Confidence
Provers experienced an
increase in self confidence. There was a general feeling of being ‘on top of
the world’ and being able to tackle anything that came their way. Most of the
provers had more confidence in their abilities and had more confidence in expressing
themselves. One prover was able to go up onto a stage due to the increased
confidence, whilst another felt as if she knew everything and wanted to talk
and be listened too. There was sense of
accomplishment and
wanting to be acknowledged for tasks performed. Prover 11 experienced her
confidence in terms feeling “bigger’ than the patient, as if she was higher and
the patient were a little and ‘down there’, this made
it difficult for her to
connect to her patient.
Increased Energy and Concentration
Many symptoms relating
to this theme were recorded. Provers felt quite energetic, hyperactive and
industrious. One prover felt energetic to the point were she felt the need to
talk all the time and was quite talkative during the day,
describing peoples personalities.
Another prover felt very weird around 18 h. and got ‘light-headed’, although
she was full of energy. There was an increase in the ability to concentrate and
focus on tasks.
Relaxation
A few of the provers
experienced symptoms of relaxation. A general sense of calmness and relaxation
was felt. Provers felt happier and more content than usual and more sociable
and energetic. Prover 30 expressed this theme
As feeling ‘cool, calm
and connected’.
Spirituality and Connection
Many symptoms were recorded
relating to this theme. Many provers felt a connection with a higher power and
felt spiritually ‘uplifted’. Prover 04 felt more connected to her fiancé and
‘spiritually refreshed and re-rooted’.
One prover felt the
presence of God, from which she derived a sense of comfort, whilst another
expressed a similar symptom, feeling ‘light- hearted’ and ‘closer’ to God after
attending a spiritual service. However, prover 02
felt generally
disconnected from her emotions and from God and even had much less faith that
God would look after her. There was a feeling of being disconnected from
certain people, expressed by a prover as feeling ‘detached’ and ‘removed’ from
things that were happening around her. Another prover, felt so distant that she
didn’t miss her boyfriend, which was not normal for her and found herself
making excuses not to see him. Feelings of disconnection were experienced as
feeling isolated and lonely with a desire for company.
Anxiety and Paranoia
Symptoms relating to anxiety
and paranoia were quite prominent, with a number of provers recording symptoms
relating to these themes. Some provers felt very anxious and scared of falling
asleep and sleeping with the lights switched on. Prover 6 , heard a mans
footsteps in her room and became quite afraid as she thought someone was
standing behind her and breathing heavily next to her bed, but there was no one
there. This made her feel terrified
and confused and she
tried falling asleep again but felt a man whisper ‘hello’ into her ear. A
prover also kept ‘seeing’ things through the corner of her eye and was afraid
of falling asleep. A few provers became very paranoid
about their
relationships with their partners. One prover had an emotional breakdown,
feeling like she had too much on her shoulders and felt trapped and alone.
There was a lot of anxiety and worry, ameliorated by doing work. Anxiety in
certain cases was accompanied by restlessness to do something.
Irritability and Indignation
Many provers experienced
irritability. There was a lot of irritability directed and little things and
provers became short – tempered. A few provers even got into disagreements. One
prover argued with her grandmother because
her Grandmother and
another had an argument with her fiancé. There was general irritability and
indignation relating to issue the provers felt strongly about. Some were very
annoyed and irritated at not having their own way
and others became
irritated at having to record symptoms on a daily basis. The irritability was
generally prominent in the morning.
Apathy and Tiredness
Many provers recorded
feeling ‘dreamy’ and absentminded. Tiredness and difficulty concentrating was
common. Many provers felt apathetic and generally de - motivated and had
decreased energy. A feeling of laziness and inability to focus was common.
Hypochondriasis
Many provers were
convinced that they were on placebo. Provers also felt an anxiety about their
health, feeling as if they were really sick and getting the flu. Prover 15
experienced this symptom to the extent of thinking she had swine flu but did
not get tested for the illness.
Crying
Some provers had the
desire to cry but did not actually cry. There was a general increase in
irritability and sensitivity to people and situations. This was expressed by a
prover who became very irritable and angry with a classmate
and viewing this person
as inconsiderate and selfish and she had the desire to cry but did not.
Vertigo
A few provers recorded
symptoms relating to vertigo and dizziness. Dizziness was accompanied by
feeling confused and disorientated. Closing the eyes and shaking the head,
ameliorated the sensation of vertigo. A few provers
experienced a sensation
as if they were moving around or the things around them were tilting. However,
movement was not perceived visually but was more of a sensation that was felt.
One prover kept having a sensation of
falling to the right
side during an episode of vertigo. There was vertigo on rising from bed and
rising from a seated position. Prover 11 had ‘floating’ sensation as if losing
balance when she got out of an elevator.
Head
There were a wide
variety of symptoms relating to the head recorded. As a result these are
categorized to differentiate them.
Temporal headaches
Temporal headaches were
common. One prover had a temporal headache extending from the right temple to
the right jaw. Right temporal headaches were common but one prover experienced
a left temporal headache. Pain was
described as being
either, aching, dull, sharp and at times throbbing. These headaches tended to
involve the right temple, right eye, right occiput and the neck.
Frontal headaches
Many provers experienced
frontal headaches. The pain ranged in intensity. Some patients noted that the
pain was like a ‘sinus’ headache. The forehead of one patient felt ‘compacted’,
whilst another had a throbbing pain < for
walking and relieved by
sitting. A few of the provers had pain in the forehead and over the eyes.
Headache like a skullcap. A few provers had symptoms under this section. One prover
had a dull, foggy sensation which she described as feeling like a ‘cap’; there
was a lack of concentration associated with this. Another prover also had a
dull headache and felt as if there was a ‘skullcap’ around her brain.
Parietal and occipital headache
Prover 11 recorded
having a headache on the right side of the head. She later had a headache which
gradually worsened throughout the day and was on the left side. The pain was
described as being a dull supraorbital pain and at times there was a sensation
of an ‘iron band’ from the occipit to the back of the ears, < left ear.
Another prover had a boring-type pain in the side of the head, accompanied by a
feeling of congestion and < pressure.
Prover 6 had a
‘throbbing/pulsating’ pain, in the supraorbital region, which was different
from her usual headache symptoms.
General headaches
Symptoms recorded in
this section included headaches in the morning as well as on waking. Moodiness
and tiredness accompanied these headaches. One prover described the pain as
being ‘slight’ and aggravated by movement.
A few provers had
headaches during the day and some in the afternoon and at night.
Many provers had
sensations of heaviness whereas; Prover 20, described the heaviness as being
like ‘congestion’ of the head.
Scalp and hair
A few provers
experienced itchiness and dryness of the scalp. The occiput and vertex of the
head appeared to be affected in particular. There was dryness of the hair and
itchiness not ameliorated by scratching.
Eye
A number of provers recorded
eye symptomatology. Dry and itchy eyes, were common. At times this accompanied
by burning and one prover had a dry cough. A few provers had red, sore eyes
< by reading,
watching television and
general strain but > closing them and rest. Twitching of the left eyelid was
common and sometimes + lachrymation. Many provers also experienced burning
sensation of the eyes and eyelids, +
a sticky discharge. A sensation of enlargement
of the eyeballs was also recorded and one prover had a yellow discoloration of
the eye. A few provers developed styes.
Vision
There were not many
symptoms pertaining to this chapter. However, blurred and ‘dotty’ vision was
experienced by two provers.
Ear
Itchiness of the eardrum
was common. A few provers’ recorded having pain and sensitivity of the ears.
Post-nasal drip and sore throat accompanied these symptoms. One prover
developed and abscess with swelling and redness
of the ear canal.
Symptoms involving the left ear were common.
Hearing
Only one prover recorded
a difficulty in hearing.
Nose
There were a large
number of symptoms recorded in this section. Many provers experienced itchy and
tingly sensations in the nostrils. There were a lot of sneezing and ‘hayfever’
type symptoms. Acrid burning of the nose was
Also recorded. There was
an profuse nasal discharge and constant runny nose, whilst some provers had a
blocked nose with an urge to blow out the nose. The discharge from the nose was
thick and tenacious and difficult to expel. Some provers coughed up a large
amount of phlegm.
Face
Pain in the right jaw
was recorded. A number of patients had fever sores and blisters on the lips.
Acne vulgaris and rosacea were common symptoms. A dry, itching, burning
sensation on the skin of the face and a feeling of
pressure on the face was
also noted.
Mouth
Many provers experienced
mouth symptoms. A prominent symptom was an unpleasant taste in the mouth. This
was described as being a ‘bad taste’ and was aggravated by breathing out through
the nose. The bad taste was generally experienced throughout the day but Prover
15 only experienced it until brushing her teeth or washing her mouth. Prover
02, described the taste as being nausea provoking and like ‘bad bile’, later on
in the proving,
she described it as
being like old cheese or milk. Dryness of the mouth is another symptom that
occurred, particularly at night. A dull gnawing pain at 21 h. was experienced
by Prover 20. Mouth sores occurred in Prover 11,
which she described as
feeling like ‘small cuts’ in the lower lip.
Teeth
Pain was experienced in
the teeth and jaw, accompanied by a sensation as if the teeth were being pushed
out (Prover 09).
Throat
Throat symptomatology
was significant. Throat complaints consisted of dryness and itchiness of the
throat which provoked coughing. Some provers experienced scratchy sensations as
if there was sand in the throat. Redness
and swelling of the
throat was noted. Pain and discomfort in the throat was accompanied by
difficulty in swallowing. Sensations as if there was a lump in the throat were
common. Increased phlegm and mucus in the throat
was recorded.
Stomach
There was a variety of
stomach –related symptoms produced. Eructations unpleasant tasting and smelling
were recorded. A few provers had hiccoughs. Nausea was a very common sensation
with most of the provers
experiencing this along
with retching. A large number of provers had a bad taste in the mouth which was
constant. Thirst was increased and it was especially for water with ice and juice.
Some provers experienced decreased appetite which gradually improved throughout
the course of the proving.
Abdomen
Flatulence was quite
common and worse at night. Many provers experienced bloating with difficulty
passing flatus. One patient had a ‘heavy’ sensation in the region of the
umbilicus, whilst another felt pain as if there were needles in the belly
button and felt as if the umbilicus was being pulled. Abdominal pain which was
cramping in nature and worse after eating, especially sweet food was recorded.
Pain was sometimes accompanied by nausea
and relieved by passing
stool.
Rectum
Many provers suffered
with constipation, without bloating. One prover, had intense pain before and
after defaecation, with a sensation as if there was a ‘plug’, which was being
scraped out. Another prover had experienced a
‘stuck sensation’ while
passing stool and an ‘incomplete feeling’ after passing stool, which was
unusual to the prover who usually passes stool easily. Prover 14 had an
increase in the frequency of bowel movements but it was painless and
wellformed.
Stool
Symptoms pertaining to
this chapter were scarce. However, Prover 14 experienced stool which appeared
to be black in colour.
Bladder
There appeared to be an
increase in urgency and frequency of urination. Prover 01 experienced a
sensation of fullness in bladder but with decreased urination and symptoms
subsided after drinking a large amount of water. Frequency was to the extent of
incontinence, with slight pain during urination and dull pain felt in the groin
after emptying the bladder.
Urethra
This chapter had very
few symptoms. Prover 01, experienced a warm, burning, pressing sensation in the
urethra. Burning during urination was experienced by Prover 14.
Female organs
Symptoms recorded,
included and increase in sex drive and menstrual disturbances. Menstrual flow
became heavier and a number of provers had clots, usually foul smelling, with
the flow. Menstrual pain was described as
‘pulling’ and ‘twisting’
of the uterus, whist another prover had slight cramps in the lower abdomen and
back. One prover became conscious of her uterus.
Prover 11 had violent
pain which felt like her uterus was being twisted and pulled down and felt as
if the uterus was being pulled out. Another prover had period pains that were
relieved by pressure, whilst one prover, recorded
A discharge that she
described as being a ‘weird colour’.
Respiration
There is significant
number of respiratory symptoms. Most provers experienced a tightness of the
chest, particularly in the morning and on waking. Prover 09, felt that her
‘respiratory area was restricting’ on laughing and taking
a deep breath. Asthmatic
respiration and a general difficulty in breathing were quite prominent.
Shortness of breath on waking and after minimal bursts of activity was noted.
In certain instances, there was a heaviness of the
chest and increase in
mucus production accompanying the shortness of breath.
Cough
Most provers experienced
a dry cough. Prover 09 described the dry cough as being ‘very irritating’, and
Prover 20, felt a tightness of the chest with the dry cough. In addition,
Prover 20 experienced a tickling sensation in the
Throat which subsided
after a shower but with a continuation of the cough which progressed throughout
the day with a sensation of heaviness. The coughing had a tendency to worsen at
night.
Expectoration
Mucus production was
increased generally. Provers also coughed up phlegm. Prover 25 described the
phlegm as being ‘thick and white’.
Chest
Many provers experienced
chest symptomatology. Chest pain was quite common and aggravated by sneezing.
Prover 14, experienced anxiety which she described as feeling like a ‘weight’
on her chest. A number of provers
Also had pain in the
region of the ribs especially on the right side. Prover 9 felt as if the ribs
were ‘overlapping’, whereas Prover 11 experienced a stabbing pain in the region
of the fifth rib, lasting ten minutes. Breast symptomatology was experienced
with enlargement of breasts during menses. Breast pain was described as being
sore and prover 11F had a sharp poking pain in the right nipple. There was
itchiness on the chest and along the sternum. A minor skin eruption, which was
red and itchy, was noted by prover 25.
Back
Lower back pain was
experienced and which was described as ‘sore’ and in one case ‘pinching’ pain.
Back pain was also common in the lower left region of the back and was
described as either aching or a stabbing pain with a short duration and
ameliorated by pressure. One prover felt a stinging and burning sensation along
the spinal cord. The skin of the back was dry, itchy and > scratching and
skin eruptions in the form of pimples occurred.
Soreness of the neck and
stiffness of the neck, shoulders and back were recorded.
Extremities
This section consisted
of a large number of symptoms. Provers generally felt pain and stiffness in the
shoulder, neck and back. There was stiffness of the extremities. Muscle -
spasms and tremors of the hands and legs were common. Provers also complained
of aching and stiff muscles. Joint - pain in all the joints was quite prominent
and aggravated by motion. Coldness and numbness of the extremities was also
evident. Dryness of the skin, hands
and elbows was also
recorded. One prover had sore, red hands that were aggravated by touch and
water and another had red feet. Itching of the skin was common with a ‘mosquito
– bite’ type eruption with itchy red bumps on
the arms, knees and
legs.
Sleep
There were a number of
symptoms relating to sleep disturbances. Most patients experienced a disruption
in sleep pattern such as sleep breaking during the early hours of the morning,
usually between 1- 4 h. and not being able
to go back to sleep.
Provers commonly felt fearful, anxious and some were short of breath after
their sleep broke. Restlessness, anxiety and muscle aches, + difficulty in
sleeping. One prover felt a great stiffness of the
muscles and body and
felt like getting up and going for a run to alleviate the tense feeling. A
general lack of sleep was noted and most patients felt tired and unrefreshed
due to this. Feelings of uneasiness and difficulty in
falling off to sleep
were also experienced.
Dreams
There many dreams which were
categorized into a variety of themes: Spirituality and praying; Sympathy and
Connection
Nostalgia and Family
Water
Secrets
Criticism
Anxiety and Panic
Teeth
Forsaken
Mundane dreams
Chill
There was a general
sensation of coldness as expressed by provers’ 09 and 15.
Perspiration
This was not a
significant theme throughout the proving. However decreased sweating was noted
by prover 25.
Skin
Skin symptomatology
appears to have been common. Generally there was tendency to eruptions and
sensitivity of the skin. The skin had a tingling sensation, as if something
were ‘crawling’ under the skin (Prover 18). At
times skin was dry, cold
and itchy (Prover 01), whereas, some provers experienced oiliness especially in
the ‘T-zone’ and hair (Prover 14). Skin eruptions in the form of rashes which
were red, raised and stinging and itchy,
with a short duration
were also common. Prover 04 experienced a rash, which appeared as a swelling
with a red border and pale centre, on the back, between the breast and chest as
well as behind the arm. Pimples were common
on the face as well as
the right inner thigh.
Generals
A wide variety of
general symptoms were elicited and categorized into themes. This was performed
to make for simpler analysis of symptoms.
Cravings
In general, there was a
craving for junk food and sweet sugary foods, especially chocolate and
chocolate cake. A craving for juice was also quite marked. Prover 01, who was a
vegetarian, experienced cravings for meat and fish.
Sensation of Heat
A number of provers experienced
a sensation of extreme heat. Heat was mainly felt inside of the body, despite
external temperature being cold.
Increased energy
There was a general
sense of increased energy and hyperactivity, more than usual. This increased
energy was accompanied by restlessness. Prover 02 described the restless
sensation as being an ‘aching muscles full of energy’
despite feeling tired.
Restlessness was also described as an ‘internal restlessness’ which requires to
be released.
Prostration
Great prostration was experienced
in the morning on waking, with great difficulty getting out of bed due to the
tiredness. Tiredness and sleepiness was experienced throughout the day, and
accompanied by yawning.
Many provers also
experienced extreme fatigue and felt completely drained towards the afternoon
and evening. The tiredness was accompanied by moodiness and irritability. In
general, the tiredness was experienced as a ‘sick’ feeling, with great
exhaustion and decreased energy levels.
Influenza
Some provers experienced
the onset of influenza – type symptoms. Most commonly were painful muscles and
stiff body. Prover 25 had a dry cough, itchy eyes and runny nose.
Miscellaneous
These included a feeling
as if all senses have changed, along with numbness during intercourse and right
sided symptomatology. Coldness of the hands, feet and skin as well a preference
for cold weather were noted.
Traditionally, Strychnos henningsii has been
utilized in many ways, ranging from medicinal to industrial usage. Strychnos henningsii belongs to the Strychnos species of plants. The
predominant alkaloid of Strychnine species
Is the poison strychnine
which has cardiac depressive effects. Strychnos henningsii, in addition,
contains a number of strychnine – related alkaloids such as henningsiine,
diaboline, and retuline amongst others, which are thought
to be responsible for
its therapeutic effects (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:244).
In South African
traditional medicine, the fruit, bark and roots have been used to treat
snakebites. Despite being toxic, preparations of strychnine are used throughout
Africa for a range of medicinal effects (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke,
2005:244). Due to its action on the central nervous system the alkaloids in Strychnos henningsii and the Strychnos species generally produce
cardiac depressive, hypotensive and convulsive effects.
Studies performed have
demonstrated that the alkaloids derived from Strychnos henningsii are potentially beneficial as anti – cancer
treatment as well as for anti – inflammatory and analgesic effects (PROTA,
2009).
Traditionally, the
substance Strychnos henningsii is
utilized in various ways.
These include chewing on
the bark of the tree, ingesting pulverized bark and also decoctations of the
root, stem or the bark. In some African cultures, it is used in cooking, where
it is added to fatty soups and stews to aid in digestion and for general
wellbeing and the fruit of the tree is used to flavour beer (Fastonline, 1999).
Strychnos henningsii is also widely used as an antihelminthic. In South Africa,
a decoctation of the bark is used to treat
Worm infestation and in
Tanzania, the roots are pounded and used to treat hookworm (PROTA, 2009). The bitter tasting bark is
used widely as a purgative and tonic as well as for colic and various stomach
complaints.
In addition, the bark is
also used to treat dysmenorrhea, syphilis, bilharzia, nausea and pains
associated with rheumatic fever (Scott,
Lewis& Cunningham, 1996:238).
In overview, the broad
areas of documented use of Strychnos henningsii
are:
As a liver tonic
Nausea
Stomach – ache
Diarrhea
Dysmenorrhea
Rheumatic Complaints
Snakebite
Malaria
Cardiac Complaints
Dizziness
Comparison of the Homoeopathic Proving Symptomatology of Strychnos henningsii 30CH to the
Traditional uses of Strychnos
henningsii
Gastro - intestinal Complaints
Liver Tonic
In traditional medicine,
Strychnos henningsii is often
used as a bitter liver tonic. The Strychnos
henningsii plant is usually added to fatty and milky soups and stews to
aid in digestion, due to its tonic effect on the liver.
Throughout the proving
of Strychnos henningsii 30CH,
provers experienced the following symptoms:
Fullness, sensation of (after eating)
Heaviness after eating
Complaints of abdomen:
Distension [morning (on waking)/, on
Distension (after dinner/after eating)/in hypochondria (l.)
Flatulence (evening/night/after eating/obstructed)
Liver and region of liver; complaints of
Nausea
Traditionally, symptoms
such as nausea are alleviated by the bark of the Strychnos henningsii tree.
The proving of Strychnos henningsii 30 CH produced
the following symptoms suggesting its use in the treatment of nausea:
Many of the provers did
experience nausea and retching, which is consistent with the traditional use of
the crude substance.
Nausea (morning/16 h./evening/after eating
fats/during pain in during: abdomen)
Retching (ineffectual)
Vomiting (morning/bile)
to these symptoms,
patients also complained of a bad taste in the mouth that was like bad bile and
nausea provoking. In addition, one prover noticed yellowing of the sclera, a
common symptom of liver disease.
Although, the existing
materia medicas’ have documented the use of Strychnos henningsii as a general liver tonic and purgative, information
with regards to specific liver ailments was lacking.
Stomach complaints (ache
is commonly alleviated by traditional preparations of the crude substance) Strychnos henningsii (Van Wyk, van
Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005: 244).
The homoeopathic proving
further elucidated these uses.
Stomach - Ache
In the proving, the
remedy Strychnos henningsii 30CH produced
the following rubrics:
Eructations (foul/putrid)
Pain [morning/after eating/during menses/> after stool/after/sugar/hypochondria/in
inguinal region (l.)/(region of) umbilicus/cramping (after eating/in
hypogastrium)/in umbilicus (drawing/stitching)]
Furthermore, it has been
suggested that the antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties of the
strychnine - related alkaloids within Strychnoshenningsii
are responsible for its effectiveness in stomach pain.
Many provers also
produced eructations, but this was not specifically indicated in the
traditional use of Strychnos
henningsii. Thus, whilst the proving symptoms produced by Strychnos henningsii 30CH, have
served to further validate the traditional usage of the crude substance Strychnos henningsii in stomach –
ache, it also provided evidence that the use of the remedy can be extended to
include the treatment of eructations and dyspepsia.
Diarrhea
In traditional African
medicine Strychnos henningsii has
been used in the effective treatment of diarrhea in cattle (PROTA, 2009). The researcher was unable to find
documented use in humans.
In the homoeopathic
proving a few patients suffered with constipation whilst the majority
experienced diarrhea. These symptoms indicate that the homoeopathic remedy Strychnos henningsii 30CH may be used
in cases of
diarrhea and
constipation. It is possible that the symptoms relating to diarrhea,
constipation, eructations, fullness are all due to the generally disruptive
effects on the liver.
In addition, other
complaints pertaining to the gastro-intestinal system produced in the proving
were cracked lips and teeth complaints such as painful teeth and gums.
Nevertheless, the
following symptoms were produced in the proving:
Constipation (difficult stool/)
Diarrhoea (morning/after eating)
Flatus (involuntary/offensive)
Pain – pressing/scraping/before stool/during stool
Urging to stool – sudden/frequent
Stool - black/dark/thin
However, traditional
records only documented the use of Strychnos
henningsii in the treatment of mouth ulcers in animals (cattle and
horses) (PROTA, 2009). From the symptoms produced in the homoeopathic proving,
the researcher believes that Strychnos
henningsii could be utilized as an effective antiseptic in stomatitis
and similar mouth complaints.
From the multitude of
gastro – intestinal related symptoms produced in the proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH, and their
general overlap with the traditional use of Strychnos henningsii, the researcher contends the core use
of the homoeopathic
remedy in the treatment of various liver related diseases, stomach complaints more specifically
dyspepsia, as well as ailments of the mouth and diarrhea.
Dysmenorrhea
Strychnos
henningsii is
commonly used in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. It is possible that the
medicinal effect of the substance in this sphere is due to the anti-spasmodic
and anti-inflammatory properties of the strychnine related alkaloids that are
present within Strychnos henningsii (van
Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005: 244).
In the homoeopathic
proving of the substance, many provers experienced disorders related to menstruation,
in particular, dysmenorrhea. The following symptoms were produced in the
proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH:
Conscious of the uterus
Leukorrhoea
Menses – clotted/copious/too late (2 days)/offensive/painful/protracted
Pain in uterus (during menses/> pressure)/bearing down in uterus, “As
if everything would come out”/cramping in uterus during menses/labor-like
(during menses)/twisting
Sexual desire increased (at noon/at night/< cold)
Swollen mammae (during menses)
The symptoms related to
menstruation produced in the homoeopathic proving are consistent with the
traditional usage of the crude substance Strychnoshenningsii
in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. However, the dysmenorrhea
produced in the proving,
consisted of mainly, cramping and twisting pain. Thus, despite this overlap
between traditional usage and the proving symptomatology, the homoeopathic
proving symptoms further elucidated on the clinical indications of the remedy Strychnos henningsii within the broad
context of dysmenorrhea. In light of this, the researcher believes that the
remedy Strychnos henningsii 30CH would
be of great value in the treatment of
dysmenorrhea and other
menstrual complaints.
Rheumatic Complaints
Traditionally, Strychnos henningsii has been used by
healers in treating backache and rheumatic complaints. The following symptoms
were produced in the homoeopathic proving:
Pain - cervical region/lumbar region/spine (burning)/aching/drawing/in
lumbar region (sore/stitching)/spasmodic drawing in
Stiffness (in cervical region/in lumbosacral region)
Contraction (lower limbs)
Cramps - forearm/shoulder
Heaviness (lower limbs/foot)
Numbness; hand (r./on waking)
Pain (at motion/rheumatic/< touch/> warm applications/joints
(rheumatic)/upper limbs (morning/motion/joints upper limbs)/shoulder/bend of
elbow/wrist on motion/
Knee on bending/sore [upper limbs (morning)/shoulder/upper arm/forearm]
Stiffness (after exertion/beginning to move/after
resting/shoulder/wrist/lower limbs/knee)
The effectiveness of the
crude substance Strychnos henningsii is
most likely due to the many alkaloids it produces which are very similar in
structure and action to those of strychnine. Certain alkaloids have been shown
to
Have ‘muscle- relaxing’
as well as analgesic effects (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005:
244).), thus accounting for the therapeutic effects of Strychnos henningsii in
rheumatic complaints. The overlap between the traditional usage and
homoeopathic indications, support the use of Strychnos henningsii 30CH in the treatment of rheumatic
complaints and back-ache.
Malaria
Strychnos
henningsii is
used traditionally in the prevention and treatment of malaria. Related to this,
it has also been used successfully in the treatment of febrile illness in
general. Although studies were performed using
Isolated alkaloids
showed only moderate action on Plasmodium
falciparum malaria (PROTA, 2009).
The following symptoms
from the proving would support the use of Strychnos henningsii 30 CH in malaria:
Congestion/fullness/heaviness (from headache)/violent pains
Pain; hypochondria/cramping in hypogastrium
Diarrhea
Fever, heat in general
Chill
Heat: flushes of/”As if heat” (at night)
Provers produced various
symptoms which suggest that the remedy Strychnos
henningsii 30CH could be effectively utilized in the treatment of fevers
and malaria.
Cardiac Complaints
Whilst the use of Strychnos henningsii for cardiac
complaints and chest pain, has been documented, there appears to be a paucity
of cardiac symptoms recorded in traditional materia medica. During the proving,
provers did
experience chest pain
and some had palpitations, which is in keeping with the traditional use of the
substance. Skin eruptions in the chest region were also common, although these
were not documented in traditional materia medicas’. The following rubrics were
produced during the proving:
Anxiety in
Constriction (morning)
Oppression (morning/on inspiration)
Pain [morning/sneezing/sides (r./morning)/stitching]
Palpitation [(slightest) motion/with anxiety]
Although the use of Strychnos henningsii with regards to
chest complaints has not been well documented, studies have suggested that the
substance has potential to aid in cardiac complaints. This is due to the
compounds
and the derivatives
thereof contained within the plant. The many cardiac symptoms produced by
provers in the proving of Strychnos
henningsii 30CH, indicate that this remedy would be well indicated for
palpitations and
cardiac pain.
Dizziness
Strychnos
henningsii is
often used in cases of dizziness and vertigo. However, dizziness, associated
with hypotension, is also a side effect of Strychnine poisoning. This effect is
due to the action of the strychnine related
alkaloids in the
substance Strychnos henningsii on
the central nervous system (van Wyk, van Oudshoorn & Gericke, 2005: 244).
It is therefore, likely that the therapeutic effects of the substance is due to
these properties when
the substance is
utilized in therapeutic doses.
In the homoeopathic
proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH the
following rubrics were produced:
Vertigo/afternoon/evening
+ pain in head
> closing eyes
tendency to fall to right
“As if floating”/”As if intoxicated”
Motion; head, of: quickly; amel.
Rising - from bed/from a seat
Standing; while
Many provers experienced
dizziness and vertigo consistent with existing indications of the substance in
traditional medicine. From the symptoms produced in the homoeopathic proving of
Strychnos henningsii 30CH,
the researcher suggests
the use of the remedy in the treatment of vertigo and dizziness.
Undocumented symptoms produced in the Homoeopathic Proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH In the proving of Strychnos henningsii 30CH, a wide
variety of symptoms were produced, which have been not documented
in existing traditional
medicinal uses. These included headaches, many provers produced headaches,
which ranged in character, type of pain, location and intensity. Mind symptoms
were also quite prominent, with anxiety and delusions as well as restlessness.
The increased energy and good mood could probably be linked to the tonic
effects on the liver, allowing provers to feel less sluggish and more alert and
energized.
Some of mental symptoms
such as the delusions and dreams may be explained in terms of the effects of
strychnine on the central nervous system.
A number of infective
and allergic manifestations were also experienced. In particular, infections of
the eye, ear nose, throat and chest were noted. The asthmatic respiration
produced, is most probably related to the action of
strychnine which is
known to cause respiratory depression, thus the researcher believes that the
remedy Strychnos henningsii 30CH will
be useful in the treatment of colds, influenza, asthma, hayfever, sinusitis as
well as eye
infections, otitis media
and sore throats. Skin symptoms such as acne and other eruptions were common;
these may be understood in terms of the action of the remedy on the liver.
Strychnine poisoning is
known to cause headaches, respiratory depression, hypotension and cardiac
depression. Therefore, it is likely that the symptoms produced may be due to
the action of strychnine – related compounds.
Summary
Strychnos
henningsii has
been effectively used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments. It
is most often used as a general liver tonic and purgative, as well as for
rheumatic pain and backache, snakebites,
dysmenorrhea,
stomach-ache, malaria and fevers, dizziness and chest pain. The parts of the
plant and the manner in which the substance has been used varies according to
the ailment being treated. This is due to the different alkaloids contained in
different parts of the plant. These alkaloids and their derivatives, contained
in Strychnos henningsii, are
similar in structure and action to strychnine.
Strychnine causes
central nervous system depression resulting in cardiac and respiratory
depression, hypotension, convulsions and paralysis. Thus, the therapeutic
effects of the crude substance may be explained in terms
of the action of these strychnine-
like alkaloids within Strychnos
henningsii.
The homoeopathic proving
of Strychnos henningsii 30CH produced
multifarious symptoms. Many of which were consistent with the traditional use
of the crude substance Strychnos
henningsii. Most noteworthy were the
overlaps within the
gastro-intestinal system where many symptoms relating to the liver, nausea,
stomach, mouth and teeth were produced. In addition, Strychnos henningsii has been used as an antiseptic in treating
mouth –
related ailments in animals
only; however the symptoms produced in the homoeopathic proving suggest that
the proving remedy Strychnos
henningsii 30CH may also be used in treating ailments of the mouth in
humans. Dysmenorrhea has also been effectively treated with Strychnos henningsii, and the proving
of Strychnos henningsii 30CH produced
many symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Despite the overlap, the homoeopathic proving
further elucidated the actions of the substance on the female gynaecological
system to include other disorders of menstruation such as pre-menstrual
symptoms.
Traditionally Strychnos henningsii is used in
treating rheumatic pain and backache, and many provers experienced these
symptoms in the homoeopathic proving. Proving symptomatology also included many
symptoms of dizziness, and fever like symptoms, again overlapping with the
traditional usage of Strychnos
henningsii in dizziness and malaria. Chest pain and palpitations were
experienced by a number of provers. Although the use of the Strychnos henningsii, in the treatment
of cardiac pain has been documented, the proving symptoms provided more
information on the specific clinical indications within this sphere.
Despite the many
overlaps between the traditional use of Strychnos
henningsii and the homoeopathic proving symptomatology of Strychnos henningsii 30CH, many
symptoms produced in the proving were not documented
in existing materia
medica. These included, headaches, asthmatic respiration, influenzatype
symptoms, and sinusitis, hayfever, eye, ear, nose and throat infections.
The intensity and nature
of these symptoms, suggest that Strychnos
henningsii could be of value in these conditions. In view of the results
yielded in this triple blind placebo controlled study of Strychnos henningsii 30 CH,
it is evident that overlaps
do exist between the traditional use of Strychnos
henningsii and the homoeopathic proving symptomatology of Strychnos henningsii 30 CH.
Strychnine
Strychnnos
species
typically contain the poison strychnine, which has been identified as one of the
components of the Strychnos henningsii
bark. Strychnine is an indole alkaloid with an extremely toxic effect as
well as
medicinal benefits thus
making it beneficial and risky for use in humans at the same time (van Wyk, van
Heerden, van Outshoorn, 2002).
The effects of
strychnine poisoning have been displayed within 15 to 30 minutes, in humans
from poisonings and in animals from experimentation. The initial response is
the patient becoming agitated, experiencing tightness
of the muscles, muscle
twitches, followed by hyper-reflexia (Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada,
1997). Famous for its convulsant properties, poisoning results in convulsions
accompanied by great pain, in which the patient
maybe conscious.
Convulsions may occur continuously with intervals of relaxation. Hyper
reactivity to surroundings is also a well known symptom of strychnine
poisoning. Opisthotonus and facial muscle twitching resulting
in ‘risus sardonicus’
have also been reported. If the patient is monitored during the first 6-12 hours,
it can avoid complications such as lactic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal
failure; and
death from asphyxia or
medullary paralysis (Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada, 1997).
Diaboline
Diaboline is another
alkaloid isolated from Strychnos henningsii.
It is reported to be a glycine receptor antagonist much as strychnine is. It
has a convulsant nature, initiating seizures and is therefore not used for this
purpose (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2009). Although its name suggests a
‘diabolical’ structure, it is not true to its nature, due to its biochemical
arrangement which results in the decrease in the toxicity of diaboline, even
when given in high doses (Tits, Frederich, 2004).
Holstiine
Holstiine proved
valuable in a study assessing the antiplasmodial activity and toxicity of
plants (Ayuko, Njau, Cornelius, Leah, Ndiege, 2008), which included Strychnos henningsii in the
experiment. Holstiine was identified as
an alkaloid having
antiplasmodial activity, and can therefore may be effectively used as an
anti-malarial.
Strychnochromine and Guianensine
Strychnochromine and
Guianensine are alkaloids which were isolated from the root bark of Strychnos henningsii in a study of
demonstrating the antiplasmodial activity of Strychnos alkaloids and extracts
against Plasmodium falciparum (Frederich,
Hayette, Tits, De Mol, Angenot, 1999:2329). No further information could be
obtained about these alkaloids.
Summary
Since provings are an
essential component of the Homoeopathic System, and toxicology has a direct
relationship to the spectrum of use of a homoeopathic substance, it is
important to understand the relationship between toxicological effect and
proving effect, and their respective contributions to materia medica and the
clinical application of new homoeopathic remedies. The researcher endeavours to
explore this relationship in order to
increase the
understanding of Strychnos henningsii as
a homoeopathic remedy.
Repertory:
Absentminded
Abstraction of mind
Activity;
desires activity
Ailments from; anger
Ailments from; anger,
suppressed
Ailments from; anger,
indignation; with
Ailments from; bad news
Ailments from; cares,
worries
Ailments from;
disappointment
Ailments from; failure:
literary, scientific failure
Ailments from; fright
Ailments from; mental
shock, from
Ailments from; money;
from losing
Alert
Anger; trifles, at
Anxiety
Anxiety; night
Anxiety; business; about
Anxiety; conscience;
anxiety of
Anxiety; fear: with
Anxiety; health; about
Anxiety; health; about:
own health; one’s
Anxiety; hypochondriacal
Ardent
Awkward
Awkward; drops things
Busy
Carefulness
Cares; full of
Censorious
Cheerful
Cheerful; alternating
with, sadness
Clarity of mind
Company;
aversion to
Company; desire
Company; desire for;
amel. in company
Concentration; active
Concentration;
difficult
Concentration;
difficult: headache, with
Concentration;
difficult: studying
Confident
Confusion of mind
Confusion; dream, as if
in a
Conscientious about
trifles
Content
Delusions
Delusions; clouds: black
cloud enveloped her; a heavy
Delusions; dead: he
himself was
Delusions; devil;
present, is
Delusions; devil; sees
Delusions; enlarged
Delusions; footsteps;
hearing
Delusions; forsaken, is
Delusions; God: presence
of God; he is in the
Delusions; belongs to
another
Delusions; hearing:
illusions of
Delusions; images,
phantoms; sees: frightful
Delusions; images,
phantoms; sees: night
Delusions; influence;
one is under a powerful
Delusions; intoxicated
Delusions; looking:
down, he were looking
Delusions; people: behind
him; someone is
Delusions; sick, being
Delusions; small,
things: appear small; things
Despair
Detached
Discontented
Discontented;
everything, with
Dream; as if in a
Dullness
Egotism
Elated
Ennui
Estranged: family; from
his
Excitement
Exhilaration
Fastidious
Fear
Fear; alone, of being
Fear; dark
Fear; death, of
Fear; evil; fear of
Fear; go to sleep; fear
to
Fear; sudden
Fear; terror
Flattering
Forgetful
Forsaken
feeling
Forsaken feeling,
isolation; sensation of
Generous; too
Giggling
Haughty
Heedless
High-spirited
Home; desires to go
Homesickness
Hypochondriasis
Ideas; abundant
Impatience
Inactivity
Indifference
Indifference;
everything, to
Industrious
Injustice;
cannot support
Intolerance
Irritability
Irritability;
morning
Irritability; morning,
waking on
Irritability; headache,
during
Irritability; menses,
during
Irritability; trifles,
from
Lamenting
Lascivious
Laughing
Laughing; immoderately
Laziness
Light; desire for
Loquacity
Memory; active
Memory; weakness of
memory: do; for what he was about to
Mental exertion; agg.
Mental exertion; impossible
Mental exertion;
aversion to
Mildness
Mirth
Mood;
agreeable
Mood; changeable
Morose
Occupation; amel.
Passionate
Pleasing; desire to
please others
Positiveness
Praying
Prostration
Quarrelsome
Quiet disposition
Religious affections;
too occupied with religion
Religious; want of
religious feeling
Reproaches; others
Restlessness
Restlessness; bed,
tossing about in
Sadness
Senses;
acute
Senses; dull
Sensitive
Sensitive; noise, to
Sensitive; odors, to
Sentimental
Shrieking
Starting
Starting; sleep during
Stupefaction
Stupor
Suspicious
Sympathetic
Taciturn
Thinking; complaints:
agg.; thinking of his complaints
Thoughts; sexual
Thoughts; vanishing of
Tranquility
112
Trifles seem important
Unobserving
Vivacious
Weary of life
Weeping
Weeping; anger, after
Weeping; cannot weep,
though sad
Weeping; easily
Weeping; sobbing;
weeping with
Weeping; vexation, from
4.3.2 VERTIGO
Vertigo
Afternoon
Evening
Accompanied by: head;
pain in head
Closing eyes; on: amel.
Fall; tendency to:
right, to
Floating, as if
Intoxicated; as if
Motion; head, of:
quickly; amel.
Rising: bed; from
Rising: seat; from a, on
Standing; while
4.3.3 HEAD
Congestion
Dandruff
113
Fullness
Hair; dryness
Hair; greasy
Heaviness
Heaviness; headache,
from
Itching
of scalp
Itching of scalp;
scratching, not amel. after
Itching of scalp;
occiput
Itching of scalp; vertex
Looseness of brain;
sensation of
Looseness of brain;
sensation of, morning: waking; on
Motions in head
Pain
Pain; daytime
Pain; morning
Pain; morning, waking:
on
Pain; afternoon
Pain; afternoon, 15h
Pain;
night
Pain; night, midnight:
after
Pain; accompanied by,
nausea
Pain; accompanied by,
neck: pain in
Pain; catarrhal
Pain; closing eyes, on
Pain; coryza, with
Pain; eating, before
Pain; exertion, eyes; of
the
Pain; gastric
Pain; light, amel.
Pain; motion: agg
Pain; motion: eyes, of
114
Pain; pressure:
external, agg
Pain; rising: lying,
from
Pain; rubbing: amel.
Pain; sitting: amel.
Pain; spot, pain in
small
Pain; violent pains
Pain; walking: air,
open; in the: while
Pain; wind: exposure to;
from
Pain; extending to,
cervical region
Pain;
Forehead, in
Pain; Forehead, in:
eyes, above; alternating sides
Pain; Forehead, in:
eyes, above; left
Pain; Forehead, in:
extending to: eyes
Pain; Forehead, in:
pulsating; eyes, behind
Pain; Occiput
Pain; Occiput: motion;
agg.
Pain; Occiput: pulsating
Pain; Occiput: extending
to: ears
Pain; Sides: one side
Pain; Sides: right
Pain; Sides: left
Pain;
Temples
Pain;
Temples: right
Pain; Temples: left
Pain; Temples: left;
pulsating
Pain; Temples: noise;
agg.
Pain; Temples: pulsating
Pain; Temples: extending
to; eye
Pain; Temples: extending
to; neck
Pain; Temples: extending
to; jaw
Pain; Temples and
Occiput
115
Pain; Vertex
Pain; aching
Pain; boring: Sides
Pain;
dull pain
Pain; dull pain:
Forehead
Pain; pressing: band; as
from a
Pain; pressing: cap;
like a
Pain; pressing: inward
Pain; pressing: Forehead
Pain; pulsating
Pain; sore: temples
Skullcap; sensation of a
4.3.4 EYE
Discharges
Discoloration: red
Discoloration: yellow
Dryness
Enlarged, sensation of
Heaviness: lids
Itching
Itching; rubbing: amel.
Lachrymation
Lacrymation; rubbing,
after
Opening the eyelid:
difficult
Pain
Pain; left
Pain; lids
Pain; closing eyes;
amel.
Pain; exertion of eyes;
from
116
Pain; pulsating
Pain; reading
Pain; burning
Pain; burning: left;
extending to right
Pain; burning: canthi,
outer
Pain; sand, as from
Pain; sore
Pain; sore: motion;
eyes, of
Pain; stinging: lids;
upper
Pain; stitching:
headache; during
Photophobia
Pupils; contracted
Staring
Staring; pain: forehead;
with pain in
Styes
Styes; lids, lower
Tired sensation
Twitching
Twitching; left
4.3.5 VISION
VISION: Blurred
VISION: Dim
4.3.6 EAR
EAR: Abscess; meatus
EAR: Itching; lobes
EAR:
Itching; meatus
117
EAR: Pain
EAR: Pain; touch, on
EAR: Pain; soreness
EAR: Swelling; meatus
EAR: Wax; yellow
4.3.7 HEARING
HEARING: Impaired
4.3.8 NOSE
Blow the nose;
inclination to blow the nose, constant
Catarrh
Catarrh; postnasal
Coryza
Coryza; morning
Coryza; night
Coryza; air: open; amel.
Coryza;
discharge, with
Coryza; discharge,
without
Coryza; walking amel.
Discharge; burning
Discharge; copious
Discharge; excoriating
Discharge; thick
Discharge; viscid, tough
Discharge; watery
Discharge; yellow
Hayfever
Itching
118
Itching; inside
Obstruction
Obstruction; right
Obstruction; night
Obstruction; sensation
of
Odors; imaginary and
real
Odors; imaginary and
real: dog, wet (N)
Pain
Smell, acute
Sneezing
Sneezing; morning
Sneezing; frequent
Tingling; inside
4.3.9 FACE
Congestion
Cracked; lips: lower
Dryness
Eruptions
Eruptions; acne
Eruptions; acne;
papules, with indurated
Eruptions; acne; rosacea
Eruptions; acne: forehead
Eruptions: itching
Eruptions; pimples
Eruptions; rash
Eruptions; vesicles: lips
Eruptions; vesicles: lips,
fever blisters
119
Eruptions; zygoma (N)
Greasy
Itching
Pain; right
Pain; burning
Pain; pressing
Pain; pulsating
Pain; sore: jaw, lower
jaw
Tingling
Tingling; lips
4.3.10 MOUTH
MOUTH: Dryness; night
MOUTH: Pain; sore: gums
MOUTH: Taste; bad
MOUTH: Taste; bad,
morning
MOUTH: Taste; nauseous
MOUTH: Taste; offensive
MOUTH: Taste; sour
4.3.11 TEETH
TEETH: Biting; hard
which relieves pains; desire to bite on something
TEETH: Pain; pressing:
outward
TEETH: Pain; sore
4.3.12 THROAT
Catarrh
Discoloration; red
Dryness
120
Dryness; morning
Hawk;
disposition to
Inflammation
Itching
Lump; sensation of
Lump; sensation of:
swallowing on
Mucus
Pain
Pain; morning
Pain; night
Pain; swallowing
Pain; rawness
Pain; sore
Roughness
Sand in throat;
sensation as if
4.3.13 STOMACH
Appetite; capricious
appetite
Appetite; diminished
Appetite; increased
Appetite; increased,
evening
Appetite; wanting:
thirst; with
Eructations
Eructations; type of:
foul
Eructations; type of:
putrid
Fullness, sensation of
Fullness, sensation of;
eating: after
Heaviness; eating: after
Hiccough
121
Nausea
Nausea; morning
Nausea; afternoon: 16h
Nausea; evening
Nausea; fats, after
eating
Nausea; pain, during:
abdomen in
Retching
Retching; ineffectual
Thirst
Thirst; extreme
Thirst; large
quantities, for
Thirst; unquenchable
Vomiting
Vomiting; morning
Vomiting; type of: bile
4.3.14 ABDOMEN
Complaints of abdomen
Distension
Distension; morning
Distension; morning:
waking, on
Distension; dinner:
after
Distension; eating,
after
Distension; hypochondria
Distension;
hypochondria: left
Flatulence
Flatulence; evening
Flatulence; night
Flatulence; eating,
after
Flatulence; obstructed
122
Heaviness
Heaviness; hypogastrium
Liver and region of
liver; complaints of
Pain
Pain; morning
Pain; eating, after
Pain; menses, during
Pain; stool: after,
amel.
Pain; sugar, after
Pain; hypochondria
Pain; inguinal region
Pain; inguinal region,
left
Pain; umbilicus
Pain; umbilicus, region
of
Pain;
cramping
Pain; cramping, eating:
after
Pain; cramping, hypogastrium
Pain; cramping:
umbilicus, region of
Pain; drawing, umbilicus
Pain; stitching,
umbilicus, region of
4.3.15 RECTUM
Constipation
Constipation; difficult stool
Constipation; insufficient
Diarrhea
Diarrhea; morning
Diarrhea; eating: after
Flatus
Flatus; involuntary
123
Flatus; offensive
Pain; stool: before
Pain; stool: during
Pain; pressing
Pain; scraping
Urging, frequent
Urging; sudden
4.3.16 STOOL
STOOL: Black
STOOL: Dark
STOOL: Thin
4.3.17 BLADDER
BLADDER: Fullness,
sensation of
BLADDER: Fullness,
sensation of; urinate; without desire to
BLADDER: Pain; neck,
urination: after
BLADDER: Urging to
urinate; frequent
BLADDER: Urging to
urinate; sudden
BLADDER: Urination;
frequent
BLADDER: Urination;
involuntary
4.3.18 URETHRA
URETHRA: Pain; burning
URETHRA: Pain; burning,
urination; during
URETHRA: Pain; pressing
124
4.3.19 FEMALE
Conscious of the uterus
Leukorrhea
Menses; clotted
Menses; copious
Menses; late, too
Menses; late, too: two
days
Menses; offensive
Menses; painful
Menses; protracted
Pain; uterus
Pain; uterus, menses,
during
Pain; uterus: pressure,
amel.
Pain; bearing down,
uterus: come out; as if everything would
Pain; cramping, uterus:
menses during
Pain; labor-like
Pain; labor-like:
menses, during
Pain; twisting (N)
Sexual
desire, increased
Sexual desire,
increased: noon (N)
Sexual desire,
increased: night
Sexual desire,
increased; cold agg.
4.3.20 RESPIRATION
RESPIRATION: Asthmatic
RESPIRATION: Asthmatic;
morning
125
RESPIRATION: Asthmatic;
evening
RESPIRATION: Difficult
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
morning
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
evening
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
accompanied by, cough
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
exertion, after
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
inspiration
RESPIRATION: Difficult;
laughing
RESPIRATION: Impeded,
obstructed
RESPIRATION: Impeded,
obstruction: oppression; from, chest
RESPIRATION: Wheezing
4.3.21 COUGH
COUGH: Evening; bed, in
COUGH:
Dry
COUGH: Dry; tickling,
from: larynx; in
COUGH: Irritation; from:
air passages, in
COUGH: Irritation; from:
larynx, in
COUGH: Irritation; from:
trachea, in
4.3.22 EXPECTORATION
EXPECTORATION: Morning
EXPECTORATION: Morning,
waking, after
EXPECTORATION: Mucous
EXPECTORATION: Thick
EXPECTORATION: White
126
4.3.23 CHEST
Anxiety in
Catarrh
Constriction
Constriction, morning
Eruptions
Eruptions; itching
Eruptions; rash
Eruptions; axilla
Itching
Itching; sternum
Oppression
Oppression; morning
Oppresion; inspiration,
on
Pain
Pain; morning
Pain; sneezing
Pain; mammae, nipples
Pain; sides
Pain; sides, morning
Pain; sides, right
Pain; sore: mammae
Pain; stitching
Pain; stitching: mammae;
nipple, right
Palpitation of heart
Palpitation of heart;
anxiety, with
Palpitation of heart;
motion
Palpitation of heart;
motion, slightest
127
Swelling; mammae
Swelling; mammae:
menses; during
4.3.24 BACK
Eruptions; pustules
Eruptions; rash
Itching
Pain
Pain; menses, during
Pain; pressure, amel.
Pain; walking, while
Pain; cervical region
Pain;
lumbar region
Pain; lumbar region,
left
Pain; spine
Pain; aching
Pain; burning, spine
Pain; drawing
Pain; sore, lumbar
region
Pain; sore, spine
Pain; stitching, lumbar
region
Spasmodic drawing,
cervical region
Stiffness
Stiffness; cervical
region
Stiffness; cervical
region: headache, during
Stiffness; lumbosacral
region
4.3.25 EXTREMITIES
128
Coldness
Coldness; hands
Coldness; foot
Contraction
of muscles and tendons
Contraction of muscles
and tendons; lower limbs
Convulsion
Convulsion; upper limb
Cramps; menses
Cramps; upper limbs
Cramps; shoulder
Cramps; forearm
Discoloration; hand,
redness
Discoloration; foot,
redness
Dryness; hands
Eruptions; itching
Eruptions; urticaria
Eruptions; upper limbs,
rash
Eruptions; thigh
Eruptions; thigh,
pimples
Eruptions; knee, rash
Heaviness
Heaviness; lower limbs
Heaviness: foot
Itching; upper limbs
Itching; upper arm
Itching; lower limbs
Itching; leg
Itching; leg: tibia,
over
Nails; brittle nails:
finger nails
Numbness; hand
Numbness; hand: right
129
Numbness; hand: waking,
on
Pain
Pain; motion
Pain; rheumatic
Pain; touch, agg.
Pain; warm applications,
amel.
Pain; joints
Pain; joints, rheumatic
Pain; upper limbs
Pain; upper limbs, left
Pain; upper limbs,
morning
Pain; upper limbs,
bending arm; when
Pain; upper limbs,
motion
Pain; upper limbs,
joints
Pain; shoulder
Pain;
shoulder, right
Pain; shoulder, left
Pain; shoulder, extending
to: neck
Pain; upper arm: deltoid
region
Pain; elbow, bend of
Pain; wrist
Pain; wrist, motion; on
Pain; thigh
Pain; knee: bending, on
Pain; knee: extending
limb; amel.
Pain; aching, thigh
Pain; shooting, upper
limbs
Pain; shooting, shoulder,
right
Pain; sore
Pain; sore, upper limbs
Pain; sore, upper limbs:
morning
130
Pain; sore, shoulder
Pain; sore, upper arm
Pain; sore, forearm
Pain; sore, wrists
Pain; sore, thigh;
walking, after
Pain; sore, thigh;
posterior part
Pain; stitching
Pain; stitching:
shoulder; motion, during
Perspiration; hand, palm
Pulsation; hand
Restlessness
Stiffness
Stiffness; exertion,
after
Stiffness; moving:
beginning to move; on
Stiffness; resting:
after
Stiffness; shoulder
Stiffness; wrist
Stiffness; lower limbs
Stiffness; knee
Trembling; hand
Weakness; knee
4.3.26 SLEEP
Disturbed
Disturbed; anxiety, from
Falling asleep;
difficult
Falling asleep; late
Interrupted
Restless
131
Restless; night:
midnight, after
Restless; bodily
restlessness, from
Sleepiness
Sleepiness; morning
Sleepiness;
forenoon
Sleepiness; heat, during
Sleepiness; weariness,
with
Sleeplessness
Sleeplessness; night
Sleeplessness; night:
midnight, before
Sleeplessness; night:
midnight: morning; until
Sleeplessness; night:
midnight; after
Sleeplessness; night:
midnight; after, 3h
Sleeplessness; night:
midnight; after, 4h, after
Sleeplessness;
accompanied by; sleepiness: daytime
Sleeplessness; anxiety
from
Sleeplessness;
restlessness, from
Sleeplessness; thoughts:
activity of thoughts; from
Sleeplessness; waking,
after
Sleeplessness;
weariness: in spite of weariness
Unrefreshing
Waking; night: midnight;
after
Waking; night: midnight;
after, 3h
Waking; difficult
Waking; dreams, by
Waking; early, too
Waking; early, too:
asleep late; and falling
Waking;
frequent
Waking; fright, as from
Waking; heat, from and
with
Waking; palpitations
with
132
Yawning
4.3.27 DREAMS
Accusations
Achievement, of
Adventurous
Aggressive
Airplanes, crash of an
airplane
Anger
Animals
Anxious
Attacked,
of being
Battles
Betrayed, having been
Birds
Children;
about
Children; about: abused;
being
Children; about:
newborns
Choked; being
Clairvoyant
Conspiracies
Dancing
Danger
Danger, escaping from a
danger
Danger, impending danger
Dead; of the, relatives
Deceived; being
Desert
Disease
133
Dogs
Dreaming, of
Driving; car, a
Escaping
Escaping, danger; from
Events, future, of
Events, previous
Falling
Falling, height, from a
Family, own
Fights
Fights, rights; for her
Fish
Fish, rescuing
Fleeing
Forsaken; being
Friends, old
Frightful
Gardens
Happy
Hearing talking
Jaws
Journeys
Jumping: height; from a:
landing easily; and
Ludicrous
Men, huge and strong
man; a: controlling her
Misfortune
Mistakes; of making
Mortification
Nightmares
Nostalgic
134
Nuns
Parties
People
People, seen for years;
people not
Pleasant
Praying
Prophetic
Pursued, being
Pursued, being, man; by
a
Pursued, being: man; by
a: violate her; to
Religious
Restless
Rousing the patient
Running
Secret
Shooting; about
Sister
Stairs
Suffocation
Teeth
Teeth: falling out
Tunnel
Unimportant
Unpleasant
Unremembered
Vexatious
Violence
Visionary
Visits, making visits,
relatives; to
Voice
War
135
Water
Writing
4.3.28 CHILL
CHILL: Chill
4.3.29 FEVER
FEVER: Fever, heat in
general
4.3.30 SKIN
SKIN: Burning
SKIN: Coldness
SKIN:
Dry
SKIN: Dry; perspire;
inability to
SKIN: Eruption; itching
SKIN: Eruption; rash
SKIN: Eruption; stinging
SKIN: Eruption;
urticaria
SKIN: Formication
SKIN: Itching
SKIN: Itching;
scratching, amel.
SKIN: Prickling
SKIN: Sensitiveness
136
4.3.31 GENERALS
Morning
Morning;
waking, on
Afternoon
Afternoon; 16h
Afternoon; 17h
Night
Night; midnight, after
Activity; amel.
Air; open air, desire
for
Bathing; warm bathing:
amel.
Bending; affected part,
agg.
Cold; agg.
Cold; amel.
Energy;
excess of
Exertion physical; agg.
Faintness
Faintness; crowded; in:
room
Food; chocolate, desire
Food; cold drink, cold
water; desire
Food; fat, desire
Food; fish, desire
Food; food: aversion;
accompanied, hunger
Food; fruit: desire;
fruit juice
Food; juicy things, desire
Food; meat, desire
Food; onions: agg.
Food; pastry, desire
Food; rich food: agg.
Food; spices, desire
Food; sugar, desire
137
Food; sweet, agg.
Food;
sweets, desire
Heat: flushes of
Heat;
sensation of
Heat; sensation of,
night
Heaviness; externally
Influenza
Irritability, physical:
excessive
Knotted sensation
internally
Lassitude
Lassitude; afternoon
Motion;
agg.
Motion; desire for
Mucous secretions;
increased
Numbness; internally
Pain; spots, in small
Pain; muscles
Pain;
sore
Pain; sore, externally
Pain; twisting
Pressure; agg.
Pulse; frequent
Pulse; frequent, motion
agg.
Rubbing;
amel.
Sick feeling; vague
Sides; right
Sides; left: then right
side
Sleep; loss of sleep,
from
Sleep; short sleep amel.
Sluggishness
of the body
138
Strength, sensation of
Touch; agg.
Trembling; externally
Trembling; externally,
anger: from
Trembling; internally
Twitching
Uncovering; amel.
Walking; agg.
Warm; amel.
Weakness
Weakness; morning
Weakness; morning:
waking, on
Weakness; evening
Weakness; stool, after
Weariness
Weariness; morning
Weariness; morning:
waking, on
Weariness; afternoon
Weariness; afternoon,
16h
Weariness; evening
139
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION
5.1 Introduction
Every substance in
nature also exists as an electromagnetic field, and could
therefore have either a
chemical or electromagnetic effect on a living organism.
The chemical effect is
direct and corresponds with the toxicology of the
substance. The
electromagnetic effect is based on resonance and does not
ordinarily produce an
effect outside of individual susceptibility. However when
potentised into
homoeopathic form, if the substance and the organism have
similar levels of
vibration, an effect is produced. This similarity in resonance as
well as symptom picture
is the basis of the Law of similars (Vithoulkas, 2004:99).
The above underpins the
assumption of this proving, that Strychnos
henningsii
30CH (as an
electromagnetic stimulus) would produce observable symptoms in
healthy individuals and
that there would be some relationship between these
effects and those of the
crude substance, or its alkaloids (as chemical entities).
In this chapter the
comparison of the proving symptoms of Strychnos
Henningsii
30CH to the
toxicological and pharmacological effects produced by the active
components of Strychnos henningsii bark are
discussed.
140
5.2 Comparison Of The Toxicology of Strychnos henningsii And Symptoms
Obtained In The Proving
5.2.1 Strychnos henningsii Alkaloids
In the study of
Strychnos Henningsii bark, 5 alkaloids were isolated mainly of the
indole alkaloid group
(Frederich, Hayette, Tits, De Mol, Angenot, 1999:2329).
The most common indole
alkaloid is strychnine, common to the Strychnos group
(Hutchings, 1996:238).
The various sources of
information about Strychnos Henningsii
toxicity
demonstrated its intense
mode of action on various systems of the body. The
journal analysis of
provers revealed that provers experienced similar symptoms,
but of a lower
intensity. Thus by using a Homeopathic preparation of Strychnos
Henningsii
in a 30CH,
the study was able to demonstrate the proving symptoms
of the gross
symptomatology which would be experienced if the substance was
taken in the crude form.
Strychnos
Henningsii in
its crude form produces the symptomatology described
relative to the following
alkaloids:
i) Strychnine
Strychnine poisoning
causes muscles tightness, muscle twitches, hyperreflexia,
convulsions, hyper
reactivity to surroundings. compllications include
141
lactic acidosis,
rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure; and death from asphyxia
or medullary paralysis
(Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada, 1997).
ii) Diaboline
Diaboline is a
convulsant and therefore causes seizures (Wikipedia, The
Free Encyclopedia,
2009).
iii) Holstiine
Holstiine has been
identified as having antiplasmodial activity, and can
therefore be effectively
used as an anti-malarial (Ayuko, Njau, Cornelius,
Leah, Ndiege, 2008).
iv) Strychnochromine and
Guianensine
These alkaloids are
effective against Plasmodium
falciparum (Frederich,
Hayette, Tits, De Mol,
Angenot, 1999:2329).
142
The following
symptomatology and pathology arises due to the effects of the
Strychnos
henningsii alkaloids
as described below:
• Heightened senses; Increased energy and
concentration:
4 provers experienced increased
sensitivity of senses. 2 provers felt a general
alertness and an active
mind. Prover 04 experienced increase sensitivity to
noise. Prover 14 became
more aware of smells. Prover 4 smelled a wet dog!
6 provers found that
their energy had increased and they were able to
concentrate very well,
even when accompanied by negative symptoms such
as tiredness. The
nociceptive properties and the hyper reactivity of strychnine
poisoning explain the
alertness of the mind, body and senses (Borges,
Abrantes, Teixeira,
Parada, 1997).
• Relaxation:
The African Strychnos species are infamous as
hunting poisons producing
muscle-stimulating as
well as muscle-paralyzing effects (Tits, Frederich,
2004). The muscle
paralyzing effects of the crude substance are
demonstrated in a milder
form by 5 provers feeling very relaxed and calm.
143
• Anxiety and irritability:
The initial response of
strychnine poisoning is reported as agitation in patients
(Borges, Abrantes,
Teixeira, Parada, 1997). This may occur on a mental and
physical level. Many
provers felt very anxious. Provers 04 and 06 had
difficulty falling
asleep. Provers 06, 14 and 20 woke up from their sleep feeling
anxious, fearful and
restless.
Provers 20 and 25 had
restless night. Provers 02 and 04 were worried about
their personal
relationships. Prover 14 had extreme anxiety about work.
Irritability was a
marked symptom with 10 provers having experienced some
degree of moodiness,
becoming annoyed with no significant reason and
arguing more. Provers
09, 14, 15 and 20 experienced an irritable mood in the
morning.
• Apathy and tiredness:
In occurrences of
strychnine poisonings, patients, especially during and in
between convulsive
episodes, have been noted to experience consciousness
as well as
unconsciousness. 8 provers described absent-mindedness,
tiredness and inability
to focus. Prover 01 had many episodes of extreme
144
tiredness, was very
absentminded, kept forgetting and felt as if in a
‘dream/shock state’.
• Crying:
Provers 02, 04, 11 and
14 felt over sensitive and wanted to cry. This can be
attributed to the hyper
reactivity and heightened sensitivity of strychnine
toxicity.
• Vertigo and hypotension:
Strychnine, Holstiine,
Diaboline, Strychnochromine and Guianensine have
been isolated for their
antiplasmodial effects (Frederich, Hayette, Tits, De Mol,
Angenot, 1999:2329).
Lightheadedness is a common malarial symptom. 4
provers felt dizzy or
floating sensations. Prover 20 and 06 became dizzy from
getting up from the bed
and rising from a seated position respectively. Prover
04 ‘felt like I was
moving around quickly’ and felt confused > closing eyes and
shaking the head. The
blurred vision experienced by prover 15 and prover 02
feeling her vision ‘a
bit dotty’ may be from an episode of lightheadedness. The
vertigo is also due to
the hypotensive effects of Strychnine (Hutchings,
145
1996:238). Prover 09
said ‘I feel very weak and shaky – as if I have low blood
pressure. It is how I
imagine people to have low blood pressure’.
• Headaches:
Almost every prover experienced
a headache of some sort. Headache
symptoms ranged from
temporal, frontal, parietal, occipital and general
headaches. Headaches are
commonly experienced in those suffering with
malaria. Strychnine,
Holstiine, Diaboline, Strychnochromine and Guianensine
have been isolated for
their effectiveness in malaria (Frederich, Hayette, Tits,
De Mol, Angenot,
1999:2329). A peculiar symptom was the headache like a
skullcap, experienced by
provers 01 and 04.
• Itching, burning and dryness:
Allergies suggest an exaggerated
response to normal stimuli. Allergies
commonly cause itching,
burning, tearing, sneezing, discharge etc.
(Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia, 2009). Strychnine poisoning has shown
hyper reactivity which
explains the following symptoms.
146
Eyes:
6 provers had itchy scalps and dry hair. 8 provers had eyes that were
itchy and dry. Burning
and tearing were also experienced. Provers 02, 04, 14
felt it more in the left
eye. Prover 9 had throbbing, heaviness and a stye on
the right eye.
Ears: Provers
02, 14, 15, 20 and 25 had itchy ears. Prover 02 and 14 felt the
right ear was itchy.
Provers 15 and 25 were itchy in the left ear. Prover 25
also experienced
increase sensitivity to touch.
Prover 9 had an itchy
nose. Many provers experienced hayfever
symptoms, blocked nose,
discharge from the nose, and lots of sneezing.
Prover 09 had a dry,
itchy, scratchy throat in the morning. Prover 25
had a slight discomfort
with an itchy throat. Prover 20 had an itchy throat that
caused him to cough and
felt bruised.
Prover 02 was itchy over
the chest. Prover four was itchy along the
sternum. Prover 25 had a
red, itchy skin rash over his ribs on the right side.
Prover 01 found her back
dry and itchy. Prover 04 felt stinging and
burning along the spinal
cord.
147
Prover 02 very itchy
arms < left < above elbow medially. There
was also itching and
raised lumps on her leg; and her feet were red. Prover
14 had extremely dry
skin.
Skin: Provers
01 and 04 felt dry and itchy. Prover 03 found increase
sensitivity of the skin.
Prover 18 felt tingling as if something was crawling
underneath.
• Bad, Bitter taste:
A poisonous alkaloid
which is bitter to taste is said to be the chief producer of
the effects of Strychnos henningsii (AgroForestry
Tree Database, 2009).
Provers 2, 15 and 9 said
they had a bad taste in their mouth. Prover 02
described it as ‘after
taste from off milk or cheese’.
• Throat pain:
A sore throat results
from an infection on most occasions. In African
Traditional medicine the
ground bark of Strychnos henningsii is
used as an
antiseptic for the
mouth. Similarly the antiseptic properties could aid in the
treatment of
pharyngitis. Provers 09, 06, 15, 20 and 25 experienced a sore
148
throat. Prover 15 felt a
lump blocking the throat. Prover 20 felt it red, raw,
sandy and worse at
23h00.
• Nausea and Vomiting:
Provers 02, 04, 09 felt
nauseas. Prover 09 was nauseas at 10h30 and
vomited. On another
occasion nausea started at 16h00 and resolved at
23h00. Prover 23 vomited
at 6h30. Strychnine is a gastrointestinal stimulant
(Iwu, 1993:245).
Furthermore, Strychnos henningsii
alkaloids have proved
effective as
antimalarials (Frederich, Hayette, Tits, De Mol, Angenot,
1999:2329).
Gastrointestinal complaints are characteristic of malaria. These
include nausea and
vomiting. It is also known that the ground bark is used in
its crude form to treat
nausea by traditional healers (AgroForestry Tree
Database, 2009).
• Abdominal Pain:
Strychnine is known to
stimulate muscles, causing tightenning and twitches of
muscles (Borges, Abrantes,
Teixeira, Parada, 1997). The spasmodic
affections described by
prover 02 demonstrate the effect of strychnine. Prover
02 described her stomach
cramping, and being in knots. Prover 04 had
149
abdominal cramps as if
something were pulling her belly button, and felt like
pins and needles in the
belly button. Prover 14 has a crampy abdominal pain
after sweet and rich
food > after going to the loo.
• Increased and decreased appetite:
Prover 06, 14 and 25 had
increased appetite. Provers 04 and 25 had
decreased appetite. It
is interesting to note prover 25 had an increased and
decreased appetite. The
bitter taste of strychnine stimulates the appetite (Iwu,
1993:245). It is also
known to have a great affinity to the gastrointestinal
system and used as an
appetizer in Traditional African Medicine
(AgroForestry Tree
Database, 2009). There is no information on the effect of
strychnine on appetite
suppression.
• Thirst:
Provers 04, 25 and 31
had markedly increased thirst. Prover 04 wanted ice
water. Prover 25 was
thirsty despite drinking 2 litres of water. Prover 31
wanted to drink juice.
Increased thirst was a symptom that occurred on many
occasions with much
intensity and is therefore worth mention. However, its
relationship with the strychnos alkaloids is unclear due to
lack of information.
150
The bitter taste of
strychnine may contribute to stimulating thirst as it
stimulates appetite.
• Increased Flatulence and Eructations:
Many provers had
abdominal symptoms with bloating, increased flatulence
and eructation with a
bad smell. Prover 1 had an unusual feeling of a dead
hamster in her tummy and
felt she was burping ‘dead hampster’. Prover 11
was bloated with gas in
the lower quadrants, especially the left but unable to
pass gas. Prover 01
complained of increased gas with bad odour. Prover 02
also complained of
increased gas with bad odour, < onions < after dinner, but
was frustrated at the
inability to control the flatulence. Strychnine has action
on the gastrointestinal system
and is used for gastrointestinal complaints
(AgroForestry Tree
Database, 2009).
• Constipation:
Strychnine causes muscle
paralysis and spasm thus affecting the rectal
sphincter and the
colonic movements which affect defecation resulting in
constipation. Provers
01, 02, 09 and 20 experienced constipation. Prover 01
151
had pain and stool felt
like a plug. Prover 02 had a feeling of incomplete
evacuation as the stool
became ‘stuck’.
• Diarrhoea :
Strychnine is a
gastrointestinal stimulant and therefore may result in diarrhea.
It is for this reason it
is used for the treatment of constipation (Iwu, 1993:245).
Prover 14 experienced
more frequent stools, loosely formed. Prover 15 had to
rush to the toilet after
eating anything.
• Black Stools:
Prover 04 and 06 had
black stools. 2 provers described the pain in their
abdomen as liver pain.
Prover 2 described the bad taste in her mouth as
“bile”. The black stools
may therefore be indicative of the effects on the liver in
a toxic state where it
produces black stool. The black stools may also have a
relation to its common
name- coffee bean, but no information is available to
verify the symptom.
152
• Increased Libido:
Provers 01, 15 and 14
experienced increased sex drive. The correlation
between the toxicity of Strychnos henningsii and this symptom
is unclear.
However, strychnine is
used for the treatment of male impotence (Iwu,
1993:245).
• Dysmenorrhoea:
Strychnos
henningsii plant
is used in zulu medicine for the treatment of
dysmenorrhoea. It is not
certain which alkaloid is responsible for the specific
action, but strychnine
stimulates muscle twitching resulting in abdominal
cramps (Hutchings,
1996:238). 5 provers experienced pain during their
period. Prover 11
experienced pains like something was ‘pulling and twisting
the uterus’. Three
provers also found that their menses were longer and
heavier than usual.
• Twitching:
Strychnine causes
muscles twitches and hyper-reflexia (Borges, Abrantes,
Teixeira, Parada, 1997).
It is this muscle-stimulating effect that accounts for
the twitching
experienced by provers.
153
Eyes: Prover
15 had twitching of the left eye on four occasions.
Hiccoughs: Prover 01 and 02 experienced hiccoughs. Prover 01 had
hiccoughs when thinking
of studying.
Muscles: Provers 11 and 04 felt muscles go into spasm, had tremors and
weakness.
• Respiratory constriction and pain:
Reports from strychnine
poisoning show patients displaying muscle tightness
and spasm and eventual
respiratory arrest (Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira,
Parada, 1997). This may
be true to the respiratory muscles as well. Provers
09, 15, 20 and 25 had
tight chests and difficulty breathing. Prover 25 had
shortness of breath
after exercise. The chest pain experienced by provers
may be associated with
spasm of the respiratory muscles. Respiratory spasm
also accounts for the
dry cough that prover 09, 20 and 25 experienced.
154
• Back Pain:
Back pain can be caused
by the musculature of the back being in spasm or
from neurological
sources. Strychnine causes muscle spasm and is also a
CNS stimulant (Borges,
Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada, 1997). Many provers
experienced back aches,
lower back pains and stiffness which maybe due to
muscle spasm. Prover 25 felt
a pinching sensation in his back possibly from
the CNS stimulant action
of strychnine.
• Extremities pain, heaviness, cramping, stiffness:
Symptoms of the
extremities were the most common experienced in many
ways on various
occasions. 10 provers felt muscle pains. Provers 02, 11, 25
felt cramping in the
muscle. Strychnine is known to initiate muscle twitching
and cause muscle spasm
(Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada, 1997).
Interestingly, prover 14
found her thighs and knees ached ‘like form lactic acid
build-up’, and
strychnine poisoning in its later stages causes lactic acidosis
(Borges, Abrantes,
Teixeira, Parada, 1997).
155
• Dreams:
Poisoned: Prover 04 dreamt her boyfriend tried to kill her. Strychnine is a
poison and in high doses
leads to death.
Anxiety and panic: The initial response of strychnine poisoning is reported
as agitation in patients
(Borges, Abrantes, Teixeira, Parada, 1997). Provers
02, 28 and 14 had
anxious dreams.
• Craving sweet and cake:
This was a very common
symptom but not enough information is available to
verify the occurrence.
• Flu-like symptoms:
Strychnos
henningsii alkaloids
have proved effective as in treating malarial symptoms (Frederich, Hayette,
Tits, De Mol, Angenot, 1999:2329). The malaria patient experiences flu-like
symptoms in the early stages. Provers 09, 11 and 25 described their symptoms as
‘flu-like’.
5.3 Summary
The above discussion
demonstrates some similarities between the toxicology of Strychnos henningsii in its crude
form, and that of a majority of the symptomatology obtained during the proving,
particularly with respect to physical symptomatology and notable effects at the
general level. Toxicology does not account for many of the delusions, dreams
and more subtle symptomatology contained in the ‘mind’ and ‘general’ chapters.
Embargoed Until: 
2013-09-01