THUJA OCCIDENTALIS

Every homeopathic remedy is explained in detail by William Boericke, M.D. in the Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory, a book which is highly respected by the homeopathy profession. The following text is excerpted from that book and explains the symptoms covered by this remedy:

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS
Common name: Arbor vitæ

Acts on skin, blood, gastro-intestinal tract, kidneys, and brain. Its relation to the production of pathological vegetations condylomate, warty excrescences, spongy tumors is very important. Moist mucous tubercles. Bleeding fungus growths. Nævus. Excess of venosity.

The main action of Thuja is on the skin and genito-urinary organs, producing conditions that correspond with Hahnemann's sycotic dyscrasia, whose chief manifestation is the formation of wart-like excrescences upon mucous and cutaneous surfaces-fig-warts and condylomata. Has a specific antibacterial action, as in gonorrhœa and vaccination. Suppressed gonorrhœa, salpingitis. Ill-effects of vaccination. Sycotic pains, i.e, tearing in muscles and joints, worse at rest, better in dry weather, worse damp humid atmosphere; lameness. Hydrogenoid constitutions, whose blood is morbidly hydroscopic, so that damp air and water are inimical. Complaints from moonlight. Rapid exhaustion and emaciation. Left-sided and chilly medicine. Variola, aborts the pustule and prevents the suppurating fever. Vaccinosis, viz, inveterable skin troubles, neuralgia, etc.

Mind: Fixed ideas, as if a strange person were at his side; as if soul and body were separated; as if something alive in abdomen (Croc). Emotional sensitiveness; music causes weeping and trembling.

Head: Pain as if pierced by a nail (Coff; Ign). Neuralgia from tea (Selen). Left-sided headache. White, scaly dandruff; hair dry and falling out. Greasy skin of face.

Eyes: Ciliary neuralgia; iritis. Eyelids agglutinated at night; dry, scaly. Styes and tarsal tumors (Staph). Acute and subacute inflammation of sclera. Sclera raised in patches, and looks bluish-red. Large, flat phlyctenules; indolent. Recurring episcleritis. Chronic scleritis.

Ears: Chronic otitis; discharge purulent. Creaking when swallowing. Polypi.

Nose: Chronic catarrh; thick, green mucus; blood and pus. On blowing nose, pain in teeth. Ulceration within the nostrils. Dryness of nasal cavities. Painful pressure at root.

Mouth: Tip of tongue very painful. White blisters on side close to root, painfully sore. Teeth decay next to gums; very sensitive; gums retract. Drinks fall audibly into stomach. Ranula; varicose veins on tongue and mouth. Pyorrhea alveolaris.

Stomach: Complete loss of appetite. Dislike for fresh meat and potatoes. Rancid eructations after fat food. Cutting pain in epigastrium. Cannot eat onions. Flatulence; pain after food; sinking sensation in epigastrium before food; thirst. Tea-drinking dyspepsia.

Abdomen: Distended; indurations in abdomen. Chronic diarrhœa, worse after breakfast. Discharges forcibly expelled; gurgling sound. Brown spots. Flatulence and distension; protruding here and there. Rumbling and colic. Constipation, with violent rectal pain, causing stool to recede (Sil; Sanic). Piles swollen; pain worse sitting, with stitching, burning pains at the anus. Anus fissured; painful to touch with warts. Movements as of something living (Crocus), without pain.

Urinary: Urethra swollen inflamed. Urinary stream split and small. Sensation of trickling after urinating. Severe cutting after (Sars). Frequent micturition accompanying pains. Desire sudden and urgent, but cannot be controlled. Paralysis sphincter vesicæ.

Male: Inflammation of prepuce and glans; pain in penis. Balanitis. Gonorrhœal rheumatism. Gonorrhœa. Chronic induration of testicles. Pain and burning felt near neck of bladder, with frequent and urgent desire to urinate. Prostatic enlargement (Ferr pic; Thiosinaminum; Iod; Sabal).

Female: Vagina very sensitive (Berb; Kreos; Lyssin). Warty excrescences on vulva and perineum. Profuse leucorrhœa; thick, greenish. Severe pain in left ovary and left inguinal region. Menses scanty, retarded. Polypi; fleshy excrescences. Ovaritis; worse left side, at every menstrual period (Lach). Profuse perspiration before menses.

Respiratory: Dry, hacking cough in afternoon, with pain in pit of stomach. Stitches in chest; worse, cold drinks. Asthma in children (Nat sulph). Papilloma of larynx. Chronic laryngitis.

Extremities: When walking, limbs feel as if made of wood or glass, and would break easily. Tips of fingers swollen, red, feel read. Muscular twitchings, weakness and trembling. Cracking in joints. Pain in heels and tendo-Achilles. Nails brittle. Ingrowing toe nail.

Skin: Polypi, tubercles, warts epithelioma, nævi, carbuncles; ulcers, especially in ano-genital region. Freckles and blotches. Perspiration sweetish, and strong. Dry skin, with brown spots. Zona; herpetic eruptions. Tearing pains in glands. Glandular enlargement. Nails crippled; brittle and soft. Eruptions only on covered parts; worse after scratching. Very sensitive to touch. Coldness of one side. Sarcoma; polypi. Brown spots on hands and arms.

Sleep: Persistent insomnia.

Fever: Chill, beginning in thighs. Sweat only on uncovered parts, or all over except head, when sleeping; profuse, sour, smelling like honey. Orgasm of blood in the evening, with throbbing in the blood-vessels.

Modalities: Worse, at night, from heat of bed; at 3 am and 3 pm; from cold, damp air; after breakfast; fat, coffee; vaccination. Better, left side; while drawing up a limb.

Relationship: Compare: (Hydrogenoid constitution: Calcar; Silica; Nat sulph; Aranea; Apis; Pulsat). Cupressus australis (sharp, prickling pain; general feeling of warmth; rheumatism and gonorrhœa). Cupressus Lawsoniana (acts like Thuja; terrible pains in the stomach). Sphingurus (falling out of hair from beard; pain in jaw-joint and zygoma); Sil; Maland (vaccination); Medorrh (suppressed gonorrhœa); Merc; Cinnab; Terebinth; Juniperus; Sabin; Sil; Canth; Cannab; Nit ac; Puls; Ant tart; Arborin is a non-alcoholic preparation of Thuja.

Antidotes: Merc; Camph; Sabin (warts).

Complementary: Sabina; Ars; Nat sulph; Silica.