Cocculus indicus:Unmarried women; childless women; romantic girls; sensitive girls; bookworms; rakes.

- VERMEULEN Frans,
Cocc.


Cocculus indicus

Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.
[Friedrich Nietzsche]
Signs
Anamirta cocculus. Cocculus indicus. Indian Cockle. Levant nut. N.O. Menispermaceae.
CLASSIFICATION The Menispermaceae or Moonseed family is native to tropical rain forests, but some species grow in subtropical and warm temperate regions. The family is composed of lianas [mostly stem climbers] and, rarely, trees or herbs. There are about 500 species in some 75 genera. The family is divided into eight tribes based largely on seed structure. The genera Anamirta and Cocculus belong to separate tribes.
FEATURES Menispermaceae are dioecious: male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The unisexual flowers are very small, and often greenish-white. The fruit is drupaceous, usually curved, often to horseshoe-shape. Nearly all members contain alkaloids.
ECONOMIC USES Tubocurare is obtained mainly from Chondrodendron tomentosum, a climbing plant used in homoeopathy under the name Pareira brava. South American Indians use Tubocurare as an arrow poison, particularly in the western Amazon area; in the eastern Amazon potcurare is preferred, which usually contains Strychnos toxifera as the toxic ingredient. Also used in surgery in the form of tubocurarine chloride as a muscle relaxant, and in neurological conditions, e.g. to control muscle spasms in tetanus. The drupes of Anamirta cocculus, called 'fish berries', contain a poison [picrotoxin] which is used locally in hunting fish and in treating skin diseases. A tonic and febrifuge is prepared from the roots of Jateorhiza palmata [calumba]; Jateorhiza is used in homoeopathy under the name Chasmantera palmata or Columbo.
ANAMIRTA Anamirta cocculus, a strong climber with an ash-coloured corky bark, is native to India, Sri Lanka, and the coast of Malabar. The huge, heart-shaped, leathery leaves have long stalks and are strongly ribbed on the under-surface. Cavities in the plant are inhabited by mites [acarodomatia]. The small yellow flowers are aggregated in pendulous panicles. The fruit is a reddish brown berry, somewhat larger than a large pea and with the structure of a drupe. The plant derives its name from the diminutive of Gr. kokkus, a berry. The berry is the officinal part. It resembles the berry of the bay-tree, from which it can be distinguished by the fact that the seed of Anamirta never wholly fills the cavity of its shell. The outer coat of the berry is thin and becomes dry, black and wrinkled. The thin, bivalved white shell within contains a whitish, crescent-shaped, very oily seed. The seed gradually atrophies, so that in old samples it is not uncommon to find the shell almost empty. The seed contains a powerful convulsant poison, picrotoxin. The nomenclature is somewhat confusing. The species used in homoeopathy is Anamirta cocculus or Anamirta paniculata. The name Cocculus indicus is not a botanical name, but refers to its commercial product, the berries.
FISH BERRIES Locals throw the entire fruits into small ponds to stupefy fish and make them easy to catch. Falck observed that fishes swimming in water to which picrotoxin [the active principle of Anamirta] is added, "make winding and boring movements of the body, alternating with quiet swimming, open their mouths and gill caverns frequently, fall on their side and rapidly die of asphyxia."1

Cocculus indicus

HISTORY "The first notice of the Cocculus indicus is in the works of some of the Arabian physicians, but it was chiefly employed as a poison for fish. It has been but rarely employed as a medicine, and then chiefly as an external application in scabies, and in ringworm of the scalp. The importation of the drug into England is considerably less in quantity than formerly, and is seldom used unless it is for the illicit adulteration of beer and porter in low public-houses; for this purpose it was in great request some years since, notwithstanding the severe prohibitory laws against its use. Morrice [Treatise on Brewing] orders 'three pounds of Cocculus indicus to be added to ten quarters of malt. It gives an inebriating quality, which passes for strength of liquor; it also prevents the second fermentation of beer, and the bursting of the bottles in warm climates.' It is the ingredient used by thieves and other bad characters for the purpose of hocussing their victims."2
TOXICOLOGY "It is poisonous to most animals. According to Orfila, it acts as an irritant, and imparts its deleterious effects to the flesh of animals or fish poisoned by it, but this depends on the quantity of poison used; when ten to fifteen grains were used, and the fish afterwards given to animals, the noxious effects were as strongly marked as if they had swallowed the poison. All kinds of fish are killed by it, the barbel taking the longest to die. The symptoms on animals are, trembling gait; eyes protruding and haggard; agitation of the muscles, followed by convulsions and contortions of the whole body; falling backwards and forwards; opisthotonos; entire loss of consciousness; foaming at the mouth; tongue and gums livid; respiration quickened and laboured. These spasmodic symptoms remit for a few minutes, and then return with redoubled violence until death relieves. On opening the body after death, in the left ventricle of the heart was found a clot of blood of a brownish-red colour, of a tissue more compact than usual, and of a colour deeper in patches. In other cases, there was vomiting of yellow and liquid matter. ... The seeds in powder and decoction give rise [in humans] to nausea, vomiting, and griping pains, hiccough and anxiety, followed by stupor and intoxication."3 Recent experiments on animals with the plant tincture or picrotoxin produced such symptoms as slowness, tottering gait, apathy, drowsiness, diuresis, vomiting, and cramps. Some animals made chewing motions with an inclination to draw the mouth to the right side. A peculiar symptom was that almost all animals turned their head to the right side. [Brown, British Med. Journal 1975]
PICROTOXIN Picrotoxin, also named cocculin, is a central nervous system stimulant. It is effective in restoring respiration depressed by barbiturates or morphine. It found its main use as an antidote for these drugs, but is now obsolete. "Picrotoxin is a cerebrospinal exaltant, affecting especially the centres in the medulla oblongata, and representing the combined action of Belladonna and Nux vomica. It causes muscular twitching, incoordination, stupor, delirium, epileptiform convulsions, tonic and clonic spasms, alternating, exalted reflexes, trembling, then coma, insensibility, and death by paralysis of the heart. The drug paralyzes Setschenow's reflex inhibiting centre, and stimulates the reflex centres in the cord. It stimulates all secretions, but especially the intestinal, causes nausea and vomiting, and slows both heart and respiration, after transiently accelerating them."4 The spasms caused by picrotoxin are choreic and chiefly affect the flexor muscles, while those from strychnine are tetanic, affecting principally the extensors. Vinegar gives relief in overdosing, and may have some antidotal power. As a therapeutic, picrotoxin has been chiefly used in nervous diseases. Potter gives the following indications: cases of epilepsy that are attributable to onanism, in anaemic subjects, and where the attacks are nocturnal in time; paralyses accompanied by dizziness and lightness in the head; sero-purulent leucorrhoea with lumbar pains; vomiting, with giddiness, headache, and intolerance of light and sound; facial paralysis brought on by cold.
BARBITURATES Barbiturates were once highly prized by the medical establishment as effective hypnotics and anti-convulsants. They led the field as mass-market sedative drugs until the 1960s, when they lost much of their market share to Valium and Librium. The sleep-inducing properties of barbiturates were discovered early in the 20th century, and hundreds of compounds were made and tested. Barbiturates all have depressant activity on the central nervous system, producing effects similar to those of inhalation anaesthetics. They cause death from respiratory and cardiovascular depression if given in large doses. Barbiturates were widely used outside the realm of medical practice, an abuse that reached its zenith in the 1950s and 1960s. This group of sedative drugs was known under a host of slang terms, such as 'barbs', 'goofballs', 'abbots', 'downers' [phenobarbital, Luminal], and 'reds' [secobarbital, Seconal]. Overdosing on barbiturates is a common cause of death from suicide. Barbiturates are highly addictive and sedate within 30 minutes after intake. Side-effects include dizziness, headache, confusion, heart irregularities, low blood pressure and then coma, which may last up to several days. Barbiturates can be fatal in combination with alcohol.
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - 9 [male] provers; method: unknown.
[1] cited in Hughes, Cyclopaedia. [2-3] Hamilton, Flora Homoeopathica. [4] Potter, A Compend of MM.
Affinity
SENSORIUM. Cerebro-spinal axis [OCCIPUT; lumbar region; muscles]. Female sexual organs. One side. * Right side. Left side.
Modalities
Worse: Motion [BOAT; CAR; carriage]. Slight causes [exertion; pain; noise; touch; emotions]. LOSS OF SLEEP; night-watching. Anxiety. Cold. Open air. Eating. During menses. Thought and smell of food. Lying on occiput. Drinking; drinking coffee. Talking. Pregnancy. Smoking. Laughing. Crying.
Better: Lying quiet. Warm room.
Main symptoms
M OVERSENSITIVENESS.
• "The other part that stands out is the patient's oversensitive nature. We find him in most situations wanting to compromise, or expecting people to do so. This stems from his extreme sensitiveness to rudeness. [Sensitive to rudeness; Ailments from rudeness; Sadness, as if from insult.] After feeling hurt or insulted he spends hours and days trying to understand why this particular incident took place. [Dwells on past disagreeable occurrences], and how he should have reacted to it [introspection]."1
Oversensitive to noise and odours.
• "A slight noise goes through all his limbs." [Hahnemann]
Noise = nausea and vomiting; e.g. during headache.
• "When her mind is turned away from herself her sufferings are forgotten." [Hering]
M SLOWNESS [of comprehension].
Reflecting and answering takes a LONG TIME.
Hence: Aversion to being DISTURBED, and ANGER from INTERRUPTION.
[they then lose the thread of their thoughts]
Cannot find the right word; cannot finish anything.
Movements are carried out with marked deliberation.
• "The thoughts are fixed on a single disagreeable subject; she is absorbed in thought and notices nothing about her." [Hahnemann]
• "Patient wants plenty of time to move head, to move to think or to do anything." [Mathur]
c Or: Euphoria. [observed by 4 provers!]
• "Irresistible inclination to trill and sing; like a kind of madness."
• "Happy humour, and contented with himself."
• "Everything angers and vexes him; after a few hours he becomes lively and disposed to make jokes."
• "Joyous, contented, merry; he becomes witty and makes jokes." [Hahnemann]
M Worried about others.
• "Serious, and though caring little about his own health, he is very anxious about the illnesses of others."
• "In the morning, anxiety respecting the incurability of a trifling malady." [Hahnemann]
• "This is well known as the remedy for nurses who sit up all night watching over the sick, and for people who attend to the dying. ... In truth, Cocculus wants to know the secrets of life and to control its movements, which gives rise to a sort of charitable nosiness, pushing these individuals into professions such as nursing, medicine, and psychoanalysis. ... Cocculus wants to know the secret of the movements that make life exist, and hopes to find this out by listening to the last words of the dying." [Grandgeorge]
M Sensation of going backwards.
• "Here I should like to draw attention to a symptom the equivalent of which may also be observed in humans and which may prove useful. Gross wrote in 1841: The horse pulling my carriage developed convulsions. It 'was staggering as if drunk. It sat down on its hindquarters and seemed to want to turn over backwards.' Boenninghausen, in 1835: 'When bending down he feels as if about to fall backwards and has to hold on somewhere quickly.' The effect of picrotoxin in animals experiments: 'Movements directed backwards, opisthotonos, running backwards.' ... Here is a recording from one of my patients: 'I take fright easily. When I am in the car, it sometimes seems to me that my husband is driving backwards. This usually happens when I have had a fright. As we go along in the car, I suddenly feel all funny, and something pulls me backwards. In the street I feel as though I were completely intoxicated."2
G Suitability.
• "Unmarried women; childless women; romantic girls; sensitive girls; bookworms; rakes." [Mathur]
G Ailments from a combination of PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL STRESS: NURSING THE SICK, i.e. LOSS OF SLEEP + anxiety about the health of a sick person.
• "The slightest interruption to sleep causes loss of strength; he misses every hour of sleep." [Hahnemann]
G Ailments from CARES, WORRIES + physical EXERTION.
G All SLOWS DOWN due to the prostration.
TIME passes too QUICKLY.
G < MOVING SURROUNDINGS [i.e. looking outside when travelling in a car]. Slowness of accommodation. G Paralytic weakness and numbness and trembling. • "Prostration is a marked feature, associated with curious, hollow, all-gone sensations, often induced by emotional stress or lack of sleep." [Gibson] G Extreme weakness [esp. of the legs] during and after menses. Can scarcely speak or stand. Exhausting menses, < standing on tip toe. G CHILLY. Aversion to open air; open air <. Also: Chilly, but doesn't like heat. G Aversion to FOOD; nausea at sight or smell of food. • "Extreme loathing at food, the very smell food irritates him, and yet he is hungry." [Hahnemann] G Desire for BEER [or cold drinks], esp. during HEADACHE. G < Heat and cold. G < TOUCH. G < TALKING. • "Aggravation from talking is a general aggravation in Cocculus. In Cocculus patients, talking makes the throat worse, and also aggravates quite generally, with different complaints. ... Two of my own cases go in this direction: 'If I talk for any length of time I immediately get hoarse, and everything contracts in the throat and it hurts', and 'When I talk, my throat gets tighter and tighter. A tight collar will increase the feeling of constriction in the pharynx or larynx, making it more difficult to talk. Talking will increase the sensation of constriction in the larynx, and there is hoarseness as well.' ... A proving symptom relating to this: 'As she talks she gets a kind of constriction in the mouth and needs to speak more slowly.' Another proving symptom: 'Reading aloud tired him so much, in the chest, that he was able to read on only with great effort', and also 'all symptoms, particularly in the head, increase when talking.' There it is, then - even Hahnemann recorded aggravation from talking as a general modality relating to the whole organism."3 G > LYING in bed.
> LYING on [either] SIDE.
G MOTION SICKNESS.
G Empty, HOLLOW sensation in organs [head, chest, abdomen].
• "That dreadful sensation of hollowness in the head and in the belly, giving rise to nausea and causing one to faint, is very much like when one moves forward on a swing, or goes down in a lift. It is no mere weakness, but absolutely the sensation as if those parts were hollow, one's head, chest, or belly. It is a sensation as if one did not have an abdomen at all any more."4
• "Dizzy sensation, as if she had no head." [Hering]
G Vertigo.
And Weakness of nape of neck.
Nape of neck seems too weak to hold up the heavy head.
G Vertigo and nausea.
• "Vomiting of pregnancy and vertigo."
P Dysmenorrhoea.
• "Another reliable indication for Cocculus is dysmenorrhoea. The pain is very much cramp-like, with sensitivity to touch and pressure, as the menstrual flow is working its way through. It occurs predominantly at night, with the abdomen distended. The most characteristic sign, however, is the tossing to and fro, the physical unrest, that goes with it."5
P Numbness of hands when grasping objects.
Numbness changes sides.
[1] Sunil Anand, A Case of Cocculus indicus; HL 3/93. [2-5] v. Keller, Cocculus and how far homoeopathy can be taught, BHJ, Apr. 1980.
Rubrics
Mind
Anger, alternating with cheerfulness [1], with jesting [1]; from interruption [1]. Anxiety, about health of others [1], about health of relatives [1], < motion [1], from night watching [2], after nursing [1], from loss of sleep [2]. Asking for nothing [1]. Full of cares about others [3]. Colours, aversion to black [1], desire for light blue [1]. Delusions, floating in air [1], as if there were no head [1], that he were on sea [1/1]. Dulness, understands questions only after repetition [1]. Fear, in narrow place [1], of sudden noise [2]. Indolence, in face of difficulties [1/1]. Lamenting, during menses [2]. Reverence for those around him [1]. Sympathetic [1]. Fritters away his time [1]. Witty [1]. Vertigo After eating > [1]. Looking at moving objects [1*]. Warm bed > [1/1].
Head
Empty, hollow sensation > getting warm in bed [1/1], after eating [1]. Pain, from coffee [2], from drinking [2], after emotional excitement [2], from laughing [1], from loss of sleep, night watching [3], from smoking tobacco [1], > warm room [1]; opening and shutting, in occiput [2].
Eye
Swelling, in morning, after headache [1].
Vision
Hemiopia, right half lost [2]. Objects seem to be moving up and down [2].
Ear
Noises, during vertigo [2]. Stopped sensation, alternating sides [1/1].
Face
Discolouration, red, during vertigo [2].
Throat
Spasms, from talking [1*]. Swallowing, liquids more difficult than solids [1]; difficult, when nervous [1; Nux-v.; Phys.].
Stomach
Emptiness, during headache [1], during nausea [1]. Nausea, from dryness in pharynx [3/1], from false teeth [1/1], seasickness, > closing eyes [1]. ABDOMEN: Pain, like sharp stones rubbing together [2]. Peristalsis, reversed [1].
Female
Menses, black, pitch-like [2], cease suddenly [1], copious, from grief [1/1], copious, from loss of sleep [1/1], in gushes, when rising [2], irregular, between periods [2], flow only in the absence of pain [2]. Metrorrhagia, from coitus interruptus [1/1], from emotions [1].
Larynx
Constriction, from talking [1*].
Chest
Sensation of emptiness, heart [1]. Weakness, when reading aloud [1].
Limbs
Sensation as if upper arm were broken [2]. Coldness, hands, alternating sides [1/1]. Numbness, migratory [2; Raph.]; hands, alternating sides [3/1]; feet, alternating with numbness of hands [3/1]; soles of feet, while sitting [3; Thuj.].
Dreams
Teeth falling out [1]. Doing wrong [1].
Generals
Faintness, on excitement [1], on exertion [2], from hunger [1], during menses, from pain [2], on moving [3], during nausea [3], during palpitations [2], after vomiting [2]. Trembling externally, on slight exertion [2], intention tremor [2], from noise [2], during pains [2], from unexpected touch [2; Kali-ar.], from weakness [1].
* Repertory additions [Hughes].
Food
Aversion: [3]: Food; food, with hunger; food, smell of. [2]: Acids; beer; cheese. [1]: Cabbage; drinks; tobacco.
Desire: [2]: Beer; bread; cold drinks; mustard; refreshing things; tonics. [1]: Bitter drinks; coffee; meat; salt; warm food.
Worse: [2]: Coffee; cold drinks; cold food; eggs; food, smell of; tobacco. [1]: Beer; stimulants; tea.
Better: [1]: Wine.