HOMEOPATHIC RESEARCH

-GEORGE VITHOULKAS
Urinary and Kidney symptoms: Berberis vulgaris causes inflammation of the kidneys with hematuria. Pains may be felt all over the body, emanating from the small of the back.
Lancinating, or tearing, bubbling pains in region of kidneys; worse stooping and rising again, sitting or lying; from jar; from fatigue; very sensitive to touch in renal region.
Many cases of (especially right-sided) renal colic have been cured by this remedy.
All the urinary organs are markedly affected.
The emission of urine is frequently accompanied by pains in thighs and loins.
Violent sticking pains in bladder, extending from kidneys into urethra, with urging to urinate.
Urine dark yellow, red, becoming turbid, copious; mucous sediment, or transparent, jelly-like or reddish, bran-like yellowish sediment. Urine slimy when passed, depositing copious foamy yellowish sediment. Greenish urine depositing mucus. During urination burning in urethra, or bladder, pressure in bladder, cutting, burning, or stitches in urethra.
Gall-stones: Sticking pain in region of liver and gall-bladder shooting up to left shoulder, worse by pressure. Gall-stone shooting up to left scapula. Pains shoot down from tenth rib to navel.
Very valuable for hepatic diseases; with indigestion, eructations, salivation, heartburn, vomiting of food after eating. Soreness in the region of the liver. Bilious colic, colic from gall-stones, with jaundice.
It cures gall-stone colic when these little twinges go in every direction from that locality.
Rectal Symptoms: Berberis produces both constipation (sheep-dung stools) and diarrhea, and a number of symptoms about the anus. Hemorrhoids, with itching or burning, particularly after stool, which frequently is hard and covered with blood. Fistula in ano with painful pressure in perineum, extending deep into pelvis. For post-operative pains and also in cases where, after an operation on fistula, there appear symptoms such as short coughing in the chest.
Genitalia: Dragging or lancinating pains in spermatic cord, extending into testes. Cold feeling in prepuce, glans, testes, and scrotum.
In the female a marked symptom is absence of pleasurable sensation during coition. Uterine symptoms and leucorrhea associated with painful urinary symptoms. Dysmenorrhea, pains radiating in all directions down thighs, etc. Vagina intensely painful; reddened. Violent pain in back, with menses which are too scanty.
Neuralgia of spermatic cords and testicles (Clem., Cimicif., Puls.) Uterine symptoms, with leucorrhea, associated with painful symptoms in urinary organs. Dysmenorrhoea, with pains, radiating in every direction, down thighs, into abdomen, etc. (Cimicif.). Vaginismus, with inflamed kidneys, etc.
Lumbago: Berberis is a leading remedy in lumbago and slipped disc. Pains extend from back, round body, down to the thighs and leg; red sediment in urine is a concomitant.
Numbness, stiffness, and lameness felt in kidney region. Pains are worse from any exertion and fatigue, and therefore you will find aggravation after the morning activities at 1 or 2 p.m. Worse from lying down on the back, especially first thing at night, which prevents them from sleeping. Much worse from bending forward.
Warm coverings are pleasant but do not ameliorate the pains dramatically. This will help to differentiate Berberis from Calc. or Rhus tox.
Aching in small of back aggravated when sitting; when lying; in the morning on awakening.
In lumbago most cases are better from motion. But note that while the pains in the lumbago are better from motion, the pains that appear in the joints are worse from motion.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Berberis could be useful in C.F. S as there is great weakness, like fainting, after a walk, with perspiration and heat on the upper part of the body; cold, pale, sunken face and oppression of breathing. Great relaxation, with disinclination to do anything. After a short distance the patient is compelled to stop from a feeling of intense weariness, heaviness, lameness, and stiffness of the legs, which feel sore as if bruised.
Polypus of the Vocal Cord: On the indication "tumors and sessile growths," Ozanam cured a case of polypus of vocal cords, red, with a sessile base. Thuja had failed. bear. 200 was given at first with good effect, the attenuation being gradually reduced with increasingly good effect until the growth disappeared entirely under the 1x.
Arthritis: Stuart Close records the cure with Berb. 200 of a woman who had the following symptoms: cutting, burning pains in the balls of the feet on stepping. On standing with most of the weight on the heels she had no pain. On rising in morning sensation in soles as if stepping on needles. Gouty concretions in the auricle, becoming very painful, with tearing stinging pains.
Acne: The drug has been successfully used in common acne.