Capsicum annuum
-VERMEULEN Frans
Caps.
It doesn't matter who you are, or what you have done, or what you think you can do.
There's confrontation with destiny awaiting you.
Somewhere, there is a chilli you cannot eat.
[Daniel Pinkwater, A Hot Time in Nairobi]
Home is where folks go when they get tired of being nice to people.
[McKenzie]
Signs
Capsicum annuum. Spanish pepper. N.O. Solanaceae.
CLASSIFICATION Capsicum annuum belongs to the family of the Nightshades [Solanaceae].
There are about ten Capsicum species. Two are extremely important to the cuisine, namely Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens. The Capsicum annuum is the mild and refreshing vegetable that goes under many different common names. It has relatively large fruits, which turns from green to red or yellow and can be added to almost all kinds of food. Capsicum "peppers" have absolutely nothing to do with the woody Indian vine Piper nigrum and its black pepper corn seeds.
HABITAT Capsicum is an annual plant grown from a seed. It can be cultivated in tropical countries up to an altitude of 200 metres. Although sensitive to frost, it can also be cultivated in warm temperate regions and in cooler climates under protection. Capsicums need the same care as tomatoes, but they are even more vulnerable to cold. They need to be grown in a soil that will not dry out too quickly and is supplied with plenty of organic matter.
SEEDS Seeds should be sown in a light, well-drained soil in a warm, sunny greenhouse - where the temperature shouldn't drop below 60 degrees minimum. Within 6-8 weeks they will be ready to be set out, preferably when the weather is really warm and settled. The seeds take 16-20 weeks to sprout. The seedlings are transplanted as soon as they are large enough to handle. When cutting a paprika, it contains lighter, longitudinal ridges that carry the seeds. The more seeds and ridges are kept during the drying and grinding, the sharper tasting the product is. By Hungarian standards the finest quality is called "delicacy paprika" - here the ridges and almost all the seeds have been cut out before processing to produce a less pungent taste. This product is sold to the USA where it is commonly used. "Rose paprika", the stronger variation is very popular in both Germany and Scandinavia.
FEATURES The stem of the annual Capsicum is thick, roundish, smooth and branching. The plant rises 1-5 metres in height, carrying ovate, pointed, smooth entire leaves, which are placed without regular order on the long footstalks. The leaves vary in size from 1,5 - 12 cm in length. The flowers are white, solitary, 10-15 mm across and stand on long penduncles in the axils of the leaves. Flowers appear in July/August and the fruit ripens in October. The fruit is a hollow, many-seeded berry which is very variable in size [0,8-30 cm], shape [elongated, top-shaped, spherical], colour [green, yellow, brownish-purple], and pungency. Because of the very long period of cultivation and human selection, many forms of capsicum exist and this makes classification difficult, if not impossible. However, the two important species normally recognised are Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens.
VARIETIES Numerous cultivars have been produced that have fruits with a range of flavours and sizes. They are all included under the specific name annuum. Common names are therefore very misleading; they range from Sweet pepper, Chilli pepper, Chilli, Cayenne pepper, Bell pepper, to Cherry pepper, etc. It all depends on which hybrid is mentioned. A hot debate about the classification of Capsicum annuum is still raging. Its nomenclature is full of contradictions. Some authorities maintain that only two varieties exist of Capsicum annuum: C. annuum var. annuum and C. annuum var. glabriusculum. The former includes most of the cultivated peppers as vegetables and herbs/spices. At least 5 'groups' exist, the most pertinent of which is the Longum group; this includes the capsicum pepper [Eng.], chilli pepper [Eng.], poivre rouge [Fr.], Roter Pfeffer [Ger.], pepe di caienna [It.], pimenton [Sp.], red pepper [Eng.], and paprika [Eng.] and includes such cultivars as 'Anaheim', 'Caribe', 'Fresno', 'Jalapeno', 'Mulato', 'Serrano', etc. The latter includes bird pepper [Eng.] and chiltepin [Sp.]. The other 4 groups are: Cerasiforme [cherry], Conioides [cone], Fasciculatum [red cone], and Grossum [sweet or bell pepper].
MORE VARIETIES Capsicum baccatum exists in two varieties: C. baccatum var. baccatum, and C. baccatum var. pendulum. These are called Brown's pepper or piris [Eng.]. Capsicum frutescens is known as Tabasco pepper [Eng.], hot pepper, spur pepper, and malagueta [Sp.]; the species also includes the cultivars 'Tabasco' and 'Greenleaf Tabasco'. Capsicum pubescens includes rocoto [Sp.] and chile manzana [Sp.]. 1
STAGES The common name also depends on the taste and in which stage of its growth it is picked. The rule of the thumb says, the stronger the colour, the stronger the taste. But it is also well known that small fruits have a higher concentration of flavouring substance, and are hottest. Normally it is said that the yellow-white paprika is the one that is nicest to the palate, which is not completely true, since there is also a thick-skinned yellow variation that is sweet and aromatic. Green paprika is the unripe variation and is considered to be bitter, red paprika is the most tasty one, yet they do include mild variations too. The Cherry Paprika is the deep red one, which comes late in the season. The contradictions just go on.
PUNGENCY All wild capsicums are pungent. All mild and sweet Capsicums are that way only because they have been domesticated. But give them one wild summer - or even a boring but hot and dry summer in a city garden - and you've got the pungency back in a New York minute. 2 They obviously resume their original wild state readily. [Compare the repertory rubric "Heat [fever] in summer, hot season."]
ORIGINS Capsicums originate in Central and South America but they are cultivated in Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Italy, Israel and USA. Archaeological findings suggest that Indians ate chillies as early as 7000 BC, although these were probably wild plants. It has been stated that Capsicum was brought into cultivation between 5000 and 3000 BC. It is commonly said that Columbus on his first journey in 1492 discovered the Capsicum and brought it back to Europe. That is not completely correct, Columbus himself had no interest in natural resources unless it was black pepper, cinnamon or nutmeg [since he thought that he had arrived in the East Indies]. The physician he brought over the Atlantic was much more interested. It was this Dr Alvarez Chanca that gave Spain the first description of the new spice, which the natives called Agi or Aji, as it still is named in Peru today.
AWAY FROM HOME It is thought that Dr Alvarez Chanca brought capsicum seeds to Europe. In the beginning the new spice had a hard time, it was only grown in gardens as decoration, just like the potatoes once had been grown. As a spice, it gradually became more important than Piper nigrum, which constituted a clear change in the food culture. The Italian author, Petrus Martyr Anglerius reported to the Spanish court in 1493, that the new-found land in the West had revealed a kind of pepper that had a stronger taste than the "Caucasian" type - as he called Indian pepper, according to an old misunderstanding. It took until this century until paprika became fully understood and used within our kitchens. Before the World War II, Hungary and Bulgaria had a virtual monopoly but the war stopped exports to the West and farming increased there where paprika had already become fashionable, notably in the USA.
NAME Capsicum derives from the Greek word kapto, which means to bite, in reference to its sharp taste. The specific name annuum, annual, alludes to the fact that the plant, even in hot climates, germinates, grows, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies within a single year.
USES Mexican Indians and the Hunan and Szechwan Chinese who used hot peppers in many of their meals have enjoyed the effects of capsicum. These people have been found to have less chronic obstructive lung disease than other people who eat a blander diet do. As a condiment, capsicum has been used for decades as a catalyst for other herbs: it enhances their flavour. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote in the 17th century that immoderate use of red pepper would inflame the mouth and throat so extremely it is hard to endure and might prove dangerous to life. He also claimed that if the herb was used with caution it could be of considerable help for digestive troubles, to relieve toothache, preserve teeth from rottening, comfort a cold stomach, expel a stone from the kidneys, and take away dimness of sight. Another of Culpeper's recommendations was meant for women; they should mix red pepper, gentian and bay laurel oil, place it on a piece of cotton and insert it vaginally. This would induce menstruation. He warned that if it would be put into the womb after delivery, the woman would forever be barren. In the 18th century red pepper was mixed with snuff, in order to boost the tobacco kick. Herbalist Philip Miller warned against this; his conclusion was that the combination of pepper and tobacco would cause such a violent sneezing that it might break the blood vessels in the head. The first North American to use the Spanish pepper was Samuel Thomson, the founder of Thomsonian herbal medicine, which enjoyed considerable popularity before the Civil War. Thomson was a firm believer of the idea that most diseases were caused by cold and cured by warmth or better yet by heat. His favourite among his "warming" herbs was the Spanish pepper. "The Eclectics considered red pepper to be invaluable in the treatment of delirium tremens, the combination of hallucinations and violent tremors common among advanced alcoholics...It enables the stomach to take and retain food. The best form is in a tea or strong beef soup. There is no danger of overdose as a [large] quantity may be swallowed with evident pleasure and without ill result."3
CURE-ALL Capsicum has by many been looked upon as a "wonder drug". Old texts suggest that it is useful for virtually everything, ranging from killing harmful bacteria inside the body to preventing infections in sores, burns and injuries and releasing lockjaw. "It is effective as a poultice for sores and wounds or taken internally for rheumatism, inflammations, fevers and pleurisy. It is a stimulant when taken internally as well as being an antispasmodic. Good for kidneys, spleen, pancreas and lockjaw. Will heal a sore, ulcerated stomach ... There are many languid people who need something to make the fire of life burn more brightly. Capsicum, not whisky, is the thing to do it."4 It was even recommended as being useful for warming up chilled feet by putting it inside shoes. In the old days it was used when treating painful swelling of the face due to decayed or ulcerated teeth; inhalation of the steam of Cayenne and vinegar together with a teaspoon of Cayenne, will reportedly give relief by producing a free discharges of saliva. As a gargle, the seeds are valued as a treatment for sore throat and hoarseness.
STIMULANT The clue to Capsicum is simply that it stimulates the blood circulation. In all diseases where there is a lack of circulation, acceleration of the blood flow will speed up the healing process and may also have positive effects on vision, thinking and memory. Because of this it has been recommended in delirium tremens but also for atonic dyspepsia of alcoholism. There it substitutes the alcoholic stimulants, removing the craving for alcohol and the sinking feeling at the pit of stomach. It may also prevent morning sickness and vomiting, restore gastric tone and promote the digestion of wholesome food. Some people have given Capsicum the nickname "circulatory food". It has been reported that capsicum is even able to break down blood clots. Spanish pepper is a general stimulant; it has been reported of value in cases of dyspepsia, diarrhoea, prostration, scarlet fever and nausea from seasickness. British researchers found that capsicums stimulate metabolism; they can burn calories virtually as fast as exercise.
EATING PEPPERS There are plenty of advices regarding the consumption of Capsicum. "[1] If you have a problem with stomach ulcers or with stomach acids: [a] Don't mix your peppers with liquor, caffeine, nicotine, aspirin, or emotions and [b] Eat fat before hand - cheese or cream especially. [2] If you have a problem with ulcers or stomach acids and refuse to give up your cigarettes, margaritas or refuse to stop worrying about your kids/mate/lover: [a] Eat lots of cheese, [b] Drink lots of cream and, [c] Hope for the best."5 What to eat after ingesting peppers is another issue. Here the suggestions are just as many as there are sorts of capsicums, but the ones that reoccur include milk, yoghurt, vodka [not to swallow, only for gargling, because alcohol dissolves capsaicin], bread, and rice. Drinking water is useless because capsaicin doesn't dissolve in water.
CONSTITUENTS Spanish peppers contain small amounts of protein, fat, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and sugars, but large quantities of carotene. They are an excellent C vitamin source. Braconnot and Bucholz were the first to investigate the chemical composition of Capsicum. In 1816-17, they gave the following composition of 100 parts of Spanish pepper: pungent oil, 1.9; wax, combined with red colouring matter, 0.9; brown amylaceous matter, not blued by iodine [pectic acid according to Berzelius], 9.0; gum, 6.0; nitrogenous matter, 5.0; woody fibre 67.0; potassium citrate 6.0; potassium phosphate and chloride, 3.4. They obtained a pungent principle, which they named capsicin. This substance had an overpowering acrid taste, volatilised at a moderate elevation of temperature, and emitted such an acrid vapour that it caused every person in the [large] room to cough and sneeze violently. But the pungent principle proved difficult to obtain pure, and it took until 1876 when Thresh succeeded in isolating the probably pure acrid principle, to which he gave the name capsaicin. Capsaicin is intimately associated with a fatty material, composed largely of palmitic acid. It is extremely rubefacient, and gives off intensely acrid fumes when heated.
NITROGEN Capsaicin is an organic nitrogen compound belonging to the lipid group, but it is often erroneously classed among the alkaloids, a family of nitrogenous compounds with marked physiological effects. 6 Interestingly, growing Spanish peppers goes best when not too much nitrogen is used for fertilizing. Nitrogen will cause the plants to form a lot of foliage at the expense of the fruits.
CAPSAICIN The pungent principle in fruit of various species of Capsicum is capsaicin. This powerful irritant causes intense pain on initial administration, but prolonged treatment results in insensitivity to painful stimuli and induces selective degeneration of certain primary sensory neurons. Capsaicin pre-treatment also induces long-lasting desensitisation of airway mucosa to various mechanical and chemical irritants. The burning taste is so strong that one part capsaicin in 100,000 still can be detected by tasting. 7 The membrane receptors are directly coupled to cation channels, which have a high permeability to calcium. Calcium entry may account for many of the cellular effects produced by capsaicin. In newborn animals, capsaicin selectively destroys C-fibre neurones in the periphery, and the animals grow up with a greatly reduced response to painful and thermal stimuli. 8 A single drop diluted in one million drops of water will still warm the tongue! Red pepper gets its colour from red, yellow and orange carotenoid pigments; three of these carotenoids can be converted to vitamin A in the body. Capsaicin is practically insoluble in cold water and dissolves only slightly in hot water. It does dissolve in milk fat, alcohol or vinegar. Pepper spray, a special capsaicin preparation, is used by police to subdue rioters and violent criminals.
EFFECTS Formerly used as a warming poultice, capsaicin is now no longer considered a safe remedy on account of its irritating effect. Although hot to the taste, capsaicin actually lowers body temperature by stimulating the cooling centre of the hypothalamus. Capsaicin also increases perspiration. It stimulates nerve endings in the mouth normally stimulated by a rising body temperature, sending impulses to the brain that trigger facial perspiration. "Recent research on laboratory animals suggests that capsaicin may be a low-level carcinogen. Paradoxically, it also appears to be an antioxidant capable of binding and neutralizing enzymes that might otherwise activate carcinogens such as the nitrosamines. Neither of these effects has been demonstrated in human beings, and the low rate of stomach cancer in Central and South America, where red peppers are a significant part of the diet, seems to weigh against their being carcinogens. ... Because peppery foods make one perspire, they are popular in warm climates. The perspiration they inspire acts as a natural air conditioner, cooling the body as the moisture evaporates on the skin. Beverages and food spiced with red pepper also stimulate the flow of saliva and encourage the secretion of gastric fluids that set off the contractions we call hunger pangs. ... Eating red peppers may upset the stomach, irritate the lining of the stomach, irritate the bladder so that one has to urinate more frequently or even make urination painful."9
STUDIES "In one study 39 patients with chronic post-herpetic neuralgia [average duration, 24 months] were treated with 0.025 per cent capsaicin cream for 8 weeks. During therapy the patients rated their pain. Nineteen patients substantially improved after the 8-week trial; five discontinued therapies owing to side effects such as intolerable capsaicin-induced burning sensations [4 patients] or mastitis [1 patient]; fifteen reported no benefit. The decrease in pain ratings was significant after 2 weeks of continuous application. Of the responders, 72.2 per cent were still improved 10 to 12 months after the study, with most continuing to apply the cream regularly. ... Topically applied capsaicin may be effective in reducing the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. In one study, 12 patients were followed up for 1 year after a topical application of capsaicin [three times a day for several days] over the painful area. Six patients experienced complete relief and four patients had partial relief from pain; the remaining two felt no relief from pain. Of the ten patients who did respond to therapy, four relapsed in 95-149 days. None relapsed, following a second round of therapy, for the remainder of the year. ... Topically applied capsaicin may help relieve the pain following breast reconstruction or mastectomy. In one double-blind study, 23 patients with postmastectomy pain syndrome applied either capsaicin [0.075 per cent] or vehicle-only cream four times daily for 4-6 weeks. There was a significant difference in jabbing pain, in category pain severity scales, and in overall pain relief scales in favour of capsaicin. Five of thirteen patients on capsaicin were categorized as good-to-excellent responses, with 8 having 50 per cent or greater improvement. ... In a study conducted at the Yale Pain Management Center [New Haven, CT], capsaicin was shown to reduce dramatically the pain of mouth sores resulting from chemotherapy or radiation treatment. ... In one double-blind study, patients with acute cluster headaches were randomized to receive either capsaicin or placebo in the nostril for 7 days. Patients recorded the severity of each headache for 15 days. Headaches on days 8-15 of the study were significantly less severe in the capsaicin group versus the placebo group. There was also a significant decrease in headache severity in the capsaicin group on days 8-15 compared to days 1-7, but not in the placebo group. Episodic patients appeared to benefit more than chronic patients. ... After 4 weeks of capsaicin treatment, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients demonstrated mean reductions in pain of 57 and 33 per cent, respectively. ... Excessive substance P levels in the skin have been linked to psoriasis. This finding prompted researchers to study the effects of topically applied capsaicin. In one double-blind study, 44 patients with symmetrically distributed psoriasis lesions applied topical capsaicin to one side of their body and a placebo to the other side. After 3-6 weeks, significantly greater reductions in scaling and redness were observed on the capsaicin-treated side. Burning, stinging, itching, and skin redness were noted by nearly half of the patients initially, but these diminished or vanished on continued application."10
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - 5 [male] provers, 1827; method: unknown.
Hahnemann used the ripe seedpods along with the seeds. Hahnemann advocated a strict diet and regimen, bordering on asceticism, in order to remove all "disease-causing errors in the diet and regimen, which often pass unnoticed." Highly spiced dishes and sauces he considered to be foreign medicinal irritants and hence obstacles to cure. Spanish peppers didn't meet with his approval, for they were used "at the dainty tables of high livers in order to stimulate the palate to an unnatural appetite, and thus - ruin the health."
•• [2] Fuckert - involuntary proving 'after peeling away the seeds from the fruits'; [HL 1/99].
[1] Craker and Simon, Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants. [2] Andrews, Red Hot Peppers. [3] Castleman, The Healing Herbs. [4] Quillin, The Healing Power of Cayenne Pepper. [5] Andrews, ibid. [6] Encyclopaedia Britannica. [7] Merck Index. [8] Rang et al, Pharmacology. [9] Rinzler, Book of Herbs and Spices. [10] Murray, The Healing Power of Herbs.
Affinity
MUCOUS MEMBRANES. THROAT. Kidneys. Bones. Mastoid. Blood.
* LEFT SIDE.
Modalities
Worse: SLIGHT DRAFTS. COLD [AIR; water]. Uncovering. Dampness. Bathing. Empty swallowing. Drinking. After eating. Drunkards. Evening. Beginning to move. Open air.
Better: Continued motion. Heat. While eating.
Main symptoms
M AWAY FROM HOME.
Aversion to DEPARTURE FROM DAILY ROUTINE; HOMESICKNESS.
Ailments from homesickness, removal, change of country, etc.
Sleeplessness from homesickness.
• "With a few doses of Caps. I cured completely an Australian girl, of florid complexion, who had come to London to study, and who was quite incapacitated by homesickness." [Clarke]
• "Nostalgia for paradise lost. Paradise lost; that is the key to this remedy. Always looking back at what has been left behind, Capsicum misses out on life and ruins the present. Of course, only the present moment is 'immortal.' We live on earth between two obligatory moving days: birth and death. After the stress of birth, the infant soothes its anxiety by nursing. This is the oral stage. Capsicum is a child who has a constant impulse to eat everything in sight, with a particular desire for strong flavours and spicy foods. ... Moving to a new home or a new country [for example, individuals who are exiled or repatriated], or a transfer required for employment or professional reasons [and the 'new cradle' it involves] will all reactivate this nostalgic anguish. These children tend to be clumsy and flaccid, but are also daredevils, reckless like Pulsatilla and Aurum." [Grandgeorge]
• "Dreams of a sad character of things long passed; on awaking he did not know if it was reality or not." [Hahnemann]
• "Capsicum is also a well known remedy for lack of reaction. Based on this information, and as a consequence from my own experience, Capsicum could be indicated for people who are tired of their daily routines ['fed up', 'sick of it'] and therefore are always looking for new experiences and thrills, be it food or experience."1
c Children who get earache when their mother, for example, has gone on a trip for the weekend.
M Hypersensitive; easily offended.
• "Persons inclined to be jovial, yet get angry at trifles." [Allen]
• "The very same evening, I felt easily offended and criticised by very slight contradictions. ... The next day, ... I felt bad tempered. The bad mood rose as a constriction of my stomach, moving upwards through my chest and throat, then pressing upward to my palate and into my sinuses, eyes and forehead. With all this I had a distasteful feeling in my throat, as if the bad mood were about to press out right there. In German we say 'everything hangs out my throat', which means, 'I'm sick of it' or 'I'm fed up', which exactly describes the emotional feeling behind that symptom."2
M Censorious.
• "He makes reproaches, and is indignant at the faults of others; he takes trifles ill and finds fault with them." [Hahnemann]
Quiet, sullen, obstinate.
M Refractory; unruly; resistant.
If she wants a certain thing, she will oppose if proposed by someone else.
• "When I asked the patient directly the reason for losing his temper so frequently, he replied that he did not like to be told anything by anyone. If someone tells him to do certain things, he does quite the opposite. His father wanted him to go for science studies in the College. Actually he wanted to do the same thing, but just because his father had suggested it, he went in for Arts. ... He went to University 2000 miles from Bombay because his parents wanted him to stay in Bombay. ... The nature of his mother, when she was pregnant, was similar. She felt that she was neglected, not being cared for by her husband and also by her in-laws. She wanted to go back to her parents for some time, but it was not possible. ... She was also very stubborn. If she planned to do something and if anyone came to know about her plans, she would do the opposite thing."3
M FEAR of slightest DRAFT.
G CHILLY, CLUMSY, INDOLENT, FAT [tendency to obesity] persons with red cheeks.
G RELAXATION of muscles.
G Affections and burning of mucous membranes.
G Organism difficult to arouse; lack of reaction.
G Chilly with the pains.
Shivering on drinking cold water.
• "Only one hour after peeling away the seeds from the fruits, and despite having thoroughly washed my hands afterwards, I felt a biting, burning, and scraping in my eyes, nose, palate, throat and retronasal. Soon after, this increased to a nauseous and gagging feeling in my throat until I was almost retching. All this was accompanied by an internal feeling of heat and, at the same time, a chilly feeling [what an ironic coincidence!], cold shivers, and cold sweat on the face."4
G Desire for PUNGENT things and coffee; but coffee <. G Sleep >.
• "The disinclination for everything and the crossness go off by sleep." [Hahnemann]
G < COLD in general. • "Patients who cannot get to sleep without a hot bottle at their back." [Clarke] G < Beginning motion. > Continued motion; motion of affected part; walking.
G BURNING/SMARTING PAINS. Burning as from pepper.
[tip of tongue, throat, stomach, stool, piles, prostate; not > heat]
G PAIN in DISTANT PARTS during COUGH.
[bladder, thighs, hips, knees, legs, ear, back, nape of neck]
P Red face and nose, but cold to touch [false plethora].
• "Red-faced children of beer drinkers and pepper eaters." [Kent]
• "Face is studded with a fine system of capillaries." [Mathur]
P Chronic sore throat of smokers and drinkers.
P Offensive breath during cough.
P Sensation of coldness between shoulder blades.
[1-2] Fuckert, An involuntary proving of Capsicum; HL 1/99. [3] Chatterjee, Behavioural Problems; HL 2/93. [4] Fuckert, ibid.
Rubrics
Mind
Ailments from homesickness [3]. Alcoholism, must get up at night to drink [1]. Anger, alternating with cheerfulness [1], with contentment [1/1], with exhilaration [1], with jesting [1]. Awkward, drops things [3]. Capriciousness, when offered, he rejects the things he has been longing for [1]. Censorious [1H]. Disposition to contradict [1]. Intentions are contradictory to speech [1]. Delusions, she is not appreciated [1]. Embraces everyone [1]. Ennui, with homesickness [2]. Fear of reproaches [1]. Aversion to jesting [1]; cannot take a joke [1]. Reproaches others [1].
Head
Enlarged sensation during stool [1]. Pain, bursting, on coughing [3], from motion [1], while walking [1].
Eye
Itching during coryza [1/1].
Hearing
Acute, during chill [3], during heat [3]; to noises, during perspiration [3/1]. Impaired, during pregnancy [1/1].
Nose
Sneezing after coughing [1], from tickling in trachea [1/1].
Face
Nets of distended veins, skin as if marbled [1].
Throat
Choking, on stooping [1F]. Nausea felt in throat [1F].
Stomach
Eructations, pungent, on coughing [1/1]. Heartburn during pregnancy [2]. Indigestion after fat food [1F]. Nausea after coffee [2]. Pain, from speaking [1]. Thirst for small quantities [1], after stool [3].
Abdomen
Flatulence, after vegetables [1/1].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, from draft of air [3; Nux-v.], after cold drinks [2].
Bladder
Retention, after exertion [3]. Urging, constant, while sitting [1].
Back
Stiffness, cervical region, > motion [1].
Limbs
Awkwardness, lower limbs, knocks against things [1], stumbling when walking [1]. Sensation as if knees were bandaged [1F], < sitting [1F], while walking [1F], > continued walking [1F]. Pain, lower limbs, sciatica, on bending backward [1/1], < coughing [2], > motion [1], < stretching the leg [2], < touch [1], > walking [1]. Sensation of paralysis in joints [2].
Sleep
Interrupted by starting as if falling from a height [1H].
Heat
From excitement [3]. In summer, hot season [2].
Perspiration
While lying [2]. Motion > [3].
* Repertory additions Hahnemann [H] and Fuckert [F].
Food
Aversion: [1]: Everything.
Desire: [3]: Alcohol; pepper. [2]: Coffee; cold drinks; stimulants.[1]: Liquid food; pungent; spicy; warm food.
Worse: [2]: Coffee [nausea]; [1]: Alcohol; beer; cold drinks; fat [*]; hot food; pepper; salt; vegetables; whiskey; wine.
* Repertory addition Fuckert.
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| Capsicum annuum |
It doesn't matter who you are, or what you have done, or what you think you can do.
There's confrontation with destiny awaiting you.
Somewhere, there is a chilli you cannot eat.
[Daniel Pinkwater, A Hot Time in Nairobi]
Home is where folks go when they get tired of being nice to people.
[McKenzie]
Signs
Capsicum annuum. Spanish pepper. N.O. Solanaceae.
CLASSIFICATION Capsicum annuum belongs to the family of the Nightshades [Solanaceae].
There are about ten Capsicum species. Two are extremely important to the cuisine, namely Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens. The Capsicum annuum is the mild and refreshing vegetable that goes under many different common names. It has relatively large fruits, which turns from green to red or yellow and can be added to almost all kinds of food. Capsicum "peppers" have absolutely nothing to do with the woody Indian vine Piper nigrum and its black pepper corn seeds.
HABITAT Capsicum is an annual plant grown from a seed. It can be cultivated in tropical countries up to an altitude of 200 metres. Although sensitive to frost, it can also be cultivated in warm temperate regions and in cooler climates under protection. Capsicums need the same care as tomatoes, but they are even more vulnerable to cold. They need to be grown in a soil that will not dry out too quickly and is supplied with plenty of organic matter.
SEEDS Seeds should be sown in a light, well-drained soil in a warm, sunny greenhouse - where the temperature shouldn't drop below 60 degrees minimum. Within 6-8 weeks they will be ready to be set out, preferably when the weather is really warm and settled. The seeds take 16-20 weeks to sprout. The seedlings are transplanted as soon as they are large enough to handle. When cutting a paprika, it contains lighter, longitudinal ridges that carry the seeds. The more seeds and ridges are kept during the drying and grinding, the sharper tasting the product is. By Hungarian standards the finest quality is called "delicacy paprika" - here the ridges and almost all the seeds have been cut out before processing to produce a less pungent taste. This product is sold to the USA where it is commonly used. "Rose paprika", the stronger variation is very popular in both Germany and Scandinavia.
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| Capsicum annuum |
VARIETIES Numerous cultivars have been produced that have fruits with a range of flavours and sizes. They are all included under the specific name annuum. Common names are therefore very misleading; they range from Sweet pepper, Chilli pepper, Chilli, Cayenne pepper, Bell pepper, to Cherry pepper, etc. It all depends on which hybrid is mentioned. A hot debate about the classification of Capsicum annuum is still raging. Its nomenclature is full of contradictions. Some authorities maintain that only two varieties exist of Capsicum annuum: C. annuum var. annuum and C. annuum var. glabriusculum. The former includes most of the cultivated peppers as vegetables and herbs/spices. At least 5 'groups' exist, the most pertinent of which is the Longum group; this includes the capsicum pepper [Eng.], chilli pepper [Eng.], poivre rouge [Fr.], Roter Pfeffer [Ger.], pepe di caienna [It.], pimenton [Sp.], red pepper [Eng.], and paprika [Eng.] and includes such cultivars as 'Anaheim', 'Caribe', 'Fresno', 'Jalapeno', 'Mulato', 'Serrano', etc. The latter includes bird pepper [Eng.] and chiltepin [Sp.]. The other 4 groups are: Cerasiforme [cherry], Conioides [cone], Fasciculatum [red cone], and Grossum [sweet or bell pepper].
MORE VARIETIES Capsicum baccatum exists in two varieties: C. baccatum var. baccatum, and C. baccatum var. pendulum. These are called Brown's pepper or piris [Eng.]. Capsicum frutescens is known as Tabasco pepper [Eng.], hot pepper, spur pepper, and malagueta [Sp.]; the species also includes the cultivars 'Tabasco' and 'Greenleaf Tabasco'. Capsicum pubescens includes rocoto [Sp.] and chile manzana [Sp.]. 1
STAGES The common name also depends on the taste and in which stage of its growth it is picked. The rule of the thumb says, the stronger the colour, the stronger the taste. But it is also well known that small fruits have a higher concentration of flavouring substance, and are hottest. Normally it is said that the yellow-white paprika is the one that is nicest to the palate, which is not completely true, since there is also a thick-skinned yellow variation that is sweet and aromatic. Green paprika is the unripe variation and is considered to be bitter, red paprika is the most tasty one, yet they do include mild variations too. The Cherry Paprika is the deep red one, which comes late in the season. The contradictions just go on.
PUNGENCY All wild capsicums are pungent. All mild and sweet Capsicums are that way only because they have been domesticated. But give them one wild summer - or even a boring but hot and dry summer in a city garden - and you've got the pungency back in a New York minute. 2 They obviously resume their original wild state readily. [Compare the repertory rubric "Heat [fever] in summer, hot season."]
ORIGINS Capsicums originate in Central and South America but they are cultivated in Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Italy, Israel and USA. Archaeological findings suggest that Indians ate chillies as early as 7000 BC, although these were probably wild plants. It has been stated that Capsicum was brought into cultivation between 5000 and 3000 BC. It is commonly said that Columbus on his first journey in 1492 discovered the Capsicum and brought it back to Europe. That is not completely correct, Columbus himself had no interest in natural resources unless it was black pepper, cinnamon or nutmeg [since he thought that he had arrived in the East Indies]. The physician he brought over the Atlantic was much more interested. It was this Dr Alvarez Chanca that gave Spain the first description of the new spice, which the natives called Agi or Aji, as it still is named in Peru today.
AWAY FROM HOME It is thought that Dr Alvarez Chanca brought capsicum seeds to Europe. In the beginning the new spice had a hard time, it was only grown in gardens as decoration, just like the potatoes once had been grown. As a spice, it gradually became more important than Piper nigrum, which constituted a clear change in the food culture. The Italian author, Petrus Martyr Anglerius reported to the Spanish court in 1493, that the new-found land in the West had revealed a kind of pepper that had a stronger taste than the "Caucasian" type - as he called Indian pepper, according to an old misunderstanding. It took until this century until paprika became fully understood and used within our kitchens. Before the World War II, Hungary and Bulgaria had a virtual monopoly but the war stopped exports to the West and farming increased there where paprika had already become fashionable, notably in the USA.
NAME Capsicum derives from the Greek word kapto, which means to bite, in reference to its sharp taste. The specific name annuum, annual, alludes to the fact that the plant, even in hot climates, germinates, grows, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies within a single year.
USES Mexican Indians and the Hunan and Szechwan Chinese who used hot peppers in many of their meals have enjoyed the effects of capsicum. These people have been found to have less chronic obstructive lung disease than other people who eat a blander diet do. As a condiment, capsicum has been used for decades as a catalyst for other herbs: it enhances their flavour. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote in the 17th century that immoderate use of red pepper would inflame the mouth and throat so extremely it is hard to endure and might prove dangerous to life. He also claimed that if the herb was used with caution it could be of considerable help for digestive troubles, to relieve toothache, preserve teeth from rottening, comfort a cold stomach, expel a stone from the kidneys, and take away dimness of sight. Another of Culpeper's recommendations was meant for women; they should mix red pepper, gentian and bay laurel oil, place it on a piece of cotton and insert it vaginally. This would induce menstruation. He warned that if it would be put into the womb after delivery, the woman would forever be barren. In the 18th century red pepper was mixed with snuff, in order to boost the tobacco kick. Herbalist Philip Miller warned against this; his conclusion was that the combination of pepper and tobacco would cause such a violent sneezing that it might break the blood vessels in the head. The first North American to use the Spanish pepper was Samuel Thomson, the founder of Thomsonian herbal medicine, which enjoyed considerable popularity before the Civil War. Thomson was a firm believer of the idea that most diseases were caused by cold and cured by warmth or better yet by heat. His favourite among his "warming" herbs was the Spanish pepper. "The Eclectics considered red pepper to be invaluable in the treatment of delirium tremens, the combination of hallucinations and violent tremors common among advanced alcoholics...It enables the stomach to take and retain food. The best form is in a tea or strong beef soup. There is no danger of overdose as a [large] quantity may be swallowed with evident pleasure and without ill result."3
CURE-ALL Capsicum has by many been looked upon as a "wonder drug". Old texts suggest that it is useful for virtually everything, ranging from killing harmful bacteria inside the body to preventing infections in sores, burns and injuries and releasing lockjaw. "It is effective as a poultice for sores and wounds or taken internally for rheumatism, inflammations, fevers and pleurisy. It is a stimulant when taken internally as well as being an antispasmodic. Good for kidneys, spleen, pancreas and lockjaw. Will heal a sore, ulcerated stomach ... There are many languid people who need something to make the fire of life burn more brightly. Capsicum, not whisky, is the thing to do it."4 It was even recommended as being useful for warming up chilled feet by putting it inside shoes. In the old days it was used when treating painful swelling of the face due to decayed or ulcerated teeth; inhalation of the steam of Cayenne and vinegar together with a teaspoon of Cayenne, will reportedly give relief by producing a free discharges of saliva. As a gargle, the seeds are valued as a treatment for sore throat and hoarseness.
STIMULANT The clue to Capsicum is simply that it stimulates the blood circulation. In all diseases where there is a lack of circulation, acceleration of the blood flow will speed up the healing process and may also have positive effects on vision, thinking and memory. Because of this it has been recommended in delirium tremens but also for atonic dyspepsia of alcoholism. There it substitutes the alcoholic stimulants, removing the craving for alcohol and the sinking feeling at the pit of stomach. It may also prevent morning sickness and vomiting, restore gastric tone and promote the digestion of wholesome food. Some people have given Capsicum the nickname "circulatory food". It has been reported that capsicum is even able to break down blood clots. Spanish pepper is a general stimulant; it has been reported of value in cases of dyspepsia, diarrhoea, prostration, scarlet fever and nausea from seasickness. British researchers found that capsicums stimulate metabolism; they can burn calories virtually as fast as exercise.
EATING PEPPERS There are plenty of advices regarding the consumption of Capsicum. "[1] If you have a problem with stomach ulcers or with stomach acids: [a] Don't mix your peppers with liquor, caffeine, nicotine, aspirin, or emotions and [b] Eat fat before hand - cheese or cream especially. [2] If you have a problem with ulcers or stomach acids and refuse to give up your cigarettes, margaritas or refuse to stop worrying about your kids/mate/lover: [a] Eat lots of cheese, [b] Drink lots of cream and, [c] Hope for the best."5 What to eat after ingesting peppers is another issue. Here the suggestions are just as many as there are sorts of capsicums, but the ones that reoccur include milk, yoghurt, vodka [not to swallow, only for gargling, because alcohol dissolves capsaicin], bread, and rice. Drinking water is useless because capsaicin doesn't dissolve in water.
CONSTITUENTS Spanish peppers contain small amounts of protein, fat, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and sugars, but large quantities of carotene. They are an excellent C vitamin source. Braconnot and Bucholz were the first to investigate the chemical composition of Capsicum. In 1816-17, they gave the following composition of 100 parts of Spanish pepper: pungent oil, 1.9; wax, combined with red colouring matter, 0.9; brown amylaceous matter, not blued by iodine [pectic acid according to Berzelius], 9.0; gum, 6.0; nitrogenous matter, 5.0; woody fibre 67.0; potassium citrate 6.0; potassium phosphate and chloride, 3.4. They obtained a pungent principle, which they named capsicin. This substance had an overpowering acrid taste, volatilised at a moderate elevation of temperature, and emitted such an acrid vapour that it caused every person in the [large] room to cough and sneeze violently. But the pungent principle proved difficult to obtain pure, and it took until 1876 when Thresh succeeded in isolating the probably pure acrid principle, to which he gave the name capsaicin. Capsaicin is intimately associated with a fatty material, composed largely of palmitic acid. It is extremely rubefacient, and gives off intensely acrid fumes when heated.
NITROGEN Capsaicin is an organic nitrogen compound belonging to the lipid group, but it is often erroneously classed among the alkaloids, a family of nitrogenous compounds with marked physiological effects. 6 Interestingly, growing Spanish peppers goes best when not too much nitrogen is used for fertilizing. Nitrogen will cause the plants to form a lot of foliage at the expense of the fruits.
CAPSAICIN The pungent principle in fruit of various species of Capsicum is capsaicin. This powerful irritant causes intense pain on initial administration, but prolonged treatment results in insensitivity to painful stimuli and induces selective degeneration of certain primary sensory neurons. Capsaicin pre-treatment also induces long-lasting desensitisation of airway mucosa to various mechanical and chemical irritants. The burning taste is so strong that one part capsaicin in 100,000 still can be detected by tasting. 7 The membrane receptors are directly coupled to cation channels, which have a high permeability to calcium. Calcium entry may account for many of the cellular effects produced by capsaicin. In newborn animals, capsaicin selectively destroys C-fibre neurones in the periphery, and the animals grow up with a greatly reduced response to painful and thermal stimuli. 8 A single drop diluted in one million drops of water will still warm the tongue! Red pepper gets its colour from red, yellow and orange carotenoid pigments; three of these carotenoids can be converted to vitamin A in the body. Capsaicin is practically insoluble in cold water and dissolves only slightly in hot water. It does dissolve in milk fat, alcohol or vinegar. Pepper spray, a special capsaicin preparation, is used by police to subdue rioters and violent criminals.
EFFECTS Formerly used as a warming poultice, capsaicin is now no longer considered a safe remedy on account of its irritating effect. Although hot to the taste, capsaicin actually lowers body temperature by stimulating the cooling centre of the hypothalamus. Capsaicin also increases perspiration. It stimulates nerve endings in the mouth normally stimulated by a rising body temperature, sending impulses to the brain that trigger facial perspiration. "Recent research on laboratory animals suggests that capsaicin may be a low-level carcinogen. Paradoxically, it also appears to be an antioxidant capable of binding and neutralizing enzymes that might otherwise activate carcinogens such as the nitrosamines. Neither of these effects has been demonstrated in human beings, and the low rate of stomach cancer in Central and South America, where red peppers are a significant part of the diet, seems to weigh against their being carcinogens. ... Because peppery foods make one perspire, they are popular in warm climates. The perspiration they inspire acts as a natural air conditioner, cooling the body as the moisture evaporates on the skin. Beverages and food spiced with red pepper also stimulate the flow of saliva and encourage the secretion of gastric fluids that set off the contractions we call hunger pangs. ... Eating red peppers may upset the stomach, irritate the lining of the stomach, irritate the bladder so that one has to urinate more frequently or even make urination painful."9
STUDIES "In one study 39 patients with chronic post-herpetic neuralgia [average duration, 24 months] were treated with 0.025 per cent capsaicin cream for 8 weeks. During therapy the patients rated their pain. Nineteen patients substantially improved after the 8-week trial; five discontinued therapies owing to side effects such as intolerable capsaicin-induced burning sensations [4 patients] or mastitis [1 patient]; fifteen reported no benefit. The decrease in pain ratings was significant after 2 weeks of continuous application. Of the responders, 72.2 per cent were still improved 10 to 12 months after the study, with most continuing to apply the cream regularly. ... Topically applied capsaicin may be effective in reducing the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. In one study, 12 patients were followed up for 1 year after a topical application of capsaicin [three times a day for several days] over the painful area. Six patients experienced complete relief and four patients had partial relief from pain; the remaining two felt no relief from pain. Of the ten patients who did respond to therapy, four relapsed in 95-149 days. None relapsed, following a second round of therapy, for the remainder of the year. ... Topically applied capsaicin may help relieve the pain following breast reconstruction or mastectomy. In one double-blind study, 23 patients with postmastectomy pain syndrome applied either capsaicin [0.075 per cent] or vehicle-only cream four times daily for 4-6 weeks. There was a significant difference in jabbing pain, in category pain severity scales, and in overall pain relief scales in favour of capsaicin. Five of thirteen patients on capsaicin were categorized as good-to-excellent responses, with 8 having 50 per cent or greater improvement. ... In a study conducted at the Yale Pain Management Center [New Haven, CT], capsaicin was shown to reduce dramatically the pain of mouth sores resulting from chemotherapy or radiation treatment. ... In one double-blind study, patients with acute cluster headaches were randomized to receive either capsaicin or placebo in the nostril for 7 days. Patients recorded the severity of each headache for 15 days. Headaches on days 8-15 of the study were significantly less severe in the capsaicin group versus the placebo group. There was also a significant decrease in headache severity in the capsaicin group on days 8-15 compared to days 1-7, but not in the placebo group. Episodic patients appeared to benefit more than chronic patients. ... After 4 weeks of capsaicin treatment, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients demonstrated mean reductions in pain of 57 and 33 per cent, respectively. ... Excessive substance P levels in the skin have been linked to psoriasis. This finding prompted researchers to study the effects of topically applied capsaicin. In one double-blind study, 44 patients with symmetrically distributed psoriasis lesions applied topical capsaicin to one side of their body and a placebo to the other side. After 3-6 weeks, significantly greater reductions in scaling and redness were observed on the capsaicin-treated side. Burning, stinging, itching, and skin redness were noted by nearly half of the patients initially, but these diminished or vanished on continued application."10
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - 5 [male] provers, 1827; method: unknown.
Hahnemann used the ripe seedpods along with the seeds. Hahnemann advocated a strict diet and regimen, bordering on asceticism, in order to remove all "disease-causing errors in the diet and regimen, which often pass unnoticed." Highly spiced dishes and sauces he considered to be foreign medicinal irritants and hence obstacles to cure. Spanish peppers didn't meet with his approval, for they were used "at the dainty tables of high livers in order to stimulate the palate to an unnatural appetite, and thus - ruin the health."
•• [2] Fuckert - involuntary proving 'after peeling away the seeds from the fruits'; [HL 1/99].
[1] Craker and Simon, Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants. [2] Andrews, Red Hot Peppers. [3] Castleman, The Healing Herbs. [4] Quillin, The Healing Power of Cayenne Pepper. [5] Andrews, ibid. [6] Encyclopaedia Britannica. [7] Merck Index. [8] Rang et al, Pharmacology. [9] Rinzler, Book of Herbs and Spices. [10] Murray, The Healing Power of Herbs.
Affinity
MUCOUS MEMBRANES. THROAT. Kidneys. Bones. Mastoid. Blood.
* LEFT SIDE.
Modalities
Worse: SLIGHT DRAFTS. COLD [AIR; water]. Uncovering. Dampness. Bathing. Empty swallowing. Drinking. After eating. Drunkards. Evening. Beginning to move. Open air.
Better: Continued motion. Heat. While eating.
Main symptoms
M AWAY FROM HOME.
Aversion to DEPARTURE FROM DAILY ROUTINE; HOMESICKNESS.
Ailments from homesickness, removal, change of country, etc.
Sleeplessness from homesickness.
• "With a few doses of Caps. I cured completely an Australian girl, of florid complexion, who had come to London to study, and who was quite incapacitated by homesickness." [Clarke]
• "Nostalgia for paradise lost. Paradise lost; that is the key to this remedy. Always looking back at what has been left behind, Capsicum misses out on life and ruins the present. Of course, only the present moment is 'immortal.' We live on earth between two obligatory moving days: birth and death. After the stress of birth, the infant soothes its anxiety by nursing. This is the oral stage. Capsicum is a child who has a constant impulse to eat everything in sight, with a particular desire for strong flavours and spicy foods. ... Moving to a new home or a new country [for example, individuals who are exiled or repatriated], or a transfer required for employment or professional reasons [and the 'new cradle' it involves] will all reactivate this nostalgic anguish. These children tend to be clumsy and flaccid, but are also daredevils, reckless like Pulsatilla and Aurum." [Grandgeorge]
• "Dreams of a sad character of things long passed; on awaking he did not know if it was reality or not." [Hahnemann]
• "Capsicum is also a well known remedy for lack of reaction. Based on this information, and as a consequence from my own experience, Capsicum could be indicated for people who are tired of their daily routines ['fed up', 'sick of it'] and therefore are always looking for new experiences and thrills, be it food or experience."1
c Children who get earache when their mother, for example, has gone on a trip for the weekend.
M Hypersensitive; easily offended.
• "Persons inclined to be jovial, yet get angry at trifles." [Allen]
• "The very same evening, I felt easily offended and criticised by very slight contradictions. ... The next day, ... I felt bad tempered. The bad mood rose as a constriction of my stomach, moving upwards through my chest and throat, then pressing upward to my palate and into my sinuses, eyes and forehead. With all this I had a distasteful feeling in my throat, as if the bad mood were about to press out right there. In German we say 'everything hangs out my throat', which means, 'I'm sick of it' or 'I'm fed up', which exactly describes the emotional feeling behind that symptom."2
M Censorious.
• "He makes reproaches, and is indignant at the faults of others; he takes trifles ill and finds fault with them." [Hahnemann]
Quiet, sullen, obstinate.
M Refractory; unruly; resistant.
If she wants a certain thing, she will oppose if proposed by someone else.
• "When I asked the patient directly the reason for losing his temper so frequently, he replied that he did not like to be told anything by anyone. If someone tells him to do certain things, he does quite the opposite. His father wanted him to go for science studies in the College. Actually he wanted to do the same thing, but just because his father had suggested it, he went in for Arts. ... He went to University 2000 miles from Bombay because his parents wanted him to stay in Bombay. ... The nature of his mother, when she was pregnant, was similar. She felt that she was neglected, not being cared for by her husband and also by her in-laws. She wanted to go back to her parents for some time, but it was not possible. ... She was also very stubborn. If she planned to do something and if anyone came to know about her plans, she would do the opposite thing."3
M FEAR of slightest DRAFT.
G CHILLY, CLUMSY, INDOLENT, FAT [tendency to obesity] persons with red cheeks.
G RELAXATION of muscles.
G Affections and burning of mucous membranes.
G Organism difficult to arouse; lack of reaction.
G Chilly with the pains.
Shivering on drinking cold water.
• "Only one hour after peeling away the seeds from the fruits, and despite having thoroughly washed my hands afterwards, I felt a biting, burning, and scraping in my eyes, nose, palate, throat and retronasal. Soon after, this increased to a nauseous and gagging feeling in my throat until I was almost retching. All this was accompanied by an internal feeling of heat and, at the same time, a chilly feeling [what an ironic coincidence!], cold shivers, and cold sweat on the face."4
G Desire for PUNGENT things and coffee; but coffee <. G Sleep >.
• "The disinclination for everything and the crossness go off by sleep." [Hahnemann]
G < COLD in general. • "Patients who cannot get to sleep without a hot bottle at their back." [Clarke] G < Beginning motion. > Continued motion; motion of affected part; walking.
G BURNING/SMARTING PAINS. Burning as from pepper.
[tip of tongue, throat, stomach, stool, piles, prostate; not > heat]
G PAIN in DISTANT PARTS during COUGH.
[bladder, thighs, hips, knees, legs, ear, back, nape of neck]
P Red face and nose, but cold to touch [false plethora].
• "Red-faced children of beer drinkers and pepper eaters." [Kent]
• "Face is studded with a fine system of capillaries." [Mathur]
P Chronic sore throat of smokers and drinkers.
P Offensive breath during cough.
P Sensation of coldness between shoulder blades.
[1-2] Fuckert, An involuntary proving of Capsicum; HL 1/99. [3] Chatterjee, Behavioural Problems; HL 2/93. [4] Fuckert, ibid.
Rubrics
Mind
Ailments from homesickness [3]. Alcoholism, must get up at night to drink [1]. Anger, alternating with cheerfulness [1], with contentment [1/1], with exhilaration [1], with jesting [1]. Awkward, drops things [3]. Capriciousness, when offered, he rejects the things he has been longing for [1]. Censorious [1H]. Disposition to contradict [1]. Intentions are contradictory to speech [1]. Delusions, she is not appreciated [1]. Embraces everyone [1]. Ennui, with homesickness [2]. Fear of reproaches [1]. Aversion to jesting [1]; cannot take a joke [1]. Reproaches others [1].
Head
Enlarged sensation during stool [1]. Pain, bursting, on coughing [3], from motion [1], while walking [1].
Eye
Itching during coryza [1/1].
Hearing
Acute, during chill [3], during heat [3]; to noises, during perspiration [3/1]. Impaired, during pregnancy [1/1].
Nose
Sneezing after coughing [1], from tickling in trachea [1/1].
Face
Nets of distended veins, skin as if marbled [1].
Throat
Choking, on stooping [1F]. Nausea felt in throat [1F].
Stomach
Eructations, pungent, on coughing [1/1]. Heartburn during pregnancy [2]. Indigestion after fat food [1F]. Nausea after coffee [2]. Pain, from speaking [1]. Thirst for small quantities [1], after stool [3].
Abdomen
Flatulence, after vegetables [1/1].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, from draft of air [3; Nux-v.], after cold drinks [2].
Bladder
Retention, after exertion [3]. Urging, constant, while sitting [1].
Back
Stiffness, cervical region, > motion [1].
Limbs
Awkwardness, lower limbs, knocks against things [1], stumbling when walking [1]. Sensation as if knees were bandaged [1F], < sitting [1F], while walking [1F], > continued walking [1F]. Pain, lower limbs, sciatica, on bending backward [1/1], < coughing [2], > motion [1], < stretching the leg [2], < touch [1], > walking [1]. Sensation of paralysis in joints [2].
Sleep
Interrupted by starting as if falling from a height [1H].
Heat
From excitement [3]. In summer, hot season [2].
Perspiration
While lying [2]. Motion > [3].
* Repertory additions Hahnemann [H] and Fuckert [F].
Food
Aversion: [1]: Everything.
Desire: [3]: Alcohol; pepper. [2]: Coffee; cold drinks; stimulants.[1]: Liquid food; pungent; spicy; warm food.
Worse: [2]: Coffee [nausea]; [1]: Alcohol; beer; cold drinks; fat [*]; hot food; pepper; salt; vegetables; whiskey; wine.
* Repertory addition Fuckert.
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