Cicuta
(Cicuta virosa · Water hemlock)
A remedy of violent spasm and strange sensations. In the materia medica, Cicuta is associated with spasms that bend the head and back backward, effects of a jolt to the head or spine, and thick, yellow crusts on the skin.
Source
The fresh root of water hemlock, a plant of wet meadows and ditches
Kingdom
Plant
Abbreviation
Cic.
Home acute kit
Usually prescribed by a homeopath
The classic picture
(a remedy is chosen when the whole picture fits the person, not from a single symptom)
Spasms and sudden jerks, with the head, neck and back drawn backward
Complaints following a blow or jolt to the head or spine
Everything seems strange; confuses present and past and feels like a child; mistrustful
Odd cravings for chalk or coal; thick, lemon-yellow crusts on the face and scalp without itching
Tends to feel better
Passing gas (for head symptoms)
Tends to feel worse
Touch
Drafts
Jarring or concussion
Tobacco smoke
How it compares
(remedies that are often confused with Cicuta)
-
Belladonna
(Atropa belladonna)
Also intense with a red face; Belladonna is hot and throbbing, Cicuta marked by backward-bending spasms.
Read more -
Hypericum
(Hypericum perforatum)
For injuries to nerve-rich areas; Cicuta for jolts to the head and spine followed by spasm.
Read more -
Conium
(Conium maculatum)
A related hemlock; Conium's picture is slow, creeping weakness rather than Cicuta's violent jerks.
Read more
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From the classic texts
“Delirium, with singing, dancing and funny gestures. Everything appears strange and terrible. Confounds present with the past; feels like a child.”
“Abnormal appetite for chalk and indigestible things; for coal or charcoal; child eats them with apparent relish (Alum., Psor.).”
Looking for more than a quick remedy?
Acute remedies can be a starting point for short-term complaints. Ongoing or recurring issues call for a full case: a detailed conversation about your physical, mental and emotional symptoms, so the remedy fits you as a whole person.
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