The Online Reefer Madness Teaching Museum
A Manual of Homoeo-Therapeutics:
The Missionary School of Medicine (1932)
(page 300)
CANNABIS INDICA.
Indian Hemp. N.O. Cannabinacae. A tincture is prepared by dissolving 1 part of the resin in
20 of rectified spirit. 1 part of
this to 4 of alcohol makes the first centesimal dilution.
PATHOGENESIS.
CANNABIS INDICA has for ages been used as an intoxicant in
the East under the names of hashish, bang, ganja, or churrus.
It is smoked either alone or mixed with tobacco, is drunk as an
intoxicating drink, or taken mixed with honey or sugar as a confection.
The active principle is a red oil or resin, boiling at a high (pg 301)
CANNABIS INDICA
301
temperature and called cannabinol. This is a phenoaldehyde
of composition OHC~oHQ8COH.
The effects of cannabis indica are almost entirely due to
its disturbing the central nervous system in the direction of mixed stimulation
and depression, especially of the higher intellectual faculties. Soon after its
administration the patient passes into a dreamy state in which the imagination
is stimulated while the judgment is lessened. He has most extravagant
visions and ideas which vary in their character according to his intellectual
make-up and his habitual pursuits. His ideas are without continuity, they crowd
upon him in rapid succession and all sense of measurement of time and space is
lost. He is usually exalted, merry and in a state of bliss, but sometimes
unpleasant ideas predominate and he may be in expectancy of disaster and death.
True hallucinations may occur but usually consciousness of reality is not
entirely lost and the patient has a glimmering that his visions are unreal but
he cannot control them. When aroused he can answer questions intelligently but
immediately relapses under the domination of his phantasies. There is an~sthesia
or greatly lessened sense of pain and touch. In more advanced states, when
unconsciousness is complete, he can yet be roused out of it temporarily.
Tranquil sleep follows from which he generally awakes refreshed without
depression or nausea, butt weakness of mind and body, with occasional short
recurrences of his dreams, may last for a day or two. Continued abuse of
cannabis indica may lead to mania and dementia. Some tolerance is rapidly
acquired. It is said to be more exhilarating when inhaled than when swallowed.
In sonie cases acute mania and convulsive attacks have been developed and in the
natives of India catalepsy has been observed. Acute poisoning is extremely rare
and recovery has taken place after enormous doses. When death has occurred it
has probably been due to a direct action of the drug on the heart muscle.
iII’ind.—It will give some notion of the extraordinary
mental condition produced by cannabis indica if some of the experiences and
expressions of the provers ar& quoted. “Very excited, he begins to dance
about the room, frequently laughing and talking nonsense” ; “thought he had
taken the elixir of life” “ thought he must
302 A MANUAL OF’ HOM~O-THERAPEUTICS
surely die and he dissected (in a medical man)” ; “the
pencil ho was writing with seemed to grow to an enormous size” ; “the
right side of the body seemed to be much enlarged”; “ his head seemed to
swell to the size of a balloon” “he thought he was an inkpot and had been
spilled “ “felt as if his body was lifted up and he
was going to fly”; “felt as if raised from the ground
and walking through air”; “ten minutes seemed two
hours’’ ; “ voices of those speaking to him seemed to
‘1
come from an immense distancet~ ; “ could hear and dis-
tinguish the sounds of colours “ ; ‘‘ his mind seemed to he
split into two halves, a sane and a mad half, with the
‘~
sane half amusedly looking on at what the mad half was
doing”; “could read the titles on the covers of books in
a bookcase in another room (clairvoyance),” and so on.
Any slight sensation in his body or the least impression
from external surroundings would start a train of most
extravagant phantasmagoria.
Head.—Accornpanying these mental states the head
feels heavy and confused, there is a sensation as if the
blood is boiling and streaming up into the head, the head
feels constricted as from an iron skull-cap, the scalp and skin of the forehead
seems to be tightly stretched upon the skull, pendulum-like oscillations are
felt in the head, “the parietal bones seemed to expand widely, as if parting
at the sutures, and again collapsed.” On rising there is vertigo with a
stunning pain in the occiput. Violent shocks pass through the brain and the
patient feels as if the top of the head is opening and shutting (acta~a rae.).
Dull, heavy, throbbing pains are felt in the head. A sensation as of streams of
warm water coming up the back to the “brain “ is experienced, or, on the
other hand, there may be a feeling of cold air I)lowing on ‘‘the brain “
(head).
Face.—The face is hot and deeply flushed or pale and
moist. Drawing pains are felt in the muscles of mastication. The features may
be distorted or have a weary, exhausted appearance.
CANNABIS INDICA
303
Eyes.—The eyes are red and hot and feel distended as if
starting out of the head, the conjunctiv~e are injected, the pupils usually
dilated and there is itching round the orbits.
Ears.—Buzzing, singing, and sounds of rushing water, and
boring and stinging pains occur in the ears. Near sounds seem to come from an
enormous distance.
Nose.—The nose itches continually and there may he a
sensation of icy coldness across the bridge of it.
Diqestive System—A boring pain occurs in the right lower
molars, which is relieved by pressure and worse from grinding the teeth. Flow of
saliva is increased, it is thick, sticky and tasteless; or the mouth and throat
may be dry, with a metallic taste. Appetite is much increased and there is
desire for cold water but a dread of taking it. On drinking water, it seems to
run down the throat by its own gravity without touching either side: Tasteless
eructations and nausea may be present. In the stomach is a constrictive feeling,
with burning or a gnawing sensation. The abdomen feels painfully distended, as
if filled with water, there are flatulent rumblings and painless, yellow
diarrhcea: There is a sensation at the anus as if the patient were sitting on a
hard ball that occupies the whole perineum and presses on the urethra.
Urinary .—Sharp stitches with aching and burning are felt
in the back in the region of the kidneys. Micturition is frequent and more
dimcult than usual ; it may be involuntary, and dribbling often occurs after the
stream has ceased. Burning and scalding are felt in the urethra before, during,
and aft3r urination. After exposure to cold the urine is loaded with slimy
mucus.
SexuaL—Sexual desire is increased in both sexes. Violent,
painful erections occur in the daytime without the incitement of amorous
thoughts and at night pollutions are frequent. Menstruation is much increased.
There are bearing-down pains in the loins, and during pregnancy uterine
contractions are increased in strength and frequency. There is evidence that
cannabis indica is an oxytocic.
304
A MANUAL OF HOM~EO-THERAPEUTICS
Circulation.—The chest feels oppressed and there is deep,
laboured breathing and a sensation of suffocation; stitches in the heart may
accompany the oppressed breathing. The heart beats are quick, small, irregular,
weak, jerky or embarrassed. The pulse is small, with long intermissions,
imperceptible for a minute or more and then stronger, or more often it is full
and bounding and ranges in frequency from 120 to 160 a minute.
A pain occurs across the shoulders and spine which causes
the patient to walk stooping. A feeling like a weak electric current, a
“thrill,” is characteristic and passes through the arms and chest to spread
all over the body. 1-lot and cold sensations are felt in various parts. The
limbs feel heavy, as if they could not be lifted, they tremble and movements are
not well co-ordinated. The extremities are numb, tingling and cold. Pains in the
soles on walking, as if treading on spikes, are sometimes felt. There may be
spasms alternately of the flexors and extensors. In some cases cataleptic
rigidity has been observed.
Skin.—Sensibility of the skin to cutaneous irritants is
much decreased, even amounting to total aniesthesia. There is itching all over
the body or a sensation in many parts as of being bitten by some insect.
Sleep—The patient is very drowsy; starting of the limbs
awakens huim from sleep; dreams are voluptuous, of dangers, of dead bodies, or
prophetic.
THERAPEUTICS.
In orthodox practice cannabis indica has been used as a
hypnotic in sleeplessness from nervous exhaustion or pain, in doses of ~ to 1
gr. of the extract or 5 to 15 mm. of the tincture. It is less reliable than
opium, but has the advantage that it does not cause the after-effects of that
drug, viz., disturbances of digestion, nausea and depression. It has been used
in migraine and as a substitute for opium in mental diseases.
In honi~opathic practice it should be thought of whenever
mental symptoms similar to those l)roduced by it
305
CANNABIS INDICA
are present in the case under treatment, and will sometimes
give good and unexpected results. in such conditions as hypochondriasis,
confusional insanity, the expansive stage of general paralysis of the insane,
alcoholic confusion and even acute mania, the pathogenesis suggests the probable
usefulness of cannabis. It has often cured headaches when there is a sensation
as if the brain is boiling oVer and lifting the skull, or as if the head is
opening and shutting. It is useful in catalepsy and in hysteria when it assumes
a cataleptic character. It is valuable in fevers and delirium tremens when there
are spectral illusions. It has been employed to avert threatening paralysis. In
all these cases the peculiar mental state is the guide.
Cannabis indica has been found useful in gonorrhcea with
painful chordee, but cannabis sativa has been more frequently used in this
complaint.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1)
Exaltation of the imagination with diminished judgment and will power,
giving rise to extravagant illusions and ideas.
(2)
inability to make correct estimate of time and space.
(3)
Dual personality.
(4)
Clairvoyance and clairaudience.
(5)
Sensations of levitation.
(6)
illusions of enlargement of parts of the body; of external objects.
(7)
Increased sexual excitement; gonorrh~a.
(8)
Headaches with sensation of expansion, of opening and shutting.
(9)
Catalepsy. Delirium tremens.
AGGRAVATION:
In darkness, from noises, talking, walking (pains and symptoms referring
to locomotion) and when urinating.
AMELIORATION:
From lying down quietly (vertigo and head symptoms, pains in limbs),
walking in open air (mental symptoms), lemon juice (stomach symptoms).
20
I
I
306 A MANUAL OF HOMmO-THERAPEUTICS
CANNABIS SATIVA.
European or American Hemp. N.O. Cannabinace~. The flowering
tips of the female plant of Cannabis sativa are used for making the tincture.
PATHOGENESIS.
CANNABIS SATIVA has the same general action on the system
as cannabis indica; its difierences are probably owing to its growing in
teml)erate climates, whereas cannabis indica has its habitat in the tropics. It
has a much less powerful influence on the mental sphere, the fantastic illusions
produced by cannabis indica being absent or only slight in this drug. With
cannabis sativa things seem strange and unreal to the patient, he feels in a
dream and is confused as to his personal identity, and sounds seem to come from
a long distance. Blood seems to rush to the head from the stomach, there is
vertigo and the forehead feels compressed. Pressure is felt at the root of the
nose, in which there is a sensation of enlargement. An opening and shutting
feeling occurs in the vertex, which begins on waking, lasts all day, and is
aggravated by noise. There are noises in the ears. The eyes seem to be pressed
forwards or spasmodically drawn in; the cornea becomes opaque. No marked
symptoms occur in the stomach, but there are painful jerks in the al)domen, as
if something alive is moving about in it (crocus; compare “snake sensation in
abdomen” of ca~nahis indica); there is pressure as with a sharp point in the
coccyx, and a feeling in the sacral region and rectum as if the intestines were
sinking down and would 1)0 pressed out~ while sitting. This latter symptom seems
to be similar to the perineal “hard-ball-sensation-onsitting” of cannabis
indica.
The chief action of cannabis sativa is upon the genitourinary
organs; there are drawing pains from the region of the kidneys to the groins,
with nausea in the stomach pit (? epigastrium) ; burning and smarting in the
urethra from the meatus backwards, with stitching pains in the
I]
k
CANNABIS SATIVA
807
posterior part while urinating (arg. nit.). The urethra is
t
very sensitive to touch and pressure, it is sore along its whole length,
so much so that the patient walks with his legs wide apart to avoid friction.
Violent pains occur at the close of micturition from a spasmodic closure of the
~
neck of the bladder. The urethra is sensitive and swollen,
there are chordep and a mucous discharge, and cedema of the prepuce. In
women there is much swelling
of the orifice of the urethra and burning pain during
micturition. Burning pains are felt in the urethra at the commencement, during,
and after urination, and
~j4 stitching pains are frequent when nob urinating. Desire
~
to micturate is frequent, and is caused by a burning in the fore part of
the urethra. In both sexes there is
~
sexual over-excitement. The menses are profuse.
Some oppression of the chest, dyspn~a, and a cough
~
with hawking and difficulty in dislodging the sputum, which is green and
salt, are the chief respiratory symptoms. Warm sensations, or a feeling as of
drops
~
of cold water falling from the cardiac region, are ~ experienced.
Other symptoms of cannabis sativa are numbness of the
finger-tips, a drawing pain in the tendo Achillis,
innumerable fine stitches all over the body, as from a
)
thousand needle-points, at night when sweating from warm co~’ering,
relieved by uncovering,” a sensation of
~
hot water being poured all over him, or as if drops of cold
~- water were falling from the anus, from the heart, or on
~
the head.
~
THERAPEUTICS.
Cannabis sativa has been used almost exclusively for
~
urinary troubles, especially for gonorrhwa, in which it should be given
at the commencement. It is indicated by extreme soreness of the urethra, so that
the l)atient
7~ walks with legs aJ)art, by a moderate discharge of
thick,
p
yellow character and by a3dema of the prepuce. But it ~—
can be usefully given as well in later stages when other
drugs, such as aconite and cantbaris, have subdued the
308
A MANUAL OF HOM~EO-THERAPEUTICS
first violence. The urethral symptoms resemble those of
cantharis: with cannabis sativa there are more smarting and burning, with
cantharis more tenesmus. It is equally a remedy for non-specific urethritis,
cystitis, phimo5is, leucorrh~a in little girls, and for urethral caruncles. It
is suitably used in threatened abortion, when this condition arises from
gonorrhma or too frequent sexual intercourse. Cannabis sativa has been used for
hemicrania, coincident with too copious catamenia, and also to remove cornea1
opacities left l)ehind after strumous ophthalmia. It has been recommended in
asthma associated with bladder troubles, and may be useful in melancholia,
associated with other cannabis sativa conditions.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1)
Great tenderness of urethra to touch and pressure.
(2)
Urethral discharge, thick and yellow, not copious; pyknuri a.
(3)
Burning and stinging in the urethra during, and especially after,
urination.
(4)
Gonorrh~a; non-specific urethriLis.
(5)
Urethral caruncle.
(6)
Opening and shutting feeling of head, worse noise.
(7)
Sensation of something alive in abdomen.
AGGRAVATIOIT:
From touch and pressure (urethra):
when urinating noise (head).
AMELIORATION From uncovering (skin stitches) lemon juice
(which antid otes).
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