SAMBUCUS NIGRA (Elder)


Sambucus nigra is a short acting Homoeopathic remedy. It is used for respiratory troubles when suffocation is the prominent symptom. Homoeopathic mother tincture is prepared from fresh leaves and flowers. It was proved and added to Materia medica Pura by Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann MD. The leaves of Sambucus has offensive odor so it was used by gardeners to keep of caterpillars from the plants. Leaves are also used as ointment and flowers are used for preparing medicated tea. Its berries are used to preparing elderberry juice.

          The key symptom of this remedy is catarrhal affection of air passage with suffocation. The main cause of catarrh is due to oedema in the parts of the body; in nasal mucosa, bronchial tract and especially on legs, instep and feet. When oedema affects the nasal mucosa, the nasopharynx gets narrowed and baby are snuffles and preventing breathing and nursing. Another peculiar symptom of this remedy is persisting sweat day and night during working period, sweat are disappear while sleeping. Sambucus usually adopted to the person who are previously robust and fleshy but suddenly become emaciated. Adopted to the scrofulous child with affection of respiratory problems.

 

*** Respiratory symptoms:

Sambucus is useful for cold-cough, whooping cough, asthma, lung effusion and pulmonary tuberculosis. Sambucus respiratory conditions are aggravated mostly at mid night and from 2-3 a.m., during rest, from cold, motion, from lying down and reduce by sits up in the bed, by pressure. Nose is totally stuffed and difficulty in breathing. Patient inspired air but cannot expired properly. So, during respiratory affection snuffles of infants prevents nursing. Dry coryza when it occurs in lower respiratory tract it causes dyspnea. The child awakes suddenly with feeling suffocated and become air hunger. The face become blue and cyanosed looking. Patient may inspire well but cannot expired air and sighing expiration. Hoarseness with mucous rattling inside the chest without expectoration. Cough become deep and associated with spasm. Respiratory attack is passed off and then repeat again is the other characteristic symptom of this remedy. Chest become oppressed with lancinating pain feeling inside the sternum. If the person is old lady, this condition is relieved by profuse urination, which is due to accumulation of large amount of fluid in abdomen and legs. Respiratory symptoms may precede the fever paroxysm.  There is profuse debilitating sweat persist in day and night in working period and disappear while sleeping.

*** Fever:

During fever dry heat all over the body without feeling thirsty. Patient have great fear of uncovering. Patient properly covering the whole-body during fever. Fever with profuse perspiration especially during night. Profuse perspiration day and night but when wake up marked on face. In intermittent fever, chills over the whole body with cold hands and feet, followed by intolerable dry heat. Pulse generally small and very rapid during intermittent fever.

*** Mind symptoms:

Great tendency to get fright. Fright may cause suffocative attack. Peevish, during which everything makes bad impressions. Periodical delirium with visual hallucination.    

*** Modalities:

Generally, Sambucus symptoms are aggravated at mid night, on sleep, lying down, uncovering, cold application, motion, on left side, mental emotion, anxiety, grief. Symptoms are ameliorated on rest, sitting erect, applying pressure.   

*** Dose: 3rd to 200 potency.

*** Repetition: Single dose according to symptoms similarity. Avoid repetition during aggravation time.

*** Duration of action: 3-4 hours (Dr. Clarke).

*** Relationship:

·       Antidoted by: Arsenicum album, Camphor.

·       Compare: Opium: effects of fright, Mephitis: Night attack of cough, Lachesis: Peculiarity of perspiration, China and conium: Sweats as soon as closing the eyes, Thuja: Sweats on uncovered part, Pulsatilla: Sweats of one side, Nux vomica: Fear of uncovering, Tuberculinum: fatty people emaciated suddenly.

 

 

___Amatul Zami Aditi

Student (final year B.H.M.S.)

Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

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