An overview on Sabadilla in the treatment of allergic rhinitis through rubrics

Dr Rohan Arabhavi

ABSTRACT: Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is one of the gifts of modern world, condition involving wide range of age group starting from children to old age people. Allergic Rhinitis is a global health problem with prevalence of 10-40% and tend to increase. Allergic Rhinitis is an inflammation of nasal mucosa which is IgE mediated immunologic response to air-borne allergens and is characterised by watery nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, sneezing and itching in the nose. Homoeopathy is a system of medicine based on the law of Similia Similibus Curentur. There are many remedies in homoeopathy to treat AR. On the other hand, in this article an attempt is made to list out the rubrics related to Sabadilla in the treatment of Allergic Rhinitis.

KEY WORDS: Allergic Rhinitis, Homoeopathy, Repertory, Sabadilla, Kent Repertory, BTPB, BBCR.

INTRODUCTION:  According to “Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma” (ARIA), “Allergic rhinitis is clinically defined as a symptomatic disorder of the nose induced after allergen exposure by an IgE-mediated inflammation.”  It is characterized by rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, and nasal itching. AR is commonly accompanied by ocular, auricular, and throat symptoms like itching, irritation, and redness of the eyes with increased lachrymation, itching of the palate, posterior rhinorrhea, and cough.¹

Allergic Rhinitis is of 2 types:

• Seasonal: Hay fever due to pollen grains occurs at the time of pollination.
• Perennial: affects the patient throughout the year.

MECHANISM: Deposition of pollens and other allergens on nasal mucosa of sensitized individuals results in IgE– Dependent triggering of mast cells with subsequent release of mediators that cause development of mucosal hyperaemia, swelling and fluid transudation.

SIGNS:

• In acute stage: Paleness of nasal mucosa with excessive mucous or watery secretions.
• In chronic stage: The nose may appear to be normal or bluish or purplish discoloration of nasal mucosa due to venous stasis.
• Nasal salute: Itching in the nose and rhinorrhoea may lead the patient to lift the tip of his nose upwards with his palm which appears like salute.
• Darrier’s line: Repeated allergic salute may result in an horizontal crease on the dorsum of nose a little superior to the tip of nose.

SYMPTOMS:

Nasal symptoms:

• The initial symptom is irritation in the nose.
• Paroxysmal sneezing of the recurrent type.
• Rhinorrhoea is watery and copious.
• Nasal obstruction due to venous stasis.
• Nasal itching
• The presence of anosmia may be intermittent or continuous.

Ocular and other symptoms:

• Increased lachrymation.
• Itching of the palate
• Other less common symptoms are headache, earache, fatigue, drowsiness, and malaise.

SABADILLA²

Botanical name	Schoenocaulon officinale
Family name	Liliaceae
Synonyms	Asagraea officinalis, Helonias officinalis, Veratrum officinale.
Common names	English- Cevadilla seeds, French- Sebadille, German- Sabadilla seamen
Description	An herbaceous plant, 1 to 1.5 meter in height, with linear tapering, entire leaves. Flowers yellow. Fruit consists of three slightly, spreading brownish, papery follicles, about 12 mm long, united at the base, spreading somewhat towards the apex, opening by their ventral suture, each follicle contains usually two, some-time six seeds, these are 8 mm long, narrow, pointed flattened on one side, convex on the other, shinning, rugose, blackish-brown inodorous and have persistent, acrid and bitter taste.
Macroscopical	Sabadilla occurs as a mixture of loose seeds, with papery capsules. Seeds brownish-black, narrowly oblong to lance-linear, somewhat curved, angular, with a beak at one end, rounded at the other, 5 to 8 mm in length and up to 2 mm in thickness, testa wrinkled and thin, internally showing a whitish, oily albumen with a small, linear embryo at the rounded basal end; odour indistinct, taste bitter and acrid.
Habitat	Mexico, West Indies, Guatemala and Venezuela.
History & Authority	Introduced by Dr. Stapf by proving in 1825. Allen’s Encyclopedia of Materia Medica., Vol. VIII, 443.
Part used	Seeds.

J H Clarke, in his ‘A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica’ indicates, Sabadilla has a long period of action, the primary symptoms develop in the first five days, then recur after lapse of some time. Symptoms are periodical and paroxysmal. Sabadilla is a chilly remedy, the symptoms, especially the coryza, being generally aggravate in the open air. The catarrhal symptoms are very severe, the patient is sensitive to cold air. Every time he takes the cold it settles in his nose and throat. Itching and tingling in nose, great sensitive to smell of garlic, violent spasmodic sneezing (shaking the abdomen, then lachrymation). Obstruction of nostrils, alternately. Fluent coryza, masses of white and transparent mucus are blown from nose, without coryza. Burning smarting in eyes, lachrymation in open air, when coughing, and yawning. Tickling and itching in ears.³

E B Nash, in his ‘Leaders in Respiratory Organs’ indicates Sabadilla for – profuse sneezing and lachrymation which is aggravated in open air and bright light. Sore throat running from left to right, desires for hot drinks, which ameliorate. Sensation as of a lump in the throat which creates constant necessity to swallow. Every time cold settles in the nose and throat.⁴

Some of the Rubrics related to Sabadilla, in terms of AR in different repertories

Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica by Kent ⁵ ( Page numbers in brackets )

• NOSE – CATARRAH – (324)
• NOSE – CORYZA – (325)
• NOSE – CORYZA – air, from a draft of, open – (326)
• NOSE – CORYZA – annual (hay fever) – (326)
• NOSE – CORYZA – discharge, with (fluent) – (327)
• NOSE – CORYZA – flowers – (328)
• NOSE – CORYZA – warm room, amel – (329)
• NOSE – DISCHARGE – copious – (330)
• NOSE – DISCHARGE – thin – (332)
• NOSE – DISCHARGE – watery – (333)
• NOSE – HAY FEVER – (see Coryza, Annual) – (338)
• NOSE – ITCHING – inside
• NOSE – OBSTRUCTION – (340)
• NOSE – SNEEZING – (350)
• NOSE – SNEEZING – paroxysmal – (351)
• NOSE – SNEEZING – violent – (351)
• EYE – LACHRYMATION – (245)
• EYE – LACHRYMATION – coryza during – (245)

Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket Book ⁶

• NOSE – Nasal Catarrh – (46)
• NOSE – Stopped Coryza – (47)
• NOSE – Discharges – Watery – (48)
• NOSE – Sneezing – (49)
• EYES – Lachrymation – (32)
• SENSATIONS – Inflammation of Mucous Membrane – (164)
• SENSATIONS – Itching (Including Tickling) Internally – (165)
• SENSATIONS – Mucous secretions Increased – (168)

Boger Boenninghausen’s Characteristics & Repertory ⁷

• NOSE – Discharges – profuse – (371)
• NOSE – Discharges – transparent – (371)
• NOSE – Discharges – watery – (371)
• NOSE – Itching – (374)
• NOSE – Obstructed – (374)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza – catarrh – (382)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza – annual, hay fever – (382)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza – fluent – (382)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza – stuffed, obstructed – (383)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza – stuffed, obstructed – side one, unilateral – (384)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Sneezing – (384)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Sneezing – violent – (385)
• NOSE – CORYZA – TIME – Evening – (385)
• NOSE – CORYZA – AGGRAVATION – Air, cold, open – (386)
• NOSE – CORYZA – CONCOMITANTS – Nose, tickling in – (389)
• EYES – Lachrymation – (314)

Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory ⁸

• NOSE – CORYZA – Coryza, fluent, watery (running cold) – (737)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Lachrymation, sneezing – (738)
• NOSE – CORYZA – Inflammation, chronic catarrhal – (738)
• NOSE – TYPE OF DISCHARGES IN RHINITIS – Acrid, watery, hot, or thin mucus – (738)
• NOSE – ITCHING in nose – (739)
• NOSE – SNEEZING – (sternutation) – (741)
• NOSE – STOPPAGE – Stuffiness – (741)
• NOSE – STOPPAGE – Swelling – (741)
• EYES – LACHRYMATION – (721)

A Concise Repertory of Homoeopathic Medicines ⁹

• CORYZA – Annual (hay fever) – (75)
• CORYZA – Flowers, odour of agg – (76)
• CORYZA – Stubborn, lingering – (76)
• LACHRYMATION – Sneezing, with – (231)
• NOSE – One side – (285)
• NOSE – Boring into, with fingers picking at, itching – (286)
• NOSE – Discharges – Dripping – (287)
• NOSE – Dyspnoea in (see obstructed) – (287)
• SNEEZING (remedies in general) – (357)
• SNEEZING – Abortive – (357)
• SNEEZING – Persistent – (358)
• SNEEZING – Violent – (358)

REFERANCES:

1. Broek JL, Bousquet J, Baena-Cagnani CE, Bonini S, Canonica GW, Casale TB, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines: 2010 Revision. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010; 126(3): p466–76.
2. Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India, combined volume 1 to 5 (revised and augmented). GOI, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dept of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy. New Delhi. 2016. p284.
3. Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. 1st Indian ed. New Delhi: Jain Publishing CO; 1978.
4. E. B. Leaders in Respiratory Organs. 1st Indian ed. Calcutta: Sett Dey & Co. p5.
5. Kent J. T. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Enriched Indian ed. New Delhi. B Jain Publishers(P) Ltd; 2017.
6. T. F. Boenninghausen’s Therapeutic Pocket book. Noida: B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, 2017.
7. Boger C. M. Boger Boenninghausen’s Characteristics & Repertory. Noida: B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, 2018.
8. Boericke William. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers (P) Ltd, 2019.
9. Phatak S. A concise repertory of homeopathic medicines. 4th ed. Noida: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd; 2005.

Dr. Rohan Arabhavi
MD Part 2, Department of Case taking and Repertory
GHMCH, Bengaluru
UNDER THE GUIDANCE
Dr. Anupama I. K.
Assistant Professor
Department of Case taking and Repertory