Anacardiaceae group of Homeopathy remedies

Dr Kavitha P C

Homoeopathic Medicines made out of Anacardiaceae group of plants tyheir preparation, properties and clinical indications

1. Anarcardium orientale – marking nut or semicarpus anacardium which comes from East Indies.
2. Anarcardium occidentale – cashew nut or western anacardium.
3. Comocladia dentata – Rhustox common to the southern parts of U.S.A.and CUBA called GUAO by the natives of west indies.
4. Rhus aromatica – fragrant sumach.
5. Rhus diversiloba –     californian poison oak.
6. Rhustoxico dendron – poison oak.
7. Rhus radicans – poison ivy.
8. Rhus glabra – common smooth sumach or pennsylvania sumach or upland sumach.
[Rocky or barren soils in N.A. America] not so poisonous as others.

9. Rhus venenata – poison elder or poison sumach or swamp sumach. An exceedingly poisonous variety. It is frequently named Rhus vernix—the name belong properly to the allied varnish tree of Japan. It has a large blossom of a dark reddish brown colour. It is a small tree growing sometimes to the height of 10 feet very much resembling Ailanthus.

10.Schinus – Schinus molle. Allen says schinus is an evergreen shrub native of Mexico and S.America. Frequently cultivated in southern california under the name Pepper tree and chilly pepper. The symptom were observed byDr. P.W.PAULSON on a young lady who ate few berries after dinner and on himself. He ate leaves as well as berries and he had heartburn griping in liver and a kind of drawing sensation as in the spinal cord and cerebellum. Characteristic symptom – Painless diarrhoea following painful vomitting. Profuse diarrrhoea which continues all night. Long continued vomitting as if the bowels would be emptied out.

PREPARATION and — USED PARTS
Anac orient– From the husk of marking nut. The nut is heart shaped.Layer of nut between shell and kernel triturated.

Anac occi — Nut is kidney shaped. Tincture of the black juice between outer and inner shell.

Comocldia — Tincture of leaves and bark.Shows it botanical affinity with rhus family by its virulence of its effect on the skin. The trunk and branches of The tree contain a milky fluid turning black on exposure to sun light discolouring the skin linenetc.

Rhus arom — Tincture of freshroot bark.[Pharmacopea of merican institution–say sof fresh leaves]
Observed by T. MACLANAHAN.[It is a shrub growing from 2 to 6 feet high on high rocky soil. Stem straight branching near the top. Flowers yellow, fruit clustered, red seedy and the bush is fractured it emits a strong odour.The bark of the root is the proper medicinal part.

Rhus diversiloba — Tincture of fresh leaves. MURRAY MOORE observed the effect.

Rhus glabra –Tincture of fresh bark, of root ,of berries. Tincture of the bark was proved by Dr. A. V. MARSHALL on himself with very substantial doses.
[R.Glabra is deciduous shrub with stem 2 to 12 feet high, has terminal flowers and fruit clothed with acid crimson hairs like the other non poisonous Rhoes.

Rhus arom — Is very allied to rhus glabra. Both are non poisonous and have terminal flowers, instead of axillary flowers of the poisonous variety.

Rhustox— Similar to Rhus radicans.It is a shrub with erect stem from 2 to 4 feet high. The stem is devoid of root lets.Tincture of fresh leaves gathered at sunset,just before flowering time.

Rhus rad– Also called Toxicodendron.It has more or less tortuous stems 4 to 30 feet high profusely studded with dark coloured rootlets by which it clings to thes upport. [Our own ivy-Hedera helix in the same way may run along the ground, rooting at intervals if it cannot find a support and growing to a height if it can.It may be an erect shrub with no rootlets and no tendency to climb.]
Poison ivy grows in thickets and low grounds in N.America, flowering in june.The milky juice which turns black on exposure is used as marking ink [like anac] and as an ingredient of varnishes fo rfinishing boots.Thetincturecontain

Rhoitannicacid and toxicodendricacid,a poisonous volatile principle. A peculiarity of the plant is that it is more poisonous during night and when bursting into leaf, or at any time in june or july when the sun is not shining upon it.
Absence of sunlight together with dampness seems to favour the exhalation of toxicodendric acid.
Increased virulence of the plant at night and from damp atmosphere.

Rhus ven — First provings by P.B. HOYT .One of the most poisonous of the Rhus.More poisonous than Rhustox.He considers it more actively curative,in a case of Rhus sore throat when rhustox failed rhus ven acted with excellent effect.
Tincture of fresh leaves and stem.It is an excellent remedy for arsenical over dosing.

Schinus — Tincture of berries and leaves.

General features

1. Chilliness.
2. Irritability.
3. Weakness of memory or forgetfulness. [rhustox cannot remember the most recent events]
4. Anxiety with fear. [fear of being poisoned—R.T]
5. Suicidal tendency– by drowning — R.T ; by shooting – Anac. Orient.
6. Common action upon skin – erysipelas,warts , eczema.
7. Eye affections.
8. Restlessness—anac-3; r.t–3; r.h-v-1; com-1.

Comparison
1. Constitution — mental.
Anacardium — People who have an inferior complex and work hard to prove themselves They have often been put down from an early age and lack self confidence. This makes them feel detached from themselves, as if they are split into two wills. This remedy is often needed by students who give up their studies due to memory loss. These type may display cruel behaviour and confused readily.

Rhus tox — Since it is more or less an acute remedy the physical make up or temperament is not of much importance. Usually cheerful lively, joky and quick witted, and are good company although a bit timid at first.They are often serious hard working people. They may feel an inner restlessness and agitation, become irritable frustrated, depressed gloomy if suffering from a long standing illness, as pain wears them down. They may suffer from compulsive and ritualistic behaviour.

2. Temperament— Irritability .
3. Thermal reaction — chilly. Aggravation from cold, amelioration from warmth.
4. Mind – common to both anac and rhustox—Irritability, sadness and mental depression. Anxiety, fear of being poisoned.
Lack of confidence. Delusion as if pursued by someone.
Delirium, weakness of memory. Suspicious.

5. Dreams 

• Anac—Anxious dreams, disgusting, horrible with cries, lively dreams with meditation and activity of mind followed by pain in head after waking.Dreams of projects , of fire , of diseases, of death , of dangers.
• Rhustox—dreams of great exertion, rowing, swimming etc. Or working hard at his daily  occupation . Dreams of fire .
• Com– dreamy refreshing sleep with pleasant dreams almost clairvoyant.

6. Side affinity 

• Anac — left sided.
• Rhustox — affects generally right abdominal ring. Left chest, arm,
• lower extremities and left side of the body. Affects joints of right side .
• com — right side.

7. Skin 
ERISYPELAS — Anac similar to rhustox in skin symptoms.
ANAC — Erysipelatous eruption of malignant type. Yellow vesicles of intense burning and itching.  Anac occi — cures erysipelas spreading from right to left . Amelioration warmth and hot application.
Aggravation scratching . Anac proved to be valuable antidote to poison oak.
RHUSTOX — Phlegmonous erysipelas , esp when it begins in the ankle and moves gradually up the leg , running up in deeper tissues.Rhustox cures cases spreading from left to right. Vesicular eruptions [yellow] with much swelling , inflammation ,burning, itching . Aggravation night, cold wet rainy weather. Amelioration warmth , dry weather.
COM — Malignant erysipelas with pain . Similar to rhustox . Scarlet redness of the body with burning and itching. Both produce weakness, numbness and restlessness. Vesicular eruption on arms and hands.
WARTS
Anac — on palms.
Rhustox — warts esp on hands and fingers, large jagged often pedunculated exuding moisture and bleeding readily.
ECZEMA
Anac has intense itching eczema with mental irritability [similar to rhustox].
Neurotic eczema.
Rhustox — of entire hairy scalp .

8. Eye symptoms 

• Anac — pressure in the eyes as from a plug.Objects appear too far off.
• Rhustox – left eye usually. Also in rheumatic ophthalmia of right eye . Amelioration by warmth.
• Com — pain in right eye with a sensation as if it were larger or were being pushed out of the head. Aggravation near a warm stove or warmth.

9. GIT

• Anac — has general amel from eating. Aggravation empty stomach.
• Rhustox — pain in stomach agg after meal . Amel — lying down.

10. Affection of joints — Rheumatic complaints.

• Anac — Agg commencing motion.
• Rhus — similar to com. Both has amel motion , agg rest and night.
• But rhustox has amel from warmth and comocladia has heataggravation , amel – open air .

10. General modality

1. Anac — Amel eating , lying down and when about falling asleep.
2. Agg–motion, warmth, cold, night.
3. Anac orient – strong disposition to chilliness.Great sensibility to cold and current of air.  Toothache on taking anything very warm into the mouth. Agg -warmth, night.
4. Rhustox – Agg during rest, on beginning to move, after resting.
5. General agg morning on rising . Agg — cold wet weather, change of weather, damp stormy weather, winter, autumn.
6. Amel — continued motion , dry clear weather
7. Amel – warmth [exception – abd pain which is amel by lying down.
8. In general agg during night.
9. Com – Agg – rest , night , heat [ heat — esp in head and eye complaints]
10. Amel – motion , open air . Pain in teeth amel by pressure, and external warmth.
11. Exception — all other symptoms have a general agg heat.
12. Agg — in bed at night .

Anacardium antidotes Rhus poisoning. 

Reference

• Clarke’s dictionary of clinical materia medica
• Comparitive materia medica by E.A. Farrington.
• Materia medica by William Boericke

Dr Kavitha P C BHMS,MD(Hom)
Medical Officer, Dept. of Homoeopathy, Govt. of Kerala