Carbon group homoeopathy medicines

Dr Vivek N Patil

Carbon in its purity is found only in the diamond. We have it comparatively pure, however, in the lampblack, or Carboneum. Carbon will necessarily be somewhat different in its action according to the source from which we obtained it.

Hahnemann used principally three carbons, CARBO ANIMALIS, CARBO VEGETABILIS and GRAPHITES. The first he derived from the animal kingdom, the second from the vegetable, while the last was an artificial product found principally lining the interior of large iron retorts. Carbo animalis is obtained principally from bones. It contains some phosphate of lime. Carbo veg. contains some carbonate of potash. It is obtained principally from a variety of the beech-tree.

Graphites is always contaminated with more or less iron. Hence you see that these are not pure carbons. I have also placed on the board, the Sulphate of Aniline which behaves like a carbon and is a carbonaceous compound. Then too, we have Carboneum and Carbonic oxide. Carbonic acid gas does not seem to possess active medicinal properties. It is not very poisonous. Its main deleterious effects are due to deprivation of oxygen. Carbonic oxide is much more poisonous, producing death, not only by suffocation, by displacing the needed oxygen, but by another remarkable peculiarity. It has the property or peculiarity of displacing oxygen from the blood and taking its place there. You know that oxygen is carried along in the blood by the red corpuscles. Carbonic oxide has the power of supplanting the oxygen in these structures. For a time, it seems to act like oxygen, but soon its poisonous properties are manifested with all the inevitable results of asphyxia. Coal gas, which we obtain by slow combustion of coal, and the illuminating gas used in our large cities, are of this character. They produce serious effects when taken in large quantities, especially when the subject is deprived of the ordinary atmosphere.

Now all of the carbonaceous substances have some properties in common. For instance they all have a tendency to relieve putrescence or putrid discharges or putrid exhalations from the body and offensive sores. You all know the mechanical properties of charcoal, what an absorbent it is, and how it can purify the atmosphere or substances that are undergoing decomposition. The animal charcoal, which is more porous, is here more effectual than the vegetable. If you bury a dead rat or mouse in charcoal for several months, you will not find any odor from the animal at the end of that time, but only a clean white skeleton. But this property, I would have you know, is not entirely mechanical. In the potencies, this property may be seen in the human system. Now I do not mean to say that potentized charcoal will prevent the odor from a decomposing animal, but I do say that in a potentized state, it exerts similar effects on the human system.

SPHERE OF ACTION:

• All the carbons act also on the skin, producing excoriations of the skin and intertrigo.
• They affect the glands also, causing enlargement and induration of the axillary and other lymphatfc glands, even as in the case of Carbo veg. and Carbo animalis.
• Cancerous enlargement and infiltration.
• They all affect the mucous membranes, producing catarrhs of the nose, throat and lungs and also of the bowels. They all tend to produce asphyxia. We find this prominently in Carbo Veg., less so in the Carbo animalis, and very marked in Aniline and Carboneum. Carboneum may produce asphyxia with convulsions simulating those of epilepsy. Coal gas and Carbonic oxide too are calculated to produce dyspnoea from deprivation of oxygen.
• Act on the veins, producing varicose veins.
• Carbons tend to produce flatulence. The flatus is offensive and has an odor like that of rotten eggs.

IMPORTANT REMEDIES:

1. Carbo animalis (contains phosphate of lime).
2. Carbo vegetabilis (contains carbonate of potash).
3. Graphites (contains iron).
4. Carboneum (Lampblack).
5. Coal gas.
6. Bisulphide of Carbon.
7. Petroleum
8. Kreosotum
9. Aniline sulphate

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CARBON GROUP:

Constitution: Grauvogl’s “Carbonitrogenoid Constitution” Best suited to venous and scrofulous constitutions. Vitality too low, sluggish and slow

The carbonic type of constitution is characterized by “sober & clear gestures,” stiff gait because of closeness of articulatory ligament. So they are “Rigid straight”; robust and intelligent on one hand and on other hand declined mentally & physically, seems too loose, too much of sweat.

Ailments From: Loss of vital fluids, emotional stress, mental or physical stress, over lifting, overwork, exertion, sprains and strains, exercise, over heating, sexual excess, cold air, open air, by warmth in general, wrapping up, hot drinks and by rest.

Miasmatic Background: All carbon group remedies are predominantly antipsoric, as per the “Roberts Theory of Psoric or deficiency” which states that any deficiency of constructive element (which has atomic weight below 52) either due to inability to assimilate or non-availability leads to psoric taint or susceptibility.

Thermal Relation: All the carbon group remedies are chilly and patients are extremely sensitive to cold air.

PATHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION:

Mind: It slows down the mental activities, causes marked

Sluggishness, which is the characteristic of carbon group.

Patient is slow to think, stupid, lazy and stagnation of thoughts.

Mentally dull slow in understanding without idiocy and slow grasping power.

Lymphatic Glandular System: It causes swelling and induration of glands and may stimulate cancerous enlargement and infiltrations.

Glands become hard and sore with indurated surrounding tissue and may be paralyzed and infiltrated.

There may be congestion with or without suppuration.

There may be sluggish indurated ulcers.

Lymphatic secretions become fetid or offensive.

Venous Circulatory System: Carbon affects the venous circulatory system, causes paralysis and infiltration of the veins.Veins are lazy, relaxed and paralyzed.

The sluggishness of carbon is marked in venous system. Sluggishness of venous circulation leads to enlargement and dilatation due to stasis of blood and thus varicosity is increased producing varicose veins which ultimately is responsible for the formation of ulcers.

Venous congestion, blue cyanosed condition with too much sweat, phlebitis.

Venous bleeding from any origin having non-coaguable blood.

Carbons Have direct action on vascular system producing inefficient heart, feeble circulation, and stagnation of blood in lungs, hypoventilation, cardiac asthma, and compressible thready, rapid pulse. Hypostatic pneumonia, much rattling in chest and cyanosed condition.

Gastro-intestinal Tract:

Its action especially on mucus membrane of digestive tract producing catarrhal condition, flatulence, distension of abdomen, foul eructations, inactivity of the bowels and constipation.

Carbon is full of gastric signs and symptoms. Heartburn.

Increased formative capacity of gastric juice leading to multiple gastric ulcers, gastralgia where Carb-v. has the fastest fermentation.

In carbons, sluggish liver where non-starchy food also ferments. Vomiting may be sour, coffee-ground.

Female Genital Organs:

In female genital organs it causes atonicity, muscles are tired and relaxed with putrid and offensive discharges.Menstruation delayed.

Discharge is dark, acrid, corrosive and offensive.Profuse leucorrhea, sterility with leucorrhea.

Intense itching, eczema on labia, inner part of thighs, cervicitis and ulceration of tract.No desire for coition.

Skin: All carbons show a special affinity towards the skin producing excoriations and erythema from friction or rubbing.Skin unhealthy, brittle, doesn’t retain stitches, with eczematous eruptions and intertrigo.

Tendency to multiple boils, carbuncles and deep seated ulcers, multiple ulcers in eczematous area with crust formation.

Septic state after eczema, scabies resembling septic state of nosodes.

Itch, prickly heat, heat of bed worse by eczema, scaly eruptions.

Psoriasis, ringworms, black discoloration of skin, loss of hair over skin, dandruff.

MIND:

• Common Characteristic Mental Symptoms
• Sluggishness: Carbon slows down the mental activities and causes marked sluggishness. Patient is slow to think, stupid, lazy and there occurs stagnation of thoughts with slow grasping
  power.
• Hard Working: Carbons are hard workers. They have social standing and are quite unselfish.They do not believe in materialism, and they try to find a meaning for their existence, through their work.
• Spiritual: They give more to the spiritual aspect of the life. Carbons always try to find father figures or authorities.
• They want the right to enforce obedience, to act and to command.
• There is a state of mental confusion and irritability.
• Fixed Ideas: There are sudden changes in the mind, has either fixed ideas or the mind is continuously changing.
• Carbons have main characteristics as giving meaning and stating values.
• They go for extreme ends in their life.
• Self respect and Dignity: All carbons have value of self worth, dignity and self-respect.
• Aristocratic: They are people who are aristocratic; they believe they have the quality of being excellent, worthy and honorable.
• They have stately manner and nobility.
• Shyness: Though all carbons have self-worth, they quite easily take form of shyness.
• They are timid and easily frightened.
• Tendency to shrink back from danger. Lack of confidence.

Common Characteristic Physical Symptoms:

• Burning is typically present in all carbon groups, burning a over the body and also in palms and soles. Burning pains over the body.
• Pains are smarting and burning in character. Burning as if from smokes flushes of heat in vertex behind sternum, etc.
• Burning shows the destructive properties of carbon, energy stored in the body is destroyed which leads to lack of muscle strength.
• Offensiveness: All the carbons have very offensive and putrid discharges. There are putrid emanations from the body an offensive sores. Stools, urine, sweat, menses are very offensive.
• There is depressed gas exchange and increase of fermentative process due to which also there is putrescence.
• Carbons have absorbent property. It purifies the atmospheric substances that are undergoing decomposition.
• Ulcers and Varicosities: All carbons have a marked tendency to produce varicosity and ulceration. There is no rapid change or repair of ulcers.
• Capillary circulation engorgement. Enlargement of vein: dilatation due to stasis of blood and so varicosity is increased producing varicose veins which form ulcers.
• Venous congestion, phlebitis. Venous bleeding has non-coaguable blood. It directly acts on CVS, producing heart affections, feeble pumping, hypoventilation, and rapid pulse.
• Glandular affections: Carbons have swelled and indurated glands. It stimulates cancerous enlargement and infiltrations Glands are hard and sore with indurated surrounding tissui and infiltrates. Lymphatic secretions are fetid or offensive.
• Abscess: Sluggish, indurated abscess.

GENERAL MODALITIES

Aggravation: Music, full moon, evening, 7 p.m., night, cold, draft of cold r, damp weather, light, during menses, warmth of bed, hot drinks, Jtting feet wet, empty swallowing, fatty food, motion, exertion, climbing stairs, scratching, riding in a carriage and sprains.

Amelioration: Open air, walking after, eating, touch, rest and heat.