Therapeutics of Cancer from Boericke’s Materia Medica

 As today we are no longer unaware about the word “cancer”. It is spreading in every part of world so fast that the global cancer burden is estimated to have risen to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018 and India’s cancer incidence is estimated at 1.15 million new patients in 2018 and is predicted to almost double as a result of demographic changes alone by 2040. Here are so many layers of cause for cancer that we can’t waste our time in finding the roots of cancer. We have to prepare ourselves for a solution to atleast slow it down and then find its process of relief.

Our pioneers of homoeopathy have used homoeopathic medicines treating the cases of cancer and noted down the indications of different homoeopathic medicines in different types and stages of cancer.

Boericke materia medica is a type of clinical materia medica which is enriched with clinical symptoms of the homoeopathic medicines and here we have extracted the indications on cancer from the book:

1. ACETIC ACID- Boericke have quoted in his materia medica that it acts on cancer of epithelial cell internally and locally.
2. ARSENICUM IODATUM- After ulceration has set in the start of breast cancer.
3. ASTERIAS RUBENS- Cancer mammae even ulcerative stage.it states acute lancinating pain. Axillary glands swollen hands and knotted.
4. AURUM MURIATICUM- Tongue cancer. Tongue is hard as leather, induration after glosstitis.
5. CALCAREA ARSENICOSA- Pancreatic disease; it gives relief in burning pain of pancreatic cancer. It is useful in uterine cancer; burning pain in uterus and vagina.
6. CARBO ANIMALIS- Burning pain down thighs, uterine cancer. Nose swollen,tip bluish, small tumour on it.
7. CARBONEUM SULPHURATUM- It’s very useful to restrain the growth of cancer.
8. CARDUUS MARIANUS- Useful in profuse diarrhoea due to rectal cancer.
9. CINNAMONUM ZEYLANICUM- Cancer where pain and fetor are present.
10. CISTUS CANADENSIS- Lupus, caries; open, bleeding cancer. The neck is studded with tumors, malignant disease of the glands of the neck.
11. CUNDURANGO- Allays the pain in gastralgia accompanying cancer of stomach, chronic gastic catarrah, syphilis and cancer. Ulcerative stage of carcinoma cutis when fissures form. Tumors, stricture of oesophagus.
12. CORYDALIS FORMOSA- Cancer cachexia pronounced.
13. CROTALUS HORRIDUS- Cancer of tongue with haemorrhage, cancer of stomach with vomiting of bloody, slimy mucus.
14. ECHINACEA AUGUSTIFOLIA- Last stages of cancer to ease pain.
15. FULIGO LIGNI- Chronic irritations of mucous membranes of mouth; pruritis vulvae; uterine haemorrhage; cancer especially of scrotum (chimney sweeper’s cancer), epithelial cancers; cancer of womb with metrorrhagia; sadness, thoughts of suicide.
16. GALIUM APARINE- Has power of suspending or modifying cancerous action. Has clinical confirmation of its use in cancerous ulcers and nodulated tumors of tongue.
17. GRAPHITES- Cancer of pylorus.
18. HOANG NAN- Cancer of glandular structures. Removes fetor and haemorrhage in cancer, it revives the healing process.
19. HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS- Cancer and cancerous state, before ulcerations, when pain is the prinipal symptom. Ulcers and cancer of stomach. Tumor of breasts, nipples retracted. Cancerous formations in skin.
20. HYDROCOTYLE ASIASTICA- Pain of cervical cancer.
21. KALIUM ARSENICUM- Skin cancer where suddenly an alarming malignancy without any external signs sets in.
22. KALIUM CYNATUM- Cancer of tongue and agonizing neuralgia have been benefited by this drug.
23. KALIUM PHOSPHORICUM- After removal of cancer when in healing process the skin is drawn tight over the wound. Suspected malignant tumors.
24. MALANDRIUM- Efficacious in cleaning the remnants of cancerous deposits.
25. ORNITHOGALUM UMBELLATUM- Considered in chronic gastric and other abdominalindurations, possibly cancer of intestinal tract specially of stomach and caecum.
26. PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM-Useful in relieving pains of cancer.
27. PHYTOLACCA DECANDRA- Tumors of the breasts with enlarged axillary glands, cancer of breasts.
28. SANGUNARIA CANADESIS- Cancer of rectum.
29. TARAXACUM OFFICINALE- Cancer of bladder.
30. CADMIUM SULPHURATUM- Carcinoma ventriculi; persistent vomiting.
31. CARCINOSINUM- History of carcinoma. Carcinoma of the mammary glands with great pain and induration of glands; of uterus, the offensive discharge, haemorrhage and pains are greatly relieved.
32. EUPHORBIUM OFFICINARUM- Ulcerating carcinoma and epithelioma of the skin.
33. LAPIS ALBUS- Pre-ulcerative stage of carcinoma, uterine carcinoma. Fibroid tumors with intense burning pains through the part with profuse haemorrhage.
34. RUTA GRAVEOLEUS- Carcinoma affecting lower bowel.
35. FORMIC ACID- Carcinoma of stomach and breasts.
36. CALCAREA FLUORICA- Blood tumors of new born infants. Chief remedy for vascular tumors with dilated blood vessels and for varicose or enlarged veins. Osseus tumors. Ganglia or encysted tumors at the back of the wrist.
37. CALCAREA SULPHURICA- Cystic tumors.
38. CHIMAPHILA UMBELLATA- Painful tumor of mammae, not ulcerated with undue secretion of milk. Women with very large breasts and tumors in the mammary gland with sharp pains through it.
39. CHRONICUM ACIDUM- Post-nasal tumors and epithelioma of the tongue have been benefited by this drug.
40. CLEMATIS ERECTA- Glandular indurations and tumors of breast.
41. COLOCYNTHIS- Round,small cystic tumors in ovaries or broad ligaments.
42. CONIUM MACULATUM- Skin tumors; piercing pains, worse at night.
43. FRAXINUS AMERICANA- Uterine tumors with bearing down sensations.
44. GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM-Tumor of the breast with swelling of axillary glands.
45. KALIUM BROMATUM- Cystic tumors of ovaries.
46. KALIUM IODATUM- Bony tumors of the orbit.
47. MERCURIALIS PERENNIUS- Tumor at ensiform appendix, very sensitive.
48. MERCURIUS AURATUS- Brain tumors.
49. MERCURIUS IODATUM FLAVUS- Mammary tumors with tendency to much warm perspiration and gastric disturbances.
50. NATRIUM SILICOFLUORICUM- A cancer remedy, tumors. 51. PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS- Tarsal tumors.
51. SCROPHULARIA NODOSA- Very useful in the dissipation of breast tumors. Nodosities in the breast.
52. SEMPERVIVUM TECTORUM- Cancerous tumors. Scirrhous induration of tongue. Mammary carcinoma. Malignant ulcers of mouth. Cancer of tongue.
53. SEPIA OFFICINALIS – Tarsal tumors
54. SILICA TERRA- Indurated tumors
55. TEUCRIUM MARUM VERUM- Tarsal tumors(staph).
56. THUJA OCCIDENTALIS- Tarsal tumors.
57. THYROIDINUM- Mammary tumors. Fibroid tumors of the breasts.
58. ANILINUM- Tumors of the urinary passages.
59. BELLADONNA- Tumors of breast ,pain worse lying down.
60. BERBERIS AQUAFOLIUM- Tumor of breasts with pain.
61. BROMIUM- Tumor in breasts with stiching pains, worse left.
62. BUFO RANA- Tumors and polypi of womb.
63. EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS- Malignant disease of stomach with vomiting of blood and sour fluid.
64. LOBELIA ERINUS-Malignant growths, extremely rapid development, colloid cancer of the omentum; cork-screw like pains in abdomen. Malignant disease of the face. Epithelioma.

Prof. Dr. Ashok Yadav
(HOD, Department of Practice of Medicine, Homoeopathy University)

Dr. A.P.S. Chhabra
(MD, PGR, Department of Practice of Medicine, Homoeopathy University)

Dr. Tulika Shikha
(MD, PGR, Department of Paediatrics, Homoeopathy University)