Coca

Introduction of Coca

Common name: 

Erythroxylon Coca[1]

Synonyms

Coca leaves, Bolivian coca, Erythroxylon coca

Family / Group / Class / Order

Vegetable kingdom

Habit and habitat / Description

The homeopathic medicine Coca is derived from Erythroxylum coca, a shrub native to the mid-altitude (600-2,000m) Andean regions of South America, thriving in humid montane climates. Typically growing 1-3 meters tall, this plant features reddish branches and distinctive bright green, oval leaves marked by two faint, parallel curved lines alongside the midrib, especially visible underneath. These leaves, the primary source for the remedy, along with its small yellowish flowers and red berry-like fruits, characterize the botanical origin of homeopathic Coca.

Name of prover

Dr. E. W. Berridge

Introduction and history

It is the divine plant of the Incas. Coca has been used for centuries by natives of west South America as an intoxicant and also as a remedy for ‘Veta’, a condition induced in people on coming to live in high tablelands; faintness, throbbing ears and head, dysentery. Coca is like tea and
coffee in affecting tissue changes, especially for those who take it for unusual fatigue.[2]

Parts used

It is prepared from the tincture of the leaves.

Constitution of Coca

Temperament

Melancholic 

Diathesis

Nervous

Miasm

Psora[3]

Clinical conditions of Coca

Angina pectoris. Asthma. Constipation, chronic. Cough. Deafness. Debility. Fever. Heart disease. Haemorrhoids. Mountain-sickness, or Veta. Rheumatism. Scrofula. Scurvy. Voice, weakness of.[4]

Sites of action / Pharmacodynamics

It mainly acts on respiratory organs, ears, rectum, heart, gums, etc.

Causation (Causes / Ailments from)

Ascending, high altitude

Physiological action

This agent in large doses produces delirium, hallucination and cerebral congestion. Medium doses act as a stimulant, increasing the bodily temperature, pulse rate and respirations, while moderate doses calm the nervous system and render the performance of muscular exertions easier.[5]

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (psychology) of Coca

1. Mental prostration alternating with exhilaration.
2. Patient is timid, bashful, ill at ease in society, craves solitude and obscurity.
3. Sense of impending ordeal.
4. Hallucinations of hearing, unpleasant about himself.
5. Loquacious excitement with blissful visions.
6. Mental depression and drowsiness.
7. Great mental excitement.
8. Sense of right and wrong abolished.
9. Patient is irritable; delights in solitude and obscurity.
10. Patient has muddled feelings in the brain.

Guiding symptoms

Generalities

*Coca is the source of alkaloid Cocaine, is a local anaesthesic. It is the remedy for the exhaustion of ***BRAIN and ***NERVOUS SYSTEM; from physical and mental strain, and for those who suffer from *dizziness, *dyspnoea and exhaustion on going to high altitudes, mountain climbing, aeroplane flying etc. A characteristic sensation as if a worm or small foreign bodies were under the skin, moving away when touched; if this symptom is associated with any diseased condition coca is indicated. Suitable to old people. Short breathed people, weakly, nervous, fat, plethoric people. Children with marasmus. Muscle exhaustion.[6]

Head

Ache, with vertigo, preceded with flashes of light before the eyes. Shocks coming from occiput, with vertigo. Migraine, worse coughing better eating; sunset.

Eye

Flickering before the eyes. White, dark and fiery spots before the eyes. Pupils dilated. Diplopia.

Ears

Noises in ears. Tinnitus.

Nose

Sense of smell greatly diminished.

Face

Paleness of the face. A kind of chlorosis develops; the bilious color first noticed gives place to a leaden hue. Cheeks. Burning redness of cheeks, first left, then right, with white spots in the center of latter (sixty-fifth day). Pressive pain in the right malar bone (first day).

Lips. Pale lips and gums, with green blunted teeth. About 10.45 A.M., slight burning in left upper lip, where the moustache grows (fifty-first day).Lower Jaw.Soreness in left lower jaw, just above-maxillary gland; worse on talking, and especially by eating solid food on that side (second day).[7]

Mouth

Caries of teeth. Tongue furred. Peppery sensation in the mouth.

Throat

Eructations; rise with noise and violence, as if it would split the oesophagus.

Stomach

Great satiety for long time. Retards hunger and thirst. Craving for alcohol and tobacco. No appetite but for sweets. Aversion to solid food.

Abdomen

Dysentery of high altitudes. Abdomen distended.

Rectum & Anus

Flatus from bowels, smells like burnt gunpowder. Dysentery. Constipation from inactivity of rectum, stools dry, like walnuts. Piles painful on walking or sitting. Sphincters relaxed.

Urinary Organ

Fine stitches in female urethra before urinating. Frequent desire, with increase, flow. Disturbed frequently at night. Nocturnal enuresis. Film on urine. Urine smells like sweat. Yellowish red flocculent deposits, oily scum on surface.

Sexual Organ

Sensation as if penis were absent. Diabetes, with impotency.Menses flow in gushes, waking her from sleep.

Respiratory System

Loss of voice (5 or 6 drops of every 2 hour before the expected demand on voice). asthma. Emphysema. Want of breath short breath esp. in aged athletes. Hoarseness worse talking.

Heart & Pulse

Palpitation; with flushing, excessively rapid pulse; with violent sweating.

Neck & Back

Pain at upper part of nape on bending neck down forward. Sprained pain in muscles of l. side of nape at 10 P.M. on bending head backward or forward. Sudden sharp pain in r. lumbar region in morning, during forcible expiration when standing.

Extremities

Crawling, numbness of arms. When walking takes involuntary quick steps, head inclined forward with vertigo.

Skin

Like a worm under the skin moving away when touched.

Sleep

Sleeplessness. Can find no rest anywhere but sleepy. Awaken with a shock in brain.

Fever

Sense of flushing, especially up the back (with palpitation). Chilliness and headache in afternoon. At night heat and sleeplessness, with throbbing in arteries. Flushes of heat on the back and burning in abdomen. Extreme weariness accompanies the fever. Night sweats.

Important characteristic features of Coca

Keynotes / Redline

1. A characteristic sensation as if worm or small foreign bodies were under the skin, moving away when touched.

2. Cold, gone, relaxed feeling about external genitals. Sensation as if penis were absent.

3. Flatus rises with such force, it seems as if oesophagus would be rent by it.

Guiding

-Sensation as if WORM or small foreign bodies (grain of sand) were under the skin (Calc-c), moving away when touched. FORMICATION.

-Mountaineers’ Remedy- Complaints incidental to mountain climbing: palpitation, excessively rapid pulse, dyspnoea, violent sweating, anxiety, insomnia.

-Persons with physical and mental strain of busy life, who suffer from exhausted nerves and brain. (Fl-ac.)

-Very little need of nourishment and sleep even during heavy work remarkable vigour. Sleepless, awakes with a shock in the brain.

-Want of breath, short breath, especially in aged athletes and alcoholic users and those who use tobacco.

-Aphonia, loss of voice: 5-6 drops every half hour, 2 hrs before expected demand on voice.

PQRS

Sense of right and wrong abolished.
Mental prostration alternating with exhilaration and loquacity.
Sensation as if insects were crawling under the skin (Formication).
Headache from riding in a carriage or train.
Auditory hallucinations, hearing unpleasant things about oneself.

Confirmatory

1. Sensation of worm or foreign body under the skin which disappears on touch.

2. Sensation as if penis is absent.

3. Bashful, timid, wants darkness and solitude.

Nucleus symptoms

– Complaints indicated to mountain climbing as painful shortness of breath, oppression, dyspnoea, haemoptysis, anxiety, insomnia and exhaustion.

– Persons with physical and mental strain of busy life who suffer from exhausted nerves and brain.

Therapeutic value of Coca

Altitude sickness, Angina pectoris, Asthma, Chronic
constipation, Cough, Deafness, Debility, Fever, Haemorrhoids, Heart disease,
Mountain sickness, Rheumatism, Scrofula, Scurvy, Weakness of voice.

Modality of Coca

Aggravation

From cold air, mental or physical exertion, walking, sitting, salty
food, from climbing mountains.

Amelioration

From wine, quick motion in open air, riding in open air, after sunset, lying on the face.

Remedy relationship of Coca

Antidoted By

Gels.

Comparison

Ars, Cann-i, Stram

Dose

Tincture to 3rd 

Potency

3C,30C.

Terminologies of Coca

Main terminologies

Homeopathic Medicine / Remedy:

Meaning: A substance (derived from plants, minerals, animals, etc.) prepared through a specific process of serial dilution and succussion (vigorous shaking) according to homeopathic pharmacopeia. The term "remedy" is often used interchangeably with "medicine" in homeopathy and is selected for a patient based on the principle of ‘like cures like’.

Materia Medica:

Meaning: Latin for "medical materials". In homeopathy, it refers to a collection of detailed descriptions of remedies. Each entry typically lists the symptoms (mental, emotional, physical) that a substance has been known to produce in healthy individuals during ‘provings’ and/or cure in the sick. Examples include Boericke’s, Phatak’s, Clarke’s, and Kent’s Materia Medicas.

Synoptic Key:

Meaning: A concise summary format, often using an acronym or the letters of a remedy’s name (like C-O-C-A), designed to highlight the most prominent or guiding symptoms (keynotes) of that remedy for easy recall and quick reference.

Sphere of Action:

Meaning: The specific organs, tissues, or physiological systems where a particular homeopathic remedy primarily exerts its effects. For Coca, the sphere of action includes the nervous system, respiratory system, and heart.

Modalities:

Meaning: The factors or circumstances that make a specific symptom or the patient’s overall condition better (<) or worse (>). Examples for Coca include worse from ascending heights, worse from exertion. Modalities are crucial for individualizing a case and selecting the correct remedy.

Miasm: 

Meaning: A concept introduced by Samuel Hahnemann, referring to underlying chronic disease tendencies or predispositions (often inherited) that influence a person’s susceptibility to illness and modify how symptoms manifest. The main miasms are Psora, Sycosis, and Syphilis, with others added later by different practitioners (e.g., Tubercular, Cancer). Sankaran placed Coca between the Sycotic and Cancer miasms.

Dyspnoea:

Meaning: The medical term for difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. It’s listed as a common symptom in many Materia Medica entries, including Coca’s.

Palpitation:

Meaning: The sensation of being aware of one’s own heartbeat, often experienced as rapid, fluttering, pounding, or irregular beats. A frequently recorded symptom in homeopathic Materia Medica.

Vertigo:

Meaning: The medical term for dizziness, typically a sensation of spinning oneself or the surroundings. Recorded as a symptom under many remedies.

Debility / Prostration:

Meaning: Significant weakness, lack of energy, or exhaustion, affecting the person physically and/or mentally. These terms describe a general state often noted in remedy pictures.

Other terms

Repertory:

Meaning: An index of symptoms used in homeopathy. Symptoms are listed systematically (e.g., by body part or type), and under each symptom (rubric), remedies known to affect that symptom are listed, often graded according to how strongly they relate to it. It’s a tool used alongside the Materia Medica to help find potential remedies matching the patient’s symptoms.

Similimum:

Meaning: The homeopathic remedy whose symptom picture, as detailed in the Materia Medica (derived from provings and clinical use), most closely matches the specific and complete symptom picture (Totality of Symptoms) of the individual patient. Finding the similimum is the goal of homeopathic case analysis.

Constitutional Prescribing:

Meaning: A homeopathic approach where the remedy is selected based on the person’s overall constitution – their enduring physical build, temperament, mental and emotional tendencies, general susceptibilities, and chronic patterns of illness – rather than just the symptoms of a current acute illness.

Reference of Coca

[1] Allen’s keynotes

[2] Gems textbook of materia medica by Dr.Patil

[3] Zomeo

[4] Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.

[5] A Manual Of Materia Medica, Therapeutics And Pharmacology By Blackwood, Alexander Leslie

[6] Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak

[7] Encyclopedia Of Pure Materia Medica, Vol.3 By Allen T.F.

Also Search As

1.Using Search Engines with Specific Keywords:

• Use search engines like Google, DuckDuckGo, or Google Scholar.
  Combine "homeopathy" or "homeopathic" with terms related to the remedy and its uses.
  Examples of effective search terms:
  

  "Coca homeopathic remedy symptoms"

  "Coca homeopathy guiding symptoms"

• "Erythroxylum Coca Materia Medica"

  "Coca homeopathy altitude sickness" or "Coca homeopathy mountain sickness" (This is a very common indication found in literature and studies).

  "Coca homeopathy fatigue

  "Homeopathic proving of Coca"

  "Boericke Coca" (or replace Boericke with other authors like Kent, Phatak, Clarke, Sankaran to find specific Materia Medica entries).

  "Coca homeopathy for climbers"

  Based on recent research found: "Coca homeopathy cocaine craving study"

2.Searching Academic Databases:

PubMed / PubMed Central (PMC): Excellent resources for finding published research, including clinical trials, reviews, and case studies. Search results show studies on Coca for cocaine craving and reviews mentioning its use in travel medicine/altitude. (e.g., search "Erythroxylum coca homeopathy" or "homeopathy altitude sickness Coca").
Google Scholar / Semantic Scholar: These search across a wide range of academic literature, including articles, theses, and abstracts. Search results identified studies like "The Effect of Homeopathic Coca on High Altitude Mountain Sickness".
ResearchGate: Researchers often upload their papers here. Searching on this platform can yield relevant articles, like the Mt. Everest study and the review on coca/cocaine.

3.Consulting Homeopathic Journals:

Look for articles in dedicated homeopathic journals. Some may have online archives.
Examples include: Homeopathy (Published by Thieme), American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine, Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy (IJRH), Journal of Integrative Medicine (which published a study on Coca found in the search results).

4.Exploring Online Homeopathic Resources:

Online Materia Medicas:

Many websites host digital versions of classic Materia Medicas (Boericke, Kent, Clarke, etc.). Search within these sites for "Coca" or "Erythroxylum Coca".

Homeopathic Research Institute (HRI):

Their website often features summaries and links to reliable homeopathic research.

Websites of Homeopathic Organizations:

National Center for Homeopathy (USA), Faculty of Homeopathy (UK), Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH, India), and reputable homeopathic colleges may have articles or resource sections.

5.Using Homeopathic Software:

If you have access to homeopathic software (like RadarOpus, MacRepertory, Complete Dynamics), these contain extensive Materia Medica information and allow searching for specific remedies and symptoms.

6.Consulting Books:

Classic Materia Medicas: Refer to printed copies of works by Boericke, Kent, Clarke, Hering, Allen, Phatak, Sankaran, etc.
Modern Homeopathic Texts: Look for books focusing on specific conditions (like travel, first aid, altitude sickness) or newer Materia Medicas. The search results mentioned Manuel Mateu Ratera’s "First Aid with Homeopathy" which discusses Coca for mountain medicine.