Caladium Seguinum
Overview:
In the homeopathic landscape, Caladium seguinum emerges as a remedy addressing a unique spectrum of sensitivities, often called for when the mental focus wanes into forgetfulness and confusion, yet certain vital desires remain quite pronounced. This remedy is particularly noted for its influence over the nervous system and reproductive organs, often indicated in cases of impotence where sexual desire paradoxically persists, alongside a characteristic coldness of the parts. 1 Its signature also includes a profound aversion to motion and states of deep exhaustion or lassitude. Furthermore, Caladium holds a distinct place in addressing troublesome, intense itching, especially of the genital region, and is frequently considered for individuals grappling with the effects or cravings related to tobacco use. 1
C
A
L
A
D
I
U
M
C
C – Coldness
Description: A marked coldness, particularly of the genital organs (scrotum, penis), often accompanied by sweating.
Reference: [Boericke W., Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory]
A
A – Aversion to motion
Meaning:Dislike for motion.
Description:There’s a distinct aversion to movement; the patient wants to lie still and dreads any motion, which often aggravates their complaints. This aversion can manifest both mentally and physically.
Reference: [Hering C., Condensed Materia Medica]
L
L – Lasciviousness
Despite potential physical impotence (penis remains relaxed even with desire and excitement), there can be strong lascivious thoughts. This remedy is noted for impotence resulting from sexual excess or abuse.
[Kent J.T., Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica]
A
D
D-Desire for tobacco
Description: While often craving tobacco, Caladium can also produce a violent aversion to it, causing nausea even from the smell.
Reference: [Allen T.F., Handbook Of Materia Medica And Homoeopathic Therapeutics]
I
I-Insects
Description: There’s a noted sensitivity to insect bites; flies and mosquitoes seem to target the person excessively, and the bites burn and itch intensely.
Reference: [Clarke J.H., A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica]
U
U-Urine Fetid
Description:Bladder feels full without desire to urinate. Urine fetid, with sediment (with impotence and gleet).
Reference:Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.
M
M-Membranes burns
Desription:Like the other Arums, Caladium has an intensely irritating effect on the mucous membranes and skin, and produces many burning sensations.
Reference: Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.
V
A
G
U
E
V
V- Vexation
Description: Cries about a vexation, with inconsiderate prattlings.
Reference: [Handbook Of Materia Medica And Homoeopathic Therapeutics By Allen T.F.]
A
A – Apprehension
Description: Very careful about his health; apprehensive.
Reference: [Condensed Materia Medica By Hering C.]
G
G – Gone Memory
Description: Forgetfulness.
Reference: [Condensed Materia Medica By Hering C.]
U
U-Unknown Wants
Description: Wants something, but does not know what.
Reference: [Handbook Of Materia Medica And Homoeopathic Therapeutics By Allen T.F.]
E
E-Exertion Effects
Description: After mental exertion, fainting.
Reference: [Condensed Materia Medica By Hering C.]
Introduction
Constitution
Clinical
Mental Symptoms
Guiding Symptoms
Characteristic
Therapeutic Value
Modality
Remedy Relationship
Dose
Terminologies
Reference
Also Search As
Introduction
Introduction of Caladium Seguinum
Common name
American arum [1]
Synonyms
Caladium, Americum arum, Arum senguinum, Dum cane
Family / Group / Class / Order
Vegetable Kingdom
Habit and habitat / Description
Native to the warm, humid, and shaded understories of tropical American forests, Caladium is a striking herbaceous perennial prized globally for its decorative leaves. It doesn’t form woody stems but emerges annually from underground tubers, showcasing its beauty during the growing season before entering dormancy. These plants thrive in environments mimicking their natural habitat – requiring warmth, moisture, and indirect light. Today, they are widely cultivated as ornamentals, gracing gardens and homes far from their origin, including suitable settings across India. The plant’s fame rests on its large, heart or arrow-shaped leaves, which display breathtaking patterns in vibrant green, white, pink, and red. Less noticeable are its typical Arum-family flowers (a spathe and spadix). It grows in clumps, generally reaching 1-2.5 feet tall. A critical feature is its toxicity; all parts contain calcium oxalate crystals, causing severe irritation if chewed or ingested.
Name of prover
Dr E.W. Berridge[2]
Introduction and history
Like the other Arums, Caladium has an intensely
irritating effect on the mucous membranes and skin producing severe burning
sensations. Caladium seems to lessen the craving for tobacco.
H.N. Martin gives a picture: ‘Caladium is similar to Lycopodium, the patient
wants to lie down always, better from sweat, opposite of Mercurius, and better
after a short sleep, opposite to Lachesis. Perspiration attracts flies.’ Genitals relaxed and perspire. Patient afraid to go to sleep and doesn’t know why. Itching of vulva with burning.
Parts used
Fresh root
Constitution
Constitution of Caladium Seguinum
Temperament
Phlegmatic
Diathesis
Nervous
Relation with heat & cold
Hot[3]
Miasm
Sycosis; also psora and syphilis [4]
Clinical
Clinical conditions of Caladium Seguinum
Asthma. Dropsical swellings. Gleet. Impotence. Irritation. Nymphomania. Pruritus vaginae. Spermatorrhoea. Typhoid. Typhus. Worms.
Sites of action / Pharmacodynamics
It acts the on mind, ears, eyes, female genital organs, head, heart, kidneys, lungs, male genital organs, nose,
skin, stomach, abdomen and sensorium.
Causation (Causes / Ailments from)
Gonorrhoea, masturbation, tobacco habbit, poisoning.
Patho-physiological changes / Pathogenesis
1. It has a marked action on the genital organs and itching of this region.
2. It modifies the craving for tobacco
Mental Symptoms
Characteristic Mental Symptoms (psychology) of Caladium Seguinum
1. Patient is very careful about health.
2. Patient is restless, cannot control himself after smoking.
3. He refuses to take medicine.
4. Forgetful.
5. Nervous excitation; fear of catching a disease.
6. He is afraid of his own shadow.
7. Presence of foolish boldness in the patient.
8. Patient is nervous and craves tobacco.
Guiding Symptoms
Guiding Symptoms of Caladium Seguinum
Generalities
This remedy has a marked action on the genital organs, and pruritus of this region. Coldness of single parts and inclination to lie down, with aggravation on lying on left side. Slightest noise startles from sleep. DREAD FROM MOTION. Modifies craving for tobacco. Tobacco heart. Asthmatic complaints.[5]
Head
Headaches and mental states of smokers. Very forgetful, does not know about the occurrence of things. Confused headache with pain in shoulder, pressure in eyes and forehead; extremely sensitive to noise, throbbing in ear.
Eye
Close, even while walking in open air.[6]
Ears
Sensitive to noise; slightest noise startles from sleep.
Nose
Discharge of bloody mucus on blowing nose.
Face
Sensation as of a cobweb or crawling.
Mouth
Food eaten seems too dry; must drink to swallow *Red, *dry stripe, *down centre of tongue widening towards tip. Saliva like white of an egg. Milk tastes sour.
Throat
Scratching sensation in throat as from something sharp, or with dry sensation and much hawking.Dryness and burning in throat.Fauces and pharynx dry, not the mouth.Hawking phlegm and vomiting, after smoking.
Stomach
Nausea, especially in the morning on rising. Acid eructations. Frequent eructations of very little wind, as if stomach were full of dry food (with asthma). Burning in stomach, not better by drinking.
Abdomen
Spasmodic cutting pain in stomach and abdomeAfter stool thin red blood passes. Discharge of mucus from the rectum after stool. Stitches in rectum after stool. Soft, pasty, clay-colored, stools, passed with difficulty. Stool containing hard lumps. Very scanty, pasty stool. Urging to stool on rising in the morning. Burning in the anus after stool.n. Abdomen swollen and tender to touch. Sensation as if a long worm writhing in region of transverse colon or duodenum.
Urinary Organ
Bladder feels full without desire to urinate. Urine fetid, with sediment (with impotence and gleet).
Sexual Organ
Organs swollen (puffy), relaxed, and sweating. Swelling of margin of prepuce with smarting during micturition. After waking prepuce remains retracted, painful and swollen. After coition the prepuce remains behind the glans, it is painful and swollen. Glans red, dry, dotted with still redder points. Glans flabby from masturbation. Painful erections without sexual desire, alternating with sexual desire with relaxed penis. Impotence with mental depression. Frequent nocturnal emissions. Nocturnal emissions either without dreams or with non-sexual dreams. Imperfect erections and premature ejaculation of the semen. Impotence, the penis remains relaxed, even when excited. Feeling of coldness, and cold perspiration of the sexual organs.
Respiratory System
Larynx and trachea seem constricted, impedes deep breathing. Sudden and involuntary cough caused by tickling high up in throat (above larynx). Oppression of breathing, cannot get his breath easily. Asthma alternating with itching, burning rash. Catarrhal asthma (with mucus which is not readily raised, but the asthma is relieved when it is raised).
Heart & Pulse
Sharp stitches in right side of chest.
Neck & Back
Rheumatic pain in back, can hardly turn in bed. Pain in shoulder with headache.
Extremities
Limbs feel tired and weak. Rheumatic pains in the limbs. Trembling of the limbs. Stitches in corns. Cramps in the soles of the feet at night.
Skin
The skin has a rough, dry feeling. Itching, burning rash (forearm and chest), alternating with asthma. Violent itching on various parts.
Sleep
Drowsy and sleepy. Sleepless, or unrefreshing sleep. Sleepiness in the daytime, but cannot go to sleep on account of vertigo. Groans and moans anxiously in sleep. Dream, frightful.
Fever
Chilliness in the evening, without thirst. Chilly even in a warm room. Feverish, skin hot and dry. Face, head, and hands hot, legs and feet cold. Internal heat, going off from sleep. Heat with thirst, pain in the ears, swelling of the sub-maxillary glands, and retention of stool. Sweat towards evening, with prostration, yawning, and drowsiness. The perspiration (after the heat) attracts the files.
Characteristic
Important characteristic features of Caladium Seguinum
Keynotes / Redline
1. Sexual desire and excitement with relaxed penis.
2. Sweet sweat, attracts flies.
3. Falls asleep during evening fever and wakes when it stops.
Guiding
-Pruritus valvae in females which may sometimes be due to thread worms finding their way into vagina inducing masturbation and even nymphomania.
-It has special action on genital organs of both the sexes.
-There is great desire to lie down and aversion to motion, but if he makes effort, he is strong enough to move.
-Dryness of parts which are usually moist.
-Modifies craving for tobacco.
-Tobacco heart.
-Sweet sweat attracts the flies.
–Asthma alternating with itching rash.
-Mosquito and insect bite burns and itch intensely.
PQRS
Impotence with Mental Depression: The patient may have sexual desire but lacks the physical ability (erectile dysfunction), often accompanied by significant mental depression or relaxation of parts.
Intense Itching (Pruritus) of Genitalia: Violent itching, especially of the vulva or scrotum, which can alternate with asthma or other conditions. The itching might be worse at night or from warmth.
Aversion to Motion: Patients needing Caladium often feel significantly worse from any kind of motion and have a strong desire to lie down and remain perfectly still. Even slight movement can aggravate symptoms.
Sweating Attracts Flies: A peculiar symptom noted is that the sweat can be sweet-smelling and noticeably attract flies.
Fear/Sensitivity Regarding Insects: Patients may have an extreme dread of insects, or conversely, insect bites may cause severe reactions (burning, itching). Caladium is sometimes used preventatively against mosquito bites.
Confirmatory
1. Impotence; with mental depression, relaxed penis, with sexual desire and excitement.
2. Pruritus vaginae induces onanism.
Nucleus symptoms
-Masturbation and its results in men, pruritus vulvae in females inducing masturbation even nymphomania.
-A great desire to lie down. Aversion to motion, dreads to move.
Therapeutic Value
Therapeutic Value of Caladium Seguinum
Asthma, Dropsical swelling, Gonorrhoea, Impotence,
Itching, Masturbation, Mosquito bites, Nymphomania, Poisoning, Pruritus
vulvae, Spermatorrhoea, Tobacco habit, Typhoid, Typhus, Worms
Modality
Modality of Caladium Seguinum
Aggravation
From sexual excesses, motion, sudden noise, on falling asleep,
from tobacco smoking, from warmth, aversion to cold water but bathing with cold water improves itching.
Amelioration
After sweat, after sleeping during the daytime, cold air, short nap.
Remedy Relationship
Remedy Relationship of Caladium Seguinum
Complimentary
Nit-ac.
Follows Well
Acon, Bry, Canth, Lyc, Merc, Nux-v, Phos, Puls, Sep, Sulph
Inimical
Arum-t
Antidoted By
Camph, Caps, Carb-v, Hyos, Merc, Zinc
Comparison
Agn, Calad, Sel.
Dose
Dose of Caladium Senguinum
Third to sixth attenuation.
Potency
3 to 30 potency
Duration of Action
30-40 Days
Terminologies
Terminologies of Caladium Senguinum
Materia Medica:
Meaning: Latin for "Medical Matters." In homeopathy, it refers to a collection of information about the symptoms and characteristics produced by a specific homeopathic remedy during its proving, as well as clinical observations. An article discussing Caladium’s symptoms is drawing from its Materia Medica.
Proving (or Homoeopathic Pathogenetic Trial – HPT):
Meaning: The systematic process of administering a substance (like Caladium) to healthy volunteers (provers) to observe and record the symptoms it produces (mental, emotional, physical). This data forms the core of the remedy’s Materia Medica.
Symptom Totality:
Meaning: The complete collection of a patient’s symptoms – mental, emotional, physical, general, and particular – including their specific characteristics and modalities. A homeopath aims to match the patient’s symptom totality to a remedy’s known symptom picture (like Caladium’s).
Guiding Symptom / Keynote / Characteristic Symptom:
Meaning: A symptom that is highly distinctive, peculiar, or strongly expressed for a particular remedy, helping to differentiate it from others. For Caladium, examples include impotence with mental desire, violent itching of genitals, or strong aversion to motion.
Modalities:
Meaning: The circumstances or factors that make a patient’s symptom or overall condition better (Amelioration) or worse (Aggravation). These are crucial for remedy selection.
Examples for Caladium: Aggravation (<) from motion, < warmth (for itching), Amelioration (>) after sleep (short nap), * > after sweating*.
Potency:
Meaning: The strength or dilution level of a homeopathic remedy, achieved through serial dilution and succussion (vigorous shaking). Usually denoted by numbers and letters (e.g., 6C, 30C, 200CK, LM1). Articles might discuss which potencies of Caladium were used in cases.
Sphere of Action:
Meaning: The specific organs, tissues, or systems of the body, or the mental/emotional areas, where a remedy seems to have its most significant effects.
For Caladium: Key spheres include the mind (memory, concentration, anxiety), male and female genital organs (impotence, pruritus), skin (itching, insect bites), and nervous system (prostration, effects of tobacco).
Clinical Use / Clinical Confirmation:
Meaning: Symptoms or conditions for which a remedy has been found effective in actual practice, even if those specific symptoms weren’t prominent in the original provings. Articles might share clinical experiences using Caladium for specific conditions matching its symptom picture.
Pruritus:
Meaning: The medical term for itching. This term will frequently appear in discussions of Caladium due to its characteristic intense itching, especially of the genitals.
Impotence:
Meaning: Inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. This is a major indication often discussed in articles about Caladium, especially when desire is still present.
Lasciviousness:
Meaning: Referring to lewd or lustful thoughts or desires. This specific mental symptom is often noted in the Materia Medica of Caladium.
Aversion / Craving:
Meaning: Strong dislike (aversion) or intense desire (craving) for certain things. Caladium is notably associated with symptoms related to tobacco, including both craving and aversion (sometimes causing nausea). It also features a strong aversion to motion.
Reference
Reference of Caladium Seguinum
[1] Allen’s keynotes
[2] Materia medica by Dr.Dube
[3] Zomeo
[4] Gems textbook of materia medica by Dr.Patil
[5] Materia Medica By Boericke W.
[6] Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak
[7] Condensed Materia Medica By Hering C.
Also Search As
Also Search As of Caladium Seguinum
main ways
1.Searching Homeopathic Databases and Journal Archives:
Many homeopathic journals and organizations have online archives.
Keywords:
Use the search function within these specific sites with terms like caladium.
Examples of Websites:
Hpathy.com: A large repository of articles, cases, and discussions.
Interhomeopathy.org: Online journal with clinical cases and articles.
American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine (AJHM): Search their archives.
Homeopathy Journal (Thieme): Often requires subscription or institutional access for full articles.
PubMed/Google Scholar: Use keywords like homoeopathy,caladium adding specific authors or journals if known. Filter results for relevance.
Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH, India): May have research articles or publications.
2.Exploring Online Materia Medica Resources:
Many websites host digital versions of classic homeopathic texts.
Websites:
Look for sites dedicated to hosting classic homeopathic literature (like HomeopathyBooks.in, Archive.org, etc.).
3.Checking Websites of Homeopathic Organizations and Colleges:
National homeopathic organizations (like the National Center for Homeopathy in the US, Faculty of Homeopathy in the UK, etc.) and teaching institutions often publish articles, newsletters, or blog posts.
4.Using Homeopathic Software:
Professional homeopathic software (like RadarOpus, MacRepertory, Complete Dynamics) contains extensive Materia Medica libraries, often searchable by remedy name. This usually requires purchasing the software.
5.Visiting Physical Libraries:
Libraries associated with homeopathic colleges or medical universities may have collections of homeopathic journals and books not readily available online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Caladium in homeopathy?
Caladium
In homeopathy, Caladium usually refers to Caladium seguinum, a remedy prepared from a plant in the Arum family. It is used based on individual symptom similarity according to homeopathic principles.
What are the main uses of the homeopathic remedy Caladium?
Uses
Homeopathic Caladium is often indicated for intense itching (pruritus), especially of the genitals; sexual complaints like impotence with desire; ailments related to tobacco use (craving or aversion); strong aversion to motion; and certain mental symptoms like forgetfulness or anxiety.
What are key physical symptoms addressed by Caladium?
Characteristic physical symptoms
include violent genital itching (vulva/scrotum), often worse from warmth; coldness and sweat of genitals; heightened sensitivity to insect bites (mosquitoes, flies); and profound physical lassitude with a desire to remain still.
What is the natural source of the homeopathic remedy Caladium?
Source
Homeopathic Caladium Seguinum is prepared from the fresh root . The remedy is made through a specific process of serial dilution and succussion.
Are there safety concerns or side effects with homeopathic Caladium?
In homeopathic potencies (diluted forms), Caladium is generally considered safe and does not typically produce the toxic effects of the raw plant. Like any homeopathic remedy, it should be taken based on symptom similarity. If symptoms worsen or change unexpectedly, consult a qualified practitioner.
What is distinctive about the forgetfulness associated with Caladium?
The forgetfulness
characteristic of Caladium often involves momentarily forgetting very familiar things, like well-known names or words, or forgetting what one has just read or done. It’s part of a broader mental fogginess or inability to concentrate thoughts clearly.
