Secale Cornutum

Constitution

Physical make up :

• Suits women of thin, scrawny, feeble, cachectic appearance who are irritable, have a nervous temperament with a pale, sunken countenance. Also suited to very old, decrepit, feeble persons. (1) 

Temperament :

Irritable and nervous (1) 

Diathesis :

Haemorrhagic (1) 

Relation with heat & cold :

Hot (1) 

Miasm :

Psora (1) 

Clinical Features

Clinical conditions

In Homeopathy Secale Cor medicine use by Homeopathic Doctors in treatment of During labour or uterine haemorrhage, it is extremely dangerous when there is albuminuria, it may bring on convulsions.  Puerperal metritis (Dr. Allen). Claudication, Cholera, Diarrhoea, Ecchymosis, Gangrene, Haemorrhages, Miscarriage, Raynaud’s syndrome, Seizure disorder, Ulcerations, Varices. (2) 

Sites of action / Pharmacodynamics

It acts upon female genital organs, blood vessels, capillaries, skin, stomach, gastrointestinal tract, mind, breasts, uterine muscles and cerebrospinal nervous system. (1)

Causation (Causes / Ailments from)

Abortion, childbirth, haemorrhages, miscarriage, wounds, suppression of tears, lochia, milk, sweat. (1) 

Physiological action

1) Heart:  

i) Inhibitory paralysis. 

ii) Lessened pulsations.

2) Circulation:  

i) Tonic arterial contraction

ii) Veins dilated.

3) Temperature:  

i) Greatly lowered 

ii) Sometimes 5 degrees,

4) Uterus:  

i) Abortifacient

ii) Violent tetanic contraction from arterial anaemia and venous hyeraemia.

iii) Death of foetus from uterine tetanus. 

5) Stomach:  

i) Violent emesis 

ii) Haematemesis.

6) Intestines:  

i) Increased peristaltic movements.

ii) Watery diarrhoea.

7) Sphincter muscles:

All paralysed 

8) C. N. S.:  

i) Formication 

ii) Muscular cramps. 

iii) Epilepsy. 

9) Eyes:  

i) Pupils dilated

ii) Amaurosis from anaemia (4)

Patho-physiological changes / Pathogenesis

1. It produces contraction of the unstripped muscular fibres, hence there is a constringent feeling throughout the whole body.
2. This produces an anaemic condition, coldness, numbness, petechiae, mortification and gangrene.
3. Secale decreases the flow of pancreatic juice by raising the blood pressure. (1)

Characteristic mental symptoms (psychology)

1. Weakness of mind after spasm or exhausting sex.
2. Madness, with an inclination to bite or drown himself.
3. There is mania, fear or depressed fear. Specially indicated for puerperal mania; exposes the body, tears at genitals, inserts her finger into the vagina and scratches until it bleeds; all idea of modesty lost.
4. Patient laughs, claps her hand over her head; seems besides herself. (1)

Guiding Symptoms

S-Skin feels cold to the touch yet can riot tolerate covering. 

E-Enuresis of old people,  

C-Craves acids and lemonades 

A-Adapted to haemorrhagic diathesis 

L-Leucorrhoea: B-Brown, O-Offensive, G-Green 

E-Everything seems loose and open but no expulsive action. 

C-Cachetic, scrawny, thin, feeble appearance. 

O-Old, decrepit persons.  

R-Ravenous appetite: even with exhausting diarrhoea. (5)

Generalities

• Produces contraction of the unstriped muscular fibers; hence a constringent feeling throughout the whole body.  
• This produces an anaemic condition, coldness, numbness, petechiae, mortification, gangrene.  
• A useful remedy for old people with shriveled skin- thin, scrawny old women.  
• All the Secale conditions are BETTER FROM COLD; the whole body is pervaded by a sense of great heat.  
• Haemorrhages; continued oozing; THIN, fetid, watery black blood. 
• DEBILITY, ANXIETY, EMACIATION, THOUGH APPETITE AND THIRST MAY BE EXCESSIVE. 
• Facial and abdominal muscles twitch.
• Secale decreases the flow of pancreatic juice by raising the blood pressure. (7) 

Head

• Feels light or heavy with tingling in legs. Twisting of head to and fro. Falling of hair. (8) 

Eye

• Sparks before the eyes.  
• Incipient cataract esp. in women.  
• Sunken; surrounded by blue rings.  
• Paralysis of upper lid; from coal gas.  
• Tears suppressed.  
• Double or triple vision.  
• Blindness.  
• Diabetic retinitis. (8) 

Ears

• Hardness of hearing, after cholera. (8) 

Nose

• Bleeds persistently; blood; dark; with great prostration, in old people, drunkards or young women. (8)

Face

• Distorted or sunken, pale, pinched.  
• Wild look.  
• Tingling or twitching in face; which spreads all over the body.  
• Lock-jaw. (8) 

Mouth

• Tongue; dry, cracked, exudes blood inky black; stiff, with tingling at tip; feels paralyzed; stuttering indistinct speech. (8) 

Throat

• Painful tingling; burning.  
• Post diphtheritic paralysis. (8) 

Stomach

• Thirst; unquenchable.  
• Unnatural ravenous appetite; craves sour things and lemonade.  
• Vomiting; of dark brown, coffee-ground fluid.  
• Empty retchings.  
• Burning.  
• Nausea, easy vomiting.  
• Haematemesis. (8) 

Abdomen

• Excessively inflated and tight; wants uncovered.  
• Empty feeling in hypogastrium; or bearing down; must lie doubled up in bed.  
• Gushing, offensive; painless, watery, olive-green or bloody stools; with collapse; icy coldness and intolerance of being covered.  
• Anus feels loose, and wide open; faeces pass involuntarily.  
• Twitching of abdominal muscles.  
• Formation of large lumps and swelling in abdomen. (8) 

Rectum & Anus

• Paralysis of rectum and anus. 
• Anus wide open. (9) 

Stool

• Cholera-like stools, with coldness and cramps.  
• OLIVE-GREEN, THIN, PUTRID, BLOODY, WITH ICY COLDNESS AND INTOLERANCE OF BEING COVERED, WITH GREAT EXHAUSTION. INVOLUNTARY STOOLS; no sensation of passing faeces, anus wide open. (7) 

Urinary Organ

• Enuresis in old people.  
• Bloody urine, white cheesy deposit.  
• Urine; suppressed, pale, watery.  
• Retention, with unsuccessful urging. (8) 

Sexual Organ

FEMALE,  

• Menses; irregular, copious, dark, continuous oozing of watery, foetid, blood; until next period, Inert uterus, or bearing down with coldness. 
• Contracted uterus; hour-glass contraction.  
• Brownish, offensive, continuous, leucorrhoea.  
• Threatened abortion; at the third month.  
• Dark, offensive, green lochia.
• Septic placenta.  
• Metritis.  
• Gangrene of female organs.  
• Severe after-pains.  
• Suppression of milk, with stinging in mammae.  
• Never well since abortion.  
• Vagina hot or cool.  
• Puerperal fever.  
• Prolapsus uterus after forceps delivery. (8) 

Respiratory System

• Pains through chest, on pressing spine.  
• Burning in lungs. (8) 

Heart & Pulse

• Palpitation of heart after sexual excess; in males.  
• Pulse intermittent. (8) 

Neck & Back

• Tingling in back extending to fingers and toes.
• Pressure on affected portion causes pain there as well as through the chest.
• Myelitis. (8) 

Extremities

• Limbs cold.  
• Bluish fingers and toes.  
• Cramps in hands; legs and feet.  
• Fingers spread apart, bent backwards or clenched, look water soaked. Fingers feel fuzzy; of smokers.  
• Cramps in calves.  
• Trembling, staggering or shuffling gait, as if feet were dragged along. 
• Toes drawn up.  
• Locomotor ataxia.  
• Paraplegia.  
• Hands and feet cold and dry, of smokers. (8) 

Skin

• Boils with green pus; matures slowly.  
• Bloody blisters.  
• Skin cold, dry, wrinkled or bluish; Agg. over affected part.  
• Raynaud’s disease. 
• Oedema neonatorum. 
• Ulcers, foul, indolent; varicose. 
• Twitchings or quivering in skin. 
• Formication under the skin. (8)

Sleep

• Insomnia of drug and liquor habitues.  
• Deep, lethargic. (8) 

Fever

• INTERNAL BURNING; WITH ICY COLDNESS EXTERNALLY, YET AVERSE To BEING COVERED worse abdomen.  
• Heat as of sparks.  
• Erysipelas.  
• Cold or foul sweat destroys shoes. (8) 

Important characteristic features

Keynotes / Redline

• Skin feels cold to touch but patient feels burning heat and cannot tolerate covers > cold < heat. 
• Haemorrhagic diathesis, continuous passive oozing of black, watery blood.
• Burning all over the body as if fine sparks were falling on the patient.
• Appearance is thin, emaciated, hippocratic face like a dead man. (2)
   

Guiding 

• Haemorrhage:PASSIVE, VENOUS, DARK, OOZING BLOOD (Ham) 
• Adaptable to thin, scrawny cachectic appearance, pale and sunken countenance, lax musculature. Weak people with shrivelled skin 
• BURNING PAIN > COLD APPLICATION 
• Paralysis. Convulsions 
• Burning of all parts as if sparks of fire were falling on parts, worse from heat. 
• Craving for acids, sour and lemonades. 
• Headache with nose bleed (dark oozing). 
• Vomiting of blood and coffee-grounds fluid. 
• Bladder-Paralysis of bladder. Retention. 
• Female Genitalia-CONTINUOUS, PASSIVE HAEMORRHAGE OF DARK, THIN BLOOD. 

 PQRS 

• The skin feels cold to touch, yet the patient cannot tolerate covering (Camph): icy coldness of extremities 
• Everything seems loose and open; no action; very lax muscular fibre.
• The slightest wound causes bleeding for weeks (Lach., Phos). 
• Un-natural, ravenous appetite; even with exhausting diarrhoea; craves lemonade. 
• Enuresis of old people.
• During labor pains irregular, too weak, feeble or ceasing everything seems loose and but no expulsive action. (6)

Confirmatory 

• Warm blooded, skin cold to touch < heat > debility.  
• Gangrenous conditions. (2)

Nucleus symptom 

• Sec cor acts on circulation. Used for circulatory imbalance, including states of gangrene. Controls haemorrhage by constricting capillaries.
• Purplish spots on withered skin.  
• Parts cold to touch but amelioration from cold and cannot bear external heat. (2)

Therapeutic value

Abortion, After pains, Bladder affections, Boils, Carbuncles, Cholera, Convulsions, Cramps, Diabetes, Diarrhoea, Epilepsy, Gangrene, Glandular affections, Haemorrhages, Heart affections, Labour, Leucorrhoea, Liver troubles, Menstrual disorders, Miscarriage, Neuralgia, Numbness, Paralysis, Pregnancy disorders, Skin affections, Spinal irritation, Ulcers, Uterine troubles, etc. (1) 

Modality

Aggravation:

By heat, warm coverings, warm drinks, after eating and from touching. 

Amelioration:

In the open air, getting cold, uncovering, exposing the affected parts, rubbing, wants to be fanned, cold application and open air. (1) 

Remedy Relationship

Complimentary

Asaf. (chorea), Aur-m. (sclerosis, r. heart), Both. (blood symptoms), Chin. (diarrhoea), Lol-t. (nerve symptoms), Nat-m.,Thuj. (10) 

Follows Well

Acon, Bell, Chin, Merc, Puls. (1)

Antidoted By

Camph, Op. (1) 

It Antidotes

Solan-n (11) 

Comparison

Acon, Agar, Apis, Ars, Bar-c, Bell, Bov, Calc, Camph, Caul, Cinch, Cinnam, Colch, Con, Croto-t, Ergot, Erig, Ferr, Ferr-p, Goss, Ham, Iod, Kali-bi, Lach, Lap-a, Lath, Lil-t, Lyc, Mitch, Phos, Plb, Puls, Sabin, Samb, Scut, Sep, Sulph, Thyr, Tril, Ust, Verat, Vib. (2) 

Posology (Dose)

Potency

Dose- As per Physician’s Advice 

Potency- 3x to 200 (1)

Duration of action

20-30 days 

Frequently Asked Questions

Qu. 1. Mention three medicines suitable for anemic women. 

Ans. 

• Natrum Mur. 
• Pulsatilla. 
• Secale Cor. 

Qu. 2. State the haemorrhage of Secale Cor. 

 Ans. 

1. Adoptability

• Women of thin, scrawny, feeble, cachectic appearance: irritable nervous temperament. 
• Pale, sunken countenance. 
• Women of very lax muscular fibre, everything seems loose and open; no action vessels flabby. 

2. Character

• Haemorrhagic diathesis copious flow of thin, black, watery blood, the corpuscles are destroyed.  
• The slightest wound causes bleeding for weeks. 
• Discharge of sanious liquid blood with a strong tendency to putrescence. 
• Tingling in the limbs and great debility: especially when the weakness is not caused by previous loss of fluids. 
• During menses, continuous discharge of watery blood until next period.[3] 

Qu. 3. Name three medicines for unnatural ravenous appetite. 

 Ans. 

• Cina. 
• Lycopodium. 
• Secale Cor. 

Qu.4. State urinary symptoms of Secale Cor. 

Ans. 

• Enuresis of old people. 
•  Urine, pale, watery or bloody. 
•  Suppression of urine. 
• Discharge of black blood from the bladder. (Ref. Boericke). 

Qu. 5. State the labor pain of Secale Cor. 

Ans. 

•  During labor pains are irregular, too weak. 
• Pain: feeble or ceasing. 
• Everything seems loose and open but no expulsive action. 
• Fainting during labor. 
• After pains too long, too painful; hour-glass contraction. 

Qu. 6. State the abortion of Secale Cor. 

Ans. 

•  Threatened abortion. 
•  Especially at third month 
•  Prolonged, bearing down, forcing pains. 

Qu. 7. State the menstrual symptoms of Secale Cor. 

Ans.  

a) Causation

• Master Kent says women who have taken ergot to produce abortion or dosed with it to facilitate parturition. 
• Kent refers, patient will say, ‘I have had no health since I aborted’. 

b) Time

• Irregularly regular. (Which means the interval of cycle may be short or prolonged i.e. irregular, but in that way, it is repeated regularly.) 

(c) Duration 

•  Long lasting, continuous discharge of watery blood until the next period. 

(d) Quantity 

• Profuse 

(e) Character of blood

•  Thin, dark, black. 
•  Brown fluid and of a disgusting smell. 
•  Kent says, flow is, blackish then dark, watery flow, changes to thick, black and offensive discharge. 
• Considerable flow on the first day, fluid and blackish, this goes for a couple of weeks and then dark, watery flow comes, which lasts until next period. Then comes thick, black fluid, horribly offensive flow again. 

(f) Before menstruation

•  Agg. of all her complaints. 
• Great weariness and dread of death. 

(g) During menstruation

• Violent crampy pain due to excessive uterine contractions. 
• Dread of death. 
• Labor like pain in the abdomen. 

(h) After menstruation

•  Great anxiety and fear of death. 

(i) Modalities

•  Agg. Before menstruation. 
•  From moving about. 

(j) Concomitants

• Very hot patient cannot cover up. 
• Skin feels cold to touch, yet patient cannot tolerate coverings. 
• Craves acids and lemonades 
• Extensor type of cramps may occur. 

Qu. 8. State the leucorrhoea of Secale Cor. 

Ans. 

a) Subjects

•  Thin, scrawny women who suffers from excessive menstruation. 
•  Women of very lax muscular fibre; every- thing seems loose and open, no action. vessels flabby. 

b) Character of leucorrhea

•  Brownish and offensive leucorrhea 
• Discharge is greenish in colour. 
• Jelly like, creamy, sanious discharge. 

(c) Concomitant

• Leucorrhea alternates with metrorrhagia. 
• Sadness, anxiety, anguish of mind.  
• Excessive uterine contractions cause crampy pain.  
• Eyes sunken and surrounded by a blue margin. 
• Burning in all parts of the body, as sparks of fire were falling on the patient. 

Qu.9. State the diarrhea of Secale Cor 

 Ans. 

(a) Causation

•  Due to summer heat. 
•  From gastric derangements. 

(b) Character of stool

• Profuse, painless, putrid, (P₂), watery, greenish (olive-green) or brownish stool.  
• Stool passes with great force. 
•  Involuntary, as if anus is wide open. 

(c) Concomitants

• Every stool was followed by great prostration. 
• Very hot patient skin icy cold yet cannot tolerate covering. 
• Craves sour, cold drinks, acids and lemonades. 

Qu. 10. Describe the Cholera of Secale Cor. 

Ans. 

Causation

• Summer weather. 
• Supression of discharge, like sweat etc. 

Types

• Cholera Asiatica and Cholera Infantum.

Look up of the face

• Face pale, pinched, ashy, sunken, Hippocratic, drawn with blue ring around the eyes. 
• Scrawny and cachectic appearance. 
• Emaciated and debilated (Ref. Boericke). 
• Facial and abdominal muscle twitches (Boericke). 

Character of stool

• Profuse. 
• Anus remained wide open. 
• Watery. 
• Olive-green stool. 
• Brownish and bloody. 
• Exhausting. 
• A ravenous appetite accompanies exhausting diarrhea. 
• Offensive stool. 
•  Involuntary. 

Note: In Cholera infantum: Secale Cor. is indicated more particularly by profuse undigested stool which are watery and very offensive and followed by intense prostration. Stools ejected with great violence (Ref. Farrington). 

Collapse

• Complete collapsed condition. 
• Skin feel cold to touch yet cannot bear covering. 
• Cramp: Extensor type of cramps. 
• Pulse: Small rapid, often intermittent, and contracted, can be expressed by following tips: 
  •  Rapid 
  • Extensor cramp. 
  • Constitution is characteristic. 
  • Oversensitiveness 
  • Ravenous appetite. 

Modalities

• Agg. from heat, Amel. from cold. 

Qu. 11. State the skin symptoms of Secale Cor.  

Ans. 

• Boils Small painful with green contents, mature very slowly and heals slowly. Very debilitating. 
• Gangrene Dry, aggravation from external heat.  
• Large ecchymoses and blood-blisters often commencement of gangrene. 
• The skin feels cold to touch, yet the patient cannot tolerate covering. 
•  Master Kent says, the toes become black and gangrenous; vessels close-up, vasoconstriction, no blood to the toes, they become numb and black, devoid of sensation (Ref. Kent). Skin wrinkled, shrivelled, as if it had not been washed. 
• Mottled, dusky, blue tinge (Ref. Boericke). 
• Varicose ulcers, with burning sensation, better by cold; wants the parts uncovered, though cold to touch. (Ref. Boericke).  
• The slightest or trivial wound continues to bleed. (Ref. Boericke) 
• Kent says, eruptions abscess, boils carbuncles, all have discharge of green pus with a green purplish appearance. 
• Dr. Clarke refers to injury gangrene.[3] 

Qu. 12. State the characteristic symptoms of Secale Cor. 

Ans.  

1. Intolerance to covering

• The skin feels cold to the touch, yet the patient cannot tolerate covering. 
•  Icy coldness of extremities yet throws of covering. 

2. Physical make-up

•  Adopted to women of thin, scrawny, feeble, cachectic appearance. 

3. Diathesis

• Haemorrhagic diathesis. 
• The slightest wound causes bleeding for weeks. 
• Discharge of sanious blood, with a strong tendency to putrescence. 

4. Relaxation

• Women of very lax muscular fiber. 
• Everything seems loose and open no action, but no expulsive action, especially in labor. 

5. Burning

•  Burning in all parts of the body. 
•  As if sparks of fire were falling on the patient. 

6. Desire and Aversions

•  Craves acids, lemonade 
•  Unnatural ravenous appetite. 
•  Unquenchable thirst for a very large quantity of cold water. [3] 

References

1. Materia Medica by Dr. J. D. Patil > chap. Secale cor
2. Zomeo Lane > Materia medica > Keynotes > chap. Secale cor
3. Synoptic Memorizer of Materia Medica by Dr. Subrata Kumar Banerjee Vol.1. > Chap.2 > Secale Cor
4. Synoptic Memorizer of Materia Medica by Dr. Subrata Kumar Banerjee Vol. 1. > Chap. 4> Secale cor.
5. Synoptic Memorizer of Materia Medica by Dr. Subrata Kumar Banerjee Vol. 2. > Part. 2> Secale cor.
6. Synoptic Memorizer of Materia Medica by Dr. Subrata Kumar Banerjee Vol. 1. > Chap. 3> Secale cor.
7. Materia Medica by Boericke W.> Secale cor.
8. Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak > Secale cor.
9. Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.> Secale cor.
10. A Select Homoeopathic Materia Medica (Part 1) By Tarkas P. And Ajit Kulkarni.> Secale cor.
11. A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica by Cyrus Maxwell Boger> Secale cor.
12. Encyclopedia Of Pure Materia Medica, Vol.8 By Allen T.F.> Secale Cor.