Materia Medica de A a Z

COCCUS CACTI (coc-c)

"I do not propose to adopt the usual way by beginning with /Aconite/ and ending with /Zincum/, but to follow the bent of my inclinations, or, as it is sometimes expressed, the movings of the spirit; and may I not here invoke the aid of the spirits of the immortal Hahnemann, Boenninghausen and the galaxy of bright names that adorn the fair page of the history of Homoeopathy to help me."

First: NUX VOMICA (nux-v)

Previus: THERIDION CURASSAVICUM (Ther)

Next: CIMEX LECTULARIUS (Cimx)

We now leave the spider family, but as we are dealing with small fry of the insect order we will notice the Coccus cacti, a small bug or insect which infests the plants of the cactus species of Mexico and Central America. It has made its best record in curing affections of the respiratory organs.

Whooping cough with expectoration of much tough, ropy white mucus. This mucus comes in large quantities and is often accompanied with gagging and vomiting, which seems to expel the mucus from the stomach. Sometimes a bronchial catarrh remains after whooping cough, which has this kind of expectoration. Here this remedy will sometimes clear up the whole case. This is all I know of its virtues ab usu in morbis. Now we come to a little pest of womankind all over.

Is another animal remedy often found valuable in whooping cough. With this remedy the aggravations generally come on in the after part of the night or in the morning when the child awakens. The paroxysms are not confined to this time, but the worst one comes then. The paroxysm ends in vomiting of clear ropy mucus in large quantities, hanging in long strings from the mouth. For such a cough Coccus cacti is excellent.