Genus: Citrullus
Common name: Colocynth. Bitter Apple. Bitter Cucumber. Wild Gourd. Apples of Sodom.
Family: Cucurbitaceae (Gourd)
Native to sandy desert regions around the Mediterranean Sea, including northern Africa, Egypt, and India, this sprawling vine bears small, hard fruits. Initially resembling a small watermelon, the bitter fruit turns yellow when ripened and is filled with edible, bitter seeds that are used as a source of food by desert dwelling peoples. Colocynthis has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. The dried pulp of the fruit can be used as a laxative or a diuretic due to its inflammatory effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
When prepared as a homeopathic remedy, Colocynthis is useful for colic in babies and stomach pains that are better when bending double or from applying pressure or heat. Babies will pull their legs up and scream with pain. Adults can become irritable and may have a tendency to become angry or upset over little things. Often there is an emotional component involved with the pain. The cramping, cutting pains often come on as a result of anger, humiliation, and indignation. Colocynthis is also useful for violent menstrual cramps that cause the one suffering to double up in pain.
Keynotes:
- Anger with the pain, pain from anger, pent-up emotions leading to cramps
- Ailments from anger, indignation, resentment, or humiliation
- Impatient, restless with the pain, crying out in pain
- Sudden, violent cramping pains
- Headache better from coffee and hard pressure
- Severe cutting pains in the abdomen, hypogastrium, umbilicus region
- Colic in babies
- Colic from gallstones or kidney stones
- Food poisoning with nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea with green or jelly like stool
- Menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea
- Right sided sciatica, cramps in the thighs and calves
- Better from bending double, heat, hard pressure
- Better lying on abdomen or painful side
- Better from drinking coffee
- Worse from eating fruit
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