Genus: Strychnos nox-vomica
Common name: Poison Nut. Bachelor’s buttons.
Family: Loganiaceae
Native to India and southeast Asia, the strychnine tree is the major source for the poison strychnine, which has been used as rat poison. Its small pale green funnel shaped flowers have a foul smell. The hard shelled orange colored fruit is the size of a large apple. The white jelly-like pulp contains two to five very hard disk shaped flat 2-3 inch long poisonous seeds that are covered with satiny hairs. These seeds and dried blossoms contain strychnine and brucine. The bark of the tree is also poisonous but was used in Indian folk medicine to treat leprosy. Symptoms of poisoning include muscular spasms and convulsions, multiple organ failure, asphyxia, and paralysis ending in death. Strychnine was the poison of choice for characters in novels by the famous mystery author Agatha Christie. In the book, Anne of Green Gables, the nosey neighbor Rachel Lynde recounted a tale of an orphan who poisoned her adopted family by putting strychnine in the well. Watch the movie clip here.
When prepared homeopathically by ultra-dilution and succussion, no poison remains. Instead the body utilizes the energetic potential of the source material as a catalyst for self-healing. Homeopathic Nux vomica is a polycrest remedy that has many uses, including flu with violent chills and a high fever, painful constipation or cystitis with constant urging, and as a remedy for hangovers. Someone who would benefit from this remedy is often a “Type A” personality – competitive, irritable, ambitious, and arrogant. There is a tendency to overindulge in stimulants, to work hard and play even harder. Excess and overwork can lead to a state of collapse.
Keynotes:
- Number one remedy for hangovers
- Competitive, irritable, impatient, ambitious, workaholic
- Fastidious
- Sensitivity to light, noise, odors
- Collapse and exhaustion from overwork
- Allergies, hay fever, sneezing in the morning
- Infant colic, stomach pain, abdominal or menstrual cramps
- Nausea and vomiting from overindulgence
- Cystitis or constipation with constant, ineffectual urging
- Hemorrhoids or hernias
- Kidney and gallbladder pains
- Insomnia, wakes at 3-4 am and cannot get back to sleep
- Influenza with high fever, chills, and shaking
- Colds with frequent sneezing and a runny nose that is runny by day and blocked at night
Information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be used to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Any information provided is not intended to replace medical advice offered by a physician. If you desire or need such advice, you should consult a professional healthcare provider.