Bufo rana

Bufo rana
Short name
Bufo.
Latin name
Bufo rana
Common names
Common Toad | European Toad | Toad Venom | Bufo Toad
Miasms
Primary: Syphilitic
Secondary: Tubercular
Kingdom
Animals
Family
Amphibia – Bufonidae
Last updated
16 Aug 2025

Substance Background

Prepared from the venom of the common European toad (Bufo vulgaris), secreted from the parotid and skin glands. The crude secretion contains bufotoxin, bufotenin, and other cardioactive compounds. In nature, this venom serves as a defence against predators. In potentised form, Bufo acts profoundly upon the nervous system, sexual organs, and skin.

Proving Information

First proving recorded by Constantino Hering in 1827 from crude application and ingestion experiments, later expanded by Allen and Clarke with clinical data.

Remedy Essence

Bufo expresses the destructive union of sexual excess, neurological collapse, and malignant skin disease. The patient is often mentally dull or degraded, physically weak, with uncontrollable sexual urges that precede epileptic fits. There is a septic, degenerative undertone: eruptions are malignant, and ulcers spread rapidly.

Affinity

  • Nervous System: Epileptic convulsions, brain degeneration, violent fits.
  • Genital Organs (male & female): Excessive, perverted sexual desire; sexual mania; masturbation-related debility.
  • Skin & Glands: Carbuncles, malignant pustules, rapidly spreading ulcers.
  • Heart & Circulation: Collapse states; feeble pulse; syncope.
  • Mind: Low intellect states, mental dullness, idiocy, erotic mania.

Better For

  • Loosening tight clothing around the neck and waist [Hering].
  • Cool open air in certain skin conditions.
  • Gentle occupation to distract from sexual urges.

Worse For

  • Night, especially before midnight (aggravates fits, sexual excitement).
  • Approach of menses (aggravates nervous symptoms).
  • Suppression of sexual desire (worsens restlessness and mental state).
  • Suppressed eruptions or discharges.
  • Touch and pressure on inflamed skin lesions.

Symptomatology

Mind

Profound mental weakness, often bordering on idiocy. Children requiring Bufo are dull, slow to comprehend, and may appear vacant, with weak memory [Hering]. In adults, there is a strong link between mental deterioration and excessive masturbation or sexual excess. Erotic mania is a keynote, often violent, with shameless behaviour — obscene gestures, uncontrolled sexual advances, and impulsive self-abuse even in public. Fits of rage occur easily, sometimes alternating with stupor. The patient may become destructive or abusive, with little recollection afterward. Depression can be intense, accompanied by restlessness and loquacity before epileptic fits.

Head

Congestion of the brain precedes epileptic seizures, with flushed face, throbbing temples, and dilated pupils [Kent]. Headache is heavy, pressing, often extending to the occiput. There is dizziness on stooping, and vertigo with tendency to fall backward. Sensations of emptiness in the head are common after fits.

Eyes

Before and during seizures: fixed staring, dilated pupils, rolling of the eyeballs. Lids may twitch. After fits, vision can be blurred or entirely lost for minutes to hours. In skin conditions, there may be oedema around the eyes.

Ears

Ringing and roaring noises in ears precede epileptic attacks. Sudden transient deafness may occur post-fit.

Nose

Epistaxis in children with cerebral congestion. Nose may be hot, red, and swollen in skin eruptions.

Face

Swollen, bluish-red, often with pustular eruptions or carbuncles. During convulsions, jaws are clenched, lips livid, with foam at the mouth [Allen]. After attacks, face is pale and expression vacant.

Mouth

Dryness with foul taste in the morning. Aphthous ulcers in debilitated children. Tongue often trembles on protrusion. In epilepsy: biting of tongue during fit.

Teeth

Grinding during sleep or before fits. Toothache associated with facial eruptions.

Throat

Sensation of constriction before convulsions. Spasmodic swallowing. Tonsils enlarged in scrofulous children.

Stomach

Gnawing hunger alternating with total loss of appetite. Nausea before fits. Desire for highly seasoned food.

Abdomen

Distension with colic, especially before epileptic seizures. Sensation as if intestines were twisted. Sensitive to touch.

Urinary

Frequent urging to urinate during sexual excitement. Involuntary urination during fits. Urine dark and offensive in low fevers.

Rectum

Offensive diarrhoea in scrofulous children. Constipation alternating with loose stools.

Male

Extreme sexual excitement leading to constant masturbation [Hering]. Emissions frequent, debilitating. Genitals may be swollen, with heat and pain after indulgence. Sexual desire can be so overpowering as to precede epileptic fits.

Female

Strongly indicated in women with nymphomania, particularly before menses. Menses early, profuse, with nervous aggravations. Genital pruritus intense, driving to scratching and self-abuse. Fits occur during pregnancy or labour.

Respiratory

Slow, deep breathing post-seizure; sighing respirations. Dyspnoea from cardiac weakness.

Heart

Weak, irregular pulse; tendency to collapse after fits or in malignant septic conditions.

Chest

Oppression and shortness of breath before seizures. Suffocative attacks at night. Palpitations accompany sexual excitement.

Back

Pain in the spine, especially lumbar region, worse before fits. Tenderness along the spine in epileptics [Kent].

Extremities

Trembling and weakness post-fit. Convulsions start in fingers and toes, spreading centrally. Hands clenched, thumbs drawn inwards during seizures.

Skin

Extremely characteristic. Carbuncles, malignant pustules, rapidly spreading ulcers with black bases and great prostration [Hering]. Vesicular eruptions with burning, itching, worse at night. Skin around eruptions bluish-red. Tendency to gangrene in septic states.

Sleep

Restless, with lascivious dreams. Jerking of limbs during sleep. Drowsiness in afternoon, sleeplessness after midnight.

Dreams

Sexual dreams predominate. Dreams may be vivid, lascivious, or violent.

Fever

Low, septic fevers with offensive discharges. Chill in evening, heat at night, followed by sweating.

Chill / Heat / Sweat

Alternate chills and flushes during epileptic aura. Sweat profuse after fits.

Food & Drinks

Desire for spicy food and stimulants. Aversion to plain food.

Generalities

Bufo is one of the foremost remedies for epilepsy linked to sexual excitement or suppression. Attacks are often preceded by sexual aura. Physical strength is poor; there is great prostration after skin infections or fits. Septic tendencies are marked.

Differential Diagnosis

  • Hyoscyamus – Erotic mania with shameless behaviour; Hyoscyamus is more loquacious, playful.
  • Nux vomica – Convulsions from suppressed discharges; more irritable, less sexual mania.
  • Stramonium – Violent mania, more fear-based, less sexual focus.

Remedy Relationships

Clinical Tips

  • Major remedy for epilepsy aggravated by masturbation or sexual excitement.
  • Consider in malignant skin infections with rapid spread and systemic collapse.
  • Useful for septic states in low vitality constitutions.
  • Indicated in pregnancy-related epilepsy.

Selected Repertory Rubrics

Mind:

  • Idiocy.
  • Erotic mania.
  • Rage alternating with stupor.

Head:

  • Congestion before seizures.
  • Vertigo on stooping.

Skin:

  • Carbuncles, malignant.
  • Gangrenous ulcers.

Extremities:

  • Convulsions starting in extremities.
  • Weakness after fits.

Generalities:

  • Epilepsy from sexual excitement.
  • Septic states with prostration.

References

Hering C. – Guiding Symptoms: Sexual mania, malignant pustules, epilepsy.

Allen T.F. – Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica: Proving records, skin symptoms.

Clarke J.H. – Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Septic tendencies, carbuncles.

Kent J.T. – Lectures on Materia Medica: Epilepsy linked to sexual excess.

Boericke W. – Pocket Manual: Keynotes, skin and nervous system.

Lippe A. von – Keynotes: Fits with sexual aura.

Hughes R. – Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy: Pharmacological background.

Nash E.B. – Leaders in Therapeutics: Skin malignancy, nervous collapse.

Farrington E.A. – Clinical Materia Medica: Comparisons with Hyoscyamus, Stramonium.

Boger C.M. – Synoptic Key: Sexuality-convulsion relationship.

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