Physostigma venenosum

Dried seeds of Physostigma venenosum (a climbing legume of West Africa), rich in physostigmine (eserine)—a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that increases cholinergic tone at muscarinic and nicotinic sites [Hughes], [Clarke]. Crude toxicology shows miosis, spasm of accommodation, bradycardia, sweating, salivation, bronchospasm, intestinal hurry, urinary urgency, tremor, and, centrally, twitching or choreaform movements with muscular weakness; death in overdose is by respiratory failure [Hughes], [Allen]. The homeopathic tincture (seed) is potentised by dilution and succussion; provings and clinical reports build a picture of ocular strain with ciliary spasm, reflex headaches from close work, vago-cholinergic states (slow pulse, faintness), spasms/twitching, and hypersecretory mucous phenomena [Hering], [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke]. [Toxicology] [Proving] [Clinical]

Nineteenth-century provings and poisonings summarised by T. F. Allen and Hering; added clinical colour by Clarke and Boericke. Salient proving elements: miosis with eye-ache, spasm of accommodation (cannot focus for near work), ocular fatigue headaches, twitchings/chorea-like motions, slow pulse with faintness, profuse sweat and saliva, intestinal hurry/tenesmus, and urinary urgency [Allen], [Hering], [Clarke], [Boericke]. [Proving] [Toxicology] [Clinical]

Essence. Phys. is the eye–vagal strain remedy: miosis with spasm of accommodation, brow/eyeball ache from near tasks, tremor/twitching, and episodes of faintness with slow, soft pulse—a cholinergic landscape that repeats across systems [Allen], [Hering], [Hughes], [Clarke]. The psychology is purposeful but overtaxed; the patient tries to persevere with reading or fine work until blur, ache, sweat, and a wave of sinking demand rest, darkness, and quiet. The kingdom signature (plant—Fabaceae; alkaloidal physiologic action) appears as reversible functional spasm rather than structural disease; hence improvement is rapid when modal care is matched: even lighting, short visual sprints with long rests, warmth, still air, and no coffee. Miasmatically psora–sycosis show as functional irritability and secretory bias without destructive change.

Differentiation. Phys. stands between Ruta and Jaborandi: where Ruta has scleral/tenon overuse and aching without miotic spasm, Phys. adds ciliary lock and vagal sinking; where Jaborandi gushes sweat/saliva with miotic state, Phys. gives twitching, near-focus myopia, and faintness rather than floods [Clarke], [Hughes]. Against Gelsemium, note the alert strain (not drowsy heaviness); against Agaricus, the grave effort (not merry inco-ordination). Clinical aims: break the effort–spasm–faintness loop; regulate visual ergonomics; dose Phys. when eyes compel the case, and support with Ruta or Gelsemium if residue fits (Relationships). Expect early signs: longer comfortable reading intervals, weaker brow pull, steadier hands, fewer urgent trips to stool/urinal, and pulse that remains even under moderate effort. [Clinical]

• Ciliary muscle/vision. Dominant sphere: miosis, spasm of accommodation, ocular fatigue; close work produces brow/eye pain and blur, relieved by rest in darkness [Allen], [Clarke].
• Oculo-cerebral reflex (headache). Frontal/temporal ache from reading/sewing, with nausea and weakness; relief when eyes are closed or room darkened [Hering], [Allen].
• Neuromuscular system. Twitchings, chorea-like jerks, incoordination, hands and eyelids especially; may follow eye strain or exhaustion [Hering], [Clarke].
• Vagus/heart. Bradycardia, faintness, sinking after exertion or close application; palpitation on effort with weakness [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Respiration/bronchi. Tightness, short breath, bronchial spasm in sensitive subjects; worse damp cold, better warmth and quiet [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Gastro-intestinal. Increased peristalsis, griping, tenesmus, loose stools after fruit/greens or anxiety; sweat and faintness accompany the urging [Allen], [Hering].
• Urinary bladder. Urgency, smarting, frequent small discharges with pelvic tenesmus; worse cold and nervous strain [Clarke].
• Glands/skin. Sweating, salivation, oily skin with prickly heat; cholinergic hypersecretion colouring many complaints [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Female pelvis. Cramps and bearing-down with urinary/rectal tenesmus; reflex from sacral nerve sphere [Hering], [Clarke].
• Spine/coordination. Weakness in lumbo-sacral region with trembling after study; better rest and support, echoing generalities [Boger], [Clarke].

• Close work (reading, sewing, screens) — brings brow-ache, blur, nausea, tremor [Allen], [Clarke].
• Dim light/twilight for near tasks — extra strain → spasm of accommodation [Allen].
• Cold, damp air; draughts — bronchial tightness, tenesmus, urinary urgency [Clarke].
• Exertion; hurry — faintness, slow pulse, trembling, short breath [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Emotional excitement — increases twitchings and secretions [Hering].
• Night reading — persistent eye-ache and sleeplessness from ciliary spasm [Allen].
• Fruit/greens; cold drinks — provoke colic and loose stools with sweat [Allen].
• Stooping/using eyes upward — pulls on brow and neck, increases nausea [Clarke].

Late from eye-ache and twitchings after evening reading; on sleeping, movements abate and vagal tone steadies, so the patient wakes refreshed if eye-use is avoided on rising—this matches Better after short sleep/quiet [Hering], [Allen]. Dreams of hurry and tasks unfinished may startle with palpitation, which settles on lying quietly. If sleepiness is heavy with mental dullness, think Gelsemium rather than Phys. [Clarke], [Kent]. [Clinical]

Dreams of letters that blur, of losing one’s place, or hands that tremble while sewing—psychic rehearsals of the eye–hand strain; awakening brings a brief window of steadiness that is well used for necessary reading, an applied extension of modalities [Hering], [Clarke]. [Proving]

Phys. expresses a cholinergic pattern: miosis, ciliary spasm, ocular-strain headache, twitchings, vagal slowing with faintness, hypersecretion (sweat/saliva), intestinal/vesical tenesmus, and effort-worse symptoms, all ameliorated by resting the eyes, darkness, lying quietly, warmth, and fresh still air [Allen], [Hering], [Hughes], [Clarke], [Boericke]. The triggers—close work, dim light for reading, cold damp, exertion/hurry, emotion, coffee/fruit—recur section by section and must be present for confident selection. Differentiate from Ruta (eye strain without vagal collapse), Spigelia (neuralgic, photophobic), Jaborandi (sweat/saliva gush with miotic state), Gelsemium (drowsy, heavy, not miotic strain), Agaricus (frolicsome with coarse chorea), and Digitalis (fearful bradycardia with marked cardiac weakness rather than effort-linked vagal dips) [Kent], [Clarke], [Boericke]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Not a high fever remedy; flushes with sweating and faintness in close rooms; cool, still air and repose correct. If a catarrhal fever develops with profuse salivation/sweat, compare Jaborandi [Clarke], [Hughes]. [Clinical]

Chill in damp with trembling; heat with moist skin rather than burning; sweat easy on effort and emotion; resolution by rest/warmth repeats across sections [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Frontal/brow headache is reflex from eye strain: begins after a few minutes’ reading/sewing, climbs to a pressing band across supraorbital ridges, with nausea and sweat; closing lids, darkness, and gentle pressure give relief—exactly mirroring Better darkness/pressure/resting the eyes [Allen], [Clarke]. Temporal pulling and occipital heaviness attend long tasks or stooping; twilight work is worst (dim accommodation), a fine-grained modality already listed [Allen]. There may be faintness with a slow, soft pulse, clearing on lying flat or after a short nap, a head–heart–sleep triad very characteristic of Phys. [Hughes], [Clarke]. Motion of eyes upward or sideways increases pain; even, steady light allows longer tolerance. Compare Ruta (aching from eye strain, > rest, but less vagal phenomena) and Spigelia (sharp eye–brow neuralgia with photophobia, not the cholinergic sweat and faintness of Physost.) [Kent], [Clarke]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Signature field. Miosis with spasm of accommodation; the patient cannot keep type clear, letters run together, and brow/eyeball ache ensues, especially in dim light or with fine print [Allen], [Hering]. Photophobia is moderate; the annoyance is effort-pain, not bright light per se. Lids tremble, tiny fasciculations jump at canthi; tears increase with effort, and vision clears on closing lids and rest, which cross-links to Mind and Head improvements [Allen], [Clarke]. Spasm may cause transient myopia after near work; distance clears slowly, better in open, still air without draughts, matching the Better for fresh still air [Clarke]. Orbital soreness and aching of ciliary region are provers’ constants; rubbing gives momentary ease, and coffee may intensify tremulousness (Food and Drink link) [Allen]. Differentiate from Jaborandi (Pilocarpus), which has profuse sweat and saliva with miotic effects and gushing secretions; Phys. centres on spasm/strain with vagal faintness rather than mere hypersecretion [Clarke], [Hughes]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Noisy rooms increase twitchings; ringing or humming may attend vagal episodes with sweat and slow pulse; quiet and recumbency relieve, knitting Ears to Heart/Generalities [Clarke]. Sharp otalgia is foreign; if ear pain predominates think Belladonna or Pulsatilla. [Clinical]

Sneezing in draughts or damp cold; watery coryza accompanies ocular strain in some provers, reflecting a general cholinergic leaning; warmth and rest abate it (modalities echo) [Allen], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Pale, moist face with cool sweat during vagal moments; twitches about eyelids and mouth angles; expression intent but fatigued, brightening when eyes are closed and brows rubbed—a live clinical cue repeated across sections [Hering], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Salivation increases with nausea and vagal sinking; tongue moist, taste flat; talking while reading increases brow pain (effort compounding effort), hence the patient prefers silent work with breaks, echoing Mind’s economy [Allen], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Teeth/masseter twitch in choreic states; jaw tremble when reading long aloud; not a pain-centred sphere, but effort amplifies motor instability, cooling with rest [Hering]. [Clinical]

Tightness in fauces with saliva increase; hawking thin mucus when eye strain is pushed; warm sips soothe, cold draughts provoke cough/bronchial constriction (Respiration cross-link) [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Tightness and short breath in cold damp or draughts; talking while walking provokes dyspnoea and palpitation; warmth, quiet, and even breathing relieve, exactly matching the Better-for-warmth/rest entries [Clarke], [Boericke]. Rales minimal; this is spastic rather than exudative chest. [Clinical]

Pulse slow, soft, with faintness on exertion or close application; lying flat, warmth, and silence restore equilibrium; palpitation appears with haste or emotion and ceases with rest [Hughes], [Clarke]. Unlike Digitalis, there is no great fear or extreme irregularity; the keynote is vagal sinking connected to eye/effort triggers. [Clinical]

Bronchial spasm in cold damp resolves with warm air and quiet; deep breath may cough slightly with thin mucus; talking prolongs tightness, aligning with the general economy-of-effort pattern (worse exertion, better rest) [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Nausea accompanies brow-ache from reading; worse stooping and close application, better lying, darkness, and warm drinks—a quartet already appearing under modalities [Allen], [Clarke]. Appetite flags when eyes are overused; greens/fruit may precipitate griping and loose stool with sweat, a cholinergic signature mirrored in Abdomen/Rectum [Allen]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Griping, borborygmi, and tenesmus after fruit/greens or exertion, with sweat and faintness; warmth and quiet relieve; cold damp and hurry aggravate—a faithful echo of the remedy’s environment modalities [Allen], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Tenesmus with small loose stools, mucus, and smarting, worse cold and exertion, better warmth and rest; urging may alternate with ineffectual desire, showing sphincteric spasm within a cholinergic terrain [Allen], [Hering], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Urging with scanty emissions; smarting at neck of bladder; tenesmus felt rectal and vesical together (pelvic floor spasm). Cold and nervous strain increase frequency; lying quietly eases—precisely mirroring Better for rest/warmth [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Coffee and alcohol exaggerate tremor, palpitation, eye-ache; prefers warm drinks, small frequent meals to avert intestinal hurry; fruit/greens may provoke colic/looseness—a minor but recurrent dietary modality [Allen], [Clarke]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Prostatic neck irritability with urgency after mental strain; erectile atony with tremor and vagal sinking after effort; not a central sexual remedy but the cholino-vagal complexion colours episodes [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Bearing-down with vesical/rectal tenesmus around menses; cramps improve with warmth and rest; eye strain during sewing aggravates pelvic unease—an instructive reflex chain (Eyes ↔ Pelvis) [Clarke], [Hering]. [Clinical]

Lumbo-sacral weakness and trembling after study or fine work; better support, warmth, and lying; neck stiffens from holding head to page and improves with breaks (Eyes ↔ Back) [Boger], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Twitchings of hands, fingers, calves; unsteady on first rising after close application; tremor worse coffee and emotion, better sleep, echoing Food and Sleep modalities [Hering], [Allen]. [Clinical]

Sweating easy with prickling heat in close rooms; oily feel; occasional cholinergic flush with faintness. Dermal signs are subordinate, yet confirm the glandular bias; better cool, still air without wind, worse damp [Hughes], [Clarke]. [Clinical]

Eye strain / ciliary spasm

• Ruta — Eye-strain from fine work, aching orbits; Physost.: adds miosis, vagal faintness, sweat [Kent], [Clarke].
• Spigelia — Neuralgic eye–brow pain, sharp, with photophobia; Physost.: effort–spasm, > darkness, < close work [Clarke].
• Jaborandi (Pilocarpus) — Profuse sweat/saliva, miotic; Physost.: strain–headache, twitch, less gushing [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Gelsemium — Droopy lids, drowsy, not miotic strain; Physost.: alert but overtaxed, vagal episodes [Kent].
• Natrum mur. — Headache from sun/reading, but mental state reserved vs Physost.’s effort-sink [Clarke].

Chorea/twitchings

• Agaricus — Coarse chorea with mirth, frost-like sensations; Physost.: fine fasciculations, effort-linked [Kent].
• Tarentula — Fidgety, music excites; Physost.: cholinergic tremor, not dramatic restlessness [Clarke].
• Mygale — Violent chorea, grimacing; Physost.: milder, eye–hand linked [Hering].

Vagal/heart

• Digitalis — Great cardiac weakness, fear, slow pulse; Physost.: slow soft pulse with effort and eye-use, less dread [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Cactus — Constricting band chest/heart; Physost.: vagal sinking without constricting vice [Clarke].

Intestinal/vesical tenesmus

• Nux-v. — Tenesmus with irritability; Physost.: sweat–faintness and cholinergic complexion [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Colocynth — Cramping colic, > bending double; Physost.: milder cholinergic hurry with vagal features [Kent].

Respiratory spasm

• Ipecacuanha — Spasmodic cough with nausea; Physost.: tightness with vagal faintness, miotic/strain context [Clarke].
• Ant-t. — Rattling, inability to raise; Physost.: spasm with effort triggers, secretions thin [Boericke].

• Antidotes (physiologic/opposed): Atropinum, Belladonna. Antagonise cholinergic effects; useful when Phys. over-acts or picture inverts [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Complementary: Ruta. Both for eye strain; Ruta handles scleral/tenon overuse; Phys. the ciliary spasm–vagal axis [Kent], [Clarke].
• Complementary: Gelsemium. When tremor and exhaustion with drowsiness supervene after Phys. phase [Clarke].
• Compare: Jaborandi. Shared miotic/sweat sphere; select by gushing secretions (Jab.) vs strain/vagal (Physost.) [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Follows well: Nux-v. In tense, irritable workers after Nux has eased irritability but eye–vagal strain persists [Clarke].
• Precedes well: Digitalis. If pure cardiac weakness emerges after eye strain abates [Hughes].
• Inimical (practical): Avoid mechanical alternation with Jaborandi unless secretory dominance is unmistakable [Clarke].

• Ciliary spasm/near-work headache (students, proofreaders): Phys. 6C–30C, split doses around reading blocks; insist on dark rests and even lighting [Allen], [Clarke].
• Choreiform twitchings that increase with effort/emotion and lessen in sleep: Phys. 30C once or twice daily until steadier; compare Agaricus/Tarentula if playfulness/fidget predominates [Hering], [Kent].
• Vagal sinking (slow soft pulse, faintness) after close work or hurry: single 200C dose, then watch; use warmth/recumbency as nursing adjuncts [Hughes], [Clarke].
• Pelvic tenesmus with vesical/rectal urging in nervous subjects, worse cold damp: Phys. 6C before exposure; diet—reduce greens/fruit on heavy days [Allen], [Clarke].

Mind

• MIND – Anxiety – when attempting to read or sew. Effort-provoked strain state [Clarke].
• MIND – Concentration difficult – from eye strain. Attention fails with ciliary spasm [Allen].
• MIND – Fear, losing control – during twitchings. Effort/excitement aggravates [Hering].
• MIND – Irritability – after mental exertion (reading). Reflex fatigue [Clarke].
• MIND – Rest – desire for – darkness ameliorates. Matches eye modalities [Allen].

Head/Eyes

• HEAD – Pain – forehead – reading aggravates – pressure/darkness ameliorates. Ciliary reflex [Allen], [Clarke].
• EYES – Spasm of accommodation – near work aggravates. Signature rubric [Allen].
• EYES – Miosis – with headache. Cholinergic sign [Hughes].
• EYES – Trembling of lids – with reading. Fasciculation rubric [Hering].
• VISION – Letters run together – after reading. Functional myopia [Allen].

Heart/Respiration

• HEART – Pulse – slow – with faintness – exertion aggravates. Vagal dips [Hughes], [Clarke].
• HEART – Palpitation – hurry/agitation aggravates – rest ameliorates. Effort link [Clarke].
• RESPIRATION – Asthmatic constriction – cold damp aggravates – warmth ameliorates. Spastic chest [Clarke].
• RESPIRATION – Talking while walking aggravates. Economy-of-effort [Clarke].

Abdomen/Rectum/Urinary

• STOMACH/ABDOMEN – Colic – fruit/greens aggravate. Cholinergic peristalsis [Allen].
• RECTUM – Tenesmus – small stools – cold aggravates – warmth ameliorates. Sphincter spasm [Hering], [Clarke].
• BLADDER – Urging frequent – small quantities – cold aggravates. Vesical irritability [Clarke].
• URINATION – Tenesmus vesical and rectal – simultaneous. Pelvic reflex [Allen].

Extremities/Nerves

• EXTREMITIES – Trembling – effort aggravates – sleep ameliorates. Classic pattern [Hering].
• MUSCLES – Twitching – eyelids/hands – excitement aggravates. Chorea-like motions [Hering], [Clarke].
• GENERALITIES – Weakness – after mental exertion. Eye–brain drain [Allen].

Generalities

• GENERALS – Cold, damp weather aggravates. Spasm/tenesmus axis [Clarke].
• GENERALS – Light, artificial – aggravates for near work. Ergonomic trigger [Allen].
• GENERALS – Rest ameliorates – exertion aggravates. Core polarity [Clarke].
• GENERALS – Coffee aggravates – tremor/palpitation. Dietary note [Allen], [Hughes].

Allen, T. F. — Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica (1874–79): provings of Physostigma; eye–head reflex; GI/urinary tenesmus; modalities.
Hering, C. — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica (1879): twitchings/chorea-like motions; sleep amelioration; pelvic tenesmus.
Hughes, R. — A Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy (1870): toxicology of physostigmine; cholinergic signs (miosis, bradycardia, sweating).
Clarke, J. H. — A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (1900): general picture; eye modalities; vagal sinking; relationships.
Boericke, W. — Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica (1901): clinical uses in eye strain, spasmodic chest; modalities.
Boger, C. M. — Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica (1915): back weakness; modality synthesis; relations.
Kent, J. T. — Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica (1905): differentials (Ruta, Spigelia, Gels., Agaricus, Digitalis).
Nash, E. B. — Leaders in Homeopathic Therapeutics (1899): comparative notes on chorea and eye–head remedies.
Dewey, W. A. — Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics (1901): management of eye strain and nervous exhaustion.
Tyler, M. L. — Homeopathic Drug Pictures (1942): bedside colour for effort-worse, rest-better remedies.
Phatak, S. R. — Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines (1941): concise keynotes and modalities corroborating Phys. sphere.