Scrophularia nodosa

Scrophularia nodosa is a perennial herbaceous plant found throughout Europe and parts of North America. It grows in damp woodlands and shady areas. The plant is known for its knotty rhizomes and nodose roots, hence its Latin name. Traditionally associated with scrofulous conditions and glandular swellings, it is used homeopathically for its action on the lymphatic system, glands, and skin, especially in chronic, indolent conditions like tumours, goitres, haemorrhoids, and eczema.

Limited classical proving; chiefly based on clinical use and toxicological reports. Later provings by American homeopaths confirmed its glandular and skin affinities.

Scrophularia nodosa is a deep-acting remedy for indurated glandular conditions—be they visible, painful, ulcerated, or internal. It suits those who suppress skin eruptions and later suffer from swollen glands, cysts, and tumours. The key theme is obstruction: whether it’s in the lymphatics, skin, rectum, or breasts. The individual tends to be cachectic, low-spirited, cold, and worsened by suppression. It is invaluable in chronic scrofulous conditions, haemorrhoids, breast nodules, and glandular hardening, especially when associated with skin eruptions or offensive discharges.

• Lymphatic system – chronic swollen glands, especially cervical and inguinal
• Skin – eczema, ulcers, tumours, indolent eruptions
• Rectum and anus – haemorrhoids, itching, fissures
• Thyroid and parotid glands – enlargement, nodosity
• Breast and axillae – nodular swellings, cysts, mastitis
• Liver and gallbladder – sluggish function, tenderness
• Venous system – varicosities, congestion

Low-spirited, particularly in chronic illness or glandular conditions. A sense of shame or embarrassment about their physical condition (swollen glands, eruptions, growths). Indifference to surroundings or apathy. Irritable with aversion to company. Anxiety focused on bodily health and deformities. Hypochondriacal disposition in long-standing glandular cases.

Unrefreshing, restless sleep. Wakes frequently from itching or pain in glands. Dreams of deformity, illness, or suffocation. Sleeps in knees-up position to ease gland pressure.

Disturbing dreams of suffocation, pressure, deformity, or illness. Wakes anxious or exhausted. Dream recall poor but leaves sensation of fear.

Glandular enlargement, scrofula, suppuration, nodosity. Right-sided glandular swelling more common. Cold sensitivity, emaciation, poor healing. Useful in indurated, long-standing growths. Weakness in children and elderly. Worse from dampness, night, suppression of skin conditions. Better from warmth, gentle rubbing, and discharges.

Low-grade, persistent fever in chronic glandular conditions. Alternating chills and heat in evening. Night sweats in tubercular states. Fever with glandular eruptions or ulcerations.

Chilliness on slight exposure. Heat flushes in face and chest. Sweats offensive, especially on head and axillae. Sweat does not relieve gland pain.

Tension and pressure in temples, worse from exertion. Itching eruptions on the scalp with foul-smelling discharge. Tender, nodular swellings in the occiput and behind the ears, often mistaken for lymphatic nodes. Headaches associated with chronic glandular pressure or menstrual suppression.

Dryness with burning sensation in the lids. Swelling of periocular glands. Dark circles under the eyes in chronic scrofulous states. Lachrymation in open air. Blurred vision during headache.

Pain behind ears due to inflamed or swollen lymph nodes. Discharge from ears in chronic otitis with glandular involvement. Hearing dull due to pressure on adjacent glands. Heat and redness around ear in parotid inflammation.

Chronic catarrh with postnasal discharge. Swelling of nasal bones or adjacent glands. Obstruction worse in damp weather. Ulceration inside nostrils with crust formation.

Pale, bloated, or doughy appearance in glandular pathology. Nodular swellings near angle of jaw and under chin. Acne or eczema on cheeks with oozing and crusts. Expression weary and sullen. Sensitive to cold exposure, especially under jaw and around ears.

Dry, sore tongue with foul breath. Aphthae in chronic low vitality states. Swollen submaxillary glands impinging on tongue movement. Metallic taste. Gums spongy or bleeding in scrofulous children.

Sensitive to cold. Loosening of teeth in unhealthy, atrophic gums. Children grind teeth at night. Offensive odour from decaying teeth. Black tartar accumulation in cachectic individuals.

Marked affinity to throat glands. Enlargement of cervical nodes with difficulty swallowing. Sore throat extending to ears. Chronic pharyngitis with thick mucus. Painful nodular swelling on sides of neck. Worse from exposure to cold, swallowing, and pressure.

Constriction and pressure in sternum. Indurated nodes in axillae. Offensive, sticky sweat under breasts. Eruptions between breasts or on chest. Glandular swellings causing pain on arm movement. Weakness and dull pain in chest after exertion.

Palpitation on ascending stairs or after slight effort. Sensation of weight in heart region. Pulse small and irregular in chronic conditions. Constriction from chest radiating to neck.

Dyspnoea from enlarged glands pressing on trachea or bronchi. Tickling cough worse at night. Shallow breathing with sense of oppression. Chest symptoms linked to lymphatic congestion.

Poor appetite with sense of fullness and aversion to food. Nausea from sight or smell of food. Craves salt and sour things. Heaviness in stomach after eating small amounts. Sour eructations and vomiting of bile.

Swelling and tenderness of liver and gallbladder. Dull aching in right hypochondrium. Enlarged mesenteric glands. Bloating and flatulence. Colicky pains in scrofulous or cachectic children.

Haemorrhoids, itching, burning, and fissures. Stools hard and dry or soft with incomplete evacuation. Pain lingers long after stool. Rectal ulcers with oozing, offensive discharge. Disposition to sit for long time due to rectal fullness or burning.

Scanty, dark urine with foul odour. Sensation of pressure on bladder. Frequent urging without complete satisfaction. Dribbling in elderly or weak individuals. Pain in kidneys with glandular swellings in groin.

Craves salt, sour foods, pickles. Aversion to rich or fatty food. Nausea from food smell. Desires cold drinks. Dislikes warm meals.

Glandular swellings in groin. Dull, dragging pain in testicles. Chronic prostatitis with dribbling. Varicoceles or nodules in spermatic cord. Sexual desire diminished in cachectic states.

Induration and nodular swellings of breasts, worse before menses. Mastitis in nursing mothers. Ovarian pains with cystic growths. Profuse, excoriating leucorrhoea. Menses suppressed or irregular. Itching eruptions around vulva with nodular hardness.

Stiffness of neck with enlarged cervical glands. Dull ache between scapulae. Glandular swellings along spine. Pain in lumbar region during menses. Eruptions on back and scapular region.

Enlarged inguinal glands, painful and indurated. Numbness and crawling in limbs. Weakness in legs after exertion. Skin eruptions in flexures. Cold hands and feet. Stiffness on waking.

A major focus. Eczema, scrofulous ulcers, offensive discharge, suppuration, induration. Cracks, fissures, and itching. Skin slow to heal; tendency to indolent ulceration. Nodes under skin. Urticarial eruptions with glandular swellings. Suppressed eruptions followed by internal disease.

• Baryta carbonica – Glandular enlargement in shy, childish people, but more mental deficiency
• Calcarea carbonica – Glandular swellings with obesity and fearfulness, but less skin ulceration
• Mercurius iodatus – Glands, especially tonsils, with offensive discharge, more acute
• Silicea – Deep, chronic glandular affections with suppuration, but colder and more chilly
• Thuja – Warts, nodular swellings, sycotic miasm, but less skin ulceration and more urinary/genital focus

• Complementary: Silicea, Calc. phos., Sulphur
• Antidotes: Pulsatilla, Camphora
• Follows well: Hepar sulph., Mercurius
• Inimical: Phosphorus (may interfere in deep scrofulous states)

• Use in scrofulous children with enlarged cervical nodes and eczema
• Effective in indurated breast lumps or mastitis, especially premenstrual
• Indicated in haemorrhoids with burning, itching, and nodosity
• Use for glandular swellings that remain after acute infections
• Useful after suppression of skin eruptions leads to internal pathology

Glands

• Swelling, indurated
• Painful, cervical
• Parotid, enlarged
• Breast nodules
• Inguinal nodes

Skin

• Eczema, oozing
• Ulcers, indolent
• Cracks, fissures
• Suppression, eruption after

Rectum

• Haemorrhoids, burning
• Fissures
• Pain after stool

Extremities

• Inguinal glands enlarged
• Numbness, crawling
• Cold hands and feet

Generalities

• Worse dampness
• Better discharges
• Offensive discharges
• Cachexia

• John Henry Clarke – Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Extensive clinical application to glandular affections
• William Boericke – Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica: Keynotes on haemorrhoids, skin, and glands
• T.F. Allen – Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica: Fragmented proving data and toxicological background
• C. Hering – Guiding Symptoms: Confirmation of glandular and scrofulous symptoms
• J. Compton Burnett – Tumours of the Breast and Their Treatment: Clinical confirmations in breast nodules