Symphoricarpus racemosus

A deciduous shrub of the Caprifoliaceae, bearing white, spongy “snowberries.” Tincture prepared from fresh berries/twigs. Crude plant noted by eclectic authors as emetic and astringent; ingestion may provoke nausea, vomiting, and abdominal griping, which foreshadow the remedy’s narrow but striking sphere: intractable nausea and vomiting, especially of pregnancy, with notable constipation and intolerance of the sight or smell of food [Clarke], [Boericke], [Allen]. Early homeopathic use is grounded more in clinical confirmations than in extensive provings, yet the clinical picture proved highly reproducible: morning sickness persisting beyond the early months, motion aggravating, and relief from absolute quiet/recumbency, often on the back [Clarke], [Boericke]. [Clinical]

Small provings and many bedside records form the pathogenesis. Constant threads: persistent vomiting of pregnancy, nausea at the mere thought/smell/sight of food, inability to retain even water at times, constipation obstinate, vertigo and prostration with faintness, worse motion (car, boat), better absolute rest, lying quietly—often supine. Secondary confirmations in seasickness and gastroparesis-like states of nervous origin appear in multiple authors [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke], [Boger], [Dewey]. [Proving] [Clinical]

Sym-r. is a single-axis remedy: nausea and vomiting centred in the stomach–vestibular reflex, triggered by food odours and motion, tightened by constipation, and eased by absolute stillness—often supine with eyes closed. In pregnancy it covers the “can’t bear the kitchen” type who becomes worse for any attempt to eat, drink, or move, and whose whole demeanour is to withdraw from stimuli. Compared with its neighbours, it lacks Tabacum’s icy doom and open-air craving, Colchicum’s flayed hyperaesthesia (though food odours are shared), Ipec.’s incessant nausea without relief, Nux-v.’s snap and spasms, and Sepia’s pelvic sag. It also squarely meets car/sea-sickness when constipation and odour-dread join the picture. Two practical pivots govern case-management and point back to the prescription: odour control (separate living/eating spaces, cold preparation, covered dishes, closed kitchen) and motion control (bed-rest, eyes closed, graded sitting). The first improvement signs are small but reliable: a tolerated teaspoon of tepid water, a brief, refreshing doze, and—decisively—a proper stool, after which the mind steadies and the horizon no longer reels [Clarke], [Boericke], [Allen], [Boger], [Dewey].

• Stomach (primary): Nausea and obstinate vomiting, especially of pregnancy; smell or sight of food causes instant sinking and retching; vomiting not relieving or only briefly so. Cross-ref. Stomach, Generalities, Modalities. [Clarke], [Boericke], [Allen]
• Uterus/gestational reflexes: Reflex hyperemesis gravidarum pattern with constipation; often continues beyond first trimester; mental aversion to food conspicuous. Cross-ref. Female, Rectum, Mind. [Clarke], [Dewey], [Boericke]
• Autonomic (vestibulo-vagal): Motion-sickness, car/sea-sickness, nausea from swaying or turning, pallor and cold sweat; nervous type rather than inflammatory. Cross-ref. Generalities, Sleep. [Boger], [Clarke]
• Rectum: Constipation out of proportion to diet; stools hard, dry, difficult; bowels unmoved for days during vomiting states. Cross-ref. Rectum, Generalities. [Boericke], [Allen]
• Mouth/Throat: Excessive salivation at times, yet swallowing aggravates nausea; fetor from stagnant gastric contents. Cross-ref. Mouth, Throat, Stomach. [Allen], [Clarke]
• Head/Neuro-vegetative: Sick headache with nausea on motion; giddiness when rising; better lying perfectly still. Cross-ref. Head, Modalities. [Boericke], [Clarke]
• Heart (reflex): Palpitation and faintness as gastric waves mount; not a primary cardiac remedy—vegetative accompaniment only. Cross-ref. Heart, Generalities. [Clarke]
• Skin/temperature: Cold sweat on face with retching; chilly in attacks; warmth generally not craved. Cross-ref. Fever, Perspiration. [Allen]

Aversion to food is as much mental as gastric: the sight or thought of food creates a wave of disgust and sinking, followed by retching if exposure continues [Clarke]. During pregnancy this aversion sharpens to a fastidious dread of kitchen odours and table-talk; the patient begs for quiet and a closed larder. Anxiety rises with each failure to retain nourishment, yet is free of the panic of Acon.; it is a hopeless weariness, a fear of the next odour or movement that will undo hard-won calm. Irritability appears when well-meaning friends insist she “try a bite,” for attempting to eat is itself an aggravation. Relief of mood often follows a successful stool after days of constipation, showing the reflex link between bowel stasis and nausea; this cross-links to Rectum and Better after stool. Compared with Colchicum, which is violently nauseated by food odours (especially eggs) and intensely sensitive, Sym-r. is more monochrome—less acute hyperaesthesia, more steady, motion-worse nausea with constipation [Clarke], [Boericke]. With Sepia, it shares the pregnant state but lacks Sepia’s pelvic bearing-down and emotional flattening; Sym-r. centres on the gastric-vestibular axis.

Sleep is broken by waves of nausea, often on first lying down or on waking at dawn; short dozes reset symptoms briefly [Boger], [Clarke]. Turning to the side in sleep frequently re-lights the nausea, and patients report they do best flat on the back, eyes closed, room quiet. Dreaming of kitchens, food, or journeys foretells a worse morning.

Of food, kitchens, boats, of being unable to reach a safe place; dreams cease as odour-exposure is controlled and bowels move.

Sym-r. condenses a gastric–vestibular syndrome: persistent nausea/vomiting—classically of pregnancy—with odour-triggered waves, worse motion, better absolute rest with eyes closed, often supine, and constipation as a constant aggravating concomitant [Boericke], [Clarke], [Allen], [Boger], [Dewey]. Seasickness, car-sickness, and sick headache variants belong when the same axis rules. Choose it when Colchicum’s hyperaesthesia is too fiery, Ipec.’s nausea lacks odour-trigger/constipation, Nux-v. is too spasmodic and temper-coloured, Tabacum too deathly-cold and open-air-relieved, Sepia too pelvic and indifferent, or Lactic-ac. more heartburn-dominant. Management aligns with the prescription: odour control, quiet, minimal motion, graded tiny sips, stool regulation; improvement is marked by the first tolerated swallow and a satisfying stool—after which the mind clears and strength returns.

No characteristic pyrexia; chilliness during spells with cold sweat; temperature otherwise normal.

Chill and clamminess during retching; flush with a transient heat afterwards; sweat about the face and neck at the height, abating with rest.

A heavy, sick headache mounts with the nausea; the room swims on the least turn of the head and the patient lies absolutely still with eyes closed [Boericke]. Rising from bed at once provokes giddiness and retching. Headache is secondary to the stomach; it loosens a little if the patient sleeps briefly or after the gastric waves subside. Cold sweat on the forehead often accompanies a bad spell, with pallor. In sea-car or sea-sickness, the head feels emptied and floating until the sufferer lies supine. Differentially, Cocculus has vertigo and nausea from loss of sleep and motion with faintness, yet often craves to be left alone with a more nervous-system signature; Sym-r. is stomach-dominated and constipation-linked [Boger], [Clarke].

Aversion to light is practical: visual motion worsens nausea; closing eyes helps, echoing Better closing eyes and rest. Lids heavy with the sick headache; tears may come with retching. No specific ophthalmalgia is characteristic.

Noise and conversation, especially about meals, aggravate nausea by suggestion; the vestibular element shows as worse in a moving vehicle. Ringing may occur during faint spells. Relief follows perfect quiet and stillness.

Odours are decisive: cooking smells, fat, and kitchen steam instantly provoke sinking and retching [Clarke]. The nose may be dry; coryza is not a feature. Fresh air that carries no food scent is well tolerated.

Pale, drawn, with cold sweat on forehead; lips dry after attacks; expression suppliant—“please no food, no smells.” Flushing appears transiently after vomiting and fades with exhaustion.

Saliva may be profuse in waves; taste flat or bitter after retching [Allen]. The effort to swallow even water can provoke a spasmic rejection. Tongue often clean or lightly coated, belying the severity of the nausea—a small differentiator from heavily coated Nux-v. states.

Not selecting; teeth may ache with jaw clench during retching. Cold rinses often intolerable during acute waves.

Constriction mounts with the gastric surge; swallowing aggravates; mucus seems to hang and invite gagging. Warm sips in minute quantities are sometimes borne better than cold—cross-link to Better small, tepid sips.

Palpitations and precordial sinking arise reflexly with bad waves; breath is shallow from fear of provoking retch. No primary bronchial picture. Cold sweat on the chest during spells may be noted.

Palpitation is vegetative, tied to the gastric storm; pulse soft, quick, settles with stillness and air. Distinguish from Tabacum (deathly nausea with icy coldness, better cold air, profuse cold sweat)—when the cold-air craving and relief by open air are decisive, Tabacum out-weighs Sym-r. [Clarke], [Boger].

Sighing after retching; any attempt at deep breathing during the crest increases nausea, hence the patient breathes shallow and even. Sea-sickness cases prefer to lie flat and avoid visual horizon cues.

This is the centre: nausea at the sight or smell of food, constant sinking at epigastrium, persistent vomiting—typically of pregnancy—and not truly relieved by the act; repeated attempts to feed renew the attack [Clarke], [Boericke], [Allen]. Even water may be ejected; the patient lies perfectly still, often on the back, and shuns all motion. The region is sore from straining; light pressure and warmth may soothe between waves. Compare Ipecac. (nausea not relieved by vomiting, clean tongue, but often salivation and chilliness; less odour-triggered), Nux-v. (gastric irritability with spasm and temper, morning worse but often relieved by warmth and stimulants), Lactic-ac. (morning vomiting of pregnancy with heartburn), Kreos. (violent vomiting with tooth decay and acrid fluids), Colch. (intense odour-aggravation, especially eggs), Sepia (pregnancy nausea with pelvic bearing-down) [Clarke], [Boericke], [Dewey].

Flatulence, sinking, and griping accompany the gastric storm; umbilical region feels drawn. Motion of abdominal walls (turning in bed) renews nausea; steady, gentle pressure comforts between paroxysms. Borborygmi quiet as the patient sleeps.

A keynote: constipation obstinate during pregnancy nausea; stools hard, dry, require effort; failure to obtain stool worsens the gastric state; a good evacuation often lightens the nausea for hours [Boericke], [Clarke]. Unlike Stann., stool is not soft-yet-difficult; it is dry and inert from sluggish peristalsis and low intake.

Urine scant during long fasting; faintness after micturition may occur in the debilitated. No selecting urinary chemistry; signs are reactive to dehydration.

Odours of cooking intolerable; sight of food loathsome; even water may be vomited; later, small tepid sips tolerated. No steady cravings during the acute state; afterwards, simple dry foods in crumbs are cautiously accepted. Eggs odour may be specially hateful—compare Colch. [Clarke].

Used occasionally for sea-sickness and gastric vertigo in men with Sym-r. modalities; no genital sphere.

The gravid context is the chief: nausea from earliest weeks persisting, often all day, worse from food odours and any motion, better lying still (often on the back); constipation is almost constant and its relief is often the turning point [Boericke], [Dewey], [Clarke]. Milk and rich foods especially intolerable by smell. Compare Sepia, Nux-v., Lactic-ac., Ipec., Kreos., Colch. as above.

Lumbosacral ache from straining; lying flat eases. Turning in bed threatens to re-arouse the stomach, echoing worse motion.

Trembling with faintness; hands cool and damp during attacks; weakness after small exertion. No focal neuralgias.

Cool, clammy during the bout; pallor pronounced; flush after vomiting is brief. No characteristic eruption.

• Vomiting of pregnancy (hyperemesis) / odour-triggered nausea
  • Colchicum — Odours (especially eggs) unbearable; extreme hyperaesthesia; stool often diarrhoeic with colic. Sym-r. steadier, more constipation-bound, motion-worse, prefers supine rest. [Clarke], [Dewey]
  • Ipecacuanha — Constant nausea not relieved by vomiting, clean tongue; odour triggers less decisive; more salivation and chest constriction. [Allen], [Clarke]
  • Nux vomica — Gastric spasm, irritable temper, relief by warmth/stimulants; stool frequent urging rather than dry inactivity. [Clarke], [Boger]
  • Sepia — Pregnancy nausea with pelvic bearing-down, emotional indifference; odour-trigger less central; motion aggravation milder. [Clarke]
  • Lactic acid — Morning vomiting with heartburn, relief by eating a little; odour trigger less marked. [Dewey]
  • Kreosotum — Acrid, offensive vomitus; dental decay association; less clean odour-trigger picture. [Clarke]
• Motion sickness (car/sea)
  • Cocculus — Vertigo and nausea from loss of sleep, motion; nervous prostration; often better lying on side; stool dimension not central. Sym-r. adds constipation and odour-loathing. [Boger], [Clarke]
  • Tabacum — Deadly sinking, icy coldness, better cold air, profuse cold sweat; may need to uncover abdomen. Sym-r. lacks the intense cold-air craving. [Clarke]
  • Theridion — Seasickness worse noise and light, every sound felt in teeth; less constipation. [Boger]
• Sick headache (gastric)
  • Iris versicolor — Frontal migraine with acrid vomiting and burning; motion aggravates but acidity dominates. Sym-r. more odour-and-motion-triggered with constipation. [Clarke]

• Complementary: Nux vomica—when a spasmodic, irritable layer underlies the Sym-r. picture; Nux restores tone as vomiting abates. [Clarke], [Dewey]
• Complementary: Sepia—constitutional pregnancy remedy after acute odour-motion phase has been tamed by Sym-r. [Clarke]
• Follows well: Ipec. at onset when constant nausea dominates; Sym-r. when odour-trigger + constipation become decisive. [Boericke], [Dewey]
• Precedes well: Lactic-ac. for residual morning heartburn; Cocculus if vertigo persists during travel. [Dewey], [Boger]
• Compare: Tabacum, Colchicum, Kreosotum, Pulsatilla (if bland, tearful, no thirst, rich foods disagree, but constipation less typical). [Clarke], [Boericke]

• Vomiting of pregnancy with odour-trigger, motion-worse, constipation: Sym-r. 6C–30C every 2–4 hours, then space; enforce odour/motion control, aim for bowel movement early with gentle measures. [Boericke], [Dewey], [Clarke]
• Car/sea-sickness of the “lie-still” type: Dose 6C–30C before travel and at need; eyes closed, head supported; avoid reading; ventilate without kitchen or fuel smells. [Boger], [Clarke]
• When Tabacum picture intrudes (icy cold, wants open air): switch accordingly; when egg odour is the spear-point, consider Colchicum. [Clarke], [Boger]
• Constipation during hyperemesis: small glycerin suppository or warm water enema may break the reflex loop while Sym-r. takes hold; resume gentle fibre only after vomiting subsides. [Dewey]
• Diet steps: Begin with tepid water teaspoonly; progress to dry crumbs; avoid aromas; cold foods served covered. [Clarke], [Dewey]

Mind / Sensorium

• MIND — AVERSION — food — at mere thought/smell — nausea from. — Odour-trigger core.
• MIND — IRRITABILITY — when urged to eat. — Attempting to eat aggravates.

Head

• HEAD — PAIN — sick-headache — nausea, with — motion aggravates — lying still ameliorates. — Vestibulo-gastric link.

Nose / General

• NOSE — ODOURS — cooking — aggravate — nausea from. — Kitchen steam sets off waves.
• GENERALITIES — ODOURS — food — aggravate. — Odour grid.

Stomach

• STOMACH — NAUSEA — pregnancy — during — odours from — motion from — sight of food from. — Signature cluster.
• STOMACH — VOMITING — pregnancy — persistent — not relieved by. — Intractable tendency.
• STOMACH — WATER — drinking — aggravates; sips only tolerated. — Water intolerance at crest.
• STOMACH — MOTION — slightest — aggravates — turning in bed. — Bed-motion cue.

Rectum

• RECTUM — CONSTIPATION — pregnancy — with vomiting. — Reflex loop keynote.
• RECTUM — INERT — dry hard stool. — Atony under nausea.

Generalities

• GENERALITIES — REST — absolute — ameliorates; LYING — on back — ameliorates. — Supine stillness.
• GENERALITIES — MOTION — aggravates — car/boat. — Travel-worse rubric.
• GENERALITIES — EXERTION — slight — aggravates — nausea returns. — Over-stimulation cost.

Allen, T. F. — Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica (1874–79): gastric pathogenesis; water intolerance episodes; autonomic accompaniments.
Boger, C. M. — Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica (1915): motion-sickness grid; rest and eye-closure ameliorations; travel notes.
Boericke, W. — Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica (1901): keynote—vomiting of pregnancy with obstinate constipation; odour-trigger; lying still on back.
Clarke, J. H. — A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (1900): snowberry in pregnancy vomiting; odours/sight of food; seasickness; regimen.
Dewey, W. A. — Practical Homoeopathic Therapeutics (1901): therapeutics of pregnancy nausea; Lactic-ac., Sepia, Nux-v. contrasts; bowel management.
Hughes, R. — A Manual of Pharmacodynamics (1870s): crude drug notes (emetic/astringent); rationale for gastric indications.
Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica (1879): clinical confirmations in hyperemesis and travel sickness; sweat and faintness.
Nash, E. B. — Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics (1907): brief clinical mention—pregnancy vomiting cases responding to snowberry.
Farrington, E. A. — Clinical Materia Medica (late 19th c.): comparative notes—Sepia, Nux-v., Ipec., Colch. in pregnancy states.
Phatak, S. R. — Concise Materia Medica (1977): keynotes—odour-worse nausea, motion-worse, constipation; small prescribing cues.
Tyler, M. L. — Homoeopathic Drug Pictures (1942): bedside portrait—kitchen-odour loathing; supine rest; simple nursing rules.
Boger & Boericke — Repertory/Materia Medica cross-notes (early 20th c.): rubrics for pregnancy nausea, odours, motion.