Cina maritima |
Cina
Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes.
[Chinese proverb]
Signs
Artemisia cina [Berg]. Artemisia maritima var. pauciflora. Levant Wormseed.
N.O. Compositae.
CLASSIFICATION Classified in the tribe Anthemideae of the Compositae – along with Achillea, Anthemis, Chrysanthemum, Matricaria, Santolina, and Tanacetum – the genus Artemisia comprises some 300 species that are found in northern temperate regions, southern Africa, and South America. Members of this genus are common on arid soils of the western United States and of the Russian steppes.
FEATURES “A. cina is low and shrubby, throwing up a number of erect stems on which the little greenish-yellow, oblong flowerheads are borne. Each head is about 1/8 inch long and 1/16 inch in diameter, and contains three to five minute, tubular flowers. In July and August, before the flowers expand, they are stripped from the stems and dried, being brought into Chimkent by the Kirghiz and other tribes. … The drug exhales when crushed an agreeable aromatic odour, and possesses a bitter, aromatic camphoraceous taste. As imported, it frequently contains considerable fragments of the leaves and slender flower-stalks.”1
NAME The genus is named after the Greek goddess Artemis, first-born twin-sister of Apollo, the sun-god. “Tragus, in 1531, in Brunfels’ Herbal, mentions Wormseed as being imported by way of Genoa; it was employed in Italy under the name of Semenzina [diminutive of Semenza, seed], in the belief that it consisted of small seeds. From this word is derived the name of Semen cinae, by which the drug is often known: Semen contra [another of its names] is an abbreviation of Semen contra vermes.”2
Cina maritima |
CONSTITUENTS The dried, unexpanded flowerheads of A. cina [and several other species of Artemisia] yield an oil from which a crystalline sesquiterpene lactone – termed santonin – is obtained that formerly was used as an anthelmintic in the treatment of ascariasis. The santonin content of the plants is highest in July and August, but rapidly diminishes in quantity after the flowerheads have expanded. Apart from a relatively high amount of zinc, Artemisia cina contains artemisin and a volatile oil with up to 80% cineole.
HISTORY “The Levant Wormseed, largely imported into Britain, is derived from a variety of the Sea Wormwood. Several species of Wormwood are mentioned by Dioscorides as being effective as a vermifuge, one of which was reported as growing in the country of the Santones in Gaul. Its ancient reputation has been maintained in modern times, for the universally employed vermifuge Santonin [the very name derived from classic days] is produced from Santonica – popularly called Wormseed – which consists of the minute, dried, unexpanded flower-heads of a Russian variety of the Sea Wormwood [Artemisia maritima, var. Stechmanniana, Bess.]. This variety, which some botanists consider to be a distinct species, under the name of A. Cina [Berg.], or A. chamaemelifolia [Vill.], grows in
profusion in Siberia, Turkestan and Chinese Mongolia. The greater part of the Wormseed is used in Turkestan, where it grows in enormous quantities in the desert of the Kirghiz, esp. near the town of Chimkent, where a factory has been erected in which large quantities of Santonin are produced from the Wormseed collected in the vicinity, not more than 10 per cent of the drug being now exported in the crude state, in which condition it is known in this country as Levant Wormseed.”3
EFFECTS “Several cases are on record of fatal poisoning by Santonin, and Santonin rendered yellow by exposure to direct sunlight is sometimes preferred, it being stated to be less poisonous. It is known as yellow Santonin, or Photosantonin. Even small doses of Santonin will produce remarkable effects on the vision, appreciation of colour being so disturbed that objects appear to have a yellowish tinge, which is sometimes preceded by a faint colour. Santonin may also cause headache, nausea and vomiting, and in large doses, epileptiform convulsions.”4
WORMS Artemisia ssp. have an almost universal use as vermifugal agents. Aztec doctors used Artemisia herbs to expel intestinal worms; in Mexico the powdered flowers of A. mexicana are used for worms; in Ecuador A. sodiroi is used for the same purpose; the Cherokee American Indians poultice the stomach with A. tridentata for worms, and also put the seed in molasses for worms; Artemisias used in Texas for this purpose include A. filifolia and A. ludoviciana; either of A. judaica or A. ramosa of North Africa may be used to treat worms, colic and rheumatism. 5
VISION Rose experimented with santonin in crude doses in order to develop visual illusions / hallucinations. “Out of 30 human subjects of experiment, there were reported yellow-sight in all; violet-sight in 19; nausea and vomiting in 14; dizzy feelings, lassitude, prostration, in 9; hallucinations of vision in 8, of smell in 6, of taste in 5; abnormal feelings and pains in the head in 8; lowering of the pulse in 2. … [The visual illusions] are reducible to three perfectly distinct classes: [1] Everyone, however small the quantity taken, was prevented by it from recognising violet light, the spectrum being seen as if curtailed at the violet end, and in mixtures containing violet and yellow the latter predominating [yellow-sight, Gelbsehen]. [2] In a higher degree of intoxication there is impairment of the faculty of distinguishing colours; the infinite host of hues which a healthy person can appreciate being reduced to an extremely small number. The subject is no longer colour-blind [to violet]; he sees every colour, but certain groups of them make an identical impression. [3] Both conditions are dependent on the external stimulus of the entrance of light; but there is a third class of phenomena independent of this, and almost exclusively – at least much clearly and beautifully – observed in perfect darkness. The others are illusions; these are hallucinations.”6 The plant itself also produces visual illusions, as is demonstrated by a father and son who both took several tablespoonfuls of the ‘seed’. “In afternoon he asked his father why the sky was green in place of blue. The father, who had taken some of the medicine, observed that a piece of flannel [he was a flannel printer], of a Berlin blue colour, had a greenish hue. Crimson looked fulvous madder-red or bronze coloured, white objects appeared yellow. Neither son nor father had other morbid symptoms except giddiness.”7
PROVINGS [1] Hahnemann – 6 provers; method: unknown.
[1-4] Grieve, A Modern Herbal. [5] Riley, Maori Healing and Herbal. [6-7] Hughes, Cyclopaedia
.
Affinity
NERVES [cerebro-spinal; ABDOMEN]. Digestive tract. Eyes. Mucous membranes. Children. * LEFT SIDE.
Modalities
Worse: TOUCH. Worms. Vexation. Being looked at. DURING SLEEP. Full moon. Staring. Yawning. Strangers. Open air; cold air. Caresses. Cold water. External pressure. Sun. Summer.
Better: Lying on abdomen. Wiping eyes. Motion. Being carried; over shoulder.
Main symptoms
M TOUCHY, ugly [even more so than Cham.].
• “Dislikes even favourite toys.”
• “There is no child more contemptible than the Cina child; he is easily excited; weak; screams, strikes and bites; is cross and obstinate.” [Lippe]
• “About the worst child, except possibly Stram.” [Morrison]
• “The adult is touchy, quite unable to ‘see the joke’, obstinate as a mule.” [Gibson]
M Aversion to being TOUCHED [esp. on the HEAD, e.g. combing hair].
Aversion to being CARESSED and LOOKED AT.
M Screaming at night, grinding of teeth. Chews and swallows in sleep.
Child can only lie on the ABDOMEN, wakes in any other position.
Wants to be carried over the shoulder [= pressure on abdomen], but carrying gives no relief.
M Dissatisfaction / contrariety.
Refuses things asked for; throws them away and tries to hit you [unlike Cham., who throws anywhere].
M Timidity.
• “The patient is, if it should be a grown person, timid, bashful, does not want to go among people – did not want anything to do with people; avoids anything that brings them in public – a part of the touchiness, wants to be in the background all the time.”1
G Constitutional basis.
• “The basis of Cina – I have not seen very much of in reports in writing, or in the discussion of Cina that has brought out these things, though I have noticed particularly that Cina symptoms or Cina conditions are built up on Medorrhinum, just as Bell. is built up on Calc. or Ignatia is built up on Nat-m. This is so strong that almost invariably when you see a case that needs Cina, if you will watch the patient long enough you will find a Medorrhinum basis. If you know a patient that needs Medorrhinum, you will find when the acute stage comes, when the fever comes, it is Cina that is needed, and almost as often as you find Belladonna symptoms with Calcarea you will find Cina comes in Med. cases.”2
G Ailments of nursing children [refuse mother’s milk].
Intolerance of milk.
G WORMS.
G Ailments and yawning.
G Child STIFFENS before coughing, from anger, when looked at, during convulsions.
G CANINE HUNGER, shortly after eating, or after vomiting.
G Craving for sweets and many different things [capricious appetite].
• “The child wants a great variety of things, refuses ordinary food.” [Allen]
G > LYING on ABDOMEN.
G > Continued motion.
G < PRESSURE. G Epileptiform spasms: child awakes suddenly [as if frightened], screams without apparent cause, sits up, stares and stiffens. Goes to sleep again, or wants to be rocked. • “The child wakes in a fright, screams, trembles and cannot be quieted; they are proof against all caresses.” [Dewey] G Convulsions from being scolded or punished. G Yellow. • “Other prominent effects are yellow vision, yellow vomit, urine that leaves a yellow stain. … Yellow discolouration is especially marked at the level of the nose, on the cheeks and in the palms of the hands.” [Gibson] P Pale face, dark rings about eyes; marked bluish paleness around nose and mouth. P Twitching of muscles of the face and around the eyes. Esp. and disordered stomach and bowels. P STOOL mostly colourless [contrary to the green, hot, lienteric stools of Cham.]. P Respiratory system. • “Sneezing is violent and causes a feeling of pressure in the temples and a bursting sensation in the chest. Fluent coryza alternates with blockage; there is much burning and itching inside the nose. As a result there is constant boring of fingers into the nostrils, and epistaxis is common. A dry, suffocating, spasmodic cough accompanies the sneezing, especially in spring and autumn. It is apt to occur in sleep. It is worse at night, if taking a drink, while walking out of doors. A paroxysm may be induced by a sudden movement or even by speaking; at the end of the paroxysm a clucking sound is heard, similar to the sound produced by pouring water from a bottle. Sticky mucus in the larynx gives rise to constant hawking, esp. on first rising in the morning.” [Gibson] [1-2] Loos, Cina; International Hahnemannian Association, 1915. Rubrics Mind Anger, throwing things around [1]. Anxiety, from being touched [1]. Capriciousness [3], when offered, he is rejecting the things for which he has been longing [2]. Intolerant of contradiction [2]. Full of desires, for numerous, various things [2]. Indifference, to caresses [3/1], to irritating, disagreeable things [1]. Malicious [1]. Mischievous [3]. Easily offended [2]. Cannot be quieted [3]. Restlessness, from nausea [1]. Presence of strangers < [1]. Weeping, at night [2], with the pains [1], at sad thoughts [1], in sleep [1], when touched [1], at trifles [1], on waking [1]. Head Hair, children refuse cutting of hair [1/1]. Motions of head, backward and forward [2], throwing head backward [1]. Pain, from looking fixedly at anything [1], > motion of head [1], > rolling head from side to side [1], > shaking head [1], from exposure to sun [1]. Waving sensation, as from water in head [1].
Vision
Colours before eyes, black [1], blue [3], bright [3], green [3], violet [3], yellow [3]. Lost, for colours [1].
Nose
Perspiration on nose [1].
Face
Convulsions, spasms, beginning in face [1].
Throat
Constant disposition to swallow from choking [1].
Stomach
Gurgling, when drinking [1]. Vomiting, of milk [1].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, immediately after drinking water [1], during warm weather [1].
Female
Sexual desire increased, during menses [1].
Cough
Dry, and sneezing [2/1]. Suffocative, in morning after rising [3/1].
Chest
Gurgling, when breathing [1].
Back
Sensation of paralysis, cervical region [1].
Sleep
Disturbed, by hunger [2]. Position, on abdomen [1], on back [1], on hands and knees [1], with head bent backward [2].
Food
Aversion: [2]: Buttermilk; milk; mother’s milk. [1]: Wine.
Desire: [3]: Cold drinks. [2]: Bread; sweets. [1]: Cold food.
Worse: [2]: Milk [= vomiting]; pepper; wine. [1]: Bread; sweets.
Better: [1]: Milk.