Baptisia

Baptisia tinctoria

Key Symptoms

severe infection, confusion and stupor, sensation that the body is scattered in pieces, aversion to open air, offensive-smelling discharges

The famous indigo dye obtained from this plant is reflected in its name, tinctoria, from the Latin tingere, "to dye." Wild indigo was used medicinally by American Indians and by New World settlers, primarily as an antiseptic wash for wounds. Modern herbalists use it internally and externally as an antiseptic and immune-system stimulant. The homeopathic remedy was proved in a small-scale trial in the 1850s by Drs. Douglas, Hadley, Burt, and others, and introduced into the repertory by Dr. Thompson in 1857.

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Remedy Profile

Baptisia is prescribed almost exclusively for acute feverish illness with a characteristic set of symptoms. These include confusion or even stupor, as though drunk. The lethargy or exhaustion brought on by illness is so profound that the person even falls asleep during conversations. Nightmares and delirium are common, notably a sensation that the body is scattered in pieces. This feeling can lead to difficulty in falling asleep, as can sensations of suffocation or breathlessness.

Typical physical symptoms include foul breath, a yellowy-brown tongue, and a bitter-tasting mouth. The face may be swollen and flushed dark red, with drooping eyelids.

First developed for typhoid fever, Baptisia is now used mostly for acute fever, severe influenza, and gastrointestinal infections, as well as for sore throats and septic infections.

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Acute fever

Symptoms: A high fever or influenza, often of sudden onset, alternating with severe chills. The face may be darkly flushed; the tongue tends to be deep red or even brown in color, and is possibly coated and dry down the center. Great lethargy may accompany these symptoms, with the body feeling tender and bruised and the muscles sore, stiff, and heavy. The bed may feel too hard, resulting in bouts of restlessness and curling up tightly in order to try to ease discomfort.

Symptoms better: For being indoors.

Symptoms worse: For being in the open air; for cold, wind, fog, and humid heat; upon waking; for walking.

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Intestinal infections

Symptoms: Exhausting attacks of diarrhea, with acute fever and possibly even delirium. The tongue may have a yellowish coating and there may be a bitter taste in the mouth. Stools are particularly foul-smelling and cause painful irritation around the anus. There may also be blood in the stools and a pink rash on the abdomen, possibly indicating typhoid fever.

Symptoms better: For being indoors; for rest.

Symptoms worse: For walking in the open air.

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Throat infections

Symptoms: Stupor, flushing, and fever. The throat is sore, and the tonsils may be dark red and swollen. The gums and throat may be affected by ulcers, which are not necessarily painful. The lips may be blue, cracked, or bleeding. Swallowing solid food without gagging may be impossible, but drinking small amounts of liquid is bearable. A marked thirst and copious drinking may be followed by the scant passage of urine. A related ear infection may be quick to set in, especially in the right ear.

Symptoms better: For being indoors; for rest.

Symptoms worse: For walking in the open air.

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Septic conditions

Symptoms: Foul-smelling ulcers in the mouth and throat, with a foul-smelling discharge. The breath, sweat, and urine may have an offensive odor. The symptoms set in rapidly, with stupor and fatigue, and may be due to an incomplete miscarriage, or to septicemia or other septic states marked by acute fever.

Symptoms better: For being indoors; for rest.

Symptoms worse: For walking in the open air.

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