Introduction:

   Gelsemium is a polycrest remedy having a broad range of action. In crude form it is a spinal poison. It causes various degree of motor paralysis and produce symptoms resembling those of poliomyelitis. Hence called King of Polio.

 Doctrine of Signature
According to Robin Murphy’s “Homoeopathic Remedy Guide”, seven planets can also provides us specific information regarding constitution and action of remedy on a particular organ or organ system.
Planetary signature of Gelsemium
Moon - brain and endocrine system
Mercury - lungs and respiratory system
Yellow colour of the flowers of gelsemium can be related to jaundice as there is
Yellowish, white coating of tongue
Yellowish colour of the stool
Deep yellow leucorrhoea
Moist yellow skin
Yellow face and yellow saliva

Constitution
Appearance - More suited to young person and children, old people, anaemic girls
Temperament - Hysterical and nervous
Thermal reaction - Neither hot nor chilly
Miasm - Psoric miasm
Active Principles - Gelsemine puvarine
Gelseminine
Gelseminic acid

Physiopathology
Gelsemium is a powerful motor depressant producing paralysis of motility and depression of sensibility by acting on spinal cord and producing polio like symptoms.
Gelsemium produces paralysis on eight special centers viz.-
1. Cerebro spinal center- centric motor paralysis causing congestion
2. Lungs- respiratory center paralysis, asphyxia
3. Eyes- eye muscles paralysis causing ptosis, contracted pupil and diplopia
4. Heart- paralysis, blood pressure lessened
5. Temperature- lowered in diseases
6. Male sexual organ- muscular paralysis, emissions, impotence
7. Female sexual organ- motor spasm, paralysis, neuralgia
8. Urinary organ- diuresis, sphincter paralysis, enuresis
Pointers of remedy
‘D’ in the mental sphere : Dull, Drowsy, Delirium, Diplopia, Dimness (of vision) Dazed, Dread, Dampness, Depressing emotions ‘D’ in the physical sphere, Doddering (trembling) Depression (in vitality) Drooping (of eyelids) Dusky redness (of face).

Causations
Heat of the sun or stove
Fear
Gaslight
Mechanical injury
Having hair cut
Sudden emotions
Falling barometer
Self abuse
Anticipation of any unusual ordeal

Mind
Excitable, irritable, sensitive, for the nervous affections of the onanists of both sexes
Bad effects from fright, fear, exciting news and sudden emotions
Fear of falling, of ordeals, death
Fear of doctors and dentists
Apathy regarding his illness
Nervous affection of cigarmakers
Children fear of falling, grasp the crib or seize the nurse
Languor, listless, “Discerning are lethargic”
Head: Headache beginning in the cervical spine
Sensation of band around the head above eyes
Vertigo spreading from occiput
Pain in the temples, extending to ear, alae of nose and chin

Eyes
Heavy drooping of eyelids, dim sighted, orbital neuralgia with contraction and twitching of muscles, hysterical amblyopic

Face
Hot, heavy, flushed, besotted looking, neuralgia of face, chin quivers

Mouth
Putrid taste and breath, tongue yellow coated, trembles, paralyzed

Throat
Difficulty in swallowing epecially warm food
Post- diphtheritic paralysis
Tonsilitis, sensation of a lump in the throat
Pain from the throat to the ear

Abdomen
Acute catarrhal enteritis during damp weather
Tenderness in right iliac region during typhus
Gnawing pain in transverse colon

Stool
Diarrhoea from emotional excitement, fright, bad news
Cream coloured, tea-green, painless or involuntary
Paralysis of anal sphincter

Urinary
Profuse, watery, clear with chilliness and tremulousness
Partial paralysis of the bladder
Flow intermittent, retention of urine
Alternate dysuria and bedwetting

Back
Chilliness up and down the back
Chill without thirst, chill especially along the spine
Wave-like succession from sacrum to scrotum

Heart
A feeling as if it were necessary to keep in motion or else heart’s action would cease
Weak, slow pulse of old age

Limbs
Loss of power of muscular control, muscles refuse to obey the will
Excessive trembling and weakness of all limbs
Hard aching in the right humerus
Writer’s cramp, wants hand in cold water

Respiratory
Slow breathing with great prostration
Dry cough with fluent coryza, spasm of the glottis

Male
Genitals cold, relaxed, spermatorrhoea without erection
Profuse warm sweat on scrotum

Female
Rigid os, vaginismus, false labor, pain passing up the back
Dysmenorrhoea with scanty flow, menses retarded, deep yellow leucorrhoea
Prolapse or rectal pain after labor

Skin
Measles, catarrhal symptoms
Aids in bringing out eruptions

Sleep
Drowsiness with influenza, heavy stupid sleep, sleepiness of students
Sleeplessness from mental excitement, thinking or tobacco

Temperature
Influenza with malaise, never well since influenza
Nervous chills, wants to be held because he shakes so

Sensations
As if head were enlarged
As if there were a tape around the head
As if the skin were contracted in the middle of forehead
As if lump in esophagus
As if uterus squeezed by a hand
As if he would die
As if blood ceased to circulate
As if a knife is thrust through from occiput
As if eyes were jumping out of the head to forehead

General modalities
Aggravation- Summer, sun heat, tobacco smoking, cold, damp weather, at 10 a.m., sudden emotions.
Amelioration- Open air, bending forward, stimulant, profuse urination, closing eyelids, continued motion

Mother tincture of gelsimium is indicated in
Deafness resulting from abuse of quinine
Useful in paralysis affecting single group of muscle
In post-diphtheritic paralysis
In false labor pains