Exercise 7: Cactus grandiflorus

Constriction is one of the most important features of this remedy. Constriction may be felt in different parts--heart, throat, chest, rectum, vagina,... When heart is affected, the patient feels the constriction as an iron band. 'Heart feels clutched and released alternatively by an iron band'. 'Lying on left side aggravates' is an important modality. The patient is sad and has a weeping mood.

Cactus grandiflorus (cact.)

Exercise 7 - EH Analysis
In the following graph, taken from the Encyclopedia Homeopathica (EH) software analysis, each symptom included in the search is represented by a different color. The length of the bar for a particular symptom (represented by a color), indicates how many times this symptom was mentioned in the materia medica for that remedy.
You will notice that, for the most part, only characteristic symptoms were chosen. This allows for easy differentiation of the correct remedy. The first remedy on the left is the correct remedy and the answer to the exercise. Usually, it has the longest bar of the graph, and comprehensively covers all the symptoms.
The EH screenshot is followed by a list of the RADAR Keynotes of that remedy, and a link to a query file that users may download and install into their own EH program in order to duplicate the analysis.

RADAR Keynotes for Cactus grandiflorus

* Constricting pains.
MIND:
- SADNESS IN HEART DISEASE (Aur-i, Syph).
- Closed. Aversion consolation (Nat-m).
- Shrieking from pain.
- Anxiety about health. Fear of heart disease. Fear < morning on waking.
- Sensitive to light, noise.
- Difficulty in expressing ideas on writing.
GENERALITIES:
- CONSTRICTION, violent pain, like a wire: tight & thin.
As if caged in wire.
- Congestion in painful part.
- Hemorrhages, with constriction. Internal hemorrhage, trombosis.
- < 11 A.M. & P.M..
- < LYING, esp. on left side.
- > Open air.
- Periodicity.
HEAD:
- Pain: with severe constriction; with sensation of pressure,
11 p.m.,
followed by epistaxis,
with congestion, flushed red face,
< fasting, noise of talking
> pressure
right sided (also in face).
NOSE:
- Epistaxis, from congestion (Meli).
FACE:
- Congestion.
- Pain < right, least exertion, wine, noise, light, fasting.
THROAT:
- Constricting sensation, with pulsation of carotides.
Swallowing difficult, needs to drink when swallowing food.
RECTUM:
- Hemorrhage.
- Swollen, painful hemorrhoids.
BLADDER:
- Constriction of neck of bladder, preventing urination.
- Hematuria.
FEMALE GENITALIA:
- Severe constricting pains in uterus, during menses or labor.
- Clotted menses; each clot that is passed gives temporary relief from pain.
Menses black, pitch-like.
- Menses stops when lying.
- VAGINISMUS. Constricting pains during coition.
RESPIRATION:
- Asthmatic, from heart disease.
- Rattling.
- Periodic suffocative spells.
CHEST:
- CONSTRICTION about heart or chest. Severe heart pathology.
Heart feels grasped by iron hand.
Pain < lying on left side, exertion, talking loudly.
Pain ext. to left arm (Lat-m); with edema of hand.
With difficult respiration.
- Palpitations < exertion, from unrequited affections, lying left side;
at night from fearful dreams, menses.
- Oppression as from a weight.
EXTREMITIES:
- Rheumatic complaints, < evening, rest, beginning to move; >
continued motion (Rhus-t).
- Coldness.
- EDEMA OF LEFT HAND WITH HEART PROBLEMS.
SLEEP:
- Sleeplessness from pulsation in parts of body.
- Dreams of falling.
Compl.:
Ars.
DD:
Acon, Ars, Bell, Kalm, Lach, Lat-m, Naja, Nat-m, Spig,

EH Query File

Here is the EH Query file for you to install in your own program.

1. To download the file, right click on this link and choose "Save File As", "Save Link As", or "Save Target As", depending on your browser.
2. Many browsers will change the file extension to .htm when you download. Be sure that the file name ends with .qry. If your browser has changed the extension, change it back to .qry
3. Open EH, go to the Find Window (F4) and chose the Search pull down menu. Select Recall the Query.
4. Double click on the query file you would like to open. You will then find the same query that was used to create the analysis screenshot for that remedy.
5. To view the analysis in EH, hit the function key (F8) and you will see the analysis for that query.
Note: EH owners who download these queries may get different results, based on the database of books they own. In particular, the Vermeulen books seem to be of great help in answering these exercises.