The purpose of this article is to bring awareness to alternative medicine practitioners and the public about homeopathy and its provings derived for the founder of Homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann. Causticum is a homeopathic remedy that is obtained from the compound potassium. It has been useful for many aliments for centuries. Causticum is becoming very commonly given by homeopaths around the world. It is often a remedy of choice for physical symptoms of cough, skin conditions and urinary complaints and muscle tremors. The mental symptoms that are often rectified are individuals suffering from prolong grief, sensitive to authority and mental fatigue.

Causticum is used often in homeopathic practice, either as an individual remedy or in combination remedies. It is used as a remedy for chronic disease, wound healing (including second- and third-degree burns),¹ and to increase energy levels as demonstrated in ten provings by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.

Causticum is a remedy that is quite complicated to produce, and is a mystery to many homeopaths to this day. It is made from Slake Lime or calcium sulphate and potassium hydroxide, and in the marble state, is insoluble in water. When it is heated there is escape of the marble causing the acid to be formed and escaped as a gas. This is how Causticum is formed in its natural state. Calcium Oxide (CaO) is alkaline, and can be very harsh to the skin, causing burns and irritation due to its corrosiveness. It is also flammable under the right conditions.

Some of the characteristics of the essence of Causticum include sensitivity, anger, fear, grief, compulsiveness, and intense focus human injustices. A typical individual for which this remedy would apply may feel as though others are using them as a pawn for their own cause. This can make the individual very angry, responding by supporting a cause for injustice. They desperately want to make a change and may even become viewed as a radical, who can be destructive both to themselves and to others around them. They may even hold a perspective that their cause is one that they would give their life for. One needing this remedy may typically become angered if challenged, since they connect emotionally and are very empathetic with others, especially those that cannot stand up and fight for themselves. They are often freedom fighters, social activists, journalists, lawyers, freedom writers, and environmentalists, and, as such, may have complete disregard for authority figures. If such an individual views himself/herself as having failed in his/her cause, they may view the world as having crashed around them. The results can be disastrous manifestations of physical symptoms, such as development of disease, neurological issues, and arthritis.

Other, more peculiar symptoms of a potential need for the Causticum remedy include pains or discomfort that vary with temperature or elevation fluctuations. Usually the patient cannot tolerate either hot or cold temperatures. If the patient goes to lower lands and suddenly travels up towards the mountains they may experience rheumatism from the cold weather. If he or she takes a long drive where the weather is cold, the side of the face that the wind was blowing on may suffer from temporary paralysis. If they are traveling against the wind the paralysis will occur on the opposite side of the face. Past experiences and abuse (physically, emotionally and sexually) are the main focus of this remedy. The individual will more likely stand up to authority rather than succumbing or submitting to defeat. They will focus on grief, sadness and hopelessness which develops over time due to the injustices of humanity. The individual may exhibit depression, anxiety, emotional sensitivity, and addictive personality traits such as gambling or alcoholism.

People needing Causticum tend to mask their emotions and are stoic in nature. Symptoms may begin manifestation in the teenage years, as this is the time when most typical teens start to revolt against authority. They are passionate about their cause and are determined to prove their case. Their overly strong persona may offend others around them. Causticum’s effectiveness on fear and rage is difficult to assess, since the patient is likely well-versed in masking emotions. These people may be fanatical in nature, idealists and have cynical personalities. They find difficulty in maintaining relationships, and therefore become loners most of the time. Their dreams and delusions often entail being a victim of a criminal act, or fearing that something terrible is imminent. A Causticum remedy picture may include sensations of empty space in their brain and forehead, a tearing paroxysmal pain, soreness in the throat, and problems with the digestive system, rectum or urethra.

Again, when the individual’s emotional state can no longer channel their sensitivity, they may begin to break down. Acute physical symptoms may begin to appear such as skin and face eruptions, right-sided paralysis, neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, seizures, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, rectum paralysis, ulcerations of the eyelids, blindness, ringing in the ears or deafness, urinary incontinence, laryngitis and bronchitis.

The clinical symptoms for this remedy include allergies, bronchitis, and Parkinson’s disease. The pathology includes neurological disorders (Bell’s palsy, multiple sclerosis, tics and compulsive disorders), genital herpes, musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis), chronic asthma, urinary tract infections, hemorrhoid, and paroxysmal cough.

Some of the keynotes and confirmatory symptoms are: Rebellious to the law, political sensitivity and/or activity for certain groups, grief, fear, idealism, quick to anger, a sense of hurriedness, paralysis, eruptions on the face, warts on the eyelids and nose, cravings for sweets, urinary incontinence, cough, arthritis and rheumatic symptoms.² Other confirmatory symptoms include cholera (typically worse during sleep), strabismus, sinusitis, ptosis, pain described as “cuts” or “wounds,” aggravations at 4:00 PM, numbness on the left side of the body, tremors, seizures, impotence, enuresis, constipation, asthma, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, torticollis, acne, herpes, eczema and boils on the skin.³

The concomitant symptoms are anxiety, wrong word usage, forgetfulness, pain and inflammation of the eyes with burning, dull pain in the ears with constant whizzing, difficult speech, neuralgia of the left face, cannot move the tongue to the right side with anxiety, frequent loss of eyesight with a sensation of having film in the eyes, heartburn, very red menstrual blood with pain of the pelvis, sourness of the chest with paroxysmal cough.⁴

The comparative remedy is Phosphorous - a remedy that is similar, yet with different states of pathology. A person needing the remedy Phosphorous is not concerned with petty feelings of despair and concerns for others, as Causticum would be. Causticum’s concerns about others tend to be obsessively focused on for a very long period of time. They are constantly worried and fear the worse for those in a vulnerable state. Individuals needing Phosphorous will understand the concerns and will address them, but once the issue has been settled, they can remove themselves from further thought on the matter. Causticum’s anxiety builds to a monumental level, always fearing the worst, while Phosphorous can handle life’s twists and turns with a more level-headed conscience. Comparisons are Sepia which is chilly, sexual dysfunction, anxious, urinary incontinence and weepy. Cal-P is chilly and worse in drafts, with rheumatism and neck pain. Other comparisons to Causticum are Nux Vomica, Tuberculinum, Plumbum, Natrium Meraticum and Staphysagria.⁵

Causticum is a remedy that assists in different pathologies, creating a well-balanced individual. The need for the remedy would be in states of mental and emotional breakdown. Without control the physical symptoms will worsen. In general, it is a remedy that can create improvements and balance in an individual’s general physical and emotional health.

1. Cicchetti J. The Dreams, Symbols and Homeopathy: Archetypal Dimensions of Healing. USA: North Atlantic Books, Berkeley; 1943. p. 60–61.
2. Morrison R.Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Grass Valley, USA: Hahnemann Clinical Publishing; 1993. pp. 111–114.
3. Morrison R. Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology. Nevada City, USA: Hahnemann Clinical Publishing; 1989.
4. King CJ.  Headaches and their Concomitant Symptoms: with a complete and concise repertory analysis. Chicago, USA: Chatterton and Company; 1879. pp. 74–75.
5. Kent J. Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica. New Delhi, India: P Jain Publishers; 2009. pp. 398–404.