The homeopathic remedy secale is prepared from Secale cornutum, also known as ergot, which also forms an important element of several pharmaceutical medications. The homeopathic tincture secale is made from the fresh shoots of the rye plant that enclose ergot collected immediately prior to the harvesting.
Ergot is found growing on rye, wheat, barley and other specific types of grasses. In fact, ergot of rye substitutes the grain of rye with deep, purplish sclerotium - a plant ailment caused by the fungus called Claviceps purpurea.
In other words, a sclerotium (ergot) is basically considered a fungus and when it is present in plants they ought not to be consumed in large amounts since it is toxic for humans as well as livestock. When secale cornutum is found in any crop, it becomes infected and when any person is infected with the toxin of this fungus, it is known as ergotism. It is interesting to note that the fungus Claviceps purpurea was the unusual source from which LSD was isolated for the first time.
As mentioned above, poisoning caused by the ergot of rye is denoted as ergotism and it can be distinguished by two types of symptoms. One such set of symptoms is convulsive ergotism wherein malfunctioning of the nervous system causing the patient to endure spraining and distorting in pain, together with shuddering, trembling and a twisted neck.
The other type of symptom caused by secale cornutum or ergot of rye is known as gangrenous ergotism, a condition where the victim may drop parts of their extremities, for instance lose fingers, toes and even ear lobes owing to constraint of blood vessels passing through these extremities.
Victims who endure such constriction of the blood vessels also experience a scorching pain - something common among the farm animals that are left to graze in open fields.
The plant ailment caused by this fungal infection has a long history and is related to the cultivation of rye way back in the 5th century. According to ancient documents, the first outbreak of Claviceps purpurea occurred in the Rhine valley in 857 AD and it was known as the "Holy Fire".
People considered the outbreak to be a 'fire' because of the burning pain caused by this fungal infection. On the other hand, they described it as "holy" as they considered the outbreak and its consequences to be a chastisement from God.
When another outburst of ergotism took place in France in 1039, people constructed a hospital and named it after St. Anthony to cure the victims of fungal toxicity. Henceforth, the term "Holy Fire" came to be known as "St. Anthony's Fire".
The homeopathic remedy secale is available in two forms - capsules and as tincture (a liquid extract of ergot). In homeopathy, this medication is prescribed to treat a number of health conditions, but its primary use is to alleviate the symptoms of senile gangrene (a condition wherein soft tissues die due to lack of blood supply resulting from sclerosis of blood vessels) as well as other skin disorders.
In addition, secale is also useful in providing relief from headaches and menstrual problems since it has the aptitude to inhibit the circulation of blood.
Derivatives obtained from ergot or secale cornutum may be given to women during labor to stimulate contractions. Although using ergot helps to produce powerful contractions during labor, it is generally given only if there is any possibility of a hemorrhage in the post-partum period.
However, caution needs to be exercised while using ergot during labor for it can result in acute or inconsistent tightening of the uterus muscles. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that giving the homeopathic remedy secale in high dosages to any woman during labor may hurt or tear the uterine muscles.
What is worse is that in some cases, using excessive amounts of this medication may also result in the rupture of the womb! In fact, most homeopathic medicine practitioners consider secale to be the ultimate way out or the last option during delivery or childbirth. In fact, this homeopathic medication is basically used when a woman does not show any sign of contractions during labor.
In addition, homeopaths also recommend the use of secale to provide relief from a bloated and gassy stomach. When you used this homeopathic medication in such conditions, it helps to generate a cool sensation all over the body, which, in turn, helps to diminish pain and provide comfort to the sufferer.
Taking ergot in small doses is beneficial for people having eating problems as this medication helps to enhance appetite. The homeopathic remedy secale is also effective in curing diarrhea provided it has been caused due to stomach upset or as a disapproving response to ingested foods.
However, before taking secale, it is important to consult a proficient homeopathic physician if a patient is suffering from diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection or any drug interaction.
If ergot is used in small doses, it is useful in alleviating the symptoms of specific health conditions, by any overdose of the medication by mistake may lead to failure of different organs and sometimes even death. Therefore, it is essential to exercise great caution while taking this homeopathic medication.
When taken in excess amounts, the homeopathic remedy secale may result in a number of adverse after-effects, including vomiting, nausea, and weakness of the muscles as well as erratic heart beat. Here is a word of caution for pregnant women intending to use secale to cure some condition they may be enduring.
In fact, this homeopathic medication should never be taken during pregnancy since it may result in impulsive or unwanted abortion. In addition, nursing mothers too should not take this homeopathic medication for it may pass onto the breast milk and harm the newborn.
The homeopathic remedy secale is prepared from a toxic fungus growing on crops and called ergot or Secale cornutum. To prepare this medication, immature or young ergot is collected prior to the harvesting of the crops on which they grow.
The homeopathic remedy secale has numerous therapeutic uses. However, the primary use of this medication is to treat problems of the circulatory system, wherein the muscle fibers of the arteries narrow down resulting in spasms. This, in turn, causes the extremities to become very cold and severely blanched.
In addition, patients suffering from this condition also experience numbness of the extremities, something akin to Raynaud's syndrome (a vascular disease where blood does not flow adequately to the extremities) accompanied by sporadic cramps in the calf muscles. In severe cases, they may also develop gangrene and begin to lose parts of the extremities, such as the fingers, toes and ear lobes.
The most common symptoms of this condition may comprise an ice-cold sensation on the surface of the skin, especially when touched, while there is a burning sensation and heat underneath the skin. Presently, ergot or Secale cornutum forms an important element of a medicine that regulates loss of blood after a miscarriage or childbirth.
This homeopathic medicine is an excellent remedy for a number of women's health problems. Homeopathic physicians prescribe secale to cure constriction of the uterus muscle fibers, which is generally accompanied by soreness and blood loss.
The symptoms of this condition usually comprise cramps during menstrual period accompanied by dark, profuse blood loss and incessant seeping of watery blood that continues till the subsequent menstrual period.
In other words, use of the homeopathic remedy secale has a distinctive action on a variety of problems associated with menstruation. It is an effective remedy for curing irregular menses that are long lasting as well as accompanied by profuse bleeding. Some women suffering from menstrual disorders may also experience incessant discharge of dark blood from one menstrual period to another.
In addition, in homeopathy, secale is an excellent remedy for painful menstruation, also known as dysmenorrhea. It is also effective for treating menstrual colic (a type of dysmenorrhea distinguished by pain in the abdominal region during or just prior to menstruation) accompanied by pain as in the case of labor, chilly sensation and heat intolerance.
In addition, secale is also useful in curing greenish/ brownish and disgusting leucorrhea (discharge of white mucous substance from the vagina, which is usually a mark of vaginal infection).
The homeopathic remedy secale is also effective in treating gastro-intestinal disorders, especially in the instance when the abdomen is highly susceptible to touch and there is a burning sensation throughout the abdominal region. In such conditions, the patients have an abnormal and famished appetite even while they may be suffering from diarrhea making them weak and weary.
Such patients usually have a great desire to have acids and lemonade and crave for bread and concentrated wine. Despite the ravenous appetite and harsh diarrhea endured by these patients, they vomit mucus, and all foodstuff and beverages they might have taken.
The color of the vomited material is dark brown, something similar to a ground coffee fluid. In fact, taking secale also helps to cure diarrhea that is accompanied with an ice-old sensation in different parts of the body.
In homeopathy, secale is also a medication for treating congestive headache, which begins from the back of the head and makes the sufferer's face look pale. People suffering from congestive headaches have their head pulled backwards, while they also suffer hair loss. In addition, the hair turns out to be dry.
The homeopathic remedy secale is also effective in treating various skin disorders, especially in healing dry, senile gangrene caused after any injury and which is accompanied by a burning sensation something akin to feeling sparks of fire dropping on the affected skin areas.
This condition deteriorates when external heat is applied to the affected parts of the skin and the patient, despite having a cold feeling in the affected skin areas, feels relieved following cold application. This homeopathic remedy is also useful in healing large patches of skin discoloration caused by extravasations of blood (ecchymosis) and blood blister (any blister containing blood, caused due to a pinch or crushing injury).
When any individual suffers from these conditions, the skin becomes cold to touch, but the patients are still unable to bear any covering over the affected area. The extremities, such as the fingers and toes, turn cold like ice, while the skin turns pale. Such patients have hollow eyes and blue rings are formed in the region around the eyes. Turning to the homeopathic remedy secale not only helps to cure the main health conditions discussed above, but also provide relief from the associated symptoms.
It has been observed that people who response well to this homeopathic medication usually have a boiling hot sensation all over the body internally. It is surprising to find that while the skin of such people feels ice cold to touch, they may be profusely discharging cold sweat. Despite the fact that their skin is icy-cold to touch, they are unable to tolerate any clothes or covering over the affected skin areas.
All the health conditions discussed above improve on cold application and, hence, it is not surprising that these type of patients have a strong desire to jump into a pool of cold water to get relief from their symptoms, which may be causing a burning sensation inside their body.
In addition, individuals requiring the homeopathic remedy secale most have a very feeble mind and seem to be dim-witted as well as always half asleep. Such people always suffer from a feeling of intense sorrow, nervousness, depression and dissuasion. Generally, they are also very timid or fearful.
Such patients may be experiencing dissimilar or contrasting feverish hallucinations accompanied by an intense and wild craving to bite. People who respond well to this homeopathic remedy may also exude watery thin, black, non-coagulating blood from the mucus surfaces. The color of their blood can be compared to ink.
The homeopathic remedy secale is prepared from a toxic fungus called ergot or Secale cornutum that grows on rye grains. This toxic fungus is found growing on crops in Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada. Crops on which this fungus grows become infected and, thus, unsuitable for consumption by humans as well as animals.