What are the haemorrhagic symptoms of secale cor?

Hemorrhagic Symptoms of Secale cornutum (Ergot of Rye)

1. Hemorrhagic Diathesis and Blood Characteristics

– Passive, continuous oozing of blood
– Blood thin, watery, black or dark brown in colour
– Fetid or putrid odour, exhausting to the patient
– Great prostration, coldness of skin, clammy sweat accompanying bleeding

2. Sites of Hemorrhage

– Uterine
– Menorrhagia and metrorrhagia: copious, dark, watery flow lasting until next period
– After-pains and fetid lochia postpartum
– Gastrointestinal
– Haematemesis: “coffee-grounds” vomitus
– Melena: black, tarry stools
– Respiratory
– Haemoptysis: dark, slow-flowing blood
– Nasal
– Epistaxis: oozing of dark, fetid blood
– Renal
– Haematuria: black blood in urine
– Capillary
– Purpura and ecchymoses; spontaneous bleeding into skin and mucosa

3. Concomitant Signs

– Intense internal heat yet cold skin; patient intolerant of warmth
– Formication and numbness; risk of gangrene in extremities
– Extreme debility: patient sinks rapidly after each hemorrhagic episode

4. Modalities

– Worse: warm coverings, heat, exertion
– Better: cold applications, uncovering, rest

Secale cornutum is foremost indicated whenever there is passive, exhausting bleeding of black, fetid blood from any orifice, especially when the patient feels burning internally but intolerant of external warmth. Continuous oozing, extreme prostration, and improvement from cold are keynotes guiding its selection.