Jacaranda
Made from the caroba flower — the purple blossom of the South American jacaranda, the syphilis chapter's old stand-by, and the classical remedy of the obstinate ulcer.
The whole picture, in one breath
Think of the syphilis chapter's obstinate surfaces: the ulcers that will not heal, the eruptions of the old books' venereal chapter, the swollen glands and the skin that breaks out and will not close — and the purple-flowered tree of the South American streets. The obstinate-ulcer tree: that is Jacaranda.
The substance, in plain words
The jacaranda is the purple-flowered tree of the South American streets, its flowers and bark a genuine remedy of the old venereal dispensary — the caroba of the syphilis chapter, traded and used for the obstinate ulcer. The proving gave the tree the ulcer portrait.
The traditional picture Classical sources
The inner state
- Anxiety and despondency. The dread of the chapter's disease, the gloom of the chronic state, worse at night.
- Irritability. Cross from the chronic discomfort and the history.
- Despair of recovery. The books record the hopelessness of the untreated era.
The body
- Obstinate, non-healing ulcers. The keynote: the ulcers that will not heal — the books' great use of the caroba.
- Venereal-chapter eruptions. The eruptions and skin states of the old books' syphilitic chapter.
- Swollen glands. The glands that swell and stay of the same chapter.
- Worse cold damp and night. Wet weather and night deepen the ulcers and the glands.
- Better for rest and the tree's course. Rest, and the slow course of the old remedy, ease the chapter.
Modalities (worse and better factors)
| Worse from ⬇ | Better from ⬇ |
|---|---|
| cold damp weather; night; exertion; suppressed discharges. | rest; the tree's course; warmth. |
Where it acts (organ affinities)
Skin (ulcers, eruptions), glands, general vitality.
Where the classical picture comes from
The purple tree's proving gave the obstinate-ulcer portrait; Jacaranda became the classical remedy of the syphilis chapter's surfaces — the caroba of the old dispensary serving the era's most feared chapter.
The substance in real medicine Pharmacology
What this section is: the pharmacology and toxicology of the source substance. It is not clinical evidence that a homeopathic preparation of it treats any condition. What controlled trials do and do not show is set out on the Evidence page.
The jacaranda's real career is ornamental — the purple streets of Pretoria and Buenos Aires — its medical career a modest footnote of the pre-penicillin venereal dispensary. The syphilis it accompanied is cured with penicillin, one of medicine's absolute victories; the obstinate ulcers it portrayed are now the wound clinic's, healed by modern surgery.
Look-alikes (how the classical authors told it apart)
| Remedy | Looks similar because… | Tells it apart because… |
|---|---|---|
| Nitricum acidum | The syphilitic chapter | Nit-ac's are the ragged, bleeding, warty surfaces; Jacaranda's the obstinate ulcer of the same chapter. |
| Kali iodatum | Venereal-rheumatic legacy | Kali-iod sweats hot with wandering bones; Jacaranda ulcers and will not close. |
| Cinnabaris | The crimson chapter | Cinnabaris is the crimson blotched one; Jacaranda the purple tree of the same shelf. |
| Condurango | Obstinate surfaces | Condurango sticks at the swallow; Jacaranda will not close the ulcer. |