Agnus castus
Abbrev. : Agn.
Names : Agnus castus, Verbena verticillata, Vitex agnus castus
English : chaste tree
German : Keusch-lamm
Dutch : Monnikspeper, kuisboom
Sources : Murphy, Vermeulen, Clarke, Stichting voorlichting natuurgeneeswijzen (juli/aug. 1987), Vithoulkas.
Hagnos is the Greek and Castus the Latin for ‘as innocent as a lamb’ symbolising purity.
A-gonos could also mean: no progeny. The branches are laid on a novice’s path when she is entering the convent to become a nun in Italy.
Agnus castus is known in the old literature for great sadness with a fixed idea of approaching death: says that he will soon die and there is no use doing anything.
Vithoulkas thought it would be more and more indicated in modern society and especially homosexuals. The patient has the feeling all his fluids have been wasted and has nothing more to give: life becomes empty and meaningless. Onanism (zelfbevlekking) is seen as a causa.
In our more sexually liberated Dutch minds we can look behind these Victorian concepts of illness due to sexual perversity and ‘eccentric behaviour’ and see the causa as giving too much and taking care of others to the detriment of the patient himself. Not knowing oneself, not trusting others leads to an imbalance.
A patient of mine expressed it as ‘I thought freedom and connection were not possible together: if I had a real relationship I would loose my freedom !’. Connecting was impossible for him.
Vrijlandt describes it thus:
‘Neither men or women feel equal to what they think life has in store, whereby their thoughts frequently turn to their sexual incapacity. Well-selected studies are not completed, which they later regret. There is also a certain envy of people who do achieve their goal in life’.
In short Agnus castus patients give and give, are not acknowledged, even victims, and instead of bottling up and inflating like Lamiaceae or ending up in the blind alley of endurance like Verbena hastata, they deflate and become empty which is symbolised in the sexual complaints:
- want of self confidence, feels as if he is nobody
- contemptuous of self alt. eccentricity
- despair, hypochondriasis
- reading difficult/desire for reading
- indifference to external things
- discouraged alt. haughtiness
- suicidal, puerperal mania with aversion to husband, baby and coition
Generals
> open air > pressure > rest
Lack of vital heat, paleness
Physical
Impotency and premature old age from abuse of sexual power
Sexual desire gone.
Male genitals cold, relaxed.
Discharge of prostatic fluid while straining at stool
Infertility
Gnawing itching in all parts, especially eye
Sensation as if intestines pressed downward
Abdomen distented after meals
Breast milk absent
Pupil dilated
Sprains and strains
Illusion of smell as of herrings or musk
Toothache from hot food or drink
The plant and especially the seeds contain hormones that stimulate the hypophysis, mainly the front lobe and the luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactine. Prolactine promotes breast feeding and LH stimulates progesteron and testosteron and thereby the ovulation. FSH and ACTH also seem to be enhanced. In phytotherapy Agnus castus is promoted for:
- pre-menstrual syndrome
- all kinds of menstrual disorders = dysmenorroe, amenorroe, bleeding between menses
- menstrual problems after stopping oral anticonception
- menopause
- infertility
- and emotional problems due to hormones
DD Sepia, Conium, Selenium, Acida