Ceanothus

 Ceanothus is a tea-like shrub growing wild in the state of New Jersey, USA. It is used in the treatment of symptoms related to the spleen.  The spleen is commonly afflicted by malaria. Such patient suffers from deficiency of Haemoglobin (red blood content) - anaemia. Its symptoms are in general, more prominent on the left side. The side feels heavy and swollen. If only the liver is enlarged, the upper part of the belly feels hard on the right side; but if both spleen and the liver are enlarged, both sides feel hard. To my knowledge, there is no better treatment for splenic disorders than Ceanothus. When the spleen is hardened, the blood vessels also harden. 

This results in high pressure in the veins of the spleen and liver (chronic portal hypertension); Ceanothus lowers this pressure. The commonly described high blood pressure (hypertension) is usually related to the heart and the kidneys. However Ceanothus should be used in portal hypertension due to the liver and spleen derangement.  Very often, anaemic women suffer from continuous vaginal bleeding, which is like thin, diluted blood. Ceanothus is very useful for combating this situation too.

The patient of liver and spleen often suffers either from constipation or diarrhoea. The Ceanothus patient usually has diarrhoea. Urination is frequent, the urine being frothy and greenish in colour. It contains both bile pigment and sugar. In this regard, another medicine, Tinospora Cordifolia is worth mentioning. This is an ayurvedic medicine specially used for spleen problems and has be found to be quite useful. The symptoms of Ceanothus aggravate on movement and from lying on the left side.