Bacillinum
Quick Facts
- What it is: A homeopathic nosode made from sterilised tuberculous sputum, then diluted until none of it remains.
- Main uses: Ringworm and fungal rashes, Long-running dry cough, Swollen glands, Eczema
- Best for: People already using homeopathy who want a named nosode, alongside, not instead of, normal care
- Active ingredients: None measurable at 30C and above
- Forms: Sugar pills, Alcohol-and-water drops
- Time to effect: No reliable time frame; homeopaths claim days to weeks.
- Side effects: Direct side effects are very unlikely; the main risk is delaying real treatment.
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What is Bacillinum?
Bacillinum is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from sputum, the mucus coughed up from the lungs. The sputum came from a person with tuberculosis (a serious lung infection).
The material is sterilised. It is then watered down again and again. At the usual 30C strength, none of it is left in the pill.
Homeopaths give it for long-running coughs, skin rashes and swollen glands. Trials have not shown it to beat a dummy pill (placebo). Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works.
How does Bacillinum work?
Homeopathy rests on two ideas. The first is that 'like cures like'. The second is that water can hold a trace of what was once in it.
Neither idea fits what we know about the body. After 30 dilution steps, not one molecule of the source is left. So there is no known way for this remedy to act on you.
Any change you notice most likely comes from other things. One is the placebo effect, which means feeling better because you expect to. Time, rest and a long talk with a kind practitioner also play a part.
What forms does Bacillinum come in?
Bacillinum comes as small sugar pills. Liquid drops in alcohol and water are also sold.
Common strengths are 30C, 200C, 1M and 10M. A higher number means more dilution steps, not more material. Homeopaths often give one dose, then wait weeks.
Where it comes from:
An English homeopath, James Compton Burnett, brought in the remedy in the 1880s. He made it from tuberculous sputum. He used it for skin and chest problems.
Bacillinum belongs to a group called the nosodes. These are remedies made from diseased matter. It is still listed in homeopathic books, but it has never been a first-choice remedy.
Who should avoid Bacillinum?
- Do not use if you have tuberculosis, or think you might have it. This remedy cannot treat it. Tuberculosis needs a doctor and a full course of medicines.
- Do not use if you are stopping, skipping or cutting down any prescribed medicine in order to try it.
- Do not use if you have a cough that has lasted more than three weeks, or you are coughing up blood. See a doctor first.
- Do not use if you have a fever, night sweats or weight loss you cannot explain.
- Do not use if you have a weak immune system, for example from HIV, cancer treatment or steroid tablets, unless your doctor agrees.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor or midwife says it is fine.
- Do not use if you would be giving it to a baby or child in place of medical care.
- Do not use if you cannot handle lactose (milk sugar) and the pills are made with lactose.
- Do not use if you avoid alcohol and the product is an alcohol-based liquid.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if a cough lasts more than three weeks, or if you cough up blood. Get checked for a fever that will not settle, drenching night sweats, or weight loss you cannot explain. Lumps in the neck that stay swollen for more than two weeks also need looking at.
Go to hospital or call emergency services if you cannot catch your breath, your chest hurts badly, or your lips look blue. Do the same for a child who is struggling to breathe.
Tell your doctor that you are using a homeopathic remedy, even though it holds no drug. It helps them see the whole picture.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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