What is Croton tiglium?

Croton tiglium is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from the seed of the croton tree, a small tree from South and East Asia. Homeopaths give it for sudden watery diarrhoea, itchy skin rashes, and sharp pain in the breast.

The raw seed and its oil are very poisonous. To make the remedy, the seed is watered down again and again in alcohol and water, with shaking at each step. At the common 30C strength, none of the starting seed is left.

Trials have not shown that this remedy works better than a dummy pill. It has a long record of use in homeopathy, but long use is not proof that something works.

How does Croton tiglium work?

No one has shown a way this remedy could act on the body.

Homeopathy rests on an idea called "like cures like". The idea is that a thing which causes symptoms in a well person can treat those same symptoms once it is made very weak. Croton seed causes violent watery diarrhoea and burning skin, so homeopaths give it for those complaints.

At 30C the seed has been watered down so far that not one molecule of it is likely to be left. The pill is sugar. Any change you notice is most likely a placebo effect, which means feeling better because you expect to.

Low strengths are different. A mother tincture or a 1X to 3X dilution can still hold real croton oil, and that oil is a poison. The risk there is real, even though the hoped-for benefit is not proven.

What forms does Croton tiglium come in?

You will most often see small sugar pills soaked in the remedy.

Common strengths sold for home use are 6C, 30C and 200C. Liquid drops in alcohol are also sold. Some homeopaths use a single dose of a high strength instead of daily pills.

Low strengths such as 1X, 2X and 3X, and the mother tincture, may still hold real croton oil. These are not safe for home use. Raw croton oil and creams made from the seed are sold in some places for skin blistering; do not put them on your skin.

Where it comes from:

Croton tiglium came into homeopathy in the 1800s.

Homeopaths gave the seed to healthy people, wrote down every symptom it caused, then used that list to decide who to give it to. Watery diarrhoea and burning, itching skin sit at the top of that list.

The plant has a much older record outside homeopathy. Chinese medicine used the seed as Ba Dou, and Indian medicine used it as Jayapala. Both used it to empty the bowels fast, and both treated it as a poison that needed careful handling.

Doctors dropped the raw seed as safer medicines arrived.

What does Croton tiglium help with?

• Sudden watery diarrhoea: This is the best known homeopathic use. Homeopaths pick it when stool shoots out all at once, right after eating or drinking. No published human trial tests the remedy for this, so the claim rests on homeopathic texts alone. Watery diarrhoea can dry you out fast, so treat it with fluids and get medical help if it does not settle.
• Diarrhoea in children in hot weather: Homeopathic books list it for summer tummy upsets in children. There is no trial evidence for this use. Diarrhoea in a baby or small child can turn serious within hours, so a doctor should lead the care.
• Itchy blistering skin rash: Croton oil blisters the skin, so homeopaths give the diluted remedy for rashes that itch and blister. No human trial supports this. Never treat a rash with the raw oil or a low-dilution cream, as it can burn the skin badly.
• Shooting pain from the nipple to the back while breastfeeding: This is a classic homeopathic picture for the remedy. It rests on old case notes, not on trials. Breast pain while feeding often has a treatable cause, such as thrush or a blocked duct, so ask a midwife or doctor first.
• Painful blistering rash of shingles: Some homeopaths use it for shingles, a painful blistering rash caused by the chickenpox virus. There is no trial evidence for this. Shingles has proven antiviral treatment that works best in the first three days, so see a doctor straight away.

Which foods are rich in Croton tiglium?

Croton seeds and croton oil have no place in cooking, and no diet supplies them.

What are the side effects of Croton tiglium?

• No measurable effects from a 30C pill beyond those of a sugar pill
• Short flare-up of symptoms that some homeopaths call an aggravation
• Sugar intake from the pills, which matters if you have diabetes
• Alcohol content in liquid drops
• From raw seed or oil: burning mouth and throat
• From raw seed or oil: violent vomiting and watery diarrhoea
• From raw seed or oil: severe stomach cramps and dehydration
• From raw seed or oil: blisters and burns on the skin
• From raw seed or oil: collapse and death

Good to know:

The finished 30C remedy holds no croton seed, so direct harm from it is very unlikely. The real danger is the raw seed, the oil, and any very low dilution, which have caused burns, severe fluid loss and deaths. The other common harm is delay: taking pills while a serious illness such as dehydration, shingles or a bowel problem goes untreated.

How much Croton tiglium should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been shown to work better than a dummy pill. In practice, homeopaths use 30C most often. A common pattern is three to five pills, two or three times a day, for a short spell. Some give one dose of 200C and then wait. Never use the mother tincture, croton oil, or a strength below 6C at home. Those can still hold real poison.
• Best time of day: There is no best time. Homeopaths usually space doses through the day and stop as soon as symptoms ease.
• With or without food: Usually taken on a clean mouth, about 15 minutes away from food, drink, toothpaste or strong mints. This is a homeopathic custom, not a proven rule.
• Time to effect: Homeopaths expect a change within hours for sudden diarrhoea. No trial has measured this, so treat the claim as unproven.
• How long to take it: Use it only for a short time. Most homeopaths stop after a few days. If your diarrhoea, rash or pain has not improved in 48 hours, stop and see a doctor. Do not keep taking it for weeks in the hope of a slow build-up.