Ignatius bean is a climbing shrub or small tree that reaches lengths of more than 60 feet. Its flowers are greenish white and covered with small silky hairs. The fruit, which grows as wide as five inches, contains yellow pulp and as many as 40 hard, oval seeds
PARTS USED
Seed, root.
For the homeopathic preparation, the seeds of Ignatius bean (Ignatia) are collected and ground to a powder, then mixed with alcohol. When the powder is saturated, the mixture is strained and diluted until it becomes a nontoxic substance. Complaints that benefit from Ignatia often arise as a result of extreme emotional stress, for example, grief, shock, anger, and the suppression of these feelings. This is a key remedy for bereavement with mood swings, hysteria, and insomnia. Other emotional states helped by this remedy include: sudden tearfulness; self-pity; self- blame; a repressed response to anger or violence; fear of being thought forceful; depression; and worry.
Ignatia is effective for headaches that are worse lying on the painful side and that feel as if a nail had been driven into the head, nervous headaches due to emotional stress, and children’s headaches that are worsened by caffeine and relieved by heat.Ailments with changeable, contradictory symptoms are helped by Ignatia, for example, sore throats that are better from eating solids, and nausea and vomiting that are better from eating. Other conditions it is good for include: tickly coughs; fever with chills that induce thirst; fainting in claustrophobic conditions; sensitivity to pain; craving for odd foods when ill; and upper abdominal pain.In women, Ignatia is given for a prolapsed rectum with sharp, upward shooting pain; painful uterine spasms during menstruation; hemorrhoids; emotionally-triggered constipation and absent menstruation.