What is Cantharis?

Cantharis is an herb remedy for various medicines and homeopathy treatments. It is made from the Lytta vesicatoria beetle found in southern Spain, Asia, and France. The insect and the treatment are most commonly known as Spanish fly.

Severe cystitis can be treated with cantharis. Urinary tract infections and most other conditions resulting in burning pain can also be relieved with the insect remedy. These can include burning foot pain, scalding diarrhea, colitis, shingles, sore throat, and hand rashes. Even some stings, burns, and blisters can be cured by the remedy.

Digestive tract issues have been known to be healed with Spanish fly. This is particularly effective in conditions that result in a distended abdomen. Appetite loss, loss of the desire to drink, difficulty swallowing, and fluid retention can be reversed through its use as well. It may also be effective in treating warts, baldness, and inflammation.

Traditionally, the homeopathic medicine was used as an aphrodisiac to increase sexual desire. It is also used, however, to curb excessive sexual desire. Other mental and emotional states it has been used to ease include screaming, restlessness, violent irritability, insolence, fits of rage, and severe anxiety. Lower abdominal and back pain can also be treated with Spanish fly.

This remedy is available as a powder, liquid, and as a pill. The highly potent tincture of cantharis is available only by a doctor's prescription. Prepared from the entire beetle body, it may also be combined with other herbs, such as sepia, belladonna, phosphorus, sulphur homeopathic, and mercurius.

Spanish fly should not be used if undiluted. Both use of an undiluted formula and overuse can lead to toxicity. Some side effects can include diarrhea, vomiting of blood, abdominal cramps, stomach and throat pain, kidney damage, and convulsions. In severe cases coma or death can result. A physician should be consulted prior to using the remedy.

Blister beetle is another name for Spanish fly. Cantharis may also be known as N.O. Insecta, coleoptera, or cantharis vesicator. In traditional homeopathic medicine, healers collect the bright green cantharis beetles from their honeysuckle and olive trees at daybreak. This is to capture them while sluggish in order to avoid a possible struggle with the caustic insect.

They are then heated within the steam of boiling vinegar until they die. After this, they are crushed. Finally they are mixed with milk sugar in the trituration process to dilute their toxicity, and to make them suitable for human use.