What is Cina Maritima?
Origin and source. Cina maritima is prepared from levant wormseed, the small, unexpanded flower-heads of Artemisia cina, a plant of the daisy family (Asteraceae). These flower-heads are the natural source of santonin, a substance long associated with worm complaints. In homeopathy the flower-heads are taken as the source material for a preparation defined by its symptom picture rather than by the direct action of santonin as a material dose.
Preparation in homeopathy. As with all homeopathic plant remedies, a tincture is first prepared from the source material, and from that tincture the potencies are made by serial dilution and succussion. The finished preparation is highly diluted. What remains is a remedy characterised by the symptoms recorded for it in the materia medica, not by any material quantity of the original flower-heads or their santonin content.
Historical place in homeopathy. Cina is one of the classic, well-proven remedies of homeopathy, documented in the great authorities -- Boericke, Kent, Allen -- and long established as a leading remedy for the picture of the wormy, irritable child. Its provings and clinical use gathered around an unmistakable cluster: a cross, angry, capricious temper; a demand to be carried yet no comfort in it; a pale face with dark or bluish circles around the eyes; grinding of the teeth in sleep and boring at the nose; a ravenous appetite that coexists with thinness; and restless, disturbed sleep with starts and screaming. Because it is so thoroughly proven, cina is described with high confidence, and its keynotes are among the most recognisable in the children's section of the materia medica.
How the remedy is understood. In the homeopathic method a remedy is chosen because the totality of a person's symptoms -- physical, general, and mental -- resembles the symptom picture the substance produced. Cina is therefore not prescribed simply because worms are present; it is considered for a child (or occasionally an adult) whose whole pattern of temper, appetite, sleep, and facial signs matches the remedy's documented picture. Two wormy children may need entirely different remedies. This distinction is central to responsible practice and to reading this page correctly: the remedy names a pattern, never a cure.
Key Characteristics
- Cross, irritable, vindictive temper -- an angry, capricious child who cannot be pleased and rejects what is offered.
- Wants to be carried but not soothed -- a demand to be carried or rocked, yet without being comforted by it.
- Ravenous hunger with thinness -- a marked, even voracious appetite in a child who nonetheless stays pale and thin.
- Grinding of teeth in sleep -- teeth-grinding during sleep, a classic worm sign of the remedy.
- Boring and picking at the nose -- persistent picking and boring at the nose, another well-known keynote.
- Pale face with dark circles -- a pale face with dark or bluish rings around the eyes.
- Restless, disturbed sleep -- restless sleep with starts, twitching, and screaming out.
- Worse at night and from sweets -- the characteristic aggravations, with being carried and warmth traditionally easing the state.
Traditional Symptom Picture
In homeopathic practice, cina maritima is traditionally considered when a person's symptom pattern -- most often a child's -- includes the themes above. The picture is built system by system:
Head
Boring and picking at the nose, with a pale face and dark or bluish circles around the eyes. In marked worm states convulsions have been recorded historically. The head and face carry some of the remedy's most recognisable outward signs.
Eyes
Dark or bluish circles around the eyes are characteristic, giving the child a tired, worn look. This facial sign accompanies the general worm picture rather than an independent eye complaint.
Nose
A leading outward keynote. Persistent boring, picking, and rubbing at the nose, so marked that it is one of the first things noticed in the cina child. The nasal irritation belongs to the worm picture.
Throat
Not a leading sphere. The throat does not feature prominently in the recorded picture and is addressed only within the whole state.
Skin
Itching, especially about the nose and the anus, arising from the worm irritation. The skin symptoms are secondary to and part of the worm picture rather than a constitutional eruption.
Mind
A defining sphere. Cross, irritable, and vindictive; the child wants to be carried and shaken yet is not comforted; there is a dread of being touched or approached, and an ugly, malicious, obstinate mood. The temper is capricious -- what is asked for is refused when offered. This distinctive mental state is one of the surest guides to the remedy.
Constitution & temperament
The picture of the wormy child: pale, thin, hungry, cross, and restless, with the facial signs and the disturbed sleep. The constitution described is one made irritable and depleted by the worm state, hungry yet not nourished.
Digestive
A leading sphere. Roundworms and threadworms; a ravenous appetite coexisting with emaciation; abdominal pain; grinding of the teeth; and foul breath. The child eats greedily yet stays thin, and the abdomen may be uneasy and colicky.
Heart
Not a prominent sphere. No characteristic cardiac symptoms belong to the remedy; the heart is not where its recorded action lies.
Extremities
Restless, twitching limbs, especially in sleep. The restlessness belongs to the disturbed, irritable general state rather than to a local limb complaint.
Modalities
Better: being carried, warmth, warm applications. Worse: at night, from sweets.
Every symptom is read as part of an individual's complete picture. Two people with the same diagnosis may receive different remedies.
Conditions Where Practitioners May Consider Cina Maritima
The conditions below are ones where homeopathic practitioners traditionally discuss cina maritima as one possible remedy among many, selected by the individual's complete symptom picture. Each links to its live condition overview and (where available) its in-depth guide.
Homeopathy individualises; responsible care includes medical diagnosis where indicated.
Common Patient Questions
- "My child is cross and wants to be carried but nothing helps -- is cina right?" This capricious, uncomforted temper is one of the surest cina themes, but only a qualified homeopath can confirm the match, and a persistently unwell child should be seen by a physician.
- "My child grinds their teeth and picks the nose in sleep -- could this be worms?" These are classic cina keynotes, yet suspected worms benefit from medical confirmation and hygiene measures alongside any remedy considered.
- "My child eats a lot but stays thin -- does that fit?" Ravenous hunger with thinness is a recorded keynote, but a child failing to gain weight should be assessed by a physician.
- "My child's sleep is restless with sudden screaming -- can it help?" Practitioners may consider cina where restless, disturbed sleep joins the worm picture; individualised assessment is needed.
Potencies
Homeopathic preparations use potency scales indicating dilution and succussion:
- 6C / 30C -- lower Centesimal potencies, traditionally used in milder or more acute presentations, and often where cina is discussed in children.
- 200C -- a higher potency, traditionally for deeper or constitutionally-matched cases.
- 1M -- a high potency used occasionally in individualised practice.
- LM -- a gentle, sequential potency format for sensitive individuals.
Potency is individualised -- chosen by the practitioner from your constitution and response. We do not advise self-selection of potency.
Dosage
Homeopathic dosage varies by individual: constitution, acuity, potency, and response. The practitioner sets the plan and reviews at follow-up; self-dosing over long periods is discouraged as it can obscure the remedy's effect. In children with worm complaints, medical confirmation and attention to hygiene are important alongside any remedy considered.
Safety & Precautions
- Pregnancy & breastfeeding: discuss with your physician and a qualified homeopath.
- Children: practitioner-led remedy selection; a child who is unwell, feverish, or failing to thrive needs medical assessment.
- Existing conditions / medications: homeopathy is a distinct system of medicine; keep your physician informed and continue prescribed treatment as needed.
- Urgent care: convulsions, high fever, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, a child who is very drowsy or not feeding, or any severe acute symptom -- seek conventional medical care promptly.
Side Effects
- Homeopathic aggravation: a brief, temporary intensification may occur as the remedy acts; judged by the practitioner.
- Stop & consult if symptoms worsen persistently or new severe symptoms appear, especially in an unwell child.
Who May Benefit?
Framed as symptom patterns, not diagnoses: a cross, irritable, vindictive child who wants to be carried but is not soothed; a ravenous appetite coexisting with thinness; grinding of the teeth and boring at the nose in sleep; a pale face with dark circles around the eyes; restless, disturbed sleep with starts and screaming; and itching about the nose and anus. Benefit is individual; a matching pattern -- not a disease label -- is what the practitioner assesses.
Who Should Avoid Self-Medicating?
Anyone whose child is feverish, very drowsy, not feeding, or having convulsions; those with a child failing to thrive or losing weight; anyone with severe abdominal pain or persistent vomiting; pregnant or breastfeeding women without guidance; and people with persistent or worsening symptoms, who should be assessed medically first.
Cina Maritima vs Other Remedies
Comparison tables show why remedy choice is individualised -- pattern contrasts, not rankings.
Cina Maritima vs Teucrium Marum
Teucrium marum is the threadworm remedy with marked anal itching and restlessness at night -- see teucrium-marum for the contrast.
Cina Maritima vs Spigelia
Spigelia is the worm remedy associated with sharp, darting pains and marked sensitivity -- see spigelia for the distinction.
Cina Maritima vs Calcarea Carbonica
Calcarea carbonica is the chilly, sweaty-headed, slow, plump child with a big abdomen and dairy cravings -- see calcarea-carbonica for the contrast.
Cina Maritima vs Carica Papaya
Carica papaya is the digestive worm remedy with fermentation, poor assimilation, and an enlarged abdomen -- see carica-papaya for the contrast.
Cina Maritima vs Sulphur
Sulphur is the warm, hungry, untidy constitution with skin symptoms and anal itching -- see sulphur for the contrast.
Related Remedies
- Teucrium Marum -- threadworm with anal itching.
- Spigelia -- worms with sharp pains.
- Calcarea Carbonica -- slow, chilly, big-abdomen child.
- Carica Papaya -- digestive worm remedy.
- Sulphur -- warm, hungry, untidy constitution.
- Cina -- the closely allied worm remedy.
- China Officinalis -- debility with bloating.
- Chamomilla -- irritable, uncomforted child.
