New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies Part 2

(Outside the old herbalists the virtues of the bark and leaves of the peach tree have received little attention.

The following contributed by Dr. C. C. Edson in the _Chicago Medical Times_, 1890, however, aroused some attention):

Some ten years ago I had a little patient whose principle difficulty seemed to be an inability to retain anything whatever upon its stomach.

It would vomit up promptly everything I gave it, and I had given it everything I had ever heard of and also had eminent council, but it was no go; I was literally at my rope's end. At this juncture an elderly lady neighbor, one of "the good old mothers," timidly suggested an infusion of peach bark. Well, as it was any port in storm, I started to find the coveted bark, which I was fortunate enough to procure after a long tramp through the country and two feet of snow. I prepared an infusion, gave the little patient a few swallows, and presto! the deed was done, the child cured. * * It fills all the indications of the leaves and many more. It fills the indications of hydrocyanic acid, ingluvin, ipecac or any other anti-emetic. It will more frequently allay the vomiting of pregnancy than any remedy I have ever tried. And nearly every case of retching or vomiting (except it be reflex) will promptly yield under its use. * * * For an adult the dose is five drops, and in urgent cases repeat every five to ten minutes until the symptoms subside, after which give it at intervals of one to four hours as indicated. After ten years' use I am thoroughly convinced that any physician once giving it a thorough trial will never again be without it. Of course it is not a specific for all "upheavals of the inner man,"

but will I think meet more indications than any other known remedy of its cla.s.s.

(This brought out the following from Dr. Kirkpatrick in the same journal):

I must say that I feel a little plagued after reading what Dr. Edson says about _Amygdalus_; he has taken the wind out of my sails, but I must give my experience. Quite a number of years since a good friend in the profession called on me, and asked me to visit one of his patients, honestly stating that he thought she would die. I went a few miles in the country to see her. She had been vomiting blood for two or three days, and, notwithstanding she had had oxalate of cerium, bis.m.u.th, pepsin, ingluvin and other good remedies, everything she swallowed would come up, so that she looked more like a corpse than a living being. I ordered them to go out and get me some of the young switches of the last year's growth from the peach tree; I had them pound them to loosen the bark; I then nearly filled a tumbler with this bark, then covered it with water. I ordered her a teaspoonful to be taken after each time she vomited, one dose being given then, and one every hour after the vomiting stopped. The result was, she vomited no more and made a good recovery.

* * * In recent cases I have very rarely had to give the second prescription to relieve morning sickness. I was visiting a doctor in Quincy; while there he told me he was afraid he would have either to make a lady abort or let her die, from the fact that he had failed to stop her vomiting. I happened to have a sample of the medicine with me; I gave it to him, he took it to the lady and in a few days he reported her well. I may say, like Dr. Edson, it is a standard remedy with me. I have found it very useful in haemorrhage from the bladder. Some of my lady patients find it very good in nervous headache. I have used the tincture prepared from the leaves, but it is far inferior to that prepared from the bark of the young shoots. A medical friend was going to see a lady who had morning sickness; he told me he had thought of advising her to use popcorn; I handed him a small bottle of my _Amygdalus_ and told him to take a couple of ears of corn in his pocket and try both. The next time I met him he said my medicine had done the work.

(Dr. Oliver S. Haines, of Philadelphia, also contributed the following experience):

Apropos of the remarks made by Dr. C. C. Edson upon the efficacy of infusion of peach _bark_ in the gastric irritability of children, we might mention the following authentic case:

An infant, during its second summer, had been much reduced by acute dyspeptic diarrhoea. A marked feature of this case was the persistent vomiting of all food. The stomach would tolerate no form of baby food with or without milk. The child's parents had consulted some eminent physicians of our city. The child had been treated h.o.m.oeopathically.

None of the remedies chosen seemed to produce the desired effect. After a consultation it was deemed best to send the infant to the mountains.

The change aggravated its condition. While the parents hourly expected their baby would die, it was suggested that they send for an old pract.i.tioner living in the mountains near at hand. This man had a local reputation as a saver of dying babies. His prescription was as follows: Two or three fresh peach _leaves_ were to be put in a cup of boiling water, the infant to receive a "drink" of this infusion at frequent intervals. The effects of this remedy were as remarkable in this case as in the case narrated by Dr. Edson. Our child soon retained food and eventually recovered.

It seems this ancient disciple of Esculapius had long used peach leaves and regarded them as possessing specific virtues.

ANAGALIS ARVENSIS.

NAT. ORD., Primulaceae.

COMMON NAMES, Scarlet Pimpernel. Poor Man's Weather-Gla.s.s.

PREPARATION.--The fresh plant, of the scarlet-flowered variety, gathered before the development of the flowers, is pounded to a pulp and subjected to pressure. The expressed juice is mingled with an equal part by weight of alcohol.

(This paper was arranged from the provings by Dr. W. H.

A. Fitz for the Organon and Materia Medica Society of Philadelphia, and published in the _Medical Advance_, 1891)

We think of this remedy for the following clinical indications: Hypochondriasis, mania, epilepsy. Amblyopia, cataract, spots on the cornea. Syphilis, hepat.i.tis and indurated liver, visceral obstruction, inflammation of r.e.c.t.u.m (horses), hemorrhoids, inflammation of kidneys, gleet, copious urination (horses), gravel, syphilis with deranged mind, nosebleed, pain in small of back, gonorrhoea, amenorrhoea, cancer of mammea, sterility (cows), consumption, lumbago, itching, gout, b.l.o.o.d.y sweat (murrain of calves), dropsy, ill-conditioned ulcers, snake bites and hydrophobia, promotes the expulsion of splinters, inflammation of stomach (horses).

It is characterized by great tickling and itching. We find tickling and p.r.i.c.king in the urethra, in left ear; on tip of nose; at soft palate as from something cold; in symphysis pubis; as from a brush against epiglottis (with hoa.r.s.eness); pain in right leg and at os illium; itching on vertex and occiput; of eyelids; in left ear; on cheek bones; itching and tickling st.i.tches on left corner of mouth and upper lip; in r.e.c.t.u.m; at a.n.u.s after evacuation of bowels; on left side of chest, princ.i.p.ally on nipple; on neck and scapula; on inside of upper arm, just above elbow joint; on back of right hand; tetter on hands and fingers.

In fact, great itching all over the skin.

HEADACHE just over supra-orbital ridges, with eructations and rumbling in bowels; spasmodic lancination in temples, extending to eyes; pressive aching in forehead and occiput from a current of air blowing on him; intense headache and nausea, with pains throughout the body. Occiput: dull or tearing pains and inclination to vomit; violent headache, with hard, knotty stools; knocking pains in left side; dull pain all night.

PAINS: Teeth pain as from cold.

St.i.tCHES: In scalp, over left ear and on occiput; in eyeb.a.l.l.s; in temples; in left corner of mouth; in right ear; in left side, region of fourth and fifth ribs; in left tibia, when sitting, when moving leg or foot; disturb sleep.

NEURALGIC PAINS: In right cheek bones.

Rheumatic, gouty pains.

TEARING PAINS: In occiput; in right cheek bone; in upper molars; in spermatic cords; in muscles of left leg; disturb sleep.

DRAWING PAINS: In right t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e and cord; tensive drawing in left shoulder to neck, returns when lifting or stretching arms; in muscles of upper arm; especially when moving hands or arm in writing; in right carpal and metacarpal bones (sometimes left), returning at regular intervals; also tearing; in muscles of left leg.

PRESSING PAINS: In forehead and occiput; with st.i.tching in eyeb.a.l.l.s; in eyes; on lungs; in sacrum.

DULL PAIN: In occiput; in hollow tooth, with trembling of heart; in upper molars; in gums, accompanied by hard stools.

CRAMPS: In right thenar; ceasing there as it goes to the left.

VIOLENT PAIN: As if caused by external pressure on occiput, behind the left ear; in sacrum when lifting, they take her breath; in muscles of forearm, inside near elbow joint; in carpal and metacarpal bones, extending to shoulder; in palm of right hand, extending between thumb and forefinger, as if a pin were thrust through.

SENSATION: In lungs as if struck by a cus.h.i.+on full of pins; anxiety in chest; skin of forehead feels too tight; tension in bend of left knee, as if swollen or sore. Cold or chilly sensation on right frontal protuberance; in teeth, as if something cold were placed on tongue; at soft palate, as from touch of something cold; chilly, trembling; scratching in throat after eating; when reading aloud.

Soreness on chest.

Burning in urethra.

Heat rising to head.

Dryness in throat.

Things seem to float to and fro; he cannot write.

PAIN: In right ear, as if meatus auditorius were obstructed; in facial muscles, in lungs, in the front and the back up to the scapulae; in right side of back, followed by violent sneezing; in upper arm, outside, near the shoulder; pain and twitching in the left thumb; in bend of left knee; in upper part of metatarsus of right foot; in great and little toe of left foot in morning; in sole of left foot.

Hence we find under--

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION--below upwards.

Pains in upper limbs.

RIGHT: Chilly sensation in frontal protuberance; pain in the eyeball; in palm of hand; in about knee and tibia; in foot; pain and st.i.tches in ear; tickling pains in leg and os ilii; drawing in testes and cord; pressure on lungs; itching on scapula; weak, lame feeling in leg.

LEFT: Knocking inside of occiput; pain in knee and posterior muscles of leg; in tibia; in foot; glittering before eye; st.i.tches over ear; in corner of mouth (and itching); tensive drawing from shoulder; drawing in muscles of leg; itching in ear; on side of chest; tight feeling in bend of knee.

MOTION: In bed: trembling of heart with toothache; chilliness.

POSITION: Sitting with legs crossed; pain in and about right knee; stretching arm; tensive drawing from left shoulder up to neck; lifting; tensive drawing in left shoulder; pain in sacrum.

REST: Walking: pressure on right lung; motion: of leg or foot < st.i.tches="" in="" and="" left="">

TIME: Night: dull pain in occiput; neuralgia in cheek; tickling at palate; erections.

Morning: burning in urethra when urinating; pain in feet.

Towards evening: spells of chilliness.

Evening: glittering before left eye; trembling, anxious feeling in chest; toothache.