New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies Part 21

ERYNGIUM AQUATIc.u.m.

NAT. ORD., Umbeliferae.

COMMON NAMES, b.u.t.ton Snakeroot. Water Eryngo.

PREPARATION.--The fresh root is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(Although a well-known remedy, the following concerning its early history may not be out of place here. It is from Thomas' _Additions_.)

"For spermatorrhoea properly so called, or emission of s.e.m.e.n without erections, there is no remedy which has yet received the sanction of experience."--_Repertory._

"We have one, however, to propose for trial--it is the _Eryngium aquatic.u.m_, which has two remarkable cures, reported by Dr. Parks (Pharmacentist, Cin.), to recommend it.

"CASE I.--A married man injured his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es by jumping upon a horse; this was followed by a discharge of what was considered s.e.m.e.n for fifteen years, during which time he was treated allopathically and h.o.m.oeopathically. Dr. Parks exhibited a number of the usual remedies without permanent benefit. He then gave a half-grain dose, three times a day, of the third decimal trituration of the '_Eryngium aquatic.u.m_.' In five days the emissions were entirely suppressed, and have not returned to this time (over two years ago). The emissions were without erections day or night, and followed by great la.s.situde.

"CASE II.--A married man, not conscious of having sustained any injury, was troubled for eight or ten years with emissions at night--with erections. The s.e.m.e.n also pa.s.sed by day with the urine. The loss of s.e.m.e.n was followed by great la.s.situde and depression, continuing from twelve to forty-eight hours. There was also partial impotence. Had been treated allopathically. Dr. Parks gave him Phos. acid for two weeks, without material benefit. He then exhibited the _Eryngium aquatic.u.m_, as above, with the like excellent and prompt result."[I]

[I] Drs. Hill and Hunt, h.o.m.oeopathic Surgery.

I used this remedy with a patient who was quite broken down from spermatorrhoea; the emissions left him, but he suffered from vertigo and dim-sightedness whenever he took a dose of the medicine. He is now well through the use of other medicines. Our English _Eryngo_--the _E.

maritimum_, is noted as an aphrodisiac, and is very similar in appearance to the _Eryngium aquatic.u.m_.

EUPHORBIA COROLLATA.

NAT. ORD., Euphorbiaceae.

COMMON NAMES, Milk Weed. Wild Ipecac. Blooming or Flowering Spurge.

PREPARATION.--The fresh root is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(In _North American Journal of h.o.m.oeopathy_, Dr. E. M.

Hale has, among other things, the following to say of this drug):

Its action on the system is intense and peculiar. It is called by the country people by the expressive name of _Go-quick_, referring to its quick and prompt action. I am indebted to Dr. A. R. Brown, of Litchfield, Mich., for many interesting facts relating to its action. It is considered, by those who use it, as the most powerful "revulsive agent" in their Materia Medica, in all cases of local congestion, especially of the lungs and head; also in inflammation of the pleura, lungs, and liver, and is used as a subst.i.tute for bleeding and Calomel.

Its admirers allege that it will certainly _arrest_ the progress of the above affections in a few hours, and break up all simple fevers. This is of course erroneous, but it reminds one of the h.e.l.leborine of the ancients, so graphically described by Hahnemann. In fact no drug with which I am acquainted so much resembles the _Veratrum alb.u.m_.

f.a.gOPYRUM.

NAT. ORD., Polygonaceae.

COMMON NAME, Buckwheat.

PREPARATION.--The fresh mature plant is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(The following paper was published in the Transactions of the h.o.m.oeopathic Society of Maine in 1895. It is by Dr.

D. C. Perkins, of Rockland, Me.)

There is, perhaps, no well proven remedy in the Materia Medica, of equal value to that of which I present a brief study, that has been so wholly overlooked by the h.o.m.oeopathic profession. There certainly is none which possesses a more marked individuality, and which more fully fills a place by itself. It is safe to say that not one in ten of those who practice the healing art has ever used it or is familiar with its pathogenesis. Having not unfrequently cured cases with it, which had refused to yield to other remedies apparently well indicated, I have come to regard it as among the important drugs in our super-abundant Materia Medica. Its effects upon mental conditions are marked by depression of spirits, irritability, inability to study, or to remember what has been read, bringing to our minds _Aconite_, _Bryonia_, _Chamomilla_, _Coffea_, _Colocynth_, _Ignatia_, _Lachesis_, _Mercury_, _Nux vomica_, _Staphisagria_, _Stramonium_, and _Veratrum_. Its effects upon the head are deep-seated and persistent. There is vertigo, confusion, severe pain in many parts of head, with upward pressure described as of a bursting character. The pain may be in forehead, back of eyes, through temporal region on either side, but always of a pressive or bursting nature. For congestive headaches it is as valuable as _Belladonna_, _Glonoine_, _Nux vomica_, or _Sepia_.

In and about the eyes there is itching, smarting, swelling, heat and soreness; the itching being especially marked and usually regarded as characteristic. The last named symptom is no less prominent in affections of the ears, as has often been shown in the efficacy of buckwheat flour in frost-bites, or erysipelas of those useful organs, from time immemorial. Here the similarity to _Agaricus_ will readily be recognized. The nose does not escape. It is swollen, red, inflamed and sore. There is at first fluent coryza with sneezing, followed by fulness, dryness and the formation of crusts. Nor is the burning absent which has been elsewhere noted. There is much soreness and somewhat persistent pain from even gentle pressure.

The face is pale or unevenly flushed, with dark semi-circles below the eyes. Later, the face becomes swollen, hot and dry, as though severely sunburnt, and the lips are cracked and sore. The mouth feels dry and hot, and yet saliva is not wanting. There is soreness and swelling of roof of mouth, and the tongue is red and fissured along its edges. The bad taste in the morning reminds us of _Pulsatilla_.

In the throat, there is soreness with pain just back of the isthmus of the fauces, a feeling of excoriation and soreness extending deep down in the pharynx. The uvula is elongated, the tonsils are swollen and red, there is a sensation of rawness in the throat strikingly reminding us of _Phytolacca_. Externally, there is scarlet redness of the neck below the mastoid process, throbbing of the carotids, the neck feels tired, the head heavy and the parotid glands are swollen and painful. It is unnecessary to name the remedy having similar symptoms.

While the symptoms produced on the digestive tract are not characterized by that intensity noted elsewhere, they are still valuable. There is persistent morning nausea which should lead us to study this remedy in the vomiting of pregnancy. Contrary to _Lycopodium_ and _Nux moschata_ the appet.i.te is improved by eating. The empty or "all-gone" feeling at the stomach is like that of _Sepia_.

In the abdomen there is fulness and pain but no rumbling. Discharges of flatus are frequent and annoying. The region of the liver is painful, tender and there is aggravation from pressure, compelling the patient to lie on the left side. The stools are pappy, or watery, profuse, offensive and followed by tenesmus.

On the male genital organs there is profuse perspiration of an offensive odor. The urine is scalding, and pain extends from t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es to abdomen.

In females the drug acts with force upon the right ovary, producing pain of a bruised or burning character, noted particularly when walking.

There is pruritus with slight yellow leucorrhoea, the discharge being more noticed when at rest than when exercising. So far as known this latter symptom does not occur under the action of any other remedy.

In the chest we find a heavy, pulsating pain extending to all its parts.

This is persistent, and is worse from a deep inspiration. Around the heart there are dull pains with oppression and occasional sharp pains pa.s.sing through the heart. Pressure with the hand increases the oppression. The pulse is increased but is extremely variable. There is reason to believe that _Cactus grandiflora_, or _Spigelia_ are often given in affections of the heart, where _f.a.gopyrum_, if given, would accomplish better results.

On the muscular system the action of the remedy stands out in bold relief. There is stiffness and soreness of all the muscles of the neck, with pain, and a feeling as if the neck would hardly support the head.

Pains extend from occiput to back of neck and are relieved by bending the head backward. There are dull pains in small of back, with st.i.tching pains in the region of the kidneys. Pains with occasional sharp st.i.tches extend from the arms to muscles of both sides of chest. Rheumatic pains in the shoulders of a dull aching character. Stinging and burning pains extend the whole length of fingers, aggravated by motion. Streaking pains pa.s.s through arms and legs with sharp pains extending to feet.

Pains extend from hips to small of back, and these also frequently run down to the feet. In the knees there is dull pain and weakness, while deep in the limbs there is burning and stinging. There is numbness in the limbs, with dragging in the joints, especially right knee, hip and elbow. Stooping to write causes constant severe pain through chest and in region of liver. This group of symptoms gives _f.a.gopyrum_ a striking individuality and establishes it in an uncontested position among the long list of remedies prescribed for rheumatic complaints.

Scarcely less important are the symptoms of the skin. There is intense itching of the arms and legs, becoming worse toward evening. Blotches like flea-bites appear in many localities, sometimes all over the body, are sore to the touch and are multiplied by scratching. These eruptions are persistent and the itching is intense. Blind boils may be developed and attain a large size. The itching of the face is especially marked about the roots of the whiskers. Itching of the hands which is "deep in"

is persistent and annoying, this condition being supposed to be the result of irritation of the coats of the arteries.

The sleepiness is unlike that of _Belladonna_, _Nux vomica_, _Sepia_ or _Sulphur_, occurring early in the evening and characterized by stretching and yawning. It is not profound, and when the mind is diverted the patient gets wide awake, but soon relapses unless conversation is continued. In bed, sleep is disturbed by troublesome dreams and frequent waking. Aggravations occur after retiring, ascending stairs, from deep inspiration, walking in bright sunlight, lying on right side, riding in cars, and when stooping or writing. Ameliorations occur after taking coffee, from cold applications, from motion in cold air, and from sitting still in warm room.

f.a.gUS SYLVATICUS.

NAT. ORD., Cupuliferae.

COMMON NAME, European Beech.

PREPARATION.--The Beech Nuts are pounded to a pulp and macerated in five parts by weight of alcohol.

(In volume XIII of the _American Observer_, Dr. E. W.

Berridge, contributes the following concerning the action of _f.a.gus sylvaticus_ or Beech nuts):

BEECH NUTS. (From _Medical Museum_--_London, 1781_--_vol. ii., pp. 97, 294._) From a dissertation on hydrophobia, by Christian Frederick Seleg, M. D., of Enbenstoff, in Saxony, printed in Eslong, in 1762.

A boy aged 13 had eaten four days ago a large quant.i.ty of beech nuts. I found him in great pain, languid, and terrified with apprehensions of present death. Pulse very unequal, sometimes extremely quick, sometimes languid and intermittent; skin burning violently; mouth flowing with froth and saliva, intolerable thirst, entreating for drink, but as soon as any liquid was brought he seemed to shudder with equal horror, as if he had been eating unripe grapes. Soon after eating the nuts he had been seized with torpor, gloominess and dread of liquids. He had not been bitten by any rabid animal.

Next (5th) day, early in the morning, he was the same, but seemed to talk more in his wildness and perturbation of mind, and his mouth flowed with foam more abundantly; the urine he had voided by night was red and firey, depositing a copious turbid white sediment, resembling an emulsion of beech nuts, subsiding as deep as the breadth of the finger at the bottom of the vessel. A few hours before he died he vomited a porraceous bile, after which he died quietly.

The author in the _original_ work gives a number of fatal cases of _spontaneous_ hydrophobia. This work should be examined.