Introduction
Nat Ord., Compositae. Carduus benedictus, the blessed thistle.
Provings.
1. One man, c, and two women, a and b, took from 20 to 50dr. of the mother tincture. No further information given.
1. a. 2nd days, pressure on forehead, especially when stooping, all day; eyeballs feel larger; ringing in ears; much mucus in mouth; dyspnoea; hoarseness; pain in trachea as if it were inflamed, the inspired air feels cold; coughs very frequently, it sound rough, like hissing. 3rd day, grey spots pass before eyes; breathes, quickly, must draw in air with an effort as the trachea feels closed up, each inspiration is like a low whistle, especially evening. Time not indicated: Heaviness in head for several day; pain in occiput; blackness before eyes for a short time; constant overflow of saliva for 6 days; feeling as if buccal cavity were contracted and narrowed for 8 to 10 days, beginning and declining slowly; sour taste, for 6 days, always getting worse and almost sulphurous, relieved for a while by eating evening bitter burning as though stomach was very much deranged; dysphagia; pain in trachea as if it were fatigued by long coughing; breathes quickly and laboriously; feeling as she were too tightly laced; cough increased till 6th day, when it became slighter, but she could not sing or talk long for several days; constant yawning and hiccough. (Prakt. Mittheil., 1826, p. 23.)
2. b. 1st day, immediately trembling in hands; chilliness, flushes of heat in face, after eating, through whole body, without thirst, dimness of sight and pressure on eyes, breath and palms quite hot; sweat in hands, then they got burning hot; flat taste, tongue sensitive as if swollen, much furred; limbs heavy as if paralysed; tension in tendons; knees feel weak while sitting, give way when walking; cross humour.-2nd day, sharp pressure in right temple, then in whole head, with heaviness, from noon till evening; jerking in left eyelid; in afternoon, pinching in bones of knee, neck, and hands, one after the other, burning and paralysed feeling, aggravated by pressure-Time not indicated; Vertigo on raising head, worse on stooping several day. Afternoon, sometimes a cutting pain over eyes; pressure in occiput, from crown; for several day pressure in eyeball as if it would come out; curious feeling in left eye as if it would be pressed outwards, rather agreeable; dim and whirling before eyes; feeling as if something were in ears, also as if something burst, like a bladder, and then humming; continued violent griping and tickling in nose, as though coryza were coming on, several day; nasty sourish taste and little appetite for many day; after eating eructation; mouth dry morning and evening with thirst; though stomach is full feels empty; drawing, cutting pain in abdomen all the time; larynx not free; constant dry cough; dull shooting in sides over hip, now right now left, at first only when stooping and moving, but afterwards at all times; when leaning on arms, burning in them, but they are not hot to the feel; when stretching a tension in interior of elbows, especially when they have been long flexed; contraction in elbows and arms; feeling in forearm, as if in the blood – vessels, like a long knife stab with continued burning; feet weak after sitting, soles feel sore when treading; joints moved with difficulty and frequently give way; pain of all the bones, especially when the limbs have been stretched; when pressed they feel bruised (the veins are painful and prominent), the knee is particularly painful till the 4th days; small red spots on finger for several successive day, then a yellow spot that lasts longer; burning under skin of face, afterwards in other parts; cold shuddering all over body, followed by urticarious goose – skin, miliary rash, painless, not pointed but hard, lasts several day, goes off slowly; for several day, shuddering chilliness with goose – skin, about noon or evening sometimes m. breath, lips, hands and feet hot; trembling all through body; anxiety, starting at every sound, fear, so that cold sweat breaks out. (Ibid.)
3. c. Soon, quivering movement in left canthus; tickling in left eye, very painful, with flow of tears, stitches in inner canthus. After 2 hours throat commences to be painful, voice, rough. – Time not indicated: Confusion of head, interrupted stitches, in temples, four times in succession more in left than right; flickering before left eye as if small fiery stars passed in front of it, removed by winking; toothache on right side, interiorly, drawing more than shooting; roaring in right ear, soon going off; tickling on surface of tongue near its root, lasts 5 m. and changes into shoots like electric sparks; appetite bad; nausea; swallowing is uncomfortable; slight pinching in abdomen for 6 m. throbbing below left breast, curious sounds on right side of navel. (Ibid.).