Veratrinum


Proving Symptoms of homeopathy medicine Veratrinum, described by Richard Hughes in his book, A Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesis, published in 1895….


Introduction

An alkaloid found in root of V. album, and also in seeds of Sabadilla. C32H52N2O8.

Provings

1. ESCHE took 1/2 gr. of acetate. It produced collapse, with pale, cold, wet skin, pinched features, rapid, thready, irregular pulse, violent vomitings, and marked muscular tremblings. (H. C. WOOD, op. cit.).

Poisonings

1. In human beings 1/15 gr. twice a day causes peculiar feeling in stomach, which after larger doses increased to burning; there is often salivation, nausea, vomiting, colic diarrhoea, sometimes urinary tenesmus, perspiration. Used externally, especially on parts affected with rheumatism or neuralgia, coldness, heat, prickling and shooting, and when its use is continued, dull pains in back, shooting as from electricity in various muscles and joints. If from 1/2 to 1 gr. dissolved in spirit or mixed with 10 gr. in 1 oz. spirit, it causes immediately heat, burning, prickling from the place of application to various parts of skin, when it suddenly ceases to appear on other parts. Occasionally radiating in electric streams through the nerves, sometimes like boiling water streaming down over back. also slight twitchings in various muscles. When rubbed in on face or shoulders, especially in hysterical or hypochondriacal persons, violent blows or tearing pains thence to crown. When rubbed in on back, electrical streams to the nerve plexuses of abdomen, breasts and heart, the beats of which are manifestly diminished. When rubbed in on sacrum, spasmodic movements of bladder with discharge of watery urine. All these symptoms cease after 10 to 15 m., but recur. The skin is generally unaltered, but if energetically rubbed, in febrile disease or on delicate skin, with a tendency to erysipelas or eczema, there are apt to occur inflammatory redness and very violent pain, sometimes pustular eruptions. (SZERLEZKI, Oest. Zeit. f. Hom., iv, 452.)

2. a. After a patient has taken 2 or 3 times 1/6 – 1/4 gr. of V., often, indeed, 30 – 60 m. after first dose, there arises a feeling of tingling, sparkling, prickling in parts remote from stomach, most commonly in points of fingers and toes, sometimes in elbows, bends of knees and shoulders, occasionally on forehead or over eyebrows, more rarely and at a longer interval in thighs, abdomen, or back. Simultaneously with this, or soon after, some patients experience a sense of warmth, others of cold, referred to different regions, mostly in hands and soles of feet, knees, and mouth. While one has feeling as if a stream of warm air or drops of hot water were issuing from these parts another perceives as it were a frozen atmosphere around the legs, and particularly the knees, as if cold water was poured upon them. Some compare the sensation in the mouth to that produced by sucking peppermint. Generally the warmth occurs when there is integrity of the vital powers, but abdominal torpor; while old hypochondriacs, and hysterical women with predominant asthenia, experience the cold. On the other hand, a few doses sufficed to restore permanent warmth to the feet of a feeble, emaciated, melancholy female, which for years before had remained icy cold.

2 b. Besides the above sensations, it occasionally happens that a pain, it may have been of long standing, in some part of the body either suddenly disappears altogether or is replaced by another, equally sudden in its invasion, in some distant part. Examples also are not wanting of a limb or of the muscles of the face, especially if previously the seat of painful or spasmodic paroxysms, becoming seized with starting or tremor soon after taking the medicine. (FORCKE, in B. and F. M. – Ch. Rev., vii, 363.)

3.V. and its salts, in 1/6 gr. doses, generally give rise to sensation of warmth in stomach, which gradually extends itself over abdomen and lower part of chest. After dose has been repeated once or twice, same feeling is experienced in lower extremities, and particularly in feet; upper extremities and head become also affected in same manner, and, if medicine be pushed further, a sense of tingling exactly similar to that caused by local application of V. manifests itself in various parts of body, and sometimes over whole surface; this is generally accompanied by considerable perspiration and some feeling of oppression; and all these effects are augmented by heat or by use of warm diluents. To this succeeds sensation of coldness; and should administration be continued, stomach becomes affected, and a degree of nausea takes place, followed by vomiting. In a few instances only have these remedies acted as diuretics, and in still fewer as purgatives. No narcotic effect has been observed to arise from their use. (TURNBULL, Ranunculaceae, Lond., 1835, p. 19.) Dr.Turnbull’s veratria was made from Sabadilla.– EDs.

4. a. A lady afflicted with tic-douloureux swallowed by mistake a dose of a liniment containing V., amounting to about 3 gr. Dr. Blake found her 2-3 hours afterwards, complaining of great giddiness, sickness, thirst, relaxation of bowels with tenesmus, and sensation as if all intestines were tied together with a strong cord and continually tightened. She said she felt dreadfully tired, weak, an faint, as if she had undergone some tremendous exertion. Tongue was much swollen, and mouth and throat very sore, as if she had swallowed boiling water; pupil was extremely contracted (there was opium in the liniment), breathing hurried, pulse quick and very small; and there was excessive feebleness in action of heart. there was sense of constriction in fauces, making swallowing difficult. There was continual calls to micturition, and tingling all over skin, with now and then fits of most unbearable itching in different parts of body, compelling her to scratch and rub vigorously in the most uncontrollable manner.

4 b. Free emesis was induced, and relieved all the symptoms save pruritus, which worried her terribly all the day, passing off very slowly, and only really ceasing on 3rd d. For at least 2 mos., moreover, skin was seat of an exceedingly troublesome tingling, a if she had been stung by nettles, but without any rash or other appearance of irritation. Also, for some time after, when she was eating, or laughing heartily, or talking with animation, there would frequently be a spasmodic closure of the lower jaw, which would shut suddenly with a loud snap. (St. Geo. Hosp. Reports, v, 69.)

5. A gentleman took by mistake in a glass of hot ale and ginger (a similar glass having been previously imbibed) a liniment containing 29, gr. of V. Almost immediately afterwards he experienced a peculiar sensation of oppression and anxiety in the head, and a sense of suffocation. Discovering his mistake, he sought medical aid at once, and free emesis was induced. In about 1/2 hours after vomiting, very violent sneezing came on, and continued for about 1 h. Patient then slept, and had no disagreeable symptoms afterwards. ( Pharm. Journ., x, 521.)

6. EBERS’s observations were made on patients of various sorts. He said: I have never noticed that the sensorium was in any way affected more when the drug was applied near the nerves of the head; but, on the other hand, when it is applied even in small doses to the scrob. cordis it causes sensible effects in the spinal cord and the nerves proceeding from it, on the nerves of the thorax and of the abdomen. The pain extending through the whole periphery of the nerves of the abdominal walls, drawing along the spine, twitchings, great anxiety, orthopnoea, nausea and vomiting, and a feeling which the patients knew not how to describe, but which they said was intolerable, and they begged utterly to be relieved of this torture. Its internal juice caused severe nausea, inclination to vomit, anxiety, vertigo, and complete anorexia. The rubbing in of V. anywhere caused great diuresis. (Casper’s Wochensch., 1835, 790.).

Experiments an animals

1. ESCHE made a number of experiments on dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds with V. He observed: a few m. after administration of the drug the animal became very restless and anxious, much saliva flowed from the mouth, the heart’s beats became anxious, much saliva flowed from the mouth, the heart’s beats became irregular, slow and intermitting, the respiration deep and slow. The animal loathes its food, and is tormented by violent efforts to vomit, which sometimes amount to actual vomiting of what has been eaten; there is rumbling in abdomen, which is either spasmodically contracted or distended and soft; sometimes violent diarrhoea ensues, vomiting of viscid mucus, or a gelatinous and even bloody fluid. The evacuation is caused by violent and strong contractions of abdominal muscles, which continue for some time after the evacuation. The respirations become gradually slower and slower. The animal shows anxiety and restlessness, with staring dull eyes. The voluntary muscles become very weak, the head always heavier, and the animal falls down and is unable to rise again. The external surface of the body is cool, there are spasmodic contractions of pharynx and other convulsive affections especially in the lower extremities and facial muscles, but the cerebral functions are not impaired. If the dose was not too large, health returns after copious discharge of faeces and urine with sediment, the skin becomes warmer, the convulsions cease, and the animal regains power in the voluntary muscles; but the loathing of food, the weakness and slow pulse continue for some time. If the dose were stronger, then the nervous life becomes depressed, there is apathy and general atony, the respirations and circulation are gradually extinguished, the convulsions become tetanic, and the animal dies. But even then the animal is sometimes saved by constant evacuations. P.M. examination shows the lungs blackish in colour and filled with blood, they crepitate less and often sink in water. The cavities of the heart and the large vessels are filled with black coagulated blood. The liver is congested, the gall – ducts and bladder are filled with bile, tongue and buccal cavity dry and pale, oesophagus and sometimes stomach also very contracted, but there is never inflammation of stomach, it contains either remains of food and a watery acid fluid or much bile and mucus. The intestinal canal is very contracted, and its m. m. in folds and much reddened; it contains much bile and mucus.The bladder appears to be spasmodically contracted. Nether abnormal in head except some venous congestion. (Dr. Veratriae effectibus-quoted by von Praag.)

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.