An active principle (glucoside) of Digitalis purpurea. C5 H2 O2. (Schimiedeburg), C27 H45 O15 (Kosmann). Trituration.
Clinical
Asthma. Diarrhoea. Emissions. Exophthalmus. Heart, affections of. Palpitation. Spermatorrhea. Vertigo. Vision, hallucinations
of.
Characteristics
*Digitalinum is a poison of very great activity. It produces a profound effect on muscular tissue, both voluntary and involuntary, more especially on the heart. It causes profound prostration, even to inability to move a muscle. Paralytic weakness, numbness, tremulousness of the limbs. Cold, clammy surface. Goose-flesh. The heart is slowed, or else its action is made rapid and feeble or “sensation as if the heart stood still.” *Digitalis has: Sensation as if the heart would stand still if he moved. According to Hale *Dgn. is specially indicated in cases of “overburdened heart where it is *constantly *labouring.” Irregular and intermittent action. A sinking, faint sensation is felt at the epigastrium, nausea and vomiting of egg yolk matter, shivering, diarrhoea, the stools not being noted characteristically white as are those of the plant. Sensitiveness of eyes to light and nose to odors. Disorders of vision and hearing are very numerous. One prover noted “frontal headache, dazzlings, loss of appetite, sinking at epigastrium, intestinal flatulence, borborygmi, eructation, slight abdominal pains, urine abundant, great fatigue, painful heat in evening but no thirst.” For a whole day pressure in supraorbital region towards frontal sinus, and when walking a feeling as if the ground gave way under his feet. Sexual weakness is shown in: “Deep sleep in which an emission occurs without waking him,” and “Sexual power diminished or quite abolished temporarily.” *Dgn. has cured the following case: Mrs. x had for over a year swelling of right hand and fingers, which she thought to be rheumatic. *Digitalis has the symptoms, “swelling of right hand and fingers,” and this would have been given but only *Digitalin was at hand. This was given in 4X. After the second dose the swelling began to subside, and in two or three days was completely gone. (*H.W., xxvi. 552). The heart pains are worse lying on left side. Many symptoms appear on waking in the morning, chilliness and fever in afternoon and evening. Confusion of the head is better walking in open air. Symptoms are better after dinner. Drinking causes nausea, and vomiting. Pains in trunk worse during rest.
Relations
*Compare: Digitalis, Conium, Gratiola, Tabacum, Gelsemium, Secale See under DIGITALIS.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Agitation. Hallucinations. Irritability. Sometimes dejection, sometimes hilariousness. Inability to fix attention, or to take in what is read.
Head
Vertigo, with unsteady vision, inability to fix distant objects. Objects seem to turn horizontally from left to right, better closing eyes. Head thrown back. Lancinating pain in head, hot and confused towards evening. Forehead heavy, hot. Headache in morning, worse in afternoon, and increasing in evening to a violent migraine. A peculiar sensation of drawing, of raising up in occiput and vertex, afterwards a pressure in occiput.
Eyes
Sensation as if the eyes were becoming larger and were starting from their orbits, exophthalmus. Hallucinations of vision. Muscae volitantes, in evening upper part of visual field seemed shaded by a cloud. Flickering and dazzling. A large bright spot advancing, sometimes resembling a ring showing prismatic colors, worse after exertion. Circles floating before eyes. All objects in a room seem to run together. Yellow vision. Halo round candle flame.
Nose
Frequent sneezing and coryza, with pressing, throbbing pains in arms, nasal mucus streaked with blood in morning, smell lost.
Face
Face hot, red, and feverish, or else very pale. Constant jerking of upper lip of left side.
Teeth
Burrowing, sticking, pulsating pains in teeth, left upper eye tooth, right back lower teeth, left and right upper incisors.
Mouth
Tongue large and smooth with a saburral coating. Saliva rather thick, flows slowly from the mouth. Bitter taste.
Stomach
Violent sensation of hunger on waking. Very great thirst, especially for beer. Drinking renews nausea and vomiting. Nausea. Violent vomiting, yellow like egg, white sourish mucus, with great sensitiveness of eyes to bright light and the nose to odors. Faint, sinking sensation. Feeling of fullness and nausea as if contents of stomach rose up in throat. Pinching or contracting pain. Stitches immediately after dinner.
Abdomen
Abdomen retracted without colic. Emission of much offensive flatus, in morning, immediately after rising, followed by copious pasty stools with violent griping. Stitching lightning-like pains. Violent labor-like pains from small of back into abdomen as if menses would appear.
Stool and Anus
Urgent desire for stool. Stool: diarrhoeic, loose, or soft without being diarrhoeic. Constipation, stool like rabbit’s.
Urinary Organs
Urine increased, very abundant. Decidedly diminished. Falling off in urea and chlorides, increase in phosphoric and sulfuric acids.
Male Sexual Organs
Activity greatly depressed and even abolished. During deep sleep an emission which does not awaken him.
Female Sexual Organs
Menstruation two days too early without usual premonitory pains. Menstruation more profuse.
Respiratory Organs
Symptoms of cold, hoarse so could hardly speak, with violent sticking pains in larynx. Voice extinct. Short hacking cough, whitish-yellow sputa. Breath short, while walking, on waking.
Chest
Rush of blood to chest. Rheumatic pains, constriction, stitches. Pains in the right or left side. Rheumatic pains left chest just below axilla only on motion. Burning left chest from scapula forward to precordial region worse deep breathing. Sticking in left side between nipple and axilla, evening in bed, while lying
on left side. Throbbing-sticking, pulsating pains.
Heart
Sensation as though heart stood still for a moment while playing the piano. Peculiar sensation in heart with anxiety, and trembling with standing still, in the evening while sitting. Stitches corresponding to heart pulsation. Palpitation with dull sticking in heart while walking. Violent palpitation in bed lying on left side. Action tumultuous, irregular. Pulse: slow, irregular, intermittent, jerking, hurried. Pulse not corresponding to heart’s impulse, small, thready, nearly imperceptible, while heart is strong and hammering.
Neck and Back
Neck stiff in morning (left). Violent pain in neck. Violent pain between scapulae like cramp with oppression of breathing. Painful sensation as though scapulae would be drawn together.
Limbs
Limbs tremulous, weak, unsteady, heavy as if paralysed, pains worse during rest. Pains are sticking, pressive, pulsating.
Upper Limbs
Pressure in shoulders. Drawing pain in biceps muscle. Pressure, throbbing, tearing in elbows (right at 4 P.M.). Pressing asunder in the fingers. (Swelling of right hand and fingers.).
Lower Limbs
Cramp in thigh and calves. Pains in knees, above right knee. Sprained pain in right ankle. On walking sensation as if the ground sank away under the foot. Numb sensation of left foot obliging him to move it frequently. Pressing asunder of toes of right foot.
Fever
Chilliness and shivering. Feet and hands cold, palms moist. Shivering over back, especially sacral region. Heat in nape rising up into head and extending over whole body. Profuse sweat at night. Cold sweat, after a cup of coffee. Bathed in cold sweat.
