Leather wood. Moose wood. Wicopy. *N. O. Thymelaceae. Tincture of inner bark of branches.
Clinical
Colic. Constipation. Cough. Debility. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Eyes, affections of. Flatulence. Headache. Heart, affections of. Neuralgia. Rheumatism.
Characteristics
*Dirca belongs to the same family as *Daphne *Indica and *Mezereum, and is the only American member of the family Its symptoms show its relationship to the other two, but it has not been used extensively in practice. It produces much vital depression, neuralgic pairs in the head, trunk f extremities, many of the pains proceeding from without inward. Digestion is disordered, there is weight at the stomach, and a peculiar white tongue, the coating being moist and even. Rumbling of flatulence, colic better by bending forward, diarrhoea and tenesmus, later constipation. Oppression and pains in the chest, sweetish expectoration, and excitability of the heart’s action from the slightest motion. Hot and restless at night, cannot sleep, dreams of dead bodies. Motion worse most symptoms, walking worse vertigo and pain in bowels. Colic is better by bending forward, headache better by pressure. Pains in the bowels are better by stool.
Relations
*Compare: Cannabis indica (time passes slowly), Antim crud. (tongue), Lycopodium (constipation and flatulence), Bryonia, Pulsatilla, Abies. n., etc. (weight at stomach), Stann. (sweet expectoration).
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Time seemed to pass slowly. Absent-minded.
Head
Vertigo on walking, seems as if he would fall to left Pains all through the head, vertex, and occiput, extending down into spine. Sensation as if lobes of cerebrum were drawn forward towards frontal sinuses. Headache in temples extending inwards, better by hard pressure. Headache, throbbing, and beating in left half of head, worse by coughing or moving. Pain high up in occiput extending inwards. Awoke with pain low down in occiput, much worse on raising or accidentally moving head in morning, worse towards noon, and went up over vertex to forehead, and there had a strong congestive headache, with throbbing of carotids, lasting till evening and gradually disappearing. Scalp feels dry and tight.
Eyes
Eyes sore, and painful to touch. Sensation as if brows corrugated, and as if brain were also drawn down. Lids heavy. Much photophobia, and on waking and continuing all day, especially from gaslight.
Face
Face red, full, and bloated in morning.
Mouth
Tongue coated smoothly and evenly white. Smooth, dirty, white coat. Sour taste.
Throat
Throat red, raw, acrid feeling, hurts to swallow food or liquids.
Stomach
No thirst. Empty eructations. Uneasy feeling as if a lump or weight in stomach.
Abdomen
Several lancinations in left hypochondrium with tympanites. Burning below umbilicus. Rumbling in bowels. Colic better bending forward, and better by stool, but smarting in anus remains. Burning and uncomfortable sensation in bowels. Pain in bowels on walking, also painful on pressure. Dull ache low down in pelvis, bearing down, not better by sitting or lying, but better when headache better.
Stool and Anus
Throbbing, stitching pains in anus. Soreness and smarting, worse after stool. Tenesmus and straining. diarrhoeic stools, sudden, gushing, watery, thin, yellowish fecal. Constipation, urgent desire, but passes only frothy mucus. Dry, sticky faeces.
Urinary Organs
Pain and soreness in region of bladder.
Female Sexual Organs
Uterus seems too low, and as if it would prolapse during stool. Menses two days too early, less copious and prolonged than usual.
Respiratory Organs
Stinging pains in larynx from without inwards, very sharp pricking pain and sensation of suffocation. Cough worse morning. Raising sweetish-tasting mucus quite offensive. Great dyspnoea from exertion, from walking up a slight elevation. Sharp pain in right thorax running down into abdomen and up into left shoulder.
Heart
Excitability of heart’s action from least motion. Palpitation on going up slight elevation. Pulse suddenly becomes weak and irregular.
Back
Heavy pain across back and through loins, in region of kidneys.
Upper Limbs
Dull, neuralgic pain in both shoulders, cannot keep them still.
Lower Limbs
Muscles of thighs sore and stiff. Neuralgic pains in legs.
Sleep
Sleepy but unable to sleep. Dreams of dead bodies.
