Panax quinquefolium (L.), Aralia quinquefolia (Grey). Schinseng. *N. O. Araliaceae. Trituration and tincture of the root.
Clinical
Appendicitis. Debility. Headache. Lumbago. Rheumatism. Sciatica. Sexual excitement.
Characteristics
The symptoms of the Chinese and the American *Ginseng are taken together, as the two are probably identical. The name is said to signify “the resemblance of a man’ or man’s thigh. The root is forked like that of the mandrake. Fabulous prices are given for it in Manchuria, as much as L40 per pound being paid for certain qualities of it. The wild *Ginseng of Siberia is said to be the best. The natives along the Ussuri river use it boiled for headaches, colds, fevers, stomach pains. In America it is a domestic remedy for the after-pains of labour. The shape of the root might indicate an action on the pelvis and lower limbs, and ***J.H. Henry (*H. R., xi. 493) says it acts on the lower part of the spinal marrow, is indicated by “bruised pains in small of back and thighs (on rising from bed), and great languor, with paralytic, rheumatic pains in lower limbs, arthritic swelling of the foot, which had been exerted a long time, violent pain in big toe.” He mentions also “Nightly digging in right lower limb from hip to big toe, cramp, pains from right hip to toes, lancinating, tearing in right tarsal joint.” He considers it specific in lumbago, sciatica and chronic rheumatism, with frequent desire to urinate, and sexual excitement. Lembke and others have proved it. It is an aromatic stimulant and removes feelings of fatigue, imparting a joyous sense of vigor and elasticity to the limbs, especially the upper limbs, and clearness of mind. The opposite condition of malaise is also produced. Yawning, and drowsiness. Drowsiness with headache. Feeling of extreme heat and intense coldness, longing to expose the body to cool air. The right side of the body is most affected. There is pain in right side of hypogastrium, extending into groin. Dry mouth, tongue, and lips. Vertigo. The respiratory organs are affected as with *Aralia racem. Mouth and throat are sensitive to the ordinary air of room, are worse in free open air and from talking, better at dinner. Many symptoms are worse in open air, at night, bending or turning, descending stairs, sitting.
Relations
*Compare: Aralia rac., Hedera, Coca. In “Drowsiness with headache”: Brucea, Herac., Gelsemium, Nat-sul., Nux mos., and Sul. In dry lips, Bryonia SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Mood quiet and contented, with good courage. Mind generally calm, but impatient impulses, fear or accidents. Thinking difficult. Memory weak. Disposition to weep, anxious about the future.
Head
Vertigo, cloudiness, confusion, giddiness, and heaviness of the head. Vertigo on going down winding stairs. While standing, the ground seems to waver. Reflection difficult, tendency to forgetfulness. Reeling sensation in occiput. Reeling sensation in occiput, with grey spots before eyes. Head seems at times enlarged and to sway to one side. Pressure in longitudinal sinuses. Drawing in right side of frontal bone, in muscles of neck and loins. Drawing in occiput, he involuntarily bends head backward. Painful sensitiveness of the head. Semilateral cephalalgia. Lancinations from right side of the forehead as far as the orbit, with heaviness of the eyelids, irrepressible inclination to sleep, heat of the head, and heaviness in the temples. Sudden shock in occiput, followed by pains, as of a bruise.
Eyes
Pressure on the eyes, which seems to force them inwards, the upper eyelids fall (especially right). Great difficulty in opening the eyelids, which are heavy and painful, itching of the eyelids. Biting and itching in margins of lids. Unpleasant sensation of coldness on surface of eyeball. Pupils alternately large and small. Vision indistinct. Sensation of fatigue when exposed to the light, objects appear double when looked at fixedly, in reading, the characters become confused.
Face
Alternation of redness and paleness. Burning erythematous redness on right cheek, on the ala nasi, on the chin, following chapping of the parts, with itching and heat, afterwards an eruption of small miliaria, with tingling, after this mealy tetters on the skin, with desquamation at the end of fifteen days. Lips red, dry, rough, thick, cracked and bleeding, especially the lower lip, worse in open air and by talking. Drawing in jaws and bones of face.
Mouth
Tongue red and smarting with thirst, then white in the middle. Tongue white, completely dry, with large glistening papilla. Mouth, lips, and teeth very dry, voice rough and scraping, swallowing of saliva very difficult on account of dryness, a swallow of water moistens only for a moment. Dry sensation in palate, with accumulation of such saliva, which is swallowed without difficulty. Green saliva.
Stomach
Great appetite at a very unusual time, risings, empty, sometimes sour, nausea and inclination to vomit, with eructations which afford relief. Pressure on the stomach, with inflation, dull borborygmi in the abdomen, tension and feeling of inflation, emission of wind, uneasiness and yawning. Oppression, pressure of clothing intolerable. Painful drawings in the stomach, as from hunger, following shiverings, with painful lancinations in the precordial region, violent colicky pains, which pervade the abdomen, swelling and pulsation of the stomach, anguish, inclination to vomit, and pain in left side at the heart, following shiverings, which extends to the elbow. Contractive pain in the stomach, with anguish, difficulty of respiration, drawing pains in the stomach, and lancinations in right side, which stop respiration.
Abdomen
Pain in right side of lower region of abdomen, extending to the groins, with painful tingling extending to the foot and great toe, where very painful lancinations are felt. Pains in the lower region of the abdomen, with violent aching in the groins, inflation, tension and pressure towards the lower region, colicky pains in the lower part of the abdomen, from the right to left, ascending to the precordial region, with inflation of the abdomen, which is relieved by emission of wind. Violent cutting pains from right coxofemoral region to abdomen, causing a writhing of the body. Colic, which extends into the stomach, with pressure and pain when pressed externally, painful digging in right side of abdomen extending to the groins and stomach, with cutting pains throughout the lower part of the abdomen, inclination to vomit, and pains as of excoriation in right side, below the ribs, worse by external pressure. Pains in the abdomen, as from a girdle, with digging and starting in right hip. Pain in right side of lower abdominal region, from the hip to the ribs, with sharp pains from the precordial region, lancinations in right side of the upper part of the abdomen, with inability to bear tight clothes, pains in the abdomen, borborygmi, emission of wind and lancinations, like thrusts of a knife in the region of the stomach. Painful inflation of the abdomen, extending on right side, below the ribs, with pains in the region of the heart, and eructations which give relief, tense painful abdomen, better by emission of flatus downwards, inflated abdomen, painful, with pain, as of a fracture, in the loins, bruise-like pain in the iliac region, worse by pressure, general uneasiness, and pains which pervade the abdomen and the chest, pressure on the stomach, and constraint from the clothes over the parts.
Stool
Evacuation difficult, without, however, being hard. Hard stool, which is not emitted without efforts, which are followed by burning at the anus. Slight sticking in rectum. Tenesmus and lancinations in the rectum. Four thin stools preceded by short violent pain, extending from within the pelvis to the thighs, as though one must sink to the ground. Liquid stools in the evening, preceded by colic.
Urinary Organs
Sticking and voluptuous twitching in navicular fossa. Pruritus and burning in urethra, with frequent urging to urinate. Yellowish lemon-coloured urine, depositing a red sediment.
Male Sexual Organs
Great excitation of the genital organs. Nocturnal erections without pollutions. Painful erections while sitting at engrossing business. Pressure in testicles. Dreams vivid, lascivious, of which the recollection remains, always after taking the medicine.
Respiratory Organs
Voice rough and hoarse. Dry cough in paroxysms. Short anxious respiration, or slow and deep with exertion. Frequent deep inspiration, and tightness of chest as if he could not get enough air, better while walking. Contractive pain across lower thorax.
Chest
Aching and oppression in the chest, with great difficulty of respiration. Oppression of the chest, with anxiety and lancinations in pit of stomach, and in lumbar region. Prostration of strength, and lassitude in the limbs.
Heart
Severe pain, dagger-like lancinations and stitches in precordia. Some violent beats while sitting, and followed by sensation of floundering of heart, with rapid, small, indistinct pulse. Pulse very irregular.
