Sambucus nigra (Linn.). Elder. N.O. Caprifliaceae. Tincture of fresh leaves and flowers.
Clinical
Angina pectoris. Asthma. *Chest, oppression of. Coryza, dry. *Cough. *Croup. Emaciation. Headaches, catarrhal. Hoarseness. Hydrocele. Ileus. Laryngismus. *Perspirations. Phthisis. Scurf. “Snuffles.” *Starting. Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
The leaves of *Sambucus n. have an unpleasant odour when bruised, which is supposed to be offensive to most insects, and a decoction of them is sometimes used by gardeners to keep off caterpillars from delicate plants. By village herbalists the inner bark as well as the leaves are employed for making an ointment, and the flowers serve for fomentations, or are made into a medicinal tea, while the berries are the principal ingredient in Elderberry wine (*Treas. of Bot.). If sheep that have the rot can get at the bark and young leaves they will soon cure themselves (Green). Millspaugh says of *Sambucus *canad. that a decoction or ointment of the flowers and leaves was used as an application to large wounds “to prevent deleterious consequences from flies.” He also says that the bark contains *Viburnic acid, which is identical with *Valerianic acid. This no doubt accounts for the odour, and suggests a relationship in action between *Sambucus, Valerian, and the *Viburnums. “Spasm” will be found common to all. In *Sambucus the spasm affects mainly the respiratory system larynx, chest, and nasal passages. *Sambucus n. was proved by Hahnemann, and appears in *M. M.P. One of the chief notes of the remedy is oedema: dropsical swellings in various parts of the body, especially legs, instep, and feet. This oedema, when it affects the nose, may give rise to obstruction, as in the “snuffles” of infants with dry coryza, preventing breathing and nursing. When it occurs lower down in the tract it causes dyspnoea: the child awakens suddenly nearly suffocated, face livid, blue, sits up in bed, turns blue, gasps for breath, which it finally gets, attack passes off but is again repeated, child inspires but cannot expire, sleeps into the attack. The breathing is rattling. Croup, whooping-cough, asthma, may all manifest this group of symptoms. Nash once relieved with the 200th a very bad case of asthma, having attacks of suffocation of the above kind. The patient was an old lady. The relief was accompanied by a profuse flow of urine, which carried off a large amount of dropsical effusion in her legs and abdomen. It was mentioned above that the croupy attack “passes off but is again repeated.” This tendency of attacks to recur is another note of the remedy. Another grand characteristic is: Profuse sweat during waking hours: dry heat when asleep. This feature marks *Sambucus as the remedy in some phthisical cases and many febrile conditions. Other fever peculiarities are: Deep, dry cough precedes the fever paroxysm, fever without thirst, dreads uncovering.The *Sensations of Sambucus are: As if head were filled with water. Skull as if stretched. As if suffocating. The symptoms are ameliorated by pressure and being tightly bound. Leaning against a hard edge causes painful pressure in abdomen with nausea. Contusions causes dark red swelling. Rest. worse. worse Lying down, in bed, on left side. Head low worse, must sit up to regain breath. Motion worse generally. Motion of head causes tension and dizziness. Sleep worse. worse About midnight, after midnight, 2 to 3 a.m. (roused with sense of stoppage of air tubes). worse Uncovering. worse Dry, cold air. worse Cold drink while overheated. worse From fright or mental emotion. Fright causes suffocative attack. *Sambucus is suited to diseases of scrofulous children which affect the air passages especially, to persons previously robust and fleshy suddenly become emaciated. Effects of mental emotion, anxiety, grief, excessive sexual indulgence.
Relations
(Sambucus c. may be regarded as practically identical with Sambucus n.) *Antidoted by: Arsenicum, Camph. *Antidote to: Arsenicum (relieves ailments from abuse of Arsen.). *Compatible: Belladonna, Conium, Nux vomica, Pho., Rhus, Sepia *Follows well: Opium (effects of fright). *Compare: In Miller’s asthma, Ar dracont. Dyspnoea, inspires, cannot expire, Chlorum, Meph. Sleeps into the attack, Lachesis Peculiarities of sweating, Chi. and Conium (Sweats as soon as he closes his eyes to sleep – opp. of Sambucus), Thuja (sweats on uncovered parts), Pulsatilla (one-sided sweats). Dreads uncovering, Nux (must be covered in every stage). Fat people emaciate suddenly, Iodium, Tuberculinum Effects of excessive sexual indulgence, Pho- ac., Kali-ph. Tenacious mucus in larynx, Kali-bi. Sleepy but cannot sleep, Belladonna Effects of cold drink when over-heated, Bels. (Bels. causes acne, Sambucus causes phthisis). Effects of dry cold, Aco. Snuffles, Ammonium carb., Nux. Plants containing Valerianic or Viburnic acid, Valer., Vib. o., Vib. t.
Causation
Fright. Grief. Anxiety. Injury (hydrocele). Excessive sexual indulgence.
Symptoms.
Mind
Great tendency to take fright (trembling, anxiety, and restlessness). Fright followed by suffocative attacks, with bluish, bloated face. Peevishness (constant fretfulness), during which everything makes a disagreeable impression. Periodical delirium, with frightful visions (and hallucinations).
Head
Dizziness and confusion in the head, especially during movement, on rising. Headache as from intoxication. Tension in head during movement as if it contained water. Pressure and expansion in head. Pressive, tearing headaches in forehead and temples. Sudden shocks in the brain. Sudden jerks through head. Digging pain in vertex. Tearing stitch through left half of occiput, frequently returning and lasting a long time, with a dull sensation in the intervals. The head is bent backwards. Erysipelas left side of head, ear much swollen. Scurf on head with intolerable itching. Skull feels as if stretched.
Eyes
Pupils at first contracted, then greatly dilated.
Ears
Sharp stitches in (right) inner ear with cramp pain in it. Itching creeping in ears and in throat.
Nose
Sensation of numbness in nose, with itching on bridge. Sanguineous congestion in nose, with sensation of heaviness in point of nose. Obstruction of nose, with accumulation of thick and viscid mucus in nostrils. Snuffles of children. Dry coryza of children. Child starts up suddenly as if suffocating.
Face
Face bluish (or dark blue) and bloated or pale and earthy. Circumscribed redness on cheeks. Sensation of numbness and tension in cheeks, as from being swollen. Red, burning spots on cheeks and nose. Gnawing pressure in bones of upper jaw. Great heat of face. Heat and perspiration in face.
Teeth
Odontalgia with tearing and lancinations in all the teeth, and with a sensation as if cheeks were swollen.
Mouth
Dryness of the mouth and throat, with thirstlessness.
Throat
Itching tingling in throat.
Appetite
Thirst without relishing the drinks.
Stomach
Vomiting in morning, first of milk (or food), that has been taken, and of mucus, afterwards of bile. Pressure in stomach. Acute lancinations under the stomach, worse by pressing upon it.
Abdomen
Pinchings (colic pain) in abdomen as from a chill, with (much flatulence and) expulsion of flatus. Shootings in the left side of hypogastrium. Pain in abdomen as from a bruise. Spasmodic tearings, shootings, and pinchings in abdominal muscles. Pressive pain in abdomen, with nausea, when resting it against a hard (edge or) body.
Rectum and Anus
(Irritable anus with piles. ***R.T.C.).
Urinary Organs
Frequent want to urinate, with copious emission, also at night. Deposits a heavy sediment. Urine of deep yellow. Emission of urine in too small a stream.
Male Sexual Organs
Swelling of scrotum.
Female Sexual Organs
Catamenia too profuse, like metrorrhagia.
Respiratory Organs
Hoarseness from accumulation of viscid mucus in larynx. Inflammation of larynx and trachea, croup, accumulation of mucus in larynx. Whooping-cough, suffocative, hollow, deep cough caused by a spasm in chest, with expectoration only during the day of small quantities of tough mucus. The cough is worse at or soon after midnight, during rest, when lying in bed, or with the head low, from dry, cold air. Deep, hoarse, hollow cough, with agitation and thirst. Continued cough with abundant expectoration of a salt taste, or sweetish mucus. Attack of suffocating cough, with cries, in children. Cough with cries, as from a pain in the gullet. Wheezing and quick respiration. Obstructed respiration when lying down. Spasmodic paroxysm of suffocation at night, with tears, great agitation, and tossing of the hands (when waking after midnight out of a slumber, with half-open eyes and mouth, with bloated blue hands and face, and heat without thirst). Great difficulty in breathing. Quick, wheezing, crowing breathing.
Chest
Oppression at the chest, with lancinations in (l.) side (below nipple), or with aching under sternum. Pressure on sternum, with a counter-pressure from spine to sternum. Oppression of chest, with pressure in stomach, nausea, and weakness. Pressive pain in chest. Sudden sensation of contraction in sides of chest.
