Dr. Lane’s proving showed that the drug possesses a decided affinity for the heart, and, although the cardiac symptoms are not as numerous and well marked as we could wish, they afford good indications (together with the pathological symptoms which we possess) for the use of the drug.
The female prover gives us an unexpected number of symptoms due to its action on the uterus and ovaries. They remind us of Lilium tigrinum, and show it to be an analogue of Gelsemium, Platinum, Sepia, Caulophyllum, Xanthoxylum and Viburnum. I have thought best to append these provings to this paper, as it will meet the eyes of a larger number of our school than if allowed to remain in the pages of the N.A. Journal.
PATHOGENESIS AND THERAPEUTICS OF CONVALLARIA.
Mind. – Depression; mind wanders from subject when reading; feels irritable when asked a question. (Lane.)
Great irritability of temper (in heart diseases).
Head. – Vertigo in the morning, with faint feeling; dull headache, commencing in vertex and extending to temporal region; dull feeling in the head; dull heavy ache over the eyes; dull aching in right eye and temple, with pain from eye extending over top of head and down right side of neck about every fifteen minutes. (Lane.)
Eyes. – On going from a dark room into the light, sees gray- colored spots about three inches square in different parts of the room; all letters look alike when reading; sees small words before the beginning of a sentence; the letter P is substituted for other letters; upper eyelids feel heavy when looking up; dull aching pain in right eye.
Ears. – Pulsating pain in left ear, with heat; pulsating pain in right middle ear; when swallowing, tympanum of right ear seems to bulge out, relieved by pressing on temporal artery in front of ear.
Face. – Smoked color, after exercise; looks pinched.
Throat. – Dry, suffocating sensation, as if she could not get her breath.
Stomach. – Eructations tasting of fat; some time after eating, eructations tasting of food; nausea and faint feeling in the morning, followed by vomiting a small quantity of clear substance tasting like phlegm; nausea after eating and exercise, with vomiting and mucus, tasting like slime from oysters; increased appetite.
Nausea and vomiting, after eating, with mucus, tasting like slime from oysters; increased appetite; symptoms relieved by eating, but returning again soon. (Lane.)
Nausea in the morning, exactly like the morning sickness of pregnancy.
Abdomen. – Dull colic-like pain in left iliac region, relieved by micturition; colic-like pains in umbilical region, come suddenly and pass off slowly; uneasy sensation, causing desire for stool; colic in lower part of abdomen; sore, aching pain in hypogastric region; sore, aching pain in lower part of abdomen, causing her to hold her breath; feels sleepy during pains; coughing causes sore pain in hypogastric region; colic-like pains commencing on right side, and going to left; sensation as if she were filling up, causing dyspnoea; abdomen seems larger than it really is, although somewhat distended when sitting; dull, aching, paroxysmal pain, causing desire for stool, relieved by stool; laughing or coughing causes a sore feeling in lower part of abdomen. (Lane.)
Stool and Anus. – Sore, burning pain at anus during stool, uneasy sensation in abdomen, causing desire for stool; dull, aching pain in hypogastric region, with feeling of fulness and desire for stool, relieved by stool; slight diarrhoea; diarrhoea between 2 and 6 P.M., offensive odor, like decayed meat, light brown color; slight tenesmus; dull grumbling pain in bowels as if they would move; sensation of an abundance of flatulence in abdomen that would pass at any time, but can retain it; rectum full of gas, not relieved by passing flatus; uneasy feeling in hypogastric region, with colic; would last about fifteen minutes, then there would be an urgent call for stool, which would relieved. (Lane.)
Is a powerful purgative like Aloes (in very large doses).
Urinary Organs. – Some sugar and phosphates; frequent desire to urinate, passing only a small quantity at a time; urine seems scalding hot, but leaves no smarting. (Lane.)
Great increase of urine, which is clear and watery.
Female Organs. – Labor-like pains in sacro-iliac synchondrosis, as in first stage of labor; bearing-down sensation worse on right side; sleepy between the pains; pains come quickly and pass off slowly; labor-like pains extending along inner side of right thigh; all the above pains aggravated by motion, sitting up straight or leaning back; relieved by bending forward. Pain commencing in anterior part of abdomen on right side, as in second stage of labor, but extending up higher; sensation as if a large cord extended from sacro-iliac synchondrosis to inguinal region, which was pulled down by the pelvic organs; worse on right side. Uterus seems descended and retroverted, the fundus of uterus pressing on the rectum, causing a very hard, aching pain in rectum and anus. This pain was described as continuous and unbearable; labor-like pains extending up sides of back, causing nausea and faintness, with hunger; pain relieved when lying on back, but then there was a sensation as if a foetus at eight months were kicking in abdomen; aggravated by being on her feet; sensation in right breast as if milk were coming in breast, followed by sharp, stinging pains centering in the nipple; intense itching, commencing at orifice of vagina and gradually extending to meatus urethra, and all over the labia, with great hyperaemia, but no eruption; it was almost unbearable, causing a feeling as if she must weep; aggravated by the slightest motion of legs; relieved by applying cold water. Raising head from pillow in the morning, had a feeling like morning sickness; relieved by vomiting a small quantity of a clear substance, tasting like phlegm. Eructations during the labor-like pains.
Thorax. – Sharp pains in right or left nipple; sharp, radiating pains beneath the upper part of sternum. (Lane.)
Great pain in the heart.
Respiratory Organs. – Dyspnoea, caused by sensation as if she were filling up in the abdomen; desire to take a deep breath when sitting. (Lane.)
Great dyspnoea, with faintness, and palpitation of the heart.
Great dyspnoea upon making the slightest exertion (without cardiac disorder).
Heart and Pulse. – Heart’s action very weak; pulse very weak and compressible; dicrotic pulse, heart-sounds feeble; anaemic murmur heard over jugular vein; pulse imperceptible with hand extended above the head; sensation as if the heart had been palpitating; when exercising, heart would flutter for about a minute, then the face would get red, and then there was a sensation as if heart stopped beating, starting again very suddenly, causing a faint feeling; pulse full, compressible and intermittent. These symptoms under heart and pulse are very characteristic of the drug. (Lane.)
Primary Effects. – Heart’s action slower, with increased force. Increase of blood-pressure in the arteries. Slow and forcible contractions of the heart until it stops in systole from tetanic contraction. In the left and right ventricles, extravasation of blood under the endocardium. The ventricles are found empty and closed.
[The Secondary Symptoms – Are well given by Dr. Lane in his provings. After the period of slow and powerful contractions the heart becomes exhausted, beats irregularly and feebly, and is irritable and paretic, until it is restored by the vital recuperative forces.]
Neck and Back. – Dull aching, or sore pain in lumbar region; aggravated by sitting up straight or leaning back; sharp or dull pain under lower angle of scapula, ameliorated by bending the shoulders back; sharp pains in region of kidney; at 2 p.m., dull, aching pain between lower angles of scapula, extending up and down the spine; pressive aching pain under lower angle of right scapula; constant gaping and yawning after the pain. (Lane.)
Upper Limbs. – Rheumatic pains in left elbow-joint, at night, on exposure to cold; ameliorated by motion; hand numb, and went to sleep upon holding it above the head; aching pains in wrists. (Lane.)
Lower Limbs. – Cramps in inner side of right thigh, relieved by pressing foot against something; aching pain in ankles; knees sore while walking; cramps in calf of right leg while sitting, relieved by standing; passed off quickly, returned after sitting down; when first bearing weight on her feet after lying down they were numb, then a sensation as if the soles of feet were full of needles (or asleep). (Lane.)
Skin. – Blotches like mosquito-bites, commencing on anterior part of thigh; great itching, not relieved by scratching; worse on exposure to the air; itching on anterior part of thigh, but no eruption. (Lane.)
Generalities. – Pains leave a sore feeling; feel sleepy between the pains; faint feeling from slight cause; hand went to sleep when extended above the head; sharp pains in nipples; sensation as if getting fat inside, filing her up; sleepy and all tired out, as from bodily exertion; sick feeling all over; great prostration; feeling as if just recovering from a long sickness. (Lane.)
Hale wrote Lectures On Diseases Of The Heart, Materia medica and special therapeutics of the new remedies Volume 1, Materia Medica And Special Therapeutics Of The New Remedies Volume 2, Saw Palmetto: (Sabal Serrulata. Serenoa Serrulata), The Medical, Surgical, and Hygienic Treatment of Diseases of Women, New Remedies: Their Pathogenetic Effects and Therapeutic Application, Ilex Cassine : the aboriginal North American tea, Repertory to the New Remedies with Charles Porter Hart, The Characteristics of the New Remedies, Materia Medica and Special Therapeutics of the New Remedies, The Practice of Medicine, Homoeopathic Materia Medica of the New Remedies: Their Botanical Description etc.