Common name: Fig-wort; (G.), Braun-wurz.
Introduction
Scrophularia nodosa (including S. Marylandica), Linn. Natural order: Scrophulariaceae. Preparation: Tincture of the plant.
Mind
Desponding, much troubled about the past, and very apprehensive of the future, which passed off after a few days, and left the intellect clear. A miserable and sluggish feeling of the mind when moving about.
Head
Vertigo in the top of the head, while standing (after two hours).
Vertigo, with severe aching in the supraorbital region.
Dizziness, fullness, and pressure in the vertex. Heaviness and dulness in the head, as after eating too much. On rising the second morning an indescribable pain and fullness in all the head, followed by epistaxis, principally in the occiput and vertex, causing a congested state of the conjunctiva, with puffiness. Fullness of the head, with vertigo. Darting pain at the exit of the facial nerve, from the hylo-mastoid foramen of the right side, darting to the right eye. Headache above the eyebrows, while walking (after three hours). Frontal headache in the morning. Slight pressure in the forehead, at 7 A.M. A severe headache through the temples, appearing every morning, extending to the vertex and occiput. Pain in the left temple. Severe lancinating pain in the vertex, forehead, and temples; dull and throbbing, returning periodically; worse on resting, or being in the open air, also when leaning forwards, or applying oneself to study.
Eyes
Cutting pains, with great pain, in the eyes, causing me to almost lose the power of moving them, which after a few hours passed off after a profuse perspiration. Pulsating stitches in the right eyebrow. Soreness of the eyeballs. Black spots, etc., before the eyes; afterwards a film appeared to come over the eyes, in the evening. Upon closing the eyes objects would make their appearance.
Ears
Ringing in the ears and sudden loss of hearing (after four hours and a half).
Nose
Dry coryza, with sternutation.
Face
Pleasant warmth in the cheeks.
Mouth
Teeth feel as if they were loose, with pain in carious teeth, worse in upper than in lower jaw. Gums bleed very freely. Mouth dry after the first day; “the first day great increase in the flow of saliva,” great thirst, and a constant effort at deglutition. Accumulation of water in a small spot on the tip of the tongue, which was sweetish. A qualmish sticky taste just above the pit of the throat, frequently lasting an hour, with a sensation as if a soft substance (a plug of mucus) were lodged there. Bitter taste in mouth.
Throat
Thick, tenacious, offensive mucus in the throat, in the forenoon.
Rancid taste in the throat, with great weakness and stiffness in the hollows of the knees. Irritation of the oesophagus.
Stomach
Great increase of appetite during the first days, but afterwards correspondingly less, with nausea, lasting for several days, with a weakness and oppression in the epigastric region. Feeling in the stomach as if a person had been fasting or missed his regular mealtime. (Was troubled with dyspepsia, which had disappeared up to the present time, one month after).
Abdomen
Pain in right hypochondrium, worse on taking a deep inspiration, or lying on that side. Twisting-pinching pain in the umbilicus (left side). Colic just below the navel and some griping in the side, in the afternoon. Severe colic. Griping in the forepart of the abdomen, below the navel, at 7 A.M. (after a slight vexation). Pain in sigmoid flexure. Dull heavy periodic pain, worse when the abdomen is compressed, legs extended.
Stool
Several stools per day, with tenesmus.
Urinary Organs
Pinching and tearing as if in the left ureter, extending from the anterior superior spine of the ilium down to the pubis. Increased secretion of urine, with burning in the urethra. Frequent scanty emission of urine, in the afternoon.
Respiratory Organs
Upon turning on either side violent dyspnoea, worse on the right than left, with cutting in the liver on pressure.
Chest
Oppression of the chest, with a tremulous movement, as from much weeping. Pain in the whole of the right lung, on taking a deep inspiration, which causes cough, without expectoration. Cutting pain in the superior part of the left lung, increased by breathing the cold air. A feeling of constriction of the chest, making one feel very uneasy. Cramp like pain transversely across the lower part of the chest, as after much weeping (after four hours). Pain about the bifurcation of the trachea. Slight pain in chest, with accelerated inspiration. Severe stitches in the right side, about the sixth rib, with shivering and slight irritation of the bronchia, and general lassitude. Violent pinching stitches in the vicinity of the last true ribs of the right side, while walking, during rest, seeming to be in the liver (after ten hours); repeated half an hour later. The chest symptoms were all removed by a dose of Bryonia
Heart and Pulse
A peculiar sense of anguish in the precordial, worse after taking food. An indescribable sensation in the region of the heart, with severe palpitation, beating so loud that it could be heard at the distance of several feet. Pulse very full, but regular, ranging from 65 to 100, during the proving.
Back and Neck
Stiffness of the neck, with pain and contraction of the right sternocleidomastoid, muscle. Pain in the whole spinal column, with slight opisthotonos. Pain in the small of the back.
Extremities
A drawing rheumatic pain in all the flexor muscles of the arms and legs. Tingling in the extremities, like one having struck or compressed a nerve.
Upper Limbs
Deep seated cutting pain in all the muscles of the arms. Tingling of the arms and hands (after half an hour). Sticking and drawing in the palm of the right hand, from the joints of the fingers to the middle of the hand, as far as the carpal bones (a kind of muscular cramp in the palms, at 4 P.M.).
Generalities
Great bodily weakness, being almost unable to walk a short distance. A very disagreeable feeling of languor and nervous prostration, with inclination to lie down and rest. Muscular debility, etc. Cutting pain in the articulations, similar to Rhus, but more intense, lasting much longer, aggravated by rest in the open air, and relieved by being in a warm room; darting from the knee and ankle joints, which feel stiff. The symptoms are worse on right side, and aggravated by rest in open air, and relieved in a warm room.
Sleep
Great sleepiness, weariness, and fullness in the whole body, in the forenoon. Overpowering disposition to sleep and long sleep, in the afternoon, before dinner, and an hour afterwards.
Inclination to sleep, with frightened dreams, waking without relief.
Fever
Chilliness, on moving about, in the cool air. Chilliness, after rising in the morning, for several hours, passing off with a profuse sweat, which was followed by stupor, with absence of all the symptoms. The whole body, after the first day, feels very dry and hot, with a burning sensation, followed by profuse sweat.
Skin
Sallow condition of skin. Burning all over the surface when rubbed. Prickly itching all over the surface, similar to fleabites; without any change of color or rising of vesicles, worse on the back of the hand and on the inside of the wrists, also between the fingers.
Aggravation
(Morning), Frontal headache; headache through temples; after rising, chilliness. (In open air), Pain in head; pain in articulations. (Application to study), Pain in head. (Breathing cold air), Pain in left lung. (Deep inspiration), Pain in right hypochondrium; pain in right lung. (Leaning forwards), Pain in head. (Laying on right side), Pain in right hypochondrium.
(Rest), Pain in head. (Rest in open air), The symptoms. (After taking food), Sense of anguish in precordia.
Amelioration
(In a warm room), Pain in articulations; the symptoms.
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.