How do the rheumatic symptoms of Actea racemosa differ from another member of the same family, Actea spicata?
Actea spicata acts on the smaller joints of the hands and feet, especially the wrist joint, while in Actea racemosa the bellies of the muscles are affected.
CLEMATIS ERECTA.
Where do we find records of Clematis?
In Stapf’s Archives and in Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases. Provings of the Austrian Society.
What is this drug?
This is the Virgin’s bower, a European plant; the tincture is made from the roots and stems in the same manner as described under Aconite, and should be imported.
What is our principal use of the drug?
In orchitis of gonorrhoeal origin, and when the testicle is indurated and hard as a stone and very painful.
Compare it with Rhododendron.
In Rhododendron the testicle tends to atrophy; there is a crushed feeling in the gland, and it is more useful in chronic cases; both drugs have pains which course up the spermatic cord.
ADONIS VERNALIS.
What is this remedy?
The Pheasant’s eye, tincture entire fresh plant.
What are its uses?
It increases arterial tension, regulates the heart beats by lessening the frequently of the pulse and increasing the force of the cardiac contraction. It acts rapidly and increases the urine. It is well tolerated and does not possess the danger of Digitalis.
What members of the Papaveraceae family do we make use of in the homoeopathic school?
Chelidonium, Opium and Sanguinaria.
OPIUM.
Where is the pathogenesis of Opium found?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, See also British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXII. Allen.
What is Opium?
It is the juice of the Papaver somniferum, and we make our preparations from the gum of the back Smyrna Opium.
What other varieties of Opium are found in Commerce?
The Egyptian Opium with 7 to 15 Percent of Morphine. The Greek Opium with 10 Percent Morphine, and the Italian Opium with from 6 to 8 Percent Morphine. The Smyrna Opium, like the Egyptian, contains from 7 to 15 Percent of Morphine.
Describe our method of making a mother tincture of Opium.
The gum Opium dried and powdered is covered with five parts, by weight, of dilute alcohol, and stood eight days in a well stoppered bottle in a dark, cool place, being shaken twice a day. Decant, strain and filter. Drug power, 1/10.
What are the alkaloids of Opium?
There are upwards of thirty alkaloids, among the most important are Morphine, Codeine, Apomorphine, Narceine, Narcotin, Thebaine and Meconine.
What is the allopathic dose of crude Opium?
One grain.
What is laudanum?
An allopathic tincture of Opium; usual dose, 25 drops.
What is paregoric, and what is its dose?
It is the camphorated tincture of Opium and contains Benzoic acid, Aniseed, Honey, etc., being in reality an elixir; its dose is up to 1/2 oz.; less in children.
What is the allopathic dose of Morphine and the sulphate of Morphine?
Morphine, one-fifth grain; Morphine sulphate, one fourth grain.
What is Magendie’s solution?
It is a solution of the Sulphate of Morphine 16 grains to the ounce; 5 drops equals one-sixth of a grain of Morphine sulphate.
What are some of the symptoms produced by Morphine?
Nausea and pruritus. Extreme susceptibility to pain, so as to cause convulsions or twitchings and jerkings of the limbs. It produces tympanites, which might be mistaken for peritonitis.
What is our principal use of Codeine?
For the teasing night coughs of consumptives and for twitching of the eyelids.
What is the allopathic dose of Codeine?
One half to two grains.
What are the homeopathic indications for Apomorphia?
Vomiting of reflex or cerebral origin, in sea-sickness, and in the vomiting of pregnancy.
What is the remedy to antidote the ill-effects of preparations of Opium and soothing syrups, cough mixtures, etc., which contain the drug?
Nux vomica.
Why is it irrational and unhomoeopathic to give Opium for the relief of pain?
Because it does not remove the disease, but the ability to feel-the consciousness of suffering-and thereby masks the affection, making the cure more difficult.
What is brief are the general effects of Opium?
It acts upon the cerebro-spinal and sympathetic nervous systems, producing brief excitation, rapidly followed by depression and paralysis; hence symptoms of torpor and depression characterize this drug. Drowsy stupor, stertorous breathing, loss of consciousness; apoplectic states always remind of Opium.
What is the treatment for cases of poisoning by Opium?
Emetics, black coffee, Faradic current, friction, use of stomach pump, artificial respiration, oxygen inhalations, the object being to keep the patient alive until the poison is eliminated. The Permanganate of Potash has been experimented with as an antidote to Opium and its salts, and it has proven to be of great value. Further experimentation will be required, however. to determine its actual worth.
What are the indications for Opium in apoplexy?
Rattling, stertorous breathing, a very dark red face; sometimes a tetanic rigidity of the body and paralysis; the darker red the face the more it is indicated.
When should we give Opium in typhoid fever?
When there is profound congestions resulting from cerebral paralysis, loud, stertorous breathing, dropping of the lower jaw, hot sweat-a bad omen-high fever; sleeplessness, with acute hearing, clocks striking and cocks crowing at a great distance keep patient awake.
What characterizes the constipation of Opium?
Complete inactivity of the bowels, absolutely no desire or urging to stool, the bowels become impacted with faeces. The stool consists of little, hard, dry, black balls.
How does it differ here from Plumbum?
Plumbum has a stool of hard, black balls, but there is a constriction of the rectum, showing some intestinal activity.
What is the cough of Opium?
It has a dry, tickling cough, which is especially worse at night and is relieved by a drink of water.
CHELIDONIUM MAJUS.
Where do we find the original studies of this remedy?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, and in the British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vols. 23 and 24.
What is Chelidonium, when should it be gathered and what part is used?
It is the greater Celandine, growing in France and Germany and in the United States. The fresh root, and gathered in spring.
How should the tincture be made?
Chop and pound the fresh root to a fine pulp. Enclose in a piece of new linen and press out juice. Mix with equal quantities of alcohol, Pour in well-stoppered bottle and stand for eight days in dark, cool place, agitating it daily, and then filter. drug power, 1/2. The tincture is brownish-orange colored, smells like Apis mellifica, is acrid, has a bitter taste and strong acid reaction.
What is the great characteristic symptoms of this remedy?
A pain under the angle of the right scapula.
What is the principal field of action of Chelidonium?
In affections of the liver, where there is a great deal of pain and soreness in the region of that organ; jaundice; yellow tongue, taking the imprint of the teeth; bitter taste and craving for sour things.
What is the stool of Chelidonium?
It is a bright yellow or clayey diarrhoea.
How does Mercurius differ?
It has the hepatic soreness and tongue taking the imprint of the teeth, but it has also slimy stools, with a great deal of tenesmus- a never-get-done feeling.
What are the chest symptoms of Chelidonium?
Stitching pains through the right side. Dyspnoea with oppression and constriction of chest worse on right side. Distressing pain under right scapula, associated with hepatic derangement. Dry and short cough. In children, where there is a capillary bronchitis or pneumonia with hepatic or bilious symptoms present, it is often indicated. The face is dark red, something like Opium of the same family, there is oppression of the chest, fan-like motion of the alae nasi, and one hot and one cold foot. The cough is loose and rattling and the expectoration is not easily raised.
What other drug has as, characteristics, a fan-like motion of the alae nasi, one foot hot and the other cold?
Lycopodium.
In what particular is the gastralgia of Chelidonium similar to that of Anacardium, Petroleum and Graphites?
It is relieved by eating.
SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS.
Where are the provings of Sanguinaria found?
Materia Medica of American Provings. Hale’s New Remedies. Allen.
What is the common name, origin, what part used and when gathered?
Bloodroot, indigenous to America, the fresh root, gathered when the seeds are ripe.
How would you make a mother tincture of Sanguinaria?
Chop and pound the fresh root to a fine pulp and weigh. Add gradually two parts of alcohol, by weight, to each part of pulp. Stir thoroughly and pour into well stoppered bottle and stand in dark, cool place for eight days, shaking it daily. Decant, strain and filter. Drug power, 1/6. The tincture is deep orange-red, slightly bitter and acrid and of acid reaction.
What is its general action?
Sanguinaria is a right-sided remedy pre-eminently, and affects chiefly the mucous membrane, especially of the respiratory tract. It has marked vaso-motor disturbance, as seen as in the circumscribed redness of the cheeks, flushes of heat, determination of blood to head and chest, distension of temporal veins, burning in palms, soles, etc.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.