TARAXACUM.
Where is the paragraphs of Taraxacum found?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura.
What is Taraxacum? Describe preparation of tincture.
It is the common Dandelion, and our tincture is made from the whole plant with root, gathered in April and may, before flower is open. It is prepared as described under Millefolium. The tincture is orange colored, of bitter taste and acid reaction.
What is the great characteristic of the remedy, and in what class of affection is it useful?
A mapped tongue. Liver trouble, with soreness in the region of the liver, and bilious diarrhoea. Hahnemann recommended it also in glycosuria.
Give some of the indications for Carduus marianus or St. Mary’s thistle in jaundice and liver affections.
Jaundice, dull headache, bitter taste, tongue white in middle with red edges. Nausea and vomiting of an acid green fluid; bilious stools, urine golden yellow, fullness in region of liver and stitching pains.
What is Myrica cerifera?
The Wax Myrtle. Tincture from the bark of the root.
What are some of the symptoms?
It causes a suspension of biliary secretion, resulting in jaundice; there are clay-colored stools and soreness in the region of the liver. Other symptoms are drowsiness with dull frontal headache, worse in the morning; yellowness of the eyes; scanty urine; tongue dirty, yellow; great muscular soreness and aching in the limbs.
What are the uses of the different varieties of Artemesia?
Largely in nervous affections, epilepsy, spinal irritation partial paralysis, etc. The Artemesia abrotanum is indicated in marasmus of children-emaciation especially of the lower extremities. The Artemesia absinthium has its field especially as has also the Artemesia vulgaris.
ECHINACEA ANGUSTIFOLIA.
What is Echinacea?
It is the Purple Cone Flower, growing in the Western States. Tincture is made from the fresh plant, including root. It was introduced into medicine by the eclectic school.
What are its chief uses?
It has not been thoroughly proved, but clinical testimony shows its applicability to septic disorders, adynamic conditions, such as malignant scarlet fever, diphtheria and typhoid states. It has also proved of use in boils and carbuncles. Blood poisoning with profound prostration. Bed-sores, carbuncles, etc.
What members of the Cucurbitaceae family do we use?
Bryonia alba, Colocynthis, Elaterium and Momordica balsamica.
BRYONIA ALBA.
Where are our chief studies of Bryonia found?
Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, Austrian Society’s Provings, British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXV., Hirschel’s Pharmacodynamics, Dunham’s Materia Medica, and Hartmann’s Practical Observations.
Where do we obtain this great polychrest?
It grows along hedge-rows in Europe; the tincture is prepared from the fresh root, dug before flowering time, in the same manner as described under Aconite, and imported; its common name is Wild Hops.
What is the physiological action of Bryonia?
It seems to act on all serous membranes and the viscera they contain. The general character of the pain here produced is a stitching, tearing, worse by motion, better by rest. Mucous membranes are all dry. It acts prominently on synovial and muscular tissue, producing arthritic and rheumatic inflammations and swelling. It especially affects the right side.
What is its general homoeopathic applicability?
A great polychrest, indicated in all forms of disease, especially when associated with catarrhal and rheumatic symptoms.
Give five pervading characteristics.
1. Apathy, ranging from languor to torpor.
2. Relief from rest and aggravation from motion.
3. Sharp, stitching pains.
4. Relief of all conditions, except the headache and eye symptoms, by warmth.
5. The seat of any distress or irritation becomes sore and tender to the touch.
Give in brief the indications for Bryonia in typhoid fever.
Soreness over the body, tired feeling; every exertion fatigues; he has a dread of all motion; a splitting agonizing, frontal headache, worse from motion; the face gets red towards evening, nose-bleed in the morning, preceded by a fullness in the head; the sleep is troubled and the patient dreams of business, and there is high fever; delirium; patient wants to go home.
How is Rhus tox. distinguished from Bryonia in all affections?
Rhus tox. has restlessness and desire to continually move about.
What is the mental condition of Bryonia?
The patient is irritable and ill-humored, and there may be a delirium, in which the patient thinks he is away from home and wants to go home; he talks about his business.
What is the headache of Bryonia?
An intense, dull throbbing headache, pain in and over the eyes; greatly increased by motion. Splitting frontal headache, extending backward and down neck, shoulders and back.
How do Silicea, Carbo veg., and Spigelia compare?
Spigelia has pain darting from behind forward through the left eye ball.
Silicea has pain coming up from the nape of neck, through the occiput and so down upon the forehead.
Carbo veg. has dull, heavy pain extending through the base of the brain from the occiput to the supra-orbital region.
Bryonia is the only drug having sticking; jerking, throbbing headache from the forehead backward to the occiput.
What is the characteristic thirst of Bryonia?
Intense thirst for large quantities of cold water at long intervals.
What drug has thirst for small quantities at short intervals?
Arsenicum. China is similar.
What of the digestive symptoms?
Food distresses the patient as soon as he takes it; it lies in the stomach like a hard load; there is white or yellowish- white coating on the tongue; there is a faint weak feeling on sitting up.
What is the constipation of this drug?
It is due to dryness, and the stools are large, hard, dry and brown, as if burnt, with no urging.
What other drug has constipation due to dryness, and how is it distinguished from Bryonia?
Alumina: here there is a complete inactivity of the rectum, and even a soft stool is expelled with difficulty.
In pleurisy what would be the indications for Bryonia?
Sharp, stitching pains in the chest; worse from the slightest motion; patient often holds chest with the hands while coughing; there is apt to be fever, headache and also chilliness.
What are its indications in pneumonia?
There are the pleuritic pains, the hard, dry cough, the scanty, tenacious, rust-colored expectoration, circumscribed redness of the cheeks, and we have the physical signs of hepatization. Relief from lying on affected side.
Mention a drug useful in respiratory affections that has aggravation from lying on left side, whether affected or not.
Phosphorus.
How does Aconite compare here?
Bryonia comes in after Aconite when the skin is not so hot, nor the face so red, nor the patient so restless, and the cough is not so dry and teasing; then, too, with Aconite we have the anxious expression of pulmonary congestion.
Mention some other remedies with stitching pains in the chest.
Ranunculus bulb., Kali carb., Rumex and Senega.
What are the indications for Bryonia in rheumatic troubles?
Articular rheumatism with swollen joints, which are very sensitive to the touch; the slightest motion is intolerable; the joints are hot and shining, the skin looks as if stretched over them; external heat greatly relieves; it has but little tendency to shift about.
What drugs have rheumatism which tends to shift about?
Pulsatilla, Colchicum, Caulophyllum and Benzoic acid.
Is Bryonia a liver remedy? If so, what are the indications?
It is; there are sharp, stitching pains in the liver, worse from motion, relieved by lying on the right side; jaundice from duodenal catarrh or when caused by anger indicates it.
Is Bryonia ever useful in diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea provoked by vegetable foods calls for it, or when overheated in the summer and aggravated by every hot spell of weather; it is worse in the morning on rising and moving around; the stools are pasty or dark green; involuntary discharge of thin stool in the night, while sleeping.
What are the female symptoms of the drug?
Suppressed menstruation, with sharp, stitching pains, or vicarious, showing itself as nosebleed, or accompanied by the splitting headache of the drug; also suppressed lochia with this headache.
What of its use in milk fever?
The breasts are hard and tender, there is chilliness, headache, fever, coated tongue, bitter taste and aching in the back and limbs.
When should Bryonia be given in measles?
When the rash appears slowly, and when it is apt to run a balky course, and when inflammatory diseases of the chest accompany. Dry, hard, painful cough.
What are the relations of Rhus tox. and Bryonia?
They follow each other well, but are antidotal if given together.
What is Asclepias tuberosa?
It is a species of milk weed, called the Pleurisy root. Tincture from the fresh root.
Give its characteristics.
Intercostal myalgias, intercostal spaces tender. Sharp, shooting pains in chest. Worse from breathing. Relief from bending forward. The chest pain are similar to those of Bryonia, and oftentimes it will relieve when Bryonia fails.
COLOCYNTHIS.
Where are the pathogeneses of Colocynthis found?
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.