Chamomilla affects directly both the animal and vegetable nervous systems, the latter in a greater degree. It acts more decidedly on the sensitive than on the motory sphere. Like Ignatia, it has no violent, long-enduring, or deep-felt action. Nevertheless, by a long use of it, the vegetation is seriously affected.
GENERAL ACTION.
1. In the animal nervous system. Motory sphere. Slight spasms, or rather tremblings and twitchings, of short duration. The parts among which the middle spinal nerves are distributed appear most strongly affected.
2. Vegetation. The sensitive sphere is more affected than the motory. 1. Spasm occurs also in the vegetative muscular system; but of a feeble character. 2. Pain in stomach and intestines is very considerable. When spasm occurs, pain is always present predominating over the spasm (colic), and very often pain occurs without spasm.
First the gastro-intestinal sphere is affected, then the thoracic.
1. Stomach. Dull sensations, pain, often also spasm. Violent nausea interfering with appetite. Singultus when eating, ructus, vomiturition, vomitus, all this being attended by more or less pain. Sensation of fullness when the stomach is empty, and vice versa. Anxiety in the epigastrium after eating; drawing pains in the loins and hypochondria; accumulation of saliva in the mouth; alienated taste; sometimes even vertigo; loss of sense. Hence, in general, aggravation after eating.
2. Intestine. Pain, flatulence, peristaltic motion increased, anti-peristaltic motion induced.
3. Chest. Increased, irritability of the lungs; hence tickling, constriction, and anxiety.
4. Brain. Irritability, anger, chagrin, restlessness, anxiety, weeping, groaning, fright, crying out, speaking during sleep, and sudden starting, especially in children.
5. Vascular System. Easily excited; hence frequent congestions of short duration. Contradiction of the objective and subjective symptoms, e.g., external cold, and internal heat, as in the case of Ignatia; Chamomilla, however, has pain and greater disturbance of sensation than Ignatia, and its vascular excitement is greater, amounting to a considerable degree of fever, even to delirium, and attended by violent thirst.
6. Blood. Little affected, unless by a long use of Chamomilla, which renders the blood less plastic and induces chlorosis.
7. Secretions. Not altered, only increased, especially those of the intestines and liver; in consequence of the latter effect, the excretions are more green in appearance, and increased in quantity. Development of flatus.
8. Female Sexual System. Although this system is not specifically affected, yet the menses and sexual instinct are increased.
9. Aggravation of the pains by rest and warmth.
APPLICATION.
Chamomilla is applicable in erethism of the sensitive nervous spheres; hence, peculiarly appropriate for children, and for women, especially during pregnancy; for persons of irritable temperament, prone to congestion, after chagrin and anger. Among children’s diseases, it is especially appropriate for such as result from the use of milk either always bad or rendered so temporarily by a fit of anger on the part of the nurse, inducing vomiting, cuttings in the abdomen, etc. Chamomilla may be used, when indicated, in all diseases, except in conditions of torpor and synochia, or of great excitation; hence, in sub-acute conditions, hysteria, certain odontalgiae, with jerkings and distortion of the face, aggravated by warmth; in sub-acute rheumatism; in mastus. In erysipelas faciei it is renowned.
In intermittent fever, with abdominal symptoms characteristic of Chamomilla. In diarrhoea, with violent pains; abdominal spasms before the evacuation; stools pappy, watery, acid and bilious. In gastric affections, especially after chagrin and anger, with much thirst and heat. Icterus, consequent on a fit of anger, with great excitability. Important in the period of dentition; in the menstrual period, for menstrual colic; metrorrhagia with the characteristic symptoms of Chamomilla false pains; in several varieties of asthma, with great sensibility. Ischias, cramp of the calves.
Dr. Dunham graduated from Columbia University with Honours in 1847. In 1850 he received M.D. degree at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. While in Dublin, he received a dissecting wound that nearly killed him, but with the aid of homoeopathy he cured himself with Lachesis. He visited various homoeopathic hospitals in Europe and then went to Munster where he stayed with Dr. Boenninghausen and studied the methods of that great master. His works include 'Lectures on Materia Medica' and 'Homoeopathy - Science of Therapeutics'.