INTRODUCTION
(Horse-chestnut).
COMPARE WITH
Aconitum-napellus, Acidum-nitricum, Aloes, Collinsonia, Ignatia, Mercurius-vivus, Nux-vomica, Sulphur.
INFORMATION
The grated nut seems to constitute the most efficacious preparation of this drug for medicinal purposes. The outer shell has to be removed. We likewise prepare an alcoholic tincture. We are inclined to believe that the triturations made after the usual decimal or centesimal scale, contain the therapeutic virtues of this drug more fully than the attenuations obtained
from the alcoholic tincture. We know of provers who were very sensibly and speedily affected by the triturations, upon whom as many as four hundred drops of the mother-tincture had no other effect than the production of a somewhat sweetish taste in the mouth, a little qualmishness at the stomach, and some roughness in the throat, with an inconsiderable flow of saliva.
In accordance with the provings that have been instituted with this drug, and which have been collected by Professor Hale, of Chicago, in his “New Remedies,” this drug has been used principally in old cases of haemorrhoids and other affections of the rectum and anus. In our own practice we have found it to be useful:
1. In catarrhal irritations of the head and throat, characterised by a dull general headache, and more particularly by a more or less acute pain in the supra-orbital region; lachrymation, disposition to sneeze, a digging, drawing sensation in one or both nostrils, slight soreness of the nose, altered metallic taste in the mouth, roughness of the throat, some irritation in the chest with disposition to cough, chilliness.
2. In dyspepsia, with a burning distress in the epigastric region; occasional sensation of emptiness or goneness in the pit of the stomach, with a sense of fulness or heaviness after eating; constipation.
3. In haemorrhoidal affections. It is not only in chronic, but likewise in the acute attacks of haemorrhoids that the horse- chesnut has shown remarkable curative powers. Dr. Richard Hughes, of England, makes the following remarks as to the precise form of the disease to which it is specific: “When the piles are only secondary to existing portal or other intra-abdominal congestions, Aesculus will probably be inferior to Nux and Sulphur. When they are associated with symptoms of varicosis elsewhere, and bleed much, Hamamelis will be a better remedy. But when the only connected symptom or appreciable cause is constipation, and there is much pain but little bleeding, Aesculus seems pretty likely to effect a cure.”
Persons afflicted with piles are very often subject to attacks of aching, burning pains in the small of the back; the small of the back sometimes feeling rigid and stiff like a board. We have cured this pain with Aesculus, sometimes using it alone, and, in other case, alternating with a few doses of Sulphur or Aconite.
In the twenty-fourth volume of the British Journal of Homoeopathy, page 165, Dr. Hughes reports the following case of severe pain in the anus after stool, resembling that of fissure. “Miss W., aged 40, consulted me on September 20th of last year. She had been suffered for two months with haemorrhage and pain after stool. The bowels were moved every other morning; the bleeding was considerable and the pain intense; gradually subsiding afterwards, but not leaving her until evening. She felt much weakened and was beginning to suffer from neuralgia pain in the face. Regarding the haemorrhage as the most important symptom, I prescribed Hamamelis 2, a drop three times a day.
“Sept. 30. The bowels had been twice moved without any bleeding, but the pain was as severe as ever. Aesculus 2, a drop three times a day.
“Oct. 3. The last evacuation was painless as well as bloodless. Continued.
“Oct. 21. The patient had her last prescription, and has not been heard from since.”.
