Belladonna is of value in prolapsus (203) and inflammation of the uterus, with heavy, forcing, dragging pain, as if the uterus were heave with hot blood (202) and for fibroid tumors of the uterus (202). with the sensation of weight and paroxysmal discharge of hot blood.
During labor, we would find constriction of the lower part of the uterus, the rigid(154) or wire-edged os, with great heat of the parts. Remember it for retained placenta (150), due perhaps to the spasmodic constriction, and for post-partum haemorrhage (12), with gushes of bright red, hot blood.
Belladonna is of value for ovarian tumor, with, as Minton says, aggravation during the menstrual periods, and for ovaritis and neuralgia (147) of the r. ovary (147), with great tenderness to touch and a sensation of heat, fulness and pressure downward tough the vagina.
In acute laryngitis and in spasmodic croup, the larynx is hot and dry as if glazed, is very sore or feels swollen, with suffocation. The cough is dry, like the bark of a dog, causes great pain and is associated with pronounced hoarseness or loss of voice. In whooping cough we have cough in short paroxysms, preceded by crying (41) and accompanied by hot head and face, and nose bleed of bright red, hot blood (47).
In the early stage of mastitis (22) Belladonna is frequently indicated, the breast hot and extremely sensitive to touch, with bright red streaks radiating from the nipple.
The pulse of Belladonna is full and bounding and the fever and congestions are attended with marked throbbing of the carotids.
It is a remedy to be though of where one catches cold readily (5) from a slight draught of air, especially after getting the hair cut (5) and it is frequently indicated in stiff- neck, worse on the r. side, from taking cold.
Hyperaesthesia of th whole surface of the body (166) or of the affected part is very pronounced under Belladonna and it is a useful in spinal irritability (171) with extreme sensitiveness to touch, where pressure on the dorsal vertebrae causes screams and distress in the stomach, or violent cough and flushed face.
In sciatica thee is this same sensitiveness, the nerve feels as if uncovered and the patient cannot bear top have anything press upon the affected part.
There is a good deal of restless (160) and mental excitement with dreams as of fire on falling asleep, and frequent waking in fright (81). children especially have restless sleep, talk and quarrel, with sudden starting and jerking of the extremities (193).
Belladonna is rarely indicated in typhoid fever, but frequently in fever during dentition and particularly in scarlet fever.
“One of the most characteristic features of Belladonna poisoning is a rash over the whole body, a rest hat is only a smooth scarlet redness. This scarlet-like redness of the skin, the direct and unmistakable action of Belladonna, seems like a true exanthemata. This rash a little later, desquamates like true scarlatina. During this period of desquamation, and the action of the kidneys is less frequent and nephritis of an acute or catarrhal nature may supervene. In short, we have a picture (almost an exact counterpart) of an attack of scarlatina. The prodromal fever, with cerebral excitement, the dry mouth and throat, with scarlet redness of the latter, with the prodromal nausea and vomiting, followed by a scarlet rash, and that by desquamation, and then, by symptoms of acute nephritis, and a more perfect picture of scarlatina simplex it would be difficult to imagine.
No wonder that Hahnemann, almost a the very onset of his investigations into homoeopathy, reached the conclusion that in Belladonna we have true prophylactic to scarlet fever (Aliens lecture).
I think it sage to say that all physicians of the three schools of medicine and the majority of laymen, have heard of the preventive powers of Belladonna against scarlet fever, as the result of the success obtained by Hahnemann and his immediate followers. At the present time its employment is by no means universe even in our own school the excuse made for not using it being, that not withstanding it has been tried in all strengths, from the tincture up, no better results have been obtained that when it was not given.
I was fortunate in obtaining from Dr. St.,Clair Smith a statement of his success with it, although it was used under the most adverse circumstances, ad sums the matter up in these words: The point that I wish to bring forward is this that the 30th of Belladonna prepared as Hahnemann directed, 1 drop of one potency successes with 99 drops of alcohol to make the next potency will each and every time act as a prophylactic against scarlet fever.
As a student, I heard Prof. Smith make a similar statement and immediately made my own 30th potency, which I have used since whenever the opportunity presented. I give it every two hours for the first day then t.i.d., and continue it at that rate until two weeks after the date of the last exposure to the disease shall have passed. If the person taking the preventive dose, not come down with the disease within three days I consider that they have been rendered immune, and I have never seen a secondary case of scarlet fever, no matter to what extend not for how long the exposure was continued, where this Belladonna 30th was being taken as a prophylactic.
I use Belladonna 3d, 6th,30th.
