PIPSISSEWA.
Introduction
Chimaphila is a hardly little evergreen, that seeks the shaded portion of our woods and blossoms in June or July. It was first used by our Indians “as a tonic and diuretic, as well as for rheumatic and scrofulous disorders” (Millspaugh).
Allen in the Encyclop. gives Dr. S. A. Jones the credit of introducing it into our materia medica.
Symptoms
The especial sphere of action of this remedy seems to be on the bladder and secondarily on the kidneys. It is useful in both acute and chronic cystitis, the urine scanty, offensive and turbid, containing thick ropy (199), or bloody mucus and depositing a copious muco-purulent sediment.
There is frequent desire to urinate but it is difficult to start the stream and the patient must strain a good deal before (200) as well as after micturition. There is burning and scalding on urinating (194).
It has been used for suppression of urine in infants, and for acute or chronic prostatitis (155), with retention of urine and a feeling of a ball in the perineum when sitting.
I have never used Chimaphila other than in the tincture.