(Semen cinoe, Semen santonici, contra.)
(From vol. I, 3rd edit., 1830.)
(The tincture obtained by macerating, for a week, without heat, one part of the unpowdered buds with twenty parts of spirits of wine; twenty drops of this represent one grain of the drug.)
Even the best generally consists only of small oblong, light yellowish-green buds, mixed with a few stalks, from a shrub-like plant, Artemisia contra. The finest comes to us from Allepo. It has also been improperly called zedoary seed. Semen zedoariae, merely because its odour has a great resemblance to that of the zedoary root.
For centuries no other use has been made of this very important vegetable substance, except for the explusion of lumbrici in children, in doses of 10, 20, 30, 60, and more grains. I pass over the not unfrequently dangerous, or even fatal, effects of such doses, nor will I dwell on the fact that a few lumbrici are not to be considered as an important disease in otherwise healthy children, and are common in childhood (where psora is still latent., and generally unattended by morbid symptoms. On the other hand, this much is true, that when they are present in large numbers, the cause of this is always some morbid condition of the body, namely, the evolution of psora, and unless this be cured, though large numbers of the lumbrici may be expelled by cina, they are soon reproduced. Hence, by such forcible explusion of the worms not only is nothing gained, but such improper treatment, if persisted in, often ends in the death of the tortured children.
This vegetable substance has much more valuable curative properties, which may be easily inferred from the subjoined characteristic morbid symptoms produced by it in the healthy.
Experience of what it can do, for instance, in whooping-cough, and in certain intermittent fevers accompanied by vomiting and ravenous hunger will excite astonishment. I will not dwell on the other morbid states for which it is adapted, as the initiated homoeopathic physician will be able to discover these by himself.
Formerly I used to employ the tincture potentised to the trillion-fold dilution, but I have found that when raised to the decillion-fold development of potency, it displays its medical powers still more perfectly. One, two, or three smallest globules moistened with this serve for a dose.
[ In this proving HAHNEMANN was assisted by AHNER, GROSS, LANGHAMMER. RUCKERT, jun., STAPF.
The medical writers quoted are:
ANDRY, De Generations Vermium.
BERGUIS, Mat. Medorrhinum
PELARGUS, Observ., tom. i. ii.
In the 1st edition of the R. A. M. L. cina had 48 symptoms, in the 2nd edition 287, the 3rd, as we see, has 301. ]
CINA
On rising from bed blackness before the eyes, dizziness in the head, faintness; he staggers to and fro; on lying down he is immediately better.
Violent headache. [PELARGUS, (Observation of effects of over-dosing. The symptoms occurred in a child, with; S. 242 and 291.) Observat., tom. I, pp. 8. 31, 275.]
Headache, with a feeling of general discomfort. [L. Rkt.]
On the middle of the vertex intemittent pressure, as from a heavy weight, as if the brain were pressed down; pressing upon it increases and renews the pain. [Gss.]
5. A pain, pressing from above downwards, externally on the forehead, as if a weight gradually sank down there (aft. ¾ h.). [Lr.]
All day long some headache, a tearing aching, spreading even into the zygoma.
Aching pain in the head all day, in the evening also in the forehead. [L. Rkt.]
When walking in the open air stupefying, internal headache, especially in the sinciput, afterwards also in the occiput (aft. 3 h.). [Lr.]
On waking from sleep an out-pressing pain in the right side of the forehead.
10. (While sitting) pressive stupefying pain externally on the forehead and temples, which at length involved the whole head (aft. 36 h.). [Lr.]
Pressure on the frontal bone, and at the same time internally a fluctation like the beating of waves. [Gss.]
Headache, as if the whole head were screwed in, with numbness. [Gss.]
Pain, as if the upper part of the frontal bone were strongly pressed together from both sides. [Gss.]
Immediately after a meal and later, a dull drawing pain in the interior of the head, increased by reading and mental work. [L. Rkt.]
15. The headache is increased by reading and thinking, relieved by stooping. [Gss.]
Cramp-like drawing in the temples, increased by pressing on them. [Gss.]
Stretching tearing pain in the right temple. [L. Rkt.]
On the left side of the sinciput drawing aching. [Gss.]
Hahnemann's three major publications chart the development of homeopathy. In the Organon of Medicine, we see the fundamentals laid out. Materia Medica Pura records the exact symptoms of the remedy provings. In his book, The Chronic Diseases, Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure, he showed us how natural diseases become chronic in nature when suppressed by improper treatment.