(From vol. I, 3rd edit, 1830.)
(The medicinal power of this vegetable does not seem to be very volatile, and we may therefore quite well employ for medicinal purposes the freshly dried and powdered leaves macerated in alcohol so as to form a tincture. But in order to obtain a uniformly powerful medicine, I prefer to use the green fresh leaves gathered at the period of commencing flowering One ounce of these, cut into the small pieces, is first put in a mortar, moistened with just enough alcohol, and well pounded, so as to form a thick pap, and then the remainder of the alcohol (in all about an ounce) added in order to attenuate the thick mass, the juice is then strained through a linen cloth, and allowed to stand for a few days in order to deposit the albumen and fibrous matters. After this the clear, dark-green juice is decanted off for use in the same way as is done with sabina, taxus, thuja, and similar leaves with little juice in them.)
I have introduced into our materia medica several new plants and parts of plants, and some minerals also, and I flatter myself that I have enriched it with these substances. Among these oleander is a new remedy with desirable curative powers, which are met with in no other medicinal agent.
It will be found to be if not a complete remedy yet an indispensable intermediate remedy in some kinds of mental derangements, e.g. absence of mind, and in certain kinds of painless paralysis, in eruptions on the head, and some external head affections. He homoeopathic physician will know how to employ it for other curative purposes from the symptoms it produces in healthy persons.
Hitherto I have only used the billion-fold attenuation of the above juice, but I believe that in order that it may be used without prejudice in cases of excessively sensitive patients, it will require to be carried to a much higher potency (and development of its inner power).
[HAHNEMANN’s fellow observers were FRANZ, GROSS, GUTMANN, HARTMANN, LANGHAMMER.]
Symptoms are taken from:
ABONO, PETRUS DE., De Venenis.
MORGAGNI, De sedib. Et caus. Morb., Ep. lix.
The 1st edit has 28 symptoms, the 2nd and 3rd edit. 352.]
OLEANDER
(While walking in the open air) vertigo, not so as to cause staggering and falling; he stood firmly, but the objects, trees, and people seemed to be mixed up among one another, as in a confused dance, and there came darkness before the eyes with flashing glittering (as when dazzled by snow)(aft. 4.1/2 h.). [Lr.]
Whirling, reeling. [Gn.]
When he stands up, and wished to look on the ground, he has giddiness before the eyes, and as if he saw all objects double; but if he looked straight before him, whether standing or stooping; he experienced nothing of the sort (aft. 7 h.). [htn.]
On rising from the couch hardly walk across the room on account of violent vertigo in the whole head (aft. 10 h.). [Htn.]
5. Whirling vertigo in the forehead and staggering of the lower extremities, as from weakness of them (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
The vertigo does not leave him even when walking in the open air. [Htn.]
Unconsciousness. [PETRUS DE ABANO, de Venenis, Cap. 37. (Statement.) ]
Confusion of the whole head (aft. ½ h.). [Gn.]
The mind is obtuse; he cannot think properly. [Gn.]
10. On reading rather long sentences in a book it is often difficult for him to apprehend the construction. [Gss.]
It is very difficult for him to read a learned book; he must red many sentences three or four times over, before he can understand them, because in spite of the greatest effort he cannot comprehend what he reads, but is distracted by other spontaneously arising thoughts, which always supplant those suggested by the reading. [Gss.]
While studying he has constantly other thoughts; he dreams about the future, and his fancy disports itself in beautiful visions (aft. 4 h.). [Htn.]
While reading a book he cannot apprehend the thoughts conveyed by it, when with the greatest effort to understand them he thinks that he will not understand them; his thoughts then become confused and render him quite unable to read further; but he certainly understands all things more easily when he does not think about understanding them; in that case no accessory ideas occupy him, only the subject itself. [Gss.]
His power of remembering is weak; he cannot recollect the most familiar names (aft. 2.1/2 h.). [Gn.]
15. Heaviness of the head (aft. 24 h.). [Gn.]
He cannot keep his head up on account of a great feeling of heaviness in it; he must leave off reading and lie down; while lying he has no headache and feels well, but when he rises up he again feels the heaviness and confusion of the head, the nausea, and other disagreeable sensations (aft. 9 h.). [Gn.]
Pain in the head as if a hundred-weight drew it forwards (aft. 10 h.). [Gn.]
Sensation as if the head were tightly bound, more stupefying than painful. [Gss.]
In the right temple squeezing pain. [Gss.]
20. Aching pain in the brain (aft. 6, 14 h.).
Stupefying pressure in the right side of the head, as from a blunt instrument slowly pressed it. [Gss.]
Out-pressing pain over the forehead, from within outwards (aft. 11.1/2 h.). [Gn.]
A dull compression on the forehead. [Gss.]
Pressing out pain at the forehead (aft. 4, 24 h.). [Gn.]
25. Aching in the upper bones of the skull, with a feeling as if they were sore (aft. 36 h.). [Gn.]
Pain in the forehead as if it would burst. [Gn.]
Painful pressing outwards in the left frontal protuberance, which went off on pressing on it with the hand (aft. 1.1/4 h.). [Htn.]
Aching uneasiness in the whole extent of the forehead. [Gss.]
An up and down drawing, aching pain in the left temple, which goes off in the open air. [Fz.]
30. A slight drawing in the left temple. [Gss.]
Slow pulse-like throbbing pain in the head, in the forehead. [Fz.]
Pain like a blow on the left temple. [Gss.]
Suddenly a stupefying pain anteriorly in the forehead, as from a hard blow. [Gss.]
Boring pain in the whole brain. [Gn.]
35. Boring pain in the upper part of the brain (aft. 26 h.). [Gn.]
Deeply penetrating sharp stitches in slow succession in the right side of the vertex. [Gss.]
Eroding itching as from lice on the whole hairy scalp, compelling scratching, repeatedly all day (aft. 56 h.). [Lr.]
Severe (itching) eroding on the hairy scalp as from lice; after scratching it smarts, as if excoriated. [Gss.]
Eroding itching on the hairy scalp, that forces him to scratch. [Gss.]
40. Eruption itching on the hairy scalp, that forces him to scratch. [Gss.]
Desquamation of the epidermis on the hairy scalp.
At night continued smarting itching on the hairy scalp, as from lice. [Fz.]
Contractive burning pain externally on the left side of the crown. [Fz.]
Sharp aching external pain on the left side of the occiput. [Fz.]
45. On a small spot of the occiput, obtuse pressure. [Gss.]
Pressure on the right side of the head as if it were pressed in. [Gss.]
Pressure on the right frontal protuberance. [Gss.]
A couple of blows on front of the forehead on a small spot as with a hammer. [Gss.]
Tensive stitch in the occiputal bone. [Gn.]
50. Aching pain in the bones of the right side of the face, persisting when moving the lower jaw (aft. ¾ h.). [Gn.]
Dull aching pain in the right upper jaw below the zygoma (aft. 48 h.). [Gn.]
Pressure on the zygoma, more stupefying than painful, that extends deep to the head and root of the nose; a tensive, stupefying tiresome sensation. [Gss.]
Violent aching pain, now higher, now lower in the temples, when chewing.[Fz.]
After rising from bed in the morning, countenance quite disturbed; he looked quite pale, the eyes are surrounded with blue rings and the cheeks are fallen in. [Htn.]
55. All day long pale complexion (aft. 40 h.). [Lr.]
On touching, sore pain in the right eyebrow, towards the temple (aft. 14 h.). [Gn.]
Obtuse pressure on the upper border of the orbit, intermittent, now greater, now less. [Gss.]
Dilated pupils (aft. 1 h.). [Lr.]
Contracted pupils (aft. 25 h.). [Lr.]
60. On looking sideways, without turning the head, as if blackness would come before the eyes.[Gss.]
It seems tohim as if blackness would come before the eyes. [Gss.]
While reading the eyes water. [Gss.]
While reading, a tension in the left eyelids (aft. 6.1/2 h.). [Gn.]
Pressure in the left eye from above downwards and in the left zygoma. [Fz.]
65. Pain in the eyes, as if he had strained them than by much reading. [Gss.]
Smarting in the left eye. [Fz.]
A pressure in the eyes, as if a hard body were in them. [Gn.]
Burning in the lower eyelid, and itching round about the lid. [Fz.]
Burning in the right upper eyelid (aft. 10.1/2 h.).
70. In the evening a tensive pain in one canthus, just as if the eye were strongly turned outwards; it is difficult for him to turn the eye in the opposite direction (aft. 5 d.). [Fz.]
Burning tension in both right eyelids, even when moving (aft. 3 h.). [Gn.]
Itching in the right eyeball (aft. 30 h.). [Gn.]
Pricking and itching on the left upper eyelid. [Fz.]
The eyelids are involuntary closed, as if he were sleepy (aft. 8.1/2 h.). [Gn.]
75. Near the left eye, at the root of the nose and on the left zygoma a pricking itching. [Fz.]
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.