(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.]
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.