Synonym. Artemesia abrotanum. Natural order. Compositae. Common Name. Southern Europe. Habitat. A shrub native of Southern Europe and the Levant. Cultivated in gardens. Preparation. Tincture from the fresh leaves. Acts profoundly upon the vegetative sphere, depressing nutrition to a remarkable degree, giving rise to symptoms of disturbed digestion great emaciation, and marasmus, in which latter affection is its chief clinical use. It also acts upon fibrous and serious tissues. The primary action is upon the nervous system, where it produces a hyperaemia and gives rise to anaesthesia and paralysis, accompanied by neuralgic pains. The latter cause great restlessness and are relieved by motion.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS
Mind. Anxious, depressed, dullness of intellect. Child cross, depressed, very peevish.
Head. Cannot hold the head up (Natr. mur., Veratrum alb.) Scalp sore; itching. Aching and fullness in head.
Ears. Humming as of bees; wind rushes out of the right ear.
Eyes. Blue rings around the eyes; dull look.
Nose. Nose dry:nosebleed in youths.
Face. Wrinkled, as if old (Baryta.).Comedones, with emaciation (Sulphur)
Mouth. Slimy taste, acid. Tongue sore. Mouth hot and dry.
Stomach. Gnawing hunger; ravenous appetite, and all the while emaciating. Burning as from acidity. Sensation as if stomach were hanging or swimming in water, with coldness. Pains cutting, gnawing, burning, worse at night.
Abdomen. Great distention of abdomen. Hard lumps indifferent parts of abdomen. Weak, sinking feeling in bowels.
Stool. Food passes undigested. Rheumatism after suddenly constipation. (Ant., crud). Protruding piles, with burning from touch or whenever passing stool.
Male Organs. Hydrocele of children, especially after scarlet fever.
Female Organs. Darting pains in. region of left ovary. Blood and moisture oozing from navel of new-born.
Respiratory Organs. Cold air causes a raw feeling (Hyd.). Sensation of breathing hot air. Dyspnoea. Pressing sensation remains in affected side, impeding free breathing; after pleurisy.
Heart and Pulse. Pain across chest sharp and severe in region of heart; rheumatism. Metastasis of rheumatism to heart. pulse weak and small.
Back. Pains in sacrum. Heavy pain in lumbar region extending to testicles.
Limbs. Inability to move. Weakness of extremities. Emaciation, especially of legs. back and limbs sore and lame; worse mornings (Rhus tox). Numb sensation in fingers (Conium, Phosphorus, Secale).
Generalities. Weak, sickly feeling; when excited, trembling; rheumatic pains in neck and back, chest and extremities. Lame and sore all over.
Sleep. Restless; frightful dreams.
Fever. High fever during rheumatism. Hectic fever, with chilliness, after influential very weakening marasmus.
Skin. Flabby; hangs loose; marasmus. Furunculus; after Hepar s.
Conditions. Especially useful in children: more in boys.
Compare. Agaricus, Baryta, Bryonia, Conium, Cimic., Gelsemium, Phosphorus, Rhus tox., Zincum met.
THERAPEUTICS.
Marasmus of children; wasting diseases from malnutrition; rheumatism, especially inflammatory, before swelling; gout; gastralgia; also bad effects from suppressed gastralgia; hydrocele of children; chlorosis; furuncles.
ALLEN CORSON COWPERTHWAITE was born at Cape May, New Jersey, May 3, 1848, son of Joseph C. and Deborah (Godfrey) Cowperthwaite. He attended medical lectures at the University of Iowa in 1867-1868, and was graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia in 1869. He practiced his profession first in Illinois, and then in Nebraska. In 1877 he became Dean and Professor of Materia Medica in the recently organized Homeopathic Department of the State University of Iowa, holding the position till 1892. In 1884 he accepted the chair of Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Clinical Medicine in the Homeopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan. He removed to Chicago in 1892, and became Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics in the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College. From 1901 he also served as president of that College. He is the author of various works, notably "Insanity in its Medico-Legal Relations" (1876), "A Textbook of Materia Medica and Therapeutics" (1880), of "Gynecology" (1888), and of "The Practice of Medicine " (1901).