Synonym. Ruta Graveolens. Natural order. Rutaceae. Common names. Rue. Bitter Wort. Habitat. A plant widely cultivated in gardens; indigenous to Southern Europe. Preparation. Tincture from the fresh plant. General Analysis Ruta acts especially upon the periosteum, bones, joints and cartilages, producing symptoms of a rheumatic character. It also has a special action upon the eyes, producing a somewhat similar condition. It also acts profoundly upon the uterus, causing both active determination of blood to that organ, and contraction of its muscular walls, hence its use as an emmenagogue and abortifacient. Characteristic Symptoms Mind Fretful. Inclined to anger and vexation. Head Pulsative, pressive pain in the head. Stitching, drawing pain in frontal bone; extending to temporal bones. Bruised pain in periosteum, extending from temporal bones to the occiput. Eyes Itching at the inner canthus, and on lower lid, smarting after rubbing; eye becomes full of water. Bruised pain in orbicular cartilages. Pressure deep in the orbits. Cramp in lower lid, followed by profuse lachrymation. Eyes burn, ache, feel strained; sight blurred; from fine sewing or reading too much, or otherwise overtaxing them; worse on using eyes in evening (Myrica, Natr. ars., Natr. mur., Phosphorus, Sepia). Coldness beneath left eye. Ears Scraping pressure, as with a blunt piece of wood. Face Pain as from a blow behind mastoid process. Stomach Frequent eructations; odorless. Burning or gnawing in the stomach. Nausea in pit of stomach. Tension in stomach worse from drinking milk. Epigastric region sensitive. Abdomen Pressing, gnawing pain in the hepatic region. Rectum and Anus Tearing stitches in rectum when sitting. Frequent, unsuccessful urging, with prolapsus ani and emission of flatus. Rectum protrudes immediately on attempting a passage. Urinary Organs Rumex is a valuable remedy in acute catarrh of the larynx or bronchi, and coughs from laryngeo-tracheal irritation, with the peculiarities mentioned in pathogenesis; always produced by tickling in throat pit and associated with sensation of soreness and rawness behind the sternum. Asthma. Sympathetic gastric cough. Catarrhal aphonia. Gastralgia, pains extend to chest or back. Dyspepsia. Affections from excessive tea-drinking. Diarrhoea, early in the morning, driving out of bed, stools brown and watery, especially when associated with characteristic cough.
THERAPEUTICS.
Ruta has been found especially useful in bruises and other mechanical injuries of bones and periosteum; periostitis; rheumatism, etc.; always characterized by a general feeling of soreness, as from a bruise. Usually worse in cold, wet weather; better from motion. Lameness after sprains, especially of wrists and ankles. Synovitis from strains. Ganglia, especially on wrist. A very valuable remedy in bad effects from overstraining the eyes; asthenopia. Weakness of accommodation. Has been used in dyspepsia resulting from a strain of the abdominal muscles; also when meat always disagrees, causing great distress and an eruption like nettle-rash.
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).