COLOCYNTHIS


At this meeting I would call your attention to a drug which should focus attention favorably, as it has been prescribed often in the past for fulminant disease, and oftentimes with tellingly curative effects. In our country, abdominal ills frequently have yielded, while in Great Britain there seems to be a tendency to include severe sciaticas as well. The following symptoms have been collected gradually and recorded in a large book which I keep just for that purpose.


At this meeting I would call your attention to a drug which should focus attention favorably, as it has been prescribed often in the past for fulminant disease, and oftentimes with tellingly curative effects. In our country, abdominal ills frequently have yielded, while in Great Britain there seems to be a tendency to include severe sciaticas as well. The following symptoms have been collected gradually and recorded in a large book which I keep just for that purpose. Remember all the symptoms were secured from unsuspecting provers, surely a valuable desideratum. Here they are.

EMOTIVE AND SENTIENT.

Giddy (3, 6, 30). Giddy when walking (30). Improvement in strength (6,6). Giddy when reading (6). Feels weaker indoors (6) Afternoon asthenia (6). Dizzy in the morning; dizziness when rising from a seat (30). Cannot stay quiet; has to move around; restlessness which is worse a night and worse around 9 to 10 p.m. (30). Confused mentally. Unable to think (30).

HEAD.

The face feels stiff and drawn (6). Frontal headache (30). Frontal headache started around 2 p.m. and it became worse toward evening. It was worse at night. Constant throbbing headache was worse on lying down. Better by sitting up (6). The eyes felt gritty in the back part and it burned there (6). All day, the eyes lachrymate; it is worse in the left eye, and it is worse out of doors (6). Aching in the left eye, dull and intermittent (6). A sharp vertical headache intermits (3). Around 8:30 p.m. sharp headache, worse on the left side, in the frontal area (6). When reading there is vertigo and the letters run together. There was amelioration by closing the eyes for a spell. (6) The prover was forced to wink the eyes quite often (30).

A knocking vertical headache, much worse on bending over (3). In the morning, on awakening, lachrymation. It kept up until 10 a.m. and the left eye alone was involved. (30). Both eyes water badly, and it is worse trying to look at things (6).The nasal discharge is thick (6). The face feels hot and it is worse indoors (6). Whenever he feels hot, the eyes begin to water. (6). A sharp pain in the right temple (6). A sharp pain in the right temple which is intermittent and dark-like (30). The left eye weeps all the time (30).

A sharp frontal headache around noon, when the sun is warm. It is a constant condition. (30). The forehead was hot (30). It felt to the prover as if the left eye had sand in it (30). A terrible, twisting, grinding pain back of the right ear. This intermits. (30). The pain is sharp and intermittent over the left eye and the left side of the head. The posterior vertical head area is very sore and hot to the touch. (30). Constant dill headaches all afternoon (tincture).

THROAT.

The pharynx is reddened (3). The proving aggravates the sourness in the mouth after swallowing food (6). Sour eructations come up after eating (6). Fever blisters develop on the lower lip which are very sore to the touch (6). Painless hoarseness (6). Burning of the lips (tincture). Hoarseness is worse in the morning(?) (tincture).

STOMACH AND ABDOMEN.

Awful gripping pains all over the belly (3). Awful gripping pains all over the belly and as far as the end of the lower part of the sternum. The belly is swollen up. A female prover discards her stays because she fancies she may be relieved thereby, her distention is so great. The entire abdomen all over is dreadfully sore. Pressure brings relief. It is worse on walking or a misstep, which hurts very badly. Forced to lie down from the griping in the abdomen. Unable to stand on the feet. (3).

Soreness in the pit of the stomach (3). Thin yellowish stools in the morning (30). Straining at stool (curative effect) (3). Appetite banished (3). Appetite banished (6). A primary diarrhoea is induced and the stools are softer (6). After eating, belching (6). Sour eructations after eating (6). Passed a lot of gas at night running of gas (?) (3). The prover can go without food (6 ). The stool is very black and hard (6). Nausea but could not vomit (30). Nausea at the smell of food (30).

Sharp knife-like pain in the left chest (30). Sore all over the body, worse from the rubbing of the clothes; this at 11 p.m. (3). Stiffness in the right shoulder (3). The prover felt pounded and sore all over the arms, shoulders, chest, and legs; even the left ankle on the outside is badly affected (6). The left side is mostly affected (6). At night, pains in the back, sharp, worse on movement (6). At 11 p.m., the palpitation is marked. It is better by lying on the right side. The palpitation kept up until nearly 2:30 p.m. the next day. (6). At the spot of being bumped, pains is set up; it lasts a long time at the spot. It is sharp at first but it becomes dull.

EXTREMITIES.

Pain in left hip, dull and constant and worse on walking (30) Pain is present down the back of the left thigh (sciatic distribution) (30). The left ankle on the outside is badly affected and the prover could hardly walk at times. There is a drawing feeling there. (6). The left leg, from above the popliteal space to the calf, develops constant sharp pain, which is worse at night from 2 a.m. on (6). Around the left shoulder joint dull pain which intermits (6). In the right elbow joint the dull pain lasted a half hour (6). Around 8 p.m., after a misstep, the whole right leg pained. Sharp pain around the knee cap, worse on bending the knee.

It lasted five minutes constantly, followed by a constant dull pain. (6). In school jumping exercises the knees pain badly from the sport and the pain is sharp (6). Sharp pain in both knees (30). Dull pain in both knees, worse in the morning. Cannot run because of the stiffness in both knees. Sharp pain in both knees. (6). Sharp pain in the right knee joint, worse running or brisk walking (6). Sharp intermittent pains in the knees after exercise (30). Both legs felt heavy; unable to run when he tried (30).

RESPIRATORY.

Pain in the left chest, very sharp, like a cutting knife, awful when breathing could not lie on either side, and it is worse on the left side. Could lie on the back, inclined to the left. (30). Loose cough with white and thick expectoration (30). The prover felt choked up, as if in a gas chamber (6).

After lying down, until 12 or I oclock, dry nonproductive coughing spells. It lasts five or ten minutes, then the rest of the night no bother. (6). Rather hard to breathe due to a stuffed-up nose (6). In the mid-lung area, hurts when coughing (30). Very tight cough, much worse at night, worse lying in bed (30) Sore when inspiring in the anterior mid-chest area (30).

SLEEP.

Sleeping much better (6). Sleeplessness from 4 a.m. on (30).

SKIN.

Red streaks appear about as wide as ones finger. Develop below the navel (4 inches by 4 inches). 3.

URINE.

Voiding urine at night (3, 6, 6, 30). Reduced frequency from four to five times to about twice. (6) In daytime, had to urinate twelve to fourteen times. It was painless and like water. (6). Urination very hour at night, painless and small amount (30).

FEVER.

Perspiration now around midnight. All over the body. Feels warm with it, better by removing some clothing and opening the window. (6). A pulse of 66 goes to 74 and then to 62. The temperature goes from normal to 98.3, then to 96.7 (6). Awakened (in the morning?) with feverish flushes over all the head and face; craved the fresh air (6). Felt very hot all night, ameliorated by covering up warmly. When uncovering, very chilly. Sweated all over except the feet, which were like ice. Better by a hot water bag. Forehead hot (30).

FEMALE.

No symptoms developed in my provers.

MODALITIES.

Amelioration of great belly distress by pressure; aggravation by walking (6). The griping in the belly necessitates lying down: inability to stand on the feet (3). Craves air and amelioration thereby (6). The left side is affected more than the right one (6). PHILADELPHIA, PENNA.

DISCUSSION.

DR.A.H.GRIMMER: I couldnt help thinking that Dr.McFarlans patients get a good deal for their money, and incidentally, we get a good deal of value out of it. We owe him a great deal of gratitude for that.

DR.BENTHACK: I is a fine way of proving Colocynthis, in any right ovarian irritation and enlargement, gives with me very good success if there is the characteristic pain-in the right side.

DR.EDWARDS: Here is where potencies come in. We dont have to have a low potency or tincture of COLOCYNTHIS to cure a horse of colic. A 200th will do it.

COMMUNICATIONS

The Editors assume no responsibility for the opinions expressed in this department.

To the Editor of The Recorder.

I have been invited to join in a financing scheme to help boost the use and sale of homoeopathic medicines among laymen, and replied to my would-be collaborator in the business that he might find my answer in the next number if The Recorder.

It is my opinion that dabbling with homoeopathic remedies, whether by doctors or laymen (and doctors have dabbled far more, of course) is just what has degenerated the school since its first historic rise.

Donald Macfarlan