Erechthites hieracifolia

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Fire Weed.)

Description— This common plant is found in moist woods, and is very common in recent clearings, where the ground has been burned over— whence its popular name. It grows from one to five feet high, has a hairy, grooved stem; a coarse looking annual, of rank smell; alternate simple leaves, lanceolate, acute, cut, toothed, sessile ; flowers white, in a large head. It was once called a senecio. It blooms from July to September.

Officinal Preparations.— Tincture of the plant; dilutions. The oil, and dilutions from it.

Analogues.— Asarum, Cubeba, Copaiva, Erigeron, Millefolium, Sabina, Trillium, Terebinthina.

Head.

Vertigo, everything goes up, down and sidewise. Dull frontal headache.

Headache, with throbbing in the temporal arteries, with flashes of heat running across the back from one shoulder to the other; the sensation of heat suddenly gives way to coldness, which darts across the face and back in a similar manner, accompanied with nausea.

Nose.

• Epistaxis of bright red blood.

Mouth.

• Bleeding from the gums and looseness of the teeth.

Stomach.

Eructations, with burning in the stomach, cramps in the bowels.

Uneasiness of the stomach as if nausea was about to set in. Vomiting, with burning in stomach, afterwards empty retching. Feeling in the stomach as if it would be dissolved; after

drinking cold water. Nausea, with giddiness and headache. Extravagant appetite.

Vomiting of bloody mucus; 0 even pure blood.

0 Eructations and heartburn after eating warm bread or coffee. Abdomen and Stool.

Cramps in the region of umbilicus, recurring every 15 minutes.

Constipation, followed by copious diarrhoea.

Copious diarrhoea of yellow foecal matter, of a mushy consistence, preceded by griping in the morning, followed by two or three days' constipation.

0 Haemorrhage from the bowels (in typhus).

0 Excessive haemorrhage from hemorrhoidal veins.

° Dysenteric discharges of almost pure blood.

Small mucous stools, streaked with blood, with tenesmus. Generative Organs.

{Female.) * Profuse menorrhagia and metrorrhagia of bright red blood.

° Premature and profuse menses.

{Male.) Stimulation of the genital organs, with erection and dreams of nudity and shame.

Erection, with dreams and emissions toward morning.

• Slight burning pains in meatus urinarius, with profuse urination.

• Swelling of the right testicle, with painful, continuous aching,

tenderness to the touch.

Urinary Organs.

• Urine very scanty, painful, scalding and bloody; blood oozed

from the urethra after urinating.

• Urine dark, scanty, and mixed with blood.

• Hemorrhage from the kidneys and bladder.

Urine contained a large amount of mucus floating about in

minute particles. Specific gravity 10.24; acid reaction; 40 ounces per day. The urine, after standing, has a milky appearance. Urine decreased from 42 ounces to 33 ounces.

Bronchia.

Cough, with muco-purulent expectoration (almost bloody).

Back and Extremities. Aching in the small of the back. Pains in the lower extremities.

Generalities.

• Active arterial haemorrhages, with general excitement of the

circulation.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This plant contains an oil which goes under the name of Oil of Fireweed. But an “Oil of Fire weed” is also extracted from the Erigeron. The true fireweed is, however, the Erecthites, while the Erigerons are “ Fleabanes.” Chemists tell us that the oils from these two plants, as well as turpentine, are chemically identical. This may be true, but it does not follow that their physiological or pathogenetic effects are identical. They are very closely allied, however, in their effects on the human system. All three are homoeopathic to both active and passive arterial haemorrhage ; the former is their primary, the latter their secondary effect.

The Firew.eed has been proven, but not very thoroughly. Sufficient symptoms have been obtained to give us a clue to its method of action.

It seems to cause primarily an acute congestion of the principal organs of the body. The headache is similar to that caused by Belladonna and China, or that headache which often precedes epistaxis in plethoric subjects. Had the provings been carried far enough, nosebleed would doubtless have resulted. It is a specific for epistaxis of bright-red blood as well as haemorrhages of similar character from the mouth, lungs, bowels, uterus, and kidneys. The primary haemorrhages of Erecthites, Erigeron, and Turpentine are always attended by excitement of the circulation. In such conditions you must be cautious and not prescribe too large doses, certainly not below the 8X.

The passive haemorrhage of these medicines is very different in character; it is attended by a torpor and laxity of the bloodvessels, and the blood is darker, lacks fibrin, and deposits a blackish sediment, showing disorganization of the blood-globules. We find this latter form in typhoid fever, Bright’s disease, and other diseases of low vitality. In passive haemorrhages you will get the best results from the lx or even drop doses of the oil or mother tincture.

The action of Erecthites on the mucous membranes is that of an irritant. It causes burning in the stomach with cramps, nausea, and vomiting ; cramps in the abdomen, with copious yellow diarrhoea, worse in the morning (Copaiva, Sulph., Dios.).

One person was cured of a dyspeptic condition from which he had suffered for some time, namely : “ Eructations and heartburn after eating warm bread and coffee.”

In dysentery , when the discharges are pure blood, with fever, colic, etc., alternate the Erecthites with Aconite or Ipecac., and you will soon arrest the disease.

In premature and profuse menses it rivals Calc, and Senecio. My favorite method of treating this aberration is to give Calc, or Senecio during the latter part of the month, and when the menses appear give Erecthites or Erigeron until the flow ceases to be abnormal in quantity.

Gonorrhoea and gleet have both been treated successfully by this remedy. It differs from Copaiva and Cubebs in the character of the discharge, which is always scanty. The inflammation is more like that of Cantharis and Turpentine, with scanty, bloody discharges and great pain. When orchitis occurs during gonorrhoea, or from suppressed discharges, it is equal to Pulsatilla or Clematis.