Tanacetum vulgare

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

{Tansy.)

Description. — Tansy has a perennial, moderately creeping root, and an. erect, herbaceous, somewhat six-sided, leafy, solid, striated, smooth stem, one to three feet in height, and branched above into a handsome corymb of flowers. The leaves are smooth ish, dark green, doubly and deeply pinnatifid. The flowers are golden-yellow, and arranged in dense, terminal, many-headed, fastigiate corymbs. There is a variety called Dmiblc Tansy, Tanacetum Crispum, with ci isped and dense leaves. — L. W. G.

History. — Tansj' is indigenous to Europe, but has been introduced into ♦this country; it is cultivated by many, and also grows spontaneously in old grounds, along roads etc., flowering in the latter part of summer. The whole plant is officinal ; it has an unpleasant, aromatic odor, and a strong, rather pungent and bitter taste, which properties it owes to a yellow or greenish volatile oil, which possesses in a strong degree the taste and odor of the plant, a sp. gr. of 0.952, and ultimately deposits a camphor. Its medicinal properties are extracted by alcohol, ether, chloroform, and bywater in infusion. Drying impairs much of its activity.

(Symptoms not marked, came from tincture.)

Mind.

Inability to think coherently. Confusion of thought, (oil.)

Mind tmusually clear, seemed able to accomplish anything

intellectually, {secondary.') Sadness, with desire to be let entirely alone. (P. M.) Fatigue of the mind after the least exertion, (oil.) Gay and ambitious, (secondary.)

Wants to stand on his head, stretches and draws up his feet, and says " it does me good." Irritable and lazy, very nervous and low spirited, annoyed by trifles; noise of the children almost unbearable.

Extremely sensitive to noise.

Dullness of all the senses, (oil.)

Coma and violent convulsions. (Poisoning.)

Head.

Sensation of fullness. (15 minutes.) Sense of uneasiness, but no pain in the head. Dull, heavy, confused sensation in the head. Slight giddiness. (| hour.) Headache and depression of spirits. Headache with nausea and dizziness.

Nervous headache and nausea, from excitement; 4 p. m. headache and nausea, especially in warm room', the nausea partially relieved by eating.

Dull pain in temples, particularly right, also in forehead; rest of head unusually clear.

Dull pain over whole head, especially temples and forehead, with excessive sleepiness.

Lameness and soreness in base of brain.

Aggravation of headache in the close room.

Sensation as if something closed the ears very suddenly, (oil.)

Ears.

Ringing in the ears, dizziness. (20 minutes.) Stitches in the internal ear. (oil.) Roaring in the ears, (oil.)

Eyes.

Agglutination of the lids in the morning, (oil.) Dull, aching pains in the eyeballs, (oil.)

Nose.

Dryness of the nostrils, (oil.)

Profuse secretion of mucus in nose, with frequent coryza. (oil.)

Face.

Sense of fullness. (15 minutes.) Burning sensation, flushed.

Twitching in the face over left molar bone at intervals during the day.

Lips dry, parched, must be frequently moistened by tongue.

Mouth, Tongue and Teeth. Sore mouth, not quite apthous. Flat, insipid taste, (oil.) Bad taste in the mouth. Frothing at the mouth, (oil.) Mouth and tongue very dry upon awakening. Tongue feels rough, (oil.) Tongue coated white and looks frothy. Toothache, dull, in the right lower molar. Soreness of upper teeth, right side, on closing the mouth.

Throat.

Roughness of the throat, (oil.)

Feeling in the throat as if would cough all the time, without being able to cough, during whole proving, (oil.) Stomach.

No appetite, thoughts of eating unpleasant, but not while eating, except sweet things or soft food, like oat-meal, etc., which increases the nausea. Food has no relish, directly after eating little, but thirsty. Sweets and soft food are very nauseating.

After eating, pain in the bowels, urgent stool relieves ; intense thirst, especially for cold water; intense nausea all day, with increased watery menses, or with suppression of the menses.

Excessive nausea soon after rising, continuing severe all day, with temporary relief from eating; weight at the stomach.

Drawing, cutting pains in the epigastrium many times, (oil.)

Nausea greatly increased by eating sweet things or soft food, like oat meal, etc.

Nausea and bilious vomiting.

Eructations tasting of tansy (|- hour); of sour air. {oil.) Eructations with relief; sense of heat in stomach (immediate), Sharp, stitching pain in whole umbilical region, (oil.)

Abdomen.

Sensation of warmth over whole abdomen. (15 minutes.) Dull pains in right hypochondria, sharp pains in left, (oil.) Pains in bowels after eating, and within an hour soft stool with relief.

On awaking in the morning, dull pain in hypogastric and iliac regions as if menses would appear; this pain continues all through the morning with slight nausea, pain around the waist and from thence down to the knees.

Pain in region of liver while sitting.

Constant dull pain in liver, which seemed sometives to prevent

lying on the right side. Feeling of weakness in abdomen, with disinclination to stand

erect and intense sleepiness, especially between 11 a. m.

and 2 or 3 p. m.

Weakness of abdominal muscles, also tension, causing inclination to stoop forward.

Hard, dull, aching pain in the whole of the bowels, constant symptom, (oil.)

Frequent colicky pains in the umbilical region, through the day, and especially at 4 a. m., for two weeks, (oil.)

Constant, hard, drawing pains in left groin, (oil.)

Stool, etc.

Pain in the bowels relieved by stool.

Desire for stool almost immediately after eating.

Constant urging in rectum, with pain while passing stool, relief after; stools soft and painless during the day, but oftener than usual; constipation, yet urging quite frequent after eating, particularly morning; diarrhoea from large doses, (oil.)

Soft papescent stools, preceded by sharp, cutting pains in the umbilicus, (oil.)

Urine.

Constant inclination to urinate, with dull, heavy pain in the small of the back, (secondary.) (oil.)

At first suppression, followed by profuse flow, (oil.) Urine very scanty and cloudy. Urine thick, pinkish and cloudy.

Frequent desire to urinate — three times in four hours — not strangury.

Emission of large quantities of normal urine; urine fetid, (oil.)

Urine light-colored, pale, increased.

Urine strongly impregnated with the odor of tansy.

Urine slightly scalding.

Urine high colored, (oil.)

Female Genitals.

Scanty menstruation.

Suppression of the menses, with intense nausea, and scanty

urine with cloudy deposit. Menses three days too soon and scanty, with little pain. Increased watery menses with nausea. Menses very scanty and pale, almost ceasing at times. Menses appeared at right time, but very pale and watery, with

soreness and swelling of abdomen. Severe pain in uterine region, back and limbs, with nausea. On awaking in the morning, dull pain in hypogastric and iliac

regions, as if menses would appear; the pain continues all

through the morning, with slight nausea, pain around the

waist and from thence down to the knees. Abortion, with spasms and haemorrhage, (oil.) Very much interferes with the development of the foetus. Labia excoriated and slight leucorrhoea.

Chest.

Constant tickling sensation in larynx and fauces, that produces a constant inclination to cough, but no coughing, (oil.)

Difficult respiration, with irregular pulse and frothing at the mouth, (oil.)

Strong desire to draw a full breath, which did not relieve the

oppression of the chest. Dull pain through right lung, from front to shoulder blade. Feeling of numbness in right lung, shoulder and arm. Constant pain under right shoulder blade. Swelling of left axillary glands.

Respiration disturbed, laborious. {Poisoning.) (oil.) Heart gradually becomes weaker until death; pulse irregular

(Poisoning); pulse 98, temperature 99, 5, F. Pulse 115, temperature 100, 5, F. (after 2£ hours.)

Back.

Severe, dull pain in lumbar region.

Constant, dull pain in back and in region of liver.

Constant, dull, aching pain in lumbar region for ten days, (oil.)

Severe attack of lumbago, all one evening, (oil.)

Neck.

Left sub-maxillary glands swollen and sore. Pain and stiffness in right sterno-mastoid, when turning head to the left.

Dull darting pain in back of neck simultaneous with pain in

both shoulders and arms. Stiffness of the muscles of the neck.

Extremities.

Left wrist very lame and sore in the morning, (oil.)

Upper.

Dull, darting pain through both shoulders, arms and in back

of neck, rheumatic in character. Pain in muscles of left arm from elbow to shoulder. Stiffness of muscles of right shoulder and neck, extending

later down right side.

Lower.

Soreness and lameness in right leg from inguinal region to knee. Great weakness of the legs with general prostration of strength. Spasmodic contractions of legs, (oil.)

Sleep.

"Went to bed drowsy, but not restless.

Intense sleepiness, especially between 11 a. sr. and 2 to 3 p. m. Sleepy all the afternoon, could not apply herself to anything;

2 a. m. awoke with hiccough, lasting an hour. Uneasy sleep, awaking with sharp, darting, stitching pain low

in uterine region, lasting until dressed. Restless, sleepy, but cannot sleep. Very sleepy, especially in a close, warm room. Dreaming of ridiculously unnatural things in early morning

sleep.

Generalities.

Great mobility; extraordinary motions and strange gesticulations. {Lippe) St. Vitus dance. (/J.)

Slight rheumatic shooting pains in different parts of the body,

particularly in left arm. " Laziness " all through; not a stupor, but an uneasy desire to

do something, yet nothing was the right thing. Intense feverish heat throughout the body. Tired feeling when walking. Excitement causes nervous headache and nausea. A tired, nervous feeling all the time.

Dull pain in limbs and back; uneasiness, compelling frequent changes of position, most comfortable on the left side.

Feeling of numbness in right lung, shoulder and arm.

Neuralgic pain in muscles of various parts of the body, and in muscles of hips and neck a stiffness with every motion, which commenced in morning and continued all day. Frequent and violent clonic spasms, with disturbed res piration. {Poisoning.")

Prickling sensation coming and going in the extremities and along the spine, with flashes of heat.

Conditions.

Aggravation in general, in a close room.

Evening exhaustion.

Amelioration when walking out doors.

Feel better generally in the evening than in middle of the day.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

Although Tansy is one of the oldest of medicines in domestic practice, and a plant possessing powerful toxic properties, there has never been any systematic proving of it until very lately. In

Vol. I is given a pathogenesis arranged by Dr. - , and

compiled from various provings and cases of poisoning. The symptoms were obtained from the tincture of the plant and from the oil.

Cases of poisoning from the use of the oil for the criminal purpose of causing abortion, have often been reported to medical journals, but the special symptoms and conditions of such cases have not been as carefully observed as they should have been.

It is a violent poison, — an acro-narcotic, — and has produced clonic and tonic spasms, coma, delirium, and death.

It resembles, on the one hand, Sabina. Turpentine, Hedeoma, and Ruta; on the other Stramonium, Cimicifuga, Cicuta, and Cuprum.

Its sphere of action includes the brain, spinal cord, kidneys, bladder, uterus, and ovaries.

It will be found most useful in diseases of women arising from disorder of the generative organs, and presenting severe reflex spasmodic or cerebral symptoms.

Theoretically I would recommend it in threate ned abortion, premature labor , morning vomiting , puerperal spasms (from disease of the kidneys), metrorrhagia, etc.

It has been found curative in amcnorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia, uterine cramps, and metritis, especially when spasmodic symptoms threaten. The indications for its use in the last-named disorders nearly resemble Sabina.

Scanty menses is a secondary effect of the drug. I have relieved several cases, when, with the scanty flow, headache and stupor were present. The dose required was a few drops of the 2X of the oil.

It may prove useful for dysuria, nephritis, and perhaps the uraemia of pregnancy.

In cases of poisoning by Tanacetum the heart grows weaker, the pulse more irregular, until death.

Its action on the heart is probably through the cord. It may prove useful in some reflex cardiac disorders.

A crystal lizable acid has been extracted from Tansy, which is identical with Santonin. This explains why it has always had such a reputation in domestic practice for the removal of worms, and the alleviation of worm symptoms.

It is homoeopathic to spasms from the irritation of worms and uterine disorders, and possibly reflex paralysis, which sometimes occurs from the same causes.

It is said to have cured St. Vitus’s dance, with symptoms like Stramonium.

It may in time prove a useful remedy in many nervous disorders.