Blue Cohosh. Berberidaceæ.

Grows in the woods from Canada to Carolina and Kentucky. Trituration and tincture are prepared from the brown, knotty, hard root, which is yellow insides. Called "squaw or papoose-root" by the Indians, by whom it is used in female complaints. First introduced into medicine by botanic physicians, afterwards into our school by Dr. E. M. Hale, in an article contained in N. A. Journ. of Hom., vol. vi, p. 373.

The only proving we have is by Dr. Burt, in Hale's New Remedies, 2d edition, p. 171. The majority of important symptoms are from clinical experience, referable to Drs. E. J. Blake, Hale, Helmuth, W. H. Holcombe, Kebs, R. Ludlam, M. Macfarlan, G. F. Matthes, Morrison, W. McGeorge, G. B. Palmer, and many others who use it frequently in practice.

MIND [1]

Fretful, weak of mind and memory. θ Miscarriage.

Fretful, irritable mood ; apprehension. θ False conception.

SENSORIUM [2]

Swimming, a sort of vertigo, with dimness of sight ; gulping a bitter, sour fluid.

INNER HEAD [3]

Dulness of head, with contracted feeling of skin of forehead.

Sensation as of needles being stuck in forehead.

Headache, pressure behind eye, dimness of sight. θ Uterine derangement.

Severe headache over left eye. θ Miscarriage.

Severe pains, by spells, in temples, as if they would be crushed together.

Headache aggravated : by stooping ; from light ; from noon until night. θ Miscarriage.

Rheumatic or neuralgic headaches, dependent upon uterine or spinal troubles.

SIGHT AND EYES [5]

Eyes ache, with a feeling as of something under lids.

Lachrymation.

Pressure behind eyes ; profuse flow of tears.

Heaviness of upper lids, has to raise them with fingers. θ Leucorrhœa.

Severe drawing pains over left eye.

SMELL AND NOSE [7]

Drawing pains in nose.

UPPER FACE [8]

"Moth spots" on forehead. θ Leucorrhœa.

TEETH AND GUMS [10]

Teeth feel sore, elongated.

TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]

Tongue coated white.

INNER MOUTH [12]

Sensation of dryness in mouth ; heat.

Aphthæ ; stomatitis materna.

PALATE AND THROAT [13]

Distress in fauces, which causes frequent inclination to swallow.

APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]

Coffee seems to aggravate.

Canine hunger, with white coated tongue.

Great thirst.

HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]

Empty eructations.

Frequent gulping up of sour, bitter fluid, with vertigo.

Spasmodic vomiting, cardialgia, excessive nausea.

SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]

Heat in stomach ; fulness.

Distress in stomach and bowels, with drawing in right hypochondrium.

Burning distress in stomach.

Dyspepsia, with spasmodic symptoms.

Spasms of stomach attending uterine irritation.

HYPOCHONDRIA [18]

Drawing in right hypochondrium, and over liver.

ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]

Distension of abdomen, with tenderness.

Spasmodic action of muscular tissues of intestines, from irritation of motor nerves, or from rheumatism.

Distress and colicky pain in abdomen, intestines and umbilical region, > by passing flatus.

Rumbling in bowels, awaking at 1 A. M. with urgent desire for stool.

Spasmodic and flatulent colic.

STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]

Watery stools, great quantity, runs a perfect stream from bowels, but no pain ; 1 A. M. θ Cholera morbus.

Soft stool, very white.

Constipation ; stool every other day.

URINARY ORGANS [21]

Emission of copious, pale or straw-colored urine.

MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]

Every few minutes sharp, stinging pain in glans penis. θ Gonorrhœa.

FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]

Sensation as if uterus was congested, with fulness and tension in hypogastric region.

Spasmodic pains in uterus.

Irritable vagina, spasmodic, intense pains.

Aphthous vaginitis.

Menses : too soon ; preceded by pain in small of back ; great aching and soreness of lower limbs ; bad breath ; bitter taste ; vertigo ; chilliness ; flow very scanty, blood very light, with intense nausea and vomiting of yellow, bitter matter ; pain unremitting for several hours ; habitual cold feet became warm under action of remedy.

Painful menstruation, flow being normal in quantity.

Spasmodic dysmenorrhœa ; spasmodic, intermittent pains in bladder, stomach, broad ligaments (groins), even chest and limbs ; congestion and irritability of uterus ; scanty flow.

Menstrual colic ; uterus retroverted.

Amenorrhœa ; spasms, cramps, or great atony.

Leucorrhœa : sharp, acrid, very weakening ; with heaviness of upper eyelids, has to lift them up with the fingers ; of profuse bland mucus ; with "moth spots" on forehead ; in little girls.

Leucorrhœa, with congestion of uterus and forcing down pains ; tardy appearance, or absence of menses, profuse secretion of mucus from vagina, and drawing pains in lower extremities.

Leucorrhœa in a woman, married ten years and never had a child ; in a few weeks became pregnant and was delivered in safety.

Hysteric convulsions during dysmenorrhœa.

PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]

Threatening abortion, spasmodic bearing down pains ; vascular excitement ; tremulous weakness ; pains severe in back and loins, but uterine contractions feeble ; slight flow.

Threatened abortion ; all movement of child had ceased ; sense of weight, and profuse hemorrhage.

Paroxysms of labor pains so severe, patient had to hold on to objects for support ; threatened abortion at fourth month.

Habitual abortion from uterine debility.

Spasmodic rigidity of os, delaying labor ; pains like pricking needles in cervix.

Tormenting, useless pains in beginning of labor.

Labor pains short, irregular, spasmodic ; patient very weak and irritable ; no progress being made.

Pains become weak, flagging from long protracted labor, causing exhaustion ; thirsty, feverish.

Weak labor pains passing off with a shiver and causing much distress.

After pains : especially after exhausting lengthy labor ; spasmodic, across lower abdomen ; extend into groins.

Retained placenta and membranes.

Hemorrhage, particularly after hasty labor.

Passive hemorrhage after abortion or confinement.

Protracted lochia ; great atony ; blood oozes passively from relaxed uterine vessels.

Suppressed lochia.

Griping soreness of uterus, < from pressure.

After cessation of menses, occasional loss of blood ; fugitive pains in uterus and ovaries ; cervix swollen and congested ; os pouting and tightly closed ; feeling of tension and fulness in uterine region ; bloated abdomen. θ False conception.

VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]

Hoarseness and loss of voice. θ Uterine disturbances. θ leucorrhœa.

RESPIRATION [26]

Panting breathing, oppression of chest. θ Uterine disturbances. θ Rheumatism.

INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]

Spasmodic, intermittent pains in chest, with anemia.

NECK AND BACK [31]

Severe drawing pain in sterno-cleido-mastoid, drawing head to left.

Rheumatic stiffness of nape of neck.

Dull pain in lumbar region.

Severe pains in back and loins. θ Threatening abortion.

UPPER LIMBS [32]

Severe drawing pain in wrists and fingers.

Rheumatism of wrists and finger joints, with swelling ; cutting in joints when closing hands ; pains shift to nape of neck, with spasmodic rigidity ; panting ; oppression of chest ; high fever ; delirium ; nervous excitement.

Fingers are very stiff.

LOWER LIMBS [33]

Drawing pains in thighs, knees, ankles, feet and toes.

Knees weak, when walking.

Pain in feet and toes, < at night.

LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]

Rheumatism, especially of smaller joints.

All joints crack, when walking or turning.

Severe drawing pains in joints of arms and legs.

Constant flying pains in arms and legs, remain only a few minutes in any one place.

Pain in fingers, ankles, feet and toes, causing restlessness at night.

REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]

Stooping : < headache.

Walking : joints crack.

Turning : joints crack.

Closing hands : cutting in joints.

NERVES [36]

Great nervous excitement ; spasmodic affections.

Chorea at puberty, or during establishment of menstrual function.

Sympathetic cramps and spasms of bladder, rectum or bowels, in consequence of uterine disturbances.

Hysterical or epileptiform spasms at puberty, from menstrual irregularities, especially in rheumatic females.

Tremulous weakness felt over entire body. θ Uterine hemorrhage.

Paraplegia, with retroversion and congestion of uterus after childbirth ; partial loss of sensation ; emaciation, anemia, general debility.

SLEEP [37]

Sleepless, restless, nervous. θ Rheumatism. θ Uterine complaints.

TIME [38]

Night : restless, fingers, ankles, feet and toes pained so much ; headache.

At 1 A. M. : rumbling in bowels ; watery stool, runs a perfect stream.

Noon until night : headache.

FEVER [40]

Fever high, delirious, nervous excitement, rheumatism.

ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]

Pains are intermittent and paroxysmal. θ Labor. θ Dysmenorrhœa.

Every few minutes : pain in glans penis.

Pains recur daily.

Every other day : stool.

Pains in extremities change place every few minutes.

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]

Left : severe headache over eye ; drawing pains over eye.

Right : hypogastrium, drawing.

SENSATIONS [43]

As of needles being stuck in forehead, also in cervix ; as if temples would be crushed together ; as of something under eyelids ; as if uterus as congested.

Cutting : in joints, when closing hands.

Spasmodic pain : in uterus ; in vagina ; in bladder ; in stomach ; in groins ; in chest ; in limbs.

Flying pains : in arms and legs ; in uterus and ovaries.

Stinging : in glans penis.

Colicky pain : in abdomen, intestines, umbilical region and uterus.

Burning : distress in stomach.

Drawing : pain over left eye ; in nose ; in right hypochondrium ; pain in sterno-cleido-mastoid ; in wrists and fingers ; in joints of arms and legs ; in lower limbs.

Aching : of eyes ; of limbs.

Pressure : behind eyes.

Pricking pains : in cervix.

Rheumatic stiffness : of nape of neck.

Rheumatic pain : in head.

Soreness : of uterus ; of limbs ; of teeth.

Dull pain : in lumbar region.

Pain : by spells in temples ; severe in back and loins ; in feet and toes, severe over left eye and small of back.

Elongated : teeth feel.

Contracted : skin of forehead.

Tension and fulness : in uterine region.

Heaviness : of upper lid ; in uterine region.

Fulness : in stomach.

Tremulous weakness : over entire body.

Heat : in mouth ; in stomach.

Dryness : of mouth.

TISSUES [44]

Affects principally female sexual organs ; want of tonicity of womb ; feeble contractions ; leucorrhœa ; hysteria and spasmodic affections.

Acts upon muscular tissue.

Rheumatism, particularly of small joints, which has a tendency to shift.

STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]

Especially suited to females.

Little girls subject to leucorrhœa.

RELATIONS [48]

Incompatible : coffee.

Compare : Act. rac ., Bellad . (intermittent and paroxysmal pains), Cann. ind., Lilium tig., Nux vom., Pulsat . (labor pains similar, but mental condition opposite), Sepia (reflex symptoms from uterine irregularities).