Aesculus glabra

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

{Ohio Buckeye.)

Botanical Description. — This is a large tree, growing abundantly in the rich alluvial bottom lands of Ohio, and other States watered by the Ohio river. The bark exhales an unpleasant odor, as in the rest of the genus. Flowers small, not showy, stamens curved, much longer than the corolla, which is of a pale yellow, and consists of four upright petals. Fruit prickly when young. Leaves opposite, pointing out. Leaflets fine, with a serrate or toothed edge and straight veins, like a chestnut leaf. This species belongs to the Aesculus proper, differing from the " Pavia," in having the fruit covered with prickles when young. The fruit contains the most active poisonous qualities, The rind of the fruit, the bark and leaves also possess toxical powers.

Officinal Preparations. — Triturations of the dried fruit. Tincture from the bark and whole fruit, made by maceration with dilute alcohol.

Sphere of Action. — An irritant of the cerebro-spinal system ; affects the intestinal canal, and probably the liver.

Analogues. — JEsculus hippocastanum, Aloes, Collinsonia, Cocculus, Gymnocladus, Ignatia, Nux Vomica.

Mental Sphere. Confusion of mind, always attended by vertigo, and generally followed by stupefaction and coma.

Head.

Vertigo, with staggering, reeling and unconsciousness. Vertigo, with fullness and heaviness of the head, dimness ol sight, thickness of speech, nausea and vomiting. Eyes.

Dimness of sight, even loss of sight. Eyes fixed and expressionless.

Mouth.

Thickness of speech, from paralysis of the tongue.

Stomach and Abdomen. Great tympanetic distension of the stomach and abdomen. Nausea, with loathing of food and vomiting, with cramp-like pain in the stomach.

Stool and Anus.

• Obstinate constipation; hard, knotty stools.

• Hemorrhoidal tumors, dark purple, with lameness and

weakness of the back. (B. L. Hill.)

Back and Neck. "Wry neck (spasmodic). Opithotomus.

Extremities. Great lameness and weakness of the back. Paralysis of the hinder extremities of animals. Trembling of the lower limbs, with spasmodic contraction.

Sleep.

Stupefaction, with confusion of ideas, followed by coma, state.

Generalities. Spasms and convulsions, followed by paralysis.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This relative of the horse-chestnut has been neglected. It is doubtless a more powerful medicine than the latter, for the Buckeye cannot be eaten with safety by animals or men. From the meagre provings we have, it would seem to resemble Cocculus and Nux vomica. It has been found curative by Drs% Hill, P. II.

Hale, Douglass, and myself in haemorrhoids with the following symptoms :

Very painful external tumors, dark purple, with constipation and vertigo; weakness of the sacrum and lower extremities.

It is said that carrying the nut in the pocket, or wearing it on the body, will cure piles. Many physicians assert this to be a fact. Why not? May not the curative principle be absorbed in sufficient quantity ?

I would suggest its use in cerebrospinal meningitis, when we have :

Wry neck, vertigo, vomiting, opisthotonos, tympanitis, with stupor or coma.

It has usually been prescribed in the first three triturations of the pulp of the ripe nut.