Melilotus officinalis

Volume I — Appendix

(Sweet Clover.)

Description. — There are two varieties of sweet clover, one having yellow flowers (M. officinalis), and the other having white flowers [M. alba). A tincture made from both varieties was used in making this proving, and either variety can be used in practice.

Preparation. — Tincture made from the flowers.

Mind.

Furious ; was obliged to lock the prover in his room. Loss of consciousness.

Head.

• Headache lasting four days, with oppression of the chest.

• Severe headache, almost delirious with headache. Extremely

nervous, and during the day the severe, heavy, throbbing headache returned, so much so that it was feared some

of the bloodvessels would burst and some lesion of the brain occur. The odor gives some people the characteristic oppressive headache. In the afternoon had a heavy oppressive headache, which towards night assumed a heavy throbbing nature.

• A frightful, heavy oppressive headache for three days, which

is easiest relieved by applying vinegar to the head. Headache began gradually, and was confined to the left supraorbital region ; it was aggravated by motion ; on lying down it was better; if I allowed myself to think hard, as there was a disposition to do, it would ache worse ; on talking it would disappear from the frontal region and settle in the occipital region; when silent it would return to the forehead. On waking the whole head would be affected, but worse over the eye.

Nose.

• Epistaxis. Blood gushed from the nose with loss of consciousness.

Pace.

• Very red, highly congested face, almost livid.

Stomach.

Acrid eructations all day, of a burning and smarting nature.

Rectum.

Had a heavy throbbing and fulness in the rectum, due to internal piles, which had never before caused trouble.

Urinary Organs.

Obliged to leave business to evacuate the bladder.

Respiratory Organs. Terribly distressing cough, causing great anxiety. Harsh, spasmodic cough. Dry cough, spasmodic and distressing. Smothered or partially suppressed cough. Very harassing cough, throat and bronchi not relieved until evening, when it began to loosen ; could expectorate freely the next mornning. Oppressed for breath.

Chest.

Much oppression of the chest ; there seemed to be a load on the chest; difficult breathing. Awoke after sleeping badly,

with a great deal of soreness in my chest, internally, with an oppression as of a great weight.

Through the day much difficulty of breathing. Every respiration was labored, with a continued feeling of fulness of the chest and head. Awoke with a spasmodic cough, and yet with the same oppression and spasmodic breathing and fulness of the chest. A great deal of soreness of the chest, both externally and internally.

• Haemoptysis.

General Symptoms.

Very nervous and easily annoyed. Quite weak. Symptoms only relieved by profuse bleeding from the nose. Suffered for three days with a terrible headache, a bad cough, and oppression of the chest, but was relieved when the nose began to bleed, which it did to a frightful degree.

Sleep.

Poor sleep. Passed a miserable night. Slept better towards morning.

Fever.

Cold extremities.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

Sweet Clover.

This remedy is seldom used by the old school. The “Dispensatory ” of Wood and Bache says that it was formerly used to a certain extent, but has since fallen into disuse altogether, except as an ointment or poultice. In King’s “ Dispensatory ” it is spoken

of as having been used for whooping-cough, but its principal use is as an ointment for indolent ulcers.

Dr. G. W. Bowen, of Fort Wayne, Ind.,says he finds it one of the best aids in his practice. The doctor made a proving of it, and obtained results showing it to be useful in the following: Mania. (In proving it one became so furious they were obliged to lock him in his room for twenty-four hours.) Loss of consciousness with gushing of blood from the nose.

It has cured many cases of epistaxis from acute congestion.

Severe headaches, where they are almost delirious from the pains; aggravated by motion; better upon lying down. The face is very red, showing congestion soon after taking the remedy; then, after a time, the face became pale. I have interviewed several who have used this remedy, with very gratifying results. It seems to be adapted to headaches of a periodical nature, where the pain is very severe, and sometimes will be in the forehead, then can be felt as it penetrates to the occiput. After a little time it will move back again.

This may prove a useful remedy in coughs of a harsh, spasmodic character, with a feeling of oppression as if they cannot get air enough, with soreness of the chest internally and externally.

Dr. Bowen cites the following case, showing its usefulness in affections of the chest :

Mr. Y. came to me with, as he supposed, consumption. Had suffered with a bad cough and severe pain in his chest, so severe he could not lie on either side. Old-school physicians had diagnosed consumption, and apparently correctly. On examination I found the soreness was in the pleune, which were evidently very much thickened. I gave, while examining him, a dose of Melilotus, and before I got my selections put up he assured me he felt better and could breathe easier, so of course I continued the remedy. In six days’ time he returned home well, and has remained so ever since.

There was of course no consumption in this case, as it would be impossible to cure that so soon.

Dr. H. R. Stout, of Jacksonville, Fla., in an article in the “Investigator” reports the following:

Case I. — A gentleman had been subject to attacks of neuralgia for fifteen or twenty years, affecting the right side of the head, and causing almost complete destruction of the sight of that eye. The attacks were caused by fatigue, cold, or derangement of the stomach. The pain centred about the eye, and extended over the right side of head and neck, and left the scalp sore and tender to the touch. The pain during some of the attacks was agonizing in the extreme,

and the patient would become wild and furious with its severity. I had used all the usual remedies, including Morphine, at different times, but Aconite and Belladonna had generally rendered the best service. I first used the Melilotus last fall, with the effect of completely controlling the attack; and since that time, when taken soon enough, it has always checked or controlled it.

Case II was a lady who for two months had suffered almost constantly from gastralgia, accompanied by vomiting and entire loss of appetite, or rather inability to eat from the suffering it occasioned. She had been subject to attacks of neuralgia of the stomach for about six years. The dorsal region of the spine was exceedingly sensitive, and the pain always proceeded from that point. She had always been under allopathic treatment, and for two months preceding my treatment had steadily grown worse. The proper remedies controlled the vomiting, and to a considerable extent the neuralgia, which came on at night more frequently, and was exceedingly severe. Sometimes she was hardly able to speak or breathe. The pneumogastric and solar plexus of nerves, with their branches, were the ones affected. I had been in to see her late one evening and found her suffering severely. Veratrum alb. seemed to control the attack, and I left her apparently improving. About two o’clock her husband came in great haste and said she was dying. While dressing I racked my brain to know what remedy I should give, and it occurred to me that Melilotus perhaps would help me through. On arriving at the house I found her convulsed with agony, almost breathless, cold extremities, and in a condition that demanded prompt relief. I prepared Melilotus 3X, and the first dose took effect, and in one hour she was entirely relieved and went to sleep. She was threatened several times after with a return of gastralgia, but Melilotus invariably checked it. A month has now elapsed since an attack, the longest period she has passed without suffering for a year.

Case III was a gentleman who lately came from the North for his health. His nervous system was broken down from close application to business, and for two months he had suffered extremely with gastralgia. Reasoning that his physicians had given the usual remedies, I prescribed Melilotus, with the effect to materially control the attack, and as he expressed it, the remedy relieved him more and left him feeling better than anything he had taken before. He left here, after a stay of a week or so, for another portion of the State, since which time I have heard nothing of him. I furnished him with a quantity of the remedy, as he was unwilling to travel without it.

A peculiarity of Melilotus is that it appears to remove the soreness and lameness which frequently follow an attack of neuralgia.