Cajuputum

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Cajuput Oil.)

Pharmacology.— This is the volatile oil of Melaleuca Cajuputi, a small tree of the Molucca Island's, belonging to the natural family of Myrtaceae. Its name, in the language of the natives, signifies white tree, and serves to indicate the white bark for which it is remarkable. The oil is obtained from its leaves by distillation. It is very fluid and transparent, has a hot, aromatic taste, followed by a sense of coolness in the mouth, and a strong but agreeable odor, which is said to resemble that of turpentine, camphor, peppermint and rose together. It is wholly soluble in alcohol.

Officinal Preparations. — Triturations; tincture; dilutions.

Analogues.— Cocculus, (?) Va lerian, ( ? ) Asafatida. ( f (

Mind.

Can't think of anything; ideas come slowly. Disgust for books usually used in study. Want to walk slow and very dignified; prefer to walk alone.

Head.

Full and dull heavy feeling all through the head.

The above feeling gradually moved and became settled in the

occipital region. ° Headache relieved by a few drops rubbed on the affected

locality.

Feel and walk as if had taken too much beer ; can walk

straight, but feel very unsteady. Feeling of dizziness when walking.

Face, Eyes and Ears. Heavy feeling of the eyes, but does not feel sleepy. Eyes look very dull; upper lids feel thick and heavy. Rough feeling of the face; can't hurt the skin by pinching it. ° Deafness; when mixed with almond oil and applied on cotton.

Mouth, Throat and Stomach. A cool, not unpleasant sensation in mouth and oesophagus. c Applied to the cavity of a carious tooth it alleviates pain. Excessive coughing and strangulation, followed by a profuse

flow of saliva.

Constant inclination to spit and hawk up large quantities of

tough white mucus. Tongue feels as if it would fill the mouth. Sensation of paralysis in the oesophagus.

Sensation of swelling and constriction of the oesophagus.

Taste in the mouth and a feeling in the oesophagus as if had swallowed lye from wood ashes.

(Esophagus seemed to close up and leave no space for swallowing.

Appetite good, can eat anything, but don't feel natural when eating.

The eating all seems to be performed mechanically. 0 Nervous vomiting, or the vomiting of hysterical persons. ° Nervous dysphagia, or spasmodic stricture of the oesophagus 0 Spasmodic hiccups.

On rising from a seat, sensation as if he would vomit. Aching in and around the bicuspids when biting anything.

Bowels.

0 Flatulent colic, particularly when produced by cold, or by

the retrocession of inflammation, gouty or otherwise, of

the skin or extremities. ° Choleraic diarrhoea, from sudden check of perspiration. Rectum feels paralyzed.

Generative Organs. 0 Menses suspended or diminished and attended with pain,

when caused by a cold or check of perspiration. Back and Extremities. On raising the arms, feel as if they would drop down in spite

of any effort to keep them up. Lame sensation in carpel bones of left wrist. Arms feel like soaked wood hanging to him. Arms feel so heavy takes all the will power to raise them. Arms feel as if they would tremble if he would let them. On stooping forward, stitching pains through right lumbar

region.

Almost complete loss of sensibility of the outer side of the thighs and dorsal surface of the forearms and hands.

The inside of the thighs and palmar surface of the hands exceedingly sensitive to pinching.

While walking, knees feel weak, as though would certainly give out.

Knees ache, continuing nearly all night.

Generalities. A feeling as if just a little larger all over. ° Epilepsy; palsy; paralysis; chronic rheumatism; hysteria;

dropsy. ° Nervous dyspnoea. Heat in the stomach; quick pulse and perspiration. Trembling all over. Frequent gaping and stretching.

Feeling as if just recovering from a hard spell of sickness.

A general numb feeling, especially of the face.

Voice hoarse as if had taken cold.

Sharp pain through superior part of both lungs.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This odoriferous oil has not been used as a medicine in homoeopathic practice except by a few physicians.

The pathogenesis in “Symptomatology” was made up from provings made by Dr. E. C. Parsons, then a student in Hahnemann College, Chicago. This, together with a proving by Dr. Euden, which I overlooked (but which is appended hereto), are the only provings I have found.

I have named its analogues hesitatingly, for not sufficient is known of it to justify us in estimating with precision its sphere of action. It seems to resemble in its effects Cocculus, Asafoetida, Camphor, and Valerian.

I have often called your attention to the fact that provings of any drug will show that the cures heretofore made with it, in any practice, are homoeopathic cures.

The Oil of cajuput has cured nervous vertigo , headache , nervous vomiting , dysphagia , spasmodic stricture of the oesophagus, hiccoughs, flatulent colic, suppressed menses, epilepsy, hysteria, paralysis (probably hysterical), and other nervous affections.

The fragmentary provings we possess show that vertigo, stricture of the oesophagus, vomiting, hysterical symptoms, are among its prominent pathogenetic symptoms.

I once prescribed it in a case of spasmodic hiccough, after an attack of apoplexia nervosa. It relieved in a few minutes, in doses of five drops of the lx.

In one case of persistent “ sensation of choking in the throat,” a few doses removed the symptom, which had lasted several weeks.

Dr. H. N. Martin, commenting on Dr. Euden’s proving, says:

The white, moist, sour-bitter, rough tongue in the morning, with sensation as if scalded, and no thirst, reminds us of Pulsatilla ; so also does the position of the

arms when sleeping. Sadness and downheartedness, with disposition to cry, and the peculiar desire for food, with disgust at it when brought to him, are all similar to Pulsatilla. If the eruption, like measles, was the result of the proving, it ought to divide the palm with Pulsatilla in the treatment of that disease. Other symptoms will be recognized which are quite similar to Baptisia, especially the symptom, “felt as if I could not get myself together.” Several of the symptoms are also similar to Natr. mur., especially, “ he does not want to be spoken to.” It ought to be valuable in the treatment of typhoid fever.

I agree with Dr. Martin, and predict that it will relieve the tympanites in typhoids.

DR. RUDEN’s PROVING.

August, 1869. Weather warm and dry. The experimenter being in a healthy condition, and all the functions of the body normal. Temperament lymphatic. Pulse, 72.

August 10th, a.m. Took 5 gtts. Burning in the throat down to the stomach ; pain in the right lung. After four hours : erections, with great desire for an embrace. After five hours: intense itching, aggravated bv scratching, lasting two hours. Sleep, with amorous dreams, without emissions. At 12 o’clock (midnight) on rising in bed, stitching pain through both knees, lasting a quarter of an hour (never had such pains before). On going out of doors at midnight could not see; rubbed his eyes to bring sight. Wanted to sleep with his arms locked under his head for the first time.

August 12tli, a.m. No appetite ; tongue moist, feels as if scalded, looks white and rough; pulse, 70; sensation as of burning in the face (had same sensation last night). On retiring at night sleep full of amorous dreams. Was called at midnight, and on rising passed water freely. After visiting my patient, retired again and slept soundly until 6 A.M.

August 13th, 8 A.M. Took 7 gtts. After ten minutes : sticking pain above the orbital arches, relieved by pressing the hand on the parts ; worse on removing the hand. After one hour : soreness across the chest, with pain in the left shoulder ; sensation in the arms as if they were tied to the body, especially in the left one ; feel cold, and cold sweat all over the body ; no thirst and no appetite ; pain across the chest.

12 p.m. Took 10 gtts., followed by nausea and pain in the right side below the ribs.

6 p.m. Pain over the left eye and through the left malar bone. On going to supper it was with great difficulty that I could walk, from weakness and pain in both knees. Went to bed without supper, and was better on lying down. Was called at 10 p.m. to go in the country ; felt as if I could not get myself together, and could not find my clothes for some time, although they were quite near ; better in the open air, but on riding my lungs felt as if they were loose, and that I must hold them together by pressing on them.

August 14th. Passed water this A.M. at 6 o’clock, the first for thirty hours.

The urine is dark-red, and smells like that of cats. Very (uncommonly) profuse and weakening sweat. Felt very much offended on being called last night.

9 A.M. Joints feel enlarged, with some pain ; same kind of pain in both shoulders. Feel all over as if I had been poisoned. Taste in the mouth between sour and bitter ; much water in the mouth ; want to spit a great deal. Always had salty taste, now have sweetish taste. Smoking tobacco makes me feel like vomiting. No appetite ; have eaten nothing since yesterday.

12 p.m. Some appetite, but when I get what I had previously desired, then I do not want it. Feeling as if I did not want any one to speak to me.

August 15th, 91 a.m. Took 10 gtts. Tongue looks white and rough ; feels as if it were scalded, and as if the skin would peel off ; it looks like a calf’s tongue ; pulse 74, languid. “He looks around the eyes as if he had taken too much liquor” (Dr. Moore). I was met by an old acquaintance this morning who asked me if I had not “ been on a drunk.” On looking down, my nose is most prominent ; it looks as if it were large and extending out from the face.

Hi a.m. Feel sad and downhearted, as if I could cry; do not want to be spoken to ; feel better in the society of ladies ; do not like to talk with the men, but can laugh and make free with the women (am naturally bashful). Left arm feels as if it were out of joint; cannot raise it without pain ; pressure on the inside of the shoulder-joint gives sharp pain, which seems to act most on the left side ; pain in the right eye. On riding into the country last night had griping pain in the bowels.

August 16th. While taking the medicine I was costive, but now have diarrhoea, watery, yellowish, with itching around the anus ; no pain ; feel tired and sleepy. Diarrhoea by day, and worse by night ; bowels moved about ten times ; no appetite or thirst.

August 17th. An eruption has made its appearance as thick as measles, all over the arms and body and upper portion of legs. Frontal headache, worse on bending forward, especially in the eyes.