Ustilago maydis

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Maize-Smut.)

Description.— The smut of Maize (Zea Maize), or Indian corn, is a fungus produced on the stems, germens, etc. It often attains a large size, larger than an orange. It is covered with a dark gray or brown epidermis, which bursts when ripe. The spores are spherical, minute, their surface covered with echinulate warts, like prickles; they are deep-seated, nearlyblack and pulverulent, having the appearance of soot, under the naked eye. This species must not be confounded with the "Corn-Smut" of English botanists (U. segetum), found on wheat, rye, oats and barley.

It is interesting to know that an analysis of this fungus shows it to contain Ergotin, the supposed active principle of Secale.

Officinal Preparations. — Triturations of the fungus, gathered when it has turned black, but before the frosts have affected it. Tincture made from the fresh, just ripe fungus.

Analogues. — Secale, Sepia, Sabina, Tanacetum, Gossipium, Borax, Platina, etc.

Moral Symptoms.

Great depression of spirits during the whole proving. (See sexual group.)

Head.

Feeling of fullness of head, dull, pressive, frontal headache. Violent frontal headache, as if the forehead would burst open. Sharp flying pains in the forehead.

° Nervous headache from menstrual irregularities. {Burt.)

Eyes.

Aching of the eyeballs, with profuse secretion of tears. Smarting of the eyes, with profuse secretion of tears in the open air.

Ears.

Constant dull pain in the left ear, caused by extension of inflammation of the tonsil along the eustachian tube. Nose.

Dryness of the nostrils, as if I had taken cold.

Face.

Burning sensation of the face and scalp.

Mouth.

Slimy, coppery taste is a prominent symptom.

Constant dull, aching pain in the first and second upper molars; they are decayed, and have ached before.

Shedding of the teeth in animals. {Iioulin.)

Pricking sensation in the tongue, with a feeling as if something was under the roots of the tongue pressing it upwards.

Dryness of the fauces, with difficult deglutition.

Congestion and inflammation of the tonsils, left one greatly

enlarged, of a dark color, accompanied with dull pain,

much aggravated by swallowing.

Throat.

Dryness of the fauces, with a burning distress in the stomach. Dryness and roughness of the fauces, with difficult deglutition. Feeling as if there was a lump behind the larynx, which pro duces constant inclination to swallow.

Appetite and Thirst. Loss of appetite, followed by canine hunger.

Gastric Symptoms. Eructations of the ingesta, with strongly acid taste. Very faint feeling a number of times in the epigastrium, with pain in the region of the liver and bowels.

Stomach.

Constant distress in the region of stomach.

Burning distress in the sternum and stomach, accompanied

with fine neuralgic pains in the same region. Fine, sharp, cutting pains in the epigastrium, lasting about

three minutes at a time, came on every ten or fifteen

minutes for a number of hours.

Abdomen.

Grumbling pains in the abdomen all the afternoon, followed

by dry, hard stool. Fine, cutting, colicky pains every few minutes all day, relieved

by a hard, constipated stool, followed by dull pains in the

bowels.

Liver.

Good deal of pain for two days in the region of the right lobe of the liver.

Dull pains in the right hypochondrium, with distress in the small intestines.

Stool.

Constipation, (where the Ustilago is indicated the stools are

generally papescent or constipated.) Black, lumpy stool.

Urinary Organs.

Urine diminished one-half, and very red and scanty, (p.)

Great increase of colorless urine, (s.)

Genital Organs of Man.

Sexual dreams every night, with no emissions.

Great depression of the sexual system for weeks, with great relaxation of the scrotum.

Constant aching pains in the testicles for a number of days.

Sharp, neuralgic pains in the testicles, more in the right.

Constant aching distress in the right testicle for days.

Spells of violent pains in the testicles, more in the right.

Every five minutes, sharp pains in testicles, causing faintness.

Two nights had a profuse cold sweat upon the scrotum, which was greatly relaxed.

• Spermatorrhoea, with erotic ideas and amorous dreams.

° Seminal emissions, and irresistible tendency to masturbation, erotic fancies, melancholy, etc. {Burt.)

0 One to four emissions, with sexual dreams, every week, followed the next day with great prostration of strength, dull pain in the lumbar region, with great despondency and irritability of mind. (Ib.)

Organs of Generation of Women.

Constant aching distress in the uterus, referred by the patient to the mouth of the womb.

In a cow house, where cows were fed on Indian corn infested with this parasite (Ustilago), eleven of their number aborted in eight days; after their food was changed none of the animals aborted. (Anl. Med. Vetr. Beige, and Rep. de Ph.)

Six drachms given to two pregnant bitch dogs, soon caused

them to abort. (Burt.) Fowls fed on this fungus lay eggs without shells. (Roulin.)

• Menorrhagia, with menses too frequent. {Hale.)

• Metrorrhagia, after confinement and after miscarriage.

• Tendency to miscarriage, with or without hemorrhage.

• Menstruation too frequent, too profuse and too long. {Burt.) ° Suppressio-mensium, from ovarian irritation, with much pain

in the ovarian region, and flatulence and soreness of the bowels.

0 Vicarious menstruation from the lungs or bowels.

° Scanty menstruations from ovarian irritation.

0 Menorrhagia at the climacteric period, with much pain on the top and side of the head; with burning distress in right ovary; goneness in the epigastrium; the flooding lasts for weeks; blood dark colored, with many clots, and vertigo.

0 Active and constant flooding, with frequent clots of bright red blood, with bearing-down pains. (Burt.)

° Passive hemorrhage; blood dark colored, lasting many days, with anremia, and dull, heavy headache. (Ib.)

° Abortion, with bearing-down pains, as if everything would come from her. {Ib-)

° Deficient labor-pains, when the os is soft, pliable, .and dilatable. (Hale.)

° Dysmenorrhoea of a congestive character, with much ovarian irritation; severe pain in the ovaries, uterus, and back, every few minutes.

Spasmodic pains in the left ovary, which is very sore and tender.

° Ovaritis; constant pain in the ovary, with sharp pains passing down the legs with great rapidity; ovary much swollen and very tender. (Burt.)

hen's ears:, and very tender to the touch. ° Between the menses, constant misery under left breast at the

margin of the ribs. ° Hypertrophy of the uterus. (Burt.)

0 Yertigo at the climacteric period, with too frequent and too profuse menstruation.

° Slow, persistent oozing of dark blood, with small black coagulce, lasting many days. ( Woodbury.)

0 Passive congestion of the uterus, which is enlarged, the cervix tumefied, and somewhat dilated.

° Menorrhagia after abortion. (Bennett.)

° Profuse menstruation, the flow lasting ten days or two weeks, at first very abundant, gradually wearing off; always worse from motion; discharge dark, and quite painless.

° Menorrhagia; the flow usually lasted three weeks; very profuse, dark, painless; given from the commencement Ustilago 1 x ; shortened it to five days. (Hale.)

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

In Dr. Burt’s introduction to his monograph on Ustilago, he writes as follows :

The Ustilago maidis is a parasitic fungus found growing on maize (Indian corn), as Ergot does on rye.

The medical history of Ustilago maidis, as far as I have been able to learn, is very meagre. All that is known of its effects will be found in Professor Hale’s “Causes and Treatment of Miscarriages and Sterility.” He says: “ In a cowhouse where cows were fed on Indian corn infested with this parasite, eleven of their number aborted in eight days. After their food was changed none of the others aborted.”

Lindlay says : “ Its action on the uterus is as powerful as the Ergot of rye, and

perhaps more.” Roulin says : “ Its use is attended with shedding of the hair, both of man and beast, and sometimes of the teeth. Mules fed on it lose their hoofs, and fowls lay eggs without any shells.” Tulley, in his mention of this fungus, adds: “It is probably by its abortifacient power that it causes the eggs of fowls to extrude before there has been time for a shell to be formed. By what power does it cause this shedding of the hair of man and brute animals, and the casting off of the hoofs of mules long fed upon it ?” Dr. E. M. Hale adds : “ It would seem capable of great curative powers.”

The better to be convinced of the poisonous nature of the fungi, the author, after having dried and pulverized them, administered six drachms to two bitch dogs with young, which soon caused them to abort.

Besides Dr. Burt’s provings, published in his monograph, others have been instituted by Dr. Hoyne. None of the provings were made on a healthy female organism.

It is not strange that Ustilago was not long ago substituted for Ergot, for I found in a journal of pharmacy, published several years since, a chemical analysis of Ustilago, in which it stated that it contains a large percentage of Ergotin. I am of the opinion that Ergotin, or some analogous constituent, would be found in all of the fungi which grow upon the cereals. It is highly probable that the frequency of abortion in cows and other domestic animals may be due to the presence of these fungi in their food.

Ustilago is not identical with Secale, however, for it contains active principles which the latter does not. We cannot substitute the one for the other in all cases, e. g., Ustilago will probably not prove as potent as Secale in cases where we wish to cause the uterus to contract upon the foetus in labor, at least it has not yet been used for that purpose; while in chronic passive haemorrhages the Ustilago is claimed to be superior.

The sphere of action of this remedy includes (a) the generative organs; (b) the skin and analogous structures (hair, teeth, nails); (c) the vessels and tissues of the generative organs specially. It probably acts upon the spinal cord in a manner similar to Ergot, but not as intensely. It would seem that it affected the trophic nerve-cells in a special manner. No published experiments on animals have come under my observation illustrating its action on the cord and brain.

Its action on the skin appears to be very intense. Dr. Burt’s statement of its supposed effects on the scalp, where an eruption

appeared, discharging a watery serum, matting the hair together, and causing it to fall out, seems to confirm the statements of the authorities above quoted relating to its effects. But Burt’s case has not been verified by others, for the Ustilago has been given to patients in similar doses for a long time without causing any such results.

The statements of Tulley, Roulin, and other trustworthy writers, that it “causes mules to shed their hoofs, and men and animals to lose their hair and teeth,” must be accepted.

The hair, hoofs, nails, and teeth, are but prolongations of the true skin. Any drug which profoundly affects the skin will probably affect similar structures.

Ustilago appears to act by preference upon the thickest and hardest of the dermoid tissues. Its action in this respect resembles the effects of such diseases as ichthyosis, syphilis, and tuberculosis.

Therapeutically the Ustilago will be of probable value in alopecia, tumors of the scalp, and some severe eruptions.

It has been found curative in urticaria (large, pale welts). “It caused an eruption similar to rubeola,” says Burt. I advise it in painful and destructive disease, of the nails. It is possible that it may be useful in those instances where young children lose their teeth soon after dentition, especially if they decay at the root first, become loose, and finally fall out.

Dr. Burt predicts that Ustilago will prove useful in neuralgia of the testicles, irritable testes, chronic inflammation with induration, and spermatorrhoea. He gives two cases of the latter disorder which were cured or greatly benefited.

I cannot agree with Burt that the poisonous effects of Ustilago upon the generative organs of the female “centres in the ovaries.”

The ovaries are not the seat of the motor actions of the uterus, and it is upon the motor functions of that organ that the action of Ustilago is manifested.

I do not doubt the specific action of Ustilago on the ovaries, but I think too much stress is laid upon such action.

In the hands of many homoeopathic physicians it has cured menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, and haemorrhage from the uterus after labor or miscarriage. But the ovaries are not always to blame in

these conditions. It is only in a few cases of menorrhagia that we can consider disorder of the ovaries as the exciting cause.

Dr. Burt is far too enthusiastic when he asserts that ovaritis , ovaralgia, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, irregularities of the menses, etc., are all curable by the Ustilago.

I do not consider it homoeopathic to any inflammation of parenchymatous structures. It is only in certain abnormalities of growth or function that it is suitable.

Like its congener, Secale, it is probably homoeopathic (primarily) to motor irritation of the uterus and ovaries, with contraction of their tissues and bloodvessels. During this primary action we get uterine spasms, cramps of the broad ligaments, ovarian pains, miscarriage (with slight active haemorrhage), and premature labor.

From its secondary action would occur passive congestion of the uterus, with passive haemorrhage, hypertrophy, displacements, and tumors of that organ. The ovaries would be affected in the same manner, causing enlargement, irritation, tumors, and finally paresis — leading to sterility.

Dr. J. Id. Woodbury, of Boston, in a paper contributed to the “ New England Medical Gazette/’ gives such a clear idea of the general therapeutic action of Ustilago that I quote it entire :

This substance has many points of similarity to Ergot, and also some of radical difference, to which I propose to call attention in the course of this article. Perhaps there is no drug in the whole scope of the Materia Medica concerning whose value and efficiency there is a greater diversity of opinion among physicians than the one under consideration. While some are loud in its praise as a medicine of undoubted energy and efficiency, others have come to look upon it as altogether inert and worthless.

Two causes have doubtless contributed to this widely different estimate. First, a truer knowledge of its sphere of action may have enabled some physicians, in the absence of any thorough and reliable provings, to prescribe it more successfully than those less familiar with its peculiarities and characteristics; and second, the quality of the drug used has, in many cases, I am fully convinced, made all the difference between a perfect success and an entire failure. Like the Ergot it deteriorates rapidly with age, and I feel very little confidence in any specimen more than a year old. Great care also should be exercised in gathering this fungus. It should be selected in the field, at maturity, before it has been injured by the heavy autumnal rains and winds. Very little value remains in this drug after having undergone the heating process incident to the gathering and husking of the corn, hence it should never be obtained either from the shock or the bin.

The properly selected specimens, shortly after being gathered, should be made into a tincture, or carefully dried and triturated. But however carefully prepared, it soon begins to lose its strength, and in a few months becomes nearly or quite inert. One cannot but feel that this was the condition of the drug used in some of the published “provings” of this medicine, contained in various reports and journals. Having used this remedy quite extensively during the past three years in the treatment of various uterine diseases, I will add a few therapeutic hints, with cases illustrating its action. As before observed, it has a general resemblance to Ergot in its physiological action. It controls uterine haemorrhage and induces uterine contractions in a manner similar to Ergot, but not with the same promptness or vigor. Somebody has called Conium “ the Aconite of chronic diseases,” with only a moderate degree of accuracy, however; but Ustilago is pre-eminently the Ergot of chronic uterine haemorrhages and passive congestions. I would not give it in active haemorrhages from an enlarged uterus with dilated os and cervix, when the blood is of a bright-red color, and readily coagulates ; in such cases, even if Secale was not deemed the similimum, our Materia Medica would furnish many remedies efficient and more prompt in their action than the Ustilago ; but where for many days there has been a slow but persistent oozing of dark blood, with small, black coaguke ; when the finger, upon being withdrawn from the vaginal examination, is covered with a dark semifluid blood, as though partial disorganization had taken place ; when the uterus is enlarged, the cervix tumefied, and the os somewhat dilated, but swollen and flabby, indicating that the whole organ is in a most passive and congested state; when in spite of all treatment the blood continues to ooze day after day simply from lack of some means of overcoming its “invincible inertia,” the Ustilago is, in such cases, a remedy of most gratifying promptness and efficiency. It has shown itself able in several cases not only to control the haemorrhage, but to remove the entire pathological condition upon which the haemorrhage depended.

Case I. — Mrs. D., a brunette, stout, and inclined to corpulency, two years married, had, about one year since, a severe haemorrhage ; abortion was suspected but no ovum discovered. Since then she has had frequent and long-lasting attacks of haemorrhage of dark, very offensive-smelling blood ; the menstruation was of a similar character, and during her intermenstrual periods she had a copious and most offensive yellowish discharge. Any unusual exercise was followed by flowing, lasting for several days. The cervix uteri and fundus were greatly enlarged, but not sensitive to the touch. Various remedies were administered, among which were Sepia, Trillium, Crocus, Secale, Ipecac., and Sabina, all of which had a fair trial, but without any appreciable effects. Applications were made to the os of pledgets of cotton saturated with Glycerin, pure and also in combination with Iodine and Carbolic acid. These produced their usual characteristic, copious serous discharges, but without sensibly diminishing the size of the womb. At this juncture I determined to dilate the cervix in order that I might obtain an accurate idea of the condition of its cavity ; since from the character and frequency of the discharges I feared the existence of some form of neoplasm.

It was necessary to postpone this operation, however, some four weeks on account of some engagements of the patient, and during this time I gave her a

package of powders of Ustilago, 1st trituration, with directions to take one three times a day for the next twenty days. At the expiration of that time she returned with a most favorable report. The leucorrhoeal discharge was much diminished in quantity and its odor less offensive. She now took long walks without a recurrence of the flowing, and her menstrual period, which she had just passed through, lasted only five days, instead of eight or ten, as previously. On examination I found the hypertrophy considerably lessened. The same treatment was continued for four weeks longer, the patient meantime making a visit to New York, which she had deferred a long time on account of her liability to excessive flowing from extra exertion. On her return she pronounced herself well, and treatment was discontinued some four months ago. Up to this time there has been no return either of the haemorrhage or of the leucorrhoea. It may be asked, Upon what data was Ustilago administered in the above case ? In reply I would say, that in the absence of any reliable provings upon the female organism, I gave it upon the hypothesis that if this medicine was capable of curing haemorrhage resulting from chronic congestion or simple capillary engorgement, why might it not remove the engorgement itself. The result proved the correctness of my reasoning.

Case II. — Miss S., blonde, tall, slender, sanguine temperament, subject to copious menstruation, was attacked with haemorrhage at a wedding reception, which she had made great exertion to attend, travelling to New York and back in two days for that purpose. The haemorrhage was not very copious, the effused blood being of a dark color, with slight, stringy clots. She suffered great pain in the uterine region and through the inner portion of the right thigh half way down to the knee. She took Opium and astringents from an allopathic physician for ten days without benefit. When she applied to me I found the symptoms as above stated. A digital examination revealed a considerable enlargement of the cervix uteri and fundus, with great tenderness to the touch, both internally and externally. The hemorrhage, though not very copious, was persistent. The stain left by the blood upon my finger after the examination was of a dark-brown or mahogany color. She had occasional attacks of very severe pain through the uterus and extending down the right limb, alternating with intervals of entire freedom from suffering. I gave her Ustilago every three hours. The next day I found her manifestly improved ; continued the same medicine for six days, when she reported to me that she was entirely well. No other medicine given.

Case III. — Mrs. II., brunette, mother of four children, subject to irregular menstruation. It was sometimes absent for three or four successive months, then too frequent and very copious for a week, after which it was continuous, scanty, and dark-colored for an indefinite time, frequently for ten or twelve days, as at present, with a great deal of pain in the uterine region, “not spasmodic and cramplike, but a steady hard ache.” Digital examination revealed hypertrophy of the uterus, with a soft spongy os and cervix, which was sufficiently dilated to easily admit introduction of the finger. The blood was dark, but so thin as scarcely to color my finger, though some small black clots were found in the vagina. She had taken from her “domestic” case, Crocus, Hamamelis, China, Platina, and Pulsatilla, each one day, but with very little relief to the pain, and no diminution of the flowing, which had now continued seventeen days. Ustilago

was given in powders every two hours. Next day the pain was much less and the flowing nearly ceased ; two days after both had entirely disappeared. Believing the menstrual irregularities to be due to the long-continued passive congestion of the womb, I continued the use of the Ustilago twice a day during the intermenstrual period, and twice a week applied Glycerin to the os and cervix. The next menstruation was regular in time and normal in quantity, and has so continued since March last, now six months.

Case IV. — Mrs. F., a blonde with auburn hair and blue eyes, has always suffered from excessive menstruation ; has never been pregnant. Three weeks prior to my being called, her menstruation came on with unusual copiousness and pain, and has continued, scarely lessened, ever since. Has taken a great variety of remedies, allopathic, homoeopathic, and domestic, but without much benefit. The blood was bright, fresh, and without coagulse, but examination revealed the same hypertrophied, sensitive condition of the uterus, and this determined me to try the Ustilago, which I did as before, the first trituration, every two hours. Improvement was manifested within twenty-four hours, and the flow ceased at the end of three days. I might cite many more cases of a similar character, but these are sufficient to clearly indicate what I deem to be its sphere of action, and that is, briefly this : haemorrhages caused by or attendant upon passive, chronic uterine congestion, characterized usually by hypertrophy of the cervix, frequently of the entire organ, with oozing of dark blood, slightly coagulable, though forming occasionally long, black, stringy clots, similar to those indicating Crocus.

How much more ample its sphere may be remains to be learned from future investigations, aided, I trust, by the thorough provings to be made by the coming Female Provers’ Union. Before closing this paper I must acknowledge the valuable aid I derived in the beginning of my investigations from a very brief report by T. Baemeister, M.D., contained in the report of the American Institute for 1872, and which I think strikes the “keynote” of this medicine.

Dr. H. K. Bennett, of Fitchburg, writes : “ I have used the Ustilago successfully in several cases of menorrhagia and in one case of abortion where the flowing had lasted for several days, greatly reducing the patient; the effect was apparent at once and the haemorrhage arrested in six hours. In post-partum haemorrhage I much prefer it to Secale or Macrotin.”

The cases cited by Dr. Woodbury, and the special indications given for its use, all simulate the secondary effects of Ustilago. All of Burt’s cases (9 or 10) presented symptoms of the same character.

Ustilago will rarely be used for its primary haemorrhagic symptoms, for there are other remedies, as Woodbury says, which appear more appropriate ; but used in a high attenuation it will promptly cure the spasmodic and others of its primary symptoms.

Many cases of dysmenorrhoea have been cured by Ustilago. Some of them were of the variety known as pseudo-membranous,

in others the pains were spasmodic. Dr. Burt failed to cure cases of congestive dysmenorrhoea, with violent spasmodic pains, for the good reason that it is not homoeopathic to active congestion.

It is claimed that Ustilago has reduced the size of some ovarian and uterine tumors. I doubt its value in ovarian tumors of any kind, except in an incipient stage, as a preventive, but the Ergotin it contains may make it curative in uterine fibroids in an early stage, also for the expulsion of polypoid growths.

It is primarily homoeopathic to scanty menses, with spasmodic pains, but no active congestion. Use the 12th trituration.

It is secondarily indicated in profuse, premature, and long-lasting menses, from passive congestion, paresis (atony) of the uterine tissues. In such cases use the lowest triturations.

In uterine atony after labor, as well as on other occasions, I should expect to find Ustilago, in appreciable doses, very efficacious ; also, in subinvolution of the uterus.

I believe it will prove one of our best remedies in a tendency to miscarriage. I allude to an habitual tendency to abort at periods corresponding to the menstrual ; or to loss of the foetus from the slightest overexertion, at any time, or from the shock of mental emotions. When ulceration of the os is present as a cause of the abortion, Ustilago will not prove as effectual unless the lesion is cured by local applications. In these conditions I should use it in the 3* trituration, but when used to prevent premature labor I would advise a higher attenuation. I do not believe it will ever prove equal to Caulophyllin in such cases.