Agnus castus

Volume I — Main text

AGNUS CASTUS.

f^itex Agmu*cdstust L. Nat. Ord., Vgrhenace^, Chaste-tree,

1. Prot/ingj. — I. Hahnemann, Frequent hiccup, with cro^s disposition, inclined to anger ; pinching in epigastrium when sitting bent forwards ; soft stool for some da^-s, tnen costivcnciAi when straining at stool, e^^ape of fluid from urethra; a kind of yellow discharge from urethra ^ ttcliing ail over genitaJs, compelling scnitchingi cough in bed at n. j pressure on sternum, especially on breathing deeply j she starts sometimes in sleep, as if from affright, and wakes up j anxious, unremembercd dreams ^ di»{>osition as if he had lowest opinion of himself, when he wished to be c^uit of this feeling and rather to be dead,— at this time no courage to do anything; when not in state just mentioned he is in one of over-excitement, would like to declaim, &c. (Arcktv^ x, 177O*

^ This is a schema of symptoms stated to have been ''observed" by the physicians mentioned, but without information as to circumstances or mode of proceeding. — Eds.

' BMircd bf scnidtii^;

m r. efeMl, going o€

to f. eyrbfop, E'Otflf

thflB (widi fbiLflg)

■ick s*e pain i»bni wilkiitg,

1b L tyfk, rstenuUf i^

.» if ikm iateaullf ««»

▼iokat fidtrhcs is I

^rcaouDgi bfit,

benm hatt^ cweat on I

heaTiBess of had, Ibrvnmis; ccurngml in L 6tQotil pioaibeT.

bitt dicT feci wvm ^ ftjy J

r« Actk making Ikiffi I

mB donJcs | leciiDg of oiuict 1

ken, lad ja*t ibove !

H» ift OMXjx, awl ofeciMe ova lo I. of

oa perinaram and pcnU;

pit at HohkIi $ cfodiiig itcfaciBf oo OMft^^

§9 ^mfyt wad lt» palpable ; cUly wfcdle sur^Ke teds wanni flaJy feeixDg cold, (IW,) ia a cifclc ($oiiic miii.) ; j I, i^maied by movemost (i b.)| bjr iiwKii Of luuveiDCBt t tbtrsff «

ia kepatk region^ aggranxcd byJ wbole pronriiig, urine rather f" ' aggravated b>' cxpifaba a pain as of dislocation, aggiaiYicr pfanre in r. aadUa (} h.), io upper i r. eIbo^» a^gfarated by movtment (13 b.) jl J off Oft aMyriftg arm ; paiaijtic pain in L wrist, oaly ob poralTtic jtrki^ dr^wmg in sicfacarpai bone of L ind^ li^ toftchi pfesmie mad wtoctng in diombsj slwotmg tearing in bip^joiDl, ^gravated bj C¥Ciy OMymiient, easier when at rest, e a prtMiyc tcatii^ with aimmsdtm a&d weariness which compel him to nt dowB, — a uod of dislocatiTe pain (f6 b.); similar icnsations in bocb kneejoints; paralytic jerking drawing in muscles of L 1^ extending from knee to foot, unaffected by walking or touch (6 h^) i intermittent sharp stitches in ankle (7 h.)| tense as of a weight on instep of r. foot, pressing it down, m every position ; tcQ * ~ in jointt of toes, worse on walking ; obtuse intermittent shooting on sole at ] unaffected by touch or walking ; fine shooting tearing in both soles ; itching pricking on various parts of body, compelling scratching ; chilly without thirst or sub^equc heat J after 50 h. chill and shivering, followed in J h. by heat, and this altematio repeated several times, without thirst. (J^id,)

1. Staff. Confusion of head over eyes ;• excessive distraction, absence mind, forgetftilness, f,g, when playing cards, which he usually did well, he did n remember what had been played, or know what he ought to do 9 roaring noise ear»i itching pricking in inguinal region, making him scratch; weakening of (

• This is said to have occurred ** In a young man suffering from weakness of genitals.*' It does not appear whether other symptoms credited to Stapf were observe on this subject ; but some of those of iht; sexual organs must be taxen with rrscr on thin account, — Eds,

tin

usually very strong sexual power i pciue small and soft (some h.) j^ at n, testicles lifel cold, without invirard cold feeling ; the usual strong m. erection with desire for coitus does not occur, next d. the parts are soft and unexcitable ; after 20 h. uncommonly strong erections without cause and without amorous thoughts, accompanied by a kind of lascivious rage (without tendency to emission), causing him to clench teetn (for i h. before rising in m.j j on 3rd d. erections and sexual desire returned, and later were much increased, with voluptuous sensation in all genital organs ;f shooting in spot of 1. foot externally, when standing still ; at n. in bed, heat all over body like a flash of fire at same time cold knee$» {Ihtd,)

6, Helbjg. Though fjeccs arc not too firm, they are passed with difficulty in spite of all pressing, seeming as though they would slip back again ; shooting in 6ngers of one hand, e. (5th d.) ; feeling as if bruised in all limbs. (^Heraklides^ 1,

7, S. W. There is something before ears, he does not hear well; disordered stomach, — ^he relishes his food, but feels ill and uncomfortable after it, as though he had eaten too much ; much sneezing, with dryness of nose j something like viscid phlegm stands in his throat, he cannot j^ct it up 1 creaking in dor^ vertebra.

8, A, She % in very sad humour, and says repeatedly that she shall die soon.

1. The following symptoms arc anonymous : — Reading is difficult, he has to go over many passages twice, and is only willing to read what is easy to be understood, being unable to fix his attention ; for several d, a pain, rather smarting than shooting, on r, vertex, as if in bone, from behind forwards, ending at angle of forehead, chiefly in m. hours, but not absent at n. \ a pain in temple going towards eye, increased by touch, as if she had had a hard blow j eyes bum in e., while reading ; teeth are painful when warm food or drink touches them ; mouth very dry, saliva sticky and viscid so that it can be drawn out in threads, velum palati and uvula are scarlet. red, scraping in throat causing him to cough, phlegm expelled also viscid j appetite actually increased ; stool thinner and lighter-coloured than usual, with dull pain in belly ; several diarrhceic stools (ist d.) ; urine more copious and expelled with greater force; after micturating, disagreeable sensation at bacic of urethra \ painful erections in m. (14 h,)^ extreme flaccidity of penis, and insusceptibility to what would ordinarily cause erection j the emission of semen occurs without ejaculation, the semen has little smell and is in small quantity (4th d.) \ his voice is veiled and toneless; dull pain within chest ; a finger-joint swells, with gouty, tearing pain ; shooting above r* crista ilii, near spine \ tearing in lower limbs tor \ h, j feet are easily sprained while walking on pavement (m, of 5th d.) ^ itching over body, especially up back, as from running of fleas i he soon falls a^ileep in e., and, contrary to custom, only wakes up in m. {Ibid.)

2. In order to pass childless married life, a man took for three months, m. and e,, t^relve seeds of Agnus castus \ thereby he was so weakened that he not only felt an obstacle to erections of penis, but — ^as he wished — he lost his semen entirely and never begot children. ^LtNDHOW, f^enusipiigei, p. 119.)

3. It causes in some ver>* strong sexual desire. (S. Paulli, ^adr, Bot,^ p* 189.) I a. Considerable heat in I. concha. Confusion of head. Agreeable increased

heat in L hand and forearm (after J h.). Weak erections^ without sexual excitement (after 5 to 6 h.) Deceptions of olfactory sense, sometimes he fancies a smell of musk, sometimes of herring, though neither is near him (1st d.). Crawling feeling in testicles (m,, 1st and and d.). Some red itching spots on inner surface ot 1. forearm, which soon disappear. Drawing up along spermatic cords (1st d»). Diminished sexual appetite, but after coitus feeling of lightness in body (and n.). Fine pricks in r, iliac region (after 11 h,). Painful drawing in region of L parotid gland (after 9 — la h.). After dinner slight pressure in upper abdomen (1st d.) Rumbling in bowels

• To this, in the pathogenesis of A. c. in his Bi'ttrdgi^ Stapf notes, " primary action, in a healthy man." — Eds.

^ To this is noted J '* Heilwirkung," and it might be a clinical symptom of a patient ; but ** Hcilwirkung T' is appended to the previous symptom, wnich seems undoubtedly Supfs. — ^Eds.

\ This^ also is a schema without information. ^£05.

5tk, wad iA b.), Aficr rak» tW

bofies (i«t d.). Fmjtimt tn witk voluptuous iensatian (4tk« Ml ajid long<continued ottxioev i

Volume IV — Supplement

AGNUS CASTUS.

(See vol. i, p. soi.)

We are not satisfied with Stapfs symptoms of the sexual organs as taken from the original pathogenesis in the Archiv^ and give them here as they stand in the Beitrage : —

Weakening of the usually very strong sexual power, penis small and flaccid (after some h.) ;* at n. testicles feel cold, without internal cold feeling ;* the usual very strong m. erection with urging to coitus does not occur, the parts are flaccid and unexcitable (i6 h.) ',* lack of sexual inclination for 2 d., on 3rd d. erections and desire returned '^ great increase of sexual inclination, persistent erections and voluptuous feeling in all genital organs (3rd d.) }t uncommonly strong erections, without occasion, and without amorous thoughts, accompanied by a kind of voluptuous rage (without tendency to emission), causing him to clench his teeth — for ^ h. before rising in m. (20 h.)4

On p. 204, 1. 2, for " sinks " read " swelled."

Note on p. ZOl is modified by the fact that in the Beitrage this symptom has not Stapf s or any other name affixed to it.