by Henry N. Guernsey — Key-Notes to the Materia Medica
No thirst at any time. Jerking pain in outer parts, also pinching pain in outer parts.
Worse.--In the evening; while chewing: lying down.
Better.--From pressure from without.
Remedies following:--Capsic., Lycop., Pulsat., Rhus tox.
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Menyanthes trifoliata appears in 14 of the 21 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.
“Buck Bean. (Genitanaceae.) Complaints from abuse of Cinchona and Quinine. Fevers, in which the cold stage predominates; coldness felt most acutely in abdomen and legs. Headache: pressing in vertex from above downwards, > during hard pressure with hand (Ver.); as of a heavy weight pressing on the head at every step…”
“Menyanthes, trifoliata, Linn. Natural order , Gentianaceæ. Common names , Buck-bean, Bitterklee. Preparation , Tincture of whole plant. Authorities. (Hahnemann. Mat. Med. Pura, 5, 15). Emotional. (With increase of the heat, delirium, and small, rapid, irritable pulse), 12 . [In a intermittent fever. -Hahnemann.] Quiet…”
“Buck-bean (MENYANTHES) A remedy for certain headaches, intermittent fever. Coldness of abdomen. Twitchings. Sensation of tension and compression. Fidgets and urinary difficulties in women. Diabetes. Pressing in vertex; better, hard pressure with hand . Pressing-together pain. Weight pressing on brain with every step…”
“COLDNESS, Partial COMPRESSION, squeezing, pinching, as of a vise, cap, etc. (Comp. Cramp.) LYING, Agg. PRESSURE, Amel.; Lying on painful or affected side, etc., Amel. VERTEX”
“Circulation. Motor nerves. Vertex. Walking. Rest. Malaria. Ascending. Quinine. Hard pressure. Twilight. Laying on hands. Icy coldness of prominent, single or affected parts; nose (Ap. Med.), ears, fingers, knees, abdomen, etc.; at night (Pho.). Visible jerks or twitches. Vertex; heavy pressure on; pains, < stooping…”
“trifoliata. Buck-bean. Bitterklee. N. O. Gentianaceæ. Tincture of whole plant. Amaurosis / Chest, affections of / Cramps / Fidgets / Headache, pressive / Heart, pains in / Intermittent fever / Jerkings / Paralysis The Buck-bean (or "Bog-bean," as it is also called in Ireland and in Lincolnshire) is a water plant, and…”
“(Buckbean.) (The freshly expressed juice of the whole plant just coming into flower, mixed with equal parts of alcohol.) From vol. v, 2nd edit., 1826. Ordinary medicine has hitherto known no single true way of investigating the peculiar powers of each individual medicinal substance, in order to discover what each is…”
“Buck Bean ; Bitterklee. Gentianaceæ. A perennial which grows in boggy places, indigenous to America, Europe and Northern Asia. It blossoms in May and June ; flowers rose colored or whitish. The tincture is made from the fresh plant just coming into bloom. Introduced by Hahnemann and proved by himself and his provers…”
“Menyantfuj trifoUata^ L, MENYANTHES. Buckbcan, marsh trefoil. Nat. Ord., Gewtianacea. I. Provings. — 1. Hahnemann, Mat, MtJ. Pura, vol. v of original, toI. ii translation. Contains 28 symptoms from self, and 167 from nine others^,”
“Visible, but painless twitching of the muscles. Pinching and stinging in the limbs and joints. Rheumatic pains in the extremities. Great debility often accompanied by chilliness. Inclination to shed tears. Intermittent fever with coldness in the abdomen. Heat in the face, with cold hands and feet. Heat without thirst…”
“Sad, weeping mood. Taciturn and self reflecting. Anxiety about the heart, as if something evil were going to happen. Continuous heaviness of the head. Pressing or compressing headache, with the sensation when ascending as if a heavy weight pressed on the head, relieved by pressing the head with the hands. Pressing…”
“Common name: buck bean. This remedy is indicated in malarial disorders, when the coldness predominates (Bl.). Great debility, often accompanied by chilliness. THE HANDS AND FEET ARE ICY COLD DURING CHILL (Aur., Phos., Verat.) (K.). Intermittent fever, with coldness in the abdomen. Heat in the face, with cold hands and…”
“Icy coldness of hands and feet with warmth of the rest of the body (intermittents).”
Kent's Repertory lists Menyanthes trifoliata in 720 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (137), GENERALITIES (126), HEAD (103), BACK (56), MIND (36).
