Gentiana cruciata

Volume II — Main text

GENTIANA. Including G. cruciata and G. lutea. Nat. Ord., Gentianacea. Gentiana cruciata.-Crosswort gentian. I. Provings.-1. Dr. FRÖHLICH chewed and swallowed the juice of 2 or 3 roots. They caused confusion of head, pressure in forehead and stomach, vertigo, increased appetite. (Oest. Zeitsch.f. Hom., i, 3, 133.) 2. Dr. GERSTEL took,June 20th,ateaspoonful oftinct. Scraping and roughness inthroat. On Sept. 16th one tablespoonful of expressed juice. Pressure in stomach repeatedly during d., and an in-pressing feeling in r. eye. (Ibid.) 3. Dr. REISINGER took first daily in m. to dr. tinct., increasing the dose every 3 d. by 5 dr. After 4 weeks, when he was taking 60 dr. daily for several d., he had eructation of air with the odour of the tinct., astringent taste ; roughness in throat, causing him to hawk frequently; transient stitches in tonsils, difficulty of swallowing ; increased flow of saliva, anorexia. No more symptoms occurred after 8 weeks of the med. He then took oz, of expressed juice,which caused extreme nausea and vomiting of the whole dose. (Ibid.) 4. Dr. SCHWARZ took ist dil. every forenoon and afternoon,from July 4th to 8th 5, from 8th to 12th, 10, from 12th to 16th, 15, from 16th to 20th, 20, from 20th to 30th, 40 dr. Sensitiveness, pinching, sore feeling in umbilical region, worse after dinner, like slight colic, for h. After the larger doses the pain was more marked, more frequently occurring, and lasting longer, relieved by sitting and lying, aggra. vated by standing, walking, and smoking, compelling him to bend forwards; the navel seemed drawn forwards. At same time in r. inguinal region a feeling as if something would come through the ring. This went off when sitting or lying. On July 30th, on coming from shade into sunlight, he sneezed violently, and observed alump the size of a hazel-nut at the place indicated, which was peculiarly sensitive. He left off taking the G., but the abdominal symptoms continued 3 weeks longer. (Ibid., 134.)

1. Dr. WACHTEL took, May 25th, m., 10 dr., increasing the dose by to dr. tinct. dailyuntil June 1st. On this d., when he took 80 dr., he had scraping and roughness inthroat. Next d. there was slight redness and tiresome constrictive pain inthroat, that made swallowing difficult. He felt constantly obliged to hawk in order to get rid of the viscid and adherent mucus. Also pressure in forehead and great pulsation of carotids. These symptoms lasted till June 8th.-9th and 10th, took 50 dr. tinct.; 11th, 80 dr.; 12th, 100 dr.; 13th, 120 dr.; 14th, hoarseness, loss of voice whilst speaking, difficulty of swallowing, with anxious constrictive feeling, and slight but uniform redness of velum palati, inner and posterior part of pharynx ; pulsation of carotids; pressing aching in both temples; in n. between 15th and 16th restless sleep. All these symptoms ceased on 20th.-Aug. 10th, 50 dr.; 11th, 60 dr.; from 15th to 18th, and 22nd, 100 dr.; from 23rd to 27th, 200 dr.; 28th, 300 dr.; and 29th and 30th, oz. tinct. He had repeatedly hoarseness and sensitiveness of throat, feeling of pressure in stomach as if a stone lay there, with nausea (after oz.) going off in h. ( Ibid.) 6. Dr. WÜRSTL took,July 6th, a tablespoonful ofexpressed juice. After 2 h. great distension of abdomen,which went off after walking for some time.-7th. Same dose. Soonsearching in bowels, with slight headache, followed by a copious pappy stool. After 2 h. scraping in velum palati and throat half way down œsophagus, which went offduring forenoon.-8th. Same dose: he must frequently spit, and there appeared on inner side of lower lip at both sides of frenum, 2 aphthous ulcers, which lasted 6d. Whenthey were gone, he felt frequently during d. scraping and roughness in throat, with constriction when swallowing. The back of palate, both tonsils and upper part of fauces were very red. This affection was intermittent ; for several weeks it appeared and disappeared several times during d.-Aug. 16th, m. , took 1 tablespoonful of expressed juice. After 1 h., full feeling in stomach, with constant urging to eructate; head confused, whirling ; constriction ofthroat, must often hawk and spit. After 4 h. much eructation of air, which relieved the tension in abdomen and the head.-17th. Same dose : soon searching about in stomach, and later in abdomen, which went off when walking. After 2 h. repeated sour eructation, and soon afterwards vomited sour water 3 times in h. Felt very ill, all the nerves seemed tense, so that walking was difficult. All symptoms relieved after warm soup.-18th. Same dose : thereuponfullfeeling in stomach, distension of abdomen, frequent empty eructations. The tiresome tension in abdomen lasted all d., and was only removed by a copious pappy stool. (Ibid. , 135.) 7. Dr. WURMB took large doses of tinct. and juice without effect except once (after two tablespoonfuls of juice) he had a feeling in stomach and œsophagus as though he had swallowed a hot mouthful and then drunk cold water. This lasted all d., was aggravated by eating, relieved by drinking cold water. (Ibid, 137.) 8. Dr. v. ZLATAROVICH took, Aug. 19th, oz., 20th to 23rd, 1 oz. ofexpressed juice. Except slight drawing in limbs, had no symptoms till 23rd. Then after 1 h. he felt a peculiar anxiety, with increased quickness and difficulty of breathing, swelling of temporal veins, and feeling of pressure in temples. While reading, the letters were indistinct, as if covered by a veil. At same time fulness and contraction in abdomen ; drawing in nuchal muscles to ears, increased by turning head; restlessness, so that he could not remain long in one spot. When sitting still, had a constrictive sensation in head. Symptoms relieved in open air. In afternoon well. -24th to 29th. Three tablespoonfuls daily. Restlessness, sinking, burning in stomach, unusual thirst, a pappy stool ; repeated drawing in nuchal muscles, cramplike pain in soles; e.,running over body as of fleas. (Ibid.) 9. Mrs. v. ZLATAROVICH took,Aug. 19th, oz., 22nd, 2 tablespoonfuls ofjuice. Feeling of distension and contraction of abdomen; tension in lumbar region ; menses came on on 23rd, 3 d. too soon, with headache, as if head were too full, sensation of bursting of skull, relieved by rest, aggravated by movement, preventing her from sleeping for a long time.-27th. After 3 tablespoonfuls, very much out of humour, lachrymose, dislike to talk. Eyes felt as though they lay deeper in orbits. Some h. later 3 fluid stools, preceded by pinching. (Ibid, 138.) 10. a. Dr. WATZKE took, Aug. 15th, 7 a.m., 2 tablespoonfuls ofjuice. Immediately frequent eructations of air and belching up of sour fluid ; then tension of abdomen and great nausea. 8 30 a.m., vomited with effort a small quantity of soursmelling and intensely bitter slime, leaving scraping and roughness of throat.

b. From Sept. 25th to Oct. 1st took daily 10 dr. ofdilutions from 6 to 3. When he took 5th dil. he had slight pains in abdomen, frequent discharge of fetid flatus, and several loose stools . c. Sept. 19th, at noon, 3 dr. 12th dil., and the same at 3 and 9 p.m. Soon after Ist dose he had repeatedly a feeling ofpressing in scrob. cordis. At 6 p.m. a sudden stitch through 1. temple; later a disagreeable tension and occasional transient jerking pains in crown, which changed to continued painful pressure; straining the eyes and thinking much increased the headache ; felt indisposed, and went to bed at 9 p.m., when the headache soon went off, and he slept well.-20th, 9 a.m., took 3 dr. 12th dil. Some h. afterwards had frequently recurring painful drawing in mastoid process ; after dinner, sensitiveness of scalp and of whole brain, increased by moving head ; tensive drawing in r. shoulder for several m. 3 p.m., 3 dr. The sensitiveness of brain lasted till e.-25th. The same dil. caused the same symptoms, but slighter, and besides drawing and twitching along r. side of neck to shoulder, recurring every h. till e. (Ibid., 38.) 11. Dr. WATZKE'S brother, æt. 28 , robust, always in good health, took 2 tablespoonfuls of fresh juice in a glass of water. In a few m. complained of inclination to vomit and constriction in throat; frequent sneezing. After h , vomited his breakfast and his medicine. At 10 a.m., when in church, had violent urging to stool, and then 3 copions watery stools. At 11 a.m., when walking, had violent vomiting of bitter slime, which was repeated after a short time. (Ibid. , 139.)