Cornus circinata

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Round-leaved Dogwood, Green Osier.)

Botanical Description. — A shrub found all over the Northern States, from six to ten feet high, growing on the hillsides, near water courses. Leaves longer than in any other species, round-oval, abruptly pointed, wooly and white beneath, about as broad as long, wavy on the edges, oppo- 6ite on the branches. Stem grayish, upright, with opposite, cylindrical, green, spotted, or warty branches. Flowers white, small, in flat or depressed bunches, without any leaves or bracts. Fruit light-blue, round, hollowed at the base, soft, crowned with the remains of the styles. The bark, when fresh, is bright green ; when dried, in quills of a whitish or ash color; its taste is bitter, astringent and aromatic.

Officinal Preparations— Tincture with strong alcohol, from the fresh bark; dilutions.

Analogues. — China, Hydrastis, Eupatorivm perfoliatum, Nux vomica, etc. Mental Sphere. Drowsiness, with indifference.

Mind confused, with inability to concentrate it upon any subject.

° Feeling of indolence, and loss of energy. Great depression of spirits, and petulance. Indifference with respect to subjects which usually interest.

Head.

° Dull, heavy pain in the whole head, with drowsiness. Headache, increased by walking, stooping, or shaking the head. ° Sense of fullness in head, relieved by a copious stool. Congestion of blood to the head and face. Deep-seated, pulsating pains in the occipital and parietal regions.

0 Shooting pains through the whole brain. 0 Bilious cephalalgia.

Eyes.

Aching pains through the eyeballs.

Yellowish tinge of the conjunctivae; hollowness of the eyes. Sense of weight around the eyes. Eyes dull aud heavy.

Nose.

Itching of the nasal mucous membrane. Coryza early in the morning.

Severe prickling sensation in the bony part of the nose. Mouth and Throat.

Tongue coated with a thin, yellowish fur.

Bitter taste in the mouth.

Smarting in the mouth and throat.

"White fur on the tongue, with desire for cold drinks.

° Apthous stomatitis of children; stomatitis materna.

0 Apthous ulceration of the mouth in children.

Stomach.

• Nausea, with bitter taste, and aversion to all kinds of food,

and desire for sour drinks. Burning sensation in the stomach.

° Heavy pulsations in the stomach, with nausea and impaired appetite.

Nausea, with great debility and eructations. Sensation of faintness in stomach and bowels. Fullness and oppression in the stomach, with bad taste and dry mouth.

Smarting and burning in the mouth, throat and stomach, with desire for stool.

Abdomen and Stool.

Griping pains in the abdomen, with rumbling of wind. Pressing down pain in the rectum and stool, smarting at the

anus; tenesmus, with griping in the umbilical region. Urging to stool, with fullness and uneasiness of the bowels. Abdominal pains, more acute during stool. Constant working in the bowels.

Distension of the bowels with wind, relieved by a copious,

dark and bilious stool. Urging to stool, but little passed, the discharge consisting of

a few slimy lumps, with pressing and smarting at the anus.

° Stool thin, scanty, and slimy, with griping in the umbilical region.

• Copious thin and bilious discharge, with tenesmus and

burning.

0 Dark green, thin, and very offensive stools, with copious

emission of offensive flatus. 0 Copious, dark stool of the natural consistence. Hard, dry, and scanty stool, with pressing in the rectum. 0 Dysentery, with ulceration of mucous membrane of the

rectum. ° Bilious derangements.

• Diarrhoea, with excessive debility and nervous excitability. -

Urine.

Urine scanty and red, or pale; sensation of fullness in the

region of the bladder. Frequent inclination to pass water.

Generative Organs. Increased sexual desire during the evening and night, with

diminished power.

Chest.

Stitches in the chest and back.

A fine scarlet rash upon the chest, with itching.

Sore, bruised feeling in the chest and back.

Shooting pains from the centre of thorax to the lower part of

the abdomen. Choking sensation in the upper part of the thorax.

Back.

Dull pain in small of the back, with drowsiness and lassitude. Sore pain in the lumbar region, worse on bending forward or to either side.

Upper Extremities.

Burning and itching sensation in the hands and arms. Coldness of the hands, following a loose stool.

Lower Extremities. Weakness and weary feeling in the legs.

Itching on the legs and thighs; burning sensation in the feet. Coldness of feet, following a loose stool.

Skin.

Itching of the scalp, legs and feet, increased by scratching or rubbing.

Paroxysms of itching of the skin of the back, legs and feet,

mostly at night. Fine scarlet rash on the breast, attended with itching. Skin covered with a copious, clammy perspiration. Itching around the genital organs.

Fever.

Flushes of heat, followed by perspiration.

Chilly sensation, succeeded by transient flushes of heat.

Congestion of the head and face.

Flushes of heat and coldness in alternation, followed by cold perspiration.

Bilious remittents, and the characteristic gastric and intestinal symptoms present.

Sleep.

Very great drowsiness, and disposition to perspire.

Great disposition to sleep, with entire loss of mental and

physical energy. Stupid and sleepy feeling, with nausea, etc. Sleepy and weak during the day, with dull pains in the head,

back and limbs.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This species of Cornus is a smaller shrub than the flowering dogwood. It has a small but pretty blossom, in large flat or depressed cymes ; a small, light-blue fruit, nearly the size of a currant. The bark on the young branches is a bright green, giving the name Green osier to this species.

It is very popular in the country as a remedy for aphthous and ulcerated conditions of mucous membranes. It certainly has some marked specific virtues in such conditions even when chronic, for I have known it to cure chronic ulcerations of the mouth and throat, recurring occasionally for many years. It acts best when used as a lotion ; and also internally in appreciable doses of the tincture or infusion of the recent bark.

It has also been used in agues of nearly the same character as

described for Corn us Florida. The provings made and published by Dr. Marcy give us similar symptoms. It is evidently an analogue of China, Hydrastis, Eupat. perf., Chelone, etc.

The principal disorders in which it has been successfully used are bilious headaches, jaundice, aphthous stomatitis, and hepatic derangements. Dr. Marcy and several others value it very highly in bilious diarrhoea and dysentery. The symptoms are similar to those of Merc, cor., Aloes, and Nux, for which it may be judiciously substituted in some cases occurring in connection with malarial conditions, and in hot weather.