Asclepias tuberosa

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Pleurisy Root.)

Botanical Description. — The root of this variety of Asclepias is perennial, and gives origin to numerous stems, which are erect, ascending, or ma)7 be trailing, round, hairy, of a green or reddish color, branching at the too. and about eighteen inches in height. (It rarely exceeds this, although

it is stated to be three feet by some authorities.) The leaves are scattered, oblong, lance-shaped, very hairy, of a deep rich green color on their upper surface, paler beneath, and supported usually on short foot stalks. The flowers are of a beautiful reddish-orange color, and disposed in terminal or lateral umbels, their stems rising along the stalk, but differing in length, so as to make them all nearly on a level. The fruit is an erect, lance-shaped follicle, with flat, egg-shaped seeds, connected to a longitudinal receptacle by long silky hairs. This plant differs from other species of Asclepias in not emitting a milky juice when wounded. It flourishes from Massachusetts to Georgia, and when in full bloom, in the months of June and July, exhibits a splendid appearance. The root is the part used in medicine. This is large, irregularly tuberous, branching, often spindleshaped, externally brown, internally white and striated, and in the recent state, of a sub-acrid nauseous taste. When dried it is easily pulverized, and has a bitter, but not otherwise unpleasant taste.

This plant, under the common names of Pleurisy-root, White-root, Butterfly-weed, Flux-root, Wind-root, Tuber-root, etc., is one of the oldest in use, and one of the most popular of our indigeneous remedies. It is best known by the name first mentioned, and is indicative of its well-known usefulness in painful affections of the thoracic organs.

Officinal Preparations. — Tincture of the root. Triturations of the root. (No confidence can be placed in the so-called active principles of this plant. They are impure, and do not represent its medicinal qualities.)

Sphere of Action. — In acute pains of the thoracic organs, catarrhal affections of the larynx, bronchi and respiratory tract, and to some extent functional derangements of the stomach.

Analogues. — Antimonium crudum, Asclepias syriaca, Arnica, Apocynum cannabinum, Bryonia, Cimicifuga, Caulophyllum, Dioscorea, Dulcamara, Eryngium, Eupatorium perfoliatum, and Eupatorium purpureum, Ipecacuanha, Iris versicolor, Kali carbonicum, Kali hydrojodicum, Pulsatilla, Senega, Squilla, Tartar emeti;.

Mind.

Weakness of memory and concentration.

Mental dejection and gloominess.

At first cheerful, then fretful and peevish.

Head.

Dull headache in the forehead and vertex, aggravated by

motion, and relieved by lying down. Headache, pressing deeply on the base of the skull; resembling

an Ipecacuanha headache. Swimming of the head, with dullness in the forehead. * Pain in the forehead from coughing, (also Bryonia.) Dull, gloomy feeling in the head.

Nose.

• Fluent coryza, with much sneezing. Blowing of blood from one nostril.

Face.

Pale face, with dejected look, after the diarrhoea.

Mouth.

Y ellow, tough coating on the tongue, and putrid taste.

Throat.

Transitory constriction and stinging in the throat, extending

to the larynx. Soreness and pain in the throat.

Gastric Symptoms. Putrid taste in the mouth; also taste of blood. Nausea and efforts to vomit. Vomiting, purging, and great prostration. Nausea, with constipation; bilious vomiting. 0 Bilious vomiting, with or without diarrhoea, but with pains

in the limbs, cramps in the feet, etc. Burning in the stomach.

Pressive pain in the stomach, with rumbling in the bowels. Disagreeable feeling of weight in the stomach, with deficient appetite.

Stomach and Bowels.

Flying pains in the stomach; fullness and pain in the right side, with feeling as if something would pass the bowels, and slight nausea.

Constipation, after diarrhoea.

• Bilious and painful diarrhoea.

Rumbling and uneasiness in the bowels, with a feeling of

heat in the umbilical region. Humbling in the bowels, with sharp, cutting pains.

• Soft, foetid stool, preceded by rumbling, and followed by

urging to stool.

Rumbling in the bowels, on waking at 6 p. m., with soreness

of the abdomen and pain on pressure. Stool like white of eggs.

Clammy stool, green; smelling like rotten eggs. 0 Catarrhal diarrhoea, in children, or in warm weather when the nights were cool and damp.

° Dysentary, chiefly catarrhal and autumnal. ° Sub-acute mucous enteritis.

° Anomalous symptoms, supposed to be due to the abuse of tobacco; namely: Acute soreness, attended by sharp, griping pains in the lower part of the abdomen; so severe that at times he was unable to walk or ride in a carriage. Five or six stools a day. At times the pain came on with great violence at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, with sudden discharges from the bowels, leaving such soreness of the abdomen that he could not walk. (Five drops of the tincture, in a wineglass of water, taken at one dose, cured this case of twenty-five years standing.) (Z>r Martin.)

Urinary Organs.

Frequent passing of clear urine, (p.) Dark red, saturated urine, (s.)

Genital Organs. Profuse menstruation, with violent pressing down pain. Painful stitches in penis. Sweat of genitals.

° Primary and secondary syphilis. (?)

Larynx.

Sensation of constriction of the larynx.

• Dry cough, with constricted sensation in larynx.

• Dry, hard cough, with pain in forehead and abdomen.

Chest, etc.

Want of breath, like asthma, worse after eating. Warm feeling in cl est.

Dull pain at base of both lungs, with tightness of chest.

• Sharp pains shooting from left nipple downward, with stiffness of left side of neck. Pain at base of left lung, with dry and spasmodic cough, making respiration painful, with some dullness on percussion there.

• Sharp cutting pain behind the sternum, aggravated by draw

ing a long breath, or moving the arms, by singing or loud speaking.

Chest feels weak and sore; without cough.

• The spaces between the ribs, close to the sternum are sensitive to pressure. Stitches in the left side, shooting over to the right side and up to left shoulder.

• Acute pleuritic pain in right side, with dry, hacking cough,

and scanty mucus expectoration. Pain in the chest, low down, on the diaphragm. The pains in the chest are relieved by bending forward and

aggravated by motion. ° Sub-acute peri-pneumonia of a catarrhal origin. ° Pleurisy, (equals Bryonia in some cases.) ° Catarrhal cough, hard, spasmodic, from irritation of the

larynx or bronchia. ° Influenza, with pleuritic or myalgic pains. ° Capillary bronchitis in children. ° Bronchitis, acute and chronic. ° Humid asthma; dyspnoea in bronchial affections.

Heart.

*Pain beneath the left nipple, with palpitation of the heart;

pulse rising from 64 to 88. Pains in the region of the heart, shooting up to left shoulder.

• Pricking pains in region of the heart.

• Contractive pain in the heart.

Tenderness on pressure over the region of the heart.

° Acute rheumatic pericarditis (not very severe). {Hale.)

° Hard, heavy, forcible beating of the heart, with some

dyspnoea. {Hale.)

Back and Extremities. Severe pains in back of the head, arms, legs, feet, shoulders,

and violent pains in all the joints. Pains in left shoulder, shooting from left chest. Sharp, shooting pains in right shoulder. Aching pains in knees, and drawing pains in thighs. Pains in the loins, like lumbago. Rheumatic pains in all the joints.

3 Muscular and articular rheumatism, with stitching pains, dark red urine, and hot, perspiring skin.

Skin.

Vesicles, pimples and pustules, all over the body, especially on

arms, legs and face. Itching of the skin of the thighs and nates, without eruption. Hot, feverish, but moist skin.

Sleep.

Uneasy sleep, with frightful dreams.

Fever.

Pulse rises from 64 to 88, with increased action of the heart. Chilliness, in a warm room, with cold feet. * High fever, with hot sweat. 0 Rheumatic and catarrhal fevers.

0 Bilious fever (?), "marsh fever of the rice plantations." Generalities.

"Weak, languid, as if he had been sick a long time.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This plant, commonly called Pleurisy root, is one of the oldest in use, and one of the most popular of all our indigenous remedies. The popular name given to the root indicates the estimation with which it is held. The early physicians incorporated it into the Pharmacopoeia, and its use by eclectic practitioners is varied and extensive. Their principal use of this Asclepias is in disorders of the respiratory organs, and in nearly the same conditions as we use Bryonia. We have only two provings of this remedy, one by Dr. Savery, of France, the other by Dr. Nichol, of Montreal. The former I consider untrustworthy in the main, because only two drops of the tincture were taken, and all the symptoms for forty days recorded ! Dr. Nichol took every day

twenty to forty drops of the 1* dil. and 6, and got symptoms which were characteristic.

I believe this Asclepias acts chiefly on the mucous surfaces , especially those of the respiratory organs, and the serous tissues, especially the pleura and synovial membranes.

It is common in the country for the people to treat pleurisy and pleurodynia with an infusion of the root. When sweating occurs, the pain subsides. Bronchitis is also treated successfully in the same manner. Our provings testify to the fact that it is homoeopathic to these affections.

The chest symptoms of Nichol’s provings are :

“ Cough dry and spasmodic, with constriction of the throat; harsh, dry cough, causing pain in the forehead and abdomen.

“ Dull pain at base of both lungs, with a feeling of tightness.

“Sharp pains shooting from left nipple downward.

“Sharp, cutting pain behind the sternum, aggravated by breathing, moving the arms, singing, or loud talking.

“Acute, darting pains in left side, shooting over to the right, and up to left shoulder, with tenderness of the spaces between the ribs.

“The pains left the left side and attacked the right side, and extended to right shoulder.

O

“The pains wer e relieved by bending forward.”

These symptoms give us a fair picture of a case of subacute pleuritis. The fever was slight (pulse 88).

I have used it successfully in mild cases of pleurisy and intercostal rheumatism, giving the 1* frequently repeated. Dr. Nichol had many rheumatic symptoms. The pains were stitching and aggravated by motion.

The Asclepias is especially adapted to the diseases of children, not only the thoracic but the intestinal. It resembles Ipecac, in this respect. It is also useful in asthmatic complaints and catarrhal affections of old people. It is useful in the coughs and colds of children, in “snuffles,” in catarrhal croupy coughs, and suffocative catarrh. The fever attendant is not very severe, the skin is hot, but at the same time moist. It is indicated in those cases of catarrhal fever in which the intestinal mucous membrane

is affected simultaneously with the bronchial, and as having slimy, green alvine evacuations.

I have prescribed it with benefit in subacute rheumatic pericarditis ■, when there was pinching pain in the region of the heart, extending to left shoulder, palpitation, feeling of contraction in the cardiac region, tenderness over that region, fever, with hot, moist skin.

Catarrhal dysentery , with rheumatic pains all over, yields readily to this medicine. I usually use the mother tincture or lx, 20 drops in half a glass of water, a spoonful as often as seems necessary. If oftener used, instead of Bryonia, I think it would gain in favor with our school.