Filix Mas
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Male Fern. Filices.
"Galen, Theophrastus, and Avicenna speak of it as a vermifuge medicine. Dioscorides adds to this its capability to induce sterility and abortion."
Fragmentary provings by Berridge, Med. Inv., N. S., vol. 3, p. 282.
The tincture must be prepared from the fresh root ; "old preparations and tinctures won't do. The best time for curing tapeworm is, therefore, the summer season, when the root of Filix mas may be obtained in a fresh state. It is grated and taken in the course of the forenoon, to the amount of an ounce. Usually in the afternoon, the tapeworm, rolled up in a lump, takes its departure". (A. H. Z., 80, p. 141).
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Tape-worm , (100 cases reported), B. J. H., vol. 22, p. 322 ; (24 cases), Ogle, B. J. H., vol. 23, p. 273 ; (2 cases), Lobeth, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 1, p. 804 ; Müller, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 388 ; Worms , Werber, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 1, p. 804.
MIND [1]
Irritable and cross. θ Worms.
Great anxiety ; loss of consciousness.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Itching of nose. θ Worms.
UPPER FACE [8]
Pale face ; blue rings around eyes. θ Worms.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Furred tongue. θ Worms.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Loss of appetite. θ Worms.
EATING AND DRINKING [15]
Coffee > the numbness in right arm.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Painless hiccough, starts 10 minutes after meal, lasting 15 to 30 minutes.
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhœa.
Tightness in left hypochondrium, extending forward to middle line, causing difficulty of breathing, in a warm room, in the evening after sunset ; > walking in open air ; kept her awake in bed till 1 A. M., on awaking next morning, the same ; > after a Turkish bath.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Bloating of abdomen.
Gnawing and boring in bowels, < eating sweet things.
Abdominal pains.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Ineffectual urging to stool.
Pappy stools.
Gnawing and boring in bowels, < eating sweet things ; constipation ; loss of appetite ; furred tongue ; pale face ; blue rings around eyes ; itching of nose ; irritable and cross. θ Worms.
Symptoms indicative of worms, particularly when constipation is present.
A woman who had repeatedly passed segments of tape-worm was seized with severe colic which quickly disappeared under Filix mas, and was followed eight days later by discharge of tape-worm, 50 inches in length.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Menstrual function stimulated.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Causes abortion.
Sterility.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Numbness of back of right wrist, extending up radial side of arm to just above elbow ; felt as if the use of the limb would go ; then the same feeling in left wrist, but transient and slighter ; afterwards the same in a small spot on right vertex, rather anteriorly ; afterward in anterior right shoulder ; the numbness seemed to be in the bone in every case.
SLEEP [37]
Restless and sleepless at night.
TIME [38]
Evening after sunset ; tightness of left hypochondrium.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Warm room : tightness of left hypochondrium.
Open air : > tightness of hypochondrium.
Turkish bath : > tightness of left hypochondrium.
FEVER [40]
Worm fever.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
During 15 or 30 minutes : hiccough.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : numbness in arm ; numbness of wrist, extending up arm ; numbness in small spot on vertex ; numbness in shoulder.
Left hypochondrium : tightness in ; wrist numb.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if the use of the limb would go Abdominal pains.
Gnawing : in bowels.
Boring : in bowels.
Tightness : of left hypochondrium.
Bloating : of abdomen.
Numbness : of right arm ; of back ; of right wrist, extending up arm ; left wrist ; right vertex ; right shoulder.
Itching : of nose.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
A large majority of the patients cured were young girls or women.