Arum dracunculus

Volume I — Main text

Arum dracuneulus.— I* Frtnnngt, — i, A little over 1 02. of expressed juice was mixed with 9 oz. pure sacchanmi lactis, marked ** matrix.' Of this a ist dec, trit» was prepared in usual manner. July 6th, prover, aet, 36, took 10 grains of 1,, At a p.m., pulse 74, full, soft, and reguhw. In 5 m. peculiar acrid sensation [in mouth and throat, but not sufficiently marked to be unpleasant. Heart beat $0 Jriolently as to shake walls of chest. Pulse 80, full, hard, and somewhat jerking. '1.15 p.m,, tingling or slight stinging sensation in fingers and toes, as when circulation iH impeded. Pulse So, small, and regular \ artery seems to roll under finger, and require considerable pressure to be correctly counted. a»4S» fine tingling sensation all over r, hand, which is warmer and redder than 1. and appears somewhat swollen. Pulse 80, moderately full, and more regular. 7.0, shooting pain In L ant, inf. triangle of neck, near clavicle ; aching pain in 1. forearm, 1. hand, and r. humerus. Pulse 74, full, and nearly natural, but rather weak and irregular* 7,10, sharp shoot, ing pains at styloid process of r. ulnaj r. hand still remains somewhat red and twollen. Retired to rest at 9 i slept soundly till 7 a.m. Head feels heavy an*^

aches slightly^ in occipital and r* partetaJ regions* Throat feels sotnewhaf ii»|

rattling of mucus in larynx at every full expiraiion^ but this disappeare<i iftrr and moving about. Half an hour after breakfast ihooting pains m r. c^transient but frequent, and leave feeling of fulness and slight aching in 9 a,m., 15 grains of "matrix/' Late and insufficient stool, 9.15, cr flatuit from stomach ^ fine tingling or pricking sensation in hands and fet:t. r. J shooting pain down r. thigh \ fluj^hlng of hands and face ; hearths action incrti^d but not as violent as after taking i, yesterday \ aching in r. humerus. 9.:;ff, copio semifluid stool, with much flatus ; eructations tasting of medicine , small za:c ' of mucus in throat, the rai^ng of which, by coughing^ produces slight mut in larynx i disposition to swallow, arising from excess^ of mucus, but no Lnij.ut^^ acrid sensation in throat, as he had expected. 10 a^m,, pulse 74^ fdU^ $oft, regular. Feeling of xvarmth and fiilness in , middle ear, similar to what %rai fitlt \ 8 in r.» but no shooting pains; probably this symptom arises from accumulation 1 mucus in 1. Eustachian tube, tcio^ ear symptom has changed sidci* ; warnuli fulness now in r* car \ L ear normal. Disposition to swallow has subsided, 1 slight ancasinejis in throat, and disposition ro cough. Act of swaHovs-in^ slight soreness in muscles of throat* and renews temporarily the feeling ot warmcl and fulness in ears, sometime!^ in one and sometimes in oth«r, seldom in both at ont^ " I am satisfied that throat and car symptoms, with exception of soreness, arc owing 1 excess of mucus in throaty larynx, and Eustachian tubes." 3 p.m., increased soreness of larynx, and greater disposition to cough ; burning o^ soles of feet j heat* dryness, and smarting of eyelids ; fine shooting pain in course of 1. spermatic cord. 5.0, pretematuraT heat in palms of hands; loose cough, with soreness of throat, c1o««JyJ simulating mild attact of catarrhal angina; soreness not very marked, except during deglutition j feeling of dryness and smarting in throat, kind of rawness, with >cil^ of fulness, not really painful, but sufficiently annoying to attract constant attentionJ and protlucing continual disposition to clear throat by swallowing, coughing, 01 ' hawking, 9,30, retired to bed and slept well first part of n., but awoke about mid. night with great oppression of breathing, kind of asthmatic attack, which, however^, soon passed off, leaving considerable rattling of mucus in larynx and upper part oil " trachea. Noticed that rawness in throat and soreness in laryngeal region^ which J were present on retiring, had almost entirely disappeared. Slept badly rest of n. In m. raised by coughing small amount of mucus. No rattling of mucus at this h. (7 a.m.) except by forced expirations ; undue secretion is now limited to larvnx, but can be distinctly heard whenever expirations arc prolonged, 8th, % a,m., natural motion of bowels; no flatulence. 9.0, 30 grains of ** matrix,*' lo.o, occasiomlj emissions of flatus from stomach \ ear symptoms as before noted, but not to marked |1 6ne pricking and tingling sensations in feet and hands for last } h,, began in r« foot| I and afterwards aflFected in regular succession r, hand, 1. foot, and 1. hand ; oceasionaj ] shooting pains have occurred during same time in following order i — r maJar region, f, external malleolus^ thenar eminence of r, thumb, I malar region. Puke J4, small 1 and somewhat irregular. Occasional ivhooting and aching pains along r. humerus and r, thumb. 10.30, aching pain behind r. ear, also in r, shoulder \ slight aching pain in pr^ecordial region and down 1. arm; also in r, forearm and over I. eye: thc%e| pains are all very transient. 11,0, pain in bowels caused by incarceration of Batumi] escape of flatus from stomach and bowel.>, 13.0, aching pain along outer aspect of] L foot, immediately followed by similar pain in corresponding part of L hand 1 1 shooting and aching pains in 1. brachial plexus of ner'es.» 11.30, pulse 74, full, J

• '^ Most arum pains are observed to be very transient in any one part, and to course along the extremities, sometimes in one direction, sometimes in opposite one* J they are not very sharp, and are generally intermediate in character between achingJ and shooting. Those in the nervous trunks partake more of shooting character^ but! always leave aching sensation behind them. Have not been entirely (itc from these] pains longer than a few m, at a time, for more than a h., having noted down onM the most prominent. At first they were almost entirely confined to r. ^de ; now! they arc limited chiefly to 1. I have just had one of these characteristic pains In L side of head ; it began in 1. occipital region, gradually subsided, and reappeared successively in 1. temporal and 1. frontal regions. This remedy acts primaiity and pre-eminently upon nervous system, and through it upon circularion.**

+77

^

soft, and slightly irregular. 4 p^m., irresistible desire to pass uriQe^ which is dimi* nished in quantity, very high coloured, and has a burning or smarting effect on urethra, 6,0, Great languor and depression of spirits ; dull, heavy aching in chest,sinking teelin? at pit uf stomach ; aching along spine, particularly between shoulderblades and in lumbar region j great wcaltness across loins j feeling of extreme prostration. Urine subsequently passed normal in amount and character. Symptoms last-mentioned continued to increase until exhaustion compelled him to retire early (8 p.m.). At this time slight per&piration on neck, and breast, the tirst during proving. 9th, — Awoke at d a.m. greatly rcfre-ihed. Found himself quite hoarse ; expectorated ^small quantity of thick mucus; throat raw and tender; rattling of mucus in larynx during expiration^ but which ceased on rising, except when expirations were prolonged by voluntary effort. Conjunctivx highly injected ; lids dry, stiff", slightly agglutinated at their edges, which burn and smart. Proving was continued through month, with development of but few additional symptoms. BoweU somewhat irregulari at one time slightly constipated, at another somewhat loose, but never any decided diarrhoea. Paroxysms of dyspnoea would sometimes occur, with much aching in chest, and always associated with considerable secretion ot mucui in larynx and trachea. On 10th, and also on lyth, shooting pains in r. car, sometimes very severe. On a 3rd, an aphthous ulcer appeared on tongue, and on following d. mouth and throat became so tore that proving had to be discontinued. It was resumed « however, on 15th by taking Jj of ' matrix j" this produced a violent asthmatic attack at n,, and lighter ones on each succeeding n. for about a week, when they left altogether, but "there is still (Aug. ist) an annoying cough, and a mucous rattling in the larynx, which indicate that this will prove a valuable remedy in laryngeal, bronchial, and pulmonary complaints. Aug. ist.^ — 5j of ' matrix.' * Immediate effects similar to those already detailed. 3rd. — Deep shooting pains in r. car; cough from laryngeal irritation, worse at n. and when lying down; constant rawness of throat, hoarseness, and rattling of mucus in larynx. 4.th. — Similar symptoms, shooting pains in r, ear occurring frequently, and continuing sometimes 10 or 15 m. 5th. — Similar symptoms, ear pains still persistent. 6th. — Symptoms continue as before, with occasional shooting pains also in I. ear. 7th. — No change in symptoms, except three copious bilious passages from bowels, attended with aching in abdomen and burning in rectum. 8th. — ^Bilious diarrhoea, borborygmus, and escape of much Batus from bowels, oth. — Bowels regular j slight burning in urethra after micturition, nth. — No marked change in symptoms until last n. j coughed all n. ; in m. had very bad taste in mouth ; tongue and mouth coated with foul, slimy mucus, having putrid taste ; but the most important symptom wa a puruUnt txptc* toratiQny consisting of tkkk^ kea'vyy yello'wish-'wkiie pm. i6th. — Since lath have continued to raise this purulent secretion from larynx in large quantities. Last n, was so annoyed by gravity and peniistence of laryngeal symptoms — violent cough, hoarseness, rawness of throat, and profuse purulent expectoration, which greatly alarmed his wife, that he took a dose of Spongia 3X, which so far relieved as to secure a good night^s rest, the first he had had since lith. I7th.^ — Frequent copious emissions of limpid urine. i8th.^ — Inclination to urinate every h. or so during d. ; urine increased to 4 or 5 times normal amount \ tenderness and slight smarting or burning of orifice of urethra, e&pedally during micturition. Eruption of pimples, species of lichen, on nose ; and patches of urticaria on r. arm near elbow. During proving, /.r. for last 4 or 5 weeks, have been entirely irtt from an intolerable itching of scrotum — a chronic pruritus^-of ten or twelve years' standing. Have also noticed during this time great diminution, and most of time an entire absence of, sexual desire, penis flaccid and relaxed. This condition of generative organs and a slight laryngeal irritation are the only pathogenetic symptoms remaining at this date (Aug. iind), (C. P, Hart, M.D,,'>^m/r. Ob$., 1875.)

II. Pmoningi. — ^1. After having cut and pounded the A. drac. Dr. Demeure felt very soon prickings in fingers of r. hand, as from thorns j immediately after sensation as if he had put his hand into nettles 1 and, in rubbing fingers one against the other, sensation as if he had a number of small needles stuck upright there. Some h. later, twice, at a brief imer'al, pain in r. index finger as if strongly twisted round j ityptic and metallic taste, with bitterness at back of mouth. (Journ, de Ut Sot* Gall,^