Berberis aquifolium

Volume I — Appendix

Botanical Description. — This tree is a native of California and Oregon. It should not be confounded with Berberis vulgaris, the common Barberry. Preparation. — Tincture of the root.

° Syphilis in all its stages. (?) ° Syphilitic psoriasis. ° Psoriasis diffusa.

0 Terrible eruption, covering the scalp and extending downwards over the face and chest; exact species not stated, but probably eczema capitis.

° Eruption confined to the ears and back of the head and neck, of six months' standing.

° Roughness of the skin of the face in women.

0 Dry, rough, and scaly skin.

° Cutaneous affections, especially squamous, such as psoriasis and pityriasis.

0 Tumor of the breast, with sharp pain in it, worse at night *, hard and circumscribed, like scirrhus.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

shrub. It belongs to the natural order Berberidacese, an order which, on this coast, is made up of three genera — Berberis, Vancouveria, and Achlys. The genus under consideration is the Berberis. Of this genus there are four species — Berberis repens, Aquifolium, Pinnata, and Nervosa. The species Aquifolium inhabits the Coast Range Mountains, and is found to delight in a high altitude, being more plenty there than lower down.

“ It was first brought to my notice by a gentleman who had been suffering for years from syphilis, and who, himself, was a ‘ walking drug store,’ as he expressed it, and had made the mountains a resort that he might live through summer ; and, while there, when very weak and low, just able to wait upon himself, he picked some of the berries, ate them, relishing them because they were sour, and they finally acted as a cathartic, and, having been much constipated, he received immediate relief. He tasted the leaves, bark, and also dug the root, which he found to be an intense bitter, steeped it, and began to take it. In three months he found himself wonderfully restored, and came home to this place (Colusa). He continued the use of the drug by steeping in whiskey, as he called it, and in eight months every vestige of the syphilis was gone, and he was certainly (to use a vulgar term) almost rotten with it, and that was his cure. Having treated him myself more or less fora year before he commenced its use, and being intimate friends, he gave the above statements regarding the remedy as he used it, but not until lately have I been able to obtain its botanical name, though I have used it months without knowing what it was, or I should have presented it before. Its power as an alterative is certainly marvellous, and not only as an alterative but a tonic also. The root is the part used, and it is extremely hard and tough, and of a bright, golden yellow color, an intense but pleasant bitter, and makes a very handsome preparation. As a tonic, and a general tonic, I know of nothing that can excel it, and I find it also to be an effective antiperiodic. Combining, as it does, its great alterative properties with its fine tonic power, its great value as an alterative is increased ; for where an alterative is desirable a tonic is always needed. Since learning of this drug’s great antisyphilitic power, I prescribe but very little of the iodides, from the fact of this so far outdoing them in syphilis. I do not care what

the disordered state of the blood may be, requiring an alterative or tonic, you will find in this the power of renovation and innervation that will give perfect satisfaction, as it will bring the answer faithfully. I have just commenced its use in a case of salt rheum, and as the patient has only been taking it two weeks I do not know what the result will be, but it does renovate the system so thoroughly in syphilis and other blood diseases that I believe it will succeed in this case. I will report further in this case after trial. I might report very many cases of syphilis, together with other blood difficulties, which are ordinarily met with, that I have cured, and I don’t think of using much else.”

There is considerable enthusiastic testimony for its value in syphilis, but unfortunately it was nearly always combined with Iodide of potassa, which renders such testimony very doubtful. The following cases of psoriasis, where it was used alone, are of more value:

Case 1. — In October last a Mr. Hall, native of London, England, about aged thirty, and body well nourished, presented himself to me with typical psoriasis diffusa, involving the entire integument excepting that of parts of the face, hands, and feet. It was his second attack, and had then troubled him three or four months, growing gradually worse in that time.

During his first attack some years ago, being unsuccessful with any treatment in Canada, where he then lived, he went to London, England, and under the treatment of Balmanno Squire, Surgeon to the British Hospital for Diseases of the Skin, which he says consisted of baths, and ointments, and internal treatment, the composition of which he does not very well remember, he pretty soon got well, and so remained until the present recurrence.

After calling on me in October last, and pending his efforts to get into some hospital where he could avail himself of, what I supposed to be necessary, baths and treatment, he met with Mr. Higgins, of this city, and was induced by him to try Berberis aquifolium, which he did in teaspoonful doses of the tincture four times a day.

Improving remarkably in a short time, he and Mr. Higgins

called at my office and wished me, if I felt any interest in it, to superintend the treatment and watch the progress.

Struck with so much change without any external macerations or anointings I was glad to watch it still further.

Soon after commencing the treatment he frequently felt a warm tingling sensation in the skin, and while exfoliation of scales went on, the production of them gradually ceased. The psoriatic patches left the trunk first, the head next, and next the arms. There are a few scales yet in front of the knees, but excepting those he is entirely well. The red discoloration which remained for some time on the trunk has lately entirely disappeared.

I have allowed myself to report the case, not from any special interest that the affection possessed, but from its disappearance during the administration of this medicine. I exercised particular care on every hand to ascertain if any other medication was had, and believe it to be the only remedy used. The patient has also told me, from time to time, that he made no change in diet or any of his habits of life. He says the medicine may have increased the action of the bowels somewhat, but not very perceptibly. In conjecturing as to its modus operandi, I have thought sometimes that it may act upon the bowels and other emunctories, and from its bitter principle, as a tonic, and in that way correct defective elimination and mal-assimilation, upon which this affection with many others may probably enough depend. — Dr. T. 1ST. Reynolds, in the “ Michigan Medical News.”

As there has been some little questioning of the authenticity of the above case, reported in our April issue, of the wonderful effects of Berberis aquifolium, we took the liberty to ask for a brief statement from the patient, Mr. Hall. This is what he writes us :

“Sir, — I think that I am in duty bound to bear testimony to the virtues of Berberis aquifolium, having received almost miraculous benefits from it in psoriasis. I have been troubled for the past six or seven years, and believe there could not be found in Michigan a finer developed specimen than mine, being completely covered from head to foot with those charming incrustations.

“ The only ill effect that I felt was my inability to work at my trade as a machinist. It never was irritable, but the fact of its being there almost drove me crazy. I went to England, and attended the Royal Hospital for Skin Diseases about three months. The chief thing administered was Fowler’s Solution, and in about six months got better. Was well for about one year, when again it made its appearance in a worse form, and I was induced to try Berberis aquifolium. I had an 8-ounce bottle, and at the outset I experienced a tingling sensation of the skin, which lasted for some time, and then found the exfoliation gradually getting less and less. After taking the Berberis about six weeks in teaspoonful doses, four times a day, it ceased to form, and the red discoloration gradually disappeared. There is only one obstinate patch, about the size of a 2-cent piece, on my knee, but that does not form any scales, and gives me no inconvenience. If you think proper you can publish this statement. I can produce half a dozen medical gentlemen that saw me before taking the Berberis, and I was indeed a picture of misery. I never deviated from my regular course of diet and canuot ascribe the cure to anything else but Berberis.” — “ New Preparations.”

Case 2. — On the first of November, 1877, Mr. W. D., of this place, called me to see his two little daughters, aged respectively ten and twelve years, whom I found, suffering from a terrible eruption covering the scalp and extending downwards over the face and chest. I was told by the mother that, in spite of all she could do, the disease had existed over two years, and the mother, by the way, is a very neat housewife. She said she had used all the domestic remedies she could procure, but the disease had now become so bad and the odor so offensive that she was compelled to take them from school. To make the story short, I diagnosed the disease scrofula, and prescribed the following:

R. Fluid extract berberis,

Syrup simplex, aa, . giv.

M. S. Teaspoonful every four hours.

The first effect was to increase the eruption, but in four weeks from the time they commenced the use of the medicine the eruption had entirely disappeared, leaving the skin smooth and healthy.

My third case was a young lady whose family had all shown scrofulous symptoms, some of whom had died of the disease. The lady referred to had been troubled with an eruption confined to

the ears and back of the head and neck of six months’ standing. One eight ounce bottle of Fluid extract of berberis aquifolium, prepared according to the above-mentioned formula, and taken in teaspoonful doses, effected the cure. — Dr. Mallory, Ohio.

Dr. Buisly makes the following emphatic remarks concerning its use in skin diseases :

“If you wish to smooth the skin of a lady’s face, which has become rough and unsightly, give her Berberis and she will give you many a puff, together with thanks,” etc.

If experience of our school confirms the above, by means of its use alone and in smaller doses, it will prove that it is an analogue of Phytolacca, Stillingia, Corydalis, and the Mercurial iodides, and Arsenic.