Drop-Water ; Water Hemlock. Umbelliferæ.

A plant indigenous to England, Sweden, France and Spain ; grows in moist places and swamps.

The alcoholic tincture is prepared from the fresh root.

It is mentioned by Hahnemann in a letter to Stapf in 1813. So far we have had no provings, only toxicological reports, which are numerous. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 7, p. 128 .

CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.

Cough , Berridge, N. E. M. G., vol. 10, p. 389 ; Spasms caused by puerperal albuminuria , Œhme, Hah. Mo., vol. 12, p. 644 ; Convulsions , Œhme, N. E. M. G., vol. 12, p. 254 ; Epilepsy , Œhme, N. E. M. G., vol. 12, p. 311 ; Hansen, A. H. Z., vol. 113. , p. 69 ; Hendricks, A. H. Z., vol. 109, p. 7 ; 3 Cases greatly improved , Horner, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc., Pa., 1886, p. 102 Martin, MSS., Knerr, MSS.

MIND [1]

Sudden and complete loss of consciousness.

Disturbances of intellect ; mad and furious, as if drunk.

Extreme restlessness approaching to mania.

Furious delirium ; hallucinations.

Delirium like delirium tremens ; constantly moved from place to place, talked without cessation and without knowing what they said ; grasped at imaginary objects.

Epileptic insanity ; sudden furious attack.

SENSORIUM [2]

Apoplectic conditions ; speechless and insensible, face puffed and livid, pupils dilated, respiration laborious, limbs contracted, tenesmus.

Vertigo : with falling ; with nausea, vomiting, syncope and convulsions.

Suddenly falls down backward.

INNER HEAD [3]

Pain all over, but particularly in his head.

Momentary sensation of pungent heat determining to head.

Hyperemia of brain ; extravasation and serous exudation.

SIGHT AND EYES [5]

Disturbance of vision.

Eyes turned upward.

Pupils first contracted then dilated.

Eyes are fixed and look red.

SMELL AND NOSE [7]

Bleeding from nose.

UPPER FACE [8]

Rapid, convulsive twitchings of muscles of face.

Risus sardonicus.

Face ghastly, livid and turgid.

Face swollen and livid, with bloody froth issuing from mouth and nostrils.

Rose-colored spots on face.

LOWER FACE [9]

Muscles of mastication in rigid spasm ; trismus.

TEETH AND GUMS [10]

Convulsive movements of teeth.

TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]

Loss of speech.

Tongue : protruding ; swollen ; bitter ; clean, moist and trembling.

INNER MOUTH [12]

Excoriation ; inflammation ; blisters.

Foaming at mouth ; bloody mucus. θ Epilepsy.

PALATE AND THROAT [13]

Angina ; burning heat in pharynx ; throat very painful.

Pressure on throat gives pain ; it is sore when he swallows.

APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]

Total loss of appetite, with debility.

Desires cold drinks.

HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]

Great retching to vomit ; vomiting during fit ; vomiting of blood.

Obstinate vomiting, continuing for days, not relieved by anything.

SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]

Burning heat in throat and stomach, with disturbance of intellect ; vertigo, cardialgia, nausea, followed by alvine evacuations.

ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]

Griping and severe tormina.

Gastro-enteritis, with violent pain and vomiting.

Abdomen tympanitic ; swells with the convulsions.

MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]

Semipriapism.

RESPIRATION [26]

Breathing : stertorous ; spasmodic ; convulsive ; heavy ; short ; slow ; laborious ; loud tracheal rales ; hardly perceptible ; sudden cessation, followed by a catching sigh ; spasm of diaphragm.

COUGH [27]

Cough for four or five days, < at night, excited by tickling at top of throat ; during cough rattling in lower chest ; sputa thick, heavy, white and yellow, adheres to vessel, a little frothy, copious ; aching pain in left side of thorax, < from deep inspiration, > from deep pressure.

Expectoration : reddish ; bloody ; white ; frothy.

INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]

Lungs hyperæmic ; hepatized in spots.

Pleuritic exudation.

HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]

Pain in heart.

Pulse : very feeble, heart's action scarcely perceptible ; accelerated before the fit.

NECK AND BACK [31]

Pain along spinal column.

Intense action of dorsal and lumbar muscles ; opisthotonos.

UPPER LIMBS [32]

Arms flexed at elbow in a right angle.

Rapid convulsive twitchings of muscles of hands.

Hands are clenched during tetanus.

Irritation of arms and hands, with sharp lancinating pains.

LOWER LIMBS [33]

Pain along track of sciatic and crural nerves, commencing in spinal column, more especially lumbar region.

Cramps in calves.

Legs stretched straight out.

LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]

Numbness and feebleness of limbs.

REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]

Legs stretched straight out.

Body rigid during convulsions.

Whole body in shaking, convulsive motion.

Falling : from vertigo ; in convulsions.

Swallowing : causes soreness of throat.

NERVES [36]

Violent convulsions, with trismus or tetanus ; risus sardonicus ; body rigid ; rigors ; jactation.

Terrible convulsions, followed by coma or deep sleep.

He fell back foaming at mouth and black in face.

Gave a leap and then fell.

Sudden convulsions, trismus, biting of tongue, followed by unconsciousness and oblivion of circumstances.

Convulsions, with deathly syncope, coldness as if dead.

Convulsions, with swollen, livid face ; bloody froth from nose and mouth ; convulsive respirations, insensibility, feeble pulse.

Child, æt. 22 months, suddenly seized with convulsions ; faint eruption like measles on body, which, however, soon disappeared ; continued working of muscles and motion of limbs ; frothing of mouth and rolling of half-closed eyes ; swallowing very difficult ; attack two and one-half hours (Bellad. and Zinc. ineffectual). After Œnanthe croc., rapid improvement and recovery ; three hours after commencement of disease, violent fever ; next day child quite well, except great weakness ; no eruption.

Spasms in quick succession, with entire unconsciousness, eyes half closed and set ; face and neck dark red and swollen ; foam about mouth ; jaws and hands tightly closed ; singular noise in throat, as if being choked ; upper and lower extremities slightly curved ; whole body in a shaking, convulsive motion ; during seventh month of pregnancy in a woman with albuminuria, dropsy, headache, etc.

Utters loud cries and falls to the floor, then loss of consciousness, clonic spasms of limbs, frothing at mouth, rolling of eyes, clenched thumbs, alternate redness and paleness of face and involuntary escape of stool and urine ; no aura ; attacks often three or four times a week, at times every two weeks, after attack, sleep of five or six hours duration, heaviness in head, lassitude and prostration ; memory somewhat impaired ; Bellad., Cuprum, Ignat. and Pulsat. gave no relief except that spasms occurred less frequently, but they were still as severe and were accompanied by convulsive motions of face, which became lead-colored and swollen during attack.

Epilepsy in a girl, æt. 16 ; first attacks appeared when 9 years old ; convulsions, salivation and complete loss of consciousness during attack ; several attacks in twenty-four hours ; after using bromide of potash for a year attacks ceased until her twelfth year, when menstruation was established ; attacks occur day or night ; menses very irregular, often absent several months ; great weakness ; face icteric ; expression stupid.

One to three epileptic fits shortly before and during menses, appear while asleep and awake, and commence with a peculiar outcry, afterwards would fall into a very deep sleep of several hours duration, or was for several hours out of her senses and talked much and incoherently ; there frequently followed cramplike pains in lower part of bowels (womb) and vicinity ; she had no aura epileptica, but redness and a heavy expression of face, and something inexpressible in her manner indicated an approaching attack ; menses a little too scant and not of sufficient duration.

Has two kinds of fits ; one her companions call a "funny spell" and comes on very suddenly ; she will jump up and turn over the washstand or chair ; once she started towards the stove, and a number of times has torn her clothes or cut the buttons off her dress ; if any one interferes she will fight or become very violent ; will continue in this condition fifteen minutes or more and then recover her senses and normal condition as quickly as she lost them ; knows nothing of what has occurred ; in the other kind she will suddenly shriek, throw up her hands and fall back unconscious, frothing at mouth, eyeballs turned up, and limbs and whole body violently jerking and twitching ; this will continue a few minutes and then she will gradually recover ; very weak after such a spell, but not so after one of the former kind ; attacks almost daily, and each one worse than its predecessor ; attacks < while menstruating ; uterus undoubtedly the origin of the trouble. (Has had but ten attacks during the three months she has been taking Œnanthe croc.)

TIME [38]

Night : cough <.

TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]

Cold drinks : desire for.

ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]

Two and one-half hours : convulsions.

Alternate : redness and paleness of face.

Three or four times a week, every two weeks : spasms.

Day or night : attacks of epilepsy.

Before and during menses : one to two epileptic fits.

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]

Left : pain in side of thorax.

SENSATIONS [43]

Cold as if dead during convulsion, noise in throat as if being choked.

Pain : all over, but particularly in head ; in throat ; in heart ; along spinal column ; along track of sciatic and crural nerves.

Violent pain : in stomach.

Sharp, lancinating : in arms and hands.

Aching pain : in left side of thorax.

Cramps : in calves.

Cramplike pains : in lower part of bowels.

Burning heat : in pharynx ; in throat and stomach.

Heat : determining to head.

Heaviness : in head.

Tickling : at top of throat.

Numbness : of limbs.

TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]

Pressure : on throat painful ; deep pain in thorax >.

SKIN [46]

Rose-colored on face, chest, arms and abdomen.

STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]

Child, æt. 20 months, apparently in good health ; convulsions.

A young girl, æt. 14, with hereditary epilepsy, was quickly benefited ; attacks came in sleep and while awake ; no aura.

Girl, æt. 14, well built, not yet menstruating ; epilepsy.

Girl, æt. 16, father drunkard, suffering since ninth year ; epilepsy.

Woman, æt., 26, primapara, suffering with albuminuria, dropsy, headache, etc., during seventh month of pregnancy ; spasms.

Miss, æt. 36, consumptive and subject to asthma.

Woman, æt. 36, childless, stout, healthy looking, of epileptic family, miscarried several times during first year of marriage, and suffered diseases of sexual organs ; at one time menstruation did not appear, and very irritating injections were used, but the consequences were metritis and an epileptic fit and soon after insanity ; under homœopathic treatment the disease of mind was cured and menses returned ; epilepsy.

Woman, æt. 37, married, says she suffered from chorea from seventh year until appearance of menses, then commenced the epileptiform attacks ; epilepsy.

RELATIONS [48]

Compare : Cicuta .