Dulcamara

Volume II — Main text

DULCAMARA .

Solanum Dulcamara, L. Woody nightshade, bitter-sweet. Nat. Ord., Solanacea. I. Provings.-I . HAHNEMANN, Mat. Med. Pura, vol. i of original and translation. Contains 318 symptoms from self and 10 fellowprovers, and 83 from authors. 2. IBID, Chronic Diseases, part iii of original, vol. of translation . Contains only 8 additional symptoms. 3. Five dr. of tinct., taken at 9 a.m., caused me to waken next m. with violent pain in l. wrist, developing what a number of physicians called an " inflammatory rheumatism." Anatomically, the centre of pain seemed to emanate from the pisiform bone, extending forwards along the branchings of the ulnar nerve to the end of the little finger, and again upward along the main tract of that nerve until it became lost near the inferior origin of the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle. The pain increased until 9 or 10 next e. There was redness and swelling of integuments ; little finger was flexed, and more or less involved in the inflammatory process. Symptoms subsided 48 h. after first incursion of pain. Concomitants were great cardiac excitement and restlessness of mind. (F. A. ROCKWITH, M.D., A. J. of H. M. M., N. S., i, 289.) 4. A young woman took 10 gl. saturated with tinct. in a wineglassful of water. After a few h. vertigo, she staggers and reels ; nausea with inability to bring up anything ; sharp shooting pains in 1. toes and thumb ; fearfully confused dreams ; she has to get up at n. and walk about the room ; sinking sensation all over ; she fancied she would sink through the bed. (ROBINSON, Brit. Journ of Hom,, xxiv, 513.) 5. One dr. of the juice caused yellow watery diarrhea, with tearing cutting pain in belly before each stool, as if after a chill. (KNORRE, A. h. Z., vi, 35.) 6. One dr. of Ist dil. caused in a child eruption of nettlerash all over body, without other symptoms. (Ibid.) 7. A stout lady, æt. 35, took in 3d. an infusion of zj of the herb. This caused general itching of body, which increased to intolerability ; itching worst on the nates, and the skin was reddened there, partly from scratching, and showed long swollen wheals. On inner surface offorearms, red points were early perceived ; no other eruption-except the wheals on nates-was perceived on the rest of the body, though it

itched all over, before the 6th d. She felt less itching when out of bed, but on going to bed even in daytime the itching returned, and perspiration broke out all over skin. N. very disturbed ; she rarely got to sleep before 2 to 3 a.m., and then only slept 3 or 4 h. After the 6th d. an eruption broke out all over body. It attained its maximum on the 10th d., and she had chills and heats with tendency to sweat, therefore she remained in bed, when she sweated profusely and the eruption came out more. It was especially thick over the back, less so on arms and legs. The appearance ofthe rash, and the sensations attending it, were different on different parts of body. On the back the skin was studded with red points the size of a pin's head, and the sensation there was as if 1000 fine needles were sticking under and betwixt scapule. On the arms there were spots where the epidermis was detached in fine scales ; the red spots which were there at first had gone, and the patient felt there a smarting itching. On the legs there were red stripes, and she felt as if she was lying up to her hips in nettles. She remained 2 d. in bed, perspiring freely. The eruption was visible on the 20th d. It remained at its height 10 d. and decreased 10 d., so that it lasted altogether fully 4 weeks. The cooler the patient kept herself, the better she felt; bed always aggravated the itching and eruption. The heat and itching ofbody increased after each meal. (HOPPE, A. h. Z., ii, M. B. 14. ) II. Poisonings.- 1 . A strong healthy boy, æt. 1 , ate a quantity of the berries of D. He immediately became unwell, and the 2nd d. the doctor found the following symptoms :-frequent but ineffectual inclination to vomit, inability to swallow, indistinct utterance, though he spoke constantly. He always put his fingers to his mouth, as though he would take something out, spat about him, took no notice of those around him, would not reply to any question, or obey any directions, he scratched his father, was very restless, and could scarcely be held. Had suddenlyjerkings, as from electricity, through the whole body, and cried piteously. The cause ofthe jerkings seemed to be the abdominal pains, but they did not last long, and then the child began again to speak in his stammering way. He could not walk or stand, and would have fallen if left to himself; he grasped at the air and at his clothes -carphologia. Tongue with thick white fur ; moderately firm, big belly; no stool since the poisoning ; quick, moderately full, pulse ; increased temperature of skin, miliary eruption all over the body, urine passed unconsciously ; pupils very dilated. Liq. Kal. Carb. was given, and he recovered. (BODENMÜLLER, Med. Corresp. d. Würtemb, aerztl. Ver., xiv, No. 16, p. 128, 1844 ; Frank's Mag., ii.) 2. A youth, æt. 19, took for a fortnight, for eczema, a strong decoction of stems of D., and on the 15th d. besides 3ss extract. He got such a severe attack of cramp in calfthat his leg was forcibly flexed on the thigh. He fell asleep and slept quietly, but on waking the head felt hot, giddy, and there was dimness of vision, which changed to floating of black specks before his eyes. He then felt as if his eyes were pressed forwards out of their orbits. They were nearly motionless, and there was in them a feeling of dryness and tension ; pupils very dilated. There also came in the hands such violent cramp that he

could not seize hold of or retain anything, at least anything small. The cramp in colon returned with more violence, and boring pain ; pulse slow, intermittent ; cold sweat covered the skin ; all the limbs trembled. The patient lost his speech ; tongue swelled, stiff and as if paralysed, he had to write to make himself understood. He got Liq. Kal. Carb., and after 6 doses of 10 to 15 drops was quite well. (SCHLEGEL, Hufeland's Journal, liv, pt. 2, p. 27. 1822.) 3. In persons of extremely delicate and sensitive nervous systems, it sometimes excites slight convulsive movements in hands, lips, and eyelids, especially in cold weather, and when patient is exposed to damp. This occurrence is very rare. Although at first terrifying, there is nothing dangerous or persistent about it ; approach to the fire rapidly removes the symptoms. It also appears, in women, to act directly on the sexual organs, where it often sets up much heat, and sometimes pruritus ; it further excites the venereal appetite, and sometimes (as I have seen) with violence. It sometimes causes agitation, sleeplessness, pricking and itching of surface ; and sometimes (in the treatment of cutaneous diseases) these symptoms are the precursors of a fresh eruption. D. sometimes determines to the head, causing weight, more rarely swimming, dizziness. (CARRERE , Traité de la Douce-amère, 1789, p. 117.) 4. I have observed in several instances, when the system was under its influence, a dark purplish colour of the face and hands, and at the same time considerable languor of the circulation . (Dr. G. B. WOOD, U. S. Disp., sub voce.)