[This includes the first proving by Dr. Burt, published in this work under

Boletus .]

Polyporus officinalis, Fries.

Natural order , Fungi.

Common names , Larch agaric.

Preparation , Tincture of the fresh plant.

Authorities.

1 , Dr. Burt, Am. Hom. Obs., 1868, p. 116, took 25 grains of 3d dec. trit., at 10 A.M. and 9 P.M. (first day); 20 grains, crude, 10 A.M. (second day); 30 grains (third day); 40 grains (fourth day); 32 grains (fifth day); 50 grains (sixth day); 1 a , same, second proving, continued four days, the first day took 115 grains; 2 , F. A. Lord, Am. Hom. Obs., 1868, p. 60, repeated dose of 1st dec. trit., for five days; doses, 1 to 20 grains; 2 a , same, one dose of 40 grains, 1st dec. trit.; 2 b , same, took crude, 10 grains, at 6 and 9 P.M., first day, at noon second day; morning, 20 grains, at noon fifth day; 40 grains, sixth day; 2 c , same, one dose of 20 grains, crude; 2 d , same, 40 grains, crude; 3 , R. C. Smedley, took 3d dec. trit. for three days, 5 to 100-grain doses, then 1st dec. trit. for two days, 80 and 100-grain doses, then crude, 20 to 50-grain doses for two days; 4 , J. B. Wood, took 1st trit. for six days, 1 to 100-grain doses; 4 a , same, subsequently took crude, 5 to 20-grain doses; 5 , E. Cooley, took crude, 10 to 25-grain doses; 6 , E. Miller, took 1st trit. 50 grains, first and second days; 25 grains, third day; 60 drops, 1st dil., fourth day; 100 drops of tincture, sixth day.

MIND

Mind gloomy and desponding (second day), 5, 6.*
Gloomy and desponding, and even morose (ninth day), 6.*
Very sad and gloomy, 1a.*
Low-spirited and irritable (sixth day), 2b.
Very dull and depressed all day, 2d.
Feel dull and indisposed to exertion (seventh day); for five days succeeding this I had not my usual appetite or spirits; suffered from a general feeling of not being quite well, but without any special describable pains or symptoms; it was precisely the feeling of one who is said to be bilious, 2b.

HEAD

My head is feeling very light and hollow, with deep frontal headache, in the morning (sixth day), 1.
Head feeling light (seventh day), 1.
*Light dizzy feeling in the head (third day), 6. [10.]
Slight feeling of fulness in the head (sixth day), 2b.
Awoke with a dull pain in the head, which continued all day; thought it might be due to a glass of ale drank the evening before (third day), awoke with a dull pain in the head, with sensation of soreness in the brain, increased by stooping or shaking the head; this headache is precisely similar to that experienced on the third, which I attributed to the glass of ale; I now believe that the pain at that time was caused by the Polyporus (seventh day), 2b.
Dull headache (third day), 4a.*
Dull feeling in head (tenth day), 3.
Dull aching pain in the head (after ten hours, sixth day), 6.*
Severe headache, aggravated by motion (after seven hours, third day), 6.
Pain in the head, jaws, and teeth (fifth day), 6.
Head ached severely all night (third night), 1.
Headache, qualmishness , relieved by eructations (third day), 4a.*
Most of the head symptoms greatly aggravated (after four hours, fourth day), 5. [20.]
Severe semilateral headache (ninth day), 5.
Forehead.
Dull frontal headache , lasting all day (after half an hour), 1.*
Continued dulness of the forehead, with slight aching (first day), 4a.
Dull frontal headache (third day), 1 ; (tenth day), 3.
Dull frontal headache (fourth day); in the evening (fifth day), 3.
Dulness of the forehead (second day), 1.
Dull, heavy pain in the forehead, worse on motion (second night), 6.
Heaviness of the forehead (fourth day), 4a.
At 8 A.M., violent frontal headache; very much aggravated by walking; head feels light and hollow (fourth day), . [30.]

EYE. [50.]

Eyeballs ache severely (sixth day), 1.
Deep drawing pain in the eyeballs (second day), 5.

FACE

Face of a bluish color (fourth day), 5.
Pain in the jaws, teeth, and head (fifth day), 6.

MOUTH

Teeth and Gums.
Teeth feel as if they were being forced out of their sockets (fourth day), 5.
Teeth and gums became very sore, 1a.
Gums and teeth are all sore (seventh day), 1.
Gums sore (fourth day), 3.
Tongue.
Tongue coated white (third day), 6.*
Yellow tinge of tongue (ninth day), 3.* [60.]
Yellow coating of tongue (tenth day), 3 ; (eighth day), 6.*
Tongue is coated thickly, yellow (sixth and seventh days), 1.*
Tongue coated light brown (fourth day), 6.
Tongue red at the tip, and coated yellow at the base (fifth day), 1.
Prickling in the end of the tongue, which soon passed away (after one hour), 2a.
Taste.
Bitter taste in the mouth (sixth day), 1 ; (eighth day), 6.*
Bitter, coppery taste in the mouth (seventh day), 1.
Flat, metallic, or coppery taste (ninth day), 3.
Constant coppery taste in the mouth, 1a.
Slight coppery taste in the mouth and throat (after four hours, fourth day), 5. [70.]
Flat, bitter taste in the mouth (fifth day), 1 ; (third day), 5.
Sweet and bitter taste in the mouth (fifth day), 6.
Sweetish, nauseous taste (tenth day), 3.

THROAT

Rawness and scraping in the throat, all the afternoon and evening (sixth day), 2b.
Feeling in the fauces as if I would vomit, but no nausea (third day), 1.

STOMACH

Appetite and Thirst.
Appetite invigorated (fourth day), 3.
Very little appetite (ninth day); little appetite (tenth day), 3.
Not so much appetite for breakfast as common (fourth day), 2.
No appetite for supper, which is contrary to my usual habit (sixth day), 2b.
At 1 P.M., poor appetite for dinner (eleventh day); slight diminution of appetite for forty-eight hours, 2c. [80.]
Loss of appetite, 1a.*
Desire for sour things, which have always relieved the symptoms (tenth day), 3.
Much thirst (third day), 4a.*
Eructations and Heartburn.
Eructations (third day), 4a.
Heartburn, with acid risings (sixth day), 2b.
Nausea and Vomiting.
Nausea (after twenty minutes, sixth day), 2b.
Frequent spells of nausea, lasting but a moment (third day), 1.
Nausea at the stomach (after four hours), 5.
Nausea and slight vomiting of a sour watery fluid, intensely bitter (after four hours, fourth day), 5.
Some nausea, particularly in throat (second day); nausea at times (third day); particularly in throat and fauces (sixth day), 3. [90.]
Felt sick at stomach (ninth day), 3.
Qualmishness, with the loose stool (second day); qualmishness, headache, relieved by eructations (third day), 4a.
Stomach.
Tonic effects, invigorated digestion (third, fourth, and fifth days), 3.
Effects decidedly tonic (fifth day); instead of being tonic as before, its effects were now enervating (ninth day), 3.
Deep distress in the epigastrium, lasting all day, with dull pains in the right hypochondrium, and sharp pains in the epigastrium; aggravated by walking (after half an hour), 1.
Dull, aching, burning distress in the epigastrium and whole right hypochondrium (third day), .

ABDOMEN

Hypochondria.
Dull, heavy, aching pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver, after the morning stool (third day), 1.
Dull, heavy, drawing pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver, extending through to the dorsal region (third day), 1.
Heavy dragging pains in the right lobe of the liver (third night), 1.
1 P.M., have had constant and severe aching distress in the right lobe of the liver, lower part of the epigastrium and upper part of the umbilicus (fifth day), 1.
Distress in the right hypochondrium and umbilicus (fifth day), 1.
A full inspiration produces sharp, stabbing pains in the right lobe of the liver and lower dorsal region (fifth day), 1.
Great distress in the region of the liver and small intestines, with the stool, at 9 A.M. (sixth day), 1.
Dull aching distress in the right lobe of liver and umbilicus, with great desire for stool (sixth day), 1. [120.]
Pain in the liver and stomach (third day), 5.
Dragging pain in the hypochondrium, with burning pain in the stomach (first and second days), 6.
Dragging in the right hypochondrium (after four hours, sixth day), 6.
Dull aching pain in the liver (after ten hours, sixth day), 6.
Dragging pain in the liver (sixth day), 6.
Severe pain in the liver (sixth day), 5.
Pain in the liver (eighth day), 5.
Hard pain in the region of the spleen and left epigastric region (after three hours, fourth day), 6.
Sharp pain in the spleen, liver, and bowels (third and fifth days), 6. [130.]
Sharp pain in the region of the spleen (after four hours, sixth day), 6.
Frequent sharp pains in the spleen (after ten hours, sixth day), 6.
Umbilicus.
Severe distress in the umbilical and hypogastric region, with great desire for stool (third day), 1.
Slight uneasiness in subumbilical region, which gradually increased, with inclination to go to stool, having about an hour previously had my usual morning stool; during the stool which followed, a shooting pain extended upon each side of the umbilicus, towards the iliac, and then seemed to extend to the floor of the pelvis, in a ring around the rectum; these pains were not very severe, abated somewhat, but did not entirely disappear after stool (third day), .

RECTUM AND ANUS

Pain in the anus (third day), 5.
Severe pain in the anus (third day), 6.
Unpleasant sensation, not amounting to pain, about the anus; not felt after 1 P.M. (third day), 2.
Desire for stool, with much flatulence (third day), 4a.
Slight disposition to go to stool, at 10.30 A.M., soon passed off (fifth day), 2.
A disposition to go to school, with some pain in the anus (after four hours), 5.
Disposition to go to stool (third day), 5. [180.]
Disposition to strain when at stool (fifth day), 5.

STOOL

Loose stool , at 6 A.M.; soft mushy stool, mixed with mucus, at 6 P.M., the medicine having acted as a mild cathartic in eight hours (second day); soft, mushy stool, at 5 A.M., followed by dull, heavy aching pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver; after 8 P.M., stool of a dark color, mixed with bile and mucus, followed by a dull aching distress in the dorsal region, extending up to the shoulders, on both sides (third day); at 6 A.M., very black-colored stool, mixed with bile and mucus; before the stool I voided about 1 drachm of white mucus; after 8 A.M., stool that ran a stream from the bowels, of bile, mucus, and black fecal matter, followed by burning distress in region of stomach and liver, extending down to the umbilicus; at 10 A.M., copious stool of water and black fecal matter, with great desire to strain after stool, followed by same symptoms as before; it will be seen by this experiment that 40 grains of the Polyporus, well triturated, will act as a violent hydragogue cathartic in two hours, if it is taken on an empty stomach (fourth day); in the morning, hard, black, lumpy stool, mixed with bile and mucus; at 1 P.M., soft, black, fetid, papescent stool, followed by the most terrible distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day); in the morning, dark papescent stool; mushy stool at 9 A.M., with great distress in the region of the liver and small intestines; at 6 P.M., papescent stool, followed by about one teaspoonful of blood, with severe tenesmus (sixth day); soft, mushy stool (seventh day); papescent, dark-colored stool, without pain (eighth day); my bowels have been loose every day, with from one to three stools a day, without pain; all have been of a dark color; to-day my stool in natural, and I am feeling well (thirteenth day), 1.
Loose stool, with qualmishness (second day); at 9 A.M., at 3.30 P.M., copious fluid stool, expelled with great force, and another of the same character at 4 (third day); at loose, yellow stool, with pain afterwards, at 9 A.M.; loose stool, with pain, at 6 P.M. (fourth day); bowels loose (fifth day); loose stool, with tenesmus, at 2 and 3 P.M. (sixth day); six days have elapsed since the last dose, and my bowels have not become regular yet (ninth day), 4a.
Copious, soft, mushy stool, followed by slight uneasiness in the umbilical region, at 3.30 P.M. (sixth day); scanty stool, at 9 A.M. (seventh day), 2b.
Soft, mushy stool, unattended with pain, at 9.30 P.M., 2c.
Soft mushy stool, at 9 P.M., similar to the one in the morning, but without the accompanying symptoms (third day); no stool at the usual time, but a mushy one at 9.30 A.M., preceded by the same pains in the lower portion of the abdomen, which immediately passed off after stool (fourth day); usual stool after breakfast (fifth day), 2.

URINARY ORGANS

Increased urination (ninth day), 3.
Frequent passage of high-colored urine, with pain in the region of the kidneys (third day), 5.
*Urine diminished and high-colored (sixth day), 5. [200.]
Urine very high-colored and scanty (fifth day), 1.*
Increased secretion of urine (sixth day), 3.
Increased desire to urinate (seventh day), 3.
Frequent desire to urinate (tenth day), 3.
Frequent urination during the night (first night), 4.
Urine acid and profuse, light-colored (fifth day), 4.
Passed urine freely at 10 A.M., 12 M., 2, 4, 6, and 9 P.M.; pale almost colorless; desire to pass urine was constant (second day); constant desire to urinate; passed urine profusely, at 10 A.M., 12 M, and 2 P.M. (third day); profuse urination (fourth day), 4a.

SEXUAL ORGANS

Soon after getting into bed, at 10 P.M., a sharp pain in the glans penis, very severe, 2c.

CHEST

Pain in the left lung (third day), 6.
Sharp darting pains in the left lung, with slight suffocating feeling, causing me to rise up in bed, lasting four hours (fourth day), 5. [210.]
Dull aching in the left lung, extending through the left shoulder-blade (ninth day), 5.
Pain in the ribs, aggravated by motion (after six hours), 6.

HEART AND PULSE

Sharp piercing pain in the region of the heart, aggravated by motion (after six hours), 6.
*Pulse 110, full and soft (fifth day), 1.
Pulse 100, at 6 P.M.; 96 at 9 P.M. (sixth day), 1.
Pulse from 90 to 105 (first night), 5.
Pulse 90, full and wiry (ninth day), 3.
Pulse 100, full and soft (seventh day), 6.

NECK AND BACK

Neck.
Slight drawing pains in the left side of the neck, after getting into bed, at 10 P.M., 2c.
A slight pain shot up the back of the neck, from between the shoulder-blades, followed by a little soreness of the occipital region, with disposition to throw the head back; this soon disappeared (third day), 2.
Back. [220.]
Severe backache (fourth day), 6.*
Severe backache; back is very stiff; can hardly rise up after sitting down a few minutes (seventh day), 1.
Dull aching pain in the back and hips (third day), 6.*
Dull pain in the back (after four hours, sixth day), 6.
Dull aching pain in the back (after ten hours, sixth day), 6.
5 P.M., back very painful and stiff (seventh day), 6.
Dull and aching pain in the back and limbs (second day), 5.
Drawing pains, several times through the day, in the back and legs (first day), 4.
Dorsal.
Rheumatic pains in the spine and limbs, lasting four hours (fourth day), 5.
Dull aching distress in the dorsal region, extending up to the shoulders, on both sides, after a stool (third day), 1. [230.]
Great aching distress in the dorsal and lumbar region (sixth day), 1.
Lumbar.
Hard aching distress in the lumbar region (third night), 1.
Dull aching distress in the lumbar region (sixth day), 1.
Dull pains in the lumbar region (third day), 1.
Pain and weakness in the small of the back (sixth day), 5.
Dull pain in the small of the back (sixth day), 6.
Aching in the small of the back all day (fifth day), 4a.

EXTREMITIES

Weakness in the arms and legs, can scarcely walk or stand (sixth day), 5.
Severe pain in the arms and legs (sixth day), 5.*
Rheumatic pains in the limbs and spine, lasting four hours (fourth day), 5. [240.]
Great aching distress in all the joints (fifth and sixth days), 1.
Severe aching in all the large joints, with great lassitude (sixth day), 1.
Rheumatic pains in all the joints (third day), 6.
Severe pain in all the joints of the extremities (third day), 6.
5 P.M., have had since noon severe pains in all the joints of the upper and lower extremities (seventh day), 6.
All the symptoms began to subside except the rheumatic pains in the limbs and joints, they being almost unbearable (eighth day); rheumatic pains still continue (ninth day); pains still continue, but are light in comparison to what they were on the ninth day (twentieth day), 6.
While riding in the country I felt a sharp pain, for about a minute, exactly where the pulse is in the right wrist, and seeming to extend along the course of the artery, for about two inches above the joint; the pain was quite severe and very sudden in coming on; about like a shock from a galvanic battery (after half an hour); soon after, while still riding, I felt a similar pain for about half minute, in the right shoulder, seeming to be in the joint, and thence outward to the deltoid muscle; at 2 P.M., while writing, felt a pain precisely like that experienced in the wrist just above the elbow-joint, and external to the tendon of the biceps muscle; lasted but a moment; in a few seconds felt a similar pain in the left knee, on the internal side; at 9 P.M., felt the same pain in the inner border of the right foot, then in the right arm, and then in the left side of the neck (first day), 2c.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES

Pains in the arms and hands (sixth day), 6.
Slight drawing in the right upper arm, after getting into bed, at 10 P.M., 2c.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

Drawing pains, several times through the day, in the legs and back (first day), 4. [250.]
Aching in thighs and bend of knees (seventh day), 3.
Sharp lancinating pain in the hip-joint (third day), 5.
Dull aching pain in the hips and back (third day), 6.
Rheumatic pains in the shin bones, which causes the most excruciating pain in walking (eighth day), 6.
Pain in the knees and ankles , aggravated by motion (after six hours), 6.*
Feet and ankle very painful for the last forty-eight hours (seventh day), 6.

GENERALITIES

Great faintness accompanied the distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day), 1.
Very weak and languid (third day), 1.*
Feeling greatly prostrated; can hardly stand up, my knees are so weak (fourth day), 1.*
So languid I can hardly walk (fifth day), 1.* [260.]
Very languid (sixth day), 1.*
Excessively weak (sixth day), 1.*
Had to retire at dark, was so weak (sixth day), 1.
Great lassitude with the severe aching in all the large joints (sixth day), 1.*
Feel weak and depressed, and indisposed to any exertion, physical or mental (sixth day), 2b.*
General indefinable feeling of malaise, which lasted all day, 2c.
Very languid and weak (second and ninth days), 5.*
Feel very languid and uneasy (fifth day), 6.*
*Great debility at times (ninth day), 6.
*Feel weak and languid (eighth day), 3. [270.]
At times shuddering; rather nervous than from real chilliness (ninth day), 3.
Aching in all the joints in the body and limbs (second day), 5.*
Rheumatic and neuralgic pains, some of the time very severe (seventh day), 5.
9 P.M., had the symptoms all day, but since 2 P.M., they have been getting easier (fourth day), 1.

SKIN

Itching over the whole body, most violent between the scapulæ and on the forearms (first day), 4a.

SLEEP

Disposition to yawn and stretch, with frequent chilliness along the spine, and hot flashes of fever (sixth day), 1.
Disposition to yawn and stretch, with chilliness (second day), 3.*
Disposition to yawn and stretch (third day), 6.*
Restless night (third and sixth nights), 1.
Restless and uneasy during the night (first night), 5. [280.]
Sleep is disturbed by dreams, very restless and uneasy all night (second night), 6.*
Frightful dreams of the water, 1a.
Dream much at night (fifth day), 4.

FEVER

Chilliness.
Unusual chilliness when the open air is encountered with icy coldness of the nose ; whether this last symptom was occasioned by the medicine or not, I cannot say, but I did not experience it before even during the extreme cold weather of this winter (seventh day), 3.*
*Chilliness, with disposition to yawn and stretch (second day), 5.
*Chilliness and coldness over the whole body, lasting four hours (fourth day), 5.
*Chills creeping along the spine, intermingled with hot flashes (after four hours), 5.
Severe chills, lasted two hours, followed by fever and profuse perspiration (sixth day), 5.
Chills between the shoulders (ninth day), 5.
Frequent chilliness along the spine, and hot flashes of fever, with disposition to yawn and stretch (sixth day), 1. [290.]
While sitting in a warm room by a fire reading, I felt slight chilliness creep up the back to nape of the neck, most noticeable between the shoulder-blades; this was succeeded by a general feeling of chilliness, lasting for several minutes; for the moment it did not seem that this was the effect of the drug; I imagined the room was getting too cool, and rose to stir the fire, when the truth occurred to me: I mention this to show that this symptom was no imaginary one, caused by any expectation of such an effect (after one hour, sixth day); chilliness between the shoulder-blades (three hours later), 2b.
Coldness amounting almost to chills (third day), 6.
Coldness of nose (ninth day), 3.
Feet and hands cold (fourth day), 5.
Heat.
High fever accompanied the distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day), 1.
Constant fever (sixth day); fever lasted all night (sixth night), 1.
Fever and chilliness all night (first night), 5.
Stools accompanied with fever (fifth day), 5.
At 1 A.M., woke with fever (ninth day), 5.
Skin extremely hot and dry (seventh day), 6.* [300.]
Face hot and flushed (sixth day), 1 ; (second day), , .

CONDITIONS

Aggravation.
( Morning ), Awoke with pain in head; aching pain over lower abdomen.
( Evening ), 9.40 P.M., pain in right temple; emission of fetid flatus; 10 P.M., pain in glans penis; pain in left side of neck; drawing in right upper arm.
( Night ), Headache; uneasiness in abdomen; fever and chills; at midnight, sweat.
( Open air ), Chilliness.
( Full inspiration ), Pains in right lobe of liver.
( Motion ), Headache; pain in forehead; pain in ribs; pain in region of heart.
( After morning stool ), Pain in region of right lobe of liver.
( After stool ), Distress in dorsal region.
( Walking ), Frontal headache; pain in epigastrium; pain in knees and ankles.
Amelioration.
( Eructations ), Headache; qualmishness.
( Sour things ), The symptoms.

Polyporus Officinalis