Linum catharticum, Linn.

Natural order , Lineæ.

Common name , Purging Flax.

Preparation , Tincture of whole plant.

Authorities. (Dr. James Gelston's provings, Br. Jour. of Hom., 16, 147.)

1 , Dr. Stokes took repeated doses of the infusion; 1 a , same, took 1st cent. dil., repeated doses, first, second, fifth, sixth, and ninth days; tincture, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth days (1 and 2 drachm doses); 2 , J. F., took infusion; 3 , Mrs. G. (nursing a baby), took infusion; baby similarly affected; 3 a , same took tincture; 4 , J. Gelston, took infusion first, second, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, and ninth days; 4 a , same, took large doses of 1st dil. first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth days (on sixteenth day took 2 drops of tincture of Sumbul, and at night 10 grains of Rhubarb; eighteenth day took 4 drops of Sumbul; nineteenth day Nux vom. before breakfast, and 1/2 ounce of Rochelle salts at 10 P.M.); 4 b , same, subsequent proving with tincture and infusion, 30 to 80-drop doses of tincture, 1/2 ounce doses of infusion; 4 c , same, proving with tincture in water, 10, and afterwards 100 drops to 4 ounces, teaspoonful doses; 5 , J. M., subject to præcordial pain, year previous had an attack of hæmatemesis, took of same mixture as last, three or four times a day, a teaspoonful, five days.

MIND

Depression of spirits (fourth day), 4.
Dulness and depression of spirits (second day), 4.
Affected the temper, irritable, 3a ; (first day), 4b.

HEAD

Confusion.
After sleeping an hour and a half, confusion of the head; a feeling of malaise, as from taking a cold (second day), 4.
General Head.
Slight excitement of the head in the evening (second day), 1.
Fulness of blood in head (twelfth and thirteenth days), 4a.
Congestion and vertigo on throwing head backwards (sixth day), 4.
Congestive cephalalgia all day (second day), 4c.
Congestive headache, left side especially, better in open air (third day), 4c. [10.]
Dull head at night (second day), 4c.
Headache (third day), 5 ; (eleventh day), 4a.
Headache, slight, 2.
Dull headache in afternoon (twelfth and thirteenth days), 4a ; at night (sixth day), 4.
Headache on raising the head (sixth day), 4.
Headache lessened in the open air (second day), 4.
Headache less after eating (sixth day), 4.
Forehead.
Frontal headache (fourth day), 4.
Severe frontal headache, obliging to lie down after dinner; took for this 2 drops of Bell.

θ , but this having no efficacy, in afternoon tried 3 drops of Sulph.

θ , in 3ij of water, a spoonful every two or three hours; found much relief from this (twentieth day), 4a.

Congestive frontal headache (second day), 4. [20.]
Congestive headache, as of weight in forehead (sixth day), 4a.
Slight, dull frontal headache (fifth day), 4a.
Dull headache, as of a weight in brow, worse on holding his head backward and after reading (first day), 4b.
Temples.
Severe pressive pain in both temples, temporary, in the evening (eleventh day), 1a.
Lancinating pains in right temple (second day), 4.
Sides.
Fulness of the head at the region of the ear, worse out of doors, in the evening (second day), 1.

EAR

Singing in the left ear for some hours in the evening (second day), 1.

NOSE

Sneezing (nine hours after second dose, second day); at night, (ninth day), 4.
Mucus from nose occasionally rose color (tenth day), 4a.
Fluent coryza (twelfth day), 1a. [30.]
Nose stopped (tenth day), 4b.
Nose quite stopped (fourteenth day); nose stuffed (fifteenth day); the stoppage of the nose (which had been continuous till now) much less (twentieth day), 4a.
Nose stuffed (twelfth day); nose stuffed, and running a clear mucus, profuse, from one nostril for several days, and then from the other, without any farther symptoms of catarrh (after thirteen days), 1a.
Stuffing of the nose towards night (ninth day), 4.

MOUTH

Teeth.
Odontalgia (second day), 4.
Tongue.
Tongue furred (after second dose, third day), 4.
Tongue much furred (fourth morning), 4.
Tongue deeply furred (second day), 4.
Tongue foul, 3a.
General Mouth.
Dryness of the mouth, without thirst (second day), 4. [40.]
Much scraping at the arch of the palate and larynx, with hawking of mucus, all day (third day), 1.
Taste.
Insipidity (second day), 4.
Taste insipid (after second dose, third day), 4.
Clammy taste; taste of the medicine (second day), 4.
Foul taste (second day), 4c.
Foul, clammy taste, as of something stinking in stomach (third day), 4c.
Bilious taste, 3a ; in evening (second day), 1.
Sick, bilious taste (third day), 5.

THROAT

Objective.
Slight catarrhal symptoms in the throat and larynx; hawking (tenth day); catarrh increases (eleventh day), 1a.
Much hawking of yellow mucus, sometimes tinged with blood (fourteenth day), 4a. [50.]
Hawking of sanguineous mucus (ninth day), 4a.
Subjective.
Slight heat in the throat in the afternoon; increased in the evening (second day), 1.
Rawness in the throat when out in open air after breakfast (third day), 4.

STOMACH

Appetite.
Impaired appetite (second day), 4 ; (third day), 4c.
Little appetite (sixth day), 4.
Eructation.
Eructations tasting of bile all day (third day), 1.
Rising of food in the evening (second day), 1.
Nausea.
Sick after supper (fifth day), 4a.
Stomach.
Repletion (third day), 1.
Pressive pains in the stomach in the forenoon (second day), 1.

ABDOMEN

Umbilical. [60.]
Slight uneasiness at umbilicus (two hours after first dose), 4.
Pain at umbilicus and desire for stool at noon (nineteenth day), 4a.
Some griping pains about the umbilicus for some days (after twelve days), 4.
Dull pain below umbilicus (after third dose, third day), 4.
General Abdomen.
Rumbling in bowels (fourth and fifth days; after third dose, third day), 4 ; (eighteenth day), 4a.
Rumbling in the bowels and slight uneasiness, soon (after first dose, second day), 4.
Great rumbling all day (nineteenth day), 4a.
Bowels flatulent (seventh and eighth days), 1a.
Much wind (sixteenth day), 4a.
Flatus (seventeenth day), 4a. [70.]
Passed a good deal of flatus (ten hours after second dose), 1a.
Pressing downwards with abdominal muscles; incarcerated flatus displaced, with rumbling; in evening (first day), 4.
Uneasiness in the belly between 7 and 8 P.M. (nine hours after second dose), 1a.
Feeling of uneasiness in bowels, as of call to stool (fifteenth day), 4a.
Pains in bowels (third day), 5 ; (fourth day), 4 ; (twentieth day), 4a.
Slight pains in the bowels (sixth day), 4.
Bowels full and uneasy in the evening (eleventh day), 1a.
Abdomen felt rather full in the evening (first day); all the morning before rising (second day), 1.
Feeling of distension (sixteenth day), 4a.
Griping pains in the bowels, 3a ; occasionally (tenth day), 4. [80.]
Griping pains (after two hours), and towards night, with ineffectual efforts at stool (ninth day), 4.
Some griping and rumbling (seventh day), 4.
Occasional gripes and distension of the belly, especially after food, troublesome (nineteenth day), 4a.
Slight gripes (eleventh and twelfth days), 4.
Colicky pains, soon (after third dose, second day), 4.
Colicky pains and inclination to stool, without effect (second day), 4.
Colicky pains for some hours, followed by purging and tenesmus, with griping, 3.
Colicky pains below umbilicus, with tormina, continued half an hour, with solicitation to stool (resisted), (ten minutes after third doses), 4.
Abdomen tender on pressure (seventh day), 4b.
Griping in lower belly (after third dose, third day), 4.

RECTUM AND ANUS. [90.]

Much griping and urging downwards of the rectum (seventeenth day), 4a.
At night, pressing at the rectum, as if swollen (sixteenth day), 4a.
Smarting at anus after stool (seventeenth day), 4a.
Smarting-stinging at the anus, as if piles were coming, in the evening (eleventh day), 1a.
Urging to stool (resisted), (after third dose, third day), 4.
Once or twice a feeling of haste to stool (after nearly four weeks), 1a.
Tenesmus (eighteenth day), 4a.

STOOL

Diarrhœa.
Some purging, with colic, 2.
Several motions of small slender-formed fæces (fifteenth day), 4a.
Free motion (fourth day), 4c ; (seventh and eighth days), 1a. [100.]
Stools free; considerable urgency, necessity to obey the call instanter; the rectum seemed to have little grasp of the fæces, which passed as if pushed out from the colon (fourth day), 1.
Stool loose, without pain, in the morning (second day), 1a.
Uneasiness in the abdomen, followed by a very loose, bright-yellow, mucus stool, with some urging, in the forenoon (second day), 1.
Much griping, and great urgency to get to stool quick; immediately after dinner, at 1.30 P.M., a very loose, bright-yellow motion; at 9 P.M. griping recurred, and quick, scouring motion, with copious urine (as previously), (eighth day), 4.
A fluid motion, with tenesmus (half an hour after Rochelle salt, nineteenth day), 4a.
Copious feculent formed stool (seventeenth day), 4a.
Urgency to evacuate the bowels; fæces solid, copious (half an hour after third dose, second day), 4.
Soft stool (ten hours after second dose), 1a ; at night (eleventh day), 2.
Full, soft stool, with some urging; feeling, as if more should be evacuated; in the evening (eleventh day), 1a.
Urgency to stool; fæces soft, but formed (one hour after first dose, third day), 4. [110.]
Stool soft and bilious (fifth day), 1a.
Urgent call after breakfast; rectum felt very distended; copious, soft motion, well mixed with bile (second day), 1.
Soft, scanty motion, with urging to stool, at 8 P.M. (third day), 1.
Stool of slender fæces, with downward urging; second stool, two or three hours after, scanty large-sized fæces (twentieth day), 4a.
Feculent stool of slender coils, sinking to bottom of ustensil, contrary to previous observation (after two hours, ninth day), 4.
Stool at night, with pressing down (fifth night), 4.
Frequent desire to evacuate the bowels; a mere trace of fæces, with a little mucus (eighteenth day), 4a.
Motions hard and dry, though copious (ninth day), 1a.
Difficult stool, with pressing down of rectum; fæces covered with epithelial-like shreds, resembling worms; gelatinous mucus in form of rolls, like inkle tape; in evening (seventh day), 4.
Colicky, very scanty stool, with rumbling (seventh day), 4b.
Constipation. [120.]
Constipation for several days, 3a.
Bowels rather constipated up to seventh day (after four days), 4c.
Bowels continued costive ever since leaving off the medicine (on the tenth day); once in two or three days, hard stools (fifteenth day), 4a.
Bowels continued costive for several days, then relaxed with pressive force of rectum, then alternately costive and relaxed (eleventh and twelfth days), 4b.
Bowels costive (second day), 4c, 5.
Bowels costive; stool scanty at night (sixth day), 4.
Bowels slightly costive for two days (after thirteen days), 1a.
Costive stool (sixth day), 4a ; (eighth day), 4b.
Costive stool, with much pressure (third day), 4b.
Copious costive stool, with great pressing down (bread mixed with bran had been used), (tenth day), 4b. [130.]
Bowels quite closed (nineteenth day), 4a.
No motion till evening (seventeenth day), 4a.
No motion from bowels for three days (fourth day), 5.
No motion since taking (third day), 4c.
No stool (fifth day), 4b.

URINARY ORGANS

Itching at orifice of urethra (after third dose, third day), 4.
Frequent desire to urinate (thrice made), (after third dose, third day), 4.
Plentiful urine towards night (ninth day), 4.
Urine straw-color, strong-smelling, rather scantier (nine hours after second dose, second day), 4.

SEXUAL ORGANS

Male.
Feeble erection (third night), 4. [140.]
Diminished sexual desire (third day), 4c.
Slight sexual desire (fifth night), 4.
Anaphrodisia (third night), 4.
Seminal emission in sleep (nineteenth night), 4a.
Feeble emission (fifth night), 4.
Female.
Catamenial period passed with no menses appearing (fourth day); catamenia delayed (sixth to eighth day), 5.

RESPIRATORY ORGANS

Voice.
Voice hoarse (thirteenth day), 1a.
Cough and Expectoration.
Cough excited in the open air (had a catarrh a week before, which had almost subsided, leaving only a dry, hard cough, especially of a morning), (second day), 4.
Occasional cough (eleventh day), 4a.
Cough at night (fourth day), 5. [150.]
Cough, especially in open air, or returning from (after second dose, third day), 4.
A little hacking cough (fourteenth day), 4a.
Tickling cough in open air (fourth day), 4.
Tickling, teasing cough, and frothy mucous expectoration, when out in open air, after breakfast (third day), 4.
Dry cough (eighth day), 4b.
Dry cough towards night (ninth day), 4.
Hard, dry cough (tenth day), 4.
Dry, tickling cough (third day), 5 ; after walking (eleventh day), 4.
Cough dry, tickling, after walking (eleventh day), 4.
Cough and phlegm (tenth day), 4b. [160.]
Some cough; hacking; much phlegm (tenth day), 4a.
Loose, short cough, with much phlegm; the phlegm always seems to accumulate in the throat, being readily brought up without hawking; for last three days (sixth day), 4b.
Cough and expectoration of loose, glairy phlegm (second day), 4c.
Difficult expectoration (eighth day), 4b.
Frothy expectoration (second day), 4.
Frothy sputa, tasting as of seawrack (after second dose, third day), 4.
Expectoration, with much difficulty, of frothy and some yellow mucus (tenth day), 4.
Respiration.
Respiration 30 (fifth day), 4a.
Slight dyspnœa (tenth day), 4b.

CHEST

Pain in chest increased (first day); gone (fourth day), 5. [170.]
Great pain in the chest, aggravated by any movement, on deep inspiration (after half an hour), 2.
Chest much stuffed (tenth day), 4.
Chest sore (twelfth day), 1a.

PULSE

Pulse full and quickened (nine hours after second dose, second day), 4.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES

Slight shooting down the muscles of the arms in the evening (second day), 4b.
Slight shooting pains in left and right shoulder-joints (fourth night), 4.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

Languor towards night (ninth day), 4.
Tired feeling on waking (eighth morning), 4.
Feeling of weariness and depression (sixth day), 4.
Debility at night (sixth day), 4.

SLEEP AND DREAMS

Sleepiness. [180.]
Inclination to sleep after dinner (second day), 4.
Drowsiness (after first dose, second day); at night (sixth day), 4.
Drowsy after dinner, slept (fourth day), 4.
Drowsy after being awakened (fourth morning), 4.
Prolonged sleep (second morning), 4.
Sleep sound (seventh night), 4.
Sleep profound (second night); (some hours after third dose, third day), 4.
On waking after dinner, supposed it morning (fourth day), 4.
Sleeplessness.
Want of sleep (fourth night), 4.
Insomnia (after third dose, third day); (fifth night), 4.
Dreams. [190.]
Lascivious dreams (sixth night), 4.
Dreams of travelling to Isle of Man, some danger and trouble (usually dreams of water, but seldom dreams), (second night), 4.
Dreams of cholera (in others), with sloughing off of the prepuce (ninth day), 4.

FEVER

Chilliness.
A cold feeling, in shoots, as from a blast of cold air (sixth day), 4b.
Heat.
Feverish (second day), 5.
Much heat of body, and perspiration moderate (second night), 4.
Sweat.
Perspires freely (first day), 5.

CONDITIONS

Aggravation.
( Evening ), Out of doors, fulness in head at region of ear; singing in ear; heat in throat.
( Night ), Cough; debility.
( Open air ), After breakfast, rawness in throat; cough.
( Eating ), Gripes, etc.
( Reading ), Dull headache.
( Walking ), Tickling cough.
Amelioration.
( Open air ), Congestive headache; headache.
( Eating ), Headache.

Linum Catharticum