Lobelia Syphilitica

by Timothy F. AllenThe Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica

[This plant was introduced into the Materia Medica by Dr Hering, under the name of Lobelia cœrulea, but though the latter is certainly a more pleasing name, yet it rested upon no authority, having never been described under that name; besides Lobelia cœrulea, B. M., grows at the Cape of Good Hope, was figured in Bot. Mag., 2701, and may yet be proved. -T. F. Allen.]

Lobelia syphilitica, Linn.

Natural order , Lobeliaceæ.

Common name , Great Blue Lobelia.

Preparation , Tincture of the plant.

Authorities. (Hering's provings, Hahn. Month., 6, p. 520).

1 , proving of Dr. Williamson, 10 drops of 2d dil., twice a day, for three days; 2 , Dr. J. Jeanes took 5 drops of 2d dil. in water; 3 , J. W. B. took "4/5 without result, next day 4/5-3;" a week later, 5th dil.; 4 , Neidhard, 5 drops of 1/10th, at 4 P.M., first day, 10 drops, morning and evening, second day; and subsequently 10 drops of 1/10th.

MIND

  • Frequent mistakes in spelling and writing (with confused feeling and slight aching in the head), (after fifteen minutes), 2.

HEAD

  • Confusion.
  • Confused feeling, with slight aching in the head, immediately; with frequent mistakes in spelling and writing (after fifteen minutes), 2.
  • Dizziness, particularly in moving about, lasting three hours (after five minutes), 4.
  • General Head.
  • General aching through the head, 3.
  • Headache, continuing till daylight (sixth night), 1.
  • Headache, after dinner (sixth day), 1.
  • Forehead.
  • Dull pain in the forehead, over the eyes, increased by reading and writing; the pain less severe than the day previous (one hour and a half after first dose, second day), 4.
  • Dull, aching pain in the forehead, over the eyes, principally over the root of the nose, in the centre, soon; lasting, with slight intermissions, until evening (first day), 4.
  • Oppression in the forehead over eyes (after five minutes), 4.
  • Temples. [10.]
  • Pain in both mastoid processes, first felt and worst in the right one, in the afternoon (first day), 1.
  • Acute pain along the fronto-temporal suture of the right side (second and third days), 1.
  • Stitching pain in the left temple (after thirty minutes), 2.
  • Parietals.
  • Pain on the left side of the head, over the coronal suture (half an hour after first dose and after second dose, first day), 1.
  • Pain in left parietal protuberance (after one hour), 3.

EYE

  • Heaviness over the eyes, like a weight, but no pain (fifteen minutes after first dose, second day), 4.
  • Burning in right eye, with a tear (after thirty-one minutes), 2.
  • Slight aching over eyes, particularly left eye (ten minutes after second dose, second day), 4.
  • Itching of internal canthus of left eye (after sixteen minutes), 2.
  • Itching in external canthus (after thirty-three minutes), 2. [20.]
  • Smarting itching of the internal canthus of the left eye (second and third days), 1.
  • Orbit.
  • Boring pain in the right orbit (fifth day), 1.
  • Drawing sensation under the right eye; in the afternoon (first day), 1.
  • Lids.
  • Feeling of a foreign body under the right upper lid, with smarting and burning (after forty-five minutes), 2.
  • Oppression over the eyelids, and slight drowsiness (after first dose, second day), 4.
  • Soreness of the tarsi of the right eyelid (after forty minutes), 2.
  • Ball.
  • Soreness of the eyeballs from turning them (fifth day), 1.

EAR

  • Pain in left ear (after thirty-four minutes), 2.
  • Continued itching in the left ear, about the posterior edge of the meatus (after ten minutes), 2.

NOSE

  • Frequent sneezing, with severe and painful jarring in the breast and larynx; the latter feels as if it were stretched almost to bursting, with copious discharge of thick mucus from both nostrils, at sunset (after thirty-seven hours), 2. [30.]
  • Painful irritation of both sides of the cartilaginous portion of the septum nasi; worse immediately behind the columna nasi; sensitive to the cool air (second day), 1.
  • Itching and tingling feeling in the left nostril, as if about to sneeze (after seven minutes), 2.

FACE

  • Flushed face, with heat, when lying down (fifth day), 3.
  • Face flushed, and headache after dinner, with drowsiness and lassitude, but inability to sleep when lying down; somewhat better going into the open air (sixth day), 1.
  • Sensation of dropping under the left cheek-bone, in the afternoon (first day), 1.
  • Drawing pain in the right cheek-bone (sixth day), 1.
  • Perfect dryness of the lips, and a feeling of dryness and sensitiveness of the nostrils, so that the inhalation of air of a moderate temperature (supposed 60°) creates a painful feeling (after two hours, also second day), 2.
  • Pain in the right maxillary joint, and in the middle of the right lung, in the afternoon (first day), 1.

MOUTH

  • Frequent shooting pains through the teeth on the right side (she is subject to these pains), (first day), 4.
  • Bleeding of the gums, with putrid taste (fifth day), 1. [40.]
  • A renewed secretion of thick mucus, apparently on the superior surface of the palate, renewed by snuffling and hawking; with still further diminution of the soreness of the throat (after thirty-six hours), 2.
  • Dryness of the left half of the palate (half an hour after first dose, first day), 1.
  • Constrictive feeling of the skin of mouth and tongue, especially at left commissure of the jaws; in ten minutes afterwards, towards the root of the tongue, 2.
  • The astringent feeling in left side of the mouth, though abated after the mucous secretion at noon, still continued (after eleven hours), 2.
  • Great soreness, rawness, pricking, dryness of the lower surface of the palate (after forty minutes); extending forward through the whole mouth (after forty-five minutes); abated after the mucous secretion at noon, but still continued (after eleven hours), 2.

THROAT

  • Objective.
  • Increased secretion of mucus from the throat, (ten minutes after second dose, second day), 4.
  • Thick mucous secretion in throat, with diminution of the very unpleasant feeling of constriction, rawness, dryness, and soreness of throat (after sixty minutes), 2.
  • Subjective.
  • Dryness of the throat, with the sensation as if the pharynx was open like a funnel (second and third days), 1.
  • Pain in region of right tonsil (after sixteen minutes), 2.
  • Pain in the region of the left tonsil, immediately, 2. [50.]
  • Sensation of a lump in the upper portion of the œsophagus (half an hour after first dose, first day), 1.

STOMACH

  • Eructation and Hiccough.
  • (Acid eructations from 5 to 6 P.M.), (first day), 1.
  • Waterbrash, at 8 A.M. (fourth day), 1.
  • Hiccough (half an hour after first dose, first day), 1.
  • Stomach.
  • I suffered from dyspepsia thirteen years ago, and my suffering now are of the same kind; they are temporarily relieved by drinking cold water (fifth day), 1.
  • Sinking feeling in stomach, followed by borborygmi below the epigastrium (after twenty-one minutes), 2.
  • Slight pain in region of the pylorus (after fifty-five minutes), 2.
  • Awoke at 6 A.M., with violent pain in stomach, and pain and borborygmus in bowels, followed by copious watery stools, with tenesmus and soreness in the anus; had four similar attacks during the day, and they became so violent that I took Pod. pelt. twice, which arrested the diarrhœa, and the pain gradually subsided during the evening; but the pain in the stomach with sensation of distension increased, with hunger (fourth day), 1.
  • The jolting of an easy carriage gives pain in the stomach and both hypochondria (fifth day), 1.

ABDOMEN

  • Objective.
  • Borborygmi just below the epigastrium, most after dinner, for hours (second day), 2. [60.]
  • Borborygmi in lower part of abdomen, towards the right side (after twenty-five, twenty-nine, and thirty-two minutes), 2.
  • Woke at 3 A.M. with flatulency, but inability to pass it from the bowels (fourth day), 1.
  • Subjective.
  • Pains in the abdomen, most below the umbilicus, followed by diarrhœal stools, in the afternoon and evening (second day), 2.
  • Stitching-drawing pain in left anterior lumbar region of abdomen (after twenty-one minutes), 2.

STOOL

  • Three loose evacuations from the bowels (second and third days), 1.
  • Ineffectual effort at stool, but free evacuations of tasteless wind on rising from bed (fourth morning), 1.

URINARY ORGANS

  • Itching and smarting in the forepart of the urethra (after forty-five minutes), 2.
  • Increased quantity of urine, with free discharge (second and third days), 1.
  • A small quantity of urine, which he is obliged to retain for some time, causes pain in the bladder; when evacuated, of a deep amber color; at noon (second day), 2.

RESPIRATORY ORGANS

  • Much tickling about the top of the larynx, with disposition to hacking cough, in the evening (after thirty-nine hours), 2. [70.]
  • Morning hoarseness connected with the state of the stomach (sixth day), 1.
  • Dyspeptic cough originating in the stomach (sixth day), 1.
  • Slight mucous expectoration, in the evening (second day), 2.

CHEST

  • Pain in the middle of the right lung and in the right maxillary joint, in the afternoon (first day), 1.
  • Pain just anterior to the cartilaginous margin of the short ribs (after one hour and a half), 3.
  • Pain between shoulders and neck, both sides (after fifty minutes), 2.
  • Aching pain in the cartilage of the sixth left rib (after twenty-two minutes), 2.
  • Rheumatic pain along the right collar-bone, in the evening (fifth day), 1.
  • Pain about the junction of sixth right rib with its sternal cartilage (in five minutes), 2.
  • Pain in left side of chest near the axilla, with aching in the left shoulder and arm (after twenty-eight minutes), 2.
  • Mammæ. [80.]
  • Pain under the left breast (sixth day), 1.
  • Severe and painful jarring in the breast and larynx; the latter feels as if stretched almost to bursting; with frequent sneezing; at sunset (after thirty-seven hours), 2.

HEART

  • Pain in regio cordis in seven hours, about sunset severe, 2.

NECK AND BACK

  • Neck.
  • Stiffness of the nape (worse on left side) from looking up (fifth day), 1.
  • Slight aching pain from the back of the head down the nape of the neck (first day), 4.
  • Back.
  • Pain in the back, 4.
  • Pain, heavy, aching, in the back under the false ribs, worse at night after lying down in bed, and increased to a cutting pain by deep inspiration, and aggravated by turning in bed; pathogenetic, third and fourth nights, and in the days, but less, 2.
  • Cutting pains in the back under the false ribs, cutting forwards and upwards; did not notice the pain after going to bed, 3.
  • Stitching pain in right back, passing from eight rib downwards (after fifty minutes), 2.
  • Dorsal.
  • Pain on the inside edge of the right scapula (after ten hours), 2. [90.]
  • Pain, acute sticking, in eighth dorsal vertebra (after fifty minutes), 2.
  • Lumbar.
  • Pain in the region of the left kidney (after twelve minutes), 2.
  • Stitch pain in region of right kidney (after thirty-two minutes), 2.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES

  • Aching, very considerable, of the right shoulder and fingers, whilst writing (after fifteen minutes), 2.
  • Heavy pain in the radial muscles of the left arm (half an hour after first dose); in the same part of right arm (after second dose, first day), 1.
  • Stiff numb feeling in the palm of the right hand (after twenty-nine minutes), 2.
  • Sticking pain in the left thumb, fleshy part of the last phalanx (after twenty minutes), 2.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

  • Hip.
  • Pain in both hips, occasionally (after twenty minutes and after several hours), 2.
  • Knee.
  • Sensation of coldness, as if from the weather, with aching, in both knees through the day (fifth day), 1.
  • Leg.
  • Pain in the lower part of the right tibia and in right ankle (after sixty-five minutes), 2. [100.]
  • Stitching pain in left tibia (after forty-five minutes), 2.
  • Ankle.
  • Rheumatic pain over the right inner ankle (fifth day), 1.
  • Foot.
  • Pain in the upper part of the left heel (after two hours), 2.
  • Pricking or stinging in the soles of both feet; sensation as if asleep, 4.
  • Toes.
  • Pain in the fleshy part of the last phalanx of great toe, left (after twenty-three minutes), 2.
  • Sore pain in the joints of the left big toe (sixth day), 1.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

  • Lassitude, after dinner (sixth day), 1.
  • Transient pain over the left kidney, and soon afterwards in the left hypochondrium (half an hour after first dose, first day), 1.

SKIN

  • (Itching here and there on the skin, worse than usual), (first day), 2.

SLEEP

  • Drowsiness but inability to sleep, when lying down after dinner (sixth day), 1. [110.]
  • Slight drowsiness, and oppression over the eyelids (after first dose, second day), 4.
  • Restless sleep, with frequent wakings through the night (sixth night), 1.

FEVER

  • Chilliness.
  • Cold sensation, as if alcohol had been spilled on the outer portion of the left thigh (eighth day), 1.
  • Coldness of hands and heat of forehead (after twenty minutes), 2.
  • Heat.
  • Flashing of heat in the back, shoulders, and face, with burning of ears (after forty-five minutes), 2.
  • Heat of forehead and coldness of hands (after twenty minutes), 2.

CONDITIONS

  • Aggravation.
  • ( Night ), Headache; after lying down in bed, pain in back.
  • ( After dinner ), Headache; face flushed, etc.; borborygmi; lassitude.
  • ( Drinking cold water ), Dyspeptic sufferings.
  • ( Lying down ), Flushed face, etc.
  • ( Moving about ), Dizziness.
  • ( Reading ), Pain in forehead.
  • ( Writing ), Pain in forehead.
  • Amelioration.
  • ( Open air ), Face flushed, etc.

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