Serpentaria

by Timothy F. AllenThe Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica

Aristolochia serpentaria, Linn.

Natural order , Aristolochiaceæ.

Common name , Virginia snake-root.

Preparation , Triturations of the dried roots.

Authorities.

Jorg's provings (Materialien zu einer Künftigen Heilmittellehre, Leipzig, 1825).

1 , Enders, took an infusion; 1 a , same, took powder, 1/2 drachm; 2 , Engler, took an infusion; 3 , Guntz, took infusion; 3 a , same, 15 to 20 grains of powder; 4 , Kneschke, took infusion; 4 a , same, took powder, 1 to 4 scruples; 5 , Pienitz, took infusions; 6 , Seyfert, took infusions; 7 , Siebenhaar, took infusions of 1 scruple to 1 1/2 drachm; 7 a , same, repeated in powder form; 8 , Jorg, took infusions of 1 scruple to 1 drachm; 8 a , same, powder from; 9 , Friedrich, took 1/2 drachm to 1 drachm; 10 , Haase, took 1/2 drachm and 2 scruples.

MIND

  • Peevish mood, 7.
  • Disinclined for every work, especially for mental work, 6.
  • Disinclination to work, 7.

HEAD

  • Confusion of the head, 4a.
  • Confusion of the head, so that work was difficult, 7.
  • Dulness of the head, with sleepiness, 8.
  • Dulness of the head, especially of the frontal region, 8.
  • Dulness of the head, 5, 8.
  • Slight dulness of the head, 6. [10.]
  • Headache, 6.
  • Pressure in the head, 8.
  • Transient pressive pains in the sides of the head, with confusion of the head, so that thought and recollection were difficult, 8.
  • Forehead.
  • Pressure in the forehead, with transient stitches piercing through the whole head, 5.
  • Slight pressive headache in the frontal region (after two hours), 3.
  • Pain in the frontal region and in the right side of the occiput, 4a.
  • Sticking in the forehead extending to the base of the brain, 7a.
  • Temples.
  • Transient stitches in the left temple, 5.
  • Headache in the left temporal region, 9.
  • Vertex.
  • Heaviness in the region of the vertex, followed by some confusion of the head, 8a.

MOUTH. [20.]

  • Copious salivation with frequent spitting, 9.

THROAT

  • Scraping sensation in the pharynx and œsophagus (soon), 7a.

STOMACH

  • Appetite.
  • Increased appetite (after four hours); yet he was able to eat but little, since the first morsels caused satiety, 4.
  • On taking the drug he was hungry, as he had eaten no breakfast; after a quarter of an hour the hunger entirely disappeared, but there was fulness of the stomach and distension of the abdomen, as after a large meal; a quarter of an hour afterwards, eructations tasting of the drug, 8a.
  • Diminished appetite, 5.
  • Loss of appetite, 4a, 7, 8.
  • Eructations.
  • Eructations, 4a, 8, 10.
  • Eructations tasting of the drug, 7.
  • Eructations during the first hour, 4.
  • Nausea and Vomiting.
  • Great nausea, 8. [30.]
  • Nausea, 9.
  • Slight nausea, 3a.
  • Nausea and vomiting, 1a.
  • Nausea, followed by vomiting; it did not stop until the stomach had been completely emptied of the drug; the nausea, however, continued for several hours, 1.
  • Stomach.
  • Fulness of the stomach, 4a.
  • Fulness and pressure in the stomach, especially in the upper part of the right side, 4a.
  • The stomach feels distended, 8.
  • Sensation as though the stomach were too full, 4.
  • Sensation of fulness, with violent pressure in the cardiac region of the stomach, 4.
  • Distressing pressure in the epigastric region, 7a. [40.]
  • Pressure in the upper part of the stomach, 4a.
  • Slight pressive sensation in the upper part of the epigastric region, lasting about fifteen minutes, 4.
  • Sensation of heaviness in the stomach, relieved by emission of much flatus, 5.
  • Heaviness in the epigastric region (soon), 5.
  • Painfulness in the epigastric region on pressure with the hand, 8a.

ABDOMEN

  • Colic in the umbilical region, 8.
  • Distension of the whole abdomen, 8.
  • Abdomen distended, 5.
  • Rumbling in the bowels (first day), 3.
  • Rumbling in the abdomen, 7. [50.]
  • An unusual rumbling in the intestines, waking from sleep, with violent desire for stool, with some cutting pains, followed by an evacuation of a large quantity of gas with some thin bilious fæces; similar evacuations (seven) followed the next day, and five on the third day, when the diarrhœa ceased, 8a.
  • Movements in the abdomen, with frequent emission of flatus, upward and downward, 7a.
  • Emission of flatus, 7.
  • Cutting in the small intestines, 8a.
  • Cutting pain in the umbilical region, with movements of the bowels, with at times emission of flatus, 8a.
  • Uneasiness in the abdomen, with eructations and flatulence, 7.
  • Abdomen greatly relieved by the emission of flatus and bilious liquid, which after awhile had a very bad odor; these evacuations relieved also the hæmorrhoidal trouble, 8a.

RECTUM AND ANUS

  • Distressing itching about the anus, 8a.
  • Distressing itching in the anus (after two days), 8.
  • Frequent desire for stool, with evacuation of scanty, hard, tenacious fæces with much flatus, 8. [60.]
  • Urging to stool, with evacuation of a large amount of gas, and somewhat hard tenacious fæces, 8.
  • Urging to stool, with emission of gas and of scanty tenacious fæces, 8a.
  • Frequent desire for stool, with evacuation of more gas than fæces, 8a.

STOOL

  • Stools softer than usual (second day), 4.
  • An additional large stool, in the afternoon, 4.
  • Stool scanty, hard (second day), 4a.

URINARY ORGANS

  • General irritation of the urinary and genital organs, 7.
  • Violent desire to urinate, more frequently than usual, with great increase of urine, 8.
  • Frequent desire to urinate, but only a little brownish urine was passed, 8.
  • Frequent desire to urinate, the urine always small in amount, rather dark-colored, 8a. [70.]
  • Frequent micturition, 7a.
  • Micturition more frequent than usual, in a large amount, 4a.
  • Copious micturition; large quantities of watery urine, 6.

CHEST

  • Oppression of the chest, 7.

PULSE

  • Pulse somewhat accelerated and fuller for a short time, 2.
  • Pulse hard, rapid (after one hour); afterwards smaller and slower, but continuing hard, 7.
  • Pulse irritable, 7.
  • Pulse small and rapid during the dulness of the head, 5.

NECK

  • Pressive pain in the nape of the neck, 8.

SLEEP

  • Sleep disturbed by frightful dreams, tossing about in bed; quiet sleep only towards morning, 7.

FEVER. [80.]

  • Increased warmth of the head, 7.

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