Verbascum

Verbascum thapsus, Linn.

Natural order , Scrophulariaceæ.

Common names , Mullein; (G.), Königs-kerze; (F.), Molène.

Preparation , Tincture of the fresh herb at commencement of flowering.

Authorities. (Nos.

1 to 5 , from Hahnemann, R. A. M. L., 5)

1 , Hahnemann; 2 , Gross; 3 , Hartmann; 4 , Langhammer; 5 , Mossdarf; 6 , Butler, Provincial Med. and Surg. Journ., 1843, vol. vi, p. 89, experiments on healthy individuals, with doses of 1/2 to 2 drachms of tincture of dried leaves of either V. nigrum or Blattaria or both; daily limit, between 30 and 40 ounces.

MIND

• Excited fantasies, especially of a sensual nature, for several days, 1.
• Excessive joyfulness with laughter (after two hours and a half), 3.
• Depressed all day, all his efforts and hopes seem unavailing, 4.
• Anxious mood all day; more lively towards evening, 4.
• Very fretful and morose mood without cause; but with desire and inclination for work; also he finds satisfaction in having people about him and in talking with them (after two hours and a half), 3.
• Indifferent to things to which he is usually attentive (after four hours), 5.
• Disinclination for work (after eighth hours), 3.
• Distraction of mind; different trains of thought and fantasies throng upon him (after eight days), 1.
• Diminished memory; it was with great difficulty that he could recall the thoughts he had just had (after four hours), 5. [10.]
• The narcotic effects usually worse off in one or two hours, 6.

HEAD

• Sudden vertigo, as from a pressure upon the middle of the whole head, 2.
• Attacks of vertigo on pressing the left cheek, while supporting the head, 2.
• Dulness of the head (after five hours), 5.
• Dull painful heaviness of the head (after three-quarters of an hour), 1.
• His head is dull and confused, as if everything would press out at the forehead, 1.
• Slight sense of weight about the head, with vertigo, often to a considerable extent, but at the same time somewhat pleasurable, 6.
• Tingling in the head, while walking (after four hours and a half), 5.
• Forehead.
• Intermittent pressure and beating near the left frontal eminence, 2.
• Violent pressure in the whole forehead, 2. [20.]
• Violent pressing pain extending from within outward, in the forehead, disappearing on stooping (after two hours and a half), 3.
• Violent stupefying pressure deep in the right frontal eminence on going from the cold into warmth, 2.
• Pressing benumbing headache rather external, especially in the forehead, in every position (after three-quarters of an hour), 4.
• Pressing stupefying headache, especially affecting both sides of the forehead, in every position (after half an hour), 4.
• Violent pressing inward in the left side of the frontal bone, like a benumbing, 2.
• Incessant pressure from within outward, in the forehead, especially between the eyebrows (after three hours), 3.
• Benumbing drawing in the left frontal eminence in a draught of air (after seventy-two hours), 2.
• Slow hammering in the left frontal eminence, immediately, 2.
• Violent slowly appearing and disappearing stitch extending from within outward in the left frontal eminence (after two hours), 3.
• Deep, sharp, intermittent stitches between the left frontal eminence and the parietal eminence, 2. [30.]
• Intermittent fine needlelike stitches in the left side of the forehead (after one hour and three-quarters), 4.
• Sticking in the left frontal sinus (after five hours), .

EYE

• Heat in the eyes and sensation of contraction of the orbits (after half an hour), 1.
• Pain more pressing than tearing above the left orbit (after two hours and a quarter), 3.
• Pupils dilated (after seven hours and a half), 4.
• Dimness of sight, 6.
• A short-sighted person becomes still more short-sighted (dimness of vision?); could scarcely recognize objects a yard away, on account of watery dimness of vision; objects seem indistinct and enlarged, and the daylight seems less bright than usual, which is not the case (after eight hours and a half), 4.

EAR

• Sudden pressure, associated with a violent stitch behind the right ear, which gradually disappears (after three-quarters of an hour), 3.
• Feeling of numbness in the left ear, 2.* [60.]
• Painful tearing and drawing in the left ear, extending inward, 2.*
• Sensation as if the left ear would be drawn inward, 2.*
• Violent tearing within the right ear, 2.
• Tearing stitches in front of the left ear extending downward, immediately, 1.
• A tearing stitch in the left ear (while eating), (after two hours), 1.
• Sensation as if something stopped the ears, first the left, then the right, 2.*

NOSE

• Sensation of stoppage of the nose, larynx, and ears, which, however, does not affect the hearing, while reading aloud (after eight hours), 4.

FACE

• Face pallid, after large doses, 6.
• The whole cheek becomes involved in a dull pressure in the left articulation of the jaw, and on pressure becomes a benumbing tension, 2.*
• *Sensation as if one were violently pressing upon the left malar bone as far as the ear, aggravated by pressure with the hand, frequently during the day, in the evening before going to bed, and in the morning on waking, 2. [70.]
• Tension in the left malar bone, in the articular elevation of the temporal bone, and in the frontal eminence, on going into the open air and in a draught of air, 2.*
• Violent pressure on the right malar bone (after thirty-six hours), 2.
• Benumbing, intermittent pressure on the upper margin of the left malar bone, 2.*
• Dull pressing-sticking sensation in the left zygoma (after two hours and a half), 3.*
• Intermittent frightful sticking in the left malar bone, 2.
• Violent tension in the integuments of the chin, masseter muscles, and throat , but the jaws can be moved easily (after ten minutes), 2.*
• Pressing pinching pain on the right side of the lower jaw (after half an hour), 3.*

MOUTH

• Intermittent tearing in the small molars of the left lower jaw, 2.
• Tearing in the large molars of the right lower jaw, 2.
• The root of the tongue is brown, without bad taste, in the morning on rising and in the forenoon, 2. [80.]
• Root of the tongue brown, with a flat, nauseous taste, in the forenoon, 2.
• Tongue brownish yellow, coated with tenacious mucus, without a bad taste, immediately after dinner, 2.
• (Salt water collects in the mouth), 1.
• Flat taste for some time after dinner, 2.
• Flat taste with an offensive odor to the breath, with a brownish-yellow coated tongue, in the morning (after ninety-six hours), 2.

STOMACH

• Appetite and Thirst.
• Hunger without appetite through the day; nothing is relished, and yet he wishes to eat, 2.
• Unquenchable thirst (after two hours and a half), 3.
• Eructations.
• Many empty eructations, 1.
• Bitter qualmish eructations, immediately, 5.
• Uprising of tasteless liquid (after five minutes), 3. [90.]
• Empty eructations, immediately, 4.
• Hiccough.
• Hiccough (after half an hour), 1.
• Frequent hiccough (after two hours and a quarter), 4.
• Pressure in the stomach, 1.
• Sensation of great emptiness in the pit of the stomach, which disappeared with a rumbling in the region below the left ribs, 3.

ABDOMEN

• Hypochondrium.
• Sticking pinching beneath the right hypochondrium (after half an hour), 3.
• Umbilicus and Sides.
• Constriction of the abdomen at the umbilical region at various times, 2.
• Sensation as if the intestines at the umbilicus were adherent to the wall of the abdomen and were being torn away forcibly, aggravated by external pressure, 2.
• Hard painful pressure as from a stone upon the umbilicus, aggravated by stooping, 2.
• Stitches as from many needles in the whole umbilical region around to the back, and even in the dorsal vertebræ, on deep inspiration and on stooping, 2. [100.]
• Incessant rumbling and gurgling in the region beneath the left ribs (after five hours), 3.
• Intermittent dull sticking in the left side beneath the navel, aggravated on bending the body forward after eating (after three hours), 2.
• Intermittent dull needle stitches in the right side, by the navel, 2.
• Sharp intermittent stitches in the left side above the navel, 2.
• A deep sharp stitch in the left side, where the ribs cease, so violent that he started, 2.
• General Abdomen.
• Abdomen tympanitic, followed by frequent rumbling in the region beneath the left ribs, which caused several violent loud eructations (after four hours), 3.
• Griping in the abdomen as from incarcerated flatus, in every position (after one hour and three-quarters), 4.
• Cutting-griping colic, here and there, though always rising towards the ribs, where it becomes seated (after three hours), 3.
• Cutting griping in the whole abdomen, with frequent eructations, 3.
• A pain in the abdomen, extending low down, causing spasmodic contraction of the sphincter ani and a transient desire for stool, 3. [110.]
• Tearing sticking in the abdomen, extending downward, 1.
• Gurgling in the lower abdomen (after a quarter of an hour), 2.
• Acute, deep, knifelike stitches in the right side of the lower abdomen, above the pubis, 2.

STOOL

• Soft stool, with straining (after three hours), 1.
• Evacuation of scanty fæces in small hard masses, like sheep-dung, with pressure (after fifteen hours), 4.
• The bowels were invariably somewhat relaxed, 6.
• No stool (first day), 5.

URINARY ORGANS

• Frequent desire to urinate; a large quantity of urine is passed (after two hours), 1.
• Frequent desire to urinate, with scanty discharge (after seven hours), 4.
• Very frequently obliged to pass much urine (after half an hour); an unusually small amount is passed (after thirty-six hours), 3. [120.]
• The urine passed within ten minutes of taking the medicine always had the odor of Verbascum, and a considerable tendency to diuresis remained subsequently. In several careful series of observations there was found an increase in the bulk of the urine of from 15 to 50 per cent., from moderate doses; in one instance, the quantity of urine, after taking the drug for two days, rose from 47 1/2 ounces of 57 ounces, 6 drachms; and the two subsequent days, the medicine being omitted, it fell to 40 ounces, 6.

SEXUAL ORGANS

• Emissions at night, 1.
• Nightly emission, without lascivious dream, 4.

RESPIRATORY ORGANS

• Hoarseness on reading aloud, 4.

CHEST

• Invariably pain and oppression at the chest, with disinclination to frequent breathing, 6.
• Painful tension across the chest, with stitches in the region of the heart, immediately after lying down in bed in the evening, 1.
• Intermittent, benumbing, frightful cutting near the left side of the ensiform cartilage, below the last ribs, 2.
• Sharp pressure just beneath the left nipple, 2.
• Intermittent dull needlelike stitches near the left side of the ensiform cartilage, 2.
• A benumbing oppressive stitch taking away the breath, in the region of the first and second costal cartilages (after five minutes), 2. [130.]
• Pressing-sticking pain in the next to the last rib where it passes into the cartilage, suddenly disappearing on external pressure, but immediately returning, 3.
• Violent stitch on inspiration several times, beneath the left nipple, which slowly disappeared, but which always returned on deep inspiration (after four hours), 3.

HEART AND PULSE

• According to the state of the system the pulse was more or less readily reduced in number and force, especially in the latter, 6.

BACK

• Sharp intermittent stitches in the left scapula, 2.
• A very fine persistent stitch in the last dorsal vertebra, on sitting bent over (after half an hour), 3.
• In the middle between the right loin and spine intermittent deep, sharp, knifelike stitches, quite internal in the intestines, 2.

EXTREMITIES

• Stretching in the limbs (after half an hour), 1.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES

• Pain on the top of the shoulder, pressing rather than tearing, disappearing on motion (after five hours and a half), 3.
• Cramplike pressure in the left elbow, extending into the forearm, in every position (after three hours and a half), 4.
• Tearing extending downward, in the left ulna, 1. [140.]
• Tensive pain in the left wrist, during rest and motion (after twenty minutes), 1.
• Pain on the back of the right hand, pressing rather than tearing (after one hour), 3.
• Cramplike pressure, now in the right, now in the left metacarpus on moving the arm, disappearing during rest (after two hours and a quarter), 4.
• Pain on the outer side of the metacarpal bone of both little fingers, as from a bruise, only noticed on touch, 2.
• Violent sticking, as with a dull knife, in the thick flesh between the metacarpal bone of the right thumb and in the index finger, 2.
• Tearing sticking in the palm of the hand, 1.
• Dull sticking in the external condyle of the palm, 2.
• Numbness and insensibility of the thumb, 1 . [From the external application of the juice. -Hahnemann.]
• Cramplike pressure in the first phalanx of the right thumb, disappearing on motion (after seven hours), 4.
• Paralytic pain in the left fingers, especially in their metacarpal joints, 2. [150.]
• Paralytic drawing in the whole of the left index finger, 2.
• Some dull stitches in the joint where the carpal bone of the thumb articulates with the radius, like a kind of sprain (or numbness), 2.
• Violent picking (intermittent dull stitches) in the middle joint of the index finger, 2.
• Violent tearing stitch through the whole of the left little finger (after four hours), 2.
• Sharp sticking in the first phalanx of the left thumb, 2.
• Violent dull intermittent sticking in the last phalanx of the index finger; on moving the finger the pain extended into the first joint, 2.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES

• Gait tottering, while walking in the open air, as if the limbs could not support the body on account of weakness (after four hours), 4.
• Weariness of the lower extremities (after five hours and a half), 5.
• Very great heaviness in the lower extremities, as if a weight were hanging upon them, on going up and downstairs (after two hours), 3.
• While riding the right thigh over the left, weakness and sensation of weariness in the bone of the right thigh, not noticed on walking (after three hours and a half), 3. [160.]
• Paralytic pain on the inner side of the right thigh, while the leg is drawn up in a sitting position; on stooping the pain extended towards the knee, painful like a sticking, 2.
• Drawing pressing sensation, extending from the middle of the right thigh to the knee, while sitting (after three hours), 3.
• A cramplike pain in the muscles of the right thigh, while walking in the open air (after four hours and a half), 4.
• A pressing cramplike pain in the muscles above the right knee, while sitting and standing (after three-quarters of an hour), 3.
• Dull stitches just above the left patella, only on stepping on it (after twenty-four hours), 2.
• The knees tremble as if one had received a great fright (after two hours and a half), 3.
• Sudden pain through the right knee, while standing, sitting, and walking (after thirty-six hours), 3.
• Tearing from above downward in the leg, 1.
• Cramplike pressure on the left leg near the ankle (after two hours and a quarter), 4.
• A cramplike pressure in the sole of the right foot, while standing, which disappears on walking (after two hours and a half), 4. [170.]
• Violent intermittent dull sticking in the metatarsal bones of the great and adjacent toes of the left foot, during rest, 2.

GENERALITIES

• Sensation of sinking, 6.
• Indolence and sleepiness in the morning after rising, 2.

SKIN

• Pimple on the cheek in front of the right ear, with stinging pain when touched (after twenty-four hours), 1.
• A large red pimple on the neck near the thyroid cartilage, painful on pressure, lasting two or three days (after two days), 1.
• Itching on the forearm (after three-quarters of an hour), 1.
• Itching, crawling tickling on the side of the left middle finger, provoking scratching (after three hours and a quarter), 4.

SLEEP

• Frequent yawning and stretching, as though he had not slept enough (after two hours), 4.
• He cannot keep awake immediately after dinner, the lids close (after seven hours), 5.
• More or less inclination to sleep, 6. [180.]
• Sleep only till 4 A.M., filled with dreams of war and of corpses, several nights, 1.
• Restless sleep at night, he tosses from side to side, 4.

FEVER

• Shivering, especially over one side of the body, from the shoulder to the thigh, as if cold water were poured over it, 1.
• Slight transient coldness over the whole body, even perceptible externally, on the hands and feet, 2.
• When the doses were large, the extremities became cold and the face pallid, 6.

CONDITIONS

• Aggravation.
• ( Bending body forward ), Sticking in left side of navel.
• ( Biting teeth together ), Pressure in articular eminences of temporal bones.
• ( Going from cold into warmth ), Pressure in right frontal eminence.
• ( Deep inspiration ), Stitches in umbilical region.
• ( Motion ), Pressure in metacarpus.
• ( Pressing left cheek while supporting head ), Vertigo.
• ( Pressure ), Sticking in right temple; pressure on left malar bone; sensation in abdomen.
• ( Stooping ), Pressure upon umbilicus, stitches in umbilical region.
• Amelioration.
• ( Motion ), Pain in shoulder.
• ( Stooping ), Pressing from within outward in forehead.