Viscum Album
By Timothy F. Allen — The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica
Viscum album, Linn.
Natural order , Loranthaceæ.
Common name , Mistletoe.
Preparation , Tincture of leaves (and berries).
Authorities.
1 , Dr. Center, Charleston Med. Journ. and Rev., vol. vi, 1851, 448, two women, æt. eighteen and twenty-one years, took Viscum to procure abortion; 2 , Henry Belcher, M.D., Month. Hom. Rev., vol. xii, 1868, p. 282, a girl, æt. seventeen years, in whom catamenia had not appeared, but who appeared well, except a severe form of chorea had long troubled her, took 5 drops tincture, three times a day, for a week; 3 , Joseph Dixon, Brit. Med. Journ., 1874 (1). p. 224, a boy, æt. fourteen years, ate eight berries; 4 , Pröll, A. H. Z., 96, No. 10 (Brit. Journ. of Hom., vol. xxxvi, 1878, p. 271), took the tincture, beginning with a drop, and increasing every day by a drop until he took forty at a time.
MIND
- Inclined to be violent, 3.
- Spectral illusions, 3.
- Insensibility, 3.
- Stupor, succeeded by almost entire insensibility, lying motionless, with her eyes closed, as if in sound sleep, but easily roused by a loud noise, and then would answer any question, but when she relapsed into her former condition there was a slight disposition to stertorous breathing (second day), 2.
HEAD
EYE
- Conjunctiva injected, 3.
- Pupil slightly dilated and fixed, 3.
- Pupils contracted, and at first appeared insensible to light (second day), 3.
FACE
ABDOMEN
- Whole of the alimentary canal paralyzed, 1.
STOOL
- Bowels obstinately constipated, 1.
RESPIRATORY ORGANS
PULSE
SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES
- He felt in the dorsum of the left hand as if a large spider were crawling over it; soon afterwards he felt the same sensation in the dorsum of the right hand (after 40 drops), 4.
INFERIOR EXTREMITIES
- In the same winter suddenly felt in the right foot a violent aching pain from within outwards, that compelled him to take off his boot, as it felt too light; this sensation went off in an hour, 4.
GENERALITIES
- About 10 A.M., when he was going to see a patient, he felt very queer, as if he must fall down; he felt a glow that rose up from the feet to the head, and it seemed to him as if he were on fire, at the same time his face became very pale; this kind of aura epileptica recurred three times during the winter (after 40 drops), 4. [20.]
- Every muscle of the body, except those of the eyes, were paralyzed, 1.
- Could not speak or swallow, and both died about the eight or ninth day, literally starved, 1.
- Frequent recurrence of the symptoms during two years, 4.
SLEEP
- Drowsiness (second day), 2.
FEVER
- Skin warm and very moist (second day), 2.