Gnaphalium Polycephalum

by C.M. Boger — A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica

REGION

NERVES: SCIATIC. Crural. Abdominal.

WORSE

Walking.
Lying.
Cold damp.

BETTER

Flexing limbs.
Sitting.
Intense sciatic pains; alternating with or followed by numbness or formication. Offensive diarrhœa with colic, < morning.

Related: Colo.

Gnaphalium Polycephalum across the other classic books

Gnaphalium Polycephalum appears in 7 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Gnaphalium polycephalum, Michx. Natural order , Compositæ. Common names , Everlasting; (G.) Ruhrkraut; (Fr.) le Cotonnière. Preparation , Trituration of dried leaves and flowers of G. polyceph.; tincture of whole plant of G. uliginosum, Linn. Authorities. Gnaphal. uliginosum , first day; 25 drops, fourth day; 50…”
Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Cud-weed-Old Balsa (GNAPHALIUM) A remedy of unquestioned benefit in sciatica, when pain is associated with numbness of the part affected. Rheumatism and morning diarrhœa. Polyuria. Intermittent pains of superior maxillary of both sides. Borborygmus. Colic; pain in various parts of the abdomen. Irritated prostate…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“polycephalum. Sweet-scented Everlasting Flower. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of fresh plant. Anterior crural neuralgia / Cholera / Diarrhœa / Dysmenorrhœa / Gout / Lumbago / Prostate gland, irritation of / Rheumatism / Sciatica Gnaphal. has been used mainly in affections of the sciatic nerve. But it has also an action on…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Common Life Everlasting. Compositæ. A fragrant, bitterish, aromatic annual, growing in fields and woods ; flowers in summer and autumn. Tincture from the fresh plant, chopped and pounded to a pulp. Provings by Banks, Fuller and Woodbury. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 4, p. 456 . CLINICAL AUTHORITIES. Sciatica , Cate…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common names: ever-lasting; indian posy. Offensive diarrhœa with colic, worse in the morning (Nat-S., Podo., Sulph.) (B.). Cholera morbus: colic with vomiting and purging (Ars., Bism., Crot-T., Nux-V., Sec., Verat.) (Bl.). INTENSE PAIN ALONG THE RIGHT SCIATIC NERVE, DARTING, CUTTING, FROM THE RIGHT HIP-JOINT DOWN TO…”
Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Intense pain along the sciatic nerve, alternating with numbness.”

Gnaphalium Polycephalum in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Gnaphalium Polycephalum in 55 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (16), ABDOMEN (7), GENERALITIES (6), STOOL (5), MOUTH (4).

EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Thigh - crural nerves
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica - alternating sides - with numbness
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica - numbness,with
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Toes - first - joints - gouty
STOMACH - VOMITING - diarrhoea - during
GENERALITIES - NUMBNESS - suffering parts,of
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica
EXTREMITIES - CRAMPS - Leg - calf
GENERALITIES - NUMBNESS - externally
CHEST - PAIN - stitching - extending - side to side
ABDOMEN - PAIN - morning - 7 a.m.
EXTREMITIES - CRAMPS - Foot - bed,in
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica - sitting - amel.
PROSTATE GLAND - IRRITATION in
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica - stepping agg.
EXTREMITIES - PAIN - Lower Limbs - sciatica - lying
BLADDER - FULLNESS,sensation of - urination,after
HEAD - FULLNESS - Temple
STOOL - WATERY - night
VERTIGO - RISING, - after

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Gnaphalium Polycephalum across the other classic books

Gnaphalium Polycephalum appears in 7 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.

“Gnaphalium polycephalum, Michx. Natural order , Compositæ. Common names , Everlasting; (G.) Ruhrkraut; (Fr.) le Cotonnière. Preparation , Trituration of dried leaves and flowers of G. polyceph.; tincture of whole plant of G. uliginosum, Linn. Authorities. Gnaphal. uliginosum , first day; 25 drops, fourth day; 50…”

Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.

“Cud-weed-Old Balsa (GNAPHALIUM) A remedy of unquestioned benefit in sciatica, when pain is associated with numbness of the part affected. Rheumatism and morning diarrhœa. Polyuria. Intermittent pains of superior maxillary of both sides. Borborygmus. Colic; pain in various parts of the abdomen. Irritated prostate…”

Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.

“polycephalum. Sweet-scented Everlasting Flower. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of fresh plant. Anterior crural neuralgia / Cholera / Diarrhœa / Dysmenorrhœa / Gout / Lumbago / Prostate gland, irritation of / Rheumatism / Sciatica Gnaphal. has been used mainly in affections of the sciatic nerve. But it has also an action on…”

Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.

“Common Life Everlasting. Compositæ. A fragrant, bitterish, aromatic annual, growing in fields and woods ; flowers in summer and autumn. Tincture from the fresh plant, chopped and pounded to a pulp. Provings by Banks, Fuller and Woodbury. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 4, p. 456 . CLINICAL AUTHORITIES. Sciatica , Cate…”

Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.

“Common names: ever-lasting; indian posy. Offensive diarrhœa with colic, worse in the morning (Nat-S., Podo., Sulph.) (B.). Cholera morbus: colic with vomiting and purging (Ars., Bism., Crot-T., Nux-V., Sec., Verat.) (Bl.). INTENSE PAIN ALONG THE RIGHT SCIATIC NERVE, DARTING, CUTTING, FROM THE RIGHT HIP-JOINT DOWN TO…”

Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.

“Intense pain along the sciatic nerve, alternating with numbness.”