Prunus Spinosa
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Sloe ; Blackthorn. Rosaceæ.
The Blackthorn (Schwarzdorn) is a native of Europe, but is found in New England and southward to Pennsylvania.
The tincture is prepared from the fresh flower buds.
Introduced by Wahle, Archiv. für Hom., 14, 3, 169 ; and Kretschmar, Allg. Hom. Zeit., vol. 1, p. 124.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Glaucoma , J. A. I. H., 1883-1886 ; Chorio-retinitis , Choroiditis, O'Connor, Norton, Norton's Ophth. Therap., p. 146 ; Affection of heart , Kurtz, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 3, p. 449 ; Sprained ankle and respiratory difficulty , Lippe, N. E. M. G., vol. 10, p. 456 ; Dropsy , Hartmann, Müller, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 4, p. 354.
INNER HEAD [3]
Sharp pain beginning in right side of forehead shooting like lightning through brain and coming out at occiput.
Painful jerks in forehead shooting backward.
Pain pressing from within outward, extending from beneath right temporal bone to frontal bone, < from external pressure.
Twinging pain in right temporal bone extending into ear and causing a kind of earache.
Pressive pain in right side of vertex as if a sharp corner were pressing against it.
Jerking-sticking pain at posterior portion of parietal bone.
Painful jerking thrust through right hemisphere of brain on motion.
Pressing asunder headache, so violent that he almost lost his reason.
Pressive pain beneath skull as if skull would be pressed outward by a sharp plug.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Pain in right eyeball, as if inner portion of eye would be torn out.
Ciliary neuralgia : pain in eyeball as if crushed, or pain as if pressed asunder ; sharp shooting pain extending through eye back into brain, or above eye extending into and around it or over corresponding side of head ; pain commences behind ear and shoots forward to eye ; < from motion ; > in rest ; pains occasionally periodic in character and may be < at night.
Chorio-retinitis in myopic patients with sclerectasia posterior and fluidity of vitreous, with floating opacities in it (hemorrhagic).
Irido-choroiditis, no fluidity of vitreous and no floating opacities.
Irido-cyclitis with anterior synechiæ.
An old lady, æt. 76, had paralysis of right side, and cornea nearly opaque, with excessive congestion of superficial and deep vessels of conjunctiva and sclerotic.
Choroiditis, either with or without retinal complication.
Opacities and haziness of vitreous during course of choroidal troubles.
Glaucoma ; pain severe, crushing in eye as if pressed asunder, or sharp shooting through eye and corresponding side of head ; aqueous and vitreous humor hazy ; fundus hyperemic.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Pressing-asunder pain in right ear like earache.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Pain as from pressing asunder above nasal bones.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Wrenching pain in several back teeth whenever anything warm is taken into mouth.
Pain in last left lower back tooth as if tooth would be torn out.
Very piercing nervous pain in left upper molar.
Fine, sticking pains in various teeth.
Toothache as if tooth would be raised ; pain also shoots from one tooth to another.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Burning on tongue as if she had burned it.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Fulness and distension in pit of stomach.
Sensation of fulness in pit of stomach, as after a full meal or as from overlifting, with shortness of breathing.
Sensation of repletion in stomach ; a very small quantity of food satisfies.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Flatulence presses upon bladder and causes cramps in bladder, so that he is obliged to completely double up.
Obliged to walk very carefully and softly on account of cramps in abdomen, so that abdomen should not be shaken, otherwise urinary troubles were greatly aggravated.
Pain in right inguinal region as if hernia would protrude.
Ascites ; swelling of abdomen ; loss of appetite ; scanty micturition ; hard, nodular stool, discharged with pain in rectum.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Diarrhœa with nausea, feces consisting of mucus, with burning in rectum as from a wound.
Hard stool, intermitting, looking like excrements of dogs, in small lumps with stitches in rectum, extorting cries.
Pressive, cramplike pain, as if an angular body were pressed inward, on right side of rectum an inch above anus.
Violent burning in anus, as from salt in a wound after a slimy, diarrhœa-like stool.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Tenesmus of bladder ; every other quarter of an hour for eight hours.
Spasms in bladder disturbing sleep at night ; burning in sphincter vesical.
Efforts to pass urine torment him for a whole hour, with violent burning-biting pains in bladder and urethra.
Strangury ; continuous urging to urinate, with burning-biting in bladder and urethra ; when effort is made to urinate, burning in urethra, so that one must bend double without being able to urinate.
Very urgent desire to urinate, if not attended to immediately causes severe sharp, crampy pains in bladder.
Urgent desire to urinate ; the urine only reaches glans penis and causes there violent pain and spasms, also with tenesmus in rectum ; pain in bladder momentarily > as soon as urine descends into urethra.
Is hurriedly impelled to pass urine which, however, seems to pass forward into glans penis, and then seems to return and cause most violent pain in urethra.
Dared not take hold urethra on account on pain, as from suppuration of ulceration.
As urine passes he is momentarily relieved of pains, yet there remains a sticking in glans penis, which causes a most frightful spasm of urethra (ischuria urethralis) with tenesmus recti.
Must press a long time before urine appears.
Scanty secretion of urine, brown ; must always press a long time before passing any urine, and then in a feeble stream.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
The prepuce is drawn behind the corona glandis, the penis becoming smaller.
Burning biting in urethra ; great soreness so that he cannot touch it.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Tickling, itching in region of ovaries not > by scratching and rubbing.
Menstruation too early, with violent pain in small of back.
Metrorrhagia of thin, pale blood, becoming very watery the longer it lasts.
Leucorrhœa excoriating, coloring linen yellow.
RESPIRATION [26]
Anxious, short respiration ; tight and difficult, with anxiety about heart.
Shortness of breath, while walking ; sighing, as if he were climbing a high and steep mountain.
Breathing difficult, caused by a sensation of heaviness in lower part of thorax.
Left ankle and foot much swollen after being sprained ; as swelling and pain abated new symptoms developed ; breathing became rapid ; great oppression of chest with constantly recurring desire to take a long breath ; felt as if air she inhaled did not reach pit of stomach, and till she could force air so far down had to yawn and try to take a deep inspiration.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Heaviness and oppression of chest.
Heavy and anxious sensation in lower portion of chest, frequently compelling him to take a deep breath.
Sensation of heaviness in left chest, frequently obliging him to take a deep breath.
Tightness in upper part of left chest.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Furious beating of heart, even when at rest, and great danger of suffocation from slightest motion ; visible pulsation of carotids ; face bloated and purple ; lips purple ; menses suppressed.
Knocking at heart with labored breathing.
Even from a very moderate motion beats of heart are fearfully aggravated.
Far advanced œdema of feet in a girl æt. 14, dependent on hypertrophy of heart.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Stitches between shoulder blades on drawing a long breath.
All parts of back and small of back seem stiff, as if he had been injured, or from overlifting.
Pains in small of back, while sitting.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Pressure on right shoulder extending to deltoid muscle, preventing one from raising arm.
Sensation as if sprained in right thumb, hindering writing ; cannot hold pen.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Pain in hip, < in forenoon ; free from it after midnight.
Restlessness in legs, must change position continually.
Pain as from a sprain in left ankle.
Pain in first joint of big toe, as if it were pulled out.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Rest : ciliary neuralgia >.
Sitting : pain in small of back.
Must double up : cramps in bladder ; burning in urethra.
Is inclined to stretch.
Cannot hold pen : pain in thumb.
Cannot raise arm : pressure on right shoulder.
Must change position continually : restlessness in legs.
Motion : painful thrust through brain ; neuralgia in eyes <.
Must walk very carefully : cramps in bladder.
TIME [38]
Forenoon : pain in hip.
Evening : chilliness.
Night : pain in eyes < ; spasms in bladder, disturbing sleep.
After midnight : free from pain in hip.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Warm food : causes pain in back teeth.
FEVER [40]
Chilliness in evening, must go to bed, is inclined to stretch.
Dry heat over whole body, with pain in corona glandis and redness of prepuce ; burning on genitals, > from perspiration and ceasing when going to bed.
Perspiration during sleep, only in face.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Periodic : pains in eyes.
Every other quarter of an hour for eight hours : tenesmus of bladder.
For whole hour : efforts to pass urine.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : pain beginning in side of forehead ; pain from beneath temporal bone ; pain in right side of top of head ; painful thrust through hemisphere of brain ; pain in eyeball ; paralysis of side ; pain in ear ; pain in inguinal hernia ; pain on side of rectum an inch above anus ; pressure on shoulder ; sensation as if sprained in thumb.
Left : pain in last lower back tooth ; piercing pain in upper molar ; pain as from a sprained ankle.
From within outward : pain from beneath temporal bone to frontal bone.
Backward : pain in forehead.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if a sharp corner were pressing against top of head ; as if skull would be pressed outward by a sharp plug ; as if inner portion of eye would be torn out ; eye-ball as if crushed, or as if pressed asunder ; as if tooth would be torn out ; as if tooth would be raised ; as if tongue had been burned ; as if hernia would protrude ; burning as from a wound in rectum ; as if an angular body were being pressed inward in rectum ; as from salt in a wound in anus ; sighing as if he were climbing a high, steep mountain ; as if air she inhaled did not reach pit of stomach ; as if small of back had been injured ; as if right thumb were sprained ; as if ankle were sprained ; as if first joint of big toe were pulled out.
Pain : in right eyeball ; in last left lower back tooth ; in right inguinal region ; in rectum ; in small of back ; in hip ; in l. ankle ; in joint of big toe ; in corona glandis.
Sharp pain : from right side of forehead through brain and coming out at occiput.
Violent pain : in glans penis ; in urethra ; in small of back.
Sharp shooting pain : through eye back into brain ; behind ear forward to eye ; from one tooth to another Severe sharp crampy pains : in bladder.
Piercing nervous pain : in left upper molar.
Violent burning biting pains : in bladder ; in urethra.
Stitches in rectum : between shoulder blades.
Jerking sticking pain : at posterior portion of parietal bone.
Painful jerking thrust : through right hemisphere of brain.
Twinging pain : in right temporal bone into ear.
Pressing asunder pain : in head ; in right ear ; above nasal bone.
Pressing pain : from beneath right temporal bone ; in right side of top of head ; beneath skull ; on right side of rectum ; on r. shoulder.
Fine sticking pain : in various teeth ; in glans penis.
Cramps : in bladder ; in abdomen.
Burning : on tongue ; in rectum ; in anus ; in sphincter vesica ; in urethra ; on genitals.
Heat over whole body.
Soreness : in urethra.
Painful jerks : in forehead.
Restlessness : in legs.
Tightness : in upper part of left chest.
Heaviness : in lower part of thorax ; of chest.
Fulness : in pit of stomach.
Distension : in pit of stomach.
Oppression : of chest.
Tickling : in region of ovaries.
Itching : in region of ovaries.
TISSUES [44]
Ciliary neuralgia.
Dropsy caused by defective heart ; abdominal dropsy ; anasarca after any debilitating, chronic diseases, and particularly in those connected with cachectic affections.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : painful from soreness in urethra.
Pressure : pain in head <.
Scratching or rubbing does not > itching in ovaries.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Girl, æt. 14 ; hypertrophy of heart and dropsy.
Young lady, æt. 16, after jumping from a carriage while horse was running away ; sprained ankle.
Woman, æt. 32, single, suffering six months ; affection of heart.
Woman, æt. 65 ; dropsy.
Woman, has had much trouble and sorrow ; affection of heart.
RELATIONS [48]
Compare : Laurocerasus .