Ratanhia. (Ratanhia Peruviana.)
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Rhatany, Mapato, Pumacuchu. Polygalaceæ.
A native of Peru, growing in dry, argillaceous and sandy soil.
The tincture is prepared from the dry root.
Hartlaub and Trinks, Arz. M. L., vol. 3, p. 57 ; Teste, Mat. Med. ; Trousseau and Pidoux, Mat. Med. ; Gaz. des Hosp., 1843 ; Berridge, U. S. Med. Times, 1876.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Pterygium , Newton, Hom. Rev., vol. 15, p. 210 ; Constipation and fissure of anus , Allen, N. A. J. H., vol. 26, p. 523 ; Fissured anus , Hibbard, A. H. O., vol. 10, p. 255 ; Ascaris vermicularis , Cushing, N. E. M. G. ; Fissures of nipple , Allen, N. A. J. H., vol. 26, p. 527.
INNER HEAD [3]
Painful sticking in head, here and there.
Headache as if head were in a vise.
Dull, deep stitches in vertex.
Pain in middle of forehead, as if brain would fall out, while straining at stool.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Sensation of white speck before eyes, impeding sight in evening by candlelight, with constant urging to wipe eyes, > after wiping.
Sensation as of a skin before eyes.
Inflammation of white of eye ; a membrane seemed to extend to central point of eye, which burned.
Pterygium.
Twitching in left upper eyelid.
Twitching in right eye and right upper lid.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Violent stitch in right ear.
Chirping in right ear.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Dryness of nose.
Dry coryza, with complete stoppage of nostrils.
Bleeding of nose.
Scabs on nose.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
The molars feel elongated, with sensation as if coldness rushed out of them.
Terrible toothache during early months of pregnancy ; must get up at night and walk about.
Shooting pulsating pain, with sensation of elongation in one left upper incisor (which is painful to touch) in evening ; < after lying down, compelling one to rise and to walk about.
Gums exude sour blood on sucking them.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Burning on tip of tongue.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Tasteless water collects in mouth.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Painful spasmodic contraction in throat, during which he is unable to speak a loud word.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Constant desire to eat.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Very violent hiccough, so that stomach is painful.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Contractive pain in stomach.
Ulcerative pain in region of stomach.
Atonic dyspepsia ; accumulation of tasteless water in mouth ; flat taste ; no appetite, but constant desire to eat ; eructations after dinner, empty or tasting of ingesta ; vomiting of water, preceded by loathing ; bloatedness of stomach > by emission of flatus ; cutting in abdomen, going off by eructations ; ineffectual urging to stool ; hard stool with straining ; yellow diarrheic stools, with burning before and during stool ; languor and prostration, with weariness of whole body.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Exudation in pleura with sweat and diarrhœa. θ Induration of liver.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Thin, fetid stools, burning like fire in anus.
Bloody diarrhœa.
Discharge of blood from rectum with or without stool.
Urging sensation in small of back, as if there would be stool ; hard stool with straining ; sudden stitches in anus ; fissures of anus.
Stool is accompanied by sweat. θ Diarrhœa.
Hard stool, with straining ; ineffectual urging to stool.
Straining ; stool so hard that she cried out ; great protrusion of hemorrhoids, followed for a long time by burning in anus.
Inactivity of bowels for a long time, but without large accumulation of hardened feces ; constantly increasing distress in rectum and anus, protrusion of rectum after stool ; great heat with frequent but ineffectual efforts to evacuate bowels and bladder ; three or four deep and angry-looking fissures of anus, also several superficial, but very sore and raw abrasions of mucous membrane, extending as far as sphincter, and a little beyond into rectum ; sensation as if rectum and anus were all twisted up, followed by most violent cutting, not only after an evacuation, but at other times ; pain after stool as if splinters of glass were sticking in every direction into anus and rectum, with great heat ; these pains so intense that she could not keep quiet ; sensation after stool as if rectum protruded and then suddenly went back with a jerk and most horrible pain ; frequent ineffectual desire to urinate ; fluttering of heart ; desire to die during pains ; relief, after a stool, by hot water, so that he always sat for a quarter of an hour in a sitz-bath as hot as he could endure ; relief only while in bath.
Fissure of anus ; great constriction ; stools are forced with great effort, and anus aches and burns for hours.
Excruciating pains immediately after stool, especially if bowels are costive. θ Fissured anus.
Fissures of anus, with great sensitiveness of rectum.
Violent itching of rectum.
Dry heat at anus, with sudden stitches, like stabs with a penknife.
Burning in anus before and several hours after stool, with protrusion of varices.
Burning in anus before and during a diarrhœa-like stool.
Burning in anus before and after soft diarrheic stools.
Protrusion of varices after hard stool, with straining and violent pressing in rectum.
Oozing from anus.
Ascaris vermicularis ; severe itching about anus.
Pin-worms in children.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Diabetes ; considerable emaciation and weakness ; limbs sore and aching ; great appetite ; insatiable thirst and constant dryness of mouth ; gums livid and swollen ; soreness in kidneys ; severe pain in small of back, > from motion ; hard stool with straining ; frequent urging to urinate, with scanty discharge, or passes large quantities of light-colored urine.
Burning in urethra while urinating.
Incontinence of urine.
Frequent urging to urinate, with scanty discharge which soon becomes turbid and cloudy.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Uterine pains following retrocession of eruption on lumbar region.
Menstruation too early, profuse and of too long duration, with pains in abdomen and small of back.
Metrorrhagia.
Leucorrhœa, with itching in rectum and discharge of bloody mucus.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Threatened miscarriage.
Fissures of nipples in nursing women.
COUGH [27]
Dry cough with tickling in larynx and great soreness in chest.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Congestion of blood to chest, with heat and dyspnœa.
Stitches in chest, especially when ascending steps.
Hydrothorax.
Exudation in pleural cavities with sweat and diarrhœa.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Bruised sensation in back and hips, early on rising, > on motion.
Twitching in small of back.
Pain in small of back during menses.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Lying down : toothache <.
Motion : pain in back >.
Ascending steps : stitches in chest.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Hot water relieved pain in rectum and anus.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Several hours : burning of anus.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : twitching in eye and upper lid ; stitch in ear ; chirping in ear.
Left ; twitching in upper eyelid ; sensation of elongation in upper incisor.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if head were in a vise ; as if brain would fall out ; as of a white speck before eyes ; as of skin before eyes ; as if coldness rushed out of molars ; as if there would be stool ; as if rectum and anus were all twisted up ; as of splinters of glass in anusand rectum ; as if rectum protruded and then suddenly went back with a jerk.
Pain : in middle of forehead ; in abdomen and small of back.
Excruciating pains : in bowels.
Horrible pain : in rectum.
Severe pain : in small of back.
Cutting : of abdomen.
Shooting, pulsating pain : in left incisors.
Stitches : dull, deep on vertex ; in right ear ; in anus ; in chest.
Contractive pain : in stomach.
Ulcerative pain : in region of stomach.
Sticking : painful in head.
Aching : in limbs.
Burning : on tip of tongue ; in anus ; in urethra.
Soreness : of limbs ; of kidneys ; in chest.
Bruised sensation : in back and hips.
Heat : at anus.
Tickling : in larynx.
Twitching : in left upper eyelid ; in right eye and upper lid ; in small of back.
Chirping : in right ear.
Dryness : of mouth ; of nose.
Itching : of rectum.
TISSUES [44]
Asthenic hemorrhages with exhaustion.
Chronic diarrhœa and leucorrhœa.
Fissures of anus and nipples.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : tooth painful.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Man, æt. 30, suffering over a year ; fissured anus.
Man, æt. 47, nervous temperament, spare, overworked ; constipation and fissure of anus.
RELATIONS [48]
Compare : Iris vers., Canthar., Sulphur , in rectal symptoms ; Thuja in sensation of splinters of glass in rectum and anus.