Asarum europæum

by Adolph von Lippe — Text Book of Materia Medica

Mind and Disposition

Nervous irritability and exaltation.

Head

Pain, as from contraction in the forehead, temples, and behind the cue, with watering and burning of the eyes, worse in the afternoon, (5 P.M.), relieved when sitting, and by washing.

Eyes

Inflamed eyes, blear-eyedness.

The eyes stare.

The cold air is pleasant to the eyes; sunshine, light, and wind, are intolerable.

Ears

Pressure and tension in the region of the orifice of the meatus auditorius.

Mouth

Accumulation of cold, watery saliva in the mouth.

Stomach

Eructations putrid or sour, setting the teeth on edge.

Violent, empty retching, which increases all the symptoms, only relieving the head.

Vomiting, with great anguish, under violent exertion, with chilliness.

Vomiting, with diarrhœa and violent colic.

Stool and Anus

Diarrhœa, consisting of tenacious mucus.

During stool, discharge of thick, black blood.

Prolapsus ani during stool.

After stool, pressing and straining, and discharge of white, viscid, bloody mucus.

Generalities

Over-sensitiveness of the nerves, the scratching of linen or silk is insupportable.

Sensation of lightness in the limbs, when she walks she thinks she is gliding through the air.

Fever

Pulse full and accelerated.

Chilliness and coldness, after eating and drinking, with heat of the head.

Heat, especially in the face, and in the palms of the hands.

Perspiration smelling sour at night, in the arm-pits.

Easily, excited perspiration, especially on the upper part of the body.

Conditions

Aggravation in the evening, and in cold and dry weather.

Amelioration. Many symptoms disappear from washing the face in cold water, and from wetting the affected part.

Asarum europæum across the other classic books

Asarum europæum appears in 11 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 HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“European Snake Root (Arsistolochiaceae) Nervous, anxious people; excitable or melancholy. Imagines he is hovering in the air like a spirit (Lac. c.); lightness of all the limbs. Cold "shivers" from any emotion. Oversensitiveness of nerves , scratching of linen or silk, crackling of paper is unbearable (Fer. Tar.)…”
Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“A. Europæum, Linn. Nat. order , Aristolochiaceæ. Common name , Haselwurz. Preparation , Tincture of the root and whole plant. Authorities. [No. He imagines he is hovering in the air, when walking, like a spirit, 3. Great cheerfulness (after six and twelve hours), sometimes interrupted for a few moments by a melancholy…”
Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“European Snake-root (ASARUM EUROPUM) A remedy for nervous affections, loss of energy, with excessive erethism. Scratching on silk or linen or paper unbearable . Pains and spasmodic muscular actions. Nervous deafness and asthenopia. Cold shivers from any emotion. Feels as if parts were pressed together. Tension and…”
Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“BATHING, cold applications, etc., Amel. COMPRESSION, squeezing, pinching, as of a vise, cap, etc. (Comp. Cramp.) DRY, clear or cold weather, Agg. FLOATING, flying, etc., as if (Comp. Vertigo.)”
Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“NERVES. Mucous membranes. Female organs. PENETRATING SOUNDS. Dry. Cold. Emotions. Cold bathing; of face (Flu-ac.). EXCESSIVE NERVOUS SENSIBILITY; scratching on silk, rattle of paper, etc., is unbearable. Contractive sensations. .................... Lightness, as if floating. Painfully sensitive hearing. Cold saliva…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Asarum Europœum. Asarabacca. Hazelwort. Wild Nard. (Mountainous woods in Europe.) N. O. Aristolochiaceæ. Tinctures of root and whole fresh plant. Alcoholism / Anus, prolapse of / Catarrhs / Cholerine / Diarrhœa / Dysmenorrhœa / Eyes, affections of; operations on / Fidgets / Headache / Hysteria / Levitation, sensation…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Haselwurtz. Aristolochiaceæ. Introduced and proved in 1817 by Hahnemann (14) and his pupils (254). The second edition appeared in 1825 (16 and 254). It was physiologically arranged by A. G. Schneider in 1853. The root alone is better than the whole plant. Gradual vanishing of thought, as when falling asleep. Stupid…”
Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Oversensitiveness of the nerves; the scratching on linen or silk is unsupportable. Sensation of lightness in the limbs; when she walks, she thinks she is gliding through the air. Vomiting with violent retching and anxiety. Many symptoms disappear from washing the face in cold water, from wetting the affected part…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: european snake root. Hyperæsthesia of the senses (Bell., Coff., Nux-V., Op., Phos.) (Bl.). OVERSENSITIVENESS OF THE NERVES; THE SCRATCHING ON LINEN OR SILK IS INSUPPORTABLE (Ferr., Tarant-C.). Cold "shivers" from any emotion (A.). Nervous irritability and exaltation. Asthmatic breathing, worse from odour…”
Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Remarkable over-sensitiveness of the nerves; scratching linen or silk or even thinking of it is unbearable.”

Asarum europæum in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Asarum europæum in 949 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in GENERALITIES (144), HEAD (144), EXTREMITIES (105), STOMACH (59), MIND (58).

EYE - PAIN - stitching - opening the eyes,on
HEARING - ACUTE - noises,to - scratching on linen and silk
STOMACH - ANXIETY - morning,on waking,in drunkards
STOMACH - HORRIBLE sensation,morning,on waking,in drunkards
STOMACH - ANXIETY - waking,on
VISION - DIM - cold - bathing amel.
STOOL - MUCOUS,slimy - tenacious
HEARING - IMPAIRED - catarrh of eustachian tube
GENERALITIES - DRY weather agg.
MIND - SENSITIVE, - noise,to - slightest
CHILL - AIR - in the open - amel
STOOL - MUCOUS,slimy - yellow
GENERALITIES - BATHING - the affected part amel.
STOOL - MUCOUS,slimy - jelly-like
EAR - CATARRH. - eustachian tube
GENERALITIES - COLD - dry weather agg.
PERSPIRATION - SINGLE parts - upper part of body
CHILL - DRINKING - agg
GENERALITIES - BATHING - dread of - amel.
CHILL - EATING - after

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