Verbascum thapsus

by Adolph von Lippe — Text Book of Materia Medica · 1866

Historical reference for practitioners and students. The statements below reflect the named author’s homeopathic teaching and do not establish treatment effectiveness. This text is not medical advice and must not replace appropriate diagnosis or care.

Mind and Disposition

Unusual hilarity, with continuous flow of ideas.

Head

Vertigo, when leaning the left cheek on the hand.

Pressing, stupefying headache when entering a warm room from the cold air, and vice versa.

Deep, stupefying stitches in the brain.

Eyes

Pain in the eyes, with the sensation as if the orbits were drawn together, with heat in the eyes.

Ears

Hardness of hearing, as from an obstruction of the ear.

Sensation as if the ear (nose and larynx) were stopped up when reading aloud.

Face

Violent pressure in the (left) malar bone, and zygoma.

Faceache; dull pressure and stupefying tension in the whole cheek, beginning in the malar bone and articulation of the jaw, especially caused and aggravated by a change of temperature.

Mouth and Throat

Tongue coated yellow in the morning.

Stomach and Abdomen

Pressing pain on the navel, aggravated by bending forward.

Constriction in the lower abdomen and navel.

Stinging pain in the abdomen.

Stool and Anus

Stool retarded; by very hard pressing he passes stool like sheep dung, in small, hard balls.

Urinary Organs

Frequent micturition, with profuse secretion.

Respiratory Organs

Hoarseness from reading aloud.

Deep voice.

Stupefying, periodical stitches in the chest.

Tension over the chest, with stitches in the region of the heart; in the evening after lying down.

Frequent attacks of a deep, hollow, hoarse cough, with the sound like a trumpet, caused by a tickling in the larynx and chest.

Generalities

Stinging pains in the limbs.

Tearing, stinging pain in various parts, going downwards.

Benumbing sensation with most all the pain.

Sleep

Great sleepiness after eating.

Awakens early in the morning, (4 A.M.).

Fever

External and internal sensation of coldness over the whole body.

Coldness and chill predominate.

Shuddering on one side of the body, as if cold water were poured over him.

Conditions

The ailments are caused and aggravated by change of temperature, especially when entering the room from the open air, and vice versa.

Aggravation, while sitting.

Amelioration, after rising from a seat.

Verbascum thapsus across the other classic books

Verbascum thapsus appears in 14 of the 27 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 — A compiled symptom record drawing on proving reports and other named observations.
“Verbascum thapsus, Linn. Natural order , Scrophulariaceæ. Common names , Mullein; (G.), Königs-kerze; (F.), Molène. Preparation , Tincture of the fresh herb at commencement of flowering. Authorities. (Nos. 1 to 5 , from Hahnemann, R. A. M. L., 5) Excited fantasies, especially of a sensual nature, for several days, 1…”
Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Mullein (VERBASCUM) Has a pronounced action on the inferior maxillary branch of the fifth pair of the cranial nerves; on the ear; and respiratory tract and bladder. Catarrhs , and colds, with periodical prosopalgia . Quiets nervous, and bronchial, and urinary irritation, and cough. Neuralgia affecting zygoma, temporo…”
Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“COMPRESSION, squeezing, pinching, as of a vise, cap, etc. (Comp. Cramp.) LYING, Agg. NERVE PAIN SITTING, AGG. 9 A.M. 12 Noon”
Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“Nerves (facial): Orbits. Ears. Zygomæ. Respiratory tract. Bladder. Left side. Drafts. Change of temperature. With every cold. 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. Twice a day, at same hour. Talking. Deep inspiration (Osm.). Spasmodic catarrhal or neuralgic effects. Earache. Coryza; with tears (Euphr.). Cramping, squeezing, crushing…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“thapsus. Great Mullein. N. O. Scrophulariaceæ. Tincture of fresh plant at the commencement of flowering. ["Mullein Oil" is prepared by placing the crushed yellow blossoms in a bottle, which is corked and allowed to stand in the sun (Cushing); or by steeping the blossoms in oil and keeping in a warm place till the oil…”
Farrington — The differential diagnosis — remedy families narrowed through direct clinical comparison.
“Verbascum is to be thought of as a remedy for catarrhs or colds when they are associated with neuralgia of the face which appears quite periodically, generally twice a day, the same hour in the morning and afternoon of each day. There is considerable coryza and lachrymation. Verbascum has a peculiar cough, which is…”
Guernsey — The leading characteristics — a compact bridge from repertory result to remedy study.
“Hæmorrhoids; affections of the inner navel region; obstruction from induration of stool. Darting pains in inner parts; want of perspiration. Worse.--When sitting; from change of temperature. Better.--On rising from a sitting posture. Remedies following:--Pulsat., Bellad.; China., Lycop., Sepia, Stramon., Rhus tox…”
Hahnemann (MMP) — The proving record — numbered observations closest to Hahnemann's primary materia medica.
“(Mullein) (The freshly expressed juice of the Verbascum thapsus at the commencement of flowering mixed with equal parts of alcohol.) From vol. vi, 2nd edit., 1827. Who would believe that the medical school, as it has hitherto existed, in place of earnestly endeavoring to ascertain experimentally what genuine, peculiar…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Mullein. Scrophulariaceæ. A native of Europe, naturalized in North America. Inhabits fields and waste places ; the tall stems and leaves are woolly, flowers yellow on a cylindrical spike. The alcoholic tincture is prepared from the fresh plant, chopped and pounded to a pulp. Proved by Hahnemann, Gross, Hartmann…”
Hughes & Dake — The source evidence — provings and poisonings retained with their experimental context.
“VERBASCUM. Frrhascum tAapstu, L. Great mullein, long taper. Nat. Ord., Strvphtdanatu. 1. Pravings. — i. Hahvemann, Afar, .l/iri. /«rtf, vol. vi of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 32 symptoms from self and 141 from 4 others. 2. The tinct. of V. nigrum and V. blattaria, in doses of from 35$ to gij, caused…”
Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Stinging pains in the limbs and neuralgic pain in the left ankle. The pains are generally accompanied by a benumbing sensation. The symptoms are caused and aggravated by a change of temperature, especially when entering from the open air into the room and vice versa. Very violent diarrhoea with griping. A great deal…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: mullein. This is an ancient and popular remedy for deafness now used mostly locally in the form of an oil. Stinging pains in the limbs and neuralgic pain in the left ankle. The pains are generally accompanied by a benumbing sensation (Kalm.). The symptoms are caused and aggravated by a change of…”
Nash (Respiratory) — The respiratory picture — the cough, the breathing, and the expectoration that separate one remedy from another.
“Verbascum,—Deep, hollow, trumpet-toned cough.”

Verbascum thapsus in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Verbascum thapsus in 705 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in HEAD (118), GENERALITIES (99), EXTREMITIES (97), FACE (65), MIND (47).

FACE - PAIN - pressing - left
GENERALITIES - PAIN - pinching - bones
HEAD - PAIN, - pinching - Temples
GENERALITIES - CHANGE of - temperature,agg.
FACE - PAIN - pressing
HEAD - PAIN, - sore bruised,sensitive to pressure - Temples
FACE - PAIN - pressing - cheek bones
HEARING - IMPAIRED - leaf or membrane,like,before the ear
FACE - PAIN - left
FACE - PAIN - cheek
GENERALITIES - PAIN - pinching - externally
GENERALITIES - PAIN - benumbing
GENERALITIES - PAIN - pressing - muscles
GENERALITIES - PAIN - pinching - internally
GENERALITIES - SIDE,symptoms on one side
SKIN - DRY
GENERALITIES - TENSION - externally
GENERALITIES - SITTING - while,agg.
FACE - PAIN - aching,prosopalgia,etc.
STOOL - HARD

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