by E. B. Nash — Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics
Historical reference for practitioners and students.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.
Remarkable over-sensitiveness of the nerves; scratching linen or silk or even thinking of it is unbearable.
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Asarum europaeum 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.
“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.)…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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.)”
“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…”
“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…”
“General Characteristics.--For chilly persons who are always shrinking from the cold; for example, literary men who are addicted to a sedentary life, and are sick and chilly. After operations on the eye, for a darting pain which remains. Mucous stool. Sensation as though all the body, or a part of the body, were being…”
“(The spirituous tincture of the dry root of Asarum europaeum or the juice of the whole plant mixed with alcohol.) From vol. iii, 2nd edit., 1825. Even when the ordinary physicians have taken the trouble, which they but seldom did, to ascertain by their own experiments the powers of simple medicinal substances, we can…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Nervous irritability and exaltation. 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. Inflamed eyes, blear-eyedness. The eyes stare. The cold air is pleasant to the eyes; sunshine…”
“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…”
“Asarum may be of use in any form of rheumatism where its local conditions are accompanied with the peculiar nervous symptoms. The peculiar sensitiveness to the sound of scratching, or even to the thought of it, is always present, and the aggravation from dry cold air is marked. Stiff neck with thirst in early morning…”
Kent's Repertory lists Asarum europaeum 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).
