Triosteum perfoliatum

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

{Fever Root.)

Botanical Description. — Indigenous, with a perennial, thick and fleshy root, subdivided into numerous, horizontal branches. Stems, several from the same root, simple, stout, erect, hollow, soft, pubescent, from two to four feet high. Leaves opposite, oval, acuminate, mostly crenate, entire, abruptly contracted at the base, nearly smooth above, pubescent beneath, prominently veined, six inches long by three broad; in some plants the upper leaves are almost amplexicaul. Flowers, of a dull purple color, axillary, sessile, mostly in clusters of from three to five, in the form of whorls, rarely solitary. Fruit, an oval berry, about nine lines long, and six thick; of an orange-red or purple color, when ripe; hairy, somewhat three-sided, crowned with the persistent calyx; three-celled, each cell containing a hard, bony, furrowed seed.

The root is the officinal part. It is of a dirty, yellowish-brown color, externally; about a foot and a half long, and about nine lines m diameter; whitish internally; sends out fibres, has a nauseous smell and a disagreeable amarous taste. When dried, it is readily reduced to powder.

Its virtues are imparted to water, alcohol and ether. The T. angustifolium is a smaller species, and considered to have the same medicinal action.

Officinal Preparations. — Tincture of the root and berries ; dilutions. Analogues. — JEsculvs, Arnica, Bryonia, Chilidonium, Chamomilla, Arsenicum, Ipecac, Nux vomica.

Mental Sphere. Extreme nervous irritability; fear of death.

Head.

Headache, which is worse in the right side of the head. Pain in the occiput, with sensation of weight there; coldness

and stiffness of the feet. Head aches worse on sitting up. Boring pain in the left temple. ° Bilious headache, with vomiting.

Throat.

Soreness, as if from swelling of the pharynx, and pain in the

oesophagus on swallowing. ° Sore throat from influenza. {Matthews.)

Stomach.

Feeling of a load and oppression in the epigastrium. Pain in the epigastrium increased by drinking water and by turning in bed

• Nausea on rising, followed by copious vomiting and cramps

in the stomach.

Abdomen.

Copious evacuations of thin stools, without pain.

• Stools watery and frothy, without pain, followed by exhaustion. Evacuation from the bowels at 7 a. m.

Evacuations most frequent in the evening.

° Bilious colic, {lallmadge.)

0 Diarrhoea, with severe colic pains. {JWeidhard.)

Chest.

Audible beating of the heart, and slight pain under the left

breast.

° Asthmatic troubles. {Dr. Tallmadge.)

Back.

Pain in the neck and back.

Rheumatic pain in the back from stooping.

Pain and stiffness in the loins (left side).

Extremities. Stiffness of all the joints (upper and lower). Stiffness of the knees when attempting to rise. Drawing and shrinking sensation in the legs. Coldness and stiffness of the feet. ° Rheumatism of the extremities. {Matthews.)

Skin.

Vesicular eruption on the forehead, over left eye, middle of

the chest, and on the right arm. Violent itching eruption of the skin. c Urticaria, from gastric derangement.

Fever.

Fever, with hot skin and increased thirst. Aching pains in every part of the body. ° Typhoid and gastric fevers. {Dr. Tallmadge.) ° Violent attacks of bilious fever, with pain in the limbs, headache and vomiting. {Dr. Matthews.)

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This remedy, commonly called Fever -root, has not been used as much as it appears to deserve. It has been partially proven by Drs. Williamson, Neidhard, Tallmadge, and Gatchell. Many of its symptoms resemble Aconite and Mercurius. Dr. Tallmadge, an eminent homoeopathic physician of Brooklyn, New York, informs me that he finds it of great value in typhoid as well as gastric fevers. He says he was informed by Dr. Matthews, of Rochester, that the Triosteum had proved, in his practice, to be one of his most reliable remedies in gastric affections, with or without fever. It is one of the ingredients of a fever-powder largely used by the eclectics. I advise its use in bilious headache with gastric irritation, also “ sick headache.” It has cured bilious colic, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, and dysentery. It appears to be indicated in rheumatism and urticaria.