Nabalus serpentarius

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Lion's-foot.)

Botanical Description. — This is an indigenous perennial herb, with a somewhat glaucous stem, with rough dentate leaves, of which the radical are palmate, the cauline with long foot-stalks, sinuate-pinnatifid, disposed to be three-lobed, with the middle lobe three-parted, and the upper lanceolate. The racemes are terminal, somewhat panicled, short and nodding, with an eight-cleft calyx, and twelve florets. It is about two feet high, with purple flowers; it is common to the mountainous districts of Virginia, North Carolina, and other sections of the United States, and flowers in August. The root is thick and tuberous; the whole plant is used in medicine, the milky juice of which is probably the active agent; it is the Prenanthes serpens of Pursch.

[This plant is said by botanists to be a variety of the Nabulus albus, which is also known by the name of Lion's-foot, as well as White-lettuce, Battles nake-root, all of which are given to the Nabulus serpentaria; it is the Prenanthes albus of Linnaeus.]

Officinal Preparations. — Tincture of the whole plant; dilutions.

Analogues. — JEthusa, Dulcamara, Eryngium, Hepar sulph., Ipecac Pulsatilla, Sulphur.

Head.

Headache in frontal and vertebral region, with irritability in connection with persisting irritation of the throat, eyelids and skin.

Frontal pains, deep-seated, behind the right eyeball.

Sharp, neuralgic, occipital pains, with pain and feeling of stiffness in the neck, increased by turning the head; worse in the evening.

Eyes.

Weakness of sight; she cannot use her eyes to sew or read without pain.

Nose.

Right nostril sore, with catarrh.

Throat.

Sore throat, tickling and scraping only on the left side.

Stomach.

Acid, burning eructations in forenoon. No appetite; prefers acids and lemons.

Stool.

Constipation; three stools in twelve days, (p.) Stool hard and painful, followed by languor and prostration, (p.) ° Diarrhoea — profuse — in summer. 0 Dysentery, epidemic.

Urinary Organs.

Urine diminished, and no desire to urinate. Sharp pains in the right kidney.

Uterus.

Sharp, throbbing pains in uterus, with discharge of a white,

jelly-like matter from the vagina. Catamenia retarded nine days. 0 Uterine leucorrhoea.

Trunk.

Dorsal pains.

Dull pains in the joints, and numbness on awakening.

Fever.

Chilliness not removed by heat.

Skin.

Pimples on the face itch about the nose, upper lip and cheek. Prickling sensation over the body.

Mental.

Depression of spirits, not deep, but persisting Vague and sensitive presentiments. Sensation of tipsiness.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

This indigenous plant is a good deal used in domestic practice, in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. A fragmentary proving, of little value, is to be found in Vol. I. It may deserve further investigation, but I have never used it in my practice.