Crocus sativus

Volume II — Main text

CROCUS. Crocus sativus, L. Common saffron crocus. Nat. Ord. , Iridacea. I. Provings.- 1 . Symptoms elicited by provings on healthy persons, under superintendence of Drs. Stapf and Gross ; small quantities of tinct. being used, " none of the provers taking more than 12 gr. in all, some much less ." a. Giddy and staggering when rising from recumbent posture during n.; whirling in head and heat in whole body ; giddiness and great oppression of head ; giddy in head (immediately) ; tensive oppression , first in forehead then in whole head, as if intoxicated ( 10 m.) ; head dull in front, as in intoxication, and whirling (in a moderately warm room, not in open air)-1 h.; dull feeling in head, with painful oppression in occiput (2 h.) ; sensation in head as if intoxicated, with oppression of eyes as though she could not see out of them, and feeling of heat in face (7 m.) ; gloominess in head, dull pain in eyes and momentary vertigo ; frontal headache whole of 2nd and 3rd d. after taking drug ; headache after waking in m., pressure on vertex and heaviness of whole head, he is scarcely able to support it ; momentary drawing headache, r. side, from behind forward, like a painful vein, somewhat external, recurring at intervals ; pressive-drawing pain along narrow streak in centre of forehead ( h.) ; over l. frontal eminence from time to time a rapid broad thrust deep into brain, which makes him start (12 h.), leaving a momentary painful oppression, which is relieved by external pressure ; headache over eyes, with burning and pressure in same, which induces rubbing, and increases considerably, especially in candlelight, towards e.; pressure in forehead ; from 1. frontal eminence

to 1. side or nasal bones a painful crampy drawing ( th) ; on 1. frontal eminence a dull tension ; on same intermittent painful itching ; under same sudden acute pain, as if a blunt arrow were pushed into it, this is followed by several thrust-like attacks of same pain (1st d.) ; painful drawing in forehead, with nausea ; dull headache on 1. side ; dull pain in 1. side of head, spreading as a contractive pain into r. temple, ears, and throat, where it is especially painful during deglutition ; rhythmical pulsations in whole 1. half of head and face (2) h.) ; sudden clicking sensation on small spot over 1. parietal bone, as if a drop of water had fallen thereon from above ; drawing pressure in r. occiput ; acute tearing in head and r. eye, likewise in a 1. hollow tooth, with dimness of the eye and sensation as if a current of cold air were rushing through it ; sensation on moving head as if brain were loose and swayed to and fro. b. Dilated pupils ( h.) ; very dilated pupils (in a few m.) ; somewhat contracted pupils (after several h.) ; eyes becomedim, he can see nothing plain, and all things appear as in a mist (2) h.) ; after a few h. her eyes, usually clear and of acute vision, are misty, all things seem pale to her, as if a gauze were before them, this disappears for a moment on wiping eyes, but soon returns (at 8 p.m.); darkness before eyes, after which sensation as if bright stars danced before them (2 d.) ; the light is less bright, as if a gauze were between her and it ; when reading he imagines he has a gauze before his eyes,* which disappears on frequen winking, at same time pressure in eyeballs, becoming mere heaviness when eyes are closed, but returning on opening them again ; aching in eyeballs,as from looking through too strongglasses (without diminished sight)-1 h.; he is frequently obliged to wink, and to wipe his eyes, as if a pellicle of gum were drawn over them (4 h.) ; inclination to close eyes firmly from time to time ; tendency to ptosis, with dimsightedness ( h.) ; pain in r. eyeball in m., as of a stitch at one point ; sensation as if eyes became smaller ( h.) ; while reading, the white paper looks pale red ; sudden flashes before eyes, like electric sparks, in daytime (after several d.) ; after reading awhile, even in daytime, eyes ache and feel sore and burning, with some dimness, compelling frequent winking ; pressive pain in eyeballs, with profuse lachrymation, and after cessation of pain great dimsightedness (7 h.) ; he cannot read a word without a rush of tears from the dim eyes (8 h. ) ; sensation in eyes (only in warm room, not in open air) as if they would water all the time ; on closing eyelids water runs out of them ; feeling in eyes as from smoke ; sensation in both eyes as ifshe had wept much, they feel swollen and tense, though others see nothing wrong in them (for several d.) ; in another, same sensation with corresponding appearance ; burning in eyes ; burning-pinching under 1. lower lid (9 h.) ; very dry eyes ; itching in lids of r. eye, with sensation as ifdragged towards outer side, afterwards in both eyes (7 m.) ; creeping in l. eyebrow, with sudden twitching in lids, and transitory sensation as if something were lodged upon the eye which ought to be wiped off ( h.) ; twitching and itching of upper eyelid ; visible twitching of eyelids, with sensation as if she ought to wipe something off eyeball (1 h. ) ; creeping in eyebrows, he * Four other similar symptoms are recorded, possibly from separate provers ; in one case the eyes felt dry.-EDs.

must rub them (1 h.) ; sore feeling in lids, by candlelight, with inclination to close them frequently and to wipe the eyes ; burning in lids, worse when closing eyes; long-lasting dull pressive stitch in l. lower eyelid (4 h. ) ; when waking at n., she feels as if she could not open eyes, as if a weight were pressing on them, ifshe forces them open, she feels a tension and pressure, and only succeeds after repeated attempts . c. Glow in face, in m. on waking ; very hot in face and fore-part or head ; circumscribed burning red spots in face. d. Cramp-like drawing in concha and meatus of ear, like otalgia (20 h.) ; pain in and behind r. ear, like cramp (immediately) ; after lying down in bed, sound in 1. ear as of bells ringing at a distance, heard on stopping ear entirely, it continues till he goes to sleep, and only disappears on forcibly withdrawing thought from it (for several e.) . e. Dry lips, inclining to crack; smarting of lips ; painful feeling of stiffness in throat on movement ; scraping in throat-as after eating fat meat-before and after coughing ; sharp scraping sensation at back of throat, obliging hawking ; frequent hacking, occasioned by tickling in upper larynx during expiration ; feeling like heartburn along œsophagus (9 h.) ; sudden drawing in 1. side of throat externally and internally, extending into ear ( h.) ; sensation during empty deglutition as if a hook were lodged in throat which could not be got away, compelling hawking ; sensation in throat after eating, as if a plug had been pressed in, more during empty deglutition than on swallowing food, it continued till next d., uvula seems somewhat elongated, with feeling of pressure independently of deglutition; feeling as ifuvula were elongated,both between and during deglutitions ; dryness and scraping in mouth ; dryness in mouth and violent burning of one side of tip of tongue, as if vesicles would form upon it, very painful when talking or putting out tongue (on dorsal surface only) ; whitecoated but rather dry tongue, becoming clean after breakfast ; whitecoated, very humid tongue, papillæ erect ; a good deal of water in mouth, with slight smarting on tip of tongue, as ifsalt had been strewed there, with salt-sweet taste ; unusual warmth in mouth ; sweet taste at back of throat ; repulsive, sour-sweet taste in m. after rising, going off after washing mouth ; bitter taste at back of throat. f. Eructations ; tasteless eructations ; frequent emptyrisings before breakfast ; empty feeling in abdomen, with complete want of appetite ; qualmish, disposed to vomit ; qualmish and uncomfortable feeling from scrob. cordis into abdomen, where is a slight feeling of movement as if pinching would come on ; great qualmishness and feeling of weakness in præcordial region, abating in open air ; feeling of nausea in chest and throat, as though she would vomit immediately ; transient pain in scrob. cordis ; contraction in pit ofstomach and below sternum ; rumbling and working in præcordial region ( h.) ; drawing in scrob. cordis, hither and thither, up and down ( h.) ; single violent stitches in scrob. cordis ; burning in stomach ; distension of stomach and abdomen ; fulness and pressure in abdomen, and at same time in chest, as if she had eaten too quickly and too much (but not after eating) ; a.m., on empty stomach, feeling of distension of abdomen ; she feels very full after eating very little, as ifshe had taken too much, with loss ofappe-

tite; slight grunting in epigastrium with uncomfortable feeling ; repeated bubbling in hypogastrium (2 h.) ; repeated grunting in abdomen, m. in bed ; pinching on a small spot on 1. abdomen, on a line with umbilicus ; drawing in præcordia, towards stomach, like colic ; sensitiveness of stomach, as after catching cold there ; after a wonted drink offresh water, pinching jerks in abdomen ; painless squeezing pressure as of a broad hard body in r. upper abdominal cavity at each inspiration ; flying pain as from pressure on a sore place, now in 1. now in r. abdomen ; colic, as from a chill; drawing colic as if menses would appear ( 1st d.) ; Aying, titillating sensation darts through abdomen ; stitches at times on one side of abdomen, arresting breathing ; painless shock in abdomen, as if something living were bounding about on both sides of abdomen, with nausea and chilliness (9 h.) ; occasional sensation, as of something living bounding about, in scrob. cordis, abdomen, arms, and other parts of body ; in n. while wide awake she feels in 1. abdomen repeated shocks, such as in a pregnancy, now over for some months, she had felt from the movements of the child (after several d. ) ; similar sensation in hypogastrium ; several dull shocks below r. short ribs near scrob. cordis, and immediately after pain at that spot during inspiration (2 h.) . g. Movement through whole abdomen, with pinching sensation, and occasional slight inclination to stool; dull, long, sensitive stitch near anus (1. side) from time to time, long lasting; creeping in anus as from ascarides ; itching in anus, Ist e., compelling scratching ; intolerable writhing in anus ; sensitive, dull stitches on r. side above anus ; slow dull stitch from time to time from anus through sacral region into 1. groin, terminating in a simple pain, increasing during an inspiration, and afterwards going offgradually ; stool earlier than usual, but somewhat difficult ; some blood passed with stools . h. Excitement of sexual desire ; pressure in groin, as before catamenia ; feeling ofweight in inguinal region ; intermittent sharp shooting from genital organs into r. halfofepigastrium, as if a knife were carried up in that direction with rapid pushes, penetrating gradually farther, and becoming more and more cutting ; sensation as if menses would make their appearance, with colic and urging towards pudenda (in a few h.). i. Dry coryza several h. after taking drug, 1. nostril quite stopped up; dry coryza with cold hands and feet, and heat of face, especially after a meal (for 3 d.) ; violent sneezing shortly after taking drug ; epistaxis of tenacious, thick, black blood, with cold sweat on forehead, in large drops ; her breath, which is generally sweet, has an offensively sickly smell ; much clearing of throat, owing to formation of a quantity of mucus, which makes voice thick and scrapy ; much cough ; very violent paroxysm of tearing dry cough, relieved by pressing with hand on pit ofstomach ; paroxysms ofdry cough, as ifoccasioned by a persistent and violent irritation in trachea ; a sort of constriction, making it difficult to accomplish a full yawning, he succeeds in it only after several ineffectual attempts (10 m.) ; weight on chest, he must frequently breathe deeply ; shooting in trachea, mostly at back (4 h.) ; warm sensation ascending towards heart, with anxiety, and some dyspnea, pre

venting deep breathing though there is a disposition to it, she feels more comfortable after yawning, which is frequent ; tightness of chest ; dyspnea ; sensation in throat, on inspiration, as if irritated by sulphurous vapour ; stitch below heart, worse on inspiration (2) h.) ; stitching in both sides of chest, externally, later spreading more to front ofchest, and changing to burning, uninfluenced by breathing or movement (1 h. ) ; in lower part of chest and pit of stomach suddenly an aching pain with slight nausea ( h.) ; within l. chest a peculiar jerking pain as ifdrawing by a thread towards back, in paroxysms ; akind of bounding, as ofsomething living, below ribs of r. side ; soreness in whole chest ; short stitches in r. chest ; paroxysmal shocks in 1. chest, as if breath were arrested ; dull stitches in l. chest ; a few painful shocks on a small spot behind shoulder. j. Cracking in shoulder-joint during sudden motion with acute pain as if arm were dislocated ; twitching of muscles on top of shoulder, sensible and visible, in m. in bed ; occasional sensation in shoulder-joints as if arm would become dislocated, as if bone were too loosely fixed (in two provers) ; dull pain with paralytic feeling in l. arm ; when moving upper arm outwards, tensive feeling in shoulder-joint and cracking of same ; pain in r. forearm extending obliquely to thumb ; a kind of intermittent drawing, every intermission marked by transient digging, on small spot on forearm, worse when it rests on anything, in which case a stupefying warmth spreads over hand ; slight pain on small spot of 1. forearm, not far from elbow, which is tossed up spasmodically and involuntarily, causing him to start (9 m.) ; arms, especially forearms, are very heavy and as if bruised ; arms feel bruised immediately upon moving them slightly ; dull pain in r. hand ; one hand, arm and foot go to sleep ; both arms go to sleep ; both arms and hands go to sleep, with a sort of immobility (11 h. ), recurring several times during d., and lasting h. each time ; arms and hands go to sleep at n. while she is asleep, and the tingling pain awakes her (8 h.) ; after walking in somewhat rough air and now entering warm room, he suddenly feels an uneasy, burning, tingling feeling in tips of fingers, as if they had gone to sleep, with a strained sensation as if they were wrapped round tight, and the blood was unable to circulate freely (23h. ); violent stitches in 1. index finger (immediately) ; formication in same ; considerable feeling of coldness in 1. half of back, suddenly, as if cold water were poured over it, lasting a long time ; tearing pains in sacrum, worse during inspiration (1 h.) ; sudden concussive sensation in buttocks while sitting, as from violent fall on them ; violent crack, like a report, in r. hip-joint, when stretching thigh forward ; feeling ofweakness in thighs, extending down to knees, especially when sitting (1 h.) ; pain inposterior surface of thighs, during long-continued sitting ; great weariness in legs, with painful buzzing in legs from above downwards, felt less during, but much more after, motion, somewhat abated by rest ; tearing over knees down to malleoli, at n., thereafter continual pain and drawing here and there in parts, obliging her constantly to alter position of feet ; knees bend double even in standing ; painful tension in knees while sitting down, on rising again pain in joints as if they were dry from lack of synovia, and would crack and scrape on motion ; inter

mittent painful drawing in the bent knee ; audible noise in knee-joint immediately on stooping, with a not altogether painless feeling ; weariness in knees as if they would give way ; legs feel bruised ; he finds it difficult to stand and walk, and on sitting there is weak feeling in legs ; painful weariness in legs, also while sitting feeling of weight as after long pedestrian exertion ; burning and tingling in feet, especially soles, as after walking in tight shoes ; smarting in calf and soon after tearing in same ; bruised feeling in calves, as if he would stumble over his own legs ; legs feel extremely weak and weary ; after some walking paralytic feeling in legs, especially knees and ankles, so that further walking and even standing are difficult ; transient, more or less rapidly intermitting, dull but very sensitive pain at small spot above malleolus, apparently in periosteum (8 h.) ; pain of soles, as if he had walked for hours, he must shift feet from place to place ; soles ache from standing ; smarting in 1. sole (while sitting) ; tensive drawing in l. ankle ; single small stitches in ball of 1. great toe. k. He is waked in n. by desire to urinate and a bruised pain and feeling of numbness inl. humerus, on which he had been lying, body below waist covered with sweat, on rising he feels giddy and reeling, cool air seems blowing on perspiring parts and cool sweat trickling down legs ; itching on several parts of body ; extreme lassitude, with sensation as if general sweat would break out, he is scarcely able to stand, would like to sit or lie down all the time, though even then he feels prostrate (4 h.) ; lassitude even to collapse, with feeling as ifsweat would break out over whole body, and quickened pulse ; feels relaxed, lazy, sleepy ; in m. excessive weariness, yawning, prostration, better in open air, worse indoors ; feels weak all over, including hands and feet ; sense of weakness and great laziness in whole body, even approaching to faintness ; debility in single limbs, even slight movements cause bruised feeling, especially in hip-joints . 1. Drowsiness (immediately) ; immediately after dinner great desire to sleep, with thrills of chilliness ; after a simple and moderate supper he feels extremely collapsed, prostrate and weak, as if he had undergone the most violent bodily exertion, with great drowsiness and heaviness of eyelids (sense also as if they were swollen), this lassitude is relieved by literary labour ; with great drowsiness weak, glassy eyes ; he sings in his sleep ; unusual drowsiness, he would like to sleep continually, with great yawning in daytime ; restless sleep, frequent waking, he tosses about but falls asleep immediately, and dreams vividly ; he wakes uncommonly early and imagines it is very late ; he wakes earlier and remains awake longer than usual ; a number of confused, even terrifying, dreams about what he had said and done during d., about fires, &c. ; she wants in sleep to reach a distant place, but cannot get there in spite of all her efforts ; in dreaming he is in a cheerful merry mood ; violent yawning, several times in succession. m. Anxious trembling through whole body ; lack of desire to do anything ; she feels least comfortable in m.; she feels better in open air than in room, her symptoms seeming almost entirely to disappear in open air ; tingling now here now there all over body, often in rapid succession, going off by scratching ; cracking of joints on movement,

not without some pain ; an old indurated bruise on finger immediately forms matter, and becomes painful and sore. n. Cold thrill along back, over shoulders and down arms, with goose-skin and frequent yawning (5 m.) ; he feels chilly ( h.) ; feeling of coldness in back (2) h.); at 9 p.m., 4 h. after taking drug, he feels chilly, as if (which he was not) in a room without a fire, which feeling gradually increases to a shaking chill all over body, with pale face and icy-cold hands ; at 7 p.m., 8 h. after taking drug, sneezing, and then immediately rigor from back down to feet, scarcely in anterior part of body and face was warm, no subsequent heat ; all p.m. chilliness with some thirst ; yawning and chilliness after supper, with burning of eyelids and thirst for cold drinks, without drinking much ; he is seized with great heat, so that he feels tingling in skin ; distended veins with feeling of heat but only moderately increased temperature of skin ; scarlet-redness of whole body ; ebullition of blood, as if there were movement in whole body, without any perceptible heat ; he had violent heat over whole body, but especially about head, with redness of face and violent thirst, without much dryness, for some h. (towards e. of 2nd d.) ; a quickly passing suffusion of warmth ( h.) ; heat in face without any great redness ; uncommon feeling of heat and prickling in skin, as if sweat would break out, skin being itself rather cool than hot ; excessive desire for cool drinks p.m.; palpitation, anxiety about heart, whence a weak feeling passes down through whole body, as if it would collapse, and so down to feet (2nd d.) . 0. Uncommon mirth and cheerfulness ; alternation each e. of spasms with extremely variable temper ; duringgreat debility with dilatation of pupils, strong inclination to jest and laugh (4) h.) ; very cheerful mood, is witty, joking, loquacious ; inclination to sing ; even when out of humour, quick humming ofalively tune ; ifsomeone happens to sound a note she begins to sing involuntarily and then laughs at herself, soon, however, singing again in spite of determination not to do so ; there suddenly comes before her fancy a concert at which she was present a longwhile ago, as vividly as if it were going on before her, so that she candistinguish the separate instruments ; immoderate laughter as if he would die ; disagreeable mood, vehement, out of humour, quarrelsome, an h. after loquacious, merry, laughing, and singing ; frequent alternation of cheerful and sad humour ; disagreeable feeling as if he were longing for something without knowing what, with a sort of anxiety, which, however, leaves him very cheerful ; is sometimes very angry with people, and next moment would like to embrace them ; a slight thing which would make her laugh at another time now excites her almost to rage, so that she is near losing consciousness, afterwards she is astonished at her passion (4th d.) ; reproaches make her very angry, she wants to justify herself, but the words vanish on her lips,-vexed at her silence she tries to speak again and again becomes dumb, continuing wavering in this fashion, and not succeeding in uttering a single word in her defence though she tries very hard ; the manners of a relative whom she loves excite her anger, she is on the point of breaking out when she feels calm again, next moment this calmness seems to her weakness, at which she is vexed, and she is more angry than ever, and so on for

several h. (in a quite unwonted way) (2nd d.) ; vacillating peevish mood,-a slight cause excites his anger, for which he is sorry the next moment, but it soon returns and he frets that his calmness hinders him from giving vent to his feelings, he exchanges a harsh word he was about to utter for a milder one and vice versa (after several d.) ; uneasy, anxious, sad mood ; melancholy sadness, hypochondriacal mood ; he takes everything in bad part and then repents of having hurt other people's feelings ; if he attempted to write anything down he was unable for want of ideas ; she feels for a few moments as if her thoughts would vanish ; great forgetfulness, she inquires about a thing and next moment forgets what she had been inquiring about; during an interesting lecture he became suddenly and peculiarly sad, so that in spite of every effort he was unable to fix his mind upon the subject ( 10 h. ) ; absence of mind and forgetfulness, even to non-recognition of friends ; his mind errs, and he is mistaken about the time and about objects, although these are near and distinctly visible. (STAPF'S Beiträge.) 2. THÖRER. [Mode of obtaining symptoms not specified.] Confused sensation in forehead; headache on r. side (3 h.) ; shooting headache with dry coryza ; violent headache for 3 d.,-quite unprecedented; violent burning of eyelids ; violent stinging itching of l. upper eyelid, compelling rubbing (1st e.); frequent darkness before her eyes (1st d.); excessive hunger, she must eat every m. (1st d., p.m.); drawing, first inepigastriumthen inuterine region ; the child suddenly complains ofcolic, and bends double (2nd d.) ; sacral pain, m. and n. in bed, on movement ; itching on r. side of scrotum (1st and and e.); hoarse voice with some cough (2nd m.) ; agitation of blood and palpitation ; bruised feeling in both shoulders; sudden violent tearing pain in r. elbow-joint, disappearing again immediately. (Ibid.) 3. WAHLE. [As 2.) Her senses readily vanish, and all becomes dark before her eyes; whizzing as of a strong wind inhead; humming and roaring in ears; metrorrhagia fromslightestmovement; veryfrequent palpitation ; great sense ofemptiness in stomach; frequent faintness; the leastthing putsher out ofhumour, so that she does not know what to do, with anxiety and trembling through whole body; indifferent to everything; joyless and sad, alternating with mirthfulness; the least thing that affects her drives her thoughts quite away. (Ibid.) 4. VEZOLD Observed " inflatio colli " in a girl of 18, who had swallowed 3j . Riverius states that it may cause even fatal hæmorrhage from the uterus, especially after delivery. Tralles relates that a woman from odour while putting it upin paper in a heated room became overcome and lay for a time as if apoplectic. Zacutus Lusitanus speaks ofhaving seen from it excessive gaiety, bordering on delirium, with pallor, headache, obscuration of vision. Boerhaave speaks of almost constant unbecoming laughter as an effect of it ; and Schultze says that children laugh as soon as they smell at a bottle which had contained it. (Ibid.)*