Bryonia alba

CATARRH.

ACUTE NASAL CATARRH.

Bryonia may follow Aconite or Nux vom., if notwithstanding these remedies the nose remains dry and obstructed, and the headache over the root of the nose persists and is greatly aggravated on motion. The lips are parched and dry, and there is much thirst. If the first stage is passed and the fluent coryza has set in another class of remedies comes in, such as—

INFLUENZA

Bryonia alba stands about midway between Eupatorium and Gelsemium. Like them it is better when quiet and greatly aggravated on motion, the face turns pale on rising and he faints or is nauseated and stitching pain in various parts are prominent. It must come early into the case if there are the stitching pains in the pleura. All three remedies have aching pains, but Eupatorium is “bone pains.” Gelsemium muscular or myalgia. Bryonia intermixed with stitching pains. One or the other of these three remedies will in the majority of cases, according to my observation, control the case, or so modify it as to make the subsequent treatment easy.[*] But if they should not; such remedies as Causticum, Rhus tox., Arsenicum, Sulphur, etc., will be necessary to finish the case. Either one of the above described forms of catarrhal inflammation, may, on account of complications, or of our being called in too late to apply our treatment in time, run into laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. Then we will be obliged to treat them according to our art, as will be described when treating these affections. But without involving these organs to any great degree, we may have following as the result of recurring attacks of the acute form:

[*] Dr. Clarke, of London, finds Baptisia the nearest specific. This is very high authority and must not be ignored. It certainly has many symptoms in common with this disease. Another remedy which he mentioned is Phytolacca when the throat is inflamed and spotty like tonsillitis (follicular) and I have often verified his statement in such cases, and when we remember that the aching, soreness and fever of la grippe and tonsillitis it would be no very remarkable mistake to confound the two complaints in the beginning. The Natrum salycilic also spoken of by him I have never yet tried, but the Kali iod. and Psorinum are fine, for the weakness during convalescence, the Kali iod., especially according to indications as given under bronchitis.

BRONCHITIS.

ACUTE BRONCHITIS.

Bryonia. Still elevated temperature, great thirst, mouth dry and lips parched, short respiration, dry, hard cough, which hurts the head and chest, splitting headache, and all symptoms greatly aggravated on the least motion, wants to lie perfectly still. It is especially indicated if the trouble extends downward, threatening the lungs and pleura.

PNEUMONIA.

Bryonia is very often indicated after the remedies for the stage of engorgement have done all they can. It is especially in cases of pleuro-pneumonia that it is most useful. The fever still continues being only partially controlled by the former treatment, the breathing is short, expiration shorter than inspiration, the patient wants to lie perfectly still on the painful side, as the least motion aggravates all the symptoms; there is great thirst for large draughts of water, with corresponding dryness of mouth, and lips, which are dry and cracked, or parched (only exceptionally there is no thirst), the expectoration is generally tenacious and sometimes falls in round jelly-like lumps of a yellow or soft brick shade. It is the stage of the exudation, or the second stage of the inflammatory process, and if given in nick of time, in not too low a potency, say, 12th to 200th, will often finish the case, promoting absorption and all If it does not complete the case, but has well started it toward cure, no remedy follows it so well (generally) as Sulphur, which will often do the rest and prevent chronic conditions following. The pains of Bryonia are characteristically stitching pains, which, occurring as they do in serous membranes, show that the pleura is involved.

PLEURITIS.

In this disease, if it is ushered in by one, or repeated chills, and especially if it occurs after exposure to dry cold air, followed by high fever, great thirst, quick pulse, dry, hot skin, anxious restlessness, agonized tossing about, sticking pains in chest, dry hacking cough, Aconite is the remedy. If this remedy is given in the 12th or 30th once an hour to three hours, according to violence of the symptoms, it will often check the disease in from 24 to 48 hours. But if we are called in too late and the stage of effusion is begun or the Aconite does not remove all the trouble the next remedy is generally Bryonia when the sharp stitching pain continues, and the thirst and fever also; the pain and suffering is aggravated on the least motion, and the patient feels better lying on the painful side; the tongue is coated white. No remedy acts more positively on the serous membranes, and it may finish the case, even to promote the effusion, which Aconite could not do.

If the case seems to be progressing favorably this remedy may be used right along for days, or as long as improvement continues.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.

Bryonia. Jahr wrote in his Practice—“If the cough is quite dry I give to women Bryonia, and Nux vomica to men, according to circumstances.” Ah! that last “according to circumstances” is the saving clause. Then he adds—In their case other remedies may be required, such as Aconite, China, Ipecac., Hepar, Spongia, Drosera, according to the indications given in chapter XX, 2, 5-7. Turning to those chapters we find under Bronchitis, Laryngitis, Pneumonia, etc., a great number of remedies from which to make choice.

Jahr was a master and knew better than to rest his case on a few routine remedies. No more can we. Bryonia is one of the first remedies if as the exciting cause of an incipient tuberculosis in a patient predisposed thereto a Pneumonia, especially a pleuropneumonia, has been suffered. And it is on what are called pathological as well as symptomalogical indications that we may, or must, base our choice. The hepatized lung does not clear of the exudate, or the pleuritic effusion has been imperfectly absorbed, or not at all. Many forms of Phthisis commence in this way. If the proper remedial treatment is applied early we will not have these plastic exudates to deal with; but many times we are called too late to do so. So we must do the best we can at the later stages.

The cough remains and may be still dry and painful, causing the patient to hold the chest with the hands. It hurts the head to cough, and is always, or nearly so, worse on motion, or coming in out of cold air into a warm room, or after eating, causing retching and vomiting. Stitching pains in chest are more pronounced during the acute pneumonia or pleuritis, but may still continue in a greater or less degree. The appetite is poor, but there is often much thirst for large quantities at long intervals, and the lips are dry and parched and sometimes cracked. This shows a lingering internal fever. Other symptoms and a number of them may be present for this so well known remedy. A knowledge of the pathogenesis of the drug will disclose them. The aggravations are < on motion; exertion; A. M.; hot weather; rising up from lying (gets faint); going from cold into warm room. Ameliorated by lying on the painful side; pressure; rest; perfect quiet; cold and eating cold things.

COUGH.

Character—Predominantly dry, but in pneumonia sputa tough and hard to separate, falling in a jelly-like lump, light in color, or of a soft brick shade.

Aggravated by—< motion; eating or drinking; coming from cold air into warm room; on breathing deeply.

Ameliorated by—> perfect quiet; pressing hand upon chest; lying on painful side.

Concomitants—Stitches in chest; pain in head as if it would burst; pain and soreness in chest, must support it with hand when coughing. Constant disposition to expand the chest or sigh deeply. Short breath < on motion; pleuritic stitches < on motion and inspiration; effusions into the pleural cavity; stitching pains in region of heart; generally < on motion.

In acute inflammations of the respiratory organs Bryonia is not so often indicated in the first or congestive stage as Aconite, Belladonna or Ferrum phos., but rather in the second stage when effusion, hepatization or the products of inflammation are appearing. Then it becomes the prime remedy if the symptoms characterizing the drug appear. In coughs which persist after the inflammatory stage is past, or in which this stage was not very pronounced, it is still one of our best remedies. Cough < by coming from cold air into warm room is characteristic (Nat. carb.), and the soreness of the chest also (Caust., Eupat. perf. and Nat. sul.). Stitches in chest finds a remedy not only in Bryonia, but in Kali carb. and Squills. The Kali carb. stitches occur any time and are not necessarily < on motion like those of Bryonia. In a general way the thirsty dry mouth and lips and dry, hard constipation, as well as < of all symptoms on motion are all corroboratory for Bryonia.