Eupatorium purpureum

Volume II — Main text

Eupatorium purpureum, gravel-root, queen of the meadow, trumpet-weed. I. Provings.-1 . a. Mrs. DRESSER, blonde, very susceptible to medicinal action, took tinct. for 10 d., a dose 3 times a d., increasing from 10 up to 60 dr. Results : -Persistent sensation as of falling towards 1. side; head feels light ; dull and stupid, great effort required in order to move about ; unusual wakefulness, with staring look in eyes, also lightness and dizziness as if flying round and round, with hard thumping pain on 1. occipital bone, and sensation as ifhead was moving in all directions ; dizzy, withdull deep aching in 1. temporal region; head feels as though she had a bad cold ; dull, heavy pain inhead,most in forehead, with sense as if vertex were pressed up; soreness, itching, tenderness of scalp, fine pricking sensation, rather pleasurable than otherwise. Copious lachrymation; cannot see as far as usual. Feeling as if ears were filled up ; reports in them, squeaking, crackling-much aggravated on swallowing anything. Much thin discharge from nose, with soreness. Rush of blood to face, which is burning, red, dry, hot to touch, and shining. Abundant saliva; gums red and hot; pricking and stinging in tongue,with numb feeling (as from aconite) . During entire proving, continued smarting and burning in throat, most severe at back, with yawning and sighing ; choking fulness, compelling frequent swallowing ;

roughness, dryness, fulness; fluttering in throat-pit. Continued eructations ; much wind in stomach ; sickness, nigh to vomiting ; fulness, mostly on 1. side; crampy pain. Fulness and pain in bowels ; rolling, tumbling, twisting pain; pain and soreness of whole abdomen, much worse 1. side; bowels hard as a rock ; tense cutting pain 2 in. above 1. ovary. Heavy pressure all d. upon rectum; feeling as if bowels must be moved continually, without power to effect action ; pain and suffering as from diarrhea, though passages were not much altered. b. In h. afterm. dose (6 a.m.) experienced sharp, quick, jerking motion in region of 1. ovary, also immediately above it; and there was deep dull pain in 1. kidney. In 1 h. experienced desire to void urine, which lasted all d., in spite of frequent micturition; she passed twice as much urine as usual during d. All d. heavy, dull pressure just above l. ovary. P.m., took 40 dr.; severe colickypain over whole abdomen after urinating ; cutting, as well as dull deep pain, in kidneys. Had to micturate still more frequently; with desire to do so, cutting aching pain in bladder ; deep dull paininossa innominata; sense of fulness ofbladder. At 5 p.m., scalding, smarting, and burning on passing water ; unnatural desire to strain urine on ; stream does not appear as large as natural ; external generative organs feel as though wet (illusory) ; most severe cutting pain in urethra, coming and going in 5 or 10 m., lasting many h .; dull, heavy pain in urethra, and dull aching in bladder. These symptoms of urethra began to be experienced on 3rd d. of proving, and after that were continuous ; smarting and burning so intense that she could not stand; therewith weak, tired, wearied, faint feeling, which was almost insupportable. c. Abundant leucorrhea throughout proving, but leaving no stain on linen. Fluttering of heart and throat; immediately after each dose violent palpitation; pulse 80-100, full and bounding; strong desire to inflate lungs. Mind affected with several delusions ; depression and sighing. Neuralgia-like pains from below upwards, mostly up 1. side of back and hip ; sore pain directlywithin spine,along whole length, from below upwards ; dull aching in sacrum, running upward into kidneys ; lame, weak feeling in neck; stiff, wry neck; cutting pain in neck, from 1. shoulder to occiput. Tired, weak, uneasy feeling in limbs, with gnawing, disagreeable pain ; feet feel as though she had over-walked, heels as if they were crowding through boots; rheumatic pain changing from place to place, always from below upward ; gnawing in hip-bone; 1.leg feels weaker than r.,but in latter there is a severe numbness, worst at groin . d. Same another time took large single doses to observe effects on urinary organs. Jan. 1st, at noon, took 60 dr. of tinct. In h., 14 oz. of urine passed; sp. gr. 1015 . At I p.m. 10 oz. , of more aromatic smell. At 2.50 passed 10 oz., of pale colour, sp. gr. as before. At this examination first noticed a white, flaky, flocculent substance, which, when collected on a filter, proved to be mucus. At 4 p.m. passed 12 oz., at 6 p.m. 7 oz.; at 6.45 p.m. 5 oz. Up to this time about oz. of mucus had been passed to the 58 oz. of urine. Urgency increased as day went on. 2nd. At 9 a.m. took 60 dr. Desire to-day to void urine was almost unintermitting, but quantity small-not more than 1 or 2 oz. at a time, but this once an hour or oftener. Urine oflighter colour, and of sp. gr. averaging 1026 ; it contained more mucus, but its chemical constitutionwas unchanged. 3rd.-Took 60 dr. more, with similar results ; urine neutral, of sp. gr. averaging 10280. "During the 3 d. the frequent and tormenting desire to pass urine, with occasional spasmodic action of the bladder, could not long be borne." (HALE, New Remedies, 2nd ed.)