Gnaphalium Polycephalum

Gnaphalium polycephalum, Michx.

Natural order , Compositae. Common names , Everlasting; (G.) Ruhrkraut; (Fr.) le Cotonnière.

Preparation , Trituration of dried leaves and flowers of G. polyceph.; tincture of whole plant of G. uliginosum, Linn.

Authorities. 1 , Dr. William Banks, provings, N. Am. J. of Hom., 7, 383, 1st and 2d dec. trit. of leaves and flowers; 2 , W.

J. A. Fuller, took 3d dec. trit. first, second, third, and fifth days; 3 , Dr. Woodbury's provings, Trans.

Mass. Hom. Soc., 2, 15, took 15 drops of tinct. of Gnaphal. uliginosum , first day; 25 drops, fourth day; 50 drops, seventh day; 4 , ibid., after last proving, took 1/2 ounce of Gnaphal. polyceph .; 5 , Mrs. S., gave 15 drops to each of three children (aged 4, 6, and 8) on going to bed, ibid.; 6 , Mrs.

S., took 10 drops, then 15 and 25 drops of tinct. of G. uliginosum .

Very irritable, for two or three days, after the diarrhoea (all three cases), [5] .

Giddiness, especially felt immediately after rising from a recumbent position, [1] . From 3 to 4 P.M., a slight headache, and muddiness of feeling, about my head, which I endeavored to dissipate by smoking, at 8 P.M., failed of success, and had a "night-sweat" and headache, which was somewhat relieved by bathing the head with bay rum (sixth day), [2] . When I first awoke, felt a fulness about the temples, like the incipient threatenings of a nervous headache (which is periodic with me, usually occurring after excessive smoking, or severe mental effort or anxiety); removed by a thorough washing of the head with cold water (second morning), [2] . Pain in the back of the head, of dull, continuous character, [1] .

Eye.

Slight pains about right eye, after rising (fifth morning), [2] .

Shooting pain in the eyeballs, occasionally felt, [1] .

Dull, heavy expression of countenance, with appearance of slight bloatedness, [1] . Neuralgic pains of an intermittent form of superior maxillary of both sides, [1] .

Mouth dry, on rising, at 7 A.M. (third morning), [2] .

Flat, sweetish, sickening taste in mouth, [1] .

Taste in the mouth like that after chewing slippery-elm bark, after the powder (second day), [2] .

A sort of gurgitation in my throat, half sour, half bitter, not an unusual thing with me, at 5 P.M., it soon passed away (second day), [2] .

Diminished appetite, [1] . Indifferent, almost to aversion, to food, for two or three days, after the diarrhoea (all three cases), [5] . [20.]

Borborygmus, with frequent emission of flatus, [1] . Unusual rumbling (borborygmus) in the bowels, with slight griping pains during the day; in the evening, a diarrhoeic stool, with uneasiness in the bowels until falling asleep (first day), [3] .

Slight pain and flatulence in my bowels, at 7 A.M. (third morning), [2] .

Colicky pains in various parts of the abdomen; abdomen sensitive to pressure, particularly in the region of the caecum, [1] . Sensation of weight in the pelvis, [1] .

Diarrhoea. [30.] Some looseness of bowels, with passage of pale-colored faeces, [1] . Three loose and watery discharges, with great pain and nausea, before morning (first night); profuse diarrhoea, attended with great pain in the abdomen all day (second day); discharges more natural, less pain (third day), [4] .

The two older children had diarrhoeic discharges in the morning, and several times during the day following, attended with irascibility of temper, and pain in the bowels, [5] .

Diarrhoeic stool, very copious and watery; before morning (seventh night), and two more before noon (eighth day); nausea and pain in the abdomen all night (seventh night); urine scanty as before; dark-colored, liquid offensive stool at the usual hour in the morning; the pain in the bowels continued nearly all day (ninth day), [3] .

Diarrhoeic stool early in the morning, and a second before noon, with pain and rumbling in the abdomen, diminished urine, loss of appetite and taste (fifth day), [3] . Copious diarrhoeic discharge, preceded and attended with nausea, pain and rumbling in the bowels; the pain and borborygmus continued for two days, [6] .

Large quantity of pale, inodorous urine passed, which is remarkably free from sediment, [1] . Urine scanty and red as before (second day), [4] .

Had an erection, but not a violent one (seventh day), [2] . [These erections have never been accompanied by desire ; rather mechanical than passional.] [50.]

Occasional stinging in the glans penis, [1] .

Increased of sexual passion, [1] .

Pains in the chest, darting from side to side, [1] .

Numbness of lower part of back, with lumbago, [1] .

Frequent cramps in the calves, [1] .

Cramps of the feet, especially when in bed, [1] .

Gouty pains in the great toes, [1] .

General Symptoms.

Great weakness and prostration as the result of the diarrhoea, [4] .

Felt languid all the morning (sixth day), [2] .

Felt exhausted and uneasy at night, perhaps from over mental and physical effort during the day (fourth night), [2] .

Waked up in the night by the sickness of my child; awoke again in the morning, tired and unrefreshed (sixth morning), [2] .

"Night-sweat" (sixth night), [2] .

( Morning ), Furred tongue; bad taste; bellyache; erections. ( Night ), Sweat.

( In bed ), Cramps of feet.

( Washing parts with cold water ), Fulness about temples; furry feeling in mouth; bad taste. ( Bathing head with bay rum ), Headache.