Castor Equorum

The Rudimentary Thumbnail of the Horse.

A small, flat, oblong-oval horn, wrinkled on the surface, breaking off in scales, darker than the hoof, growing on the inner side of the leg above the fetlock of horses, styled by Oken "the rudimentary thumbnail of the horse," and by Paracelsus Verruc.se equorum genuum.

The scales are triturated and during the process develop a peculiar odor, thought by some to resemble Moschus, by others Castoreum, The report of a cure of epilepsy of long standing with this substance, and his high opinion of the importance of animal medicines, induced Dr. Hering, in 1836, to make the trituration and proving, in which he was assisted by Geist, Kummer, Eomig and Bauer of the Allentown Academy.

The clinical experience of Hering, Geist, Eomig, Helfrich and others, has proved it a highly useful remedy in cracked and ulcerated nipples, of the worst kind, in nursing women. The symptom indicating its use in this particular was observed on one of the male provers.

Pliny, Paracelsus and Koschnitz speak of its use, by fumigation, in uterine troubles, epilepsy and stone in the bladder. This remedy needs further proving, particularly on women,

^ Mind. Unusual laughter about things that are not funny. ^ Sensorium. ' l Vertigo, headache and nausea in morning. ^ Inner Head. Pressure in forehead. Headache in 1. temple.

CASTOR EQUORUM. 392

Pressing pain in both temples from in outwards, as though

the head was being screwed apart. Pressure from in outwards, especially in temples near ears,

more on 1. side. Pressive pain in temples disappears after awaking from sleep. Deep pressure in occiput as though something firm was press- ing against it; in forenoon. D Headache with vertigo and nausea, sour stomach and lack of appetite. ^ Outer Head. Sensation as though occiput had gone to sleep. Scalp goes to sleep from nape of neck to vertex ; accompanied

by sensation as though posterior half of head lay in ice. Crawling in hair as though aomething was running in it. ^ Sight and Eyes. Frequent twitching in r. eyelid.

Itching in canthi. ^ Hearing and Ears. Disagreeable sensation of dryness in 1. ear, compelling him to scratch; also slightly in r. ear. Twitching pain internally in 1. ear.

Small painless pustules behind 1. ear covering an area the size of a silver dollar. ^ Smell and Nose. ■ Continued fluent coryza, with constant sen- sation of hunger, even after eating. Passive pain in nasal bones. ^ Upper Face. Transitory, burning, prickling pain in face and

also on body, now here, now there. ^ Lower Face. Prickling and heat on both cheeks. Dry lips with thirst in evening. ;rCaused a number of warts about the mouth of a horse, which

were cured by Thuja. Sensation like trismus. ^^ Tongue. Burning pain on front part of tongue. ^ ^^ Inner Mouth. Slight painful sensation in molar teeth, r. side. Shooting inwards in cavities of hollow teeth, 1. side. Pain in hollow teeth of 1. side, compelling him to pick them. Great accumulation of saliva, especially immediately after

eating. Soon after pains in teeth, loud rumbling in abdomen; in forenoon. ^* Appetite. Desire. Great hunger, even after eating. ^Coryza.

Desire to smoke tobacco. ^® Belching. Repeated empty eructation.

" Abdomen. I l Colic with urging waked him in morning, followed by a very thin, watery, somewhat burning stool. Slight pain in 1. inguinal region. Prickling pains in 1. inguinal region. ^^ Stool. I I Urgent stool, preceded by colic and passage of offen- sive flatus. ^* Lactation. Il Cracked, sore nipples in nursing women; exces-

393 CASTOR EQUORUM.

sively tender, cannot bear touch of clothing; even in ne- glected cases where the nipple is nearly ulcerated oif and only hangs by small strings. Swelling of both mammary glands, especially r. ; they are

painful to touch, mostly left. Violent internal itching in breasts, in attacks driving to de- spair; rubbing and scratching >, but make the skin rough; the areola is reddened for some distance around the nipples, which are painful and drier than usual. Swollen mamrage are very painful on descending stairs ; sensa- tion as though they would fall oif, he was compelled to press against them with his hands to ameliorate this disagreeable sensation. The areohe become red as in erysipelas, and also the nipples ; very painful on left breast, ^^ Larynx.

Disagreeable sick feeling in larynx; when triturating. ^- Inner Chest. I Stitching pain in chest.

^^ Heart. Peculiar sensation about heart as of something alive struggling; with anxiety, walking about, and fermentation in epigastrium and abdomen; in forenoon. ^^ Outer Chest. Burning pain on chest. ^^ Neck and Back. I Weakness of spine.

I Pain in coccyx, < every evening while sitting. ^^ Upper Limbs. Pain in middle of 1. forearm, in evening.

Pain in 1. elbow and r. knee, followed by violent pain in r.

tibia, in evening. Right wrist-joint pains as though sprained, and on allowing arm to hang down, the pain radiates into ring and little fingers. Left wrist-joint becomes painful as though sprained, and at the

same time pain in little finger of r. hand. Twitching pain, often recurring over 1. wrist-joint. Drawing pain, from in outwards, in ball of 1. hand, extending

to finger-tips. Drawing pain in r. arm and axilla.

Pain in r. arm awakes from sleep, accompanied by whimper- ing ; arm feels as if asleep, thicker and heavier, > from rubbing ; he goes to sleep again, and in morning has for- gotten everything. Frequent erratic prickling pains passing from one arm to other

and also into face. Crumbling of finger-nails from slightest knock against them. ^^ Lower Limbs. Burning pain on side of 1. knee. Pain in knee, especially when sitting. I I Repeated pain in r. tibia.

Continuous pain in r. popliteal space, when knee is bent, especially on stooping, also on sitting down and most on rising after sitting.

CASTOR EQUORUM. 394

Tension in 1. calf.

Pains in r. tibia and in 1. forearm.

Many small blood-boils on both lower legs, in a psoric, very unsusceptible individual.

Dull pain in ankle and wrist-joint.

Pain in both heels.

Pain in 1. great toe, as though frosted.

Some toe-nails came oif; new ones had already formed beneath them.

Very brittle toe-nails.

Frequent single fine stitches in lower limbs, continuous burn- ing pain in right. ^* Limbs in General. Arms and legs sore as if beaten. ^^ Rest. Position. Motion. Sitting : pain in knee.

Stooping : pain in popliteal space. ^^ Nerves, i Syncope.

• Epilepsy. ^^ Sleep. Becomes sleepy early in evening.

Restless sleep, with many dreams, with going to sleep of r. arm.

Stretches his arms up. over his head and cracks his fingers dur- ing sleep.

At night dreams that his mother, who is living in Germany, is sick, without having thought of her the previous day.

In winter dreams of fresh fruit hanging on trees. ^^ Time. Morning : vertigo ; colic ; sleepy ; forgetful.

Forenoon: deep pressure in occiput.

Evening : pain in 1. forearm ; 1. elbow ; r. knee ; tibia pains ; becomes sleepy. ^ Locality and Direction. Left : temple, headache with press- ure outward ; ear, dryness ; ear, painless pustule ; hollow teeth, shooting; inguinal region, pain; forearm, pain; wrist, twitching ; hand, drawing ; knee, burning pain ; calf, tension ; great toe, pain.

Right: eyelids, twitching ; ear, dryness ; molars, pain ; mam- mary gland, swells; tibia, pain; hand, pain; axilla and arm, drawing pain ; popliteal space, pain ; arm, goes to sleep. ** Sensations. As though head was being screwed apart ; as though occiput had gone to. sleep ; as though posterior half of head lay in ice ; as though something was running in hair ; as if arm was asleep.

Peculiar sensation about heart, as of something alive.

Stitching pain : in chest.

Prickling pain : in face ; in chest ; from one arm to other ; in face.

Shooting : in cavities of hollow teeth.

Burning: in face; on tongue; pain 1. knee.

Pressing pain : in both temples.

395 CAULOPHYLLUM THALICTROIDES.

Pressure : from in outward. Drawing pain : 1. hand ; r. arm and axilla. Dull pain : in ankles and wrist-joint. Pain : in knee, when sitting ; in both heels ; I. great toe. Twitching : in 1. wrist. Crawling : in hair. Dryness : in 1. ear. *^ Stages of Life, Constitution. An infirm old horse became

rejuvenated. *^ Relations To be thought of in comparison with Hiiypomanes, Oxalate of lime, and Calc. phosph., and on account of a similarity of odor, with Moschus and Castoreum.

Hepar relieved sore nipples ; Thuja removed warts which Castor equor. produced on mouth of a horse.