Gelsemium Sempervirens

Gelsemium.

Gelsemium sempervirens. G. Lucidum. G. Nitidum. Bignonia sempervirens. Yellow jessamine. N. O. Loganiaceae. Βάμμα του φλοιού της ρίζας.

Αμαύρωση. Πρόσθια κροταλική νευραλγία. Αφωνία. Αστιγματισμός.

Χολώδης πυρετός. Εγκέφαλος, παθήσεις του. Εγκεφαλονωτιαία μηνιγγίτιδα. Χοριοειδίτιδα.

Κρυολογήματα. Δυσκοιλιότητα. Σπασμοί. Κώφωση.

Πυρετός δάγκειου. Διάρροια. Διφθερίτιδα. Σύσπαση Dupuytren.

Δυσεντερία. Δυσμηνόρροια. Συναισθήματα, επιδράσεις των. Επιληψία.

Μάτια, παθήσεις των. Πυρετός. Τρόμος. Γονόρροια.

Αλλεργική ρινίτιδα. Κεφαλαλγία. Θερμότητα, επιδράσεις της. Καρδιά, νόσοι της.

Υδροσαλπινγγίτιδα. Υστερία. Γρίπη. Ε间歇ικός πυρετός.

Ίκτερος. Τόκος. Ήπαρ, παθήσεις του. Λοκομοτορ αταξία.

Μανία. Ιλαρά. Μηνιγγίτιδα. Έμμηνος ρύση, επώδυνη· κατασταλμένη.

Μητρορραγία. Μυαλγία. Νευραλγία. Νυσταγμός.

Οισοφάγος, στένωση του. Παράλυση. Παράλυση με τρόμο. Παραπληγία.

Εγκυμοσύνη, λευκωματουρία της. Πτώση βλεφάρου. Λοχιακοί σπασμοί. Υποτροπιάζων πυρετός.

Αμφιβληστροειδής, αποκόλληση του. Ρευματισμός. Σεξουαλική υπερβολή, επιδράσεις της. Ύπνος, διαταραγμένος.

Σπασμοί. Κεφαλαλγία από ήλιο. Ηλίαση. Οδοντοφυΐα.

Τικ ντουλουρώ. Καπνός, επιδράσεις του. Γλώσσα, παθήσεις της. Οδονταλγία.

Τρόμοι. Μήτρα, παθήσεις της. Ίλιγγος. Φωνή, απώλεια της.

Σπασμός των γραφέων.

Gelsemium, which belongs to the same order of plants as Nux vomica and Curare, is not only one of the most important additions to the materia medica for whose introduction we are mainly indebted to Hale, but it is also in the first rank of importance among the vegetable polychrests. A drug is of importance in homoeopathy not so much by reason of the great number of the symptoms it causes, as by possessing a number of well-marked and clearly characterised symptoms which correspond to symptoms constantly met with in every-day practice.

It was this which at once gave Gelsem. a place among the polychrests of homoeopathy. Like its botanical relatives, Gelsem. is a great paralyser. It produces a general state of paresis, mental and bodily. The mind is sluggish; the whole muscular system is relaxed; the limbs feel so heavy he can hardly move them.

This condition exists in the cases of typhoid that call for it; the lassitude is expressed by the patient; with Mur. ac. there is the lassitude, but the patient does not express it. The same paretic condition is shown in the eyelids, causing ptosis; in the eye muscles, causing diplopia; in the oesophagus, causing loss of swallowing power; in the anus, which remains open; in diarrhoea from depressing emotions or bad news; in relaxation of the genital organs. Functional paralyses of all descriptions.

This is shown again in some features of the headaches. They are accompanied by blurring of the sight, and relieved by a copious discharge of watery urine from a paretic condition of the kidneys. Conversely there may be a desire to urinate during the night, and if the call is not immediately responded to a violent headache supervenes. Post-diphtheritic paralysis; debility after pollutions; great prostration from irritability of seminal vesicles.

The mental prostration is typified in "funk," as before an examination, stage-fright, effects of anger, grief, bad news, and is accompanied by drooping eyelids. Alcoholic stimulants relieve all complaints where Gels. is useful. Hysterical dysphagia or aphonia, after emotions. Measles and eruptive disorders, with drowsy state, stiff used face, and even convulsions.

Convulsions are no less marked in Gels. than paralyses. Erskine White (H. W., xxxii. 501) cured an infant born in convulsions three weeks after its mother had been terribly frightened by seeing her little brother nearly burnt to death. The only guiding symptom was "the child's chin quivered incessantly." In thirty seconds after the dose the quivering ceased; in three minutes the convulsions were at an end.

White had to ride twelve miles over mountains to reach the patient after receiving the summons, so the convulsions must have lasted a considerable time. Tremor is a keynote of the remedy. Gels. is adapted to children and young people; to persons of a nervous, hysterical temperament; to irritable, sensitive, excitable people. The following provings related by Dr.

George Logan, of Ottawa (Med. Adv., xxiii. 125) show the power Gels. has over the mental sphere. The subject of the first was Mrs. Logan, who describes her experience thus:-

"A few moments after taking the medicine there is an extreme feeling of restlessness—not able to be still for a second, keep turning and twisting all the time. This is succeeded by intense pain over the right eye, always the right; it seems as if my forehead would come right over my eyes and close them; my eyes feel as if they were turning into my head, roll up all the time. Then a strong inclination to commit suicide. Want to throw myself from a height; invariably think of going to the window and dashing myself down—feel as if it would be a relief.

This is succeeded by an inclination to weep, and I generally have a good cry, but before I cry and while the feeling lasts of wishing to throw myself from a height, I clench my hands, and nervous rigors or sensations run all over my body down to my fingers and toes; it seems as if I would lose my senses. Then a great dread of being alone seizes me, and I am afraid of what may happen; think I may lose all self-control. The pain still continues over the right eye, and often the back part of my head seems to have a spot about four inches square that is turning to ice.

These feelings are followed by a strong inclination to talk or write, very great exhilaration, and a better opinion of my mental capacity—indeed it seems as if my memory was better, that I can recall almost anything I ever read; nearly always repeat long passages of something to myself that I have read years before. It appears to me that I can remember almost anything I love to recall. Now this is my invariable experience whenever I take Gelsemium—no matter whether in the 3rd or 1,000th potency—and I have been in the habit of using it for twenty years.

I am writing this under the influence of the drug. I could not give the symptoms so accurately at any other time. As I am getting over the effects of the drug I have to urinate every few minutes. While suffering I like to have people in the room—have a perfect horror of being alone.

I find Cinchona an antidote for most of the symptoms, but it leaves me much exhausted, thoroughly tired, and with a wish to be quiet."

Dr. Logan adds that he first gave the patient Gels. 2 for insomnia and headache. It produced the symptom "wishing to throw herself from a height" so markedly that he was alarmed lest she should carry it out. A year or two after, wishing to give the remedy again, he gave two pellets of the 30th—with the same result. He next prescribed the 1,000th, and the result of that was the proving now related. Here is the second case in Dr. Logan's words:—

" I gave Mr. Dorion, since Dr. Dorion, of St. Paul, five or six, drops of Gelsemium 1st for some ailment the nature of which I fail now to remember.

Within a few hours after taking the Gelsemium I was sent for to see Mr. Dorion, who, I was told, was 'insane.' He was brandishing a sword in a threatening manner, and frightening all the occupants of the house. On my arrival at his room I found him in the position of 'shouldering arms' with his sword. I playfully admired his military appearance, and thus secured the dangerous weapon, very much to the relief of his fellow-boarders.

It then occurred to me that the symptoms were produced by Gelsemium, and placing him in charge of one of the boarders, I returned to my office in order to procure the antidote, of which I was unaware at the time. I gave Cinchona 30 each half-hour, which, in the course of two or three hours brought him all right again." J. H. Nankivell drank two ounces of tincture of Gelsem. instead of a glass of sherry.

He walked a few feet with assistance and in another minute his legs were paralysed. He dragged himself to the bedside with his arms, but they were unable to help him to bed, into which he had to be lifted. As long as he lay quiet there was no trouble, but on the least exertion there were excessive tremors. Vomiting occurred during the next twenty-four hours.

Temperature rose to 101.5° F. Heart's action very violent and intermittent (possibly an aggravation of existing disease). All the muscles of the eyes were affected, but of voluntary muscles those of the right side suffered most. Prolonged conversation involved paralysis of upper lip.

There was somnolence; absence of mental excitement; and good appetite. The effects passed away in the order of occurrence, from below upwards; but after the arms had recovered, vision was not perfect for twenty-four hours. A patient of mine once took a drachm of the tincture for a headache. On going out he could not tell which side of the street he was on.

He was near St. Paul's Cathedral and saw two cathedrals instead of one. The following case of poisoning was recorded by Dr. Edward Jepson (Brit.

Med. Jour., Sept. 19, 1891, p. 644). Although Gels. was given with other drugs, and on the last occasion with one of its antidotes (quinine), which probably saved the patient's life, the symptoms are unmistakably those of Gels.:-

"About two months ago Miss W., aged about forty, an inmate of my house, was seized with very severe neuralgia about both temples. I gave her tincture of Gelsemium 10 minims, with a bismuth mixture to be taken every two or three hours. After taking this for about a day and obtaining no relief—but rather she grew worse, being, as is described, 'nearly mad with pain'—I gave her the full dose of the tincture of Gelsemium, according to Squire's Companion of the Pharmacopoeia, 1882, and Whitla's Materia Medica, third edition, namely, 20 minims in a quinine mixture.

This was taken every three hours, but with only moderate relief, three or four doses having been taken during the night. At about eight o'clock the following morning Miss W. was able to speak pretty well, and said she thought she was better. At about nine o'clock she was speechless and in the greatest distress of mind and body; there was total loss of power in the tongue; it could not be protruded, she could not articulate, and with very great difficulty could she swallow the brandy and water we forced upon her.

There was alteration in vision; she could not distinguish us clearly, and the pupils were widely dilated. She had uncertain power over the muscles of the hand and arm, so that she could not write her name. All this time she was perfectly conscious, and nodded her head in answer to questions. She was greatly alarmed as to herself, and, as she informed us afterwards, she thought she was about to have a fit.

Not knowing of any special antidote for Gelsemium, and seeing that there was no time to lose if we wanted to avert any increase of the paralysis, it fortunately came into my mind to give her a subcutaneous injection of Strychnine, using 1 minim of the liquor Strychninae, or 1-120th part of a grain. Ten minutes after this the change for the better was most marked; there was return of power in the tongue and in the hands, and an improvement in the vision. . . . I again injected a minim of the Strychnine, and with further improvement in the condition of the patient.

After this she took food and stimulants, and all paralysis disappeared. The vision was not perfectly restored for some hours, the pupils being less dilated. She had some return of the neuralgia, and was very weak for a few days, but eventually she quite recovered, and has had altogether better health since this event than she had prior to it." Gelsem. in the attenuations is a great neuralgic remedy. I have cured among other cases one of neuralgia of the anterior crural nerve.

The paralysis of the tongue recalls another condition, trembling of the tongue, which is one indication for Gels. in typhoid, in which it is a leading remedy. The tongue is only thinly coated, and has not the dark streak of the Bapt. tongue. The Gels. face is flushed crimson, but not quite as besotted as that of Bapt. There is excessive weakness and trembling, but the consciousness is not so clouded.

In coryza and hay fever Gels. has an important place. Early morning sneezing and streaming colds are a strong indication. The characteristic headache of Gels. begins in the occiput and spreads over the whole head, settling down over eyes. Dizziness and dim vision, and dizziness rising up from occiput and spreading over whole head, with depression, from heat of summer.

Headache with stiff neck, < in morning; > urinating; preceded by blur before eyes, drowsiness with headache, difficulty in keeping eyes open, dull headache over eyes to vertex and occiput, with irregular action of eye-muscles. Neurotic symptoms in cigar-makers, impotence, palpitation. Many symptoms occur in connection with the sexual organs, male and female. [J.

H. Allen (H. P., xiii. 244) cured a case of hydrosalpingitis, of gonorrhoeal origin, with Gels. 1m. The symptoms were: Feeling of fulness and heaviness in uterine region, cramp-like pains during menses, sharp pains moving from uterus to back and hips.

A languid aching in back and hips a day or so before menses; great weakness and loss of power in lower extremities; very little pain after menses began. Lump in throat which she cannot swallow. After menses, pains in back of head and spine. Pains running up back of neck, with a feeling of tightness in the brain; irritable, easily angered.

Fever in afternoon, twitching of muscles. Menses last eight days; for first three days appear natural, but afterwards very light-coloured, like serum. The tumour, which was in the left side of abdomen, disappeared in three months, improvement having set in from the first.] Dysmenia; epileptiform convulsions at menstrual period; rigid os in labour; chill, beginning in hands; or feet; and running up back. There is < both before, during, and after menses.

Itching of skin; eruption like measles. Sensations of lightness: of head, of body. Sensation as if the head were enlarged; as if there were a tape round the head; as if the skin were contracted in the middle of the forehead; sensation from throat up into left nostril like a stream of scalding water; sensation as if a lump were in oesophagus; load in stomach as if stomach were quite gone; as if the uterus were squeezed by a hand; as if he would die; as if the blood ceased to circulate as if the heart would stop unless he kept moving; as if a knife were thrust through from occiput to forehead; as if eyes were jumping out of head; as if a lump were in throat which could not be swallowed.

The stools of Gelsem., whether loose or constipated, are mostly yellow, like the flower. The colour comes out also in the colour of the tongue, and bilious symptoms generally. Wants to lie down and rest. Wants to be held, that he may not shake.

Motion < most symptoms; > muscular pains; > heart. Rising from seat = pain in heart.

Shaking head > heaviness of head. Lifting arms = trembling of hands. Playing piano = tired sensation in arms. (J.

G. Blackley pointed out the suitability of Gels. to writer's cramp and professional paralyses. I have relieved with it cases of Dupuytren's contraction.) Great distress and apprehensive feeling at approach of a thunderstorm. Heat of sun or summer <.

Hot applications > pain back of head. Must be covered in all stages of the paroxysm. Complaints from sudden change from hot or dry to damp air. Catarrh occurring in warm, moist, relaxing weather.

< Damp weather; cold, damp atmosphere; > cold, open air; < from fog. Cold drinks are vomited immediately; warm or spirituous drinks can partially be swallowed.

"> From stimulants" is a very general characteristic.

Αντιδοτώνεται από: Atrop., Chi., Coff., Dig., Nux. mos. Σε περιπτώσεις δηλητηρίασης, τεχνητή αναπνοή και φαραδισμός των αναπνευστικών μυών. Ο Foy βρήκε ότι η νιτρογλυκερίνη ήταν τέλειο αντίδοτο σε μία περίπτωση. Ο Jephson αντιδότωσε την περίπτωσή του με Στρυχνίνη.

Αντιδοτώνει: Mag. phos. Ανταγωνίζεται: Atrop., Op. Συμβατά: Bap. (στο τυφοειδή πυρετό, γρίπη)· Ipec.

(στην άφωνη ίντερμισαντική πυρετώδη νόσο). Σύγκριση: Bell. (τόκος)· Caulo., Caust. (παθήσεις των γυναικών)· Coccul., Con., Curare (παράλυση)· Fer. phos.

(πυρετός)· Phos. (επίδραση καταιγίδων με κεραυνούς)· Ol. an., Verat. (κεφαλαλγία)· Borax (αίσθηση πτώσης). Bry.

(τυφοειδής· φοβάται την κίνηση, Gels. επειδή είναι τόσο αδύναμος, Bry. επειδή η κίνηση < πόνοι)· Hyper. (< από την ομίχλη).

Καταθλιπτικά συναισθήματα. Φόβος. Θυμός. Κακά νέα. Ήλιος. Θερμότητα. Υγρός καιρός, ζεστός ή κρύος. Καταιγίδες με κεραυνούς. Αλκοόλ. Αυτοϊκανοποίηση.

Υπεραισθησία Υπερβολική ευερεθιστότητα νου και σώματος Παραλυτικές καταστάσεις, οι μύες αδύναμοι και δεν υπακούουν στη θέληση Πλήρης χαλάρωση και εξάντληση όλου του μυϊκού συστήματος, με ολική κινητική παράλυση

Τρέμουλο και αδυναμία· αδιάφορος και χαλαρός· εύκολα κουράζεται Ρευματικοί πόνοι (περιπλανώμενοι) στα οστά και τις αρθρώσεις (νύχτα) Σπασμωδικοί σφιγκτικοί πόνοι Αίσθηση σαν μωλωπισμένος

Νευραλγία· οξείς, αιφνίδιοι, διαπεραστικοί πόνοι· διαπεραστικοί, σπαραγμοί κατά μήκος των νεύρων· ιδίως αν επιδεινώνονται από μεταβολές του καιρού Συμφόρηση, αρτηριακή ή φλεβική, με υποτονική κυκλοφορία.