Podophyllum Peltatum

(Mandrake, May-Apple.)

BoTANiCAi. Desohiption. —Height abont one foot, siera round, sheathed at liase, dividing into two round petioles, butween w)ucli is the flower. Leaves broadly cordate, in fire to seven lobes, each lobe abont six inches long, from the insertion of the petiole ; two lobod and dentate at apex ; bar. ren stems, with one centrally peltate leaf. S'lower pedunculate, drooping, ■White, about two inches in diameter. Fruit ovate, oblong, large, yellowish, with a peculiar flavor, likened by Wood to the strawberry.

It is an indigenous, perennial herb, with a long, jointed, dark brown rhizoma, or root, about half the size of the finger, spreading extensively in rich gvnunds, and giving off fibres at the joints; internally it is yellowish. The frail is fleshy, one-celled, one or two inches in length, of a lemon color, with brownish spots when ripe, and covered with a large, persistent stigma. The mucilaginous pulp is edible, and esteemed as a luxury by many persons; it encloses twelve seeds, in pulpy arils,

[The variety named Podophyllum montanum, by Raflnesque, grows in the South.]

Mandrake grows throughout tlie United Slates, in low, shady situations, flowering in May and June, maturing its fruit in September and October.

Tlie jvioi! is the officinal portion; the proper time for collecting It is In the latter part of October, or early part of November, soon after the ripen, ing of the fruit.

The /curt possesses slightly laxative and diuretic properties, the rind and seeds being the medicinal portions.

The leaves are deemed poisonous, probably possessing the same proper- ties as the root.

Podophyilin is the resin obtained from mandralte, and is very extensively used instead of tlie crude root. Dr. King, the eclectic, claims to have dis- covered and introduced this preparation to the notice of tlie medical pro- fession. It is a yellowisii or yellow-brown powder, insoluble in water, oil of turpentine, dilute Nitric acid, and diluted alkalies.

It is said to be composed of two resins, both of which are purgative, one is soluble in alcohol only, the other in alcohol and ether. It has no alkaline or acid reaction, but forms a saponaceous compound with the alkalies. It has a bitter, nauseous and acrid taste. From four to eight grains act as an emeto- cathartic, with griping, nausea, prostration and watery stools.

From two

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610. PODOPHTLLDM PKLTATUM.

lo four grains as a drastitMjatliartic, with nausea and griping; even on& half a grain often acts as an active cathartic.

OFPioiiJAi. Prepakations. — Tincture of the root, with strong alcoliol; dilutions. Podophyllin and its triturations. (The rind of the ftnit, tlie seeds, and the leaves, are all medicinal, the pulp of the fruit edible.)

ANALO&tTEB. — Am^ira, ^scttlus, Bryonia, OoUmsoaia, OheUdortiiim, Set- leborus niger. Iris versicolor, LiliuTn, MercuHus Sol., Nitric acid, PitlsatiUa, Siilphur, VeratruTii aifrum.

Mind and -SeuBOriam. Stupor, with Toitiiting, purging and collapse.

* Depression of spirits; he imagines he is going to die or be

very ili.

* Hypochondriac mood, from disorder of the liver. (Sale.)

* Morning headathe, with heat in the vertex.

Pressing pain in the temples in the forenoon, with drawing in

the eyes, as if strabismus would follow. Dull, heavy pain in the forehead, with soreness over the seat

of the pain.

* Giddiness and dizziness, with the sensation of fullness over

the eyes.

Morning headache, with flushed face.

Pain on the top of the head, when rising in the morning.

Stnnning headache through tlie temples, relieved by pressura

" Headache alternating with diarrhoaa.

Vertigo while standing in the open air; with inclination to fall forward.

" Polling of the head during difficult dentition in children {Bell, WiUitimeon-.)

" Perspiration of the head dnring sleep, with coldness of tho face (while teething).

" Irritation of the brain — reflex — from disorder of the bowels

° Silioua headache, worse in tlie morning.

Smarting in the lids; drawing sensation in the eyes.

Pain in the eyeballs and in the temples, with heat and throb- bing of the temporal arteries.

The eyes appear inflamed in the morning. Mouth and Teeth.

" Grinding of the teeth at niglit, in children; also with rolling of the liead in teething children.

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PODOPHYLLTTM PELTATtTM. 6H

Copious salivation, but without the destructive action of menjury,

* Offensive odor from the moatli, at night, perceptible to the

patient. ° Stomatitis matema. (? } ° Chronic inflammation of the tongue; cracked, swollen and

bleeding, {Hale.) *!Foul, putrid taete in the mouth, " Tongue full and broad, with a pasty coat in the center.

(Soudder.) " A red tongue, not hright red ; rough, with uniformly erect

papillEB. {Ih.) ° A dull, bluish color of the tongue. {lb.)

* Sore throat, commencing on the I'ight side and going to the

left (Lye, Laeh., left, going to right). ( WilUaimon.) Sore throat, left side, worse in the morning, especially painful

when swallowing liq^uids. Soreness of the tliroat, extending to the ears.

* Battling of mucus in the throat, (/J,)

* GoUre. ( Williamson and EclecUos)

Gastric Symptoms. Voracious appetite and great thirst, with strong digestion, {p.)

* Loss of appetite, or satiety from a small quantity of food, fol-

lowed by nausea and vomiting. («.)

* Kegurgitation of food, which is sour, with acid eructations;

belching of hot flatns; acidity of the stomach, and un- pleasant, sickly sensation in the stomach, (s.) Vomiting of food an hour after meal, with craving appetite

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513 PODOPHYLLDM PELTATUM.

The stomach contracts bo hard and rapidly in the efforts to vomit, that the wrenching pain causes them to utter sharp screams.

* Dyspepsia, in its most aggravated forms. (Williamson.)

* Gastritis, acnte and chronic. {Male.)

*Nausea and vomiting, with fullness in the head; the vomit- ing is persistent.

* JJeart-hum, and water-hTosh, with, heat in the stomach. Throbbing in the epigastrinm, followed by diarrhcea.

* Vomiting of thick bile and blood for eighteen hours; in

acute gastritis.

Liver.

* Fullness, with pain and soreness in the right hypochondrium. Stitches in the right hypochondrium; worse while eating,

° Chronic hepatitis, with costiveness, tenderness, and pains in the region of the liver.

Twisting pain in the right hypochondrium, with sensation of heat in the part.

Sensation of weight and dragging in the left hypochondrium.

° Congestion' and enlargement of the liver; acute and clironiii hepatitis.

" Congestion an<i torpor of the portal system.

" Gall-stones, with the charaeteristic symptoms; will expel them, if given in large doses, alone, or after large quanti- ties of olive oil. (Hale.) [Podnphyllin, pTimaHly, causes increased functional activity of tlie

liver, with large flow of bile; secondarily, the liver becomes torpid, and

jaundice and retention of bile occurs. (Sale.)] AbdomoQ. ', oramp-UJee colic, with retraction of the abdominal es, at ten f. m. and five a. m.

Pain in the bowels, at daylight in the morning; relieved by external warmth; by bending forward while lying on the side, but aggravated by lying on the bacli.

Pain and rambling in the t/ra/nsverss colon, at three o'clock A. M,, followed by diarrhcea.

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PODOPHYLLTIM PELTATUM,. 513

The pain in the bowels is first attended by coldness, which is

stuol.

* Sharp pain above the right groin, preventing motion (in the

last month of pregnancy). " Dull, unpleasant pain, or weight in the hypogastfic region.

(in many diseases. Scudder.) Distension of the abdomen, even enormous swelling (in case

of fatal poisoning). "Myalgia of the abdominal muscles; after abuse of purgatives.

{RaU.) ° Lead-coHc, with redacted abdomen, etc. ( Williamson^ " Conditions simulating -puerperal peritonitis, when it has

been preceded by diarrhcea, or abuse of purgatives (not

useful in true peritonitis). {Hale.) " Tympanitic distension of the abdomen in typhoid, and in

children, with diarrhcea. (Hale.)

Intestinal Symptoms.

* Primary. — Abundant, soft, fcecai evacuations, with colic

* Frequent stool during the day, but of natural consistence,. Six soft yellow stools a day, with some griping.

* Profuse diarrhcea, preceded by colic, worse in the morning..

* Diarrhcea early in the morning, followed by very frequent,.

papescent, yellow stools, for forty-eight hours. Evacuation oi green stools in the morning, Diarrhcea immediately after eating or drinking (also Croton.

tig)-

* Haemorrhoids — inilamed, sore, swollen and painful.

* Painful dia/rrhmt, with screaming and grindlny of the

teeth, in children (during dentition). ( WilUamiSon,.)' White, slimy stools, with severe colic and nausea.

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