Eupatorium Perfoliatum

[BONE-SET. natural order, composite.]

Bone-set, a native of this country, is found along small streams and in meadows. The leaves and flowers, if chewed, impart a bitter taste with a peculiar flavor, destitute of astringency or acrimony. All the valuable properties of the plant are taken up by water, and hence the cold infusion and decoction are employed.

Dr. Carroll Dunham says : "Its great action is upon the muscular system (or fibrous tissues), producing great soreness and aching ; and upon the gastro-hepatic system, producing a condition, re- sembling what is known as a bilious state."

INTERMITTENT FEVER,— Eupatorium perfoliatum is one of our most reliable remedies in the treatment of intermittent fever. The paroxysm occurs usually between 7 and 9 a. m., followed by a lighter chill about noon next day. The chill is preceded and accompanied by intense thirst, which at times continues into the hot stage. Yawning and stretching and aching in the limbs as if the bones were broken.

The chill is ushered in by a severe pain and coldness in the back, with shivering and vomiting, caused by drink- ing; the shivering and shaking seems quite out of proportion to the degree of coldness which is felt when touching the body.

As the close of the cold stage approaches, nausea and vomiting of bilious matter supervenes, often with great retching, accompanied, in some instances, by much soreness and pain in the epigastric region, and greatly aggravating the severe, throbbing headache, which has existed during the cold stage. The fever following is not as high as that of some remedies, and is at times marked by a drenching sweat. But this is comparatively rare. The true eupatorium fever has very little, if any perspiration.

As evening approaches, the patient becomes drowsy and goes to sleep ; the symptoms disappear- ing during sleep.

H. Heiser, blacksmith, aged forty years, of bilious temperament; has suffered from ague for the last three years. Five weeks is the longest he escaped an attack during three years. Every other morning he has a sevei-e chill, (no fever) accompanied with vomiting and purging of quantities of greenish, watery, fluid ; cramps of the lower extremities and insatiable thirst.

Prescribed ipecacuanha and mix vomica. October 17th Felt comfortable yesterday, as usual; this morning he has another chill and vomiting of a greenish liquid, several quarts at a lime ; frequent stools, green and watery; cramps and terrible thirst; the face is sunken, like that of a cholera patient. Eupatorium perfoliatum, 1st dilution, six drops to half a tumblerful of water, a tablespoonful after each attack of vomiting or purging.

After the first dose the vomiting ceased. The remedy was ordered to be taken in drop-doses every

EUPATORIUM TERFOLIATUM. 10;}

two hours during the intermission. October 19th. — No return of chill, vomiting or diarrhoea. The remedy was continued, night and morning, for seven days. No more medicine was given. The cure was complete. (Dr. H. Wigand in the Am. Horn. Observer, Vol. iii., p. 21S.)

Mrs. A , four months pregnant, had chills and fever, with mixed symptoms ;

on the 17th day of September the following symptoms were observed: Thirst before the chill ; chill at 6 A. M. ; desire for warm drinks ; vomiting as the chill passed off; heat, with continued thirst for warm drinks; very weak during the fever; very nervous ; no sweat after the fever, but some perspiration during the night ; good appetite immediately after the fever. Eupatorium perfoliatum iM., Finke, one dose, was given and entirely relieved all the symptoms, leaving only great lassitude and debility, and this was removed by the same remedy in the 10,000th dilution.

(Dr. S. Swan in the Med. Investigator, Nov., 1870.)

CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS Eupatorium perfoliatum has been found useful in the treatment of cerebro-spinal meningitis. Even Rafinesque discovered its curative action in spotted fever as early as 1820. The late Dr.

Frost {Halm. Monthly, Jan., 18G9,) gives the following indications : Severe aching and soreness in the limbs ; aching pain and soreness, as if from having been beaten, in the calves of the legs, small of the back, and in the arms above and below the elbows ; aching in the bones of the extremities, as if they were broken, with soreness in the flesh ; copious perspiration [? — Ed.] which gives no relief ; cramps ; thirst before the chill ; nausea and vomiting after the chill.

Bone-set has caused : fluent coryza ; hoarseness ; hacking cough, worse in the evening ; soreness and heat in the bronchial tubes.

CATARRHAL INFLAMMATION of the bronchial tubes has been cured by its administration. Popular belief attributes to it almost specific curative powers in all coughs, colds, etc. It is indi- cated in

INFLUENZA, presenting the above symptoms, and with pains and aches in the limbs ; also in

OPHTHALMIA with the following symptoms : Lachrymation ; photophobia ; redness of the margins of the lids with a glutinous secretion from the Meibomian glands ; conjunctivitis ; the left eye worse than the right.

CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. — It has been recommended for chronic rheumatism, especially in old people, with sensation of sore- ness of the bones, leaving the ankles and feet swollen ; profuse dis- charge of clear urine.

The gastric symptoms of eupatorium are well marked. We have, among others : nausea, with vomiting of ingesta ; nausea, retching, pain in the stomach, vomiting of bile. Intense thirst for cold water ; symptoms are aggravated from drinking.

104 EUPATORIUM PURPUREUM.

Clinical experience teaches that these symptoms are of value only as a part of the totality of indications.

We prepare the tincture of the whole plant and dilutions in the OTescribed manner.

EUPATOIilUM PURPUREUM.

[queen-of-the-meadow. natural order, composite.]

Stem solid, green or sometimes purplish, with a purple band at the joints, about one inch wide ; . the leaves are feather-veined, in whorls, ovate, smooth above, downy on the veins beneath, coarsely serrate. It is a common plant in dry woods and meadows. The stem is from three to six feet high. The leaves are large, thin, from eight to ten inches long to four by five wide. The corymb is lax, pale purple, varying to whitish. The plant blossoms in August and September. (Wood.)

The root is the officinal part of the plant. The fresh root only should be used in the preparation of the tincture.

Like the eupatorium perfoliatum, this variety of eupatorium has been used in

INTERMITTET FEVER The symptoms which indicate its

use are : The chill commences in the back, and from there spreads over the body, upward and downward ; the patient is very sensitive to cold air, the least touch bringing on a chill ; like the eup. perfol. it causes severe pains in the bones, great thirst and violent shaking with comparatively little coldness. The chill, however, is not so apt to come on in the morning, but may declare itself at any time of the day.

The most important feature of the queen-of-the-meadow is its peculiar effect upon the urinary organs.

Dr. Dresser published a proving of the drug made upon his wife (Am. Horn. Observer, vol.

Hi., p. 407,) which is interesting and highly suggestive. The effects recorded under Urinary Organs are the most notable. Taking at first ten, and some- what later forty, drops, she experienced a deep, dull pain in the left kidney ; this was followed by a constant desire to urinate, voiding urine freely at short intervals, with- out, however, obtaining any marked feeling of relief. After taking the second and larger dose, the pain in the kidneys increased greatly in violence, as did also the necessity of frequent evacuations of the bladder, with the same vesical soreness, ful- ness and tenderness.

Later, scalding and smarting in the urethra developed with well-marked tenesmus. The keen, cutting and, again, dull aching pains in the.

EUPATORIUM PURPUREUM. 105

urethra and bladder continued for several days, were worse upon voiding urine, and were accompanied by a weak, weary and faint feeling which was insupportable.

During a second experiment, three doses of sixty drops each were taken on three consecutive days. During the first three hours after taking the first dose, no less than thirty- four ounces of urine of rather pale, but otherwise natural, appearance were voided. After this, a decided admixture of mucus to the urine was detected; the passages continued frequent with a gradual lessening in the amount voided and an increase of urgency in expelling it. Specific gravity 1015.

On the second day the desire to void urine was almost uninterrupted ; the amount passed at a time was small, varying from one-half ounce to two ounces. The urine itself was high-colored and its specific gravity was 1026.

The same symptoms continued during the third day, the urine reaching a specific gravity of 1028.

INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER Physicians who have

prescribed eupatorium purpureum in bladder difficulties, are well satisfied with its effects. It should be homoeopathic to in fl animation of the bladder, acute and chronic.

Dr. Dresser [Am. Horn. Observer, vol. iii., p. 405,) reports several cures of this disease made with it.

One case, of an ex-soldier who had taken a violent cold in the army, had: smarting, burning in the bladder; soreness and severe, dull, aching pain in the bladder ; smarting and burning in the urethra, especially when passing urine; numbness of the legs; dull aching pain in the region of the kidneys; great emaciation, hectic fever ; night sweats ; shifting rheumatic pains. The first decimal dilution of the tincture of the root cured him.

Dr. 0. E. Long writes us that the remedy has done him excellent service in tbe treatment of the various stages of vesical inflamma- tion, varying from a mere irritation of the bladder to a violent in- flammation, with its usual accompaniments.

Mrs. , mother of five children, had attacks of constant and painful micturition

of clear urine. After the use of domestic remedies, eupatorium purpur., 1st dilution, was given in light doses with immediate improvement.

Mrs. B., pregnant, suffered severely from an initable bladder, voiding during the day, and at short intervals, a large amount of light-colored urine. Relieved at once by eup. purpur., 1st dilution, after the continued and unsatisfactory use of other remedies.

Mrs. T , a young and healthy married woman, not pregnant, was taken with

frequent voiding of clear, natural- looking urine, accompanied by sharp, cutting pains at the neck of the bladder. She grew rapidly worse under allceopathic treatment. She received every hour a teaspoonful of a solution of twelve drops of the second dilution of eupatorium purpur. in fifteen teaspoonfuls of water, and was discharged cured in three days.

DYSURIA.—

An infant, two weeks old. Symptoms : Moaning and suffering. Its lower belly swollen and hot. Restlessness, tossing ; had not wet its napkin for forty-eight hours. Prescribed eupatorium purpureum, second dilution; one drop to six ounces of water, half a teaspoonful at a dose once in every half hour until urine was voided; after that, once in three hours. A few doses produced an evacuation of the bladder, and immediate recovery. (Dr. Dresser.)

DROPSY. — The remedy has been used in the treatment of dropsy.

106 EUFHOHBIUM OFFICINALE.

Dr. Holcombe considers it one of our best diuretics. Dr. Hale thinks it ranks next to apocynum.

Dr. Hale relates, New Remedies, second edition, the case of an old gentle- man, who was laboring under a severe (the third) attack of dropsy; he was unable to lie down, or move, or to get out of his chair. " Distressing dyspnoea set in; the whole body and extremities became enormously cedematous ; the secretion of urine became very scanty, being only three or four ounces in twenty-four hours. * * . * The pulse was feeble, but regular. The extremities were cold ; there was consider- able general prostration.

Loss of appetite; thirst; tendency to stupor; dullness of mind." Prescribed eupatorium purpureum every three hours in doses of eight to ten drops of the tincture. In twelve hours the urine was slightly increased. In twenty- four hours the dyspnoea was somewhat ameliorated. In forty-eight hours he could lie down with comfort.

In seventy-two hours he walked across the room, and the oedema was rapidly disappearing from his body and limbs.

ETJPHOKBIUM OFFICINALE.

[WOLF'S MILK. NATURAL ORDER, EUPHORBIACEiE.]

This plant is found in the Canary Islands and in the northern parts of Africa, along the Atlas mountain range. The stem rises four or five feet in height, is erect, furrowed with eight or more longitudinal fissures. If it gives off branches they at first spread horizontally and afterward ascend. The angles are furnished with prickles which are everywhere in pairs. At the upper extremity of the branches are seated small, yellowish flowers which are collected in monoecious heads.

The officinal euphorbium is the juice of the plant which is obtained by making slight incisions in the branches with a knife, from which a milky juice exudes which, by exposure to the air and to the heat of the sun, hardens and forms a whitish-yellow solid, generally pierced with two holes by the prickles of the plant. This drops off in September, is collected, and forms the euphorbium of commerce. The plants are only cut once in four years, as the quantity exuded is so great that it is sufficient to supply all demands for that time.

For homoeopathic purposes triturations are made in a proportion of 1 to 10, or 1 to 100. We also prepare a yellowish tincture.

When euphorbium dust is inhaled, or applied to the face, it causes sneezing, redness and swelling of the face, and great irritation about the eyes and nose. In one person, a laborer in a drug-mill, it always produced a sense of intoxication, and another laborer in the same mill was made temporarily insane by it, and insisted, during the lit;, upon saying his prayers at the tail of the mill-horse.

EUPHOBBIUM OFFICINALE. 107

Insensibility and convulsions have been produced by euphorbium. Pereira mentions the following case, where these symptoms were present: "A man was engaged at a mill where euphorbium was being ground, and remained in the room longer than was considered prudent. Suddenly he darted from the mill room, and ran with great velocity down two pairs of stairs. On arriving at the ground- floor or yard, he became insensible and fell.

Within five minutes the man was seen by Dr. Pereira: he was lying on his back, insen- sible and convulsed ; his face was red and swollen, his pulse frequent and full, and his skin very hot. He was bled by the doctor, and within half an hour he became quite sensible, but complained of great headache. He had no recollection of his flight down stairs, which seems to have been performed in a fit of delirium."

Euphorbium, if swallowed, causes vomiting and purging, and large doses cause gastro-enteritis, with irregular, hurried pulse, and cold perspiration. A case is mentioned in vol. iii. of Br ancle' 's Jour- nal, where a teaspoonful of the tincture was administered to a man by a farrier, through mistake for rhubarb; burning heat in tho throat and then in the stomach, vomiting, irregular, hurried pulse and cold perspiration were the leading symptoms. The person died in three days ; gangrenous spots were found in the stomach, and the coats tore by the slightest touch.

Hahnemann ranks this drug among his so-called antipsorics. Tho provings which we possess of this agent are not very reliable, and we therefore have to determine its therapeutic character from what we know of its virtues through cases of poisoning. It may prove advatageous,

1. In cases of acute mania, with symptoms of violent cerebral con- gestion and irregular hurried pulse.

2. In cases of acute gastro-enteritis, with vomiting, purging, cold perspiration and small, hurried and irregular pulse ; also, if symp- toms of violent reaction, hot and dry skin, full and bounding pulse, and delirium are present.

3. Euphorbium may prove a valuable external application in burns, with serious lesions of the integuments and subjacent tissues ; a weak alcoholic tincture may prove a suitable application to arrest inflammation and prevent sloughing.

I should never use euphorbium internally, unless the brain-symp- toms indicated its use together with the other phenomena. If the cerebral action is not disturbed, if there are no sifi-ns of cerebral irri-

108 EUPHRASIA OFFICINALIS.

tation or depression, no signs of violent congestion of the brain, or even delirium, euphorbium may not prove homoeopathic to the exist- ing irritation in the stomach or bowels.

In a case of poisoning, the poison should be withdrawn from the stomach as speedily as possible by means of an emetic ; demulcent drinks have to be given for the purpose of enveloping the poison, and if inflammatory symptoms develop themselves, aconite is the best remedy to arrest them.