Aphis Chenopodii Glauci

Animals have mostly been valuable additions to our materia medica. Animalized plants may be of the same importance. A remedy prepared from a caterpillar existing on the belladonna plant acted when the berries and leaves of that plant appeared to be insufficient. The Dory phora decem- lineata containing solanine, promises much according to the proving.

Aphis may also become an important animalized plant medicine, and is given a place here to enable practitioners to try it. It was proved and in- troduced by Dr. Meyer, and printed in Staff's Archives, in 1835. One cure in a very painful case of toothache was made by Dr. Raue.

We quote the words of the great entomologists, Kirbj' and Spence, from their famous Introduction to Entomology, Vol. I., 1815. In the chapter on the direct benefits derived from insects, they mention how far medical science is indebted to insects ; and after enumerating how many, according to Lesser, had been used in olden time, and before mentioning the very few " the sons of Hippocrates and Galen now have recourse to," the following very wise words are inserted : "I cannot help observing that their pro- "scription of the remainder may have been too indiscriminate.

Mankind " are apt to rua from one extreme to the other. From having ascribed too "much efficacy to insect- remedies, we may now ascribe too little. Many "insects emit very powerful odors (as the acanthia suaveolens), and some " produce extraordinary effects on the human frame ; and it is an idea not " altogether to be rejected, that they may concentrate into a smaller compass, the " j)ruperties and virtues of the plants upon which they feed, and thus afford rnedi- " cines more powerfid in operation than the plants themselves.

It is at least worth " while to institute a set of experiments with this view."

The Old School did not regard this advice, but the New School has done it, and has found, if not more power, more intensity of action in them.

^ Sensorium. Dullness in head as from corjza, with flushes of heat in face.

^ Head Inner. I l Violent pressure in forehead and occiput, ag- gravated by motion, with sensation as if brain were balancing to and fro.

■* Outer Head. Drawing tearing in scalp ; first days and second week.

^ Eyes. I I Burning of eyelids ; several evenings.

^ Ears. Transient tearing in the ears, now in one, then in the other.

^ Nose. Sensation of soreness of the nostrils ; continues second week. I I Violent sneezing, with soreness of the larynx. 1 1 Coryza, with burning and I I biting on the margins of nos- trils, particularly of the septum.

373 APHIS.

I Fluent coryza, with secretion of thin mucus and burning of

the nostrils ; with accelerated pulse ; coldness of the feet up

to the knees, and a chill over the back. All day running coryza, burning pimples on right nostril and

left upper lip. In evening, running coryza with pulse of eighty-five beats. Fluent coryza ; continues second week. ^ Face. Pale or yellowish color of the face ; all day.

Flushes of heat in the face, with dullness of the head, like be- ginning of a coryza (evening). Great inclination to sweat in face ; from early in the morning. ^ Lower Part of Face. I ' Dryness of the lips, I especially in

the morning. Dry lips and warmer breath ; his pulse ran up to sixty-eight. Burning pimples on left upper lip. See Coryza. ^^ Teeth. Towards noon tearing drawing pain in a decayed molar,

gradually increasing and extending into the other teeth r.

side, into ear, temples and malar bone ; increasing in bed,

relieved after several hours by a general warm sweat ; during

the second week of the proving. > Increase of most violent toothache in bed, only relieved if after

a while a general warm sweat breaks out; all other remedies

of no avail. " Tongue. Painful vesicle on the tip of the tongue ; second week. ^^ Mouth. More saliva in the mouth and more phlegm in throat ;

second week. Dryness of mouth and throat, sometimes with increased secre- tion of mucus. All day much mucus in mouth and throat, tasting unpleasantly

flat, with continual disposition to hawk or spit. Secretion of frothy mucus from the mouth and throat. 13 Throat. Scratching on the palate.

A cutting burning sensation in throat, most in palate, when

inhaling. Scraping and burning in throat. Disposed to hawk up phlegm. The palate is inflamed.

Biting burning in the soft palate, during the afternoon. Dryness, scraping and burning like from something acrid in

the throat, and increased phlegm ; second week. ^■^ Desires, Aversions. No appetite for meat and wheaten bread,

with the chilliness- Increased thirst, from sensation of dryness in throat. Much thirst in the evening ; second week. '® Belching, Frequent belching with the taste of the food. ^^ Abdomen. Frequent cutting pain in abdomen, especially at

night, or during the day, with urging to stool, emission of

large quantities of flatulence.

APHIS. 374

Frequent rumbling of flatulence in bowels and passing of wind.

Congestion of blood to all organs in the pelvis.

I The plant is a popular medicine in colic. ^^ Stool. ' I Ineffectual urging to stool, with pressure on the blad- der and rectum.

Evacuations liquid, papescent, with burning in the anus and renewed urging, or with pinching in the abdomen before and after the stool.

In the morning, soon after rising, urging to stool, followed by a few, I I thin, mush-like evacuations, repeated several times during the day, with increased pinching I I burning in anus and urging.

Thin, mush-like stool, discharged with wind, with burning in anus and urethra.

I I Thin, fluid stools early in the morning, several days in suc- cession, mostly thin slime, I I mixed with spots of dark blood, repeated 5, 6 times during the forenoon, with pinching and urging in the rectum.

Every hour a stool with pinching in entrails, painful pressure on the rectum, the bladder and urethra.

After the stools are more consistent, there is then a painful urging in the rectum.

Stools towards morning with pinching and urging in rectum, after sleepless nights. ^^ Urinary Organs. I l Pressure on the bladder, with inefiectual desire to stool.

Irritation in the urethra, as from acridity, compelling him to urinate frequently ; urine saturated, yellow, foaming.

During micturition, I I burning in mouth of urethra.

Frequent and copious emission of saturated, yellow, foaming urine, without burning in urethra ; another day with an acrid sensation in the urethra.

I I Urine brownish red, depositing a thick, yellowish sediment, foaming during the night.

Passing urine burns in urethra during chill and coryza. ^^ Male Sexual Organs. At night voluptuous dreams and two seminal emissions, which had not occurred for a long time.

Voluptuous irritation on the glans penis. ^* Larynx. Frequent roughness and huskiness of the voice ; re- lieved by hawking.

Burning scraping in the larynx, as from acridity ; titillating burning or stinging, particularly in the open air during wet and cold weather, with constant irritation in the larynx, obliging him to cough or to hawk, and constant expectora- tion of mucus.

Painful sensitiveness on the right side of the larynx.

Tickling burning in larynx.

375 APHIS.

Irritation from very acrid mucus in larynx, or like a burning aci-idity, sometimes forcing him to cough, oftener to hawk. Soreness of the larynx, with violent sneezing. ^® Respiration. Warmer breath with mucus in the mouth. " Cough. Now and then irritation to cough in region of larynx.

Dry cough from irritation in throat. ^^ Heart, Pulse. Pulse 80, continuing all day ; with thirst ; dry mouth and throat, and frequent hawking ; limbs as if beaten. Pulse accelerated with burning in palms of hands in forenoon and dry lips during the day ; in the evening pulse eighty- five. See Coryza. ^^ Neck. Back. Pain below the left shoulder-blade. Frequent chilliness running up and down the back. ^^ Upper Limbs. Rheumatic pains in shoulders and upper arms ;

arms as if bruised. ^^ Lower Limbs. Rheumatic pains on tibia and soles of feet. Sensation of weariness in legs, most in knees. 1 I Tearing drawing above the knee, often mornings or during

day. Cold feet up to knees.

Stinging burning pain in corns or little toes, alternately, r. and 1. ^* Limbs in General. All the limbs feel bruised.

Frequent drawing rending pains from above the knees down to feet, the worst on the shinbones and tops of feet. ^^ Motion. Motion : pressure in forehead <. ^^ Strength. Tired feeling.

Every evening very tired and weak. ^^ Sleep. I I Sleepless night, without much pain but towards morn- ing twice a thin stool, with pinching and urging in rectum. 38 Time. From 4 to 6 p.m. : more irritation to cough in larynx. Afternoon : biting and burning in soft palate. Evening : burning of eyelids ; fluent coryza ; flushes of heat of

the face ; thirst; pulse accelerated; tired and weak. Morning : dry lips, more warmth in mouth and breath warmer, pulse accelerated ; face inclined to sweat ; after rising, urging to stool, thin mush-like passages with wind ; tearing above knee. Towards noon : toothache.

All day : much mucus in mouth and throat ; cutting in abdo- men and urging to stool; pulse increased to eighty ; tearing above knee. Night : cutting in abdomen, urging to stool ; seminal emissions ; sleepless ; urging, pinching and stool towards morning. ^^ Temperature and Weather. In bed : increase of toothache. In open air, when weather is damp and cold : constant irrita- tion in larynx, hawking and expectoration of mucus. *" Fever. Sweat. Chills, especially over the back.

APHIS. 376

Burning in palms of hands, with inclination to sweat, in the forenoon.

Feet and legs cold up to the knees, shudders run down the back, fluent coryza continuing.

I I In the morning transpiration all over the skin ; later in the morning before getting up, a warm sweat.

Sweat relieves the toothache. *^ Right and Left. Right : burning pimples on nostril ; side of larynx painful.

Left : burning pimples on upper lip ; pain below scapula. ^^ Sensations. Sensation as if brain were balancing to and fro.

Drawing rending pains : in temples, ears, decayed teeth, shoulders, upper arms, soles of the feet, above the knees, and on the tibia.

Drawing and tearing : in scalp ; in a decayed molar ; above knee ; in limbs.

Tearing : in ears.

Cutting : in abdomen, and pinching.

Cutting burning : in throat and palate.

Burning : of eyelids ; pimples on r. nostril and 1. upper lip ; in anus ; in urethra ; in larynx ; in palms of hands.

Burning and biting on margins of nostrils and of septum.

Stinging burning: in corns.

Scraping and burning : in throat ; in larynx.

Biting burning : in soft palate.

Titillating burning or stinging in larynx and painful sensitive- ness.

Scratching : on palate.

Soreness : of nostrils ; of larynx.

Pressure : in forehead and occiput ; on rectum and bladder.

Pain : below left shoulder-blade.

Rheumatic pains : in shoulders and upper arms ; in tibia and soles of feet.

As if bruised : arms and legs.

Weariness : in legs, most in knees.

Dryness : of lips ; of mouth ; in throat.

Heat : in face.

Coldness : of feet to knees ; running up and down back. *^ Other Drugs. Relatives : the Polygonicese, Ruviex and Rheum.

Similar to : Fidsat., Chamom., Mercur., AnHm. etc ; (tooth- ache worse in bed ; no other remedy has relief of toothache from sweat, though Qhamom. has general relief from sweat ; ^tlmsa (stool after rising, pinching, cutting before, urging after) ; Natr.sul. (stool after rising, with discharge of wind, etc.) ; Nux vom. (frequent urging in rectum and bladder) ; Ayis^ Argent, nitr., I)ulcam., PJwsph., etc., (in laryngeal aft'ections) ; Grelsem. (chills up and down the back, cold feet, etc).

3T7 APIS.