Ustilago Maydis

Ustilago maidis, Corda.

Natural order , Fungi.

Common name , Corn smut.

Preparation , Triturations.

Authorities. 1 , Dr. Roullin, Memoir to Royal Acad. of Sci., France (Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. ii, 1830, p. 814), effects when taken into the stomach for a period of time.

( 2 to 6 , W. H. Burt, M.D., Monograph on Ustilago Maidis.) 2 , Miss K. O., aet. thirty-two, took 2d dec. trit. three weeks, and then 1st dec. three weeks, in 2-grain doses three times a day, for a uterine tumor of enormous size, which was reduced one-third in size and was greatly relieved of its sensitiveness, greatest effects on skin; 3 , W.

H. Burt, in perfect health, took 20 grains 2d dec. trit. at 4 P.M. (first day), 20 grains at 12 M. (second and third days); 4 , same, took 20 grains 2d dec. at 11 A.M.

(first day), 40 grains at 6 A.M., an hour before eating (second day), 40 grains at 7 A.M. (third day), 50 at 7 A.M. (fourth day); 5 , same, took 5 grains crude untriturated drug at 7 A.M. (first day), 10 grains (second day), 15 grains at 7 A.M.

(third day); 6 , same, subsequently feeling very well, but still having complete prostration of the animal system, took 20 grains crude drug at 12 M. (first day), same at 7 A.M. (sixth day), 10 grains in the morning (seventh and eighth days). ( 7 to 13 , T.

S. Hoyne, M.D., Trans. Am. Ins.

Hom., 1872, p. 493 (six students report that they obtained no symptoms from the drug.)); 7 , E. H. Pratt, took a powder of 1 grain 2d trit. at 10 P.M.; 8 , H. M.

B., took same at 12.30 P.M.; 9 , Miss M. S. Stearns, took same; 10 , S. R.

Kridler, took same at 5 P.M.; 11 , C. W. Brown, took same at 10 P.M.; 12 , R. H.

Paine, took same in a spoonful of water at 11 P.M., probably caught cold from exposure on the third day; 13 , same, having had no symptoms for a week, took 1 grain 2d trit. at night.

Much depressed in spirits this afternoon (third day), [4] . Have felt irritable and disinclined to talk all day; could not take hold of anything with energy; had nothing particular to complain of (fourth day), [12] .

For three days have felt irritable; almost everything goes wrong (tenth day), [12] .

Frequent attacks of vertigo; everything before the eye whirls, sometimes appearing double, and at times myriads of white specks come before the eyes and blot out everything else (second day); occasional attacks of vertigo and internal heat came on for three or four days till the end of twelve days, [7] . General Head.

Dulness of the head (after two days), [9] .

Head feels heavy (fourth day), [12] .

In the morning head felt stuffed; felt better after eating breakfast (fourth day), [12] . [10.] All the morning have had a feeling of fulness of the head, with dull, pressive, frontal headache; dull frontal headache all day, with aching distress in the eyeballs (second day), [4] .

Some headache, mostly frontal, this evening (second day), [13] .

Frontal headache (after half an hour), has continued ever since, with distress in the epigastrium (after four hours); head aches severely, aggravated by walking (after seven hours), [4] . Dull frontal headache all the forenoon, with smarting of the eyes (third day), [4] .

Frontal headache, with erections (after three hours and a half), [8] .

Severe neuralgic pains in the forehead, hands, and feet (first day), [6] . [20.]

Sharp pains in the forehead (after one hour), [6] . External Head.

Loss of hair, [1] .

Eye.

Occasional slight spasms of the eyes, when everything vanishes rom sight and the head seems to whirl (fourth day), [7] .

Frequent attacks of twitching of the eyes, and my eyes appeared to look (revolve) in circles and dart from one object to another in quick succession (third day), [11] .

Eyes weak (second day), [7] . Aching of the eyes, with profuse secretion of tears (second day), [4] .

Queer feeling in the eyes, smarting or inflamed feeling (after two days), [9] .

Eyes feel hot on closing the lids (fourth day), [7] . Smarting of the eyes, with the dull frontal headache (third day), [4] .

Eyelids agglutinated together, in the morning (seventh day), [6] . [30.]

Eyes weak and water much out of doors (seventh day); eyes water profusely in the open air (ninth day), [6] .

Eyes water much in the open air (sixth day), [6] . Pain in the right eyeball, with the distress in the stomach (first day), [5] .

Aching distress in the eyeballs, with the headache (second day), [4] .

Spots dancing to and fro before the eyes, [8] .

A small boil in the right nostril (sixteenth day), [5] . Thick mucus is discharged from the nose all the forenoon (third day), [12] .

Sudden pallor coming on while sitting and in the evening, [10] . Face has a dingy-yellow look, more so than natural (fifth day), [12] .

Tongue coated in the morning, [10] .

A prickling sensation in the tongue, and a feeling as if something were under the roots of the tongue pressing it upwards, with dryness of the nostrils (second day), [4] . Saliva.

Profuse secretion of thin bitter saliva (third day); saliva profuse (fourth day), [7] . Bitter saliva was secreted in abundance (third day), [11] .

Slimy taste, with burning distress in the stomach (second day), [4] . [50.]

Slimy coppery taste in the mouth (fifth day); slimy taste in the mouth for a number of days after the proving, [4] . Slimy coppery taste in the mouth, in the morning (third day); slimy taste (fifth and sixth days); for a week had slimy taste in the mouth, with a relaxed state of the sexual organs (after seven days), [5] . Coppery taste in the mouth, in the morning (sixth day); slimy coppery taste, in the morning (seventh and eighth days); slimy taste (twelfth day), [6] .

During the night was troubled with mucus in the posterior nares (third day), [12] .

Throat sore and dry towards morning; upper part of throat felt filled up; pharynx and uvula reddened; this passed off in the morning, but the head felt stuffed (third day), [12] .

In a short time felt a sharp lancinating pain in the right tonsil (the fauces were somewhat inflamed when the medicine was taken), (first day); fauces hotter and more sensitive to motion than last night; throat still sore (second day); throat worse, very painful (sharp lancinating pains), (third day); throat still painful (fourth day), [7] .

Left tonsil enlarged and much congested, of a dark-reddish color, right one also quite painful on swallowing, at 2 P.M.; left tonsil much enlarged and painful, at 9 P.M. (seventh day); left tonsil much congested, extending to the ear along the Eustachian tube, which produces constant dull pain in the ear, in the morning (eighth day); tonsils more painful than yesterday (ninth day); left tonsil still congested but not so painful (tenth day); left still congested but not painful (eleventh days), [6] . Dryness of the fauces with difficulty in swallowing, feeling as if there were a lump behind the larynx (after half an hour); dryness of the fauces, with a burning distress in the stomach (after one hour); frequent efforts to swallow, with a feeling in the fauces as if something had lodged there (after four hours); irritation of the fauces, with a feeling as if there were a lump in the larynx when swallowing (sixth day); fauces congested and irritated (seventh day), [6] . Dryness of the fauces, with a burning dryness in the stomach (first day), [3] .

Rough feeling in the fauces (first day), [5] . [60.]

Burning in the oesophagus (soon), [11] .

A burning sensation along the whole length of the oesophagus, especially at the cardiac orifice of the stomach; heartburn, morning, continued all day (second day), [7] . [Kali bich, always gives me the same symptoms, but I had not taken it for two weeks previous.]

Appetite and Thirst.

Very hungry (eighth day); craving appetite (ninth day), [6] .

Appetite good; craving for hearty food (fifth day), [12] .

Eructations of sour fluid from the stomach, with distress in the same region; afterwards eructations of sour food (third day), [4] .

Distress in the stomach (second day), [3] . [70.]

Distress in the epigastrium, with the headache (first day), [4] .

Constant distress in the stomach; frequent pains in the stomach, all the afternoon (fourth day), [4] . Constant distress in the stomach all the forenoon, with pain in the right eyeball; have had hard pains in the stomach for the last two hours (after seven hours); severe distress this afternoon, eating supper relieves it (second day), [5] .

Constant burning distress in the stomach, with slimy taste (second day), [4] .

Pain in the cardiac region of a burning character, [10] . Dull pains in the epigastrium, with constant severe drawing pains in the joints of the fingers (third day), [3] .

Frequent spells of pain in the stomach and small intestines, with dull distress in the right hypochondrium (sixth day), [6] . Frequent cutting pains in the stomach, with constant distress in the same region; had the constant severe distress until I ate supper, which relieved it (third day), [4] .

Full inspiration causes a dull pain in the stomach (second day), [4] .

Burning dryness in the stomach, with dryness of the fauces (first day), [3] .

Have suffered constantly with dull distress in the right hypochondrium and umbilicus (eighth day), [6] . For the last two hours have had fine, sharp, cutting pains in the umbilical and hypogastric regions, lasting about three minutes at a time, and coming on every ten and fifteen minutes (after four hours); the colicky pains lasted until 8 P.M., when they were relieved by a constipated stool (the first to-day), (after eight hours); since have had constant grumbling pains in the whole of the bowels, with severe pains in the testicles (after ten hours), [6] .

Dull pains in the umbilicus and right liver (seventh day), [6] .

Occasional pains in the bowels (sixth day), [6] . Pain in left inguinal region, while walking, [10] .

Slight diarrhoea, with light-colored stools (second day), [8] . [90.] Constipated stool, at 8 P.M. (the first to-day), (first day); natural stool, preceded by dull pains in the umbilicus (seventh day); stool at 4 A.M., inclined to be loose, with pain and rumbling in the bowels (ninth day); not stool (tenth day), [6] .

Natural stool (first day); rather soft stool (second day); dry, lumpy stool (third day); black, dry, lumpy stool (fifth day), [5] . Bowels constipated this morning, a very unusual thing for me (third day); bowels have been constipated all the time (tenth day), [12] .

Great desire to urinate, the urine being of a lighter color than usual, [10] .

Flow of urine increased (fourth day), [7] .

Urine very red and scanty, diminished one-half (third day); urine diminished greatly to-day and high-colored (fifth day); urine increased (sixth day); increased and very clear (seventh day), [5] . Urinated 30 ounces, acid (sixth day); urinated 24 ounces; acids have no effect upon it (seventh day); 23 ounces (eighth day); 26 ounces, high-colored (ninth day); 30 ounces, acid, high-colored (tenth day); 28 ounces, high-colored (eleventh day), [6] .

At 4 o'clock, erections while reading, with frontal headache, [8] . [100.] Frequent erections during the day and night, [10] .

Relaxed state of the sexual organs, with a slimy taste in the mouth for a week (after seven days); sexual desire was depressed during the whole experiment, [6] . Scrotum greatly relaxed, with a cold sweat upon it, in the morning (seventh and ninth days); still profound prostration of the sexual system, with the organs greatly relaxed (eleventh day); scrotum still greatly relaxed; sexual desire perfectly prostrated (fifteenth day); this prostration of the sexual system lasted a month after ceasing the proving, [6] .

With the pains in the bowels, constant severe pains in the testicles, more in the right one (after eight hours); 12 M., constant, severe, dull, aching pains in the testicles, sometimes the pains would be of a sharp neuralgic character; 5 P.M., my right testicle has constantly pained me nearly all day, the pain is of a dull, aching character, at times the distress would be in both testicles; 9 P.M., the dull, aching distress in my testicles has not ceased a moment, this evening (sixth day); 11 A.M., every few minutes have had severe pains in the testicles, lasting about five minutes at a time; the pains produced a faintish feeling; three times had hard paroxysms of pain in the testicles, this evening (seventh day); 5 P.M., have had spells of hard pains in the testicles; 9 P.M., slight pains in the testicles (eighth day), [6] .

(*During these four months it produced a constant aching distress in the womb, referred by the patient to the mouth of the womb), [2] .

Respiratory Organs.

Raise a little mucus, of a thick, sticky nature, at nearly every cough (third day), [12] . Hacking, rough, and painful cough (fourth day), [12] .

10 P.M., have had a cough, with thick mucous expectoration, all day, but am getting better of the cold (fourth day), [12] . A very little cough and expectoration (fifth day), [12] .

Feeling of oppression in the chest, along the median line, [10] . [110.]

In the evening the lungs were sore on coughing (third day), [12] . Heat and pressure in the chest (third day), [11] .

For the last hour have had a constant aching, burning distress under and in the sternum, appears to be in the sternum and also in the stomach, accompanied with fine neuralgic pains in the same region; this is a prominent symptom (third day), [3] .

A sharp tearing pain in left side, commencing at the top of the chest and passing down to the sixth or seventh rib, increased by breathing; was present for several minutes; it was rather spasmodic, and occurred about 3 P.M., while standing and reading (fourth day), [13] . Awoke about 3 A.M. with a dull drawing pain in the left inframammary region, which disappeared on turning on the back from the right side (second day), [12] . Slight pain in left infraclavicular region, just before rising, this morning; passed off soon (second day); pain in left infraclavicular region (third day), [13] .

Sudden flying pain from the heart to the stomach that arrested breathing, lasted but a moment (probably myalgic), (after four hours), [6] .

Pain in the back, which extends to the extreme point of the spine. Dull backache (eighth day), [6] .

Dull pains in the small of the back (sixth day), [6] . [120.] Dull pain in the lumbar region (sixth day), [6] .

Frequent rheumatic symptoms in the arms, fingers, and legs all day; these rheumatic symptoms lasted a week (after four days), [3] .

Constant severe drawing pains in the joints of the fingers, with dull pains in the epigastrium (third day), [3] .

At noon to-day, after walking a mile or so, my hands and whole body trembled slightly. I was not fatigued. This passed off in a few minutes (third day), [12] . In the morning rose with a tired feeling (second day); awoke early and felt tired, yet could not rest (third day), [7] .

For last three days have felt dull, as if I had not slept enough (tenth day), [12] .

Very languid (third day); languid (fifth day), [5] . Very languid all day (fourth day); very languid for a number of days after the proving, [4] . Very languid (sixth day); called up at 4 A.M., feeling excessively languid; great languor at 2 P.M. (seventh day), [6] .

Have had a number of faint spells, commencing in the epigastrium, with small pains in the hypochondrium and bowels (seventh day), [6] .

At 11 A.M., felt very much as if I was going to faint; felt oppressed for want of fresh air; this soon disappeared; was in the lecture-room, which was warm (second day), [12] .

Symptoms of a slight cold (after two days), [9] . [140.]

Felt quite well today, though not so bright as usual (fifth day), [12] .

No symptoms to speak of the first two days, or rather my health was better, [9] .

On the skin it spent most of its power; the scalp and chest were most affected, but the skin of the whole body was more or less involved; the great centre of action was on the scalp; the whole scalp became one filthy mass of inflammation, two-thirds of the hair came out, and what was left was completely matted together; a watery serum kept constantly oozing from the scalp so great as to keep the hair wet all the time; the patient now cut her hair very short, and she then washed it thoroughly with castile soap daily, and applied a cerate of Iris v. to the whole scalp; took internally Iris v. and Sulphur for five weeks before the scalp became well; the eruption on the body resembled the eruption of rubeola perfectly, even in coming out, it first appeared on the neck and chest, and gradually extended to the feet; at no time was the eruption vesicular, but constantly of a deep red color, and about the size of a pin's head; the chest and joints were completely covered with this fine red eruption, the body not so thickly; at night the eruption itched most violently; by rubbing any part of the body in a few minutes it would break out with the eruption; this peculiarity lasted during the whole course of the eruption; on the neck and face it came out in patches like ringworm (Herpes circinatus), but not vesicular, [2] . Two small boils on the back of the neck (fifteenth day), [6] . Dry feeling in the whole skin, with the dryness of the nostrils (third day), [3] .

Skin dry and hot (fourth day); skin feeling dry (fifth day), [4] .

The whole skin feels congested (sixth day), [6] . Whole skin felt dry, as if I had taken cold (second night), [3] .

Restless all night (second night), [3] .

Restless at night, with fever, [10] . [150.]

Night restless and had troubled dreams, an unusual occurrence with me (first night); sleep restless and dreamed considerable (second night); dreams when lying down in the daytime and at night (third day); difficulty in getting to sleep, and when I did unpleasant dreams haunted me continually (fourth night); have dreamed every night since taking the medicine, something unusual for me (fourteenth day), [11] . Sleep troubled; tossed about much in bed, and had gloomy and disappointing dreams (first night); troubled dreams, with great restlessness (not natural) and internal heat (second night); in the morning awoke early and felt tired, yet could not rest (third day); restless sleep, full of gloomy dreams (third night); rested nearly as well as usual, though somewhat restless yet (fourth night), [7] .

Sexual dream, but no emission (first night); had a restless night; sexual dream, no emission (second night); sexual dream, no emission (fourth night); sexual dream (fifth night), [5] .

Heat over the entire body, at night; I threw off the bed-clothes during sleep, and on waking found myself exceedingly warm, [10] .

Internal heat, especially in the eyes, which are inflamed and sensitive to light, and the eyeball is sore to touch (second day), [7] . Towards the middle of the day was seized with great internal heat (pulse normal) over the whole body, but especially in the eyes; in the afternoon, internal heat gone; at night, internal heat; this feeling of general heat seems to come and go at short intervals (two to four hours), (second day), [7] . General internal heat (third day); attacks of internal heat and vertigo, for twelve days, [7] . [160.] Skin feeling hot and dry (third day), [4] , [5] .

Burning sensation of the face and scalp (third day), [4] .