Arnica Montana

Leopard's bane. Compositce.

A widely spread plant growing on the high mountain plains of Ger- many. One of the oldest popular drugs, called in the German Wohlverleih, which means bestowing well-being, having nothing to do with wolves, as our learned French colleague supposed ; it is also called Fallkraut, meaning the herb useful after a fall. Two hundred years ago Fehr called it panacea lapsorum.

One of the first provings of Hahnemann was made with the Arnica root. (Fragmenta de viribus medicamentorum positivis sine in sano corpore humano observatis, 1805, pp. 17-24) containing 117 symptoms of Hahnemann's own observation ; quotations, 33 ; one of the most wonderful results of his exploration, and all from the root.

In the first volume of his Materia Medica Pura, 1811, pp. 236-248, his own symptoms increased to 175 ; quotations from old books, never considered of any importance to real homoeopathic practitioners, to 55.

In the second edition, 1822, pp. 471-503, Hahnemann's symptoms had in- creased to 278, all from the root, and he was able to add provings by his students. He examined each prover with the utmost care and scrupu- lousness, and the symptoms had increased to 314.

In the third edition, 1830, soon after, there were in all 638, only 46 ad- ditions.

A great many reports of so-called poisonings have been given in the journals. It is very probable that all these were the result of tincture made from the flowers, containing the arnica fly. Before the bud opens, an in- VOL. II. — 1. (1)

ARNICA MONTANA. 2

sect, Atherix maculatus Meignen, lays its eggs into the torus, or receptacle. The worms coming therefrom live on the seed, which does not prevent the development of the flower, but the ripening of seed. Nearly all flowers in the shops contain eggs, worms, or the excrements and other remains of the worms, or the pupas; and all this acts similarly to Cantharides.

Following the example of Hahnemann, we ought to use nothing but the root.

It would be of great importance to have this insect, or its eggs or pupas proved, to enable us to separate the symptoms of the flower from those of the insect. All tinctures made from the flowers are very uncertain pre- parations and not to be trusted.

^ Mind. Stupefaction, loss of sight and liearing. d Concussion of brain. I Comatose, soporous, stupid states. ^Typhus. I Lies as if dead, d Concussion of brain ; apoplexy, etc.

I Coma, insensibility. ^Congestive chills, meningitis, etc.

I I Stupor with involuntary discharge of feces. ^Typhus.

I I Loss of consciousness, d Angina pectoris. Unconscious ; when spoken to answers correctly, but uncon- sciousness and delirium at once return.

■ Could be aroused and answer intelligently, but relapsed im-

mediately into stupor.

I I Forgetful ; what he reads quickly escapes his memory, even the word he is about speaking. 6 Typhus.

■ Absent-minded, thoughts wander from their object and dwell

on images and fancies. Mind clear like that of a clairvoyant ; quiet countenance, pale as chalk, thinks her death unavoidable.

■ Thinks rightly but uses the wrong word for a correct idea.

6 Typhus. Confusion of the head, changing to pressive right-sided head- ache.

■ Sits as if in thought, yet thinks of nothing; a sort of waking

dream. 6 Typhus. Does not think ; confused heaviness in forehead.

■ Thinking tardy, d Apoplexy. Slowness of thinking.

■ ■Says there is nothing the matter with him. d Putrid fever.

■ Muttering delirium. ^Typhus.

■ Delirium, low murmuring.

■ ■Delirium tremens.

■ Raving madness, in which the patient is conscious of his con-

dition. Excessive inclination to hard and long literary labors. Indisposed to think ; after a walk in the open air.

■ She does not speak a word; declines answering questions,

dislikes sympathy, d Typhus.

3 ARNICA MONTANA.

B Sheds tears and makes exclamations. ^ After rage.

Prays quietly for her soul.

Picks the bedclothes.

Thoughtless gaiety ; great frivolity and mischievousness.

Depression of spirits.

1 1 Hopelessness ; indifference. ^ After concussion.

■ Despondency and conviction of approaching death. ^Neu-

ralgia.

I Hypochondriacal anxiety, peevishness.

I I Fears being struck by those coming towards him; fears even the possibility of being touched. 6 Gout.

1 1 Violent attacks of anguish. ^Angina pectoris. I Horror of instant death. ^ With the cardiac distress in the night.

■ Indifference to everything, morose.

■ Naturally cheerful, kindly and genial, he became downcast,

waspish and peevish.

■ Excitable and timid. ^Paralysis.

She is extremely morose and irritable; Ishe does not speak a word.

■ Oversensitive mood, peevish, quarrelsome.

■ Excessive sensitiveness of mind. 6 Prolapsus uteri. //Naturally very sensitive, his keen sensitiveness of mind be- came greatly exaggerated.

I 1 Excessively sensitive mind ; disposition to agreeable as well as disagreeable emotions, without weakness or excessive sen- sitiveness of the body ; sometimes occurring alternately or simultaneously.

■ Susceptibility to every shock, movement or exertion, and to

reading and reflection. 6 Megrim. I Sensation of being good for nothing.

■ All occupation had to be relinquished for the time, so intense

were the sufferings, d Attacks of headache.

■ Languid. 6 Myalgia.

Inability to perform continued active work.

■ Easily frightened; unexpected trifles cause him to start.

■ State of mind most pitiable. ^Prolapsus ani.

■ Mental emotions exerted an influence in bringing on chronic

attacks of headache.

■ Every excitement of mind, which is very irritable, aggravates

all the symptoms of headache. 6 Prolapsus ani. Ailments from fright or anger.

■ Suddenly aroused by his night-bell and turning out of bed,

brought on the headache next day. d Chronic cephalalgia. * Sensorium. ■ Confusion of the head, with decided pressure in the right half of the head, especially over the right brow.

■ Dizzy with sickness at stomach, < on rising or moving; >

when lying still.

ARNICA MONTANA. 4

I Giddiness and incapacity for all exertion, with the headache.

d Prolapsus ani.

I I Vertigo when shutting eyes.

I 1 Vertigo in forehead when walking, or raising and moving the head, d Angina pectoris.

Vertigo from a too copious meal, nausea, obscuration of sight.

I Vertigo when assuming an erect position. ^Apoplexy.

I Vertigo, it is almost imperceptible when sitting and bending the head, but when righting or moving the head she feels as if everything turned with her.

I Vertigo. ^Paralysis.

Heaviness and confusion of the head.

I I Vertigo with nausea, when moving and rising ; >> lying' ^ Inner Head. Aching, darting and pressing most in forehead ; < from motion.

Aching in forehead commencing in morning, gradually extends through temples to occiput ; < afternoon.

I Dull pain in forehead ; pain in back and limbs, d Dysentery.

Pressive pain in forehead when walking, ascending stairs, re- flecting or reading.

Pains over one eye, with compression in forehead and greenish vomiting.

Pressive pain in the forehead < near the warm stove, as if the brain were rolled up in a lump.

Rapid stitches in left frontal eminence accompanied by the sen- sation as if an extravasation of blood had taken place.

Stitches in forehead.

Coldness in the forehead changing to a heat or sometimes a darting pain ; < from shocks, motion, etc.

Pressure over eyes extending to temples.

iThe fullness was followed in about an hour by a slight pain in forehead, gradually increasing, extending to temples and occiput, reaching its height toward evening, d Chronic cephalalgia.

Pressure over eyes extending toward temples, with sensation as if the integuments of the forehead were spasmodically contracted.

■ Sticking pain in temples and forehead.

Headache in the left temple returning from time to time ; fine pricking and tearing.

■ Headache as from a nail thrust into the temple, with general

sweat about 12 p.m., followed by faintness. Pressing shooting in both temples, from without inwards.

I Occasional attacks of very painful headaches, which are either

beating or pressing and in one or the other temple, d Pro- lapsus ani.

I I Pressive headache as if the head were being distended from within outward ; the pain seems to arise from something