Asaf Etida

Assafetida. Umhelliferce.

Introduced and. proved by Franz, in 1822. See Stapf s Archives, Vol. I, No. 3, p. 187 ; 326 symptoms from Hahnemann, Stapf, Gross and Gutmann. In 1829, Jorg's were added by Hartlaub (1833). In 1839 one symptom of Jahn, not of Trinks, who never has proved. In 1868, a full proving of Lembke, with the substance. Translated by Lilienthal, and published in the New York Quarterly, page 475, 1869, with remarks. The last proving of E. W. Berridge, Organon. Vol. II, is of great importance.

^ Mind. Consciousness unaffected. 6 Chorea.

Fits of joy with bursts of laughter, d Hysteria.

Excitement of mind. See 29.

Unsteady and fickl©, cannot persevere in anything ; wants now

one thing, then another ; walks hither and thither. Anxious sadness and apprehensions of dying. Apprehension seemingly arising from the abdomen. Apprehension. See 29. With the heart symptoms, fear of death. Fears paralysis or softening of brain. Dislike for solitude. Constant change of mind; fits of grief, of joy ; laughter or

anxious sadness. Depression. Fits of low spirits with heart symptoms ; low-spirited between

the heart attacks. Ill-humor, irritable mood, and yet indifferent to everything. I Ill-humor, irritable mood, dislike to work, d Caries of the

Hypochondriac and hysteric restlessness and anxiety. If he thinks of having taken the drug, it brings on the faint-

ness. ^ Scnsorium.. ' l Very sensitive and excitable ; all perception of

or evening ; sitting bent forward ; after going to bed ; better

sitting up. Vertigo with violent pressing in the head, vanishing of sight in

evening and afterwards cold sweat on forehead and limbs ;

colic ; flatulence ; portal congestion.

183 ASAFCETIDA.

sides of head. Jerking through the head.

ASAFCETIDA. 184

* Sight and Eyes. Dimness of sight ; letters become darker on

Sight worn from reading or writing. I Boring pain above the eyebrows; burning, especially at night.

as if overcome with sleep.

■ Burning in eyeballs ; in the left as from within outward.

I Sharp pain extending through the eye into the head, upon

touching. BiNocturnal, throbbing pains in and around the eye and head.

6 Syphilitic iritis, abuse of mercury.

■ Deep seated inflammation of the eyeball, attended by ciliary

pains. 6 Iritis, kerato-iritis, irido-choroiditis and retinitis, especially if of syphilitic origin. llExtensive superficial ulceration of the cornea, with burning, sticking or pressing pains, from within outwards ; rest and « pressure relieve ; also better in the open air ; the numbness

around the eye. Itching in the right eye.

■ Periodic burning in the eyes and pressing together of the lids,

■ Otorrhoea with off"ensive discharge and diseased bones.

^ Smell and Nose. IB Offensive discharge from the nose; stench

from the nose. 6 After mercury or in scrofula. Unpainful tension over the bones of the nose, with feeling of

numbness. Swelling and inflammation aff"ecting the bones, with a feeling

as if nose would burst. Pressure in the nose, especially the right wing, as if it would

burst. Feeling as if nose were stopped up high up, so that he cannot

breathe through it, with fullness of head, when riding in a

carriage. Fluent coryza.

■ I Discharge of very offensive matter from the nose ; with caries,

of the bones, d Ozsena.

185 ASAF(ETIDA.

I Numbness of the bones of the face ; painless tension in various

places. ® Lower Part of Face. Drawing pains in caries of lower max- illa, with salivation; after abuse of mercury.

I I Swelling of lower lip.

■ Speech unintelligible; tongue white, swollen. ^Chorea.

^^ Inner Mouth. Sensation of dryness in mouth and throat, even

when moist, without thirst. Saliva predominantly decreased, except in mercurial caries,

when acrid salivation exists. Burning in the mouth.

I Constantly chewing and working frothy slime out of mouth,

I I Sensation of a ball rising in throat, causes difficulty in breathing. 6 Hysteria.

Hysterical spasms affecting the oesophagus.

I In the evening a hysterical rising in the throat, as of a ball or large body ascended from the stomach to the oesophagus, or even pharynx, obliging him repeatedly to attempt to swallow it. 6 Globus hystericus.

■ Dryness and burning in oesophagus.

" Appetite, Thirst, Desires, Aversions. Ravenous hunger, with pain in upper abdomen, as from a cold, and as if diar- rhoea would set in.

Hunger with desire for strong, cooling food.

Desire for wine.

■ Great disgust for all food, d Chorea. Beer tastes slimy, aversion to it.

ASAFCETIDA. 186

^° Eating and Drinking, l Great dejection with epigastric pres- sure after eating ; hypochondriacal. I After eating: heat in face, with anguish; pressure in stom- ach ; stitches about lower ribs ; tension in abdomen ; wind- ing and twisting in bowels ; great difficulty in breathing ; febrile state.

■ After drinking: diarrhoea; heaviness and cold feeling in the

intestines. After meals flatulent distension of abdomen.

I After eating anything sour griping pains in region of navel.

6 Chorea. ^^ Nausea and Vomiting, l a Eructations : smelling like garlic ; tasting rancid, sharp, or putrid ; smelling like feces ; tasting like carrion.

I I Flatus passing upwards, none down.

I Hiccough -like contractions of the diaphragm. 6 Chorea.

^^ Scrobiculum and Stomach. » Pressing, cutting, stitching pain in spells, not regular ; full of wind ; pressing upwards (never down) ; gulping up rancid fluid ; constipation. 0 Gas- tralgia. B Dyspepsia, with much pulsation in pit of stomach.

■ Pulsation in pit of stomach, perceptible to sight and touch. Sensation of fullness in stomach.

I" Gone," empty feeling in pit of stomach, not a pain, but " it hurts there;" pulsations after eating; worse at about 11 o'clock A.M.; faint feeling. ^Hysteria.

Cardialgia.

SMeteorism of stomach when feeling of tension is great and eructating is difficult.

Increased warmth and aching in the stomach, toward the left side, not all on the right, but more up into the oesophagus, like the globus hystericus. ^® Hypochondria. In the morning sensation in epigastric region and in whole abdomen, as if it were beaten, with sense of fullness in the former, and eructations.

Stitches in right hypochondrium, towards the diaphragm.

Pressure from the interior of the liver to the chest, after din- ner, with labored breathing and violent pulsations.

Violent pressure in the scrobiculum, towards the liver, while sitting.

Stitches as if in the diaphragm, r. side.

I I Heat in spleen and abdomen.

Griping (into a ball) pain below the navel when standing. Intermittent griping in upper abdomen.

187 ASAFCETIDA.

Pain in upper abdomen, as from taking cold, and as if diarrhoea would ensue, with a kind of ravenous hunger.

Bellyache, as if the intestines were torn or cut ; places in the side sore, as if raw, with it feeling as of something rising from chest to throat ; pressure relieves.

Gripings, with flatulence.

I Wind colic, with abdominal pulsations; very painful disten-

sion of abdomen, rumbling ; relieved by passing wind.

Pinching colic and escape of wind.

Flatulent colic and diarrhoea ; distension of abdomen.

■ Abdomen soft, distended. ^Chorea.

I I Watery, liquid stools of the most disgusting smell; pains in the abdomen and discharge of fetid flatus.

1 1 Watery stools of disgusting odor; discharge profuse and greenish.

I Blackish-brown, papescent, off'ensive stools, which relieve.

Stool profuse, thick, papescent, brown, and very oifensive.

Only slime passes, no fgeces.

Obstinate constipation, with abdominal and hemorrhoidal cramps, with tenesmus and distended abdomen.

I Pain in the perineum, as from something dull pressing out. ^^ Urinary Organs. Soreness in the kidneys.

I! Urine warm and of a pungent, ammoniacal smell.

Spasm in the bladder during and after urination. ^^ Male Sexual Organs. Genitals irritated.

Faintness is worse after seminal emissions.

Urging towards the genitals ; aching of the testicles, worse from touch and after motion.

Needle-like stitches on the penis.

Drawing in the glans, more during the afternoon.

Outward pressure in the perineum. ^^ Female Sexual Organs. OExcited sexual desire, ^Nympho- mania in a plethoric woman.

■ Bearing down in genitals, worse when riding in a carriage.

I Uterine ulcer, sensitive and painful, with ofi"ensive discharge. I Menses too early, too scanty, and last but a short time. 1 Labor-like pains in the uterine region, with cutting and bear- ing down. iLeucorrhoea profuse, greenish, thin and ofi"ensive.

■ Swelling and inflammation of genitals.

ASAFCETIDA. 188

■ Ten days after delivery milk diminished; the 14th day only

a few drops could be squeezed out with difficulty ; after 5 drops of tincture, copious milk, but offensive to the child ; 3d cen- tesimal answered as well.

■ Milk had disappeared within three weeks of her delivery; six

confinements. 2^ Voice and Larynx. Voice weaker, hoarse, changed, some- times cough.

I Spasm of the glottis, alternating with contraction of the fin-

breathing. Asthmatic complaints of scrofulous persons.

I I Asthmatic feeling in the trachea, dry cough; spasmodic dyspnoea as if the lungs could not be sufficiently expanded.

■ Oppression of the chest increasing to agony, cannot breathe,

restless moving about.

■ Oppression of the chest, with hurried breathing; contracted,

small pulse; or, frequent pulse; asthma after too hearty a meal ; too great exertion.

Oppression of breathing ; pain temporarily relieved by eructa- tions.

When faint, if he breathes deeper, heart beats fuller, and faint- ness decreases ; if he holds breath heart becomes very feeble.

■ Asthmatic attacks at least one a day all her life, brought on

by every bodily exertion, coition, especially by every satis- fying meal.

Frequent breathing, rattling ; restless tossing before attack, anxious with it.

Sitting up relieves suffocative feeling. 2^ Cough. ■Obstinate, titillating cough, < at night with grown persons.

Cough predominantly dry ; expectoration infrequent, during day.

Irritation to dry cough ; attacks at night.

Cough on gaping.

I 1 Whooping-cough, even of sucklings, sounding like croup ;

189 ASAFOETIDA.

Cough, Avith accumulation of stringy mucus in the trachea. ^^ Inner Chest and Lungs. Pressure on the sternum, when stooping, writing ; going off by deep breathing.

■ Pressure and burning under the sternum ; frequent disposition

to cough.

Pressure on the chest, with a constriction in the throat.

■ Oppressive aching feeling in the chest; better from expector-

ating mucus. I Pressive pain in the right side of chest, from within outward.

■ Pressure in the left intercostal muscles, from within outward,

which is Avorse during inspiration and expectoration.

■ Stitches in chest from within outwards. ^Whooping cough.

■ Burning in chest, runs through both arms and through lower

limbs down into the toes.

■ Single violent stitches from within outwards, at short inter-

respiration normal. Spasmodic contractions of chest, with slow, small, contracted,

irregular pulse. Throbbing in the chest.

■ Dropsy of chest; relieved the oppression in 6, 12, or 36

■ Palpitation, with faintness, rush of blood to head, flushing of

face, anxiety and slow breathing, from excitement, d Irri- table heart. Violent palpitation of heart and excitement of mind.

■ Acute rheumatic heart disease, with tightness across the chest.

beat ; afterwards only on exertion or walking.

ASAFCETIDA. 190

Congestion towards the heart ; feeling of fullness ; small pulse ;

followed by loose stool. I Slight palpitation of the heart, more like a tremor, several

times when sitting. llNervous palpitation, with small pulse; from overexertion or

suppression of discharges (in women).

■ Pressure in region of heart, as if the heart was too full and

expanded ; pulse small.

Feeling as if the heart would burst ; quick breathing and ap- prehension ; has to walk in the open air.

Feeling as if heart were swollen, preventing a deep inspiration.

Palpitation like a tremor while sitting.

The beating of the heart small, quick, irregular.

Heart sometimes beats very feebly.

Sometimes heart beats short and quick, at other times he feels as if there was no action of it.

Heart's action is quickened by a deep inspiration.

At night, when lying on back, palpitation and suffocative feel- ing, as if heart would burst, he must sit up, which relieves him.

Heart symptoms and faintness worse after seminal emission.

■ Pulse small, spasmodically contracted, rather quick, d Chorea. I I Small, infrequent pulse, with violent action of the heart and

no disturbance of respiration indicating nervous weakness of the organ. iPulse small, rapid, irregular. See 28.

■ Pulse accelerated, but unequal, small. ^Asthma, congestion

to heart, etc. ^^ Outer Chest. Sensation as if one pressed very sharply with

the point of the finger on the xiphoid cartilage ; also when swallowing. ^^ Neck and Back. iFine, burning stitches in and behind the right scapula, extending towards the ribs.

Drawitig downwards, in left side of neck, on motion.

Stitches in muscles of back.

Dull pains, or drawing and cutting below scapulae.

Burning along vertebrae, to the left.

Aching inwardly, along last dorsal and first lumbar vertebrae.

Boring sticking in 1. loin, from within outward, going off dur- ing an inspiration.

Lancinations from r. loin towards ribs.

Sticking, with pressure in region of r. ribs towards the spine.

I Cannot work on account of the backache.

Stitches along the sacrum down to the anus.

Pain in sacrum while sitting.

Crawls run over the back, in the afternoon. ^^ Upper Limbs. Twitching in left upper arm-joint, extending in- ward.

191 ASAF(ETIDA.

Fine stitch in the elbows.

Quivering in shoulder-joint ; in deltoid muscle. Stitches and jerking in upper arm.

Drawing pain along the upper arm down to elbow, a fine stitch in elbow.

■ Child always missed laying hold of anything she wished.

d Chorea.

Frequent muscular jactitation in arms and hands.

Tearing in forearm down to tips of fingers.

When moving fingers, pain in forearm.

Tearing stitches followed by burning in right forearm.

Scraping sensation on styloid process of ulna.

Cramp-like, sensitive twitching in metacarpal bone of left thumb.

I I Whitlow, violent nightly pains, threatened necrosis.

Pain as if beaten in the bones of the wrist.

lAching, drawing in wrist-joints. ^Syphilis. ^^ Lower Limbs. I Carious ulcer on the tibia, extremely sore around, discharge offensive; skin adheres to the bone.

Muscular twitching in legs and feet.

I Child, get. 9, could not walk, d Chorea.

Caries of tibia.

The apparently healthy portion of the tibia lying beneath the peculiar carious ulcer became again sensitive and painful to the slightest touch, or even the approach of the finger, so also to the removal of the charpie, and at night almost un- endurable.

■ Swelling around the ankle-joint, cannot use the foot. Burning in the roots of the toe nails, prevents sleep.

■ Psoitis if suppuration seems impending; also if pelvic bones

are involved. Lassitude of the lower limbs.

ground.

■ Pain as if a splinter of bone was sticking in the right fibula,

just above outer malleolus, d After a sprain.

■ Cold swelling around the ankles.

■ A sensitive throbbing in the left great toe from time to time. Stitches and pulsation in the big toe.

■ Painful throbbing in the tip of the great toe. Heat in the toes.

^* Limbs in General. ■Constant convulsive tremor of limbs, could be relieved by the hands of another person, d Chorea.

■ Twitching of muscles of arms and legs.

ASAFCETIDA. 192

I Pains mostly on flexor sides of limbs. Pains in inside of joints and limbs.

< in bed. Sitting up : tension in head > ; pressure in scrobiculum < ;

Hypersensitiveness; when nervous system predominates over

the arterial.

I I Hysteria, with much trouble about throat or oesophagus ; well marked globus hystericus ; spasm of the lungs, etc.

Hysteria, hysteralgia; hypersensitiveness; every excitement that brings on an attack causes globus hystericus.

■ Twitching and jerking of muscles.

1 1 Nervous affections after suppressed discharges.

■ Epileptiform convulsions caused by worms. I Chorea.

Fainting with the colic.

I I Clumsiness of the body ; feeling of rigor.

Feeling of general heaviness ; weak when standing or lying ; dry mouth.

At times slight inclination to faint, accompanied by great ap- prehension.

Faintness, with quick pulse.

Attacks of faintness, followed by fluttering of heart.

Attacks of faintness, with anxiety, as if he would die, and with one attack desire for suicide.

With one attack of faintness there was shaking of limbs and as if the bowels shook.

With the faintness, shivering and very feeble action of heart.

Faintness on beginning to eat, especially at dinner, with full and frequent beating of heart.

193 ASAFCETIDA.

With the faintness, alternate heat and chill ; sweat on small of

■ Sleeplessness after midnight. [Oonium before midnight). I 1 About midnight violent pains through left half of body, from

top to toe.

I Pain in the ulcer at night, almost unendurable.

Woke in night with distension of stomach, pain across chest and feeble heart.

Worse in bed and after sleep ; better after getting out of bed. ^^ Time. Morning : abdomen feels beaten ; fullness and eructa- tions; tearings in joints; chest oppressed.

8.30 to 9 A.M. : chills, with heat efface.

II A.M. : faint feeling < ; goneness in stomach. During day : expectoration worse.

Afternoon : tension in head < ; drawing in glans penis ;

cough ; shivering over back ; heat in toes. Betvfeen 3 and 4 p.m. : coldness and trembling, with stitches

in head. Evening : vanishing of sight ; headache < ; hysteria ; pains

'' Temperature and Weather. In the room : all headaches

worse.

Open air : headache > ; eye > ; heart > ; desires to be in open air.

Could not remain in-doors, must walk about in the open air.

In warm feather beds : lower limbs ache more. *" Fever. Chills run over the body from time to time.

Sense of rigor.

Crawls run over the back, in the afternoon.

Chill, coldness and dryness of the skin.

Every day, between 3 and 4 p.m., coldness and trembling, with unbearable stitches in the head.

One-sided heat.

Heat in the toes ; afternoon.

With heat of the face ; cold hands and feet, and chills of the back from 8.30 to 9 a.m.

With the faintness sweat on small of back, hot and cold alter- nately and trembling.

Want of thirst, particularly heat without thirst.

VOL. II. — 13.

ASAFGETIDA. 194

Heat in the face, after dinner, with anxiety and sleepiness ;

Crushing pain regularly worse from evening till 2 A.M. 6 Neu- ralgia after amputation. Every day between 3 and 4 p.m. : coldness and trembling, with

unbearable stitches in head. ^^ Locality and Direction. Right : pain in parietal ; itching in

eye ; pressure in wing of nose ; stitches in hypochondriura ;

stitches in diaphragm ; pain side of chest ; stitches behind

scapula ; pain in fibula. Left : pain and tension in head ; sudden pain in temple ; bleed- ing from nostril ; pressure in orbit ; corner of mouth puffed ;

pressure in intercostal muscles ; shooting below nipple ;

drawing side of neck ; burning along vertebrae ; twitching

upper arm-joint; cramp-like twitching in thumb ; throbbing

in intercostal muscles. Below upwards : oesophagus seeming drawn upward ; darting

stitches in chest ; globus hystericus ; flatus passes ; pressure

195 ASAF(ETIDA.

Winding and twisting in bowels.

As if peristaltic motion were reversed.

Griping: in region of navel.

Labor-like pain :. in uterus.

As if the heart would burst.

Flying stitches : in forehead, temples and sides of head.

Stitches : under 1. frontal eminence ; in eyes ; darting from

chest to oesophagus ; about lower ribs ; in stomach ; in r.

hypochondrium ; in diaphragm ; on the penis ; in chest ; in

frontal eminence ; external border of 1. orbit ; in eyes ; in

nose ; on chin ; in epigastrium ; in stomach ; from liver to

chest ; in abdomen ; in perineum ; in sternum ; in region of

joints and limbs ; in ulcers. Tension : in head ; of the brain ; over nasal bones ; in various

places in face ; in abdomen. Throbbing : in head ; in and around eye ; in pit of stomach ;

Numbness : over nasal bones ; of bones of face ; on chin. Heat : of the face ; increased warmth in stomach ; in spleen ;

ASAFCETIDA. ' 196

Arthritic and cold swellings.

■ Venous pulsations ; congestion of the portal vein ; congestive

fullness about the heart and chest, with asthma; heat efface and ears, after eating; pressure on the chest, etc., copious discharges; all signs of fullness of the venous system. I I Dropsy, ascites, from abdominal venous stasis.

■ Obesity; seldom of use in bone diseases unless the body is

heavy, bloated. I I Scraping sensation on the bones ; whole body puffed.

■ Caries in the scrofulous, and after abuse of mercury.

■ Glands hard, swollen, hot and throbbing, with shooting, jerk-

ing pains ; scrofulous complaints. Neuralgia of the stump, after amputation of thigh.

■ Osteitis, caries, bluish redness and swelling of the parts. Ulcers, with bluish edges, hard, painful to the slightest touch ;

thin, very offensive pus. Interstitial distension of bones.

■ Soft enlargement of bones, also curvature. Softening of bones.

I I Nightly bone pains in syphilis. Painful osteitis.

■ Bones threatened by syphilis. ^Iritis.

■ Caries of bones ; adhesion of skin in caries.

■ Scrofulous caries of bones, even necrosis.

■ Ulcers with fetid, ichorous, bloody, serous pus; with bluish,

partly raised edges, painful to the slightest touch.

■ Ulcers deep, flat, fistulous, affecting the bone.

Pressure : eye > ; colic improved

Most extreme sensitiveness in the vicinity of the carious ulcer of the tibia, of the superficial skin-sores, and also of the ul- cer itself; the patient cries out if the finger touched a place distant from the ulcer ; removal of charpie causes most se- vere pain.

Better from rubbing.

Scratching : itching better.

Riding in carriage : fullness in head < ; drawing side of neck ■< ; bearing down in genitals worse.

Injuries suppurate.

Cold gangrene.

Wounds appear bright red, raw, covered with crust of tenacious lymph.

After amputation : neuralgia of stump.

Ulceration from burns or scalds, or other causes, with great sensitiveness to suffering; child screams on seeing dressings

197 ASAF(ETIDA.

prepared, dreads and shrinks from the approach of any one likely to touch the sore. *® Skin. Dark red, hot swellings.

Itching, pricking, burning of the skin ; itching >> by

scratching. Skin puffed up, inflamed.

■ Sphacelus.

Flat eruptions, painful.

I Ulcers with extreme sensitiveness ; patient flinches from even the softest dressing ; or from the near approach of any one.

I Ulcers with high, hard, bluish edges, sensitive to touch, easily bleeding; pus profuse, greenish, thin, off"ensive, even ichor- ous. See 44.

■ Shooting pain around the ulcer.

■ Ulcers grow black.

I I Old scars break open and turn black.

■ Phlegmatic temperament.

I I Scrofulous, bloated, clumsy children. See 44.

■ Venous, hemorrhoidal constitutions. See 44.

■ ■Nervous people. See 36.

Very weak or delicate persons suffering from very great sensi- tiveness.

■ Syphilitic patients who have taken much mercury.

■ Girl, get. 9, chorea.

■ Woman, set. 21, in the sixth week after first confinement not

milk enough, after the third could nurse full nine months.

■ A multipara, set. 34 ; milk had disappeared tenth day in seven

confinements. *^ Relationship. Antidotes to Asaf. : tPulsat., I 1 Caustic, I I Camplior., I 1 Cinchon., iMercur., I I Valer.

Useful in ailments from \Pulsat., or from abuse of iMercur. in syphilis, and from effects of alcoholism.

Family relations : Ammon., Cicut., Conium, etc.

Frequently indicated after Pulsat. and Thuya.

ASARUM EUKOPAE0M. 198