Polyporus Officinalis

[This includes the first proving by Dr. Burt, published in this work under Boletus .]

Polyporus officinalis, Fries.

Natural order , Fungi.

Common names , Larch agaric.

Preparation , Tincture of the fresh plant.

Authorities. 1 , Dr. Burt, Am. Hom. Obs., 1868, p. 116, took 25 grains of 3d dec. trit., at 10 A.M. and 9 P.M.

(first day); 20 grains, crude, 10 A.M. (second day); 30 grains (third day); 40 grains (fourth day); 32 grains (fifth day); 50 grains (sixth day); 1 a , same, second proving, continued four days, the first day took 115 grains; 2 , F. A. Lord, Am.

Hom. Obs., 1868, p. 60, repeated dose of 1st dec. trit., for five days; doses, 1 to 20 grains; 2 a , same, one dose of 40 grains, 1st dec. trit.; 2 b , same, took crude, 10 grains, at 6 and 9 P.M., first day, at noon second day; morning, 20 grains, at noon fifth day; 40 grains, sixth day; 2 c , same, one dose of 20 grains, crude; 2 d , same, 40 grains, crude; 3 , R. C. Smedley, took 3d dec. trit. for three days, 5 to 100-grain doses, then 1st dec. trit. for two days, 80 and 100-grain doses, then crude, 20 to 50-grain doses for two days; 4 , J.

B. Wood, took 1st trit. for six days, 1 to 100-grain doses; 4 a , same, subsequently took crude, 5 to 20-grain doses; 5 , E. Cooley, took crude, 10 to 25-grain doses; 6 , E. Miller, took 1st trit. 50 grains, first and second days; 25 grains, third day; 60 drops, 1st dil., fourth day; 100 drops of tincture, sixth day.

*Mind gloomy and desponding (second day), [5] , [6] . *Gloomy and desponding, and even morose (ninth day), [6] . *Very sad and gloomy , [1a] .

Low-spirited and irritable (sixth day), [2b] .

Very dull and depressed all day, [2d] .

Feel dull and indisposed to exertion (seventh day); for five days succeeding this I had not my usual appetite or spirits; suffered from a general feeling of not being quite well, but without any special describable pains or symptoms; it was precisely the feeling of one who is said to be bilious, [2b] .

My head is feeling very light and hollow, with deep frontal headache, in the morning (sixth day), [1] . Head feeling light (seventh day), [1] .

*Light dizzy feeling in the head (third day), [6] . [10.] Slight feeling of fulness in the head (sixth day), [2b] . Awoke with a dull pain in the head, which continued all day; thought it might be due to a glass of ale drank the evening before (third day), awoke with a dull pain in the head, with sensation of soreness in the brain, increased by stooping or shaking the head; this headache is precisely similar to that experienced on the third, which I attributed to the glass of ale; I now believe that the pain at that time was caused by the Polyporus (seventh day), [2b] .

*Dull headache (third day), [4a] .

Dull feeling in head (tenth day), [3] .

*Dull aching pain in the head (after ten hours, sixth day), [6] .

Severe headache, aggravated by motion (after seven hours, third day), [6] .

Pain in the head, jaws, and teeth (fifth day), [6] . Head ached severely all night (third night), [1] .

*Headache, qualmishness , relieved by eructations (third day), [4a] .

Most of the head symptoms greatly aggravated (after four hours, fourth day), [5] . [20.] Severe semilateral headache (ninth day), [5] .

Forehead. *Dull frontal headache , lasting all day (after half an hour), [1] .

Continued dulness of the forehead, with slight aching (first day), [4a] .

Dull, heavy pain in the forehead, worse on motion (second night), [6] .

Heaviness of the forehead (fourth day), [4a] .

At 8 A.M., violent frontal headache; very much aggravated by walking; head feels light and hollow (fourth day), [1] . [30.]

Hard frontal headache (fifth day), [1] .

Violent frontal headache, with an extremely light, hollow feeling of the head; the headache is greatly aggravated by walking (sixth day), [1] .

Deep frontal headache for the last forty-eight hours (seventh day), [6] .

Tightness across the forehead, with dull headache (fifth day), [4] .

Momentary twinge over the left eyebrow (sixth day), [2b] . Temples.

Dull pains through temples (second day), [3] .

Dull heavy pains through temples and in forehead (ninth day), [3] .

Aching soreness through temples (seventh day), [3] . [40.] Lacerating pain in the right temple, at 9.40 P.M., [2c] . Neuralgic pain in the temples (second day), [5] .

Neuralgic pains in the temples, face, and teeth, lasting four hours (fourth day), [5] . Some pain in the temples (ninth day), [5] .

Frequent neuralgic pains in the temples (second day), [6] .

Frequent cutting pain in the temples (after ten hours), [6] . Severe pain in the left temple, of a neuralgic character (third day), [6] .

A little soreness in the occipital region followed the shooting pain up the back (third day), [2] .

Eye. [50.]

Eyeballs ache severely (sixth day), [1] .

Deep drawing pain in the eyeballs (second day), [5] .

Face of a bluish color (fourth day), [5] .

Pain in the jaws, teeth, and head (fifth day), [6] .

Teeth and Gums. Teeth feel as if they were being forced out of their sockets (fourth day), [5] .

Teeth and gums became very sore, [1a] .

*Tongue coated white (third day), [6] . *Yellow tinge of tongue (ninth day), [3] . [60.]

*Yellow coating of tongue (tenth day), [3] ; (eighth day), [6] .

*Tongue is coated thickly, yellow (sixth and seventh days), [1] .

Tongue coated light brown (fourth day), [6] .

Tongue red at the tip, and coated yellow at the base (fifth day), [1] .

Prickling in the end of the tongue, which soon passed away (after one hour), [2a] .

*Bitter taste in the mouth (sixth day), [1] ; (eighth day), [6] .

Bitter, coppery taste in the mouth (seventh day), [1] . Flat, metallic, or coppery taste (ninth day), [3] .

Constant coppery taste in the mouth, [1a] .

Slight coppery taste in the mouth and throat (after four hours, fourth day), [5] . [70.]

Flat, bitter taste in the mouth (fifth day), [1] ; (third day), [5] .

Sweet and bitter taste in the mouth (fifth day), [6] . Sweetish, nauseous taste (tenth day), [3] .

Rawness and scraping in the throat, all the afternoon and evening (sixth day), [2b] .

Feeling in the fauces as if I would vomit, but no nausea (third day), [1] .

Appetite and Thirst.

Appetite invigorated (fourth day), [3] .

At 1 P.M., poor appetite for dinner (eleventh day); slight diminution of appetite for forty-eight hours, [2c] . [80.]

*Loss of appetite , [1a] .

Desire for sour things, which have always relieved the symptoms (tenth day), [3] . *Much thirst (third day), [4a] .

Eructations and Heartburn.

Eructations (third day), [4a] . Heartburn, with acid risings (sixth day), [2b] .

Nausea and Vomiting.

Nausea (after twenty minutes, sixth day), [2b] .

Frequent spells of nausea, lasting but a moment (third day), [1] . Nausea at the stomach (after four hours), [5] .

Nausea and slight vomiting of a sour watery fluid, intensely bitter (after four hours, fourth day), [5] .

Some nausea, particularly in throat (second day); nausea at times (third day); particularly in throat and fauces (sixth day), [3] . [90.]

Felt sick at stomach (ninth day), [3] .

Qualmishness, with the loose stool (second day); qualmishness, headache, relieved by eructations (third day), [4a] .

Tonic effects, invigorated digestion (third, fourth, and fifth days), [3] .

Effects decidedly tonic (fifth day); instead of being tonic as before, its effects were now enervating (ninth day), [3] . Deep distress in the epigastrium, lasting all day, with dull pains in the right hypochondrium, and sharp pains in the epigastrium; aggravated by walking (after half an hour), [1] .

Dull, aching, burning distress in the epigastrium and whole right hypochondrium (third day), [1] .

Dull, aching distress in the epigastric and umbilical regions (third night), [1] .

Great burning distress in the region of the stomach and liver, extending down to the umbilicus, with urgent desire for stool; the same distress after a stool; at 10 A.M. it is very severe , with urgent desire for stool; continues after a stool (fourth day), [1] .

The most terrible distress between the stomach and navel, lasted all the afternoon; could not get relief in any position; accompanied by great faintness and high fever (fifth day), [1] . [100.]

Burning pain in the stomach, with dragging pain in the hypochondrium (first and second days), [6] .

Burning in the epigastrium (after four hours, sixth day), [6] . In evening, feeling as if lump in stomach (sixth day), [3] .

Coldness of stomach, followed by burning (after several hours, seventh day), [3] .

Dull aching pain in the stomach and bowels (ninth day), [5] . Pain in the epigastrium (after four hours), [5] .

Pain in stomach (after four hours, and eighth day), [5] ; (fourth day), [6] .

Pain in stomach and liver (third day), [5] .

Pain in the stomach and bowels, almost unbearable (after four hours, fourth day), [5] . Woke at midnight with hard, cutting pains in the epigastrium (second night); at 5 A.M., awoke with the same cutting pains in the epigastric region, and distress in the umbilicus, with great desire for stool (third morning), [1] .

Severe sharp cutting pains in stomach and bowels (sixth day), [3] . [110.]

During the day very sharp pains in the stomach, almost constant borborygmus (seventh day), [3] . Sharp, cutting, lancinating pains in the stomach (ninth day), [3] .

Dull, heavy, aching pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver, after the morning stool (third day), [1] .

Dull, heavy, drawing pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver, extending through to the dorsal region (third day), [1] . Heavy dragging pains in the right lobe of the liver (third night), [1] . 1 P.M., have had constant and severe aching distress in the right lobe of the liver, lower part of the epigastrium and upper part of the umbilicus (fifth day), [1] .

Distress in the right hypochondrium and umbilicus (fifth day), [1] .

Dull aching distress in the right lobe of liver and umbilicus, with great desire for stool (sixth day), [1] . [120.]

Pain in the liver and stomach (third day), [5] . Dragging pain in the hypochondrium, with burning pain in the stomach (first and second days), [6] .

Dragging in the right hypochondrium (after four hours, sixth day), [6] .

Dull aching pain in the liver (after ten hours, sixth day), [6] .

Dragging pain in the liver (sixth day), [6] .

Severe pain in the liver (sixth day), [5] .

Pain in the liver (eighth day), [5] .

Hard pain in the region of the spleen and left epigastric region (after three hours, fourth day), [6] .

Sharp pain in the spleen, liver, and bowels (third and fifth days), [6] . [130.]

Sharp pain in the region of the spleen (after four hours, sixth day), [6] .

Frequent sharp pains in the spleen (after ten hours, sixth day), [6] .

Umbilicus. Severe distress in the umbilical and hypogastric region, with great desire for stool (third day), [1] .

Slight uneasiness in subumbilical region, which gradually increased, with inclination to go to stool, having about an hour previously had my usual morning stool; during the stool which followed, a shooting pain extended upon each side of the umbilicus, towards the iliac, and then seemed to extend to the floor of the pelvis, in a ring around the rectum; these pains were not very severe, abated somewhat, but did not entirely disappear after stool (third day), [2] .

Distress in the region of the umbilicus (after six hours, second day), [6] .

Stools preceded by sharp pain in the region of the umbilicus (fifth day), [5] .

Loud borborygmus (first day), [1] .

Dull aching distress in the whole abdomen, with loud borborygmus (third day), [1] . Great rumbling in the bowels (seventh day), [1] .

Emission of flatus (ninth day), [3] . [150.]

Uneasiness of the bowels (first day), [4a] . [160.]

Slight uneasiness in the bowels after retiring (fourth night), [2] .

Twice during the day had slight pain in the bowels (general), (third day), [4] .

Sensation as if diarrhoea would come on (fifth day), [4] .

Uneasiness of the abdomen, with looseness of the bowels (sixth day), [4] .

Very sudden and severe distress in the hypogastric region, followed by papescent stools, stools very light-colored (after four hours, sixth day), [6] . [170.]

Soon after the chilliness felt a slight momentary pain in hypogastric region; in a few minutes experienced similar pains in both hypochondria (sixth day), [2b] . This morning have a dull aching pain over the whole lower abdomen (fourth day), [4] .

Uneasiness in the lower abdomen all day, as if diarrhoea would come on (fourth day), [4] .

Rectum And Anus.

Pain in the anus (third day), [5] .

Severe pain in the anus (third day), [6] .

A disposition to go to school, with some pain in the anus (after four hours), [5] .

Disposition to go to stool (third day), [5] . [180.]

Disposition to strain when at stool (fifth day), [5] .

Loose stool , at 6 A.M.; soft mushy stool, mixed with mucus, at 6 P.M., the medicine having acted as a mild cathartic in eight hours (second day); soft, mushy stool, at 5 A.M., followed by dull, heavy aching pains in the region of the right lobe of the liver; after 8 P.M., stool of a dark color, mixed with bile and mucus, followed by a dull aching distress in the dorsal region, extending up to the shoulders, on both sides (third day); at 6 A.M., very black-colored stool, mixed with bile and mucus; before the stool I voided about 1 drachm of white mucus; after 8 A.M., stool that ran a stream from the bowels, of bile, mucus, and black fecal matter, followed by burning distress in region of stomach and liver, extending down to the umbilicus; at 10 A.M., copious stool of water and black fecal matter, with great desire to strain after stool, followed by same symptoms as before; it will be seen by this experiment that 40 grains of the Polyporus, well triturated, will act as a violent hydragogue cathartic in two hours, if it is taken on an empty stomach (fourth day); in the morning, hard, black, lumpy stool, mixed with bile and mucus; at 1 P.M., soft, black, fetid, papescent stool, followed by the most terrible distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day); in the morning, dark papescent stool; mushy stool at 9 A.M., with great distress in the region of the liver and small intestines; at 6 P.M., papescent stool, followed by about one teaspoonful of blood, with severe tenesmus (sixth day); soft, mushy stool (seventh day); papescent, dark-colored stool, without pain (eighth day); my bowels have been loose every day, with from one to three stools a day, without pain; all have been of a dark color; to-day my stool in natural, and I am feeling well (thirteenth day), [1] .

Loose stool, with qualmishness (second day); at 9 A.M., at 3.30 P.M., copious fluid stool, expelled with great force, and another of the same character at 4 (third day); at loose, yellow stool, with pain afterwards, at 9 A.M.; loose stool, with pain, at 6 P.M. (fourth day); bowels loose (fifth day); loose stool, with tenesmus, at 2 and 3 P.M. (sixth day); six days have elapsed since the last dose, and my bowels have not become regular yet (ninth day), [4a] .

Slight motion of the bowels (fifth day), [4] .

Two stools, in the morning (fourth day), [6] .

Stools the first part of the day dry and lumpy, but in the evening were quite frequent, thin, watery, and very yellow (fifth day), [6] . Very light-colored, papescent stools, followed distress in hypogastric region (after four hours, sixth day), [6] . [190.]

Soft papescent stools during the last forty-eight hours (seventh day), [6] .

Copious and watery stools, accompanied with severe pains (fourth day), [5] . Stools dark, dry, and lumpy, followed with stools mixed with bile and mucus; stools mixed with blood; stools thin and yellow (fifth day), [5] .

One copious stool, at 3 P.M. (ninth day), [5] .

The stools were not so black, and all contained more or less undigested food, and were mixed with water; also a number contained something that had the appearance of oil; it was in drops, from the size of a common new cent down to small drops; the color was clear and white; was it oil or not?, [1a] .

Passage of dry, hard faeces (tenth day), [3] .

Bowels costive (ninth day), [3] ; (eight day), [6] .

Increased urination (ninth day), [3] .

Frequent passage of high-colored urine, with pain in the region of the kidneys (third day), [5] .

*Urine diminished and high-colored (sixth day), [5] . [200.] *Urine very high-colored and scanty (fifth day), [1] . Increased secretion of urine (sixth day), [3] .

Increased desire to urinate (seventh day), [3] .

Frequent desire to urinate (tenth day), [3] .

Soon after getting into bed, at 10 P.M., a sharp pain in the glans penis, very severe, [2c] .

Pain in the left lung (third day), [6] .

Sharp darting pains in the left lung, with slight suffocating feeling, causing me to rise up in bed, lasting four hours (fourth day), [5] . [210.]

Dull aching in the left lung, extending through the left shoulder-blade (ninth day), [5] . Pain in the ribs, aggravated by motion (after six hours), [6] .

Heart And Pulse.

Sharp piercing pain in the region of the heart, aggravated by motion (after six hours), [6] . *Pulse 110, full and soft (fifth day), [1] .

Pulse 90, full and wiry (ninth day), [3] .

Pulse 100, full and soft (seventh day), [6] .

Neck And Back.

Slight drawing pains in the left side of the neck, after getting into bed, at 10 P.M., [2c] .

A slight pain shot up the back of the neck, from between the shoulder-blades, followed by a little soreness of the occipital region, with disposition to throw the head back; this soon disappeared (third day), [2] .

[220.]

*Severe backache (fourth day), [6] .

Severe backache; back is very stiff; can hardly rise up after sitting down a few minutes (seventh day), [1] .

Dorsal. Rheumatic pains in the spine and limbs, lasting four hours (fourth day), [5] .

Dull aching distress in the dorsal region, extending up to the shoulders, on both sides, after a stool (third day), [1] . [230.]

Great aching distress in the dorsal and lumbar region (sixth day), [1] .

Pain and weakness in the small of the back (sixth day), [5] . Dull pain in the small of the back (sixth day), [6] .

Aching in the small of the back all day (fifth day), [4a] .

Weakness in the arms and legs, can scarcely walk or stand (sixth day), [5] .

*Severe pain in the arms and legs (sixth day), [5] .

Rheumatic pains in the limbs and spine, lasting four hours (fourth day), [5] . [240.]

Great aching distress in all the joints (fifth and sixth days), [1] .

Severe aching in all the large joints, with great lassitude (sixth day), [1] .

Rheumatic pains in all the joints (third day), [6] . Severe pain in all the joints of the extremities (third day), [6] . 5 P.M., have had since noon severe pains in all the joints of the upper and lower extremities (seventh day), [6] .

All the symptoms began to subside except the rheumatic pains in the limbs and joints, they being almost unbearable (eighth day); rheumatic pains still continue (ninth day); pains still continue, but are light in comparison to what they were on the ninth day (twentieth day), [6] .

While riding in the country I felt a sharp pain, for about a minute, exactly where the pulse is in the right wrist, and seeming to extend along the course of the artery, for about two inches above the joint; the pain was quite severe and very sudden in coming on; about like a shock from a galvanic battery (after half an hour); soon after, while still riding, I felt a similar pain for about half minute, in the right shoulder, seeming to be in the joint, and thence outward to the deltoid muscle; at 2 P.M., while writing, felt a pain precisely like that experienced in the wrist just above the elbow-joint, and external to the tendon of the biceps muscle; lasted but a moment; in a few seconds felt a similar pain in the left knee, on the internal side; at 9 P.M., felt the same pain in the inner border of the right foot, then in the right arm, and then in the left side of the neck (first day), [2c] .

Inferior Extremities. Drawing pains, several times through the day, in the legs and back (first day), [4] . [250.]

Rheumatic pains in the shin bones, which causes the most excruciating pain in walking (eighth day), [6] .

*Pain in the knees and ankles , aggravated by motion (after six hours), [6] .

Feet and ankle very painful for the last forty-eight hours (seventh day), [6] .

Great faintness accompanied the distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day), [1] . *Very weak and languid (third day), [1] .

*Feeling greatly prostrated; can hardly stand up, my knees are so weak (fourth day), [1] . *So languid I can hardly walk (fifth day), [1] . [260.] *Very languid (sixth day), [1] .

*Excessively weak (sixth day), [1] .

Had to retire at dark, was so weak (sixth day), [1] . *Great lassitude with the severe aching in all the large joints (sixth day), [1] . *Feel weak and depressed, and indisposed to any exertion, physical or mental (sixth day), [2b] .

General indefinable feeling of malaise, which lasted all day, [2c] .

*Very languid and weak (second and ninth days), [5] .

*Feel very languid and uneasy (fifth day), [6] . *Great debility at times (ninth day), [6] .

*Feel weak and languid (eighth day), [3] . [270.]

At times shuddering; rather nervous than from real chilliness (ninth day), [3] . *Aching in all the joints in the body and limbs (second day), [5] . Rheumatic and neuralgic pains, some of the time very severe (seventh day), [5] .

9 P.M., had the symptoms all day, but since 2 P.M., they have been getting easier (fourth day), [1] .

Itching over the whole body, most violent between the scapulae and on the forearms (first day), [4a] .

Disposition to yawn and stretch, with frequent chilliness along the spine, and hot flashes of fever (sixth day), [1] .

*Disposition to yawn and stretch, with chilliness (second day), [3] . *Disposition to yawn and stretch (third day), [6] . Restless night (third and sixth nights), [1] .

Restless and uneasy during the night (first night), [5] . [280.] *Sleep is disturbed by dreams, very restless and uneasy all night (second night), [6] .

Frightful dreams of the water, [1a] .

Dream much at night (fifth day), [4] .

Chilliness. *Unusual chilliness when the open air is encountered with icy coldness of the nose ; whether this last symptom was occasioned by the medicine or not, I cannot say, but I did not experience it before even during the extreme cold weather of this winter (seventh day), [3] .

*Chilliness, with disposition to yawn and stretch (second day), [5] .

*Chilliness and coldness over the whole body, lasting four hours (fourth day), [5] .

Frequent chilliness along the spine, and hot flashes of fever, with disposition to yawn and stretch (sixth day), [1] . [290.]

While sitting in a warm room by a fire reading, I felt slight chilliness creep up the back to nape of the neck, most noticeable between the shoulder-blades; this was succeeded by a general feeling of chilliness, lasting for several minutes; for the moment it did not seem that this was the effect of the drug; I imagined the room was getting too cool, and rose to stir the fire, when the truth occurred to me: I mention this to show that this symptom was no imaginary one, caused by any expectation of such an effect (after one hour, sixth day); chilliness between the shoulder-blades (three hours later), [2b] .

Coldness amounting almost to chills (third day), [6] .

Coldness of nose (ninth day), [3] .

Feet and hands cold (fourth day), [5] .

Heat. High fever accompanied the distress between the stomach and navel (fifth day), [1] .

Constant fever (sixth day); fever lasted all night (sixth night), [1] .

Fever and chilliness all night (first night), [5] . Stools accompanied with fever (fifth day), [5] .

At 1 A.M., woke with fever (ninth day), [5] . *Skin extremely hot and dry (seventh day), [6] . [300.]

Palms of the hands hot and dry (second day), [6] . Hands hot and dry (third day), [1] .

( Morning ), Awoke with pain in head; aching pain over lower abdomen. ( Evening ), 9.40 P.M., pain in right temple; emission of fetid flatus; 10 P.M., pain in glans penis; pain in left side of neck; drawing in right upper arm.

( Night ), Headache; uneasiness in abdomen; fever and chills; at midnight, sweat.

( Eructations ), Headache; qualmishness. ( Sour things ), The symptoms.