Nyctanthes Arbor Tristis

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Pathogénésies de l'an 1900

New, Old And Forgotten Remedies

By Edward Pollock Anshutz

Presented by Dr Robert Séror

Nyctanthes Arbor-Tristis

(Dr Sarat Chandra Ghose)

The following observations, provings, and clinical experience were supplied by Dr. Sarat Chandra Ghose , of Calcutta, India. They were made about the years 1898-1903 :

Name : Nyctanthes, Arbor Tristis, Sad tree.

In Sanskrit it is called Sephalika ; in Bengali, Siuli ; in Hindi, Harsinghar ; in Tamil, Paghalarnalli.

Natural Order : Jasmlnaceae.

Part Employed : Fresh leaves.

Time Of Collecting : March to April.

Leading Uses

It is an expectorant, bitter and tonic, febrifuge, and mild purgative.

It is used in bilious and obstinate remittent fever, sciatica, and rheumatism.

It is also very useful in constipation of children.

Characteristics

The following lines are reproduced from Dr. J. H. Clarke's Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (Vol. II, Part I, pages 631-632)

"Nyctanthes is a small tree of the jasmine family, having brilliant, highly fragrant flowers, white and yellow, which do not expand till evening and which fall off about sunrise.

Thus during the day the plant loses all its brightness, and hence is called `The Sad Tree' (Arbor-tristis). `Nyctanthes' means 'Night-flowering.'"

S. C. Ghose has given an account of the medicinal properties of this plant ( Homeopathic World, XXXVI, 24 ).

He has used it extensively in cases of bilious and remittent fevers, rheumatism and sciatica, and the constipation of children.

It is bitter, tonic, and expectorant and a mild purgative. In the fever there is thirst before and during chills, and bitter vomiting at close of chill. Not much sweat. Ghose compares it with Eupat. perf. He has made a short proving of it.

Symptoms For Its Administration

Mind

The patient is very anxious and restless.

Head

Dull headache exists.

Mouth

The tongue is enveloped with a thick, whitish or yellowish fur.

Stomach

Great burning sensation is experienced in the stomach, relieved by cold application.

Abdomen

There is tenderness of the liver ; stitches are felt in the hepatic region, which is very sensitive to touch.

Nausea And Vomiting

Bilious vomiting comes on at every draught.

Urine

The urine is high-colored.

Fever

It is very efficacious in all fevers, with predominance of bilious symptoms.

Insatiable thirst exists before and during chill and heat ; bitter vomiting appears at the close of chill ; constant nausea may or may not be present ; drinking causes vomiting ; the patient is very restless ; constipation or bilious stools ; perspiration is not generally marked.

Proving I

Prover : Sarat Chandra Ghose , M.D. Age, 28.

On January 28, 1900, at 8 A. M., I took five drops of the tincture of Nyctanthes . Immediately afterwards burning sensation and uneasiness were felt in the stomach.

At 2 P. M. I took another dose of five drops.

No other new symptom was experienced.

At 6 P. M. I took the third dose.

Tasteless eructations were prominently marked and nauseating tendency was present.

On January 29th, 1900, I took seven times of the tincture in five drop doses and, the following symptoms came on.

Nervous System

I became very feverish, anxious and restless.

Head

Dull headache was present.

Abdomen

Tenderness of the liver ; stitches were felt in the hepatic region, which was very sensitive to touch.

Stomach

Great burning sensation and uneasiness were felt in the stomach, better from cold application.

Stools

Profuse bilious stools came on which were accompanied by nausea.

Nausea and vomiting

Distressing nausea was present and vomiting appeared at every draught.

Tongue

The tongue was coated with a thick whitish fur.

Mouth

The mouth was intensely dry and great thirst for cold water was present.

Urine

The urine became high-colored.

Temperature

The temperature of the body was found to be 100°.

Proving II

Prover - My wife. Age, 19.

She took the tincture of Nyctanthes in ten (10) drop doses four times daily and continued the medicine for two days.

She was in good health when the proving was made upon her. In her case the following symptoms appeared :

She grew restless.

Slight headache came on.

Tenderness of the liver.

Severe burning and uneasiness were experienced in the stomach, better from cold application.

Stools : She passed purely bilious stools every now and then and nausea was present.

The mouth was dry and intense thirst for cold water was present ; but the drinking of water induced vomiting.

Tongue : The tongue was enveloped with a yellowish fur.

The urine became high-colored.

The temperature of the body was seen to rise above the normal standard and it gradually rose to 101 ° within four hours.

Clinical Cases

Case I

No medicine could give her any relief. I marked the following symptoms when I took her under my treatment :

The patient was very anxious and restless.

Violent burning in the eyes was present.

Great uneasiness was experienced about the epigastric region.

Enlargement of the spleen and liver was present, filling in nearly half of the abdominal cavity ; the patient experienced pain in the region of the liver, increased on pressure.

Her bowels did not move for ten days ; there was no desire for it ; constipation was present with pain in the bowels.

The urine was very scanty and high-colored.

Slight dropsical swelling of the hands and feet appeared.

Tongue : The tongue was enveloped with a whitish fur ; the taste was bitter.

The pulse was very weak and small.

The fever was double quotidian in type and appeared irregularly.

Before Attack : Slight thirst and yawning appeared.

Stage Of Chill : Chill came on with great thirst for cold water, accompanied by pains in the stomach.

Stage Of Heat : Heat with thirst was present ; vomiting of bile during heat ; fever-blisters around lips were noticed.

Stage Of Sweat : Sweat was absent.

Stage Of Apyrexia : Apyrexia was never clear ; emaciation and debility were present.

I prescribed Nyctanthes TM in five drop doses, to be repeated every three hours, and took leave, requesting to be informed by the evening if the bowels did not move.

I came to learn the following morning that the patient had a motion the previous evening. This medicine was persistently used and at the end of four days the dropsical swellings of the hands and feet vanished.

After a week the tongue became clean, the bowels began to move regularly, appetite was restored and the fever disappeared.

Case II

A boy, aged 7, was suffering from intermittent fever for some time.

The fever came on every evening at 7 P. M.

Violent thirst was present during chill and fever.

Bilious vomiting was present.

The bowels were constipated.

I prescribed Nyctanthes TM in five drop doses thrice daily.

The boy was cured within three days.

Case III

The patient was very anxious and restless.

Tongue : The tongue was coated with a whitish fur.

Intense headache was present.

Stitches were felt in the hepatic region, which was very sensitive to touch.

Nausea And Vomiting : Bilious vomiting came on after drinking.

Great burning sensation was felt in the stomach, better from cold application.

Stools : Profuse bilious stools, with nausea.

Chilliness was followed by burning fever.

At first I thought of prescribing Eupat. perf ., but I gave Nyctanthes TM , in order to examine its therapeutic properties.

The next morning I found the temperature to be normal.

Vomiting and purging disappeared as soon as third dose was administered.

The patient was cured by this medicine.

Case IV

The son of Babu Sarada Kanta Chatterjee was suffering from a malignant type of ague with great constipation. He was treated by some allopaths and native Kabirajes for nearly five months, but no perceptible improvement was wrought by the administration of their remedies.

He was eventually placed under my treatment. I made a thorough examination which revealed the following symptoms :

Weakness of memory, dread of death when alone great fear and restlessness were present ; the patient could not find rest anywhere and changed place continually.

Burning in eyes was present.

The swelling of the face appeared.

Lower Face : Sore lips and ulcers in the mouth were seen.

Great anxiety about the epigastric region was present.

There was perceptible enlargement of the liver and spleen.

Stools : The bowels did not move for six days.

The urine was scanty and high-colored.

Tongue : The tongue was white ; the taste was bitter.

The fever appeared generally in the morning ; chill appeared with thirst.

Hot Stage : Heat with thirst ; vomiting of bile during heat.

Sweating Stage : No Sweat.

Case V

On the sixth day the boy was placed under my treatment. I marked the following symptoms :

The patient was somewhat restless.

Tongue : The tongue was enveloped with a whitish fur.

Nausea And Vomiting : Distressing nausea and bilious vomiting were troubling the patient.

Great oppression at the pit of the stomach was felt.

Stools : Profuse bilious stools were present.

The mouth was dry and great thirst was present.

Dry cough came on when the fever began to rise.

Case VI

The fever came on every morning at about 7 A. M.

Violent thirst was present during all the stages.

Bilious vomiting came on in the hot stage.

The bowels were constipated.

I prescribed Nyctanthes TM in three-drop doses.

The boy was all right within three days.

Case VII

He was very restless.

Tongue : The tongue was coated with a whitish fur.

Nausea and vomiting : Nausea came on from the commencement of the fever. Vomiting appeared subsequently.

Stools : The bowels were constipated.

The temperature of the body was 104°.

I prescribed Nyctanthes TM in three drop doses. He was all right within three days.

Case VIII

Capricious humor, great anxiety and restlessness existed.

Brain : Giddiness was present ; headache with drawing pain in temples.

Heaviness of the eyes, with pain in the temples.

Dryness of the mouth ; offensive odor and profuse salivation.

Dryness of the throat.

Great burning sensation was felt in the stomach ; better from cold application.

Stools : Watery, bilious stools appeared when the fever began to rise.

Nausea And Vomiting : Vomiting came on at every draught.

The urine was scanty and high-colored.

The fever appeared to rise every day in the morning. There was no full intermission.

External Surface : Dry heat was present. No perspiration existed.

Case IX

The son of Babu Panchanan Mojumdar was suffering from intermittent fever with bilious symptoms. The following symptoms were notably marked :

The patient was morose and taciturn.

Prodrome : Great thirst existed, yawning and stretching.

Chill : Great thirst, but drinking induced nausea and vomiting of watery, bilious substances ; great chilliness.

Heat : Vomiting still existed ; the patient could not bear water.

Sweat : There was n0 sweat.

Tongue : The tongue was coated white ; the taste was bitter ; food has no taste.

Apyrexia : Imperfect.

There was burning sensation in the stomach during the cold and hot stage, better from cold application.

The fever appeared generally in the morning.

I prescribed Nyctanthes IX every four hours and the patient was all right within a week.

Another article relating to this drug was written by me for the pages of the North American Journal of Homeopathy of June, 1901 .

I was requested by the eminent homeopath, Dr. Leon Simon , of Paris , to write an article on this drug for the French Homeopathic Medical Society and complied with this kind request.

That article was translated by Dr. Simon and presented to their Society and subsequently published in the Revue Homéopathique Française of July, August, and September, 1902 .

Another contribution from my pen regarding this medicine was published in the Cleveland Medical and Surgical Reporter of July, 1903 .

I am under grateful obligations to these eminent doctors for their kindness in promulgating the cause of these two remedies. I ask the homeopathic fraternity to try the action of these drugs and to publish the failures to the world.