Belladonna

Where are our principal studies of Belladonna found ?

In Hahnemann's Materia Medica Pura, British Journal of Homoeopathy , Vol. VI., Hartmann's Principal Remedies, Transactions of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of New York , 1868, and in Hughes' Pharmacodynamics .

What is Belladonna ?

It is the Deadly Night Shade , grows in the south of Europe ; the tincture is made from the entire fresh plant in the same manner as described under Aconite and imported.

What is its alkaloid, and what is the allopathic dose of the same ?

Atropine , dose, 1-120 to 1-60 of a grain.

What is the general physiological action of Belladonna ?

It renders all the senses more acute or perverts them, irritates and inflames the brain, hence delirium, hallucinations, mania, stupor and insomnia are produced. It irritates the cortical substance and acts upon the respiratory centre. It also acts on circular muscular fibres. It has a marked action on the skin, mucous membranes and glandular structures, congesting and inflaming them. It is "a study in scarlet."

What is the principal use of Atropine ?

It occupies the purely neurotic sphere of Belladonna . Its principal use is as a mydriatic.

Give five grand characteristic indications of Belladonna.

1. Pains gradually increase, suddenly decline and appear elsewhere.

2. Painful spots are sore on gentle pressure, yet firm pressure is tolerated.

3. Hot, red skin, flushed face, full, hard pulse, throbbing carotids, with delirium and hyperaesthesia of the senses.

4. Great dilatation of the pupils, photophobia and injected eyes.

5. It affects principally the right side of the body.

Give a characteristic aggravation of Belladonna.

Aggravation from jarring the bed, a symptom one should always note.

Give the principal head symptoms.

Congestion to the head, feeling of heat with red face, injected eyes, intense throbbing headache, the carotids throb, sharp pains so violent as to make the patient scream out.

What symptoms are apt to be found here in children ?

The child bores its head into the pillow, and rolls it from side to side, dilated pupils, squinting, grinding of the teeth with bright red hot flushed face and throbbing fontanelles.

What symptoms indicate Belladonna in delirium ?

Visions, screaming out and desire to escape, full of fear and imaginings, sensation as if falling, and the patient clutches the air ; sometimes a stupor, which, if aroused out of, they strike people, bark and bite like a dog and are very violent.

In these cases of fever and delirium how is the skin ?

It is hot, and on raising the bed clothes a hot steam seems to stream out ; sometimes a hot sweat which does not relieve is present.

Is the Belladonna face always red ?

In summer complaints, dentition, colic, etc., where there is irritation of the brain, startings in sleep, it may be very pale.

What are the eye symptoms of the drug ?

Sudden pains and violent symptoms, eyes feel swollen and protruding, conjunctiva red and pupils very much dilated, eyes feel as if full of sand, desire to rub the eyes which relieves. Great photophobia.

Give the ear symptoms.

Severe boring pains in the ears, which come on suddenly and shoot from one ear into the other.

What is the characteristic tongue of Belladonna ?

A white tongue with the papillae showing through it, the so-called "Strawberry tongue".

What are the indications for Belladonna in sore throat ?

Great dryness and bright redness of the throat, the fauces are inflamed, the tonsils are swollen and enlarged, worse on the right side, food and liquids are ejected through the nose on swallowing.

What are the stomach symptoms ?

Pains in the stomach, worse during a meal. Gastralgia, pains go to spine, not much thirst.

What are the indications for Belladonna in peritonitis and inflammations about the abdomen ?

Swollen, tense, sensitive abdomen, cannot bear the weight of the bed clothes, jarring of the bed aggravates, on raising the clothes the heat streams out.

What is the diarrhoea of Belladonna ?

Summer complaints of children with crying and screaming and suddenly bending backwards, diarrhoea from cold with slimy, bloody discharges and some tenesmus.

In what urinary trouble is Belladonna frequently indicated ?

Involuntary urination during sleep in children.

What are the characteristic symptoms of Belladonna in the female organs ?

Violent bearing down pains, worse lying down. Menses early and copious with cramp-like pains in the back. Congestive dysmenorrhoea with offensive discharge. Uterine haemorrhage, bright red and hot.

What drugs have the symptom : Pressure toward the genital organs as if everything would fall out, and how are they distinguished ?

Belladonna : This symptom is worse when the patient sits bent over and when she walks, but is better when she sits or stands.

Sepia is just the reverse ; the symptom is aggravated by sitting up, still more by standing, and most of all by walking, while it is relieved by lying down.

Nux vomica has the pressing down more in the back with irritable rectum, frequent ineffectual desire to stool, scanty evacuations and little leucorrhoea.

Pulsatilla has the same symptom as Belladonna , and is aggravated by lying down, but heat also aggravates and the open air relieves ; there is pressure on the bladder with frequent micturition. The leucorrhoea is thick.

Podophyllum is similar, but in prolapsus it is only indicated when the rectum and vagina are prolapsed. (Dunham.)

What are the indications for Belladonna in labor ?

Pain in back as if it would break, labor pains come and go suddenly and no progress is made ; there is a spasmodic condition of the os which retards labor, the os feels hot to the touch.

What are the respiratory symptoms of the drug ?

There is tickling in the larynx and a dry, hacking cough, which is paroxysmal ; dryness and tightness in the upper part of the chest, worse evenings, and at night ; the larynx is sore and hot.

What is the pulse of Belladonna ?

Full and hard, or slow - especially in cerebral congestion.

What are the rheumatic symptoms ?

Cutting, tearing, lightning-like pains in the joints, pain streaks from the joint in various directions.

Rheumatic stiffness of the neck from getting hair cut or getting head wet.

When is Belladonna indicated in fever ?

When there are symptoms of delirium and cerebral excitement present, and a pungent heat of the skin.

What are the characteristic skin symptoms of Belladonna ?

Bright scarlet redness of the skin.

Erysipelas with bright red, rapid swelling of the skin, the skin is smooth, shining and tense, the pains are sharp, lancinating, stinging and throbbing.

How does Lachesis compare in erysipelas ?

The face is purplish instead of red, and the patient is drowsy and weaker.

What indicates Belladonna in scarlet fever ?

Smooth, bright red rash, the cerebral irritation, the sore throat, the strawberry tongue and the swelling of the glands.

What of the prophylactic power of Belladonna ?

Hahnemann discovered that Belladonna was a prophylactic in scarlet fever ; and it has certainly been verified clinically.

In swellings, such as boils and abscesses, when is Belladonna useful ?

They are very painful. Swellings where there is throbbing, redness and tendency to suppuration. The rapidity of the swelling is characteristic.

What are the nervous symptoms of Belladonna ?

Neuralgic pains, which come on suddenly and disappear suddenly ; lancinating pains, aggravated by motion. Convulsions and spasms in teething children, from repelled eruption, with red face, hot head, throbbing carotids, starting from sleep in terror.

How does Stannum compare in neuralgia ?

Stannum has pains that increase gradually and decrease gradually.

What drugs antidote Belladonna ?

Coffea, Nux vom . and Opium .