Helleborus Niger

(Express the juice of the recent plant, and mix it with equal parts of alcohol ; or else prepare the tincture from the dry root.)

The following symptoms, which are but few, show that this drug must be able to cure a peculiar kind of fever, swell- ings, and mental diseases. By continuing the proving of this drug, we shall find out what diseases they were which the Greeks were in the habit of curing by means of Hellebore ; for the plant which they used was a species very much like ours, the flowers whereof had pale-red petals. In large doses it acts for a few weeks. Camphor seems to modeiate the primary effects of Hellebore.

Cinchona relieves best its secondary effects. The root which has been used in our experiments has been gathered by myself.

FROM NOACK AND TRINKS.

General dropsy; acute anasarca; generally dropsy, espe- cially after scarlatina ; in chronic dropsy Knorre recommends lar'^e and frequent doses ; dropsy in intermittent fevers, after the° fever had been cured by Arsenic ; Helleb. and Squills are said to do good service in anasarca and ascites of chil- dren, less in the case of full-grown persons; in the latter, Ars!, Bry., Iod., and Phosp. have been found useful, espe- cially when the moral symptoms corresponded ; Bry,, Ars., Dig. Rhus., and Merc, have likewise been recommended in

138 HELLEBORUS NIGER.

tliese forms of dropsy, in which Helleb. was indicated Re- trocession of the measles, with affection of the membranes of the brain. Tinea capitis, with swelhng of the cervical glands. Lentescent nervous fevers.

Melancholia. Acute hydrocepha- lus, when the child screams, throws the head backwards, moves it to and fro, makes convulsive movements with the limbs, especially the right arm and left foot. (Acon., Bell., Arn., Rhus., and Helleb. did no good in a case like this, in the higher potencies ; the child was cured by tincture of Hel- leb., ten drops, with an ounce of distilled water, first every five minutes, then every half hour, taking the whole solution twice within forty-eight hours.) Against hydrocephalus from scarlet fever, Schron recommends Bell., Arn., Acid, phosp., Ars., and Senega

Aphthae, with increased secretion of saliva. Constipation, brought on by gastrodynia and entero- dynia, in inveterate cases Paralysis of the bladder ; excessive distension of the bladder, painful emission of small quantities of urine, complete suppression for three days past, discharge of some drops of blood after pressing a good deal, oedema of the lower limbs, cool temperature of the whole body, viscid sweat in some places, small, quick pulse, short sleep with frequent interruptions, yellowness of the whole body, aversion to food, dry tongue, much thirst, suffocative anguish

Rheumatic oedema of the scrotum. Serous pleurisy. Dropsy of the chest, especially after scarlet fever.