Cactus Grandiflorus

(Niglit-BloomiTtg Oereus.) Debcbiption, — Stems cyiindricfll, rooting and vejy long, provided with ■ five or six Blighlly prominent tiba, and furniahed with small spines or thorna, disposed ia radicated forms. Fruit shaped like an. egg, covered' with scaly tubercles, fleshy, of an orange or fine reddish color, flllcd withi very small seeds of an acid taste. Flowers have tm extremely sweet odon of benzoic acid and vanilla.

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180 CACTUe GEAKDrFLOKUS,

OFFrciNAL Preparation.— Tincture of the steins and flowers, equa! parts; dilutions.

Sphere op Action. — Specifically on tlie heart and blood- vessels.

Analogces. — Aeonite, Aga/rieutf Belladonna, Crotaiu), Qelsetnin/am, Fbertt Kalmia, Lacheaig, Na^a, LUium, Stramanium, Spigelia, Veratrvm viride.

Sensorium. Hypochondria and invincible saduese; nnasual melancholy- Fear of death, extreme and continuous. Love of solitnde.

Very severe pain in the right side of the head, which is increased by the soimd of talking and by a strong light,

* Pulsating pain in the temples, becoming intolerable at night.

Loss of sight; there appear circles of red hght before the eyes,

which dim the sight. "Dimness of sight; weakness of sight recurring periodically.

Pulsations in the ears day and night.

Noise like the running of a river, continuing all night.

" Hearing diminished from the buzzing in the ears.

" Otitis, from checked perspiration.

" Rheumatic otitis

" Constriction of the throat, preventing swallowing. Fetid breath in the morning.

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CACTUS GEANDIFL0RU9. ISl

Acrid acid in the stomach, making food taste acid.

Violent burning in the stomach

Great thirst during the fever.

° Continuoue pulsation in the stomacli, in an old lady at the

change of lite. Heaviness in the stomach after eating.

Liver, " Acute and chronic engorgement of the liver from cardiac

y sensation in the bowels. Very violent pains in the bowels, with burning sensation. ° Enteritis; also peritonitis.

without copious hemorrhage. ° Constipation from hemorrhoidal congestion.

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183 CAC-

Cough, with thick jellow expectoration. Dry cough from tickling in the chest. ° Varjoiis kinds of cough due to cardiac disorders, (Hale.)

* Sensation of an annoying movement from before backward in

the cardiac region, worse by day than by niglit.

* SensaHoti of constriotion in the heart, aa if an iron hand

Dull heavy pains in tiie region of the heart, increased by exter- nal press are.

Pricking pain in the heart, impeding respiration and the move- ments of the body.

* yery acute pain <md mioh pavnful stitches in the heart as to

cause him to cry out loudly, with obstruction of respiration.

* Palpitation of the heart, continues day and night, worse

■when walhmg, and at rdght, when lying on the left side.

"Nervous palpitation of the heart, aggravated by the near approach of the menses.

" Fwnctional disorder of the hea/rt, from mental emotions, aggravated at the menstrual period.

' Angina pectoris.

"Palpitations, acute and chronic, even in organic diseases of the heart.

" Aeote inflammatory atfections of the heart, idiopathic, and even from rheumatism.

° Acute carditis, with blueness of the face; oppression of breathing; dry congh; pricking pain in the heart; cannot lie on left side; pulse quick, throbbing, tense and hard.

" Chronic carditis, with eedematone and cyanotic face, suffo- cating respiration, continued doll pain in the heart, drop-^ sical effusion all thronghont the body; cannot drink ci speak, hands and feet cold, ^w^se intermittent.

° Hypertrophy with dilatation; patients pulseless, extremely exhausted, panting and sad, cannot lie down, or speak; has scarcely slept for fifteen days; forgetful, feet eedem- atouB. {Is soon relieved, lies down and sleeps 12 hours.)

' Organic diseases of the heart; valvular diseases, (an invalu- able palliative for many distressing symptomB.)

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CAOrCB OKANDIFLOKtra. 133

" Heart disease, with cedema of left hand only, (no other rem- edy has this symptom.)

° A constant j?«(#eTOi^ sensation in the stomach, over the loca- tion of the ccDliac axis, in a spot about the size of a dollar; a huming hne extends down from it to the lower ribs on either side; a hot flash shoots downward, frequently, (cured by a few doses.)

" Eheumatie inflammation of the heart, with severe pain in apex of heai't, and pain shcK)ting down left arm to the end of the Angers; dyspncea, pulse feeble, 120, etc.

" Palpitation of the heart from any exertion, with excessive pain all over the left side between the scapulte and sacral region.

" A whizzing, to and fro sound, or limit de soufflet.

° Endocardial bruit, increased precordial dnllness, ( impulse of heart's action, and evident enla right ventricle.

"Great irregularity of heart's action— intermittent at times and of varying character — gve,a.i freg^tisncy of action alter- nating with slowness. (Enlargemont of left ventiicle, with great irritation of cardiac nerves.)

* Irregularity of lieart's action, from reflex imtation.

° Palpitation, with vertigo, dyspnisa and loss of consciousness.

Formication and weight in the arms.

CEdema in the hands — worse in the left.

° Pain in left ann, down to fingers, (in disease of heart.)

(Edema of the feet and legs, up to tlie knees.

l^stlessness in the legs — cannot keep them still.

Sleeplessness without apparent cause; or from pulsations at the stomach, or in the ears.

Delirium during sleep.

FeTer.

Chills, with chattering of the teeth ; at 10 o'clock A. m., fol- lowed by burning heat with shortness of breath.

Burning heat at night, followed by a chill, then perspiration.

° Intermittent fever, qiiotidian, with chill, heat, dyepntea, headache, stupeiaction, great thirst, then perspiration.

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CAFFEINE.

Ofpioikal Prepakatiok. — Triturations up to the 3 x ; afterwards, alcoliolic dilutions.

* Congestion of blood to tlie head, with flushed face and ner-

vous excitement.

* Obstinate sleeplessness, especially in eliildren and nervoua

■women. It increases tlie reflex excitability and may produce tetanus.

[The tetanus is considered by most authors a medullary tetanus, for it is not produced in thelegof a frog if the ischiatic nerves are cut; and it takes place in a limb, the circulation of which has been stopped by a ligature, before the subscutaneous injection of caffeine.

It produces at first an increased frequency of the pulse, but a diminution of its bulk takes place very quickly (one minute after the injection), and sometimes determines tlie immediate death of the heart.

The increased rapidity of the heart-beats, and the rise of arterial pres. sure observed, may be attributed to a paralysis, more or leas complete, of the nerves proceeding from the ganglia to the muscles of the heart.

CALABAR BEAN.

{Pliysostigma Venmwswm.)

BoTAHiCAL Dbsckiption. — This is an irregular, kidney-shaped bean, about an inch in length and three-fourths of an inch in breadth; the pro- duct of tlie Piiysostigraa Vcnenosum, aperennialwoody creeper of Calabar, Africa, where the bean has been used by the natives as an ordeal test for criminals, witches, etc., since time immemorial.

It contains an alkaloid known aa phymstigmii, nreserine.

OsTicnjAL Prbpakatiom.— -Tincture with strong alcohol; dilutions.

ANAi.oanES.— Agarieus, Belladonna, Gelteminum, Solanvm, Otmium, Curare, PasHJlom.

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CALABAR BEAN. 1S5

A feeling of buoyancy; desire to move and talk continually.

Dullness of the mind; sluggiBhness of tl^e brain.

Dizziness, with great fullness of the blood-vessels of the brain.

" Congestion of the brain, with epileptiform attacks.

Constriction of the forehead and eyes, with heaviness of the lids; numbness and dizziness.

Severe pressing pain in the forehead, as though something hard was bound tightly on it, accompanied by dizziness when walking.

Difficulty ill concentrating the thoughts. [Chase.)

Confusion of the head, vertigo with loss of etreugth in the legs, as if he had been drinking. (CulUs.)

He staggers like a drunken man, and goes to bed with his head swimming.

Some headache over the right eye, lasting two days. {Oullis.)

Strange vertigo at night; she holds to the bedstead to keep from falling, and makes an effort to shake off that feeling. Her whole frame seems loosened and powerless.

Her thoughts wander and she has difficulty in fixing her attention.

Feeling of constriction around forehead and temples, changing into oppressive pain over the left orbit and extending to the forehead and temples, very troublesome in reading.

Heat and redness of the face.

Dull weight along the vertex, mostly on the left lobe of the brain. ( Weaselhceft.)

Feeling of consti-ietion around the entire top of the head, as if a tight cap were being pressed down as far as the tem- ples, at the same time severe pressure along the sagittal suture, as if from fulness of the longitudinal sinus and dull aching in eaeli temple. ( Wesadhxft.)

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DuliiQss; vr&s obliged to make an extra effort in speaking with

weakness, though there was uncommon mental activity.

(OulUs.) Sudden atta<^k of headache with nausea and bitter rising, fol- lowed by dull pain under the sternum, increased by sud- denly turning the bead, bending forward or throwing the

shoulders forward. Headache with fullness and a sense of faintness, with a numb

feeling down the left arm, pulse 50 to 60 with feeble

impulses.

them, and a suffusion of tears, when opened wide. {Chase.) Sensation of contraction of the whole left side of the face, with

slight numbness; it required an effort to keep the eyelids

open. Eyes unusiislly free from black spots, {curative.) For three days attacks of partial blindness, on attempting to

write he was unable to see a line. Alternation of dilatation and contraction of the pupil from

oscillatory motions of the pupillary muscles, ending in

permanent contraction. {Leven.) Nystagmus. {Leven.)

Severe pain in the right side of the upper jaw, like toothache. Sensation of contraction of the alse nasi and upper lip, with

frequent desire to rub them, which relieved for a time.

30 minutes. {Chase.) Severe sharp darting pains in the right malar bone, and in the

ramus of the jaw on the right side. Small boil on the inside of the right nostril, very painful, the

pain extending np to the eye and right side of tlie head.

It broke on the fourtli day with very little discbarge. It stimulates the sphincter pupiUcB and the ciliary muscles to

contraction.

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CALABAR BEAN. 137

It contracts tie pupil even in dilatation the result of injury.

A decided tight feeling, referable pretty accurately to tJic ciliary region of the left eye (to which the solvition was applied), as if something were creeping in it, (in live minutes). Tea minutes after, this continued, with occa- sional ratlier sharp pain in the ciliary region. An attempt to read with hoth eyes instantly increased this pain, and tlie type was confused, as if by a disturbance of the power of accommodation. Type looked smaller with the right eye than the left, I could see Jaeger 17, at 15 feet, but with a remarkable oscillation in the distinctness; the typo came and went, at one instant quite clear, then indistinct, as if the ciliary muscles were undergoing irregular con- tractions.

AstigmaUsmj tlie vertical bars of a window were seen cleai- and sharp at from six to ten feet; the horizontal bars within the same range having their edges slightly hazy, but rendered clear by a concave cylindrical glass of 14 inches focus.

The pupil contracted (to tlie size of a pin's head) and remains so eifi-hteen hours, then gradually relaxed during four days, resuming gradnally its mobility under light whether falling on its own or the opposite retina. With the sud- den contraction of the pupil came a sudden twilight gloom, as if an eclipse of the sun, but this gloom soon lessened and gradually disappeared before the pupil dilated.

When applied to the eye of a long-sighted person it restores vision (temporarily).

Short sightedness {in the normal eye).

Pain in the eyeballs, over the eyes, and in the head.

Profuse laehrymation,

' Dimness of vision.

" Paralysis of the circular fibers of the iris, and of the ciliary muscles of one eye; the dilated pupil and dimness of sight disappeared.

° Prolapsus of the iris, from injuries, even when the whole globe is vascular and irritated, and sight impaired; (under

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138 C^I^BAR BEAM.

the topical use of the alkaloid, tlie proiapsua retracted at

the pupil contracted). " Prolapsus of iris, from sloughing of the cornea.

Tongue feels as if scalded.

Dryness and smarting at the tip of the tongue all day. (Chase.) Numbness, tingling and smarting of the tongue and lips, with

a constant desire to moisten them. Soreness of the bowels, painful when moviug about, aggravated

by riding. Soreness of abdomen, the spot is not larger than the palm of

the hand. Sense of distension with soreness of abdomen. {Chme.) Coliuky pains low in abdomen, succeeded by a copious loose

discharge from the bowels. {0/i-ase.) Small intestines in a state of contraction, showing in places

circular constriction, like internal strangulation. I'eeling as if he had bolted a piece of solid food of too large a

size; the sensation gradually increases until it is very

painful. Burning heat in the stomadi, with much belching of wind.

Urine and Sexual Organs. Pain in the back, hips and lower part of tlie abdomen ; thought

the menses were about to appear, but this did not take

the appearance of the menses. {Mrs. P.) Menses come on at the usual time without the usual unpleasant

each beat of the heart distinctly perceptible in the chest

and temple. ( 'Wesselhcefti) ITeart's action retarded with diminished impulse; rate 56; no

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OALABAK BEAN. 189

" Chronic bronchial catarrli, aggravated by t

° Cough, with inabihty to raise the mucus.

Heart's action tumultuons and irregular.

Heart's action feeble and irregular.

In some cases tlie heart goes on beating long after death (in animals).

The heart contained fluid blood and clots in all the four cavi- ties, indicating death from paralysis of the muscles of the heart (in men).

Back and Extremities,

Sharp darting pains in the right elbow-joints, extending down the outside of the arm to the two middle fingers.

A numb pain in the knees and ankles, while sitting, with a desire to move frequently.

The liinbs feel weary, as after great fatigue, with a constant desire to move.

Severe ci-amp-like pain in the left popliteal space; walking waa very painful.

Heavy pain in the back, under left shoulder, continuing severe for an hour, and then slowly passing away. {Mrs. S.)

Sharp twinges in the right instep, and various twinging paina about the body. ( W&sselhceft.)

Throbbing pains in tlie forehead; worse on moving, ( Wessel- haft:)

Sharp darts through the right thumb, at the root of the nail, and several weaker ones through the finger joints of the right hand. {Mrs. P.)

Dragging pains over the left hip toward the back.

Slight twinging pains in the lower limbs, with sharp momen- tary twinges in the ankles.

Drawing rheumatic pains through the left shoulder.

Drawing pains low in the back and abdomen, with bearing down, as if the menses were coming,

Feehng of weakness, as though paralyzed, passes downward from the occiput through the back to the lower extremi- ties; tlie feeling in the legs like that known as being asleep. (Chase.')

Slight exertion causes lameness and weakness of the back.

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140 CALABAR BEAH.

Irresistible desire to sleep. ( Wesselhmfi.)

Soporific sleep, extremely dietreesing, paleness of the face. (/5.)

Draweiness in the forenoon, even while riding or working.

Profuse perspiration, partly dispelling the drowsiness.

Great drowsiness after dinner; sleeps good, and sleeps just aa well at night as if he had not slept in the afternoon.

In the evening not drowsy as usual, but wakeful.

° Chorea in a boy of fourteen; the disease had lasted several months, and resisted Perrum, Arsenic and 2ine; (cured in nine weeks by eighteen drops a day of the tincture).

° Progressive muscular wasting, {lieynolds.)

(It did no service in a case of paralysis agitans.)

" Chorea in a girl of twenty; (a rapid cure) with the tincture

" Chorea, of the right side; the tongue seemed too large.

General paralysis of the insane, {OrichtonSTOwne.)

"Traumatic tetanus, several cases; (cured).

° Epileptiform convulsions.

" Cerebro-spinal meningitis, in the tetanic stage. (Hale.) Greneral Symptoms.

Increase of secretion, particulai-ly of the perspiratory, salivary and intestinal glands; the discharges that follow are occa- sionally free, producing severe sweating, insalivation, and catharsis.

The operation of the drug is spinal, not cerebral, acting upon the anterior or motor column, so as to suspend or deaden its energy or reduce the activity of its functions.

rhe powerless parts are those that receive their nei-vous supply from the spinal cord and its nerves. The muscles of the extremities and of respiration are most enfeebled; and the paralysis is primarily and always seated in the striped muscles.

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CALABi^R BEAN. 141

Tliei-e is no failure of voKtion; tie will is strong, but a difti CTilty lies in the way of carrying out its purpose.

Unable to move, thongli he makes the attempt.

The mind exhibits no defect.

Suspension of the functions of the motor tract, by which it does not conduct the impiilses of the will through the cord to the mnscles.

The paralysis is not exclusively owing to poisoned blood, aa the lower limbs are first paralyzed, then the upper, theu the trunk, then the neck.

A cramp-like condition in organs that are supplied with invol- untary muscular fibres.

Pain ceases during rest, hut commences again during motion; but by continued motion it is relieved.

Muscular trembling in difierent degrees; from a mere tremor up to a jerking of the muscles.

Tlie muscles retain their normal contractility unimpaired, and still respond to direct in-itation when artificial stimuh are applied.

The paralysis is commonly preceded by twitching or trembling of the muscles; in the lower animals these are often con- vulsive,

TVemblinff, dissineas, and loss of power in the limbs in half an hour.

Jfatal syncope, from paralysis of the heart.

Stupid and giddy; a sense of feebleness over the whole body, rendering progression difficult.

Sharp pains, shifting quickly from one place to another.

When the pain remained in any place for a short time the epot became disagreeably sore.

A sensation of heat, accompanied with sweat, extending from

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143 OALABAE BEAH.

the fourth or fifth cervical vertebrse to tlie last lumhar.

{Bechwith^ ° Dyspepsia, with great pain vmTnediatel/y after eating. {Seck-

with.) *Al8o, Arg. nit, and Dioseorea. {Hale,') Oonetriction of the intestinal canal (general). " Constipation of years duration, from atony of the b

CANCHALAaUA.

Officinal Pbefaeations. — Tincture of the whole plant; diintions.

Congested feeling, with pressive pains in the forehead; a sen- sation of fullness. Tightness of the scalp; it feels as if drawn together.

Piercing and stitching pains in the ears. Buzzing and roaring in the ears.

Burning, first in the left, then in the right.

Increase of appetite. Eructations and regurgitations.

Water-brash, with spitting of white mucus, and a trembling nervousness.

Sleeplessness.

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CANNABIS IKDIOA. 143