Plantago Major

Hale - Materia Medica and Special Therapeutics of the New Remedies · Edwin Moses Hale · 23,224 chars

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General

(Plantain.) BoTAMiCAL Description Tt 13 is a well known lierb, growing in rich, moiat places, in fields, by road sides, and in grass-plats. Common in Europe and America; flowering from May to October. A perennial, witli a round scape rising from a fibrous root, from one to tiiree feet iu height.

The leaver are ovate, smooth, somewhat tootied, five to seven nerved, each of wliich contains a strong fibre, which may be pnlled out, and abruptly narrowed into a long channeled petiole. The jtcaen are whilfi, very tmall, imbricated, numerous, and densely disposed on a cylin- drical spike, from five to twenty inches long. Small plants are frequently found with the spikes only half an inch to two inches long, and the leaves and stalk proportionately stnall. Siamene and styles long ; seeds numerous.

Officinal Pbepahations Tincture of the fresh root and leaves; witJi strong alcohol ; dilutions. As Aiiooxj^s Arnica (f), Hepar (?), MereuHiis{f), Phytolacca (?). [These symptoms are selected from the pathogenesis published by Dr F.

Humphreys, (New York, 1871.} Twelve persons engaged in the prov- ings. (iZafe.)]

Moral Symptoms. General depression and deepondeney, though the weather is

briglit and beautiful. Impatient and restless mood, with dull, stupid feeling in the

brain; very irritable and morose temper; worse in the-

evening. Feeling of great prostration, with a meditative mood, and'

unable to associate the mind with any external object. Attempting to exercise the mental faculties woiild increase the^

depression and occasion rapid respiration, with a feelings

of great anxiety. Great mental anxiety, pacing backward and forward iu the^

room; then throwing one's self on the bed and rolling-

from one side to the other in the greatest mental agitar

tion; sleep with the most horrible and frightful dreams,,

which awaken me. Mind inactive, with a dull, muddled feeling in the head.

Twinges of pain in different parts of the head; now throughi the right temple, extending backward, then through the- occiput, from ear to ear, then in other parts of the head,.

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49S

Oppression deep in the head, and sense of soraething lying in

the head from one ear to the other. Bull, oppressed feeliug through the forehead, with sometiraea

a deep pain extending across from the temporal bones,

apparently at the base of the brain. Pains in the head, (of a shooting character,) sometimes in the

right parietal region, sometimes in the icft; also in the

mastoid processes. Pretty severe pain in the left side of the head, from the fore,

head extending deep into the brain, coming on in par-

oxyems. Pain in tlie left side of the head, from over the left eye back

toward the occiput; somewhat sharp, but soon passingoff. An intermittent, pnlsative pain at the vertex of the head, in

a small spot beneath the scalp. Itching of the scalp, with slight eruption on the forehead,

which soon disappeared.

Eyes

Occasional dull, stupefying pain, deep in the orbits, worse on

pressure. Dull, aching pain, deep in right orbit, lasting only a few

moments; iifteen minutes after taking the tincture. Sharp, darting pain in the external and superior side of the

orbit of the right eye, CEdema and redness of the eyelids after rising.

Unnatural sense of dryness of the eyelide, eontiniiing for sev- eral hours.

Severe painful stitches, first in the left, then in the right eye- ball, more at the internal canthus, for an hour.

Ears

Fains in the head, apparently running from one ear through

to the other. Pains often in the centre of the ear, most in the left, beginning

in the head.

Nose

Sensation across tlie bridge of the nose as if the nasal bones

were being pressed t-ogether or pressed inward. Frequent sneezing, with discharge of sanious mucna from left

nostril.

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FLABTAGO MAJOR. 490

Profuse discharge of sanious mucus from left nostril, contiBii- ing all day, then gradnally diminishing and affecting the right nostril.

Face and lAps.

Unpleasant sensation of bruised soreness and tension in the integuments of the face, on rising, especially on tlie fore- head, above the left eye, and around it; somewliat sensi- tive when pressed or rubbed; continued some time.

Eruption on the face of small, reddish, rough, scaly, erythema- tous patches the size of a pea; on the left side of the face and most near the commissiire of the lips; no decided pain or itching, but an unpleasant sense of tension.

Several papulae around the nose, which are red, and smart when touched,

Eniptions on the lips, dry, scaly, with violent bui'ning and tension; more the inferior one.

Lips have been livid, dark, sickly, and rough, for many days. Jaws and Teeth.

Aching of some decayed teeth in the lower jaw of the left side, after dinner.

Toothache in left side of the face, before and after breakfast; went off in the forenoon, and returned again after dinner, for an hour or two.

Slight toothache on rising, scarcely to be noticed, but afterwai-d increased until noon, when it was very severe; cheek con- siderably swelled; constant discharge of saliva from the month after 12 M.

Pain was in decayed tooth, but the teeth on each side sound: teeth on each side were so elongated and sore that it waa difficult to eat.

Excessive boring, digging pain, profuse flow of saliva, aggra- vated by walking in the cold air, and by contact; also high degree of heat, partial ease obtained only by lying down in a moderately cool room. Could not endure the pain; took Mercury 30 with relief.

Teeth of the left side elongated and sore; violent pain in the upper molars of the left side (sound teeth).

Sensitive feeHi g in the teeth, sort of tingling, as if in the

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500 PLAKTAGO MAJOR.

nerves of the front' teeth of the npper jaw;- these eymp. toms came on hefore going to sleep, but were not long continued or verj violent,

Sorenees and cold sensation in the front incisor teeth, as if they had been chilled by inhaling cold air.

Teeth feel elongated in the morning, and then ache from half- past two until four f. h., each day; tJie pain is sharp, stahbing, and severe, running along the course of the superior branch of the trifacial nerve, which is sensitive and the pain readily excited, and cannot lie on that side of the face at night.

Tootliache and dnll face-ache during the morning, until after two p. M.

Toothache gone, but swelled cheek remains. The tooth was the second submaxillary molar of the left side.

Very rapid decay of the teeth. The filling has fallen out of two.

" Toothaoke

The leaf fibres of this plant have long been used in Switzerland for toothache, in the following singular manner, Tlie fresh leaves of the plani are torn, and the green thread-like fibers put into the ear of the aching side.

Curiously enough, in cases benefited by the remedy, these fibres become black, and are then renewed, while, if no relief is experienced, they remain green.

During last year I prepared a tinctr.re of the whole plant, and from it made the second decimal attennation.

About seven-tenths of the cases of odontalgia which have come under my treatment have been cnred by the administration of this remedy, in ahont fifteen •minutes/ Many other case have been much benefited.

Prom the wide range of nseful- ness in this disease, I conclude it will become useful in other diseases.

(^Dr.

ReuiUnger, Hale.')

"T have for many years used the Plantago successfully in various forms of odontalgia, I doubt not this use of the Plantago has been confinned hy all who took part in the proving during these intervening years, {Ilwm^hreys^ Mouth and Throat.

Dryness of the mouth and throat.

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FLAMTAGO MAJOR. 501

Sensation of dryness in the fauces and pharynx.

Tongue slightly coated with a whitish coating.

Unpleasant and constrictive sensation in the pharynx, on gwaking in the morning, B(X)n passed off.

Hemorrhage from the gume.

Rawness and soreness in the pharynx in the night; this symp- tom continuing all the next day, in a modified degree, with dryness and tickling in the throat, inducing a dry, hacking cough.

Hoarseness, as if from drj-ness in the laiyns, on rising in tiie morning.

Gastric Symptoms.

Constant emctations in the morning, which taste strongly of sulphur; lasted all day, and during the forenoon the sul- phur taste always present ; taste changed in the afternoon ; strong taste of carhonie acid, as much so as if a bottle of well-cbai'ged soda-water had heen drank; this gas eructa- ted in large quantities, at intervals of five to fifteen minutes, during the afternoon; the gas passed down into the bowels after supper, causing great borborygmi, and passing off with a strong odor of sulphuretted. hydrogen.

Sensation of heat in tlie prEecordia, with fullness of the ab- domen in the afternoon, while walking in the open air, going off soon after sitting down. Peculiar indescribable feeling in tlie region of the right cardiae orifice of the stomach; especially after eating a hearty meal, tliere would be a coolish, painful sensation, as if the parts were distended; symptom lasted about aweek. Faint and trembling feeling, with nausea.

Hypochondria and Abdomen.

Slight uneasiness in epigastrium; frequent empty eructations, with slight rumbling in the bowels and occasional emis- sions of flatus. Griping pain in the bowels, with nausea almost to vomiting, continued half an hour in the evening. e colic pain in the left side of the abdomen, deep beneath the cartilage of the floating ribs, increased by deep in- spiration, and by lying on that side.

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602 FLATJTAGO MAJOR.

Oi!easiona! enictatione, whieh do not relieve the pain.

Pain during the day in the right iliac region, as if a stone was in tlie right inguinal carnal.

Acute pain in the right hypochondria and abdominal muscles, manifest themselves, and continue m a greater or less degree during the afternoon and evening.

Urine

Unusually free and profuse discharge of urine.

Urine of a deep orange color; secretion increased.

Frequent micturition of colorless urine.

Nocturnal enuresis ; arose twice during the niglit, passed each time a pint or more of light-colored urine (never before).

Passed a large quantity of very dark red urine, of a very strong odor, on rising in the morning.

Urine very profuse and light-colored, and deposits a white sediment.

Urgent desire to urinate on arising in the morning, with slight tenseness of the bladder, bot passing very little urine.

Tickling, with unpleasant itching in the orifice of the urethra; came on suddenly, and lasted a few minutes in the morn- ing, and again in the evening.

Sodden, darting, stinging pain running up the urethra while sitting.

Tenderness over the region of the bladder, on pressure.

" In enuresis. — " Since my attention was called to tlie subject, some fifteen years ago, I have used this remedy with great success, in enuresis.

It is especially applicable to the nocturnal enuresis of children, particularly when de- pending on laxity of the sphincter vesica.

In most of these cases the cliildren usually secrete a larger quantity than noi-mal, of a pale, watery urine, and though gi-eat pains are taken to have the bladder thoroughly emptied before retiring, yet the pressure on the weak sphincter will cause its ^cape before morning.

It has seemed of no effect when, instead of laxity, there was paralysis of the sphnictsr.

We think it not so useful when the urine

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PLAHTAGO MAJOR. SOS

is scanty, rather than abundant, and loaded with uric add and its deposits.

The bladder itself and the sphincter are in an irritable condition, and cause frequent miuturition by night as well as by day; in this condition, while tlio Plantago affords no relief to adults, children frequently receive great benefit from it." {Dr.

Jones.)

Stool And Anus

Unpleasant sensation of uneasinesB in the bowels, and yet no stool.

Uneasiness in bowels, as if compelled to go to stool before eating.

Looseness of the bowels, with feeling of weakness.

Loose stool every day, and sometimes twice per day, with some pain in the rectum and slight colic before stool.

Very watery stool, with very little pain or desire for stool, about ten p. m. Eructations still continuing.

Frequent dieeharge of stinting flatus, with uneasiness of the bowels, and followed by loose stool.

Stool at one a.m., and at daylight; stools watery at first tliin, then thicker and more papescent; then thin again, and so on; also passed large quantities of wind.

Passage of some blood during an easy stool.

Partial prolapsus of the rectum during stool.

Pain in the rectum and lumbar region; stools of a normal character.

** A physician, Dr. , remarked at the Illinois State Medi- cal Society that he had cured, during the season, every case of cholera infantum in his practice with the 3d of Plantago. {Dr. Rah.)

HEale Genital Organs.

Diminished sexual excitement all through, thus far.

Unconscious emission of semen at night whilst asleep.

Chest

Orgasm, or flow of blood to the chest, with sensation of heat.

Great weakness and oppression of the chest, with shortness of breath, followed by nausea, almost to vomiting.

On talking or reading aloud, obliged to stop several times in a sentence to take a breath; continued all the evening.

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fi04 PLANTAGO MAJUE.

Difficulty of breathing, as if there were no air in the room.

Frequent, invohmtary, deep breathing, approaching to yawning.

Panting breathing, on the least exercise, particularly on as- cending stairs, with violent palpitation of tlie heart, and

accelerated pulse.

Stitch in tlje heart after dinner.

Violent beating of the heart on ascending stairs, which lasted

about five minutes. Dull, aching, sub-cutaneous pain near the left side of the

sternum; a little below its centre; worse by pressure, and

also on sitting, but passing off on moving. Sharp, darting pain in the left side, several times during the

day; then in the right side; at one time a very sharp,

darting pain passed up the right side; very peculiar in

its character. Sharp stitch or catching pain in the lower lobe of the left lung,

on drawing a long breath at night in bed, " I have repeatedly used an application of Plantago with

prompt and decided benefit, in erysipelatous iihfiawnb'

tions of the female breast. Its action has proved far more

satisfactory in allaying and arresting the inflammatory i tlian Arnica or Hamameiis.

Kecli, Back, and Lolas. i and stiifness of the neck, upon moving or turning

the head, passing oif after some time. Soreness and stiffness of the sterno-cleido mastoid muscles

of the right side of the neck; worse on moving the head

to side affected, and relieved on moving it. to opposite

side; continued for ten days. Great weakness acsross small of the back, extending aronnd

the body, as if the body were broken. Sharp pain in the left side, sometimes extending to the right

shoulder, then to the right side, then spreads over the

upper part of the back. Fuleative pain between the scapulae, passing from one to the

other, and from thence to the dorsum of the I'ight arm,

in the extensor muscles, darting from above toward the

elbow-

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PLANTAGO MAJOtt. 505

Dull, aching pain in the sacrum, a little below its union with

the lumbar vertebrfe; worse during motion or standing. Teudemeas on pressure along the spinal column.

Upper Extremities. Lead-like weight and heaviness of the extremities, arms and

legs.

Great weariness and desire to lie down.

Aching rheumatic pains in left shoulder, going off in a few

minutes. Itheumatie pains in right shoulder, came on while sitting,

lasted for an hour.

Pains in the mnscles of right arm, chiefly below the elbow.

Kheuniatic drawing or sticking pains in the joints of the

fingers. Itching in the commissure of the fingers of the left hand;

worse at night, but more or less constant.

Lower Extremities.

Pain and uneasiness of the loins and lower extremities.

Dull, aching pain in the right shoulder, alternating with a

dnll, aching pain in the right hip, which passes down the

limb. Pain in the right side and right knee-joint, continued at

irregular intervals. Drawing pains in the posterior muscles of the right tliigh,

witli tenderness on pressure. Sharp,, shooting pain, passing from the trochanter major of

the right leg into the hip joint. Painful soreness of the left leg, below the knee, as if it had

been strained.

Skin

The skin of the whole body is sensitive, and leaves a burning

sensation when scratched. Itching in the lower limbs, also in other parts of the body;

rubbing feels grateful, but does not relieve ; when the

rubbing ceases, a burning sensation is experienced. Prickling or stinging pains in the skin of different parts of

the body and Hmbs ; these pains are sometimes of a

prickling character, as if produced hj very fine needles;

at others with a burning sensation, as if Irom nettles.

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506 PLSNTAGO MAJOB.

never appearing in different parts of the body eimnlta- neously, but always confined to one spot at a time; tbey manifest themselves chiefly in the atlernoon and evening, and almost exclusively while sitting in a warm room, and seldom felt during exercise in the open air.

Eruption about the hips and tliighs, particularly on the inside of the thighs; the papulae are isolated, hard, white, and flattened; sonje of them have a small red point in the centre; tliey itch slightly on first mafeing their appeai'- ance; when scratched, the itching becomes more violent; and a buj-ning sensation supervenes, and deep redness is diffused through the part, wliicli lasts about five minutes; in several hours they become more elevated and acumin- ated, and, finally, in about twenty-four hours, gradually disappear, without suppuration or desquamation, and others spring up. Several appeared on the wrist and between the fingers.

Papulfe exude a yellowish humor, soon forming a crust.

Soreness and slight tumefaction of the submaxillary glands on each side.

* The hand and a portion of the face, in the case of a young

lady, were red, swelled, itching violently, and in places covered with vesicles; she took pellets medicated with Plantago 1st, and applied a lotion made by a teaspoonful of the tincture to a cup of water. The relief was prompt, and a cure was effected in three days.

" It is reported to have cured cases of poisoiiAng with ivy, poison shumach (Rhus ven.), where the face has been fearfully swollen and red like erysipelas. The leaves were wilted under a roller and applied to the part, with prompt relief and subsidence of tlie swelling,

" The Plantago is used with benefit as an application for lacer- ated or incised woimds or irtjuries, and especially when attended with painful swelling and tendency to erysipela- tous inflammations or sphacelus.

* A young man cut his thumb through the root of the nail; it

was dressed and treated by an allopathic physician for two or three weeks ; it became inflamed, fearfully swollen,

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FLANTAGO MAJOR. 507

and was verj painful. I made two prescriptions, using the Plantago externally, with the tincture, and cured it.

" The second was a young man who had his finger bitten through the first joint, so as to almost sever the end of the finger.

"When I first saw it, it was swollen to about tlie size of a hen's egg, and very much inflamed.

I made two or three external applications, and cured tlie finger.

° A young man with a frost-bite on the top of his foot; it was badly swollen, and he was unable to walk. With about a two-ounce vial of the Plantago-wash it was cured.

°A lady, about forty-five or fifty years old, had been troubled with a milk-leg for many years.

At times it would swell and be very painful.

I gave her a solution of Plantago, for external applications, and it relieved her at once, and with the aid of Sepia and Khus, internally, she remained quite comfortable until she passed from my knowledge.

(iV.

George Waehhurne.)

" A lady, while dressing a codfish, thrust one of the fins into the palmer surface of the middle finger, just over the second or large joint.

The wound was deep and bled pro- fusely; but no attention was paid to it at the moment, except to bind it up with a rag.

The night following, the part became excessively painful, the pain extending from the wound up to the shoulder, causing great distress.

The next morning the whole hand was swelled, back and front, especially the injured finger.

The arm also even swelled up to the shoulder, and there were two distinct light pinkish streaks running up the front of the arm, from the hand to the shoulder.

The third day, after some fruitless applications, being almost agonized with the pain and suffering, she applied bruised plantain leaves to the part, removing them ae often as they became dry.

In about half-an-hour after the application, she felt so relieved that she fell asleep, and slept probably an liour the first sleep she had after the accident.

In two oi three days the finger was well. {Dr.

Cressoi.)

Sleep

Restless at night, with inability to sleep, frequent dreams of

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PLANTAGO HAJOa

character, rousing me from sleep; worse about midnight.

Some throbbing of the arteries at night, and restlessness udtil twelve or one in the morning.

EestlesB sleep, with every variety of fanciful dreams, with grmding of the teeth. The highest degree of restlessness at night, with the most vivid, congruous, and coherent dreams, also incoherent and disgusting di'eams, all in rapid succession.

Fever

Borne chilliness and slight headaclie; cold hands and feet, and ringing in the ears for some time.

Cold chill running over me, and goose-skin; fingers cold.

Sharp, transient pains in the left temple, while sitting by the furnace and after having been out.

Ohilhness on rising, after being seated tor three hours, with eensation of heat in the chest and erratic pains in the limbs, chest and head; these symptoms continuing from one until three o'clock, with disposition to stretch.

Uul! and stupid feeling, with. an inclination to stretch and yawn frequently, with oppression in the chest, and aver- sion to mental and physical labor.

Strong, full, and intermittent pulse, varying from 70 to 80 beats per minute in a recumbent position, Mid increased to from 95 to 100 in an erect position, in the evening.

Intermittent and iri-egular pulse. ■

Almost imperceptible pulse; 100 per minute, and easily com-

Elighest degree of excitability; high fever; strong, bound'ng pulse; 120 per minute; sensatiou of great heat, witJi thirst; imagined the room to be very hot and close.

['nnatural heat of the head, hands, and feet, all tlie time; pulse 72.

" (iiuermittent fever.)

It was in high repute among the ancient medical writers as a remedy for intermittents, they recommending a drink made from an infusion of the roots of the plant.

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PODOPHYLLTJM PELTATUM. 509

" Dr G; "Washbiirne relates tlie cnre of several cases made witli the tincture or first dilution.

" That it will prove valuable in inter mi ttetits is quite certain. The symptomatic indications, as well as the genus of the remedy, point to its value in typlius and typhoid condi- tions.