Pulsatilla Nuttalliana

(.AmHean Pulsatilla.)

BOTABiCAL Descritook Villous witt long silkeo hairs. S(em erect; in flower, very stort; ic fl'uit, eiglit to twelve incli.es liigh. Leaves long stalked, ternately (iivided, the lateral divisions two-parted, tlie middle one stalked and Uiree-parted, the segments once or twice-cloft Into narrowly linear and acute lobes.

Twoeluoret below the stem, lobed like the leaves, sessile eabulately dissected, concave or cup-ah aped in position. Bepah five to seven, pnrplisli, spreading, about one inch long, silky outside. Flower single, appearing before the leaves, pale-pnrpie, c«p.sliaped. Carpels (fruit) 50 to 75, with long plumous tails, one to two inches in length, collected into a roundish head.

BoTiuiciL History. — This plant when first discovered by Nnttall, was called by him tlie Anemone Litdovieiana. It was afterwards called A. pra- tensis, by Hooker.

Gray, (Genera of plants of IT. 8.,) gives a minute description, illustrated by a beautiful plafe. He calls it the Pulsatilla pralemis. In tJie later editions of his Botany, he applies the name Pulsatilla Nuttalliana. Wood places it in the genus AnmnoTie, as the A. Nutfalliana. King (Dispensa- tory) calls it A. iMdovieiana.

Although it is well that the botanist, Nuttall, should be honored, I sliould prefer the name Pulsatilla Americana as the fittest designation foi

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540 PULSATILLA

tlie only species of the geniis growing in America. All botanists agree in giving it tlio common name of Pasq'ue-Jloteer, which is the populni name given tlie Pulsatilla in Europe, because the hlossoms appear at Easter.

Nuttall states that this plant is to be found near the oonfluence of the Missouri and Platte rivers, and thence west to the Eocky Mountains. It is also met witli in considentble abundance in the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota, especially on tlio dry and sandy blaffs foi'ming the bod of the Mississippi. It has also been found in the most northern counties of the State of Illinois.

Gray says it does not extend down the Mississippi as far as Louisiana, probably no farther than the lower boundary of Iowa. Along the Bocky Mountains, however, it does extend as far southward as latitude 35°, Mr. Fendler having gathered specimens at Santa Fe.

It is a plant of peculiar appearance. The large cup-shaped flowers of a, purple hue, appear before the leaves, almost immediately after tlie melting of the snow has shown that the long and dreary winter of tlie north is approaching its close. Hence these blossoms are eagerly sought for as the first offerings of the long desired spring.

The leaves and stalks of the plant are covered with long delicate silken Lairs. It is from this appearance that it gotthenameof "GosHn Flower," which probably originated with children. The odor of the dried plant is rather faint, being slightly camphoraceous, the taste of the dried flowers simply sweetish and herbaceous, that of the leaves being more astringent with very slight acrimony.

The taste and, to some extent, the odor of the fresh plant are both acrid and irritating.

When the seeds are ripe, each one is surmounted by a long silken tail, giving the plaBt, at a distance, an appeai'ance somewhat similar to the ripe Taraxacum. These seeds, with their comel-like tails, are borne by Ihe winds which sweep over oar prairies, to great distances, (here to propagate themselves in new situations.

Gray is correct in staling that the American Pulsatilla is more like Pul- satilla Vulgaris, than the Pulsatilla Pratensis of Europe, as will be seen by a comparison given below.

Jahr, in his Pharmacopeia, gives the following description of thePuf. tatUla nigHeani, or pratensis used in homceopathio practice.

"Stems simple, erect, rounded, three to five inches high; leaves radical bipincatifled, downy; flowers solitary, terminal, having folioles of calyx campanulate, bent at the point, the odor of the herb bnt slightly evident, taste acrid and pungent. The fresh plant contains an acrid and vesicating principle, and furnishes a corrosive oil, as well as a kind of tannin which colors iron green; in the dry state It is entirely deprived of this acrid quality. Grows in sandy pasture grounds, on hills and declivities, exposed to tlie sun."

Jahr further says ; " We must be careful not to mistake this plant for the common Pulsatilla. (Anemone Pulsatilla) " (Pulsatilla Vulgaris). " This laat plant, of which homceopatliy makes no use whatever, only grows on dry

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PUL,?ATILLA NUTTALLIABA. 541

and Blffile hills, and flowers in the spring-time alone, whilst the hlacb- colored Pulsatilla flowers a second time again in the months of August and Septemher. Besides, tlie Anemone Pulsalilla, is in all its parfs, much less downy than the black-colored pulsatilla; its atem ais to twenty-four centremetres high; flowers of clear violet or pale red, straight and not lianging like those of tlie black-colored Pulsatilla; seeds surmounted bj n long ailky tail,"

From tills it would seem that the American Palsatilla partook of the character of both tlie European varieties. Since the following pathogen- esis was flril published, tlie American Ptthaiilla has been extensively used in this country, and its curative powers have been found equal to the foreign. I find no difference in their qualities. (Wale.) Officinal PHKpABATrous

Tincture of the whole plant: dilutions. ANALoauES Aniiea, Ciematu, Cimieifaga, Cyclamen., Supkraaia, Fer rum, Igaatia, Mite/iella, Bupatorium purpwreum, Platiiia, Pulsatilla nig., Beneeio, Sepia.

Mental Sphere. Gloom J state of mind, with eructations of sour air. She feels very irritable, " cross," could not bear to be spoken to; noise vexed her; she felt like weeping at trifling annoyances. Confusion of mind; impossihle to study.

Hard pain in the upper portion of the forehead, passing to the back of the head like a wave, affecting the whole brain. Feeling as if a nail were being driven into the brain jiiat

feeling in the head in the morning. " Migraine — intense pain in one side of head and one eye, with chilliness; lownesa of spirits and vomiting.

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542 PCLSiTTLLA NCTTALLIAKA.

FJnttering noise in the right ear (first symptom of the ear in

Yellowish coating on the tongue, along the centre. Sensation of a lump in the throat, recurring frequently.

* Slimy coating on tongue, with offensive breath.

* Prickling, burning sensation in the pit of the stomach. Severe cutting pains in the stomach, with feeling of distension

in tlie abdomen, and dull headache. Sonr eructations, with gloominess.

* Intense nausea, without vomiting, all the time.

Distress in the wliole epigastrimn, with sharp, cutting pain in

tlie stomach, passing toward the spine. Feeling as if fine needles were being pressed into the stomach.

* Weak, faint, fluttering sensation in the pit of stomach, even

after eating. ( WesselAt^.)

Aching pain in left groin, just above the crest of the ilium, on moving or bending.

* Hard, dry, lumpy stools. ( Wesselh<Bft.)

Mushy stools, succeeded by cutting pains in the epigastrium. Severe cutting pains in the umbilicus, followed by a dark colored stooL

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PCI-BATILLA NUTTALUAirA. 543

Desire for stool all the afternoon and evening, followed by

darli, lumpy stool. Loose, papesceut stools, with chilliness.

* Catarrhal diarrhtea; also fi'om indigestion. (Burl.)

* Female."- Sharp -pains m ihs uterus, from, side to side,

accompanied with chill/mess, trembling weakness of the

legs, urging to iirinate and diarrhcea. Premature and profuse menses, ° Amenorrhcea, with constant chilliness; coldness of the hands

and feet ; loss of appetite, sour eructations, melancholy

and general malaise, {Hale, Small.) "Ketarded menses; irregular menses; lencorrhcea, ° Suppression of the menses; several cases. {Small.)

* Male. — Xtiill distress in the testicles, with drawing pain along

the left spermatic cord to the testicles.

* Sharp, sticking pain in left spermatic cord and testicles. Seminal emission for three consecutive nights.

Coughs a good deal. ° Constant loose cough, day and night, with fullness under

the sternum. " Chronic dry cough becomes loosened.

Sharp, stabbing pain in the left pectoral is -major mnscle, fol- lowed by burning sensation when the pains occur. ° Aching pain in the pleura or lungs. ( Wesselhceft.)

Some distress in the lumbar region during a rain storm.

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54i PULSATILLA NUTTALLIANA.

The flexor muscleB of the arms ache severely, and are stiff.

Frequent drawing, flexing pains in the wrists and fingers.

Stiffness of the fingers, with drawing pain in the left meta- carpal bones.

° Hands hot and dry. [Cansland.)

Lower Extremities.

Drawing pains in the left sartorius mnscle, when walking.

Sharp, neuralgic pains, passing from the hip joint down to the middle of the thigh, along the conrse of the isehiatio nerve.

Frequent dull pains in both ankles.

Severe, dull pains in the right knee joint, for two hours in tho morning, while in bed, during a rain storm.

Trembling weakness in the leg^, with a sensation of great weariness and heaviness.

" Rheumatic pains, which are wandering,

Restlessness in the feet, with constant desire to move them.

Eruption un the back, legs and ankles, of a dark, blnish-red color, with more or less itching during the day, but at niglit, in a warm bed, the itching is most intolerable.

Eimption stands out prominently from the skin, looking like measles.

* Itching erythema; nrticaria (nodules of irregular form,

round, elongated, annular; turning white on scralcLing,

with red base and white skin between).

Pale, weak, with a feverish feeling, and great debility. Chilliness over the whole body, with frequent yawning.

* Hands hot and dry.

Face hot and flashed, after four p. m., with dull headache.

Sleep is often disturbed by awaking with headaches oi- fre-

qnent inclination to pass water; seminal einissions occur;

but the most troublesome symptom is itching of the skin,

the fore part of the night, caused by a species of urticaria

or scalp erythema. ( Wesselhc^t.)

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EHtTS GLAEEUM. 543