Lilium Tigrinum

[TIGER-SPOTTED LILY. NATURAL ORDER, LILIACE.E.]

This plant, a native of China, is so well-known that a description is superfluous.

"We make a tincture by maceration of the stalks, leaves and flowers. Dr. Hale recommends the use of the pollen, just matured and tritu- rated with sugar of milk.

Dr. Wm. E. Payne introduced this remedy to the homoeopathic profession, reporting the results of several provings with it to the American Institute of Homoeopathy of 1867, 1868 and 1870. These provings are of unusual interest, since we have a full record of the effects of the drug upon women, a point greatly missed in the pathogeneses of many, otherwise well-proven remedies.

A careful study of these provings show, that the reproductive organs of women are powerfully affected by the remedy. There is a great pressure in the entire pelvic region, with a dragging downward which is felt as high as the shoulders; it seems as if "everything were coming into the world through the vagina.". This bearing- down sensation caused the prover to use pressure upward in order to gain relief and, when walking, to take very deep inspirations to ease this pressure by the play of the abdominal muscles.

In the case of some women-provers, who had at no time previous to the proving been subject to prolapse, displacements of the womb were produced under the action of the remedy. The peculiar effect of the lilium tigr inum upon the reproductive organs is so well marked, that 'all the sexual organs, including the mammae, are powerfully affected ; the sexual instinct becomes thoroughly aroused, producing a con- dition which borders upon nymphomania.

Men provers also have experienced a decided increase of sexual desire ; other symptoms of the sexual group are, in their case, of little value. It is claimed that the heart symptoms recorded by men are of characteristic importance. It is quite true that provings made by men show a uniformity of effects upon the heart, as the provings made by women resemble each other closely in their effects upon the reproductive organs ; clinical experience, as yet, has not defined the curative sphere of the remedy in diseases of the heart. The patho- genetic record of lilium embraces also very interesting mental and eye symptoms, which will be noted hereafter.

304 LILIUM TIGKINUM.

SEXUAL GKOTJP.

Lihuni has caused : Dragging-down sensation of the whole abdominal contents, extending to the organs of the chest, feeling greatly the need of support; a sensation in the pelvis as though everything were coming into the world through the vagina, very dis- tressing and not relieved by change of position or by lying down, though worse when standing ; a disposition to place the hand upon the hypogastrinm and press upward, in order to relieve the dragging sensation. " Neuralgic pain in the uterus, so severe that the least touch or jar was exceedingly painful; this passed off in an hour and a half without leaving any lameness ; upon the recurrence of the symptoms I found by examination that the womb was antiverted ; this is something I have never before experienced. On examination, the uterus was found low down, the fundus tilted forward and the os uteri pressing backward upon the rectum, allowing but a difficult passage of the index finger between the os and the rectum." On introducing the finger into the vagina, she finds the os, which is usually so high as to be almost out of reach, now so low as to be only a half-finger high, the os much tilted back and pressing against the rectum, the fundus pressing on the bladder.

The above symptoms, experienced by a number of intelligent prove rs and repeatedly verified, indicate the use of lilium tigrinum in

PliO LAPSUS UTEKI. — To the symptoms enumerated we may add : stinging pains in the left ovarian region ; frequent and burning scanty urination ; itching and irritation in the vagina, often accom- panied by great sexual excitement; morning diarrhoea; irritating leucorrhoea ; irritability or despondency of mind.

Mrs. D., aged thirty-five years, was confined six months ago. Previously she had suffered from a uterine displacement, for which she was treated unsuccessfully, but which disappeared with pregnancy. Since her confinement, however, it has returned, there being complete prolapsus and, at times, partial procidentia.

Great distention of the abdomen ; very distressing, dull pains in the left ovary; constant aching in the sacral region extending into the thighs ; yellow, mouldy, blotched appearance of the skin, especially of the face and upper chest. After the use of sepia, mix vomica, conium, and other remedies, the patient received lilium tigrinum200, a dose every morning and evening for one week. Its action was rapid and unmistakable, very decided improvement took place during the first week and the patient was cured in two months.

(Dr. W. C. Goodno in Hahn.

Monthly, September, 1872.)

Mrs. F., aged thirty years ; mother of one child. Had been under medical care for a long time. She had an anteversion of the uterus, the os uteri was wedged down against the sacrum ; the fundus tilted toward the pubis.

The most prominent symp- toms were : agonizing distress and pressure in the rectum; she felt as though she wanted to defecate all the time ; the attendant pain was so severe that she thought she must have piles; great irritation of the bladder, with constant desire to urinate, with scanty flow at times, and again perfect inability to void urine. She felt afraid to move, for fear that everything would drop through her. Headache over the eyes

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and vertex ; menses at all times very irregular, scanty and exceedingly painful. The principal mental symptom was, a fear that no one understood her case and that it was incurable. The patient received lilium tigrinum, 1st decimal dilution, on July 15th; soon after, the third dilution was substituted. She was discharged cured in about three weeks. (Dr. W. H. Boardman, in /fa /in. Monthly, October, 1872.)

Mrs. B., aged thirty-eight years; mother of four children. She complained of great bearing-down and distress in the pelvic region ; pressure upon the rectum and bladder; she had worn a T bandage for six years " to hold herself together" ; she felt as though she would drop to pieces if she did not wear it; pale and wretched- looking countenance; menses are almost wanting, except a slight show every two or three months; very painful; acrid leucorrhcea of a dirty, yellowish-brown color; headache ; loss of appetite.

Examination showed the os uteri pushed down upon the pubes ; the fundus lying back against the sacrum. The use of lilium tigrinum, 3d dilution, was followed by a prompt and permanent cure, [fbid.)

Mrs. W., aged thirty- four years, complains of a funnel-shaped pressure, beginning in the thorax and converging upon the uterus ; sick headaches which recur every few days, with much aggravation at the menstrual period ; blur before the eyes; examin- ation shows prolapsus with general laxity of the ligaments. Prescribed lilium80. In five weeks, under the action of the remedy, the headaches and the painful pressure downward had disappeared ; examination showed the uterus in a normal position.

(Dr. May Howells, in the Cin. Med. Advance, April, 1879.)

Lilium has also caused : Pain in the ovaries, relieved by lying on the back and having the limbs flexed ; dragging-down pain in the ovaries; sharp, shooting pain in the ovaries, especially in the left; tenderness in the ovarian region. Menses came at the regular time, more free than usual, relieving a headache ; after flowing twenty-four hours, it ceased twelve and then recurred. The flow is not one-fourth as much as usual, but is followed by profuse bright-yellow leucor- rhcea, so acrid as to excoriate the whole perineum.

Menses recurred after an interval of only two weeks ; a slight, dark, thick discharge smelling like lochia. Delayed and scanty menses. The flow stops as soon as the p rover ceases to move about. Strong sexual desire.

Thin, acrid leucorrhcea, leaving a brown stain, excoriating, producing a rash and some swelling ; great weakness in the small of the back and loins. A feeling as if the internal sexual organs were swollen ; smarting ; irritation of the labia with heat, as though the parts were inflamed ; great tenderness about the whole sexual organs ; itching and smarting of the labia, with great uneasiness of the parts. These symptoms indicate the use of lilium in

AMENORRHCEA, complicated with uterine displacements or accompanied by leucorrhceal discharges, as above described ; tender- ness and pain in the (left) ovarian region. Bearing-down.

DYSMENORRHEA with similar symptoms; bearing-down in the whole pelvic region, extending into the inside of the thigh ; the flow stops as soon as motion ceases ; stinging pain in the ovaries ; displacement of the ovaries.

LEUCORRHCEA, thin and excoriating ; it stains the linen brown ;

306 LILIUM TIGRINUM.

bearing down ; frequent, scanty urination with smarting in the

urethra after every passage ; itching and burning in the vagina.

PRURITIS, with leucorrhceal discharge, great despondency and

irritability ; bearing-down, as if the pelvic viscera would issue from

the vagina.

Mrs. E. J., aged thirty-one years, of light complexion, nervous, has suffered for some twelve years with pruritus vulvae. On the mucous surface between the labia majora and minora are dry, mealy spots of the size of lentils, causing intolerable itching ; the patient is often awakened at night to find herself scratching these spots, and states that she feels like tearing away the flesh, the itching seems to be so deep in ; she is generally worse just after the catamenia.

She also complains at times of a watery discharge from the left nostril, which comes away one drop at a time and looks like clear water. An examination shows a. spot on the septum of the left nostril similar to the eruption on the vulva. The patient was under my treatment some two years, receiving without benefit, sepia, mercurius, rhus toxicodendron, psorinum, carbo vegetabilis, natrum muriaticum and causticum. On May 9, 1876, my patient said she must have falling of the womb, as it seemed to her as if every- thing would come out of the vagina.

She had a great desire to place her hand on the vulva to keep the parts up ; the pressure of the hand gave relief. On examina- tion I found a partial prolapse of the uterus. I gave a dose of lilium tigrinum30 which afforded relief within a few hours. The next day, the uterus was found to be normally situated; on the fourth day the nasal discharge had ceased, and on the seventh day the pruritus was cured.

(Dr. Chs. Mohr in Hahn. Monthly, April, 1878.)

OVARIAN IRRITATION— Lilinm tigrinum should be a valu- able remedy in ovarian irritation, accompanied by stinging, cutting pains and great tenderness to pressure and sensitiveness to a jar, especially if the left ovary is the seat of the disease ; great pressure and feeling of weight in the pelvic region ; cutting and stinging pain in the (left) breast ; the symptoms are aggravated at night and by lying upon the left side. Uterine complications. Dysmenorrhoea. Leucorrhoea.

PROLAPSE OF THE OVARY.— Dr. E. M. Hale has found the remedy of service in the treatment of prolapse of the ovary.

Having so marked an effect upon the reproductive apparatus of women, lilium tigrinum becomes a remedy of no small importance in many of the derangements incident to pregnancy and to the lying-in bed ; also to a number of those distressing and complicated conditions, which find their first cause in badly-managed labor, una- voidable drawbacks and accidents during the days which imme- diately follow delivery, of too-early rising and too ready a return to the regular duties of family life. In the vomiting of pregnancy lilium may be consulted, if a displacement of the uterus is the pro- voking cause.

The following cases, given by Dr. Win. E. Payne, (Transactions American Institute of Homoeopathy), will further illustrate the use of the drus; :

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Mrs. E. was confined four weeks ago ; took ether ; labor was rapid ; has always been troubled with obstinate constipation, which still continues ; has no movement of the bowels without assistance. Hemorrhoids came on the first week after her confinement ; the tumors are painful, sore to the touch and itching ; profuse, irritating leucorrhcea (or perhaps continued lochia), with pain in the back and hips; pain and smarting in the urethra after passing urine ; bearing down when at stool, as if the whole of the internal organs would press out through the vagina, with apparent necessity for pressing with the hand against the vulva to keep the parts up.

Tender- ness of the lower part of the abdomen to pressure. She dreads insanity and fears she has some incurable disease. She had itching leucorrhcea during the whole period of pregnancy, causing inflammation and swelling of the labia. After considerable allceopathic drugging, with constant increase of the disease, she was promptly cured with a single dose of lilium tigrinum, 6th potency.

Mrs. H. had puerperal fever after a severe, but not prolonged, labor. After nine days' continuance the active inflammatory condition culminated in a large pus-like discharge from the vagina which, her attending physician informed her, came from an abscess ; she made a very imperfect recovery and was at last pronounced incurable. She had bearing down in the uterine region, relieved by sitting or lying down, or by pressing with the hand at the vulva; tenderness in the hypogastrium ; had not menstruated since her confinement ; had nursing diarrhoea, with a feeling of excoria- tion at the anus ; frequent urinary passages, with smarting and burning in the urethra after every passage; abundant excoriating leucorrhcea, with great depression of spirits, and a firm conviction that no medicine would ever reach her case.

She received lilium tigrinum, 6th potency. Her recovery was rapid. She soon returned to her home, resumed the management of her domestic affairs, and reported herself better than she had been for years. Six months later, after long-continued fatigue, there were indications of a return, but a few doses of the tiger-lily rapidly removed all the symptoms, as before.

Lilium tigrinum has caused, upon men, an increase of sexual desire and an emission ; upon women, it lias produced more decided and even passionate excitement, than auy of the recently-introduced remedies. "The sexual desire, dormant hitherto, was so strongly aroused that the prover said, 'I am afraid of myself, I seem possessed of a demon' ; this excitement continued almost three weeks, increas- ing in intensity, until an orgasm beyond the control of the prover would suddenly terminate it ; during these attacks there was a con- stant urging to unusual physical exertion, walking, etc., in hopes of relief, the mitigation afforded by this, however, ceasing with the effort ; there was in this state a constant hurried feeling, as of im- perative duties and utter inability to perform them ; for about ten days following this excitement, there was a profound mental depres- sion ; although convinced that the sexual desire resulted from drug action and was beyond her control, an apprehension of moral obliquity weighed grievously upon her; with the sudden passing off of this condition would as suddenly recur the excitement, and this alternation continued for more than four months after the proving." Again we find : passionate excitement, aching and burning pain in the ovaries, worse in the right; the ovaries" are distinctly defined to her sensation.

308 LILIUM T1GRINUM.

These symptoms certainly justify the vise of the remedy in nymph- omania with irritability, nervous excitement, lascivious dreams and a readiness to do and say obscene things ; feeling of fulness and itch- ing in the vagina ; fulness in the pelvic region ; ovarian irritation, stinging in the left ovary ; acrid leucorrhoea ; pruritus vulva?.

NEEVOUS GEOUP.

We find on record a goodly number of symptoms which might properly be recorded here. A careful examination of the totality of symptoms, however, and a comparison of the pathogenetic record of the drug with our clinical experience, tend to show that these symp- toms are reflex and depend largely, if not altogether, upon the primary disturbance upon the sexual apparatus. Hence, the remedy will be apt to become of service in nervous difficulties, especially in women, which depend upon sexual disturbances.

CHOREA AND HYSTERIA.— In the former condition we have general convulsions with a desire to get a firm hold upon her- self; in the latter you must look for ovarian or uterine irritation, characteristic menstrual derangements ; frequent but scanty urina- tion ; exalted sexual desire and possibly irregularity in the action of the heart.

OEBITAL GEOUP.

The following spmptoms have been selected from those recorded by provers : Dull, reddish injection of the eyes ; burning feeling in the eyes, after reading or writing ; the eyes feel very weak ; the eyes feel as if they were full of tears ; heaviness of the eyes and lids ; agglutination of the eyelids. Great dimness of vision; blurred sight with heat in the eyelids and eyes, which was constant and very troublesome ; confusion and dimness of sight, with a disposition to cover the eyes and press upon them ; the eyes are very sensitive to gaslight, Avhich causes intolerable, burning pain.

ASTHENOPIA. — Lilium has become a remedy of recognized value in the treatment of asthenopia, characterized by symptoms similar to those given above. The late Dr. ^Y. H. "Woodyatt used the remedy successfully in cases of asthenopia, depending upon weakness of the ciliary muscle and presenting the characteristic indi- cations of the remedy.

Mrs. E., aged thirty-seven years. Has sewed steadily for some time, until a gradually-increasing pain in the eyes has compelled her to desist.- What was at first periodic pain, has now become constant, and she is painfully conscious of her eyes all the time. All effort to see causes pain, and in talking with friends she is obliged to

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close the eyes frequently and press the globes with her fingers. This movement has been necessary so much, that it now seems to be done automatically. All light is painful, so that she has darkened her rooms when occupying them, but artificial light is especially disagreeable. Much headache, both frontal and occipital, is complained of and there is present a condition of general nervous irritation.

Examination with the test type showed, right eye vision 20-50, minus 72 S, equals minus 42 C. ; axis horizontal, made vision 20-20. Right eye vision 20-40 minus 60 C. ; axis 150 made vision 20-20. The ophthalmoscope showed only that hyperemia of the disk which is present in almost every case of asthenopia, accompanied by refractive error. She remained in the city under my observation for ten days, and took lilium tigrinum30, four times a day.

The record taken before she left reads : right eye, vision 20-40 (?), minus 72 S, makes vision 20-20. Left eye 20-20, without any glass, but vision im- proved by a cylindrical glass minus 60, axis 150. Light not painful now. "Used them by gaslight last night, without pain, and the evening before sat through a theatrical performance with comfort." Her general condition was very much im- proved.

Lilium tigrinum has also been used in the treatment of the fol- lowing diseases :

NERVOUS PALPITATION OF THE HEART with "dull heavy, pressing pain, as if the heart were grasped and released alternately ; sensation as if the heart contained too much blood which might be relieved by throwing up blood ; pain, pressure and fulness about the heart, with a feeling of coldness about the heart, but no indication of any organic lesion ; sensation of trembling about the apex of the heart, worse on talking ; frequent sensation as if the heart stopped, followed by a rush of the blood to the heart and violent palpitation ; amelioration by lying on the left side." (Lilienthal's Therapeutics, page 332.)

DIARRHCEA. — Morning diarrhoea with tenesmus and smarting, and burning at the anus and rectum after a passage.

HEADACHES with dullness of the head and vertigo when walk- ing ; headaches of women afflicted with ovarian and uterine troubles ; pain all through the head ; dull frontal headache and headache over the eyes ; pressure outward, relieved by a tight bandage around the head or by pressure with the hands ; confusion of the head ; worse in the open air and in the evening ; better from pressure ; cardiac irritability.

The mental group of lilium is characterized by great nervousness, moodiness and apprehensiveness. These symptoms are undoubtedly due to its primary and ever-important effect upon the reproductive organs, and become of value to the physician when found in con- nection with diseases which affect the healthy tone or are based upon a disturbance of those organs. Hence the drug becomes an important agent in the treatment of

MELANCHOLIA, often amounting to insanity, in women who

310 LOBELIA INFLATA.

are laboring under characteristic uterine, ovarian or other derange- ments of the sexual organs.

The following lines are taken from a paper on the treatment of mental and nervous diseases, by Dr. S. H. Talcott, superintendent of the New York State Homoeopathic Asylum for the Insane {Horn.

Times, April, 1879): "Lilium tigrinum and sepia find an im- portant place in the treatment of depressed and irritable women. The troubles in such cases originate largely in the mal-performance of duty on the part of the generative organs. Both lilium and sepia cases are full of apprehensions and manifest much anxiety for their own welfare. In the sepia cases, however, there are likely to be found more striking and serious organic changes of the uterine organs ; while the lilium case presents either functional disturbance or a very recent and comparatively superficial organic lesion.

Lilium is more applicable to acute cases of melancholia where the uterus or ovaries are involved in moderate or subacute inflammation, and where the patient apprehends the presence of a fatal disease which does not in reality exist. The lilium patient is sensitive, hyperses- thetical, tending often to hysteria. She quite readily and speedily recovers, much to her own surprise, as well as that of her friends, who have been made to feel by the patient that her case was hope- less.

The sepia patient is sad, despairing, sometimes suicidal, and greatly averse to work or exercise. There is, however, often, a good reason for such a patient's depression, for, too frequently, she is the victim of profound organic lesions which can, at best, be cured only by long, patient and persistent endeavor."