WHY should not this pecuHar and pungent vegetable, which contains notably phos- phorus and sulphur, and of which the juice, even in the form of vapor, acts so promptly and so per- suasively upon the conjunctiva and the Schneiderian membrane — why should it not produce physio- logical symptoms, and prove useful as a remedy ? Dr. C. Hering, of Philadelphia, to whom our materia medica owes so much of matter and of light, published a proving of Cepa in his "Ameri- kanische Arzneipriifungen, 1857." The symptoma- tology is preceded by a most interesting resume of the history of Cepa. I propose to give a summary only of the action of Cepa upon the conjunctiva and the respiratory mucous membrane. Biting and burning in the eyes with abundant secretion of tears ; the eyes are constantly suffused with them. The burning is particularly felt in the margins of the lids. The tears are bland, not acrid, and do not scald the lid or cheek. I06 ALLIUM CEPA. Under Euphrasia, on the contrary, the tears are acrid, while the nasal discharge is bland. Coryza. Discharge from the nose watery; it drops from the tip of the nose. There is much sneezing, especially in coming into a warm room. It is worse in the evening. Arsenic has sneezing in the cool air, after leav- ing a warm room ; and its coryza is not attended by the laryngeal symptoms of Cepa. The coryza of Natrum muriaticum is characterized by entire loss of taste^ The nasal discharge of Cepa is very acrid, excoriating the upper lip, which becomes red and very sensitive. Mercurius produces an acrid nasal discharge, but it is not so limpid, does not drop, and it excoriates the alse nasi and columna, rather than the lip. Along with this coryza there are roughness and rawness of the fauces and of the trachea. There is cough, dry and hoarse, or rough, provoked by a tickling in the larynx behind the pomum Adami, It is characteristic of Cepa that when in obedience to this tickling provocation the patient coughs, there results an extremely painful, splitting sensa- tion in the larynx, as though that apparatus would be rent asunder by the effort of coughing. This pain makes the patient wince and crouch, and brings tears to the eyes. No other drug produces this splitting in the larynx from cough in conjunc- tion with acrid coryza. ALLIUM CEPA. IO7 The trachea feels rough and raw, and there is some dyspnoea, together with feverish heat and some acceleration of the pulse. Prescribing in accordance with the above indica- tions, I once succeeded in removing in the space of a few hours what I judged from physical exploration to be an extensive very recent conges- tion of the lungs, resulting from exposure to a cold north-west wind immediately after prolonged and violent muscular exertion. MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. ^T^HE name of this medicinal plant is derived X from matrix, because of the specific action supposed by the ancients to be exerted by it on the uterus. It was used by the ancients, by whom likewise and for similar reason the name Parthenion was given to it. Culpeper says of it: "Venus commands this herb, and has commended it to succour her sisters; and to be a general strengthener of wombs ; and to remedy such infirmities as a careless midwife has there caused." It is found in most parts of Europe, in corn- fields, waste grounds and by road-sides. In medicine the whole plant is used; it is gathered when in flower, and the tincture is formed by express- ing the juice of the whole plant, gathered fresh, and mixing it with twenty parts of alcohol. By allopathic physicians the Anthemis nobilis has been substituted for the Matricaria chamomilla, their properties being assumed to be identical. MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. IO9 It is classed among the stimulant tonics. It contains an essential oil and a bitter principle. Its action is described as both stimulant and tonic. "In substance, or in a strong infusion, it pro- duces a sense of warmth in the stomach, and, it is said, some acceleration of the pulse. It expels flatus, improves the digestion, does not confine the bowels, and is alleged even to possess emmena- gogue virtues. In large doses it occasionally pro- duces vomiting, looseness of the bowels, pain, with fullness of the head ; and in certain idiosyncrasies it is even said to produce a sort of somnolent intoxication, with general depression and exhaust- ion."— Stille, i., 557. Our knowledge of the positive properties of Chamomilla is derived from Hahnemann's proving (Materia Medica Pura, iii., i). This has been sin- gularly corroborated within a few years by a prov- ing conducted by Prof Hoppe, of Basle. Before proceeding to an analysis of the action of Chamomilla, it may not be amiss to quote at some length from Hahnemann's introduction to the proving. It is full of practical wisdom. " This has been extensively used as a family medicine in complaints of all kinds, chiefly those that develop themselves rapidly. But physicians have held it too much in contempt, not consider- ing it as a medicine, but only as a popular remedy ; and allowing their patients to use it, in conjunc- tion with their prescriptions, in large handfuls, for infusions, teas, etc., and for external applications, no MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. while, at the same time, they were giving internal medicines ; as if it were always a safe and salutary thing, never injurious, or at least quite unim- portant. * * ^ * * "Thus we may see how far physicians have been blinded with regard to a plant belonging to a class of powerful medicines, when it was their duty to acquaint themselves thoroughly with its properties ; not only that they might themselves make a wise and proper use of it, but put a stop to the gen- eral abuse, pointing out when good effects might be expected from it, and, on the other hand, when it should be avoided. " But physicians have hitherto not fulfilled this duty ; they have rather rivaled the public in pre- scribing or permitting the use of this powerful remedy in all cases, without distinction, and in doses of all degrees. " Yet it requires a very little ray of sense to perceive that no medicine in the world can be proper for all diseases ; that each one has its circle of benefit strictly defined, beyond which every powerful medicine like Chamomilla must, of course, exercise injurious action in proportion to its energy ; and therefore to avoid quackery the phy- sician ought to know previously when Chamomilla may be useful and when prejudicial ; as also how to proportion the doses, that they may be neither too powerful nor too weak. * * * " In fact no medicine, however polychrest it may be, can be useful and salutary in a tenth part MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. Ill of the existing diseases ; neither can this preroga- tive belong to Chamomilla. But, admitting what is impossible, let us suppose it can cure a tenth part of the diseases of which mankind is suscepti- ble, is it not clear that if it is employed universally it must be injurious to the other nine-tenths ? Is it right to purchase success in one case to the injury of the other nine ? What do you mean by injurious effects ? says the common practitioner ; I see none that depend on Chamomilla. Certainly, I reply, so long as you are ignorant of the effects so powerful a medicine is capable of producing in a healthy person, you cannot perceive it to be the source of the mischiefs that are caused by the manner in which you employ it. These evils you consider to belong to the disease itself, and you attribute them to the malignity of that disease, and thus you deceive yourself, while you are doing harm to your poor patients. " But cast your eye upon the mirror which I hold up to you ; read the catalogue of the symp- toms produced by Chamomilla, and then, if you fall back into your daily sin, if you put no limit to your habitual use of this plant, see how many among the apparent symptoms will be attributable to those belonging to Chamomilla, and judge of the distress and pain that will be caused to the sick by the abuse of this substance in those cases in which it is not suitable, and when given in large doses." It may be remarked that the use of Chamo- I I 2 MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. milla is not so universal now as it was when Hahnemann wrote ; but his observations apply with equal force to whatever drugs it may be the fashion to use in the same indiscriminate and reckless way. GENERAL ANALYSIS. I. On the Vital Force, the action of Chamomilla is shown : In the fact that it exalts the general suscepti- bility, causing pains to be felt very keenly, so that a pain which might be supposed to be only moder- ately severe is, to the patient, intolerable. The disposition is impatient, intolerant, restless and very anxious. In the prostration of general muscular power and in the lassitude, exhaustion and disposition to syn- cope which Chamomilla produces ; in the peculiar modification of circulation which constitutes the fever of Chamomilla. This fever presents a com- pound of the features above described. Though marked by excitement and increased sensibility, it is, nevertheless, not a well-developed inflammatory fever. The prostration is likewise represented. The heat is partial, confined, for example, to one cheek, and is conjoined with profuse sweat of the head. The fever does not last long, but often recurs. In the jerkings of isolated muscles, and in spasms. MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. II 3 In the special perversions of functions excited in the nerves of sensation of various parts of the body, and in the digestive and the urino-genital organs, 2. On the Organic Substance, Chamomilla does not act so vigorously nor so deeply as one might suppose from the nervous excitement which it pro- duces. It acts : On the digestive canal, increasing and changing the secretions, and provoking accumulations of flatus. On the female genital organs, producing leucor- rhcea, increased menstruation, and uterine haemor- rhage. On the respiratory mucous membrane, increas- ing the secretion. On the skin, producing a miliary eruption on the cheeks, isolated papules and pustules, and an unhealthy disposition of the skin, so that wounds do not readily heal, but become very painful. Periodicity is in so far a property of Chamo- milla action, that the pains recur in the evening, and are much worse at night before midnight, becoming then intolerable. Peculiarity. It is a peculiarity of Chamomilla that the pains are aggravated by heat : it is thus among a minority of medicines. Hahnemann remarks that " a very small dose of Chamomilla seems to lessen very much exces- sive sensitiveness to pain, and the effects which pain produces on the mind. For this reason it 114 MATRICARIA CHAMOMILLA. relieves many of the morbid symptoms produced by excessive use of coffee and of narcotic sub- stances ; and it is also less beneficial to those who remain patient and composed under their suffer- ings." SPECIAL ANALYSIS. Sensorium. Vertigo, even to falling, especially after eating and when talking ; or early in the morning on rising from the bed. Sometimes the vertigo is conjoined with a kind of syncope. The intelligence is benumbed, or blunted, and distracted ; not observant. In writing or talking the prover lets entire words and phrases drop. Headache is felt even during sleep. The head is heavy. But the most frequent pains are tearing and drawing, generally anterior, and almost always semi-lateral. The same is true of all the pains, they are semi-lateral.