when it is used in an improper manner, or exhibited in dispro- portionate doses. On the other hand, the most powerful and most energetic remedial agents become mild and eminently curative, even in highly susceptible systems, when they are exhibited in small doses, and in diseases to which those agents correspond in symptoms. Belladonna being a powerful agent, the greatest care should be taken to employ it with strict regard to its homoeopathic character. The common routinier, whose sole art consists in applying to a given case of disease, one of those prescriptions which he had learned by rote, is, of course, unaware of the paramount importance of selecting every remedy, especially remedies of great power, with the most careful regard for their adaptation to disease. The experience which I have had occasion to gather at the bedside of the patients for the last eight or ten years, has in- duced me to use the decillionth degree of potency for homoeo- pathic treatment. The smallest portion of a drop 1 of that potency, is sufficient to exhibit that degree of curative action which the case requires. To obtain the hundredth degree of potency, mix two drops of alcohol with equal parts of the juice of the plant — this method ought to be pursued with all other medicinal juices, — and then mix this with ninety-nine or one hundred drops of alcohol, by means of two strokes with the arm from above downwards ; by mixing, in the same way, one drop of this dilution with one hundred drops of alcohol, you obtain the ten thousandth degree of potency, and by mix- ing a drop of this last dilution with another one hundred drops of alcohol, you obtain the millionth degree. This process of spiritualization or dynamization, is continued through a series of thirty vials up to the thirtieth solution. This thirtieth degree should always be used for homoeopathic purposes. If Belladonna be homceopathically indicated, one globule of the thirtieth dilution is sufficient to exhibit with great promptness the curative action of Belladonna, even in the most acute diseases. On the other hand, the action of one globule may, in chronic cases, continue for upwards of three weeks. 2 1 Note : I exhibit one globule of the size of a grain of flax-seed, three hundred of which weigh a grain. One drop being sufficient to moisten upwards of a thousand of such globules, one globule contains less than the one thousandth part of a drop of the decillionth solution. 2 Note: One globule of Belladonna, first exhibited every three or four days, and afterwards at longer intervals, is the surest prophylactic against hydrophobia. BELLADONNA. 97 Almost all authors have recommended vinegar as an anti- dote against BallaJonna. This is a mere conjecture which one author has copied from the other. Abundant experience has taught me, on the contrary, that vinegar increases the pain produced by Belladonna. 1 Fits of paralysis and colic, produced by Belladonna, may be assuaged by Opium, although it acts only as a palliative. A small dose of Opium, probably, also relieves the somnolence consequent upon the use of Belladonna. Stupor, insanity, and frenzy, produced by Belladonna, are homoeopathically relieved in the speediest and most certain manner by a few small doses of Hyosciamus. The intoxica- tion of Belladonna is relieved by wine ; myself, as well as Trajus and Moibanus, have witnessed this effect of wine. A small dose of Belladonna having been administered non- homaeopathically, and being succeeded by a weeping mood, attended with chills and headache, these effects may be stayed by a similarly small dose of Pulsatilla. Adequate help is the most necessary, when a large quan- tity of the berries of Belladonna has been swallowed. In this case, relief may be obtained by large portions of strong coffee, which restores the irritability of the muscular fibre, puts a stop to the tetanic convulsions — although acting as a mere palliative — -and secures the vomiting of the berries ; this may, moreover, be facilitated by tickling the pharynx with a long feather. The erysipelatous swellings of Belladonna are speedily removed by small doses of Hepar sulphuris. Camphor, too, is a good antidote against some of the symptoms of Belladonna. Belladonna may be used as a prophylactic against the genuine, erysipelatous, smooth and glossy scarlet fever, as described by Sydenham, Plencitz, and others. To this effect the smallest dose of Belladonna ought to be given every six or seven days. This great discovery of mine has been scorned and sneered at by a number of physicians, for at least nineteen years. They were ignorant of the character of this disease which is proper to childhood, and they were indiscreet enough to mistake for scarlet fever the purple-rash, which had migra- ted into Germany from Belgium, ever since the year 1801. They falsely applied to this purple-rash the term "scarlet fever," and failed, of course, in trying to cure it by means of Note : Stapf has also observed that applications of vinegar to the forehead increase the headache caused by Belladonna, so as to make it insupportable ; the applications had to be discontinued. 93 BELLADONNA. the remedy which I had proposed.' I rejoice that, in subse- quent years, other physicians should have again observed the genuine scarlet fever, that they should have confirmed the prophylactic virtues of Belladonna against this disease, and should have done me justice, after the unjust derision which I had so long suffered. Purple-rash (Roodvonk) being a disease different from scarlet fever, it requires to be treated in a different way. In purple-rash Belladonna can do no good, and patients who are treated with Belladonna in this disease, will generally have to die ; whereas all of them might have been saved by the alter- nate use of Aconite and the tincture of Coffea cruda, the for- mer being given against the heat, the increasing uneasiness, and the agonizing anguish ; the latter against the excessive pain and weeping mood. Aconite and Coffea should be alter- nately given every twelve, sixteen, or twenty-four hours, in proportion as one or the other medicine is indicated! Of the Aconite I give a small portion of a drop of the decillionth solu- tion ; of the Coffea I exhibit the millionth degree of potency in the same form and quantity. Recently, both diseases, which are so different from each other, the Sydenhamian scarlet fever, and the purple-rash, seem to have become complicated in some epidemic diseases, so that one patient derives more benefit from Aconite, another from Belladonna. NOACK AND TRINKS ON BELLADONNA. Belladonna produces phenomena similar to those of Aco- nite, not directly, however, but by exciting the central points of the nervous system into a more expansive activity, which, by a process of reaction, prodves phenomena of inflamma- tion in the peripheral tissues. Belladonna is especially suit- able to plethoric, scrofulous, irritable individuals, persons that are disposed to affections of the head and brain, congestion, spasms, — in whom the nervous system is highly susceptible of impressions, and the circulatory system is easily excited ; to the sangume-choleric temperament, to the organism of the child and the female, and such constitutions as are anal- ogous to those organisms. Belladonna is therefore especially suitable for diseases of women and children, and all those dis- eases in ivhich the whole nervous system is in a state of 1 N ?J E : ? ee Thomassen a Thvessink, over de Roodvonk, 1816, ex- tracted irom Ins (reneeskundige Waarncmingen. BELLADONNA. 99 erethism. What Aconite is to inflammatory fevers or the feverish reaction excited in the arterial system ; that, Bella- donna is to the inflammation itself, or the inflammatory action of the capillaries. If, after the inflammatory action shall have been subdued by Aconite, the other symptoms (the nervous stage of the inflammation) continue, and sensation and irrita- bility be alternately affected, Belladonna is then of great use, if otherwise indicated. — Phlegmonous and erysipelatous in- flammations ; the more delicate the inflamed organ or tissue, as an organ of sensation, the more suitable is Belladonna ; inflammations of the lymphatic vessels and glands (in alterna- tion with mercury.) Diseases of pregnant women, especially when combined with moral symptoms, toothache, gastralgia and colic. Catarrhal affections. Affections consequent upon fear, fright, chagrin. Nervous affections. Spasms of every kind : spasmodic conditions in individuals of a mild tempera- ment, blue eyes, blond hair, delicate skin, plethoric constitution, and disposition to glandular swellings, or to phlegmonous or parenchymatous inflammations ; spasms consequent upon the abuse of Valeriana, Mercury, Chamomilla, and Opium ; con- vulsions of children, especially when consequent upon an effu- sion into the ventricles of the brain, and combined with irrita- tion of the vascular system ; eclampsia infantum ; eclamp- sia puerperarum ; spasmodic constrictions of ring-shaped mus- cles ; hysteric convulsions ; trismus, tetanus. — Epilepsy (in alternation with Calcarea) ; epilepsy with frenzy, St. Titus's dance (in alternation with Stramonium or Calcarea). — Cata- lepsy. — Ergotism. — Tarantism. — Hydrophobia. — Plethora vera. — Congestions to the head, especially the eyes, the chest, the abdomen, uterus, and the hemorrhoidal vessels ; conges- tions to the head, with sopor and deliria in cholera morbus, when the diarrhoea has stopped. (Also Aconite and Mercury may be used here.) Prodromi insultus apoplectici ; apo- plexia sanguinea. — Paralysis. — Icterus.— Cachexia consequent upon the abuse of Cinchona ; rheumatic and arthritic condi- tions, with inflammatory fever and swelling of the affected parts ; erratic rheumatic pains. (Belladonna is said to be powerless against fixed pains.) — Obstruction and suppuration of the glands. — Scrophtdosis and rhachitis ; scrophulosis glandulosa, in the acute stage of inflammation of the glands ; scrophulosis mucosa and ossea, when the periosteum and the bones are inflamed ; atrophy of scrofulous children ; scrofu- lous ulcers. — Mercurial ulcers. — Scirrhus and carcinoma. Measles, especially when combined with great intolerance of light, inflammatory action of the brain, diphteritis, or when there is vomiting after suppression of the measles. — Miliaria alba et rubra ; miliaria herpetica ; dropsy, with fever conse- quent upon suppression of rash (in conjunction with Aconite) ; — pseudo-erysipelas, phlegmonous erysipelas with lustre and throbbing of the affected parts : erysipelas laeve, fvgax et bullosum ; erysipelas of the head with delirium ; erysipelas of the face, with considerable feverish irritation, and gastrico- bilious symptoms ; erysipelas neonatorum ; erysipelas in typhus ; erysipelatous inflammations of the skin consequent upon stings of insects. — Impetigo erysipelatodes. — Scarla- tina laevigata et miliaris, especially with subsequent hydro- cephalus, or with swelling of the parotid glands ; or frightful- ness, convulsions and vomiting consequent upon suppression of the eruption of scarlatina. — Variola, especially when headache threatens and the fever of suppuration is violent ; varioloid, when the joints and the mucous membrane of the trachea are affected ; varicella, especially coniformis, or when a violent, general erythema sets in simultaneously. — Metastases of acute exanthemata to the membranes of the brain. — Rubeola. — Pem- phigus. — Acne. — Eczema mercuriale, with feverish, violent irritation ; porrigo laroalis, especially in children of a ple- thoric habit, with inflammation of the eyes and parotitis. — Panaritium. — Ailments of frozen limbs. — Malign carbuncle. — Decubitus and gangrene. — Sleeplessness consequent upon an- guish and uneasiness, in plethoric habits, with congestions to the head or the thoracic viscera ; or consequent upon a morbid irri- tation of the brain and nervous system, in fever patients and persons who are fond of spirituous drinks, who suffer with weak- ness of the digestive organs, abdominal plethora, infarctus, worms, in hypochondriacs, hysteric individuals in general, in patients affected with spasms, scurvy, chlorosis ; sleeplessness as a symptom of internal inflammations, organic diseases of the chest and abdomen, or as a precursor of delirium, of local inflammations, or the evolution of a nervous, typhous state. Lethargy, especially under the following conditions : When combined with redness of the face, turgescence of the veins of the neck, heat, accelerated pulse, or with injuries of the head inflammations of the brain, pleuropneumonia, in pulmonary patients (as a symptom of arachnitis lenta), at the beginning of diseases with fevers, especially nervous fevers, in puerperal fever, intermittent fevers, after partaking copiously of spirituous drinks, in scarlet fever, small-pox, especially before or after the eruption of small-pox in full-grown persons, after a speedy suppression of cutaneous eruptions or old ulcers, in attacks of the gout in old men, pregnant women, at the termination of BELLADONNA. 101 hysteric paroxysms. — Fevers, where the symptoms indicate a more or less distinctly marked inflammatory action of the brain ; synochal fevers, with nervous, gastric, and rheumatic symptoms, or with a disposition to the putrid character ; febris rheumatica et catarrhalis ; nervous fevers, with fran- tic delirh. dry skin, great thirst, parched tongue, quick, hard pulse, and sleeplessness ; febris nervosa versatilis, when the symptoms indicate an approaching preponderance of the ner- vous stage, resisted as yet by the vascular system ; gastric ner- vous fevers ; typhus cerebraiis et abdominalis, with defi- ciency of sleep and simultaneous irritation of the nerves, or with burning heat. Wolfsohn several times prevented the setting in of the typhoid symptoms in the precursory stage by means of Belladonna (also by Aconite, Nux vom. and Bryonia). Febris puerperalis, with predominant cerebral symptoms, mania, paraphrenitis, wild deliria, local inflammations of the perito- neum and the abdominal organs ; febris puerperalis, conse- quent upon mental emotions, or upon suppression of the lochia or the milk (previously Aconite being used). — Febris lactea. — Intermittent fevers, being relapses consequent upon a violent suppression of the type by Cinchona (Arnica, etc., may also he used here).— Febres lentai. — Derangements of the mind; weak- ness of the memory ; hallucinations of the senses ; exaltations of the mind : ecstasis simplex, paranoa, maniaca, catholica ; paranoia simplex, paraphrosyne ; moria (especially maniaca, and morosis ecstatica), mania ecstatica, ecnoica, catholica, sal- tans, salax, puerperalis; depression of spirits; melancholia simplex, nostalgia; anoia simplex, melancholia, catholica; abu- lia ; mixed derangements of the soul : ecstasis melancholica ; melancholia moria, mania fur ens, melancholia mixta catho- lica, loathing of life ; paranoia anoa ; abulia, paranoia anoma- la maniaca. — Vertigo, consequent upon an irritated, excited cerebral action, especially in the beginning of fevers, or when symptoms of exhaustion set in as precursors of an approaching nervous stage, or when there is feverish excitement consequent upon suppressed bleeding at the nose or upon an imprudent removal of a cutaneous eruption, in the beginning of the small- pox fever (indicating that a state of sopor will set in at the next attack of the fever), in hysteric persons (as precursor of the approaching paroxysm of megrim), in parturient women (as pre- cursor of eclampsia or apoplexy), in children and old people. — Headache consequent upon too great a congestion of the blood to the head, especially when consequent upon catarrh ; headache with tottering of the head, or with trembling or quivering move- ments of the head (in alternation with Sulphur) ; convulsive tre- 102 BELLADONNA. mor of the head ; megrim. — Violent neuralgia of the head (in conjunction with Hyosciamus and Ignatia). — Cerebral irritation of women, owing to a nervous excitement of the sexual organs ; paraphrenitis metastatica. — Inflammation of the brain and of its membranes (after the fever shall have been sufficiently subdued by Aconite) ; threatening dropsy of the brain, hydro- cephalus acutus in the first stage ; meningitis ; arachnitis ; encephalitis vera, insolationis and potatorum (delirium tremens). — Spasm of the eyelids and the globe of the eye. — Inflammations of the eye, of a scrofulous, arthritic, catarrhal, rheumatic, and even traumatic nature ; scrofulous inflamma- tions of the eye, with violent photophobia, swelling of the eye- lids, and ulcers upon the cornea (the photophobia being re- moved, give Sulphur, or, if Belladonna and Sulphur should not prove curative, exhibit Calcarea c. or Ars., or Rhus), arthritic pains in the eye, remaining after Ihe eyeball had become de- stroyed in arthritic ophthalmias. — Hemorrhage from the eye. — Slight obscuration of the cornea ; spots and ulcers of the cornea ; staphyloma (in conjunction with Causticum). — Fungus medul- laris oculi ; contraction and distortion of the pupil. — Iritis. — Retinitis. — Optical illusions and visions. — Scotopsia ; chroma- topsia, photopsia ; hemeralopia gravidarum ; paropsis inver- tens (seeing things upside down) ; strabismus ; dyplopia, poly- opia ; amblyopia amaurotica, even when resulting from too great an effort of the sight, and amaurosis. — Pain in the ear. — Otitis interna and externa. — Hardness of hearing, even after a cold. — Phlegmonous inflammation of the nose. — Ozama. — Bleeding at the nose, especially in childhood, or which returns habitually or by the slightest causes, in inflammatory diseases, especially when the bleeding takes place from the nostril of that side which is not inflamed ; fevers, where only a few drops of blood flow out at the nose, in persons affected with jaundice. Parotitis (in conjunction with Mercury). — Prosopalgia ner- vosa (in conjunction with Sulphur and Phosphorus).— Swelling and ulcers of the lips ; scirrhous induration of the lips. Dif- ficult dentition of children, with cerebral irritation and violent congestion of the blood ; toothache in women, especially preg- nant women ; inflammatory or congestive toothache. — Stut- tering, especially in fevers. — Glossitis, also when produced by hydrargyrosis.— Ptyalism during dentition, or when accompa- nied by violent congestions to the head, headache, attacks of vertigo, being precursors of apoplexy, by chronic hydrocephalus (in young and old age), by eruptive fevers, intermittent fevers spasm of the stomach, an irritated state of the sexual organs,' by nervous affections, by quinsy, or in hysteric and hypochon- BELLADONNA. 103 driac individuals, after abuse of mercury.— Stomacace gan- grenosa (in conjunction with Sulph., Ether, Silic. and Arsen.).— Angina catarrhalis (giving first Aconite, afterwards Mer- cury) ; angina tonsillaris, uvularis et pharyngea, angina faucium phleg?nonodes, especially after a cold ; habitual quinsy —Dysphagia, especially nervous, with violent choking on making the least attempt at swallowing (in conjunction with galvanism), when accompanied by a marked feverish heat, after injuries of the head, in inflammations of the brain, spinal mar- row, fauces, oesophagus, the organs of the throat and chest. — Singultus spasticus. — Anorexia, dyspepsia, and other gastric conditions ; acute gastric symptoms, accompanied by a good deal of sopor, and eyes half open, staring look, repeated vomit- ing of watery slime, hot head, dry skin, hard pulse, short, dif- ficult breathing, groaning, frequent startings and twitchings of the limbs. — Pyrosis potatorum. — Vomiting, especially when there are congestions to the head, inflammations of internal organs, indicating the reception into the system of contagious miasms ; also during and after acute exanthemata, after sup- pression of cutaneous eruptions, quickly cured old ulcers, sup- pressed perspiration, in arthritic metastases, in lying-in women, spasms, and intestinal hernia?.— Hmmatemesis, especially when originating in menostasia (alternating Belladonna with Puis., Nux. v. and Ars.). — Cardialgia, especially chronic, in chlorotic individuals, with induration of the liver, or in pregnant wo- men. — Acute and chronic gastritis. — Inflammation of the omentum. — Peritonitis, especially puerperal (giving Aconite first, afterwards Nux vom.). — Enteritis (giving Aconite first). — Sub-inflammatory symptoms of chronic hepatitis ; acute hepa- titis. — Colica spasmodica, jlattdenta et calculosa. — Inguinal hernial, especially after a cold ; purely nervous strictures, or especially such as are inflammatory, or sub-inflammatory ; also, when the purely spasmodic constriction begins to exhibit symptoms of inflammation. — Dysentery. — Diarrhoea, even with vomiting, consequent upon cold. — Hemorrhoidal consti- pation, with violent pains in the small of the back, and pres- sure towards the chest. — Haemorrhoids. — Proctalgia. — Fis- sures of the rectum, with spasmodic closing of its orifice. (Hyosciamus may be exhibited here.) — Colica nephritica. — Ne- phritis. — Inflammations of the urinary organs, particularly of the testicles and spermatic cords, especially when the inflam- mation is of an erysipelatous character — Enuresis, from paralysis of the bladder, spasm of the bladder, inflammatory irritation of the bladder. — Dysuria, especially when there are infarctus of the liver or spleen, haemorrhoidal complaints, vio- lent colic, intestinal hernia^ inflammatory and spasmodic irri- tations of the urinary oigans. consequent upon carelessly managed rheumatisms and denoting the beginning of peiiodi- cal dropsies of the brain, in drunkards, pregnant women, inter- mittent fever patients, previous to the eruption of approaching scarlatina, in leucorrhoea. — Violent desire to urinate in fevers, with scanty emission of urine or none at all (denoting ap- proaching convulsions and deliria). — Wetting the bed of chil- dren, during sleep, especially scrofulous children. — Diabetes. — Metritis, metro-ovaritis and oophoritis simplex (previously Aconite). — Intumescentia uteri benigna. — Prolapsus uteri. — Scirrhus et carcinoma uteri. — Feverish hysterism consequent upon interruption of the catamenia. — Dysmenorrhoea. — Men- strual spasms shortly before the period, with drawing, labor- like pains from the small of the back as far as the thighs and calves, or extending towards the navel, and pressure to the genital organs. — Too profuse menses, with drawing pains in the genital organs ; profuse metrorrhagia, with labor-like pains in the small of the back (in conjunction with Platina and Arnica) ; hemorrhage from the uterus, with considerable excite- ment of the vascular system, with discharge of bright- red blood, and cutting, squeezing pains in the abdomen. — Abortus, con- sequent upon violent congestion of blood to the uterus ; bad consequences of abortus.— Bad consequences of weaning ; mastodynia nervosa ; erysipelas of the mammce consequent upon weaning ; mastitis (in the beginning) .; galactirrhoea, milky nodosities ; Scirrhus and carcinoma of the mamma. — Inflammation of the thyroid body. — Laryngismus stridulus. — Aphonia, especially after fright, after the sudden suppression of bleeding at the nose, during violent spasmodic fits, or when accompanying cerebral affections in fever patients, when there is violent headache, inflammation of the lungs, in small-pox patients, pregnant women, after parturition, or after violent pain; aphonia catarrhalis ; catarrhal inflammations of the air-passages. — Grippe, especially when the patients become delirious as soon as they close their eyes, and the look is staring. — Bronchial affection in typhus fevers, especially in the last stages, the expectorated matter being glutinous, viscid, difficult to hawk up, intermixed with streaks of blood, and the gums begin bleeding. — Whooping-cough before and during the catarrhal stage. — Nervous and convulsive cough ; dry cough, with habitual congestions to the chest, and plethoric habit ; nightly attacks of dry cough, with a constant irritation and tickling in the larynx, fencing one constantly to cough, so that the patient cannot breathe and the face becomes blue-red. BELLADONNA. 105 Rheumatism of the chest. — Asthma thymicum. — Asthma spasticum, hystericum, congesticum ; asthma Millari ; asth- matic complaints after smoking tobacco. — Haemoptysis, espe- cially when consequent upon a disturbance of the menstrual functions. — Pleuritis. — Pneumonia, especially when nervous, or when occurring at the period of epidemic scarlatina ; the beginning of pneumonia is characterized by congestion of blood to the head, talking in sleep, considerable vascular erethism (in this affection Belladonna may be alternated with Aconite) ; in the stage of suppurative infiltration (here next to Belladonna may be used Merc. Tart. Stib. Rhus, Hyosc. Ac. phos. or Lachesis) ; neglected pneumonia, with rattling in the bronchi, troublesome, puriform, copious expectoration and great weakness (here may also be given Ars. Phosp. Lycop.) ; Bella- donna may also be exhibited in pneumonia;, the symptoms of which do not yield to Aconite or Bryonia (however, it ought then to be ranked after Phosphorus). — Palpitation of the heart, with intermitting pulse. — Carditis? — Rheumatic stiffness of the neck. — Inflammations of the spinal marrow. — Rheuma- tism of the back and the loins. — Psoitis. — Tschias. — Coxalgia ; spontaneous limping in the beginning. — Phlegmasia alba do- lens. — Arthritic inflammatory swellings of the joints (in alter- nation with Hepar sulphuris, Merc. ; Belladonna, in this affec- tion, is probably inferior to Phosp. ac). Analogous Remedies : 1. Aeon. Calc. Canth. Caust. Cham. Chin. Cina. Coff. Coloc. Con. Cupr. Dig. Dulc. Hep. s. Hyosc. Lach. Merc. Nitr. ac. Op. Phosph. ac. Plumb. Puis. Rhus. Seneg. Sep. Stram. Sulp. Valer. — 2. Agar. Alum. Amnion. Arn. Ars. Bar. Bov. Bry. Caps. Clem. Ferr. Grap. Hydro, ac. Lauroc. Lye. M. arct. Mur. ac. Nicot. Nux. v. Phosph. Plat. Rut. Sabin. Sil. Stan. Zinc. — 3. Croc. Ign. Ip. M. austr. Magn. mur. Natr. mur. Petrol. Sabad. Samb. Spong. Verat. Verbasc. — Belladonna is most suitable after Aeon. Hep. s. Lach. Merc. Nitr. ac. etc.