Belladonna

Generalities

General irritability and acuteness of the special senses ; generally associated with increased activity of the mind.

Convulsions, particularly of the flexor muscles ; epileptiform, followed by an apoplectic condition.

Pulsation of all the vessels, with rush of blood to various parts of the body.

Extreme sensitiveness to all external impressions ; the slightest touch aggravates or renews pains or convulsions.

General aggravation of all the symptoms in the afternoon and at night.

General tendency to take cold easily from slight draft.

Acute inflammation of glands.

Loss of sensation and motion of the lower half of the body, or of isolated portions.

Sensation in muscles as of something creeping, like a mouse.

Mind

Delirium ; > after a meal ; > after sleep, with quick movements ; with heat ; with springing out of bed, laughing and constant talking ; violent delirium, with livid face, injected and protruding eyes, dilated pupils, strong pulsation in carotids ; full, hard, frequent pulse and inability to swallow.

Fury ; pulling at the hair of bystanders.

Inclination to tear everything to pieces.

Attempted to bite and strike, broke into fits of laughter and gashed her teeth ; head hot, face red, look wild and fierce.

Fury, with heat of body, staring eyes and continually spitting at those about her.

Abhorrence of liquids.

Garrulity.

Anxiety, with desire to flee.

Complete loss of consciousness.

Tremulous, anxious mood.

Fright, with weeping.

Sadness, with indifference.

Mistrust.

Hypochondriac depression.

Head

Intense, stupefying headache, particularly in the forehead, with rush of blood to the head, even loss of consciousness.

The headache is generally pulsating or jerking, with great heat < every noise or jar, associated with intolerance of noise or light, often > hard pressure.

Various acute pains in the head ; shootings as from a knife.

In the forehead, pain as if the brain rose and fell with every step.

Through the temples, stabbing pains.

Vertigo, with rush of blood to the head, roaring in the ears, dim vision, etc., < motion.

The scalp becomes very sensitive ; even pressure of the hair causes pain.

During unconsciousness the patient bores the head into the pillow, with symptoms of meningitis.

Eyes

The eyes generally appear staring, with dilated pupils.

Squinting.

Spasms of the muscles of the eyes.

Violent inflammation, with dryness.

Heat and sensitiveness.

Conjunctivitis, with great inflammation, so great that the eyelids are rolled outward.

Lids inflamed and bleeding.

Photophobia.

Obscuration of vision.

Sparks before vision.

Appearance of halo of colored rays around candlelight.

Flashes before the eyes.

Ears

Tearing pains through the middle ear.

Extreme sensitiveness to noise.

Ringing.

Roaring.

Swelling of the parotid gland, with great sensitiveness.

Nose

The nose externally is inflamed, hot, swollen, with swelling of the upper lip.

Nostrils, internally, dry.

Bleeding.

Smell very acute.

Face

Face red, hot, swollen.

With heat.

Pains in the face cutting, tearing, particularly on the right side.

The upper lip swollen ; feels stiff on opening the mouth.

Tearing pains in the jaws.

Worse swallowing, particularly in the left lower jaw.

Tetanic closing of the jaws on attempting to take food or drink.

Mouth

General swelling and dryness of the lips, mouth and fauces.

Drawing pains in the upper teeth.

Toothache from taking cold < eating, becomes intolerable.

Grinding of the teeth.

Soft palate becomes bright red and swollen.

The tongue very red and dry, interferes with speech.

Throat

Extreme redness and inflammation, with dryness of the whole throat ; with shooting pains on swallowing, or even breathing ; also, on turning the head, on touching the neck externally.

The throat feels constricted on attempting to swallow.

The throat becomes closed by a spasm on attempting to swallow liquids.

Stomach

Aversion to food.

Burning thirst, with dryness in the throat, but with dread of drinking.

Drinks hastily, with trembling.

Though thirst is certainly associated with many conditions calling for this drug, there is no doubt that the absence of thirst may equally indicate belladonna.

(The dread of drinking, partly due to the spasm in the throat, partly to a mental aversion to liquids, doubtless deters many thirsty patients from taking water ; and we have come to look upon the absence of thirst, with dryness and inflammation of the mouth and throat particularly, as marked indications for this drug. - T. F. A .)

Nausea ; vomiting after eating and drinking.

Heat, with burning, cutting pain in the region of the stomach.

Extreme sensitiveness of the stomach to touch.

Abdomen

Distention, with tenderness to touch.

Pain, as from clawing, or constriction, or from heat ; cutting ; pressure outwards, downwards ; internal fullness and heat in the lower abdomen, with pressure downward.

Flatulent colic in the region of the transverse colon, > by external pressure.

Rectum and Stool :

Tenesmus ; constant straining, alternating with painful contractions of anus.

Constipation.

Diarrhoea, greenish, sometimes involuntary.

Stool sometimes bloody.

Urinary Organs

Pressure and tension in the region of the bladder.

Urine retained : passed only by drops.

Micturition involuntary, during sleep, even daytimes.

Urine sometimes very profuse ; usually scanty ; sometimes yellow and turbid.

Sexual organs, Female :

Violent pressing and urging, as if the internal organs would be pressed out, > lying and sitting erect.

Dryness of the vagina, with burning heat.

Menstruation too early.

Menstrual flow very offensive, with clots.

Respiratory organs :

Larynx painful and dry, a feeling of constriction.

Hoarseness, with dryness in the larynx, cough.

Loss of voice.

Cough dry, barking, sometimes spasmodic, worse after 10 P. M., caused by scraping, or pain in the larynx.

Dry, short cough in the evening in bed, from tickling in the back of the larynx.

Cough caused by the slightest motion.

Cough paroxysmal, like whooping cough, preceded by crying.

Cough followed by sneezing.

When coughing, violent stitching pain in the lumbar region.

Respiration difficult ; rapid ; oppressive.

Chest

A feeling of tightness or tension through the chest, extending to abdomen.

Burning pain in the right side of the chest.

A feeling of rush of blood to the chest, with throbbing.

Mammary glands inflamed.

Extremely sensitive and hot.

Discharge of milk from women not pregnant.

Heat.

Violent palpitation, with oppression of the chest, and rush of blood to the head.

Pulse full, hard.

Neck and Back :

Painful glandular swellings in the sides of the neck.

Stiffness of the nape of the neck.

Clinical

Spinal irritability ; pressure upon the dorsal vertebrae causes screams and distress in stomach, or violent cough and flushed face.

Hyperaemia of spine, with difficulty in walking, loss of co-ordination when walking.

Lumbago, with pain in hips and thighs, cramps in legs, etc.

Extremities

Paralytic heaviness of the arms.

Tearing pains in the shoulders.

Shooting pressure on the top of the left shoulder.

Paralytic pains in the left arm.

Cutting, shooting pains in the thighs, above the knee.

Stitches in the hip joints, worse at night, and on touch.

Shooting of knee, and pains in the bones of lower extremities ; must constantly move the feet, > walking.

Sciatic nerves extremely sensitive, intolerant of pressure.

Skin

Skin generally dry and burning hot.

Skin scarlet red, dry and burning hot.

The scarlet-redness of the skin, followed by desquamation, is exactly similar to scarlet fever.

Alternate redness and paleness of the skin.

Pustular eruptions, surrounded by inflammation, very sensitive to touch.

Erythema very sensitive.

Sleep

Sleep heavy, stupefying.

As a rule, the sleep is extremely restless, interrupted by talking, startings, spasmodic muscular motions.

Constantly wakened with frightful dreams and twitchings.

Frightful images appear as soon as he closes his eyes, and he dreads sleep.

Can sleep only while sitting upright.

Fever

Persistent, dry, and burning hot (with thirst), followed by sweat only on the head.

Chill alternates with heat, internal heat, with anxiety ; internal chill with external burning heat.

Heat of the head, with coldness of the extremities.