Bryonia alba is one of the polychrest remedies of the homoeopathic materia medica. The common Bryony of this country is the Bryonia dioica, which has been substituted for the B. alba, and has probably identical properties; but the Alba alone has been proved, and consequently this should always be dispensed. Less rapid in its action than Aconite, it goes deeper in its effects, and often takes up the work where Acon. leaves off. It not only disorders the circulation, but alters the blood itself. It corresponds to fevers of almost all kinds, especially rheumatic, typhoid, bilious and remitting. In these, as in all other complaints, the exquisite sensitiveness of the drug to movement of all kinds is a leading characteristic. The patient avoids even the movement of the eyes; raising head from pillow causes faintness, nausea, and vomiting. Allied to this is > from pressure; from lying on painful side. (This distinguishes Bry. from Bell. in pulmonary complaints. A case of intense pleurisy with high fever grew steadily worse under Bry. until I noticed that the patient lay on the unaffected side. Bell. was then given, and cured rapidly. Lying on the painful part keeps the part at rest.) There is also an intense headache, dull throbbing or sharp stabbing pains; sharp pain in or over eyes. "Headache or neuralgia in (left) side of head and face; > from hard pressure and cold applications; < moving. Head greasy, scalp tender; eyeballs tender." Mouth very dry; tongue coated white down the middle, the edges may be quite clean; later it becomes yellow with bitter taste; later, very dry, but still coated. If the fever is intermitting there is chill mixed with heat: during chill, head hot, cheeks deep red, decided thirst, generally for large quantities at long intervals; sweat < by least motion, sour or oily. The lips are dry and cracked. Facial eczema has been cured with it in an infant five months old, presenting these additional symptoms: Constipation, peevish, fretful, thirsty, face and lips cracked and sore, child scratched continually. The mother had had a similar eruption for some years, and it disappeared suddenly at the sixth month of her pregnancy. The mucous membranes are dry, especially those of the mouth and stomach; deficient secretion. The serous membranes are inflamed, the seat of sharp, stitching pains, < from motion; later on, exudation occurs. The muscles, likewise, are inflamed and sore. Irritability of mind and tissues runs through the remedy. Haemorrhages are frequent. In this connection it may be remembered that Bryonia dioica is a popular remedy for "black-eye" as a local application. I have often known nose-bleed occur in patients to whom I have been giving Bryonia, especially in the night, 3 to 4 a.m., which is characteristic. This may or may not be preceded by a sense of fulness in the head. Nose-bleed occurring consequent on suppression of the menses is characteristic. The characteristic mental state of Bry. is irritability. Easily angered (with biliousness, headache, dyspepsia, &c.), and it corresponds to the effects of anger, fright, chagrin. The patient desires things to eat which cannot be had; or are refused if offered. In fever cases there is often a stupid, drowsy condition; or mild delirium, in which the patient has the delusion that he is somewhere else and "wants to go home." The headache is dull, frontal; or bursting, splitting; < by any motion or by the concussion of cough; goes from before backward. The headache of drunkards; of over-feeding. Nausea and faintness when rising up, > when lying still. Bry. is a gourmand (Nux an epicure); dirty wash-leather, foul tongue, congested eyes, bitter nausea. Bry. is a coarse feeder. Food lies at the epigastrium like a stone; > bringing up wind. The digestion is < in summer. Symptoms < after a meal. There is intolerance of vegetable food. Everything tastes bitter. Thirst for large quantities. "Eructations of tasteless gas" is characteristic. Sour stomach. Van den Berghe has found Bry. signally curative in chlorosis. There is diarrhoea and constipation. Diarrhoea occurs: in the morning "as soon as he moves"; from cold drinks in warm weather; on every spell of hot weather. The usual Bry. state is one of constipation; there is the usual dryness of mucous membranes; atony of the bowels; stool large, dry, hard, brown or black; as if burnt or charred; crumbling. (Plat. has sticky, tenacious stool; sticks to rectum.) Stools smell of old cheese. The liver is tender and inflamed. The kidneys also are inflamed, the urine being dark red without deposit (from excess of colouring matter). Mastitis, hard, tender. Left ovarian pain, > lying on painful side. The respiratory organs and heart are profoundly affected. Dropsical swellings, swellings of the legs, sensitive to touch. "joints red, swollen, stiff, with stitching pain from slightest motion." Synovial swellings. I have cured a case of congenital hydrocele with Bry. The Bry. patient dreams of the occupations of the day. The child kicks the covers off. Speech is hasty. "Frequent desire to take a long breath; must expand the lungs" is a characteristic. The typical Bryonia patient is of dark complexion and hair, choleric, bilious tendency with firm fleshy fibre; tendency to great irritability and bad temper; but Bryonia has a wide range, and no great stress must be laid on the absence of these features. Teste takes Bryonia as the type of a group which includes All. sat., Lyc., Digit., Nux v., Coloc., and Ignat. All these act with much more power on carnivorous than on herbivorous animals. They are thus appropriate to persons who over-eat or eat excessively of meat, and have strong constitutions; "persons accustomed to rich living, with rich blood, firm resisting flesh." Teste regards the digestive canal, and more particularly the stomach, as the principal seat of the action of Bry. With regard to the burning thirst of Bry., which is < by drinking beer, he says, the gastric derangement of Bry. "absolutely requires water as a dissolvent." The constipation of the remedy is not due to inertia merely; it depends on "a more or less marked antiperistaltic movement of the rectum: hence the pains and the ataxic phenomena that accompany it sometimes, as is the case, for example, in the period of constipation of low typhoid fevers, &c." A peculiar and characteristic symptom of Bryonia in brain affections is: Constant motion of the mouth as if chewing. Complaints from taking cold or getting hot in summer; from cold drinks in hot weather. Complaints when warm weather sets in after cold days. Most symptoms are < by warmth and in warm room (cough, chilliness). < From warm food; but there is thirst for large draughts of cold water, which >. Rash > getting warm in bed. Pains in joints and limbs > by warmth. Toothache is > by pressing head into pillow; by cold applications. Chilliness predominates. Dry, burning heat as if blood burning in veins. Sweat profuse night and morning; sour or oily. Cough, headache, diarrhoea < in morning. Nose-bleed < 3-4 a.m. Symptoms generally < evening (9 p.m.). < While coughing; after eating; while swallowing; from motion of all kinds; exertion; ascending; sitting up in bed (can't sit a moment gets faint, or sick, or both on sitting up). < After suppression of eruption or discharge. Headache following checked coryza. > Descending; lying, especially on painful side; sitting. > From pressure.