(The recent juice from the whole plant, to be mixed with equal parts of alcohol.) Although the following symptoms do by no means pre- sent a complete list of the curative powers of Chamomilla, yet they are sufficiently numerous to show that Chamomilla be- longs to the class of the polychrests. For this reason Chamo- milla has been used in domestic practice for the cure of all sorts of recent affections. From a sort of ridiculous pride physicians have deemed Chamomilla inefficient as a remedial agent, and have permitted it in the shape of an infusion or injection sim- ultaneously with their prescriptions,' as if the character of Chamomilla as a domestic medicine deprived it of its powerful medicinal properties. Physicians have also permitted, and do yet permit, the flowers of Chamomilla to be placed in warmed little bags upon painful parts, at the same time that the patients are directed to use internal remedies of a quite different nature. Teachers of midwifery and midwives permit their patients to mix almost every drink and nourishment which is given to the babies and nurses, with the tea of Chamomilla, as if it were a wholesome, never hurtful, or at the worst an indifferent and in- significant plant. It is scarcely credible that physicians should have been so ' In order not to dishonor their elegant prescriptions by the appear- ance of such a vulgar name as that of the common Chamomilla matrica- ria, physicians have been in the habit of prescribing the more valuable Chamomilla Romana offic, without considering that this plant being a dif- ferent plant, and of a different species (Anthemis nohilis L.) it must have different properties and effects. What does a man who makes prescrip- tions out of mere names, care about the inherent medicinal properties of drugs 1 VOL. II. 2 2 CHAMOMILLA. Utterly blind to the great powers and the objects of this plant, which it was their duty to investigate, not only for the purpose of learning themselves to employ it in a rational manner for the cure of disease, but also to prevent laymen from abusing it. Physicians, on the contrary, have neglected their duty in this respect ; they seem to have vied with the ignorant lay- men in recommending the indiscriminate use of Chamomilla in every case of disease and in whatever dose the patient found convenient and agreeable. And yet, any one that has but a small portion of common sense, comprehends that not any one medicine is capable of curing every disease, that every medicine must have a definite sphere of action, beyond which Chamomilla and any other me- dicinal agent, must be hurtful,, the more so the greater its pow- ers are. In order not to act like a quack, the physician ought not only to know the cases where Chamomilla would be use- ful, but he ought also to be able to point out the circumstances under which it would prove prejudicial ; he ought likewise to be able to determine the dose which would be neither too small nor too large for the nature and intensity of the affection which he desires to cure, and ought to cure with certainty and pre- cision. The manner in which physicians have treated the chamo- mile, would be a sufficient evidence of the fact, that practition- ers have been living in an incomprehensible blindness for many centuries, and that they have not blushed to surpass the com- monest portion of mankind in folly. Were the medicinal powers of a drug ever so various, they could not cure more than one-tenth of existing diseases, Cha- momilla not excluded. But let us suppose the impossibility thaf Chamomilla has a curative effect in one-tenth of all existing diseases, does it not then follow that it must have been injurious in the remaining nine-tenths, for the cure of which it has been used indiscrimi- nately ? Is it wise to buy a single advantage by a nine times greater loss ? " What loss ?" replies the common practitioner ? •' I do not see that Chamomilla can do any harm." Indeed as long as he remains ignorant of the pathogenetic symptoms of Chamomilla, he cannot perceive the injury which Chamomilla may inflict upon the organism, and, in his ignorance, considers symptoms produced by that drug, as new phenomena of the disease, deceiving both himself and his patient. Practitioners who are desirous of becoming acquainted with the true therapeutic properties of Chamomilla, will find them indicated in the subjoined fist of symptoms with sufficient ac- CHAMOMILLA. 3 curacy to enable them to discriminate between ~the artificial morbid phenomena, produced by the excessive use of Chamo- milla, and the symptoms of the disease, and moreover, to learn that in those cases where Chamomilla was the proper, homoeo- pathic agent, the excessive dose of that drug did indeed remove the disease, but, at the same time, substituted in its stead a train of artificial morbid symptoms, whereas a small dose would have effected a cure without leaving a trace of its own medicinal ac- tion. A drop of the third dilution is sufficient to a cure, in every instance ; in many cases it acts yet too powerfully. Chamomilla has a short action, but a large dose acts for some days. Antidotes are Coffea cruda, Ignatia, and Pulsatilla ; Aconite relieves tearing and drawing pains, when they are felt less during motion. Chamomilla is an excellent antidote to coftee, unless Nux v. corresponds more exactly to the symptoms to be removed. Persons who feel injurious effects from coffee whenever they take any, cannot be relieved by Chamomilla ; they must give up the use of coffee altogether, A very small dose of Chamomilla seems to moderate ex- cessive sensitiveness to pain, or the disturbing influence which pain exercises in some persons upon the mind ; for this reason it relieves many of the morbid symptoms produced by the ex- cessive use of coffee and narcotic substances, and is, on the other hand, less beneficial to those who remain patient and composed during their sufferings. I consider this observation of great importance. Recently I have seldom been able to employ Chamomilla as a remedial agent. Symptoms which seemed to point to Chamomilla were generally found to be produced by the abuse of Chamomilla, and had to be removed by antidotes. FROM NOACK AND TRINKS. According to Noack and Trinks Chamomilla is especially suitable to venous, bilious (and sometimes to scrofulous) consti- tutions and to the choleric temperament ; it is suitable for an irritated state of the nervous system, excessive sensitiveness to pain, inclination to spasms and internal grief, for an excessive bilious state induced by moral emotions, for the consequences from quarrel, anger, jealousy, vexation, and especially when these moral disturbances induce fits of anguish degenerating into the most violent spasms of the chest and throat ; or Cham. 4 CHAMOMILLA. may be given for the ailments induced by chagrin with bursts of passion, especially when administered immediately (when not given immediately, Puis,, Ign., Nux v., Bryc, ought to be pre- ferred, according to Hartmann .) Hysteric females, or females in the climacteric age, pregnant females, lying-in women, nursing females, children, especially new-born babies and sucklings, are the fittest subjects for the use of Chamomilla. Affections of babies originating in moral disturbances of those who nurse them ; affections of babies characterized by green stools, colic, flatulence, restlessness and tendency to start, soreness under the arms and in the neighborhood of the genital organs ; the characteristic violent screaming of babies caused by violent pains in the abdomen, the screams lasting for hours, nothing can appease them, the babies bend double, and full of anguish, toss about on their mothers' arms ; they suffer with heat, the sweat of anguish breaks out in their faces, these symptoms being sometimes accompanied with diarrhoeic stools, emission of flatulence, etc., etc. — Morbid phenomena brought on by colds. — Fainting Jits, a7id weaknesses of hysteric females. — Venous hemorrhages. — Spasms, especially of new-born babies, or of children during the period of teething, of pregnant females, lying-in women and hysteric persons ; convulsive condition of small children, with distention of the abdomen, greenish, fre- quent, white-hacked stools and vomiting of a sour-smelling liquid ; epileptic convulsions ; catalepsy after fright and cha- grin. — Catarrhal affections with or without fever ; simple catarrh of children, with tenacious mucus which it is diflicult to get loose, cough (especially nightly), slight fever, great rest- lessness and nightly tossing about. — Acute rheumatism, with drawing or tearing pains, paralytic or numb feeling of the af- fected parts, (according to Hartmann Cham, is not suitable for muscular rheumatism ;) rheumatalgia. — Acute arthritis. — In- flammatory swelling and induration of tJie glands, (in sub- inflammatory conditions of the cervical and submaxillary glands, Hartmann prefers Dulcam. ;) induration of the mam- mary glands of new-born babies, or of full-grown persons when caused by a cold, or disturbance of temper ; erysipelatous in- flammation of the mammae inconsequence of fright or chagrin, (next to Phosphorus, according to Hartmann ;) sore breasts from weaning, and remaining nodosities. — Strophulus (during dentition.) — Scarlatina miliaris. — Erythema intertrigo • sore skin of children, (when this affection is very obstinate' Gross recommends that the wet-nurse should take Graph, or Sulph. ;) sore nipples.— Erysipelatous inflammations ; erysipelas of the face with bilious complication, (brought on by tooth-ache ;) in- CHAMOMILLA. 5 flamed chilblains with violent, especially burning pains, (also Arg., Puis., Snip.) — Variola, cough during the suppurative stage. — Rash of children and lying-in women. — Every wound inclines to suppurate. — Ulcers with stinging or burning pains, intensely painful redness round about, especially when aggra- vated by rheumatism. — Ulcers in the mouth and of the tongue. — Feverish somnolence of children, with twitchings of the limbs, and starlings. — Intermittent Fevers, (see Boenninghau- sen's Essay by Dr. Hempel.) — Nervous fevers, characterized by diarrhoea, continual fermentation in the abdomen, fainting fits, convulsions, sleeplessness with anguish and vivid fancies, cold- ness of the whole body, and burning heat of the face ; (in ner- vous fevers with diarrhoea, Schleicher recommends that the ChamonL should be given in alternation with Ars. ;) inflamma- tory and nervous fevers with delirium ; synochous or typhous fevers complicated with gastric or bilious symptoms ; (in this case Nux v. may also be used, especially when the gastric symptoms prevail.) — Gastric and bilious fevers, especially when brought on after violent chagrin or passion. — Sporadic cholera in children, (precededby Veratrum ;) Asiatic cholera in the stage of the precursory symptoms, especially when the tongue is coated with mucus, when accompanied by cholic in the umbili- cal region, oppresssion of the stomach extending as far as the pit of the stomach and combined with an indescribable anguish; or especially in children and weakly persons, when the attack is characterized by a fainting sort of nausea, moderate vomiting, green, watery diarrhoea and colic. — Catarrhal fever. — Fever brought on hy teething. — Milk-fever. — Puerperal fever, the nervous system being greatly irritated, and characterized by vanishing of the milk, milky diarrhoea, excessive lochial dis- charge with labor-like pains from the small of the back to the front of the abdomen, headache and oppression of the chest. — Hysteric and nervous headache ; headache with catarrhal con- ditions brought on by suppression of the cutaneous perspiration. Blepharospasmus. — Ecchyraoses of the eye ; hemorrhage from the eye. — Catarrhal ophthalmia. — Inflammation of the eyes and lids of new-born babies, and when caused by a cold. — Otal- gia ; (also BelL, Merc, s., Nux v.. Puis., Rhus.) — Bleeding at the nose. — Parotitis. — Difficult dentition with diarrhoea, fever, con- vulsions ; congestive toothache in the period of dentition ; toothache caused by the excessive use of coffee or by cold ; rheumatic toothache of one side, with violent, nightly exacer- bation, creeping darting, tearing, pricking, digging-up, corroding, grumbling, drawing, with swelling of the cheeks or the submax- illary glands, with burning sweUing of the gums, commencing 6 CHAMOMILLA. after eating or drinking, aggravated by cold drinks or coffee ; lancinating toothache, beginning in carious teeth, spreading over all the teeth, and thence extending into the ear, aggravat- ed in the night or when at rest, improved by rising and by cold water. — Angina tonsillaris and pharyngea, with intense stinging, burning pain of the larynx, roughness of voice, op- pression of the chest, titillation inducing cough, inflammatory catarrhal affection of the tonsils and submaxillary glands. — Gas- tric or bilious conditio7is caused by violent chagrin or other causes, with intolerable headache, red and hot countenance, vio- lent thirst, bitter taste in mouth, frequent bitter eructations, retch- ing, turning and griping in the distended pit of the stomach, op- pression of the chest and burning heat of the whole body. — Acid- ity in the primae vise of children, and diarrhoea resulting from it, etc. (in this case also Magn. carb. and Rheum.) — Spasm of the stomach in individuals who incline to internal grief: ach- ing pain with pressure in the stomach, as if a stone had got into the stomach, with shortness of breathing and anguish, sometimes with throbbing headache on the top of the head. — Puerperal peritonitis. — Acute hepatitis. — Jaundice, with ill hu- mor, and a morbid irritability of the peripheral nerves, accom- panied with a disposition to inflammatory affections of the skin. — Abdominal sufterings of pregnant females, lying-in and nursing women. — Abdominal spasms, especially flatulent colic ; colic, consisting of cutting, burning pains extending from the stomach to the umbilicus, with short breathing and pale coun- tenance. — Dysentery. — Diarrhoea, serous, catarrhal, rheumatic (also scrofulous and bilious, in the latter case the Cham, is tO" be preceded by Merc.,) watery, thin evacuations, yellow, green, or whitish mucus, without any smell, preceded and accompa- nied by tearing, cutting colic, which goes off with a sort of vio- lence and with emission of flatulence and leaves burning at the anus behind ; generally accompanied with dryness of the mouth and tongue, thirst, tension and bloatedness of the abdomen in- creased or excited by eating, followed shortly after by evacua- tions and sometimes slight fever ; diarrhoea accompanying dentition ; painful diarrhoea with measles ; disposition to, and precursory symptoms of inguinal hernia. — Metritis. — Menstrual colic. — Threatening miscarriage. — Vehement, false labor-pains (also Hyosc, Cic, Ign., Bell.) — Violent after-pains.— Suppres- sion of the secretion of milk. — Inflammatory condition of the air-passages. — Catarrhal cough. — Cough from teething,— Whooping-cough, with vomiting. — Suffocative cough. Asth- ma spasticum et flatulentum, especially of children. Continual rheumatic immobility of the upper arm ; Hartmann says that he has cured a similar affection only when the pain became in- tolerable in the night in bed. — Ischias nervosa ; pains in the thigh, the whole thigh being weak, slow walk, sudden and entire paralysis and horrid pain, especially in the night. — Cramps in the calves.