Laurocerasus, the so-called "Laurel" of our gardens, is not a member of the Lauraceae, though the Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis, is. The Aqua Laurocerasi, prepared by distilling the fresh leaves, contains Hydrocyanic acid and is supposed to owe all its medicinal virtue to this fact. Milne says it is "used in spasmodic cough, and in phthisis; but it is better to employ the prussic acid itself." In the poisoning cases that have occurred the symptoms have been practically identical with those of persons poisoned with prussic acid; but the provings bring out more delicate shades of action and fully entitle the remedy to an individual place of its own. Coldness, blueness, epileptiform convulsions are common to both. Both have a dry, tickling cough; but Lauro. has also a cough with jelly-like expectoration dotted with bloody points. Lauro. has cyanosis both of the new-born infant and of heart disease. A peculiar "gasping" is indicative here—gasping without really breathing. In addition to the blueness there is twitching of the muscles of the face (which is also an indication for Lauro. in chorea). Clubbing of fingers, which is a common feature in cyanosis and phthisis, is a characteristic of Lauro. "Lack of reactive power," low vitality, is another keynote of Lauro. This is particularly so when occurring in chest affections. Long-lasting faints (Camph. has sudden fainting); seems to have no reactive power; face pale, blue; surface cold. Prostrate before getting up in morning and difficulty in opening eyes; attacks of indigestion and pains across lower abdomen, which come suddenly in the morning and generally disappear on getting up. Gnawing pain in lower abdomen going on for years in old men with occasional looseness of stool. If fluids are forced down the throat they roll audibly into stomach. When indicated in eruptive fevers the eruption is livid, after pressure with the finger the skin is long in regaining its colour. There are suffocative spells about the heart < by sitting up; the patient is compelled to lie down (as with Psor.); though some heart symptoms have the opposite condition and compel the patient to sit up. Guernsey gives these leading symptoms: "Gasping for breath; the patient puts his hand to the heart as if there was some trouble there; this may result from running a short distance, which puts him completely out of breath; going upstairs, walking, or any exercise may bring the gasping on." Coldness is a common sensation, internal coldness and external heat. Cold tongue. Heat of single parts. Warmth on centre of forehead, then a coldness as from a draught of air lasting a long time. The left chest is most affected. There is < before eating. Constricted sensations—in gullet; in rectum. There are some very noteworthy uterine symptoms, of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhoea, in the provings, and the value of them has been emphasised by cases related by Cooper in his work on Cancer and Cancer Symptoms (2nd ed., p. 60). The leading indications according to Cooper are: "A sense of fatigue pervades the whole system, with a very painful condition of the hard and indurated tissue of the parts affected; pain much > by sleep; tendency to oozing of blood, which is generally bright and mixed with gelatinous clots. This applies to chest as well as to uterine and rectal symptoms; only, the blood comes painlessly into the mouth, but with great pain Per vaginam. In most cases it will be found that the pains it relieves are such as start from the lower part of the spine and extend either round the pelvis or up to the head, and are accompanied with a sense of suffocation and a sick feeling, with drowsiness and a great desire to sleep that generally brings relief. In cases that are sleepless the desire for sleep is very great. Digestion is weak; bowels confined patient, low-spirited with flatulence and burning in chest after food constant tired, sick feeling; entire frame enfeebled; inclined to loss of flesh and haemorrhages that are small in quantity and bright in colour. The flatus is audible and gurgling and rolls about the upper abdomen (p. 64)." In nervous affections "constant jerks; cannot keep still" and the characteristic "gasping" are leading indications. Peculiar sensations are: Coolness of forehead as from draught of air. Weight on top of head. As if brain loose and falling into forehead when stooping. As if a heavy lump falling from abdomen to small of back, as if a veil before eyes. As if nose stopped. As if flies and spiders crawling over skin. As if tongue, mouth, and throat were burnt. As if abscess in region of liver would burst. As if lungs could not be sufficiently expanded. As if lungs pressed against spine. As if mucous membranes were dry. Stitches are very prominent; also stiffness and pressure, especially pressure outward. Allen's indications are: An extremely nervous, excitable condition accompanying ailments. Diarrhoea as of green mucus, with suffocative spells about heart. Dry, harassing cough of phthisis. Spasmodic cough of later stages of whooping-cough when patient is much prostrated and has nervous spasmodic symptoms. Cough with valvular heart disease; cough incessant, especially on lying down; fluttering in heart and gasping, with cough. Alternation of chill, fever, and sweat in phthisis. E. Wigg (H. P., xii. 30) relates the case of May S., 7, who had been troubled some time with an almost incessant cough, for which many remedies were given without benefit. At last Wigg came to the conclusion that Lauro. was the remedy, and put ten drops of the 200th into five tablespoonfuls of water, ordering a teaspoonful of this to be taken every two hours when the child was awake. This was at 4 p.m. After the third dose she fell asleep. At 3 a.m. she awoke in a very excited condition. Her mother asked her if she had not been dreaming, but her tongue was so stiff she could not answer. Suddenly she began to tremble all over as if in a chill. After ten minutes she began to twitch and jerk. Wigg was sent for and found her in this convulsed state. She could not articulate for the thickness and heaviness of the tongue. The mind was clear. Recognising the action of Lauro. Wigg antidoted it with Camphor and later a cup of coffee, and she came all right in a few hours. She had no more of the cough. Many symptoms are > sitting up. Coughs continuously when lying down. Bending head forward > pressure in nape. Compelled to bend forward by contractive pain in groins. On the other hand suffocating spells about heart compel him to lie down. When she attempts to rise from recumbent posture, sensation of heavy lump falling from pit of stomach to back. Stooping <. Sitting < gasping; = feet to go to sleep. Crossing legs = feet to go to sleep. Motion < cough; = gasping. After dinner: Hunger; irresistible drowsiness. < Evening and night. Coldness in forehead and vertex is > in open air; vertigo, and pressure in nape are <. External warmth does not > coldness. Approaching stove = nausea; cold. Being touched by water = burning between fingers.