STRAMONIUM [Stram]:

- Pierce W.I.

DATURA STRAMONIUM-JAMESTOWN OR JIMSON WEED-THORN-APPLE-MAD APPLE

Introduction
(Datura-from the Hindu dhatura, a plant; stramonium, origin obscure.) The name "Jimson", a corruption of Jamestown, resulted from this circumstance. In a history of Virginia we read that some soldiers sent to Jamestown to quell the rebellion of Bacon (1676), gathered the young sprouts of Stramonium and ate them as a pottage, "the effect of which was a very pleasant comedy, for they turned natural natural fools upon it for several days." It was once maintained that America was the birthplace of Stramonium, but now it is believed to be indigenous to the Old World. At present it is found only near the habitations of man, and then generally in garbage heaps, where the soil is loose but rich, being in reality a true weed of civilization. So thoroughly does it cling to waste heaps, that the American Indians named it the White Man's Plant, in allusion to its only place of growth, i.e., near the homes of the civilized. While Stramonium is not of such ancient use as Hyoscyamus, still Baron Storck, who revived the use of the latter, was the first to introduce Stramonium into medicine to any extent (1760). He used it internally in mania and epilepsy, and having the germ of the idea that Hahnemann elaborated, says: "If Stramonium produces symptoms of madness in a healthy person, would it not be desirable to make experiments in order to discover whether this plant, by its effect on the brain in changing the ideas and the state of the sensorium (i.e., of the part, whatever it may be, which is the centre of action of the nerves upon the body)-should we not, I say, try whether this plant would not restore to a healthy state those who are suffering from alienation of mind? and if the change which Stramonium would cause in those who suffer from convulsions, by putting them into a contrary state to that in which they were, would it cause their cure?" The old school use the drug as a narcotic and antispasmodic, and especially do we find the dried leaves smoked as cigarettes for the relief of asthma (from Millspaugh). Stramonium was first proved by Hahnemann. While all parts of the plant have strong narcotic properties, we use only the powdered seeds to make our tincture. Millspaugh points out that if the mixture of seeds and alcohol remains for longer than the customary eight days, the filtrate will grow stronger each day until it finally becomes opaque. This he mentions simply to show that our tincture does not represent the full strength of the seed.
Symptoms
Stramonium acts upon the sensorium, stimulating it to undue activity and produces delirium. It produces suppression of the urine; great sexual excitement; tendency to convulsions; fiery eruptions of the skin similar to Belladonna; dryness of the throat, with fear of water. A feature of especial interest is the delirium of mania. It participates, to a certain extent, of the character of that found under Belladonna and Hyoscyamus, inasmuch as there is excitement, talking, singing, etc., as well as in attempts to get out of bed (53) and escape (53), but in Stramonium there is especial terror, or hallucinations of small black objects which are likened to snakes, bugs or cockroaches, or to small black animals (54), such as cats, dogs and rabbits. The pupils are dilated (76) and sensitive or otherwise to light, and we often find a false or double vision (77) in which the patient sees more horrifying images at his side than in front of him, or "letters or objects appear to be double" (Dunham). There is less fever than we find under Belladonna and greater frenzy than under Hyoscyamus. "Fear and hope, jollity and rage, frenzy and apathy follow each other in rapid succession under Stramonium," says Talcott, "the patient desires light and company, and at the same time is often terrified by bright objects, and seeks to fight those whom he constantly wishes to have in his presence. He has hallucinations of sight during which horrible images are conjured up, and horrible animals are seen jumping out of the ground and running at their affrighted victim." Talcott, in commenting upon the similarity of the delirium of Stramonium with that of some other remedies, makes this differentiation, and says: "Now remember this group of facts: Belladonna is fierce and brave; Hyoscyamus is jolly and companionable; Stramonium is wild and cowardly; Veratrum Album is hopeless and despairing, or wildly plaintive, and beseeching for his salvation, which is apparently lost." The loquacity of Stramonium (55) is confined to one subject and he is inclined to imagine that he is talking to spirits or to absent people. In the delirium of fever we sometimes find an abnormal sense of the proportions of his body (54); he imagines that certain parts are of unnatural size, or that they are double. There is in Stramonium fear of the dark (80), complaining that it was dark and calling for a light. It has also a form of photomania that has been made of great practical use. Amongst the pathogenetic symptoms we notice, convulsions at sight of a lighted candle, at sight of a mirror, or of water. Then we find that there is difficulty in swallowing on account of a spasm, or constriction of the muscles of deglutition on attempting to swallow (183). These symptoms have led to its use in hydrophobia (119), and as Allen says, "of all drugs known to us, this seems most nearly a specific for this dreadful disease, and some cases supposed to be genuine have been cured." It is useful in convulsions resulting form fright (36), and especially form being frightened by animals. Dunham speaks of the convulsions of this remedy as affecting "isolated groups of muscles" and "the arms more than the lower extremities." It is frequently indicated in delirium tremens (54), and particularly when we have the classical symptoms of visions and terrors concerning snakes and small, dark-colored animals. Stramonium is useful in chorea (31), with constant restless (160) movements and fright of the remedy (81), also in chorea affecting especially the muscles of the face, causing it to assume all sorts of grotesque expressions, but not, as Allen tells us, for chorea "which persistently attacks certain muscles." Dunham, after saying that it "has been found that most useful drug in the Materia Medica in this malady," continues, "it should be noted, however, that chorea being almost always (at least in my experience) associated with, if not based upon, a depraved and vitiated state of the nutrition involving changes of organic substance, no such remedy as Stramonium, which does not modify nutrition nor alter the organic substance, can be relied upon as the sole or even the chief remedy; I have, accordingly, though finding Stramonium very useful to moderate the severity of the purely nervous phenomena, been obliged to trust to" other "remedies, alternative in character... for a permanent cure." We have in Stramonium vertigo when walking in the dark and with tendency to fall forward and to the left (207), and a boring (106) frontal headache that is preceded by obscure vision (104); this obscureness of vision is apt to be on the opposite side to the pain, for when the sight of one eye is blurred, the pain appears on the opposite side of the head. It is a remedy that you find of value for the nervous state causing stammering or stuttering (182). Stramonium is useful in the diarrhoea occurring during typhoid, with black, putrid (59) stools, and it is "of great service in the suppression of urine (200), without pain or discomfort, and usually occurring in the course of long fevers, such a typhus or typhoid." Hahnemann was the first to call our attention to the fact that most of the affections to which Stramonium is homoeopathic are characterized by painlessness. It is a remedy to be thought of in dysmenorrhoea, in puerperal mania (129) and convulsions (155), and in nymphomania (146) either menstrual or puerperal. Stramonium is of value in asthma (19), with suffocation and desire for fresh air, and especially spasmodic asthma (21), with aggravation even from talking, and with great difficulty in inspiration. It has a spasmodic cough, with jerking of the lower extremities (51). In whooping cough (48) it would be indicated by the severity of the paroxysms, the almost convulsive character of the suffocation and the fright that each attack causes. In scarlet fever,"Stramonium stands next to Belladonna," but we find "the throat affection less" and "the fever less than that of Belladonna" (Dunham), but it is especially useful before the eruption appears, or when it has been suppressed (130), and accompanied by delirium or convulsions (35). We must not forget here that suppression of the urine would be an important and an additional indication for the remedy (200) I use Stramonium 3rd.

Comments

Post a Comment

PLEASE WRITE YOUR SYMPTOMS HERE TO GET SUGGESTION.

Popular posts from this blog

Homeopathic Remedies for Over Sensitive to Noise&Tinnitus

The Effective treatment of Urethral stricture with Homeopathy

Dr.Devendra Kumar Munta MD Homeo,International Homeopathic Consultant