Sambucus nigra 200c

 - VERMEULEN Frans
c
Sambucus nigra
Samb.
Bour tree - Bour tree: crooked rong. Never straight and never strong;
Ever bush and never tree. Since our Lord was nailed on thee.
[English rhyme]
Signs
Sambucus nigra. European Elder. Common Elder. Black Elder. N.O. Caprifoliaceae.
CLASSIFICATION The Caprifoliaceae, the Honeysuckle family, consists of small trees and shrubs, with a few climbers and a small number of herbaceous plants. Comprising some 450 species in 18 genera, the family is cosmopolitan, although centred in temperate parts of eastern North America and eastern Asia. The Caprifoliaceae as a whole is closely related to the Rubiaceae [cinchona, coffea, ipecacuanha], from which the majority can be most readily distinguished by the absence of stipules. The leaves of the Caprifoliaceae are without stipules; an exception is Sambucus which has stipules and thus is closest allied to the Rubiaceae. The various species used in homoeopathy are from the genera Lonicera [honeysuckle], Sambucus [elder], Symphoricarpos [snowberry], Triosteum [feverwort; one of the rare herbaceous members of the family], and Viburnum [snowball or arrow-wood].
SAMBUCUS The genus Sambucus contains some 35 species of deciduous robust herbs, shrubs, and small trees with pithy stems, opposite pinnate leaves, and flat-topped inflorescences of small, regular, cream-white flowers. The fruits are berry-like and fleshy. The genus is found in the temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere, in South America, East Australia, and Tasmania.
FEATURES "The elder has a peculiar method of growth. Several stems will appear at the base of a sapling, and each grows upright for a time and then droops over. The bud arising on the top of the curve created by the drooping stem will carry on growing upward for a while, and then it droops over and growth continues from its upper-curve bud. By growing this way the elder trunk is not formed in one upward growing mass, as are oak and other trees, but is rather a patchwork of the curves of many drooping shoots, which is why the tree is never elegant nor of great height. The elder sends up shoots anywhere, and will grow in dense shade and on a minimum of soil and still produce masses of fruit. Elders grow easily from cuttings, simply by a twig being broken off the tree and stuck into the ground. The elder always has stems at its base, and it casts its boughs crazily about itself. ... Elder leaves consist of five leaflets attached to a centre stalk and they are set opposite each other on the twig or branch. Because elder-buds are not protected by a weatherproof bud-case, the elder produces another, smaller bud in reserve beneath each main bud. These second buds only open if the main buds don't, or if they are destroyed, and they can remain dormant on the tree for a couple of years until needed. In this way the wise elder ensures no loss of leaves if the seasonal climate suddenly changes."1
BLACK ELDER Sambucus nigra is widely distributed in Europe and Asia, and may grow in the Alps at altitudes up to 1500 m. It has been naturalized in the United States and is a small tree, growing fast but to no more than 3-5 m. The bark of both trunk and branches is light grey, with warty brown lenticels; with age it cracks and takes on a horny, pimply look. The strongly scented hermaphrodite flowers grow in large terminal inflorescences with a flat surface; flies pollinate them. The fruits are violet-black drupes with red juice, containing three oval brown seeds. The branches contain a great deal of white, spongy pith. The black elder grows along forest margins, river and stream beds, and along field borders; it prefers disturbed alkaline and nitrogen rich soils [waste ground]. Sambucus nigra can tolerate both maritime exposure and atmospheric pollution. It is an excellent pioneer species to use when re-establishing woodlands. It is very tough and wind-resistant, grows quickly and provides shelter for longer-lived and taller woodland species to establish. It will generally maintain itself in the developing woodland, though usually in the sunnier positions. The mature wood is white and fine-grained; it is used for making skewers, mathematical instruments, and toys. The American elder, Sambucus canadensis, is smaller than its European cousin but is otherwise quite similar both in its appearance and chemistry.
NAME "The word 'Elder' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word aeld. In Anglo-Saxon days we find the tree called Eldrun, which becomes Hyldor and Hyllantree in the 14th century. One of its names in modern German - Hollunder - is clearly derived from the same origin. In Low-Saxon, the name appears as Ellhorn. Æld meant 'fire', the hollow stems of the young branches having been used for blowing up a fire: the soft pith pushes out easily and the tubes thus formed were used as pipes - hence it was often called Pipe-Tree, or Bore-tree and Bour-tree, the latter name remaining in Scotland and being traceable to the Anglo-Saxon form, Burtre. The generic name Sambucus occurs in the writings of Pliny and other ancient writers and is evidently adapted from the Greek word Sambuca, an ancient musical instrument in much use among the Romans, in the construction of which, it is surmised, the wood of this tree, on account of its hardness, was used. The difficulty, however, of accepting this is that the Sambuca was a stringed instrument, while anything made from the Elder would doubtless be a wind instrument, something of the nature of a Pan-pipe or flute. Pliny records the belief held by country folk that the shrillest pipes and the most sonorous horns were made of Elder trees which were grown out of reach of the sound of cock-crow. At the present day, Italian peasants construct a simple pipe, which they call sampogna, from the branches of this plant."2
CONSTITUENTS Cyanogenic glycosides [sambunigrin and vicianin]; flavonoids [rutin, quercetin, kaempferol]; sugars; tannins; acids [caffeic acid, caprifolic acid, chlorogenic acid, malic acid, myristic acid, nicotinic acid, valerianic acid]; coniine [in leaves]; calcium oxalate; nitrates [of calcium and potassium]; manganese and copper. The leaves contain hydrocyanic acid and considerable quantities of potassium nitrate. The berries are rich in vitamin A, vitamin B [biotin, niacin, and choline], vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium. Elderberries are used for making jam, jelly, wine, lemonade, and pies. Cyanogenic glycosides are found in stone-fruit kernels [peach, apricot, plum, etc.], in clover [Trifolium], flax [Linum], hawthorn [Crataegus] and other members of the Rosaceae, in cassava [Manihot], and elder [Sambucus]. Plants containing them are antispasmodic and sedative, slow the heart rate and improve digestion. When exposed to acids and enzymes in the digestive tract cyanogenic glycosides give off hydrocyanic acid and other cyanide compounds, which, in cyanide poisoning, interferes with the blood oxygen level and turns the skin blue.
TOXICOLOGY The bark, leaves, and berries can cause poisoning in animals. The roots and stems have caused poisoning in humans. Ingesting quantities of uncooked or unripe berries may result in nausea and vomiting. Particularly sensitive to black elder leaves are swine, which develop symptoms such as salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate, trembling, posterior paralysis, and, possibly, death.
MEDICINE Elder has a long history of household use as a medicinal herb and is also much used by herbalists. The plant has been called 'the medicine chest of country people'. The flowers are the main part used in modern herbalism, though all parts of the plant have been used at times. Elderberry juice is an old fashioned cure for colds, and reportedly relieves asthma and bronchitis. Infusions of the fruit have been used for nerve disorders, backache, and inflammations of urinary tract and bladder. The mildly astringent elder flowers are employed in the treatment of eczema, acne, psoriasis, burns, and as a skin wash. 'Elder Flower Water' is an ingredient of eye and skin lotions. The inner bark has diuretic, purgative, and, in large doses, emetic properties and is used in the treatment of constipation and arthritic conditions. The leaves are diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative, expectorant, and haemostatic; they are also used as an insect repellent. An old notion was that if the green leaves were warmed between two hot tiles and applied to the forehead, they would promptly relieve nervous headache. The pith of the wood is used for treating burns and scalds. The use of the pith in the treatment of oedemas was based on the doctrine of signatures for, when compressed between the fingers, the pith shows an imprint on the tissue 'as the legs and feet of dropsical persons do.' Albertus Magnus [1193-1280] believed that the bark of the elder would cure vomiting if it was stripped upwards and diarrhoea if it was stripped downwards from the tree. "Elder Flower Water in our great-grandmothers' days was a household word for clearing the complexion of freckles and sunburn, and keeping it in a good condition. Every lady's toilet table possessed a bottle of the liquid, and she relied on this to keep her skin fair and white and free from blemishes, and it has not lost its reputation. Its use after sea-bathing has been recommended, and if any eruption should appear on the face as the effect of salt water, it is a good plan to use a mixture composed of Elder Flower Water with glycerine and borax, and apply it night and morning. Elder Flowers, if placed in the water used for washing the hands and face, will both whiten and soften the skin - a convenient way being to place them in a small muslin bag. Such a bag steeped in the bathwater makes a most refreshing bath and a well-known French doctor has stated that he considers it a fine aid in the bath in cases of irritability of the skin and nerves. The flowers were used by our forefathers in bronchial and pulmonary affections, and in scarlet fever, measles and other eruptive diseases. An infusion of the dried flowers, Elder Flower Tea, is said to promote expectoration in pleurisy; it is gently laxative and aperient and is considered excellent for inducing free perspiration. It is a good old-fashioned remedy for colds and throat trouble, taken hot on going to bed. An almost infallible cure for an attack of influenza in its first stage is a strong infusion of dried Elder Blossoms and Peppermint."3
FOLKLORE Elder has more folklore attached to it than almost any other European plant, except perhaps Mandragora officinalis. In Scandinavia the elder is commonly planted near farmhouses, because of the belief it would attract helpful little people. "A wealth of folklore, romance and superstition centre round this English tree. Shakespeare, in Cymbeline, referring to it as a symbol of grief, speaks slightingly of it as 'the stinking Elder', yet, although many people profess a strong dislike to the scent of its blossom, the shrub is generally beloved by all who see it. In Love's Labour Lost reference is made to the common mediaeval belief that 'Judas was hanged on an Elder.' We meet with this tradition as far back in English literature as Langland's Vision of Piers Plowman [middle of the 14th century, before Chaucer]: 'Judas he japed with Jewen silver , And sithen an eller hanged hymselve.' Why the Elder should have been selected as a gallows for the traitor Apostle is, considering the usual size of the tree, puzzling; but Sir John Mandeville in his travels, written about the same time, tells us that he was shown 'faste by' the Pool of Siloam, the identical 'Tree of Eldre that Judas henge himself upon, for despeyr that he hadde, when he solde and betrayed oure Lord.' [The offensive, carrion-like odour of the tree was believed to have resulted from this.] Gerard scouts the tradition and says that the Judas-tree [Cercis siliquastrum] is 'the tree whereon Judas did hange himselfe.' Another old tradition was that the Cross of Calvary was made of it, and an old couplet runs: 'Bour tree - Bour tree: crooked rong; Never straight and never strong; Ever bush and never tree; Since our Lord was nailed on thee.' In consequence of these old traditions, the Elder became the emblem of sorrow and death, and out of the legends which linger round the tree there grew up a host of superstitious fancies which still remain in the minds of simple country folk. Even in these prosaic days, one sometimes comes across a hedge-cutter who cannot bring himself to molest the rampant growth of its spreading branches for fear of being pursued by ill-luck. An old custom among gypsies forbade them using the wood to kindle their camp fires and gleaners of firewood formerly would look carefully through the faggots lest a stick of Elder should have found its way into the bundle, perhaps because the Holy Cross was believed to have been fashioned out of a giant elder tree, though probably the superstitious awe of harming the Elder descended from old heathen myths of northern Europe. In most countries, esp. in Denmark, the Elder was intimately connected with magic. In its branches was supposed to dwell a dryad, Hylde-Moer, the Elder-tree Mother, who lived in the tree and watched over it. Should the tree be cut down and furniture be made of the wood, Hylde-Moer was believed to follow her property and haunt the owners. Lady Northcote, in The Book of Herbs, relates: 'There is a tradition that once when a child was put in a cradle of Elder-wood, Hylde-Moer came and pulled it by the legs and would give it no peace till it was lifted out. Permission to cut Elder wood must always be asked first and not until Hylde-Moer has given consent by keeping silence, may the chopping begin.' In earlier days, the Elder Tree was supposed to ward off evil influence and give protection from witches, a popular belief held in widely-distant countries. Lady Northcote says: 'The Russians believe that Elder-trees drive away evil spirits, and the Bohemians go to it with a spell to take away fever. The Sicilians think that sticks of its wood will kill serpents and drive away robbers, and the Serbs introduce a stick of Elder into their wedding ceremonies to bring good luck. In England it was thought that the Elder was never struck by lightning, and a twig of it tied into three or four knots and carried in the pocket was a charm against rheumatism. A cross made of Elder and fastened to cowhouses and stables was supposed to keep all evil from the animals.' Canon Ellacombe says that in the Tyrol: 'An Elder bush, trimmed into the form of a cross, is planted on a new-made grave, and if it blossoms, the soul of the person lying beneath it is happy.' Green Elder branches were also buried in a grave to protect the dead from witches and evil spirits, and in some parts it was a custom for the driver of the hearse to carry a whip made of Elder wood. In some of the rural Midlands, it is believed that if a child is chastised with an Elder switch, it will cease to grow, owing, in this instance, to some supposed malign influence of the tree. On the other hand, Lord Bacon commended the rubbing of warts with a green Elder stick and then burying the stick to rot in the mud, and for erysipelas, it was recommended to wear about the neck an amulet made of Elder 'on which the sun had never shined.' In Denmark we come across the old belief that he who stood under an Elder tree on Midsummer Eve would see the King of Fairyland ride by, attended by all his retinue. Folkard, in Plant-Lore, Legends and Lyrics, relates: 'The pith of the branches when cut in round, flat shapes, is dipped in oil, lighted, and then put to float in a glass of water; its light on Christmas Eve is thought to reveal to the owner all the witches and sorcerers in the neighbourhood'; and again, 'On Bertha Night [6th January], the devil goes about with special virulence. As a safeguard, persons are recommended to make a magic circle, in the centre of which they should stand, with Elderberries gathered on St. John's night. By doing this, the mystic Fern-seed may be obtained, which possesses the strength of thirty or forty men.' The following is a Styrian tradition. The whole tree has a narcotic smell, and it is not considered wise to sleep under its shade. Perhaps the visions of fairyland were the result of the drugged sleep! No plant will grow under the shadow of it, being affected by its exhalations."4 The Danish Hylde-Moer is in German folklore identified with Frau Holle [the common German name for the Elder tree is Hollunder], the Mother Holle of Grimm's fairy tale; both descend from the Nordic Freya, the goddess of fertility. Pungent elder blossoms were traditionally used at weddings to bring good luck to the married pair. It was anciently believed that if a person was tempted to commit adultery they could carry an elder leaf to help them overcome temptation. Elder blossoms were used to bring good fortune to an unborn child, and in order to ensure a protected birth for both child and mother, pregnant women traditionally kissed an elder tree. In the 16th century, 'Your Elderberryness' was used as a mock title or to poke fun at someone.
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - 6 provers; method: unknown.
•• [2] Bernard - 5 [female] provers, c. 1998; method: double blind, 30c.
[Summary in Homoeopathic Links 3/99 p. 174.]
[1] Paterson, Tree Wisdom. [2-4] Grieve, A Modern Herbal.
Affinity
Respiratory organs. Perspiration. Kidneys. Skin. * Left side.
Modalities
Worse: Dry, cold air. Cold drinks; while heated. Lying with head low. Uncovering. Fruit. Midnight; about or after. Expiration. Lying down. Sleeping.
Better: Pressure over a sharp edge. Motion. Wrapping up. Sitting up in bed. Walking.
Main symptoms
M Frightful images on closing the eyes, in bed [compare Calc.].
M Bad effects of fright, esp. suffocative attacks.
And Bluish bloated face.
[Follows well after Opium in bad effects of fright.]
Very easily frightened.
• "Sambucus and Silica both have fright and early separation from a parent as aetiologies." The patient, "a 65 year old man, troubled with sleep apnoea, recurrent bronchitis, and ankle and foot swelling for the past eighteen months," ... "has probably been in a Sambucus nigra state since the age of two, starting with the death of his mother. The loss at such an early age was a frightening experience, which has never left him, despite the loving home that his father provided. Even at age 65, he is troubled with fear in his dreams. Oedema is a central symptom in Sambucus nigra, and it manifested in this man by age twenty. Metaphysically, oedema represents the organism's need to 'hold on' to something or someone. This man holds on to the memory of his mother. He holds on to fluid because he fears further loss."1
G Chilly.
G < Fruit. G THIRSTLESS. G Excessive PERSPIRATION. Perspiration only while AWAKE. • "We are often lead to this remedy, when we find a great deal of perspiration, occurring with any other trouble, which may last all the time, or it may come and go in paroxysms." [Guernsey] G DRY heat during sleep, perspiration on WAKING. G Most of the pains [complaints] occur during REST and disappear during motion. G > Motion.
> CONTINUED motion.
G < Lying. > Rising.
G < AFTER MIDNIGHT, esp. dyspnoea. G Oedematous swelling of various parts of the body. Especially legs, insteps and feet. Bluish swelling of forearms. Hands and feet bloated and blue. P Numb tension as from swelling in cheeks and on nose. [Hering] Numbness upper lip, extending to lower lip, to chin, to top of nose and moving over bridge of nose. [1 prover in proving Bernard] P SNUFFLES of infants. Cannot nurse properly because of obstruction of nose. Nose dry and completely obstructed [disappearance of discharge]. P Descending colds. P Respiratory troubles depending on sudden disappearance of perspiration. Asthmatic attacks. SLEEPS INTO the ATTACK [due to disappearance of perspiration]. Wakes suddenly with asthmatic respiration, and PROFUSE PERSPIRATION. • "The respiratory symptoms are apparently caused by an intense oedema which may affect the nasal passages, or the larynx, or lungs. The oedema is worse near midnight and through the small hours of the night, improving with the dawn. There is a sudden strangling or suffocating sensation in the larynx or chest, with pain over the midsternum, which causes the patient to wake suddenly in a fright, sit up and gasp for breath. This is followed by cough, dry at first, and continuous, until some thin watery mucus is brought up. Here we have a picture of spasmodic asthma, cardiac asthma, or pulmonary oedema, due to cardiac failure in cardiorenal disease. It is a very interesting combination of symptoms seen frequently in patients who are very ill and possibly in extremis; and this remedy should be given a chance to demonstrate its powers."2 P Sudden suffocation or strangling cough. On falling to sleep or waking him after midnight. And Violent sweat. And Bluish bloated face. • "Particularly indicated when the infant is blue and swollen over the bridge of the nose and the skin of the cheeks is dry and red."3 < Fright. P Heart. Pressure upon sternum, with a counter-pressure from spine to sternum. • "Angina pectoris where pressure proceeds from spine; in individuals formerly fat and robust and now emaciated on account of mental emotions, sexual indulgence or excessive seminal losses; paroxysms generally come on at midnight, or in middle of night and wake patient up, compelling him to sit up or get up before he can get any relief or summon assistance; in many cases the patient can give no account of what is the matter or how it came on, only sit up in bed and moan and cry, with hand over heart." [Hering] [1] Teresa Bernard, A suffocating sleep: A case of Sambucus nigra; HL 3/99. [2] McLaren, Sambucus nigra; Hom. Rec., Oct. 1946. [3] Wood, The Book of Herbal Wisdom. Rubrics Mind Anxiety, on starting from sleep [1], on waking [2]. Confusion during perspiration [1]. Delusions, sees faces on closing eyes [1], sees horrible things on the walls [1]. Disgust with everything [1]. Fear of suffocation [1]. Restlessness during perspiration [1]. Starting during perspiration [1]. Weeping in sleep [2]. Vertigo After bathing [1; Phys.]. When turning or moving the head [1]. Head Swashing sensation [1]. Swollen feeling on waking [1; Ars.]. Eye Open, half open [1], with moaning and rolling of head [2], during sleep [1]. Nose Congestion to nose [1]. Obstruction, at night [2], in nursing infants [2]. Face Discolouration, bluish red [2]. Heat, with cold feet [1]. Numbness, cheeks [1]. Sensation of swelling, cheeks [1]. Mouth Open, during sleep [1]. Sensation of swelling [1]. Throat Dryness, without thirst [1]. Stomach Nausea > drinking [1]. Pain, pressing, after milk [1]. Thirst, for large quantities and often [1]. Thirstless [2]. Vomiting after milk [1].
Urine
Copious, during apyrexia [1], with perspiration [1].
Respiration
Arrested, during sleep [1]. Asthmatic, after midnight, must jump out of bed [3]. Difficult, expiration [3], after fright [2], inspiration [3], while lying [2], > motion [1], > sitting upright [2].
Cough
Crying < [1]. Dry cough at night, loose by day [1]. Suffocative, at midnight [3], after midnight [2]. Chest Oppression on stooping [2]. Sensation of water in chest [1]. Back Perspiration, cervical region, > sleep [1].
Limbs
Coldness, hands, during sleep [1]; legs, while standing [1]; feet, during sleep, with heat of body [1/1]. Discolouration, hands, blueness, at night after waking [1/1]. Tension, hollows of knees, while standing [1].
Sleep
Waking from perspiration [2].
Dreams
Of drowning [1].
Chill
Beginning in and extending from hands and feet [1].
Fever
Burning heat during sleep [3]. Dry heat at night during sleep [3]. Heat comes on during sleep, with cold feet and sweat on waking [3/1].
Perspiration
During daytime, while awake [3/1]. Debilitating, after delivery [1]. General perspiration except the head [3]. Motion > [3]. Odour, sour [2]. Profuse, day and night without relief [2], on waking [3]. After stool [2]. Symptoms > during perspiration [1].
Skin
Swelling after scratching [1].
Generals
Sensation of draft of air, as if fanned [1]. Faintness on moving quickly [1]. Orgasm of blood in evening after lying down [1].
Food
Aversion: [1]: Drinks [1].
Worse: [1]: Cold drinks when heated [1]; fruit [1]; milk [1].

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