HOMEOPATHIC RESEARCH

- William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION This remedy especially acts upon the cerebro-spinal system, and through this upon the muscular system, ligaments of he vertebra, and the female generative organs. Nerves of Motion.--It causes nervous tremors resembling chorea. Dr. T. C. Miller says: Fifteen years' observation and experience have proved this agent to be one of the most remarkable in all diseases of the ganglio-spinal system, particularly when the motor side is excited; and yet, in the whole, prevails as an atony in the muscular and nervous system. Nerves of Sensation.--Dr. Hale says: It seems to exercise considerable control over this system, independently of its action on the vascular system. It cures many of those purely neuralgic pains to which females are liable. Muscular System.--Dr. Hale says: One of the first of the series of primary effects of this drug is to cause relaxation of the muscular system. This leads directly to painful conditions of muscles, or myalgia. U

- William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION Through the cerebro-spinal system, it acts upon the gastro- intestinal canal, perverting assimilation and nutrition. Acts more on anterior part of the spinal cord, than it does on the posterior. GRAND CHARACTERISTICS. Especially adapted to lumbricoides; not so much to ascarides. Scrofulous children are often ravenous for food. Digestive Organs.-Constantly picking and boring at the nose. Frequent swallowing, as if to swallow something down the throat. Sensation as if there was a ball rising in the throat. Grinding of the teeth and tossing during sleep; always cross when awake. Belly hard and distended, with mucous stools. Diarrhoea always after drinking. Pinching colic in the umbilical region. Stools mixed with lumbrici. Itching of the anus; tossing during sleep. The urine turns milky after standing a little. Cerebro-spinal Symptoms.-Exceedingly unamiable; nothing pleases the child. Will not lie awake five minutes without crying; it mus

-William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION This is a cerebro-spinal irritant, and selects for its special centre of action, the brain, genito-urinary organs, and vascular system. Upon the Brain it produces vertigo; so dizzy that she could not stand; depression of spirits; delirium tremens; headache as if a nail had been driven into the brain,&c.; but it is upon the sentient nervous system that Coffea spends most of its action. Stapf says the primary effects of Coffea are, a pathological excitation of all the organic functions. When Coffea acts moderately upon the healthy organism, the irritability of the organs of sense is morbidly increased, the visual power becomes more acute, the hearing more sensitive, the taste is finer, the sensorium is more vivid (hence increased susceptibility to pain), the mobility of the muscles is increased, the sexual desire is more excited; even the nervous activity of the digestive and secretive organs is increased; hence a morbid sensation of excessiv

- William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION Through the spinal nerves, affects especially the mucous membrane of the kidneys, bladder, and mucous lining of the air passages. GRAND CHARACTERISTICS. Sub-acute inflammation of the genito-urinary organs, with ardor urinae. Retention of urine, especially if the patient has had gonorrhoea. Foaming urine. False membranes, thick and dark, principally in the larynx.- DR. HOUATT. deglutition difficult and painful, water and food often passing through the nose and into the larynx, causing cough with blood.-DR. HOUATT. Incessant bronchial cough.-DR. HOUATT. Barking, croupy cough; throat feels full and choked up.-DR. HOUATT. Burning pains in every part of the neck. For membranous croup, this remedy is being highly recommended; used in massive doses of the tincture.

-William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION This is a specific and special poison to the taenia (tapeworm). It cannot be classed among the remedies that act upon the system as poisonous, its action being simply upon the worm. To it the seeds are a real poison; for no remedy is more reliable and expels more of these parasites than the pumpkin seeds.

William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION This is a special irritant to the cerebro-spinal nervous system affecting especially the pneumogastric nerves, and anterior portion of the spinal cord. The vagi are affected in a special manner as shown by the nausea and vomiting, in every case of poisoning. Through the spinal nerves it produces gastric irritation and inflammation of almost every part of the abdominal viscera: the stools are more like dysentery than like those of cholera; but in cholera, accompanied with cramps in the extremities, it is one of the most reliable remedies we have. Dr. Clapton says: Copper produces distinctly marked green stains in the gums, bluish green perspiration, hair of a greenish hue in old workmen, and green discharges from old ulcers. Workmen in copper factories have always escaped cholera, and even choleraic diarrhoea, while the neighborhood suffered severely.:-Dr. Clapton. This is a practical hint well worth remembering in times of cholera. GRAND CHARAC

-William H.Burt SPHERE OF ACTION Through the cerebro-spinal system, it has a special action upon the medulla oblongata and spinal cord, producing tetanic convulsions, dyspnoea, asphyxia and death. Marcy and Hunt say: Its specific sphere is the spine, from which all the symptoms proceed. It produces nervous diseases, and especially clonic spasms; over-excitement of the spinal nervous system giving rise early to nervous symptoms. R. Hughes, M.D., says: Ignatia exalts the impressionability of the incident nerves all over the body. We have, hence, pains, and other morbid sensations well-nigh everywhere; increased susceptibility of the special senses; emotional sensitiveness; and; and, probably from reflex excitation, twitchings, constrictions and spasms. This action of the drug, however, is not deep and lasting. An alternating series of symptoms-- numbness, torpor, depression--soon appear, which are themselves as superficial as their predecessors. The febrile symptoms have the sam

-M.L.Tyler. (Horse Chestnut). Introduction: As NASH says, "this is one of the remedies that is not so remarkable for its wide range of action, as it is for positiveness within its range". Its sensations are, heaviness and lameness, especially in the sacro-iliac regions. Fullness to bursting in fauces, stomach, bowels, rectum and chest: fullness in various parts, as if they contained an undue amount of blood--heart, lungs, stomach, brain, skin. And, as Kent emphasizes, purpleness of congested parts. He says: "Aesculus is a venous remedy, engorged and full, sometimes to bursting. Now there is another feature I want to bring out. You will notice that where congestion takes place it is purple, or blue in colour. The remedy is not active in its inflammatory state, it is sluggish and passive the heart is labouring and the veins are congested. It is one of the most frequently indicated remedies in the haemorrhoidal constitution, as it used to be called." While GUERN

-M.L.Tyler. Introduction: Agaricus-Amanita (the name under which its symptoms appear in Hering's Guiding Symptoms)-the Fly Agaric (or fungus)-the Bug Agaric-the "fou" fungus of the French, has its own peculiar place and very distinctive symptoms in homoeopathic Materia Medica. Its proving by Hahnemann appeared in Stapf's Archives, a contemporary periodical, with his provings of some other drugs-notably Psorinum, of which we have, I believe, no translation. But that of Agaricus is to be found in Vol. II of his Chronic Diseases. Here Hahnemann describes the fungus as "surmounted by a scarlet- coloured top, which is studded with whitish excrescences, and white leaflets". He says it is to be first triturated, then dynamized in the usual way to, as he suggests, the 30th potency. One associates Agaricus especially with chorea: but its notable twitchings and jerkings are only a small part of its drug picture. One remembers Dr.Blackley of old in the London

-M.L.Tyler. Marking Nut. Introduction: THE indications for Anacardium are so striking and so definite that it seems hardly necessary to Drug picture it. But, a word of warning. We once complained to a very wise and learned homoeopathic chemist that Anacardium, in some digestive troubles, had failed to work. Of course there may have been one of two reasons for this: the drug may have been wrongly prescribed, or it may not have been a good preparation. The old man was too polite to suggest any but the second alternative, and he proceeded to explain. He said, the dark juice from which it derives its name is not in the nut but in the husk. Whereas ignorant persons put tinctures on the market made from the nut itself; useless for medicinal purposes. A successor of that same chemist with whom we were discussing the point the other day, sent us two samples Anacardium O which lie before us as we write: the potent preparation nearly black: the reputed Anacardium, a pale brown. So o

- M.L.Tyler. Stibium Sulphuratum nigrum. Introduction: HAHNEMANN says it is found in nature, in the shape of black parallel needles, having a metallic lustre; is composed of twenty-eight parts of sulphur and one hundred parts of antimony. The different triturations are prepared according to the method which has been already pointed out. The smallest dose, he says, is sufficient to produce the desired effect, in chronic diseases. He says:-- Antimony is useful when the following symptoms are indicated: A child cannot bear to be touched or looked at. Rush of blood to the head; troublesome itching on head: with falling off of hair. Redness and inflammation of the eyelids. Sore nostrils: heat and itching of cheek. Pain in hollow teeth. Chronic loss of appetite: eructations tasting of ingesta. Nausea, loathing, disposition to vomit consequent upon a spoiled stomach, etc., etc. One has, perhaps unfortunately, a certain limited number of remedies that have become such friends that

-M.L.Tyler. Tartar emetic. Introduction: HERING says of this drug, "An invention of the alchemists, very popular with them, forbidden by the French Academy, finally introduced and much used and much abused by the Old School." Old School, Farrington says, does not make much play in these days with Tartar emetic: and he is borne out by its present day teachings, for we are told (Hale White) that "many years ago an ointment, of Tartar emetic was applied as a counter irritant: but it causes too much pain and is now seldom used". That Tartar emetic "cannot be recommended as an emetic, its action is slow and its general depression great. It should never be given to produce purgation". It is also pronounced "an undesirable expectorant". But this is qualified." The only cases in which it is permissible are those in which an emetic is required for laryngitis, bronchitis, or some other acute inflammatory condition of the respiratory tract

-M.L.Tyler. Introduction: (It was coming across the following that determined the choice of Apis for our present drug picture) "In 1847, the attention of the writer was first directed to Apis mellifica as a remedial agent by the following unique cure. "A lad,aged about 12 years,had been afflicted for several months with ascites and hydrothorax. He had been treated for some three months by allopathic physicians first for dysentery,followed by ascites, and afterwards for several months by a Homoeopathic physician. No permanent benefit resulted from either mode of medication, and the symptoms finally came so urgent that I was called in consultation,and tapping was at once resorted to in to order to save the patient from imminent danger. Appropriate Homoeopathic remedies were again prescribed but without arresting the onward course of the malady. The patient commenced to fill up again with great rapidity. The secretion of urine was nearly suspended,the skin was dry and h