DIGITALIS :

Palpitation of Heart

- G. H. Clarke
Foxglove.
CHARACTERISTICS.
Distressing palpitation of the heart; the pulse is weak, rapid and irregular. Great prostration, face cyanotic, pulse feeble, rapid and irregular. Failure of the heart muscles with dyspnoea, cyanosis and loss of the pulse at the wrist. Dropsy from cardiac weakness of valvular disease.
TOXIC EFFECTS.
Pale or cyanotic skin. Headache. Exophthalmos. Confused vision. Great prostration. Distressing nausea, bilious vomiting.1. Great increase of the pulse rate. The slow heart becomes very rapid on slight exertion. Weak, intermittent, unequal pulse.
DOSE.
Infusum digitalis, I-3 dr. Tinctura digitalis, 3-30 m. Some preparations of digitalis are inert. The remedy is usually given two or three times a day.
THERAPEUTIC USES.
Giddiness, confused vision, rapid, weak, irregular intermittent pulse. Distressing palpitation of the heart.1-2. Venous capillaries congested. Weak, irregular, intermittent pulse. Great prostration.1-2. Great prostration following fever. Frequent, feeble, irregular pulse. Ears, tip of nose and lips cyanotic.1-2. Delirium tremens. Relaxed nervous system, weak, irregular heart action, cold, pale skin. Impending death. 1-2. (Tablespoonful doses of the infusion, or one or two dram doses of the tincture). Impending death from mitral disease with irregularity of the heart, rapid, weak pulse, dyspnoea, cyanosis. 1-2 (Ten drops of the tincture every hour for a few doses). Failure of the heart muscles in child-birth. Cold limbs, clammy sweat. cyanosed face, loss of pulse at the wrist. 1-2. (Thirty drops of the tincture every hour, hypodermically if necessary). Dropsy dependent upon cardiac weakness, or valvular disease of the heart.2 Dropsy from debility of the circulatory apparatus. Feeble, irregular pulse, arrhythmical heart 2. Uterine and other hemorrhages dependent upon relaxed and congested venous capillaries.2 (Infusion preferred).