PHYTOLACCA.
Phytolacca decandra, L.
Natural order
, Phytolaccaceæ.
Common names
, Poke, Garget-weed.
Preparation
, Tincture of the root.
Authorities.
1,
Schultz, Inaug. Thesis, effects of large quantities of the root (from
Bigelow, Med. Botany); 2, Bigelow,
Am. Med. Bot., effects of large doses; 3,
same, effects of scruple doses in Dr. Geo. Hayward; 4, Jahr’s New Manual, by Hemptel, symptoms,
from Trans. Am. Inst. of Hom., vol. ii (original not to be had); 5, Dr. S. Rosa, Am. Mag., 1, p. 329, 1851,
effects in two young women of taking about 3 ounces of an infusion of 4
to 5 ounces of root in cold water; 6,
Flumiani, Journ. de Chim. Méd., 1858, p. 458, effects of eating the
stems, in three boys; 7, Dr.
Donnelly, effects of powdering the root, from Griffith’s Med. Bot.
(Hale’s New Remedies, 2d ed.); 8,
Burt, provings with Phytolacca and “Phytolaccin,” Hale’s New
Remedies, 2d ed.; 9, Dr. C. H. Lee,
Hale’s New Remedies, effects of eating a lot of the berries, in a boy; 10, Paine, “Concentrated Medicines,
1865” (electric), from Hale, effects of 1 to 1 1/2-grain doses in
healthy persons; 11, H. Barton
Fellows, from Hale, proving with small doses (1 to 1 1/2 drops) of
tincture; 11a,
same, 12 pellets 2d dec. dil., first day, 15 pellets, fourth day; 11b,
same, 8 drops of 2d dec. dil.; 12,
Dr. Marshall, proving with the tincture, repeated doses for four days of
10 drops to 4 drachms, from Hale; 13,
J. Lester Keep, effects of inhaling the powder of the root while
grinding it, from Hale; 14, Dr. —,
proving, from Hale, effects of fumes from slicing the green root; 15, Griggs, from Hale, effects of 2 or 3
drachms of tincture in a boy six years old; 16,
Warren, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc. of St. of N. York, 1865, effects of
chewing and swallowing small bits (3 or 4 grains) of the fresh root; 17, Bahrenburg, Western Hom. Obs., 3, 126,
1866, effects of eating a small piece of the root; 18, Cooley, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc. of State of
N. Y., 1870, proving with 5 grains, 4 P.M., first day, 10 grains, 8
A.M., third day; 19, Gilman, Med.
Invest., 1871, p. 19, effects on a family of eating the fresh root
grated with horseradish; 20,
Rawlings Young, American Practitioner, 9, 380, three children ate the
root at 11.30 A.M., and at 12 ate a hearty dinner; 21, Grasmuck, Ohio Med. and Surg. Rep., 8,
289, a woman suffering from a slight pain in the right hip took, three
times a day, a small swallow of an infusion of 3 ounces of P. in a pint
of whisky; 21a,
same, effects of smaller doses of same in a man; 22, C. H. Lee, Bib. Hom., 1874, p. 182,
effect on a child of eating the berries; 23,
W. S. Searle (MSS. to editor of this work), effects of eating grated
root (by mistake for horseradish), in a man about sixty years old; 24, same, in another, aged twenty-one; 25, omitted; 26,
Williamson, Trans. Penn. State Hom. Med., Soc., 1871, p. 179, effects of
chewing and swallowing small pieces of the fresh root; 27, Whipple, Electric Med. Journ., 35, p.
560, a woman suffering from inflammation of right breast took of a
solution of 10 drops of tincture in 3 ounces of water, a teaspoonful and
in an hour a tablespoonful; 28,
Libby (MSS. to editor), effects of eating the root for a trivial
complaint; 29, Craig, Richmond and
Louisville Med. J., 1869, p. 237, a man aged twenty-nine ate half at
root six inches long.
MIND.
►
Feeling of intoxication and weakness on rising and walking about (second
day), [16]. ►
Increased cheerfulness of the mind, [4].
► The mind has been gloomy since I
began taking it, and more than usually irritable (fourth day); more
cheerful (fifth day), [11]. ► Great loss of personal delicacy; there appeared
to be a total disregard of all surrounding objects, and no disposition
to adjust their persons under any circumstances, [5]. ►
*Sense of entire indifference to life, and disgust for the
business of the day, on waking, early in the morning, [4]. ►
Indisposition to mental exertion, with the heavy aching feeling in the
head and vertigo (after three hours and a half, fourth day), [11a]. ►
The patients in a half stupor all the time, and would fall asleep
immediately after a paroxysm of cramping had passed, [19].
HEAD.
►
Vertigo. ► Alarming
vertigo, with nausea (after half an hour), [5]. ► *Vertigo,
[13], [16], [20];
(after one hour and a half), [29].
[10.] ►
Vertigo, with dimness of vision, [4].
► Dulness, giddiness, and vertigo, [4]. ►
I have sometimes observed slight narcotic symptoms during the operation
of Phytolacca, particularly vertigo, [2].
► Transient giddiness, [4]. ► He
never noticed any dizziness or stupor from it, although he had always
been particular in his inquiries to know if any such symptoms took
place, [3]. ►
Slight dizziness, with the heat in the head (after three hours, third
day), [18]. ► General Head. ►
Head thrown backward to its utmost extent, [5]. ► Dulness
of the head, [4], [19]. ►
Dulness in the head, with the general disturbed feeling in the stomach
(after half an hour), [26]. ► Dull feeling in the head, [4]. [20.] ► Heaviness in the head, and especially in
the temples, [4]. ► About 11 A.M., a feeling of heaviness or
weight in the head, and vertigo began; the heavy feeling extended down
through the shoulders and chest, and later in the day through the legs
(third day), [11a]. ► Some heaviness of the head, accompanied
by a feeling on the back part of the tongue as if burnt, soon, [11b]. ►
A heavy aching feeling in the head, with vertigo and indisposition to
mental exertion (after three hours and a half, fourth day), [11a]. ►
*Headache, with sickness at the stomach, [19]. ►
Headache (after one hour and a half), [29];
(after third dose, second day); slight all day (third day), [12]. ►
During the forenoon I had a severe headache, which began soon after
breakfast; a part of the time the whole head ached; a part of the time
the pain was in the temples, and was accompanied by a slight vertigo,
and a part of the time the pain was most marked in or confined to the
occiput; walking or riding increased the pain, but walking the most
(fourth day), [11]. ► Headache, with sickness of the stomach,
from walking, [4]. ► Headache, [4],
[7]. ►
Pain through the whole head of a dull character (after three hours and
three-quarters), [16]. [30.] ►
Pains throughout the head aching, [4].
► The pain in head is increased by
looking down and by stooping, [4].
► Moving, transitory pains in various
parts of the head, almost constantly, generally in one side at a time, but more frequently and most severe on right side,
[4]. ►
No pains in head until leucorrhœa commenced, then had pain through both
temples, [27]. ► *Sore pain over the head, worse on the right
side and in damp weather, as if an attack of sick headache
were approaching, [4]. ► *Sensation of soreness in the interior of the
head, [19]. ► *Sensation of soreness in the interior of the
head, deep in the brain, [4].
► Pressure in the head, as if it
would burst, at 3 P.M. (second day), [18].
► Many of the symptoms, especially
those about the head and throat, are better after breakfast, while the
heat and many of the abdominal symptoms are worse, in the afternoon, [4]. ►
Forehead. ► Dulness, with
sensation of weight in the forehead, [4].
[40.] ►
Dull pain in the forehead, [4]. ► Dull, steady, aching pain, principally in
the forehead, [4]. ► Dull, heavy headache in the forehead, a
constant symptom; sharp, shooting pains in right temple, [8]. ► Heavy
aching pain about the forehead, after dinner, [4]. ► *Dull,
pressing pain in the forehead, accompanied by slight nausea, with cool
perspiration on the forehead and feeling of weakness (after
one hour and a quarter); the nausea and headache were somewhat relieved
by eating supper, but soon returned, [16].
► Headache, commencing in the frontal
region and extending backward, [13].
► Pain in the region of time and
mirthfulness, on the right side, [4].
► Pain in the forehead and temples
very severe, with a feeling of lassitude (first night), [8]. ► The
pains in the head are chiefly in the forehead, and worse after dinner, [4]. ►
*One-sided pain just above the eyebrows, with sickness of the stomach,
[4]. [50.]
► Slight pain in the forepart of the
head, with increased sense of hearing, [4].
► Slight pain in the tuberosities of
the forehead, [4]. ► Slight fulness of forehead, with constant
gaping, [4]. ►
Pressure in the forehead, after dinner, most in the glabella, [4]. ►
Pressure on forehead and upper parts of both eyes, painful, [4]. ►
Slight pressure across the forehead, with gaping, [4]. ► Slight
constriction across the forehead, [4].
► Temple. ► Severe pain in the temples (after four
hours), [18]. ► Pain in the temples, with pressure
outward (after three hours, third day), [18].
► Pain in the temples and forehead,
at 7 A.M. (second day), [18]. [60.] ►
Pain in the left temple, followed by burning in the skin, in the left
region of time, [4]. ► Drawing pain in the right temple, [4]. ►
Pain and pressure in the temples (after two hours), [18]. ►
Pressure on the temples and constrictive feeling at the præcordia, like
the feeling that precedes sea-sickness, [4].
► Pressure in the temples, [4]. ►
Pressure in the temples and over the eyes, [4]. ► Vertex.
► Heaviness at the top of the head
(soon after fifth dose), [12]. ► Pain in the top of the head, and a
sensation as if the brain were bruised, when stepping from a high step
to the ground, [4]. ► *Pressure in the top of the head, with dryness,
lasting an hour (fifteen minutes after second dose, second day), [12]. ►
Headache in the vertex, beginning while riding, at 5 P.M.; motion
increased the pain and caused vertigo; pain lasted until I went to sleep
at night (after five hours and a half), [11a].
► Parietals. [70.] ►
Throbbing headache on right side, [28].
► Occiput. ► Pain in the back of the head (after five
hours), [15]. ► Dull, bruised pain in the occiput (after
two hours and a quarter), [16]. ► Pain in the left region of combativeness,
[4].
EYE.
►
Eyes deeply sunk in their orbits (after a few hours), [17]. ► Eyes
sunk deep in their sockets and surrounded by a livid circle (after one
hour and a half), [29]. ► Eyes became much inflamed, and tears
flowed continually (after three hours), [14].
► The eyes ached and were
subjectively sore (second day), [24].
► Sensation of twitching about the
eyes, [24]. ►
Shooting pain from the left eye to the top of the head, which passes off
and returns at short intervals, [4].
[80.] ►
Shooting from the left eye to the top of the head, [4]. ►
Pressure in the eyes, [4]. ► Some painful pressure on the upper part
of both eyes and forehead, [4]. ► *Sandy feeling in the eyes, [4]. ►
Smarting in the left eye, [4]. ► Sensation in the eyes like that caused by
horseradish, [4]. ► Feeling in the eyes and nose as if a cold
would come on, [4]. ► Burning and smarting sensation in the
left eye, with great flow of tears, [4].
► *The prominent feeling in the eyes is
that of smarting, [4]. ► The symptoms of the eyes and eyelids are
worse in the morning, but the vision is worse in the evening, [4]. [90.]
► During one of the provings the
symptoms of the eyes became so severe that Sulphur was taken as an
antidote, and all the subsequent symptoms appeared on the left side, [4]. ►
When enumerating the symptoms of the eyes only, we find the left one
most frequently mentioned, [4]. ► Orbit. ►
Aching pain along the lower half of the right orbit, [4]. ►
Pressure around the eyes, in the afternoon, as if the eyes were too
large, [4]. ►
Pressure over the eyes, [4]. ► Lids. ►
Eyes agglutinated and œdematous, as if poisoned (second morning); this
state continued two days, [14]. ► Agglutination of the eyelids, during the
night, [4]. ►
Reddish-blue swelling of the eyelids, worse on the left side and in the
morning; cannot close the eyes without pain all the forenoon, better in
the afternoon, [4]. ► Soreness on closing the eyelids, [4]. ►
Lids feel as if granulated, and the tarsal edges have a scalded, hot
feeling, as if raw (fourth day); granulated,
sandy sensation in the lids, with same sensation upon the edges
(fifth day), [24]. [100.] ►
The lids felt as if coals of fire were laid upon them, [24]. ►
Sensation as if a grain of sand were lodged under the left eyelid,
causing a secretion and flow of tears from that eye, [4]. ►
Smarting in the internal canthi of both eyes, but worse in the left one,
and very much aggravated by gaslight, in the evening, [4]. ► Itching
at internal canthi of the eyes, very severe, which causing the
application of the finger to rub the eye, the ball became very painful
from the slightest pressure, [4]. ► Lachrymal Apparatus. ► Eyes and nose ran freely, like water, for
two hours, and stopped shortly before vomiting stopped, [27]. ► Flow
of tears all the time from the eyes, relieved in the open air, [4]. ►
Pupil. ► Great dilatation
of pupils (after five hours), [20].
► Pupils dilated, [28]; (after one hour and a half), [29]. ► Vision.
► Long-sightedness, [4]. ►
Dizziness of vision now began to be manifest (after four hours and a
quarter); impairment of vision increasing (after five hours), [16]. [110.]
► Diplopia; not only two, but four
and five reduplications of an object were apparent; the objects, whether
double, triple, or otherwise, were in the same horizontal plane (first
day); the diplopia grew worse, in the evening, and again three or four
reduplications were visible (second day); the same eye symptoms, with
evening exacerbation (third day); diplopia, with twitching (fourth day);
only when suddenly raising the eyes to look at a higher object (fifth
day), [24]. ►
Obscurity of vision, [22]. ► Dimness of vision, [4], [9];
(after one hour and a half), [29].
► Aversion to light, [28]. ►
Photophobia, in the morning, [4].
EAR.
►
Pain in both ears, worse in the right one, [4]. ►
Shooting pain in the right ear, very quick, [4]. ► A
sensation of obstruction in the left Eustachian tube, with a rushing
sound in the ear of the same side, and a feeling as if the hearing were
dull, while at the same time it is sensitive to the most minute sounds, [4]. ►
Irritation in one of the Eustachian tubes, [4]. ►
Increased sense of hearing, with pain in the forehead, [4]. [120.] ► Increased sense of hearing; the right is
most affected, [4].
NOSE.
►
Pustule in the nostril (fifth day), [24].
► Flow of mucus from one nostril,
while the other is stopped, [4]. ► Discharge of mucus from one nostril at a
time, sometimes one and sometimes the other, [4]. ► Coryza,
[4]. ►
Severe coryza (after three hours, third day; after four hours, fourth
day), [18]. ►
Fluent coryza, for two days (after two days), [14]. ► All
the effects of a severe coryza, [7].
► Total obstruction of the nose when
riding, so that one is forced to breathe altogether through the mouth,
and cannot relieve himself by blowing the nose, [4]. ►
Stoppage of the right nostril, [4].
[130.] ►
During the night one nostril was stopped up (second day), [11a]. ►
Sensation in nostril is smarting and stinging, at 9 A.M.; have ridden in
open carriage three hours; sensation in throat almost entirely gone, at
1 P.M.; have been in a warm room about two hours and find symptom
returning, but less violent, at 5 P.M. (second day), [26]. ►
Sensation in the right nostril as if tickled with a stiff feather (after
three hours and a quarter), [26]. ► He felt first a burning sensation in the
nose, then dryness in the throat, which soon produced soreness; then,
watery discharge from the nostrils, which increased until the nose
became “stuffed,” [13]. ► *Drawing sensation about the root of the nose,
[4]. ►
Drawing sensation above the root of the nose, [4]. ► *Feeling in
the nose and eyes as if a cold would come on, [4].
FACE.
►
Sickly-looking countenance; sclerotica and face of a dark-yellow color
(second day), [16]. ► Expression as though suffering from
cholera, [6]. ► Countenance pale and hippocratic, [5]. [140.]
► Paleness of the face, which looked
sunken, blue, and suffering, [19].
► *Paleness of the face, [4]. ►
Face very red, almost purple, alternately very pale, [28]. ► Face
flushed, [27]. ► Suffering intensely with pains in the
joints, and bones of the face and head; her sufferings were such that
she had not slept for many nights; the pains proceeded from the
“nodes,” especially on the frontal bone, and resembled very
much those of periostitis, [21]. ► Pain in the superior maxillary and teeth,
at 11 A.M. (second day), [18]. ► Pain in the superior maxillary (after
three hours, third day), [18]. ► Jaws ached awfully the whole time; seemed
as though could not open or stir them, [27].
MOUTH.
►
Teeth. ► Teeth all ache,
are very sore, and feel elongated, [8].
► Shooting pains in the molar teeth
of the upper and lower jaws of the right side, [4]. [150.] ► Irresistible inclination to bite the
teeth together, [4]. ► Tongue. ►
Tongue coated white, [9], [22]. ►
A white coating made its appearance on the tongue the third day; it
still continues (sixth day), [12].
► Tongue coated yellow, and dry
(after three hours, third day), [18].
► Tongue swollen and yellow, [24]. ►
*Tongue feels rough, with blisters on both sides, and a very red tip; great pain in the root of the tongue
when swallowing, [8]. ► Tongue and lips dry, [28]. ► *Great
pain in root of tongue, fauces, etc., [8]. ► A
feeling on the back part of the tongue as if burnt accompanied the
heaviness of the head, [11b]. ► Slight feeling of smarting and coldness
towards the tip of the tongue, [4].
► General Mouth. [160.] ►
Great congestion and swelling of the soft palate and tonsils; the right
tonsil is half as large again as the left; both are of a very dark red, [8]. ►
Swelling of the soft palate, [4]. ► Small ulcers on the inside of the right
cheek, like those caused by Mercury, [4].
► Tenderness and heat in the roof of
the mouth and on the tongue, [4]. ► Dryness of the palate, in the morning, [4]. ►
Saliva. ► Profuse
secretion of saliva each day, [12].
► Profuse secretion of saliva, in the
morning (second day), [12]. ► Constant flow from mouth, throat, and
salivary glands of a thick, ropy, tenacious secretion (after two hours
and a quarter), [16]. ► *Secretion of saliva increased, [13]. ►
Mouth fills with water, [4]. [170.] ►
Flow of saliva into the mouth, [4].
► The saliva is yellowish and has a
metallic taste, [4]. ► Cold, sticky, stringy saliva, [24]. ►
No saliva, [27]. ► Taste. ►
Metallic taste in the mouth (fourth and fifth days), [12], [8]. ► Taste like nuts, in the mouth, [4]. ►
Taste, bitter at first, but leaving a slight feeling of smarting and
coldness towards the tip of the tongue, [4].® 2000
Article