DIGITALIS.
Digitalis purpurea, L.
Natural order
, Scrophulariaceæ. Common
names, Foxglove; (G.) Fingerhut.
Preparation
, Tincture prepared from the leaves of the second
year of the plant.
Authorities.
1, Hahnemann,
Chr. Krn., 3, 230; 2, Becher, ibid.; 3, Franz, ibid.; 4, Gross,
ibid.; 5, Hornburg, ibid.; 6,
Jahr, ibid.; 7, Langhammer, ibid.; 8, J. Lehmann, ibid.; 9,
Meyer, ibid.; 10, Piepers, ibid.; 11, Rückert, ibid.; 12,
Stapf, ibid.; 13, Teuthorn, ibid.; 14, Trinks, ibid.; (15 to 51, authorities quoted by HAHNEMANN); 15,
Baidon, Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ., III, 271, “statement from observation;” 16, Baker, Med. Trans. of Lond. Coll. of Phys., III, art. 17,
“effects of Digitalis in a case of anasarca;” 17,
Baylies, Pract. Essays on Medical Subjects (“not obtainable”); 18, Beddoes, Med. Facts and Obs., V, art. 2, “from an
overdose;” 19, Boerhaave, Hist. Plant, 1731, p.
308, “observed effects;” 20, Drake, Med. and
Phys. Journ., IV, 521, “effects of Digitalis when given for phthisis;” 21, Edinb. Med. Comm., X, 358, “from overdosing;” 22, Gremler, in Rust’s Mag., XXV, 578, “from
overdosing;” 23, Guibert, Gaz. de Santé, 1826,
“effects of Digitalis in a case of enlarged heart;” 24,
Haller, in Vicat’s Mat. Med., I, 112, “statement from authors;” 25, Henry, Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journ., VII, 148, “from
overdosing an ascitic patient;” 26, Horn, Neues
Archiv, I, 504 (“nothing about Digitalis here”); 27,
omitted (see Nos. 52 to 62);
28, Journal de Chimie, 1827, p. 593, “from an
overdose;” 29, Kinglake, in Beddoes (“nothing
from him found here”); 30, Kraus, in Hufeland’s
Journ., v. 3, 182, “as Baker;” 31, Kurtz, in
Jahn’s Med. Conv. Bl., 1830 (“not obtainable”); 32,
Lentin, Beobacht., 1774, p. 167, “from an overdose;” 33,
Lettsom, Mem. of Med. Soc. of Lond., II, art. 16, “effects of Digitalis when given to
dropsical patients;” 34, Maclean, Med. and Phys.
Journ., II, 119, “effects on patients;” 35,
Mangold, in Horn’s Archiv, III, 1, 141 (“not obtainable”); 36, Mayer, Richter’s Chir. Biblioth, V. 531, “effect of
Digitalis given for mammary scirrhus;” 37, Monro,
Samml. f. pr. Aezt., XIII, 288, “effect of Digitalis given for dropsy;” 38, Mossmann, I, Essay on Scrofula, “not obtainable;” 39, Mossmann, II, Med. and Phys. Journ., III, 13, “effects
of Digitalis given in pneumonia;” 40, Müller, in
Nasse’s Zeitsch. f. Anthr., I (“not obtainable”); 41,
Neumann, in Hufel. Journ., LV, 58, “effects of Digitalis in phthisis;” 42, Penkivil, Med. and Phys. Journ., III, 315, as Neumann; 43, Percival, Med. Facts and Exper., I, 113, “effects of
Digitalis given in hydrocephalus;” 44, Quarin,
Animadv. Pract., p. 118, “nothing about Digitalis here, but most of his symptoms cited
in Baylis’s Bibl. de Therap., III, 320, effects of Digitalis given for scrofula;” 45, Remer, Annal. d. Kl. Aust., I, “not obtainable;” 46, Sackreuter, Annal. d. Heilk., 1811, “not
obtainable;” 47, Schiemann, Diss. de Dig. Purp.,
1786, “not obtainable;” 48, Schriven, Med. and
Phys. Journ., III, 207, “from overdose;” 49,
Troschel, Hufeland’s Journ., 1829, p. 127, “a translation of Guiberth’s case;” 50, Warren, Lond. Med. Journ., VI, 2, 145, “from
overdose;” 51, Withering, Account of the Foxglove,
1785, effects of Digitalis observed on patients; (52 to 62, Jörg’s provings, Materialen Zur Heilmittellehre); 52, Güntz took 1/4 of a grain of the leaves with 2 grains of
magnesia, afterward 1 gr. with magnesia, and afterward 2 grs. with magnesia; 53, Heisterbergk took 1/4 to 1 gr. with 4 grs. of magnesia;
afterwards 2 grs without magnesia, afterwards 2 grs without magnesia, afterwards 2 1/2 grs.
with magnesia; 54, Knesche took 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2,
and 2 grs., each with magnesia; 55, same prover took of
an infusion of 1 scruple of leaves to 4 ounces of water, one spoonful, afterward 12 to 25
drops of the tincture (1 part leaves to 6 parts of spirits); 56,
Seyffert took 1/4, 1/2, 1 1/2, and 2 grs. with magnesia; 57,
same prover took infusion and tincture; 58, Otto took
1/2 gr. first day, 3/4 gr. second day, each with magnesia, 1 1/4 grs. third day, 1 1/2 grs.
fourth day, 2 grs. fifth day, 2 grs. seventh day; 59,
Siebenhaar took 1/2 to 1 1/4 grs. with magnesia; 60,
same prover took 1/2 to 3 grs. without magnesia; 61,
Jörg took 1/4 gr. with sugar first day, 1/2 gr. second day, 3/4 gr. with magnesia fourth
day, 1 gr. in water fifth day; 62, Mad. Ch. took 1/4 gr.
with sugar first day, 1/2 gr. second day, 1/2 gr. with magnesia fourth day; 63, Schrön took 1 gr. of powder in water first day, 2 grs.
second day, after three days took 3 grs; 63b, same prover, after waiting a month, took 1/2 gr. three
times a day for three days (from Bæhr’s monograph on Digitalis);
64, Baehr took tincture, 10 drops at 11 A.M.; [Before
making his provings he kept records, showing normal micturition five times a day, seldom
four times; daily amount of urine averaged 1075 cubic centim.; sp. gr. averaged 1025, high
probably in consequence of small amount of liquids taken; pulse averaged, mornings in bed,
56, during day, sitting 61, standing 66.] 64b, same prover took, first day, 10 drops at noon, second day,
10 drops evening, fourth day, 15 drops at noon; 64c, first day, 15 drops noon, second day, 18 drops evening,
third day, 20 drops evening; 64d,
first day, 1/2 gr. of powder forenoon, second day, 1/2 gr., third day, 1 gr., fourth day, 1
gr., fifth day, 1 gr., sixth day, 1 1/2 grs.; 64e, first day, 1 1/2 grs. forenoon, 1 gr. evening, second day,
1 1/2 grs. forenoon; 64f,
one dose of 1 1/2 grs.; 64g,
first day, 32 drops tincture morning, 20 drops evening, second day, 20 drops morning, third
day, 30 drops evening; 64h,
one dose, 2 1/2 grs., in morning; 65, Dr. Hutchinson
(Joumides, Progres d. Sc. Med., 1821, from Dr. Black’s article in B. J. of Hom.), took
repeated doses of 60 drops until 420 drops were taken in three days; 65b, same took 10 to 70-drop
doses till 2220 drops were taken in sixteen days; 65c, same took 12 to 40-drop doses every eight hours till 1694
drops were taken in fourteen days; 66, Dr. Francis Black
took tincture, first day, 10 drops, second day, 10 drops at 10 A.M. and 2 P.M., fourth day,
20 drops, fifth day, 25 drops, seventh day, 30 drops, fourteenth day, 25 drops at 11 A.M.,
and 15 at bedtime, sixteenth day, 36 drops at 11 A.M. and 20 drops in evening; 67, Dr. L. took 10 to 36 drops daily for six days, in all 172
drops (only one symptom, headache); 68, Dr. K. took
tincture several days, 10 to 60-drop doses (only one symptom, urine); 69, a friend of Dr. Black took one dose of 20 drops of tincture; 70, Dr. Saunders took 15 drops night and morning for three days,
25 drops fourth day, 50 drops seventh day; 71, Purkinje,
Beob. und Vers., 1825 (Frank’s Mag., 4, 154), took 3 grs. of aqueous ext. daily for four
days; 71b, same took
an infusion of 2 drs. of leaves to a pint of water; 72,
Hammond, proving on a man, aged 25, with tincture, 20 min. three times a day for three days,
Am. J. M. Sc., 1859; 73, Gourvat, anaphrodisiac action
(Gaz. de Paris), Phil. Med. Times, 3, 463; 74, Cattel,
symptoms compiled, B. J. of Hom., 11, 170; 75, Homolle
et Quevenne, Mémoire sur la Digitaline et la Digitale, 1854, proving with powdered Dig. (in
pills), 0.20 to 0.30 grms. daily for eight days; 76,
Oulmont, poisoning of a woman, aged 22, by a teaspoonful of the tincture taken for
palpitations, Lond. Med. Gaz., 2, 989, 1851; 77, De
Colleville, poisoning of a woman, aged 68, by an infusion of 15 grammes of dried leaves,
taken for œdema of lungs when nearly convalescent (Journ. de Méd. de Bordeaux), Lond. Med.
Gaz., 1849; 78, Cabaret, a man, aged 55, took half a
glassful of the juice of Dig. for intermittent fever, B. J. of Hom., 1, 411, from
Oppenheimer’s Zeit., 1843; 79, Quebec Daily News and P.
J., Feb. 1865, B. and F. Med.-Chir. Rev., 1865, poisoning of three men by the tincture; 80, Perrin, poisoning of a young man by decoction of the leaves,
Gaz. des Hôp., 1874, p. 925; 81, Mozel, fatal poisoning
of a woman, aged 22, by an infusion of 3 1/2 grammes of the leaves, Gaz. d. Hôp., 1864; 82, A. Taylor, fatal poisoning, by 6 ounces of a decoction of the
leaves, from Tardieu Empoisonnement, p. 798; 83, same,
fatal poisoning of a young man by a decoction; 84,
Causse, poisoning of a pregnant woman by the juice, Ann. d’Hyg., 1859; 85, G. Wilson, poisoning of a young man by two teaspoonfuls of a
very strong infusion for a sore throat, Lond. Med. Gaz., 1864; 86,
Edward, poisoning by an infusion of 2 ounces of the root, Lancet, July, 1849; 87, Fogo, poisoning of an asthmatic patient by 1 ounce, N. Eng.
Med. J., 12, 81 (from Ed. M. J., No, 72); 88, Brughmans,
general effects of 0.30 to 0.40 centigr. of powder for five or six days, from Homolle and
Quevenne, Mémoire sur la Dig.; 89, Vassal, effects on a
woman, aged 44, of doses of 2 centigr., Diss. sur la Dig., p. 79, from Homolle and Quevenne;
(90, 91, 92, omitted;) 93, Dr. Lewis
Burwell, Inaug. Diss., Philadelphia, 1805, having fasted and taken moderate exercise till 10
A.M., took 1/4 gr. of powdered leaves, repeated after two hours and a half, and several
times with similar results; 94, Dr. Barton (quoted by
last authority), several persons took Dig. unintentionally; 95,
Lembke, proving with 1/4 gr. of powdered leaves, first, sixth, and thirteenth days, 1/2 gr.
twenty-second and twenty-eighth days, 3/4 gr. forty-seventh day, and 1 gr. seventy-ninth
day, N. Z. f. Hom. Kl., 2, p. 171.
MIND.
► Emotional. ► Secretive insanity, with obstinacy; he tries to escape, [1]. ► Delirium (third
day), [84]. ►
Slight delirium at night, with some agitation (third day); rather violent delirium in the
night (fourth day); so delirious during night that it was necessary to use restraint (fifth
day), [76]. ►
Irrational talking, with uneasiness, at night, [30]. ► I was in a state bordering on drunkenness (second day), [65]. ► Intoxicated
feeling, [81]. ►
Excessively intoxicated, [94]. ►
Many lively fancies, [3]. ►
Great desire to be alone, [10]. [10.] ► Disinclination to
talk, [5]. ►
Continual sighs and groaning (fifth day), [76]. ► Gayety bordering on intoxication, with debility, [89]. ► Peaceful, quiet
mood (curative action), [3]. ►
Great depression, [74]. ►
Dejection, [87]. ►
Dejection of mind and apprehensiveness, [51]. [Not
found. -Hughes.] ► Sadness, with feeling as though he
were very sick; all objects appear to him as to one sick with a fever, [1]. ► Great sadness and dejection
throughout the whole proving, [6]. ► Weeping sadness about many things which have disappointed
him, [1]. [20.] ► Gloominess and ill-humor, [5].
► Anxiety, as though he had done wrong, [8]. ► Anxiety, with great dread of
the future, worse about 6 P.M., with sadness and weeping, which bring relief, [6]. ►► *Great anxiety,
[30]. ► Internal
anxiety, like pangs of conscience, as though he had committed a crime, or expected to be
reproved, continuing nearly three months, [6]. ► [Loss of courage], [42].
[On account of the apparent inefficacy of the medicine. -Hughes.] ►
*Fear of death, [1]. ►
Apprehensiveness, as if rising from the upper abdomen, [6].
► Apprehensiveness, with much sighing, throughout the
whole proving, [6]. ►
*Fearful apprehensiveness of a sad character, with great depression, extremely aggravated by
music, [10]. [30.]
► Very irritable and out of humor (seventh day), [64d]. ► Great
irritability; everything, especially sad things, affect him very much, and the merest trifle
can make him hopelessly despondent; lasting more than three months, [6]. ► Gloomy, morose mood; he
gets angry at everything, [11]. ►
Much agitated; continually complaining (fourth day), [76].
► Indifference, [23].
► Indifference mood in general, as if he had not slept as
much as usual, yet without sleepiness, [13]. ► Very indifferent to everything, for several days, [10]. ► Intellectual.
► Increased energy of the intellectual faculties; the
imagination in particular was unusually active (first day), [65].
► Great desire to work (after one hour and a half), [1]. ► Inclination or
mental labor and all kinds of business (curative action), [5].
[40.] ► Mind
incapable of study (ninth day), [70]. ► Intellectual faculties obscured and dull (seventeenth day), [65b]. ► Intellectual
faculties greatly weakened (after seven days), [84]. ► Intellectual faculties seemed to be affected, as if I had
taken more wine than usual (fifteenth day), [65b]. ► Intellectual faculties were in a state bordering on delirium
(third day), [65]. ►
Impaired thought (fourth day), [58]. ► *Thinking is difficult, and he forgets everything, immediately,
with internal and external heat of the head, [9]. ► Dulness of mind, with indifference, especially at evening, [10]. ► Confusion of
ideas for six days, [78]. ►
Was unable to connect my ideas (sixteenth day), [65b].
[50.] ► *Weakness of
memory, [33]. ►
Patient stupefied (seventh day), [78]. ► Intellectual faculties were in a state approaching stupor and
delirium (fourth day), [65]. ►
Stupor, and decided comatose condition; answered questions vaguely (after four days), [84]. ► Lost his
consciousness, and at last fell down in a state of syncope (second morning), [92].
HEAD.
► Confusion and Vertigo.
► *Confusion of the head, [1]; (second and third days), [58].
► Confusion of the head like an intoxication, [56]. ► Confusion of the
head, with some confusion of the mind (fifth day), [61].
► Confusion of the head, which causes difficulty in
thinking, and gradually changes into a pressive pain (seventh day), [58]. ► Confusion of the head,
which gradually became a pressive pain, extending from the vertex over the whole head, with
the same sensation in the eyes as on the previous day, with small and slow pulse, somewhat
increased secretion of urine, and for half an hour very violent irritation of the genitals
(fifth day, half an hour after 2 grains), [58]. [60.] ► Transient confusion of
the head, not amounting to vertigo (third day), [60]. ► Slight confusion of the head (first day), [58]. ► Slight confusion of the
head, becoming a pressive headache (second day), [62].
► Slight confusion of the head, which after an hour
changed into a pressure in the occipital region; this continued with intermissions till
towards noon; while the brain was affected in this way I noticed that external objects
frequently presented themselves in a false light; I did not actually see double, but not in
a right light (first day), [61]. ►► *Vertigo, [33],
[34], [42], [44], etc. ► Vertigo, so
that she fell down while ascending steps, [42]. ► *Vertigo, with anxious sensation as though faintness would occur,
while standing leaning against a chair (after two hours), [64f]. ► *Vertigo, on rising from
sitting, and noticeable weakness of the limbs (second day), [63]. ► Vertigo, with dimness of
vision, disabling her from going down stairs (after three hours), [81]. ► Vertigo, with trembling, [20]. [After each dose. -Hughes.] [70.]
► Slight vertigo, lasting twenty minutes (after ten
minutes), [52]. ►
Slight and transient vertigo, very soon, [56]. ► Feeling of slight vertigo, so that it was necessary to fix
the eyes upon an object for some time (second day), [64e].
► Violent vertigo (soon after), [86]. ► Giddiness, continuing six
days, [78]. ►
Dizziness, [74]. ►
Dizziness in the head, with inability to think, [3]. ► He felt dizzy and heavy (second morning), [92]. ► Felt quite dizzy and heavy
(soon after), [85]. ►
General Head. ► The head is affected, [51]. [Not found. -Hughes.] [80.]
► *The head constantly falls backward while sitting and
walking, as if the anterior cervical muscles were paralyzed and powerless, [13]. ► Almost constant
noise in his head, [74]. ►
*A sudden cracking noise in the head, during the midday nap, with frightened starting up,
[6]. ► Obscuration
of the head, with dull headache (second day), [63]. ► Dulness in the head, as if hypochondriac, [1]. ► Frequent sensation on
bending the head forward, as though something in it fell forward, [11]. ► Violent pain in the head
(second morning), [92]. ►
Heat on and in the whole head, [9]. ► Flushes of heat (fifth day), [65b],
[65c]. ► Violent
heat in the head, [93]. [90.]
► Sensation as of swelling in the head, [44]. ► *Head heavy, confused, as if
full, [95]. ►
*Headache, [33], [44]. ► Headache for several days,
[47]. ► Headache,
on stooping, in the morning immediately after rising, [10].
► Headache worse on walking, stooping, overheating (for
several hours), [95]. ►
Headache, with confusion of the head, [12]. ► Headache, with slight nausea, [74].
► Slight headache (tenth day), [70]. ► Slight headache, with
cutting pains in the abdomen, followed by warmth over the whole body and pressure towards
the bladder (fourth day), [62]. [100.] ►
Violent headache, [81]. ►
Drawing in the cranial bones, [95]. ► Dull pain in the head (sixteenth day), [65b]. ► Pressure on several spots
of the head, [95]. ►
Headache, pressure, and heaviness, as from rush of blood to the head, [1]. ► A tensive pressure
affecting the head, especially in the forehead and left temple, in the evening (after three
and twelve days), [6]. ►
Pressive headache, especially on the vertex and in the forehead (fourth day), [61]. ► Pressive headache,
especially in the occiput and vertex (second day), [62].
► Sense of weight in the head all day (sixty day), [70]. ► Troublesome sense
of weight in the head, relieved in the forenoon by an attack of epistaxis (eight day), [70]. [110.] ► Acute headache, on waking in the morning, lasting through the
day, worse in the afternoon, and becoming most severe in the evening, so that the prover was
obliged to go to bed sooner than usual; he felt unfitted for work the whole day (eight day),
[58]. ► Very acute
headache, in the morning on waking (sixth day), [58]. ► Undulating headache, like the beating of waves within the
head, towards both sides, aggravated while standing or bending backward, relieved by lying
or stooping, [13]. ►
Forehead. ► Slight pain and heaviness in the
frontal region (second day), [65]. ► Violent pain in head, [85].
► Becomes conscious and complains of violent pains in the
head, [74]. ►
Tensive sensation in the forehead, on turning the eyes to one side, [2]. ► Frontal headache (third
day), [76]. ►
Slight headache in the frontal region, [52]. ► Suffered from severe frontal headache, with pressure on the
temples, in the evening (after second dose, sixteenth day), [66].
[120.] ► Pressure, as
from a heavy weight, in the middle of the upper part of the forehead, on exerting the mind, [3]. ► Tensive pressure
in the forepart of the forehead, [5]. ► Contractive pressure in the forepart of the forehead and in
the temples, aggravated by thought, [3]. ► Dull pain in the right side of the forehead, during the
forenoon (first day), [63]. ►
Dull frontal headache, much increased by movement (ninth day), [66]. ► Dull frontal headache
throughout the day, with frequent uneasiness in the region of the heart (seventh day), [66]. ► Wakened with dull
frontal headache and nausea (fifth morning), [66]. ► Wakened with dull frontal headache and nausea (fifth
morning), [66]. ► A
sharp pressive pain in the forehead, in a small spot over the eye, [12]. ► Some stitches in the left
frontal region, [7]. ►
Pressive stitch externally in the left side of the forehead, [7].
[130.] ► Sudden, very
violent sticking tearing in the right frontal region, extending from the right eyebrow
upward, lasting but a short time, though suddenly returning three time, at 1 P.M. (second
day), [64d]. ►
*Throbbing headache in the forehead or at the bottom of the orbits, [34]. ► Temples. ► Jerklike pressure, now in the temples, now in the whole head,
[11]. ► Pressive
sensation in the region of the right temporal bone, [53].
► Sticking, now in the right, now in the left temporal
region, [9]. ► Some
dull stitches in the left temple, which shoot through the whole brain, in the evening and at
night in sleep, [1]. ►
Tearing stitches in the left temple, [7]. ► Tearing in the right temporal region close to the ear, [4]. ► Vertex. ► Heaviness in the head in the region of the vertex, [95]. ► Headache over the
top of the head, with temporary giddiness (sixth and seventh days), [67]. [140.] ► Pressure in the region of the vertex, lasting a quarter of an
hour, [53]. ►
Pressure on the vertex and in the forehead, [95]. ► Parietals. ►
Stitchlike tension in a small spot in the parietal portion of the brain, every time on
stooping; it extended into the left upper teeth, and always disappeared on rising, [12]. ► Drawing in the
sides of the head, causing dizziness, [4]. ► Pressure and tension in the sides of the head (soon), [4]. ► Jerklike pressure
in the right side of the head (seventh day), [6]. ► Tearing in the left side of the head, [4]. ► Pulse like sensation, as if
the brain were beating like water against both sides of the skull and would burst it, with
confusion, [13]. ►
One sided headache, like an internal itching, [8]. ► Occiput. ► Violent
pressure in the left half of the occiput, [55]. [150.] ► Sensation of pressure
in the occiput, which distinctly extended from the right to the left side; from the occiput
this pressure extended to the vertex; with this some confusion on the head and indications
of incipient vertigo, [54]. ►
Pressive pain in the occipital protuberance, as from a blow or fall, [5]. ► A pressive pain in the
occiput returned after each dose, but, after a grain and a half, increased to the most
violent sticking pain, especially affecting the occiput and vertex; the forehead also was
not entirely free from pain (first day), [54]. ► External Head. ►
External heat of the head, [95].® 2000
Article