Taraxacum.
Leontodum taraxacum. Taraxacum Dens-leonis. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of
whole plant just before the perfection of the flower.Clinical.─
Ague. Bilious attacks. Debility.
Diabetes. Gall-stones. Headache, gastric. Jaundice. Liver, affections of. Neuralgia.
Night-sweats. Rheumatism. Tongue, mapped. Typhoid fever.
Characteristics.─
The young leaves of the Dandelion are sometimes eaten in salads. They have a bitter
chicory-like taste, as also has the root. Children eat the flowers, although they are
supposed by them to cause bed-wetting. This has given rise to one of the popular names of
the plant. Its chief traditional uses are as a remedy for jaundice, liver obstruction, in
dysentery, involuntary emissions, and in difficulties in passing water. Hahnemann’s provings
brought out these leading symptoms: “Painless urging to urinate;” and
“frequent urging to urinate with copious discharge of urine.” Hahnemann points out
that this, with the thirst, may indicate Trx. in some
cases of diabetes. Trx. has caused pains in both splenic
and, liver regions, and has cured jaundice with enlarged indurated liver. Cooper gives me
the following case: An old Indian officer, when in India, suffered much from gall-stones,
and was advised to take dandelion infusion every day. This he did, and soon the symptoms
left him, and he remained free from them for over twenty years. A symptom in connection with
disordered digestion, which has proved a good guide for Trx.
in some cases, is the “mapped tongue.” The tongue is coated white, and clears off
in patches, leaving dark red very sensitive spots. Treas. of Bot.
points out that “the bright-yellow flowers of Trx.
open in the morning between 5 and 6 o’clock and close in the evening between 8 and 9. Hence
this was one of the plants selected by Linnæus to form his floral clock.” The symptoms
of Trx. are < at
night. Hands and nose cold at 8 p.m. “Cold finger-tips” is a guiding symptom. Peculiar Sensations are: As if brain was constricted. As if teeth
were set on edge. As if larynx were compressed. As if bubbles were forming and bursting in
abdomen. As of rolling and gurgling in right scapula. As if limbs were bound or powerless.
Some leading indications are: Gastric and bilious attacks, especially gastric headaches; the
headaches are generally pressive. Pressure in lower occiput after lying down is
characteristic. Debility, loss of appetite, profuse night-sweats, especially when
convalescing from bilious or typhoid fever. Restlessness of limbs in typhoid. Sweat between
toes. The symptoms are: > By touch (jerking in right
calf). Rest <. (Almost all symptoms appear when
sitting; lying down; resting.) Motion >. > In open air. Burning in throat is >
by drinking. Hahnemann’s dosage was a single drop of the Ø tincture (M. M. P.).
Relations.─
Compatible:
Ars. (night-sweats). Compare: In gastric and bilious
affections, Bry., Chel., Hydr., Nux. Mapped tongue, Ars., Nat. m., Ran. s. Restlessness of
limbs with tearing pains, Rhus.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Irresolution and dislike to labour.─Loquacity
and inclination to laugh.
2. Head.─
Vertigo, with giddiness and staggering
when walking in the open air.─Drawing rain in l. temple while sitting,
ceasing when walking or standing.─Tearing pain in occiput.─Pressure
and heaviness in lower part of occiput, after lying down.─Headache, as
from contraction or expansion of brain.─Heaviness and pressure in head.─Lancinations
in forehead and temples.─Violent headache, felt only when standing or
walking.─Tension of scalp.
3. Eyes.─
Pain in eyes, as if a grain of sand were
in internal canthus.─(Aversion to light) burning sensation, and burning
shootings in eyes.─Burn in l. eyeball.─Inflammation
of eyes with lachrymation and photophobia.─Nocturnal agglutination of
lids.
4. Ears.─
Shootings in ears.─Drawing
pain in external ear.─Dysecoia in evening.
6. Face.─
Purulent pimples on face, cheeks, alæ
nasi, and (r.) commissures of lips.─Sensation of heat and redness in
face.─Shootings and pressure in cheeks.─Upper lip
cracked.
7. Teeth.─
Toothache, with drawing pain in carious
teeth, extending to eyebrows.─Pressive pains in teeth.─Teeth
set on edge as from acids.─Flow of acid blood from carious teeth.─Bluntness
of teeth.─Hawking up of sour mucus, causing teeth to feel dull.
8. Mouth.─
Accumulation of acid saliva in mouth
(with sensation as if the larynx were compressed).─Tongue loaded with a
white coating, with exfoliation (it cleans off in patches, dark red, and they are very
sensitive).─Tongue dry, loaded with a brown coating on waking in
morning.
9. Throat.─
Sore throat, with pressive pain, as
from internal swelling.─Dryness, shootings, and bitter mucus in the
throat.─Hawking up of acid mucus.
10. Appetite.─
Bitter taste in mouth, with natural
taste of food.─Salt or acid taste of food, principally of butter and of
meat.─Tobacco-smoke is disagreeable, causes pyrosis, and interrupts
respiration.─Great chilliness after drinking, or eating.
11. Stomach.─
Bitter risings (eructations and
hiccough).─Empty risings, esp. after drinking.─Nausea
(with inclination to vomit or vomiting) from very fat food, with anxiety and pressive
headache, > in open air.
12. Abdomen.─
Pinching in abdomen.─Pressive
shootings in abdomen, and sides of abdomen, chiefly in l. side; in hypogastrium.─Grumbling
and movements (sudden sensation) in abdomen, as if bubbles were bursting in it.
13. Stool and Anus.─
Inefficient urging to go to
stool.─Evacuations several times a day, but accomplished with difficulty
(even if stool is not hard).─Fæces of the consistence of pap, followed
by tenesmus.─Voluptuous itching in perinæum (compelling one to
scratch).
14. Urinary Organs.─
Frequent want to urinate
(pressure without pain), with profuse emission.─Enuresis somni (?).
15. Male Sexual Organs.─
Pain in testes.─Permanent
erections.─Frequent pollutions; on alternate nights.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Suppressed menses.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Sensation as if the
larynx were pressed together.
18. Chest.─
Pressure at chest.─Shootings
in chest and sides of chest.─Jerkings in muscles of sides.
20. Neck and Back.─
Pressive jerkings and
shootings in muscles of neck, (throat), and nape.─Tearing from ear
downward to the neck.─Pressive pains in loins.─Pressive
and tensive shootings in back and loins, when lying down, with obstructed respiration.─Pressing-stinging
in spine and sacrum with dyspnœa.─Gurgling and swelling in
shoulder-blades and shoulders, with shivering over whole body.─Vibration
and quivering in r, scapula.
22. Upper Limbs.─
Pulsative throbbing and jerking
in shoulders and arms.─Jerkings of muscles of arms.─Twitching
in muscles of l. forearm.─Shootings in arms and elbows.─Drawings
and tearings in forearm and wrist.─Eruptions of pimples on hands and
fingers.─Icy coldness of ends of fingers.─Pressive
pain in three last fingers of r. hand.
23. Lower Limbs.─
Shootings in thighs, knees,
calves, soles, and toes.─Stitching pain in l. thigh.─Pressive
pain in l. calf.─Jerking pain in r. calf, ceasing quickly when touched.─Drawing
pain in dorsum of r. foot; when standing; stitches when sitting.─Severe
or fine stitching pains in r. sole.─Burning sensation in knees, legs and
toes.─Profuse perspiration between toes.
24. Generalities.─
This remedy acts well in all
affections of the liver; sour taste; darting pains in outer parts.─Affections
in l. upper side; r. lower side; back of foot; sole of foot.─< While lying down; from fat food; while resting.─> From moving; when walking.─Painful
tenderness of all limbs, esp. when touched, and when they are in a false position.─The
limbs are Movable, but it feels as if the power to move them were impeded.─Sensation
of weakness and uneasiness throughout body, with constant necessity to lie down or to sit.─Almost
all symptoms appear while the patient is seated, and are dissipated by walking.
25. Skin.─
Unhealthy, pimply, sycotic skins.─Stinging
on skin.─Eruption over body and limbs itching severely, and appears to
be a mixture of lichen and urticaria.─Biting in skin with sweat.
26. Sleep
.─Sleepiness,
and going to sleep while listening to a scientific discourse.─Sleepiness
in daytime, and yawning while sitting.─Vivid unremembered dreams;
frequent waking and tossing.
27. Fever.─
Chilliness, esp. after eating and
drinking.─Chilliness, shiverings, all over, with pressive headache.─Chill
in open air. Heat at night on waking, esp. on face and hands.─Violent
night-sweats, mostly before midnight, when just going to sleep.─Very
debilitating perspiration, causing biting on the skin.® 2000
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