BERBERIS.
Berberis vulgaris, Linn. Nat. order,
Berberidaceæ. Common names, Barberry. (German)
Sauerdorn. (French) Le Vinettier. Preparation, Tincture
of the bark of the root.
Authorities.
Symptoms not designated are from Hesse (Journ. f.
hom. Arznium, 1, 1834), obtained as follows: took, himself, an infusion of half an ounce of
the root, after four days a third infusion of the same evaporated from six to two ounces;
the second prover, a stout-unmarried woman, æt. 26, took infusions of six drachms of the
root; the third, a married woman, æt. 35, took infusions and powdered bark of the root; the
fourth prover, a male teacher, lean and phlegmatic, took similar infusions; the fifth, a
servant girl, æt. 19, took the same. [These five provings are not designated in any way by
Hesse.] Dr. Hesse, in his introduction, says: “I have also made some experiments with
potencies, and will give a short account of them here because I did
not include in the résumé all of the symptoms, especially those which did not
coincide with those obtained from large doses.” These provings are now for the first
time incorporated in the résumé as follows: 6, The
fourth prover took a drop of the 5th potency; 7, A
servant girl, æt. 18, took repeated doses of the 6th; 8,
A girl, æt. 14 (never menstruated), took the same; 9, A
servant girl, æt. 19, took the same; 10, An old woman,
æt. 60, healthy, took one dose of the 30th.
MIND.
► Mental dejection,
with difficult thinking and weakness of memory. ► Anxious
sensation if she moves, stands a long time, rises from sitting, even in the morning when
rising, and while in bed and rising from it. ► Anxious
mood, with great fear and fright from 4 o’clock in the afternoon till going to sleep; in the
twilight some dogs and children appeared as large again as natural. ►
Out of humor; he is satisfied with nothing. ► She
experiences a certain ill-will, a spirit of intrepidity. ►
Very fretful, peevish mood, even becoming a loathing of life. Remarkable melancholy and
disinclination to speak, which she can in no way overcome, with quiet, not thoughtful,
sensual longing (second and third days). ► Indifferent,
depressed mood, with slight interest in the outer world, disinclination to work, confusion. ► Indifferent, quiet, even apathetic mood at times. ► Contemplation of necessary mental work becomes difficult, and
affects the head very much, especially in the morning. [10.]
► During mental work, external occurrences easily cause
disturbance, usually unnoticed; he easily loses the connection, becomes fretful, and must
cease work.
HEAD.
► Confusion and Vertigo.
► Confusion of the head, as if coryza would follow. ► Tensive-pressive confusion of the whole head, as if a cap
were drawn over it, and as if it would be drawn downward from behind (several times). ► Confusion and dizziness in the head (after two hours). ► Confusion, heaviness of the head, often also with pressure in
the forehead, and great prostration and fretfulness; chilliness, sometimes with slight heat
between the attacks of chilliness; this commences in the morning after waking, continues
till after midday, when it is followed by an increased warmth, especially in the head, with
symptoms of an impending coryza, especially moisture of the nose and sneezing, which,
however, goes no farther; these attacks are repeated during the long proving, and
aggravations always begin with them. ► Feeling of
intoxication in the head (after two to three hours). ►
*Vertigo and dizziness in the head (after half an hour). ►
Vertigo on stooping (first day). ► Vertigo on walking, so
that she almost fell, with faintish weakness (eighteenth day). ►
Vertigo and sensation of fainting, with great weakness (tenth day). [20.]
► During rather hard work, with frequent stooping and
exertion of the arms, a whirling vertigo on rising up, so that she must turn from left to
right and forward, and with difficulty keeps erect; with attacks of faintness, pressive
frontal headache; followed by chilliness in the back and in the occiput, as in the coldest
winter; for half an hour (forty-fourth day). ► *Dizziness in
the head (first day). ► Head in General.
► Feeling of emptiness, and gloominess in the head
repeatedly. ► Feeling of heaviness in the head. ► Heavy, pressive headache, with great weariness and
prostration (third day), [8]. ►
*A feeling in the head as if it were becoming larger (after an hour and a half). ► Feeling of fulness in the head, especially in the forehead
(after two to three hours). ► *A puffy sensation in the whole
head (after nine hours). ► Tensive sensation
in the head (after nine hours). ► Headache as if the
skull would burst; on stooping, a sensation as if something shook in the head, and as if
everything would come out at the forehead (first day), [9].
[30.] ► Dull,
pressive, sticking headache (after nine hours). ►
Pressive pain in the whole head (after an hour and a half). ►
Pressive headache, especially in the forehead, but also extending towards the vertex (after
three hours). ► Pressive headache, especially in the
forehead, as if it would bruise the head, or also as if it would be pressed down by a heavy
weight (second day), [7]. ►
Pressive headache, with heaviness and confusion of the head, especially in the morning hours
during the first days, and returning afterwards at times. ►
*Tearing pain in the whole head, now here, now there, in the forehead, in the temples
(frequently returning the first weeks). ► Forehead.
► Stupid sensation in the forehead (after half an hour,
and after ten hours). ► On stooping, a painful sensation
in the forehead and in the eyes, as if the brain were heavy and fell forward (after ten
hours). ► Pressive headache, as if the forehead would
press out (first day), [9]. ►
Pressure in the forehead for several days together. [40.]
► An outward-pressing headache in the forehead and
temples (ninth day). ► Pressive-tensive headache in the
forehead, temples, and eyes (after three hours, and frequently later). ►
Pressive headache, now over the eyes, now in the frontal eminences, now in the temples, now
in other places in the forehead (seventeenth day). ► A
pressure in the upper part of the right frontal region (seventh day). ►
Pressive-twinging tensive pain in the forehead several times repeated during the first days,
caused and increased by stooping, better in the open air (as most of the head symptoms are
generally). ► Sticking headache internally in the
forehead (after nine hours). ► Sticking tearing headache
in the forehead and temples, sometimes lasting only half a minute, sometimes several
minutes, rarely longer. ► Sticking pain in the forehead
and in the temples, now very fine, now very severe; seldom continuous, but rather coming and
going in paroxysms, generally ceasing suddenly. ►
Headache in the forehead, sticking, paroxysmal, lasting one-half to three minutes,
especially shooting suddenly through the supra-orbital region (after half an hour and ten
hours, and frequently). ► Sticking, shooting, or also
twitching or rolling pain, at several points in the left frontal region, about an inch above
the margin of the orbit, extending outward and upward (after three hours). [50.] ► Violent stitches in
the right forehead extending outward to the side (fifth day). ►
Stitching pain and jerking; the forehead, also in the upper part of the head when stooping
(after nine hours). ► Temples. ► *A peculiar cold sensation in the right temple (one
hundred and eighth day). ► Tensive pressive pain in the
left temple. ► Pressive pain in the right temple
extending forward to the eye, as if in the bone, with stitches shooting into the forehead
(third and fifth days). ► Pressive pain in the right
temple, as if it were thick, or would be pressed out, increased by touch (after half an
hour). ► Dull stitches in the right temple (after two
hours and a half). ► Piercing stitches in the left temple
(second day). ► A stitch from without inward in the right
temple (after two hours). ► Jerking stitches in the right
temple extending into the right eye, then shooting into the vertex (after four hours). [60.] ► Twitching, tearing
pains at times in the temples (first day), [9]. ► Slight tearing in the temples and forehead (seventh day). ► Slight transient tearing in the right temple and the right
cheek (after twelve hours, and frequently also afterwards). ►
Parietals, Occiput, and External. ► Single
stitches in the left parietal region. ► Tearing pain in
the left parietal eminence; it pains somewhat on touch. ►
Pressive-tensive pain in the occiput, as if the scalp were too small and the brain too large
(second day). ► Tearing in the left occipital region. ► Tearing pain in the left occipital region for two days in
succession, lasting several hours; and returning it extends upward from the throat and neck
to this place (twenty-sixth day). ► The integuments of
the head and face feel puffy and tense (after two hours and a half). ►
Tensive sensation in the scalp and the skin of the face, as if the head were swollen; the
scalp is difficult to move (first and second day). [70.]
► A tensive numb sensation of the skin of the head and
face (after three and four hours). ► Smarting or
corrosive sensation in the skin of the head and face, now here, now there, aggravated by
rubbing; sometimes, afterwards a red spot appears. ►
Corrosive itching or sticking in the skin of the head and face, in various places,
repeatedly. ► Itching below the hair, chiefly in the
occipital region, either simple or biting or burning, associated with fine stitches,
frequently with a sensation of warmth in the skin, mostly in the evening, causing
scratching, by which it disappeared for a moment, but soon reappeared in other places,
sometimes lasting only a few minutes, sometimes several hours (thirty-sixth, seventy-fifth,
ninety-third, and one hundred and seventh days, etc.).
EYES.
► In General. ► In most of the provers the eyes seemed to lie deep, encircled
by blue or dirty-gray rings for a long time. ► The eye
was excessively and uniformly red (second day), [7]. ► Inflammation of the eyes became so much worse in the
afternoon that it is like what I have experienced from large doses (second day), [7]. ► The eyes feel very
dry (second day), [7]. ►
Dryness in the eyes almost constantly. ► Dryness and
biting or burning, also sometimes an itching sensation in the eyes, frequently also with a
feeling as if sand were between the lids and the eye, at times with a slight redness of the
conjunctiva of the lid and even of the ball; this symptom did not only appear very early, on
the first or one of the first days, but also lasted throughout nearly the whole proving,
with intermissions. [80.] ►
A feeling of stiffness in the eyes, with dragging (first and second days). ► Bubbling sensation in the right eye lasting a quarter of an
hour (eleventh day). ► A bubbling sensation in the left
eye, transient (after four hours, and also in the evening of third day). ► Painfulness of the eyes (second day). [Most of the eye
troubles seem to be aggravated in the open air; motion of the eyes aggravates the pain.] ► Pain in the eyes, as after crying. ►
A somewhat painful sensation on beginning to read or write (seventh day). ► A sensation in the eyes as if they were cold, as when one
goes into the cold air, with some lachrymation on closing them (seventieth day). ► Burning in the eyes, from 12 o’clock (first day), [9]. ► Burning sensation
with dryness and redness in the eyes, with some matter in the canthi (seventeenth day). ► Violent burning in the eyes which were very painful,
especially on moving them (second day), [7]. [90.] ► Burning in the eyes at
3 o’clock in the afternoon, and at the same time a sensation as if sand were in them; they
continued to get worse until she went to sleep; the left eye was worse than the right (first
day), [10]. ►
Violent burning and dryness in the eyes with a dim look to them; great redness of the
conjunctiva of the lids, and a dim, indistinct look, as if there were a mist before the
eyes, in the morning after rising, for several hours (sixty-third day). ► Troubles with the eyes increased towards afternoon, and
especially in the evening; the eyes burn like fire and are very dry (third day), [9]. ► Pressure in the
eyes (after seven hours). ► Pressure in the eyes, as if
he had cried a long time. ► Pressure and burning in the
eyes (after two hours). ► Pressure in both eyes, and pain
on moving them, less during rest, accompanied by heat and burning in them (second day), [7]. ► Sensation in the
eyes as if they were forced out (second to fourth day). ►
Sticking in the eye, mostly coming from other parts, as drawing from the forehead or from
the temples into the eyes, or rising in the eyes, and spreading hence to the forehead;
usually sudden shooting stitches. ► A digging-sticking
pain lasting several minutes, beginning deep in the eye and extending obliquely across the
middle of the upper orbital margin upward and outward into the forehead, first in the right,
and soon after in the left eye (seventeenth day). [100.]
► Several piercing stitches in the eyes. ► Four stitches shoot from the eye outward into the forehead,
so violent that she is frightened (seventeenth day). ► A
slight, sometimes sensitive tearing in the eyes. ►
Throbbing in the left eye, for a short time (after three hours). ►
External Parts. ► Itching in the eyebrows,
burning, biting or sticking, frequently returning, sometimes with fine burning, or
burning-itching sticking. ► Tensive sticking pain over
the right orbit (ninth day). ► Biting, fine sticking, and
itching pain in the margins of the orbits, in the skin, especially in the inner canthus. ► Tearing pain in the upper margin of the left orbit, extending
towards the forehead (third day). ► Tearing pain in the
inner angle of the right orbit, extending towards the nose and forehead (fifteenth day). ► Tearing in the bone in the margin of the orbits, especially
the lower margin, frequently extending into the orbital cavity; sometimes it only begins to
pain when touched (twenty-ninth day, et seq.) [110.] ► Tearing in the outer
side of the left orbit, with tendency to lachrymation. ►
Several stitches from the left orbital margin shoot quickly to the right frontal eminence
(after half an hour and ten hours). ► Twitching in the
region of the right upper orbital margin (second day). ►
The eyelids became much inflamed and swollen, especially the left (fourth and fifth days), [9]. ► The eyelids are
red on the inner surface, and the margin covered with a white frothy fluid (first day), [9]. ► In the morning
after rising, a fine white crusty substance on the dry margins of the lids. ► The left eye was agglutinated in the morning (second day), [10]. ► Twitching in the
lids when reading by lamplight, seldom by daylight. ►
Heaviness in the lids on motion. ► A feeling in the eyes
as if there were two drops of cold water between the margins of the lids, or between the
lids and the eyeballs. [120.] ►
In the inner angle of the left eye a feeling as if a foreign body were in it; the lachrymal
caruncle seemed somewhat inflamed; the conjunctiva in the inner canthus was very dry. ► In the morning, after rising, a sticky sensation in the
margin of the lids. ► Sensation of dryness in the lids if
they are closed (after two hours). ► Fine burning or
biting at different small spots on the lid. ►
Pinching-tearing pain in the eyelids (sixty-third day). ►
Tearing drawings and twinges in the lids. ► Fine
sticking, a very sensitive pain on the border of the left upper lid rather towards the outer
part, as from a needle, lasting one-half minute twice in succession; it then becomes a
burning. ► Biting pain beneath the right lower lid. ► Tearing in the upper lids. ►
Tearing in the lower lid of the left eye. [130.] ► Crawling-biting sensation on the margin of the right lower
lid repeatedly, becoming a twitching, bubbling sensation in the lid, several times repeated
in a quarter of an hour. ► Itching in the lids, at times
burning, biting or fine sticking, seldom smarting. ►
Itching in the canthi; at times biting or sticking. ► The
conjunctiva of the margin of the lids is very red, and also the sclerotic (second day), [7]. ► Ball and Vision.
► Painful tearing in the left eyeball, intermittent,
extending obliquely from above downward and outward, lasting two minutes. ► At times the vision is somewhat dim; it seems better near
than far. ► The eyes become dim and felt as though she
should soon go to sleep (first day), [10]. ► Sensitiveness of the eyes to bright sunlight at times, though
not very great. ► Daylight blinded her more than
lamplight (second day), [7]. ►
If she wishes to look at anything fine, she is obliged to hold her hand before her eyes to
shield them from the daylight, and still more from the lamplight, which blinds her (third
day), [9]. [140.] ► If she exert the eyes in sewing, it becomes black before them
(third day), [9]. ►
She was not able to sew, because everything seemed to run together (second day), [7].
EARS.
► Below and behind
the right ear, a small swelling of the size of a hazel-nut, not very painful, apparently a
swollen cutaneous gland (fourth to eleventh day). ► On
the left external ear, near the head in the skin, a pimple of the size of a millet-seed,
painful to touch; it disappears after six or seven days (fortieth day). ► Great heat in the left outer ear, then after one and a half
hours great coldness of the same and of the temples (after eight hours). ► Tensive, violent stitching-pressing pain, with sticking in
the right ear, as if something were digging in the ear, lasts half a minute in the evening
(seventeenth day). ► Drawing pain in the ears, ending in
several stitches lasting several minutes, frequently during the day (eighteenth day). ► Pressive pain with stitches in the right ear, as if something
were digging in it, lasting half a minute in the evening (seventeenth day). ► Pressing-sticking pain starts from the side of the throat
below the jaw, quickly passes out of the ear with a slight or severe stitch, especially upon
the left side (eleventh day). ► A piercing-sticking pain
in the right ear, in slow stitches, as if a powerful animal were in the ear and stung with a
thick sting, in the afternoon at 5 o’clock for a quarter of an hour (seventeenth day). [150.] ► A long jerklike
stitch in the right ear, as if it came out through the drum, when at work, while sitting, as
if a nail were forced through, or as if a living, stinging animal were in the ear, so
violent and surprising that she starts up and involuntarily grasps the ear, with fine
digging stitches between the pains, with a sensation as if the ear were full and dragged
downward, lasting from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour (seventh and fifteenth days, as
also at other times). ► Tearing-sticking in the internal
ears, alternating with the same symptoms in other parts of the head (eleventh day, and
frequently). ► Drawing stitches deep in the right ear
from below upward, lasting about twenty seconds. ►
Tensive violent stitches in the right ear from without inward. ►
Several stitches in the right ear (second day). ►
Moderate pressive stitches in slow sensitive jerks deep in the right ear for a minute,
repeated after a quarter of an hour; then, after half an hour, tearing in the antitragus for
half a minute (twenty-fifth day). ► About fifteen
bubbling stitches in the left ear from without inward, at last a continued stitching, then
changing to pressure, then a stopped sensation for half a minute (sixty-fifth day). ► Two stitches, as with fine thorns, in the left ear (after
three hours). ► Pressive, painless throbbing and whizzing
in the left, seldom in the right ear, in quickly following shocks, two to fifteen in number,
as if the air or the wing of a bird struck against the drum, with a feeling of dryness and
coldness in the ear, very frequently repeated (thirtieth, thirty-second, fortieth, and one
hundred and first days). ► Tearing in the bone behind the
left ear. [160.] ► A
slight tearing in the external ears. ► Tearing in one or
the other internal ear, mostly only for a short time, now severe, now slight. ► Itching in the outer ears, now simple, now biting, or
burning, or sticking, with fine stitches and increased sensation of warmth; at times also
several pimples on the outer ear. ► Ringing in the right
ear, long continued, beginning deep, then becoming higher, several times during the day, and
for several days together (thirtieth and thirty-second day).
NOSE.
► The nose and eyes
are moist, as if a coryza would come on (after eight hours). ►
Profuse fluent catarrh (seventeenth day). ► *The mucous
membrane of the nose seemed in most of the provers dry, with little discharge; in
one prover, however, at a later time, a coryza, which lasted several minutes, appeared in
the left nostril, and apparently involved also the frontal and maxillary sinuses; in the
beginning, a yellow, burnt-smelling water, afterward purulent, sometimes whitish, at times
yellowish or greenish mucus, also of a burnt smell and taste, was blown from the nose and
hawked up, especially in the morning, though not a large quantity. ►
In the morning, on rising, she loses a few drops of clear blood from the left nostril, which
had never before been noticed (ninth day). ► At about 6
o’clock in the morning some drops of clear blood are discharge from the left nostril,
followed by a pressing pain in the left temple extending forward to the eye (ninth day). ► *Dryness of the nose, and a sensation as if she would
have a catarrh, with frequent sneezing (second day), [7].
[170.] ► Biting
gnawing sensation at the tip of the nose. ► Crawling in
the left nostril very sensitive, as if she would sneeze, which she did not do (first day). ► Frequent crawling, biting, or itching in the nostrils. ► Itching in the skin of the nose, at times burning, biting, or
fine sticking; also fine burning or itching stitches, at times some pimples arise upon it.® 2000
Article