ESSENTIALS OF
Homśopathic Materia Medica
and Homśopathic Pharmacy
Willis Alonzo DEWEY, M. D.
Presented byCHAPTER III.
VEGETABLE KINGDOM.
3 – 10 – BERBERIDACEĆ FAMILY.
What members of the Berberidaceć family do we use in
our Materia Medica ?Berberis vulgaris, Caulophyllum thalictroides
and Podophyllum peltatum.
BERBERIS VULGARIS.
Where do we find the original pathogenesis of
Berberis ?British Journal of Homśopathy, Vol.
XXXIII. ; American Homśopathic Review,
Vol. VI.
What is Berberis vulgaris ?
It is the Barberry, our tincture
coming from the bark of the fresh root. Prepare in the same manner as
described under Sanguinaria.
Give its general action.
Acts principally upon the kidneys, bladder and liver. It is called for
when the renal and vesical symptoms are prominent. The lumbar region is
very painful – pain radiates in all directions.
What are the kidney symptoms of Berberis ?
Sticking, tearing pains in the renal region ; worse from deep
pressure. The pains extend down the back, and down the ureters into the
bladder ; the back feels stiff and numb and the pains radiate from
the kidneys.
Continue and give its bladder symptoms.
Cutting in the bladder, extending down the urethra ; burning pain
on urinating ; the urine is yellow, turbid and flocculent, with
whitish or red sediment ; tearing pains in the bladder.
What are the indications for Berberis in liver
troubles ?Sticking pains under the ribs and pains which go from the liver to the
abdomen ; bilious colic, with gall stones and jaundice.
PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM.
Where are our original studies of this important
remedy ?In the Materia Medica of American Provings
and Hale’s New Remedies.
What is Podophyllum ?
It is the May apple or Mandrake ;
its alkaloid is Podophyllin.
What part do we use, when gathered and how is the
tincture prepared ?The fresh root gathered after the fruiting season is treated in the same
way as described under Gelsemium.
The tincture is brownish orange color, has a bitter acrid taste.
Give its general action.
It chiefly affects the intestinal canal, especially the small intestine,
producing a kind of gastro-enteritis ; it also produces an
irritable condition of the rectum and anus, with piles and prolapsed
rectal mucous membrane.
Give the characteristics of Podophyllum in diarrhśa.
A painless morning diarrhśa of watery, yellow stools, which are profuse
and pour out like water from a hydrant, preceded by retching and
vomiting, followed by a sensation of great weakness in the abdomen, and
especially in the rectum ; the stools are worse after eating and
drinking, and there is apt to be a natural stool later in the day.
The essentials are :
1. Early morning stools.
2. Watery, pasty, yellow or undigested, forcibly expelled.
3. Painless.
4. Weakness in rectum followed stool.
Is it ever useful in the diarrhśas of dentition ?
In greenish, watery stools, with grinding of the teeth, rolling of the
head, whining and moaning during sleep, it is an excellent remedy.
What is another indicating feature of Podophyllum in
diarrhśa ?Prolapsus of the rectum during stool.
What are the liver symptoms of Podophyllum ?
Torpid or chronically congested liver ; the liver is swollen and
sensitive ; the face is yellow and also the whites of the
eyes ; there is a bad taste in the mouth ; the tongue is
yellow or white and takes the imprint of the teeth ; there may be
also constipation and clay-colored stools from absence of bile.
Caulophyllum thalictroides.
Where is the pathogenesis of Caulophyllum
found ?In Hale’s New Remedies.
What is Caulophyllum and how prepared ?
It is the blue Cohosh, papoose root,
or squaw root, and the tincture is made from the fresh root gathered
early in the season when growth begins, in the same manner as the
preceding.
What is its general physiological action ?
It acts especially on the muscular tissues of the female generative
organs, and on the smaller joints.
What are its uterine symptoms ?
It produces a spasm of the uterus and is useful in dysmenorrhśa ;
there is a sensation as if the uterus were congested, with fullness and
tension in the hypo gastric region.
When should it be used during labor ?
When the pains are intermittent, sharp and crampy, and appear in the
groin, bladder and lower extremities ; they are spasmodic and fly
from one place to another ; patient is exhausted and weak.
What is another indication for its use in the
puerperal state ?In false labor pains occurring during last month of pregnancy.
What is still another use of Caulophyllum ?
Rheumatism of the small joints of hands and feet, and flying pains in
the limbs.
Article