Echinacea Angustifolia.
(Echinacea angustifolia is the Western species of E.;
not to be confounded with E. purpurea, or Black Sampson, the
Eastern species.) N. O. Compositć, allied to Rudbeckia. Tincture of
whole fresh plant.Clinical.─
Appendicitis. Bites
of rabid animals. Blood-poisoning. Carbuncles. Diphtheria.
Enteric Fever. Gangrene. Poisoned wounds. Pyćmia. Rhus-poisoning. Scarlatina. Septicćmia. Snake-bites. Struma.
Syphilis. Typhoid. Ulcers. Vaccination, effects of.
Characteristics.─
Echinacea angustifolia has long been prized
by eclectics in low typhoid conditions, diphtheria, malignant
scarlatina, carbuncles and boils, and as a remedy in snake-bites. A
remarkable case of vaccinal poisoning is recorded (H. R., x. 527) in a man, 45, cured mainly by Echin. in 20-drop doses. The symptoms were:
vitality ebbed; he became so weak he could not sit up; hair fell out; an
eruption of psoriasis appeared on extremities extending to body. The
disease advanced rapidly; the nails fell off. Left iritis supervened,
and then keratitis of the right eye. Under Kali
iod., and phospho-albumen as a food, the hair ceased to fall
off, but other symptoms became rapidly worse. Echin.
was now given, and slowly the disease was arrested; then gradual
improvement and ultimate cure ensued. The report does not mention if the
sight of the left eye was recovered. Homśopathists have generally
followed the eclectics in using substantial doses. Fortunately we are
now much better placed to understand Echin.,
thanks to an extensive proving undertaken by J. C. Fahnestock, with
additional symptoms contributed by T. C. Duncan (H. R., xiv. 337, 386). With one exception the
provers were males. The first symptom noticed was a biting, tingling
sensation on the tongue, lips, and fauces (compare Acon.) with a sense of fear and pain about
the heart. Febrile symptoms, full head, flushed face and accelerated
pulse followed. Languor was experienced by many provers, and neuralgic,
sharp, darting, shifting pains. Catarrh of the digestive add respiratory
tracts. Griping pains, offensive flatus and loose yellowish stool.
Drowsiness was a very marked feature. The symptoms were < after eating; in evening; after physical
or mental exertion; > by lying
down, and by rest. In two provers there was found a diminution of red
blood corpuscles after the proving. There is much chilliness (coldness
of right leg), and sensitiveness to cold, <
from exposure to cold air. Pains in abdomen come and go suddenly, and
are > by bending double.
Relations.─
The closest
analogue of Ech. a. is Baptisia. In snake-bites it compares with Lobelia purpurascens; in boils
with Anthracin., &c. Head feels enlarged, Arg. n., Bapt., Bovist.,
Glon., Nux mosch., Nux v. Cases of Rhus-poisoning have been cured with
Ech. a. Compare also: the vulnerary
Compositć, Arnica, Calendula and Bellis.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Dulness in head,
with cross, irritable feeling.─So nervous could not
study.─Confused feeling of the brain.─Felt
depressed and much out of sorts.─Felt a mental
depression in afternoons.─Sense of fear with pain
about heart and accelerated pulse.─Senses seemed to
be numbed.─Drowsy, could not read.─Drowsy
condition with yawning.─Becomes angry when
corrected, does not wish to be contradicted.─General
depression, with weakness.─General dulness and
drowsiness.─General dulness, unable to apply the
mind.─Does not wish to think or study.
2. Head.─
Vertigo when
changing position of head.─Dull headache, felt as if
brain was too large, with every beat of heart.─Dull
pain in brain, full feeling.─Dull frontal headache,
esp. over l. eye, which was relieved in open air.─Severe
headache in vertex, > by rest in
bed.─Dull headache above eyes.─Dull,
throbbing headache, worse through temples.─Head
feels too large.─Dull headache, < in evening.─Dull
headache, worse in r. temple, with sharp pain.─Full
feeling in temples.─Sudden pain in l. temple.─Sudden
pain in l. head above coronal suture.─Brain weary,
felt most in l. hemisphere.─Dull pain in occiput.─Chilly
sensation in l. occiput.─Dull headache, with
dizziness.─Constant dull pressing pain in both
temples.─Shooting pains through temples.─Dull
occipital headache.─Constant dull pain in temples, > at rest and by pressure.─Head
feels as big as a windmill, with mental depression.
3. Eyes.─
Eyes ache when
reading.─Tires me dreadfully to hold a book and
read.─Eyes pain on looking at an object and will
fill with tears, > by closing
them.─Sleepy sensation in eyes, but cannot sleep.─Eyes
feel brighter than natural.─Pains back of r. eye.─Sense
of heat in eyes when closing them.─Dull pain in both
eyes.─Lachrymation from cold air.─Sharp
pains in eyes and temples.
4. Ears.─
Shooting pain in r.
ear.
5. Nose.─
Stuffiness of
nostrils, with mucus in nares and pharynx.─Full
feeling in nose as if it would close up.─Full
feeling of nose, obliged to blow nose, but it does not >.─Nostrils sore.─Mucous
discharge from r. nostril.─Rawness of r. nostril,
sensitive to cold, which causes a flow of mucus.─Bleeding
from r. nostril.─R. nostril sore, when picking
causes hćmorrhage.─Headache over eyes, with
sneezing.
6. Face.─
Paleness of face
when head aches.─Face flushed.─Fine
eruptions on forehead and cheeks.─Neuralgic pain in
l. upper branch of fifth nerve.─Vomiting with pale
face.─Biting tingling on lips.
7. Teeth.─
Darting pains in
the teeth, worse on r. side.─Neuralgic pains in
superior and inferior maxilla.─Dull aching of the
teeth.
8. Mouth.─
White coating of
tongue in the mornings, with white frothy mucus in mouth.─Slight
burning of tongue.─Biting tingling sensation of
tongue, lips, and fauces.─Whitish coat of tongue,
with red edges.─Accumulation of sticky, white mucus.─Burning
of the tongue, with increased saliva.─Dry sensation
in back part of mouth.─Burning peppery taste when
taking remedy.─Bad taste in the mouth in the
morning.─A metallic taste.─Dryness
of the mouth.
9. Throat.─
Accumulation of
mucus in throat.─Mucus in throat, with raw
sensation.─Biting tingling in fauces.─After
vomiting of sour mucus, throat burns.─Soreness of
throat, worse on l. side.
10. Appetite.─
Loss of
appetite.─Desire for cold water.─Nausea,
could not eat.
11. Stomach.─
Nausea before
going to bed, which was always >
lying down.─After eating, stomach and abdomen fill
with gas.─After eating, belching, which tastes of
food eaten.─Nausea, with eructation of gas.─Stomach
distended with gas, not > by
belching.─Belching of tasteless gas.─Sour
eructation.─Sour eructation, which caused burning of
throat.─Sense of something large and hard in
stomach.─Belching of gas and at same time passing
flatus.─Sour stomach, “heartburn,” with
belching of gas.─Relaxed feeling of the stomach.─Pain
in stomach, going down through bowels, followed by diarrhśa.─Dull
pain in stomach.
12. Abdomen.─
Pain in r.
hypochondrium.─Full feeling in abdomen, with
borborygmus.─Pain about umbilicus, > by bending double.─Pain
in abdomen, sharp cutting, coming and going suddenly.─Pain
in l. iliac fossa.
13. Stool.─
Griping pains
followed by passing offensive flatus, or a loose yellowish stool, which
always produced great exhaustion.─Diarrhśa
following pain in stomach, going through bowels.
14. Urinary Organs.─
Desire
for frequent urination.─Involuntary urination
“in spite of myself.”.─Sense of heat while
passing urine.─Pain and burning on urination.─Urine
increased.─Urine pale and copious.─Urine
scanty and dark in colour.
15. Male Sexual Organs.─
Soreness
in perineum.─Pain across perineum.─Perineum
seems stretched.─Pain in r. spermatic cord.─Testicles
drawn up and sore.─Pain in meatus while urinating.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Mucus
from vagina in evening.─Pain in r. iliac region,
which seems deep, lasting but a short time.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Irritation
of larynx.─Voice husky.─Constant
clearing of mucus from throat.─Mucus comes in throat
while in bed, must cough to clear throat.
18. Chest.─
Full feeling in
upper part of lungs.─Pain in region of diaphragm.─Pain
in r. lung.─Pain in pectoral muscles.─Sore
feeling in the chest.─Feels like lump in chest.─Feeling
of a lump under sternum.─Sharp burning pain under
sternum.
19. Heart.─
Slight pain over
heart.─Stitching pain in l. chest (apex of heart).─Rapid
beating of heart.─Heart’s action increased.─Pulse
80, full and strong, later decreased and again increased.─Heart’s
action decreased.─Anxiety about the heart.
20. Neck and Back.─
Pain in
back of neck.─Pain in small of back over kidneys.─Dull
pain in small of back.─Pain in lumbar region, < from stooping.
21. Limbs.─
General weakness
of limbs.─Pain between shoulders, which extends to
axilla and down the arms.
22. Upper Limbs.─
Pain in l.
shoulder, > by rest and warmth.─Pain
in r. shoulder, going down to fingers.─Sharp pain in
l. arm, going down to fingers, with loss of muscular power.─Sharp
pain in l. elbow.─Cold hands.─Pain
in r. thumb.─Pain in wrists and fingers.
23. Lower Limbs.─
Pain in r.
thigh.─Pain in back of l. knee.─Sharp
shooting pain in legs.─Extremities cold.─Chilliness
in r. leg.─L. hip and knee pains.─Pain
in r. leg.─Cold feet.
24. Generalities.─
Exhausted,
tired feeling.─Muscular weakness.─Felt
as if I had been sick for a long time.─General
aching all over, with exhaustion.─After proving
found a diminution of red corpuscles.─Pains and
sickness of stomach > by lying
down.
25. Skin.─
Intense itching and
burning of skin on neck.─Little papules on skin,
with redness, feeling like nettles; this occurred on the fifth day of
the proving.─Skin dry.─Small red
pimples on neck and face.─(Boils.)
26. Sleep.─
General languor,
sleepy.─Sleep disturbed, wakes often.─Sleep
full of dreams.─Dreams about exciting things all
night.─Dreams of dead relations.
27. Fever.─
Chills up the
back.─General chilliness with nausea.─Cold
flashes all over the back.─Temperature raised a
degree, with flushed face and fulness of head, accelerated full pulse.─Sweat
chiefly on upper part of body.® 2000
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