Homeopathic Materia Medica

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Spiraea Ulmaria. Queen of the Meadows. Meadow-sweet. N. O. Rosaceae. Tincture of fresh root.

Clinical.─Conscientiousness, morbid. Convulsions. Epilepsy. Eyelids, affections of. Hydrophobia. Oesophagus, stricture of. Ptosis. Urine, deposits in.

Characteristics.─Bojanus proved Spiraea, taking substantial doses. A leading symptom was the production of heat, general and local. Heat in throat; in oesophagus; under manubrium sterni; under ensiform cartilage. Bojanus was seized with remorse, a kind of morbid conscientiousness. Fulness and heaviness of head. Washing with cold water was very unpleasant, and caused a feeling as if the head were too large. A scurfy condition of eyelids and heaviness of lids after siesta cl were noted. The urine was turbid as if mixed with clay, and deposited red sand; had an oily film on the surface. Hansen mentions Spir. as having been recommended in hydrophobia, epilepsy, and eclampsia. The burning in oesophagus was > by eating and drinking but not by empty swallowing. Symptoms were < indoors; > in open air. < Moving head. < Sneezing. > Moving about.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─At 1 a.m. was attacked with remorse over a long-past slight indiscretion, with most fearful qualms of conscience and loathing of himself; could not rest on account of it, obliged to rise and walk about.

2. Head.─Vertigo with heat in cheeks.─Headache: < shaking head; with increased warmth of body, as if blood flowing more rapidly through vessels; > towards evening. Dulness and heaviness in head with pressive headache.─On lying down at 11 p.m. sensation like vertigo, as if all senses vanished and all blood left the head, with a prickling in face.─Pain over whole head as if a ring were tightened about head with heaviness; on shaking head, brain seemed to wabble to and fro.─After washing, head felt large.─Pressive headache and fulness in forehead, < in house, > in open air.

3. Eyes.─Eyes full of mucus, dried to crusts on waking.─Lachrymation of l. eye, increased warmth in it; sclerotic bright red.─On waking lids so heavy cannot open them for a long time.─Sensation as if something hot mounted to eyes, causing biting and burning and sensation as if tears would flow, but they did not.

6. Face.─Face red.─Sensation as if blood mounted to face with increased heat.

8. Mouth.─Slight drawing toothache in l. back teeth.

9. Throat.─Increased warmth in pharynx, extending down to stomach; burning pressure in oesophagus, generally > at night; > eating and drinking, not on empty swallowing.─Sensation as if oesophagus too small, constricted.─Cold sensation in oesophagus extending to both sides of chest.─Warmth in oesophagus opposite the manubrium sterni.

11. Stomach.─No relish for smoking.─Frequent eructations.─Burning in small spot beneath ensiform cartilage as if something hot or acrid had been taken.

12. Abdomen.─Frequent emission of very offensive flatus.─Movings and gripings in hypogastrium during stool.─After eating moving in navel.

13. Stool and Anus.─Prickling, crawling, sticking in rectum and anus.─Prickling, constrictive sensation long after stool.─Frequent desire for stool, that suddenly disappeared.─Stool delayed, evacuated with pressure and straining, hard, scanty, like sheep's dung.─About 10 p.m. somewhat hard stool, accompanied and followed by burning and soreness in the anus, and a sensation as if the anus were drawn up into rectum and something hard were still remaining there.

14. Urinary Organs.─Burning at orifice of urethra while urinating during stool.─Urine bright yellow when passed, becomes cloudy, forming a deposit like clay with red, gritty sand.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─In morning in bed, violent erections with great sexual desire.

17. Respiratory Organs.─At 7 p.m. cough, at first dry, afterwards loose, with tickling and scraping in throat, that continued long after the cough.─On inspiration air of room seemed very cold as if he had been chewing peppermint.

18. Chest.─Pressure beneath manubrium sterni as if he had swallowed too large a morsel; or a large piece of hard-boiled egg.

19. Heart.─Pulse: hard and tense; weak, soft; small, contracted, hard, afterwards full and large.

22. Upper Limbs.─Cramp in muscle of forearm on lifting anything.─Veins in hands distended.

23. Lower Limbs.─Heaviness in lower limbs as if full, esp. on ascending steps.

24. Generalities.─In afternoon, exhaustion with stretching and yawning.─Discomfort after siesta.

26. Sleep.─Overpowering sleepiness, heaviness in limbs and dulness of head.─Difficult falling asleep in evening; restlessness, frequent waking.─Dreams: vivid during midday nap; in evening lascivious and emission.

27. Fever.─Great heat over whole body.─Heat like rush of blood to head and face.─While eating, and after, heat over whole body and rush of blood to head, with slight outbreak of sweat on chest, face, and hands.