Spiraea Ulmaria.

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

Clinical.-Conscientiousness, morbid. Convulsions. Epilepsy. Eyelids, affections of. Hydrophobia. Å’sophagus, 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.