Part 53

VII. In a man aged fifty-two who had been unable to walk for six years, the paraplegia coming on after a "stroke" from exposure to wet, Lathyrus [Latin: ezh]x practically cured in eight months. He had been tied to a chair for six, and at the time he stopped treatment he was walking four miles daily. (Blake, Homoeopathic Review.)

From the fact that the Lathyrus disease occurs frequently in certain mountainous regions of Asia it has been remarked that it is akin to Beri-Beri, which has been traced to eating the Lathyrus bread.

LIATRIS SPICATA.

NAT. ORD., Compositae.

COMMON NAMES, Dense Button-Snake-root. Gay Feather. Devil's Bit.

PREPARATION.--The root is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(The following, by Dr. T. C. Duncan, was called forth by the publication of an item in Eclectic Medical Journal, stating that twice during the past year Liatris had given good results in dropsy; in one case, on the second day, the patient had passed a gallon and a half of urine. Dr. Duncan's paper was published in the Homoeopathic Recorder for 1898):

Any new remedy that promises relief in dropsy will be hailed with pleasure by the profession. Happening into a pharmacy soon after receiving the January Recorder, a physician rushed in and inquired for "that new remedy for dropsy--that got rid of 'a gallon and a half of urine in one day.' Have a bad case cardiac dropsy. Want to try it. How do you give it?" He could not get it. "Get me some," was his order. "There is the article, be sure to get the right thing, Liatris!"

Liatris spicata is the familiar "button-snake-root" that I used to dig every fall for our old family physician (who called himself a "botanic physician") and who gave it for indigestion. It is also called "colic root" and "devil's bit," because a piece is missing from each tuber as a rule, just as if bitten out. Kost's Medicine (my first medical work) describes it as follows: "Root perennial, tuberous, ovate, abrupt, beset around the base with many fine fibers; it is aromatic. Stem round, about three feet high, bearing a spike of scaly purple-colored blossoms, bearing in the aggregate a resemblance to an acorn. The leaves are linear or sword-shaped, somewhat resembling the leaves of young corn. It is found in prairies and open woods in the western States."

"The Liatris is an aromatic stimulant, diaphoretic, diuretic, anodyne and carminitive. It is particularly useful in colic, backache and flatulency."

It is interesting to know that it has had clinically a good effect in dropsy, (1) due to liver and splenic enlargement, also (2) where the kidneys were involved. In the second case referred to, "Apocynum can., Aralia, Digitalis, et al." had been given, but the kidneys failed to respond until the Liatris "was given in infusion," then "on the second day the patient passed a gallon and a half of urine"--equal to 192 ounces of urine! In the first case the Liatris was followed by Ferrum carb.

Whether it will prove equally efficient in cardiac dropsy only time will tell. I hope that the readers of the Recorder will report results, whether favorable or otherwise. The dose that Dr. Bradley gave was about a pint, drank during the course of the day, containing about half an ounce of the root. The tincture will be more convenient, and it is a question if the dilutions will not be equally efficient. Try the third, and then go up or down the scale as the case seems to demand. This drug should be proved. It is harmless. If any young physician will volunteer I will gladly direct him.

Infusion of Digitalis (English leaves) is a favorite prescription with some physicians in cases of cardiac dropsy, but I have not found that form any more efficient than the dilution, except in cases where alcohol had been a cause, then Strophanthus or Arsenicum had a better effect.

LOLIUM TEMULENTUM.

NAT. ORD., Gramineae.

COMMON NAMES, Darnel. (G.) Taumellolch.

PREPARATION.--Trituration of the dried seeds.

(The following concerning this little used drug was reported by Dr. Bonino, an Italian physician, translated by Dr. Mossa and published in the Allgemeine Hom. Zeitung, July, 1898. The use of the drug by Dr. Bonino was truly homoeopathic for the short proving of it. Allen's Encyclopaedia reports trembling of the limbs and hand so great that "he could not hold a glass of water.")

A carpenter, aged twenty-nine years, had been suffering ever since his eighteenth year of trembling in both hands, especially in the morning; of late also his legs began to tremble. It is remarkable that both his father and his brother were subject to the same ailment, while no definite cause could be indicated. He was first given Mercurius vivus, then Agaricus, which brought a partial but only transitory improvement. Finally I prescribed Lolium tem., which in a short time effected a cure.

(On this Dr. Mossa comments as follows):

The pathogenetic effects of this remedy which has not yet been proved at all are only known to some degree from its effects when it has been mixed with grain and baked into bread. It has caused chest troubles, vertigo (thence the name darnel-grass, in German Taumellolch), trembling, paralysis with anguish and distress, vomiting, failing of the memory, blindness, headache, epileptic attacks, deep sleep and insanity. The good success obtained by its use in the case given above shows what curative effects may be expected from it in severe affections of the brain or spinal marrow. An Italian physician, Fantoni, has tried it in cephalalgia, meningitis rheumatica and in ischias.

LYCOPUS VIRGINICUS.

NAT. ORD., Labiatae.

COMMON NAME, Bugle Weed.

PREPARATION.--Tincture of the whole plant by macerating one part by weight of the fresh plant in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(Although a well-known remedy, the following concerning it may not be amiss here; it is from the Homoeopathic World, 1889, by Dr. Proell):

Lycopus Virginicus seems to be a specific for bringing back an old (but long disappeared) haemorrhoidal flux in persons with light eyes. I gave, a week ago, the first decimal dilution to a gentleman (sixty years) for noise and throbbing in the head during the night (which prevented the quietness of sleep); because neither Cactus (which helped quickly when he had blood-spitting) nor Kalmia, nor Gelsemium helped radically. The night after taking Lycopus, he was a little better, and in the forenoon came a bleeding from the rectum (about three tablespoonfuls after defecation) with great general relief. There was chronic catarrhus bronchialis. Two days afterwards, I gave an elderly lady (sixty years), who had glycosuria, cataract of the left eye, and every third night was very restless, Lycopus Virginicus 1 decimal dilution, one drop in the evening. The following night was excellent, and in the morning came an abundant bleeding from the rectum, with great relief. Both patients are tall, very irritable, have weak innervation of the heart, without decided organic disease of the heart; both are hypochondriacs; have light eyes; noise in the left ear. Both had, years ago, haemorrhoidal flux, which stopped suddenly.

MALARIA OFFICINALIS.