Part 80

A young woman, about eighteen years of age, was harassed by severe convulsive and hysteric paroxysms, almost incessantly, insomuch that her friends estimated the number at seven hundred in the course of a few weeks; her abdomen was remarkably tumefied and tense, and there was a singular bloatedness of the whole surface of her body, and the slightest touch would occasion intolerable pain. At length her extremities became rigid and immovable (sic), and her jaw was so completely locked that she was unable to articulate, and liquids could only be introduced through the vacuity of a lost tooth. She had been treated with a variety of anti-spasmodic and other medicines, by an experienced physician, without relief. Having prepared a strong infusion of the dried root of skunk cabbage, I directed half a teacupful to be given every few hours, without any other medicine; the favorable effects of which were soon observable, and by persisting in the use of it about ten days the muscular contractions were removed, the jaw was relaxed, and her faculty of speech and swallowing, with the use of all her limbs, were completely effected.

Another young woman had been exercised with the most distressing paroxysms of hysteria for several days, without obtaining relief by the medicines prescribed, when the skunk cabbage infusion was so successfully directed that her fits were immediately arrested, and in a few days a cure was completely effected.

The brother of this patient was seized with violent convulsions of the whole body, in consequence of a cut on his foot; the skunk cabbage was administered, and he was speedily restored to perfect health.

A woman was affected with violent spasmodic pains, twenty-four hours after parturition; six doses of skunk cabbage entirely removed her complaints.--American Modern Practice, p. 530.

Barton.--The smell from spathe and flowers is pungent and very subtle. Experience leads me to believe they possess a great share of acridity; having been seized with a very violent inflammation of my eyes (for the first time in my life), which deprived me of the use of them for a month, by making the original drawings of these plates. The pungency of the plant was probably concentrated by the closeness of the room, in which many specimens were at the time shut up.--Veg. Mat. Med., 1, 128. [The italics are not in the original text.]

The seeds are said to afford more relief in asthmatic cases than the root; and this I believe very probable, for they are remarkably active, pungent, and, as has before been mentioned, exhale the odor of Asafoetida.--Op. cit., p. 131.

The bruised leaves are frequently applied to ulcers and recent wounds, and, it is said, with good effect. They are also used as an external application in cutaneous affections; and I have heard of the expressed juice being successfully applied to different species of herpes. The leaves are also used in the country to dress blisters, with the view of promoting their discharge. * * * For this purpose I can recommend them where it is desirable to promote a large and speedy discharge, and no stimulating ointment is at hand.

Colden recommends the skunk cabbage in scurvy.--Op. cit., p. 132.

Bigelow.--The odor of the Ictodes resides in a principle which is extremely volatile. I have not been able to separate it by distillation from any part of the plant, the decoction and the distilled water being in my experiments but slightly impregnated with its sensible character. Alcohol, digested on the plant, retains its odors for a time, but this is soon dissipated by exposure to the air.

An acrid principle resides in the root, even when perfectly dry, producing an effect like that of the Arum and the Ranunculi. When chewed in the mouth, the root is slow in manifesting its peculiar taste; but after some moments a pricking sensation is felt, which soon amounts to a disagreeable smarting, and continues for some time. This acrimony is readily dissipated by heat. The decoction retains none of it. The distilled water is impregnated with it, if the process be carefully conducted, but loses it on standing a short time.--Amer. Med. Bot., 2, 45.

To insure a tolerably uniform activity of this medicine, the root should be kept in dried slices, and not reduced to powder until it is wanted for use.--Op. cit., p. 49.

A number of cases have fallen under my own observation of the catarrhal affections of old people, in which a syrup prepared from the root in substance has alleviated and removed the complaint.--Op. cit., p. 48.

In delicate stomachs I have found it frequently to occasion vomiting even in a small quantity. In several cases of gastrodynia, where it was given with a view to its anti-spasmodic effect, it was ejected from the stomach more speedily than common cathartic medicines. I have known it in a dose of thirty grains to bring on not only vomiting, but headache (sic), vertigo and temporary blindness.--Op. cit., pp. 48-49.

Hand.--The root is a pungent anti-spasmodic in colics and griping of the bowels.

Leaves bruised relieve painful swellings, whitlows, etc.--House Surg. and Phys., p. 250.

Eberle.--In chronic cough attended with a cold, phlegmatic habit of body, I have employed the powdered root of this plant with the most decided benefit. In an old man who had been for many years afflicted with a very troublesome cough and difficulty of breathing, I found nothing to give so much relief as this substance.

In cases of chronic catarrhal and asthmatic affections, and very generally with evident advantage.--Mat. Med. and Thur., 2, 154.

Ives.--The root loses its pungent taste, and appears to be nearly inert in a few weeks after it is gathered. I prepared, however, an alcoholic extract some years ago, by digesting the fresh roots and evaporating the tincture in the sun, which possessed and retained all the acrimony of the recent root. The fresh leaves are actively rubefacient.--Pharmacologia, p. 147.

Smith.--Skunk cabbage is not only a good anti-spasmodic in all cases where such are indicated, but it is also a powerful emmenagogue, anthelmintic, and a valuable remedy in dropsy, in spasms, rheumatism, palpitations, etc. It is frequently used in childbed to promote the birth. * * * * For expelling worms, the pulverized root should be administered in molasses for a sufficient length of time, following it up with a purge.--Op. cit., p. 511.

Rafinesque.--Powerful anti-spasmodic, expectorant, incisive, vermifuge, menagogue, sudorific, etc. Used with success in spasmodic asthmas and coughs, hysterics, pertussis, epilepsy, dropsy, scurvy, chronic rheumatism, erradic and spasmodic pains, parturition, amenorrhoea, worms, etc.--Op. cit., 2, 230.

III.

THE HOMOEOPATHIC BIBLIOGRAPHY.

The definite article is used because it is believed to be complete, thanks to the scholarship and courtesy of Dr. Henry M. Smith, of New York. To him, also, am I indebted for the original text of Pothos foet. from the Correspondenzblatt.

1837. Correspondenzblatt der Hom. Aerzte, January 18th, 2d part, No. 1, p. 6. Allentown, Pa. Hering, Humphreys, and Lingen.

1843. Symptomus Kodex, vol. 2, p. 392. Jahr. (Taken from the Correspondenzblatt, and not correctly.) Handbuch der Hom. Arzneimittellehre, vol. 3, p. 613. Noack and Trinks. (Taken from the Correspondenzblatt, and incompletely.)

1847. Manual of Hom. Mat. Met.--Jahr. Translated by Curie, 2d ed., vol. 1, p. 462. London. (This is the first appearance of the Allentown "abstract of symptoms" in English. Curie credits his data to some "United States' Journal," probably meaning the Correspondenzblatt. His translation is erroneous, and yet, up to date, it is the fullest source of information for him who reads English only.)

1848. New Manual or Symptomen Codex.--Jahr. Translated by Hempel, vol. 2, p. 573. (This is a singularly incomplete translation from the German Kodex, with no reference to any source. A literal copy of this translation is all there is of Pothos foet. in the Encyclopaedia. It omits the only symptom in the Correspondenzblatt abstract that made my application of this remedy not purely empirical.)

1851. Jahr's New Manual. Edited by Hull, 3d ed., vol. 1, p. 797.