Rheum

(Prepare the tincture by taking a portion of the best powdered root and mixing one grain of it with twenty drops of alcohol, shaking the mixture several times a day for five or six days, keeping it in a room which has the usual temperature, and then pouring the solution off.)

For the last thousand years since this root had been made known by the Arabians, it has been used in the most absurd manner for the purpose of sweeping out the intestinal canal or

' Alternate symptom of 959. of arresting certain kinds of diarrhoea, but even the latter rarely with any success.

This abuse of the rhubarb ought to be attributed to the fact that the homoeopathic law of cure has never been systematically followed in the treatment of disease.

The following symptoms show that rheum must be very useful in many of the ordinary diseases of children.

Head p. 65

Beating headache. Hammering sensation in the head, which seemed to ascend from the abdomen, (a. 6 h.) Headache extending as far as the occiput, afterwards the pain becomes tearing. Dull, tight, dizzy sort of a headache, extending over the whole of the brain, and being worse on the top of the head and in the temples.

5. Stupefying headache, as if the parts in the head were turned out of their places, more during motion than when stooping. Heaviness in the head, with an oppressive heat ascending into the head. Sensation when stooping as if the brain moved. Obscuration of the head, with bloated eyes ; afterwards headache over one of the orbits, with dilated pupils, (a. 1 to 4 h.)

[Vertigo. Vertigo when standing, as if he would fall to one side. Cloudiness in the sinciput, with a moving sensation in that part of the head. The head feels quite stupid, as after an intoxication. — 5, Creeping in the temporal region. Drawing pain deep in the head behind the frontal eminences. Clawing headache, coming and going like the pulse, now in the left, now in the right temporal bone and on top of the head. (a. 15 h.) Sensation of heaviness in the head and intermittent tearing in the same (while walking), (a. 1 h.) Aching pain across the whole sinciput.

10. Aching pain in the right side of the head, especially on top of the head and in the temples, (a. ^ h.) Dull, beating headache in the sinciput, especially when standing. Slight stitches above the temples. The frontal muscles incline to contract into wrinkles.]

Face and eyes p. 65

Aching and burning sensation in the margin of the upper eyelid.

10. Contraction of the pupils, accompanied with an internal restlessness (for 16 hours). The eyes feel weak ; they become painful when looking at a thing for a long time ; with a pressure in the eyes as if they were weary. Itching rash on the forehead and arm.

[Tensive sensation in the skin of the face.

15. Corrosive pain in the left eye before going to sleep, as if dirt, dust or an insect had got in, with lachrymation. Lachrymation in the open air. Beating pain in the eyes. Pressure upon the eyelids even when they are closed. Drawing in the eyelids.

20. The pupils are more or less contracted.]

Nose and ears p. 66

Roaring in the right ear, with sensation in that ear as if the tympanum were relaxed, with dull hearing (as if the hearing were on the point of becoming obstructed) ; the roaring and the relaxation of the tympanum abated (the hearing became restored) whenever he swallowed with a certain force, only momentarily, for the symptoms returned immediately. Snapping as of electric sparks and clucking in the ear and in the muscles of the side of the neck, which could be felt with the hand.

[A sort of straining with some itching in the left ear which obliges him to insert the finger into the ear. Pressure in the meatus auditorius as if it were pressed upon with a finger. Sometimes a beating is felt in the ears, especially when stooping while writing. Warmth around the nose.

25. Drawing, as it were stupefying pain along the root of the nose, causing a creeping in the lip of the nose.]

Jaws and teeth p. 66

15. Drawing, expanding sensation in the right lower jaw extending as far as the right temple. Digging-up pain in the hollow teeth, which feel as if they had risen and vacillated, (a. 12 to 24 h.)

[Pressure as with a finger in the region where the head and nape of the neck unite. Pain in the left molar teeth, which is accompanied with a sensation of coldness and occasions a confluence of the saliva in the mouth. Pain in the left upper foreteeth, which is accompanied with a sensation of coldness.]

Appetite and gastric symptoms p. 66

Aliments, even sweet, taste bitter, but not when merely put into the mouth, (a. 10 h.) Want of appetite. Hunger, but no appetite.

20. He feels qualmish and inclines to vomit. Coffee is repugnant to him unless it is very sweet.

Mouth, Pharynx, (Esophagus, Stomach and Abdomen : Dryness of the mouth, which feels dry to him, without any desire for drink. Repletion in the stomach as if he had eaten too much ; this is sometimes followed by drowsiness, (a. 8 to 12 h.) Contractive sensation in the stomach, accompanied with nausea, (a. ^ h.)

25. Cutting colic shortly (^ hour) after dinner ; he has to bend double when sitting, in order to find relief; it is worst when standing. Expanding, clucking (bubbling) sensation in the abdominal muscles, as if he could hear it. Colic before and during stool, abating after stool. The emission of wind is preceded by pinching colic, (a. 24 h.) Pinching in the abdomen/ he feels a strong urging for stool in the large intestine; but he is unable to accomplish any thing ; the rectum is inactive, (a. 24 h.)

30. Flatulence m the abdomen, which seems to rise towards the chest and to cause a pressure and tension here and there.

[Contraction of the pharynx.*

30. The sensibility of the tongue and the sense of taste disappear for a Avhole day.' Sour taste in the mouth. Great appetite, but the food, although one relishes it in the beginning, soon becomes repugnant. Desire for various things, accompanied with aversion to certain other things (for instance greasy, fat things) ; however, he cannot eat much of the things he likes, because they become repugnant immediately. He does not relish his food, and it soon becomes repugnant to him, although he has a good deal of appetite.

35. Pressure in the stomach as if it were filled a good deal with food. (a. i h.) The abdomen is distended after a meal. Urging for stool after a meal. Nausea in the region of the stomach. Feeling as if one would vomit, (a. ^ h.)

40. Nausea, colic. Sensation of nausea in the abdomen, (a. 10 minutes.) Pressure in the region of the spleen. Dull stitching on the left side of the pit of the stomach. Stitch in the pit of the stomach.

45. Violent beating, and painless clucking in the pit of the stomach at regular intervals. (a. 1^ h.) Distention of the abdomen. Pressure in the intestines when taking an inspiration, as if they were full of fluid. Rumbling in the abdomen. Dull, strangulating cutting transversely across the abdomen.

50. Single painful cuttings in the abdomen without stool. Pressure in the umbilical region (immediately). Pressure in the umbilical region, as if the intestines would be pressed out. Cutting in the umbilical region. (The cutting in the abdomen is increased by the eating of a few plums.)

55. Colic, bloatedness of the abdomen. Flatulence. Cutting drawing in the left loin below the short ribs, and anteriorly in the left side of the hypogastrium directly above the os pubis ; diggingtip sensation in the intestines. (Sharp) cutting in the left

' The primary effect of rhubarb appears to be a colicky, sometimes ineffectual urging-, the stools being bad faecal matter. The evacuations occasioned by rhubarb consisting of fajces, the drug cannot be employed in dysentery (although the colicky pains are alike), for this additional reason, that there is no correspondence between the other symptoms of rhubarb and those of dysentery.

2 From chewing and eating the stems and leaves.

3 From eating the stems. loin. Tension in the left side of the hypogastrium, directly over the os pubis, after a meal. (a. 3 h.)

60. Pressure in the region of the os pubis, as if a strong pressure were made with the tip of the thumb. Twitching in the abdominal muscles, (a. 20 h.) Violent cutting- in the region of the lumbar vertebra, as if it occurred in the substance of the vertebrtB, increased by an evacuation7i.]

•Stool: Stool, the first part of which is hard, the second liquid. Diarrhoeic stools, consisting in faeces and mucus. Discharges of grayish mucus by the rectum. Painful pressure in the abdominal ring when walking, as if hernia would protrude. — 35, Fine, frequent, itching stitches in the right inguinal gland.

[Papescent, sour-sfnelli7ig stool ; one shudders while the evacuation is taking place, and after the evacuation a renewed urging and pinching in the bowels [constriction) set in. (a. 6 h.) Frequent urging for stool, which results in a loose, papescent, fetid evacuation, ivith colic, and with tenesmus immediately after the evacuation — in spite of his efforts nothing comes off, although he feels an urging— another evacuation taking place a little while after ; after rising from stool, the urging, which had subsided gradually, becomes more and m,ore violent, the pain in the abdomen, which accompanied the evacuation increases likewise.

65. Cutting in the abdomen and emission of flatulence, early in the morning when uncovering one's self. (a. 14 h.) Increased urging for stool vjhen moving about. A sort of tenesmus of the rectum, (a. 5 h.) Painful sensation in the region of the anus, as is felt after a diarrhoea of long duration. Stool mixed with mucus.

70. Stool first loose, then hard ; preceded and accompanied by violent culling, (a. 24 h.) ]

Urinary and genital organs p. 68

Burning urine, (a. 20 h.) (Frequent emission of a large quantity of urine.)

[Weakness of the bladder; he had to press hard when urinatinsjf, otherwise the urine would not have been voided entirely. Pressure upon the bladder. Burning in the kidneys and bladder. Red-yellow urine, as in jaundice and acute fevers.

75. The urine is light-yellow, with a greenish tinge.]

Respiratory organs p. 68

Dull, quick stitches under the last rib, during an expiration. Dull, quick stitches under the last rib, during an inspiration and expiration (continuing for a long while).

40. Single stitches in ihe chest, (a. 6 h.) Oppression of the chest. Crackling rising as of little vesicles, first in the left, afterwards also in the right pectoral muscles, continuous, and perceptible to his own ears. Simple aching of both nipples, which seems to come from flatulence in the abdomen. Long stitch in both nipples.

[Compression of the chest. Asthma ; when taking a deep inspiration the chest does not yield sufficiently; as if a weight were oppressing the chest directly under the throat. Painful pressure across the sternum, occasioning a sensation as if the thoracic cavity were narrower than before ; sometimes single stitches are felt instead of the pressure. Burning pain on the left side of the sternum.

80. Dry cough in the evening, (a. 5 h.) Cough with expectoration of mucus for five minutes, (a. 13 h.) The milk of nurses becomes yellow and bitter.]

Back and extremities p. 69

Stiffness of the small of the back and hips ; he is unable to walk straight. Single stitches in the arms. Jerking sensation in the right elbow. Jerking in the arms and hands early in the morning, also in the rest of the body, two days in succession. Bubbling sensation in the elbow-joint, in rest and motion.

50. Violent lancinating pain in the thumb, (a. 3 h.) Weariness of the thighs, as after an excessive effort. Twitching of single parts of muscles on the posterior surface of the thighs, especially when the muscles are put upon the stretch, when sitting and when drawing up the knees in the recumbent posture ; the twitching is perceptible to the eye, and can be felt With the hand. The lower limbs go to sleep when laid across one another. Tensive aching pain in the bend of the left knee, extending down to the heel.

55. Bubbling sensation in the bend of the knee, as if it could be heard. Painless bubbling in the bend of the knee, extending as far as the heel. Stiffness of the knee, which is painful in motion. Painful weariness in the bend of the left knee when standing, with a drawing sensation from above downward. Tensive weariness in the bend of the right knee,

60. Bubbling in the leg, from above downward, accompanied with sticking. Tearing and sticking pain transversely across the instep. Stinging itching in the hollow of the foot. Bnbblingsnapping sensation in the ball of the left big toe. Stinging itching of the root of the little toe ; almost as one experiences in a frozen toe.

[Tearing in the upper arms and the finger-joints. Tearing in the forearms.

85. The muscles of the forearm feel contracted, accompanied with a tremulous motion of the hands. Sensation in the lower surface of the forearm as if it were going to sleep. Distended veins of the hands, (a. 2 h.) The palm of the hand feels hot to him and others. Cold sweat in the hollow of the hands, whereas the dorsum of the hand aul the rest of the body were warm. (a. 20 h.)

90. Sweat in the pahi of the hand while the hands are closed. Tearing from the thumb to the little finger across the hand. (Stitching in left knee when walking.) (Early in the morning, after rising, the left tarsal joint feels sprained, and is painful when treading upon the foot.) Sticking in the left foot, in the edge of the sole, behind the little toe.

95. Burning paroxysmal pain between the internal malleolus and the tendo Achillis, as if it were touched from time to time by an incandescent coal. (a. 5 h.)

General Symptoms. Sleep and Fever:

65. He feels a simple pain in all his joints when moving them. (a. 12 and more hours.) The limbs upon which he lies, go to sleep. Heaviness in the whole body as when one wakes from a deep sleep. Drowsiness. Snoring inspirations during sleep, (a. 1 h.)

70. Vexatious, offensive dreams at night. Vivid dreams, ivhich make one sad and anxious. He extends his hands above his head when sleeping. He is restless when sleeping ; he moans and bends his head backward. The child tosses about in the night, cries several times, and says tremblingly that there are men.

75. The child is pale ; she grumbles in her sleep as if she were quarrelling, and has convulsive drawings in the fingers, facial muscles and eyelids. He is delirious in his evening-sleep, and walks about in his bed with his eyes closed without talking, and feels very hot. It takes her a long time, after waking, to become conscious of herself. After sleeping he feels a heaviness in his whole body. After sleeping his eyes are agglutinated.

80. After sleeping the mouth is lined with fetid mucus. After sleeping he has a putrid taste in his mouth. After sleeping his breath has a fetid smell. After sleeping he has a pressure in the pit of the stomach spreadii]g over the sternum during an inspiration, and being changed to a pain as if bruised. He shudders without being cold externally, (a. ^ h.)

85. One cheek is occasionally pale, while the other is red, or both are pale. Alternation of chilling3ss and heat for only two minutes ; she feels moreover weary and anxious, and every thing was repugnant to her, even those things which were dearest to her. He feels hot all over without being thirsty, (a. 2 h.) His hands and feet feel hot, without his arms and thighs feeling hot, the face being cool. Cool sweat in the face, especially around the mouth and nose. (a. 3 h.)

90. He sweats on the forehead and hairy scalp, even after making a little exertion.

[Debility of the whole body when walking. Debility of the whole body. The whole body feels heavy as if one had not slept enough. Frequent yawning.

100. Drowsiness. Before falling asleep he raises his hands involuntarily above his head. In his sleep, which is restless, he imagines that he is walking about in a state of half consciousness, half dreaming and half waking. Anxious dreams of deceased relatives.

105. Early in the morning, after sleeping, he feels lazy and suffers with a violent clawing and tensive headache transversely across the whole anterior half of the head. (Slight chilliness, early in the morning.) The cheeks feel hot to him and others. Warmth of the whole body, without thirst. Heat of the body, with restlessness.

110. quick pulse. Sweat which tinges linen yellow and smells of rhubarb.]

Moral symptoms p. 71

He is silent, and nothing makes an impression upon him. He is lazy and taciturn. Moaning, anxious, ill humor. The child asks for many things with a sort of impetuosity and with cries.

[Delirium. State of mind as if one were half asleep, (a. 1^ h.) Gloomy mood ; he is unable to continue long the same occupation.

115. Peevish, taciturn.]

Notes p. 65

VOL. IV. 6