Scilla Maritima

(The tincture of the bulbous root of Scilla maritima.)

The following list of the symptoms of Scilla is not complete. I have added a few notes illustrative of the use of that drug.

Murray and Tissot praise camphor as an antidote of Scilla ; this accords with my own experience.

Head p. 157

Early in the morning, when rising, he feels giddy as if he would fall to one side. (a. 48 h.) His head feels weak and dreamy, (a. 6 — 12 h.) The head feels cloudy and dizzy, (a. 2 minutes.) Clawing headache in the sides of the head. (a. \ h.)

5. Contractive pain in both temples. Darting stitch in the right temple as far as the forehead. Violent drawing stitches in the right temple ; they contracted one-half of the brain. Flapping sensation in the head, when shaking it. (Tearing headache, not preventing mental exertion.) (a. 12 h.)

[Vertigo with nausea, as after having turned in a circle for a long while. Obtuseness of the forehead and occiput, with pressure in front and behind. Dull, humming headache, early in the morning after rising. Heaviness in the whole of the sinciput, early in the morning after waking.

5. Extreme heaviness in the whole head, as if he could not keep it still, only when sitting. Flat pressure on the whole top of the head, as of a burthen, (a. 12 h.) Short lasting pressure in the occiput. Aching pain in a small spot of the left frontal eminence. Aching-drawing pain in the forehead.

10. Quickly passing pain in the occiput, extending from the left to the right side. Single painful stitches in the forehead, from the left to the right side, and accompanied with drawing. Drawing in the right temple, terminating in a stitch, (a. ^ h.) Drawing-sticking, long-continued pain in the occiput, when sitf?lug. Slow stitches in the right forehead.

15. Painful shock in the left frontal eminence, (a. 1 h.) Tearing pain in the occiput. Digging pain in the forehead. Painful sensitiveness of the top of the head. Painful sensitiveness of the top of the head and internal stupefaction, early in the morning.

20. (Gnawing) itching of the forehead and chin, as if an eruption would break out, disappearing while scratching the part, but returning immediately after. Stitches in the right frontal eminence and nose.]

Eyes and face p. 157

10. Titillation in the outer canthus of the left eye. Itching in the left eye. (a. 24 h.) Contractive sensation in the right eye. Great dilatation of the pupils, (a. 2 min.) Contraction of the pupils, (a. 5 h.)

[The face looks alternately sunken and bright, without heat or chilliness. Distorted, rigid features, enlarged eyes and staring look, with redness of the cheeks ; without thirst. Staring look.

25. The left eye is evidently smaller than the right ; the upper lid of the left eye feels swollen, it hangs down, which can be felt, and on which account the eye is somewhat smaller. The eyes feel as if they were swimming in cool water, for a few minutes. Contraction of the pupils (immediately),

30. Dilatation of the pupils. Fine burning in the outer canthi. A multitude of fine prickings in the outer canthus of the left eye. Violent tearing in both eyes at the same time, behind the eyeballs as it were.]

Ears and nose p. 158

(Tearing pain in the interior of both ears.) Acrid mucus from the nose. Sore feeling about the margins of the nostrils.

[ Tearing pain behind the left ear

Mouth, jaws and teeth p. 158

Humid and spreading eruption over the middle of the upper lip, with stinging itching.

20. Vesicles on the tongue. Stitches in both the upper cuspidati, as when a sharp and cold air rushes into the teeth, when eating or drinking any thing either cold or warm. (Pain in the sub-maxillary glands.) (a. 3 h.)]

[35. Stiffness in the left cervical muscles. Stinging itching about the throat and jaws, as of a flea, going off momentarily by scratching and recurring afterwards. Pimples on the neck which increase until the 7th day, and are painful only when rubbed, (a. 4 d.) Drawing and squeezing in the cervical muscle, even when not moving them. The skin of the neck is sensitive to the rubbing with the cravat, and exhibits reddish, almost excoriated places, (a. 24 h.)]

Appetite and gastric symptoms p. 158

(Every thing tastes sour and bitter.) Empty eructations for several hours, (a. 1 h.).

25. Frequent our risings into the mouth. Complete loss of appetite ; he is unable to eat any thing, and nevertheless has a good taste in the mouth.

[40. His mouth feels viscid and slimy. The upper palate feels rough and scraping posteriorly. Burnt taste in the palate, even while chewing food ; it remained after eating, and was felt only while swallowing. Burning in the palate and throat. Scraping burning in the palate, resembling heartburn, (a. 5, 6 (J.)

45. Canine hunger (in a few hours). He could not eat enough, he relished his food so much ; his stomach felt full, and he had an appetite nevertheless. Complete loss of appetite. Loss of appetite, partly because he had no appetite, partly because the food tastes as if burnt, and partly because some food had no taste : for example, meat and soup ; whereas other kinds of food had a sweetish taste, such as bread and butter.

50. The taste of food is less and dull. Weak appetite. Tobacco does not taste well. The food, especially meat and soup, has a repulsively sweetish taste, (a. 48 h.) Empty risings,

55. Short eructations. The eructations have a repulsive taste. After dinner he has eructations tasting of the ingesta, and a disposition to vomit. Nausea and eructations. Desire to vomit in the region of the stomach.

60. Nausea in the back part of the throat, and an almost constant confluence of saliva in the mouth. Constant alternation of a desire to vomit in the pit of the stomach, and indications of diarrhoea in the abdomen ; either one or the other is present, the latter especially. Excessive efforts to vomit. Violent nausea. Vomiting.]

Stomach and abdomen p. 159

Sticking pain, with pressure, in the left side of the abdominal muscles, (a. 24 h.) Bubbling in the right abdominal muscles. Pinching in the hypogastrium (a. 14 h.) ; returning at the same hour, next day, and abated and disappeared after emission of flatulence.

30. Itching of the anus.

[05. Weakness of the stomach. Spoils the digestive power of the stomach. Painful clawing below the breast, in the pit of the stomach. Fine stitches near the left side ol the pit of the stomach, (a. 32 h.) Cardialgia.

70. Intermitting pressure in the pit of the stomach, (a. -J h.) Pressure at the stomach as of a stone. Excessive pain in the stomach. Inflammation of the bowels. Painless rumbling in the abdomen.

75. Pinching in the abdomen. Pinching and rumbling in the abdomen, as of flatulence, which was emitted, (a. 14 h.) Incarceration of flatulence and cutting in the abdomen, without emission of flatulence. Rumbling above the pubic region (more frequently when standing or walking, than when sitting), going off" after a meal speedily and permanently. Empty feeling in the abdomen, as when one had been fasting

80. Drawing pain in the abdomen, increased when walking and not abating by pressing upon the abdomen, (a. 28 h.) Tearing through the abdomen, below the umbilicus, (a. 4 h.) Acute pain between the umbilicus and the pubic region, as of flatulence or a purge, or as if diarrhoea would set in. (a. 2 h.) Tension of the abdomen, which however felt soft. Cutting;- pinching in the abdomen.

85. Sensitiveness of the distended but soft abdomen. Emission of a loud flatus whenever he touched the abdomen. Emission of flatulence, fetid, (a. 1 h.)

90. Unceasing emission of noisy, strong, fetid flatulence, relieving the abdomen momentarily.]

[Stool : Hard, scanty faeces, in the evening, (a. 12 h.) Hard stools every day. Papescent stool, without colic. Discharge of a quantity of brown, loose, slimy, fetid faeces, without pain or tenesmus, accompanied with bubbling flatulence, and mixed with ascarides and a quantity of shapeless, white filaments.

95. Diarrhoea from two to seven in the morning, watery, almost without any flatulence. Constipation. Sticking in the region of the anus when walking, (a. 8 d.) Stools tinged with blood.

Urinary organs p. 160

Tenesmus of the bladder after micturition, without any urine being present, (a. 5 h. for 3 d.) The emissions of urine are not more frequent, but more scanty (for three days). Frequent micturition, without any increase of urine (in the first hours).' Less desire to urinate, and scanty secretion, (a. 20 h.)

35. Great desire to urinate, with scanty emission, (a. 40 h.) (Hot urine, the faeces being mixed with undigested particles, and very fetid.)

[Great desire to urinate, and to evacuate the bowels ; the first emission of urine being accompanied with a loose stool without colic, (a. 10 minutes.)

100. When pressed a second time to urinate, he had a loose stool without colic. Constant, but ineffectual desire to emit urine, (a. \ h.) Less secretion of urine, (a. 45 h.) Little secretion of watery urine, (a. -h.) Violent desire to urinate ; he emitted an unusual quantity of urine, which looked like water, (a. 7 h.)

105. Little desire, with reddish urine, in the ordinary quantity, with reddish sediment, for three days. (a. 20 h.) He is unable to retain the uri7ie, the quant it]/ being too great (a. \ h.) for twelve hours. Great desire to urinate, {a.. \ h.y Less emission of urine than usual, and scanty emission of a urine which is not dark, (a. 24 h.) Sanguinolent urine.

110. Brown-yellow, trans-

' The primary effect of Scilla upon the urinary passages is a great desire to urinate, 33, with copious emission (106), especially of a urine which is clear as water (104) (111), or which at least is watery, although not much so (108).

In a few hours after this first and positive effect of Scilla, the secondary effect or reaction of the organism takes place, being the contrary of the primary effect, viz : little desire to urinate, scanty and rare emission of urine 32, 44 (102), the urine having sometimes a ?natural color (108), sometimes being more dark (105) (110), or the emission being scanty even when there is much desire, 35, or no emission at all, 31.

All this being unknown, it was impossible that Scilla should ever have cured dropsical swellings, for which purpose it was already employed by the Egyptians thousands of years before the Greeks. Most of those patients who were treated with Scilla for dropsical swellings, were hurried into premature graves.

Dropsical swellings can only be cured by Scilla when the symptoms of the urinary organs correspond to those of Scilla. Such swellings are very rare. Scilla will, on the contrary, be found a specific remedy in cases of diabetes.

^ The prover was in the habit of emitting a moderate quantity of urine twice a day. parent urine, scanty, and forming flocks when standing (the first eight hours).' Frequent emission of urine which is clear as water, with sudden desire, (a. 1 h.) Urinates at night, (a. 18 h.) Sticking in the region of the orifice of the urethra, and a little further back. (a. 2| h.) Sticking pain in the urethra when pressing at stool, (a. 8 d.) ]

Genital organs p. 161

Anxious, dull stiches in ths glans. Compressive pain in the testicles.

[1 15. Hemorrhage from the uterus.]

Catarrh and respiratory organs p. 161

(She sneezes several times at night.)

40. (Mucous discharge from the nose.) Coryzaicitli ulcerated nostrils.) Dry coryza. Titillation in the region of the xiphoid cartilage, internally, occasioning a cough, which increased the titillation. He is frequently obliged to take a deep inspiration, and this deep inspiration occasions a cough.

45. Frequent desire to cough, the cough being dry and short, of four or five turns, occasioned by a titillation below the xiphoid cartilage. Cough, which was at first accompanied with expectoration.)^ Constant expectoration of mucus, (a. 2h.) Dry, violent cough, occasioning a racking pain in the abdomen, and dryness in the throat. When coughing and walking, he feels a pain in the side of the abdomen as if an intestine would break forth.

50. Cough even unto retching. Coughing, talking, or performing the least exercise, excites an intolerable feeling of heat, without any heat being perceptible externally, (a. 20 h.) (Rattling before the cough, which disappeared after the cough.) Darting stitches on either side of the chest, not far from the sternum. (a. 24 h.) Pressing, broad stitches during an expiration, below the last rib, on either side (for two days).

55. Dull, broad stitches in the lowermost last rib, early in the morning when in bed, which waked him. Drawing pain in the chest, (a. 8 — 12 h.) Drawing stitch from the last true rib, as far as the shoulder. (a4i h.) Compressive pain in the right side of the chest, terminating in a stitch. (Aching pain in the right side of the chest, below the arm, which becomes a beating pain when stooping ; when touching the parts, he felt a pain as if the flesh were loose.)

60. Pointed stitches in the region of the extremity of the clavicles towards the shoulder, during an inspiration and expiration.

[Violent, continued sneezing and fluent coryza (immediately). Acrid coryza, with frequent sneezing. Profuse fluent coryza early in the morning, (a. 6 d.) Violent catarrh ; the eyes look dim and fainl,and are full of tears (in the forenoon), (a 7 d.)

120. Heavy, slow expirations and inspirations. Asthma, with frequent quick breathing and anxiety as long as the asthma lasted. Asthma and sticking in the chest, most troublesome during an inspiration. Oppression across the chest, as if it were too tight. Slight irritation in the pit of the throat, inducing cough, in the upper part of the trachea ; he coughs a few turns, (a. 1 h.)

125. Cough with diminished expectoration, (a. 9 d.); at every turn of cough he experiences a painful pressure in the thoracic cavity, from within outwards, and a painful contraction of the abdominal muscles. Cough in the morning, with profuse mucous expectoration, (a. 7d.) Pneumonia;^ violent cough early in the morning, with stitches in the side at every turn of cough, with expectoration, (a. 6 d.); the days previous there was scarcely a trace of cough. Stiches in the region of the left and right true rib, at the same time.

130. A kind of pleurisy. Constrictive stitch in the left side, under the last rib, excited by rapid walking. Stitches in the left side, (a, ^ h.) Stitches in the middle of the xiphoid cartilage, almost like one continuous stitch. Repeated stitches in the sides.

135. Excessive stitching near the sternum from above downwards, making the breathing difficult. Pressure (tension?) in both sides, from the axilla to the abdomen, particularly when extending the thoracic cavity during an inspiration, (a. 2 h.)]

[Back : Painful sensitiveness of the skin from one hip to

^ In searching the records of the physicians of any century, we shall find that the best among them have occasionally used the Scilla with the greatest success in pleurisy, although they well knew the extreme acridity of that root when placed upon the tongue, or when taken internally in large doses. These good effects were obtained in virtue of the homoeopathicity of that root to those pleuritic affections, (see 53 to 55, 58, 60 (122) and (127) to (135). The physicians who employed Scilla were much more successful than those who resorted to the barbarous use of antiphlogistics and bloodletting. They would still have been much more successful if they had administered Scilla strictly homoeopathically, in small doses, (the quintillionth or sextillionth of a grain,) and unmixed with other drugs.

163 another, across the back. (a. 6 d.) Painless drawing in the outer part of the left scapula. Painful darting above the left scapula, (a. 8 d.)

140. Red pimples on the back, the tips whereof were full of pus, with stitch-like itching, and with a burning-stinging itching after scratching ; on the day following every pimple was covered with a small crust. A spot of the size of a dollar, between the scapulas, composed of densely crowded, but not confluent pimples, with titillating (creeping) itching, as of a flea, transformed by scratching into a burningstinging itching, but changing again to a crawling itching some time after.]

Upper and lower limbs p. 163

Stiff"ness in the nape of the neck. (a. 12 h.) Rheumatic pain in the lateral cervical muscles. Sweat in the axilla. Convulsive jerking of the left arm (when standing).

65. Convulsive jerking of the upper and lower limbs, when sitting, (a. 24 h.) The thighs feel bruised. Weariness of the thighs. Bubbling, descending from the upper part of the thigh to the toes, in one uninterrupted line. Contractive pain in the bend of the left knee, obliging him to bend the knee, when standing.

70. Drawing pain in the leg. Burning pain in the ball of the right foot, as after freezing. Sweat of the toes.

[Crawling itching under the right arm, in the outer parts of the chest, removed for a short while only by scratching. Painless jerkings and jactitations in the muscles of the upper arm. Slow pricking along the skin from the shoulder to the middle of the upper arm.

145. The hands frequently go to sleep in the day time, when leaning the head upon them, and of the lower limbs when crossing the legs. Painful pricking in the middle of the left metacarpus. Darting pain in the wrist-joints, transversely. (When handling the recent bulbs with the hands, they become covered with vesicles.) Stitch-like drawing pain from the left wrist-joint into the fingers.

150. Painful pricking in the joints of both hands, also without moving them. (a. 3 d.) Small red spots upon the hands, feet, chest, and the whole of the body, assuming the appearance of itch-like pimples, a sort of greasy itch which shows itself between the fingers, on the feet and the whole body, with burning itching, (a. a few days.) Prickings in both thighs. Drawing-pain in the muscles of both thighs, (a. 7 h.) Intermitting drawing pain in the outer parts of the thighs, when sitting or walking.]

General symptoms p. 163

Soreness between the limbs. Bubbling sensation below the scapulae, in the back and the left upper arm.

75. Continued, dull, rheumatic pains about the whole body, abating in rest and increasing in motion, (a. 6 and 24 hours.) Weariness, (a. 6 h.) Feeling of heaviness in the whole body, as if weary, (a. 8 — 12 h.)

[155, Burning and itching in the skin. Cold gangrene. Excites scirrhous tumors. Scirrhous tumors, accompanied by fever and inflammation, are apt to become cancerous from using squills. Pains in the whole body.

160. Uneasiness in the upper and lower limbs ; he has to move them all the time to obtain relief. Violent pains in the limbs. Stinging, now in one, now in another part of the body. Spasmodic movements.

165. Convulsions. The whole body becomes faint, which is especially perceptible when taking a long walk.]

Sleep and fever p. 164

Sleeplessness, without any particular cause. Heat in the face, more internally than externally, without thirst, increasing when moving the body ; the rest of the body feeling chilly, when uncovered ever so lightly.

80. Heat and redness in the face, for three hours, especially in the face, when performing the least motion, and when talking, (a. 10 h.) (Dry external and internal heat, without thirst, for three hours (a. ^ h.) ; afterwards internal dry heat, without thirst. Heat in the head, with cold feet. Every afternoon the body feels hot, without thirst, and cold feet. Thirst during the evening-chills, without any internal or external heat.

[Frequent yawning without drowsiness, (a. 2 h. Stretching of the upper limbs, ivith yawning, without drowsiness. (a.l.l h.) He feels more debilitated from the sleepless nights, than" from the diarrhoea. His head feels confused ; nevertheless he is in good spirits.

170. Drowsiness in the evening, a few hours before his time. Sleep, with merry dreams. Faintness and drowsiness after dinner. Restless sleep. Frequent waking, and turning in the bed from side to side.

175. He dreams that his body has become puffed up to an enormous size ; the dream was so vivid, that he felt himself on waking, to see whether it was true. He wakes after midnight, with anxiety and desire to vomit. He fetches a deep and heavy breath occasionally. Debility early in the morning after waking and rising, especially in the region of the hips. Confused feeling and heaviness in the head, after a quiet sleep without dreams, (a. 72 h.)

180. Small, hard pulse; it feels like a tight cord. During the vomiting, the pulse falls to 40, shuddering over the whole body, the skin being somewhat cold. (a. 6 h.) When walking, even in the heated room, he feels cool and chilly in the back and arms, not when sitting. Icycold hands in a warm room, (a li h.)

185. Icy-cold hands and feet, the rest of the body being warm. (a. 4 h.) Internal

165 chilliness at night, with external heat, without thirst, (a. 6 d.) Feelit)g of great heat in the whole body, in the afternoon, but without any external redness or thirst, for some hours, (a. 6 d.) External heat with internal chilliness in the evening, immediately after lying down. (a. 7 d.)

190. Chilliness, and shortly after, heat over the whole body. Heat over the whole body, as of heating drinks, with icy-cold feet, without shuddering, thirst, or sweat. Feeling of heat in the whole body, without thirst, or sweat, (a. 2 h.) ]

Moral symptoms p. 165

85. Vexed about trifles. Courage, resoluteness.

[Lazy in the morning, is not disposed to mental labor.

195. Averse to any business, indifferent, taciturn. Not disposed to think, desponding. Anxious, with dread of death.

200. Great anxiousness. Whining mood. Cheerful mood (probably curative effects).]

Notes p. 161

> This appeared to be a curative effect; the prover suffered with co- pious secretion and emission of urine.

2 According to ail my observations, Scilla excites the mucous glands of the trachea and of the bronchial tubes, so that the mucous becomes thinner and looser, and can be thrown off more readily; see 46, 47, 52

(126) (128). This is its primary effect. When used as an expect- rant, it palliates the symptoms, and, if the tenacious mucus in the chest be a chronic ailment, Scilla finally increases the suffering, inasmuch as by a reaction of the organism, the mucus in the bronchial tubes becomes more and more tenacious, and the cough more and more dry, see 43, 45,

48 (125). Scilla is therefore useful for excessive secretion of muous in the chest, for which it was already recommended by Weickard. VOL. IV. 12