Caulophyllum Thalictroides

Blue Cohosh. Berheridaeeoe.

Grows in the woods from Canada to Carolina and Kentucky. Trituration and tincture is prepared from the brown, knotty, hard root, which is yellow inside. Called "squaw or pappoose-root" by the Indians, by whom it is used in female complaints. First introduced into medicine by botanic physicians, afterwards into our school by Dr. E. M. Hale, in an article contained in N. A. Journ. of Horn., vol. 6, p. 373.

The only proving we have is by Dr. Burt, in Hale's New Remedies, 2d edition, p. 171. The majority of important symptoms are from clinical experience, referable to Drs. E. J. Blake, Hale, Helmuth, W. H. Holcombe, Kebs, E. Ludlam, M. Macfarlan, G. F. Matches, Morrison, W. Mcgeorge, G. B. Palmer, and many others who use it frequently in practice.

Mind

Fretful, weak of mind and memory. θ Miscarriage.

▌ Fretful, irritable mood ; apprehension. θ False conception.

Sensorium

Swimming, a sort of vertigo, with dimness of sight; gulping a bitter, sour fluid.

Inner Head

Dullness of head, with contracted feeling of skin of forehead.

Sensation as of needles being stuck in forehead.

▌ Headache, pressure behind eye, dimness of sight. θ Uterine derangement.

▌ Severe headache over 1. eye.' θ Miscarriage.

Severe pains, by spells, in temples, as if they would be crushed together.

▌ Headache aggravated: by stooping; from light; from noon until night. θ Miscarriage.

Rheumatic or neuralgic headaches, dependent upon uterine or spinal troubles.

Sight and Eyes p. 396

Eyes ache, with a feeling as of something under lids.

Lachrymation.

Pressure behind eyes ; profuse flow of tears.

▌ Heaviness of upper lids, has to raise them with the fingers, θ Leucorrhoea.

Severe drawing pains over 1. eye.

Smell and Nose p. 396

Drawing pains in nose.

Upper Face p. 396

8"Moth spots" on forehead. θ Leucorrhoea.

Teeth and Gums p. 396

Teeth feel sore, elongated.

Taste and Tongue p. 396

Tongue coated white.

Inner Mouth p. 396

Sensation of dryness in mouth ; heat.

Aphthae ; stomatitis materia.

Throat p. 396

Distress in fauces, which causes frequent inclination to swallow.

Appetite, Thirst. Desires, Aversions p. 396

Coffee seems to aggravate.

Canine hunger, with white coated tongue.

Great thirst.

Hiccough, Belching, Nausea and Vomiting p. 396

Empty eructations.

Frequent gulping up of sour, bitter fluid, with vertigo.

Spasmodic vomiting, cardialgia, excessive nausea.

Scrobiculum and Stomach p. 396

Heat in stomach ; fullness.

Distress in stomach and bowels, with drawing in r. hypochondrium.

Burning distress in stomach.

Dyspepsia, with spasmodic symptoms.

Spasms of stomach attending uterine irritation.

Hypochondria p. 396

Drawing in r. hypochondrium, and over liver.

Abdomen p. 396

Distention of abdomen, with tenderness.

Spasmodic action of muscular tissues of intestines, from irritation of motor nerves, or from rheumatism.

Distress and colicky pain in abdomen, intestines, and umbilical region, >> by passing flatus.

Rumbling in bowels, awaking at 1 A.M. with urgent desire for stool.

Spasmodic and flatulent colic.

Stool and Rectum p. 396

Watery stools, great quantity, runs a perfect stream from bowels, but no pain ; 1 a.m. θ Cholera morbus.

Soft stool, very white. '

Constipation ; stool every other day.

Urinary Organs p. 397

Emission of copious, pale or straw-colored urine.

Male Sexual Organs p. 397

Every few minutes sharp, stinging pain in glans penis. θ Gonorrhoea.

Female Sexual Organs p. 397

Sensation as if uterus was congested, with fullness and tension in hypogastric region.

Spasmodic pains in uterus.

Irritable vagina, spasmodic, intense pains.

Aphthous vaginitis.

Menses too soon.

▌ Menses : preceded by pain in small of back; great aching and soreness of lower limbs ; bad breath ; bitter taste ; vertigo ; chilliness ; flow very scanty, blood very light, with intense nausea and vomiting of yellow, bitter matter; pain unremitting for several hours ; habitual cold feet became warm under action of remedy.

Painful menstruation, flow being normal in quantity.

Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea ; spasmodic, intermittent pains in bladder, stomach, broad ligaments (groins), even chest and limbs ; congestion and irritability of uterus ; scanty flow.

Menstrual colic ; uterus retroverted.

Amenorrhoea ; spasms, cramps, or great atony.

▌▌ Leucorrhoea : sharp, acrid, very weakening; with heaviness of upper eyelids, has to lift them up with the fingers ; of profuse bland mucus; with "moth spots" on forehead; in little girls.

▌ Leucorrhoea, with congestion of uterus and forcing down pains, tardy appearance, or absence of menses, profuse secretion of mucus from vagina, and drawing pains in lower extremities.

▌ Leucorrhoea in a woman, married ten years and never had a child; in a few weeks became pregnant and was delivered in safety.

Hysteric convulsions during dysmenorrhoea.

Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation p. 397

Threatening abortion, spasmodic bearing down pains ; vascular excitement ; tremulous weakness ; pains severe in back and loins, but uterine contractions feeble ; slight flow.

▌ Threatened abortion : all movement of child had ceased ; sense of weight, and profuse hemorrhage ; paroxysms of laborpains so severe, patient had to hold on to objects for support.

Habitual abortion from uterine debility.

▌ Spasmodic rigidity of os, delaying labor; pains like pricking needles in cervix.

Tormenting, useless pains in beginning of labor.

▌ Labor-pains short, irregular, spasmodic ; patient very weak and irritable ; no progress being made.

Pains become weak, flagging from long protracted labor, causing exhaustion ; thirsty, feverish.

▌ Weak labor-pains passing off with a shiver and causing much distress.

▌ After-pains: especially after exhausting lengthy labor; spasmodic, across lower abdomen ; extend into groins.

Retained placenta and membranes.

Hemorrhage, particularly after hasty labor.

Passive hemorrhage after abortion or confinement.

Protracted lochia ; great atony ; blood oozes passively from relaxed uterine vessels.

Suppressed lochia.

▌ Griping soreness of uterus, ▌< from pressure.

▌ After cessation of menses, occasional loss of blood ; fugitive pains in uterus and ovaries ; cervix swollen and congested ; OS pouting and tightly closed ; feeling of tension and fullness in uterine region ; bloated abdomen. θ False conception.

Voice and Larynx. Trachea and Bronchia p. 398

Hoarseness and loss of voice. θ Uterine disturbances. θ Leucorrhoea.

Respiration p. 398

Panting breathing, oppression of chest. θ Uterine disturbances. θ Rheumatism.

Inner Chest and Lungs p. 398

Spasmodic, intermittent pains in chest, with amenia.

Neck and Back p. 398

Severe drawing pain in sterno-cleido-mastoid, drawing head to left.

Rheumatic stiffness of nape of neck.

Dull pain in lumbar region.

▌ Severe pains in back and loins. θ Threatening abortion.

Upper Limbs p. 398

Severe drawing pain in wrists and fingers.

Rheumatism of wrists and finger-joints, with swelling ; cutting in joints when closing hands ; pains shift to nape of neck, with spasmodic rigidity ; panting; oppression of chest; high fever ; delirium ; nervous excitement.

▌ Fingers are very stiff.

Lower Limbs p. 398

Drawing pains in thighs, knees, ankles, feet, and toes.

Knees weak, when walking.

Pain in feet and toes, ▌< at night.

Limbs in General p. 398

Rheumatism, especially of smaller joints.

All joints crack, when walking or turning.

Severe drawing pains in joints of arms and legs.

Constant flying pains in arms and legs, remain only a few minutes in any one place.

Pain in fingers, ankles, feet, and toes, causing restlessness at night.

Rest. Position. Motion p. 398

Stooping : < headache,

Walking : joints crack.

Turning : joints crack.

Closing hands : cutting in joints.

Nerves p. 399

Great nervous excitement ; spasmodic affections.

Chorea at puberty, or during establishment of menstrual function.

Sympathetic cramps and spasms of bladder, rectum or bowels, in consequence of uterine disturbances.

Hysterical or epileptiform spasms at puberty, from menstrual irregularities, especially in rheumatic females.

▌ Tremulous weakness felt over entire body. θ Uterine hemorrhage.

││ Paraplegia, with retroversion and congestion of uterus after childbirth ; partial loss of sensation ; emaciation, angemia, general debility.

Sleep p. 399

Sleepless, restless, nervous. θ Rheumatism. θ Uterine complaints.

Time p. 399

Night : restless, fingers, ankles, feet and toes pained so much ; headache.

▌ A.M. : rumbling in bowels ; watery stool, runs a perfect stream.

Noon until night : headache.

Fever p. 399

Fever high, delirious, nervous excitement, rheumatism.

Attacks, Periodicity p. 399

Pains are intermittent and paroxysmal. θ Labor. θ Dysmenorrhoea.

Every few minutes : pain in glans penis.

Pains recur daily.

Every other day : stool.

Pains in extremities change place every feW minutes.

Locality and Direction p. 399

Left : severe headache over eye ; drawing pains over eye.

Right : h^pogastrium, drawing.

Sensations p. 399

As of needles being stuck in forehead, also in cervix ; as if temples would be crushed together ; as of something under eyelids ; as if uterus was congested.

Cutting : in joints, when closing hands.

Spasmodic pain: in uterus; in vagina; in bladder; in stomach; in groins ; in chest ; in limbs.

Flying pains : in arms and legs.

Stinging : in glans penis.

Colicky pain : in abdomen, intestines, umbilical region and uterus.

Burning : distress in stomach.

Drawing: pain over 1. eye; in nose; in r. hypochondrium ; pain in sterno-cleido-mastoid; in wrists and fingers; in joints of arms and legs ; in lower limbs.

Aching : of eyes ; of limbs.

Pressure : behind eyes.

Soreness : of uterus ; of limbs.

Dull pain : in lumbar region.

Pain : by spells in temples ; severe in back and loins ; in feet and toes, at night.

Elongated : teeth feel.

Contracted : skin of forehead.

Tension and dullness : in uterine region.

Heaviness : of upper lid ; in uterine region.

Fullness : in stomach.

Tremulous weakness : over entire body.

Heat : in mouth ; in stomach.

Dryness : of mouth.

Tissues p. 400

Affects principally female sexual organs ; want of tonicity of womb ; feeble contractions ; leucorrhoea ; hysteria and spasmodic affections.

Acts upon muscular tissue. Rheumatism, particularly of small joints, which has a tendency to shift.

Skin p. 400

Skin hot and dry.

Stages of Life, Constitution p. 400

Especially suited to females.

Little girls subject to leucorrhoea.

Relations p. 400

Incompatible : coffee.

Compare: iAct. rac, Bellad. (intermittent and paroxysmal pains), Cann. ind., Lilium tig., Nux vom., Pulsat. (laborpains similar, but mental condition opposite), Sepia (reflex symptoms from uterine irregularities).