Podophyllum

Lecture

This remedy is seldom used except in acute affections, but it is a long acting and deep acting drug ; it produces a powerful impression on the economy ; it relates to the deep-seated miasms.

It affects profoundly the abdominal viscera. It shows its symptoms largely on the abdominal organs, the pelvic organs, and the liver. The abdomen seems to be the earliest seat of attack. It produces such an impression upon the stomach and intestinal canal that the healthy action is impaired, digestion and assimilation cease. Everything taken into the stomach becomes sour. The glands of the stomach are as if paralyzed ; there is no digestion ; this goes on until we have vomiting and diarrhoea. During this there is a wonderful disturbance in the abdomen ; rumbling ; gurgling as if animals were floundering about ; clinically, as if fish were turning and tossing in a pond, as we have seen them before a storm. Rumbling and rolling. This is attended with severe, cramping pains doubling her up. Abdomen is sensitive ; so sore she cannot endure pressure. The soreness extends to the stomach, intestines and finally to the liver. The whole abdominal viscera are sore, sensitive to pressure. After this comes a gurgling, watery stool, pouring out of the anus. A tremendous outpouring so that the patient wonders where all the fluid comes from, and soon it comes on again. Copious, enormous, and very frequent. This soreness, cramping, and rumbling precedes the stool, but sometimes it continues during the stool. Commonly the patient is relieved hyfthe stool. There is much flatus and spluttering, but not so marked as in Aloe. The colic often comes and goes without stool. Painless stools, in which compare China which has stool coming on at night and after eating. Putrid or not, and of inky color. Podophyllum is rarely indicated when the discharge is not offensive. After a while the abdomen again becomes tumultuous, and this is again relieved by a stool. This process is repeated over and over. It seems as if the blood vessels would empty themselves into the abdominal cavity, and then into the outer world. Not unlike cholera and cholera morbus, and these two are the common manifestations of disease for which this remedy is used in routine practice. The cholera morbus coming on in the latter part of the night, especially about 3, 4, or 5 o’clock, resembles Podophyllum. Tumultuous action of the bowels with rumbling, pain, and soreness, and the prostration is so marked that if not relieved in a day or two, it seems he must die. Rice-water stools, jelly-like on standing.

With this tumultuous action, she has an indescribable sensation ; an all-goitre feeling, a deathly sick feeling, described by some as an emptiness, as if fasting, yet averse to food. An a'wful, hungry, empty weak-

as if the whole intestines would drop out. No wonder th think ncct the vomiting and the stool with this color. Hie patient declares he is “bilious his "liver is out of order bitter taste in the mouth ; spitting up bile and the color is yellow ; in diarriicea it is a green substance.

In children subject to cqjious diarrhoea, with prolapsus of the anus — no other symptom — Podophyllum often cures.

A feature of infancy is the following : Child may not have diarrhoea, may even be constipate, but it lies in bed and rolls the head in sleep. Bell, and Apis roll head. Apis lies on back with the head on its side. Chewing motion of the jaws ; sometimes a sucking ; a grinding of the teeth in those who are old and have teeth ; rolling the head from side to side ; if you lift the eyelids you will find a strabismus. Provers felt as if the eyes were drawn inward. It has cured such a strabismus in congestion of the brain following a suddenly suppressed diarrhoea.

A child who should have a colored stool has instead a white one like chalk (Calc. c.). In adults, a bileless, white stool.

The body is offensive ; offensive sweat ; compare Sepia, Merc., Aloe, Sulph., Murex, Nux.