====== PHYSOSTIGMA VENENOSUM ======
<span tc1>{{anchor:s1}}Calabar.</span>

<span grade2>{{anchor:s2}}Physostigma venenosum. {{anchor:s3}}Leguminosae.</span>

{{anchor:s4}}Triturations of the whole bean.

{{anchor:s5}}First mentioned by the missionaries to the western coast of Africa; in 1846 by Daniel; in 1855 investigated by Christison; in 1862 first observations by Frazer on the contraction of the pupil (also by Workman); used and abused since by many.

====== MIND. [1] ======

{{anchor:s7}}Uncommon mental activity.

====== SENSORIUM. [2] ======

{{anchor:s9}}Dizziness, with faintness and muscae volitantes on moving, 1 P. M.

====== INNER HEAD. [3] ======

{{anchor:s11}}Pain in middle of forehead in one spot above eyes, and over and in left eye a pain, with muscae volitantes.\\ {{anchor:s12}}Pressure in temples.\\ {{anchor:s13}}Pain through temples, as from pressure of blood to head, with throbbing of arteries on side of neck.\\ {{anchor:s14}}Pain through temples and burning of eyes.\\ {{anchor:s15}}Intense painful pressure in vertex and both temples; has to lie down.\\ {{anchor:s16}}Pressure in vertex extending over to occiput.\\ {{anchor:s17}}Numbness and peculiar sensation in top of head, especially towards back of head.\\ {{anchor:s18}}Five minutes after taking dose, dull pain in left occipital region.\\ {{anchor:s19}}A feeling of loss of power and sensation in back of head as if head would fall over forward, and the natural supports of head would no longer hold it back.\\ {{anchor:s20}}Congestive headache all forenoon.\\ {{anchor:s21}}Rush of blood to head, with heat and burning of nose, sneezing slight.

====== OUTER HEAD. [4] ======

{{anchor:s23}}Numbness of temples and crawling sensation over head.\\ {{anchor:s24}}Between 8 and 9 P. M., a creeping numbness over back of head and all down spine, especially in part between hips.

====== SIGHT AND EYES. [5] ======

<span grade3>{{anchor:s26}}Eyes feel weak.</span>\\ {{anchor:s27}}Great pressure on eyes; with muscae volitantes.\\ {{anchor:s28}}Sore pain in eyes, with flying specks.\\ {{anchor:s29}}The medicine affects the sight very much, producing these spectres constantly: flitting before sight, long snakes or worms, both dark and light; also waves before eyes, making objects have a tremulous motion, as if it gave same quality of involuntary motion to optic nerve that it does to motor nerves, and made the sight movable.\\ {{anchor:s30}}Objects appear larger and nearer.\\ {{anchor:s31}}Slight sensation of double sight, as if images of objects would be multiplied.\\ {{anchor:s32}}Felt film over eyes and blur; objects mixed, followed by dull pain over and between eyes.\\ {{anchor:s33}}Dimness of distant vision is followed shortly after by contraction of pupil.\\ {{anchor:s34}}(OBS:) Dimness of vision as a sequela to diphtheritis.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s35}}The internal rectus does not do its work rightly, and the axes of eyes do not correspond; eyes feel weak; lachrymation, especially of left eye.</span>\\ {{anchor:s36}}Feeling of straining in eyes shortly after effects are produced.\\ {{anchor:s37}}On attempting to look upward, not the least movement was perceptible, showing paralysis of superior rectus and inferior oblique muscles.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s38}}In looking downward, the superior oblique muscle, which is governed by the n. trochlearis, alone acted, making a slight rotation around the visual axis, rather than a downward movement.</span>\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s39}}Complete paralysis of accommodation.</span>\\ {{anchor:s40}}(OBS:) Paralysis of ciliary muscles after long-continued debilitating disease.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s41}}Let pupil sluggish, not much dilated; myopia, and objects seem too large, with left eye; after a blow on left eyeball.</span>\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s42}}Pupil permanently dilated, with loss of accommodation, of eight years' standing, after traumatic injury to the cornea.</span>\\ {{anchor:s43}}Pupil was dilated, cornea turned well outward, and on looking towards the right side it could not be brought to centre of palpebral fissure (showing a paralysis of internal rectus muscle).\\ {{anchor:s44}}Occasions contraction of pupil and sympathetically dilatation of pupil of other eye.\\ {{anchor:s45}}In twenty minutes pupil contracted to size of pin's head, with a boy.\\ <span grade2>{{anchor:s46}}Shortsightedness.</span>\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s47}}Myopia.</span>\\ {{anchor:s48}}The effects last longer on iris than on ciliary muscles.\\ {{anchor:s49}}(OBS:) Where iris has a tendency to protrude through a corneal wound.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s50}}Drawing-twisting sensation in eyes.</span>\\ {{anchor:s51}}Sharp, shooting and drawing sensation in right eye.\\ {{anchor:s52}}Eyes are sore and give pain when moved from side to side.\\ {{anchor:s53}}Pain in eyeball.\\ {{anchor:s54}}Symptoms of eyes all morning, with much burning of balls.\\ {{anchor:s55}}Burning of eyeballs.\\ {{anchor:s56}}Burning of eyes and bloodshot appearance of them all forenoon.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s57}}Eyes smart; lids feel sore.</span>\\ {{anchor:s58}}Heavy headache and pain in eyes, with much heat in head and face; muscae volitantes both black and light.\\ {{anchor:s59}}(OBS:) Ulceration of margin of cornea, leading to perforation, or even when prolapsus of iris has just occurred.\\ {{anchor:s60}}(OBS:) In cases of retinitis, to diminish the access of light.\\ {{anchor:s61}}Beating, or throbbing and twitching between eyebrows.\\ {{anchor:s62}}Excites salivary and lachrymal secretion.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s63}}The whole affection came on suddenly; about a month before she went to bed well, and on rising next morning found it impossible to open eye.</span> <span grade2>{{anchor:s64}}~</span> <span grade3>Rheumatic attack of ocular muscles.</span>\\ {{anchor:s65}}Endeavoring to open eye, a slight upward movement of lid remained, caused by the musculus orbicularis palpebrarum, governed by facial nerve, relaxing itself still more.\\ {{anchor:s66}}Upper lid of left eye hanging down, outer caruncle lower; that of right side, complete ptosis.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s67}}Considerable tenderness of skin around eye.</span>\\ {{anchor:s68}}Mattery eyes.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s69}}Intolerable pain over both orbits.</span>

====== SMELL AND NOSE. [7] ======

{{anchor:s71}}A sensation exactly as if nose was going to bleed, and the peculiar taste which goes with it; at 2 and 8 P. M.\\ {{anchor:s72}}Twitching in nose, and involuntary expansion of nostrils.\\ {{anchor:s73}}Numbness from between eyes down through nose.\\ {{anchor:s74}}Sneezing.\\ {{anchor:s75}}Burning heat in nose and sensation as if it would bleed; quivering sensation in teeth as if they were resting on a vibrating board; at 4 P. M.

====== UPPER FACE. [8] ======

{{anchor:s77}}Stupid look and a drunken gait.\\ {{anchor:s78}}Involuntary twitching of mouth, also of eyebrows.\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s79}}Sensation of contraction of whole left side of face, with slight numbness.</span>

====== TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE. [11] ======

{{anchor:s81}}Smarting of end of tongue.\\ {{anchor:s82}}Tongue became very sore on left side, quite back to root, and it was very hard to move it; felt as if it was stiff.

====== PALATE AND THROAT. [13] ======

<span grade3>{{anchor:s84}}Feeling as if a ball was rising in throat.</span>

====== APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS. [14] ======

{{anchor:s87}}Disgust of cold drinks.

====== EATING AND DRINKING. [15] ======

<span grade3>{{anchor:s89}}After eating: relief of pain in head.</span>

====== HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING. [16] ======

<span grade3>{{anchor:s91}}Nausea and vomiting.</span>

====== SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH. [17] ======

{{anchor:s93}}Trembling sensation in nerves all down through body, especially at pit of stomach, with motion going up and down in nerves like waves, accompanied by slight nausea and a sensation of faintness.\\ {{anchor:s94}}Nervousness at pit of stomach.\\ {{anchor:s95}}Great pain and soreness in and all around pit of stomach, and all around body in this part before and behind.\\ {{anchor:s96}}Sense of emptiness and weakness at stomach, without hunger; 3 P. M.

====== HYPOCHONDRIA. [18] ======

{{anchor:s98}}Soreness around body at waist; 6 P. M.

====== ABDOMEN AND LOINS. [19] ======

{{anchor:s100}}Sore pain in bowels, with burning, loose discharge.\\ {{anchor:s101}}Bowels spasmodically contracted.

====== FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS. [23] ======

{{anchor:s103}}Pains in womb, as if menses were coming on.\\ {{anchor:s104}}Leucorrhea.\\ {{anchor:s105}}Leucorrhea and much weakness at 4 P. M.

====== RESPIRATION. [26] ======

<span grade3>{{anchor:s107}}Yawning and sighing respiration.</span>\\ <span grade3>{{anchor:s108}}Laborious breathing.</span>\\ {{anchor:s109}}Kills by paralyzing nerves, supplying breathing muscles.

====== INNER CHEST AND LUNGS. [28] ======

{{anchor:s111}}Severe pain in left side and entirely unlike any pain in lungs that has ever had.

====== HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION. [29] ======

{{anchor:s113}}Power of contraction of heart is increased.\\ {{anchor:s114}}Number of beats of heart sometimes increased, sometimes diminished.\\ {{anchor:s115}}Nervous symptoms, with palpitation of heart and much weakness at pit of stomach.\\ {{anchor:s116}}Heart's action feeble and irregular.\\ {{anchor:s117}}Violent palpitation of heart.\\ {{anchor:s118}}Death by paralysis of muscles of heart.\\ {{anchor:s119}}Blood very fluid.\\ {{anchor:s120}}Pulse frequent.\\ {{anchor:s121}}(OBS:) A weak pulse is considered a contraindication; hard and rapid, an indication.

====== NECK AND BACK. [31] ======

{{anchor:s123}}Inclination to stretch out neck, "to run heat out", from uneasy sensations in back of neck.\\ {{anchor:s124}}Pain at back of neck, with difficulty of turning head around.\\ {{anchor:s125}}In afternoon a peculiar pain across back of neck, at base of brain, as if it was cutting off body from head; it went right through neck, and seemed to go to back part of throat, which was sore and stiff.\\ {{anchor:s126}}Pains in back between shoulders and a little lower down.\\ {{anchor:s127}}Drawing in back, as if it was too short to allow stooping without pain, and yet difficulty in keeping upright.\\ {{anchor:s128}}Pain all down spine and close to it, on both sides of it.\\ {{anchor:s129}}Pains all down back of neck, especially in most prominent bone there, and on each side of it; drawing whenever head was turned.\\ {{anchor:s130}}Pain in back on each side of spine, from between shoulder blades to below waist; pain which made it hard to stoop.\\ {{anchor:s131}}Pain in back, also down arms, with weakness of same; 2 P. M.\\ {{anchor:s132}}Stiffness and pain going all down spine; with these pains in back there is an inclination to bend forward, as if hard to sit up straight; 1 P. M.\\ {{anchor:s133}}The nerves in back of body (the passive nerves or nerves of sensation) it seems to paralyze and numb; and during this numbing process it causes a good deal of pain, very similar to a pain in a tooth, when its nerve is dying or being killed.\\ {{anchor:s134}}Pain in lower part of back and spine, between hips.\\ {{anchor:s135}}Pain in back between hips and a slight feeling of numbness in region of womb; 6.{{anchor:s136}}30 P. M.

====== UPPER LIMBS. [32] ======

{{anchor:s138}}Trembling of hands, could hardly sew; 10.{{anchor:s139}}30 A. M.\\ {{anchor:s140}}Tired feeling in arms and difficulty in lifting them.\\ {{anchor:s141}}Numbness of left hand as if asleep.\\ {{anchor:s142}}Numbness in left arm and down ring finger.\\ {{anchor:s143}}Chill and slight numbness in right arm.

====== LOWER LIMBS. [33] ======

{{anchor:s145}}Pain in lower limbs.\\ {{anchor:s146}}Pain in outside of knee; cramps in left foot in evening while in a warm bath.\\ {{anchor:s147}}Pain in left thigh and in both knees after walking only a few steps; about noon.\\ {{anchor:s148}}A sensation as of a drawing of cords behind leg, under knee, making it hard to walk, especially up-stairs.\\ {{anchor:s149}}Trembling of legs, as if one could not walk straight.\\ {{anchor:s150}}A feeling as if all power was going out of legs and they would give may; as if the cause of the weakness came from that one spot in back, between hips, and took away all power below that spot, from limbs.

====== LIMBS IN GENERAL. [34] ======

{{anchor:s152}}Pain in limbs.\\ {{anchor:s153}}(In sick:) Loss of power in limbs.\\ {{anchor:s154}}On walking, feeling of unsteadiness from knees downward, so that he had to tread carefully, especially when eyes are shut; feels as if he must look to see where he is going.

====== REST. POSITION. MOTION. [35] ======

{{anchor:s158}}Constant desire to move head from side to side.\\ {{anchor:s159}}Disinclination to move.\\ {{anchor:s160}}Hinders voluntary motion as well as causes involuntary motion.\\ {{anchor:s161}}Motion: cannot move eye upward; difficulty in moving eye downward; soreness of eye; tongue stiff and sore.\\ {{anchor:s162}}Walking: pain in left thigh and knees; and ascending, drawing as of cords under knee; unsteadiness from knees down.\\ {{anchor:s163}}Stretching: uneasiness in back of neck amel.\\ {{anchor:s164}}Turning: pain at back of neck agg.\\ {{anchor:s165}}Bending forward: stiffness and pain down spine amel.\\ {{anchor:s166}}Lifting arms: tired feeling.

====== NERVES. [36] ======

{{anchor:s168}}Shuddering and trembling running down through all nerves of body.\\ {{anchor:s169}}Violent tremblings all over, in the street; felt for an instant as if he should lose consciousness, and could hardly get home; riding in a car for twenty minutes did not relieve sensations.\\ {{anchor:s170}}Trembling.\\ {{anchor:s171}}Felt a sudden access of vigor and felt particularly strong; all the symptoms seemed to come like a reaction.\\ {{anchor:s172}}Loss of voluntary motion without loss of consciousness.\\ {{anchor:s173}}Complete relaxation of whole body, as if every nerve was unstrung, even to the eyes, which felt as if all power to see was going out of them.\\ {{anchor:s174}}Giddiness and faintness without uneasiness.\\ {{anchor:s175}}Paralyses motor nerves, but does not impair sensibility, intelligence and muscular irritability.\\ {{anchor:s176}}Cause of death, true suffocation, never causes paralysis of heart.

====== SLEEP. [37] ======

{{anchor:s178}}Intense sleepiness.\\ {{anchor:s179}}Intensely sleepy in morning; almost impossible to wake himself up; feels as if drugged.

====== TIME. [38] ======

{{anchor:s181}}Morning; congestive headache; eye symptoms; intensely sleepy.\\ {{anchor:s182}}Afternoon: 1 P. M., dizziness and faintness; stiffness and pain in arms; 8-9 P. M., creeping numbness over back of head and down spine; 2-8 P. M., nose feels like bleeding; 4 P. M., quivering in teeth; leucorrhea and weakness; 6 P. M., soreness around waist; pain across back of neck; 2 P. M., pain in back and down arms, weakness of same; 6.{{anchor:s183}}30 P. M., pain between hips, numbness in womb.\\ {{anchor:s184}}Both days he felt weakest, were particularly cool and bracing.\\ {{anchor:s185}}Felt a perfect horror of cold water.

====== ATTACKS, PERIODICITY. [41] ======

{{anchor:s187}}The symptoms subside in the same order; first derangement of accommodation, then affection of pupil.\\ {{anchor:s188}}The trembling spells come on in fits, and at the least thing that startles.

====== LOCALITY AND DIRECTION. [42] ======

{{anchor:s190}}Right: shooting and drawing in eye; ptosis; chill and numbness in arm; pupil much dilated; sight of eye impaired; pupil small.\\ {{anchor:s191}}Left: pain in eye; dull pain in occipital region; lachrymation; pupil sluggish; upper lid paralyzed; contraction of face with numbness; soreness of tongue with difficult motion; severe pain in chest; numbness in arm and hand; pain in thigh.\\ {{anchor:s192}}Before back: pressure in vertex to occiput.

====== SENSATIONS. [43] ======

{{anchor:s194}}The nervous symptoms came first, being in centre of forehead, and very much at pit of stomach, and going downward; soreness around middle of body came next, and last of all the pains in back and spine; these lasted the longest and seemed the most characteristic of all the symptoms; as if pain was cutting head from body.\\ {{anchor:s195}}Nervous motions through body and arms.\\ {{anchor:s196}}A kind of pain like that caused by stooping over work for a long time, or by long pressure of back against a chair; as if the nerves were compressed; as if head would fall forward; as if nose was going to bleed; as if a ball would rise in throat.\\ {{anchor:s197}}Shooting: in right eye.\\ {{anchor:s198}}Burning: of eyes; of nose; of eyeballs; in nose; in bowels.\\ {{anchor:s199}}Drawing: in eyes; in back; drawing down back of neck when turning head; as of cords under knee.\\ {{anchor:s200}}Smarting: of eyes; of end of tongue.\\ {{anchor:s201}}Straining: in eyes.\\ {{anchor:s202}}Twisting: in eyes.\\ {{anchor:s203}}Cramping: in left foot.\\ {{anchor:s204}}Pressure: in temple; in vertex; in vertex to occiput; on eyes.\\ {{anchor:s205}}Soreness: in eyes; of lids; of left side of tongue; around pit of stomach; around waist; in bowels; and stiffness of throat.\\ {{anchor:s206}}Pain: in middle of forehead; above eyes; through temples; dull, in left occipital region; headache, in morning; in eyeball; around pit of stomach; in womb; in left chest; at back of neck; in back; down spine; down back of neck; down arms; between hips; in lower limbs; in knee; in left thigh and both knees.\\ {{anchor:s207}}Beating: between eyebrows.\\ {{anchor:s208}}Throbbing: on side of neck; between eyebrows.\\ {{anchor:s209}}Twitching: between eyebrows; in nose; of mouth and of eyebrows.\\ {{anchor:s210}}Quivering: in teeth.\\ {{anchor:s211}}Trembling: all through body; of legs.\\ {{anchor:s212}}Discomfort: at back of neck.\\ {{anchor:s213}}Heaviness: in head.\\ {{anchor:s214}}Tenderness: around eye.\\ {{anchor:s215}}Stiffness: of left side of tongue.\\ {{anchor:s216}}Contraction: of left side of face.\\ {{anchor:s217}}Tired: in arms.\\ {{anchor:s218}}Faintness: in street and while in car.\\ {{anchor:s219}}Weakness: of eyes; at pit of stomach.\\ {{anchor:s220}}Powerlessness: at back of head; of legs.\\ {{anchor:s221}}Creeping: back of head and down spine.\\ {{anchor:s222}}Crawling: over head.\\ {{anchor:s223}}Unsteadiness: from knees down.\\ {{anchor:s224}}Numbness: in top of head; of temples; back of head and down spine; between eyes down through nose; of left side of face; region of womb; of left arm and hand; in right arm.\\ {{anchor:s225}}Shuddering: through whole body.

====== TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES. [45] ======

{{anchor:s229}}Touch: soreness around pit of stomach; soreness around waist, 6 P. M.

====== STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION. [47] ======

{{anchor:s231}}Girl, aet. 9, pupil of right eye very much dilated; a small scar on outer edge of cornea.\\ {{anchor:s232}}Woman, aet. 24, sight of right eye impaired, could only distinguish light from darkness.\\ {{anchor:s233}}A woman, aet. 21, paralysis of oculo-motor nerve.\\ {{anchor:s234}}Woman, aet. 57, right pupil only half as large.\\ {{anchor:s235}}Man, aet. 53, paraplegia, pupil contracts to pin's head in size.

====== RELATIONS. [48] ======

{{anchor:s237}}Antidotes: <span grade2>Atropia</span> and <span grade2>Hydrate of Chloral.</span>\\ <span grade2>{{anchor:s238}}Camphor</span> suspends the symptoms temporarily.\\ {{anchor:s239}}Compatible: <span grade2>Amyl nitr., Conium, Gelsem.</span>\\ {{anchor:s240}}Compare: in eye diseases: <span grade2>Agaricus</span> (Amanita), <span grade2>Caustic., Chamom., Conium, Curare</span>; in tetanus, <span grade2>Nux vom.</span>

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====== DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR ======
^ Source: | [[en:mm:hering:start|The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica]] Vol. 08, 1889 |
^ Description: | Clinical materia medica of [[en:rem:r167|Physostigma venenosum]] |
^ Remedies: | [[en:rem:r167|Physostigma venenosum]] |
^ Author: | Hering, C.; Raue, C.G.; Knerr, C.B.; Mohr, C. |
^ Year: | 1889 |
^ Editing: | errors only; interlinks; formatting |
^ Attribution: | Legatum Homeopathicum |}