Pulsatilla - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Pulsatilla nigricans. Anemone pratensis. Pulsatilla pratensis. Pasque Flower. (Sunny, sandy pastures in Central and Northern Europe and parts of South of England.) N. O. Ranunculaceć. Tincture of entire fresh plant when in flower (it flowers in spring and again in autumn).

Acne. Amaurosis. Amenorrhoea. Anćmia. Appetite, depraved. Bladder, catarrh of. Blepharospasm. Breasts, pain behind. Bronchitis. Cataract. Catarrh. Chaps. Chest, pains in. Chilblains. Clavus. Cold. Cough. Diarrhoea.

of phthisis. Distension. Dysmenia. Dyspepsia. Earache. Epilepsy. Epistaxis. Eyes, lachrymal sac, inflammation of.

granular ophthalmia. Fear. Feet, soles painful. Foetus, mal-position of. Freckles. Gonorrhoea. Gout. Hćmorrhoids. Hands, pains in. Heart, palpitation of. Heartburn. Hydrocele.

congenital. Hysteria. Intermittent fever. Joints, synovitis of. Labour, spurious pains of. Lactation, disorders of. Leucorrhoea. Measles. Menstruation, abnormal.

vicarious. Moles. Mumps. Neuralgia. Nymphomania. Ovaries, Pain in.

inflammation of. Phlegmasis alba dolens. Pregnancy.

bladder trouble of. sickness of.

heartburn of. diarrhoea of. Priapism. Prostate, inflammation of. Prostatorrhoea. Puerperal convulsions. Puerperal fever. Puerperal mania. Retained placenta. Rheumatism.

gonorrhoeal. Side, pain in. Smell, illusions of. Spine, curvature of. Stye. Synovitis. Tape-worm. Taste depraved.

lost. Tongue, coated. Toothache. Urine, incontinence of. Uterus.

inflammation of. prolapse of. Veins, inflammation of.

varicose. Whitlow.

As some confusion has arisen as to the Pulsatilla of homoeopathic use, I will give Jahr's description of the plant "Stems simple, erect, rounded, 3 to 5 inches high.

leaves radical bipennatifid, oblong.

flowers solitary, terminal, having folioles of calyx campanulate, bent at the point, the odour of the herb but slightly evident, taste acrid and pungent. The fresh plant contains an acrid and, vesicating principle, and furnishes a corrosive oil, as well as a kind of tannin, which colours iron green.

in the dry state it is entirely deprived of this acrid quality. Grows in sandy pasture grounds, on hills and declivities exposed to the sun." He further distinguishes this Black Pulsatilla from the Common Pulsatilla (Pulsatilla vulgaris, Anemone Pulsatilla) which "grows only on dry and sterile hills and flowers in spring only, whilst the black-coloured Pulsatilla flowers a second time in August and September." P. vulg. is much less downy than P. nig. "Its flowers clear Viola Odorata ^violet or pale red, straight and not hanging.

seeds surmounted by a long silky tail." It is called Pasque Flower because it is in bloom at Easter, and its flowers are used for colouring Easter eggs. The Anemone is a medicine of ancient date, and its affinity for the eyes seems to have been noted from the first. Perhaps its tearful propensities gave rise to the legend that it sprang from the tears of Venus. Dioscorides mentions it as a remedy for headache and ophthalmia. Stoerck was the forerunner of Hahnemann in the modern use of Pulsatilla, which he employed especially in chronic affections of the eyes (catarrh, amaurosis, spots on cornea). A young girl who had had amaurosis of both eyes since infancy he cured in two months, administering an extract internally, and insufflating a dry powder. The latter "caused at first an acute pain and profuse flow of tears.

after which the pains, which had existed previous go the lachrymation, diminished as soon as it commenced, and finally disappeared with it" (Teste). Other cures by Stoerck are ($51$) Foul ulcers on foot with serpiginous tetters on neck and shoulder. (2) Paralysis of right arm of five years' standing. (3) Paralysis of thighs. (4) White swelling of knees. (5) Melancholia. Hahnemann quotes Stoerck's experiences in the proving of Puls. in M. M. P. "Of the numerous provings left us by Hahnemann," says Teste, "that of Puls. seems to be the one to which he has contributed himself more than any other.

it is one of the most interesting and most characteristic provings of his materia medica." Teste himself has given a very luminous account of the remedy. He puts it at the head of a group with Silica Marina ^Silic., Calc Carb ^Calc., Hep Sulph Calc ^Hep. as its chief members (Graphites ^Graph., Phosphorus ^Phos. in less degree, with Fer., Chamomilla ^Cham., and Gadus as analogues). These drugs act principally, says Teste, on the vascular apparatus. All the symptoms which they have in common depend upon a small number of primordial symptoms (e.g., impeded respiration, engorgement of air passages, irregular beating of heart), indicating vascular disturbance. Hence arise.

($51$) Throbbings here and there synchronous with the pulse. (2) Blackness and diminished fluidity of the blood. (3) Swelling of veins, capillary engorgement, a sort of ill-conditioned plethora. (4) Diminished vital heat and action. (5) Congestion of blood to head and engorgement of the sinuses. (6). Sensation of heaviness and fulness of brain.

and (7) the same kind of pain sometimes with apoplectic shocks, in centre or (more usually) on right side of brain. (8) Vertigo and cloudiness as in complete apoplexy, especially when atmospheric pressure is low, as at the approach of storms, and on heights. Soft stools, and a passive diarrhoea without colic, which seems to ease the patient rather than weaken him, and continues for an indefinite period, e.g., in phthisical patients. Sort of numbness, torpor of the genital organs, with absence of erections and pleasurable sensation (especially among women) during an embrace.

or else permanent sexual excitement, "probably from compression of the cerebellum by the blood which flows to it in excessive quantity and remains there, as is the case in certain forms of asphyxia.

this is the cause of the sexual excitement with which phthisicy persons are so often troubled." Delay of menses in spite of evident symptoms of a flow of blood towards the uterus.

the menstrual blood is black, coagulated, impoverished if menses either too early or too late. One is obliged to lie with the head much higher than the rest of the body. Pains which manifest themselves principally in the parts on which one is not lying, but on changing position aggravated breaking out of those pains on the parts on which one has just been lying.

Pulsatilla idea of vascular engorgement usefully strings together many of the leading characteristics of Puls., which will serve to indicate its use in a great variety of disorders.

The leaves of the recent herb have an acrid, burning, and nauseous taste.

Its juice draws blisters "to the extent, it is said, of causing gangrene, if allowed to remain in contact with the part for a sufficient length of time.

but these properties are, in a great measure, lost by dessication.

and ruminating animals, such as sheep and goats, eat the dry Pulsatilla, if mixed with other herbs, without aversion or inconvenience." An active principle, Anemonin, has been isolated.

it is inflammable and crystallises in colourless, odourless neutral needles.

Hahnemann says of Puls. "This powerful plant produces many symptoms on the healthy human body which often correspond to the marked symptoms commonly met with; hence, also, they admit of frequent homoeopathic employment, and often do good.

We can therefore unquestionably reckon it as a remedy of many uses (polychrest).

It is useful in acute as well as in chronic diseases, as its action, even in small doses, lasts from ten to twelve days.

. The homoeopathic employment of this, as of all other medicines, is most suitable when not only the corporeal affections of the medicine correspond in similarity to the corporeal symptoms of the disease, but also when the mental and emotional alterations peculiar to the drug encounter similar states in the disease to be cured, or at least in the temperament of the subject of treatment." Hahnemann now gives in masterly fashion the picture of the Puls. disposition and temperament "A timid, lachrymose disposition, with a tendency to inward grief and silent peevishness, or at all events a mild and yielding disposition, especially when the patient in his normal health was good-tempered and mild (or even frivolous and good-humouredly waggish).

It is therefore especially adapted for slow, phlegmatic temperaments; on the other hand, it is but little suitable for persons who form their resolutions with rapidity and are quick in their movements, even though they may appear to be good-tempered.

It acts best where there is a disposition to chilliness and adipsia.

It is particularly suitable for females when their menses come on some days after the proper time; and especially when the patient must lie long in bed at night before he can get to sleep, and when the patient is worse in the evening.

It is useful for the ill effects caused by eating pork." Hering gives these additional touches to the Puls. type Sandy hair, blue eyes, pale face, easily moved to laughter or tears; affectionate, mild, timid, gentle, yielding disposition; women and children; women inclined to be fleshy; the pregnant state.

The behaviour of the "Wind Flower," the sport of every gust, has been said to typify the action of the remedy.

Changeableness is one of its most important keynotes Erratic temperatures in fevers.

Wandering pains shift rapidly from one part to another, also with swelling and redness of the joints.

Hćmorrhages apparently stop and in a few hours return.

Stools constantly changing colour; no two stools alike.

Alternate pallor and redness of face.

When one set of symptoms comes on another vanishes.

A patient of mine, after a mental strain and fright, had severe occipital pain.

I gave Puls. 30. Each dose caused the pain to fly from the occiput to the left leg; the mental balance was soon restored.

Metastasis of mumps to testes or mammć.

Nash says Puls. will often clear up those cases which have no "head or tail" to them; in which the symptoms are always changing and contradicting, pains run here and there.

The Puls. patient is chilly, but at the same time there is extreme aversion to heat.

The chief of all the keynotes of Puls. is agg. by warmth; in warm, close room; by warm coverings; warm applications; and amel. in open air; cold air or cool room; eating or drinking cold things; cold applications.

Another keynote of Puls. is thirstlessness, and Teste gives a useful clue to that in suggesting that it depends on the congestive action of the remedy.

The loss of thirst and even aversion to liquid food is "as if one had an instinctive dread of increasing the excessive fulness of the vessels." The wandering pains of Puls. are generally distensive, again suggesting congested vessels.

and the headaches are congestive agg. on stooping forward.

amel. by tightly bandaging.

as if the brain would burst and the eyes would fall out of the head.

The three characters, "chilly; agg. by warmth; thirstless," serve to define the fever of Puls. in whatever form it may be met.

it may be flitting, in spots now here, now there. With the heat there are distended veins and burring hands that seek cool places, and still there is no thirst. In the rheumatic the pains shift from joint to joint. The sweat is profuse, may be one-sided, sour, sweetish sour, or musty in odour. The last completes the similarity of Puls. to the "mousey" odour of measles.

the cough, catarrhal symptoms, and rash giving other strong points of correspondence. The ear trouble which is a common sequela and complication of measles or other fever is frequently met by Puls., which also meets the consequences of suppressed exanthemata and metastases, as of mumps to testes or mamma. As a prophylactic against measles Puls. has a reputation almost equal to that of Belladonna ^Bell. against scarlatina I generally give Puls. 3 three times a day. The generative organs of both sexes are strongly acted on by Puls., which may almost be regarded as an organ-remedy in relation to them. Gonorrhoea, with thick, purulent secretion.

and the effects of suppressed gonorrhoea, orchitis, and cystitis.

prostatitis. sarcocele, varicocele, hydrocele.

but they may be alternating conditions. The congesting action of Puls. is well shown in the respiratory symptoms. Remarking on this symptom, "Pressure upon the chest and soreness," Hahnemann says that in the catarrhal condition they refer to, "the glands of the air passages appear to be swollen and inflamed, and unable to secrete the mucus necessary to moisten them.

hence the sensation of dryness, rawness, painfulness, and the illusory sensation as if the air passages were internally constricted by an excessive amount of tenacious and firm mucus which could not be loosened." Commenting on another symptom of Puls. ("dyspnoea or vertigo, with weakness of the head on lying outstretched upon the back, wholly disappearing on sitting upright"), Hahnemann elucidates some of its Conditions "The symptoms of Puls. caused by lying down, sitting up, rising from sitting, by walking and by standing, consist of varying alternate conditions, all of which belong to the primary action of the drug, but which vary in their character. Usually the symptoms of Puls. which occur while lying still upon the back are amel. by sitting upright, seldom the reverse.

frequently the symptoms that appear while sitting still are amel. or removed by gradual motion and by walking, seldom the reverse. Yet the act of rising, before one begins to walk, = symptoms more numerous and more severe the longer the sitting has continued.

so also longer continued and more violent motion = aggravation no less long than sitting still, which, however, are only really felt and noticed after one has sat down and become quiet." Other leading indications of Puls. are First serious impairment of health is referred to age of puberty, "never been well since".

anćmia, bronchitis, phthisis. Secretions (of eye, ear, nose, vagina, &c.) are generally thick, bland, and yellowish green. The pains appear suddenly and leave gradually.

or tension much increases till very acute, then "lets up with a snap." Great dryness of mouth without thirst. All-gone sensation in stomach, especially in tea-drinkers. agg. At twilight.

as if asleep. As if one had turned in a circle a long time.

as if he would fall. as if he were dancing. As if brain would burst and eyes fall out of head. As if skull of forehead too thin. As if skull were lifted up. As if one had eaten too much. As if a nail driven into occiput. As if head between screws. As if gimlet piercing skull. As if eyes tightly bound by cloth. As if foreign body pressing in eye.

sand in eye. thick body forcibly driven into ear.

something crawling out of ear.

worm creeping into throat. As if nose would be forced asunder. As if face being drawn tighter and tighter, then suddenly let loose as if a string cut. As if a nerve in tooth put on stretch and then let loose. As if he had to swallow over a lump. As of stone in stomach. As if bladder too full.

as if it would fall to side on which he is lying.

as of a stone in bladder or in abdomen or chest. As if joints would be easily dislocated. Small of back as if sprained. As if a hand passed through back and everything were constricted. Chill as if drenched with cold water. As if head would burst on coughing. Tongue as if burnt. Pain as from subcutaneous ulceration. As of a hot coal above ulcer. The symptoms are agg. by touch.

amel. by hard rubbing and pressure (but stomach, bladder, uterus, very sensitive to pressure). amel. Uncovering. Aversion to and agg. from meat, butter, fat food, pork, bread, milk, Fagopyrum ^buckwheat, ice cream, smoking. Desire for sour, refreshing things.

herring. lemonade. amel. From cold, agg. from warm foods. Rest agg. (amel. pain in testes; labour-like pains; weakness in joints). Cannot rest though motion agg. The longer he lies in the morning the longer he wishes to lie. amel. Lying with head high. agg. Lying on l. side.

on sound side. Pains which come on when lying on back are amel. by turning to either side (also vice versâ).

meditation will sometimes amel. Most symptoms agg. evening and night. agg. Twilight "As evening comes on begins to fear ghosts".

all symptoms agg. alternate evenings. agg. Before thunderstorm. Sun agg. agg. Hot food.

is vomited immediately.

agg. toothache. agg. Changes of weather. agg. Getting wet. Wind agg. Draught of air amel. toothache.

Varicose veins, varicocele, orchitis, phlegmasia alba dolens, Hamamelis Virginica ^Ham. (Ham. has soreness of affected part).

Ophthalmia, Argentum Nitricum ^{Arg. n}.

Cold, Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl. (Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl. has spasmodic sneezing), Cep. (both have agg. in room, amel. open air, but Cep. discharge is thin and excoriating, Puls. thick and bland), Pen. sed. (Pen. sed. has rawness in nose and throat; and "constant wet feeling without coryza," later thick and purulent like Puls.).

Stinging pains in throat agg. swallowing saliva and after eating, Apis Mel ^Apis.

Feeling as if food lying in oesophagus, Chininum Sulphuricum ^Chi., Abies Nigra ^{Abies n}.

Effect of fat food, Ipecacuanha ^Ip., Thuja ^Thuj., Carbo Veg ^{Carb. v}.

Effect of ice-cream, Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Carbo Veg ^{Carb. v}., Ipecacuanha ^Ip., Bels.

Mixed diet, Nux Vomica ^Nux, Ipecacuanha ^Ip., Chininum Sulphuricum ^Chi.

Desire for lemonade, Cyc., Sabi., Belladonna ^Bell.

Gastric ailments from pork, Antimonium Crudum ^{Ant. c.} (tongue as if whitewashed, vomiting predominates; Puls. stool greenish and slimy), Ipecacuanha ^Ip. (tongue clean, nausea predominates).

Spasmodic, irregular pains = faintness, Nux Vomica ^Nux.

Retained placenta, Cantharis ^Canth.

After-pains, Chamomilla ^Cham., Xanthoxylum Fraxineum ^Xan., Cup. (in women who have borne many children).

Non-appearance of milk, Urt. u., Ric. com., Agnus Castus ^Agn. c. Uterine affections, Caulophyllum Thalictroides ^Caul., Helonias Dioica ^Helon., Senecio Aureus ^Senec., Aletris Farinosa ^Alet. f., Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl., Hydrastis Canadensis ^Hydras., Lilium Tigrinum ^Lil.

Measles, Morbillin, Kali Bich ^{K. bi.}.

Backache agg. sitting, Zincum Metallicum ^<">Zincum Metallicum ^Zn., Cobalt., Sepia ^Sep., Can. i. Earache, Borax ^Borax.

Knee-joint affections, Anacardium ^Anac. (Anacardium ^Anac. chronic). agg.

From wine, Zincum Metallicum ^<">Zincum Metallicum ^Zn. (Puls. from sulphurated wines,) Rho., Glo., Nux Vomica ^Nux, Selenium ^Sel., Lachesis ^Lach., Hydrofluoricum Acidum ^{Fl. ac.}, Antimonium Crudum ^{Ant. c.}, Bovista ^Bov., Silicea ^Sil.

Thick, yellowish, green nasal discharge, Merc Viv ^Merc. (Puls. bland; Merc Viv ^Merc. has moist mouth and intense thirst, and Puls. and Nux Vomica ^Nux m. dry mouth without thirst).

Sudden vanishing of sight with scanty menses, Sepia ^Sep., Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl.

Diarrhoea from fright, Gelsemium Sempervirens ^Gels. (Puls. stools greenish, yellow, or slimy, or very changeable).

Hypertrophy of heart; amel. from slow motion, Rhus Tox ^Rhus.

Menstrual colic, Cocculus Indicus ^Coccul. (Cocculus Indicus ^Coccul. as if sharp stones rubbed together with every movement).

Vicarious menstruation, Bryonia ^Bry., Phosphorus ^Pho.

Ozćna with thick greenish discharge, gleet, gonorrhoeal rheumatism, effects of tea, Thuja ^Thuj. (the gleet of Puls. is thicker than that of Thuja ^Thuj.).

Scanty menses, Graphites ^Graph. amel.

Open air, Sulphur ^Sul. (Lycopodium ^Lyc. desires open air, but is agg. in cold, damp air).

Climacteric state, Lachesis ^Lach. amel.

Uncovering, Lycopodium ^Lyc., Camphora ^Camph., Aconite ^Aco., Secale Cornutum ^Sec. agg.

From heat, Apis Mel ^Apis, Iodium ^Iod.

Nausea in upper chest and in hypogastrium, Puls. (nausea in hypogastrium, generally with uterine bearing down, Rhus Tox ^Rhus).

Nausea when fasting, Calc Carb ^Calc., Lycopodium ^Lyc., Silica Marina ^Silic.; when beginning to eat, Nux Vomica ^Nux, Sulphur ^Sul.

Nausea in chest, Antimonium Tartaricum ^{Ant. t}.

Acid stomach, Chininum Sulphuricum ^Chi., Calc Carb ^Calc., Sulphur ^Sul., Silicea ^Sil., Robin.

Menstrual pain begins with the flow (opp. Lachesis ^Lach., pain subsides as flow begins).

Acquisitiveness, Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Lycopodium ^Lyc.

Dread of disease, Calc Carb ^Calc., Lachesis ^Lach., Nux Vomica ^Nux. agg.

Lying on left side; amel. cold food and drink, Phosphorus ^Pho.

Ribbon-like stools (Phosphorus ^Pho. like dog's).

Fears darkness, Am. m., Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Bar. c., Berberis Vulgaris ^Berb., Calc Carb ^Calc., Carb. a., Carbo Veg ^{Carb. v}., Caus., Lycopodium ^Lyc., Phosphorus ^Pho., Rhus Tox ^Rhus, Stro., Val., Stramonium ^Stram.

Fear of ghosts, Aconite ^Aco., Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Bro., Lycopodium ^Lyc., Ran. b., Sepia ^Sep., Sulphur ^Sul., Zincum Metallicum ^<">Zincum Metallicum ^Zn. Piles during menses, Ammonium Carbonicum ^{Am. c.}, Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Carbo Veg ^{Carb. v}., Cocculus Indicus ^Coccul., Collins., Graphites ^Graph., Ignatia ^Ign., Lachesis ^Lach., Muriaticum Acidum ^{Mur. ac}., Phosphorus ^Pho., Sulphur ^Sul.

Faintness connected with stools, Apis Mel ^Ap., Nux Vomica ^Nux m., Spi., Ver. (with scanty stools, Croton Tiglium ^{Crot. t.}, Dulcamara ^Dulc., Ox. ac., Pet. Sarsaparilla ^Sars., Sulphur ^Sul.) Stoppage of menses from wet feet, Rhus Tox ^Rhus., Lobelia Inflata ^Lob. i. Chilblains, Agaricus Muscarius ^Agar.

Vertigo on looking up (Calc Carb ^Calc. on turning head; Sulphur ^Sul. on looking down). agg.

In bed at night, Sulphur ^Sul., Merc Viv ^Merc., Chamomilla ^Cham.

Taste bitter with biliousness of a morning, the taste felt chiefly in upper chest, Sulphur ^Sul.

One hand cold the other hot, Chininum Sulphuricum ^Chi., Digitalis Purpurea ^Dig., Ipecacuanha ^Ip., Mosch.

Metastasis of mumps to testes, Belladonna ^Bell., Kali Carb ^{K. ca.}, Rhus Tox ^Rhus (to brain, Belladonna ^Bell., Hyoscyamus Niger ^Hyo.).

Effect of taking cold, fever, Aconite ^Aco. (Aco. has great thirst and anguish).

Inter-menstrual hćmorrhage, Bovista ^Bov., Hamamelis Virginica ^Ham. agg.

Hair-cutting, Belladonna ^Bell. amel.

Lying on painful side, Bryonia ^Bry.

Erratic temperatures (Zincum Metallicum ^Zn. nervous high temperatures).

Puls. is a close analogue of Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl. in many respects, but Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl. has profuse menses, the flow being agg. sitting and amel. walking (Puls. agg. during day; Kreosotum ^Kre. agg. lying down); and Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl. has agg. in open air.

Puls. and Nux Vomica ^Nux are in most respects antipodal, though they follow each other well.

Puls. has amel. lying on back, agg. turning to either side.

Nux Vomica ^Nux has agg. lying on back, amel. turning to either side. Silicea ^Silica is the chronic of Puls.

and Sulphur ^Sul. also in many respects.

Causation.

Febrile paroxysms composed of heat, which are preceded by shiverings, with adipsia, and mixed with, or followed by, perspiration.

quotidian, tertian, or quartan type.

agg. in evening or afternoon.

remission in morning during apyrexia, nausea and loss of appetite, headache, painful oppression at chest, moist cough, bitterness in mouth, constipation or (mucous) diarrhoea.

Characteristics

all come within the sphere of Puls. In the female Puls. ranges over the whole sexual period, from puberty to the climacteric, including disorders of menstruation, pregnancy, the puerperium and lactation