Stramonium - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Datura stramonium. Thorn-apple. Jamestown-weed. Stink-weed. (Grows in vicinity of cultivation on rank soil where refuse is deposited in all parts of the world.) N. O. Solanaceae. Tincture of fresh plant in flower and fruit.

Anasarca (after scarlatina). Aphasia. Apoplexy. Burns. Catalepsy. Chordee. Chorea. Delirium tremens. Diaphragmitis. Ecstasy. Enuresis. Epilepsy. Erotomania. Eyes, affections of. Headache.

The first to use Stram. in medicine, according to Teste, was Stoerck, who was one of Hahnemann's predecessors Stoerck first tried it in mental alienation, because it was supposed to produce "a marked and persistent disorder of the mental faculties." Hahnemann proved it, and introduced it into the homoeopathic materia medica.

In his introduction to the remedy he points out that, though it produces many uncomfortable symptoms, it does not in its primary effects cause actual pain.

Hahnemann attached a good deal of importance to this. "Stram.," he says, "allays some spasmodic movements, and restores suppressed excretions in several cases in which absence of pain is a prominent symptom." In addition to the absence of pain there is with Stram. (and in many mental cases) an extreme muscular mobility.

Stramonium mobility affects muscles of expression and muscles of locomotion.

The movements of Stram. are generally gyratory and graceful when they occur in the arms.

The forms of mania specially mentioned by Teste as calling for Stram. are Nymphomania of lying-in women.

Certain forms of religious monomania, in exaggerated and ridiculous scruple of conscience.

Fixed notion that some unpardonable sin has been committed (which the patient is nevertheless unable to remember); that he is possessed of the devil.

Hallucinations. The delirium of Stram. is for the most part terrifying.

It corresponds exactly to many cases of delirium tremens.

Visions of animals enter largely into it.

In a case of severe pleuro-pneumonia of right side, supervening on scarlatina, the patient, a young man, said he saw a large black dog about the room.

Stramonium led me to give Stram., which rapidly altered the whole case for the better, including the pneumonia, and resolved a situation of no little anxiety.

Stram. is also called for in congestions without actual inflammation, but with high mental exaltation and furious delirium and little or no fever; without pain but with some coma.

J. Emmons Briggs (New Eng. M. Gaz., xxx. 151) relates this case of poisoning Briggs had an urgent call to see James M., 4, in "convulsions." He found him lying on the bed in a state of wild delirium, requiring the constant combined efforts of two people to keep him in bed.

Face exceedingly flushed; expression becoming in rapid alternation pleasant and anxious.

Pupils widely dilated; Irisscarcely visible, giving the eye a very brilliant appearance.

Marked convergent strabismus, skin hot and dry, resembling scarlatina eruption.

Abdomen tense. The most alarming symptom was rapidly recurring convulsions with twitching of the arms and lower limbs.

Thirty or forty of these spasms occurred in rapid succession, followed by a moment during which the countenance brightened and seemed at rest, only to be followed in an instant by a series of clonic contractions.

Grasping at imaginary objects before the eyes, when expression frequently became anxious, as if the patient was trying to ward off imaginary foes.

At times the mind was very active, and the patient talked rapidly and incoherently.

Between the spasms laughter and crying frequently occurred.

The boy, it transpired, had been chewing a Thorn-apple.

When he came home he seemed rather dazed, and vomited.

He then threw himself on the sofa and slept very soundly till he awoke in the convulsions.

The boy recovered under Kali Bromatum ^{Kali bro}. in five-grain doses, though it was with great difficulty that he was made to swallow.

Stramonium difficulty of swallowing is a marked feature of Stram., and with the intense thirst, delirium, and hallucinations completes the picture of many cases of hydrophobia.

Another symptom indicating it here is "agg. by bright light, mirror or surface of water." S. A. Jones (quoted A. H., xxii. 410) relates the case of a little girl with brain symptoms for whom he had prescribed a remedy.

The report was brought late at night, that the patient was much worse. "She vomits," said the father, "if she even raises her head from the pillow." The vomit was green.

Jones found this under Stram. by aid of the Cypher Repertory.

He gave Stram., and the next morning the case was entirely changed for the better.

Acting on this analogue, Jones also cured a "vomiting of green stuff always induced by bright light." On the other hand, the Stram. patient is dependent on light and company; cannot walk in the dark (hence it is indicated in locomotor ataxy); and going through railway tunnels without a light in the carriage may cause fainting.

Some of the head-movements of Stram. are characteristic Continually jerks head up from pillow; head bent back; boring head into pillow.

The twitchings of single muscles and the squint mark Stram. as the remedy for many cases of chorea.

I find it correspond to about an equal proportion with Agaricus Muscarius ^Agaricus; and when there is fright in the causation Stram. will almost certainly avail.

Stram. has a relation to the hip-joints, and Stram. has cured both coxalgia and morbus coxae (left).

Stramonium is accompanied by very severe pain, and is one exception to the "painlessness" of Stram. affections.

The effect of Stram. on the secretions is to suppress them; and this makes Stram. an excellent remedy in many cases of illness due to suppressed secretions.

menses, lochia, sweat, eruptions. Stram. causes high fever with rashes, some scarlet, like scarlatina.

petechiae. spots on the arms like flea-bites.

vesications. and it corresponds also to burns and scalds. Stram. 30 caused the face of a boy to whom I gave it to swell and come out in blotches soon after commencing the remedy. (I have seen Dulcamara ^Dulc. 30 produce furfuraceous rash on the face in the same way.) In a case of mine Stram. relieved an extensive eczematous eruption which came on after a fright. As a result of suppressions convulsions occur. These may be general, or they may be partial or choreic. The convulsant, spasmodic properties of Stram. are shown in the respiratory sphere in constriction of the chest, asthmatic symptoms, and cough of the whooping-cough type. The common practice of smoking Stramonium leaves for asthma is roughly homoeopathic. Peculiar Sensations of Stram. are As if spinning or weaving. As if objects were smaller than they really are. As if dizzy. As if he had no limbs. As if drunk. Head as if drawn backward. Starts as if a shock of electricity had been passed through her body. As if eyes were forced out. As of sparks of fire rushing from stomach to eyes. Eyelids as if swollen, or as if oppressed with sleep.

as of wind rushing out of ears. As if sawing cheek-bone.

as if a hole were there and the brain were touched. As if nose were shifted. As if pins and needles were in forehead. As if he was seeking something. As if bones were sawed through. As if front teeth would fall out. Teeth as if pressed together. Moving fingers as if searching for something. Cries as if from sight of hideous objects. As if lips would grow together. Inner mouth as if raw. Soft palate as if drawn down. As of boiling water in throat. As if a ball were wedged in throat. As if falling. As if he would vomit. As if navel were to be torn out. Abdomen as if puffed up. As if abdomen were expanded to extremest degree. As if urine could not be passed on account of narrowness of urethra. As if a cylindrical body were being passed through urethra. As if he had not power to close neck of bladder. As if very tall. As if something turned round in chest. Limbs feel as if gone to sleep. As if parts of limbs were completely separated from body. Hands and feet as if loose in joints. As if cold water were poured down back. Stram. is an ill-smelling plant, and the discharges and secretions it causes are often foul and even cadaveric in odour. Stram. is Suited to Ailments of young, plethoric persons.

especially of children (chorea, mania, fever, delirium). The symptoms are agg. By touch.

by pressure. Motion agg.

removing head from pillow = vomiting of bile.

walking = involuntary micturition.

walking in dark = vertigo. agg. After motion (vomiting of bile; palpitation; pain in back, shoulder, and abdomen). Whilst sitting involuntary micturition.

cough = lower limbs to be jerked up. Lying amel. pulsating heat of vertex.

in evening prosopalgia in l. cheek.

= cutting pain in sternum. Lying on side agg. vertigo. Warmth amel. Wind agg. Cold agg. agg. Evening and night. agg. In dark. amel. In light. amel. In company. agg. Looking at shining objects, water, &c. agg. Sun. Great desire for acids.

citric acid amel.