This bush is common in the fields around Rio-Janeiro, where it blossoms the whole year. Its branches are erect, somewhat sarmentose, slightly pubescent at their extremities, with alternate, glabrous, somewhat undulate leaves. Flowers small, scattered over long axillary or terminal spikes; perianth persistent, herbaceous, with four linear divisions. Stamens four, alternate with the divisions of the perianth and a little taller. A single ovary, surmounted by a style, divided into ten reflexed stigmata. Capsule flattened, containing a single seed. The roots are branching and very fibrous; they smell strongly of garlic.
We employ the recent root.
Prover: Dr. Manuel Duarte Moreira.
1. Merry, disposed to sing. Deep sleep, longer than usual, for the first three days. Drowsy all day, with frequent yawning, but no desire to lie down. Insignificant or unpleasant dreams, scarcely recollected on waking. 5. Sleeps longer, the first day. Headache, on waking. Sleepy with yawning, after breakfast, the first day. Drowsy after dinner, but no sleep, second day. Shuddering all over, sweat; the hair stands on end, second day, 9 in the morning. 10. Heaviness of the head on waking, eight hours after taking the drug. Weight at the vertex, which seems to press on the brain, with heaviness of the eyelids and difficulty of opening them, without sleep. Deep-seated and dull pain in the upper part of the brain, worse when touched, talking or sitting; less when walking or moving about, first day. Same symptom on the second day, but less. Sense of fullness in the head, second day. 15. Sense of fullness in the head, as if it would split, especially after twelve o’clock, on the third day. Sensation as if hot water were thrown on the hairy scalp, penetrating to the brain, second day. The headache disappears on the third day, it becomes lighter and changes. Sight feebler and dimmer than usual. Painful heat at the margin of the eyelids, worse when closing the eyes. 20. Dim sight after dinner, second day. Fetid breath. Sensation in the throat as if one had swallowed some astringent substance. Sensation in the mouth and throat as if one had eaten some acrid and resinous fruit, second day, in the morning. Dull pain in the bowels and hypogastrium, second day. 25. Constipation for three days. Copious urination, in the morning. Light-colored, watery urine, without smell or sediment, third day. Violent lancinations cinder the right breast, at each inspiration. Slight pain at the sternum, when stooping. 30. The voice becomes hoarse from much coughing. Weariness and numbness of the left arm, with pain in the humero-cubital articulation, first day. Numbness of the tips of the fingers, especially the ring-finger. Sensation at the middle of the right thigh as if bitten by an ant; itching and heat after scratching. Cramp in the calves during the night, second day.
Second prover: Mlle. Norma, 21 years old, sanguine temperament, good constitution, pale face, melancholy disposition, chestnut-colored hair.
35. Disposed to laugh and jest, first day. Sad, desires to weep; shortly after, involuntary weeping, sixth day, morning. Long, deep sleep, the first three days. Sleeps all day, with frequent gaping, but no desire to lie down. Dreams about quarrelling, she does not recollect her dreams on waking. 40. First day, sleeps longer than usual in the morning. Headache on waking. Somnolence after breakfast, with gaping, first day. Drowsy after dinner, second day. Sad dreams about sick persons in her family, fifth day. 45. Profuse, cold sweat, and chilliness all over, with shuddering after the first sleep, sixth day. Shuddering throughout her body, when lying down. Febrile heat, pale face, cold hands, on the evening of the sixth day. Two small dark-yellow spots on the neck. Headache, with a small and feeble pulse; heat in the face, especially on the right cheek, which is felt very intensely, though the skin feels cool, first day. 50. Painful stitch in the forehead, worse when opening the eyes, with external heat of the head on the first day, at 2 in the afternoon. Stabbing sensation in the right temple, first day, at 3 in the afternoon. Dull pain, with beating in the left temple, third day. Aching pain in the temples. Pain in the forehead, with compressive sensation in the brain, aggravated by walking. 55. Eyes half closed, swollen externally, surrounded by blue margins, especially near the nose, for three days. Weight on the eyelids constraining her to close her eyes; in this state she sees a variety of figures, sixth day. The veins of the nose are swollen and bluish. Redness and heat of the left ear, for some minutes, third day. Stomach-ache with sensation of coldness internally. 60. Acute and seated pain in the whole stomach, when rising from a chair, suffocation, with cold feet, which obliges her to remain in bed, on the evening of the sixth day. Pains in the muscles of the superior and inner side of the elbow, like stings of ants. Contusive pain in the arms and legs. Heaviness and weariness of the limbs, sixth day, morning. 65. Numbness of the lower limbs, with aversion to exercise. Contusive pain in the arms and legs, sixth day. Cold feet, in bed, morning.
Third prover: Mlle. Silvia, 20 years old, sanguine temperament, good constitution, gay disposition.
Disposed to sing. Regular and deep sleep, longer than usual, the first three days. 70. Sleeps all day, with frequent yawning, but no desire to lie down. Unpleasant dream which she does not recollect on waking. Wakes at 4 in the morning, falls asleep again a quarter of an hour afterwards. Light and disturbed sleep, after breakfast, first day, 9 in the morning. Deep sleep at 10, same day. Deep sleep, second day. 75. General prostration, with disposition to lie down, but no sleep, third day, 9 in the morning. Sad dreams, which she does not recollect. No sleep in bed. Profuse and cold sweat, after her first sleep. Prickings at the right shoulder, followed by inflammatory redness for 15 minutes. 80. Lancinations or shootings through the whole body, as if needles were stuck in; followed by itching from the elbow to the hands, with small violet-colored spots on the arm, back and feet, second day. Pain at the outer part of the left arm, with a large, red, inflamed spot like erysipelas. Heat on the surface of the body as from exposure to the sun, the feet being cold. Pain at the vertex, as from a blow, dull pain on the top of the head, left side, worse when turning the head or walking, second day, 11 o’clock in the morning. Benumbing and deep-seated pain with pressure, in the temples, and dull pain on the vertex, second day. 85. At the moment if lying down in bed, explosion in the head, the noise passing through the ears, third day. Deep-seated pain, at times in the forehead, at times in the nape of the neck. Aversion to exercise, she wants to remain quiet. Laming numbness of the arm and legs, fifth day, morning. Heaviness in the forehead, when stooping, here and there, sixth day, noon. 90. Weight in the eyes, and prostration as from sleepiness, without however being sleepy. Sensitiveness to the light of day. Redness of the conjunctiva, especially near the internal angle of the left eye. Sudden inflammation of the left eye at dinner, continuing for three days. The flame of the candle looks yellow, and seems surrounded by a red halo. 95. Redness of the wing of the nose and left cheek, third day. Frequent sneezing after 12, fifth day. Redness on the left cheek. Sharp lancinations in the epigastrium from within outwards, fifth day, evening. Lancination in the stomach after dinner, seventh day. 100. Pain in the throat, with difficulty of swallowing saliva. Catarrh from the third to the fifth day. When lying down, sensation in the spine as if she had strained it by lifting a heavy weight, first and second day, evening; the pain is aggravated by raising herself again or by inclining backwards, and disappears when she inclines forwards. Numbness at the wrist, along the course of the cubital nerve, with sensitiveness to contact, second day, evening. Shooting throughout the body, followed by itching at the back part of the forearm, second day, morning. 105. Redness and intense inflammation at the outer part of the left forearm, second day, 11 in the morning. Burning pain at the left radius, with contusive sensation when touched, third day. Violent itching of the ball of the left thumb, followed by inflammatory swelling, third day, evening. Weariness of the arms and legs, and numbness as after a long walk, fourth day, morning. Painful numbness at the outer parts of the arms and legs. 110. Cold feeling in the interior of the bones, fourth day, noon. Numbness of the anus and legs, with deep-seated pain at times in the forehead, at others in the nape of the neck, with aversion to motion, fifth day, morning. Excessive coldness penetrating to the bones, hands and feet, seventh day. Sudden numbness of the knees, with dull pain in the tibia, first day, noon. Acute and lancinating pain in the metatarsal bone, which corresponds to the left little toe. 115. Painful pricking in the left fifth toe, eighth day, morning, a few moments after, the same toe feels as if it would turn round from above downwards.