Recent cases of hemorrhoids can be completely cured in this way, and the old hard cases temporarily relieved. So, gentlemen of the medical profession, I hereby introduce to you my friend Negundo.
ONOSMODIUM VIRGINIANUM.
Nat. Ord., Borraginaceæ.
Common Name, False Cromwell.
Preparation.—The entire plant with root is macerated in twice its weight of alcohol.
(This paper was prepared by Dr. W. A. Vingling for the Kansas State Homœopathic Society, and reprinted in Homœopathic Physician for July, 1893).
To the homœopathic physician a new remedy, well proven, is an acquisition of greater importance than honor or wealth, for his sole duty being to relieve the sufferings of humanity, he acquires a new tool with which to accomplish his work. To the degree that the new remedy has peculiar characteristics its value is enhanced, to the extent that the pathogenetic effects are different from every other drug its usefulness becomes the more apparent. Generalities constitute a poor basis upon which to prescribe. Peculiarities, the unusual symptoms, give certainly an assurance in every prescription.
We have in Onosmodium a remedy with some peculiarities, and occupying a sphere unique, a curative range differing from that of every other drug. The remedy holds within its grasp the power to restore peace to the disrupted family, and to prevent the truant husband seeking the sweets of "stolen waters" by restoring the wife to the enjoyable performance of her wifely functions, and thus gratifying the dissatisfied husband. This generation of one-child families, Malthusian, with the long train of misery entailed upon the licensed family, adultery consequent upon preventive measures, malum in se, has its remedy in Onosmodium to a very large extent.
We pass to consider the more important pathogenesis of the remedy in regular course. A great part of this paper is necessarily based upon the notes of the original author, Dr. W. E. Green, with some isolated symptoms from the journals and my own experience.
We find marked in the mental sphere a drowsiness of mind and confusion of thought, dulness of intelligence, a dazed feeling of the mind. The party wants to think and not move, so absorbed in thought as to forget all else and where she is. There is a complete listlessness and apathy of the mind; she cannot concentrate her thoughts. From this want of concentration there follows an impairment of the memory, she cannot remember what is said. In conversation she will forget the subject, will begin a new one, and then suddenly change to another. There is great confusion of ideas. This listlessness is so great as to cause forgetfulness of what one is reading, or that one is reading at all: the book drops in vague and listless thought. The time passes too slowly, and minutes seem like hours. There is great irritability of temper.
There is a continuous and ever-present feeling of heaviness of the head. Pains in the left side of the head and over the left eye, extending round the left side to the back of the head and neck, greatly aggravated by moving or jarring. Intense pain driving her to bed; relieved by sleep, but soon returning after waking. There is a constant dull headache, chiefly centered over the left eye and in the left temple; always worse in the dark and when lying down. Here we have a contradictory symptom—always worse lying down. The general symptoms are ameliorated by lying down. This peculiar feature is also seen in some of the polycrests. Bryonia alb. has a "pain and pressure in the shoulder when at rest." Rhus tox. has a "stiff neck, with painful tension when moving;" Arsenicum alb. has a headache relieved by cold water.