I have much to say. I am satisfied it is no narcotic. It never stupefies or overpowers the senses. A patient under its full influence may be wakened up, and he will talk to you as rationally as ever he did; leave him a moment and he will soon be off to the Elysian Fields again. I have tried it, my friend, in all sorts of neuralgic affections, and have usually astonished my more enlightened patients with it. Many times I have had them to ask me what in the world it was that had such a sweet influence over them.
(Dr. L. Phares, of Newtonia, Miss., states):
I never saw anything act so promptly in erysipelas. I have used it with advantage in ulcers, neuralgias and tetanus. I have seen wonderful effects of it in relieving tetanus, and will mention one case from memory: Some ten years ago I was called to see an old lady, in a distant part of the country, who was reported to be "having fits." I found her to be able to be up most of the time, but, while examining her, convulsions came on, affecting mainly the trunkal muscles, and drawing the head back. I gave her instantly a dose of Passiflora. The convulsions subsided, and she has never had one since. I continued the use of the medicine in small doses for a few days. I have used it in treating tetanus in horses—a disease usually considered as inevitably fatal to that noble animal. It has never failed to cure the horse. * * During the late war, my son, Dr. J. H. Phares, had occasion many times to prescribe the Passiflora for tetanus in horses, with one invariable result—prompt, perfect, permanent cure. He fortunately saw no case in man. * * * Since the foregoing was written, I have treated with the hydro-alcoholic extract of Passiflora several cases of neuralgia, and one of sleeplessness, with incessant motion and suicidal mania. With the same extract during the current week, Dr. J. H. Phares has treated, with the most prompt and satisfactory success, a very virulent and hopeless case of tetanus, with ophisthotonos, trismus and convulsions, in a child two years old. Other most potent remedies, in heroic doses, having failed to produce any effect in this case, he thinks that nothing but the Passiflora could possibly have saved the child.
(The editor of the California Medical Journal (1889) says):
We have been employing it [Passiflora] in some cases of spinal meningitis after the acute symptoms had subsided, when the patients were unable to sleep, either day or night: could not endure the bed, and were unable to maintain the sitting posture, with highly satisfactory results. It is administered in small doses. Add ten drops of the mother tincture (Homœopathic) to half a tumbler of water; teaspoonful every two hours.
(At the meeting of the Homœopathic Medical Society of Delaware and Peninsula, November 14, 1889, Dr. W. D. Troy read a paper on Passiflora (see Homœopathic Recorder, May, 1890), from which we take the following):
My erysipelatous case was a man of some fifty years. When first seen was a-bed, high fever, facial erysipelas of the flaming, rampant sort, the one eye had disappeared, the other was in rapid retreat. Patient in great anxiety; sharp, stinging pains; could not rest. Was about to give Apis when I thought of my Passion flower. Gave two-drop doses of the tincture every two hours. Put one-half an ounce of same into one quart of water for local application, to be applied hot by flannels and oiled silk. After six hours patient fell asleep; was awakened for medicine every three hours during the night; went to sleep easily after each dose. Said in morning he had had a night's good rest. Found inflammation markedly reduced. I now changed the remedy—gave Ham., both internally and externally. On next visit found patient every way worse. The disease had sneaked across the scalp and invaded the whole face. The case began to look serious. Returned to the Passiflora and kept to it with the most happy results.
My next experience was in a Chorea—a girl budding into womanhood, but in whom the menses had not yet appeared. Child was well developed for her years, fourteen. I learned that for two or three years past the child had "fits," varying at times from moderate to severe. The neurosis was unilateral, the right side alone being affected. The child had had traditional treatment, "off and on," for some time without manifest improvement. I began with the Passiflora 1x dil., 10 gtt. doses every three hours. Kept it up for several days, the Choreic symptoms being not quite so violent; still I was growing anxious—wanted more positive results. Added daily a five-drop dose of tincture. After a few more days the mother informed me that there had been a slight "show"—merely enough to stain the diaper, and that for the last two days there had been hardly any "fits." This was encouraging. I judged that the day of deliverance was nigh. Very little more of the drug was given until about the time for next menstrual flux. Then I resumed it with the most satisfactory results. No nervous symptoms save such as are more or lest common to all women at the "periods" subsequently prevailed.
(The following case was reported by Dr. D. C. Buell Dunlevy, of Port Chester, N. Y.—Homœopathic Recorder, Nov., 1890):
Mr. D——, æt. 52, sent for me to attend him during the month of May. I found him presenting all the prodromal symptoms of delirium tremens, and at once ordered him to bed, and none too soon, as the event proved. For seven days he tossed about in a wild delirium, which was greatly aggravated by marked gastric irritation. I had him carefully watched, both day and night, until the delirium wore off. The treatment up to this time was Cannabis Ind. for the mental trouble and Nux v., which greatly relieved the gastric symptoms. But the moment he began to improve the old cravings for liquor and morphine returned. Right here let me say that for years he has been a great sufferer from piles, and the only rest he could get was to sit propped up in his chair. His sufferings caused him to seek relief during the day in liquor, and at nights in morphine. And this habit had so fastened itself upon him that try as he might he could not give it up. When he came under my treatment I at once put a stop to all stimulants and narcotics, but not without considerable trouble, for he seemed determined to have them. Night after night he would lie there calling for something to make him sleep, and this kept up until he was bordering on a state of insanity. Fully realizing that something must be done, and that quickly, too, I made up my mind to try Passiflora. This I did, and from the time I gave him the first dose improvement set in and has continued ever since. I at first gave him a half teaspoonful of the θ at bed time, but this not proving sufficient I increased it to a teaspoonful. He has now been taking it almost constantly for a period of eight weeks and claims he has not had as natural a sleep for years; and lays particular stress on the fact that when he awakes in the morning he feels so refreshed and his mind remains clear. But what seems even more wonderful is that from the day he first took this drug up to the present he has never felt the slightest desire to return to his former habits. The mere mention of liquor or opium seems to sicken him, and I am fully satisfied that he is now cured and will (so far as liquor and opium are concerned) remain so. He now takes special delight in praising the drug to his friends, and really seems never to tire talking about the wonderful help it has been to him. I have also prescribed the drug to others for insomnia and always with success, one case excepted, in which I gave it for hemicrania, and here, although it quieted the patient, it failed to produce the desired sleep.