A second prover, Mrs.—— æt 37, experienced jerking and twitchings of the muscles, shooting pains in left ovarian region, and, on movement, lumbar pain and stiffness. Proving made with 3d dilution.
Third prover, æt 27, a woman. First marked symptom was a shooting pain in left ovary; then pain and twitching in leg, when aching stopped it felt very hot; aching repeated, and only relief was shifting the position of the leg to a cool place in the bed; again a dreadful pain in the region of the left ovary—"a fearful aching" "it was a pain you couldn't have put up with long without doing something;" later: "I have had no pain, but a great twitching in my hands and legs for a long time, just like a person with chorea—first my left hand jumped, then both legs, my heart seemed to beat very fast." "When hands were held it seemed to alleviate the jerking and twitching." The pain in ovaries, also in other parts of the body at times, the twitchings and jerkings, and the frequent hot feeling continued during all the proving. It was made with the 3d and θ.
The fourth proving was made by Dr. Black himself, chiefly with the 3x and θ.
This proving is quite long. From it we note the following symptoms: Severe pain in right shoulder joint. Muscular twitching in right leg. Dull pain under left false ribs. Neuralgic pain in sciatic nerve. Back, lumbar region, stiff and weak. Pain in right knee joint, painful to move and tender to the touch. Weight and oppression of the heart, with gripping feeling as if a hand were squeezing it; the load seemed to lift, with great relief, but came back again. A curious sensation of tickling about the heart. Twinges of pain in the great toes. The last record some days after ceasing the proving reads as follows: "I think it was the same night as the previously recorded symptoms that I went to bed between 12 and 1 o'clock, and after lying down experienced a curious general tremor through my body, as if all the muscles were in a state of fibrillary contraction; not a single involuntary jerk, nor the continued twitching of the muscle or a portion of one, but a general state affecting the whole body. It lasted until I fell asleep."
Therapeutically the drug has been used for palsy, "incompetency and tumultuous distressing cardiac action," mitral disease, chorea, epilepsy, retention of placenta, catarrhal deafness, menorrhagia, sciatica, rheumatism, periostitis, hydrothorax, and transient deafness.
The Druids sweepingly asserted that it would "heal all diseases."
WYETHIA HELENIOIDES.
Nat. Ord., Compositæ.
Common Name, Californian compass plant.
Preparation.—One part of the fresh root is macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.