Nat. Ord., Ericaceæ.
Common Names, Trailing Arbutus. Ground Laurel. Gravel Root.
Preparation.—The fresh leaves are pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.
(In the subjoined paper by Dr. E. M. Hale, North American Journal of Homœopathy, 1869, the old doctrine of signatures seems to crop out again.)
The Gravel Root has long had some reputation in urinary difficulties, and even in calculous affections. The common appellation of "Gravel root" shows that the popular belief points in the direction of its use.
I have never tested its virtues but in one instance, and its effects seemed to be so decided and curative that I deem the case worthy of publication.
A young man, aged twenty-three, applied for treatment of a long array of symptoms, some of which seemed to indicate enlargement of the prostate, and others a vesical catarrh.
The quantity of urine was nearly normal.
The quality was decidedly abnormal. It contained a large amount of mucus, the phosphates, some blood, and a little pus. It was dark red, colored blue litmus paper red (showing its acid condition).
The pain was similar to a vesical tenesmus, a pain in the region of the neck of the bladder and prostate gland. Pressure in the perineum was painful.
He had been under the most atrocious allopathic treatment; had been drugged with copaiva, spts. nitric.-dulc., turpentine, tincture muriate of iron, and other diuretics in enormous doses.
I commenced the treatment with Sulphur 30th, three doses a day for a week.