Lactuca Virosa
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Poisonous Lettuce. Compositæ.
A plant native to Europe ; has a strong, disagreeable smell, like that of opium, and a bitterish, acrid taste.
Provings by German provers, collected by Seidel. See Jour. f. Hom. Arzneien, vol. 2.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Cough , Neidhard, Raue's Rec., 1870, p. 373 ; Whooping cough , A. R., Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 723 ; Catarrh of chest , Meyer, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 686 ; Hydrothorax , Neidhard, Raue's Rec., 1870, p. 372.
MIND [1]
Anguish and internal uneasiness.
Sadness with exaggerated fancies.
Difficulty of thinking.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo with heaviness of head and lower limbs, blackness before eyes and sensation as if head was too large and expanded.
INNER HEAD [3]
Aching, pressing pain in forehead ; sensation as if brain was loose.
Painful spot near vertex, < on touching it.
Heaviness in occiput with pressure.
Dull pain in whole head, early in morning.
Trembling and pulsation in head during rest.
Head is very painfully shattered by slight cough, so that a whirring and pressing remain a long time afterward.
Headaches : with affections of respiratory organs ; nervous.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Musca volitantes ; dim-sightedness, as through mist or gauze.
Pupils very much dilated.
Biting in eyes.
Lids covered with mucus.
UPPER FACE [8]
Heat of face, with trembling of lips, and sensation as if they were swollen.
LOWER FACE [9]
Twitching in lips.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Tongue coated white ; tip of tongue feels burnt.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Increased flow of acrid saliva.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Bitter taste in throat, as from bile.
Tenacious mucus in throat early in morning.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Tightness in pit of stomach, followed by true precordial anxiety.
Feeling of warmth in stomach, accompanied by nausea, rising into throat, and flat taste at root of tongue, changing to icy coldness of stomach and throat.
Pit of stomach retracted ; pain in stomach, < from pressure, > by sitting, bending, or emitting fetid flatus.
Icy coldness in stomach and œsophagus.
Stitches in pylorus.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Swelling of liver with pressure, or with tightness when pressing on it.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Pinching in umbilical region, < crossing legs.
Fulness in abdomen, especially right side, impedes respiration ; > by discharge of flatus.
Ascites, with induration of liver, and asthma.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Dry, hard, knotty, difficult stool, with burning at anus.
Hemorrhoidal tumors, with tenesmus of rectum.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Dragging, pressing in region of bladder.
Frequent micturition and increased secretion of urine, urine clear as water.
Burning at orifice of urethra.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Swelling of lymphatics on penis, painful erections during morning sleep.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Hypertrophy of ovaries in a woman, æt. 50, consequent upon an abortion twenty-five years previously ; abdomen as large as that of a woman with twins at ninth month ; could get no rest day or night, tumor causing pain by pressure in all positions ; rectum contracted, evacuates feces with great pain.
Excessive swelling of abdomen, feet and eyelids. θ Dropsy of uterus.
Painful gonorrhœa in females.
RESPIRATION [26]
Frequent desire for air and a deep breath ; oppression of chest.
She feared to take a deep breath on account of tightness in lower part of chest ; there was then felt a slight shock.
Difficult breathing, with stitches in left lung.
Wakes suddenly and must bounce out of bed upon his feet. θ Suffocation.
COUGH [27]
Cough from tickling in throat ; tightness in chest.
Dry cough in short paroxysms, shaking chest and occiput.
Dry, suffocative cough, with coldness in stomach.
Spasmodic, dry, hollow, racking cough, as if chest would fly to pieces.
Incessant spasmodic cough, which threatens to burst chest ; always caused by peculiar tickling in fauces, which, in turn, seems to be produced by sensation of suffocation in throat.
A woman past climacteric years, tickling cough, with oppression of middle and right side of chest, pain in posterior part of region of liver.
Whooping cough, paroxysms preceded by anxiety.
Dry, spasmodic cough, from tickling in larynx, with dyspnœa and oppression of chest, as if it would burst ; < in morning, > sitting up ; before attacks, great anxiety.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Pinching, dull, sticking pain, which becomes seated in upper part of left side of chest, with tightness of whole chest.
Pleuritic stitches from middle of sternum toward right side.
Dull sticking from left chest to scapula.
Pain catches him in his lungs, back and front, and across top of sacrum.
Several sharp stitches beneath short ribs of left side.
Cramping, pressing pains in various parts of chest.
Feeling of coldness in chest.
Fulness in chest, as of a heavy weight ; loosens clothing.
Cannot bear anything to bear on chest, lest breathing should become oppressed.
Sensation as if lower part of chest was too tight.
Great oppression of chest at night, waking him from sleep and obliging him to sit up with anxious suddenness ; feels as if he would suffocate, and suddenly he finds himself on his feet.
Congestion of blood to chest, with pressing, obliging one to breathe hurriedly.
Irritation to cough caused by constant tickling in throat, cough short, taking away breath, patient almost in despair. θ Catarrh of chest.
Hydrothorax with anasarca ; unable to lie down or sleep, could not express ideas for want of words, inclined to weep ; fluids choke him ; violent palpitation.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Tightness and oppression of chest on waking from sleep ; feels as if suffocating, must get out of bed. θ Angina pectoris.
Pulse slow, contracted and small.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Pain as if in spinal marrow, extending through coccyx. θ Coccygodinia.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Painful twitching or trembling of hands.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Sensation in legs as if circulation was suspended, particularly when sitting.
Cold feet.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Sharp, cramplike twitchings in neighborhood of joints.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Rest : trembling and pulsating in head.
Sitting : pains in stomach > ; oppression of chest > ; as if circulation in legs was suspended.
Bending : pains in stomach >.
Crossing legs, pinching in umbilical region <.
Unable to lie down : hydrothorax with anasarca.
Must sit up in bed : oppression of chest.
In all positions : painfulness of tumor.
SLEEP [37]
Irresistible drowsiness, in daytime.
Sleep restless or lethargic.
TIME [38]
Morning : dull pain in whole head ; tenacious mucus in throat ; during sleep, painful erections ; oppression of chest <.
Day : irresistible drowsiness.
Night : great oppression of chest.
Day or night : no rest, hypertrophy of ovaries.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Warm room : chilliness.
FEVER [40]
Slight shivering.
Frequent coldness over back and head, with heat in face.
Chilliness in a warm room, with coldness of hands and feet.
Dry heat of upper part of body, with icy coldness of feet.
Profuse perspiration.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : fulness in abdomen < ; oppression of side of chest ; stitches toward side from sternum.
Left : stitches in lung ; pinching pain in upper part of side of chest ; dull sticking from chest to scapula ; sharp stitches beneath short ribs.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if head was too large and expanded ; as if brain was loose ; as if looking through mist or gauze ; as if lips were swollen ; tip of tongue as if burnt ; as if chest would fly to pieces ; as of a heavy weight in chest ; as if lower part of chest was too tight ; as if he would suffocate ; pain as if in spinal marrow, extending through coccyx ; as if circulation in legs was suspended.
Pain : in stomach ; in posterior part of region of liver ; in lungs, back and front, and across top of sacrum.
Painful spot : near vertex.
Head is very painfully shattered by slight cough, so that a whirring and pressure remain a long time afterward.
Anxiety : in precordial region.
Sharp stitches : beneath short ribs of left side.
Stitches : in pylorus ; in left lung ; from middle of sternum toward right side.
Pinching : in umbilical region.
Sharp, cramplike twitching : in neighborhood of joints.
Cramping, pressive pains : in various parts of chest.
Dragging, pressing : in region of bladder.
Pinching, dull sticking pain : upper part of left chest.
Dull sticking : from left chest to scapula.
Aching pressing pain : in forehead.
Dull pain : in whole head.
Painful twitching and trembling : of hands.
Biting : in eyes.
Burning : at anus ; at orifice of urethra.
Heat : of face.
Dry heat : of upper part of body.
Warmth : in stomach.
Pressure : on occiput.
Heaviness : of head and lower limbs ; of occiput.
Oppression : of chest.
Tightness : in pit of stomach ; of liver ; in lower chest.
Fulness : in abdomen ; in chest.
Tickling : in throat ; in fauces.
Trembling : of lips.
Trembling and pulsating : in head.
Twitching : of lips.
Coldness : of stomach and throat ; in chest ; of feet.
TISSUES [44]
Dropsical swellings ; hydrothorax ; ascites, with induration of liver and asthma.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : < painful spot on vertex.
Cannot bear anything on chest : difficulty of breathing.
Pressure : pain in stomach ; tightness of liver ; pain in tumor >.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Woman, past climaxis ; cough.
A man, æt. 22 ; asthma with hydrothorax (relieved).
Man, æt. 26 ; phthisical, after intermittent, hydrothorax.
Man, had for years suffered from blood dyscrasia and affection of brain ; hydrothorax.
Woman, æt. 30 ; hysterical, spasmodic cough.
Woman, æt. 50 ; hypertrophy of ovaries after miscarriage (improved).
Woman, æt. 59 ; hydrothorax (relieved).
A woman, æt. 60 ; hydrothorax.
A man, æt. 61 ; asthma with general œdema after taking cold.
RELATIONS [48]
Compare : Opium (drowsiness), Laches., Kali carb., Kali iod . (heart symptoms).