Viburnum Opulus
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
High Cranberry bush. Caprifoliaceæ.
This shrub, belonging to the honeysuckle family, grows from five to ten feet high, is common in Canada and the Northern and Western States, abundant in the Catskill and Allegheny Mountains. It flowers in June and July. The bright-red acid fruit is a substitute for cranberries. The Viburnum prunifolium (black haw) should not be confounded with it.
The tincture is prepared from the fresh bark.
Provings by H. C. Allen, assisted by eleven provers, male and female ; Trans. Am. I. of Hom., 1881, p. 160.
The tincture and first and thirtieth dilutions were used.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Dysmenorrhœa , Palmer, A. H. O., vol. 4, p. 216 ; Hale, N. E. M. G., vol. 12, p. 66 ; Am. Hom., vol. 1, p. 96 ; King, vol. 13, p. 80 ; J. H. W., N. E. M. G., vol. 8, p. 121 ; Hale, N. E. M. G., vol. 12, p. 67 ; Weinke, B. J. H., vol. 34, p. 163 ; King, Hah. Mo., vol. 13, p. 80 ; Allen, H. C., Trans. Am. I. of Hom., 1881, p. 169 ; Owens (3 cases), Trans. Am. I. of Hom., 1881, p. 176 ; Membranous dysmenorrhœa , Hunter, Hab. Mo., vol. 10, p. 255 ; Threatened abortion , C. F. M., Hom. Recorder, vol. 4, p. 58 ; Farrington, Hom. Phys., vol. 2, p. 54 ; James, Hah. Mo., vol. 10, p. 91 ; Violent after-pains , Allen, Ass, Trans. Am. I. of Hom., 1881, p. 170 ; Cough , Burnett, Org., vol. 2, p. 345.
MIND [1]
Depressed.
Unable to concentrate mind on usual mental labor.
Inability to study.
Stupid feeling, as if she could not tell where she was or what to do on awaking in morning.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo : inclines to turn to left ; in rising, as if would fall forward ; on closing eyes.
INNER HEAD [3]
Slight frontal headache in forenoon.
Dull frontal headache.
Dull throbbing, frontal headache, extending to eyeballs, < by mental exertion, and > by moving about.
Dull, confusing frontal headache, extending to temporal regions, as after night watching, or loss of sleep, so severe as to compel cessation of mental exertion.
A severe frontal headache with occasional vertigo set in, continuing with severity for six or seven days, almost incapacitating for study, and accompanied by profuse and frequent urination.
Severe pain in left parietal region ; pain sharp and penetrates into brain, < by every cough, moving head and when bowels move.
Dull aching pain over left eye.
Dull, heavy headache, mostly over eyes, < on left side, at times extending to vertex and occiput (principally when delayed menses should appear), < by a sudden jar or bending over, false step and movement.
Dull supraorbital and frontal headache, with profuse flow of watery clear urine.
Severe pain in head just over eyes on opening them ; soreness extending back into head.
Severe pressive pain in right supraorbital region.
Severe left sided headache ; eyes heavy ; felt sick enough to go to bed.
Headache beginning about 3 P. M., < at night.
Dull, throbbing headache, continuing all evening, and so severe on retiring that she felt sick all over.
Every cough hurts head.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Amaurosis.
Heaviness over eyes and in balls, at times, must look twice to be sure of seeing an object.
Sore feeling in eyeballs ; sharp jerking pains as from knife.
Eyes burn ; can hardly see on account of profuse flow of tears.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Awakes during night with great pain in ears, deep in bone .
Sharp jerking pains in ears, as if stabbing with a sharp knife, lasting nearly an hour, with more or less severity.
External ear sore as if bruised ; could not lie on affected side (of head).
Would have to rub ear and seemed as if she would have to straighten it out ; as if it were pinned to head ; would lie on other side and be awakened with same feeling in that ear ; compelled to change position many times during night in consequence.
UPPER FACE [8]
Face flushed and hot.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Tongue dry ; broad and white, centre brown, takes print of teeth.
Taste coppery ; disagreeable.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Lips and mouth dry.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Nausea and faintness ; every little while, at noon, is obliged to lie down ; > by eating, but felt immediately afterward.
Constant nausea (no inclination to vomit), > by eating.
Deathly sick feeling at stomach, as if she could not live, every night, not > by any position.
When lying perfectly quiet had no unpleasant feeling, but as soon as she moved a deathly nausea at pit of stomach came on ; every time she tried to get up she fainted.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Food lies heavily.
A sensation of goneness, as if empty and had been for days.
Aching pain in stomach in afternoon, > by stretching body and throwing stomach forward.
Dyspepsia with constipation and incontinence of urine.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Severe, sticking darting pain in left hypochondrium, deep-seated as if in spleen, with a sensation as if some hot fluid were running through splenic vessels ; > by walking about room.
Pain in left lumbar and left hypochondriac regions so intense as to produce faintness ; although night was cool a warm perspiration broke out all over body, giving relief.
Violent throbbing in left hypochondrium if he attempted to lie on left side ; could not lie on left side.
Retired at 11 P. M., but was unable to remain in bed on account of severe throbbing pain under floating ribs of left side, walked room until 3 A. M., pain > by pressure.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Whole abdomen tender and sensitive to pressure, especially about umbilicus.
Rumbling, darting pains in bowels.
Cramping pains in lower abdomen as before catamenia, mostly or wholly at night.
She has cramping colic pains in lower abdomen almost unbearable, pains come suddenly and with terrible severity.
Cramplike colic pains in lower abdomen (during menstruation).
Severe, heavy, aching, bearing-down pain, accompanied by drawing pains in anterior muscles of thighs, and occasionally by sharp, shooting pains in ovarian regions.
Bearing-down pains in abdomen as during menstruation, with heavy aching pain over pubes.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Diarrhœa at menstrual period profuse, watery, four or five stools in an hour, accompanied by terrible chills, at same time cold sweat would roll off her forehead. (Veratrum relieved).
Great inactivity of rectum ; no inclination to stool.
Constipation : stool small, dry and composed of hard, round balls, evacuated with much effort ; stool large, dry, painful and so difficult that mechanical assistance is needed ; stool large, hard, and when passed attended with a cutting sensation in rectum and anus ; stool long, large, hard, and difficult to expel, having a desire to evacuate, but when attempted feels as if there were nothing there, and evacuation occurs slowly and only after long straining ; urging to stool as if it would be dangerous to postpone, but stool was large and difficult to pass ; desire for stool, with much straining ; stool hard, dry, with blood and great soreness of anus.
During and immediately after stool, profuse hemorrhage of dark-red blood.
Stool scanty and hard, with hemorrhage ; a sensation of constriction of rectum and anus.
Constipation, during entire proving, with great tenesmus ; when bowels moved a pain felt in left orbital region.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Spasmodic dysuria in hysterical subjects.
Urine profuse and pale, specific gravity 1021.
Profuse, clear, watery, must be voided every hour or two ; specific gravity 1019.
Profuse discharge of pale watery urine, repeated quite regularly every hour during afternoon and evening.
Profuse discharge of clear, watery urine for several days in succession ; specific gravity low, but no morphological elements were found.
Profuse and frequent flow of clear, watery urine, accompanying frontal headache.
Following each act of urination was a sensation as if urine continued to flow.
During menses, obliged every hour or two to urinate, passed at each time large quantities of clear, light-colored urine .
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Seminal emissions without dreams.
Severe pain and swelling of epididymis and testicle of left side.
Epididymis of right side painful and swollen, was obliged to use a suspensory bandage. (Aconite relieved).
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Before menses : severe bearing down ; drawing in anterior muscles of thighs ; heavy aching in sacral region and over pubes ; occasional sharp, shooting pains in ovaries, pains make her so nervous she cannot sit still ; excruciating cramping, colicky pains in lower abdomen, and through womb ; pains begin in back and go around, ending in cramps in uterus.
During menses : nausea ; cramping pain and great nervous resltessness ; flow ceases for several hours, then returns in clots.
Menstrual flow scanty, thin, light-colored, with sensation of lightness of head, faint when trying to sit up ; spasmodic or membranous dysmenorrhœa.
Leucorrhœa thin, yellow-white or colorless, except with stool, when it is thick, white, blood-streaked.
Neuralgic and spasmodic dysmenorrhœa.
Pain in back, loins and across lower abdomen, as if menses were coming on ; < in early part of evening and in a close room ; > in open air and by moving about.
Pain beginning in back and going around to loins and across to pubic bone like labor pains.
Excruciating colicky pain through womb and lower abdomen coming on quite suddenly, just preceding menstrual flow, sometimes lasting ten or twelve hours. θ Dysmenorrhœa.
Cramping pains in lower abdomen as if menses were about to appear.
Menses delayed ten days.
Uneasy sensation in pelvic region and slight bearing-down pains continuing all week.
Leucorrhœa thin, yellowish-white, for two days following menstruation.
Irritable ovaries, with dysmenorrhœa.
Cramplike pains and spasms of stomach, bowels, bladder or other organs when reflex from uterine irritation.
Flushes of heat, pain in left side, dizziness when stooping. θ Uterine affection.
Painful menstruation and menorrhagia for six years ; always discharged a large clot at each period, after which pain diminished ; on being requested to wash out the next clot, a perfect membrana decidualis was revealed. θ Membranous dysmenorrhœa.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
During pregnancy : cramps in abdomen and legs.
Threatened abortion ; intense cramp in uterus and bearing down ; or pain around from back, ending in excruciating cramps in lower abdomen.
Spasmodic pains, shooting from abdomen into legs ; frequent and very early miscarriages, so that ovum is expelled at every menstrual period, thus causing sterility.
Threatened miscarriage with severe backache ; severe cramping, bearing-down pains almost unbearable, causing constant restless moving about in bed ; cannot sit or lie still, so severe are the pains.
Labor pains : false pains precede the real pains ; cramps in abdomen, shooting down legs.
Cramps in abdomen and legs of pregnant women.
Will prevent miscarriage if given before the membranes are injured, and when the pains are spasmodic and threatening.
Mrs. R---, five months pregnant, while out driving received a severe strain from holding her frightened horse ; three days after severe bearing-down pains began in abdomen and back, interspersed with colicky, crampy pains through abdomen from hip prominences downward toward vagina ; irritable, would hardly answer questions, twisted about when pains came on, placing her fists under hips, and raising them from couch ; complained of nausea and dizziness when rising from couch ; twice within an hour felt preparatory symptoms of vomiting, which did not occur ; face flushed (probably from straining), pupils dilated, warm perspiration on forehead ; frontal headache ; crampy pain down face of thighs, with heaviness of lower limbs ; dizziness on attempting to rise ; urging to urinate.
COUGH [27]
Cough during second month of pregnancy ; < night and morning, and on lying down ; urine spurting out when coughing.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Severe throbbing pain under left floating ribs, > from hard pressure and walking ; cannot lie on left side.
Sharp shooting pains in left chest over sixth rib near sternum.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
During proving an old heart trouble, an irregularity of pulse (remission every third beat), of which she had felt nothing for over six months, returned.
Felt as if her breath would leave her body, and her heart would cease beating (during severe menstrual pain).
NECK AND BACK [31]
A stiff, sore feeling in nape of neck.
Neck stiff for several days, with pain in occiput.
Muscles of back lame and bruised, as after severe physical exertion.
Tired, bruised pain in muscles of back extending from points of scapulæ to ilium on each side of spine, > by firm pressure.
Wandering, tired pains in muscles of back, < left side.
Most intense pain in left lumbar region between floating ribs and ilium ; pressure > its intensity, but must keep continually moving.
Dull throbbing pain in left lumbar region, < by lying down ; was compelled to walk room with a walking-stick pressed across back to obtain relief.
Severe pain in back, region of kidney, > by pressure across back with arms crossed.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Buzzing feeling in hands, as if they would burst.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Cramps in feet after long walking.
Wandering, tired pains extending to hips and knees, with disinclination to move about.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Cramps and contractions of extremities, especially during pregnancy.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Inability to lie on left side.
Lying : on affected side ear < ; quiet, nausea > ; cough during pregnancy ; pain in left lumbar region <.
Stooping : dizziness.
Rising : fainting ; nausea and dizziness.
Motion : frontal headache < ; pain in left parietal region < ; nausea < ; menstrual colic > ; backache >.
Stretching body : > aching in stomach.
Straining at stool : headache <.
Walking : about, > pain in hypochondrium ; long, cramps in feet.
NERVES [36]
Paralytic conditions, coming on after convulsions.
Hysterical convulsions from uterine irritation.
General irritation of nervous system.
Cramps and contractions of extremities, especially during pregnancy.
SLEEP [37]
Sleep restless, unrefreshing.
Sleepy after dinner.
Tired in morning on rising.
TIME [38]
Morning : cough during pregnancy < ; tired.
Noon : must lie down, nausea and faintness.
Afternoon : aching in stomach.
At 3 P. M. : headache begins.
Afternoon and evening : profuse urination.
Evening : throbbing headache ; early, pain in back, loins and abdomen.
Night : headache < ; awakes with pain in ears ; deathly nausea ; cramp in abdomen ; cough during pregnancy <.
From 11 P. M. to 3 A. M. : pain in left hypochondrium.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Close room : menstrual colic <.
Open air : menstrual colic >.
FEVER [40]
Chill, followed by severe headache.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Suddenly : cramping colic.
For an hour : jerking pains in ears.
Every hour or two : profuse urination.
For ten or twelve hours : menstrual colic.
For several days : profuse urination ; stiff neck.
For six or seven days : frontal headache.
All week : uneasy sensation in pelvic region.
For ten days : menses delayed.
Second month of pregnancy : cough.
For six years : painful menstruation.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Left : inclination to turn, vertigo ; pain in parietal region ; dull aching over eye ; pain in hypochondrium ; throbbing under floating ribs ; shooting pains in chest over sixth rib near sternum ; pain in back < ; muscles of entire side of body sore, as if bruised or strained by overlifting.
Right : pain above eye.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if she could not tell where she was or what to do on awaking ; as if stabbing with a sharp knife in eyes and ears ; ear as if bruised ; as if ear were pinned to head ; as if she could not live, sick feeling at stomach ; goneness, as if stomach were empty ; as if a hot fluid were running through splenic vessels ; as if urine continued to flow after urinating ; as if menses were coming on ; pain in back and across lower abdomen ; as if breath would leave body and heart would cease beating ; bruised feeling in back, as after severe physical exertion ; buzzing in hands as if they would burst ; l. side as if bruised or strained by overlifting.
Pain : in ears deep in bone ; in left lumbar and hypochondriac regions ; produces faintness ; in testicles ; in occiput.
Excruciating pain : through womb and lower abdomen.
Intense pain : in left lumbar region.
Severe pain : in left parietal region penetrates into brain ; over eyes on opening them.
Jerking : in eyeballs ; in ears.
Cutting : in rectum and anus.
Darting : in left hypochondrium ; in bowels.
Stabbing : in eyes and ears.
Sticking : in spleen.
Shooting : in ovarian regions ; in left chest over sixth rib near sternum.
Burning : in eyes.
Aching : dull, over left eye ; in stomach ; over pubes ; in sacral region.
Bruised pain : in muscles of back.
Soreness : in eyeballs ; in anus ; in nape of neck.
Pressure : in right supraorbital region.
Throbbing : headache ; in left hypochondrium ; in left lumbar region.
Drawing : in anterior muscles of thighs.
Cramp : in lower abdomen ; through womb ; in extremities during pregnancy.
Constriction : of rectum and anus.
Bearing down : in lower abdomen ; before menses.
Uneasy sensation : in pelvic region.
Stiffness : in nape of neck.
Heaviness : over eyes and in balls.
Dryness : in lips and mouth.
TISSUES [44]
Amenorrhœa.
Dysmenorrhœa, spasmodic or membranous.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
A sudden jar : headache <.
Pressure : > pain in left hypochondrium ; backache >.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Tall, slender, dark or fair-haired hysterical subjects.
Girl, æt. 16, suffering four years ; dysmenorrhœa.
Girl, æt. 17, slender, dark hair and eyes, thin, fair skin, suffering since first menstruation, two years previous ; dysmenorrhœa.
Girl, æt. 20, servant, large, florid ; dysmenorrhœa.
Mrs. ---, æt. 24, two months pregnant ; cough.
Mrs. ---, æt. 25, short, heavy set, light hair and eyes, thick, white skin, suffering since girlhood ; dysmenorrhœa.
Mrs. B., æt. 26, tall, slender, eyes and hair black, mother of one child, one miscarriage at six months ; dysmenorrhœa.
Miss ---, æt. 27, suffering six years ; membranous dysmenorrhœa.
Miss B. L., æt. 28, dark complexion, brown hair and eyes, heavy, languid manner, complaining and anxious ; dysmenorrhœa.
Mrs. McK., æt. 30, dark hair and eyes, divorced ; dysmenorrhœa for about six years.
Mrs. ---, æt. 35, tall, large frame, dark hair, eyes and skin, scrofulous ; dysmenorrhœa.
Mrs. H. T., æt. 38, mother of several children ; violent after-pains.
Mrs. D., married fourteen years, never pregnant, dark hair and eyes, sallow complexion, subject to eczema ; dysmenorrhœa since she began to menstruate.
RELATIONS [48]
Antidoted by : Acon . (epididymitis), Veratr . (diarrhœa).
Compare : Act. rac . (nervous, rheumatic diathesis), Caulophl . (cramplike abdominal pains and menstrual symptoms).