Lycopus Virginicus

Lycopus.

Lycopus Virginicus. Bugle-weed. Virginia horehound. (Shady and wet places in U.S.) N. O. Labiatae. Tincture of fresh plant in flower.

Aneurism. Bites of reptiles. Bright's disease. Cough. Diabetes. Exophthalmos. Haemoptysis. Headache. Heart, diseases of. Pericarditis. Phthisis. Snake-bites. Tarentula bites. Typho-malarial fever.

According to Hale Lycopus is mentioned by Rafinesque as "partaking of the properties of Digitalis, Sanguinaria, Cimicifuga, and Spigelia," and as being "one of the mildest and best narcotics in existence." He commends it specially as a substitute for Dig., as having the advantage over it of being non-poisonous; as useful in haemoptysis and "wherever it is required to quell inordinate motions of the blood." This gives a very good picture of the Lcps. place and action, which homoeopathy has made good use of and developed.

The association of Lcps. with Dig., Act. r., and Spi. particularly shows a very clear insight into the action of the remedy, which an experience of mine seems to confirm. Miss S., 25, came to me in October, 1899. About three years previously she had manifested the first symptoms of exophthalmos, which was ascribed by her mother to a prescription of Macrotyn, in low potency, taken for pains in the eyes and continued for a long period. The first symptoms were sore throat with ulcerations, then the goître appeared, and the heart became painful, its action intermittent, with breathlessness and inability to take exertion.

After a course of Thyroidin, and later of Thuja 30 (she had been much vaccinated), Lcps. 12 was given, and this tool, away all the heart pains. Attacks of influenza complicated the case later on, and other remedies had to be given. Now the patient is doing very well under Spig. 30, as far as the heart is concerned, though no impression has been made on the goître, which is small. The heart sounds are normal.

Stammers Morrisson made an extensive proving of Lcps., and developed unmistakable heart symptoms. Two cases by Proell (H. W., xxiv. 546) bring out a very important feature of the action of this drug, namely, on the consequences of suppressions, in his cases, of suppression of haemorrhoidal flux. The patients were each 60 years of age, a man and a woman, both fair with light eyes, tall, very irritable, with weak innervation of the heart without decided organic disease.

Both had had, years before, haemorrhoidal flux which stopped suddenly. Both were hypochondriacal and had noise in left ear. This last symptom was the chief thing the man complained of, along with throbbing in the head preventing sleep. Neither Cact., Kalm., nor Gels. helped radically (though Cact. had once given prompt help when he had had blood-spitting).

The night after taking Lcps. he was a little better, and in the forenoon came a bleeding from the rectum (about three tablespoonfuls, after defecation), with great general relief. The lady had glycosuria, cataract of left eye, and every third night was restless. Lcps. 1x (same dilution as in the other case), one drop in evening. The following night was excellent, and in the morning came an abundant bleeding from the rectum with great relief.

In a case cured with Lcps. by Morrison (of U.S.)., quoted by Hale, the sufferings were associated with the menstrual period, which was exactly regular but intermittent in flow. The first symptom appeared within three or four hours of the onset of the flow, and was a deep-seated pain with heat in occiput. Then followed a train of symptoms, among them nausea, and when the nausea came on the occipital pain was better. This is quite a feature of Lcps.: the symptoms shift about.

In Proell's cases there was a shift from rectum to heart and head. Pains also shift from heart to eyes, from head to heart, from heart to left wrist and right calf, and back to wrist and heart. The characteristic heart is a feeble heart, with distress and weak pulse. Cardiac irritability with depressed force.

This may be found with organic disease as well as without. When this condition exists and has other symptoms associated with it—in the head, throat, eyes, and elsewhere—Lcps. will most likely be needed. If in addition there is a history of suppressed discharge the indications will be all the stronger. Lcps. is a remedy of accompaniments.

The heart condition has many associated symptoms not directly referable to the heart. When pulmonary complaints are associated with loose stools Lcps. will very likely be the remedy. There is a characteristic cough with haemoptysis associated with feeble heart action, deep, violent in evening and night without waking, expectoration sweetish, renewed by change to cold weather and cold winds. Stanley Wilde (H.

W., xxv. 108) cured a desperate case of pericarditis associated with bronchitis with Lcps. Ø; also a case of palpitation with darting pain in heart in a young woman, following an attack of acute rheumatism two years before. Briggs of Fort Lovell (St. Louis Periscope, ix. 329), relates the cure of a patient of Tarentula bite by application of a liquid made of Lycopus. He says the Cherokee Indians allow themselves to be bitten by rattlesnakes, centipedes, and tarentulas, chewing as an antidote large quantities of Lycopus and swallowing the juice.

H. W. Felter, an eclectic, is quoted (H. R., xv. 430) as commending Lcps. in: passive lung haemorrhages; wild, tumultuous beating of heart (which often precedes lung haemorrhage); cough of phthisis.

It does not disorder the stomach, he says, but acts as a tonic and appetiser. Motion, exercise, walking, ascending, all <. At the same time lying down = cardiac depression; and lying on right side < constriction of thorax. There is restlessness, must change position in spite of weakness.

By friction. < In morning; (aching down spine, > after rising). < Towards sunset and in evening.

At night, violent cough. The muscular pains are > in warm room and in bed; but not > by direct warmth. Open air = faintness and slight nausea; change to cold weather and cold winds = renewed cough. Cold air < rheumatoid pains.

Pains shift generally r. to l.

Antidote to: Act. r. (?). Compare: Lamium (botan.; piles); Ocim. can. (botan); Iber., Kalm., Spi., Crataeg., Cact., Dig., Hydr. ac., Lauro., Pru. spi. (heart); Sang.

Suppressed haemorrhoidal flow.

Burning in r. ear.

Sneezing and slight nasal catarrh.

Toothache in r. lower molars, then subacute pain, first in l. then r. frontal eminence, in r. molar, then r. temple, then l. molar, then l. temple, again to r. molar, then to loins with frontal oppression.

Rawness at back of r. palate extending to l.—Burning in spot on soft palate, following headache.

Muscular rheumatoid pains, affecting articulations and tendons, < by motion and cold air, not > by friction, or cold affusion, or direct warmth, but > in warm room or in bed; rheumatic pains around heart; irregular and intermittent pulse; < towards sunset.

Rheumatoid pains in forearm and wrists, with trembling of hands.—Hands unsteady, writing difficult.

Prickings as if bitten by insects.—Troublesome urticaria, esp. on l. forearm and r. leg, before retiring.

Sleep restless, full of troublesome dreams.—Wakeful on retiring, though fatigued.

Stupid, will not answer questions; is waxy, cold; pulse very low yet full and large, soft and compressive; haemorrhage from bowels; tawny expressionless face; veins full and face bloated; eyes expressionless and seem to project from their sockets; fever not high; chokes and swallows. (typhoid malaria).