Berberis Aquifolium
Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 4,857 chars · source ↗
General
Berberis Aquifolium.
Oregon Grape. N. O. Berberidaceae. Fluid extract or tincture of root.
Clinical
Biliousness. Bronchorrhoea. Eczema. Face, roughness of. Headache. Herpes. Leucorrhoea. Pityriasis. Psoriasis. Spleen, affections of. Stomatitis. Syphilis. Typhoid. Voice, affections of.
Characteristics
Berb. aqui. belongs to the Mahonia group of the Barberry family. It has been used by eclectics in chronic syphilis, chronic skin diseases, in scrofulous cachexia, and for removing pimples from the faces of girls. Hale reports a case of very advanced secondary syphilis cured with it, and some characteristic cases of psoriasis. In all these conditions it has been given in the Ø tincture 5 to 10 drops.
J. D. W. C., in Recorder, 1896, gives personal experiences with doses of 10 to 15 drops a day.
On the third day felt "nausea and thick-headedness." Later there was "straining to vomit without vomiting." Then a peculiar headache, strong compression, as if a band of iron two inches wide passed entirely round head just above ears. It kept growing tighter and tighter. Strong black coffee relieved this after a time, but left him tremulous in nerves and unsteady in gait. Ever after that a single drop of Berb. aq. on the tongue was sufficient to avert an attack of biliousness when threatening, and saved him much trouble of the kind to which he had formerly been liable.
Berb. aq. has a reputation for making "a new man of an old one." A tea made of the leaves of Berb. mahon. has a local reputation in the mountain typhoid of the Rockies, and the provings of Berb. aq. show febrile symptoms and a marked action on the spleen. A systematic proving was made under Winterburn's direction. I have verified its usefulness in secondary, syphilis.
Relations
Compare: Berb. v., Euonym, &c.
Mind
Unhappiness and depression; sometimes coming on suddenly
Hysterical crying at frequent intervals
Nervous, restless
Disinclined to move or do anything; dull, stupidity
Drowsy in daytime
Nausea and thick-headedness.
Head
Dizzy sensation < sleeping or moving
Pain r. side pressing like a weight
Pain r. temple running down into teeth; pains transitory and recurring
Pain like iron band completely surrounding head above ears, with gradually increasing compression.
Eyes
Conjunctiva injected
Sensation of film before eyes
Eyes look hollow and weak as if tired; burning feeling and aching as from strain
Weak feeling in eyes lasting a long time.
Nose
Stuffy feeling, with discharge of greenish-yellow mucus.—Itching within nose with desire to sneeze.
Face
Blotches and pimples on face
Yellow skin
Waxy, yellowish white
Flashes of heat to cheeks
Pinched expression.
Mouth
Bilious taste after eating
Tongue thickly coated, yellow-brown or pasty white
Tongue feels as if, or actually is blistered
Soreness in lower teeth and salivary glands.
Throat
Dry throat.
Stomach
Hunger, even soon after eating, without desire for food
Sudden nausea after eating
Burning in stomach and borborygmi
Cramps, and no appetite (2nd week)
Nausea and severe straining to vomit (occurred when fasting).
Abdomen
Uneasy feeling without desire for stool
Pain in hypogastrium
Biliousness and waxy jaundiced hue
Intense burning in spleen and feeling as if pounded
Distressing soreness in spleen.
Stool And Anus
Large, free, dark stools
Hot bilious diarrhoea
After looseness, light-coloured, varnished, constipated stools
Stools too large and expelled with difficulty.
Urinary Organs
Urine increased or decreased in quantity.
Male Sexual Organs
Drawing and pressure in testicles.
Female Sexual Organs
Slight burning in vagina, bearing-down pains and aching as, if menses about to come on.
Respiratory Organs
Bilious cold: throat choked with mucus, voice rough and somewhat hoarse, expectoration yellow and then greenish
Voice seemed cut off as if a damper had closed
Lack of timbre in voice
Dry, irritative cough
Scanty, tenacious, blood-streaked expectoration.
Chest
Oppression and weakness of upper part of chest.—Burning heat in lower l. lung.—(Accelerated pulse and heightened temperature vividly suggest phthisis pulmonalis.)
Limbs
Sense of numbness and feeling as if there was no strength of will to lift the part
When perfectly still, no pain; on movement, cramp (in legs), trembling and uncertainty of motion and pain
Pain severe as after a heavy blow
Peculiar prickling as from electricity back of hand and outside forearm, momentary but frequently returning and independent of conditions
Rheumatic tension and stiffness of legs.
Generalities
Weak, tired feeling, better for exercise.—Tremulous in nerves, unsteady in gait.
Fever
Diurnal rise of temperature and pulse
Flashes of heat and burning of palms
Flashes of heat to cheeks.