Ledum Palustre

Ledum.

Ledum palustre. Wild Rosemary. Marsh Cistus. Marsh Tea. Labrador Tea. N. O. Ericaceae. Tincture of dried small twigs and leaves collected after flowering begins. Tincture of whole fresh plant.

Ascites. Asthma. Bites. Black-eye. Boils. Bruises. Deafness. Ear, inflammation of. Eczema. Erythema nodosum. Face, pimples on. Feet, pains in; tender. Gout. Haemoptysis. Hands, pains in. Intoxication. Joints, affections of, cracking in. Ménière's disease. Pediculosis. Priapism. Prickly heat. Punctured wounds. Rheumatism. Skin, eruptions on. Stings. Tetanus. Tinnitus. Tuberculosis. Varicella. Whitlow. Wounds.

In the preface to his proving of Ledum Hahnemann says it "is suitable for the most part only for chronic maladies in which there is a predominance of coldness and deficiency of animal heat." Teste, who is one of the chief clinical authorities on Ledum, mentions that it is native to damp regions of the North of Europe, and that no animal except the goat eats it, on account of the strong resinous smell of its leaves, which "keeps off lice and prevents flour from getting mouldy." In Sweden a decoction of Ledum is used for freeing, oxen and pigs from lice.

Linnaeus says that this same decoction, if taken internally, has cured "violent headaches and a species of angina." The leaves of Ledum are also used in Sweden in beer to increase its intoxicating power; and also in tanning. Led. is an example of a common article of diet being at the same time a very powerful medicine. Mérat and de Lens say Led. cures itch and scald-head, which Teste explains by its parasiticide action. This anti-parasitic action led Teste to think of Led. as a remedy for bites and punctured wounds, especially as certain symptoms of the proving seemed to agree with it.

The success which has attended this use of Led. in mosquito-bites, stings of bees and wasps, rat-bites, needle-pricks resulting in whitlows, confirms the observation. "Redness, swelling and throbbing in point of index finger, from prick of a needle:" Led. aborted a felon in a few days (W. P. Wesselhoeft).

Teste relates a case of punctured wound: A young lady fell with an embroidery needle in her hand, and the hand was pierced through and through. The wound was serious. There was no haemorrhage, but Teste noticed the intense cold which accompanies and characterises Ledum fever. Within a week Led. cured the patient.

Yingling records (H. P., x. 400) a parallel case: A. J. M., 38, drove a rusty spike through his left foot near the arch of the instep, glancing to the inside of the foot without passing through the bone.

This was at 5 p.m. At 8 p.m. this report was brought to Yingling: A few moments after accident the patient felt stiffening pains in the foot, running up the leg, and rapidly increasing in severity. Great chilliness with chattering of teeth followed. Lower jaw became somewhat stiff; general shivering; neck felt stiff;

"can't endure it much longer." Led. 3x was sent, and rapid improvement took place from the first dose. A compress of Calend. 3x was also applied, an attack of tetanus being evidently aborted. Led. occupies the second place in Teste's Arn. group, in which are also Crot. t., Fer. magn., Rhus, Spig. The sphere of Led. is frequently identical with that of Arn., according to Teste; but Led. has a special action on the capillary system in parts where cellular tissue is wanting, and where a dry, resisting texture is present, as in the fingers and toes.

"It is, perhaps for this reason that it acts better on the small than on the large joints;" hence its appropriateness in gout. The characteristic skin affection of Led. is thus described by Teste: Not so much a boil, as with Arn., as a sort of bluish or violet-coloured tuberosities, especially on the forehead, and an eczematous eruption, with a tingling itching, that spreads over the whole body, penetrating into the mouth, probably also into the air-passages, and occasions a spasmodic cough, which is sometimes very violent and might be mistaken for whooping-cough.

The same phenomenon takes place with Rhus and Croton. "In a gouty subject I have seen cough precede by two days the breaking out of vesicles on the skin, which could not fail to suggest the use of Ledum. These vesicles, which had probably existed on the bronchial membrane, before showing themselves in the face, on the shoulders, &c., became quite apparent on the tongue, where they might be traced to its root." The Led. eczema is frequently concentrated on one leg, less frequently on both at once. [Ingalls (Amer.

Hom., xxv. 210) commends a light paste of Ledum (equal parts of Led Ø., alcohol, and water) as an application for carbuncles, giving Led. 1x internally at the same time.] Dr. R. Hilbert, a German physician, has obtained very satisfactory results from the use of an infusion of the leaves of Ledum palustre as an expectorant in bronchitis. He states that the feeling of pain along the trachea, which is characteristic of the early stages of acute bronchitis, disappears after a few doses of the remedy.

The fever rapidly subsides, especially in the case of children. In chronic bronchitis the infusion facilitates expectoration and lessens cough. It is particularly useful in bronchitis with emphysema of the aged, because of its action in rendering the bronchial secretion less viscid; in these cases, moreover, it lessens dyspnoea, stimulates the circulation, and lessens cyanosis (Cooper). Guernsey points out that Led. is appropriate to the remote no less than the immediate effects of punctured wounds: e.g., as when a patient says: "Ten years ago I stepped on a nail, and ever since then have had a pain running up to the thigh." The pains of Led. shoot upward (of Kalm. downward).

A, very notable condition of Led. is < from warmth. This is at times so great that the patient can only get relief to his rheumatism by sitting with his feet and legs in cold water. Warmth of the bed is intolerable; he must get up and walk about. An octogenarian had rheumatism of left arm, chiefly elbow and wrist, coming on in the night or early morning.

There was no more sleep for him unless he rose and took a cold bath, after which he could sleep. I cured him with Led. 30. As with Merc. the symptoms are < at night; but with Merc. there is "sweat without >," and the characteristic tongue and offensive mouth. The eye-symptoms of Led. are marked, and Nash says Led. 200 is unequalled as a remedy for "black-eye" from a blow; if there is pain in the eyeball itself Symphyt. will be necessary.

Ecchymoses of conjunctiva. Slight injuries cause ecchymoses. Inflammation of ear, with deafness from getting cold (as having hair cut). The haemorrhages of Led. are bright red and gushing; uterine; respiratory.

Haemoptysis alternating with attacks of rheumatism. (Raue puts it "coxalgia alternating with haemoptysis." Stens cured a young man who had violent stitch pain in right hip, followed by haemoptysis, this in turn followed by rheumatism of hands, with Led. 200 when the case was apparently on the point of sinking into rapid phthisis.) Suffering parts waste. Discolouration remains long in contused parts. Many cases of whooping-cough have been cured with Led.

Lembke (quoted by Hoyne, H. W., xiv. 66) gives these indications: Before the paroxysms: Arrest of breathing. During: Epistaxis, shattered feeling in head and chest, rapid respiration. After: Staggering; spasmodic contraction of diaphragm; sobbing respiration.

< Evening. The pains are sticking, tearing, throbbing. Pricking, biting sensations. Sensation of torpor of integuments, especially after suppressed discharge from ears, eyes, and nose.

Sensation as if something was gnawing in temples, occiput, and ears. As if eyeball would be forced out. As if sand in eyes. Noises in ear as from ringing of bell, or from a wind-storm; as if ear was obstructed by cotton.

Itching as from lice on chest; as of lump in throat. As of boiling in hip-joint. As if muscles of thigh in wrong position. As if knee beaten.

Pain in ankle as from sprain; limbs as if beaten and bruised. Hot, tense, hard swellings. "Ledum has often been given to horses when they go lame and draw up their legs. The pains move upward" (Hering).

E. Carleton (Med. Adv., xxv. 293) completed the cure of a case of primary syphilis, in which Aur. had done good, where these symptoms appeared: Feet held to the earth as by a magnet when attempting to move; when moving felt as if pricked with needles, the pain rising gradually from feet to head; every joint and muscle of body and limbs stiff and sore; sour night-sweats; great emaciation with loss of appetite. Led. 200, in water, cured completely and speedily.

Suited to: Pale delicate persons. Complaints of persons who always feel cold and chilly. Rheumatic, gouty diathesis; constitutions abused by alcohol. Sanguine temperament (Teste).

There is < from moving, especially moving joints; while walking; when stepping, > from rest. Symptoms are < evening and night, and before midnight. < From taking wine. < By covering;

> by application of ice-water. < By warmth; ("the limb is cold, can't get warm; and gets < when it does become warm in bed").

Antidoted by: Camph. (according to Teste Rhus is the best antidote). It antidotes: Effects of alcohol; Apis, Chi.

("Cinchona bark given for the debility produced by Led. is very injurious."—Hahn.) Compatible: Aco., Arn., Bell., Bry., Nux v., Puls., Rhus, Sul. Compare: Kalm. (bot.; Kalm. pains shoot down;

Led. pains shoot up); Arn. (trauma. Led. follows Arn. when it fails to relieve soreness; punctured wounds);

Crot. t. (skin cold); Hamam. (traumatic ecchymosis; black-eye), Ruta (bruises: Ruta, especially of periosteum Symph. of bone;

Hyperic. of nerve) Apis (nightly itching of feet) Am. m., Nat. c. (blistered heels) Zn., Rhus, Glo., Nux, Sel., Fl. ac., Ant. c., Pul., Bovis., and Sil. (< from wine); Sil.

(chronic rheumatism, extending from feet upwards; Sil. > covering up, Led, > uncovering); Lyc.

> uncovering); Bry. (rheumatism < motion; Led. more gout of great toe, scanty effusion, tends to harden into nodosities;

Bry., copious effusion. Led. hot swelling of hip- and shoulder-joints); Aco. (haemoptysis of bright red foamy blood) Rhus [gout and rheumatism affecting small joints (Rhod. also) Led. pains travel up;

< warmth of bed (Rhus >); motion < (Rhus. >)]; Sul. (itch);

Staph. (pediculosis); Merc. (bloody semen).

Alcohol, abuse of. Hair-cutting. Suppressed discharges. Wounds: Bruises; Bites; Punctured wounds; Stings.

Sore throat, with shooting pain during and after deglutition.—Sensation as if there were a plug in the throat, with shootings on swallowing.

Pressure on stomach after a light meal.

Catamenia too early and too copious; the blood is bright red.

Pushing or pressing inward at l. edge of sternum; palpitation; also in haemorrhage.

Arthritic, pressive, and acute pulling pains, or pains merely pressive in limbs, < by heat of bed in evening (till midnight) Numbness and sensation of torpor in several of the extremities Tearing or shooting, pulsative and paralytic pains in joints, < by movement The pains in the joints are the only ones which are < by movement

Gouty nodosities in joints Hard, hot, tense swellings, with tearing pains Dropsical swellings of some parts, or of skin of whole body Emaciation of affected parts

Pains change location suddenly Coldness and want of vital heat Heat of the bed is insupportable, and occasions heat and burning in limbs; wants to uncover Sufferings are <, or come on, after getting warm in bed, compelling the patient to get out of bed, which affords them relief

Leucorrhoea For complaints of people who are cold all the time, in bed, in the house, &c.; they always feel cold and chilly Pale delicate persons Affections of external forehead; heel; under part of heel; ball under the toes.