Paris Quadrifolia
Paris · Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 15,415 chars · source ↗
General
Paris.
Paris quadrifolia. One-berry. True Love. Herb Paris. (Moist, shady woods in Great Britain.) N. O. Trilliaceae. (Sometimes considered a sub-order of Smilaceae, or of Liliaceae.) Tincture of whole plant when in fruit.
Clinical
Acidity. After-pains. Brachial neuralgia. Ciliary neuralgia. Ciliary paralysis. Digestion, slow; weak. Gonorrhoea.
Headache
Hiccough.
Hoarseness.
Hysteria.
Mania.
Neuralgia.
Panaritium.
Paralysis.
Saliva, sour.
Spine, affection of.
Touch, sense of, disordered.
Characteristics
Paris betrays its relation to the Lilies and Arums in the symptoms of irritation which it causes in mucous membranes and skin with burning sensations and cramps. The Treasury of Botany says of Paris that the leaves and stems were "formerly used in medicine, the juice of the berry, though considered poisonous, has been employed in curing inflammation of the eyes." The provings made by Hahnemann, Stapf, and others, bring out a very marked and characteristic action on the eyes, and develop some of the keynote symptoms of the drug.
One of these is a sensation of expansion and consequent tension. The head feels as if distended and the scalp too tight. The eyes feel as if much too large for their sockets; as if they were projecting and were being drawn tightly backward by a string to the middle of the brain. Paris is one of the drugs which are credited with producing garrulity, vivacity with love of prattling, like tea.
A case of loquacious insanity cured with Paris 3 was recorded by B. Nath Banerjee (Calc. J. of Med., xii. 60). It brings out many of the leading symptoms of Paris, which I have put in italics.
Mrs. B., 45, suddenly became loquacious and insane. After a month of Kavirajee treatment without benefit she came under Banerjee's care, October 3, 1893. A year before, the last of her five children, a grownup son, died, and she could not be consoled, and gradually became morose and dull.
She ceased to menstruate in February, 1893, but had no uterine troubles or any other illness previous to the present. The symptoms were: Loquacity, but not continuous. Every three or four days, if interfered with, maniacal attacks lasting about half an hour. At times foolish behaviour.
With difficulty Banerjee obtained the following symptoms from the patient: Vertigo, and whenever she thinks of her lost son, severe headache, the vertex being sensitive to touch. When telling these symptoms, suddenly her looks became wandering, and her eyes appeared as if protruding from their sockets. She could not relish her food because everything, especially fish, smell putrid. Whole body painful, especially when touched.
She complained of a ball lodging in the throat and giving her trouble, with burning. Acidity and badly smelling diarrhoea. A peculiar feeling of coldness of right side of the body while the left side was hot. All symptoms < in evening and on motion.
Ign. 30, and later 200, was given without any effect. Paris acted promptly, and on the third day the patient assured the doctor that she was quite well. The remedy was not repeated and the cure held good. Paris is in general a left-side remedy, but it has coldness of the right side, whilst the left side is natural or hot.
I cured with Paris "numb feeling of left side of head." Numbness affects the upper limbs. The left arm is paralysed, feels stiff, and fingers contracted. "Numbness and prickling in left hand" was removed in a case of spinal affection. "Fingers often feel as if asleep; objects seem rough to touch." This disorder of the sense of touch is a marked symptom.
And at the same time there is great sensitiveness of the surface. The characteristic mucous secretions are green and tenacious. The diarrhoeic stools smell like putrid meat. There is great sensitiveness to offensive odours; also imaginary bad smells: milk and bread smell like putrid meat.
The eyes give out a fetid, ulcer-like smell. Paris has "hunger soon after a meal," which is the same thing as the "sinking of the antipsorics, and of the Hellebores, Veratrums, &c. Peculiar sensations are: As if scalp were contracted and bones scraped sore. As if a thread were drawn tightly through eye to middle of head.
As if head were puffed up, and temples and eyes were pressed out; as if distended the size of a bucket and the walls were too thin. Eyes as if too large; projecting; as if pulled into head by a thread drawn through eyeball; as if he could not open eyes. Ear as if forced apart by a wedge; as if pressed out or torn out; as if a burning heat was rushing out of ears. As though face were drawn to root of nose then back towards occiput as if by a string.
Tongue feels too large. Ball in throat. Throat constricted. Stone in stomach.
As if internal parts contracted. Heavy load on nape. Fingers as if asleep; dead. All joints as if broken, swelled or dislocated at every motion.
Hot stitches in left malar bones. Acidity, sour saliva. The symptoms are < by touch. The scalp is very sensitive to touch.
Pressure on a sore spot on head = cries. Pressure with the hand > pressive pain in head. Motion < rest >. Sitting = stitches in coccyx; burning in orifice of urethra vertigo.
< From mental exertion; thinking. All symptoms < evening. Tenacious expectoration < morning. Dull pain in neck > in open air.
Smoking tobacco = headache. < After eating (hiccough). > By eructations.
Relations
Antidoted by: Coffea. Compatible: Calc., Led., Lyc., Nux, Pho., Rhus, Sep., Sul. Incompatible: Fe. ph. Compare: In spinal headache rising from nape, Sil.
(Paris = feeling as if head immensely large). Wild look in eyes, Bell. As if eyes drawn back by thread, Crot. t. Eyeballs feel too large, Sil.
Garrulity, Lach., Meph., Stram., Act. r., Agar. Laryngeal affections, Arg. n. (Paris has expectoration noticed mostly in morning, and it is green and tenacious). String-like pain, Al. cp.
Heart, Lil. t., Conval. Panaritum, Bor. ac. Imaginary foul smells, Anac. < Motion, Bry.
Causation
Injury. Suppressions.
Mind
Disposition to treat others with contempt and disdain
Silly conduct
Disposition to utter absurdities with complacency
Mania with loquacity
Repugnance to intellectual labour
Discontent, ill-humour.
Head
Bewildered, confused head
Vertigo on reading aloud, with difficulty of speech and sight
Sensitiveness of vertex to contact
Pains in head are < by meditation
Pressive pain in the head, which disappears when the hand is pressed upon it
Sensation of swelling in head, with pressure, as if contents of cranium were forcing themselves through temples and eyes
Head feels like a bushel, and walls too thin
Sticking pain in middle of head and in temples; afterwards heavy pressure on forehead, esp. on stooping
Benumbing stitches in l. side of forehead.—(Numb feeling l. side of head.)
A very sore, painful spot, only when touched, in l. parietal bone
Tension in brain and integuments of forehead
Shootings and lancinations in head
Pulsative, bubbling headache on waking at night, with great agitation
Pulsative headache, with a wavering sensation on going up stairs
Headache after having smoked
Pain as of excoriation on the exterior of vertex when touched
Painful sensitiveness and falling off of hair
Severe pains in occiput, from mental exertion, after a blow
Headache of Spinal origin rising from nape and producing a feeling as if head unusually large.—(Acute congestion to brain.)
Tension of scalp on forehead and occiput
Brain, eyes, and skin feel tense, and the bones scraped sore;
< from motion, excitement, or using eyes;
< in evening
Scalp sensitive to touch; sore pain in small spots on forehead
Pain in scalp when touched as if the hair were painful
Scabs on the head.
Eyes
Pain in eyes, like a pressure on orbital bones
Sensation as if eyeballs were too large or swollen; as if orbits too small and lids could not close
Burning pain in eyes, with lachrymation, esp. after rising in morning
Jerking and twitching of (r.) upper lid
Eyes feel heavy as lead
Eyeballs pain on slightest attempt at motion
Confused sight and wavering before eyes
Eyes feel as if projecting with a sensation as if a thread were tightly drawn through eyeball, and backward into middle of brain, very painful; weak sight; stitches through middle of eye
Wandering, unsteady looks
Fetid, ulcer-like smell from eyes.
Ears
Otalgia, with tearings
Sensation as if ears were pressed out or torn out, or forced apart by a wedge
Sensation as if a burning heat were rushing out of ears
Pains in ears on swallowing
Diminution of hearing
Tinkling in ear
Ringing in l. ear.
Nose
A sensation of obstruction in upper part of nose, with a discharge of blood when it is blown
Bread and milk have a putrid smell
Great sensitiveness to offensive odours; imaginary foul smells
Obstruction of the nose in the morning, with discharge of thick and sanguineous mucus when it is blown
Dry alternately with fluent coryza
Discharge of liquid mucus from nose and eyes, which excites a panting respiration
Red or greenish mucus blown from nose.
Face
Pains in face, with burning shootings in zygomatic process
Hot stitches in l. malar bone, painful when touched
Violent itching, biting, and burning on edges of lower jaw, frequently with red, small, easily-bleeding (miliary) eruption
Purulent pimples under nose and on chin
Sanguineous pimples, like grains of millet, on lower jaw
Pimples on forehead, with pressive pain when touched
Lips cracked
Vesicles on the surface of the lower lip
Herpes round mouth.
Teeth
Drawing toothache, or with drawing pulsations, esp. in teeth which are carious, < by cold things
Incisive pains in gums every morning
Gums shrivelled, as if they had been burnt.
Mouth
Mouth dry and parched on awaking in morning
Collection of water in mouth
Accumulation of rough and astringent saliva
White and slimy froth in corners of mouth in morning
Tongue coated white
Swelling, pain as of excoriation, and desquamation of velum palati
Hard (almost painless) swelling of size of a pigeon's egg in palate, which is also hard
Tongue rough and dry, with sensation as if it were too large
Clammy and insipid taste.
Throat
Pain in throat as from pressure of a ball
Shootings, scrapings, and burning pain in throat
Burning in throat when eating or drinking
Much mucus in fauces, causing hawking.
Stomach
Voracious appetite
Hunger very soon after a meal
Disgusting and pressive risings
Watery risings
Nausea with sour taste
Weakness and slowness of digestion
Continued hiccough after a meal
Pressure at stomach, as by a stone, > by risings
Burning pain extending from stomach into abdomen.
Abdomen
Rumbling and rolling in abdomen; cutting, griping pains
Tensive pain throughout abdomen
Hard pressure in abdomen
Incisive drawing and boring in one side of abdomen, at night, while lying upon it.
Stool
Frequent but scanty evacuations of the consistence of pap.—Loose, fetid evacuations, which smell like putrid flesh.
Urinary Organs
Diminished secretion of urine
Frequent and urgent want to urinate, with burning pain during the emission
Urine with greasy cuticle on surface
Acrid, excoriating urine
Fiery urine, with clouds in centre, a reddish sediment, and a variegated pellicle after standing for some time
Sticking in forepart of the urethra
Burning pain and shootings in urethra (when sitting).
Female Sexual Organs
Increased sexual desire
Premature catamenia
Intense after-pains but very imperfect contractions suppressed lochia for forty-eight hours with ineffectual urging to stool weak and feverish; agonising headache, with sensation as though face were drawn to root of nose then back to occiput; eyeballs sore, < on slightest attempt at motion.
Respiratory Organs
Sensation of dryness in trachea in morning (on waking)
Troublesome hoarseness and low voice, with continued hawking up of mucus (and burning in larynx)
Periodical painless hoarseness
Cough with expectoration in the morning, without expectoration in the evening
Cough with expectoration of viscid mucus, difficult to raise in the morning and evening on lying down
Cough as if excited by vapour of sulphur in trachea, or as if caused by slimy mucus in pharynx
Nocturnal cough when lying on the l. side
Cough with expectoration of slimy, greenish mucus, proceeding from larynx
Burning in the larynx (bronchitis).
Chest
Obstructed respiration, with necessity to take a full inspiration
Aching in the r. side of chest
Shootings in chest and sides of chest.
Heart And Pulse
Palpitation of heart during repose and movement: in evening.—Pulse full but slow.
Neck And Back
Tension and weakness in muscles of neck and nape
Sensation as if neck were stiff and swollen on turning it
Dull pain in nape, increasing at times in acuteness, with numbness, heat, and weight;
> from rest and in open air;
< from exertion
Violent pains in both sides of neck, extending down to fingers, esp. l. side;
< from mental exertion
Pain l. side of neck and shoulders, paralysing arm and depriving of power of mental or bodily exertion
Pains in the back and nape of the neck on stooping, as if a load were pressing upon them
Shootings and lancinations in back, also in and between the shoulder-blades, and pulsating stitch in the os coccygis when sitting.
Limbs
Stinging pains in limbs
All joints painful on motion
Paralytic pain in limbs
Stitches in all limbs
Heaviness in all limbs
Contractive pressure in joints.
Upper Limbs
Heaviness and paralytic weakness in arms and joints of fingers
Tearings and drawings in fingers, from shoulder to fingers
Trembling of the hands
Shootings in the fingers
Fingers at one time hot, at another cold or dead
Numbness of fingers
Panaritium.
Lower Limbs
Tearing and drawings in legs, and esp. in coxo-femoral joint
Paralytic pain in joint of foot
Tingling in tendo Achillis
Tearings, drawings, and shootings in toes
Coldness of feet in bed at night.
Generalities
Affections of any kind on the eyebrows; inner temples.—Continual lancinations in all limbs.—Stinging pains in all parts of body, esp. limbs.—Cramp-like contraction in joints, or sensation on moving and turning them as if broken, swollen, and dislocated.—Sensation of heaviness in whole body.—Sensation of extension in size, i.e., patient feels very large.
Skin
Papular eruptions, esp. on face and lips
Violent itching in various parts
Subcutaneous tingling without itching
Pain as of excoriation in skin, on touching the parts
Crawling sensations
Panaritium.
Sleep
Urgent inclination to sleep during the day and early in evening
Yawning and sleepiness
Incomplete, broken, and agitated sleep at night, with continued tossing and numerous dreams
Voluptuous dreams with erections and pollutions.
Fever
Pulse full and slow
During chill sensation as if skin and other parts of the body were contracted
Cold feet all night in bed
Coldness in r. side; l. side natural
Shiverings, esp. in chest, abdomen, and legs, with cutis anserina and yawning
Constant coldness with trembling internally (mostly towards evening)
Heat extending from neck down back
Heat with perspiration on upper part of body
Itching sweat in the morning, which compels scratching
Coldness on one side of the body only (r.), with heat on the other side of the body (l.).