Plantago Major

Plantago.

Plantago major. Plantain. Ribwort. N. O. Plantaginaceae. Tincture of whole fresh plant. Tincture of the root.

Ague. Breast, inflammation of. Burns. Ciliary neuralgia. Diabetes. Diarrhoea. Dysentery. Earache. Ear, inflammation of. Emissions. Enuresis. Erysipelas. Erythema. Haemorrhoids. Impotence. Neuralgias; of herpes. Polyuria. Rhus poisoning. Snake-bites. Spleen, pains in. Tobacco habit. Toothache. Urination, delayed. Worms. Wounds.

Hale sums up the ancient and modern history of Plantago maj. the weed which furnishes food for our cage-birds. (Plant. m. must not to be confounded with Musa, sometimes called "Plantain," which belongs to a different class, viz., the Endogens.) Plantago has had a reputation in medicine from remote antiquity, a reputation which homoeopathy has revived. It was used in intermittent fever in remotest times. In A.

D. 1558 the Herbal of Dodoens commends the juice of leaves or roots for "toothache and bleeding of gums." John Parkinson in his Theatre of Plants (A. D. 1640) says "the root taken fresh out of the ground, washed and gently scraped with a knife, then put into the ear, cures the toothache like a charm." In Switzerland the leaf fibres are frayed out and put into the ear for the same purpose, and if they relieve the pain they "turn black" (says Reutlinger) and have to be removed, if there is no relief they remain green.

In domestic practice, says Hale, it is constantly resorted to as an application in all affections of the skin with irritation, pain, and heat, the bruised leaves being applied to the part. Hale enumerates the following as having been relieved by it: Erysipelas, Rhus-poisoning, erythema, burns, scalds, inflammation of the glands (notably the breasts), bruises, incised wounds, bites of animals, chilblains, frostbite. A case is related (H. R., xi. 241) of a man who allowed himself to be bitten by rattlesnakes and cured himself by drinking the juice of the plant and applying bruised leaves to the bites, changing them frequently.

The tincture has been extensively proved by F. Humphreys (who wrote a monograph upon it), Heath, and others, and the homoeopathicity of its cures was clearly brought out. The neuralgic pains of teeth, ears, and face were especially pronounced. Some new symptoms were brought to light.

The very copious discharge of urine along with the thirst suggest diabetes; and the laxity of sphincters has led to the cure of a number of cases of enuresis. Foul breath, sinking and weight in stomach, flatulence, diarrhoea, dysentery, and haemorrhoids, all appeared in the proving. Plant. is one of the most useful of local remedies in homoeopathy, and one of its local uses is as an application to inflamed and painful piles. In all neuralgic conditions where the suffering part can be reached Plant. Ø may be painted on without any fear of injury, and often with the most signal relief of suffering.

In common with others, I have used it with success in numberless cases of toothache and earache; but I have also given relief in the painful neuralgia of shingles and in pleurodynia. F. P. Stiles (Minn.

H. Mag., v. 225) relates three brilliant cases: (1) Mrs. S., 39, for ten days had terrible neuralgic pain in right side of face, shooting into temporal, superior, maxillary, and orbital regions. Plant. Ø applied locally to gums, temple, and cheek, removed the pain in a few minutes.

Some days later a slight return was promptly relieved in the same way. (2) Mr. R. had neuralgia in left superior maxillary and lower orbital region of long standing. Promptly relieved in the same way.

(3) Mrs. N., neuralgia of right upper jaw, pain unbearable, radiating to ear, temple, and cheek. A tooth had been extracted without relief. Plant. Ø removed all the pain.

"Toothache with earache," "toothache with salivation," are leading indications. Plant. has a relation to tobacco. It produces disgust for it in chewers; and it cures neuralgia resulting from tobacco. The pains are tearing, boring, bruised.

There is great surface sensitiveness. Pains come suddenly and are apt to be erratic. Unendurable pains. There is darting up and down the urethra.

Breath and flatulence are offensive. Some characteristics are: Loud noises going through one. Sudden discharge of yellowish (or saffron-coloured) water from nose. The left side was most affected.

The symptoms are < at night. > By eating (colic). < By contact; mental exertion; by motion; heat and cold; cold air; sharp wind: heat of room.

Antidote to: Apis, Rhus, Tabac. Antidoted by: Merc. (toothache). Compare: In neuralgias, Cham., Merc., Spig., Kalm., Coloc. Unendurable pains, Aco., Cham., Hep. Wounds and bruises, fetid breath and flatus, Arn. Wounds, Calend. Punctured wounds, Led., Hyper. Haemorrhoids, external and internal use, Ham. Enuresis, Bell., Caust. (Bell. has irregular action of sphincter; Plant. and Caust. relaxation). Earache with toothache; intolerance of warm room, Puls.

Bruises. Burns. Cuts. Punctured wounds. Snake-bites.

Sexual debility.—Unconscious emission in sleep.

Erysipelas of breasts.—Mastitis.

Stinging, dull pains here and there.

Hard, white, flattened, isolated papules on inside of thighs, some having red points in centre.—Great pain and stiffness in l. leg and knee, < stooping.

Chilliness with sensation of heat in chest, with erratic pains in limbs, chest, head; from 1 to 3 p.m. with disposition to stretch and chilliness on moving about; cold hands in a warm room.—Chill: without thirst; with gooseflesh, 2 p.m., running over body, < moving about; fingers cold, coldness of body with shivering; head feels irritable; feet and hands cold even in warm room.—Heat, with thirst; great excitability, mental agony, restlessness; room seems hot and close; oppression of chest, rapid respiration; breathing difficult as if there was no air in room; burning heat of head, face, hands, feet; head hot, painful, dull, stupid; hands hot, clammy.—Sweat: cold over lumbar and sacral region; heat of room unbearable, producing perspiration.