NAT. ORD., Ericaceae.
COMMON NAMES, Trailing Arbutus. Ground Laurel. Gravel Root.
PREPARATION.--The fresh leaves are pounded to a pulp and macerated in
two parts by weight of alcohol.
(In the subjoined paper by Dr. E. M. Hale, _North
American Journal of Homoeopathy_, 1869, the old
doctrine of signatures seems to crop out again.)
The _Gravel Root_ has long had some reputation in urinary difficulties,
and even in calculous affections. The common appellation of "Gravel
root" shows that the popular belief points in the direction of its use.
I have never tested its virtues but in one instance, and its effects
seemed to be so decided and curative that I deem the case worthy of
publication.
A young man, aged twenty-three, applied for treatment of a long array of
symptoms, some of which seemed to indicate _enlargement of the
prostate_, and others a _vesical catarrh_.
The _quantity_ of urine was nearly normal.
The _quality_ was decidedly abnormal. It contained a large amount of
mucus, the phosphates, some blood, and a little pus. It was dark red,
colored blue litmus paper red (showing its acid condition).
The pain was similar to a vesical tenesmus, a pain in the region of the
neck of the bladder and prostate gland. Pressure in the perineum was
painful.
He had been under the most atrocious allopathic treatment; had been
drugged with copaiva, spts. nitric.-dulc., turpentine, tincture muriate
of iron, and other diuretics in enormous doses.
I commenced the treatment with _Sulphur_ 30th, three doses a day for a
week.
By this time he had eliminated the drug-poisons from his system, and the
real symptoms of the malady began to appear uncomplicated. The blood and
pus disappeared from the urine, there was less mucus, and the urine was
of a lighter color.
A red, sandy sediment, however, remained. This sediment was not "gritty"
under the finger, at least no such sensation was perceptible.
Second prescription: _Lycopodium_ 30th and 6th, the former in the
morning, the latter in evening, for a week. No improvement except a
slight diminution of the sediment.
No medicine was given for four days, at which time there appeared
dysuria, pain in the region of the prostate, mucous sediment, and
itching at the orifice of the urethra.
While undecided as to the next prescription, I happened to take up a
vial of tincture _Epigea repens_, which I had prepared from the fresh
plant, while on a visit to Mackinaw six months before. Knowing the high
estimate placed on this plant, by the people, in the treatment of gravel
I resolved to test its virtues. Ten drops of the mother tincture were
prescribed, to be taken every four hours.
Two days afterwards my patient brought me several small brownish
particles, having the appearance of fine sand. When crushed and pressed
between the fingers they had a decidedly gritty feel. Under the
microscope they had the appearance of rough coarse sand. The discharge
of calculi kept up for nearly a week, under the use of the _Epigea_, and
then ceased, and with it all the symptoms of irritation of the bladder.
It is just possible that the discharge of gravel may have been a
coincidence. It is equally possible that the _Lycopodium_ acted
curatively; but I am inclined to believe their disintegration and
expulsion was caused or aided by the use of the last medicine.
Further observations are needed to place the curative powers of this
plant on a certain basis.