NAT. ORD., Amaryllidaceae.
COMMON NAME, Daffodil.
PREPARATION.--The young buds, stems and leaves are macerated in two
times their weight of alcohol.
(The following is from the _Homoeopathic Recorder_ for
May, 1899):
"Agricola," one of the _Homoeopathic World's_ oldest contributors,
has the following to say of this very old, yet little known, remedy.
After stating how he prepared it, he continues as follows:
"A case of bronchitis (a _continuous_ cough) has from _Narcissus_ 1-3x
obtained such _prompt_ marked relief, where a most varied selection of
the standard remedies had hitherto failed, as to induce me to write
these few lines in hope that as this beautiful flower is about to be
found in most cottage gardens the prevalent bronchitis, whooping and
other coughs may meet with prompt cures. Dr. Charge's work, _Maladies
de la Respiration_, quotes the great Laennec, M. D., as an authority
_in re Narcissus_."
There is no proving whatever of this drug, although in the
_Encyclopaedia_ (Allen) a case of poisoning from the bulbs eaten as a
salad is given; but the remedy as prescribed by Agricola was prepared
from the young buds, stems and leaves, so the case in the _Encyclopaedia_
is not apropos, nor is the old tincture from the bulbs of use.
The name of the plant, _Narcissus_, is not from that of the fabled youth
who fell in love with his own image reflected in the water, but is from
the Greek _Narkao_, "to be numb," on account of the narcotic properties
of the drug. The classic Asphodel and the Narcissus are the same, from
which it may be seen that the plant dates back as far as man's records
go. Fernie, in his excellent _Herbal Simples_, from which we gather the
preceding, also says: "An extract of the bulbs applied to open wounds
has produced staggering numbness of the whole nervous system and
paralysis of the heart. Socrates called this plant the 'Chaplet of the
Infernal Gods,' because of its narcotic effects."
Fernie also says that a decoction of the dried flowers is emetic, and
when sweetened will, as an emetic, serve most usefully for relieving the
congestive bronchial catarrh of children. "Agricola's" experience,
quoted above, however, seems to disprove the notion that the beneficial
action in bronchial catarrh is the result of the emetic properties of
the drug, but demonstrates rather that it is peculiarly homoeopathic
to this malady and long-continued coughs, especially of nervous origin,
as may be inferred from the following, the concluding paragraph in
Fernie's section on the _Narcissus_:
"The medicinal influence of the Daffodil on the nervous system has led
to giving its flowers and its bulb for hysterical affections, and even
epilepsy, with benefit."
The _National Dispensatory_ says practically the same, _i. e._, "The
emetic action of _Narcissus_ has been used to break up intermittent
fever and relieve bronchial catarrh with congestion or obstruction of
the air tubes. Like _Ipecacuanha_, it has also been prescribed in
dysentery, especially of the epidemic form. Its influence upon the
nervous system, is attested by the vogue it has enjoyed in hysteria,
chorea, whooping cough and even epilepsy."
It is still the emetic action that is looked to here, but any good
homoeopath will see beyond that, in Agricola's experience, and
perceive a strong homoeopathic action in the drug to the conditions
named, for if it were the emetic action only that is efficacious then,
certainly, one emetic would do as well as another, but there is
something more, and the curative action can be obtained from
homoeopathic doses without the emetic action. The tincture should not
be prepared from the bulb, as has been the case in the past, but from
the fresh buds and leaves. From such a preparation considerable benefit
in obstinate bronchial coughs should be confidently expected.