PREPARATION.--The fresh blossoms are macerated in twice their weight of
alcohol.
(The following is to be found on p. 131 of Dr.
Gallavardin's "Homoeopathic Treatment of Alcoholism:")
"A lady, by administering, morning and evening, an infusion of the dry
leaves and flowers of Golden Rod (_Solidago virga-aurea_) tells me that
she cured her husband of an affection of the bladder which had compelled
him to use a catheter for a year or more. A friend of Homoeopathy, not
a physician, desired to test the efficaciousness of this plant. He
caused the first dilution of its tincture to be taken three times a day
by seven patients of from forty-two to seventy-four years of age, who
had been obliged to catheterize themselves for weeks, months and years,
and cured them so thoroughly that they had no relapses. Surgeons who
spend much time in catheterizing such patients for months and years
could often cure them much more rapidly by prescribing for them the
remedy just mentioned."
(Dr. A. E. White, _Homoeopathic Recorder_, July, 1891,
relates the following case:)
Mrs.----, age 37, married, has had seven children. Came to me December
10, 1890, with the following history: "Had not had her menses for four
months. Thought she was in a family way. Abdomen bloated up every P.M.;
sick at her stomach all of the time; frontal headache, P.M.; felt better
when first getting up in the morning, at which time her abdomen was
almost normal in size.
"Her water she complained of more than anything else. Had to pass it
every half hour during day and several times during night.
"Backache all of the time, which was not decreased by passing water.
Urine had a white, slimy deposit on standing a short time.
"Requested an examination, but could not discover that she was in a
family way. Found her back very sensitive in region of kidneys, trace of
albumin in urine.
"I gave her a vial of _Solidago_ 1x, told her to take two disks every
four hours and report in three or four days. She came back December
13th, 'the medicine went right to the spot.' From the second dose her
water became natural and she did not bloat so much in P.M. Her stomach
did not bother her any more. I gave her a bottle of _Puls._ 3x to take
with the _Solidago_, and she reported December 17th, that her menses had
come on.
"I have used it in several other cases where it seemed indicated by the
tenderness in kidney region and the inability to control the water from
whatever cause, always with perfect satisfaction to patient and myself."
(The following paper on the use of _Solidago virga-aurea_
is by Dr. M. Gucken, of Eupen, Germany:)
The Golden Rod is in Homoeopathy, according to my opinion, not as much
made use of as it deserves. Foh. Gottfr. Rademacher, who has many
admirers among us, says, in his _Justification of Experience in
Medicine_, about _Virga-aurea_: "This herb is a very old and good kidney
medicine. It is a specific for kidneys, and brings the patients back to
the normal condition." I have used the Golden Rod for a long time, and
have to make favorable reports. The results of extensive homoeopathic
proving of this remedy on healthy persons cannot be found in our
literature, but a Wuertemburg physician, Dr. Buck, has given us a list of
cures with the Golden Rod in the popular homoeopathic paper edited by
Dr. Bolle, which wholly confirms the statements of Rademacher, besides
the cases reported by Dr. Buck.
According to this last, _Virga-aurea_ is especially adapted for
scrofulous subjects; at the same time other constitutions do not exclude
the use of this remedy. In the first place, _the condition and the
action of the kidneys and the quality of their secretions_ are to be
considered in the selection of this remedy. The symptoms on the part of
the kidneys and the urinary organs, which point to _Virga-aurea_, are as
follows:
Pains in the kidneys; region of kidneys painful upon pressure; feeling
of enlargement and tension in the kidneys, also pains in the kidneys
which extend forward to the abdomen and to the bladder. Dysuria,
difficult and scanty urination; urine dark, red-brown, with thick
sediment; stone and gravel, albumen, blood or slime in the urine; urine
dark, with sediments of phosphates; slightly sour, neutral or alkaline;
urine with numerous epithelial cells or small mucous particles.
Epithelial cells with gravel of triple phosphates, or phosphate of lime.
Bright's disease.
Side symptoms which point to this remedy:
_Skin._--Scrofulous rash; little blotches on hands and feet, itching
very much; very obstinate, itching exanthemas; exanthema of the lower
extremities without swelling of the inguinal glands, but with
disturbance in urinating (catarrh of the kidneys).
_Sleep._--Insomnia.
_Fever._--Rheumatic fever; very frequent pulse; high fever.
_Head._--Headache.
_Eyes._--Scrofulous, herpetic inflammation.
_Ears._--Sudden deafness, with ringing in the ears and albuminous urine.
_Nose._--Dry; the inner surface of the nose covered with blood crust;
scalding and very scanty brown urine.
_Mouth._--Flat ulcers in the mouth and throat.
_Gastric: Stomach, Abdomen and Stool._--Continuous bitter taste,
disturbing the rest, especially nights; heavily covered tongue, which
does not become clean in spite of the use of anti-gastric remedies, and
only cleanses itself at the return of abundant urinating; chronic
catarrh of the bowels; diarrhoea, with scanty, dark urine; dysentery;
costiveness; sensation of pain in the abdomen on both sides of the
navel, upon deep pressure; physconia of the abdomen by gases; severe
pricking in both hypochondria to the region of the kidneys, reaching to
the lower extremities, with continued bitter taste in the mouth,
especially at night, with very scanty brown and sour urine.
_Female Parts._--Haemorrhage, chronic leucorrhoea, in connection with
copious, watery urine and sediments of mucous particles and uriniferous
tubules; epithelium.
_Respiratory Organs._--Heavy expectoration in coughing; croup, with
little blotches on the hands and diminished urine; chronic catarrh of
the lungs; continuous dyspnoea; periodical asthma, with nightly
dysuria.
_Trunk and Lower Limbs._--Rheumatism of the intercostal muscles; chronic
pains in the loins; limping, dragging gait; rheumatic pains in the
legs; pains in the thighs; the legs can be moved horizontally, but when
moved perpendicularly they feel lame.
In connection with these symptoms the description of a few cases of
sickness, in which _Virga-aurea_ proved itself, might be of some
interest.