[Illustration]
This plant is very common in the neighborhood of Rio, where it is
found along the roads and in stony regions. It is herbaceous, with
numerous glabrous, erect stems, attaining a height of from twenty to
thirty inches; the radical leaves are petiolate, finely indented; the
superior leaves are alternate, sessile and almost linear. It blossoms
in September. The flowers, which form terminal spikes, are supported by
filiform pedicles; calix with four folioles; corol small, cruciform, with
four hypozynous petals, six tetradynamous stamens, short style, small,
subelliptical pod, which is somewhat crenated at the top; root fibrous,
simple, erect.
The fresh leaves are triturated.
In Brazil the Lepidium bonariense is used for similar purposes as the
Arnica. It is universally used in domestic practice. The pathogenesis of
this plant may be perhaps welcome to our profession.
_First day._—1. Sleeps well until midnight; no sleep since then; has
pains all over when stirring. Heat all over, with dull pain; she had the
most pain on the left side. Violent pain in the left arm before rising;
she cannot stretch it; the more she covers it, the greater is the pain;
the pain ceases on uncovering the arm.
_Second day._—Dizziness at nine in the morning; her head fell forward and
she imagined the floor was sinking under her; every thing turned with
her. 5. At eleven, heat in the face, left side. Dull pain at the stomach,
followed by desire to vomit. Cold as when she had her spasms. Hunger
after dinner. In the evening, hot face. 10. Pain as if scratched, for an
hour, followed by heat, at the feet. Beating pain above the left ear.
Acute stitching pain in the lower gums, for an hour. Itching in the right
ear, worse when stooping, for half an hour. Dreams that she is talking
with dead people; very restless. 15. Sad on waking.
_Third day._—On rising, pain as from a crown pressing on her head.
Pain round the right ear, as if pricked with pins, ceasing by rubbing
the part; for a quarter of an hour. Stitch in the right lung for five
minutes. Pain at eminence in the left cheek, with redness. 20. Heat in
the mouth, on the left side, as from eating spice. Palpitation of the
heart, felt in the side, with violent pain hindering breathing; worse
when stooping, ceasing when lying down. At noon, boring pain at the
vertex, left side, extending to the ear. Heat in the nose, and sensation
as of a current of cold air in the left nasal fossa. Pain in the nape of
the neck, right side, ceasing by rubbing the part and moving the neck.
25. Sensation as if a knife were slowly penetrating into the heart,
ceasing when pressing for a few minutes strongly against the region of
the heart. Prickings at the shoulder-blade, extending along the right
side of the neck. Itching at the right nostril. Pricking at the skin,
followed by itching. Pricking in the ear, down the jaw. 30. Lancination
in the right breast, less when standing erect. Stitching pain under
the axilla, in a half-moon shape. Prickings between the breasts. Pain
as from a band on the right side, worse when pressed upon, hindering
breathing. Lancination in the spine of the shoulder-blade, shifting to
the other shoulder; less when standing erect. 35. Prickings in the left
hypochondrium. Stitch under the axilla. Desire for chocolate, salad,
green fruit. Great thirst for vinegar. Lancination in the heart, in the
evening. 40. Oppression after eating. Convulsive trembling of the heart.
Pain at the pit of the stomach after eating, worse when walking, or when
touching the part. The blood which is discharged on the second day of the
courses is darker and coagulated.
_Fourth day._—Band in the side as the day before. 45. Passing
lancinations in the abdomen, sides and breasts. Lancinations from the
elbow to the shoulder-blade. Heaviness and pressure on the bladder when
urinating. The menses cease after twenty-four hours. Short sleep. 50.
Desire to vomit all night. Formication above the left shoulder. Slight
spitting of blood after coughing. Cutting as with a penknife below the
left breast. Heat in the throat with desire to vomit, and noise in the
ears when swallowing the saliva. 55. Constrictive pain in the head.
Vertigo, with disposition to fall forward. Thick expectoration, which it
is difficult to get loose, with roaring in the ears. Painful stitch at
the knee, less when walking. Stitch in the cheeks. 60. Lancinations under
the axilla. Colic in the umbilical region. Hard hearing. Throbbing at the
epigastrium. Very sad, thinks of sickness. 65. Pain in the bone of the
left thumb, with trembling when attempting to use it. When attempting to
read her eyes fill with tears.
_Fifth day._—Sad, uneasy, quarrelsome, dissatisfied, deep sleep.
_Sixth day._—Dim eye as if looking through a white gauze; when looking
at the sky, the air looks gray. Her left eye is full of water; the pain
is worse when moving, it follows the eyebrow, for six hours. 70. Crampy
pain at the right ring-finger, extending to the elbow, contracting the
flexor communis digitorum, with redness at the lower part of the nail;
for twenty minutes, it passes off in the open air. Toothache on the right
side, at one o’clock. Water in the eye, worse in the open air, ending
with itching, for ten minutes. Heat in the corner of the left nostril,
and stitch at the tip of the nose, for fifteen minutes. Pain at the
forehead, with beating in the left side, for ten minutes. 75. Merry, she
laughs about every thing. Desire to vomit after dinner, when inclining
her head forward. Difficult digestion, weight on the stomach. Salt,
thick and difficult sputa. Pains for five minutes, from the shoulder
to the middle of the back, with lancinations hindering breathing. 80.
Pain passing quickly through the right side of the head, from the top of
the left parietal bone to the eyebrow. Desire for tea. Lancinations in
the ears. Pain at the cardia as if cut with a penknife, short-lasting.
Thirst, dry mouth. 85. No sleep at night, the whole body feels tired as
in the third night.
_Seventh day._—Pain in the left lung, striking through the back, and
worse when carrying any thing heavy; for twelve hours. Stitch in the left
side; when drawing breath, the pain is felt like a cut with a knife, and,
after a short interval, coalesces with the former pain; three times.
Urine clear, white and not very thick. Sense as of a string at the right
breast, painless. 90. Pain in the teeth of the left lower jaw, striking
to the ear, and rendering her deaf for three minutes. She feels as if a
string were pulled from the shoulder to the ear. Toothache, the teeth
are soft and on edge, all day; every day since she took the drug, not
at night. Violent drawing pain from the shoulder to the ear, hindering
the motion of the head for three minutes. Shuddering, with paleness, and
margins around the eyes. 95. The fever abates by covering herself and
exciting a profuse perspiration; it is succeeded by malaise.
_Eighth day._—Cough at night, light sleep. Sad dreams, with fear on
waking, for a quarter of an hour. Itching at the tongue, like prickings,
for five minutes. Itching at the nipples, swelling of the glands,
hardness of the breasts; the itching does not last long. 100. Pain at the
pit of the stomach, which strikes to the left breast and shifts about;
stitch in both places at the same time. Itching under the chin, from
ear to ear; proceeding from the throat. Dry hacking cough which causes
a desire to spit, and, after repeated efforts, produces a salt saliva.
Pain in the left lower jaw, extending to the shoulder, for five minutes.
Pain as if a penknife were thrust in, with itching at the biceps muscle.
105. Pricking at the temple with itching, which spreads all over, all
day. Pain at the shoulder-blade as if a pin were stuck through the bone,
for three minutes. Pain in the middle-finger, while running, the finger
remained stretched for some minutes. Pain from the left hip to the knee,
with weakness of the leg which abates when sitting down. Pain and beating
in the left jaw, for ten minutes. 110. Vertigo and desire to vomit in the
evening. Cough with hoarse voice.