[Illustration]
This is a creeper, inhabiting the shores in the bay of Rio Janeiro. Its
stem is herbaceous, rounded, covered with short and rather stiff hairs.
Its leaves are simple, opposite, gradually tapering to a short channelled
petiole adhering to that of the opposite side, and forming tufts at
certain intervals whence arise adventitious roots. They have a smooth,
trapezoid, coarsely intended limb. The flowers form little axillary
heads, with from 15 to 20 flowers each, arising from an involucre with
five divisions and supported by a somewhat filiform pedicle. Calix
tubulous, monophyllous, with five teeth, and much shorter than the
tube of the corol. The corol is monopetalous, of a yellowish white,
tubulous, puffed up at its extremity, with five reflexed divisions, and
five stamens with bilocular, connivent anthers which are longer than
the corol. Ovary one-celled, flat at the top, whence proceeds a slender
style, terminated by a glandular stygma which is longer than the
stamens. Fruit monospermous, elongated, with a crustaceous integument
which is covered with a number of stiff hairs that are bent over, and
which presents irregular longitudinal furrows. The root is perennial and
ramose. We employ the leaves.
_First day._—1. Weakness of the joints of the lower extremities,
immediately. Vertigo. Slight pain in the right side of the neck, for five
minutes. Body and head are very warm. 5. Cold extremities. Violent sexual
desire at 11, disappearing afterwards during the remainder of the day.
_Second day._—Headache in the morning. Pain in the sides of the chest.
Weakness of the lower limbs. 10. Aversion to every thing. Taciturn.
Acute pain in the left ear, for some minutes. Hot face, with sickness at
the stomach. Passing pain in the left arm. 15. Passing pain in the left
lower limb, for ten minutes. Very drowsy after noon. Headache after a
walk. Acute pain in the left lower limb, in the evening. In the evening,
pain in the limbs. 20. Pain in the head. Internal heat. At night, very
hot internally. Pulse hard and small. Passing and lancinating pains in
various parts. 25. Lancinations in various parts of the head. Lancinating
pain in the kidneys; the parts were all painful as if pricked. Pain at
the right shoulder. Painful burning pricking at the right shoulder.
Catarrhal sore throat. 30. Frequent and scanty flow of saliva. Passing
pains at the neck. Constant pain in the head. Slight sense of heaviness
at the stomach. Sense of chilliness at every motion. 35. Vertigo for 3
or 4 minutes, after eating. Heat in the eyes. Sensitive smell all day.
Constant headache, especially in the forehead. Pain in the left lumbar
region. 40. Heaviness of the head, with vertigo. Drowsy after 9. No
stool, red urine.
_Third day._—Pain in the right lower limb, in the morning. Pain at the
neck. 45. Heaviness of the head and on the eyelids. Taciturn. Sad.
Extremely languid. Pricking in various parts of the thorax. 50. Unable
to lean on an arm, on account of the pain in the thorax. Pain in the
temples. Weak stomach. Painful palpitation of the heart. Heat in the
limbs. 55. Hot arms with cold hands. At 9 in the evening, hard and small
pulse, pain in the right lower limb, all day. Vertigo. Heaviness of the
head. Drowsy. 60. Heat in the eyes. Passing pains in various parts of
the trunk. Passing pain at the humerus. Constant pain at the right hip
and lower limb. Passing pains at the neck. 65. Sexual desire as above.
Headache. Internal heat, coming and going momentarily. Pain in the ribs
when bending forward; feeble pulse. Pain and constriction of the throat.
70. After a walk, heat in the head lasting all day. Pains here and there,
which seem to shift. Red urine. Excessive heat about the head.
_Fourth day._—Aversion to every thing, in the morning. 75. Pain in
the neck. Pain at the back. Headache. Heat in the face. Pain in the
stomach. 80. Pain at the heart. Pain in the chest when straining.
Pain at the humerus when lifting any thing. Slight headache above the
brows. Palpitation of the heart. 85. Agitated pulse. Ulceration of the
commissure of the lips. Constant pain in the iliac region. Milk-colored
spittle. Easy discharge of urine. 90. When drawing breath, pain below
the last false ribs, left side. The same pain on the right side, less
lasting. Stool hard, inodorous. Headache, at night. Pain, with difficult
breathing. 95. Little saliva. An old pain in the chest is worse.
_Fifth day._—Profuse saliva in the morning. Inflammation and lachrymation
of the left eye. Lips dry and cracked at the corners. 100. Heaviness at
the stomach. Extreme languor. Hot fever, vertigo, uneasy pulse. Acute
pains all over for three hours. Pain in the ribs and at the nape of the
neck, in the evening. 105. Violent pain in the eyes. Frontal headache.
Taciturn for some time. Painful stitch in the region of the heart.
Stomach-ache. 110. Pains in the joints hindering movement.
_Sixth day._—Stomach-ache. Pain in the back, while sitting. Languor
and general prostration. Profuse saliva. 115. Bitter mouth. Headache.
Pain here and there. The right lower limb is always painful. 120.
White-colored spittle.
_Seventh day._—Pain in the belly. Pain at the right shoulder. Frightful
dreams, about dead bodies. 125. Pain in the forehead. Heaviness in the
stomach.
_Eighth day._—Pain in the joints. Pain at the right ribs. Pain in the
forehead. 130. Slight pain at the right shoulder. Pain in the lower
limbs. Passing pains above the right ear.