[Illustration]
This is a tree with white wood, the ramose top of which attains a height
of from 20 to 28 feet. Leaves pennate, tri- or quadrijugate, composed
of from five to nine opposite, sessile, glabrous and oval folioles.
Flowers large, violet-colored, on pedicles that are expanded at their
extremities, and forming ramose terminal panicles. Calix tubulous,
with five teeth, corolla tubulous, slightly pubescent externally, and
expanding at its summit into a limb with five obtuse divisions. Stamens
five, one of which is rudimentary; ovary avoïd, surmounted by a simple
style terminating in a bilamellary stygma. The husks are linear and flat.
The caroba is very common in Brazil, in gardens and on plantations; it
blossoms in September. We employ the flower.
Several varieties of the caroba are used in Brazil for the treatment of
syphilitic diseases. For our provings we have selected the Jacaranda
caroba, which has furnished results as complete as could be desired. We
consider this drug of great importance in the treatment of chancres.
_First day._—1. Stitch at the heart; the heart seems to beat slowly in
placing the hand upon it, at 9 in the evening. Stitch and pulling below
the stomach, on the right side, at midnight. Dryness and pricking all
over.
_Second day._—No sleep at night and drowsy in the day-time. 5. Dry mouth,
in the morning, in bed. One does not feel any longer the beats of the
heart, in the morning, in bed. The heart beats regularly again after
going into the open air. Painful stitch at the heart, almost constantly.
Full and slow pulse, in the morning, in bed. Weary while talking. 10.
Drawing pain on the right side, from the axilla to the false ribs, at
9 in the morning. Dull pain under the sternum, in raising the head
and drawing breath. He eats little, though his appetite is good, at 9
in the morning. General weakness, in the morning. Slight pain at the
articulation of the second phalanx of the fingers of the right hand,
at half past 9 in the morning. 15. Weakness of the legs. Pain as if
bruised in the right knee, while walking, at 10 in the morning, of short
duration. Sense as if bruised in the muscles and bones of the legs.
Slight drawing pain from the eye to the right lower jaw, followed by
shuddering in the same region, at 11 in the morning; this pain recurs,
changing to a contusive pain. Sensitiveness of the malar bone when
pressing on it with the finger. 20. Sensation of painfulness at the
apex of the heart, on the right side, at noon. Hurried breathing, with
sense of fullness under the sternum, several times in the course of
the day. Painful stitch under the false right ribs, at noon. No stool.
Momentary drawing in the flexor communis digitorum, left wrist, at half
past 12, afternoon. 25. Pulling from the lower extremity of the forearm
to the right little finger, for one hour. Weariness of the limbs, and
desire to remain seated. Weakness of the limbs; and lumbar region, at 2.
Slight pain in the right ribs, below, at half past 2. Painful fullness
in the right temple, shifting a moment after to the left temple, and
disappearing in the left side of the nape of the neck, in the evening,
in the open air. 30. Sense of fullness in the head, in the afternoon.
Dull pain between the forehead and right temple; it disappears in the
evening, by shifting to the opposite side. Pain as if excoriated at the
left side of the tongue. Pulling from the lower jaw to the middle of
the neck, on the right side, in the evening. Fullness in the pit of the
stomach, with feeble, hurried breathing; sometimes a strong and long
inspiration, with strong and sudden expiration, in the afternoon. 35.
Lancinating pain in the region of the heart. Continued prickings under
the sternum. Painful stitch on the left side of the navel. Sensation,
while walking, as of dull thorns or little pieces of straw between the
thighs, or as if stiff and dry moss is applied to a raw sore. Itching at
the anus, while sitting. 40. Pain at the left elbow, striking through
the whole forearm by fits and starts, in the evening. Dull pain in the
right wrist-joints, penetrating to the middle of the forearm; a similar
sensation at the left arm, but slighter. Pain as if bruised in the bones
of the right forearm, and lancination from the wrist to the forearm, at
6 in the evening. Acute deep-seated, drawing pain under the left last
rib, at 6 in the evening. Palpitation of the heart in going up- and
down-stairs, with acute pain, as if it were pushed with the tip of the
finger, at 9 in the evening.
_Third day._—45. Doughy mouth, at 6 in the morning. The heart seems to
beat in the pit of the stomach, at 6 in the morning; its beats are no
longer felt under the left breast. The beating of the heart recommences
during motion, but is slow and feeble. Noise in the ears, like the
flapping of the wings of a butterfly, at 8 in the morning. Sneezing
and fluent discharge from the nose, at half past 8 in the morning.
50. Itching at the left commissure of the lips, at 9 in the morning.
Fatiguing drawing pain in the anterior cervical muscles, extending to
the right ear, at half past 9 in the morning. Colic; flatulence shifts
about in the abdomen, followed by emission of inodorous flatulence, at
half past 9 in the morning. Painful stitch in the integuments of the
abdomen, between the navel and the pit of the stomach, a little on the
right side, at 10 in the morning. Dull pain above the wrist and in the
radius, at half past 10 in the morning. 55. Dull crampy pain in the right
elbow, shifting afterwards to the left elbow. Pain as if bruised in the
right side, at a quarter of 11 in the morning. Painful stitch at the
heart, shifting at once to the other side, as if one had two hearts, at
11 in the morning. Extensive aching pain from the right upper part of
the forehead to the eye, at noon. Slight pain in the right temple, as
if several dull points were pressed upon it at the same time; dull pain
in the right orbit. 60. Coryza at half past 12. Mouth dry and doughy.
Sensation in the skin as if grasped, on the right side of the navel, at
one in the evening. No stool. Lancination from the elbow to the middle
of the forearm, thence to the left wrist, from 9 to 3 in the evening.
65. Stoppage of the nose, at 3 in the evening. Boring pain at the right
external carotid, at half past 3 in the evening. Vertical pullings above
the pit of the stomach, at 4 in the evening.
_Fourth day._—Stiffness of the loins and pain in the abdomen and
hypochondria as if bruised, at 6 in the morning. Soft and easy stool,
(previous to the proving the stools were generally hard and painful.)
70. The inflammation of the anus has disappeared. Coryza, with heaviness
and weariness at the vertex, forehead and eyes, at 9 in the morning.
Coryza, with digging, lancinating pain in the left side of the forehead,
corresponding to the palatine arch of the same side, at noon. Dry lips,
mouth and tongue. Intense itching between the left ring- and little
finger, and a red, itching spot on the second phalangeal joint of the
ring-finger. 75. A red spot, with a yellowish pellicle and itching at
the forepart of the wrists, at noon. Heat at the left ear, with burning
digging pain extending to the left nostril, at half past 2 in the
evening. Sensation as if the left ear were stopped up, at half past 3 in
the afternoon.
_Fifth day._—The coryza has ceased.
_Sixth day._—80. Dreams about objects, which he defends courageously
against thieves, who lay a thousand snares for him; also about unknown
fruits, which he desires to taste, but which disappear immediately. Dull
pain at the outer side of the right eyebrow, passes off in the open air.
Acute pain in the left testicle, when walking. A good deal of appetite.
Rheumatic pain in the right knee, it disappears by motion. 85. Slight
pinching at the extremity of the prepuce. Dull pain in the right temporal
region, at 10 in the morning.
_Seventh to thirteenth day._—Slight pains in the left testicle when
walking, or by the pressure of the clothes.
_Fourteenth day._—Heat and swelling of the scrotum, near the left groin,
with pain when rubbing or touching it. Slight suppuration between the
glans and prepuce, on the right side.
_Fifteenth day._—90. The swelling of the scrotum is less, the suppuration
of the glans worse.
_Sixteenth day._—Itching at the forehead, as if mosquitoes were walking
about there.
_Eighteenth day._—The swelling of the scrotum has disappeared, the
testicle is less painful; the suppuration has spread to the outer side
of the prepuce, without affecting the glans. Swelling of the right
groin which is painful when touched. Pain as from a plug pressing
perpendicularly against the forehead, right side. 95. Violent sneezing.
Dreams about a frightful storm, with smashing and burning of palaces, or
crushing gigantic mountains, from which issue columns of smoke.
_Nineteenth day._—Profuse watery discharge from the nose. Food tastes
flat or acid, sugar-water tastes like vinegar.
_Twenty-first day._—Acute pain in the prepuce, as if a small bundle of
fibres were seized. 100. Prickling at the prepuce. Profuse discharge of
a yellowish white liquid from the prepuce, smelling like ordinary pus.
Heat and pain of the penis, the inflammation being worse in bed. The
prepuce cannot be drawn back. General malaise, nausea, debility. 105.
The swelling of the scrotum has entirely ceased. The testicle remains a
little swollen and painful. (The excrescence at the anus has considerably
decreased for eight days past.) Dreams about combats, dead persons; he
picks up very small heads, which had been partially calcined on a pan
with coals; these heads opened their eyes and spoke to him in an angry
tone.
_Twenty-second day._—The pain and inflammation of the prepuce are less.
110. The pain in the testicle keeps decreasing. Very weary in the
evening, he has to lie down. The suppuration and inflammation of the
prepuce augment in the evening, the whole prepuce is affected. Itching at
the scrotum.
_Twenty-third day._—Acute pain, with lancinations at the anus, as if
a large needle were stuck in three or four times. 115. Prostration; a
trifling exercise fatigues him and compels him to lie down. Weariness of
the knees. Sensation of a greenish-yellow pus from the prepuce.
_Twenty-fourth day._—Profuse secretion of a greenish-yellow liquid from
the prepuce. The internal membrane of the prepuce is inflamed.
_Twenty-fifth day._—120. Itching at the anus, in the morning. The
inflammation of the prepuce is less on the right side, it shifts to the
left. Itching and prickling at the margin of the prepuce. Emission of a
light colored urine, four or five times a day.
_Twenty-sixth day._—The inflammation on the inner side of the prepuce has
ceased, whereas the margin has become inflamed over night; and it is raw
and bleeds here and there. 125. The contact of the urine causes tearing
pains, which affect the whole organism, and leave a considerable malaise
behind. The nervous system, head and neck are painfully affected by
these pains. The orifice of the urethra looks like two small lips, which
are inflamed on the inner side; on touching them, a slight itching is
experienced there, extending to the middle of the penis.
_Twenty-seventh day._—130. Internal chilliness, as if the blood would
freeze in the vessels, in the open air, for fifteen minutes. Erections,
which the continual swelling of the prepuce renders painful. Total
suppression of the sexual desire, with relaxation of the penis.
_Twenty-eighth day._—Sound sleep. The inflammation and suppuration of the
glans diminish considerably in the morning.
_Twenty-ninth day._—135. He is able to take a long walk without getting
tired.