MATERIA MEDICA - Absinthium (7)

[Ardavan Shahrdar]

Hand Book of Materia Medica and Homoeopathic
Therapeutics - T.F.Allen
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Absinthium
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Artemisia absinthium, Common wormwood. A shrub of
the natural order Compositae, wild in Europe,
naturalized in the United States. A tincture is
prepared by bruising the young leaves and blossoms and
adding two parts of alcohol.

General Action.- The most marked general effect of
Absinthium is epilepsy. The convulsions attack
suddenly one who has been in the habit of drinking
absinth for a long time, especially if at any time he
indulges in excess. A large number of these
convulsions are apt to occur in rapid succession for a
few hours, coming on with screaming. The convulsions
begin in the face and extend to the body and limbs,
which are at first rigid, and then affected by clonic
spasms; with cyanotic face, irregular and stertorous
respiration. The convulsions are followed by
stupidity, lack of sensibility and loss of memory. The
general or associated symptoms are as follows.

Generalities.- Faintness. Symptoms of general
hyperaesthesia. Trembling, especially of the lips,
tongue and limbs, worse in the morning. Frequent
hysterical spasms, not amounting to epilepsy, the
convulsions consisting of rigidity of the limbs and
some irregular motions. Tendency to lie with head low.

Mind.- Crying and wishing to die Delirium. Dread of
assassination. Various hallucinations. Idiocy.
Irritable mood. Kleptomania. Loquacity. Complete loss
of memory. Sudden attacks of stupor and
unconsciousness. Frightful visions. Expression
foolish.

Head.- General confusion, with headache.
Constriction of the temples. Pain above the eyes.
Vertigo on rising, or with tendency to fall backward.

Eyes.- brilliant. Conjunctiva injected. Sclerotic
yellow. Pupils dilated unequally. Lids heavy.

Loss of appetite and loathing of food. Thirst.
Eructations. Nausea; retching; vomiting of bitter
mucus. Coldness and oppression in stomach. Food lies
heavy. Flatulent distention of the abdomen, which is
hard. Wind colic. Liver becomes enlarged Constipation.

Micturition frequent. Urine deep orange, of a
strong odor; red; in some cases albuminous.

Darting pain in r.ovary.

Voice feeble, speech hesitating; voice trembling
and hoarse. Cough, with expectoration. Crepitant
rales. Heart 's action irregular, tumultuous;
trembling of the heart felt through to the back.
Oppression of chest.

Unsteady, tottering gait. Sciatica.

Clinical.- This drug has been used as a remedy for
prolonged spasms of children, and in a few cases of
epileotiform convulsions of older persons. Its
clinical history is, however, very imperfect.
Sincerely,

Ardavan Shahrdar, MD, DIHom

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and Hahnemannian homoeopathy.

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