Dirca Palustris

Dirca belongs to the same family as Daphne Indica and Mezereum, and is the

only American member of the family. Its symptoms show its relationship to the other two, but it

has not been used extensively in practice. It produces much vital depression; neuralgic pains in

the head, trunk, and extremities, many of the pains proceeding from without inward. Digestion is

disordered, there is weight at the stomach, and a peculiar white tongue, the coating being moist

and even. Rumbling of flatulence. Colic > by bending forward, diarrhoea and tenesmus, later

constipation. Oppression and pains in the chest, sweetish expectoration, and excitability of the

heart's action from the slightest motion. Hot and restless at night; cannot sleep; dreams of dead

bodies. Motion < most symptoms; walking < vertigo and pain in bowels. Colic is > by bending

forward; headache > by pressure. Pains in the bowels are > by stool.

Vertigo on walking; seems as if he would fall to 1—Pains all through the head, vertex,

and occiput, extending down into spine.—Sensation as if lobes of cerebrum were drawn forward

towards frontal sinuses.—Headache in temples extending inwards; > by hard

• ▸pressure.
• ▸—Headache, throbbing, and beating in 1.
• ▸half of head, < by coughing or moving.
• ▸—Pain

high up in occiput extending inwards.—Awoke with pain low down in occiput, much < on raising

or accidentally moving head in morning; < towards noon, and went up over vertex to forehead,

and there had a strong congestive headache, with throbbing of carotids, lasting till evening and

gradually disappearing.—Scalp feels dry and tight.

Eyes sore; and painful to touch.—Sensation as if brows corrugated; and as if brain were

• ▸also drawn down.
• ▸—Lids heavy.
• ▸—Much photophobia; on waking and continuing all day; esp.
• ▸from

gaslight.

Several lancinations in |. hypochondrium with tympanites Burning below

umbilicus.—Rumbling in bowels.—Colic > bending forward; and > by stool, but smarting in anus

remains.—Burning and uncomfortable sensation in bowels.—Pain in bowels on walking, also

painful on pressure.—Dull ache low down in pelvis; bearing down, not > by sitting or lying, but >

when headache >.

Throbbing, stitching pains in anus.—Soreness and smarting, < after

stool.—Tenesmus and straining.—Diarrheeic stools; sudden, gushing, watery; thin, yellowish

feecal.—Constipation; urgent desire, but passes only frothy mucus.—Dry, sticky feces.

Uterus seems too low, and as if it would prolapse during

stool.—Menses two days too early; less copious and prolonged than usual.

Stinging pains in larynx from without inwards; very sharp pricking

pain and sensation of suffocation.—Cough < morning.—Raising sweetish-tasting mucus quite

offensive.—Great dyspnoea from exertion; from walking up a slight elevation.—Sharp pain in r.

thorax running down into abdomen and up into |. shoulder.

Excitability of heart's action from least motion.—Palpitation on going up slight

elevation.—Pulse suddenly becomes weak and irregular.

• ▸Colic.
• ▸Constipation.
• ▸Cough.
• ▸Debility.
• ▸Diarrhoea.
• ▸Dyspepsia.
• ▸Eyes, affections of.

• ▸Flatulence.
• ▸Headache.
• ▸Heart, affections of.
• ▸Neuralgia.
• ▸Rheumatism.

• ▸Compare: Can.
• ▸i.
• ▸(time passes slowly); Ant.
• ▸c.
• ▸(tongue); Lyc.
• ▸(constipation and

• ▸flatulence); Bry.
• ▸, Puls.
• ▸, Abies.
• ▸n.
• ▸, &c.
• ▸(weight at stomach); Stan.
• ▸(sweet expectoration).