Laurocerasus

Laurocerasus, the so-called "Laurel" of our gardens, is not a member of the

Lauracec, though the Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis, is. The Aqua Laurocerasi, prepared by

distilling the fresh leaves, contains Hydrocyanic acid and is supposed to owe all its medicinal

virtue to this fact. Milne says it is "used in spasmodic cough, and in phthisis; but it is better to

employ the prussic acid itself." In the poisoning cases that have occurred the symptoms have

been practically identical with those of persons poisoned with prussic acid; but the provings

bring out more delicate shades of action and fully entitle the remedy to an individual place of its

own. Coldness, blueness, epileptiform convulsions are common to both. Both have a dry, tickling

cough; but Lauro. has also a cough with jelly-like expectoration dotted with bloody points.

Lauro. has cyanosis both of the new-born infant and of heart disease. A peculiar "gasping" is

indicative here—gasping without really breathing. In addition to the blueness there is twitching of

the muscles of the face (which is also an indication for Lauro. in chorea). Clubbing of fingers,

which is a common feature in cyanosis and phthisis, is a characteristic of Lauro. "Lack of

reactive power," low vitality, is another keynote of Lauro. This is particularly so when occurring

in chest affections. Long-lasting faints (Camph. has sudden fainting); seems to have no reactive

power; face pale, blue; surface cold. Prostrate before getting up in morning and difficulty in

opening eyes; attacks of indigestion and pains across lower abdomen, which come suddenly in

the morning and generally disappear on getting up. Gnawing pain in lower abdomen going on for

years in old men with occasional looseness of stool. If fluids are forced down the throat they roll

audibly into stomach. When indicated in eruptive fevers the eruption is livid, after pressure with

the finger the skin is long in regaining its colour. There are suffocative spells about the heart <

by sitting up; the patient is compelled to lie down (as with Psor.); though some heart symptoms

have the opposite condition and compel the patient to sit up. Guernsey gives these leading

symptoms: "Gasping for breath; the patient puts his hand to the heart as if there was some trouble

there; this may result from running a short distance, which puts him completely out of breath;

going upstairs, walking, or any exercise may bring the gasping on." Coldness is a common

• ▸sensation, internal coldness and external heat.
• ▸Cold tongue.
• ▸Heat of single parts.
• ▸Warmth on

centre of forehead, then a coldness as from a draught of air lasting a long time. The left chest is

• ▸most affected.
• ▸There is < before eating.
• ▸Constricted sensations—in gullet; in rectum.
• ▸There are

some very noteworthy uterine symptoms, of menorrhagia and dysmenorrh§a, in the provings, and

the value of them has been emphasised by cases related by Cooper in his work on Cancer and

• ▸Cancer Symptoms (2nd ed.
• ▸, p.
• ▸60).
• ▸The leading indications according to Cooper are: "A sense of

fatigue pervades the whole system, with a very painful condition of the hard and indurated tissue

of the parts affected; pain much > by sleep; tendency to oozing of blood, which is generally

bright and mixed with gelatinous clots. This applies to chest as well as to uterine and rectal

symptoms; only, the blood comes painlessly into the mouth, but with great pain Per vaginam. In

most cases it will be found that the pains it relieves are such as start from the lower part of the

spine and extend either round the pelvis or up to the head, and are accompanied with a sense of

suffocation and a sick feeling, with drowsiness and a great desire to sleep that generally brings

relief. In cases that are sleepless the desire for sleep is very great. Digestion is weak; bowels

confined patient, low-spirited with flatulence and burning in chest after food constant tired, sick

feeling; entire frame enfeebled; inclined to loss of flesh and hémorrhages that are small in

quantity and bright in colour. The flatus is audible and gurgling and rolls about the upper

abdomen (p. 64)." In nervous affections "constant jerks; cannot keep still" and the characteristic

"gasping" are leading indications. Peculiar sensations are: Coolness of forehead as from draught

• ▸of air.
• ▸Weight on top of head.
• ▸As if brain loose and falling into forehead when stooping.
• ▸As if a

heavy lump falling from abdomen to small of back, as if a veil before eyes. As if nose stopped.

As if flies and spiders crawling over skin. As if tongue, mouth, and throat were burnt. As if

abscess in region of liver would burst. As if lungs could not be sufficiently expanded. As if lungs

pressed against spine. As if mucous membranes were dry. Stitches are very prominent; also

stiffness and pressure, especially pressure outward. Allen's indications are: An extremely

nervous, excitable condition accompanying ailments. Diarrhsa as of green mucus, with

suffocative spells about heart. Dry, harassing cough of phthisis. Spasmodic cough of later stages

of whooping-cough when patient is much prostrated and has nervous spasmodic symptoms.

Cough with valvular heart disease; cough incessant, especially on lying down; fluttering in heart

• ▸and gasping, with cough.
• ▸Alternation of chill, fever, and sweat in phthisis.
• ▸E.
• ▸Wigg (#7.
• ▸P.
• ▸, xii.

30) relates the case of May S., 7, who had been troubled some time with an almost incessant

cough, for which many remedies were given without benefit. At last Wigg came to the

conclusion that Lauro. was the remedy, and put ten drops of the 200th into five tablespoonfuls of

water, ordering a teaspoonful of this to be taken every two hours when the child was awake. This

• ▸was at 4 p.
• ▸m.
• ▸After the third dose she fell asleep.
• ▸At 3 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸she awoke in a very excited

condition. Her mother asked her if she had not been dreaming, but her tongue was so stiff she

could not answer. Suddenly she began to tremble all over as if in a chill. After ten minutes she

began to twitch and jerk. Wigg was sent for and found her in this convulsed state. She could not

articulate for the thickness and heaviness of the tongue. The mind was clear. Recognising the

action of Lauro. Wigg antidoted it with Camphor and later a cup of coffee, and she came all right

• ▸in a few hours.
• ▸She had no more of the cough.
• ▸Many symptoms are > sitting up.
• ▸Coughs

continuously when lying down. Bending head forward > pressure in nape. Compelled to bend

forward by contractive pain in groins. On the other hand suffocating spells about heart compel

him to lie down. When she attempts to rise from recumbent posture, sensation of heavy lump

• ▸falling from pit of stomach to back.
• ▸Stooping <.
• ▸Sitting < gasping; = feet to go to sleep.
• ▸Crossing

legs = feet to go to sleep. Motion < cough; = gasping. After dinner: Hunger; irresistible

drowsiness. < Evening and night. Coldness in forehead and vertex is > in open air; vertigo, and

pressure in nape are <. External warmth does not > coldness. Approaching stove = nausea; cold.

Being touched by water = burning between fingers.

Mental dejection.—Great anxiety, apprehension, and agitation, which do not allow a

moment's rest, nor yet sleep in evening, but which disappear in open air—Repugnance to

intellectual labour.—Mental promptitude and precipitation.—Inability to collect one's

• ▸ideas.
• ▸—Weakness of memory.
• ▸—Fear and anxiety about imaginary evils.
• ▸—Intellectual

incapacity.—Mental dulness (insensibility) and loss of consciousness, with loss of speech and

motion.—She becomes irritable, talks too much; and then pains in shoulders and arms to tips of

fingers come on, and she loses the power to hold things in her hands.—Intoxication.

Weak, ancmic, emaciated girls—Weak, apathetic, lies in bed in

• ▸morning.
• ▸—Suffocation, sickness, drowsiness.
• ▸—Convulsive and spasmodic jerks, by fits.
• ▸—Internal

inflammation.—Trembling, esp. of hands and feet, during exercise in open air——Sudden

• ▸weakness, with excessive nervous dejection.
• ▸—(Apoplexy, and paralysis of limbs.
• ▸).
• ▸—Painless

paralysis of the limbs.—Fainting fits —Drawing and tearing pains in limbs.—Pinching with

sensation of tearing.—Coldness of inner parts; heat of single part; internal chilliness and external

• ▸heat.
• ▸—Want of vital energy, and of reaction.
• ▸—Sense of fatigue in whole body.
• ▸—Epileptic

convulsions, with foaming at mouth, which is tightly closed.—Tetanus.—Painlessness of the

• ▸ailments.
• ▸—Pulse small.
• ▸—Skin turns blue; toe- and finger-nails become knobby.
• ▸—Symptoms < in

evening; > at night, and in open air.—In general > from sleep.

Stupefaction, with falling down, and loss of consciousness.—Feeling of intoxication

and vertigo, with drowsiness.—Vertigo, on rising from a stooping posture, or on getting up from

a seat, with what appears to be a veil before the sight, or with a sensation as if all objects were

• ▸turning round.
• ▸—Vertigo < in the open air.
• ▸—Stupefying pain in the whole head.
• ▸—Stupefying

headache, with a feeling of weight, and sensation, on stooping, as if the brain fell forwards and

• ▸struck against the cranium.
• ▸—Brain feels contracted and painful.
• ▸—Stitches in head.
• ▸—Itching of

hairy scalp.—Very violent pressive headache in a room.—Constant feeling of coldness in

head.—Sensation of coldness in forehead and vertex, as if a cold wind were blowing on it,

descending through neck to back; < in room, > in open air.—Feeling as if ice lay on

vertex.—Congestion in the head, with heat and throbbing.—Pulsation in head, with heat or with

coldness.—The headache disappears, with a sensation of coldness in vertex, forehead, in nape of

neck, extending to loins.—Headache in r. temple.

Burning pain in eyes.—Dryness of eyes.—Eyes widely open, or half-closed, convulsed,

prominent, and fixed.—Pupils dilated, and immovable.—Darkness before the eyes; obscuration of

sight.—Eyes distorted —All objects appear larger than they really are.

(Sunken face with) countenance pale, sallow, and grey.—Face wan, or bloated and

swollen.—Distortion of the features ——Cramps in the jaws.—Twitching in muscles of

face.—Eruption round mouth.—Titillation in the face, as if flies and spiders were crawling over

the skin.—Lock-jaw.—Painful sensations in the under jaw and lower teeth.

Mouth dry and clammy.—Froth at the mouth.—Sensation of coldness on

• ▸tongue.
• ▸—Loss of speech.
• ▸—Dry and rough tongue.
• ▸—White and dry tongue.
• ▸—Tongue feels cold, or

burnt and numb.—Swelling and stiffness of 1. side of tongue.

Sore throat with painful sensation, as if it were drawn downwards, during deglutition

and at other times——Cramps in pharynx and ssophagus.—Audible gulping when

drinking —Deglutition is hindered or obstructed.—Contraction of Ssophagus when drinking.—The

drink he takes rolls audibly through ssophagus and intestines.—Dull sticking pain as from a lump

• ▸in throat, which extends to 1.
• ▸side of back.
• ▸—Sensation of swelling in pharynx.
• ▸—Sensation of

coldness, or heat and burning pain in throat, and in bottom of palate.

Sweetish, or acrid and irritating taste.-—Ardent thirst, with dryness of

mouth.—Entire loss of appetite, with clean tongue.—Want of appetite, with repugnance to all

food.—Excessive craving.—Sinking between meals, husky voice, brings up phlegm streaked with

blood.

Violent risings, either empty, or having taste of food.—Excessive disgust, nausea,

and vomiting, even of food —Hiccough.—Bitter eructations.—Violent pain in stomach, with loss

of speech.—Burning in stomach and abdomen, or coldness.—Contractive pain in region of

• ▸stomach, and cutting pain in abdomen.
• ▸—Vomiting of black matter.
• ▸—Aching of stomach.
• ▸—Pains

in stomach, sufficiently violent to cause fainting —Great anguish in precordial region.—Sensation

• ▸of coldness, or burning in stomach, and in epigastrium.
• ▸—(Inflammation of stomach.
• ▸).
• ▸—Weak

digestion with confined bowels.

Sticking pains in liver with pressure.—Distension of region of liver, with pains,

as from subcutaneous ulceration.—Induration of liver —Atrophic nutmeg liver.—Colic below

navel, with incisive pain in intestines.—Sensation of swelling, of size of a walnut, in |. side of

abdomen.—Cuttings, cramps, and contractions in abdomen.—Sensation of coldness, or heat and

• ▸burning in abdomen.
• ▸—(Inflammation of intestines.
• ▸).
• ▸—Pains in |.
• ▸intestine.
• ▸—Flatulent

colic.—Borborygmi, rumbling, and grumbling in abdomen and in stomach.—Pinching in

umbilical region.—Flatulence pressure outward at perincum; pressing on bladder.—Pressure and

tension beneath both Poupart's ligaments as if a part would press through.—Contractive pains in

• ▸groins; compelled to bend up for two hours (4 p.
• ▸m.
• ▸).
• ▸—Sharp stitches in groins.

Constipation.—Hard and tenacious evacuations, with

straining.—Ineffectual urging to stool, with emission of wind only.—Diarrhsa, with tenesmus,

incisive and burning pains in anus.—DiarrhSa of green, slimy matter, with contraction in

• ▸groins.
• ▸—Involuntary stools.
• ▸—Paralysis of sphincter ani.
• ▸—Cramp in rectum extends upwards from

anus.—Fine sticking in rectum after urging to stool.—A stitch as with an awl in rectum during

stool, which shoots from above downwards, and is followed by discharge of some pasty

• ▸féces.
• ▸—Three tearings in succession in rectum.
• ▸—Constriction of the rectum.
• ▸—Itching or crawling

in rectum as from worms.—No stool or urine is discharged.

Retention of urine.—Pale yellow, watery urine.—Frothy, acrid

• ▸urine.
• ▸—Thick, reddish sediment in urine.
• ▸—Involuntary emission of urine.
• ▸—Paralysis of

bladder.—Pain in region of stomach during emission of urine.

Catamenia too early and too abundant blood thin; with nightly

tearing in vertex.—Menorrhagia, blood dark, in large clots, during climaxis.—(Metrorrhagia in

• ▸tumour case.
• ▸).
• ▸—Tearing in head, odontalgia, and cuttings, during catamenia.
• ▸—Severe pain in

sacral region extending to pubis with dizziness and dimness of vision; cold extremities; cold

tongue; great melancholy (dysmenorrhsa).—Dysmenorrhsa; colic first day, headache second day

all over head, with or without sick feeling.—(Relieves the pain of uterine and rectal

cancer.).—Attacks of suffocation, with palpitation and a sort of gasping for breath; must lie down

sometimes to find relief (pregnancy).—Burning and stinging in and below mamm¢.—Needle-like

stitches in and beneath 1. breast.—Creeping or moving stitches in female breast, whereby the skin

becomes sensitive to touch lasting a long time.

Increased sexual desire.—Gangrene of genital parts.—Sticking pain

above r. pubis, extending along spermatic cord, while lying and on moving about; > when sitting

up.—Voluptuous itching beneath prepuce with desire for coition.

• ▸Cyanosis and dyspnoea; worse, sitting up.
• ▸Patient puts hands on heart.
• ▸Cough, with valvular disease.
• ▸Exercise causes pain around heart.
• ▸Tickling, dry cough.
• ▸Dyspnoea.
• ▸Constriction of chest.
• ▸Cough, with copious, jelly-like, or bloody expectoration.
• ▸Small and feeble pulse.
• ▸Threatening paralysis of lungs.
• ▸Gasping for breath; clutches at heart.

Hoarseness, roughness, and scraping in throat and pharynx.—Deep

bass voice.—Spasmodic constriction of the trachea.—Little short cough, excited by a tickling and

scraping in throat.—Abundant gelatinous expectoration, with small specks of blood.—(Persistent

cough in phthisis trachealis.)

Mitral regurgitation. Clutching at heart and palpitation. Cyanosis neonatorum.

Slow, weak, anxious respiration. —Rattling, stertorous respiration.—Obstruction to

respiration in region of stomach.—Asthmatic respiration as if lungs were incapable of being

sufficiently dilated, or as if they were paralysed.—Pressure on chest.—Constriction of chest, with

oppression.—Burning and stitches in chest.—In pulmonic affections, where the patient coughs

and spits a great amount of phlegm, which is sprinkled over and through with distinct dots of

blood; the dots may be close together, or considerably scattered (frequently seen following

typhoid pneumonia).—A ffections of 1. chest—(The breast-scirrhus swells up suddenly, looks dark

• ▸and angry, with shooting pains.
• ▸—R.
• ▸T.
• ▸C.
• ▸)

Pains in region of heart.—Slow and irregular beating of heart.—The patient puts his

hand to his heart, as if there was some trouble there; this may result from running a short

distance, which puts him completely out of breath; going upstairs, walking, any exercise may

bring, this on.

Painful stiffness in 1. side of neck and nape ——Compressed feeling in

shoulders and nape, as well as in arms and back, with sudden palpitation which wakes her up at

• ▸night.
• ▸—Pressure in nape esp.
• ▸in open air, compelling him to bend head forward.
• ▸—Spinal

irritation; pain down back every four hours, darting up to head and chest and causing a feeling of

suffocation, with constant sick feeling and drowsiness; > from sleep.—Sensation of a heavy lump

falling from just above umbilicus to small of back.—Painful stiffness in small of back, when

writing; > immediately on becoming erect, but it soon returns.—Stitches in r. side of small of

• ▸back.
• ▸—Severe pain in sacral region extending to pubis.
• ▸—Burning in coccyx, 4 p.
• ▸m.

Acute drawings and shootings in shoulders and in arms.—Pressure on r.

• ▸shoulder or in the joint.
• ▸—In r.
• ▸shoulder, pains as from lameness and stitches.
• ▸—Stitch in both

elbows.—Pain, as if sprained, in r. wrist-joint—Burning sensation in hands, with swelling of the

veins.—Trembling of hands.—Skin dry and rough between the fingers, with burning when

touched with water.

Acute drawings and shootings in knees.—Pain, as if sprained in 1. hip-

• ▸joint.
• ▸—Sticking in |.
• ▸knee.
• ▸—The feet go to sleep (when crossing legs or sitting).
• ▸—Ulcerated pains

in lower part of heels.—Stiffness of feet after rising from a seat—Numbness of feet.

• ▸Toe and finger nails become knotty.
• ▸Skin blue.
• ▸Sprained pains in hips, thighs and heels.
• ▸Cold, clammy feet and legs.
• ▸Clubbing of fingers.
• ▸Veins of hands distended.

Spells of deep sleep, with snoring and stertorous breathing.

Frequent yawning, often accompanied by shuddering, with cutis

anserina.—Insurmountable inclination to sleep during day (esp. after dinner) and early in

• ▸evening.
• ▸—Deep snoring sleep.
• ▸—Soporous condition.
• ▸—Somnolence, sometimes like coma

vigil—Sleeplessness from over-excitement, and sudden heat.—Troublesome and agitated dreams.

Coldness; chills and heat alternate. Thirst, with dry mouth in afternoon.

Chilliness and febrile shivering, which are removed neither by heat of fire, nor by

that of bed—Shuddering, with cutis anserina, followed by burning heat.—Chilliness and heat in

alternation —Heat running down the back.—Perspiration during the heat and continuing all

• ▸night.
• ▸—Perspiration after eating.
• ▸—Coldness over whole body, but esp.
• ▸in feet, principally in open

air.—Want of natural heat—Pulse feeble, slow, and irregular, often imperceptible, again more

rapid, seldom full and hard.

• ▸Apoplexy, threatened.
• ▸Asphyxia, neonatorum.
• ▸Asthma.
• ▸Cholera.
• ▸Cholera infantum.

• ▸Chorea.
• ▸Climacteric sufferings.
• ▸Convulsions.
• ▸Cough.
• ▸Cramps.
• ▸Cyanosis.
• ▸DiarrhSa.

• ▸DysmenorrhSa.
• ▸Epilepsy.
• ▸Heart, affections of.
• ▸Liver, affections of.
• ▸Metrorrhagia.
• ▸Palpitation.

• ▸Pneumonia, typhoid.
• ▸Tetanus.
• ▸Tumours.
• ▸Whooping-cough.

• ▸Antidoted by: Camph.
• ▸, Coff.
• ▸, Ip.
• ▸, Op.
• ▸Compatible: Bell.
• ▸, Phos.
• ▸, Pul.
• ▸, Ver, Compare:

• ▸Camph.
• ▸(coldness; cramps; lack of reaction; fainting—Camph.
• ▸sudden; Lauro.
• ▸long-lasting.

• ▸Camph.
• ▸is a product of a true Laurel); Caps.
• ▸(lack of reaction in persons of lax fibre); Op.
• ▸(lack

of reaction in patients where there is no pain; stupid, drowsy); Pso. (lack of reaction in chilly,

psoric persons, despair of recovery; chest affection > lying down); Sul. (lack of reaction in hot,

perspiring, psoric subjects; chest affections; liver wasted after congestion); Val. and Ambra (lack

of reaction in nervous persons); Carb. v. (cold knees, breath, tongue; collapse; indifference);

• ▸Lach.
• ▸, Chi.
• ▸, Dig.
• ▸, Ver.
• ▸; Ant.
• ▸t.
• ▸(asphyxia neonatorum; Ant.
• ▸t.
• ▸has rattling of mucus, head thrown

• ▸back; Lauro.
• ▸blue face, twitching, gasping); Bar.
• ▸c.
• ▸, Bell.
• ▸, Bry.
• ▸; K.
• ▸ca.
• ▸(stitches); Calc.
• ▸, Ip.
• ▸, Nux

• ▸v.
• ▸; Op.
• ▸and Nux in.
• ▸(drowsiness); Pho.
• ▸, Pul.
• ▸, Rhus, Sep.
• ▸Compare also: Hydrocy.
• ▸ac.
• ▸, and

• ▸Amyg.
• ▸, Pru.
• ▸spi.
• ▸, Pru.
• ▸Virg.
• ▸, and other Rosacec.
• ▸In hunger after meals with feeling of emptiness,

• ▸Calc.
• ▸, Chi.
• ▸, Cascar.
• ▸, Cin.
• ▸, Grat.
• ▸(after meals and after stool, Petr.
• ▸); in semilateral swelling of

• ▸tongue, Calc.
• ▸, Sil.
• ▸, Thuj.
• ▸(Lauro.
• ▸has loss of speech with it).

Compare: Hydrocy ac; Camphor; Secale; Ammon carb; Ambra.

Tincture to third potency. Cherry-laurel water, two to five drop doses.

Inflammation of the veins of the leg. Varicose veins, blue or purple,

extreme sensitiveness along the veins ; sensitive to the slightest touch,

though relieved by pressure.

The study of Lachesis is only a commentary on some of its important

parts.

The many strange constitutional symptoms indicate feeble circulation

and weak heart. Great general coldness, that is not ameliorated by

• ▸external warmth.
• ▸It is like wrapping up a dead man.
• ▸Yet if he approaches a warm stove nausea comes on.
• ▸If he is in a warm room the

sweat breaks out on the forehead and the forehead is cold ; but if he

moves about slowly in the open air the sweat ceases and the forehead

• ▸warms up.
• ▸Want of animal heat.
• ▸Want of reaction.
• ▸Remedies act

(Only as palliatives, act only as short acting remedies in constitutional

disease, or the symptoms partially subside but the patient does not react.

The patient docs not convalesce. It often cures the heartfailure due

to Digitalis in Old School hands, or when convalescence is attended

by weak heart if there is cold skin and external heat is objectionable.

It should be compared with Camph,, Am, c, and Secale, A prolonged

fainting spell ; twitching of the limbs, gasping for breath. Complaints

after deep sorrow or fright. Chorea after every excitement. Spells

of profound sleep, with snoring or stertorous breathing.. In the .spells

• ▸of .
• ▸suffocation he must lie down (Psor.
• ▸) but .
• ▸the dry, hacking cough

com£s„ on as soon as he lies down.

• ▸Weakness of body and mind.
• ▸Fainting.
• ▸Motionless.
• ▸Apprehensiveness.

Vertigo in the open air ; he must lie down.

Coldness of the forehead in a warm room, ameliorated in the open

air. Stupefying pains in the head, with pulsation. Stitching pains in

the head. Periodical paroxysms of aching pain under the frontal bone.

Sensation as if brain fell forward on stooping. Tension in the brain.

Headache is sometimes ameliorated by eating. The scalp itches.

Dim vision. Veil before the eyes. Objects larger.

The face is blue, sunken, bloated, and expressionless ; jaundiced ;

yellow spot. Formication of the face. Lockjaw.

Mouth and tongue dry. The tongue is dry, cold and numb ; stiff and

swollen.

Spasmodic contraction of throat and oesophagus ; drink rolls audibly

down the oesophagus and through the intestines.

Emptiness in stomach after eating {Dig) as if he were still hungry.

Violent thirst. Loathing of food. Nausea on coming near a warm

stove. Vomiting of food with the cough. Eructations, tasting like