Lobelia Syphilitica

The symptoms of the Lob. syph. proving, whilst in many points analogous to

those of the other Lobelias, do not bring out the emetic properties of Lob. inflata. There is,

• ▸however, epigastric sinking, flatulence, dyspepsia, and diarrhoea.
• ▸Lob.
• ▸card.
• ▸, Lob.
• ▸inf.
• ▸, and Lob.

• ▸syph.
• ▸all have a milky juice.
• ▸Hale quotes Rafinesque as saying that the analysis of Lob.
• ▸syph.

shows it to contain Silex, Iron, and Muriate and Phosphate of Lime. The marked action of Lob.

syph. on the posterior nares led Cooper to use it with success in cases of deafness arising from an

"unhealthy, soft, swollen, easily bleeding catarrhal" condition of the naso-pharynx. This is

emphasised by another symptom: "Dull aching pain in centre of forehead, over root of nose."

Cooper (who uses an acetic preparation) considers that with this, as well as with the /nflata, a

history of suppression is a leading indication. There are many notable symptoms in the back,

back of chest, and about the lower ribs. Some of these led Jeanes (the first prover) to make a very

fine cure of melancholia in an educated, intelligent man, of which these were the characteristics:

"Great depression of spirits; unhappy state of mind, always associated with pain about and under

short ribs in back on left side, extending outward nearly to left side posterior aspect of region of

spleen." In the proving there was this: Pain on inside of right scapula. Farrington adds this: "Pain

• ▸under (not below) inner border of left scapula, < after weeping.
• ▸" The pains of Lob.
• ▸syph.
• ▸travel

about, from right to left; from left tonsil to right; from back down legs; from eighth rib

downward; aching from back of head down nape. Then there are frequent syna/gias: Pain in right

maxillary joint, with pain in middle of right lung; pain in breast and larynx; pain in left side of

chest near axilla, with aching in left shoulder and arm. Touch < (soreness of ischium). Motion <.

Deep inspiration <. Drinking cold water > (temporarily) gastric symptoms. Mental exertion <

(mental state). Reading and writing < pain in forehead. Internal nose painfully sensitive to cool

• ▸air.
• ▸Inhaling moderately cool air <.
• ▸Flushing after dinner > somewhat in open air.
• ▸Symptoms <

after dinner. < At night. Secretion of thick mucus > throat soreness.

Frequent mistakes in spelling and writing (with confused feeling and slight aching in

• ▸head (after 15 min.
• ▸).
• ▸—Depressed, temper unhappy; with pain in posterior aspect of spleen.
• ▸—Brain

weakness, exertion of mind intolerable; seemed as if he would go wild.

Lassitude, after dinner.—Transient pain over |. kidney, and soon after in 1.

hypochondrium.

Dizziness < moving about.—Headache continuing till daylight Headache, after

dinner.—Dull pain in forehead over eyes (and esp. over root of nose), < reading and

writing.—Pain in both mastoid processes; first and < in r—Acute pain along r. fronto-temporal

• ▸suture.
• ▸—Stitching pain in 1.
• ▸temple.
• ▸—Pain in 1.
• ▸parietal protuberance.

Heaviness over eyes, like a weight, but no pain; with drowsiness.—Burning in r. eye

• ▸with a tear.
• ▸—Itching of |.
• ▸internal canthus; in external canthus.
• ▸—Boring pain in r.
• ▸orbit—Drawing

• ▸sensation under r.
• ▸eye, afternoon.
• ▸—Feeling of foreign body under r.
• ▸upper lid with smarting and

burning.—Soreness of r. tarsi—Soreness of eyeballs from turning them.

Frequent sneezing with severe and painful jarring in breast and larynx; larynx feels

stretched almost to bursting, with copious discharge of thick mucus from both nostrils, at

sunset.—Painful irritation of both sides of cartilaginous septum; < immediately behind the

columna nasi; sensitive to cool air.—Itching and tingling in |. nostril as if about to

sneeze.—(Postnasal catarrh.)

Flushed face, with heat, when lying down.—Face flushed and headache after dinner,

with drowsiness and lassitude, but inability to sleep when lying down; > open air.—Sensation of

• ▸dropping under |.
• ▸cheekbone, afternoon.
• ▸—Drawing pain in r.
• ▸cheekbone.
• ▸—Perfect dryness of lips,

and a feeling of dryness and sensitiveness of nostrils so that inhalation of air of moderate

temperature (60°) = a painful feeling —Pain in r. jaw-joint and in middle of r. lung, afternoon.

Frequent shooting pains through r. teeth —Bleeding of gums with putrid taste —A

renewed secretion of thick mucus, apparently on inferior surface of palate, renewed by snuffing

and hawking, with still further diminution of throat soreness.—Dryness of |. half of

• ▸palate.
• ▸—Constrictive feeling of skin of mouth and tongue, esp.
• ▸at 1.
• ▸commissure of jaws; ten

minutes later towards root of tongue.—Great soreness, rawness, pricking, dryness of lower

surface of palate; extending forward through mouth; > by secretion of mucus and at noon, but

still continued.

Increased secretion of mucus.—Thick mucous secretion in throat with > of

constricting rawness, dryness, and soreness.—Dryness of throat with sensation as if pharynx was

• ▸open like a funnel.
• ▸—Pain in region of 1.
• ▸tonsil ((mmediately); of r.
• ▸tonsil (after 16

minutes).—Sensation of a lump in upper part of cesophagus.

• ▸(Acid eructations 5 to 6 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸).
• ▸—Water-brash 8 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸—Dyspepsia uniformly > by

drinking cold water.—Sinking in stomach followed by borborygmi below epigastrium.—Slight

• ▸pain in region of pylorus.
• ▸—Awoke 6 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸with violent pain in stomach and pain and

borborygmus in bowels, followed by copious watery stools with tenesmus and soreness of anus;

four attacks one day increasing in violence, colic and diarrhoea > by Podoph., but the pain in

stomach with sense of distension increased, with hunger.—Jolting of an easy carriage = pain in

stomach and both hypochondria.

Borborygmi: below epigastrium < after dinner; in lower abdomen towards r.

• ▸side.
• ▸—Woke 3 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸with flatulence but inability to pass it.
• ▸—Pains in abdomen, most below

umbilicus, followed by diarrhoea, afternoon and evening.

Copious watery stools with tenesmus and soreness of anus.—Loose

stools.—Ineffectual effort at stool, but free evacuation of tasteless wind on rising from bed.

Itching and smarting in fore part of urethra.—Increased quantity of urine

with free discharge.—A small quantity of water, which he is obliged to retain for some time, =

pain in bladder; when evacuated, of deep amber colour.

Larynx feels stretched almost to bursting —Much tickling about top

of larynx with disposition to hacking cough, evening.—Morning hoarseness from state of

• ▸stomach.
• ▸—Dyspeptic stomach cough.
• ▸—Slight mucous expectoration, evening.
• ▸—Dry, hacking

cough of four weeks' duration, day and night, with pain r. side about junction of sixth rib with its

cartilage, of a year's duration; dryness of back of throat.

• ▸Pain middle r.
• ▸lung and r.
• ▸jaw-joint.
• ▸—Pain just anterior to cartilaginous margin of

short ribs.—Pain between shoulders and neck both sides.—Aching pain in cartilage of sixth 1.

• ▸rib.
• ▸—Rheumatic pain along r.
• ▸clavicle.
• ▸—Pain along juncture of sixth r.
• ▸rib with its cartilage —Pain

• ▸in |.
• ▸chest near axilla with aching in |.
• ▸shoulder and arm.
• ▸—Oppression in lower chest as if breath

did not reach there; distress in region of heart and audible "knocking" respiration (like sound of

• ▸chopping wood); pain under short ribs and dry cough.
• ▸—Pain under |.
• ▸breast.
• ▸—Severe and painful

jarring in breast and larynx; larynx feels stretched to bursting, frequent sneezing; at sunset.

Stiffness of nape (< |. side) from looking up.—Slight aching pain from

back of head down nape.—Pain, heavy, aching, in back under false ribs, < night after lying down

in bed, increased to cutting pain by deep inspiration, and < turning in bed; less during the

day.—Cutting under false ribs forward and upward (not noticed after going to bed).—Stitching

• ▸pain in r.
• ▸back passing from eighth rib downward.
• ▸—Pain on inside edge r.
• ▸scapula.
• ▸—Pain, acute,

sticking, in eighth dorsal vertebra; < by least movement and deep inspiration.—Pain and aching

in posterior aspect of region of spleen.—Pain in region of |. kidney; stitch in r—Pain commencing

r. side small of back, then going down to os ischium, very sore to touch.—Great rigidity of spine,

least motion exceedingly painful; pain goes from r. to |. side of back and shoots down leg.

Severe aching of shoulder and fingers, whilst writing —Heavy pain in radial

• ▸muscles of 1.
• ▸arm; later in same of r.
• ▸—Stiff, numb feeling in r.
• ▸palm.
• ▸—Sticking pain in |.
• ▸thumb,

fleshy part of last phalanx.

Pain in both hips, occasionally.—Sensation of coldness, as if from the

weather, with aching, in both knees through the day.—Stitching pain in I. tibia Rheumatic pain

• ▸over r.
• ▸inner ankle.
• ▸—Pain in upper part of 1.
• ▸heel —Pricking stinging sensation as if asleep, in both

soles.—Pain in fleshy part of last phalanx of 1. great toe; sore pain in its joints.

Drowsy but unable to sleep, when lying down after dinner.—Slight drowsiness and

oppression over eyelids.—Restless sleep with frequent wakings through the night.

Cold sensation as if alcohol had been spilled on outer 1. thigh —Cold hands, hot

forehead.—Feeling of heat in back, shoulders, face, with burning of ears.

• ▸Acidity.
• ▸Adenoids.
• ▸Asthma.
• ▸Back, pains in.
• ▸Borborygmi.
• ▸Cartilages, pains in.
• ▸Catarrh.

• ▸Coryza.
• ▸Cough.
• ▸Dyspepsia.
• ▸Eustachian catarrh.
• ▸Flatulence.
• ▸Hay-fever.
• ▸Influenza.
• ▸Kidneys, pains

• ▸in.
• ▸Lumbago.
• ▸Melancholia.
• ▸Post-nasal catarrh.
• ▸Pylorus, pain in.
• ▸Sciatica.
• ▸Spine, pains in.
• ▸Spleen,

affections of. Stomach cough. Throat, sore.

Compare: Other Lobelias; Puls. (mental depression and weeping); Chel. and

• ▸Ranunc.
• ▸(scapular pains); Hydrast.
• ▸(postnasal catarrh); Cean.
• ▸(spleen).
• ▸Lob.
• ▸i.
• ▸has one-sided

• ▸coating of tongue.
• ▸Lob.
• ▸s.
• ▸has left half of palate dry.
• ▸Pod.
• ▸relieved the diarrhoea of Lob.
• ▸s.
• ▸, but not

the acute abdominal pains.