Physostigma Venenosum

"The Ordeal-bean" of Old Calabar, the Eséré of the natives, is the type of a

genus of Leguminose of the tribe Phaseolee, with flowers very like Phaseolus, except that its

bearded style is terminated by a great oblique hood, covering the blunt stigma." It is this hood

• ▸which distinguishes the genus and gives it its name.
• ▸P.
• ▸ven.
• ▸is a great twining climber, and has

purplish flowers. Its seeds are very poisonous, and are used by the Calabari as an ordeal,

suspected persons being compelled to eat them until they either vomit or die. In the latter case

they are considered guilty, in the former innocent. In cases observed in Calabar convulsions have

been noted, and twitchings, especially in the back, and death in thirty minutes. A number of

cases of poisoning have occurred in this country, and in these the most notable feature was

complete muscular prostration. According to Brunton, the tetanising properties of the bean

belong to an alkaloid, Calabarine, and the paralysis to Eserine (or Physostigmine, as it is now

called). In animals poisoned by it speedy general paralysis is set up, and death occurs from

failure of respiration; though the heart may be poisoned both directly and through its nerves. The

paralysis is seated in the spinal cord itself. The muscles are affected by fluttering tremors;

involuntary muscles are excited to active movements and expulsive efforts. The intestines are

• ▸often twisted up in knots.
• ▸All the secretions are somewhat increased (C.
• ▸D.
• ▸P.
• ▸).
• ▸A crowd of

children in Liverpool ate beans which they found among the sweepings of a ship from Africa.

Forty-six were admitted to hospital with loss of muscular power, prostration, feeble, slow pulse,

cold, perspiring skin, cold extremities; vomiting in nearly all cases, diarrhoea in one-third of

them. At first there was colic, but later on remarkable freedom from pain. Pupils contracted in

many; in one contracted during sleep, dilated when aroused. Only one (a phthisical boy)

succumbed. He staggered as he walked, then fell, kicking and rolling as if in pain, but afterwards

became quiet; much purged; pulse hardly perceptible; skin cold, face livid; quite conscious and

able to swallow water. Directly after drinking he died without a struggle, some froth issuing from

nose and mouth. After death the blood was found to be fluid; the heart distended with it, and its

• ▸muscular substance very flaccid (C.
• ▸D.
• ▸P.
• ▸).
• ▸Many excellent provings have been made with

Physo., among which one made by Christison on himself is remarkable. Simpson and Douglas

MacLagan were sent for to attend him in his collapsed state, which Simpson could only compare

to that produced by severe flooding, though Christison's only sensation was one of "extreme but

not unpleasant faintness." MacLagan thought it like Aconite poisoning. Christison could not get

his wi// into his muscles except by a tremendous effort. Warmth to feet and a sinapism to whole

abdomen gave great relief, and he was then able to turn on his left side; but only remained there a

very short time on account of the tumultuous action of the heart it set up. He became drowsy and

slept; but his mind was so active in sleep that on awaking he did not know that he had slept. The

tumultuous action of the heart continued on waking, but strong coffee quickly restored the whole

condition and made the heart regular. A symptom observed by Christison and many other

provers was one of indigestion, "as if large pieces of food had been suddenly swallowed." It

began under upper sternum, descending and increasing in intensity till it reached the epigastrium;

eructations then occurred, and a reversal of direction followed, the sensation ending where it

began. With other provers there was a sensation of weight and hardness. Christison also had very

much giddiness and dimness of vision. It is for its action on the eye, especially for its power of

contracting the pupil, and thereby antagonising Atropine, that Physo. and its alkaloid Eserine are

best known in old-school practice. The effects are more definite when the drug (tincture, extract,

or solution of alkaloid) is applied to the eye direct; but one myopic prover had his myopia much

diminished. In glaucoma it has been used with signal success to diminish intra-ocular tension;

• ▸and especially when glaucoma has been the result of injury.
• ▸Dudgeon (B.
• ▸J.
• ▸H.
• ▸, xxxviti.
• ▸60)

relates the case of A. E., 26, struck by the cork of a soda-water bottle on inferior and outer part of

• ▸left eyeball.
• ▸Intense burning pain and effusion into the eyeball followed.
• ▸Under Arn.
• ▸, prescribed

by Mr. Engall, the effusion disappeared, and later the pain and inflammation subsided under Aco.

and Merc. c. The pupil was now egg-shaped, the long diameter perpendicular, smaller end

downwards; vision extremely myopic. Bell. dilated the pupil, but had no effect on the vision.

Engall sent the patient to Dudgeon, who found the pupil was sluggish, and a book had to be held

• ▸within four inches of the eye to be read.
• ▸Physo.
• ▸3x, every three hours, was given.
• ▸After the first

dose objects could be seen at a considerable distance, and next day sight was nearly as good as

ever. Dudgeon considers that the lens was tilted by the blow, and that Physo. restored the over-

• ▸stretched or paralysed portion of the ciliary muscle.
• ▸Woodyatt (Org.
• ▸i11.
• ▸99) states that Physo.
• ▸has

produced corneal astigmatism in a young lady, who found any attempt at close work caused

• ▸redness of tarsal edges and a hot, sandy feeling in conjunctiva.
• ▸Li/.
• ▸t.
• ▸30 cured.
• ▸Paralysis and

tremors predominate over the cramps, twitchings, stiffnesses, and tension of Physo., but these are

also characteristic, and tetanus has been cured by Physo. Paralysis of left side is very proeminent,

and the numbness is more apparent on left side, especially in left arm; which may be associated

with heart symptoms. The apex of the left lung is also affected. A feeling of levitation was

observed in one prover on stepping. Ataxic gait and shooting pains down limbs show its

appropriateness in locomotor ataxy. The inability to get the wi// into the muscles is a striking

feature of many paralyses. Spinal, sacral, and coccygeal pains were experienced, and associated

with some of them, numbness of the womb. The association of muscular prostration (in any

form, of which laboured respiration is one) with any affection is a keynote of Physo. This case

was cured: Great muscular prostration with continual inclination to sigh; leucorrhoea < by

exercising during the day, especially 4 p.m.; sighing < when leucorrheea is <; dread of cold

water. This dread of cold water is a grand keynote of Physo. One of the provers (a water drinker)

developed a perfect disgust for cold water and cold drinks; and though used to a cold morning

plunge, was obliged to omit it on account of his horror. Other provers felt uncomfortable after

bathing, and had great reluctance to their bath. Weakness was felt on change of weather, and on

cold, bracing days. A paralytic state of mind and body from grief has been cured with Physo.

• ▸Sleeplessness of a peculiar kind occurs in Physo.
• ▸Nash (Med.
• ▸Adv.
• ▸, xx.
• ▸258) cured with Physo.

12 and 30 persistent sleeplessness in a patient who had been in an insane asylum, and feared she

would have to go again. Her symptom was: "If she chanced to get a nap she awoke suddenly as if

in a fright, and felt no > from what she had slept." Peculiar sensations are: As if stomach were

• ▸full.
• ▸As if she must lose her mind.
• ▸As if a ball were coming up throat.
• ▸Lower limbs as if asleep.

Back as if paralysed. Tongue as if burnt (left margin); as if swollen and paralysed. Sensations of

• ▸contraction and tension.
• ▸Wavering in brain.
• ▸Weak feeling in stomach.
• ▸H.
• ▸L.
• ▸Chase, one of the

provers, had a "very severe pain in the right popliteal space," and he afterwards cured a patient

• ▸who came to him with pain in the same region two years later (H.
• ▸R.
• ▸, xiii.
• ▸117).
• ▸(Allen gives the

symptom as in the /eft popliteal space.) The symptoms are < by pressure (of finger between

vertebrz causing wincing); by falls and blows. < Motion; descending stairs (wavering in brain).

• ▸< Walking; stepping; jar of misstep.
• ▸> Lying supine.
• ▸< Lying |.
• ▸side; > lying on r.
• ▸side.
• ▸< 4 p.
• ▸m.

< Night (headache unbearable). If pain began at any hour it always continued till 12 o'clock

following, either noon or midnight. < Cold water; perfect horror of cold drink; cold bath. < From

• ▸bathing; from change in weather; on bracing days.
• ▸< In church.
• ▸> In cool open air.
• ▸< On waking.

> Closing eyes. > By sleep (hiccough). > Warmth to feet; sinapisms to abdomen.

Uncommon mental activity —Foolish actions, said it made him crazy.—Exhilarated in

morning, gloomy towards noon.—Nothing was right, too many things in room; continually

• ▸counting them.
• ▸—Irritable.
• ▸—Nervous, cannot endure pain.
• ▸—Exhaustion, cannot remember

anything.—Disinclined to work.—Difficult thinking; cannot concentrate the mind.

Indescribable torpidity as from opium; "this is not debility but volition is

inoperative" (Christison's experiment).—Great sense of fatigue and weariness;

• ▸weakness.
• ▸—Convulsive twitchings.
• ▸—Constant fibrillary twitchings of the muscles.
• ▸—Violent

trembling all over the body.—Great prostration of the muscular system.—Diminished reflex

action.—Omits bath on account of horror for cold water.—Sore and stiff all over, as from a

cold.—Severe, sharp pains in various parts of the body.—In nerves in front of body waves like

tremblings going up and down; at back nerves paralysed and numbed with pain as when the

nerve of a tooth is being killed —Stiff all over as after taking cold.—Paralysed feeling in 1.

side.—On raising foot in walking, momentary feeling as if he were floating upwards, and on foot

touching ground an unpleasant feeling making a shuddering sensation pass all over him.

• ▸Constant pain on top; vertigo, with constrictive feeling of head.
• ▸Pain over orbits; cannot bear to raise eyelids.
• ▸Cerebro-spinal meningitis; general tetanic rigidity.
• ▸Spastic conditions of the face-muscles.

Vertigo: on moving, with fainting and muscz volitantes; with nausea; in evening, if

people stepped in front of tier in the doorway; at night; when reading; on getting up after dinner;

when walking; on descending stairs, with dim vision and unsteady gait; wavering in brain; as if

drunk; with sensation of wavering in brain——Confusion and dizziness; dull, heavy, oppressive

• ▸headache.
• ▸—Intolerable pain over both eyes.
• ▸—Head drooping listlessly.
• ▸—Darting pain in various

• ▸parts, < motion.
• ▸—Aching in morning with epistaxis |.
• ▸side.
• ▸—Bruised pain in brain all day, < a

heavy step; < 1. temple, with general fatigue and sensitiveness to cold or change of

temperature.—Pressure encircling head, with sleepiness.—Constriction as from a bandage or tight

cap pressed down as far as temples.—Severe, dull, frontal headache, esp. in the

morning.—Darting pain in forehead, < motion, and in temples.—Sharp pain in supra-orbital

region, running off towards nose.—Pain: over r. eye, in morning on waking, by noon pain in

whole cerebrum, fulness of blood-vessels of brain, and contracted feeling in forehead, which

• ▸extended to eyelids, causing an effort to open or close them; in I.
• ▸side at 10 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸, with heat in

abdomen and nausea, the pain is heavy at 11, pain over whole head from 4 till 10 p.m., with

nausea and general sweat, headache next day with lame, bruised feeling in region of

• ▸kidneys.
• ▸—Pain in temples; showing from r.
• ▸temple to 2nd bicuspid.
• ▸—In evening sound of the

organ caused headache, < forehead and temples.—One-sided headache with fear of opening eyes

lest it should < the pain.—Inability to stop thinking with headache.—Sensation of rush of blood to

frontal and temporal regions.—Sharp, shooting pains in temples.—Throbbing of temporal and

carotid arteries; heart beats felt in head on lying down.—Intense, painful pressure in vertex and

both temples, the pressure in vertex extending over to occiput.

• ▸Night-blindness (Opposite: Bothrops); photophobia; contraction of pupils; twitching of ocular muscles.
• ▸Lagophthalmus.
• ▸Muscae volitantes; flashes of light; partial blindness.
• ▸Glaucoma; paresis of accommodation; astigmatism.
• ▸Profuse lachrymation.
• ▸Spasm of ciliary muscles, with irritability after using eyes. Increasing myopia.
• ▸Post-diphtheritic paralysis of eye and accommodation muscles.

Eyes inflamed, first r., then 1.; sclerotic dry, red, and swollen; eyeballs pain and smart;

lids feel sore—Eyes bloodshot all the forenoon, with burning in them.—Pain on attempting to use

binocular vision, as in reading, so that one eye must be closed, > by a weak concave

glass.—Pressure; with muscz volitantes, dark and light long worms or snakes, also tremulous

vision.—Bright marks when looking at an object; dark yellowish spots covering one or two letters

when reading.—Sharp, shooting pains, and drawing, twisting sensation in eyes.—Eyes sore and

painful when moved from side to side.—Pain deep in, over top of eyeball, running up from inner

canthus to r. frontal eminence, then down obliquely outward into temple.—Sharp stitches in r.

eyeball, > by motion in open air.—The muscularis internus seems not to do its work rightly, and

the axis of the eyes differs in each; eyes feel weak, with lachrymation.—Eyes convulsed.—Sight

blurred, hazy, or misty, film over eyes; objects mixed; after which dull pain over the eyes and

between the eyes.—Aching in posterior part of orbit, extending back into the brain; < on reading,

• ▸causing nausea.
• ▸—Lids (esp.
• ▸|.
• ▸) heavy; cannot bear to raise them; twitching of lids (upper, <

1.).—Contracted sensation in lids with difficulty in opening them and lachrymation when wide

• ▸open, difficulty in keeping |.
• ▸eye open.
• ▸—Lids immovable.
• ▸—Tight feeling in ciliary region as if

something were creeping about in it, with sharp pain, < reading.—Contraction of pupils; in

morning; by small and rapid jerks, with sensitiveness to light; then mydriasis, < morning,

seeming to depend on fatigue of sphincter, which was > during day by reflex stimulus of

light.—Pupils dilated—Pupils contracted when asleep, dilated when aroused.—Disturbed

accommodation; approximation of far point (myopia) and also of near point (the accommodation

recovers before the pupil).—Vision abnormally acute; double; dim and indistinct; blurred, hazy,

misty.—(Lens dislocated by blow.)

• ▸Sharp, shooting pains in the ears.
• ▸—Shooting in I.
• ▸ear; in r—Pain in r.
• ▸ear when

• ▸writing.
• ▸Hammering in r.
• ▸in evening, with feeling in external ear as from a hot wind.
• ▸—Painful

pressure on tympani.—Discomfort in r., with inclination to bore in with finger; after removal of

wax some pain; with eructation a sudden pain from throat along Eustachian tube to middle

• ▸ear.
• ▸—Crawling in |.
• ▸ear.
• ▸—Fulness.
• ▸—Stopped feeling.
• ▸—Partial deafness of r—Sensitive to every

sound.—Singing or tuning like escaping steam, at night after lying down.—Hissing, buzzing,

ringing in the ears.

Fluent coryza; burning and tingling of nostrils; nose stuffed and hot. Fever-blisters around nostrils.

Fluent coryza, sneezing; burning, smarting, itching, and tingling of nostrils; nose

stuffed and hot.—Twitchings in nose and involuntary expansion of nostrils—Small boil inside r.

nostril.—Epistaxis while at supper.—Smarting at end of nose, it feels as if burnt by hot

liquid.—Tension in skin of nose and forehead.

• ▸Face pale; flushings of the face; heat.
• ▸—Neuralgic pain in r.
• ▸side of face.
• ▸—Sensation of

cramps or spasms in face extending to neck; with numbness of |. hand.—Sensation of contraction

• ▸of |.
• ▸side of face, with numbness.
• ▸—Severe pain in r.
• ▸upper jaw like toothache (though all teeth on

that side had been extracted).—Numbness of lips.

Tongue feels sore on tip. Feeling as if a ball came up throat.

Tongue sore on tip and rough —Smarting of end of tongue; feels as if

• ▸burnt.
• ▸—Scalding sensation |.
• ▸side.
• ▸—Tongue coated, more heavily at root—Numbness and tingling

of tongue and lips, with constant desire to moisten them.—Bad taste in mouth.—Profuse

salivation; thick, leathery saliva —Difficult speech.—Power of speech retained long after inability

to swallow.

Dentition: nervous children with vacillating pupils who have trouble when nursing or

taking food; pain in stomach as soon as they begin, but going off if they continue to nurse.

Sore throat, painful swallowing.—Tonsils and soft palate dark red.—Burning,

scraping, raw feeling in throat—Tonsils enlarged; swollen, elongated uvula.—Small ulcers, with

yellow centres in pharynx.—Feeling as of a fish-bone in throat; swallowing saliva very

• ▸painful.
• ▸—Constriction of throat and dysphagia.
• ▸—Pain extending from throat to 1.
• ▸ear when

swallowing.—Feeling as if a ball were coming up in throat—Submaxillary gland tender and

tumefied.

10. Appetite-—Hunger but can find nothing to satisfy it; food has a flat taste—No appetite,

disgust for food, tobacco, and coffee; and esp. for cold drinks.

Strong heart-pulsation felt in throat.

• ▸Great pain immediately after eating.
• ▸Sensitive to pressure in epigastric region.
• ▸Pain extends into chest and down arms.
• ▸Gastralgia; chronic constipation.

Tasteless eructations —Burning in stomach with hot eructations—Violent

hiccough.—Nausea and vomiting.—In stomach: prickling, sharp pains; darting pains, with

paralysed feeling of 1. side; heaviness and weight, as if undigested food were lying there; hard

pain; griping; emptiness and weakness; sensation of nervousness and trembling.—Soreness in

region of stomach.—Sensation at epigastrium as when large pieces of food are suddenly

swallowed.

Lancinating pains in hypochondria.—Hard, sore pain in splenic region;

descending to groin and across hypogastrium, < by motion.—Soreness and pain at navel, which

was found much inflamed.—Severe pain in umbilical region.—Pain and soreness in umbilical

• ▸region.
• ▸—Stitches in |.
• ▸side of abdomen.
• ▸—Much rumbling and distension in abdomen, with

discharge of large quantities of flatus.—Dull pain in transverse and descending colon.—Colicky

pains, with feeling as if diarrhoea would occur.—Shooting pains in 1. iliac region and down

thigh —Sharp, cutting pains in lower part of abdomen.—Dull pain in groins.

Stools: copious; soft, thin; watery; yellowish; bilious; part natural, part

black like tar; lumpy, mixed with watery discharge; dark and offensive —Constipation; from

atony.—Sphincter ani swollen and rigid; evacuation painful; rectum protruding, swollen and very

sensitive.—Tenesmus and burning, with diarrhoea; also tenesmus of bladder.—Stool irregular and

loose, anus sore and inclined to protrude; piles (absent for three years) return.—Severe piles

following childbirth.

Bruised, sore feeling in region of kidneys.—Bladder feels

distended.—Frequent desire to urinate, often ineffectual —Frequent and copious

urination.—Urine: yellow; high coloured; strong-smelling; clear; muddy; pale and copious.

Irregular menstruation, with palpitation. Congestion of eyes. Rigid muscles.

• ▸Leucorrheea; < exercising during day, esp.
• ▸about 4 p.
• ▸m.
• ▸; with

inclination to sigh; sighing < when leucorrhcea is worse; dread of cold water—Menses

irregular—Numbness of womb with pain in back.—Condition like that produced by flooding

• ▸after delivery.
• ▸—Metrorrhagia.
• ▸—Pain as if menses were coming on.
• ▸—Menstruation, with

palpitation; congestion of the eyes, with tonic spasms, rigidity, sighing respiration, consciousness

retained.

Frequent erections with but slight desire——-Two emissions without

dreams or excitement.—Strong-smelling sweat about genitals, prepuce tender and swollen, many

small vesicles on glans with burning itching.

Cough from tickling in throat.—Slight constant inclination to cough

from filling lungs.—Laboured, sighing respiration; yawning.

• ▸Feeble pulse; palpitation; spasmodic action, with feeling pulsation through the whole body.
• ▸Beats of heart distinctly perceptible in chest and head.
• ▸Fluttering of heart felt in throat.
• ▸Fatty degeneration (Cup ac).

• ▸Stitches in the chest.
• ▸—Cannot fill 1.
• ▸lung as inspiration = dull pain at 1.
• ▸apex, > by

pressure.—Stitches under inferior angles of scapule during expiration.—Heavy weight at

• ▸chest.
• ▸—Twitches across pectoral muscles.
• ▸—Stitches in 1.
• ▸breast, and unable to draw long breath.

Dull pain, uneasiness and distress about the heart.—Violent palpitation of

the heart, with feeling of pulsation through whole body.—As the fresh, bracing air strikes me, a

choking sensation with fluttering of heart.—Heart's action irregular and tumultuous, when lying

on I. side, > when lying on the back.—Pulse: variable; accelerated; small, frequent, slow, feeble,

intermittent.

Inclination to stretch out the neck.—Pain at base of brain as if it were

cutting off body from head; going through to back part of throat, which is stiff and

• ▸sore.
• ▸—Stiffness in neck.
• ▸—On waking, pain in r.
• ▸head and neck as if latter was stiff—While taking

• ▸morning bath suddenly stiff neck (r.
• ▸).
• ▸—Drawing on turning head—Rheumatic pains in |.
• ▸neck and

shoulder.—Feeling of weakness passed down from occiput through back to lower limbs.—Cramp-

like stitches up and down spine; stiffness of 1. neck.—Chilly, creeping sensations up back, 7

• ▸p.
• ▸m.
• ▸—Back very weak, unable to stand erect.
• ▸—Dull pain in back.
• ▸—Backache (in renal region)

kept him restless all night; no > in any position; passed copious colourless urine.—Creeping

numbness from back of head down spine.—Cramp-like stitches up and down the spine.—Pain

• ▸under r.
• ▸shoulder-blade.
• ▸—Dull, heavy pain in lumbar region; also over |.
• ▸hip, extending to

• ▸back.
• ▸—Pain in back between hips, with numbness of womb.
• ▸—Pain in (1.
• ▸) sacral region, as if

strained by lifting, < on motion.—Contractive pain of anterior surface of coccyx; as if dysentery

coming on; (since verified).

Wrists feel weak; dull aching pain in them.—Sharp, shooting pain in 1.

• ▸shoulder.
• ▸—Itching of |.
• ▸palm.
• ▸—Paroxysms of burning in palms.
• ▸—Hands feel cold, then hot and

• ▸red.
• ▸—Pain in r.
• ▸deltoid > only by violent motion—Numbness in |.
• ▸arm.
• ▸—Sharp pain in 1.
• ▸, then r.

arm.

Unsteadiness from knee downward when walking, esp. with eyes

• ▸shut.
• ▸—Dragging pain in |.
• ▸hip towards back.
• ▸—Thrusts with aching down 1.
• ▸thigh from iliac

• ▸region.
• ▸—Stiffness in hip and knee.
• ▸—Cramp-like pain in |.
• ▸(and r.
• ▸) popliteal space.
• ▸—Sensation of a

drawing cord behind leg and knee, impeding walking —Gnawing in I. tibia.—Legs feel

asleep.—Numbness in 1. foot.

• ▸Pain in right popliteal space.
• ▸Burning and tingling in spine.
• ▸Hands and feet numb.
• ▸Sudden jerking of limbs on going to sleep.
• ▸Tetanic convulsions.
• ▸Locomotor ataxia.
• ▸Numbness in paralyzed parts, crampy pains in limbs.

Irresistible desire to sleep; soporific sleep.—Restless sleep with dreams.—During

sleep mind so active was unaware he had been asleep.—Falls asleep frequently, but awakes

suddenly without relief; following night scarcely closed eyes in sleep; thoughts very active; an

idea once started kept on with unusual persistence.

Creeping, chilly sensation in back; yawning; every movement and draught =

shuddering.—Hands and feet cold —Cold, clammy skin.—Heat in head and face; flushed and

• ▸hot.
• ▸—Heat in face and down back with chilliness of legs.
• ▸—Dry burning in hands.
• ▸—Perspires very

easily.—Cold sweat in drops over whole body.—Strong-smelling sweat around genitals —Copious

sweat all over body.

• ▸Astigmatism.
• ▸Bathing, effects of.
• ▸Blepharospasm.
• ▸Chorea.
• ▸Ciliary spasm.
• ▸Climacteric.

• ▸Constipation.
• ▸Coccygodynia.
• ▸Dentition.
• ▸Diarrhoea.
• ▸Dyspepsia.
• ▸Epilepsy.
• ▸Eyes, affections of;

• ▸injuries of; strain of.
• ▸General paralysis.
• ▸Glaucoma.
• ▸Hemorrhoids.
• ▸Headache.
• ▸Heart, affections of.

• ▸Hemiplegia (1.
• ▸) Herpes, preputialis.
• ▸Hiccough.
• ▸Hysteria.
• ▸Iris, prolapsed.
• ▸Leucorrhcea.
• ▸Levitation.

• ▸Locomotor ataxy.
• ▸Myopia.
• ▸Navel, inflammation of.
• ▸Paralysis, local; agitans; spinal.
• ▸Paraplegia.

• ▸Progressive muscular atrophy.
• ▸Prostration; muscular.
• ▸Sleeplessness.
• ▸Spinal irritation.
• ▸Spinal

• ▸sclerosis.
• ▸Stiff neck.
• ▸Tetanus.
• ▸Throat, sore; fish-bone sensation.
• ▸Water, effects of.
• ▸Wounds.

Antidoted by: Coffee; Sinapisms; Arn.; (emetics are of the first importance. Injection

• ▸of Atropine antagonises its effects).
• ▸Lil.
• ▸t.
• ▸cured astigmatism of Physo.
• ▸Compare.
• ▸Eserin.
• ▸In

• ▸paralyses, Lathyr.
• ▸, Oxyt.
• ▸, Strych.
• ▸, Ciner.
• ▸, Con.
• ▸, Gels.
• ▸Heart, Phaseol.
• ▸, Phos.
• ▸Eyes, Onos.
• ▸, Lil.
• ▸t.
• ▸,

• ▸Rut.
• ▸, jabor.
• ▸, Bell.
• ▸Headache with drowsiness, Brucea, Gins.
• ▸, Herac.
• ▸Spinal irritation, hungry

sensation, numbness, muscles of back rigid, wavering in brain, Act. r. Headache < by music,

• ▸Phos.
• ▸, Phos.
• ▸ac.
• ▸(Physo.
• ▸of organ.
• ▸).
• ▸Levitation, Phos.
• ▸, Phos.
• ▸ac.
• ▸Headache with inability to stop

• ▸thinking (Phos.
• ▸with increased mental power), Globus, Ign.
• ▸, Asaf.
• ▸< Descending stairs, Borax.

Increased irritability, tetanic spasms, cramp, tenesmus recti, stiff spine and legs, Strych. and Nux

(Physo. has diminished reflexes, spinal paralysis; unsteady gait with eyes closed; death by

• ▸paralysis, Strych.
• ▸has death from respiratory spasm dilated pupils).
• ▸Tetanus, Passif.
• ▸Tongue as if

scalded, Sang.

• ▸Compare: Eserine-the alkaloid of Physostigma--(slows action of heart and increases arterial tension; in ciliary spasm and spasmodic astigmatism due to irregular action of ciliary muscles; blepharo-spasms; pupils contracted.
• ▸Twitching of lids, soreness of eyeballs, blurring of vision after using eyes, pains around eyes and head).
• ▸Used locally to contract the pupil.
• ▸Eserine contracts the pupils dilated by Atropin, but not those dilated by Gelsemium.
• ▸Internally 6x.

Eserin Salicylate (post-operative intestinal paralysis; meteorism. Hypodermically 1/60-1/40 gr).

• ▸Compare also: Muscarin; Conium; Curare; Gels; Thebainum (tetanus); Piperazinum--(Uric acid conditions.
• ▸Pruritus.
• ▸Gout and urinary calculi.
• ▸Constant backache.
• ▸Skin dry, urine scanty.
• ▸Rheumatic urthritis.
• ▸Give one grain daily in carbonated water.
• ▸First and second decimal trituration three times a day).

Antidote: Atropia. In full medicinal doses will relieve most of the effects of physostigmine.

Third potency. The neutral sulphate of Eserine is instilled into the eye, from one-half to four grains to one ounce distilled water, to induce

contraction of pupil, in mydriasis, injuries to the eye, iritis, corneal ulcers, etc.

Limbs feel weary, as after great fatigue.—(Pleasant) numbness in all the limbs; and

paralytic feeling —Neuralgic pains in the limbs.—Stiffness or bruised feeling in the

joints. Staggering gait—Cold extremities.