Saponin. has had a somewhat extensive proving (in potencies ranging from 1x
- to 30th), conducted by A.
- J.
- Hills.
- One prover, who took the 30th, for many years a sufferer from
articular rheumatism, had none of his usual pains during the proving, and a great enlargement of
the left knee was entirely removed. Two female provers had marked disturbance of the menstrual
functions, especially pain and sufferings before the flow. A miliary eruption, and colic and
leucorrhcea before the menses, pain better but not removed when the flow was established.
Severe sore throat, < right side, was experienced by several provers, and Hills had so much
swelling of the tonsils that he was obliged to abandon the proving. Nausea and vomiting, colic
and diarrhoea, were among the symptoms, and a particular one was "nausea more in cesophagus
and throat, < in a warm room." This < by warmth was met with in relation to many symptoms,
and is probably a keynote. At the same time there was much chilliness, and lowered temperature
is a characteristic feature. One of the provers who took the 12th had had his temperature reduced
to 96° on the second day. Allen (Appendix) records an experiment which bears on this: 0.1
gramme of Saponin. was injected into the left thigh of a man. The immediate effect was to
produce intense local inflammation resembling erysipelas, but much more painful; the pain
extended to knee and hip, and the glands of the groin swelled. For the first three hours there was
rapid increase of temperature, which fell to normal in twenty-four hours. The next two days there
was a little fever, evidently kept up by the local irritation, but by the fifth day the temperature
had fallen to 93° and the pulse to 65. (The intense local irritation bears on the skin symptoms of
the proving, large numbers of boils being produced.) The other symptoms of this experiment
were marked bodily and mental depression; and exophthalmos and strabismus of the left eye (the
side injected). Among the Peculiar Symptoms of Sap. are: Involuntary emission of urine when
walking. Roughness of mucous membrane of mouth, with raised papillz on palate and tongue.
Strawberry tongue. The symptoms were markedly < by moving; even motion of the eyes <
- mental labour.
- < By warmth.
- > By cold; by cold bathing; while sitting.
- < Swallowing.
- Desire to
vomit and defecate, < when quiet. > By stool; by onset of menses.