Main
Pathogénésies
de l’an 1900
New, Old And
Forgotten Remedies
By Edward
Pollock Anshutz
Presented
by Dr Robert Séror
Bellis
Perennis
Proving: Bellis Perennis
Natural order : Compositae.
Common Names : English Daisy, Garden Daisy, Hens and Chickens.
Preparation : The fresh plant, in flower, is pounded to a pulp and
submitted to pressure.
The expressed juice is then mixed with an equal part by weight of
alcohol.
(The
following is from
Thomas’s
Additions to the Homeopathic Materia Medica, 1858. To it we may add
Dr, J. C. Burnett’s
statement that Bellis
is a remedy for all ills that may be traced to a sudden wetting when
overheated)
Bellis perennis
or
daisy, formerly called consolida,
on account of its vulnerary
properties ; the roots and leaves were used in wound drinks, and were
considered efficacious in removing extravasated blood from bruises, etc.
It is said to be refused by cattle on account of its peculiar taste.
Lightfoot
, in his Flora
Scotica, says
:
“In a scarcity of garden-stuff, they (daisies) have, in some
countries, been substituted as pot herbs.”
My first trial with this plant as a curative agent was in the autumn of
1856.
While on a visit in the neighbourhood of Bangor, a countryman,
understanding that I was a “doctor,” wished me to prescribe for
his foot, which he had sprained very badly.
Not having either
Arnica
or Rhus
with me, I determined to try the effects of the daisy ; so directed
him to procure a handful of the leaves and flowers of the plant, chop them
up small, boil them for a quarter of an hour in half a pint of water, and
apply them in linen as a poultice round the ankle at night.
The application was not made until the next morning, but in half an
hour’s time the ankle admitted of very fair motion.
A piece of calico wetted and wrung out of the daisy water was then
wrapped round the ankle, and the man put his shoe on and limped about all
day, walking not less than five miles.
He repeated the poultice at night, and found his ankle so much restored
in the morning that he was able to walk four miles to his work without
experiencing any difficulty.
The success, in this instance, so far exceeded the previous use of
Arnica
and Rhus,
especially in the time gained, that
I had a tincture from the whole plant made for such uses, and have used it
in sprained ankle from a fall – the ankle was well the second day.
A sprain of the wrist, which had been a week ailing, yielded to the
daisy in three days. I have also successfully used it in several severe
whitlows ; in every case the pure tincture was used externally.
The only provings I have made with this remedy have been with the pure
tincture in ten or twenty drop doses at a time.
After taking the medicine for fourteen days without any symptoms, I
suspended the use of it – in two weeks after leaving it off, for the first
time in my life I had a large boil on the back of my neck (right side),
commencing with a dull aching pain ; some difficulty and a bruised pain in
keeping the head erect ; slight nausea, want of appetite, and a little
giddiness in the head at times.
Pain in middle finger of the left hand, as of a gathering, for a short
time only ; and at the same time pain in inner side of left forearm, as of
a boil developing ; two nights before similar pains in corresponding parts
of the right arm-query, are these effects of
Bellis
(this was written December 11, 1856).
The boil on the neck came December 7, 1856 ; began as a slight
pimple with burning pain in the skin, increasing until in six days’ time
it was very large, of a dark fiery purple color, and very sore burning and
aching pain in it, accompanied with headache, extending from occiput to
sinciput, of a cold aching character ; brain as though contracted in
frontal region, dizziness etc. (as before stated).
I now set to work to cure myself, which by use of hot fomentations and
lint dipped in tincture of
Belladonna
externally, taking at the same time
3rd dil. Belladonna
internally, was soon accomplished.
Three days after this was cured, another made its appearance, which
speedily succumbed to the same remedies.
As I had never previously had a boil, and had not made any change in my
diet, I suspected
Bellis
tincture to be the cause of the
trouble.
On the 12th of January, 1857, feeling my left foot somewhat
strained after running, I applied
Bellis
Tincture to the strain, which for
several days aggravated the feeling ; and in five hours after the
application I had another small boil (three weeks after disappearance of
the last), which yielded to same treatment as the others, by January 19, 1857.
On March 7, 1857, I chewed some daisy flowers. On the 11 th a
small boil appeared at the angle of the inferior maxilla, right side ;
Belladonna
0, externally, cured it.
The last trial I made with the third centesimal dilution of
Bellis,
taking three drops on Tuesday, 2nd
March, 1858, on the following Friday a small pimple appeared a little
behind the angle of left inferior maxilla ; it increased very much
in size and pain by Saturday, when I treated it with Belladonna
0, externally, to which it soon
yielded.
As at no other time in my life have I suffered from boils, I am
inclined to think these are due to the use of the daisy.
The following proving of
Bellis
perennis was
concluded, 1915, by the Department of Materia Medica of the College of
Homoeopathic Medicine in the Ohio State University, Columbus, 0. Dr.
Albert E. Hinsdale
Professor of Materia Medica, had supervision of the proving :
Natural Order
:
Compositae.
Synonyms
:
English, English
Daisy, Garden Daisy, Hen and Chickens ; French, La Paquerette ; German,
Maslieben.
Description
:
“A perennial herbaceous plant, stemless, scape naked, single beaded.
Leaves obovate, crenated. Flowers are white Heads many flowered, radiate
the rays numerous and pistulate. Scales on the involucre, herbaceous.
Flowers March to August. Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United
States,” 1914.
Habitat
: Europe,
mostly in Great Britain.
History
: Bellis
perennis was first
mentioned in homeopathic literature by Dr. Henry Thomas,
British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. 16.
Other references to the drug are to be found in
Allen’s
“Encyclopedia,” Homeopathic World, Vol. 19 ; Hahnemannian
Monthly, Vol. 19 ; and in a few other homeopathic journals of several
years ago.
Bellis perennis
is
described both as regards its symptomatology and therapeutic
applications in Clark’s
“Dictionary of the Materia Medica.”
This work quotes largely from Dr.
Burnett,
of London, who used the drug considerably.
It
is mentioned in
Dewey’s
“Essentials of Homoeopathic Materia Medica,” and occasional
reference to it as a medicine is to be found in the periodical literature
of the homeopathic school.
Part Used
: The
whole fresh plant. The tincture used in this proving was supplied by Boericke
& Tafel.
Form in which the drug was given to the provers
:
Bellis perennis
was taken by the provers, they being six in number, four men and two
women, in the form of the tincture only.
No attempt was made to obtain symptoms by giving any of the different
attenuations of the remedy ; this at first sight might appear to render
the proving incomplete, but in view of the fact that
Bellis
is not a
very active medicine, and that symptoms were only obtainable from large
doses of the tincture, renders it very probable that no symptoms would
have been obtained from any of the dilutions had they been given.
Physical conditions and other factors concerning the provers previous
to the administration of the drug
: The following is an outline of the examination to which each prover was
subjected:
Age. Blood pressure. Blood by
Wright’s
stain. Hemoglobin. Urine ; Total amount for 24 hours. Color. Specific
gravity. Albumin. Sugar. Urea. Reaction. Condition of the heart. Condition
of the lungs. Condition of the liver. Condition of the skin.
Habits: Is the prover a smoker ?
Does the prover drink coffee ?
Does the prover drink tea ?
Condition of pulse. Temperature.
Is there a craving for any particular article of diet ?
Is there an aversion to any particular article of diet ?
Condition of sleep.
Is the prover subject to headache ?
Is the prover subject to dreams ?
Temperament.
Condition of bowels.
The ages of the provers were 29, 24, 22 22, and 43 years, respectively
; the first three ages being those of the men.
Every prover was found to be practically normal both in regard to his
physical condition and activity of his organs. A very few physical and
functional defects were noted, but their deviation from the normal was
almost within the limits of physiological variation. It would be difficult
to select six better specimens of physical and functional development than
were the provers.
Symptomatology
Skin
(The number given after any symptom represents the number of the
provers who experienced the symptom.)
Itching on the back and along the flexor surfaces of the thighs (3) ;
this symptom made its appearance on the seventh day of the proving and
lasted until the drug was discontinued, and it was unattended by an
eruption.
The modality of this symptom was worse from hot bath and from the
warmth of the bed, and relief from cold (3).
A previous acne became worse (1).
Itching around hairy margin of scalp and over the back, not noticed in
the day time ; worse from hot bath and warmth of the bed and relief from
cold (1).
One prover experienced absolutely no symptoms at all, either upon the
skin or elsewhere.
Four or five boils appeared on the face on the twelfth day and lasted
one week (2).
Stool
Five provers experienced intestinal symptoms characterized by diarrhea,
as follows : Yellow (5), foul odored (5), watery (3), semi-solid (2),
painless (5), and attended by little urging (2), or no urging (3), some
gas expelled with the stools (2), and worse at night (5).
Sexual Organs
(The following symptoms were shown by one of the women provers ; the
other prover had a hysterectomy performed some years ago and consequently
no symptoms peculiar to disturbances of the sexual organs or menses could
be obtained.)
Started taking the drug the day before menstruation and the proving ran
over two menstrual periods.
The uterus seemed sore as if squeezed ; this symptom was more or less
constant through the entire menstrual period each time.
No change in the character of the flow could be detected.
Accompanying symptoms were dizziness and vertigo, worse upon rising and
relieved by lying down.
Pain down the anterior surface of the thighs was noticed each time of
the menses.
Extremities
Owing to the variety of the rheumatic symptoms elicited, each prover’s
symptoms are recorded separately.
Prover No. 1
:
Soreness in both elbow joints, which felt as though bit with a club ; this
symptom lasted two days after which both knees and right ankles were
similarly affected.
There was a deep soreness with strained feeling which lasted until the
proving was completed (23 days).
No modalities.
Prover No. 2
:
Soreness of left knee joint with a feeling as though the tendons were
drawn ; worse from motion.
Both thumb joints also affected.
Soreness over region of the ribs and axillary space on both sides with
a sensation of squeezing, which was worse at night.
Prover No- 3
:
Stitching pains in the right hip and shoulder, intermittent in, type,
lasting about two minutes ; worse at night with no modality as to motion.
Prover No. 4
:
Rheumatic pains all over the body, worse in the morning and better from
motion.
Soreness in! the muscles.
Provers Nos. 5 and 6
experienced no symptoms in the extremities.
Doses employed
: All
doses were taken three times daily and no symptoms were obtained until a
half drachm was taken at a dose, this being on the seventh day of the
proving.
The dose was gradually increased until one drachm was taken. The
proving lasted over a period of 23 days.
N
ew symptoms and
therapeutic applications as deduced from the proving
: What is supposed to be a reliable symptomatology of this drug (and it is
not the intention here to assume that such record is not reliable) gives
no mention of any diarrheic symptoms.
In this respect the symptomatology of
Bellis
perennis has
been amplified. Neither have any female symptoms of this drug been
recorded with the writer’s knowledge.
Owing to the fact that female symptoms were elicited from only one
woman prover, as stated before, it was impossible to obtain female
symptoms in the other female prover (because of a previous operation) too
great dependence should not be placed upon the findings in this particular
case.
The findings are suggestive, however, of what might be obtained in case
the drug was proved by several women.
it thus appears that
Bellis
should be a useful
remedy in diarrheas of a yellow color, painless, of a foul odor and worse
at night.
In this respect the drug resembles somewhat
Podophyllum,
China, and Phosphoric
acid, yet
there are decided points of differentiation between Bellis
and these drugs,
and it appears that the remedy may come to occupy a very distinct place in
the therapeutics of diarrheic conditions.
In diseases peculiar to women
Bellis
perennis may
prove to be of service in certain uterine affections characterized by
squeezing pains in the uterus ; pains down the anterior surface of the
thighs accompanied by dizziness.
Some of these symptoms are seen under
Lilium
tigrinum, Cactus, and Xanthoxylum.
Some new skin symptoms were developed in this proving which have not
appeared in any former pathogenesis.
Dermal irritations characterized by itching, without an eruption,
especially upon the flexor surfaces of the thighs, aggravated by heat and
relieved by cold, will probably be benefited by the remedy.
In some respects these symptoms of
Bellis
resemble the skin
symptoms of Dolichos.
Verifications which this proving has furnished of the former
symptomatology of the drug
:
A former symptomatology credits the remedy with producing boils.
Boils were produced in this proving, consequently it is reasonable to
believe that the power of the drug to produce this condition is firmly
established.
Former records of the effects of
Bellis
show that a variety
of rheumatic symptoms are produced by it.
These effects have also received verification by this proving.
In general, the therapeutic range of
Bellis
in rheumatic
conditions is as follows : Soreness of the joints ; strained, bruised
feeling characterized by no especial modality ; generalized muscular
soreness.
The writer has frequently and successfully used this remedy in, the
treatment of such conditions with the most gratifying results.
In so-called rheumatic cases, lacking the modalities of
Bryonia
and Rhus tox.,
Bellis
is indicated.
In general, the drug may be classed as a vulnerary, and its external
application, in the form of the tincture, might with increased benefit
accompany its internal administration.
For bruised conditions, muscular soreness, resulting either from
exposure or from too vigorous physical exercise the herb with which this
text has been made is very useful and, in the opinion of the writer, who
has given the remedy many trials in these conditions, it far surpasses
Arnica.
Bellis perennis
does
not appear to vitiate the secretions of the body nor does it cause
pathological tissue changes.
The remedy is not therefore a “deep acting” drug and it is
important to note that the dose may be as high as a half drachm of the
tincture and still be subphysiological, therefore homoeopathic.
Collected, arranged and edited by Edward Pollock Anshutz
: New, Old And Forgotten Remedies. Papers by many writers. Philadelphia,
january 2, 1900.
Numérisation, reconnaissance, vérification,
arrangement et publication : Dr Robert Séror (MD)