The Hahnemann materia medica.

2

ACONITUM NAPELLUS.

2 ACONITUM NAPELLUS.

schema. As however many of the symptoms recorded
in Hahnemann's schema are taken from other sources, I
have consulted these, and in many cases have been
enabled from them to give a valuable morbid picture of
the effects of the drug. With respect to the observations of other persons, in those cases where any thing
like a well defined morbid state was produced, I have
recorded the proving entire, only condensing it as much
as possible; where, however, the symptoms seemed to
offer no obvious connexion with one another, I have
distributed them among the different sections of the
schema.
The Pathological Anatomy will be found in foot notes
beneath the various organs to which it refers.
The Concordance has no pretensions to being perfect,
as I have only given a concordance where the symptoms
were not common to very many drugs. Where a mark
of interrogation occurs, that implies that I was unable
to find amongst the symptoms of other medicines any
precisely corresponding to the symptom to which it
refers.
The following is a brief account of the sources whence
the symptoms recorded in the following schema have
been derived, and an explanation of the signs after each
symptom.
Ahr.-Ahner, one of those who originally proved the drug under
lHahnemann's superintendance. As with the rest of the provers whose
labours are recorded in the Materia Medica Pura, we have no information as to the quantity of the drug swallowed,.the preparation or
strength in which it was used, or the temperament and constitution of
the prover. If we may judge from his symptoms he did not take the
medicine in large doses.
Ar.- Dr. F. H. Arneth, aged 25 years, of choleric temperament and
robust constitution. Health generally good. He experimented with
pretty large doses, 10, 15, 25, 30 and 40 drops at a time, as also with
the medicine in the 2nd and Ist dilutions. His experiments are recorded in the (Eatcrrcichische Zeitschrift fir.Hombopathie, voL i, pt. ii,
p. 27.
A. J.-These letters indicate such symptoms as were observed by
the generality of the members of the Vienna Proving Society, recorded
in the (Lt. Zoit.ch. f. HRom., vol. i, pt. iL
Bcon.-The case of a man who had eaten by mistake, instead of
celery, a considerable quantity of monkshood, recorded by Mr. Vincent
It acon in the Plilosophical Transactions, vol. xxxviii, p. 287. 1733-4.
The symptoms are well detailed and exhibit a very violent action of the
prison, very little interfered with by the remedies given. The patient
recovered. The symptoms are incorporated in Hahnemann's schema.
Jd.-The symptoms with this signature arc recorded by Dr. Baldriani, of BrKesil, in the Mcemoriale della medicina contcmporanea1 vol. iv,
p. 209. 18i10. They were observed in 12 patients for whom cochlearea
had been prescrilbed for some chronic affection of the skin, in place of

which the freshly expressed juice of aconite was by mistake administered in doses of 3 oz. Three of the patients died 2 or 3 hours after
swallowing the medicine; the others recovered under the use of emetics
and powerful stimulants. Baldriani's paper is copied into the (Est.
Zeitsch. 1. c., p. 115.
Bm.-Dr. J. K. B]hm, aged 40, of choleric temperament; delicate,
small, pale and thin, liable to mucous defluxions of all kinds, of extremely moderate habits, never seriously ill, but suffering from violent
colics on committing any dietetic error; had been affected some years
previously with htemoptysis, and still occasionally observed traces of
blood in his sputa after any violent exertion. He took from 4 to 20
drops of the tincture in his experiments, but did not push the medicine
to any great extent.
Dv.-The ease of a man who by mistake swallowed about 40
grammes (32 scruples) of tincture of aconite. Although vomiting was
excited shortly afterwards, yet the symptoms were those of violent
poisoning, and lasted with more or less intensity for upwards of 4
days. The history of this interesting case is very fully detailed by
Dr. F. Devay, in the Gazette Med. de Paris of the 5th January, 1844,
p. 12. It is also to be found in the (Et. Zeitsch. fiir Hoom. 1. c., p. 123.
Fg.-An.Enquiry into the Physiological and Medicinal Properties of
the Aconitum napellus. By A. Fleming, M.D. London, 1845. The
symptoms recorded in this work can scarcely be termed pure, but we
give them as they corroborate the experiments of other observers.
Gg.-Symptoms observed by Dr. J. E. Greding on patients to whom
he had given aconite for the cure of other affections. The cases are
given in detail by C. W. Greding, in his Vermischte Med. &hriften,
p. 90-113. Greiz, 1790. They are incorporated in Hahnemann's
R. A. M. L., and copied into the Essay on Aconite in the Austrian
Journal, 1. e., p. 145. Hahnemann has admitted symptoms from no less
than 7 cases treated by Greding, but on carefully examining these we
find that only in one case can the symptoms be fairly referred to the
medicine administered. The case was that of a woman, aged 35, deaf,
fat and robust, who had not menstruated for a long time; from her
childhood affected with indurated cervical glands, which from their
size impeded respiration and deglutition; she took for 7 days, three
times daily, 10 grains of a preparation of aconite made thus: the fresh
juice of aconite inspissated over a slow fire, and 8 grains of this rubbed
up with an ounce of sugar.
Gl.-Dr. Henry Gerstel, 38 years old, of phlegmatic-sanguine temperament and robust make, never seriously ill since his 6th year when
he had hooping-cough, yet subject to derangements of the digestive
organs, cramps in the stomach and diarrhoea after a chill in the feet,
also to slight rheumatic affections, palpitation, and moderate flow of
blood from hmmorrhoids about once in 4 or 8 weeks; and in addition
to these, for several years to a kind of paralytic feeling of the whole
of the right side of the body. His experiments commenced with six
drops of the tincture, which he gradually increased to 20, 40 and 50
drops p. dosi.-EEst. Zeitsch. 1. c., p. 34.
Glw.-The wife of the foregoing, 30 years old, of nervous constitution and sanguine temperament; always healthy, except a periodical
prosopalgia from which she had suffered occasionally during several
years. She was suckling an infant nine months old at the period of
her first experiment. She first took 3 drops of the tincture for two
successive days. Her second experiment was with 20 drops of the
tincture which she took at once, and which was immediately followed
by the cutaneous eruption which will be found recorded in the schema.
-tEst. Zeitsdl. 1. c., p. 40.