PATHOGENESIS OF MYRICACERIFERA.

E.M. HALE, M.D.

(American Homœopathic Observer, Vol. V. Jan. 1868)

        analogues. – Asarum canadensis, Acidum benzoic., Berberis vulgaris, Bromine, Chimaphila, Cornus circinata, Cubeba, Eryngium aquaticum, Eupatorium aromaticum, Hydrastis can., Hepar sulphur, Kali bichromicum, Lachesis, Mercurius iodotus, Spongia.

         The Myrica belongs to a group of remedies of which Hepar sulphur is the typical member.  It has many points of analogy with other medicines belonging to that group, while it holds relationship to members of others.  A close study of its symptoms will show these points of resemblance.

         The Bayberry has been in common use in the practice of the people, and the so-called “Botanic” physicians, ever since the settlement of New England.  The Eclectic school hold it in high estimation in many diseases.

         It remained for the Homœopathic School to investigate its powers and uses in a rational manner.  The first notice of this medicine in our literature was in the second edition of “New Remedies,” where its botanical description and medical history was given, and two extended Provings by Dr. L.WALKER.

         The next public mention of the Myrica was made in the second volume of “publications of the Massachusetts Homœopathic Medical Society.”  This consisted of a “Report of the Committee on Materia Medica,” made to that Society in 1864.  this report consists of Provings made by Dr.H.L. CHASE, Dr. Charles CULLIS, Dr. C.WESSELHOEFT, Dr. F.H. KREBS, Dr. J.E. LINNELL, and two women.  Some of these Provings were made with the mother tincture, others with finely-pulverized bark.  Eight Provings have been made of the Myrica.  The following pathogenesis is composed of the symptoms thus obtained, also from a few fragmentary Provings, and accidental symptoms, observed by Dr. H.P. HALE and Mr. CHAPMAN (Chemist).  All the symptoms recorded appear to be reliable and trustworthy.

         The curative symptoms were obtained from reliable persons, and from the results of my own observation and use of the remedy.

         This pathogenesis, although not as complete as could be desired, is full enough and sufficiently suggestive to be the basis of its use in the selection of the remedy.  That it will prove a valuable medicine, we do not doubt, if it is carefully selected and used in proper doses.  The cures made with the Myrica have, up to this time, been made with the crude drug and the lower attenuations, no experience of its use in the higher potencies has yet come under my notice.

         Without attempting to theorize in relation to its special affinities, the Myrica appears to me to act principally upon the mucous membranes.  This is a general action, and seems to extend to its remotest and minutest ramifications.  I believe that nearly all its symptoms arise directly or indirectly from this action.

         explanation of signs. – A symptom in italic indicates its apparent importance, or prominence in the Provings.  The words “in,” “when,” “with,” “it,” etc., italicized, indicate the special relation of two or more symptoms.  The sign “.” Indicates a simple pathogenetic symptom.  The sign “*” indicates that the symptom has been verified by a cure.  The letters (v) or (vvv) indicate that the symptom has been verified by one or more Provers.  The sign “o” is prefixed to a curative symptom or group of symptoms not found in the pathogenesis.  The letter (t) indicates that the cure was made by the topical application.  The pathogenetic symptoms are all numbered after the usual plan.

MIND AND DISPOSITION

1.     Deficient concentration of mind on any subject.  (v)   

2.     Gloomy, terribly depressed, despondent. (vv).

3.     Indifference to everything – even to friends.

4.     Condemned himself for imaginary faults.

5.     Irritable, with constant desire to find fault.  He thinks himself better than any one else. (v)

HEAD

6.     Dull, heavy aching in the forehead and temples, on waking in morning. (vv)

7.     Pain in the head, worsewhen stooping or moving about.

8.     Headache, with pain and Stiffness in the nape of neck. (v)

9.     Headache, withthrobbing in the temples. (v)

10.  Headache in morning, withaching in small of the back. (v)

11.  Dull, heavy feeling over the eyes, followed by stricture across the nose.

12.  Soreness of the scalp to the touch.

13.  Pain in back part of head, right side.

14.  Heaviness in back of head, with pressure in nose.

15.  In the top of the head a sensation like foam rising in anything fermenting.

16.  Chills running over the top of the head, with tightness of the scalp.

17.  Empty feeling in the head.

18.  Headache, withdrowsiness , also withringing in the ears.

19.  Pressure and dull pain in forehead and vertex, with throbbing, synchronous with the pulse.

SENSORIUM

20.  Vertigo, with drowsiness.

21.  Vertigo, with rush of blood to the head, on stooping followed by full, oppressive headache in right side.

22.  Vertigo with nausea, and withyawning.

EYES

23.  Dull pain in the eyes and head.

24.  Smarting in the left eye. (v)

25.  Eyes feel swollen.

26.  Yellowness of the sclerotica, withcongested appearance.

27.  Eyelids heavy and swollen. (v)

28.  Both eyes feel sore, withflushed face.

29.  Sharp pain in the left eye.

30.  Left eye sore and looked inflamed, in morning.

31.  Heaviness in the eyes.

32.  Aching in right eyeball, with quivering in the eyelids.

33.  Smartingin both eyes, withfeeling as of sand in them, and difficulty of closing the lids. (v)

34.  Hot feeling in the eyes, they tire easily on reading.

EARS

35.  Ringing in the left ear. (v)

36.  Ringing in bothears, with slight vertigo; also with pressure about the head. (v)

NOSE

37.  Sensation in the nose, as if he had catarrh.

38.  One painful pimple on the nose.

39.  Pressure in the left side of the nose.(v)

40.  Constrictive feeling across the nose.

41.  Severe coryza, in the morning. (v)

42.  Aching, excruciating feeling in the posterior nares.

43.  Tenacious, offensive mucus in the nose.

                  0Foetid, bloody ozœna.

FACE

44.  Pressure in the malar bones.

45.  Yellowness of the face (jaundice)

46.  Itching and stinging in right side of face.

47.  Burning in the face, withsensation of fullness. (v)

48.  Creeping sensation, as of crawling insects on the face.

49.  Fullness about the face and head, with throbbing.

MOUTH, TEETH, ETC.

50.  Tongue furred, which bad taste in mouth and nausea [v]

51.  Tongue thickly coated, dirty white or yellowish.[v]

52.  Saliva increased, with heartburn.

53.  Dryness of the mouth and fauces.

54.  Darting pain in the articulation of jaw, right side.

55.  The whole buccal cavity, even the roof of the mouth, was coated with an adhesive coating, difficult to detach, with offensive breath and foul taste.

                  0 Apathæ of the mouth.[t]

                  0 Tender, spongy and bleeding gums.

                  * Follicular stomatitis.

THROAT

56.  Soreness of the throat inthe morning.

57.  Sensation as of a foreign substance in the throat, requiring it to be frequently cleared, withpainful deglutition, in the afternoon.[v]

58.  Constricted and rough feeling in the throat, it feels swollen.[v]

59.  Constant desire to swallow, from a sense of constriction in throat.[v]

60.  Stringy mucus in the throat, detached with difficulty.

61.  Throat and nasal organs filled with an offensive, tenacious mucus, detached with dfifficulty.

62.  Dryness of the throat.

63.  Dry, sore feeling in the Pharynx, as when one has taken cold, succeeded by difficult deglutition.

64.  Semi-lancinating pain in right side of the throat, near the tonsil.

                  o Ulceration of the fauces.

                  o Aphthous tonsillitis.

TASTE AND APPETITE

65.  Taste bitter and nauseous.

66.  Taste foul, with offensive breath.

67.  Feeling of fullness in the digestive organs, as if food was slowly digested.

68.  Craving, unnatural appetite, with feeling of fullness in the stomach, as after a hearty meal.[vv] [primary]

69.  Appetite for breakfast impaired.

70.  Complete loss of appetite, but with a feeling of fullness and repletion in the abdomen.[v] [secondary]

71.  Strong desire for acids.

GASTRIC DERANGEMENTS

72.  Nausea, followed by heavy headache

73.  Empty eructations, relieving the pressure in the stomach for a short time only.

74.  Heartburn, with water-brash.

HEPATIC SYMPTOMS

75.  Dull pain in the region of the liver.

76.  Completejaundice, with bronze-yellow skin, loss of appetite; fullness in the  stomach and abdomen; scanty, yellow, frothy urine; loose, mushy, clay-colored (or straw-colored) stools, destitute of bile, much debility, and drowsiness almost amounting to stupor.**

[This jaundice was not relieved by Podophyllum, Leptandra, Nux vomica, Arsenicum, or Mercurius dulcis, but was speedily removed by Digitalis 1/10^th dil.]

                  *“Black jaundice.”

STOMACH AND ABDOMEN

77.  Distress in the stomach after dinner.

78.  Acidity of the stomach.

79.  Severe pain in the stomach.

80.  Weak, sinking, feeling in the epigastrium, approaching nausea, increased after eating, relievedby rapid walking. [v]

81.  Vomiting, withheat in the stomach.

82.  Severe griping pains about the stomach, followed by

83.  Empty eructations. [v]

84.  Stinging, cramp-like sensation in left præ-cardial region, under the ribs.

85.  Griping pressure in stomach, extending to a place to the left of the navel.

86.  Grumbling pain in the bowels, inafternoon.

87.  Griping pain in bowels, at night, followed, in the morning by loose stool, with tenesmus.

88.  Colic-like pains in umbilical region, in a small spot, withaccumulation of flatus, and passage of offensive flatus.[v]

89.  Constant, unusual rumbling in abdomen, above the navel.

90.  Griping pain in region of umbilicus, withrumbling.

91.  Weak faintish feeling about the bowels, as when one has Diarrhœa.

STOOL AND ANUS

92.  Loose stool, after dinner, with pain and   tenesmus.

93.  Sensation as if approaching Diarrhoea,  followed by small, costive discharges and griping, colic-like pains.

94.  Constant discharge of flatus when walking.

95.  In A.M. felt as though Diarrhœa would occur, followedby weakness about the bowels, withurging and pressing, withoutstool.

96.  Constipation, after previous loose stools.

97.  Soft, copious, papescent stool, attended by tenesmus and cramp-like sensation in umbilical region.

98.  Urging to stool, with no other result than the expulsion of a great amount of flatus.

99.  Excessive flatulence, in P.M., withfrequent rumbling, as if Diarrhœa would set in. [v]

100.             Stool nearly natural in consistency, but lighter colored.

101.              Loose. Light-colored stool.  Growing lighter-colored daily, until it became ash-colored and destitute of bile.

Chronic Diarrhœa.  Diarrhœa of consumptives.

SEXUAL ORGANS

MALE

102.             Amorous dreams.  Withemission of semen (this never occurred to the Prover before.)

                  oChronic gonorrhœa.

                                                                                FEMALE – (None yet obtained).

                  oLeucorrhœa, excoriating, fœtid, thick and yellowish, [t] of several years’ duration.]

URINARY ORGANS

103.             Sharp, plunging pain in region of the left kidney.

104.             Difficulty of urinating; the bladder seemed to lack contractive expelling power.

105.             Copious flow of limpid urine.[v] [primary effect]

106.             Urine deposits a light –colored sediment.

107.             Light-brownish-colored sediment.

108.             Urine darker than usual, - grows darker every day, until it is a deep brownish-yellow [secondary effect]

109.             A pinkish-brown sediment in the urine.

110.             Scanty, high-colored urine, saturated with the coloring matter of the bile.

111.             Frothy, high-colored urine – (froth yellow).

RESPIRATORY ORGANS

112.             Smarting in larynx and trachea.

113.             Pain in the left lung.

114.             Dull pain in right lung, middle lobe, lasting a few minutes.

115.             Constriction in the chest whenlying on the left side in bed, with such increase of the impulse of the heart that its pulsations were audible.

116.             Sharp pain in the region of the heart.

oCough, very much aggravated by talking.

oTickling cough, at night, on lying down.  oCough, with profuse expectoration. *Chronic Bronchitis.

BACK AND NECK.

117.        Dull, aching pain in lumbar region, all day. [v]

118.        Dull pain under both shoulder blades.

119.        Sensation of warmth along the whole spine, particularly between the shoulder blades.

120.        Pain in the back of the neck.[vv]

121.        Dull dragging pain in small of the back [v]

122.        Pain under left scapulæ.

UPPER EXTREMITIES

123.        Lancinating pain in left axilla.

124.        Pain (tearing) in left arm, between shoulder and elbow. [v]

125.        Pain in third and little finger of left hand.[v]

126.        Severe pain in shoulder and arm, extending to little finger.

127.        Right arm felt lame and heavy, particularly about the wrist joint.

128.        Dull aching pain in all the extremities.

LOWER EXTREMITIES

129.        Soreness of the muscles of both thighs.

130.        Trembling and aching in calves of the legs; worse in the left.

131.        Sharp, shooting pain in right thigh, followed by a similar pain in left thigh.

132.        Sharp, piercing pain at the inner sideof left knee joint.

133.        Soreness and pain in the left tendo-Achillis, worse on pressure and motion.

134.        Severe pain midway between the knee and ankle, a little outside of the tibia; a contractive pain, with soreness to the touch, changing to a burning; worse on motion.

135.        Pain in the hollow of the right foot.

136.        Burning in the soles of the feet.

137.        Bruised pain in heel of left foot.

138.        Coldness of lower extremities, with pain from knees downward.

SKIN

139.        Itching and stinging sensation on the skin of the face, neck, shoulder, fore arm, and right leg.

140.        Persistent itching in different parts, worse near the point of insertion of the deltoid muscles, in both arms.

141.        Itching of the face, giving way to creeping sensation, as of insects.

142.        Yellowness of the skin of the whole body.

SLEEP

143.        Restless night, with tossing about.

144.        Waking with dull frontal headache. [vv]

145.        Waking in gloomy state of mind, unrefreshed.

146.        Sleep disturbed at night: bad dreams and frequent waking.

147.        Drowsiness, withand after headache.[vv]

148.        Falls asleep in her chair, in the daytime, (an unusual occurrence).

149.        Dreams of enormous bugs, which attacked his head, and which he killed with much difficulty.

150.        Sleeplessness, with exhilaration nervous system, in evening.

FEVER, PULSE AND HEART

151.        Warmth along the whole spine, especially between the shoulders, followed by chill, gentle perspiration, more perceptible over the dorsal vertebræ.

152.        Chilliness upon going out of doors, withaching pain in the lumbar region.

153.        Severe chill, with quivering sensation in calf of right leg.

154.        Feverish acceleration of the pulse, attaining its height about 4 o’Clock.

155.        Excited, feverish feeling, alternating with chilliness, at10 o’clock p.m., with pain in the lumbar region.

156.        Feeling of feverishness, while the pulse was at 60.

157.        Pulse 51, feeble and irregular.

158.        Impulse of heart’s action increased, but the number of pulsations diminished to sixty per minute, (ordinary pulse 75 to 80).

159.        Increased pulsation, and audible beating of the heart when lying in bed, on left side.

                  Night sweats – in phthisis.

GENERALITIES

160.        General malaise, and feeling of unfitness for duty.

161.        General languor, with depression of spirits.

162.        Weak, sick feeling; every kind of exertion was irksome.

163.        Shifting pains.

164.        General muscular lameness and soreness, affecting chiefly the lower limbs.

165.        Staggering gait, with confusion of thought and purpose in the head.

                  oGreat debility.

CONDITIONS

Worse by the warmth of the bed – disturbing sleep.

Better when moving, and in open air (gastric symptoms).

Left side predominantly affected.

The headache worse when stooping or moving.

Digitalis removed the hepatic symptoms.

(Republished in The Homœopathic Medicine, Vol. I, Rational Life Publications, Gurgaon, Haryana; 1987)