INFLUENCE OF ERGOT ON FOETUS:
There are instances that ergot administered in tedious and difficult, slow labors has proved very destructive to the life of the child. Dr. Moore of New York says “It appears to be injurious to the child at all times; for, in every case in which I have seen it exhibited, the child has been stillborn.”
In fact if the cervix is not dilated and ergot is administered, due to contraction of uterus gives pressure on the child which may cause of the death. According to Dr. Meigs it should be employed at the moment of, or just before, the birth of the child, in order to secure a good contraction of the womb in women who are known to be subject to hemorrhage.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Increased peristalsis, diarrhea, vomiting
The most evident symptom in the early stage of the action of ergot is retching, vomiting, diarrhea and profuse salivary secretion which are consequences of the action of the poison on the sensory nerves of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal, these are excitement, communicated to the motor and secretory regions.
In Dr. Wright’s experiments, the intestines were found in very active peristalsis at the post-mortem examination of the poisoned animals.
In rabbits it also produced very violent peristalsis. It produced involuntary stools, which may be its affect on the sphincter muscles of anus and bladder.
SKIN: (Gangrenous ergotism): Diaphoresis, Gangrene, Purpura, Coldness of Skin
The symptoms which characterize gangrenous ergotism as such often appear within from two to seven days. An erypsipelatous redness shows itself on some spots in the periphery, most frequently on the toes and feet, but also on the fingers and hand, more rarely on the ears and the nose; soon after the epidermis is raised like a bladder by serous exudation; the ichorous contents of this are soon discharged, and a gangrenous spot develops very rapidly at the affected spot. The part affected is very painful but later on it becomes quite insensible. The gangrene depends on the fact that the part affected is deprived of its blood supply, and its nutrition thereby arrested, consequently, it must pass into a state of decomposition. The only question is whether it is inflammation which leads to gangrene, or whether the process is of a non inflammatory character, resembling that which occurs when all the vessels going to a limb are ligatured. When we consider that the initial so called erysipelatous redness is simply dependent on the cyanosis, and that these spots are not, as in a case of inflammation hot and swollen, but on the contrary, they become very cold, and warmth can not be restored in them, and that the affected limb is not at all swollen, the hypothesis that such a gangrene is of an inflammatory character may be rejected as there is no fever also.
TEMPERATURE:
Lowers down the temperature, hence there is coldness of the skin. It may come down by 4-5 degrees. It is the result of its action on the heart and vascular system.
SYMPTOMATOLOGY
CONSTITUTION
MAKE UP | Þ Thin, scrawny, feeble, cachectic and pale, sunken countenance Þ Very old looking, feeble persons Þ Lax muscular fibers, everything seems loose and open Þ Irritable, cross, mildest words offend her Þ Nervous temperament Þ HOT patient Þ The skin is cold, yet the patient doesn’t want covering Þ Hemorrhagic Diathesis |
FEMALE SYMPTOMS | |
MENSES | Þ Irregularly regular Þ Passive hemorrhage in feeble, cachectic women Þ Burning Pain in uterus Þ Copious flow of black, liquid blood, worse from movement Þ Hemorrhage with spasmodic contraction of uterus Þ Too frequent, too profuse with prolonged bearing down pain Þ Cold extremities Þ Worse just before the menses Þ Continuous oozing of watery blood until next period |
LABOR | Þ There is no expulsive pain Þ There is irregular pain, which is too weak, feeble and ceasing occasionally Þ Everything seems to be loose and open, but no action Þ There may be fainting attack during labor Þ Too long, too painful, severe contraction after labor Þ Dark offensive lochia Þ Retained placenta Þ Suppression of milk in lean and thin exhausted women. Breast do not fill properly Þ Puerperal fever, putrid discharges, suppressed urine |
ABORTION | Þ Threatened abortion at 3rd month Þ Associated with prolonged bearing down forcing pains Þ May be due to over lifting, straining and hard work Þ Strength of uterus is weakened by too early efforts |
| It is also useful in cases of Mole, Polypi and morbid growth in the uterus with prolonged forcing pains. “It has been used successfully in chronic metritis, uterine fibroids, polypi and sub involution of the uterus.” (Dr. Hilderbrandt) | |
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM | |
| STOMACH | Þ Unnatural ravenous appetite even with diarrhea Þ Craving for acids and lemonade Þ Unquenchable thirst for large quantities of cold water Þ Nausea Þ Vomiting of blood and coffee ground fluid Þ Aversion to food, drinks especially hot Þ Constant eructation with bad odor |
| ABDOMEN | Þ Cholera like symptoms due to summer weather, suppression of discharges Þ Profuse watery, fetid, brown exhausting, involuntary stools as if the anus was wide open Þ Cold skin, yet can not bear to be covered Þ Cramps, extensor type Þ Pale face, pinched, sunken Hippocratic look with blue rings around eyes Þ Diarrhea with coldness of parts with aggravation by covering Þ Profuse exhaustive diarrhea Þ Involuntary stools Þ Olive green, thin, putrid stools Þ < heat > cold |
SKIN | |
| Þ Shriveled, numb, mottled Þ Dusky, blue tinge Þ Sclerema Þ Gangrene, developing slowly Þ Burning sensation better by cold Þ Wants parts uncovered Þ Skin cold to touch yet < by covering Þ Great aversion to heat Þ Large ecchymosis and blood blisters Þ Skin hangs in folds as if very loose Þ Slight wounds continue to bleed, petechiae Þ Boils, small, painful with green contents Þ Formication under skin Þ Varicose ulcers | |
HAEMORRHAGE | Þ Continuously oozing Þ Thin, watery, black Þ Fetid Þ Blood with a strong tendency to putrescence Þ Continuous bloody watery discharge between two periods so that it is practically speaking a continued flooding. Þ Great debility with hemorrhage Þ Trifling would causes persistent bleeding Þ Passive hemorrhage |
MIND | Þ Great anguish and fear of death Þ Fear with desire to jump into water Þ Loss of consciousness or consciousness seems to continue to the last breath and just before death, it seems as though the patient would improve. Þ Sad, irritable, nervous |
NUMBNESS | Þ Sensation of creeping or as if ants are crawling is very important Þ Feels better by rubbing Þ Numbness of limbs Þ Sensation of deadness in any part Þ Hemorrhage proceeded by numbness and tingling |
MODALITY | |
AGGRAVATION | Þ Heat, warmth, warm application Þ Covering Þ Just before menses Þ Touch |
AMELIORATION | Þ Open air Þ Cold, cold drinks, cold application Þ Uncovering Þ Rubbing Þ Wants to be fanned |
A COMPARISION ON FEMALE SYMPTOMS:
SECALE COR | SEPIA | ACT. RAC. | SABINA | |
Menses | Copious | Too late or too early | Delayed, irregular | Menorrhagia, too early |
| Long lasting | Irregular | Profuse | too profuse | |
| Suppressed | Too long lasting | |||
Type of Blood | Dark blood | Too scanty | Coagulated | In paroxysms |
| Regular oozing until next period | Too profuse Irregular | Very offensive | Protracted | |
| More the flow, more the pain | Partly liquid , partly clotted | |||
Concomitants | Crampy pain | Bearing down sensation | Severe pain | Labor like pain |
| Coldness of skin | Pain from back to front | Pain from hip to hip | From sacrum to pubes | |
| Internal heat | Prolapse uterus | With hysterical and chorea | Music is intolerable | |
| Yellow leucorrhoea before menses | Rheumatic pains | Rheumatism | ||
Labor | Weak labor pain | False labor pain | ||
| No expulsive action | Electric like pain | |||
| Shivering in 1st stage | ||||
Abortion | 3rd month | 3rd month | ||
Constitution | Thin , cachectic | Weak, earthy, yellow spots on face | Hysterical | Tendency to abortion |
| Hemorrhagic diathesis | ‘tell tale face’ | Mental symptoms are important | Hemorrhagic diathesis Chlorotic | |
| HOT | CHILLY | CHILLY | HOT | |
Modality | < just before menses, covering | <morning, washing, laundry work, before thunderstorm | < cold, during menses | <motion, warmth |
| > open air, uncovering, cold application | > exercise, pressure, warmth | >warmth | >cold applications | |
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