Aethusa cynapium. Fool’s Parsley. (Europe.) *N. O. Umbelliferae. Tincture of whole flowering plant.
Clinical
*Brain-fag. *Cholera *infantum. *Convulsions. Cough. Delirium. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Ear, discharge from. Epilepsy. *Excoriation. Eyes, affections of. Glands, affections of. *Headache. Herpes. *Hiccough. Idiocy. Infantile paralysis. Mind, weakness of. Sleeplessness. Stomach, disorders of. Trismus. *Vomiting.
Characteristics
The symptoms of *Aethusa are particularly clearly defined, in fact *violence is one of the notes of its action: violent vomiting, violent convulsions, violent pains, violent delirium. On the other hand there is prostration and somnolence. “Fool’s parsley” has not received its name for nothing-it is indeed a medicine for “fools.” There is great weakness of mind or body. One very characteristic symptom is: *Inability to think or fix the attention. Guided by this symptom I once gave it to an undergraduate preparing for an examination, with complete success. He had been compelled to give up his studies, but was able to resume them, and passed a brilliant examination. To a little waif in an orphan home who suffered from severe headaches and inability to fix his attention on his lessons I sent single doses of *Aethus. at rare intervals, with very great relief. The little boy asked for the medicine himself subsequently on a return of the old symptoms. Other mental symptoms are: Idiocy, in some cases alternating with furor. Hallucinations. Delirium, sees cats and dogs, wants to jump out of bed, or out of the window. Irritability, especially in open air. Guernsey says: “The mental symptoms peculiar to children, and frequently of adults, are, great anguish and crying. As the disease progresses the patient becomes more and more retired in his disposition, and more inclined to weep.” Somnolence. Dotage. Another marked characteristic is: Intolerance of milk, vomiting of everything taken, especially milk, which is ejected in yellowish or greenish curds. There is great weakness and exhaustion after vomiting, the child is so exhausted it *falls asleep at once. It awakens hungry, eats, and vomits again. “Hungry after vomiting” is the keynote here. There is also gripping, with diarrhoea, vomiting, crying. For adults who complain of regurgitation of food an hour after it has been taken *Aethus. says Guernsey, is invaluable. Also copious vomiting in adults, with a great feeling of distress, can’t tell what the distress is about but still it exists. Adults complain of a sensation as though the stomach was turned upside down, accompanied by a burning feeling up to the chest. Tearing pains in stomach extending into oesophagus, abdomen tense inflated, sensitive. There is a herpetic eruption on tip of nose, Along with the gastric symptoms there is a peculiar expression of great anxiety and pain (*Linea *nasalis), a surface of pearly whiteness on upper lip bounded by distinct lines from wings of nose to angles of mouth. Other symptoms are: Sensation of swelling in head and face on entering a room. Sunken cornea. Eyeballs convulsed and directed downwards. Sleep after attacks. Sensation of swelling in hands after walking. Convulsions, with cold limbs. The pains are lancinating Swelling of mammary or axillary glands, with lancinating pains. Prostration, stupid. All symptoms worse 3 to 4 a m. Heat causes all eruptions to itch intolerably. As with *Bovist. and *Aster. *r. symptoms are worse by coffee, wine, drunkenness, cold water, and warmth of bed, better by a walk in the open air, and by conversation. Better In open air (except mental symptoms). The remedy is suited to teething-children and choleraic affections in old age.
Relations.
*Compare: Cicuta, Coni., Oena., Ant.-c. and Calcarea (vomiting of milk); Arsenicum, Asarum europaeum, Cuprum, Ip., Opium *It antidotes Opium, and *is antidoted by vegetable acids. Teste places Aethusa in the Sulphur group with Cicuta, Conium, Aster., Bovista, Lobelia, Mercurius, Kreosotum
Mind
Incapacity to think, confused. Loss of comprehension, as if a barrier between the senses and external objects. Idiocy, in some cases alternating with furor. Great anxiety and restlessness, followed by violent pains in head and abdomen. Bad humor, irritability. Irritability, especially in the afternoon, and in the open air. Delirium: sees cats and dogs, tries to jump out of the window. Loquacious gaiety.
Head
Head confused, brain feels bound up. Vertigo, with sleepiness, can’t raise the head. Headache in whole front part of head. Heaviness in the forehead. Sensation, as if both sides of the head were in a vice. Distressing pains in the occiput, down nape of neck, and spine. Heat rises to the head, the body becomes warmer, the face becomes red and the giddiness ceases. Stitches and pulsations in the head. Can’t hold head up, or sit up. Sensation as if constantly pulled by the hair. The head symptoms are better by expelling flatus.
Eyes
Looking up worse headache and vertigo. Dilated pupils. Pupils dilated but sensitive to light. Eyes brilliant and prominent. Cornea sunken. Pustules on cornea. Scrofulous ophthalmia, edges of lids inflamed and agglutinated at night, swelling of Meibomian glands. Chronic photophobia.
Ears
Stitches in the ears, especially in the right ear, as if something hot were streaming from it. Yellow discharge from right ear, with stitching pains. There is great better by inserting the finger and drawing the parts asunder.
Nose
Herpetic eruption at tip.
Face
A drawn condition beginning at the alae nasi, and extending to the angles of the mouth, giving the face an expression of great anxiety and pain. Tearing in the face, in the malar bones. Jaws spasmodically fixed. Face pale, puffed, and spotted red. Chin and corners of mouth feel cold.
Mouth
Sticking and tearing in gums. Taste: bitter, like cheese, like onions, sweetish in morning when awaking. Tongue: moist, white coat, black, feels too long. Speech slow, embarrassed. Aphthae in mouth and throat. Copious salivation which better poisoning symptoms.
Throat
Sensation of constriction, preventing deglutition. Stinging in the throat, between the acts of deglutition. Soft palate red, swollen. Pungent heat in mouth and throat. While eating, sudden heaviness in forehead. Spasmodic hiccough.
Stomach
Intolerance of milk, it is forcibly ejected almost as soon as swallowed, then weakness causes drowsiness, in nursing children. Violent vomiting of curdled milk and cheesy matter. Violent vomiting of a frothy matter, white as milk. This we may find in men, children, or pregnant women. Violent vomiting of green mucus. Violent vomiting, with diarrhoea, of green mucus, or (in children) bloody substances. After vomiting, cold and clammy.
Abdomen
Coldness of the abdomen and lower limbs, especially left, with aching in bowels, better by warm wet applications. Sensation of coldness in the abdomen. Swollen and tense abdomen. Cutting, with distension. Cutting, with violent vomiting. Black-bluish swelling of the abdomen. Colic, followed by vomiting, vertigo, and weakness.
Stool
Diarrhoea: Stool bright yellow, or greenish, watery, and slimy, with violent tenesmus. Undigested Stool or partly so. Loose Stool preceded by cutting in the abdomen, with tenesmus in the morning, after rising. Diarrhoea: discharges green, thin, bilious, with violent tenesmus. Bloody Stool. Most obstinate constipation, with feeling as if all action of the bowels had been lost.
Respiratory Organs
Sufferings of patient render him almost speechless. Respiration very difficult and short. Sensation as if chest were encircled by a band, causing difficult breathing. Stitches in left side of chest. Cough, producing stunning pain in head.
Heart, and Pulse
Violent palpitation of the heart, with headache. Pulse full and rapid, hard, small, and rapid, small and frequent, irregular, imperceptible.
Neck and Back
Distressing pain in occiput and nape of neck, extending down the spine, better by friction with hot whisky. Swelling of glands round neck like a string of beads. Sensation as if the small of the back were in a vice. A feeling as if pain in back could be better by straightening out and bending stiffly backward.
Limbs.
Eruption round the joints, especially knee, elbow, and ankle. Axillary glands swollen. Stiffness of elbow joints. Swelling of forearms and hands. Thumb and fingers bent inwards. Excoriations of thighs from walking. Paralytic pains in lower extremities, formication in feet.
Generalities
Epileptiform spasms, with clenched thumbs, red face, eyes turned downward, dilated, staring, immovable pupils, foam at the mouth, teeth set, pulse small, hard, accelerated. Spasms, with stupor and delirium. Cold limbs and body convulsed. Great weakness, children cannot stand, cannot hold up their heads.
Skin
Tettery eruptions, which bleed easily. Black and blue spots, sometimes like ecchymoses all over body. The whole body may be of bluish-black colour. Anasarca.
Sleep
Dozing of child after vomiting spells, or after the Stool and Anus. On falling asleep, rolling of the eyes, or slight convulsions. Sleepiness all day, sometimes better in open air. Sleep prevented by pains in limbs.
