stool, acidity of the stomach. In some we see only what are called "internal spasms," displayed in distortion of the eyeballs, which are rolled upwards, so that only the whites can be seen; the facial muscles are trembling, and the child seems to smile during sleep; the breathing is anxious and irregular; after a violent interruption of breathing, the child suddenly takes a long, deep inspiration; the limbs twitch during sleep, the thumbs and toes are clenched, and the feet are bent toward the retracted abdomen. Sometimes there is a livid color around the mouth and eyes; the nose and features become pointed.

Paroxysm: distortion of the features, staring and rolling of the eyes; throwing the head backwards, convulsive jerking of the chest and abdomen; panting, breathing, hoarse cries, or moaning, rigidity and alternate shocks of the extremities. The face swells, becomes dark-blue, purple-red, gradually the whole body assumes the same color, and the jugular and frontal veins swell; hands and feet frequently remain cold, though the temperature of the skin is elevated. In this case the condition of the brain is one of hyperæmia; the spasms are of a tonic or tetanic character. It must be distinguished from one in which the anamic condition prevails; there is pale, sunken face and cold skin; the conjunctiva and cornea are deprived of blood, and are without lustre. The spasms are clonic, and proceed from the face, or abdomen, or chest.

Intervals. After the spasm has lasted a few seconds or more, there is relaxation and subsidence into a state of languor and comatose stupefaction. This interval is commonly short, and the symptoms of cerebral congestion continue. We have still the hot face, injected eyes, restlessness or coma, fever, &c.

Convulsions after Injury.*-A boy fell from a swing, which produced concussion of the brain and spine, and he was carried home in an unconscious state. Arnica was given, and cold compresses were applied to the head; there was headache and vomiting; but next day he was thought to be well. On the fourth day afterwards while at school, without previous bad feeling, he was suddenly attacked with clonic convulsions. Dr. Trinks found him perfectly conscious and free from pain in the head and back. No tender spot was found in the spine. Convulsions occurred in irregular intervals, drawing the body and limbs in different directions, and lasting from five to ten minutes, no trismus. In the intervals the boy was tired and sleepy but could not sleep, pulse, breathing, stool, and urine natural.

Stramonium 2° decimal dilution, three drops every hour in water, the interval to be lengthened if the symptoms subsided. The spasms returned in six successive paroxysms, each being weaker. He took six

• Müller's Homoeopathic Quarterly.

doses of the medicine, felt well with no pain in back or limbs. In the evening he fell asleep, slept without symptoms of disease through the night, and there was no return. He had had six paroxysms each succeeding the other in severity, occurring at shorter intervals; after taking Stramonium the attacks diminished in severity, and the intervals grew longer till they ceased. Whether the remedy positively cured the disease in this case or not the physician gave it the opportunity which many homoœpathists seldom give to a single remedy. We think that a very common cause of failure in this day is the frequent repetition of remedies, giving too many articles at a time, or changing too frequently from one to another. By this irregular warfare against disease, says Dr. Trinks, "all real observation and experience are made impossible."

Zizia-aurea. The seed of the Zizia-aurea, or Masquash-root have been used in domestic practice for the cure of epilepsy.

A gentleman chewed a piece of the root and was immediately seized with nausea, vomiting, spasms, general convulsions and fainting fits, which terminated in death in three hours. A young lady ate a root of it, and was soon seized with violent vomiting, spasms, swooning, and convulsions. She recovered after full vomiting, and rest for a few days. The odor of the root produces nausea, faintness, and lassitude. We have cured two cases of epilepsy. In one case which had lasted ten years, the fits occurred as often as once in eight or ten days. Drop doses of the third decimal dilution were given morning and evening every alternate week for two months, when he was cured as appeared three months afterwards. Taking an over-dose caused "unusual exhilaration of spirits; lightness and pain in the head; sensation of tightness around the forehead, and at the back of the head; increased physical strength, with inclination for muscular exertion."

SYMPTOMS.-Intermittent severe pains in the head, coming in place of uterine contraction during the progress of parturition. Some times the pains are extremely severe and proceed to convulsions, which are followed by stupor. This plant is a poison producing convulsions of this character, followed by stupor and profound comatose breathing. It has been used in a case like that above mentioned. The first dose seemed to palliate, the second dispelled the disease. In these cases the spasm is preceded by a peculiar feeling at the epigastrium, and this occurs at the moment when there should be contractile effort of the uterus. It has often been dispelled by re-exciting uterine contraction by Ergot in small doses, and also by irritation over the fundus, through the parietes of the abdomen, in the manner common for stopping hæmorrhage.

Cedron.-Periodical Convulsions.-A female child, aged fourteen months, of unusual precocious development, suffered from convulsions

caused by dentition. Attacks came on every day at 5, P. M., and lasted ten minutes; beginning with dull appearance of the eyes, livid face, chills, followed by convulsions of the upper and lower extremities, and insensibility. On recovering from the paroxysm she remained dull and somewhat lethargic. A warm bath and Ignatia had no effect. Two hours before the third paroxysm she took two globules of Cedron 30°, dry on her tongue. Twenty minutes before the usual time the paroxysm commenced, but was modified and of shorter duration; she was conscious, but looked weak and depressed; repeated the remedy, gave some to the nurse, the dose was repeated the next day, and the child was cured.

4. Epileptiform Convulsions,-Periodical,-Cedron.-A woman, aged twenty-seven years, of nervous temperament, in seventh month of utero-gestation, had regular paroxysms morning and evening, at the same hour;-intense pain in the forehead; tumid face, pupils much. dilated; feeling of giddiness, resulting in her falling down in the most distressing convulsions; insensibility; closed teeth; frothy secretion of the mouth; difficult respiration, irregular pulse, palpitation of the heart. This state lasted for six or eight minutes. On recovering consciousness she felt weak, and discharged a large quantity of clear urine. The first attack was brought on by witnessing the execu tion of a criminal. After four paroxysms had been treated allopathically by antispasmodics, Cedron 12° was given, which cured her, after the second paroxysm.

Dr. Casanova considers Cedron an infallible specific to certain nonfebrile paroxysmal affections whose type is characterized by periodicity. This periodicity is the typo-symptom, or emblem of symptoms-a symptom par-excellence which leads other symptoms either in regular or irregular periods of time, and in a greater or lesser degree of intensity. And when a given disease is periodically governed by the recurrence of the same symptoms (be they what they may) at fixed and in definite intervals, Cedron then meets that phenomenon homœopathically and specifically at once.

Opium.-A case resembling the agonies of death, in which the patient was convulsed to such a degree as to deprive him of his senses, alternating with attacks of spasmodic breathing, sobbing, stertorous respiration, icy coldness of the face and body, lividity of the feet and hands, feebleness of the pulse, was treated by Stütz, without success, with Ammonia. He then tried Opium, which cured it in a speedy and permanent manner. Schweikert and others have seen the whole of these symptoms produced by Opium. (Hahnemann.)

According to Vicat, Grimm and others, Opium also produces a powerful and almost irresistible tendency to sleep, accompanied by profuse perspiration and delirium. Osthoff, meeting with an epi

demic fever in which these symptoms were prominent, was afraid to give Opium, and proceeded to exhaust all his other resources. But failing with all, and seeing his patient at the point of death, he resolved, at all hazards to try a quantity of Opium; "its effects proved salutary as they always must, when given according to the unerring law of homœopathy."

Other Symptoms of Opium.-Sense of weight in the head, heat of skin and difficulty of perspiring; pain in the head; burning febrile heat; dry harsh skin; also, profuse debilitating perspiration, hectic night sweats, violent headache, tension and hardness of the pulse; dry and rough skin; burning heat, and extreme agitation. All of which are caused by the use of Opium.

Cuprum.-The presence of convulsions in the cases of poisoning by Cuprum, published by different authors, might lead us to consider this remedy applicable in convulsive diseases. Another case is given by M. Julia Fontanelle. A man intentionally poisoned himself with a solution of copper in vinegar, previously prepared by keeping several sous-pieces seven days in that fluid. He was found three hours afterwards in a state of insensibility, with the jaws locked, the muscles rigid and frequently convulsed. The breathing was interrupted and the pulse small and slow. He eventually recovered. (Jour. de Chimie Medicale, V. p. 413.)

ness.

Dr. Kissel gives a case of a girl, aged twelve. She had been in good health up to May 26th, when she was suddenly seized with sudden twitching of all the extremities, and of the muscles of the chest and face, lasting for an hour, and accompanied with loss of consciousShe afterwards complained of pain in the whole of the head, in the back and epigastrium. A gentle touch of the scalp or pit of the stomach was painful, and all the vertebræ felt great pain on slight pressure. Child extremely debilitated, could not raise itself in bed. Skin hot; pulse small, quick, 140. Coated tongue and bitter taste. After some treatment which removed the febrile symptoms and the pains in the region of the nervous centres, there was no other attack, but the debility continued to such a degree that another attack was looked for. She took Acet.-cupri, six drops, every hour. Under this the debility gradually disappeared, and by the time half an ounce was taken the child was strong and continued to be so.

Ignatia. We are assured by Hermann, Valentin and others, that Ignatia is efficacious in the cure of convulsions. It would be impossible to conceive why it should do so, if we did not know it capable of producing similar convulsions, as witnessed by Bergius, Calmelli, and Durius. Fritze saw Dulcamara produce convulsions, and De Haen witnessed the very same effects attended with delirium; on the ther

hand, convulsions attended with delirium, have yielded to small doses of Dulcamara.

Ictodes-fætida-Skunk Cabbage.-In former years we treated some cases of severe epileptic convulsions, in persons not habitually subject to them, with this remedy; we used it only in an infusion, without much regard to quantity. The cases were all associated with fever and the treatment embraced other means calculated to cure the fever; but it was evident that the infusion of Ictodes had a specific power on the convulsions.

This plant has been shown by Dr. Turner, (American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. II., 1.) to contain a volatile fatty matter, volatile oil, wax and starch, besides 20 per cent. of fixed oil. The seeds and root are stimulant, anti-spasmodic, somewhat narcotic. In large doses they cause vomiting, vertigo, dimness of sight. In smaller doses it is expectorant, a palliative in phthisis and asthma; curative in chronic catarrh, rheumatism, hysteria. The leaves are used to keep up the discharge from blisters. It becomes almost inert from drying.

Symptoms.-Head-Headache in different points-of short dura

tion.

Mouth, Pharynx, &c.-Violent sneezing, inducing pain in the fauces, palate, pharynx, down to the stomach, and long-lasting afterpains in the region of the orifice of the stomach. Swelling of the cervical and maxillary glands; burning from the fauces down to the chest. Sensation in walking as if the bowels were shaking; soft stool. Pain in the chest and under the shoulders, which seems connected. with the burning in the pharynx. Aching pain in the sternum; sudden feeling of anguish, with oppression of breathing and sweat.

5. Cramps in the Limbs.-Cramp in the calves of the legs, the soles of the feet, and in other parts of the body disturb some persons on going to sleep, others suffer from them during the day.

TREATMENT.-Exert the muscles affected in voluntary effort; rise from bed and walk or otherwise exert the limb; press it against the wall or the bedstead; or press or rub it severely with the hands.

REMEDIES.- Veratrum taken before going to bed, and repeated for a few nights, will generally overcome the predisposition to the complaint. When it fails try Sulphur or Colocynth.

Rhus-tox.-Cramps which occur during the day, especially while sitting, as well as those which come on at night.

Lycopodium and Sepia.-Cramps that occur principally in walking. Sulphur-Attacks that come on at night.

Colocynth.-Cramps which occur at night; also for the stiffness and soreness which frequently remain for some time after an attack.