Read before the I.H.A., Bureau of Materia Medica, June 1931.
TABACUM.
Running all though the proving and effects of tobacco, is a group of general symptoms more states that gives it its distinct mark of individuality.
Weakness, even to prostration and fainting; nausea,of a deathly kind, with pallor and cyanosis; cold, copious perception over the body; vertigo,with headache and disturbed vision. All these symptoms are worse in a closed room and relieved in the fresh, open air and from cold applications. There is one exception, the ear symptoms are worse in the open air.
Motion and exertion aggravate conditions, in fact,the weakness is too profound to even try to move. One exception here has been noted in a peculiar type of backache, which was worse lying and relieved walking. Clark in his Dictionary notes a cure reported by Dr.Boger with Tabacum CM. The symptoms come in paroxysms and are periodical. A peculiar and valuable therapeutic symptom is uncovering the abdomen, in abdominal troubles,relieves the nausea and vomiting especially in children.
Such, in brief,is an external aspect of this remarkable remedy. Clark mentions its power to cause alternating states, such as the relaxation and weakness,and the convulsive and spasmodic conditions. Besides the profound, general weakness noted, it causes constriction and spasms of the throat, rectum, bladder and chest. The mind is gloomy and melancholic with inclination to weep. Anguish and inquietude, generally in the afternoon, relieved by weeping. Restlessness which prompts continual chance of place, aversion to labor and conversion. Excessive vertigo; mental faculties much impaired; cannot read or study; sufferings from abuse f tobacco; difficult concentration of mind for any length of time on one subject.
Feels as if some one were coming to arrest him, or to murder him; always with singing in ears. Suicidal tendencies,gloomy forebodings, inclined to hand head down, breath becomes short,appetite goes. Feels intoxicated, hands and feet terminable or there is over excitement and great liveliness, with songs, dancing and great loquacity., Abject cowardice,thinks he is going to die and is in extreme terror of death (from smoking too many cigars). Frequent laughter without cause,silly talk, cannot stop, loss of memory,attacks of silliness,cannot help talking foolishly, and memory goes, names himself for things, idiotic, epileptic idiocy, cataleptic state,stupor, coma.
Clark mentions its clinical application in an imposing list of diseases and conditions: Amaurosis, anaemia, angina pectoris, prolapsus of anus, apoplexy, asthma, backache, anaemia of brain, , brain-fag, catalepsy,cholera, cholera infantum,color-blindness, constipation, diarrhoea,epilepsy, freckles, glands enlarged, heart intermittent, hernia, hiccough, odyssey, jerking of leg,cancer of lip,effects of masturbation, Menieres disease,stricture of oesophagus, prostatorrhoea,Pruritus,. optic neuritis, pruritis of pregnancy,sickness of pregnancy,toothache of pregnancy, pyrosis, paralysis of rectum, stricture of rectum, seasickness,speech embarrassed,strabismus, tetanus, toothache,varicocele. This give a brief picture of the leading symptoms and clinical uses of tobacco for human ills.
It is antidoted by Ars., Ipec.,m Camph. Acetic acid, Puls., Plant., Phos., Sepia, verat.alb., Lyc., and Malic acid (sour apples).
LOBELIA INFLATA.@
Like Tabacum. this remedy has been used in a long list of complaints: Alcoholism, alopecia, angina pectoris asthma,amenorrhoea,cardialgia, cough, cramp. deafness, debility,diarrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, dyspepsia, emphysema,faintness, gall-stones, gastralgia,haemorrhoids discharge, hay-asthma,morning-sickness of drunkards and of pregnancy, morphine habit, palpitation pleurisy, psoriasis,rigid os, seborrhoea,pain in shoulders, effects of tea,stricture of urethra, serious discharge from vagina, vomiting of pregnancy,wens, whooping-cough.
It has the relaxation and weakness,the nausea and vertigo,and the cold, profuse sweats with pallor,. found so strong in Tabacum, but in Lobelia these symptoms are generally accompanied by a peculiar tingling and sticking as of fine needles from within out over the body.
The asthma and cardiac symptoms are stronger under Lobelia. there is more precordial pain in Lobelia,and the sense of constriction at epigastrium, chest, heart and oesophagus, is stronger than in Tabacum. The power of profound relaxation, alternating with constrictions at epigastrium, chest, of profound relaxation, alternating with constrictions and convulsive tendencies is common to both.
The sensitiveness sot touch is more marked under Lobelia, especially the pain in the sacrum associated with menstrual suppression. Lobelia acts curatively in many cases in which a history of some suppression is found. It has an action like Silica in expelling foreign particles from internal parts. It is produced the expulsion of a bone from the bronchi. There are more skin manifestations that is, eruptive conditions, than in TABACUM, Psoriasis has been cured by Lobelia,m and its symptoms and clinical use show a close relation to tuberculosis and syphilis.
A strange thing about these analogues, is that one, Tabacum,is antidoted by vinegar,and Lobelia, according to Cooper,acts stronger and more curatively with acetic acid.
Clarke observes that in chronic conditions the Lobelia inflata acetate acts best, and that elimination are desired, the uncombined Lobelia produces the best results.,.
The mental states are somewhat similar in both remedies. Under Lobelia we find mental inquietude, great depression and exhaustion, presentiment of death and dyspnoea,sobbing like a child,violent raving with flushing face and palpitation every evening after an hours;s sleep; lost his reason and become convulsed it required several men to hold him, this continued till death; felt he was dying with distress at chest; felt he was dying but was unconcerned (Tabacum was in terror).
In the asthma of Lobelia there is a weak sensation at epigastrium, spreads upward into chest, also profuse salivation accompanies the asthma.
Lobelia is antidoted by Ipec. Dig,.and Tan. are to be compared in heart affections.
A few red line symptoms will aid as a reminder of this remedys power:
Vomiting aggravated by motion.
Sudden pallor with profuse sweat With the asthma there is a weak sensation at the epigastrium spreading up into the chest.
Nausea with a lump sensation at stomach and copious salivation,also occurring in asthma.
Headaches,chronic,from suppressed discharges.
Inherited tuberculosis and syphilitic tendency of children. Cooper compares it in value with Ars,.iod.and our foremost anti-psorics.
In the broncho-pneumonia of childhood, Ip.,Ant., tar., and in imperfect re-covers from chest affections,especially where tuberculosis thirteens, Lobelia may be valuable.
Faintness at the dyspnoea aggravated by the slightest exertion,and increased to an asthmatic paroxysm by even the shortest exposure to cold. Sensation for weakness and pressure at epigastrium, rising to heart. These constrictions may be found in the oesophagus and larynx also. Extreme sensitiveness and tenderness over he sacrum,cannot bear the touch of the bed clothes in menstrual troubles.
The nausea of Lobelia is continuous and accompanied by a constant flow of saliva. this indication is met in suppressed menstrual flow, in the morning sickness of pregnancy,and in the vomiting of drunkards.
With every uterine contraction violent dyspnoea which seems to neutralize the labor pains, os,and perineum.
Urine has a deep red color and deposits a copious red sediment (Guernsey).
Lobelia expects death, feels it coming, yet is unconcerned.
Tabacum thinks he is going to die and is in dreadful terror of death.
With this brief study and comparison of these unique remedies,we hope to awaken interest and discussion that may add more wealth to the archives of our wondrous materia medica. CHICAGO, ILL.
DR.D.T.PULFORD.It is probably quite obvious that we are a little better acquainted with Tabacum than with Lobelia, In my premedic days, it bore out very well through the modalities of the relief from open air and from acetic acid or apple. EWe used to open the window in the chapel, light a cigar and eat an apple. We never smoked except under those conditions. When we did that, we always remained well.
In my own experience,there is none modality which may be peculiar to me alone, but I notice it works, that is the amelioration eating. If I smoke too many cigars or get sick from a pipe, I eat a little bit of something -it doesnt;t make by difference what it is-and I notice amelioration. the peculiar thing about it is that after the condition is ameliorated,the desire to smoke is likely to come back.
It is very difficult to add anything more on Lobelia. I remember reading about a woman who swallowed a piece of lamb bone. She was given Lobelia. I was wondering how much of that was due to expulsive power that resembled Silica,and how much to the nauseating effect.
