The Therapeutics of Fevers

Taraxacum tarax.

Allen (1879)In every bookSave

Characteristic

For gastric and bilious attacks, especially gastric headaches.

Mapped tongue (Lach., Mer., Nat.); covered with a white film with sensation of rawness. This film comes off in patches, leaving dark red, tender, very sensitive spots (Ran. s.).

Jaundice with enlargement and induration of liver (mapped tongue).

Debility, loss of appetite, profuse night sweats, especially when convalescing from bilious or typhoid fever.

Restlessness of and pain in thighs and limbs in typhoid and typho-malarial fevers (Rhus, Zinc.).

Relations

Compare: Bry., Chel., Hydr., Nux, in gastric and bilious affections.

Aggravation

Almost all symptoms appear when sitting; lying down; resting.

Type

Malarial, typho-malarial and typhoid; when attack de- velops into a slow fever, in dry, nervous, bilious subjects.

Periodicity not marked.

Time

8 P. M.; at night, with gastric ailments.

Chill

Great chilliness after eating, and especially after drink- ing (Bell., Caps., Kali c., Lob., Marum). Long-lasting chill; when he falls asleep, sweat breaks out, mostly on the head. Nose, hands and tips of fingers are icy cold (Sabad., Stan.).

Heat

Sensation of heat, and heat in face, with redness

(Lach.).

Sweat

With thirst; copious; at night; with pain in spleen; all over body on falling asleep in the evening (Cinch.); debilitat- ing night-sweats, causing biting of the skin.

Analysis

The abundant, debilitating, night-sweat is the guiding symptom of Taraxacum. It occurs invariably at night, and differs from Cinchona, that while the latter, though profuse and debilitating, occurs during sleep or when covered. The tongue and gastric symptoms also serve to differentiate.