Absinthium absin.

Key-Notes to the Materia Medica

Henry N. Guernsey · Key-Notes to the Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Guernsey d. 1885; public domain)

Head

Stupor. Headache. Vertigo; dizzy when rising. Wants head low.

Urine

Constant desire; strong horse odor.

Convulsions

Epileptiform, preceded by trembling; unconscious, falls, bites tongue, foams, etc.

Is said to cure poisoning by mushrooms.

Similar to Alcohol, Bellad., Chamom., Hyosc., Stramon.

The effects of Absinth are much worse than of Alcohol, Opium, or Tobacco (C. Hering).

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Common Wormwood

General

A perfect picture of epileptiform seizure is produced by this drug. Nervous tremors precede attacks. Sudden and severe giddiness, delirium with hallucinations and loss of consciousness. Nervous excitement and sleeplessness. Cerebral irritation, hysterical and infantile spasms come within range of this remedy. Poisoning by mushrooms. Chorea. Tremor. Nervousness, excitement, and sleeplessness in children.

Mind

Hallucinations. Frightful visions. Kleptomania. Loss of memory. Forgets what has recently happened. Wants nothing to do with anybody. Brutal.

Head

Vertigo, with tendency to fall backward. General confusion. Wants head low. Pupils dilated unequally. Face blue. Spasmodic facial twitching. Dull occipital headache (Gelsem, Picric ac).

Mouth

Jaws fixed. Bites tongue; trembles; feels as if swollen and too large; protruding.

Throat

Scalded sensation; as of a lump.

Stomach

Nausea; retching; eructation. Bloated around waist and abdomen. Wind colic.

Urine

Constant desire. Very strong odor; deep yellow color (Kali phos).

Sexual

Darting pain in right ovary. Spermatorrhœa, with relaxed, enfeebled parts. Premature menopause.

Chest

Sensation of weight on chest. Irregular, tumultuous action of heart can be heard in back.

Extremities

Pain in limbs. Paralytic symptoms.

Relationship

Compare: Alcohol; Artemisia; Hydrocy acid; Cina; Cicuta.

Dose

First to sixth potency.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

John Henry Clarke · A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · 1st edition (1900-02, three volumes); homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML digitization

General

Artemisia absinthium, Linn. Common Wormwood. (Europe.) Not to be confounded with Artemisia vulgaris, which is also called Wormwood. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of fresh young leaves and flowers.

Clinical

Brain, congestion of. Chlorosis. Dyspepsia. Epilepsy. Nervousness. Otorrhœa. Restlessness. Sleeplessness. Spine, congestion of. Typhoid.

Characteristics

Absinthium has been proved, but a number of the symptoms are taken from observations made on absinthe drinkers. The convulsions of Absinth . are preceded by trembling; the patient makes grimaces; bites tongue; foams. Halbert regards Absinth . as of especial service in cases of minor epilepsy, where consciousness is not entirely lost. The characteristic is "a peculiar vertigo on rising, with a tendency to fall backward." In a case of epileptoid vertigo, signs of constant cerebral and spinal congestion; nausea and tendency to frequent vomiting, persistent tremors; epileptoid attacks of hysterical character and opisthotonos, Absinth . first in Ø, and later in 3, completely cured. Tremor is a marked feature of the remedy: tremor of tongue; of heart. Magnan, who has studied absinthism, says the characteristic symptoms of absinthe are: Sudden and severe giddiness, epileptiform seizures, delirium with hallucinations, and loss of consciousness. For some time after the attack there is loss of memory. The giddiness and epileptiform attacks are the most important of the symptoms. He adds that those who take absinthe are liable to hysterical manifestations. There is exhilaration followed by horrible delirium ( Bell .); patient obliged to walk about ( Artem ., Cham ., Cin . have > moving about). Patient walks about in distress, seeing all sorts of demons. Sleeplessness; typhoid with congestion of base of brain. It corresponds to nervousness, excitement, and sleeplessness in children.

Relations

Compare : Artem. vulg., Abrot., Cicut., Hyosc., Bell., Stram. Strong urine, Benz. ac., Nit. ac.

Mind

After recovery has no recollection of taking the poison, nor of the cause of his doing so. ─ Forgets what has recently happened. ─ Insane; idiotic; brutal. ─ Idiotic manner, doesn't care whether she dies or not. ─ Wants nothing to do with anybody. ─ Frightful visions and terrifying hallucinations. ─ Stupor alternating with dangerous violence. ─ Insensible with the convulsions.

Head

Vertigo; when she rises up; tendency to fall backward. ─ Confusion in head. ─ Headache. ─ Wants to lie with the head low. ─ Congestion of the brain and spinal cord.

Eyes

Injected conjunctiva. ─ Pain in the eyes. ─ Itching. ─ Lids heavy.

Ears

Otorrhœa; esp. after hemicrania.

Face

Foolish look. ─ Rush of blood to the face. ─ Makes grimaces, and foams at the mouth in epilepsy.

Mouth

Jaws firmly fixed. ─ Bites his tongue in epilepsy. ─ Tongue thick, protruding; can scarcely talk. ─ Tongue trembling; feels paralysed.

Throat

Scalded feeling in the throat.

Stomach

Loss of appetite; loathing of food. ─ Food lies heavy. ─ Stomach feels cold and oppressed. ─ Eructations; nausea; vomiting. ─ Nausea, apparently in region of gall bladder. ─ Uncomfortable, irritated feeling of stomach.

Abdomen

Liver feels swollen. ─ Pain in spleen; it feels swollen. ─ Bloated around waist and in abdomen, as after ague. ─ Immense accumulation of flatulence in abdomen; wind colic.

Urinary Organs

Constant desire to urinate. ─ Urine deep orange, of a strong smell, like horse's urine.

Female Sexual Organs

Pains in uterus. ─ Darting pain in right ovary. ─ Chlorosis. ─ Promotes menses.

Respiratory Organs

Cough with liver complaint.

Heart

Tremor of the heart felt toward the back. ─ Heart thumps; can be heard in scapular region.

Generalities

Feet very cold. ─ Falling down, as in epilepsy, unconscious, with distortion of the features, followed by spasms of the body and limbs, bloody foam at mouth, and biting of the tongue; stupidity and loss of memory afterward. ─ Opisthotonos; grinding teeth; followed by stupor. ─ Paralysis of inner organs. ─ (Horses kick with hind legs towards the belly. ─ Ascarides.)

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

Constantine Hering · The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica · 1879–91

General

Wormwood. Compositæ.
A bitter herb, a native of Europe, and cultivated in gardens, much used in France for a liqueur , the effects of which are very injurious.
Most symptoms toxicological from French authorities. The only provings, Gybtchell, in Medical Investigator .

Mind

After recovering from epileptic spasms no recollection of taking the poison, nor the cause of his doing so.
Brutality, mental dulness, insanity.
The mania from the liqueur is worse than that from alcohol.
Soothed, as if going into a beautiful dream.
Great terror ; terrifying hallucinations.

Sensorium

Stupefaction, alternately with dangerous violence.
Drunkenness.
Vertigo, dizzy on rising.
Insensibility (with convulsions).

Inner head

Causes congestion of head, medulla and spine.
Headache.

Outer head

Wants to lie with the head low.
(OBS :) Baldness and chronic tinea.

Sight and eyes

Dim-sightedness.
Pain in eyes.
Eyelids swollen ; eyes red and suffused with tears.
Eyes itch.
Lids heavy.

Hearing and ears

Otorrhœa. θ Especially after hemicrania.

Upper face

Foolish look.
Makes facial grimaces. θ Epileptiform convulsions.
Ebullitions of blood in face.

Lower face

Jaws firmly fixed.

Taste, speech, tongue

Bites his tongue. θ Epileptiform convulsions.
Tongue thick, protruding, can scarcely talk.
Trembling of tongue.
Complains that tongue is paralysed.

Inner mouth

Foams at mouth. θ Epileptiform convulsions.

Palate and throat

Scalded feeling in throat.
Throat inflamed.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Eructations.
Nausea and vomiting in morning.
Nausea, apparently in region of gall-bladder.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Food lies heavy ; stomach feels cold and oppressed ; thinks it would not absorb much.

Hypochondria

Liver feels swollen. θ Autumnal fever.
(OBS :) Liver and stomach diseases.
Pain in spleen ; it feels swollen. θ Autumnal fever.

Abdomen and loins

Bloated : around waist and in abdomen, as after ague ; with flatus.

Stools and rectum

Constipation.
Destroys worms.
Hemorrhoids.

Urinary organs

Constant desire to urinate.
Urine deep orange, having a strong, horse-like smell.

Male sexual organs

Spermatorrhœa with relaxed parts.

Female sexual organs

Pains in uterus.
Darting pain in right ovary.
Promotes menses.

Cough

Cough with liver complaint.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Tremor of heart, felt toward back.
Heart thumps ; can be heard in scapular region.

Neck and back

Pain in sacrum.

Upper limbs

Pain in shoulders.
Trembling of hands.

Lower limbs

Horses kick with hind legs toward belly. θ Ascarides.

Limbs in general

Throws about limbs. θ Epileptiform convulsions.
Pains in limbs.
Limbs swell.

Rest. position. motion

Rising : causes vertigo.
Wants to lie with head low.
Bends backwards : in spasms.

Nerves

Trembling precedes epileptic attack.
Epileptiform convulsions : loses consciousness, falls, bites his tongue, foams at mouth, features distorted ; throws his limbs about ; weak afterwards.
Excited, opisthotonos, grinding teeth ; followed by stupor.

Sleep

Restless at night, with disturbing dreams.

Time

Morning : nausea and vomiting.
Night : restlessness, with disturbing dreams.

Fever

Chill, heat, then sweat ; thirst in all stages ; sleeps during heat.
Obstinate autumnal fevers, with swollen liver and spleen.

Attacks, periodicity

Attacks antepone.
Alternate : stupefaction and violence.

Locality and direction

Right : darting pain in ovary.

Sensations

Nausea apparently in region of gall-bladder ; tremor of heart.
Pain : in eyes ; in spleen ; in uterus ; in sacrum ; in shoulders ; in limbs.
Darting : in right ovary.
Scalded feeling : in throat.
Swollen feeling : in liver ; in spleen.
Heaviness : of lids.
Oppression : in stomach.
Itching : of eyes.
Cold feeling : in stomach.

Tissues

Causes hyperemia of brain, medulla and spine, more intense when combined with alcohol.
Occasionally stomach, more frequently endocardium and pericardium show small ecchymoses.
Paralysis of inner organs.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Injuries
Bruises and consequent inflammation.

Skin

Jaundiced skin.

Stage of life, constitution

Especially younger patients. θ Chlorosis.

Relations

Collateral relations : Art. vulg., Abrot .
Similar to : Alcohol, Bellad. Chamom., Hyosc., Stramon .
Is said to cure poisoning by mushrooms.
Secondary effects of absinthe are much worse than those from abuse of alcohol, opium or tobacco.