Calotropis Gigantea calo.

Madar Bark (CALOTROPIS)

Has been used with marked success in the treatment of syphilis following Mercury; also, in elephantiasis, leprosy, and acute dysentery. Pneumonic phthisis. Tuberculosis.

Increases the circulation in the skin; has powerful effects as a sudorific. In the secondary symptoms of syphilis, where Mercury has been used but cannot be pushed safely any farther, it rapidly recruits the constitution, heals the ulcers and blotches from the skin, and perfects the cure. Primary anæmia of syphilis. Heat in stomach is a good guiding symptom. Obesity, while flesh decreases, muscles become harder and firmer.

Compare: Merc; Potass iod; Berb aqui; Sarsap; Ipecac.

Tincture, one to five drops; three times a day.

Calotropis gigantea. (E. India.) The root-bark is called Mudar, Mirdar, Yercum. N. O. Asclepiadaceæ. Tincture or trituration of bark of root. Tincture of the milky juice.

Feet, pain in. Fever. Hands, pains in. Leprosy, tubercular. Lupus. Syphilis.

The inspissated juice, root and bark have been extensively used in the East for their emetic, sudorific, alterative, and purgative qualities. The fresh juice is considered a valuable remedy in skin affections. A short proving brought out the following symptoms: Weak, tired feeling; coldness; dizziness; pain and confusion in head; nausea and vomiting of bile; frequent micturition; pain, soreness, and redness of thigh pain in both legs, swelling of knees, stiffness and inability to walk pains in hands and feet; first left then right, pains < movement or putting weight on them. Dr. Gramm, of Philadelphia ( Minn. H. Mag ., Aug., 1897), has used the tincture with great success in cases of syphilis when Mercury can no longer be given; in the anæmia of syphilis; secondary syphilis. A sense of warmth in the scrobiculus cordis is a leading indication for the remedy. — In one case of severe and advanced syphilis, with enormous thickening of the ends of all the nails, Calo . effected a cure. The remedy was given in one- to five-drop doses of the tincture, or in pellets saturated with equal parts of the tincture and 95 per cent. alcohol.

Compare: Asclep. syr., Asclep. tub. (botanical relations). Ipec. (emetic). Berb. aquifol. (syphilis). Coffee caused vomiting when before there was only nausea, but antidoted many effects. Camph. also antidoted.

Depressed, tired feeling.

Dizziness. — Dull occipital headache from 11 a.m. till midnight, very bad at times in evening. — Head painful, throbbing, and confusion. — Head and face hot.

Cheeks burning like fire. — Lips and throat dry.

Slight soreness and swelling of r. palate, paining on moving jaws. — Breath foul.

Constant eructations. — Faint and giddy with inclination to vomit; after strong coffee vomited a wineglassful of yellow bile.

Frequent urination. — Urine dark red, like homebrewed beer, and with strong smell but no noticeable deposit.

Oppression at chest, and short breathing.

Pulse quickened.

Frequent chills passing up spine.

Cramp-like pain in centre of r. palm when grasping anything, lasting many days; pain in wrist when moving it.

Slight pain when moving at inside of r. thigh just below groin: two days later back of thigh very sore and hard, making turning irksome; next morning thigh sore, swollen, and painful, so that he could not bend leg in walking, which gave him pain at every step. — Slight pain in l. foot on movement, or when bearing on it; with deep tenderness as if up tarsal bone. — Intermitting cramp-like pain, must keep foot moving about in bed. — Pain in foot when at rest so severe as to bring pain into eyes; > after coffee; later, instep slightly red and swollen but not tender; unable to put foot to ground except by very slow degrees, could then stand without pain, but pain returns when taking weight off again. — Some days after, r. foot began to pain and became the worse of the two.

Restless and feverish; tossing from side to side.

Body cold, frequent chills passing up spine; at same time head and temples hot, cheeks burn like fire. — Chill returned towards bedtime though he was close to the fire; continued in bed, running from feet up spine, movement of feet seemed to excite them. — Fits of perspiration alternating with chills.

A tincture is made from the bark of the root of Calotropis gigantea R. Br. (Asclepiadaceæ), which grows in India.

Depressed, tired feeling, which came on gradually when walking, with nausea and faint feeling, great coldness, dizziness, frequent micturition, constant eructations, went to bed at 5 P.M., body cold frequent chills passing up spinal cord, head and temples hot, cheeks burning, after a time, with rugs on the bed, heat and perspiration, pulse quickened, but he was too ill to count it, heat and cold alternately, with nausea until he sipped strong coffee, then vomiting of about a wine-glassful of yellow bile, vomited a lesser quantity an hour later, oppression of chest, short respiration, lips and throat dry, head painful, with throbbing and confusion, sipped coffee all night, little sleep, tossed from side to side two days before, when moving, had felt pain inside of right thigh just below crotch, now back of right thigh was very sore, red and hard, so that turning over in bed was difficult, next morning the thigh was so sore, swollen and painful that the leg could not be bent in walking and every step was painful, with lameness, again chills towards bedtime and in bed, beginning in feet and running up spinal cord, occasional movement of feet in bed seemed to bring on the chills, fits of perspiration alternating with the chills, restless, head and face hot, breath foul, sleepless, pulse weak and thready, urine dark red, with strong smell, cramplike pains in centre of right palm on grasping anything, lasting many days, pain, but less in degree, in wrist on moving it, soreness and swelling of right palate, giving pain on moving jaws in eating, next day diffused red blotches on thigh, elevated and papular, veins on hand, which are usually full, seemed thinner, took several doses of Camp. rub., tingling burning pain in thigh on standing up.

Dull aching in occiput at 11 A.M., gradually increasing till bedtime, 12 P.M., very bad at times in evening, next morning lightness of head, amel. after breakfast.

Pain in tarsal bones of left foot on movement or on bearing weight on foot, agg. Hepar sul., at night intermittent cramplike pain while foot rested on the bed, restlessness, kept moving the foot about the bed, drank coffee and pain ceased when at rest, instep red and swollen, could not let the foot touch the ground, yet by putting the foot down very gradually and by degrees bringing the weight upon it he could stand without pain, which returned as soon as he took off the weight, coffee as a lotion sent the redness in and made the foot worse, before trying the coffee lotion slight pain in right foot, which afterwards became affected like left.

It has been used in tubercular leprosy. ▶ In lupus of face. ▶ Violent pain in both legs, with swelling of knees and stiffness, cannot walk.