Remedy

Gnaphalium gnaph.

5 books on the shelf carry Gnaphalium. Read them in the order a bedside reading goes: the short cards first, the long books after.

Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica

C. M. Boger · Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica · A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica, 1915 — the Materia Medica half

Region

NERVES: SCIATIC. Crural. Abdominal.

Worse

Walking. Lying. Cold damp.

Better

Flexing limbs. Sitting. Intense sciatic pains; alternating with or followed by numbness or formication. Offensive diarrhœa with colic, < morning.

Related: Colo.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Cud-weed-Old Balsa (GNAPHALIUM)

General

A remedy of unquestioned benefit in sciatica, when pain is associated with numbness of the part affected. Rheumatism and morning diarrhœa. Polyuria.

Face

Intermittent pains of superior maxillary of both sides.

Abdomen

Borborygmus. Colic; pain in various parts of the abdomen. Irritated prostate. First stage of cholera infantum; vomiting and purging.

Female

Weight and fullness in pelvis. Dysmenorrhœa, with scanty and painful menses.

Back

Chronic backache in lumbar region; better resting on back. Lumbago with numbness in lower part of back and weight in pelvis.

Extremities

Cramps in calves of legs and feet when in bed. Rheumatic pain in ankle joints and legs. Intense pain along the sciatic nerve; numbness alternates with pain. Frequent pains in calves and feet. Gouty pains in big toes. Better, drawing limbs up, flexing thigh on abdomen. Gouty concretions (Ammon benz). Anterior crural neuralgia (Staph). Pain in joints as if they lacked oil. Chronic muscular rheumatism of back and neck.

Relationship

Compare: Xanthoxyl; Chamom; Pulsat.

Dose

Third to thirtieth potency.

Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics

E. B. Nash · Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Nash d. 1917; public domain)

Leaders

Intense pain along the sciatic nerve, alternating with numbness.

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

Gnaphalium polycephalum. Sweet-scented Everlasting Flower. N. O. Compositæ. Tincture of fresh plant.

Clinical

Anterior crural neuralgia. Cholera. Diarrhœa. Dysmenorrhœa. Gout. Lumbago. Prostate gland, irritation of. Rheumatism. Sciatica .

Characteristics

Gnaphal . has been used mainly in affections of the sciatic nerve. But it has also an action on the abdominal organs, causing vomiting, colic, and diarrhœa, thus comparing with Colocynth . in both spheres. The special indication for its use in sciatica and lumbago is: Numbness alternating with the pain. The diarrhœa is watery and offensive; occurs in the morning and is repeated during the day. There is rumbling in the bowels, colicky pains, and the patient is cross and irritable, urine is scanty, appetite and taste are lost. There is also sexual excitement in mate provers, pain and irritation in the prostate gland. Dr. W. McGeorge ( Hahn. Month ., Oct., 1885, p. 606) tells us that among the negroes Gnaph . has a reputation for colds, fevers, and night-sweats. The last was caused in one of the provers. It cured one case of "chills"; and the periodicity appears in the intermittent neuralgia of the upper jaws. A very important observation made by McGeorge is on the value of Gnaph . in dysmenorrhœa. "Weight and fulness in the pelvis" are the only symptoms noted in the proving bearing directly on the malady. "Dysmenorrhœa when the menses are scanty and very painful the first day" is the clinical indication. McGeorge cured a very aggravated case of sciatica (left) in a man, resulting from a strain. The leg was cramped and drawn up; < in cold and damp weather. I have cured a number of cases in which there was alternation of numbness with the pain. Dr. George Shelton has recorded ( N. A. J. H ., Feb., 1888, p. 100) two cases. ( 1 ) A clergyman, 27, had sharp cutting pains, starting from inner side right thigh, just below Poupart's ligament, extending down course of anterior crural nerve to a point about its lower third. The pains were paroxysmal, came on when walking, occasionally when lying down; had had one or two attacks in the pulpit. In several instances the pain had extended down the right cord into the testicle and caused him to draw up the leg, flexing the thigh on the abdomen. (This condition was also present in Dr. McGeorge's case, and may possibly be a keynote.) A few doses of Gnaph . 1 cured him completely. ( 2 ) The second case occurred in a widow, 68, who had had severe pains in outer side of right thigh for six years, during part of which time she had been confined to bed. The pains were paroxysmal, cutting, tearing, extending down the course of the sciatic nerve. Attacks < at night, and more frequent, causing her to roll about the bed and cry out with the pain. All the resources of allopathy had been in vain. Rhus t., Coloc., Sulph ., gave no help. Bell . relieved slightly. Gnaph . 1 wrought gradual improvement, and in eight weeks the cure was complete. My cases were cured with Gnaph . 30. One was in a very gouty man, the alternation of numbness with pain being present. Sciatic pain is < on lying down; by motion; by stepping; > when sitting in a chair; > drawing up the limb. Headache > by washing in cold water. Fur on tongue removed by thorough washing with cold water.

Relations

Compare: Coloc., Ipec., Merc., Puls., Lyc., Caulo., Xanthox.

Mind

Very irritable for two or three days, after the diarrhœa (in three cases).

Head

Giddy, esp. after rising from recumbent position. ─ Fulness about temples. ─ Dull, continuous pain in back of head, with shooting pain in eyeballs. ─ Full headache 3 to 4 p.m., or on waking, > by washing in cold water or bathing head with bay-rum.

Face

Dull, heavy, bloated appearance. ─ Neuralgic pain of an intermittent form in both upper maxillary bones.

Mouth

Flat, sweetish, sickening taste. ─ Tongue covered with long white fur, > by thorough washing with cold water. ─ Mouth feels parched and tastes badly.

11, 12. Stomach and Abdomen. ─ Flatus, windy eructations, nausea and hiccough. ─ Colicky pains in various parts, cæcum sensitive. ─ Borborygmus with emission of much flatus.

Stool and Anus

Rumbling in bowels with stool before breakfast. ─ Looseness of bowels with passage of pale-coloured fæces. ─ Diarrhœic discharge in morning and during day; with irritable temper; pains in bowels in children. ─ Dark-coloured, liquid, offensive stool in morning, afterwards pain in bowels all day. ─ Vomiting and purging, like cholera morbus, in the night and all next day.

Urinary Organs

Pains in kidneys with frequent slight pain in prostate gland. ─ Sensation of pain and fulness in bladder, even when just emptied.

Male Sexual Organs

Increased sexual passion. ─ Irritation of prostate gland.

Female Sexual Organs

Dysmenorrhœa, menses scanty and very painful first day. ─ Sensation of weight in pelvis. ─ Sensation of fulness in pelvis.

Neck and Back

Numbness of lower part of back with lumbago. ─ Sensation of weight in pelvis.

Upper Limbs

Feeling of weakness, as if incapable of raising the slightest weight. ─ Rheumatic pains in elbows and shoulders.

Lower Limbs

Pains dull or darting or cutting from r. hip-joint posteriorly downward to foot; < lying down, from motion, by stepping, > sitting in a chair. ─ Intense pain along sciatic nerve. ─ Numbness occasionally taking the place of sciatic pains, making exercise very fatiguing. ─ Cramps in calves; in feet, at night in bed. ─ Gouty pains in big toes.

Fever

Night-sweats.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

General

BY
CONSTANTINE HERING, M. D.
Gnaph.
Common Life Everlasting. Compositæ.
A fragrant, bitterish,
aromatic annual, growing in fields and woods ; flowers in summer
and autumn.
Tincture from the fresh
plant, chopped and pounded to a pulp.
Provings by Banks,
Fuller and Woodbury. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 4, p. 456 .
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Sciatica , Cate,
Raue's Rec., 1874, p. 261 ; Dudley, McCourt, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc.
Penna., 1882, p. 161.

Sensorium

Giddiness, especially after rising from recumbent
position.

Inner head

Fulness about temples.
Dull, continuous pain in back of head, with shooting pain in
eyeballs.

Upper face

Dull, heavy expression ; face appears bloated.
Neuralgic pain, of an intermittent form, of superior maxillary of
both sides.

Taste, speech, tongue

Flat, sweetish, sickening taste in mouth.
Tongue covered with long, white fur.

Inner mouth

Mouth feels parched and tastes badly.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Flatus of stomach, windy eructations, nausea and
hiccough.

Abdomen and loins

Colic pains in various parts of
abdomen, which is sensitive to pressure, in cecum.
Borborygmus, with emission of much flatus.

Stools and rectum

Rumbling in bowels with stool before breakfast.
Looseness of bowels, with passage of pale-colored feces.
Diarrheic discharges in morning and during
day, with irritable temper ; pains in bowels in children.
Copious, watery stool at night, with much prostration,
nausea, pain and rumbling in bowels.
Dark-colored, liquid, offensive stool in morning, afterwards pain in
bowels all day.
Vomiting and purging, like cholera morbus,
in the night and all next day.
Constipation for three days after the diarrhœa.

Urinary organs

Pain in kidneys, with frequent slight pain in prostrate
gland.
Sensation of fulness and tension in bladder, even when just emptied.

Male sexual organs

Increase of sexual passion, waking with an erection and
urgent desire for an embrace ; the desire was rather mechanical
than passional.
Irritation of prostate gland.

Inner chest and lungs

Pains in chest, darting from side to side.

Neck and back

Numbness of lower part of back, with lumbago.
Sensation of weight in pelvis.

Upper limbs

Feeling of debility in arms, with rheumatic pains.

Lower limbs

Pains dull or darting, or cutting from right hip-joint
posteriorly downward to foot ; < lying down, from motion,
stepping ; > sitting in chair.
Intense pain along sciatic nerve, following
its larger ramifications.
Sciatica.
Feeling of numbness occasionally taking place of sciatic pains,
making exercise very fatiguing.
Rheumatic pains in knee and ankle-joints.
Frequent cramps of calves of legs.
Cramps of feet in bed.
Gouty pains in big toes.

Rest. position. motion

Lying down : pain from hip-joint to foot <.
Sitting in chair : pain from hip-joint to foot >.
After rising from recumbent position : giddiness.
Motion : pain from hip-joint to foot <.
Stepping : pain from hip-joint to foot <.
Exercise very fatiguing : from numbness in lower limbs.

Time

Morning : diarrheic discharges ; dark-colored,
liquid, offensive stool.
During day : diarrheic discharges ; pain in bowels.
Night : copious, watery stool ; vomiting and purging.

Attacks, periodicity

Intermittent : neuralgic pains in face.
Three days : constipation.

Locality and direction

Right : dull, or darting, or cutting pain from
hip-joint to foot.

Sensations

Pain : in bowels ; in kidneys ; in
prostate gland ; in chest.
Intense pain : along sciatic nerve.
Cutting pain : from right hip-joint to foot.
Darting pains : from side to side in chest ; from right
hip-joint to foot.
Shooting pain : in eyeballs.
Neuralgic pain : of superior maxillary.
Gouty pains : in big toes.
Rheumatic pains : in limbs ; in knees and ankle-joints.
Colic pains : in various parts of abdomen.
Cramps : of calves of legs ; of feet.
Dull, continuous pain : in back of head, from right hip-joint
to foot.
Lumbago.
Irritation : of prostate gland.
Weight : in pelvis.
Fulness : about temples ; in bladder.
Tension : in bladder.
Debility : in arms.
Numbness : of lower part of back ; in limbs.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Pressure : abdomen sensitive.