–Pierce W.I.
EUROPEAN ELDER.
Introduction
(Sambucus, an elder tree. Elder, the common name for species of Sambucus. Some consider the name as being derived from oauBukn, sambuke, an ancient stringed musical instrument, said to have been made of the wood of the elder) The ordinary elder of Europe is the Sambucus nigra, and that of North America is the sambucus Canadensis, both shrubs of rapid growth and both with black-purple berries, the elder-berries. While the difference between the two is slight, it is distinct, and for us, here, the word Sambucus will refer to Sambucus nigra, the remedy first proved by Hahnemann.
Symptoms
Suffocation (250 or suffocative feeling is one of the prominent symptoms calling for this remedy, with aggravation after midnight, in sudden attacks, arousing one from sleep. Sambucus is apt to be one of the first remedies thought of in suffocative nasal catarrh of young children and for an ordinary case of “snuffles” of infants, with sudden starting up from sleep as if they could not breathe. If this “snuffles” in young babies is at all persistent, be on you guard in reference to its being due to syphilis. We have in Sambucus, suffocative respiration as from an accumulation of mucus, with stitches in the chest, and it is useful in asthma (19) and acute laryngitis, with spasmodic cough and attacks of suffocation from spasm of the larynx (25) or glottis. In laryngismus stridulous, or false croup, it is of value with aggravation after midnight or from lying with the head low; the child is awakened from sleep in fear of suffocation, it cannot exhale (25) and the face grows pale. It is to thought of in whooping cough (48), with suffocative spasm, the cough worse after midnight and from lying with the head low (42). The cough of Sambucus is hard, with hoarseness due to an accumulation of tough mucus, with expectoration during the day and dry at night (45) and worse after midnight (40). A unique and characteristic symptom under Sambucus is, no sweat during sleep but sweats on waking (185). Allen says: “The suppression of the ordinary perspiration during sleep is marked; the skin becomes perfectly dry and burning when the patient falls asleep, but he breaks into profuse sweat immediately on waking.” It has cured intermittent fever having this time for sweating, and Hughes says that with his symptom he has “found it of great use in checking those debilitating perspirations which often retard convalescence after delivery.” I use Sambucus 1x.