– Pierce W.I.
AN AFRICAN SHRUB.
Introduction
Strophanthus, which affords the very violent inee poison of Western Africa, has been known medicinally as a heart poison since 1878. Our first provings date back only to 1885 or 1887, but as that and subsequent provings have not been complete, our knowledge of the drug is very limited and its field of usefulness is thus made very narrow. As we know so little of it as a remedy, we are more apt to use it, as we do many of our heart drugs, more as a palliative than upon its homoeopathic indications.
Symptoms
Strophanthus acts, probably, directly upon the heart muscle, increasing the systole (114) and diminishing the rapidity of the heart. Poisonous doses paralyze the heart. It is a more powerful heart stimulant than Digit. but is, perhaps safer to use and can be continued longer, as it has not the cumulative action that the latter is supposed to have. It has been found valuable in muscular weakness of the heart, it making the pulse slower, stronger and more regular; useful in chronic interstitial nephritis, it increasing the flow of urine and diminishing the dropsy, as well as in valvular lesions of the heart, with chronic interstitial nephritis as a secondary complication. “It acts best,” says Allen, “in functional disturbance of he heart, from alcohol (111), tobacco, tea” (111). Dr. Geo. Royal, who conducted a proving for the American Institute of Homoeopathy, reaches the same conclusion and says: “Give Strophanthus when the muscular fibres of the heart have been made brittle by rheumatic deposits or by prolonged and excessive use of alcohol, tea or tobacco; when this condition of the heart muscle has produced a weakness which has interfered with the venous circulation, and has thereby caused passive congestion and inflammation of the kidneys which in turn has caused a decrease of the secretion of urine, with the resulting dropsical swelling of the extremities, edema of the lungs, impaired vision, etc.” (Trans., 1900). He also says: “Do not give this drug in 5, 10 or 15 drop doses of the tincture. Just bear in mind that the heart muscle is brittle and must not be unduly stimulated. Use it in the 1x, 2x, or 3x and you will get prompt relief, which in a certain proportion of cases will go on a permanent cure” (N. A. Jour. Hom., June,’93). I have never used Strophanthus other than in the tincture.