Homeopathic Materia Medica by Farrington



The MYGALE LASIODORA is a large black spider, native in the island of Cuba. It was first proved by Dr. Houard, of this city. It is one of our best remedies for uncomplicated cases of CHOREA. The patient is apt to be low-spirited and depressed. She complains of dull pain in the forehead. She has constant twitching of the muscles of the face. The head is often jerked to one side, usually to the right. There are also twitchings and jerkings of the muscles of one arm and leg, usually the right. Control over the muscles is lost. The patient attempts to put the hand up to the head, when the hand is violently jerked backward. An effort to talk is made, and words are jerked out.

I can recall one case of chorea in which, under the use of this remedy, the convulsive symptoms were speedily removed and the patient, a little girl, remained well for several years. Dr. J. G. Houard, to whom I just referred as having proved this drug, has given me the following symptoms indicating its use: The muscles of the face twitch, the mouth and eyes open and close in rapid succession ; cannot put the hand to the face; it is arrested midway and jerked down. Gait unsteady; legs in motion while sitting and dragged'while attempting to walk ; constant motion of the whole body.

The most similar remedy to Mygale in chorea is AGARICUS which also has these angular choreic movements. But as a distinctive symptom, we have itching of the eye-lids or of different parts of the body, as if they had been frost-bitten. The eyelids are in constant motion. The spine is sensitive to touch.

CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA is to be employed in chorea when the movements affect mostly the left side and when the disease is associated' with myalgia or rheumatic ailments, or occurs reflexly as a result of uterine displacements.

TARENTULA is indicated in chorea affecting the right arm and right leg. The movements exist even at night.

IGNATIA is called for in chorea of emotional origin.

ZIZIA may be used in cases in which the choreic movements continue during sleep.

The STRAMONIUM chorea is characterized by the following symptoms: Features continually changing; now he laughs and now appears astonished; tongue protruded rapidly; head fhro\vn alternately backwards and forwards; spasmodic twisting of the spine and whole body; the extremities are in constant motion, though not always jerked, for sometimes their motion is rotatory, gyratory, even graceful. The muscles of the whole body are in constant motion. There may even be stammering. If the mind is affected, the patient is easily frightened; he awakes from sleep as if terrified; or he often assumes an attitude of prayer, with fervent expression and clasped hands. He frequently lifts the head from the pillow.

Returning now to Mygale, I give you the following symptoms additional to those already described, that have been produced by the drug: Delirious talk about business, restlessness all night; fear of death; despondency, with anxious expression; nausea, with strong palpitation of the heart, dimness of sight, general weakness; tremulousness of the

Note: by a very ingenious selection of Agaricus, by Dr. Korndoerfer, in the case of a two-year old child, who had evident meningitis, and who was not relieved by Apis, Sulph., etc., the rolling of the head ceased, alarming forewarnings of imbecility happily vanished, and the patient fully recovered. I used the drug in a case of typhoid, in which the child rolled her head and bit her night-gown. Some improvement followed. Tarentula was then given, with slight aggravation, followed by lasting improvement. The two should be remembered in impending imbecility. E.A.F. whole body in the evening; severe chill, thirty minutes, then fever, with trembling; pain in the head in the morning, worse in the eyes and from temple to temple.

There is a very novel use that may be made of Mygale. This remedy, after having been given to a boy for some time, produced, during the spasmodic symptoms, violent erections of the penis. Unfortunately, the penis, when erect, was curved, not straight, and consequently the patient suffered great pain. Dr. Williamson, by whom this observation was made, was then led to the use of the remedy in chordee, with success. He used it in a low potency. It has since been used high with equal success.