ARALIA RACEMOSA

Common names American spikenard, small spikenard, Indian root, spice berry, spignet, life-of-man, petty morel,is an ornamental plant in the Araliaceae family native to the United States and Canada. Its native range includes most of the eastern United States.

The homeopathic uses have been chiefly based on a proving by Dr. S. A. Jones, in whom it developed an attack of asthma.

The symptoms were: Loud wheezing respiration coming on immediately on lying down at midnight; and he particularly noted that inspiration was very loud and more difficult than expiration. The right lung appeared more affected than the left. On turning to left side, left side seemed affected, and right side became quite free. As the attack passed off phlegm came more freely, had a salty taste, and felt warm in the mouth.

The characteristic cough, according to Burnett, is "a fit of coughing occurring before midnight, either immediately on lying down or more commonly after a short sleep." Cough occurring at 11 p.m., after a short sleep. Profuse perspiration whilst asleep.

Dr. Jones also experienced diarrhea and prolapse of rectum; soft yellow stools; after stool an aching pain in the rectum, extending upwards on the left side.

Dry, wheezing respiration, sense of impending suffocation, and rapidly increasing dyspnea.─Very loud, musical whistling during both inspiration and expiration, but louder during inspiration; < lying down; obliged to sit up.─R. lung appeared more affected than l.─When the attack was over, I lay on my r. side, and then it seemed as if all the oppression and discomfort was in r. lung.─On turning over it soon felt as if l. lung was affected, while r. was entirely relieved.─Constant desire to clear chest, so that I could inspire better.─All obstruction seemed to be in inspiration.─On making forcible expiration to clear chest, raw, burning sore feeling behind whole length of sternum and in each lung, most intense behind sternum.─After rising in morning raised some loose phlegm easily.─Spasmodic cough at night, awakens after the first sleep and cannot sleep again on account of it; caused by tickling in throat with constriction of chest; has to sit up and cough violently; sometimes caused by a feeling of a foreign body in the throat; sputum at acme of attack scanty; then increased, warm and saltish.─Immediately on lying down an attack of asthma.

Leucorrhea - Acrid, offensive, with bearing-down pains.