354 



rheumatism. And experience has already proved it valuable in 

 some forms of chorea, hysteria, and other nervous affections. 



The first paper concerning its effects in the treatment of chorea 

 which has fallen under our notice, was from Dr. Young in the Ame- 

 rican Journal of Med. Sciences, vol. ix. p. 310, Feb. 1832. He there 

 details several cases of this disease promptly and effectually cured 

 by the Cimicifuga alone. Since that time so many other similar 

 cases have been reported by different writers, that we can no longer 

 doubt its efficacy in this and kindred diseases when judiciously ad^ 

 ministered. We say judiciously, because it is not alike applicable to 

 all the cases of any form of disease. Thus we may have chorea 

 from the presence of worms or indigestible food, or other irritating 

 matters in the alimentary canal, and no rational man ought to ex- 

 pect the cure of such cases by using a remedy that generally induces 

 no sensible evacuations whatever. But in all those cases arising 

 from undue irritability or mobility of the nervous system, a state so 

 common in girls about the period when the menses ought to make 

 their appearance, and which may be induced in both sexes by expo- 

 sures to cold or other accidental influences, and even in those cases 

 which may be kept up by what has been termed habit, after irri- 

 tating matters that might have existed in the alimentary canal have 

 been removed, we shall find the most decisive and successful results 

 from the use of Cimicifuga in proper doses. 



We recollect being called, about two years since, to see a young 

 man several miles in the country, who was labouring under the most 

 severe form of chorea that we ever saw. He was almost constantly 

 in a state of irregular and severe muscular action ; so much so that 

 he could scarcely walk across the room, and sometimes so violent that 

 it took two or three persons to keep him from injuring himself. The 

 intervals were so short and imperfect that he scarcely got any sleep 

 for weeks. A neighbouring physician, under whose care he was, had 

 tried all the ordinary remedies, including bleeding, blistering, eme- 

 tics, cathartics, anodynes, antispasmodics, stimulants, and altera- 

 tives., bath mineral and vegetable. On a careful examination I 

 could not detect any local or inflammatory affection; almost the 

 only indication of a morbid state consisting in a moderate increase 

 of heat in the head. The case had plainly originated from a sud- 

 den exposure to cold while warm from hard labour. I directed the 

 free use of a decoction of the Cimicifuga root, and the pouring of a 

 stream of cold water over the occiput every hour until my next visit. 

 Thirty-six hours after I found him lying quietly in bed, considerably 



