SECALE C0RNUTUM. 175 



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parturition from want of tone of that organ. It must never be 

 given in cases of distortion, or from mechanical impediment, as 

 it may then produce rupture of the organ. 



Its action on the brain has been noticed by a number of 

 observers. Pain in the head, giddiness, delirium, dilatation of 

 the pupil, and stupor are the principal symptoms indicating its 

 action. Trousseau and Pidoux found that, under the repeated 

 action of Ergot, dilatation of the pupil was the most common 

 symptom, generally coming on about twelve hours after com- 

 mencing the use of the medicine. Half-drachm to two-drachm 

 doses have been known to produce these serious symptoms on 



the brain. 



Medical Uses (Homceopathic).— Secale Cornutum was first 



brought into homceopathic use by Noack and Trinks. It is not 



mentioned by Hahnemann in any of his writings. It has been 



chiefly employed for neuralgic affections of the voluntary 



muscles : tetanus, epilepsy, chorea. Dry gangrene. Epistaxis. 



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Hrcmatemesis, with excessive debility. Diarrhoea. Painless, 

 excessive diarrhoea. Asiatic and spasmodic cholera. Passive 

 hemorrhages. Menstrual colic. Metrorrhagia. Spasmodic 

 labour-pains. 



Antidotes.— Camphor. Solanum nigrum. 



