SPIGELIA. 183 



important virtues of this plant prove that it is also destined to 

 other and much higher purposes than the removal of worms ; 

 and if we consider the imprudence of administering it in doses 

 of sixty or seventy grains in powder, it must be confessed that 

 it has not fallen into safe hands. 



" Spigelia has this peculiarity : that the primary action of a 

 dose, not repeated, continues slightly to increase for seven or 

 ten days, so that experiments tried upon a healthy subject 

 should be cautiously made, for sixty, eighty, or a hundred 

 drops of the tincture produce violent effects upon robust and 

 otherwise healthy persons/' 



Noack and Trinks give the following clinical remaiks of some 

 diseases cured by this remedy. Violent headache over the right 

 eye, with lachrymation, and sensation as if the eye were pressed 

 out of the socket. Rheumatic ophthalmia. Neuralgia of the 

 optic nerve. Neuralgia, with the pains concentrated round the 

 eyeball. Beating toothache, generally attended with darting, 

 tearing pains of the malar bones, and puffiness of the face. 

 Helminthiasis. Carditis. Endocarditis. Endocarditis rhcu- 

 niatica. Chronic affections of the heart after carditis. Chronic 

 affection of the heart, particularly valvular diseases. Hyper- 

 trophy and dilatation of the heart, etc. etc. 



Antidotes. — Aurum. Camphor. Spigelia antidotes Mer- 

 curius. 



