60 



EANUNCULACE^. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Pulsatilla is an acrid irritant whicli, in 

 large doses, has often produced serious and alarming effects. In safe 

 medicinal doses, however, its effects are by no means so well known. At 

 various times and Ly numerous authors it has been highly praised as a 

 remedy in diseases of the eye, in rheumatism, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhcea, 

 etc. In this country it has been employed chiefly by homoeopathic prac- 

 titioners, and usually in very minute doses. Many of the results claimed 

 for it under such circumstances are at least doubtful. Certain it is that 

 other practitioners have not been able to confirm them. A few years since 



Fig. 97. — Anemone patens, var. Nuttalliatia. 



it was highly recommended as a remedy in gonorrhceal epididymitis, and 

 many cases were recorded tending to prove its efficacy, but subsequently 

 cases treated without medicine were shown to make quite as satisfactory 

 progress. The author has employed it in a number of cases of this affection 

 but without any ajDparent effect. He has also employed it in numerous 

 cases of dysmenorrhcea, generally of hysterical subjects, and though he has 

 fi-equently observed decided relief from pain during one or two menstrual 

 periods, he is more inclined to attribute this to the mental and moral effect 

 of a new remedy given with the positive assurance that rehef would follow, 



