According to Hale Lycopus is mentioned by Rafinesque as "partaking of the
properties of Digitalis, Sanguinaria, Cimicifuga, and Spigelia," and as being "one of the mildest and best
narcotics in existence." He commends it specially as a substitute for Dig., as having the advantage over it of being non-poisonous; as
useful in hæmoptysis and "wherever it is required to quell inordinate motions of the
blood." This gives a very good picture of the Lcps.
place and action, which homœopathy has made good use of and developed. The association of Lcps. with Dig., Act. r., and
Spi. particularly shows a very clear insight into the
action of the remedy, which an experience of mine seems to confirm. Miss S., 25, came to me
in October, 1899. About three years previously she had manifested the first symptoms of
exophthalmos, which was ascribed by her mother to a prescription of Macrotyn,
in low potency, taken for pains in the eyes and continued for a long period. The first
symptoms were sore throat with ulcerations, then the goître appeared, and the heart became
painful, its action intermittent, with breathlessness and inability to take exertion. After
a course of Thyroidin, and later of Thuja 30 (she had been much vaccinated), Lcps.
12 was given, and this tool, away all the heart pains. Attacks of influenza complicated the
case later on, and other remedies had to be given. Now the patient is doing very well under Spig. 30, as far as the heart is concerned, though no impression
has been made on the goître, which is small. The heart sounds are normal. Stammers
Morrisson made an extensive proving of Lcps., and
developed unmistakable heart symptoms. Two cases by Proell (H. W.,
xxiv. 546) bring out a very important feature of the action of this drug, namely, on the
consequences of suppressions, in his cases, of
suppression of hæmorrhoidal flux. The patients were each 60 years of age, a man and a
woman, both fair with light eyes, tall, very irritable, with weak
innervation of the heart without decided organic disease. Both had had, years
before, hæmorrhoidal flux which stopped suddenly. Both were hypochondriacal and had noise
in left ear. This last symptom was the chief thing the man complained of, along with
throbbing in the head preventing sleep. Neither Cact., Kalm.,
nor Gels. helped radically (though Cact. had once given prompt help when he had had blood-spitting).
The night after taking Lcps. he was a little better, and
in the forenoon came a bleeding from the rectum (about three tablespoonfuls, after
defecation), with great general relief. The lady had glycosuria, cataract of left eye, and
every third night was restless. Lcps. 1x (same dilution
as in the other case), one drop in evening. The following night was excellent, and in the
morning came an abundant bleeding from the rectum with great relief. In a case cured with Lcps. by Morrison (of U.S.)., quoted by Hale, the sufferings were
associated with the menstrual period, which was exactly regular but intermittent in flow.
The first symptom appeared within three or four hours of the onset of the flow, and was a
deep-seated pain with heat in occiput. Then followed a train of symptoms, among them nausea,
and when the nausea came on the occipital pain was better. This is quite a feature of Lcps.: the symptoms shift about.
In Proell's cases there was a shift from rectum to heart and head. Pains also shift from
heart to eyes, from head to heart, from heart to left wrist and right calf, and back to
wrist and heart. The characteristic heart is a feeble heart, with distress and weak pulse.
Cardiac irritability with depressed force. This may be found with organic disease as well as
without. When this condition exists and has other symptoms associated with it─in
the head, throat, eyes, and elsewhere─Lcps.
will most likely be needed. If in addition there is a history of suppressed discharge the
indications will be all the stronger. Lcps. is a remedy
of accompaniments. The heart condition has many
associated symptoms not directly referable to the heart. When pulmonary complaints are
associated with loose stools Lcps. will very likely be
the remedy. There is a characteristic cough with hæmoptysis associated with feeble heart
action, deep, violent in evening and night without waking, expectoration sweetish, renewed
by change to cold weather and cold winds. Stanley Wilde (H. W.,
xxv. 108) cured a desperate case of pericarditis associated with bronchitis with Lcps. Ø; also a case of palpitation with darting pain in heart
in a young woman, following an attack of acute rheumatism two years before. Briggs of Fort
Lovell (St. Louis Periscope, ix. 329), relates the cure
of a patient of Tarentula bite by application of a liquid made of Lycopus.
He says the Cherokee Indians allow themselves to be bitten by rattlesnakes, centipedes, and
tarentulas, chewing as an antidote large quantities of Lycopus
and swallowing the juice. H. W. Felter, an eclectic, is quoted (H.
R., xv. 430) as commending Lcps. in: passive
lung hæmorrhages; wild, tumultuous beating of heart (which often precedes lung
hæmorrhage); cough of phthisis. It does not disorder the stomach, he says, but acts as a
tonic and appetiser. Motion, exercise, walking, ascending, all <.
At the same time lying down = cardiac depression; and
lying on right side < constriction of thorax. There
is restlessness, must change position in spite of weakness. By friction. < In morning; (aching down spine, >
after rising). < Towards sunset and in evening. At
night, violent cough. The muscular pains are > in
warm room and in bed; but not > by direct warmth.
Open air = faintness and slight nausea; change to cold
weather and cold winds = renewed cough. Cold air < rheumatoid pains. Pains shift generally r. to l.