Ceanothus Americanus

NAT. ORD., Rhamnaceae.



COMMON NAMES, New Jersey Tea. Red Root. Wild Snowball.



PREPARATION.--The fresh leaves are pounded to a pulp and macerated in

two parts by weight of alcohol.



(The following by Dr. Majumdar in Indian Homoepathic

Review, 1897, illustrates the chief use of this "organ

remedy.")



Recently I had a wonderful case of suppo ed heart disease cured by

Ceanothus. I am indebted to my friend, Dr. Burnett, for the suggestion

of using Ceanothus.



A thin and haggard looking young man presented himself to my office on

the 26th of July, 1896. He told me he had some disease of the heart and

had been under the treatment of several eminent allopathic physicians of

this city; some declared it to be a case of hypertrophy of the heart and

some of valvular disease.



Without asking him further, I examined his heart thoroughly, but with no

particular results. The rhythm and sounds were all normal only there was

a degree of weakness in these sounds. Dulness on percussion was not

extended beyond its usual limit. So I could not make out any heart

disease in this man.



On further inquiry, I learned that the man remained in a most malarious

place for five years, during which he had been suffering off and on

from intermittent fever. I percussed the abdomen and found an enormously

enlarged and indurated spleen, reaching beyond the navel and pushing up

the thoracic viscera.



The patient complained of palpitation of heart, dyspnoea, especially

on ascending steps and walking fast. I thought from these symptoms his

former medical advisers concluded heart disease. In my mind they seemed

to be resulted from enlarged spleen.



On that very day I gave him six powders of Ceonothus Amer. 3x, one

dose morning and evening. I asked him to see me when his medicine

finished. He did not make his appearance, however, on the appointed day.

I thought the result of my prescription was not promising. After a week

he came and reported unusually good results.



His dyspnoea was gone, palpitation troubled him now and then, but much

less than before. He wanted me to give him the same powders. I gave him

Sac. lac., six doses, in the usual way.



Reported further improvement; the same powders of Sac. lac. twice. To

my astonishment I found the spleen much reduced in size and softened

than before; I knew nothing about this patient for some time. Only

recently I saw him, a perfect picture of sound health. He informed me

that the same powders were sufficient to set him right. He gained

health; no sign of enlarged spleen left.