Jacaranda Gualandai

NAT. ORD., Bignoniaceae.



COMMON NAME, Carroba.



PREPARATION.--The dried leaves are crushed and macerated in five parts

by weight of alcohol.



(Of this South American remedy the Dispensatory says it

is used in Brazil and other South American countries for

syphilis; sometimes under the name Carroba. Its value

was also asserted in British Medical Jou nal, 1885. The

following letter from Dr. J. F. Convers, of Bogota, to

Messrs. Boericke & Tafel, throws some further light on

its use; the letter is dated November 24, 1888):



Dear Gentlemen: Please to accept the leaves of a tree of the

Bignoniacea family, called Jacaranda gualandai, that I send you with

this, because it is very much used by our natives to cure illness of a

syphilitic character. I have used the mother tincture (5 drops pro

dosi), and the 3d dilution of it, in the treatment of blennorrhagia and

chancroids with the greatest success. In my experience I have found that

this medicine is a complementary and antidote to Merc. v.



Mr. Jose M. Reyes, who proved the [Greek: theta] and the 2x dilution

during more than one month three times a day, found the following

results:



HEAD.--Vertigo on rising after stooping, with momentary loss of sight,

and sensation of heaviness in the forehead. Weakness of memory and

inability to study.



EYES.--Pains and inflammation of the eyes, with redness more marked in

the left eye. Sensation of sand in both eyes. Ophthalmia, which begins

in the left eye, with lachrymation and night agglutination of the

eyelids. Weakness of sight. Syphilitic-like ophthalmia.



STOOL.--Diarrhoea with dark mulberry-colored stools without pain or

tenesmus, but with mucus.



URINARY AND SEXUAL ORGANS.--Increased secretion of the urine. Pain in

the penis. Blennorrhagia with a discharge which stains the linen a

dirty yellow color. Chancroids.



THROAT.--Pain and burning of the larynx, when laughing or reading aloud,

and small vesicles in the pharynx.



BACK.--Weakness of the lumbar region.



These are not doubtful symptoms.



N. B.--This remedy acts on the head at first, afterwards on the

intestines, and on the eyes last.



Please try it, and make it known to our colleagues. Should it prove to

be there as good as here, I assure you it will be a valued remedy.



(Dr. J. S. Whittinghill contributed the following,

Eclectic Medical Journal, concerning Jacaranda):



Let me give the results of my experience with Jacaranda. I believe it

to be a true specific for certain kinds of rheumatism. Its first trial

was given a patient suffering as follows: She had had rheumatism for

about ten years--never became serious. Sometimes she was nearly relieved

from it; again lost much rest and sleep from it. Her wrist would become

painful and very weak from ordinary labor. She always suffered very much

in the morning upon any motion, and complained of being stiff. Had to

have assistance in dressing. Upon sudden motion, sensation in the

muscles as of tearing and being bruised--even painful upon pressure.



I gave her different remedies as they seemed to be indicated, with no

results towards removing the trouble. I thought there could be nothing

lost by trying Jacaranda. It met with decided success. She was

entirely relieved of muscular pains in a few days. Had the recurrence of

some symptoms in about six weeks after; tried Jacaranda again with the

same decided success. Some eight weeks have elapsed since, with no

recurrence of muscular pains. I have tried it on three other patients

with the same peculiar morning stiffness and soreness of muscles. All

were relieved in a few days. They have no more muscular trouble. So I

put morning soreness and stiffness of muscles as the guide in

prescribing Jacaranda.