Symphoricarpus Racemosus

NAT. ORD., Caprifoliaceae.



COMMON NAME, Snow Berry.



PREPARATION.--One part of the fresh ripe berries is macerated in two

parts by weight of alcohol.



(In 1882 Dr. Edward V. Moffat read the following paper on

this remedy before the Homoeopathic Medical Society of

New York:)



Let us go back about fifteen years and sketch a history of this d ug. At

that time Prof. S. P. Burdick investigated the medicinal of many plants

hitherto unused by the profession, among others chanced to be the snow

berry, or Symphoricarpus racemosus. He gave some of the drug to the

first prover, an intelligent lady, who on feeling the marked nausea,

which it soon produced, exclaimed: "Doctor, this is precisely like the

morning sickness I always experienced during pregnancy." Dr. Burdick

became more interested, repeated the experiment with other provers,

obtained almost uniform results, viz., a feeling varying from

qualmishness to intense vomiting. It was given to female provers only

and merely tested far enough to verify that symptom.



Upon this clue Dr. Burdick gave it in the higher potencies to patients

suffering from the vomiting of pregnancy with most satisfactory results.

Indeed, after a trial of many years, he has found it so far superior to

other remedies that he now relies on it altogether with rarely any but

entirely satisfactory results.



He mentioned the drug in his course of lectures, so I bore it in mind

waiting for a test case. Soon that came in the person of a young lady

three months advanced in her first pregnancy who was suffering from a

deathly nausea, with vomiting and retching so prolonged and violent as

to produce haematemesis. The smell or thought of food was repugnant in

the extreme. An examination disclosed no malposition or apparent cause

for the trouble, so I procured some Symphoricarpus (200) from Dr.

Burdick and gave her one dose in the midst of a violent paroxysm. In a

few minutes she stopped vomiting and said she felt soothed and quieted

all over. In half an hour the nausea began again, but a few pellets

checked it promptly and she fell asleep. Once during the night she awoke

distressed and took a dose, but slept again quite soon. For a month or

so she felt very well until after over-exerting herself she became

nauseated once more; but it was promptly checked, nor did it return

during her pregnancy.



After this I had the opportunity of prescribing it in a number of cases

with such gratifying results that I gave some of the drug to a number of

physicians, requesting a faithful trial. Among them were my father,

brother, Dr. Danforth, Dr. McClelland, of Pittsburg, and several others.

All reported favorably and some enthusiastically, and so I have been led

to bring this subject before this society. The indications as far as I

have observed them in cases of pregnancy are a feeling of qualmishness

with indifference to food. In more severe cases, like the above, there

is a deathly nausea; the vomiting is continuous violent retching, but it

covers every graduation between these extremes; it does not seem to be

confined to any particular morning aggravation; a prominent symptom is

the disgust at the sight, smell or thought of food. One case I remember

where the patient was comparatively comfortable while lying on the back,

but would be nauseated by the slightest motion of the arms, particularly

raising them. The case was completely relieved by a few doses. And so

the cases might be multiplied.



Thinking that if the irritation of pregnancy were thus subdued, that of

menstruation might be as well, I have given it repeatedly in such cases

of nausea or vomiting just before, during or after catamenia, with

admirable results.