Other names and synonyms
senec-j.Description Source
Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica - J.H. ClarkePharmacological Group
Description
Senecio jacoboea. St. James Wort. Staggerwort. Ragwort. N. O. сompositae. Tincture of fresh plant.
Nosology
Brain, affections of. сerebro-spinal irritation. Depression. Enuresis. Headache. Twitchings.
Typical features
Cooper has published (H. W., xxxv. 154) observations with Sen. jac., the common Ragwort, which, with its yellow flowers, is such a conspicuous feature of English roadsides and commons throughout the summer months. сooper (1) gave a lady, 57 (who had slight otorrhoea of left ear with deafness on that side), a single dose of Sen. jac. Ø. Immediately after, she began to feel depressed in mind and body; it seemed as if her brain would not work, for she talked incoherently. The bowels began acting in gushes, and a bladder weakness was aggravated, so that there was enuresis night and day for three days. (2) Another woman from a single dose of the same had exhaustion in the back of the head. (3) A lady, 51, had had depression all her life, coming in fits. Memory and everything goes, cannot talk coherently to herself, and dislikes conversation in others. On July 1, 1900, she wrote: Have suffered agony from awful feeling of torpor of brain, which has made it an effort to put words together, memory seemed to go, felt altogether insensible; bowels have been confined. One dose of Sen. jac. Ø was given, and removed the depression and relieved all the other symptoms; it also produced this: сonstant rigidity of muscles, chiefly of neck and shoulders,.
Mental
Depressed in body and mind; it seemed as if her brain would not work, for she talks incoherently.
Head, face, and ears
Exhaustion felt in back of head; after this felt lighter and better.
Gastrointestinal tract
Bowels (before fairly regular) began acting in gushes, large stools occasionally, but in no way regular.
Urogenital system
The bladder, which had been rather weak, became more so, the enuresis continuing day and night for several days.
Limbs and spine
Constant rigidity of muscles, chiefly of neck and shoulders, especially at night; seems like a habit, but finds it most difficult to relax them; it seems to return involuntarily, so that the weight of the head is somehow held in this way, and though touching the pillow does not rest on it.
Sometimes in the day the upper part of the legs gets a sort of ague fit of shaking.
Sometimes in the day the upper part of the legs gets a sort of ague fit of shaking.