By P.C. Majumdar, M.D., Calcutta, India.
Azadirachta Indica. Syn.: Sanskrit, Nimba; Bengala and Hindi, Nim. Belong to the natural order Meliaeae. It is a large tree. Bark is used for making tinctures from which provings were instituted. The leaves, bark, wood, roots and fruits, in short every part of this tree, is intensely bitter. According to ayurveda (Hindu System of medicine) the different parts of this tree possess defferent medicinal properties. Bhava Misra, Charak, Susratha and several other Sanskrit authors agree that its bark, though very disagreeabe in taste, is generally used with success in cases of lassitude, thirst, cough, fever, loss of appetite, helmenthiasis, boils, bilious derangements, catarrh, vomiting, cutaneous diseases, hiccough, gonorrhoea, etc.; its leaves are used in some forms of ophthalmic disease, helmenthiasis and disorders brought on by deranged bile or use of poisonous things. A decoction of fresh leaves is used as a favorite wash to cure old ulcers of long standing. It removes within a short time the sloughs and promotes the healing. The fruit is purgative, demulcent, and is used in some forms of cutaneous affections. A kind of oil is produced from the seed of ripe fruits, and this oil is said to cure lepra, eczema and some other obstinate skin diseases. Nim is also praised by some of the Allopathic physicians for its tonic, antiseptic, astringent and anti- periodic properties. Its tonic, febrifuge action is well-known in our country. Kanirages (native physicians) use Nim as the principal substance in their febrifuge medicines. The vast range of its action is chiefly due to azaderine, margocine and katechin, the three active principles found in this tree. Nim was proved by me and one of my students, U.C. Bagchi. A full report of the proving was published in the Indian Homoeopathic Review, Vol. iii, No.I, here I give the most reliable and peculiar symptoms obtained in its proving.
Mind: Depressed and forgetful, mistakes in writing and spelling words, weak and dull, full of anxiety, inactive, could not think or remember names of persons very familiar, or what has been done in the previous day, No desire to go out or walk out. Loss of memory.
Head: Giddiness, as if the head were moving to and fro, especially when rising from a sitting posture; headache, pressure in the head, by moving it; headache, throbbing in the temporal arteries, especially of the right side, with a little vertigo; aching, drawing and throbbing in the whole head; headache, by wet compress, with much pain in the right eye-ball; headache, on moving; headache on the right side with much pain. Frontal headache, especially on the right side, in the open air. Throbbing in the vertex, by stooping; scalp is painful and sensitive to touch, even the hair is painful. Vertigo at 10 A.M.; intense headache, pain in the whole head; on walking pain is felt in the back part of the head.
Eyes: Burning in the eyes; burning of the eyes continued throughout even the next day; burning, dull and heavy. Pain in the eye, by slightest pressure; red, congested and burning with slight coryza; sense of pressure in the right eye; eyes red and sunken; pressive pain in the right eye ball.
Ears: Buzzing in the ears; a peculiar cracking sound is heard in the ear like tickling with a feather, which is increases on opening the mouth.
Nose: Running of watery fluid from the nose.
Face: Flushings of the face; flushing and heat in the face; face pale.
Mouth: No thirst but mouth is clammy, water has relish; taste good, but mouth is clammy and bitter. On the sides and surface of the tongue a painful burning sensation is felt as if scalded; papillae seem to be enlarged and prominent. Putrid taste in the mouth. Saliva coming out which taste salty. Slight difficulty in deglutition, especially water and meat.
Throat: Bitter taste in the throat; left-side sore throat.
Stomach: No thirst; appetite very acute andd keen; very great thirst for large quantity of cold water; very great thirst at long interval. Heart-burn and water-brash. Uneasy sensation in the thorax.
Abdomen: Great uneasiness in the abdomen with flatulent rumbling in the bowels; twisting pain in the epigastric region; no tenderness in the abdomen: clutching pain in the umbilical region, obliging to bend forwards, which affords some relief; abdomen a little distended, passing of offensive flatus; painful tension in the hypochondriac region.
Stools: Insufficient; bowels very much constipated; stools hard, small and knotty; stools hard, but natural; stools copious, soft, semi-solid, Diarrhoea, no satisfaction after stool.
Genito-urinary organs: Great excitement of sexual organ (in male); Sexual desire a little diminished. Urine scanty and high-colored, and scalding; urine white, clear and copious; urine of strong odor (once with purple sediment).
Respiratory organs: Very troublesome cough after bathing at 1 P. M. Sputa white in small lumps expelled with but difficulty. Sighing, breathing at intervals. Slight hoarseness. Cough with greyish expectoration; cough with thick sputa; short, dry cough in the afternoon; very troublesome cough with white sputa and tasteless. Deep breathing at long intervals; breathing very rapid and hot. Chest and throat: Aching in the lower part of the right chest, below the nipple. Stitches in the chest. Crampy pains in the lower part of both chest. Transitory stitches in the chest, especially in the right side.
Pulse, quick and hard, feeble.
Neck and back: Pain debility in the nape of the neck.
Extremities: Numbness of the limbs, as if the limbs are paralyzed. Gnawing in the legs. Strength of the hand diminished. Burning of the hands and soles of the feet. Numbness of the hands only, especially the right hand. Rheumatic pains in the lower extremities.
Sleep and dreams: Sleeplessness and tossing in bed; dreamy and interrupted sleep at nght. Dreams of quarrels and beating in the latter next of night.
Fever: Fever commences with very slight chill or without chill from 4:30 P.M., and abates from 7:30 P.M.; afternoon fever. Glowing heat and burning, especially in the face, eyes, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, in open air.
Copious sweat, especially on the forehead, neck and upper part of the body; sweating commences on thee forehead, gradually extending towards the trunk; no sweat in the lower part of the body.
Skin: Itching of various parts of the body, without the appearance of any eruption; itching of the body. Sudamina on the back.
