The physiological action of this drug is due to its active principle, anemonin. Large doses of the drug produce paralysis of the heart and respiratory center, accompanied by convulsions. The pupil is first dilated, then contracted. A biting, itching eruption may appear upon the skin, which frequently results in vesication. Smaller doses act as a diuretic. Tests upon isolated animal uteri show that the activity of this organ is depressed.

The most characteristic and important effect of Pulsatilla is its action upon practically all mucous surfaces. Prolonged administration of the minimum and sub-minimum physiological doses of the tincture produce catarrhal conditions, the discharges being as a rule, thick, yellow, profuse, bland, and unattended by any appreciable amount of pain. The ordinary staphylococcic infection is closely counter-parted by Pulsatilla. These effects are seen especially in the eye, nose, ear and genitourinary tracts of both sexes and correspond closely to certain forms of catarrhal conjunctivitis and ocular infections, coryzas, otorrheas, and gonorrheal infections. The glands are involved and symptoms similar to orchitis and ovaritis are produced.

Other effects of small doses are tearing pains in the extremities, moving rapidly from place to place; chilly sensation; the recipient of the drug finds great relief from all symptoms by being in the cool, open air. The mental condition is affected by Pulsatilla; the subject becomes depressed and of a tearful mood. The disposition becomes mild and yielding in character. An individual who is naturally of this disposition, is affected by the remedy to a greater degree than one of another mental type.

Tincture of Pulsatilla soon spoils, and heat renders it inert. It should always be dispensed in a freshly prepared tincture made from the green plant.

Therapeutics

Pulsatilla: This remedy has been called the woman's remedy, because it is so often of use in diseases common to the female sex. Botanically, Pulsatilla is known as the windflower and lightly bends its head to every zephyr, thus in a sense, resembling the proverbially alleged fickleness of woman. Though this be base slander, it is a fact that Pulsatilla is very changeable in its sypmtoms, which shift and wander about in most surprising manner. This changeableness is one of the great characteristics of the remedy and will many times serve to call attention to it.

Pulsatilla has a marked affinity for the veins, which become varicose and painful. Cold applications or cold air then becomes agreeable to the patient so afflicted, who likewise finds that gentle motion, as in walking slowly, by aiding in the circulation of the venous blood, relieves considerably. Hence we have, briefly illustrated, two more great characteristics of this remedy - relief from cold air and from slow, gentle motion.

Mucous membranes become inflamed and pour out a thick yellowish-green and, with little exception, bland catarrhal secretion, so that thick, yellowish-green, bland discharges are another characteristic indication for this remedy.

Most Pulsatilla complaints are exaggerated toward evening and at night. The mental state of the Pulsatilla patient is of important interest and is characterized by sadness, fickleness and a decided tendency to shed tears upon slight provocation, thus, even while speaking of her complaints, the woman who needs this medicine will weep, and in her depression is agreeably affected by the sympathy of those about her, whose consolation she is most eager to seek. This sadness or mental depression, is especially pronounced before menstruation and becomes an indication of value in the treatment of anemic or chlorotic young women. In amenorrhea this remedy is of frequent use and is indicated by the sad, depressed, yielding type of patient; chilliness, yet a desire for and an amelioration in the cool open air, vertigo and faintness, especially in a warm room, and gastric symptoms, such as a sensation of a lump or stone in the stomach, coming on two or three hours after eating, desire for acids or sour things, sour or more especially, bitter taste and a total absence of thirst.

This absence of thirst is peculiar to Pulsatilla, as well as to a few other drugs such as Apis and Gelsemium, particularly during fever and when present in any febrile disease, should always call attention to these remedies. During his fever the Pulsatilla patient is restless and fretful, dislikes to be alone, feels worse at twilight and at night; tosses about and particularly seeks the cool spots in the bed.

In acute rheumatic fever this remedy is of decided help, when the patient is of the type as above described and when the pains jump about from joint to joint in an erratic manner and are relieved by uncovering, exposure to cool air and by cold applications. White toated tongue and absence of thirst will be present.

Pulsatilla is of value in nasal catarrh or in simple coryza in its later stages, when the discharge is thick, yellowish-green and bland, together with loss of the sense of smell and of taste. The nose is obstructed, with interference of breathing through it, but marked relief to the nasal symptoms in the cool open air. In bronchitis a cough which is loose and rattling in the morning, with thick greenish, or yellowish-green sputa and an aggravation of the cough, which becomes dry at night, on lying down, will indicate this remedy. A warm room will aggravate this cough, whereas the cool open air has a soothing, modifying effect. Even warm food is at times, apt to increase the Pulsatilla cough.

In the common diseases of childhood,

Pulsatilla will be frequently called for and is, for example, of great value in measles, particularly when inflammatory metastasis or extension to the ear takes place. In otitis media the child is fretful, restless, crying; the pain is erratic in behavior, worse at night and when discharge from the ear takes place, it is thick and of the typical yellow or yellowish-green color.

In simple catarrhal inflammations of the eyes Pulsatilla will be useful when the typical discharge is present, together with relief from cold air or applications. Gonorrheal ophthalmia may require Pulsatilla, in addition, of course, to the usual and necessary local measures. Gonorrheal urethritis will need this remedy when the typical discharge is in evidence and the disease tends to drag, or when metastasis to the epididymis or testicle has occurred. Similarly in gonorrheal rheumatism, Pulsatilla is frequently a valuable friend.

Women who require Pulsatilla, in addition to the characteristic mental and other symptoms already cited, are likely to have menses which are late and scanty or easily suppressed from slight causes, such as wet feet. Leucorrhea is often troublesome and will then be thick, usually bland and yellowish-green. In women, too, weakness of the bladder is often an annoying symptom and is shown by involuntary micturition from slight provocation such as coughing.

In malarial fever Pulsatilla will be required, when the paroxysms are either quotidian, tertian or quartan, but occur chiefly in the afternoon, the chill coming on at four o'clock, or the chill will be absent with the hot stage coming on at 2 P. M. Where quinin has been indiscriminately given and has failed to help matters, Pulsatilla will at times be required to clear up the case.

The Pulsatilla patient is chilly, though better in the cool open air, and is averse to fats or fatty food, such as pork. Fats cause gastric distress and disturbance in general, such as heartburn and water-brash. These symptoms will often call attention to the remedy in gastric complaints. From the above it is clear, that in Pulsatilla we have a remedy of wide range of action and usefulness in many different diseases and complaints. Whenever its general characteristics as heretofore outlined are present, good results may be confidently expected from this remedy.

Characteristic Symptoms Of Pulsatilla

1. Coryza, fluid or dry with loss of taste and smell, sore nostrils, later a yellowish-green discharge.

2. Pressure in abdomen and small of back, as from a stone, with a disposition of lower limbs to go to sleep when sitting, sometimes ineffectual desire for stool.

3. Greatly troubled with dryness in the mouth and throat while sleeping, always awakes with a dry tongue, but without thirst.

4. Stomach disordered from rich food, cakes, pastry, etc.; particularly fat of pork.

5. Thirstlessness with all complaints.

6. Wandering pains shift rapidly from one place to another, also with swelling of the joints.

7. Bad taste in the mouth, especially in the morning, or nothing tastes good, or no taste at all.

8. Menstrual colic with great restlessness, tossing in every possible direction.

9. Nocturnal enuresis, particularly in little girls.

10. Menses too late and scanty, or suppressed from getting the feet wet.

11. Mild, gentle, yielding disposition, cries at anything, is sad and despondent, can hardly give her symptoms on account of weeping.

12. Sandy hair, blue eyes, pale face, inclined to silent grief and submissive-ness.