American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

The Homeopathists claim that belladonna is especially indicated where
the patients are full-blooded; seldom in anemic patients. Children, very
active and with big brains, who are disturbed nights by night-terrors or
dreams or show other evidences of restlessness are relieved by
belladonna. The remedy acts best in full-blooded patients, where there is
active localized heat, pain, redness, and swelling, evidences of local
inflammation. That is a very common indication—local engorgement.
When there are a full, bounding pulse, dull flushed face, dull eyes,
dilated pupils, and throbbing carotids, the remedy is beneficial. Negroes,
and those in warm climates, are especially susceptible to the action of
belladonna.
Belladonna is not a specific fever-remedy, but in a febrile disorder there is
some local engorgement somewhere; there is local capillary hyperemia
and, if the remedy is not contraindicated by an already too active
condition of the capillary circulation, it will be found of service in all
acute congestive disorders with temperature. I have made it a practice for
thirty-five years to combine this remedy with the directly indicated feverremedy,
until the symptoms of local engorgement were overcome, then to
continue with the fever-remedy alone. When so prescribed, the influence
of the remedy to restrain secretion need not be considered, as this
influence is usually antagonized by the agent that is used to control the
temperature. This is especially true of aconite administered in
conjunction with it, which makes a most reliable combination.
Therapy—Belladonna is indicated at the onset of inflammatory
conditions. Given early with aconite, when fever alone is present,
hyperemia does not occur and the inflammation is aborted. If the disease
is localized in any organ, displaying the phenomena named above, its
influence often is quickly apparent.
In diphtheritis, tonsillitis, croup, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleuritis and
peritonitis, belladonna stimulates the capillary circulation in the
engorged organs, thus quickly preventing the local effects of the acute
congestion or inflammation. At the same time it has a marked influence
upon the fever when used in conjunction with the other indicated
measures. In chronic soreness of the chest, belladonna is a valuable
remedy. It is one of our best remedies in whooping-cough. If half a drop of
the tincture of belladonna be given every two hours, alternated with one
grain of alum in syrup, excellent results often are obtained.
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 63