American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy

and upon the nutritive functions of the organism, increasing nerve force
and improving the nutrition of the entire system. The influence of a
single full dose is promptly felt, similar to the influence of any active
stimulant, but more permanent. It is a stimulant, sedative and direct
nutritive tonic, apparently restoring the wasted elements of nerve force.
Specific Symptomatology—The following indications for the use of this
remedy are given by King: Spasmodic and nervous disorders, with
exhaustion; the nervous debility of convalescence, cardiac weakness,
from nervous exhaustion; spermatorrhea, with the nervous erythism of
debility. In general neurasthenia it promptly relieves the almost
unbearable occipital headache, so constant, and evidenced by an
enormous waste of the phosphates in the urine, common with nervous
exhaustion.
It is a remedy of great utility in loss of nerve power and in muscular
feebleness from lack of nerve force.
In the overworked conditions of brain workers-ministers, physicians or
lawyers—in the general prostration from great anxiety and worry, it acts
in the same lines as phosphorus and in many cases fully as satisfactorily.
With these, there is so-called nervous dyspepsia, atonicity, in fact, of the
entire gastrointestinal tract. There is heart feebleness with some
irregularity; there is cool skin and cool or cold extremities: there is
melancholia, irritability, peevishness, vagaries of thought, morbid desires
and fancies, usually accompanied with autotoxemia which demands
persistent elimination. With these avena is directly indicated.
In sexual neurasthenia it is the remedy par excellence, as it has a
selective influence upon the nerve structure of the genito-urinary
apparatus.
Therapy—It will be found directly serviceable in paralysis and wasting
disease of the aged, in nerve tremors, and especially in chorea and in
paralysis agitans. It has been beneficial in epilepsy.
In the convalescence of prostrating disease, and during the asthenic or
later stages of inflammatory and exanthematous disease and diphtheria,
it is as important as quinine and strychnia, and certainly as reliable.
The local paralysis of diphtheria, has no better antidote, and if given in
Ellingwood’s American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy - Page 72