Staphysagria. Delphinium staphysagria.

Synonym—Stavesacre.

CONSTITUENTS—

Delphinum, Delphinoidine, Delphisine, Staphysagrine, fixed oil, volatile oil, malic acid, mucilage.

PREPARATIONS—

Tinctura Staphysagriae, Tincture of Staphysagria. Dose, from five to fifteen minims.

Specific Staphysagria. Dose, from one-sixth to three minims.

Physiological Action—This has not been definitely determined. Taken internally it acts as an irritant, causing vomiting and purging. Absorbed into the circulation it causes convulsions and loss of sensation and motion; the action of the heart and respiration is lessened and death is caused by paralysis of the spinal cord and asphyxia. It first contracts and then dilates the pupil. The agent is a permanent stimulant, resembling nux vomica somewhat and acting in harmony with avena sativa, cactus and zanthoxylum. It will act in harmony with hydrastis, which agent will intensify its influence. It relieves mental depression, and should be given in hysteria and hypochondriasis, where there is melancholia, despondency, and a general depression, Scudder says, especially if accompanied with violent outbursts of passion.

Specific Symptomatology—This agent exercises a stimulant and tonic influence upon the central nervous system, and is especially valuable in sexual disorders accompanied with melancholia, hypochondria, and hysteria, especially if there be outbursts of passion and a tendency to moroseness.

Therapy—Specifically considered this agent is a remedy for prostatic disease. It is not curative in the entire range of disease of the prostate, but is of much importance in assisting other indicated remedies. Prostatorrhea is within the direct sphere of its influence. It should be used and persisted in in this condition. While not alone curative in spermatorrhea, the complete cure depends upon the action of this remedy in many cases, combined with others. In gleet, the agent must not be omitted.

It relieves irritation of the prostate gland, testicles, and vesiculae seminales, overcomes impotency, and increases sexual power. It arrests the excessive prostatic discharge and muco-purulent discharges from the urethra and is valuable in old standing cases of gleet, often curing otherwise intractable cases, and in dysuria, especially if accompanied with feebleness in expelling urine, with the above specific indications. It may be given alternately with kava-kava.

It soothes the nervous excitement consequent upon these genito-urinary or uterine disorders and is prompt and permanent when prescribed directly.

I have used it to good advantage with avena and saw palmetto in impotence, especially that occurring in men who have been excessive and dissipated in their habits, appearing usually about the age of forty-five.

Blake has used this remedy in prolapsus of the bladder walls, where a radical operation was impossible and where the long train of symptoms were exceedingly distressing. The remedy was given internally and used externally in the form of a saturated glycerole on tampons.

The agent has been advised in facial and cervical neuralgia, and has been given in scrofulous disease of the eyes, in amaurosis, ophthalmia, and in those conditions of the eyes, accompanying neurasthenia, where black spots or floating particles appear before the eyes.

The agent must be persistently used, to be appreciated.

Five drops of specific staphysagria in two ounces of water, a teaspoonful every two hours it is said, corrects many cases of night sweats in phthisis. If the symptoms should increase after its use, the dose should be decreased.

King recommends staphysagria to be used externally for the destruction of lice. Equal parts of the fluid extract and cologne water have been used successfully in cases of pediculus pubis and pediculus capitas.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine.