ALETRIS FARINOSA
-Synonyms---Colic-root. Stargrass. Starwort. Star-root. Blazing Star. Ague-root. Aloeroot. Ague Grass.
Black-root. Bitter Grass. Crow Corn. Bettie Grass. Devil's Bit.
(French) Aletris Farinseu.
(German) Mehlige Aletria.
---Habitat---North America. Found at edges of swampy or wet sandy woods, from Florida northward, specially on seashore.
---Description---A low-growing, spreading perennial herb, with tuberous cylindrical, somewhat horizontal root, having many fibres from its lower surface. No stem, leaves lanceolate, acute, ribbed, sessile, or slightly sheathing at base, smooth and flat, pale coloured, thin and coriaceous. Flower-stem simple with remote scales, 1 to 3 feet high, topped with a spiked raceme of short-stalked, white, bell- shaped oblong flowers blooming May to August; the outer surface of these has a mealy frosted
appearance. Fruit is an ovate, tapering, coriaceous capsule, enclosed in a persistent envelope. Seeds numerous, ovate, ribbed, albuminous, fleshy, and oily.
In commerce the rhizome is found dried in pieces about 2 inches long and 2/5 inch thick, light brown colour, flattish on upper surface and densely tufted with the remains of the leaves, fracture yellow and slightly fibrous; the roots from the rhizome are wiry about 3 inches long and of a glossy black colour, but when first dried brownish. Taste intensely bitter, peculiar; it loses a great part of its nauseous bitterness with age. Odour very faint.
---Constituents---The bitter principle in the root has not yet been determined. Its best solvent is alcohol. It contains a large percentage of bitter extractive, colouring matter and resin, and a quantity of starch.
---Medicinal Action and Uses---The fresh root in large doses is somewhat narcotic, emetic and cathartic; when dried, these properties are lost. In smaller doses it gives colic in hypogastrium, and a sense of stupefaction and vertigo. When dried it becomes a valuable bitter tonic and its tincture or decoction has been used in flatulence, colic, hysteria, and to tone up the stomach; of value in dyspepsia and where there is an absence of urinary phosphates. Its most valuable property is its tonic influence on the female generative organs, proving of great use in cases of habitual miscarriage and as a general tonic. Extraction Aletridis alcoholicum is the official preparation.
HOMEOPATHIC PICTURE ALETRIS FARINOSA
Stargrass
An anæmic, relaxed condition, especially of the female organism, is portrayed by this remedy. The patient is tired all the time, and suffers from prolapsus, leucorrhœa, rectal distress, etc. Marked anæmia. Chlorotic girls and pregnant women.
Mind.--Power and energy weakened. Confused feelings. Cannot concentrate mind. Fainting, with vertigo.
Mouth.--Much frothy saliva.
Stomach.--Disgust for food. Least food causes distress. Fainting spells, with vertigo. Vomiting during pregnancy. Nervous dyspepsia. Flatulent colic.
Rectum.--Loads up with feces-paretic condition. Stool large, hard, difficult, great pain.
Female.--Premature and profuse menses, with labor-like pains (Bell; Cham; Kali c; Plat). Retarded and scanty flow (Senecio). Uterus seems heavy. Prolapse, with pain in right inguinal region. Leucorrhœa due to weakness and anæmia. Habitual tendency to abortion. Muscular pains during pregnancy.
Relationship.--Compare: Helonias; Hydrastis; Tanacet; China.