Erigeron. Erigeron canadense.

Synonym—Fleabane.

CONSTITUENTS—

A bitter principle, tannin, volatile oil.

PREPARATIONS—

Specific Erigeron. Dose, from five to thirty minims.

Oleum Erigeronitis, Oil of Erigeron. This oil, which is obtained by distillation, is a pale-yellow liquid, with a peculiar aromatic odor and a pungent aromatic taste. Soluble in an equal quantity of alcohol. Dose, from five to ten minims.

Specific Symptomatology—The agent is given in post-partum hemorrhage, abortion with alarming flow, menorrhagia with profuse flow of bright-red blood, dysmenorrhea with blood clots, bloody lochia increased by movements, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, hematemesis, bleeding from the socket of an extracted tooth, incipient phthisis with bloody expectoration, local bleeding from wounds, bleeding from ulceration of the coats of arteries, hemorrhage from the bowels in typhoid fever—in all passive hemorrhages where there is no fever or constitutional irritation.

Therapy—It is used also in diarrhea and dysentery with discharges of bloody mucous after the bowels have been evacuated by a proper cathartic, blood-specked and profuse watery discharges of cholera infantum, ecchymosis from injury, chronic gonorrhea with increased discharge of mucus, gleet, leucorrhea, chronic dysentery, chronic diarrhea, uterine leucorrhea, catarrh of the bladder, painful micturition, the urine being acrid, inflaming the parts, gravel dysuria.

One doctor used the oil of erigeron in the treatment of leucorrhea. If the patient was anemic, and plethoric, he would give iron in conjunction, five drops four or five times a day on a square of loaf sugar. Others confirm the action of erigeron in the treatment of albuminuria or Bright's disease. They have found it to reduce the quantity of albumin, lower vascular tension, control nausea, headache, and other uremic symptoms.

The oil of erigeron may be diluted and employed as a gargle in sore throat and tonsillitis, while it may be applied externally to the throat.

In chronic rheumatic inflammations of joints, and painful swellings, a liniment of oil of erigeron may be used with advantage.

Its action in promptly controlling uterine hemorrhage shows that it is more than an astringent—that it contracts involuntary muscular fibre in the uterus; in like manner it acts on the muscular coats of the bowels, on the arteries and the capillary vessels, controlling hemorrhage and increased mucous discharges.

As an astringent it acts like turpentine, but it is much less irritating. It is chiefly composed of terpene, a hydrocarbon which constitutes pure oil of turpentine. In chronic phthisis and in chronic bronchitis with profuse secretion, it lessens the discharge, modifies the cough and gives tone to the respiratory mucous membrane.

In the treatment of goiter, especially in the early stage, the application of oil of erigeron has been very beneficial. One-half of an ounce of the oil is dissolved in one and one-half ounces of alcohol and painted freely over the enlarged glands. If an occasional application of iodine is made with this and phytolacca given internally, satisfactory results should be obtained.

An infusion, or dilution of the tincture in water, is effective as a local application in ophthalmia after the acute stage, as an injection in gleet, chronic gonorrhea, and locally in prolapsus uteri, prolapsus ani, and indolent ulcers. In all these cases the remedy should be given internally for its specific action.

In cystitis from calculous concretions in the bladder, it relieves the irritation, it also acts favorably in chronic nephritis and albuminuria, in chronic cystitis and in chronic urethritis.

In flatulent colic and in the tympanites of typhoid fever it should be given internally and by enema.

The volatile oil, the tincture, or the infusion may be employed; and the dose, to be efficient, need not be large.

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.