• Respiratory and gastric affections are associated with deathly nausea, vomiting and prostration
• Oppressed rattling respiration. Asthma
• Cannot bear the odour of tobacco, although addicted to it’s use
• Profuse salivation with a good appetite
• Deafness due to suppressed discharges

Source: Vegetable kingdom
Synonyms: Indian tobacco, Puke weed
Family: Lobeliaceae
Prover: Dr Jeanes of USA
Duration of Action: Short acting

Introduction and History: Mathew Lobe, whose name is given to this family of plants, was a physician and botanist attached to the court of James I. There are two British species – Lobelia dortmanna, found in shallow lakes and Lobelia urens, which grows in healthy places. Lobelia inflata, the North American variety is the most important of all, medically. According to Hale, this plant was used by the Indians as an emetic detergent in the same way as Veratrum album was used by the ancients to produce ‘Helleborism.’

Habitat: It is found in fields and roadsides from Canada to southern USA.

Preparation and Parts Used: It is prepared from the tincture of fresh plants except the root when in flower and the seeds.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is suited to persons inclined to be fleshy, with weak lungs.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts upon the cerebrospinal system, respiratory system, pneumogastric centres, etc.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology): It is a vasomotor stimulant. It increases the activity of all vegetative processes, spends its force mainly upon the pneumogastric nerve, producing a depressed, relaxed condition with oppression of chest and epigastrium, impeded respiration, nausea and vomiting.

Ailments From: Alcohol, tea, tobacco, wetting feet, suppressions, foreign
bodies, smoke.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Patient is mentally restless.
2. Great depression and exhaustion.
3. Despondent. Sobbing and weeping like a child.
4. Lost his reason and becomes convulsed; it requires several men to hold him.
5. Violent raving with flushing of face and palpitations.
6. Presentiment of death and dyspnoea.
7. Felt he was dying with distress in chest.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Headache: It is useful for gastric headaches with nausea, vomiting and great prostration following intoxication. Sudden pallor with profuse sweat. Worse in the afternoon until midnight, tobacco or tobacco smoke.

Spasmodic asthma: Dyspnoea from constriction in the middle of the chest, worse by every labour pain, seems to neutralise pains, worse by exposure to cold or slightest exertion, going up or downstairs.

Nausea and vomiting: Extreme nausea and vomiting; morning sickness.

Vomiting: Face is bathed with cold sweat, profuse salivation. Vomiting of pregnancy.

Good appetite: With nausea, profuse sweat and marked exhaustion.

Excessive use of stimulants: There is faintness, weakness and an indescribable feeling in the epigastrium from excessive use of tea or tobacco.

Cardiovascular system: Sensation of congestion. Pressure or weight in chest as if blood from extremities was filling it. Worse from rapid walking.

Sensation: Sensation as if heart would stand still, deep seated pain at base.

Urine: Of deep orange-red colour, with copious red sediment.

Backache: There is extreme sensitiveness, cannot bear the slightest touch even if of a soft pillow.

Sitting posture: Patient sits leaning forward to avoid contact with clothes.

Important Characteristic Features

Gastric derangement: It is a very useful remedy for gastric derangements like nausea, vomiting and gastralgia. There is profuse flow of saliva with retching, hiccough, dyspnoea with a good appetite. Acidity, flatulence, shortness of breath after eating. Heartburn with profuse flow if saliva. Extreme nausea and vomiting. Acrid, burning taste with a contractive feeling in the pit of the stomach. Morning sickness. Faintness and weakness in the epigastrium. Profuse sweat and prostration. Cannot bear the smell or taste of tobacco. Worse at night, early in the morning by a little drink or food.

Respiratory affections: It is a very useful medicine for asthma. Asthmatic attacks with weakness, felt in the pit of the stomach, preceded by pricking all over. Dyspnoea from constriction of chest, worse by exertion. Spasmodic cough with sneezing, belching or gastric pain. Cramps, ringing cough, short breath, catching at the throat. Senile emphysema. Irritation which provokes coughing and expectoration. Worse by exertion.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Tobacco, in the afternoon, slightest motion, from cold, especially in the morning, from cold washing, sleeping after, evening and night.

Amelioration: In the afternoon, from rapid walking, eating a little, from warmth.

Remedy Relationships

Antidotes: Ip, Tab.

Comparison

Sudden pallor with profuse sweat: Lob, Tab.

Debauchers of a thin, irritable, nervous disposition; prone to indigestion and piles: Nux-v.

Debauchers with light hair, blue eyes: Lob.

Vertigo with nausea: Ant-c, Cocc, Lob.

Extreme nausea and vomiting: Ant-c, Ip, Lob.

Extreme nausea and vomiting with profuse cold sweat on face: Lob, Tab, Verat.

Dyspnoea from constriction in the chest: Ars, Phos, Lob.

Dosage: Mother tincture to thirtieth.

Repetition: Maybe repeated in lower potencies.

Therapeutic Value: Angina pectoris, Asthma, Bronchitis, Hysteria, Migraine, Morning sickness, Nausea, Pulmonary tuberculosis, Vomiting, etc.