Oreodaphne californica
Umbellularia californica · Plant · Lauraceae
Oreodaphne californica is suited to neuralgic headache of a fronto-occipital type with cervico-occipital pain and heaviness. It has been indicated in cerebro-spinal meningitis and is particularly notable when symptoms are more violent from olfaction of the tincture than from internal ingestion.
Key symptoms
- Intense fronto-occipital headache worse from movement
- Cervico-occipital pain extending to scapula and down spine into the head
- Heaviness of head with constant but unrelieving desire to move head
- Pain at inner angle of orbit extending through brain to occiput
- Dizziness worse on stooping or moving
- Drooping eyelids with twitching
- Atonic diarrhoea and intestinal colic
- Constant ache in cervical and occipital region extending into ears
Worse (aggravation)
- Worse from movement
- Worse from light
- Worse from noise
- Worse from stooping
Better (amelioration)
- Better from closing the eyes
- Better from perfect quiet and rest
California Laurel (OREODAPHNE)
Neuralgic headache, cervico-occipital pain, cerebro-spinal meningitis, atonic diarrhœa, and intestinal colic.
Head
Dizziness; worse on stopping or moving. Head heavy, eyelids heavy, twitching. Intense aching, with pressure at inner angle of either orbit, generally left, extending through brain and across scalp to the base of the occiput; worse light, noise; better, closing eyes and perfect quiet. Constant, dull ache in cervical and occipital region, extending to scapula down spine, into the head; pain into the ears. Great heaviness of head, with constant desire to move the head, which does not relieve. Drooping eyelids. Twitching. Atonic diarrhœa.
Stomach
Eructations, with nausea and shuddering.
Dose
First to Third potency. Olfaction of the tincture.
Oreodaphne Californica. Mountain Laurel. Spice-Bush. Balm of Heaven. N. O. Lauraceæ. Tincture of the leaves.
Clinical
Headache, fronto-occipital; occipital.
Characteristics
Oreodaphne Cal. is a tree which grows to a hundred feet in height. When bruised it emits a strong spicy odour which may cause sneezing. J. Murray Moore proved on himself and friends a tincture of the leaves and produced well-marked fronto-occipital headache < by movement, > by rest. The symptoms were more violent when the tincture was olfacted than when taken internally. The Med. Cent. (quoted H. W., xx. 84) gives the characteristics of one of its headaches thus: "Dull ache in occipital and cervical regions, extending down to scapulæ; great heaviness of the head, with a constant desire to move the head, which, however, gives no relief."
Classical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
