A Summary and Comparison of the Liver Remedies.

ACTION AND INDICATIONS	PODOPHYLLUM	LEPTANDRA	IRIS	CHIONANTHUS	CHELIDONIUM
ACTION ON THE LIVER	Active hepatic stimulant, inducing some irritation; causes free flow of bile. Stimulates the portal circulation, influences the entire glandular system. Indicated for enlargement with inactivity; tenderness on pressure, sharp, quick cutting pain under the scapula.	Tonic; mild but positive stimulant, increases liver secretions without irritation; valuable in chronic malarial disorders, which induce hepatic inactivity; valuable in acute and chronic hepatitis with atonicity. Relieves hepatic congestion.	Mild efficient stimulant in general functional inactivity; valuable in chronic disease where dropsy results from liver disorder; valuable in jaundice from chronic hepatic hyperemia. Valuable in skin disorder depending on hepatic inactivity.	Direct stimulant in hepatic congestion with hypertrophy, especially when the portal circulation is engorged; liquefies the bile; prevents formation of calculi. Indicated by fullness, weight and dull steady pain in the liver; especially indicated by severe acute pain from obstruction of the gall ducts.	Acts mildly upon the liver, especially when the spleen is involved; overcomes biliary catarrh and jaundice from obstruction, indicated by throbbing tensive pain in the right side, which extends backward beneath the right scapula; reduces cough which depends upon hepatic irritation.
ON STOMACH	Produces vomiting in overdoses; is a gastric irritant; stimulates glandular action in atonicity; valuable for this influence, in small doses.	Mild stomach tonic; restores appetite; improves digestion; corrects persistent nausea when due to atonicity.	Induces no irritation, rather soothes irritation; controls mild vomiting and regurgitation, especially if of acid fluids; inhibits secretion of acids; beneficial in hyperchlorhydria, and in the consequent sick headache.	In overdoses, induces nausea and vomiting, sometimes violent; in proper doses, a mild, soothing stomach tonic.	A mild general stomach tonic, improving digestion. No specific action on the stomach.
ON INTESTINAL TRACT	Emeto-cathartic; induces griping and pain; in small doses improves intestinal glandular action; indicated in chronic constipation, with hard clay colored, dry stools. Bowels loaded and bloated; deficient peristalsis; impaction; atonicity with mild intestinal colic; abdominal plethora.	Induces mild cathartic action without debility; a sure tonic to intestinal glandular action, improving the function of all intestinal glands; acts freely upon the small intestine; in proper doses produces no irritation.	Increases intestinal glandular action; soothes intestinal irritation; relieves colic in the region of the umbilicus; relieves hyper-peristalsis; valuable in duodenal catarrh, with constipation and clay colored stools. Is indicated in splenic enlargement.	Produces but little if any intestinal irritation, influences the normal functional action of the mucous glands of the intestinal tract. Indicated in constipation with hard stools; some colic, or when the feces are grayish or clay colored, and will float upon water; in choleraic diarrhea with green discharges, and in jaundice.	Indicated in intestinal disorders with marked atonicity, where there is a tendency to passive venous engorgement. Beneficial in mild constipation, with chronic glandular inactivity, especially if there be edema of the ankles.
TONGUE INDICATIONS	Tongue heavily coated, uniformly yellowish, or yellow center, a thick dirty coat, especially at the base; tongue pale and flabby.	Tongue pale, coated uniformly white, or grayish-white and moist; bitter taste in the mouth.	Is indicated when the tongue is narrow, pointed, somewhat red, with thin edges, especially if coated in the center with a yellowish coat; increases salivary secretion.	Tongue flabby, broad, coated white or yellowish, edges indented.	Tongue flabby, full and broad, pale, irregularly coated, mucous membrane pale, free mucous secretion.
BRAIN INDICATIONS	Dull headache; vertigo; uncertain gait; vision faults; patient dull, sluggish, listless, inactive.	Frontal headache from disordered stomach; general dull headache with confusion of ideas; mental depression; gloominess; foreboding; lassitude; some restlessness; and sleeplessness.	Exceedingly valuable in sick headache from gastric acidity; relieves vertigo with above indications.	Patient dull or fretful, inclined to sleep often, especially after eating; sleep heavy and not restful, with troubled dreams.	Indicated in persistent fulness of the cerebral circulation from liver faults; in bilious headaches; migraine; and headaches depending upon gastric disorders, also in supra-orbital neuralgia.
CIRCULATORY INDICATIONS	Pulse full, large, sluggish and oppressed; capillary circulation imperfect; fulness of superficial veins; extremities cool; oppressed heart action, occasionally irregular or intermittent pulse.	Improves circulation in the mucous membranes; relieves palpitation and irregular heart action, when due to stomach and liver disorders.	Relieves functional heart irregularity, and palpitation from gastric and intestinal disorders, or if they depend upon liver faults; valuable in heart disorders, accompanying goitre or exophthalmic goitre; relieves bilious headaches.	Acts directly upon the venous circulation; indicated when there is slight excess of temperature for some days, with hectic flushes, and mild jaundice.	Impeded capillary circulation of the mucous membranes, depending upon general plethora.
SKIN INDICATIONS	Skin of a dingy hue, dull, soggy, yellowish, flabby, cool; inclined to eruptions—furuncular, eczematous, or pustular; conjunctivae dingy, yellowish; eyes dull.	Indicated when the skin is dry and hot, but when the extremities are cool or cold. Skin yellowish or dingy, but warm; conjunctivae injected and yellowish.	Stimulates elimination; improves secretion, improves rough, greasy skin, or abnormal pigmentation; relieves skin troubles depending on gastrointestinal disorders.	Skin dingy, yellowish, but warm, with cool extremities; capillary circulation of the skin irregular; conjunctivae dingy.	Skin pallid, or sallow, flabby, cool, occasionally tinged yellowish-green; valuable in skin disorders depending on imperfect elimination.

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.