Proving
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba, also called as Galisburin Adiantifolia, Maidenhair tree, Fossil tree, Fan tree, Japanese nut tree, Japanese temple tree, elephant’s ear tree, forty coin tree and grandfather-grandson tree, is the oldest living fossil. The Hahnemannian proving was conducted in the year 1933 by E.A. Maury with the mother tincture. Some of the important proving data included pale face, general lameness with chill, uneasiness and sensation of oppression and great physical fatigue with the sensation of general weakness. At mental level, there was unreasonable fear with rapid flow of words, desire for open air and rest, needs to criticise or indulge in autocriticism; bad effects of suppressed anger. Weakness of memory and difficulty to think or intellectual weakness, feeling of heaviness of the frontal region with or without left-sided supra-orbital pain; vertigo, shriverring of the right hand with trembling, dryness of mouth, yellow tongue towards the base, pressive precordial pain and pain along the sternum, with lameness of the left arm; congestion of the parotids, difficult expectoration with thick mucus phlegm an
d dyspnoea are other symptoms covered.
A recent proving was conducted by “Schule der Homoeopathie” of the Homoeopathic Forum Gauting with 16 provers, which were looked after by 16 supervisors. Collective symptoms of both old as well as new provings are given below to have comprehensive characteristic symptoms of the drug.
Mind
Unreasonable fear with rapid flow of words. Needs to criticise or indulge in autocriticism; bad effects of suppressed anger. Weakness of memory and difficulty to think or intellectual weakness. Left and right hemispheres of the brain are alternately emphasized, promoting sometimes analytical, sometimes intuitive thinking. Feeling as if brain were falling apart. Before falling asleep, perceiving himself on a diagonal axis between the sky and the bottom of the ocean while he is constantly swinging to and fro between the ends of the axis. Feeling as if a car is crashing into him and as if a person is walking through him. Desire for open air and rest.
Vertigo
Vertigo, shivering of the right hand with trembling, dryness of mouth, yellow tongue towards the base. Vertigo with nausea.
Head
Feeling of heaviness of the frontal region with or without left-sided supra-orbital pain. Pressure feeling. Sensation as if top of skull lifting up, or weight sitting on head. Headache; like a hair-band, as if brain were falling apart, extending from the neck. Headache in temples, behind the eyes. Worse light, moving the eyes, mental exertion. Better distraction, firm pressure and eating.
Eyes
Feeling as if everything were confused behind the eyes. Burning, pressure and dryness of the eyes. Sensation of a grain of sand. Twitching of eyelid. Blurred vision.
Ears
Sensation; as if cold water is running out of his ear, as if hot and cold waves went through her. Sounds in ear.
Nose
Stuffed up nose, and watery discharges.
Face
Congestion of the parotids. Pale face. Dry skin with rashes.
Mouth
Aphthae; rough, dry, burning tongue. Sensation of a hole and heaviness of the tongue. Bleeding gums. Toothache; pulling sensation.
Throat
Sensation of swollen tonsils. Dryness: sensation of crumbs. Constant clearing of throat caused by mucus. Rough, dry burning sore throat better warm drinks. Swollen lymph nodes.
Stomach
Heartburn. Lack of appetite and ravenous hunger. Cramping tension in stomach from emotions. Nausea. Desires coffee, beef broth, spicy, sweet, fruit and ice cream.
Abdomen
Bloating and rumbling. Swelling of liver.
Rectum
Sensation of fullness in rectum with or without urge for stool. Increased stool in the morning. Hard stool that doesn’t want to move. Soreness of anus.
Urinary
Increased urination at night. Difficulties emptying bladder; pain in urethra. Urethritis after coitus.
Male
Reduced desire and impotence.
Female
Shortened menstrual cycle. Dysmenorrhoea. Decreased sexual desire.
Chest
Pressive precordial pain and pain along the sternum with lameness of the left arm.
Respiratory
Difficult expectoration with thick mucus phlegm and dyspnoea. Cough with dyspnoea and mucus.
Heart
Pressure on the heart. Palpitation with stitching pain in the heart as if with a knife, as if in a heart attack.
Back
Feeling as if back would break apart. Chills along back. Hot wave of energy through spine into top of skull. Multiple neck complaints: tensed, stiff, difficult to turn the head right and left. Stiffness of back.
Chest
Stitching pain from exhaustion and breathing. Sore sensation. Pain in lungs, hinder breathing, feeling of choking.
Extremities
General lameness with chill. Heaviness of legs, as if filled with lead; paralysed sensation. No contact of legs with the ground like stilts. Stumbling gait. Unsteady hands, clumsiness. Muscle twitches, trembling of arms. Restless legs at night. Ice cold hands and feet. Pain in hip extending into foot.
Sleep
Restless sleep. Feeling as if beaten, when waking up.
Skin
Numb sensation of skin; as if anaesthetised. Confluent rash of small spots; on skin and mucous membrane.
Generalities
Uneasiness and sensation of oppression. Great physical fatigue with the sensation of general weakness. Dryness in general. Stiffness, numbness and soreness, twitches and trembling. Lack of energy; tiredness, worn out feeling and weakness. Sensation of coldness of the bones.
Modalities
Sensitive towards draft, generally towards cold. Better fresh air, sleep, motion and eating.
Relationship
Compare: Calcarea phosphorica, Causticum, Camphora, Ignatia, Lac humanum, Opium, Sepia and Stramonium.
Reference:
1. Anne Schadde, Juergen Hansel. Listening to Stone, Wood and Shell. Homoeopathic Medical Publishers, Mumbai. 2004.
2. O. A. Julian, Materia Medica of New Homoeopathic Remedies, RadarOpus 1.33 (Homoeopathic Software), Archibel S.A. Rue Fontaine St. Pierre 1E, Zoning Industriel de la Fagne, 5330 Assesse, Belgium.
