Has a selective action on brain and nervous system, favorably influencing their nutritive function.  

Nervous exhaustion, sexual debility, and the morphine habit call for this remedy in rather material dosage. Best tonic for debility after exhausting diseases. Nerve tremors of the aged; chorea, paralysis agitans, epilepsy. Post-diphtheritic paralysis. Rheumatism of heart. Colds. Acute coryza (20 drop doses in hot water hourly for a few doses). Alcoholism. Sleeplessness, especially of alcoholics. Bad effects of Morphine habit. Nervous states of many female troubles.  

Mind.--Inability to keep mind on any one subject.  

 

Female.--Amenorrhœa and dysmenorrhœa, with weak circulation.  

Male.--Spermatorrhœa; impotency; after too much indulgence.  

Extremities.--Numbness of limbs, as if paralyzed. Strength of hand diminished.  

Relationship.--Compare: Alfalfa (General tonic similar to avena-also in scanty and suppressed urine).  

Dose.--Tincture ten to twenty drop doses, preferably in hot water.  
  

Clinical. Alcoholism. Cholera. Debility. Influenza. Neurasthenia. Opium habit. Palpitation. Sexual excess. Sleeplessness. Tuberculosis.  

Characteristics. Avena has been used empirically in substantial doses (5 to 15 drops of the tincture, preferably in hot water) in a large number of cases of nerve weakness. The leading indications are: Irregularities of the male sexual system. Nervous exhaustion. General debility. Nervous palpitation. Insomnia. Inability to keep the mind fixed on any one subject, especially when due to masturbation or sexual irregularities. It is most valuable in enabling a patient to overcome the morphine habit. It appears to exert the same kind of soothing action, without creating a habit of its own. When not more than four grains of morphine have been taken daily it may be discontinued abruptly, 15 drops of Avena in a wineglass of hot water being given four times a day instead. The only symptom that has been observed to be caused by it is a pain at the base of the brain from 20-drop doses.  

An alkaloid, Avenin (C56 H21 NO18), has been isolated from oats. It is easily soluble in alcohol. No clinical observations with this have been recorded.  
 

Common Name : Oats.  

Preparation : The fresh green plant, gathered in August, is pounded to a pulp and macerated with two parts by weight of alcohol.  

(Comparatively little has been written concerning this remedy, the tincture of oats.  

It acquired a bad reputation somewhere in the "eighties" by being advertised as a proprietary remedy making wonderful cures, but analysis showed the advertised "Avena" to contain opium.  

The following outline of the drug is by Dr. E. H. Russell, in North American Journal of Homoeopathy)  

Avena sativa is pre-eminently an anti-neurotic, quieting the nervous system to a remarkable degree.  

Its special sphere of action seems to be upon the male sexual organs, regulating the functional irregularities of these parts perhaps as much as any drug can.  

It is a most useful remedy in all cases of nervous exhaustion, general debility, nervous palpitation of the heart, insomnia, inability to keep the mind fixed upon any one subject, etc., more especially when, any or all of these troubles is apparently due to nocturnal emissions, masturbation, over sexual intercourse, and the like.  

For these disorders it is truly specific.  

It is one of the most valuable means for overcoming the bad effects of the morphine habit.  

In most cases in which the habitue has not used more than four grains daily the Opiate may be abruptly discontinued, and even substituted, without any serious results.  

If a larger quantity than this amount has-been taken for some time, it is better to gradually reduce the daily dose of morphine, in the usual manner, simply prescribing the Avena in addition.  

The latter should be given in the same dose, as a rule, regardless of the amount of morphine taken. In other words, it is not necessary to increase the Avena as the opiate is withdrawn.  

When the quantity of morphine has not exceeded four grains daily it should be stopped at once, as stated above, and Avena given in its stead in fifteen drop doses, four times a day, in a wineglassful of hot water.  

By this method the disagreeable after-effects will be much less than though the dose of morphine is gradually reduced, and the patient will find life quite bearable, as a rule, at the end of a week.  

Avena sativas hould always be given in appreciable doses of the tincture.  

Fifteen drops three or four times a day, well diluted, will. usually meet the case.  

It may be given in doses of from five to sixty drops in rare instances. it should, however, never be given in larger quantities than twenty minims unless the patient is thoroughly accustomed to the remedy, and has found the usual dose insufficient.  

Otherwise there is danger of getting the physiological effect of the drug, which is pain at the base of the brain.  

When this symptom makes its appearance the medicine should be discontinued for a day or two, and then given in reduced doses.  

There seems to be no danger whatever of forming the habit of taking this drug, as it can be suddenly abandoned at any time without evil consequences, even when given in large quantities.  

In one case it was prescribed by the writer in sixty-drop doses, night and morning, for one year, and then abruptly stopped, nothing being substituted therefore, without bad effects.  

Whenever a quick action is desired, and in all cases where Avena is given to overcome the morphine habit, it should be prepared in hot water.  

It is also a good plan to prescribe it in this fashion wherever indigestion complicates the case.  

The writer has employed this drug in his private practice for a number of years with the most gratifying results.  

He has very rarely found it to fail when indicated, and on account of his high opinion of the remedy he has taken great pleasure in thus bringing it prominently to the attention of the medical profession.