Bovista
By Dr. William R. Powel

My first picture of the curative action of Bovista was so vividly impressed upon me that I have never forgotten it. I will try to give it to you.

Mrs. V.H., aged thirty-two, mother of one child aged eight. No other pregnancies. For several months under old school treatment and advised by physicians either an ovarian operation or to be placed in a sanatorium. She was taken to her mother’s home.

At each menstrual period or just preceding the period would become violent, jumping out of bed and breading furniture, windows, throwing things out of windows. (The only pieces of furniture in the room were bed and bureau.)

Obliged to be tied in bed until the flow was established, she would attempt to bite while being restrained, spit in face; on one occasion tore collar and shirt from me before I could get her arms pinioned. Would scream, sneer, laugh, make grotesque faces when spoken to. All this mental state would subside as soon as the flow was established. This condition lasting from a few hours to a day. At the appearance of the menstrual flow she would be completely prostrated and would remain in bed nearly the whole time, from one period to the next.

I gave her several remedies, thinking each was the similimum, namely Bell., Ign., Hyos., Stram., Lach., but this condition returned each month. After five months of this her mother said to me, “I always know when these attacks are coming, because she always has looseness of bowels before the attack.” This was the key to the situation.

I gave her Bovista 200, B. & T., in repeated doses for two days. There was no return of the hysteria or mania, and four months afterwards she took a trip to Colorado with her husband. Later the family moved to California.

I have cured a number of  patients of constipation or inactivity of rectum when the keynote was of looseness of bowels before or during the menstrual period.

SNEEZING: Mrs. F., aged thirty-five. Has been sneezing every day for over a year, wakens from sleep sneezing watery coryza, weeping while relating symptoms. Has had much treatment, local and internal medicine. Fifteen years ago warts removed from inside of nostrils by cautery, small wart on right upper eyelid, one in left axilla. Has had tonsils removed.

This patient was sent to me by a homeopath, and he said that she had received All. Cepa, Arsen., Causticum, Thuja and Nitric acid, without benefit. Bovista has greatly improved this lady’s condition. She is still under observation.

In my experience all the patients improved by Bovista had one or more of the following symptoms:

Diarrhoea before or during menses.
Awkwardness: drops things.
Deep impressions on fingers from using scissors, knife, etc.
Colic better from eating.