Diospyros virginiana
Made from persimmon bark — the American tree whose astringent bark was an old army dysentery remedy, and the classical remedy of tenesmus and remittent fever.
The whole picture, in one breath
Think of dysentery's grip: painful urging that returns the moment the stool passes, cramping gripes, a fever that rises and falls by the day, and a mouth so dry the tongue sticks. Tenesmus, griping, remittent fever: that is Diospyros virginiana.
The substance, in plain words
The persimmon is the American fruit tree whose bark, rich in tannins, was a standard army and frontier remedy for dysentery and intermittent fevers — a genuine astringent drug of the old American materia medica, since retired to history.
The traditional picture Classical sources
The inner state
- Despondency in fever. Low, gloomy, indifferent in the rising and falling fevers.
- Irritability. Crossness with the griping and the thirst.
- Dullness. Heavy mind with the coated tongue and fever.
The body
- Tenesmus. The keynote: painful, ineffectual urging that returns immediately after the stool — the dysenteric grip.
- Griping colic. Cramping pains before and with the stool, eased briefly by passing it.
- Remittent fever. Fever that climbs and falls by day — the 'fever-and-ague' companion of the old books.
- Dry mouth and thirst. Tongue dry and sticky, intense thirst with the fever.
- Burning stool. Burning, slimy, offensive stool with mucus.
- Worse night. The griping and urging climb after dark.
Modalities (worse and better factors)
| Worse from ⬇ | Better from ⬇ |
|---|---|
| night; cold drinks; eating. | warmth; rest; after stool |
Where it acts (organ affinities)
Bowel (dysentery, tenesmus), fever, stomach, general vitality.
Where the classical picture comes from
The tannin astringency of the bark was the frontier's dysentery stand-by — army surgeons carried it; the proving confirmed the griping, tenesmic portrait, and the remedy entered the classical books as the American dysentery remedy.
The substance in real medicine Pharmacology
What this section is: the pharmacology and toxicology of the source substance. It is not clinical evidence that a homeopathic preparation of it treats any condition. What controlled trials do and do not show is set out on the Evidence page.
Persimmon bark was a genuine drug of the American materia medica — a working astringent of the pre-antibiotic century, retired when dysentery became curable. The conditions it portrayed are today managed with rehydration, antibiotics where indicated, and proper fever diagnosis.
Look-alikes (how the classical authors told it apart)
| Remedy | Looks similar because… | Tells it apart because… |
|---|---|---|
| Mercurius solubilis | Dysentery, night sweat | Mercurius is sweaty, salivating and foul; Diospyros grips, tenesmes and runs a remittent fever. |
| Nux vomica | Ineffectual urging | Nux strains and passes little with irritability; Diospyros tenesmes with griping and fever. |
| Ipecacuanha | Dysentery, nausea | Ipecac's dysentery is married to constant nausea; Diospyros' to griping and the fever. |
| Aloe socotrina | Urgency | Aloe's urgency threatens escape; Diospyros' returns instantly after the stool. |