Prunus spinosa L., known as blackthorn or sloe berry. Blackthorn fruit contain a myriad of bioactive polyphenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The fruits must be prepared - as in sloe gin - due to poisonous seeds which must be removed.1
Anthocyanins have powerful health benefits due to their antioxidant properties. Studies suggest eating anthocyanin-rich foods can have a significantly positive impact on human health2
Ethnopharmacologically, blackthorn preparations have been used for stomach pain, diarrhoea, infected wounds, and dysmenorrhea;3 as a laxative, and vermifuge;4 and to stimulate and regulate menses.5
Recent research shows blackthorn bioactives in human health can maintain, prevent, and shorten convalescence, due to significant antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antiviral, and anticancer properties.6
A homeopathic medicine is prepared from the tincture of Prunus spinosa buds just before flowering.7
I have prescribed Prunus spinosa just once - in 2013 - a teenaged girl working her first job interning with a multi-national mining company was having difficulty with co-workers - for brevity, this manifested as grief and appeared to be an open and shut case for Ignatia however, her strongest and most discomforting symptom (the) ‘‘awful feeling I cannot take a deep enough breath - it’s catching in my tummy and won’t get further’’ was absent from all referenced materia medica.
These two rubrics found in my preferred repertory8 were applicable but definitely not accurate enough for my liking:
Respiration: DEEP; desire to breathe
Respiration: DEEP; desire to breathe, impossible
IGNATIA has the following respiratory symptoms: inspiration impeded as by a weight lying upon him; slow inspiration, quick expiration; must often breathe deeply; short breathing alternates with longer, gentle with violent breathing, etc.,9 Slow inspiration - he is obliged to draw it deeply from the abdomen.10
As all successful prescribers know, tenacity is one of the pre-requisites required of a homeopath - so, after hours and hours of searching for an accurate rubric in Kent, Synthesis, and Phatak, for the ‘‘awful feeling I cannot take a deep enough breath - it’s catching in my tummy and won’t get further’’ I finally located the following in Murphy:11
Breathing: DEEP; desire, to breathe, enough, cannot get - aur., carb-v., croto-t., lach., prun., rad-br.
PRUNUS SPINOSA (prun) has: anxious, short respiration; Respiration tight and difficult, with anxiety about the heart; shortness of breath, while walking, sighing, as if he were climbing a high and steep mountain; the breath always seems to remain sticking in the pit of the stomach;12 Breathing - deep breathing - desire to;13 Respiration is continually arrested at pit of stomach, the remarkable symptom of breath always seems to remain sticking in pit of stomach - which led Dr. Adolph Lippe (1812-1888)14 to amelioration in a case of a sixteen year old girl who had sprained her left ankle. As the swelling abated, her breathing became rapid; great oppression with constantly recurring desire to take a long breath; felt as if air inhaled did not reach pit of stomach, and till she could force air so far down had to yawn and try to take a deep inspiration.15
Prunus spinosa was proved by Wahle and revealed very strong characteristic symptoms: pains were pressive and out pressive and out shooting. These pains are felt in skull, eye, root of nose, and ears; the teeth feel raised out of their sockets. Shooting from within out, from before backward. These pains occurring in and around the eye have led to its successful use in glaucoma, ciliary neuralgia, choroido retinitis, irido choroiditis, irido cyclitis.16
Phatak states this remedy specially acts on the nerves; respiratory; orbital; and on urinary organs. Pains are shooting pressure outwards; lightning like; wandering; CAUSING SHORT BREATH.17
Morrison writes Prunus spinosa is an unusual remedy with great value in certain cases of headache and migraine which are generally right sided and extend to the occiput. Characteristic is headache in the right forehead which feels as if a tumour were pushing out, or as if the head was swollen and about to burst. Neuralgic pains felt about the eyes and extending to the eyes from the head. And gives remedy comparisons of Sang, Bell, Par.18
https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Blackthorn_Berries_18331.php
Fang J. 2015. Classification of fruits based on anthocyanin types and relevance to their health effects. Nutrition. Nov-Dec;31(11-12):1301-6. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26250485/
Alarcόn, 2015. Medicinal and local food plants in the south of Alava (Basque Country, Spain). J Ethnopharmacol. Dec 24;176:207-24. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675496/
Karakas 2019. Antioxidant Activity of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) Fruit Extract and Cytotoxic Effects on Various Cancer Cell Lines. Medeni Med J. 2019;34(3):297-304. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7433737/
Vokou D, Katradi K, Kokkini S. 1993. Ethnobotanical survey of Zagori (Epirus, Greece), a renowned centre of folk medicine in the past. J Ethnopharmacol. 1993 Aug;39(3):187-96. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/24350362/Ethnobotanical_survey_of_Zagori_Epirus_Greece_a_renowned_centre_of_folk_medicine_in_the_past
Negrean et al., 2023. Blackthorn-A Valuable Source of Phenolic Antioxidants with Potential Health Benefits. Molecules. 2023 Apr 14;28(8):3456. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10143519
Allen, T. 2011. Prunus spinosa. The Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica. A record of the positive effects of drugs upon the healthy human organism. Vol. VIII. P-S. 6th Ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers. (Originally published in 1874)
Schroyens (Ed.) 2007. The Essential Synthesis. The reliable information of the Synthesis Treasure Edition. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. And, Archibel S.A.
Hahnemann, S. 1986. Ignatia. Materia Media Pura. Vol. 1. Aconitum - Ipecacuanha. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers. (First published 1830)
Allen, T. 2011. Ignatia. The Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica. A record of the positive effects of drugs upon the healthy human organism. Vol. V. H-L. 6th Ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers. (First published 1874)
Murphy. 2005. Homeopathic Clinical Repertory. Third Edition. A Modern Alphabetical and Practical Repertory. Virginia: Lotus Health Institute.
Allen, T. 2011. Prunus spinosa. The Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica. A record of the positive effects of drugs upon the healthy human organism. Vol. VIII. P-S. 6th Ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers. (Originally published in 1874)
Schroyens (Ed.). 1995. Prunus spinosa. 1001 Small Remedies. Extracted from Synthesis 5. With unique symptoms of the major remedies. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers. And, Archibel S.A.
https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2008-02-19-adolph-lippe-and-homeopathy/
Clarke. Dictionary. Prunus spinosa. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Clarke. Dictionary. Prunus spinosa. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Phatak. 2004. Prunus spinosa. Materia Medica of Homeopathic Medicines. New Delhi: Indian Books & Periodicals Publishers. (Originally published in 1977)
Morrison, R. 1993. Prunus spinosa. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Grass Valley: Hahnemann Clinic Publishing.