Those who respond best to this remedy tend to feel restless and hot but seem unable to sweat. They tremble inwardly, yet are outwardly calm and stable. Chimaphila is used chiefly for urinary tract problems such as painful urination and obstructed urine flow. Chimaphila is given for cystitis with blood in the urine and great urging to urinate despite an empty bladder. In men it is also prescribed for an enlarged prostate, urine retention, and a feeling that there is a ball in the pelvis. By the 19th century this native American remedy for sweating and fevers was adopted by European settlers for rheumatic pain and urinary problems. The whole, fresh plant of pipsissewa, or its aerial parts in flower, are steeped in alcohol.