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Ammonium Causticum

Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 3,561 chars

All books on Ammonium Causticum → Antidoted byArgentum Nitricum
General

Ammonium Causticum.

Ammonia. Spirits of Hartshorn. NH4 OH. Solution in water.

Clinical

Aphonia. Nephritis. Oesophagitis. Rheumatism. Sloughing. Thirst. Timidity. Ulcerations. Vomiting.

Characteristics

The symptoms of caustic ammonia closely resemble those of the carbonate. The caustic nature of the drug is exemplified in the burning sensations experienced, especially in throat, gullet, and rectum. White patches on tongue and inner side of cheeks. There is intense thirst, and excessively violent ejection of stomach contents.

Voice low, weak. Speech broken. Aphonia, with debility; or with burning rawness in throat. (A good all-round remedy in aphonia.) Great oppression of breathing; the patient gasps for breath.

As with the carbonate there is timidity—great tendency to take fright. Shiverings. In a case of poisoning in a man who took a mouthful of a strong solution of "household ammonia" by mistake there was great swelling of mucous membrane of mouth and throat, stertorous breathing, voice muffled and husky; later, cough with blood-stained expectoration. One night there was headache and delirium, and at the same time the urine contained albumen and hyaline casts.

It has been used in muscular rheumatism of the shoulders and thighs. Haemorrhages occur from mucous surfaces. Great excitement in evening.—< After eating or drinking.

Relations

Compare the Ammonias, especially Amm. carb. Antidoted by: Vinegar and vegetable acids.

Mind

Timidity.

Head

Sensation as if brain protruded at centre, forward, and on both sides, and the skull was quartered, but without pain and without confusion of the head.

Nose

Peculiar redness of skin over nose and frontal sinuses

Nose stopped

Watery coryza.

Face

Extremely pale face, expressive of the greatest suffering

Lower lip swollen three times its size; black coating in centre

Mucous membrane of lips and nose destroyed

Glands under angle of jaw, each side, swollen.

Mouth

Profuse bloody salivation

Burning and scraping at root of tongue and back of gullet

Lips, gums, and tongue swollen.

Throat

Burning and dryness of oesophagus; great difficulty in swallowing

Uvula retracted, covered with white membrane

Tonsils swallowing

Uvula elongated and swollen.

Stomach

Intense thirst

Vomiting of mucus and blood and great tenderness over epigastric region

Violent ejection of stomach contents by nose, and mouth

Burning in track of oesophagus, none in stomach.

Abdomen

Pains, tenderness, distension.—Borborygmi.

Stool And Rectum

Copious bloody stools.—Tenesmus.

Urinary Organs

Urine red, alkaline.—Albuminuria, hyaline casts.

Female Sexual Organs

Menses fifteen days too early and very profuse.

Respiratory Organs

Bronchitis, with profuse expectoration; blood-stained

Voice deep, weak, or absent

Great difficulty in breathing

Gasping for breath.

Upper Limbs

Convulsive twitches of r. arm.—Muscular rheumatism of shoulders.

Generalities

Bleedings from all orifices, which cause faintness Affection of the mucous membranes and organs of the chest; contraction of the flexor muscles; contraction of the oesophagus and of the colon Great exhaustion and muscular weakness; weakness which hardly admits of an upright posture; great trembling on making the slightest exertion Skin hot and dry, afterwards moist, perspiration supervening

Disturbed sleep Shiverings; fever towards evening; pulse, at first feeble and rather accelerated, afterwards quicker from hour to hour Great tendency to take fright.