Arsenicum Album

Periodicity

The great periodic.

2. Weakness and prostration after the slightest exertion.

3 ; Malignity of symptoms.

Burning Everywhere

6. Pains, worse at rest, at night and increased by cold.

7. Unquenchable thirst for small quantities of water and very often.

What are the mental symptoms ?

Great restlessness and fear of death ; delirium, with tendency to suicide ; weakness of memory.

How does the restlessness of Rhus tox. differ ?

It is to relieve pain, not an anxious restlessness.

What is the time of general aggravation of Arsenic ?

At night, just after midnight.

What are the indications for Arsenicum in cold in the head ?

In winter colds with a thin, watery discharge from the nose, which excoriates the upper lip, yet in spite of this the nose feels stopped up ; there is frontal headache and photophobia, and great sneezing, and the sneezing does not relieve in the slightest ; the patient is worse on going into the open air ; the burning, however, is worse near the fire, and better in the open air.

How does this differ from Mercurius ?

The Mercurius discharge, though very excoriating, is not watery, but thicker ; it is a thin mucous discharge.

How does Arsenicum differ from Phosphorus in colds ?

The cold of Arsenicum always settles in the nose, while that of Phosphorus settles on the chest.

What are the symptoms of Arsenicum in facial neuralgia ?

Fine pains course through the face like burning needles ; the face is pale and shrunken. Miasmic neuralgias, neuralgias from debility with great aggravation on approach of night. The pains are severe, driving patient from place to place. Intermittent pain.

What is the characteristic tongue of Arsenicum ?

The tongue has a red excoriated look, the tip and edges are red, and both the tongue and mouth are very dry.

When would Arsenicum be indicated in diphtheria ?

Where there is adynamic fever, fetid breath, and the membrane looks dark and gangrenous, where the pulse is rapid and weak ; the patient restless and prostrated, with throat swollen both externally and internally, and the membrane has a dark and wrinkled appearance, and where there is considerable oedema about the throat.

What are the stomach symptoms of Arsenicum ?

Burning, griping pains in the stomach followed by great prostration and vomiting ; the vomiting is severe ; the patient vomits water as soon as it becomes warm in the stomach ; the stomach is very irritable, and it is a remedy for irritable stomachs of drunkards ; there is heartburn and gulping up of burning water.

Give in brief the indications for Arsenicum in diarrhoea.

The stools are yellow, undigested, slimy or bloody, they are scanty and attended with great burning in the rectum ; the burning being out of all proportion to the quantity ; these are the characteristics :

The Great Prostration Following

What are the indications for its use in dysentery ?

Scanty stools, burning in the rectum ; tenesmus and thirst, and great prostration following.

Give some indications for Arsenicum in Bright's disease.

General anasarca, oedema and puffiness ; albuminous urine ; waxy casts ; skin pale waxy looking ; exhausting diarrhoea ; burning and thirst.

Give the respiratory symptoms of Arsenicum.

Great dyspnoea, with restlessness and exhaustion ; cough dry, fatiguing and whistling, with sensation as of fumes of sulphur in the larynx ; rawness, soreness, and dryness, and burning in the chest ; cough worse after midnight.

What drug has a dry cough worse before midnight ?

Sulphur.

What symptoms does Arsenicum produce upon the skin ?

1. Pains, itching, biting, gnawing and burning.

2. Watery swellings, from puffiness to oedema.

3. Eruptions, papules, nettle rash and pimples.

4. Painful ulcers, burning and sensitive, with offensive discharges.

What are the indications of Arsenicum in eczema ?

Where there is copious scaling, or thick, scabby eruptions exuding pus.

Give indications for Arsenicum in intermittent fever.

The paroxysms are not complete, they are more apt to occur at night with sweat at the end of the fever ; the thirst is never with the chill, it occurs after it ; but during the sweat there is violent thirst, especially for hot drinks, since cold drinks chill ; the pulse is small, frequent and weak.

Give the indications for its use in typhoid fever.

Late in the disease when the patient is faint, weak and exhausted with cold sweat and delirium, the mouth and teeth are covered by sordes, the mouth is full of ulcers, there is diarrhoea, stools dark and offensive, intense fever and thirst.

In what affections of the tissues may Arsenicum be the remedy ?

In carbuncle, bed sores and dissecting wounds, where there are lancinating and burning pains.

What are the characteristic modalities of Arsenicum ?

1. Worse at night, especially after midnight, 1 to 3 A. M.

Worse At Rest

3. Worse from cold, cold weather, cold food, cold air, patient is cold.

4. Better from warmth, warm things, drinks, etc.

Give the indications for Arsenicum iodatum in catarrhs.

Violent, acute coryza, with watery, acrid discharge, soreness in the nostrils ; heat and burning extending into the eyes and headache.

What are the special indications for Arsenicum iodatum in tuberculosis ?

The great debility, the night sweats and the decided cachectic appearance of the patient, the recurring fever, the emaciation, the profound prostration and the tendency to diarrhoea.