(10) The blood-corpuscles are diminished in arsenic poisoning and the drug is a most valuable remedy in anaemias, even in pernicious anaemia. The symptoms indicating it are excessive weakness, considerable oedema, violent and irregular palpitations, extreme anxiety, and marked desire for stimulants, especially brandy, and for acids. It is the remedy par excellence for the anaemias of toxaemia.
(11) In fevers of a typhoid character where there is much prostration combined with restlessness and anxiety arsenic is indicated. The intermittent fevers that call for it are those in which there is violent chill, often a rigor, aching in the bones, restlessness, purple fingers and toes, headache, prostration, dry mouth with desire for hot drinks and to be covered warmly. The chill is irregular in its time of onset, occurring at no particular time and not twice at the same hour. With the sweat there is increased coldness, much prostration and unquenchable thirst for cold drinks.
(12) Since arsenic acts so profoundly on the skin we should expect to find it a good remedy in skin diseases, and we are not disappointed.
It has probably been more used by both schools in skin affections than any other remedy. Those for which it is most suitable have bran like, dry, scaly eruptions, or herpetic stops. The eruptions re burning, itching and painful after scratching. The ulcers on the skin are phagedaenic, burning, and may have a sloughing or gangrenous base. Arsenic has been found valuable in rodent ulcer and still more to cheek the growth and allay the pains of epithelioma. Burning pains and ichorous offensive discharges are the indications.
It will be seen how very extensive is the field for the administration of arsenic. It is impossible to treat of all the conditions and diseases for which it can be employed, but the prescriber may feel confident in using it in any disease whatsoever, provided there are present a sufficient number of the characteristic symptoms of the drug.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1) Restlessness, mental and physical (acon., cham., rhus), irritability.
(2) Anxiety and fear of death or of being incurable (acon.). Anxious lined face (adults). Suspicions.
(3) Prostration, vomiting and purging (ptomaine poisoning).
(4) Periodic recurrence of complaints (cedron, china, ipec., nat. mur.).
(5) Burning pains (carb. veg., phos., secale, sulph.), (>) heat.
(6) Cachectic appearance.
(7) Aggravation of complaints after midnight (kali carb., nux v., rhus, sil.).
(8) Fear of being alone and of the dark (phos., hyoscy.), of robbers, of suicide.
(9) Thirst for little at the time and often.
(10) Coldness.
(11) Acridity and offensiveness of secretions (bapt.).
(12) OEdematous swellings.
(13) Tendency to haemorrhages.
(14) Tendency for inflammations to run on to necrosis or gangrene.
AGGRAVATION:
From cold (except congestive head ache), midnight and after, 3 a.m., lying with head low, exertion, after food or drink, especially if cold.
AMELIORATION:
From warmth (except congestive headache), movement (neuralgia); rapid movement (teething children).
Edwin Awdas Neatby founded the Missionary School of Homeopathy and the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1903, and run by the British Homeopathic Association. He died in East Grinstead, Sussex, on the 1st December 1933. Edwin Awdas Neatby wrote The place of operation in the treatment of uterine fibroids, Modern developments in medicine, Pleural effusions in children, Manual of Homoeo Therapeutics,