Tartar Emetic. Tartrate of Antimony and Potash 2(K(Sb O)C4H4O6)H2O. Trituration and solutions.
Clinical
*Alcoholism. *Aphthae. Asphyxia neonatorum. *Asthma. Bilious affections. *Bronchitis. *Catarrh. *Chicken-pox. Cholera. Cholera morbus. Coccygodynia. Cough. *Croup. *Delirium-Tremens. *Dyspepsia. *Ecthyma. *Eyes, *inflamed. *Impetigo. Intermittent fever. *Laryngitis. *Lumbago. *Lungs, *affections of. *Myalgia. Paralysis agitans. Plica-polonica. *Pneumonia. *Psoriasis. *Rheumatism. Ringworm. *Screaming. *Small-pox. *Stiff-neck. *Sycosis. Synovitis. *Taste, *altered. *Thirst. *Tongue, *coated. *Tremors. Varioloid. *Vomiting. *Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
*Antimonium tart. resembles closely *Antimonium crud. and the other Antimonies in its action, though the modalities differ. *Antimonium tart. was the favorite emetic of olden times, and consequently it is one of our best remedies in states of nausea. The nausea is as intense as that of *Ipecac., but less persistent, and is better by vomiting. Nash has found it the nearest thing to a specific in cholera morbus, the indications being “nausea, vomiting, loose stools, prostration, cold sweat, stupor, or drowsiness.” In chest affections of all kinds it is indicated where there is great accumulation of mucus with *coarse rattling and inability to raise it. Drowsiness and even coma may accompany cases of all kinds in which *Antim tart. is called for. The face is pale or cyanotic and the breathing stertorous. There is heat about heart and warmth rising up from it. A sensation of coldness in the blood-vessels. A correspondent of the *Chemist and Druggist (May 21, 1892) related the case of an apprentice who had been employed for a week making up “cough-balls” and diuretic balls for horses, both containing powdered antimony. He had been cautioned not to inhale the powder, but his employer believes he did. At the end of the week he was seized with an illness, due, his employer thinks, and no doubt correctly, to the antimony. The symptoms are very characteristic. First, there was nausea, lassitude, and a desire for sleep. He was sent to bed, and during the night his fellow apprentice said he got up and struggled to relieve himself of an imaginary load on the chest. On being put to bed again, a profuse perspiration broke out, and also a peculiar rash on his face and chest, after that he vomited freely and felt better. Temperature 104, pulse 120. A fever-mixture of liq. ammon. acet. And Sp. aether. nit. was given. A doctor who was called in found undoubted symptoms of pneumonia of left lung, but confessed he had never seen the rash before and would not venture an opinion regarding it. For two days the temperature kept at 104, then both temperature and the pulse became normal, the rash disappeared, and with it the pneumonic cough, in six days the boy was perfectly well. “A child coughs when angry” is characteristic. Heath cured a case of whooping-cough in a child who was very fretful before the cough. The mother said that if the child got angry she immediately had a fit of coughing. “Cough at 4 a m.” is another indication which I have found true. Further leading indications for this remedy are: attacks of fainting, internal trembling. It causes relaxation of sphincters and muscles, with nausea or without. Os uteri dry, tender, undilatable, with distress, moaning, and restlessness with every pain (*Aconite), feeling of sickness. Convulsive twitching. Convulsions. Great heaviness in all the limbs and great debility. Rheumatic pains (fever), with perspiration, which does not relieve. Inflammation of internal organs. Gastric and bilious complaints. Constant nausea _nausea felt in chest (*Pulsatilla). Sensation of weight or heaviness in many parts, head, occiput, coccyx, limbs. Pulsations in all the blood-vessels. The child wants to be carried and cries if any one touches it. Peevishness, whining, and crying. Inquietude, apprehension, agitation. Dullness and bewilderment of head as if benumbed. Chronic trembling of head, of head and hands (as in paralysis agitans). The tongue has a thick, white, pasty coat with red papillae showing through. Intense nausea and vomiting with great effort, with perspiration on forehead. Fullness and sensation of stones in abdomen, especially when sitting bent forward. The skin is notably affected. The typical exception is like that of small-pox, the symptoms of which disease are so closely reproduced in the proving that it has been used instead of vaccine for inoculation purposes, and prophylactic power has been claimed for it. (*Compare Variolinum.). The terrible backache of small-pox is paralleled by the back-pains of *Antim tart., which I have found to correspond to more cases of lumbago than any other remedy. *Antim tart. is also a “sycotic,” and I have verified a symptom given in Hering, “warts at the back of the glans penis.” *Antimonium tart. has worse by warmth, but not the excessive sensitiveness to heat and sun of *Ant. C., and some of the rheumatic symptoms are better by warmth. Warm drink agg. cough, also lying in bed especially becoming warm there. There is also worse from cold and damp, but not the ill effects of cold washing found in *Antim crud. Also cold washing better the rheumatic toothache of *Antim tart. Both have worse from touch and even from being looked at *Antim tart. has worse on sitting down, when seated, and on rising from a seat, worse sitting bent forward, better sitting erect, worse Lying on side affected. Worse Motion, on every effort to move. A characteristic of *Antim tart. in lung affections is “lies with head back.” There is not the better from rest which is apparent in many symptoms of *Antim crud. The *Antim tart. headache is worse by rest, also earache and respiration. Worse At night is more marked with *Antim tart. than *Antim crud. Cough is worse 4 a m. better from eructations.
Relations.
Compare: Aconite (croup), Aethusa c. and Ip. (expression of nausea), Am. C., Arsenicum (asthma, heart symptoms, gastric catarrh), Bryonia (pneumonia agg. l, Ant-t. agg. right – chest and brain symptoms after retrocession of eruption -Bry, measles and scarlatina; Antim tart. small-pox). Laches. (dyspnoea on waking); Lycopodium (catarrh of chest, flapping of nostrils- Antim tart. has nostrils dilated), Veratrum (colic, vomiting, coldness, craving for acids. Antim tart. has more jerks, drowsiness, urging to urinate, Veratrum more cold sweat and fainting), Opium (cough with drowsiness and yawning), Sanguinaria c. (pneumonia, face livid), Ip. (Antim tart. has more drowsiness and tendency of lungs to collapse), Thuj (effects of vaccination when Thuj fails and Sil is not indicated. Antim tart. develops small-pox pustule, Thuj dries it up). Compatible: Phosphorus in hydrocephaloid, worn-out constitutions, laryngitis, pneumonia. Follows well: Silicea in dyspnoea from foreign substances in larynx, Pulsatilla (nausea in chest, Gonorrhoeal suppressions), Terebe. (symptoms from damp cellars), Variolinum. Antidoted by: Asafoetida, Chi., Cocc., Conium (pustules on genitals), Ip., Laur., Opium (Opium in large doses is the best antidote in poisoning), Pulsatilla, Sepia It antidotes: Bar- c., Bryonia (dyspepsia), Camph., Causticum (dyspepsia), Pulsatilla Antim tart. differs from Mercury in producing a purely local action on the mouth similar to its action on the skin. The action of Mercurius on the mouth is indirect.
Causation
Effects of anger (cough) or vexation.
Mind
During the day hilarity, in the evening anxious and timid. Inquietude and agitation, with palpitation of the heart, and trembling. Anxious apprehension respecting the future (in the evening). Pitiful Whining before and during the attack. Bad humour. Excessively peevish and quarrelsome. Child will not allow itself to be touched. Discouragement and despair. Lethargy. Suicidal mania. Mild gaiety (by day only). Consequences of anger and vexation.
Head
Dullness, confusion, and bewilderment in the head, which is, as it were, benumbed, with inclination to sleep. Fits of vertigo with sparkling before the eyes, and dizziness when walking. Dullness of all the senses. Headache, with palpitation of the heart, and vertigo. Heaviness of the head, especially in the occiput. Semi-lateral headache. Pressive pains in the head, with compressive tension, as if the brain were contracted into one hard mass, often with dizziness, extending into the root of the nose, sometimes in the evening, and at night, with stupefaction and lethargy, better when exercising and washing the head. Pulsation in the right side of the forehead, worse in the evening, when sitting stooped, and from heat, better from sitting erect, and in the cold air. Drawing, tearing, and digging in the head. Stitches in the head. Lancinating pains in the head, sometimes extending into the eyes, with necessity to shut them. Boring in the forehead. Semi-lateral throbbing in the forehead. Chronic trembling of the head. Trembling with the head, especially when coughing, with an internal sensation of trembling, chattering of the teeth, and an irresistible somnolency, worse in the evening, and from heat. Trembling with the head and hands, with great debility, worse when lying and getting warm in bed, better when sitting up erect and in the cold. Neck stretched out, head bent back.
