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Oxalic Acid, Hydrogen Oxalate. C2H2O42H2O. Trituration. Tincture.
Clinical
Angina pectoris. *Back, *pain in. *Chest, *affections of. Cholera infantum. Convulsions. Deltoid rheumatism. Enuresis. *Eyes, *affections of. *Gastrodynia. *Gout. *Gravel. Hernia. Indigestion. *Meningitis. *Myelitis. Nails, blue. Neuralgia. Neurasthenia. *Nose, *affections of. *Numbness. *Oxaluria. *Paralysis. Pregnancy, sickness of. *Side, *pain in. Spasms. Spermatic cord, neuralgia of. *Stomach, *affections of. Tetanus. Testicles, induration of, pains in. *Tongue, *affections of. *Urine, abnormal. *Voice, *altered.
Characteristics
If *Opium is the painless remedy, *Oxal. *ac. may be considered its antithesis: it causes pains excruciating beyond description, and it has this grand keynote distinction, that its pains are all worse when the patient thinks of them. And not only that, thinking of pains and conditions will bring them on when they are not actually present. If the patient thinks about urinating he must go instantly and relieve the bladder. Full doses of the poison cause corrosion of the passages, excruciating agony in back, chest, stomach, and abdomen, destruction of mucous membrane, bloody vomit and stool, and death by exhaustion, consciousness being generally retained to the end, though sense of sight may be lost. Coldness of surface, numbness, mottled skin, blue nails, are present in all degrees of the drug’s action, and are leading notes for its use. The excruciating pain in lower back and loss of power in the lower limbs shows an unmistakable action on the spinal cord and its meninges. These symptoms are better seen in less severe cases of poisoning. I take two case from *C.D.P.I.A middle-aged shoemaker, a hard drinker, took 4 oz. of *Oxal. *ac. in crystals. Prepared chalk was given freely. Symptoms: Severe burning sensation in mouth and throat with great thirst and difficulty in swallowing, excruciating pain in epigastrium, and cold, clammy perspiration, numbness and tingling in limbs, legs drawn up towards abdomen, pulse was just perceptible, breathing slightly spasmodic, features anxious, pallid. At 8 p.m. (nine hours after observer’s first visit) hot feeling in throat and tingling in limbs continued. *Voice altered, instead of a remarkably deep bass it was reduced to a very low key, like one talking in an undertone. This lasted a month, during which period the legs used to “go to sleep” several times a day. After nine weeks the voice, though stronger, was still “a complete old man’s voice.” 2. A woman took three drachms in three ounces of water. Most of it was evacuated within fifteen minutes by stomach-pump. Symptoms: Convulsions, spastic contraction of jaws and limbs, forcible closure of mouth and drawing down of its angles. Dilated alae nasi, corrugated brows, twitching of facial muscles and insensibility. Great cerebral excitement afterwards occurred with dry coldness of surface and imperceptible pulse. symptoms were less marked during intermission of tetanic spasms, and declined in three hours. In animals poisoned with *Oxal. *ac. the first symptom is stiffness of hind limbs. Farrington sums up the indications of *Oxal. *ac. in spinal affections: Weak loins, hips, legs, numb back, numb limbs. Limbs blue and cold, weak and numb, worse going up stairs. Limbs *stiff, paroxysm of dyspnoea (as in spinal meningitis). (The mottled purpuric surface of meningitis gives another indication. ***J.H.C.) Pains in small spots (especially linear spots). Pains worse when thinking of them. Erections with dullness in occiput. In a case of paraplegia, affecting first right then left leg, of a year’s duration, in an American lady, mother of four children, ***W. M. Butler (*N.A.J.H., i. 797) gave great relief with *Oxal. *ac. 3. In a few weeks the motor symptoms were better, then the sensory. Sensation to heat and cold was restored, general tactile sensibility was improved. Some control was gained over bladder and rectum. The involuntary muscles are affected by *Oxal. *ac. no less than the voluntary. There is frequent ineffectual urging to stool, preceded by a sick, distressing feeling from navel downwards, worse when thinking of it, worse from drinking coffee. Sugar worse pain in stomach. Wine causes headache. Faintness and vomiting during stool. After stool better of pain in back. The heart may be paralysed in a few minutes if the dose of the poison is very large, and then it is found flaccid or distended with blood. In an interesting study of *Oxal. *ac., ***J. W. Ellis (*J.B.H.S., vii. 285) cites a fatal case of poisoning recorded by Boericke (*Medorrhinum *Cent., August, 1894) through exposure of the hands to a saturated solution used for chemical purposes. The symptoms were: Intense pains in head. Hyperaesthesia, especially to light. Spasms of pain down limbs, along throat muscles, and through spermatic cord. Sensitive spots on spine. De Noe Walker told me of a case of his in which the patient, an elderly, gouty man, was suddenly seized with congestion of spinal meninges with great coldness, blueness, and numbness, complete prostration of strength. *Oxal. *ac. 6 rapidly cured. A patient of mine who used *Oxal. *ac. in his work suffered from: “*Rheumatism of left side. Starting on falling asleep. When actually at work, acidity.” This *left-side rheumatism is noteworthy, for *Oxal. *ac. is a very *left-sided remedy. But is has one special region of the left side, as Burnett has graphically illustrated, in which it is supreme. Sharp pains through the lower lobe of the left lung. It matters not what the name of the disease may be-pleurisy, pneumonia, phthisis-when that pain is present *Oxal. *ac. will do its work. The provings give: Sharp shooting pain in left lung and heart, extending down to epigastrium, and lasting some seconds. In afternoon, stitches several times in left lung. Sharp, lancinating pain in left lung, coming on so suddenly that it deprives him of breath for a few seconds. Sore sticking in chest extending back to between scapulae.” *Oxal. *ac. has cured many cases of angina pectoris, with symptoms recalling these. A powerful action is developed on the kidneys in the poisoning cases, albumen, blood, and oxalate crystals being found in the urine. *Oxal. *ac. in the attenuations has given good results in cases of oxaluria in which some of the leading symptoms of the remedy, as the backache, numbness, etc., were present. Enuresis has also been cured (*H. P., vi. 232) with *Oxal. *ac. 6 in a blonde boy of six. The guiding symptom was: “Sharp shooting pain in left chest, close to sternum and parallel to it. Ellis suggests that *Oxal. *ac. corresponds to many cases of neurasthenia. It is a favourite remedy with ***S. A. Jones in cardiac trouble, occurring in highly “nervous” patients (*H. R., v. 13). (Hale cured a case of palpitation with action of heart irregular in force and rhythm, alternating with aphonia, with *Oxal. *ac. 6 (*Org., ii. 222).) Jones’s remarks just quoted are made in reference to a case reported by “***C.F.M.” (*H. R., iv. 257), and described by the reporter as “lumbago,” but considered (in my opinion, correctly) by Jones to be spinal meningitis. This is the case: Mrs. S., 55, suffered for several days with: Terrible pain in lumbar region, extending down thigh and over region of both kidneys. Extremely anxious to change position frequently, but slightest movement, assisted or unassisted, caused her to shriek out in agony. Frequent desire to pass large amounts of urine, but the pain on moving was so great that she would shrink from the attempt. Legs numb and very weak and cold. Pulse rapid. Short, distressed breathing in general, though there were intervals of easier breathing. *Oxal. *ac. 30, every half- hour, was given. In two hours she could be placed on the vessel with very little pain. In twelve hours she sat up. In twenty-four hours was entirely relieved. Banerjee (*H.P., xiii. 157) cured a case of strangulated hernia of left side with *Oxal. *ac. 6 trit. He had no definite indication. John Moore reports the case (*H.W., xv. 53) of a sea captain who suffered much from indigestion. Two years before Moore saw him he had to undergo operation for strangulated hernia. Ever since he had been subject to these symptoms: Pain in region of navel coming on two hours after eating, accompanied by much flatulence and bitter and sour eructations. Pain worse in night, arousing the patient 3 a.m., and keeping him awake. *Burning sensation from throat downwards to the region of the pain. The patient had always had a weak digestion, and had met with many severe accidents at sea. *Oxal. *ac. 3, two drops, an hour after meals. He was a little better the first night, and after that slept the night through, and said he had not had so much comfort for years. *Oxal. *ac., the chief constituent of Sorrel (*Rumex acetosa) and Wood Sorrel (*Oxalis acetosella), exists in plants that are ordinarily deemed anti- scorbutic and are remarkable for the grateful acidity of their herbage. Inspissated solutions of sorrel have been used successfully as local applications for epithelioma, and with a solution of *Oxal. *ac. and of *Tannic acid, applied locally, Cooper removed a large patch of erythematous lupus on the cheek. With a solution of 5 gr. to 3ij of water Cooper has often removed troublesome small naevi in infants upon the face and elsewhere, using it perseveringly for weeks or even months. From this it would appear, taking into account that *Oxal. *ac. produces wart- like growths, that, well diluted, it may be regarded as having a beneficial influence, locally and probably internally as well, upon epithelial proliferations of the cuticle. *Ox. *ac. is said to enter largely into the inspissated juice of the Clover (*Trifol. *pratense) which formed Thomson’s “cancer plaster,” and which is strongly escharotic. Among the *Peculiar *Sensations are: Jerking pains, like short stitches, confined to small spots, lasting only a few seconds. Sensation as if all blood had left the brain. As if blood in head was coursing upward and outward. As from a screw behind each ear. Hypogastrium as if bound. Back as if broken or bruised. Wrist as if sprained. Hands as if dead. During shaving as from chafing. Symptoms are worse by touch (small spots on head), slightest touch causes excruciating pain. worse Shaving. Eating better pain in stomach. Soup better gnawing in stomach. Sugar, coffee, wine worse. After eating: pains at navel, colic, rumbling in abdomen, urging to stool, weakness. Motion and exercise worse. Rest worse colic. Lying down causes swimming sensation, palpitation, erections, return of colic and diarrhoea, worse headache, better pain in left lung. Change of position better pain in back. Slightest exertion causes heat. worse Evening, night, and early morning. Walking in open air causes tickling in larynx. Shaving worse (skin of face). After stool: headache and backache better.
