Generalities.
General health poor At first glance, one would have thought a case of typhoid fever was before him. Constant sleepiness, numbness, stupid appearance, ringing in the ears, no pains, redness of the cheeks, slight ophthalmia, dorsal decubitus, paralysis of the limbs and trunk, great emaciation, moist skin, violent beating of the heart, valves of the heart normal, no morbid sound, lungs free Pulse 95 to 100; tongue clean, not dry; abdomen not sensitive to pressure, but drawn in; hollow gurgling in the abdomen; no diarrhoea, and involuntary urination,. Cholera,. (* ” That is, constant vomiting and diarrhoea, with sharp nose, cold limbs, cramps, and death.” *) The incessant vomiting, the diarrhoea, the cramps in the calves, the livid appearance, and especially the liquids evacuated, showing no signs of blood, all defined the attack as a sort of sporadic cholera Consumption Gradual consumption (died within a year) The effects produced by small doses of arsenic might have been mistaken for those of mercury He gathers himself together in bed, can scarcely move his limbs, and is with difficulty awakened from his delirious sopor The body crouched He lies in bed crouched together She lies bent over a trunk, supported on both arms, pale as a corpse, with the most violent retching Greatly swollen all over (Great swelling of the face and the whole body.) (Anasarca.) (* As S. 138. *) (Complete general anasarca.) (* As S. 128. *) (Elastic swellings in various parts of the body.) (Swelling of the whole right side of the body, down to the hip, with swelling of the left leg.) (Swelling of the face and feet, dry mouth and lips, distended abdomen, diarrhoea, colic, vomiting.) (* As S.
138. *) Wasting ( Emaciation,) etc Great emaciation. Progressive emaciation, without loss of appetite She became remarkably thin. He becomes emaciated and sinks exhausted (Emaciation, until death.) Dwindling of the whole body, with excessive sweats She becomes emaciated, with clay colored face, blue margins around the eyes, great weakness in all the limbs, want of disposition to do anything, and constant inclination to rest (after eight days). The female’s healthy, well-fed body had changed in eight weeks, so that it was scarcely more than a feeble skeleton covered with skin; and the healthy red and white of the complexion had become a pale bluish gray The abdominal walls were olive green; the back ecchymosed; mouth and nose covered with scabs, and the hair had almost all fallen out Fatal marasmus (in eighteen months). General collapse. MOTOR SYMPTOMS: Laxity of all the muscles Muscles lax, etc After a year, the muscle was low compared with what it was formerly Tremblings She trembled violently General trembling. Trembling over the whole body, etc He trembles in every part of the body General tremor of the entire body In the morning, trembling of the whole body Tremor with sweat on the face. Trembling and formication of the whole body Anguish, trembling, and tremor, with cold sweat on the face Twitching Violent twitching of the whole body Subsultus tendinum Inclines to start Convulsive startings all over the body Several sudden and involuntary muscle contractions Spasmodic starting of the whole body in bed (after twelve hours) Startings, resembling concussive shocks, in the affected part, in the evening, when falling asleep; they are excited by a slight trouble felt in a remote part, such as a tearing, itching, etc While rolling about in bed, he screams, “I am suffocating!” Throws off the covering, opens his mouth wide, as if to draw breath, and remains fixed in this condition for several seconds From time to time he lies on his back, touching the region of the coccyx with his heel, while the knees are raised and widely parted Suddenly he turns around spontaneously, and takes a different position Cramps Spasms.
Hysterical spasms followed by great exhaustion Convulsions, and others Slight convulsions Convulsions, most violent Fearful convulsions; stiff, with body bent backward Convulsions, with foam at the mouth Violent convulsive motions before death. Epileptic convulsions. Slight convulsions, which lasted several minutes; afterwards renewed violent vomiting Tetanic spasms. (Attacks of tetanic spasms.) Tetanic convulsions, the body bent backward and the chest distended high up; he uttered at the same time, a miserable wail Convulsions and horrible distortions of the limbs Convulsions, occasionally brought on by violent pains in the soles of the feet Convulsions and complete loss of consciousness, with vomiting and horrible colic Convulsive fit; first she jerked her arms outward, after this she lost her consciousness, lay like one dead, pale but warm, clenched her thumbs, twisted her fists, drew her arms up slowly, lowered them again slowly; after ten minutes she drew her mouth to and fro, as if working her jaws; breathing imperceptible; in a quarter of an hour the fit ceased, terminating in a jerk through the whole body, a sort of starting forward of the arms and lower limbs; consciousness returned at once, but there was great weakness. Convulsive attacks, which appeared from time to time, but seemingly only from an external cause, especially from vexation or other violent mental agitation They were announced about an hour before their appearance, by drawings in the limbs, and longings to lie down, without finding sleep When they came on, she experienced either a sudden jerk through the whole body, or an icy coldness running from the head down the back with lightning like velocity. At the same moment, she loses consciousness, stretches and writhes, and then draws the limbs together, especially the arms At times, also, convulsive distortion of the facial muscles and tetanus appear with it, when it has happened that the under lip or tongue has been injured by the tightly set teeth and has bled. More frequently, however, the spasm rages in the abdomen, which rises and falls very rapidly, with rumbling in the bowels The attack is generally repeated, after a respite, before her return to consciousness The whole lasts ten minutes, at most On returning to consciousness, she calls for water, which, however, renews the convulsions Violent convulsions, afterward violent sweats, then sleep Death with or without spasms Convulsions previous to death. Restless Great restlessness, etc Marked restlessness Great inquietude Restless and tossed about Very great restlessness so that she could not lie quiet a minute. He continually threw himself about He threw himself restlessly hither and thither in bed. Restlessness; throwing himself from side to side. Rolling about in bed He lies now on the right, now on the left side, and changes position with incredible rapidity. By paroxysms he started up, became very restless. Restless, he changed from one bed to another He has no rest anywhere and changes from place to place, from bed to bed. Continual restlessness and contraction of his body The child is restless, moans and cries Marked restlessness and excitement, with wakefulness at night Restlessness and tossing about in the bed, with sadness and unquenchable thirst (after twenty-four hours) Restlessness and anxiety. Restlessness and anxiety, so that he alternately left the couch, and threw himself on the floor. Restlessness and hypochondriac anxiety, as from continued sitting in a room, as if coming from the upper part of the chest, without palpitation of the heart (immediately) Great restlessness; she threw herself about in bed and tightly clasped a person standing near, in her anxiety and oppression (Restlessness, with pains in the abdomen, head, and knees.) (* Symptoms noted after the bezoar stone as an antidote.*) PARALYSIS AND WEAKNESS: Electro-muscular contractility remarkably diminished She becomes quite stiff, is not able to move or stir, is only able to stand She cannot move In the morning, the muscular stiffness is increased, and extends to the arm and forearm, which are painful when moved He could no longer sit upright, stand or walk, but when lying, could make every motion Paralyzed, was no longer able to walk Paralysis of both motion and sensation Paralysis of the lower half of the body lasts nearly six months Local paralysis, preceded by numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes Incomplete paralysis Great laziness and dread of the least exertion. Feels as heavy as lead. Tired all over Easily fatigued, so that she dreads exertion. Becomes pale and easily tired on slight exertion In general, more fatigued morning than evenings In the evening, general feeling of fatigue, which increased to a very distressing degree Lassitude. Great lassitude, etc General lassitude Great lassitude; he had to go home and lie down The slightest paroxysm of pain is accompanied with an excessive sinking of strength, obliging him to lie down He lies down all day He is obliged to keep to his bed Lassitude, so that he could not leave the bed Feeling of strength. Muscular power weakened, so that he could not hold an object after he had taken it Cannot support or lift any rather heavy object without letting it fall Entire loss of strength; cannot speak without great effort Loss of strength Weakness. Debility Great general weakness Excessive weakness Very great weakness. Very marked weakness General debility Extreme debility Great debility, and exhaustion Fits of weakness. Weakness as if he suffered from want of food General weakness, especially in the lower limbs; he is scarcely able to move them. Great weakness, especially in the legs Great weakness; her gait was like one much intoxicated Weakness of the whole body for several days, with weak pulse; he had to lie down His strength fails him more and more Weakness in the muscular system, especially of the lower extremities, so that the gait was uncertain and stumbling Gait shaky and stumbling On attempting to stand, he falls, if not aided Also, when sitting, he holds himself with difficulty; still the extremities can be moved in all directions, though not without effort She was so weak that she had to be led into the room He can scarcely walk He is so weak that he is scarcely able to walk; he feels as if he would fall over So weak that he is scarcely able to walk across the room without sinking down. So weak that he was not able to walk alone, before the vomiting set in He falls down when attempting to walk (having full consciousness) For several days he felt so weak in the morning that he was scarcely able to rise from bed He endeavors to rise, but is unable to sustain himself on his feet. After rising, he fell down on the floor He gets out of bed, falls down, and wounds the occiput When rising from bed, she fell down at once; from weakness and vertigo, and increased headache (He was unable to leave his bed, he felt so trembling and weak.) (* As S. 138. *) General weakness and paresis, which rapidly become paralysis (after one week) He remained very weak for a long time Continued weakness and prostration Constant feeling of extreme weariness Very weary and exhausted. Great weariness after a meal. Great weariness after dinner and excessive yawning General exhaustion. Great exhaustion Frequent feeling of exhaustion Totally exhausted. Prostration Great prostration Nervous prostration. Excessive prostration Remarkable prostration; kneeling on the floor of her room, the head supported on the arms of her brother; she was not able to hold herself up Excessive and most unusual prostration of strength Remarkable prostration and discomfort. Great prostration and bodily weakness, especially after vomiting, which still occurs at intervals A sense of sinking, so that he thought he was dying Condition resembling a mild form of collapse in cholera Nearly collapsed condition with sluggish power of motion, and afterward, almost immobility In a state of collapse; extremities were cold, lips purple, face dusky Great general weakness and irritability Weak in body and soul; he says nothing without being peevish Deathly weariness with face as pale as death He dies with weakness, without vomiting, convulsions or pain Excessive weakness, violent vertigo, continued vomiting and hematuria, followed by death (without agony, fever or pain). FAINTNESS AND SENSIBILITY: Faintness Fainting. Fainted. Attacks of fainting Fainting fits, and others Deep swoon. Excessive swoons Faintness and depression Faint, anxious and weak early in the morning. Faintness when discouraged; her strength returns with her cheerfulness Great faintness and anxiety; she has lost the control of her senses, is scarcely able to attend to things, accompanied with reeling vertigo Frequent fainting fits, with vomiting and weak pulse (after three hours). Sensation of faintness, burning and nausea Faint, when she became cold over the whole body Before death, coma sometimes supervenes, with paralysis, tetanic convulsions, or spasms in the muscles of the extremities The organs of sense are morbidly active Senses morbidly acute, but mental facilities unimpaired Nervousness. Increased sensibility so that the gentle opening and shutting of a door, or accidentally touching the bed clothes, caused the patient to start, and a careless closing of the door drew tears from her, and gave her pain Such a high degree of sensitiveness that a mere draught of air caused cramps and convulsions Sensibility diminished Apparent insensibility to external objects. SENSATIONS: Unusual lightness He felt thick General uneasiness General discomfort Great anxiety in the whole body with cold sweat Obliged to go to bed early in the evening, with general malaise; could not get warm, although the weather was quite mild; had to be covered with bed clothes as if it was winter. General malaise General malaise, followed by vomiting On rising in the morning, general malaise General depression and sick feeling The pains seem intolerable, and drive the patient mad. Pains all over Pains in the whole body, mostly in the evening. A numb pain is perceived in the whole side of the body The paroxysm of pain is frequently accompanied with other symptoms. Frequent return, at regular hours, of the pains and uneasiness, as in fever and ague Return of the same Arsenic symptoms at the same hour, after a period of four days,. (* This recurrence only took place once.” *) There are, at times, remissions or even intermissions in the symptoms, which may lead to a deceptive hope of recovery or (by the recurrence of symptoms) to the erroneous supposition that a fresh quantity of poison had been administered Mustard plasters cause pain, but neither redness nor swelling of the parts where they are applied Burning pains, (and others) Burning pains, especially in the inner organs, skin and ulcers. Burning, corrosive pains Burning pain where applied The burning, stitching, tearing pains, especially in the extremities, affected the patient more, as the energy of the body decreased and sensibility increased Day and night, fearful pains which were generally burning, as when one has been burned, and the injured part is exposed anew to the fire; at times also stitching, and then again gouty tearing, with which, at times, an endless rapid twitching and pulling appeared at one spot In general, the affected limb was constantly twitching Violent pains Violent pains over the whole body, as if he lay on fire or needles; external application of Arsenic Occasional violent pains in different parts of the body, in the knee joint, in the soles of the feet, and in the region of the heart Burning in all the veins, when waking in the night, which happens frequently Pain in the affected part, as if the bone in that part were swollen and excoriated; felt when sitting Sensation as if the whole left half of the body were drawn together Violent anguish, as if everything became constricted, with anxiety in the pit of the stomach. Feeling as if pressed on by a heavy body On awaking, every morning, sharp pains all over the body, and aching pains across the shoulders and back of the neck Sharp pains all over the body, especially in the genitals Fine stitches over the whole body Tearing pains in the bones Ulcerative pain in the affected part as if it had passed into the stage of suppuration and were about to open; felt when sitting Pain in the whole trunk, mostly in the small of the back and especially after riding on horseback (in a practiced rider) Beating in all the limbs and also in the head Pains in the joints.
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.