Heart and Pulse
Precordia. She got asleep, lying on the left side, and awakened once in the night with a dull pain in the region of the heart, which passed away when she lay upon the back (first night).Constant pain in the region of the heart (eighteenth day). Pain in the apex of the heart; she had something similar five or six years ago, but was then much more seriously affected. During the later part of the proving, while having the pains in the heart, she had a great disposition to bend forward, even so as to lie upon the face without being able to go to sleep in this position, or without experiencing any relief from it. Heart’s Action.Palpitation of the heart and general throbbing through the whole body, with fullness of the pulse; after it had lasted an hour, copious sweat for an hour and a half. Pulse. Pulse more frequent, with the nausea.
Neck and Back.
Neck. With the pain above the eye, a sensation not easy to describe; along the left side of the neck, as if the blood there had suddenly been retained in one of the large veins, or had streamed backwards (tenth day). Sensation of numbness in the nape and occiput. When lying on the left ear, a kind of sharp pressing pain from the neck into the left ear. Back. Whenever she has no pain there is a sensation of weakness in the back, the whole day (ninth day). The pains in the back and chest are quite unusual; they were so continuous and so violent that the prover was compelled, by reason of them, to remain at home in the afternoon (eleventh day). Dorsal. During the second month of the proving, the spine, from the last cervical to about the fifth dorsal vertebra, became very sensitive, and the seat of a peculiar sense of irritation, which made the prover dread having the part touched or even approached; this dread was disproportion ed to the actual sensibility of the part when pressed or rudely touched, for this sensibility was not really very great; from the vertebrae above mentioned, a peculiar irritation seemed to radiate upwards into the neck outwards into the shoulder, and forwards through the thorax to the sternum; the distress caused by this sensation was aggravated by fatigue, but only partially relieved by repose; it was great and very annoy-ing, and lasted, as I remember, nearly two months. Drawing and dull pressure at the right scapula; soon afterwards also upon the left (first day). Dull pain in the middle of the back between the shoulders.Sacral. Pain in the back at the upper end of the sacrum, which extended upward (eighth day). Pain in the sacrum, worse on stooping or when rising from a sitting or recumbent posture; the pain passes down in the right thigh in the direction of the sciatic nerve; it is therefore, almost impossible for him to press when at stool; the pain in the sacrum and in the sacral ligaments was sometimes, when moving, like a stab with a knife.Early in the morning painful pressure or pain, as if beaten in the os sacrum, worse when stooping, but not ceasing on getting up again; it extends after a time into the renal region, abating by walking in the open air, but returning after a short time when sitting (fourth day). The pain in the sacrum begins again when standing in a stooping posture; is better when walking; worse when lying on the back; but when lying on the left side, it is worse towards the right (fifth day). The pressing, across the sacrum comes again immediately on stooping, and becomes almost intolerable when the stooping posture is persisted in; the pains in the sacrum and leg cease by motion in the open air; increased when pressing at stool; also, when coughing and laughing, the pain then extends from the sacral plexus through the large foramen ischiaticum, along the great sciatic nerve down into the thigh; worse on the right side (sixth day). On pressing to stool, on coughing and on laughing, aggravation of the pain in the sacrum, extending into the right thigh (eighth day).
Extremities
After supper he took a walk; on returning to the house his knees, hips, and elbows, and shoulder-joints were as if sprained and beaten.
Superior Extremities.
At the anterior margin of the left axillary cavity, a sensation as if it were thicker, as if there was a round tumor internally, and painful on pressure and by motion; it went away without becoming a boil (fifth and sixth days). Sometimes tearing pains towards the elbow, and in the palm of the head towards the elbow, and in the palm of the hand towards the thumb-joint (first day).Drawing, cramp like pain, apparently in the supinator longus of the left arm, just below the bend of the elbow, lasting half an hour (after fifteen minutes). In the left forearm and hand heaviness and sensation of numbness, about 10 P.M. (fifth day).Sensation, as if the skin of the hands, especially of the right hand, were contracted, from the tips of the fingers downwards, so that it seems as if, on extending the fingers, one must stretch the skin forcibly; at the same time in the ends of the fingers a king of sensation, as if dead (first day). Unpleasant drawing in the right hand, later involving the whole forearm (first day).
Soon, violent pressing pain through the metacarpal bone of the right fourth finger, beginning scarcely a minute later and increasing. Rheumatic pain in the right little finger (excepting last joint), increased by strong pressure or movement of finger (fifteenth and sixteenth days). Pain in the first phalanx of the little finger of the left hand, as if he had fallen upon it; on touch and pressure no sore spot can be discovered; on moving it, it is painful (eleventh day).
Inferior Extremities.
Dull pain, deep internally in the whole length of the right thigh; uninfluenced by change of position (after one hour). The left thigh upon which she lay became numb, and her feet cold (after four weeks). Very tired in the knees and lower legs; worse on the right side; the whole evening drawing in the right leg posteriorly from the right posterior superior spinous process down the calf; worse in the knee holder; the drawing in the right leg and tiredness after lying down (11.30 P.M.) are so hard, that for awhile it prevents him from getting asleep, and compels him to frequently turn and twist; the sleep is good, with amelioration of all the pains (fifth day). At the outside of the right knee anteriorly, a burning aching (after eighteen minutes).Pain in the right shin (eleventh day). Pain in the right metatarsal bone, as if the bone were pressed (after half an hour, and second day). A sharp pain passed quickly over the toes of the right foot, then into the heel (after one hour).
Generalities
Evolution of such a persistent odor, that for the remainder of the session, the patient had to sit apart from his fellow- students. Restlessness. In the morning, after deep sleep, with bad dreams, he felt heavy and dull. Lassitude and weakness, then pains in the elbows, ankles, and various parts, sharp and quick.Feels strange and singular in his whole body, but cannot describe the sensation (after three-quarters of an hour). The “first right, then left,” was exhibited in several pains, which, however, were so fugitive and indistinct, for example, in the right side and shoulder, that he recorded nothing of them.Aching pains all over body, especially in the limbs and scapulae; worse on right side; worse on waking (fifteenth and sixteenth days). Walked to-day eight or nine miles, and felt the effects so sensibly that she stopped taking the Tellurium until the fatigue should have passed over (second day); she felt the effects of the walk more particularly in the shape of a sticking pain through both temples, a pain from hip to hip, and in both acetabula, for a whole day (third day). At 9 A.M. pains above the right eye after going out; the pain goes towards the temple; then in the flanks below the ribs, then in the right side of the pelvis, the right shin, then over the left eye, left ear, then into the right eye; at the same time she is chilly (twelfth day). The parts which had been attacked with pains, now pain as if beaten or sore (thirteenth day). The symptoms, especially the attacks which compelled her to lie down, were more violent the first Tuesday after taking the medicine, came again the two following Tuesdays, but with less violence. The fourth Tuesday she was quite free, but they came again on Thursday, and somewhat changed.
Skin
About fifteen or twenty days after the first dose, the left ear began to itch, burn, and swell; there were aching and throbbing pains in the external meatus, and, in the course of three or four days, there was a copious watery discharge from the ear, smelling like fish-pickle; this discharge was acrid and caused a vesicular eruption on the lower lappet of the ear and on the neck, wherever it touched the skin; the inflammation of the ear generally was nor vesicular; the color was a bluish red, and the ear had the appearance of being infiltrated with water; this eruption which was very trouble some from its itching and burning, and from the copious, offensive, and acrid discharge, lasted for a long time; if memory be not in error, nearly three months. Pimples on the face (second day). Little stinging prickings in various parts of the skin of the whole body, continuing all the afternoon and evening, and forcing me instantly to rub the spot (first day); came on again like flea- bites here and there, and lasted all day (second day); this pricking continued very troublesome at times, principally when at rest, for several weeks, but gradually subsided. A little spot of herpes circinatus made its appearance a few days since on the forehead, perpendicularly above the external canthus of the right eye, and about half an inch above the eyebrow; I do not remember ever before to have had an eruption of the kind; it was at first a little cluster of globular vesicles, on an inflamed base, which dried into thin scales and spread by the circumference; it itches and pricks slightly. The herpetic spot is now circular, about half an inch in diameter, and consists of an elevated ring of vesicles, some larger than others, on an inflamed base, inclosing a depressed area of the skin, which desquamates, but contains no vesicles; it continues to itch slightly, and to furnish successive crops of thin white scales (eighteenth day). The troublesome stinging became very annoying the whole of the evening of this day, when sitting still, wandering all over the body. A herpetic spot, similar to the one on the forehead, has made its appearance on the left side, midway between the ribs and the crest of the ilium, accompanied by very troublesome itching, which changes into smarting on being rubbed; it forms about three-quarters of a circle, and is rather irregular; there are indications of another spot just above it (nineteenth day). For the last week the stinging in the skin has been much less, but is succeeded by a constant itching of the scalp, which requires continual scratching; the itching is apparently due to an eruption of little fine vesicles upon a slightly-inflamed base, which, after remaining a few days, dry up and fall off in little white scales; they are most plentiful on the occipital scalp, on the nape in the borders of the hair, and on the posterior surface of the auricles; this itching has been constant and very annoying for a week, and bids fair to continue; the spot on the forehead is breaking up, there being several gaps in the ring, which is now three-quarters of an inch in diameter; just above it another spot has appeared, precisely similar, but smaller (forty-third day). The eruption has nearly disappeared from the head, and the itching has ceased almost entirely; the spot on the forehead is no longer to be discerned, the skin being scarcely reddened where it existed; the new one is slightly increasing, and forms about two-thirds of a circle, but is not as vigorous as its predecessor; the spots on the side have disappeared; I still have occasional stingings in the skin, but rarely (forty-ninth day).The spots have all gone, and I have no further symptoms (fifty- sixth day). After a few days, an eruption; small red papules, which itch very much, on the abdomen, on the inside f the thighs, and on the perinaeum; the itching is worse in cold weather. In the afternoon, a prickling itching at the scrotum; worse on the right side; then on the inside of the left thigh, high up; then low on the right side of the abdomen; then on the left side; later between the buttocks (second day). after two or three days an eruption makes its appearance, such as he had never had; small red pimples, very bright red and very sharply defined, with minute vesicles upon them, first on the lower extremities, then also upon the upper, most on the left side; they began first on the outside of the calves, and then on the inside of the forearms, above the wrist, and spread from that point, caused very severe itching, day and night, but worst at night after going to bed. After about five days, there appeared on the left hand small red points, shining though the skin, which sometimes itch; the feet also itch, especially the left one, as though there were some heat-vesicles there; after the lapse of several days, there appeared, first on the calves, and then extending up to the thighs, similar small red isolated points, which itch, like those on the hand; the itching is especially in those spots where the skin perspires most; the abdomen seems not to be affected; but after a few days, a number of similar pimples, itching like the others, appear in the epigastrium; on rubbing the parts that itch, these points become more visible; the itching is not unlike that caused by bed-bugs; from the epigastrium the eruption ex-tends towards the left nipple, and lingers here as well as the epigastrium longer than on the before-mentioned localities, and it finally turns towards the left axilla; at the same time also it itches in various parts of the back; meanwhile a spot is remarked on the right side f the forehead, which is sore when pressed upon, as if a blow had once been received there, which he does not remember to have been the case, neither is there any red or blue spot to be seen; the itching now begins at the head, only at the posterior and superior parts, not towards the anterior part; the itching at the head lasts about fourteen days.
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.