Emaciation, excessive thirst, vomiting of food with excessive urine; sometimes tympanites. Diabetes originating in dyspepsia or due to assimilative derangements.
What are the male sexual symptoms of phosphoric acid?
Debility, relaxation or impotence from sexual excesses, frequent weak emissions and dragging pains in the testicles; weakness in back and legs and burning spine; spermatorrhoea.
Does Phosphoric acid have any action on the chest; if so what?
It produces weakness of the chest so that the patient can hardly talk, the weakness causes dyspnoea; cough from tickling in the chest about the ensiform cartilage, worse in the evening on lying down.
SULPHURIC ACID.
Where is the pathogenesis of this remedy?
Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases.
How is it prepared?
One part, by weight, of the pure acid (S.G. 1.843) dissolved in 9 parts, by weight, of distilled water. Drug power, 1/10.
What is the chief action of Sulphuric acid?
It acts especially upon mucus tissues, alimentary canal and the respiratory tract.
What are the stomach characteristics?
Extreme sourness of all vomited matters; the stomach feels cold and relaxed, and the patient desires stimulating drink, such as brandy; the stomach is so weak that all food is vomited. Stomach troubles of inebriates with these symptoms are greatly benefited by the remedy.
How does the debility of the remedy show itself?
As a tremor; there is a sense of tremor accompanied by objective trembling; it is a debility which occurs at the change of life or in drunkards.
What peculiar symptom has Sulphuric acid about the face?
A sensation as if the white of an egg had dried on the face.
How is the appearance of the throat?
There is a white membrane in the throat; and it looks as if it were white washed.
ACETIC ACID.
How is Acetic acid prepared?
One part of pure Glacial Acetic acid dissolved in 9 parts of distilled water. Drug power, 1/10.
What are our principal uses of Acetic acid?
In dropsies, standing midway between Arsenic and Apis, distinguished from both in the characteristic thirst, and the predominance of the gastric symptoms. Dropsies about lower limbs and abdomen with waxen emaciated, alabaster skin and great debility.
when should we think of this remedy?
When the patient is passing large quantities of pale urine accompanied by intense thirst, dry, hot-skin and great debility.
How is Hydrocyanic acid prepared?
The official Hydrocyanic acid is mixed with equal parts of distilled water. Drug power, 1/100.
Give the principal homoeopathic indications for Hydrocyanic acid.
In convulsions simulating epilepsy, tetanus, with stiffness about the jaws and neck; another symptom indicating its use is a gurgling which extends from the throat to the stomach when swallowing. It suits especially recent cases. It has also been used in the dry, hacking cough of consumptives.
What drug does this last symptom suggest?
Laurocerasus which probably contains Hydrocyanic acid.
PICRIC ACID.
Where are data concerning Picric acid to be found?
In Allen’s Encyclopaedia; N.Y. Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. II; North Am. Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXIII; Am. Hom. Observer, Vol. XIV; see, also, Homoeopathic Times, April, July, 1878.
What is Picric acid?
It is an organic acid compound of Nitric acid and a member of the Phenol series.
How is it prepared?
One part, by weight, dissolved in 99 parts of distilled water. Drug power, 1/100. Triturations of the pure acid.
What is its general action?
It corresponds in general to symptoms of neurasthenia or brain fag. It also has a marked action on the sexual organs. Its power of disintegrating the blood, and of destroying the properties of the red blood corpuscles alleged by its chief prover has been disputed.
Give its indications in neurasthenia.
Depression and weariness from slight fatigue, a mental inactivity with indifference and a desire to lie down and rest; brain fag; the grand characteristic is that the slightest exertion brings on speedy exhaustion, and extinguishes that quality which we call grit.
What are the sexual symptoms of Picric acid?
Excitement, priapism and profuse emissions, erections very violent, legs are heavy; there is prostration from least exertion; erections keep the patient awake at night. The higher potencies are better than the lower here.
How is Salicylic acid prepared?
By trituration.
Give a few indications for Salicylic acid.
Dyspepsia with excessive accumulation of flatulence and acidity of the stomach; much belching of gas. Burning canker sores in the mouth, Meniere’s disease, vertigo, roaring in ears and deafness.
OXALIC ACID.
Where is the original pathogenesis found?
Materia Medica of American Provings.
What is the backache of Oxalic acid?
Acute pain in the back extending down the thighs, relieved by change of posture, the back feels too weak to support the body, the pains are worse when thinking of them. Symptoms intermit. Multiple sclerosis with lancinating pains like electric shocks, tremor of limbs, or for the fulgurating pains of posterior spinal sclerosis. There are numb sensations.
How does Picric acid compare here?
Under Picric acid the sensations in the limbs is one of heaviness rather than of numbness.
Give three other indications for Oxalic acid.
1. Pain in spots over the body.
2. Neuralgia of the spermatic cord, worse from motion.
3. Excessive hyperaesthesia of the retina.
BENZOIC ACID.
Where are data found concerning Benzoic acid?
Materia Medica of American Provings; Grauvogl’s Text-book of Homoeopathy.
How is it prepared?
One part dissolved in nine parts of alcohol. Drug power, 1/10. Also triturations.
Give the urinary symptoms of Benzoic acid.
Irritable bladder, with dribbling of strong-smelling urine; it is high colored and of a very offensive ammoniacal odor, like that of the horse.
What are the symptoms indicating Benzoic acid in rheumatism?
Pain in the small joints, with this strong smelling urine; gouty nodosities; weeping sinews.
Give an indication for Carbolic acid.
Flatulence of the aged depending upon imperfect disgestion; acidity and burning in the stomach.
How is Lactic acid prepared?
One part of pure acid dissolved in 99 parts of alcohol.
Give indications for Lactic acid in diabetes.
Urinates copiously and freely. Saccharine urine, great thirst, nausea, debility, voracious appetite and constipation. The gastro-hepatic variety is especially benefited by Lactic acid.
ARSENICUM ALBUM.
Give references for Arsenicum.
Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura; Chronic Diseases; British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vols. III and IV.
What preparation of Arsenic do we use?
It is the Arsenious acid, from which we make triturations.
How is our tincture made?
One part of the pure vitreous acid, finely powdered, is boiled to a complete solution in 60 parts of distilled water and filtered. The filtrate is increased to 90 parts by the addition of distilled water and then 10 parts of 95 percent alcohol are added. Drug power, 1/100.
What is Fowler’s solution?
It is made by dissolving equal parts of Arsenious acid and Carbonate of Potash in boiling distilled water, with the addition of a little compound spirit of Lavender, to give color and flavor. It contains four grains to the ounce; the dose is from two to five drops. Another preparation is “Donovan’s Solution,” which is also called Liquor Arsenii et Hydrargyri Iodidi.
What are some of the principal features of Arsenical poisoning?
Intense irritation of mucous membranes, violent burning, vomiting and diarrhoea, with great prostration. The burning extends throughout the alimentary tract; there is great thirst; the features are sunken; the stools are bloody and accompanied with tenesmus.
What is an antidote to Arsenic poisoning?
Hydrated Peroxide of Iron, in tablespoonful doses every five or ten minutes; is the most effective antidote to poisoning by Arsenic. Emetics should also be used.
What is the general homoeopathic applicability of Arsenicum?
Destructive inflammations of mucous membranes; oedematous effusions; fatty degenerations; various forms of skin affections; kidneys affections and nervous diseases of various kinds are met by this remedy.
Give seven grand characteristics of Arsenicum.
1. Periodicity. The great periodic.
2. Weakness and prostration after the slightest exertion.
3. Malignity of symptoms.
4. Restlessness and anguish.
5. Burning everywhere.
6. Pains, worse at rest, at night and increased by cold.
7. Unquenchable thirst for small quantities of water and very often.
What are the mental symptoms?
Great restlessness and fear of death; delirium, with tendency to suicide; weakness of memory.
How does the restlessness of Rhus tox. differ?
It is to relieve pain, not an anxious restlessness.
What is the time of general aggravation of Arsenic?
At night, just after midnight.
What are the indications for Arsenicum in cold in the head?
In winter colds with a thin, watery discharge from the nose, which excoriates the upper lip, yet in spite of this the nose feels stopped up; there is frontal headache and photophobia, and great sneezing, and the sneezing does not relieve in the slightest; the patient is worse on going into the open air; the burning, however, is worse near the fire, and the open air.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.