Arsenious acid is triturated with sugar of milk for the lower attenuations. General Sphere of Action. – Arsenic is, above all, a tissue drug, ranking with Phosphorus and Antimony. an irritant poison, it produces most violent gastro-enteritis, with destructive action. It suspends and destroys the glycogenic function of the liver (Phosphorus, Ant.), and causes acute and chronic inflammation of the kidneys (Phosphorus, Mercurius, Plumb.). It irritates the air passages, increases, at first, the secretions and finally paralyzes the pneumogastric. It irritates the heart and finally produces vaso-motor paralysis. The skin is irritated, and violent itching and burning are followed by eruptions and finally ulceration. Glandular action is excited, then diminished. It produces intense irritation of the spine, affects chiefly the gray matter of the chord, and causes persistent hyperaemia and softening, with consequent paralysis. it has a special affinity for the blood-corpuscles, which may be destroyed. It causes general fatty degeneration (Phosphorus). It produces well-marked intermittent fever, with incomplete resolution. General Peculiarities. – The general key is irritability (skin intolerant of scratching, the stomach intolerant of water, though the patient is thirsty). Aggravation shortly after midnight. Profound exhaustion; excessive restlessness. General relief from warmth (Camph.) Allied Drugs. – Antimon., Phosphorus, Mercurius, Plumb., (Zincum met.), Rhus tox; Secale c., Camph., Thea, Colchicum, Veratrum, Tabac., Silicea. Antidotes. – Ferrum, China.
Generalities
Body crouched. Lies crouched in bed, moaning groaning. Gathers himself together in bed, can scarcely move his limbs and is with difficulty awakened from his delirious sopor. Lies on his back, touching the region of coccyx with his heel, while knees are raised and widely apart, suddenly he turns around and takes a different position. Lies on back during sleep with his l. hand under occiput. Screaming frequently from pain. General swelling. Weight increased, with dyspepsia, foul breath and general malaise. Weight increased, then emaciation. Emaciation; with weakness; with dyspepsia, foul breath and general malaise. Weight increased, then emaciation. Emaciation; with weakness; with excessive sweats; with clay-colored face, blue margins around eyes, weakness of limbs and inclination to rest; complexion pale bluish-gray, abdominal walls olive-green, back ecchymosed, mouth and nose covered with scabs, and nearly all the hair fell out; progressive, without loss of appetite. Consumption. Fatal marasmus. Jaundice.
Convulsive; caused by pain in soles; with foam at mouth; with cramps in legs; with horrible distortions of limbs; with unconsciousness, vomiting and colic; then renewed violent vomiting; then dysenteric stools; then violent sweat, then sleep; seemingly from external causes, especially from vexation or other violent mental agitation, an hour before their appearance drawings in limbs, longing to lie down, without finding sleep, when the convulsions came on a sudden jerk through whole body, or coldness running from head, down back like lightning, and at the same moment unconsciousness, stretching and writhing, then drawing together of limbs, especially of arms, at times also convulsive distortion of facial muscles and tetanus, with injury and bleeding of under lip or tongue, but more frequently the spasm rages in the abdomen, which rises and falls rapidly, with rumbling, the rumbling, the attack is generally repeated before return to consciousness, when she calls for water, which renews the convulsions; felt a dart go through her, then became insensible, with lividity of face, foaming at mouth and moaning; on regaining consciousness did not recollect what had happened during her fit; found prone on the floor, body arched in that curve which evinces spasmodic contraction of muscular coat of stomach and intestines, or of diaphragm and anterior abdominal muscles, or of both, convulsions every fifteen or twenty minutes, lasting each time thirty to forty seconds, with wild, staring, bloodshot eyes, imprecations, fearful ravings, between the convulsions prostration, irregular, intermittent and accelerated pulse, during and between the convulsions intense suffering in stomach and abdomen, evinced by pressure on abdomen, forward inclination and anxiety of countenance; arms jerked outward, then unconsciousness, lying like one dead, pale but warm, clenched thumbs, twisted fists, drew up her arms slowly, then lowered them slowly, after ten minutes worked her jaws, breathing imperceptible, in a quarter of an hour the fit ended in a jerk through the whole body, a sort of starting forward of arms and lower limbs, consciousness returned at once, but there was great weakness.
Tetanic spasms; body bent backward and chest distended high up, with miserable wailing. Rigid spasms, with body bent backward. Convulsions in rapid succession, with such stiffness that no joint could be moved, and teeth clenched so as to scarcely permit the escape of the froth and contents of mouth and stomach. Epileptic convulsions in the night, preceded by palpitation, with the fits peculiar trembling of r. arm and lower limb, symptomatic fever, insatiable thirst, white but moist tongue, face flushed, respiration hurried, pulse rapid, irregular, contracted, frequent gripings in bowels, twitchings of chest and abdomen, fits repeated following nights, no sound sleep, if he dozed he woke suddenly and much agitated, pulse rapid, twitches, tremor of r. arm and lower limb, headache, eyes painfully affected by light, and vertigo, which was (<) sitting up in bed or by exertion, afterwards a fit every day about 8 P.M.; on recovering from each fit he looked wild, forgot where he was, talked incoherently, then complained of languor. Fell down senseless, was convulsed, had cramp in limbs and was cold, afterwards limbs cold and bathed in sweat, skin blue and corrugated, feeling as if par-boiled, pulse imperceptible at wrist, pulsation of carotids rapid and fluttering, eyeballs retracted, face livid voice husky and guttural, thirst, distress at epigastrium, frequent vomiting, appearance as in malignant cholera, then cramps and coldness of limbs increased, vision failed, voice faltered, throat became dry, tongue swollen, hiccough, delirium and death.
Hysteria; tossing her arms about unconscious and unable to speak. Hysterical spasms, then exhaustion. Raises herself anxiously, stares, attempts to throw off all the clothing, jumps out of bed, throws about her clenched hands, then sinks down unconscious, with convulsions of arms and legs, toes flexed. While rolling about in bed he screams “I am suffocating,” throws off the cover, opens his mouth wide as if to draw breath, and remains fixed in this condition several seconds.
Twitching; of body and limbs; T. of chest, abdomen and limbs. Inclination to start. Convulsive startings all over body; in sleep. Startings like concussive shocks in the affected part in evening on falling asleep, excited by a slight trouble in a remote part, such as tearing, itching, etc. (Nux vomica). Trembling; in morning; with formication; with sweat on face, convulsive, with coldness and faintness. Grasping head and throat.
Cramps; in legs and stomach, muscles of former spasmodically contracted, abdomen rigid and tender, in intervals of pain eyes half-closed, tongue covered with creamy fur, breath soon became more rapid and difficult, with increasing lividity of face. When on the stool sudden difficulty in breathing, with cramp in chest, hands and arms, then cramp in calves, cold all over body, stiff and helpless, violent vomiting, prostration, countenance anxious and restless, skin cold and clammy, pulse feeble and frequent, eyes sunken, with dark borders, lip and tongue parched, thirst, breathing slow and oppressed, sometimes sighing, burning pain in stomach, (<) pressure, nausea, limbs cold vomiting, with griping and purging, the cramp came on almost every fifteen minutes, the slightest movement seemed to excite the spasm (Nux vomica), vomiting of greenish-yellow fluid at intervals brandy and all warm drinks are rejected, but a little cold water was retained.
Stitches over whole body. Tearing in bones. The burning, stitches tearings, especially in extremities, affected the patient more as the energy of body decreased and sensibility increased. Pain through the whole system; felt at night during sleep; of the affected part waked him from time to time at night, (<) before midnight; at night can only be endured while walking, worse when lying quietly than when sitting; P. (<) evening; (<) after dinner, especially when sitting; (<) being talked to; (<) easy breathing or slight motion; P. (>) external warmth; (>) by pressure; in joints. The paroxysm of pain is frequently accompanied by other minor symptoms. Pain in the joints; in various parts, especially across shoulders, down spine and limbs, also in joints, which were often stiff and swollen; in whole trunk, mostly in small of back, and back, (<) after riding on horseback (in a practised rider). Pain seems intolerable and drives the patient mad. Sharp pains all over body, especially in genitals. sharp pain all over body mornings on waking, with aching across shoulders and back of neck.
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.