(Copperhead)
Bulletin No. 24 of National Museum gives check list of North American reptilia Ancistrodon Contortrix. Dr. Albert Ginther, who furnished the article for The Encyclopedia Britannica, calls the “Copperhead” Cenchris-Contortrix, and considers it very similar to the Trigonocephalus family, but smaller in size, generally found near the watercourses, closely related to the Cenchris Piscivarus, which is the water-snake or crater-moccasin.
The Cenchris family belongs to the temperate parts of North America, and its venom is of a deadly nature.
PROVERS
No. 1. Mrs. K., 6th potency, one dose only.
No. 2. Dr. Mary S., 6th potency, one dose only.
No. 3. Dr. Eliza M., 6th potency, one dose only.
No. 4. J. A. T., 6th potency, one dose only.
No. 5. Dr. Mary S., 2nd proving, 10m.
No. 6. Dr. Eliza M., 2d proving, 10m, one dose.
No. 7. Geo. W. S., 6th and 30th potencies.
MIND-Loss of memory. Feeling of intoxication. Anxiety, with a feeling that she will die suddenly1 (8th day, lasting many days). The horrors of the dreams of the previous night seemed to follow her1 (8th day). She could not banish the horrors of her dreams1 (9th day). Instantly after lying down at night she was seized with a horrible, sickening anxiety, all over the body, but most at the heart and through the chest, exclaiming, “I shall die! I shall die 1” This soon passed into profound sleep, which was not interrupted until morning, but full of horrible dreams. Afternoon and evening thinks her family plotting to place her in an insane asylum (this lasted four afternoons and ended fourteenth day of proving). Suspicious of everybody. Melancholy (old symptoms worse). No inclination to attend to her usual duties, which are pleasant3. Angry when disturbed3. Not able to rest in bed, must walk, the floor to ease mind3. Wants to be alone3 (4th day). Nervous and irritable (14th day). Catch myself staring into space and forget what people are saying to me, or that there is any one in the room2. (4th day). Inability to concentrate mind2 (4th day, 6th and 10m.). Absent minded2 (two provers, 5th, 6th and 10m.). Dreamy, absent minded, took wrong car without realizing where he was going. Misdirected letters2 (13th day, 6th and 10m.). Very gloomy and discouraged3 (7th day) – So absent minded and stupid that I tremble and shiver, and my teeth chatter for some time before I begin to realize that I feel cold5 (3rd day). Foreboding, gloomy without cause, frequent sighing2 (21st day, 6th and 10m.). Crying and very frequent sighing, as if very sad2 (many days, 6th and 10m.). Lack of determination and snap, have to use all my reserve mental force to make myself get up and go out5 (many days). Painful procrastination, indecision5. Time passes too slowly, seems to drag along. I am longing to go, yet I cannot tear myself out of my chair and move along. When at last I do pick up enough determination to go, I go very suddenly. Feel hard and uncharitable5 (8th day). Selfish, envious, easily slighted. Transient attacks of anger 6 P.M5 (9th day, 6 P.M. and 8:30 P.M. 14th day, and 6:30 P.M. 17th). Longing for the woods so intense I wandered out to the park alone5 (2d day). Great depression and gloomy foreboding followed by great hilarity5 (9th day). Alternation of opposite moods and desires5 (9th day).
SENSORIUM–Sensation of intoxication in evening3 (2d day). Sensation of intoxication came on at 4 P.M., lasting 3 hours, feeling as if I would fall; unable to walk in a direct line; go from side to side of pavement3 (2d day). Same symptoms 4 P.M. 3d day. Same symptom 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. 4th day, and came every day for 4 weeks). Vertigo, coming and going, with no inclination to attend to her usual duties that are very pleasant; nervous and tired all the time3 (6th day). Vertigo. Angry when disturbed3. (6th day). Compelled to lie all afternoon. So dizzy (9th day). Vertigo very bad from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M.3 (2d to 10 and 11th day). When riding in the car, she rode by the place she intended to get off at3. Her mind is all a blank for ten minutes, but people did not observe anything wrong with her appearance. Dreamy feeling2 (6th day). Fainting spells.
INNER HEAD—Sensation of fullness about the head1. (18th day). Dull, aching pain in the forehead, which finally extended to the occiput, leaving forehead1. (Ist day), Feeling as if all the blood in the body rushed to the head1. (8th day). Violent headache in both temples in forenoon; could not stand any warmth in the room; lips dry and parched1. (13th day). Headache in both temples on rising, passing off after breakfast3.(4th day). Headache in temples; passes off after eating3. Headache, not defined, with disgust for food3. Aching in the frontal sinuses, nose, and throat, as though she had taken a severe cold, but no discharge of mucus2. (4th day). Dull ache in the occiput2. (4th day). Dull aching in the frontal eminence2. (4th and 8th days). Dull ache in left frontal eminence5. (7th day). Hard, aching pain commenced in left frontal eminence and spread down left side to teeth, then spread to right frontal eminence, then to teeth on right side5 (16th day). Hard pain over left eye5.(9th day). Dull frontal headache during menstruation 2 (23d day). Dull throbbing in vertex2 (18th, 19th and 20th days).
OUTER HEAD-Sore feeling in the scalp after the headache passed away1. (2d day). Itching of scalp, better by scratching 2 (1st and 6th day-6th and 10m.). Transient sensation of prickling in the scalp, like a gentle current of electricity5. (4th day. One large, dry, scabby pimple on scalp, long and narrow, oval shaped 5 (12th day).
SIGHT AND EYES– Eyes ache, and there is dimness of vision. Lachrymation from left eye; left eyelid red on edges 2 (7th day). Twitching in left eyelid2. (17th day). Dull ache in eyes, with sense of weakness5. (16th day). Itching of eyes; begins in left eye and extends to right1.(17th day). Margins of eyelids red, especially at night-5 (many days).
HEARING AND EARS-Itching of ears at night3. (an old symptom not had for a year; 5th day). Itching of ears during the day3. (7th day). Burning of left car 2 (1st and 7th days; many days 6th and 10m.). Dull pain in and around the left ear (6th day).
SMELL AND NOSE-Sickening odor in the nose (1st day). Copious flow of mucus, thin and watery. Copious flow of mucus. Coryza. Cold noses (several days). Cold nose, (6th day, evening 7 P.M.). Aching in throat and nose, tickling sensation in nose, as though discharge would flow, but very little discharge when blowing it2 (5th and 6th days). Aching in left side of nose as though in the bones, with dull headache 2 (7th day). Sneezing occasionally and eyes filled with water2.(6th and 8th days). Sneezing in morning when waking2. (day-6th and many days). Sneezing violently on awaking in the morning 2 (6th and 8th days). Tingling from left nostril to left eye (lachrymal canal). Slight discharge of water from left eye, sensation of weakness in the eye2. (6th day. Nose burning sensation inside as though full of pepper2. (7th day). Nostrils sore, worse left side2. (7th day). Discharge of yellow mucus, sometimes tinged with blood 2 (7th and 9th days). Discharge of mucus from nose, varying from cream to amber color, specked with blood’ (8th day). Cannot breathe through the nose2. (8th day-6th and 10m.; many days). Impossible to breathe through the nose2. (9th, 10th, 11th days). Scabs in the nose, lasting many days 2 (10th day-6th and 10m.). Dry mucus in nose, cannot breathe through it2 (13th day). Slight tingling in left nostril5. (4th day).
FACE– Flushes of heat about the face and head1. (1st day). Bloating of face, as if intoxicated1 (9th day). Bloating above and below eyes1 (9th day). Besotted countenance. Mottled skin; purple, deep, dark red face. Dry parched lips in evening, with fever that began at 3 P.M., (10th day). Swelling above eyes, below brow1 (like Kali carb. 12th day). She can see the water bag that fills the upper lid’ (12th day). Baggy swelling under eyes5 (many days). Face pale all through the proving3. Flushing and burning of face 2 (1st day). Great burning of the face, worse at night2 (6th and 7th day). Cheeks began to get red and hot about 2 P.M.; keep growing hotter and redder until she goes to sleep at 10 P.M.; became dark red like erysipelas2 (9th day). Woe-begone expression of face2 (12th day). Burning face, 2 P.M. 2 (16th day). Burning begins in left cheek and ear, spreads to right cheek 6:30 P.M., (2d day). Blue circles under eyes’ (all through the proving). Face sallow5. Very small red pimples in little clusters, between the eyes and on the upper lips (15th day). Same tiny pimples on end of nose5 (16th day). Formication on left cheek, like crawling of a fly, also on septum of nose5 (8th day).
LOWER FACE–Lips cracked and hot. Face chapped, dreads washing it 2 (18th day- 6th and 10m.).
TEETH AND Gums–Aching through jaws after lying down at night, lasting until after midnight1 (12th day). Teeth ache from hot or cold drinks 5 (12th day). Teeth feel edgy, can feel that I have teeth 5 (12th day). Dull ache in right upper teeth when eating 5 (19th day).
In 1881, Kent accepted a position as professor of anatomy at the Homeopathic College of Missouri, an institution with which he remained affiliated until 1888. In 1890, Kent moved to Pennsylvania to take a position as Dean of Professors at the Post-Graduate Homeopathic Medical School of Philadelphia. In 1897 Kent published his magnum opus, Repertory of the Homœopathic Materia Medica. Kent moved to Chicago in 1903, where he taught at Hahnemann Medical College.