MANUAL OF THE HOMOEOPATHIC PRACTICE by C.J. HEMPEL.
INTRODUCTION
ACET-ACID.- Vinegar.-An acid peculiar to the vegetable kingdom- Duration of action: primarily from one to twenty-four hours; secondarily (from long continued use,) many months.
COMPARE WITH
Oxalic, Citric, Tartaric and other vegetable acids; also Phos- ac. Sulph-ac., Nitric and Muriatic-ac.
ANTIDOTES
For poisoning Chalk Whiting Magnesia, Soap or Oil, Bicarbonated alkalies, Milk, White of Egg or almost any demulcent. Homoeopathically, China, Nux-v., Coffea., Arsenicum Belladonna
RATIONALE OF ITS ACTION
Acetic acid is a powerful antiseptic being employed as is well known, in pickling, preservation of animal food, and anatomical preparations. LIquid albumen (as the serum of the blood and white of egg) is not coagulated by it, but coagulated albumen is readily dissolved by it, especially with the assistance of heat. Fibrin, as muscle or the crassamentum of blood, is also readily dissolved by it. Casein is coagulated by it, and it dissolves the haematin of the blood. It is a solvent of gelatine. Diluted and mixed with mucus, it will act as a digestive fluid.
Only one fatal case of poisoning with it is on record and in that the patient a girl appeared to be intoxicated, complained of acute pain, and was violently convulsed. Swallowed in a very dilute form, and in moderate doses, it proves refreshing, allays thirst, diminishes preternatural heat, lowers the pulse and augments the urine. In its general effects therefore, it appears to lower the power of life, and to prove mildly antiphlogistic. Its local operation is astringent. When habitually used, it appears to produce a languor of digestion which has been known to be followed by tuberculosis. It is said, in long-continued doses, to induce disease of the gastro-enteric mucous membrane. To these observations it may be added that, according to Hebreart, a small quantity of Acetic-acid, dropped into the wind-pipe, caused hissing respiration, rattling in the throat, and death in three days from true croup. The lining membrane of the windpipe was covered with a fibrinous pseudo-membrane, exactly as after croup.-F.G.S.
INTELLECT
Confusion of ideas; disinclination to exert the mind; slight and transient delirium; diminished intellectual power.
Clinical Remarks
It has proved curative in mania with cerebral excitement; delirium caused by Opium; delirium of typhus; alternate stupor and delirium of typhus.
DISPOSITION
Irritability of temper; nervous and excitable mood.
HEAD.
Giddiness; dull pains in the forehead and vertex; shooting pains through the temples; heaviness of the head, with sense of intoxication; indication of vascular excitement in the brain; distention of the temporal blood-vessels, with increased heat of the head.
Clinical Remarks
It has proved curative of haemorrhage of the nose, arising from determination of blood to the head (used locally as well as internally); headaches from abuse of stimulants, tobacco, coffee, and Opium; affections of the brain dependent on nervous congestion.
SCALP
Clinical Remarks
In tinea-capitis, the local application of the strong acid is recommended by Wigan. The first application is with the acid, diluted with three times its weight of water. On being applied, a number of spots previously looking healthy become red patches; then with a piece of sponge tied to the end of a stick, each spots is to be saturated thoroughly with the strong acid for three or four minutes. A single application is sufficient in the majority of cases. A crusts grows up with the hair, which may be removed as soon as a pair of fine scissors can be introduced beneath it. Erasmus Wilson speaks favorably of a similar mode of treatment repeated once a week.-J.C.P.
EYE.
Clinical Remarks
Particles of lime in the eye are effectually dissolved, and the pain eased by bathing the eye with diluted Vinegar.=-J.C.P.
FACE.
Face pale and waxen; eyes sunken and surrounded by a dark circle.
THROAT
DIPHTHERITIC OR CROUPOUS FALSE MEMBRANE.
Clinical Remarks.
The sore throat of scarlet fever is much benefitted by the application of the steam of warm Vinegar; in quinsy, and almost every form of ulcerated or relaxed sore throat, much relief is obtained by inhaling the vapor of hot Vinegar and water.
APPETITE AND TASTE.
Diminished appetite; tongue pale and flabby; adipsia; vomiting soon after eating.
STOMACH.
When taken daily, in is diluted from and in large dose, s it produces great uneasiness, cramps and colic and gradually destroys so effectually the texture of the stomach, and its digestive functions, as to cause emaciation of the body.
Clinical Remarks.- Dr. Tracy’s (Of Ohio) experience with the vegetable acids, as corrigents of acidity of the stomach, has been considerable; he has prescribed them in a large number of cases, and in nearly all with decided benefit. Dr. Tracy himself was subject to repeated and severe attacks of conjunctivitis, accompanied with acidity of the stomach, which he had attempted to correct by the early and free use of Soda, but in vain. He had for months abstained from the use of acids, but was finally induced to take a glass of lemonade, with great alleviation. The remedy was again and again repeated, and the threatened ophthalmic attacks effectually prevented. Dr. Tracy has fund vegetable acids uniformly and entirely successful in removing the disposition of acidity of the stomach in persons subject to them; and his impression is that, in all such cases, they can be relied upon with more confidence than any other remedies. In cases of acidity from pregnancy, he has found the sub-acid fruit of great service, while those that were tart could not be borne, and mineral acids were decidedly injurious, while the whole range of alkalies and absorbents were of little or no avail. Braithwaite says this may seem a very unscientific (but very homoeopathic) mode of procedure; still facts seem to corroborate the value of the practice in some cases. Dr. Chapman, of Philadelphia, experienced relief from the same remedy. The late Professor Wiston had for a long time in effectually endeavored to relieve on opulent merchant of acidity of the stomach, who was very speedily cured by drinking of sour beer. Dr. Chapman had a most distressing case, which proved utterly intractable during nearly a whole winter, to the regular alkaline remedies, which was cured promptly during the summer by the patient subsisting on the sour pie-cherry. Nor is this the only instance in which Dr. Chapman has heard of cures ascribed to tart and perhaps unripe fruit of several kinds, and one especially by Professor Hodges, to sour or unripe apples; he also attended a case with Dr. R. Rhea Barton, which yielded immediately to wheaten much and Vinegar, largely and eagerly consumed.- J.C.P.
ABDOMEN
Griping pain in the bowels; diarrhoea; tympanitis with difficulty of breathing (from large doses); rumbling in the abdomen.
Clinical Remarks.- DR. Parrot has treated, successfully, diarrhoea accompanying typhus fever with diluted Vinegar; also diarrhoea with pain in the gastric region, rumbling, and delirium; also constipation with tympanitic abdomen and stupor; also griping pain in the abdomen of several years’ standing, with difficulty of breathing, sleeplessness, vomiting after every meal, impaired sight, and irritable mood; also six cases of ascites following intermittent and scarlet fevers.
STOOL
Watery diarrhoea; diarrhoea, with colic pains, and tenderness of the abdomen to the touch; bloody discharges from the bowels.
Clinical Remarks In a paper read before the Epidemicological Society of London, Dr. J.H. Tucker begins by alluding to the remarkable, but well established fact that, in 1849, the cider-districts of Herefordshire, Somersetshire, and part of Devonshire were, to a great extent, from the ravages of cholera, while the disease was raging around. Upon further inquiry, it was ascertained that this exemption was confined a good deal to those individuals who drank cider as a common beverage, and that those who partook of malt liquor occasionally suffered. He also remarks that, in some parts of France and Normally, more particularly where cider is the common beverage, cholera is seldom known to exist. TUCKER also expresses the opinion that other vegetable acids will be found of service, such as lemon-juice (but lemonade often causes griping and diarrhoea), orange juice, and sour wines made from grapes. As it would be quite impossible to supply the world with a sufficient quantity of pure cider, he suggests that Vinegar might be found a useful substitute in case of another outbreak of cholera. He then proceeds to show that acid drinks were not only preventive, but remedial in epidemic disorders of the bowels. Cases are related in which not only were persons exempt from attacks of cholera raging around them, who drank freely of cider, but a case of severe cholera is also related which yielded to the diluted juice of sour apples. He also refers to some established facts connected with the spread of epidemic dysentery in the army, showing the efficacy of vegetable acids in that disease.
