Synonym. Sesqui-carbonate of Ammonia. Common names. Smelling Salts. Sal Volatile. Preparation. One part dissolves in nine parts of water corresponds to the 1x dilution, after which use alcohol. Triturations are unreliable on account of the great volatility of the drug.
GENERAL ANALYSIS.
This drug exerts its most powerful influence upon the blood, producing liquefaction, destruction of the blood globules, and promoting putrefaction, as a result, giving rise to haemorrhages and great exhaustion. It also, through the ganglionic nervous system, without affecting the brain, produces a temporarily increased activity of the heart and arteries, and, to a limited degree, augments the activity of nearly every organ of the body. The gastro-intestinal and respiratory mucous linings become congested and inflamed to an intense degree, which is the most important local action of the drug.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.
Mind. Listlessness and lethargy; utter dejection of mind. Forgetful; makes mistakes in writing and speaking.
Head. Heaviness and beating in the forehead after dinner. Sense of oppressive fullness in the forehead and vertex, as if t he head would burst (Aconite, Bryonia, Natr. mur.). Feeling of lightness in the head. Congestion of blood to the head at night, and when awakening; heat of the face. Pulsating, beating, and pressing in forehead, as if it would burst; worse after eating; while walking in open air; better from pressure; in warm room. Severe itching of the scalp.
Ears. Buzzing before the ears.
Nose. Nosebleed. (Aconite, Belladonna, Bryonia) when washing face in the morning. An acrid fluid runs from the nose (Aralia, Arsenicum, Arum., Cepa). Burning water runs from the nose. Coryza; during menses; dry, worse at night, nose stopped up, fluent. Stoppage, mostly at night; must breathe through the mouth (Natr. ars., Nux v.); without any cold. When stooping blood rushes to the tip of the nose.
Face. Heat in the face during mental exertion; also during and after dinner.
Mouth. Toothache as soon as she gets into bed in evening. The teeth are painful on biting together; feel elongated. (Carb. an., Nitr. ac., Mercurius). Vesicles on the tongue. Much saliva, must be rejected. Sourish and metallic taste of food.
Throat. Burning in the throat down to the oesophagus, as from alcohol. Roughness and scraping in the throat (Carb. v., Causticum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Rumex). Pain in the throat during deglutition, as if the right tonsil were swollen. Putrid sore throat; gangrenous ulceration of tonsils. (Ailanth., Baptisia, Acid Muriaticum); scarlatina. Diphtheria; nose stopped up; child starts from sleep, cannot get its breath.
Stomach. Pressure in the stomach after eating or at night. Nausea after eating. Painfulness of stomach when pressed upon. Violent hunger and appetite, yet a little food satiates. Eructations; empty; imperfect or suppressed. Stomach feels full; trembling. Heat in stomach, spreading through the bowels.
Abdomen. Elastic swelling in groin, evenings; bruised pain therein. Much flatus in the evening.
Stool and anus. Haemorrhoids protrude. Itching of the anus. Loose stool, preceded and followed by cutting in the abdomen. Discharge of blood during and after the evacuation. Stools retarded and hard; later, soft stools.
Urinary Organs. Violent tenesmus of the bladder. Involuntary urination during sleep.
Male Organs. Forcing or choking pain in testicles and spermatic cords.
Female Organs. Swelling, itching, and burning of the pudendum (Arsenicum, Cantharis, Kreosotum, Mercurius, Sulphur). Menses too early and too abundant (Aloe, Calcarea c. Nux v.). Menses very copious, especially at night, and when sitting and driving. Cholera-like symptoms at the commencement of menses. Menstrual blood blackish, in clots (Croc., Cyclamen, Ignatia, Platina); acrid, makes thighs sore (Sulphur) Great fatigue of the whole body during the menses (Carb. an., Coccul.). especially of thighs, with yawning, toothache, pain in small of back and loins, and chilliness. Acrid corrosive leucorrhoea.
Respiratory Organs. Accumulation of mucus in the larynx, then rough voice. Hoarseness. Great oppression of breathing, especially in going up even a few steps (Aconite, Arsenicum, Cact., c.). Asphyxia imminent in the course of disease. Dry cough, especially at night, as from particles of dust in the throat. Violent cough every morning at three or four o’clock (Drosera, Kali carb.). Short asthmatic cough from irritation in larynx, with painful sensation of spasmodic contraction of the chest. Stitches in right chest when stooping.
Heart. Audible palpitation, with attack of great anxiety, as if dying; cold sweat; unable to speak; loud, difficult breathing, and trembling of hands. Pulse quick.
Upper Limbs. Cramp in the right arm, drawing it backward. Right arm feels very heavy and without strength. Inflammation of finger ends, whitlow.
Lower Limbs. Restlessness in the legs. Cold feet, particularly when going to bed. The great toe becomes red, swollen, and painful, particularly in the evening in bed, and the whole foot swells.
Generalities. Tired and weary all day. Extreme sensitiveness to open air (Coccul., Sepia, Silicea). Right side of body affected more than the left. Tendency to gangrenous degeneration of parts.
Skin. Violent itching; after scratching burning blisters appear. Upper part of the body red as scarlet (Belladonna). Desquamation.
Sleep. Frequent violent starting out of sleep, with great fear afterward (Aconite, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Hyoscyamus). Nightmare every night. Somnolence, with blood over carbonized.
Fever. Chilliness in the evening. Sweat daily in the morning.
Conditions. Especially suited to weak, nervous persons of a lymphatic or venous temperament. Delicate women who must always have a smelling bottle at hand. Scrofulous children; old people.
Compare. Apis, Ammonium mur., Belladonna, Camph., Kali carb., Lachesis, Hep-s., Phosphorus
Antidotes. Arnica, Camph., Hepar s. To large doses: vegetable acids; fixed oils, as castor, linseed, almond, and olive.
THERAPEUTICS.
Ammonium carb. is an excellent remedy in Scarlatina, as its pathogenesis indicates. it is especially useful when the disease is of a malignant type, with somnolence; dark red or putrid sore throat; parotitis; external throat swollen; stertorous breathing; involuntary stools with excessive vomiting; body red, with miliary rash, or faintly developed eruptions; threatened paralysis of brain. The drug is also useful in uraemia, with somewhat similar symptoms arising from the blood poisoning, especially somnolence and cyanosis. It is often indicated in erysipelas, especially of old people when cerebral symptoms are developed; while the eruption is still out; debility and soreness on the whole body; tendency to gangrenous destruction. Sometimes useful in cerebro-spinal meningitis where there is a stupid, somnolent condition, weak pulse and cyanosis. In dilatation of the heart with dyspnoea, palpitation and more or less cyanosis. In softening of the brain with the characteristic indications. In affections of the air passages Ammonium carb. is an invaluable remedy. In nasal catarrhal, and acute coryza, with stoppage of the nose, excoriating discharge, and rawness and burning along the trachea. Will often abort a recent cold. Chronic cough of old people, chronic bronchitis, especially of old people, and when associated with emphysema. It is indicated in pneumonia when there is great debility, with symptoms pointing to the formation of a heart clot. It is an excellent remedy in asthma and hydrothorax where the characteristic i indications are present. It has been used successfully in angina pectoris, also to counteract poisoning by the fumes of charcoal. Catarrhal leucorrhoea. Menorrhagia. Hysteria. Haemorrhages, especially under the skin with general anaemia and prostration. Collapse after intestinal haemorrhage. Muscular asthenopia from prolonged use of the eyes, with appearance of yellow spots on looking at white objects (Allen). Scorbutic affections. Whitlow. Sprains when the joint is hot and painful. An excellent remedy applied locally for the sting of insects.
ALLEN CORSON COWPERTHWAITE was born at Cape May, New Jersey, May 3, 1848, son of Joseph C. and Deborah (Godfrey) Cowperthwaite. He attended medical lectures at the University of Iowa in 1867-1868, and was graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia in 1869. He practiced his profession first in Illinois, and then in Nebraska. In 1877 he became Dean and Professor of Materia Medica in the recently organized Homeopathic Department of the State University of Iowa, holding the position till 1892. In 1884 he accepted the chair of Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Clinical Medicine in the Homeopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan. He removed to Chicago in 1892, and became Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics in the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College. From 1901 he also served as president of that College. He is the author of various works, notably "Insanity in its Medico-Legal Relations" (1876), "A Textbook of Materia Medica and Therapeutics" (1880), of "Gynecology" (1888), and of "The Practice of Medicine " (1901).