Nitrate of Silver. Preparation. The pure salt is dissolved in distilled water, one part by weight to nine parts by weight of water. The first three decimal dilutions are made with distilled water, the 4x with dilute alcohol, and subsequent dilutions with alcohol. Dilutions should be made fresh when used. General Analysis The most important action of Argentum Nitricum is on the blood, producing an antiplastic effect, rendering it more fluid and darker; the red corpuscles lose their coloring matter; the blood stagnates in the vessels causing ecchymosis, and nutrition is interfered with. The flow of bile is increased, and degenerative congestion in the liver is produced, and albuminuria. As a result of defective nutrition the bones and periosteum are involved. The drug also acts as a highly irritant poison, affecting primarily the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, throat, and upper air- passages, the bowels and urethra, causing violent congestion, and destructive inflammation and ulcerations of these tracts. The nervous system is also decidedly affected, giving rise to great prostration, and causing violent tetanic convulsions, followed by paralysis. Characteristic Symptoms Mind Loss of memory (Anacardium, Kreosotum, Lachesis, Mercurius, Natr. mur., Nux moschata, Phosphorus ac.). Impulsive; must walk fast. Melancholic; does not undertake anything least he should not succeed (Aurum); impulse to throw herself from the window. Apprehension when ready to go to church or opera, bringing on diarrhoea. Nightly nervousness, with heat and fullness in the head. Nervous, faintish and tremulous sensation. Head Vertigo and buzzing in the ears, and general debility of the limbs and trembling. Headache relieved by binding something tightly around the head (Silicea); worse in the open air. Headache from mental exertion. Boring in left frontal eminence (Coloc.). Head feels much enlarged A valuable remedy in chronic laryngitis and hoarseness, especially in public singers or speakers. Cough from laughing or talking, or from irritation in larynx, with characteristic expectoration. Chronic pharyngeal catarrh with same expectoration, and with much rawness and soreness when coughing, not when swallowing. Arthralgia and arthritic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatic pains in limbs and back, generally worse when sitting, better when lying down. Irritability of the heart. General anaemia with oedematous feet. Diabetes, especially insipidus. Gonorrhoea and gleet, with symptoms already given. Orchitis. Seminal emissions without excitement or loss of sexual power. Bad effects from onanism. Prolapsus and other uterine and ovarian diseases, with symptoms already named. Hectic fever. Ailments from abuse of mercury.
THERAPEUTICS
The chief therapeutic value of Argentum Nitricum is in the treatment of catarrhal affections of mucous membranes characterized by a profuse muco-purulent discharge (Pulsatilla). Especially useful in purulent ophthalmia-acute granular conjunctivitis, with profuse discharge, great redness, swelling and even ulceration, the cornea being involved. An excellent remedy in the purulent ophthalmia of new born infants. Useful in ciliary blepharitis (see symptom), though in chronic cases with much thickening of the edge of the lids Argentum met. is more frequently used. Paralysis of accommodation from errors of refraction; glasses failing. Nasal catarrh, with loss of smell and haemorrhages. Acute and chronic pharyngitis, uvula and fauces dark red, thick, tenacious mucus, rawness and soreness, sensation of a splinter, etc. Catarrh of smokers, with sensation of a hair causing cough, better again by smoking. Gastric catarrh and gastro-enteritis, the symptoms agreeing. In children who have disordered stomachs from eating sweets. Cholera infantum in children who look dried up like mummies. Diarrhoea, with characteristic green stools, and flatulence. Advanced dysentery, bloody, slimy stools, suspected ulceration. A valuable remedy, internally, in urethritis, simple or specific, great soreness, burning, violent cutting pains, dysuria, bloody urine. Especially useful in the early purulent stage of gonorrhoea. In gonorrhoea of the female, and in profuse purulent leucorrhoea it is a valuable remedy. Also in erosions and ulcerations of the os and cervix, with much soreness and bleeding. In the chronic laryngitis of singers it is an excellent remedy, though less often indicated than Argentum met. Threatening paralysis of the lungs. Asthma. Angina pectoris. Argentum Nitricum has proved useful in various chronic affections of the brain and nervous system. Melancholia; spinal irritation; epilepsy and epileptiform convulsions; paralysis, paraplegia; functional paralysis following acute diseases, post diphtheritic, etc.; prosopalgia; cardialgia; gastralgia; nephralgia; locomotor ataxia. According to Allen it is a valuable remedy in the mental depression or irritability which results from brain-fag, with general debility and trembling of the whole body. Has been used in septic forms of scarlet fever. In bone affections, especially caries of small bones. In chlorosis.
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).