ARSENICUM ALBUM


If there ever was a drug which one might consider suitable for demonstrating the truth of the fundamental laws of homoeopathy, then surely Arsenicum album is that drug. It is known to the medical world for its uses and misuses, to the criminologist for its illegal uses in murder, than which there is no more popular poison, and to the laity for the publicity which crime has given it.


If there ever was a drug which one might consider suitable for demonstrating the truth of the fundamental laws of homoeopathy, then surely Arsenicum album is that drug. It is known to the medical world for its uses and misuses, to the criminologist for its illegal uses in murder, than which there is no more popular poison, and to the laity for the publicity which crime has given it. There are indeed few today who do not known that weed killer and fly-paper are the most common sources of this deadly but easily recognized poison.

And yet how rarely, comparatively speaking, is Arsenicum used in orthodox medicine except in the so-called specifics against syphilis and in the “blunderbuss” tonics of the other school.

My first example will be taken from Marshall Halls famous cases and refers to the Seddon murder, the first case in British courts where chemical evidence of the nature and duration of poisoning were admitted as fact by the presiding judge. The description runs:.

“Miss B. was taken ill and the family physician who was called found her to be suffering from acute diarrhoea and sickness.” Here we have our first symptom.

“As the days went by Miss B. got worse. Certain chemical fly-papers were used to destroy the flies which buzzed in large numbers round the bed of the invalid attracted by the pungent odor of the sickroom.” Note the “pungent” odor of the sickroom and one might say of the patient.

“She was a troublesome patient and would not take her medicine.” The prosecution did not see the signification of this symptom nor was it mentioned as being one other symptom of arsenical poisoning. But it is and reads, “The patient feels so ill, is so sure that she is dying that it seems useless to take the medicine.” This is not the refusal of Hyoscyamus or of Kali brom where the patient refuses the medicine because he is suspicious that it has been poisoned!.

So though these symptoms were not produced as evidence of arsenical poisoning they are indeed very good provings of the drug; vomiting, diarrhoea, prostration, weakness, offensiveness, fear and anxiety.

The weakness of Arsenicum is general, not like Phosphorus and Stannum in the chest, nor like Sepia, Ignatia, Nux and Sulph., where it is often located in the stomach.

The following cases are described as examples of homoeopathic prescribing in a wide and varied range of symptoms.

CASE I. Pulmonary congestion.

Mrs. E., aet. 30. Shivered yesterday. Very bad headache. < moving the eyes. Weakness. No strength to sit up in bed, feels as if had been ill for a week. Cough hard. Thirsty for sips of cold water often. Pain in the eyes is worse after sleep, on first opening the eye. Pain in the eyes is worse after sleep, on first opening the eye. The physical signs were those of decreased R.M. at the right base. T. 101., P.100.

When a patient with fever desires sips of water frequently one immediately thinks of Arsenicum. It is as important a symptoms in fever as the thirstlessness of Gelsemium and Pulsatilla.

The only other outstanding symptoms were those of the head and eyes.

Pain < moving the eyes has: Ars., Berb., Bry., Calc.s., Carb.v., Chin., Cupr., Gels., Hep., Kali nit., Lac d., Mang., Nat.m., Puls., Rhus., Spig., Sulph.

Pain < opening the eyes after sleep: Ars., Hydr., Led.

Ars. alb. 10M. was prescribed three-hourly and next day the temperature was 99, pulse 88. All symptoms improving. Recovery was uneventful. The chest signs cleared in a few days.

This case I look on as an aborted pneumonia.

CASE II. Pleurisy (interlobar).

Mrs. K., aet. 50 years, caught a cold. Now a bad cough and pain in the right chest, going through to the back about the level of the upper and middle lobes. T. 101. 6, P. 120. Thirst for small drinks often.

Looks very flushed. Belladonna, which also has a desire for small drinks often, was prescribed but without much effect.

It was then that one looked up the repertory for pain in the right lung and found that this was a typical Ars. pain and situation, particularly the direction of the pain to the back, like Kali bi.

Ars. alb. was prescribed and next day the pain was very much improved, the temperature had dropped and recovery was speedy. The guiding symptoms here were the thirst and the site of the pain.

CASE III. Exophthalmic ophthalmoplegia.

T.B., aet. 62. For a year prominence of both eyes increasing. Began right and then left. Sight is failing. OEdema of both canthi, mostly the inner. Investigated at the London Hospital. W.R. negative, x-ray negative for enlargement sella turcica. Papilloedema both discs. No tachycardia. No tremor. Various drugs were given without result. A more detailed record of symptoms was when taken:.

Very faddy; particular in his ways. His collar fidgets him. He cannot sit still for long; has no patience to sit still and read, e.g. Must be doing something. Restless hands and feet. It angry with his daughter because she is not tidy.

Very fond of fat; very fond of vinegar and pickles.

He was the typical fastidious Arsenicum type. I often find that this type is fond of fat and fond of pickles. The confirmation of a choice by what are perhaps trivial likes and dislikes is often very helpful. The desire for vinegar and pickles in Sepia I also find useful. They are not the first choice symptoms but confirmatory.

Ars. alb. 1M. was given and over a period of none months the exophthalmos has decreased rapidly and the last report of the oculist was that there was now no papilloedema and vision was 6/6 in both eyes.

The result here is very good, particularly as the only suggestion made at other clinics was to have a decompression of the orbit!.

This is an example of the clinic of the remedy on the drug type. There is no one method of choosing a remedy.

One cannot make bricks without straw, but using the material one has it is often possible to make a successful choice, it may be on history, on heredity, on acute symptoms or even on appearance. One should try if possible to get the complete picture and then to obtain the similimum, but the complete picture, though often sought for, is not always obtained.

CASE IV. Gastric ulcer, verified by x-rays.

Mrs. L. Pain and vomiting. The pain is acute and COMES ON WHEN EATING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER. Few other symptoms were elicited except local symptoms such as that the pain was burning, another symptoms of Arsenicum.

The time after eating is important, not only from diagnosis but also as being typical of certain remedies, e.g., the vomiting of Phosphorus (this is often true of the vomiting of appendicitis) which occurs after cold water but only when the water has become warm in the stomach, perhaps about seven to ten minutes; or of Nux vomica when the pain comes often about one- half hour after eating.

Ars. alb. was given to this case with beneficial results.

CASE. V. Gastric ulcer, verified by x-rays.

Mrs. G., aet. 46. Pain and vomiting. Pain better for vomiting. The pain is felt more acutely on taking a deep breath. She is so tender that she is nervous of people touching her. She was chilly. Depressed; better with people. Irritable. Terribly weak, more than is justified by exertion. It is too much trouble to do anything. She admits to being faddy and over-tidy. She is found of fat, and likes hot food. The peculiar symptom, pain < by deep breathing, appears under: Ars., Caps., Lyc., Puls.

Here as in most outpatient work it is necessary to combine facts with experience. The general trend of the general symptoms led to Ars., with its tidiness as the outstanding feature. The the peculiar symptom was present and confirmed the choice. Ars. alb. was given which great benefit.

CASE VI. Asthma.

Mrs. M., aet. 32. Subject to colds (cf. Tub.bov.). Asthma last year during the fog. As soon as lies down; must sit up.

She is better up an d walking about. The cough is tight and the sputum frothy. She had hay fever this year only. She is chilly. Nervous coming to hospital. Shy; depressed. Sympathy irritates her. Appetite is good. She is fond of fat. She bleeds easily. Her breathing is better at the seaside.

The combination of hay fever and asthma always makes one think of Arsenicum. A frothy sputum is also Ars. The improvement in breathing on sitting up is another good Ars. symptom. So also is the restlessness which whatever the condition, is improved by yielding to the restlessness. In asthma this must rank as a peculiar symptom. Ars. is chilly, very chilly, is fond of fat and bleeds easily. Ars. is usually worse at the seaside, but this does not cancel the choice out.

Ars. alb. helped the patient considerably.

CASE VII. Headaches.

Mrs. P., aet. 53. Headaches getting worse for eighteen months. Pain is terrific. Cant lie down. Wants to move from chair to chair. Wrings her hands. Every month and lasts at least a day. She is chilly, fussy and likes fat. She preferred the classical symptoms of the Ars. temperament: Restlessness. Moves from chair to chair or bed to bed. Wrings her hands, shows anxiety. The headaches are periodical, which is often true of Ars. (cf. China). Chilly, fussy, and desire for fat clinch the tentative choice. Ars. alb. cleared the headaches completely.

CASE VIII. Heart failure.

G.H., aet. 65. Difficulty in breathing for six months, < if walking against a cold wind. Now swelling of feet. Cough with frothy sputum. Feels the cold; feels weak. Sleeps poorly. The heart was enlarged. B.P. 180/120. There was oedema of the shins. He is chilly. Wakes early. Cannot lie on his back. He is very precise in all his habits.

W. L. Templeton