OEdema is one very prominent symptom of Ars. Weakness is another. So also is frothy sputum; and < walking against the cold wind is an Ars. symptom. His chilliness and fussiness confirm the choice.
It would often seem as if in outpatient work that the local symptoms are the first choice but it is not always so.
Often when the patient is relating his symptoms one picks out the prominent symptoms of the disease or the peculiar ones. There is a trend toward such and such a remedy and one automatically seeks to confirm this trend or otherwise by seeking the generals.
Ars. alb. was prescribed for this case with satisfactory results.
CASE IX. Chronic dyspepsia. X-ray negative for ulcer.
Retching and belching with occasional vomiting of food, about one and one-half hours after meals. Chilly mortal. Pain is < for a deep breath (cf.Case V). Worse cold weather. Nervous irritability about small matters. Worries about details. Tidy for a man. Conscientious about trifles. Disorder annoys.
Ars. alb. relieved considerably. During treatment he developed rodent ulcer at the outer angle of the eye. He went off on his own and had it removed. The connection between Ars. and malignant states is undoubted and there are cases on record where Ars. has cured at least local cancer such as rodent ulcer.
This patients mother had died of cancer. This was a case of prescribing on the constitution and it is a pity that he did not leave the rodent ulcer alone since it had appeared whilst under treatment with Arsenicum. The symptoms of ulcer without x-ray evidence of frank ulceration are suspicious of a possible malignant condition of the stomach even if only in a very early stage. The presence of the rodent ulcer proved that the constitution was prone to malignant change.
CASE X. Exophthalmic goitre.
Mrs. L., aet. 42. Tachycardia; tremor; enlargement of thyroid for about a year following upon mothers removal to the hospital with melancholia. Is very anxious about heart. Excitable. Worried about mother still. Irritable. Unreasonable (unusual admission in a woman!). Temper about trifles; if cannot get work done at the time. Magnifies trifles. Fussy about herself. Quick mentally and physically. Anxious anticipation.
her chief mental symptom is summed up in her anxiety about trifles: Anac. Ars., Bar.c., Bor., Calc., Caust., Chin., Cocc., Con., Ferr., Graph., Sil.
Another prominent symptom was anxiety on anticipation: Arg.n., Ars., Gels., Lyc., Med., Ph.ac.
The mental state, beginning and end, was anxiety, and this is essentially Ars. Ars.alb. helped a great deal. Things which had worried no longer did.
CASE XI. Rheumatoid arthritis.
Mrs. H., aet. 53. Generalized pain, < in fingers which are swollen and tender and in the hips and shoulders. Afebrile. She has a cough and sputum yellowish and lumpy. The bones feel as if bruised. (Eup.per.) She was chilly, worse in the morning. Faddy about most things. Worse for wet weather. Had an aversion to fat and to sugar. Appetite was poor.
Running these symptoms through Kents Repertory, Ars.alb. came through most, the others noted being Merc. sol., Phos., Nux, Sulph.
Ars.alb. was given with very marked improvement, both in the joints and general condition.
CASE XII. Carbuncle of the neck.
F.C., aet. 65. Carbuncle for three weeks. Incised at another hospital, but he has been too ill since to attend further. He has a temperature and the pain is unbearable and burning. T. 102.4, P. 100. He looks ill, anxious and restless. In addition he is thirsty and desires sips of water often.
Ars.alb. was given with cessation of the temperature and pain and healing commenced almost immediately.
CASE XIII. Postoperative pneumonia.
H.O. Acute appendicitis. On operation appendix found to be gangrenous. T. 100 next day with cough; next day T. 102, P. 110. Diminished R.M. at right base with some ronchi. He was restless, looked anxious, and thirsty for little drinks often. Ars.alb was given. Temperature was down next day and the physical signs began to disappear immediately.
CASE XIV. Postoperative fever.
Mrs. R., aet. 30. Operation for acute obstruction found to be due to inoperable carcinoma of the colon. Next day she was very ill. Looked distressed and anxious. Felt she wanted to move which eased her and though it was too painful to move her body she moved her head continuously. Rhus tox. was prescribed but without effect. She looked as if she would die. She was now thirsty for small drinks often but so weak spoke only in a whisper. Ars. alb 10M. was given and next morning she was reading the newspaper. This is always a good sign and shows a returning interest in life.
CASE XV. Peripheral neuritis.
Mrs. U., aet. 35. On waking one morning she had the most excruciating pain in both arms, a burning pain with the most intense numbness in the hands. The fingers felt puffy like small sausages. The burning pains were relieved by heat; she laid them on the hot water bottle for relief. Ars. alb. was given and next day the pain was very much eased but the numbness and inability to distinguish the size and shape of objects did not return for a week or so. She did not receive any drug but Ars., but recovery was complete.
CASE XVI. Retroperitoneal sarcoma.
Mr. B., aet. 60. Ailing for some months. Laparotomy showed an inoperable retroperitoneal sarcoma in the upper abdomen. He was given one month to live.
He was chilly, fussy, faddy, nothing was right. It was difficult to get a nurse to stay with him more than a week or so and some endured him for no longer than a day or so. He grumbled every day an all day about little things not being in order, his bedclothes, his handkerchief, his bedtable; everything had to be just so.
He was very weak physically, could scarcely walk a few steps without exhaustion. After stool he took hours to recover.
Now Ars.alb. has a very close relationship to malignant processes. On infrequent doses of Ars.alb., rising from the 30th to the CM., this patient lived for nine months and faded out without pain or intense discomfort and even without the realization of his impending end.
Of course something was lacking to clinch the cure, for the actual something was lacking to clinch the cure, for the actual tumor decreased amazingly, but what it is still eludes us, possible something lacking in the diet or the absence of some factor as in pernicious anaemia.
CASE XVII. Pneumonitis.
Mrs. V., aet.70. Suddenly chill; face flushed; stitching pain left side where fine crepitations could be heard. Thirsty for sips often, mouth parched and dry. White frothy mucus. T. 101, P. 100. She looked anxious. Belladonna was given but with no effect.
The voice was now husky and weak. The pain in the side was worse. She was terribly thirsty still, and still for small drinks. T. 102. 4, P. 110. Rales at both bases but more marked at the left. Ars. alb. was given with marked improvement. T. 99.8, P. 96 next day.
She was slow to clear but Sulph. hurried this along Sulph. is often a follower of Ars. where restitution and resolution are slow.
Recapitulating the prominent symptoms of Ars. alb. as demonstrated in the preceding cases :.
Burning: pain, tears, nasal discharges.
Burning lips, dry mouth. Thirst for small quantities.
Burning in the stomach. Pain and vomiting as soon as eaten.
Burning anus (cf. Sulph.). Excoriating diarrhoea.
Burning nd acidity, but burning better from heat!.
Midnight aggravation. (Asthma and angina.).
Periodicity, every seven and fourteen days.
Restlessness and anxiety (cf. Aconite but the condition is usually a more serious one than Aconite).
Sensitiveness leading to fastidiousness and worry.
Weakness. No desire to live. It is not worth while trying.
THE HOMOEOPATHIC TONIC. DEEP IN ACTION; DEEP IN CURE. LONDON, ENGLAND.
