Arsenicum Metallicum
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Metallic Arsenic. As.
The pure metal was prepared by Dr. Buchheim, now Professor in Giessen, in 1845, in the laboratory of Professor Lehmann. It retained all its metallic lustre when it was triturated, in 1847, in a new, well cleaned, dry mortar, during dry weather. The same triturations came into the hands of Boericke & Tafel. To give to our School a vote in the dispute, if metallic arsenic had any action or none, it was introduced by C. Hg, proved under the care of A. Lippe, and published in the Journal of Homœopathy, in 1851. The provers were : Doctors Duffield, Stevenson and Coxe, jun., besides many more, among whom should be mentioned, in particular, Tetherbridge.
MIND [1]
Weakness of memory, especially in retaining what he has read.
He has to read everything two or three times before he comprehends it.
Dulness, too much exertion to think.
Fearful visions of spectres in bright daylight ; she sees threatening people after her, and screams horribly ; is in greatest distress even when her mother is with her ; after 30[c]. Girl, æt. 12. θ During recovery from typhus.
Feels as if she had to run away, far away, and as if she would hardly touch ground.
She would very much like to die, or fall asleep, never to awaken.
So lazy that she would rather sit up than have trouble of going to bed.
Sad, with tearful eyes, but she cannot weep ; even during most painful events.
Depression with exhaustion, feels much depressed and vexed, wants to be alone ; followed by pain in heart.
Moody, does not wish to see anybody.
Afraid she will be poisoned.
She feels a glow over left brow, as often as she thinks about it, most forenoon, less afternoon.
SENSORIUM [2]
As if whisky fumes had gone to head.
Heavy, dull feeling in forehead, above frontal sinuses, in morning.
Fulness : when awaking at night ; with coryza.
As if brain were too large and it would burst.
INNER HEAD [3]
Pain in left side, extending to ear and eye, with nausea.
Headache < when laughing.
Headache from 9 A. M. to 2 P. M., with diminished pulse.
Pain in left half of head, extending to eyes, nose and ears, with nausea and throbbing in whole body.
Headache over eyes, with chilliness extending to occiput, neck and into chest.
As if water was gushing forward, when stooping.
Headache < when writing and thinking.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Itching only allayed by pinching skin, in forehead.
Scalp feels sore even when pulling a single hair.
Falling off of hair. θ Tertiary syphilis. --Lippe.
As if head was swollen on waking in night or morning, as if he could not get his hat on head.
Numbness on right occiput, later on left vertex ; evening.
Numbness from nose to forehead, and in a streak along vertex backward, more to left.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Heaviness in eyes.
Eyes pain, cannot read much.
Upper lid sore and feels swollen.
Lids slightly inflamed and swollen, more with coryza.
Eyes reddened with coryza.
In region of brows numbness, extending to nose.
Glowing sensation on a small spot over left brow.
Sight weak, gaslight troubles him, cannot look into bright light.
Eyes hurt, cannot read in morning.
Eyes hurt in afternoon and evening ; < after sewing.
Her weak eyes improve two weeks after, so that she can use them, and even bear exertion she could not bear last four years.
Eyes pain from walking in wind.
Headache extends to eye ; pains from facial bones, or go from eye to back part of ear.
Lids cannot be opened as wide as usual.
Eyes much swollen, or slightly reddened for two days ; running of tears, sometimes hot and corroding ; dark circles under eyes ; coryza.
Pterygium, with enlarged blood-vessel, right eye ; after Nux and Spigel. had failed.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Pain into ears from side of head and facial bones ; numbness below ears.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Coryza and hoarseness returned in two weeks with heat in face, lasting three days, and ending in angina of fauces ; Bellad. [4c] helped.
On rising in morning he feels as if he would get a violent coryza ; nose stopped up ; eyes burn ; hoarse ; gone in evening.
Coryza with hot face, itching and hoarseness ; returns 21st day.
Coryza ; burning hot water runs from nose, excoriating edges of nostrils ; greatest prostration.
Violent coryza ; reddened eyes ; running of tears, and of water from nose, excoriating, 11 A. M. ; after four hours nose stopped ; eyes inflamed without discharging tears ; head very full and as if tied up ; 8 P. M. nose begins to run again, with violent sneezing, throat aches, breathing difficult, till 11 P. M. ; at 4 A. M. wakens with same coryza, still worse, sensation as if head and face were swollen, some sore throat.
Coryza lessened after eyes were inflamed ; nose swollen for several hours, lessened suddenly, but feels as if beaten all over.
Coryza with running of tears ; sneezing and difficult breathing, increases 2d day ; discharge thick yellow ; eyes swollen and puffed ; feels as if head had suddenly become too large, lasts for days, then ceasing slowly ; watery discharge hot or warm several times a day, causes biting and stinging ; suddenly a burning as if scalded.
Pain in nose from headache ; pains in left side in evening ; Pains from cheek bones, with it a fine streaming like warm air on left side.
Violent itching in tip of nose, 1 P. M. ; evening, more to the left.
UPPER FACE [8]
Face bloated, red and hot, with coryza.
Itching burning, with swelling, skin feels tense, > by bathing with cold water ; later, followed by peeling off in small scales.
Œdematous swelling on forehead and face, with itching.
Itching burning, stinging, with swelling on face, most on r. forehead, < at night, > by cold washing.
Sensation as if skin was immovable, tense and stretched tightly over bones.
The itching not relieved by scratching, only by pressing and squeezing.
A few pimples in face, gradually more, until within three months he has more than a dozen, with it he feels better than before in every way.
Pain in cheek bones, when touched it shoots into right eye, into nose and below ear.
Swelling of cheeks.
Itching and burning of lower half of face about lower jaws, as if an eruption would break out.
LOWER FACE [9]
Pain in lower jaw on right side down into throat and neck.
Stiffness in lower jaws when biting.
Twitching in left lower jaw.
Painless swelling of lips and right cheek, very disfiguring, lasting 36 hours, followed by a much lowered pulse.
Lips dry and hot.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Gums swollen and sore.
Gums swollen and feel as if scalded, with water running together in mouth.
Gums swollen, pain when touched, as if sore, with outer lips dry and hot, first day right then left side.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Coating on tongue white, mucous.
Tongue bears imprint of teeth.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Dry mouth, with white slimy, furred tongue.
Mouth sore.
Accumulation of water in mouth.
A small white ulcer, size of point of finger inside of left lower lip, with a pale halo, very painful.
On right and left under lip a sore inside, hurts when touched with tongue, also whole inner edge of lower lip hurts, next day same on left lip.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Throat sore, more frequently with coryza.
Violently inflamed throat, with pain when swallowing, < right side ; after a coryza. Cured by Bellad.
Ulcer deep in throat, right side, painful in swallowing, increases for several days, is < in forenoon ; 2d to 9th day.
Angina, with much heat in throat, and several little ulcers, several weeks after ulcer of gland had been healed by Natr. carb. ; after Iod C4 it healed.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Diminished appetite ; 3d day.
No appetite for weeks, not until after 3d or 4th month his actual appetite and strength returned.
Great desire for brandy or alcoholic drinks, most in forenoon, with a lady who never used them.
Aversion to wines and alcoholic drinks for several months, with a man who had not objected to them.
Aggravation after drinking a small quantity of brandy, for which he had not the slightest desire.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Hot eructations as of bile, with throbbing through whole body, at noon.
Nausea towards morning.
Nausea with headache, in morning.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Pressure in region of stomach, first mucus, then bile ; later empty retching and cutting in belly ; 3d night.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Sore pain in region of liver, goes through all the way to shoulder and spine.
Stitch from region of liver towards breast bone.
Itching on a small spot, size of point of finger, one inch above navel, as if in liver.
Pain in region of spleen down to groin, evening.
Pain in breast extends to region of spleen.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Bloated abdomen.
When getting awake bellyache, tormenting, cutting, shooting, following by a burning, watery stool and cessation of pain.
Tension and sensation of swelling, with heaviness in head and threatened vertigo.
Pulsation : in navel ; in abdomen extending to left groin and down to knee.
Colic with retching after vomiting at night.
Red rash on abdomen in night, following night red smooth spots.
Pain in groins, in morning the right, evening the left.
Pain in left groin when awaking, extending to thigh.
Pain from region of spleen to groin.
Pulsation in groin.
Itching in groin and down to knee.
Painful swelling in right groin, pain extending to hip ; < when stretching leg, > walking ; < in sitting ; leg falls asleep ; had a bubo on same spot.
A numbness extends from hip joint to pubic region.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
After awaking at 6 A. M., distressing, lancinating, griping pains in bowels, followed by an acrid, burning, watery stool, and relief of pain, but leaving much debility ; falls asleep sitting ; no appetite ; pulse 60, much fuller than usual.
Constipated after two weeks.
Some of patients who received it had some exceedingly painful piles two weeks after.
Varices bleed a little.
Varices right side of anus painful after stool, not bleeding, a few days later only sore ; disappear 4th day, after some bleeding. (If piles disappear after bleeding, it is a pathological symptom ; if they bleed after disappearance, it is therapeutical.)
Itching in anus, gets sore after rubbing, intolerable during afternoon, extending to perineum and scrotum, obliged to scratch violently ; sore feeling > by very hot water, not by cold washing.
Intense itching at anus, followed by crawling on end of back, mornings.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Urine hot in evening.
Red, sandy sediment in urine.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Itching on glans ; prepuce swollen.
Swelling of prepuce, with slight burning, lasting half a day and extending to a circumference three times greater ; 3d week.
Sore place on corona glandis, right side, from where a chancre had been driven 20 years ago, by mercurial ointment ; now thin, watery fluid is discharged, causing most violent itching, increasing sore place ; 2d week ; in 3d week a similar excoriation on left side of corona glandis, with swelling of prepuce and itching on edges ; three weeks after its appearance, Mercur. C2, without effecting a change ; in four weeks, Natr. carb. C2, followed by improvement ; nearly well in five days ; persuaded among friends to take a little brandy and water, it got < and remained so for three days ; after Natr. carb. C2 it disappeared.
Chancres with burning pain. --Lippe.
Offensive sweat on genitals for some weeks.
Itching on scrotum lasting for weeks.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
With appearance of monthly the pulse usually became less frequent.
Heat in uterus and vagina ; burning when touched.
Monthly before time, lasting longer than usual.
Catamenia appeared at 7 A. M., darker, more fluid and more copious.
On sixth day passed large lumps of blood-colored mucus.
Catamenia too early and too scanty. --Lippe.
Pain in uterus and vagina during catamenia.
Able to sew during her monthly, which she never could do before.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Slight stitches in r. mamma, under shoulder blade ; later, in left.
Pain in left mamma, behind nipple ; later, stitch about an inch behind nipple, thence extending down to region of hip.
Itching on mamma.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Hoarseness, with coryza.
RESPIRATION [26]
Hot breath.
Violent difficulties in breathing, with sneezing ; coryza ; running of tears ; he had to lie higher with head ; increasing from 3 P. M. till in night.
Breathing became painful and asthmatic, and lasted three days and then somewhat less four more ; very bad before breakfast ; > after 8th day.
As if a heavy load was lying on chest all night ; dreams of danger on the water. (Such dreams indicate lung or heart symptoms.)
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Pain in right side of chest near nipple, extending downward and upward ; after 30 minutes in left side, and going to neck ; later, again, right side.
At 10 A. M. pain in chest near nipple, shooting about and down into region of spleen ; when at worst it is near apex of heart, with frequent pulse.
Chilliness extending into chest.
Chilliness in head, with headache.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Slight pains in region of heart.
After mental disturbances, pain in region of heart.
A stitch in heart.
A single cutting pain through heart, at 4 P. M.
Pulsation under sternum.
Could lie only on left side. θ Disease of heart.
Pulse 64 in morning ; 4th day.
Pulse continues to rise in mornings, and to fall in evenings, for 30 days longer, without taking any more.
Pulse accelerated in morning (similar to Sulphur).
Pulse 116 in morning, and unequal.
OUTER CHEST [30]
Pain in muscles of left chest.
On left side of chest small blisters filled with blood, which can be pressed out without pain.
Dull pain in left pectoralis extending to muscles of shoulder and to point of shoulder blade, and through lower inner part of arm down to elbow ; > by striking on it, throwing arm back and lifting shoulder.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Numbness and sensation of lameness in r. lumbar region, from vertebræ to crest of ilium and inner side of thigh down to knee.
Lumbago ; feels walking might increase it, but ceases when walking.
Pain from chest extending into neck.
Pain from region of liver to back and shoulder.
Pain back of right shoulder, morning.
Pain in spine between shoulders, sore to touch and burning.
Stitch behind shoulder blades.
Chilliness in neck , with headache.
Sensation when lifting head as if it was drawn down into cushion, morning.
Weakness of neck.
Itching in front of throat.
Itching in neck , with coryza.
Crawling on back.
Feels as if a furuncle would form ; 9th day.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Pain in shoulders and arms.
Pain in right arm above elbow, mornings ; later, stitches on outside of left arm above elbow.
After carrying a child, sharp pain in right arm below elbow, as if wrenched ; after resting, as if beaten ; for days.
Arms and hands feel heavy, as if it required more exertion to lift them.
Sore feeling in left arm below elbow, goes through hand to thumb.
Pain in right forearm below elbow, goes through hand into little ring finger and is < in middle joint of middle finger.
Cracking of all finger joints, more when closing hands.
Cold hands during day, at other times inwardly hot, or cold hands with hot body.
Dry heat in palms of hands.
Insensibility in forearm and hands.
Hands and fingers feel swollen, cannot close hands.
Hands feel stiff, as if they could not be closed.
Itching on olecranon.
A scab on first joint of left third finger, when torn off leaving a liver-colored spot, a new scab soon forming ; of 20 years' standing.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Sensation of lameness in right hip joint.
Pulsation in right hip joint < morning, > evening.
Pulsation from heel up to hips.
Sensation of lameness and numbness in right hip joint, deep in, extending to symphysis pubis and on inner side of thigh down to knee.
Pulsation in right anterior tibial artery, at superior end of its inferior third.
Sensation of dryness in right knee joint.
Feet burning hot, feel as if bloated, next day same, without least moisture.
Feet, usually ice cold, have become warm, and sweat much.
Feet burning, more at night, has to hold them out of bed, cannot bear least cover on them ; recurs two weeks after.
From lying on right side, right hip painfully fatigued, as if he had been lying on a board.
Lameness in right hip joint and down thigh, < after rising from a seat ; > while continuing to walk.
When bathing, pain in left hip so bad that she cannot lift limb ; pains from hip to heel.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Feet, hands and fingers feel as if swollen and stiff.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Sitting : pain in groin < ; falls asleep.
Lying head high : coryza >.
Lying left side : heart disease >.
Stretching leg : pain in groin <.
Walking : pain in groin > ; lumbago > ; hip >.
Striking : pain left pectoralis better.
Stooping : sensation of water gushing forward in head.
Carrying a child : pain in right arm as if wrenched.
Rising from seat : hip joint worse.
NERVES [36]
Debility, weariness, general prostration of strength.
SLEEP [37]
After an unusually sound sleep at night, irresistible inclination to sleep in daytime and early in evening.
Great drowsiness in morning, after rising, having had a sound sleep.
Feels as if he should fall asleep while walking in street ; sleepy from 11 A. M. till evening.
On sitting down he falls asleep ; after diarrhœa.
Stupor in morning, notwithstanding a good sleep all night ; more sleepy in afternoon and evening.
Very sleepy, but cannot fall asleep.
During sleep a sensation as if he would have a headache when awaking in morning.
Dreams of danger, especially of danger on water, with burning of hands and feet.
On awaking in morning, sensation as if head was swollen.
TIME [38]
Morning : dulness in forehead ; nose stopped up ; nausea ; pain in right groin ; pulse rises ; pain in arm ; throbbing through body ; hip joint < ; pain back of shoulder.
At 4 A. M. : coryza loose.
At 6 A. M. : pains in bowels and diarrhœa.
At 7 A. M. : catamenia appeared.
At 9 A. M. to 2 P. M. : headache.
At 11 A. M. : excoriating coryza.
Forenoon : glow over brow < ; desire for alcoholic drinks ; sore throat worse ; cold hands and hot body.
Noon : hot eructations.
At 1 P. M. : violent itching tip of nose.
Afternoon : glow over brow better ; sleepy.
At 4 P. M. : cutting pain in cardiac region.
At 8 P. M. : violent sneezing, with running of nose.
Evening : coryza gone ; urine hot ; pain in left groin ; pain in head.
At 8 to 11 P. M. : pulse falls ; breathing difficult.
Night : fulness, with coryza ; red rash on abdomen ; itching of feet worse.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Hot washing : itching in anus better.
Burning feet : holding out of bed > ; < from least cover.
Cold bathing : relieves itching in face ; pain in left hip <.
FEVER [40]
Chilliness on occiput, neck and chest.
Cold hands and hot body, forenoon.
Burning on hands and feet during sleep at night.
Throbbing through whole body, mornings, most in hip joint, under breast bone and in navel.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Symptoms recur every two weeks.
Coryza returns twenty-first day.
Attacks come suddenly and end slowly, or vice versa. θ Coryza.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : pterygium ; pain in lower jaw ; throat < ; liver sore ; painful varices side of anus ; painful swelling in groin ; corona glandis sore ; stitches in mamma ; numbness and lameness in lumbar region ; pain back of shoulder ; pain in arm ; hip joint lame ; pulsation in hip joint.
Right to left : swollen gums ; soreness of under lip.
Left : glow over brow ; pain in inner head ; pulsation in abdomen ; stitch in mamma ; pain in region of heart ; twitching in lower jaw ; ulcer on lower lip.
Above downward : pain in head ; splenic pain ; pain in mamma ; pain in hip.
Below upward : pulsation in heel.
Diagonally : stitch pain from liver.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if brain was too large and would burst ; as if water was gushing forward in head ; head, eyelid, hands and fingers as if swollen ; as if she had to run far away ; as if she would hardly touch ground ; as if whisky fumes had gone to head ; as if head was swollen ; as if he could not get his hat on ; head as if tied up ; as if beaten all over ; gums as if scalded ; as if a heavy load was lying on the chest ; when lifting head as if it was drawn into cushion ; as if furuncle would form ; arm as if beaten ; hands stiff as if they could not be closed ; feet as if bloated ; as if he had been lying on a board ; as if head was swollen ; right arm as if wrenched ; as if skin was immovably tense.
Cutting : in abdomen ; through heart.
Lancinating : in bowels.
Shooting : in abdomen ; about region of spleen.
Stitches : from liver to sternum ; in right mamma ; under shoulder blade ; in left mamma about an inch behind nipple ; in heart ; behind shoulder blade ; in left arm.
Stinging : in face.
Burning : in face ; in abdomen ; in rectum ; of prepuce ; in chancres ; in uterus and vagina ; of feet.
Scalded feeling : of gums.
Sore pain : in region of liver.
Soreness : of scalp ; of upper lid ; in left arm.
Pressure : in region of stomach.
Throbbing : in body, with headache ; in groin ; under sternum ; in right hip joint : from heel up to hips.
Twitching : in left lower jaw.
Undefined pain : in left side of head, to ear and eye ; in eyes ; in facial bones ; in ears ; in right lower jaw down into throat and neck ; in region of spleen to groin ; in breast to spleen ; in swelling in groin ; in groins ; in left mamma ; in uterus and vagina ; in right side of chest near nipple ; from chest into neck ; from region of liver to back and shoulder ; in region of heart ; in muscles of l. chest ; in spine between shoulders ; in shoulders ; in r. arm above elbow ; in left hip.
Heaviness : in head, in eyes ; in arms and hands.
Aching : of throat.
Pulsations : in groin ; in right hip joint ; from heel to hip.
Stiffness : in lower jaw.
Lameness : in right hip joint.
Numbness : on right occiput ; on left vertex ; from nose to forehead, and over vertex ; in region of eyebrows ; below ears ; from hip joint to pubic region ; in right lumbar region.
Crawling : on end of back.
Glowing : on a small spot over left brow.
Dryness : in right knee joint.
Itching ; on forehead ; on tip of nose ; in face ; an inch above navel ; in anus, perineum and scrotum ; in groin and down to knee ; on glans penis ; on mamma ; in front of throat ; in neck ; in olecranon.
TISSUES [44]
Emaciation : for weeks.
In two weeks lost half a pound ; another in the same time one pound.
Lost within a week three to four pounds, a girl æt. 10.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : heat in uterus and vagina < ; pain from cheek bones into right eye.
Pinching : itching allayed. See 4 .
Pulling hair : scalp sore.
Rubbing : itching in anus <.
Pressing or squeezing : itching >.
Scratching : itching <.
Striking chest : > pain.
SKIN [46]
Itching : now here, then there, has to pinch spot.
Itching : with swelling in face, on head, neck and mamma ; on forearm ; later, on ankles of both feet.
Skin peels off in small scales.
Bluish-red eruption on abdomen ; rash, and red smooth spots.
Red spots over whole body. Cured by Natr. carb.
Small furuncles in face for three months.
Small red pimples over whole body, without much itching, appear after three to four months, and last several weeks ; secondary syphilis.
RELATIONS [48]
Most similar to its near relative : Arsen. alb .
Useful in pterygium after failure of Nux vom . and Spigel .
Bellad . > angina faucium.
Compare Iodium, Mercur ., and Natr. carb . in syphilis ; Nux vom . (drowsy after sound sleep) ; Rhus tox . (pain in back, hips, etc.) ; Sulphur (pulse).