Salicylic Acid. H 2 C 7 H 4 O 3 .

Found in nature in Spiræa blossoms, Wintergreen (Gaultheria), etc.

Fragmentary provings by Lewi, H. K., vol. 20, p. 106 ; Macfarlan (recorded in Thesis of G. W. Shaffer, March, 1877) common symptoms of 20 provings. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 8, p. 473 .

CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.

Menière's disease , McClatchey, Hom. Rev., vol. 21, p. 736 ; Hah. Mo., vol. 13, p. 57 ; Deafness , Claude, B. J. H., vol. 36, p. 356 ; Canker of mouth , Hoffman, M. I., vol. 5, p. 66 ; Use in diphtheria , Grosvenor, Mass. Trans., vol. 4, p. 659 ; Fontheim, A. H. O., vol. 13, p. 112 ; Indigestion , Goullon, A. H. Z., vol. 94, p. 86 ; Dyspepsia , Hale, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 354 ; Flatulent dyspepsia , Hale, M. I., vol. 2, p. 326 ; Whitman, M. I., vol. 5, p. 229 ; Inflammation of stomach and bowels , Hoffman ; Flatulence , Hale, Am. Hom., vol. 1, p. 94 ; Diarrhœa , Œhme, N. E. M. G., vol. 12, p. 412 ; Cholera infantum , Hale, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 354 ; Catarrh of bladder , Hale, M. I., vol. 4, p. 156 ; Septicæmia , Hale, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 354 ; Septic fever (2 cases), Hale, M. I., vol. 5, p. 142 ; Sciatica , Goullon, Hah. Mo., vol. 12, p. 371 ; Foot sweats , Pagi, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 404 ; Acute articular rheumatism , Goullon, Times Ret., 1877, p. 3 ; H. K., 1876, p. 69 ; A. H. Z., 1876, p. 76 ; Times Ret., 1876, p. 118 ; Acute rheumatism , Thompson, Hom. Times, vol. 4, p. 108 ; Rheumatism , Hale, N. A. J. H., vol. 25, p. 355 ; Griswold, Cal. Med. Times, vol. 1, p. 5 ; Koeck, N. A. J. H., vol. 26, p. 124 ; Arthritis , Molin, B. J. H., vol. 36, p. 356 ; Chronic caries , Hom. Rev., vol. 22, p. 415.

MIND [1]

Anxiety ; worrying, restless, yet mild.

Melancholic ; wants to lie quiet ; feels faint.

Excited mood.

Delirium ; stupid, can hardly collect his ideas, then he laughed without cause, talked incessantly and disconnectedly, frequently looked about him with apparent hallucinations.

SENSORIUM [2]

Stupefaction ; dulness of head.

Vertigo ; inclines to fall to left side, while surrounding objects seem falling to right.

Meniere's disease ; vertigo which comes and goes, often from no observable reason ; tendency to fall to affected side, while objects seem to fall away to opposite side ; headache frequent but not always present ; noises in ear ; defective or absent perosseous hearing ; absence of gastric symptoms, or so slight as not to account for the other symptoms ; indeterminate giddiness in horizontal position, but considerable when raising head or sitting up.

INNER HEAD [3]

Rush of blood to head.

Severe headache ; piercing, in both temples.

Headache, commencing on top or in back of head, running down sterno-mastoid (more right side), which is tender to touch.

SIGHT AND EYES [5]

Diminished acuteness of vision.

(OBS :) Plastic iritis following inflammatory rheumatism, the pupil would contract notwithstanding the local use of a one per cent. solution of Atrop. sulph. ; the nightly pain was most agonizing, temporarily > by hot applications.

HEARING AND EARS [6]

Deafness, with noises in ears.

Nervous deafness.

Diminished hearing.

Roaring in ears, with difficult hearing.

(In sick :) Disturbs hearing when given for rheumatism (large doses).

Tinnitus dependent upon hyperemia.

Auditory nerve vertigo ; a troublesome nausea accompanying head symptoms.

Roaring in ears and difficult hearing ; hears music ; rush of blood to head ; excited mood.

Purulent, fetid otorrhœa.

SMELL AND NOSE [7]

Wants to sneeze.

Incipient catarrh, patients, especially children, sneeze all day.

UPPER FACE [8]

Dull, heavy aspect ; face flushes quickly on slight excitement.

TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]

Taste : as of something burnt ; bitter ; food has no taste.

INNER MOUTH [12]

Mouth and throat dry ; burning and dryness of mouth and pharynx.

Redness of buccal cavity and fauces. θ Diphtheria.

Stomatitis, the mouth is hot and dry, tongue covered with burning vesicles.

Foul breath and offensive expectoration.

Mouth dotted with white patches, burning, scalded feeling ; ulcers on tip of tongue.

Canker sores, with burning soreness and fetid breath.

Canker of mouth, stomach and bowels ; patient rapidly sinking.

PALATE AND THROAT [13]

Burning in throat.

Tonsils red, swollen, studded white.

Violent efforts to swallow, with difficulty in swallowing, woke him from sleep ; the pain and difficulty became confined to right side, with sticking along Eustachian tube into ear ; swelling of right tonsil noticeable externally, with sensitiveness to touch and increased temperature in vicinity ; mucous membrane of throat and posterior fauces red, swollen, with ulcers size of head of a pin ; after a while a small lump of cheesy matter of strong odor was expectorated.

Scarlatina anginosa ; diphtheritic form.

Little or no fever, but great weakness, difficult deglutition, much inflammation, the exudate soft. θ Diphtheria.

Diphtheritis ; violent fever ; entire fauces covered with a white exudate ; in two cases hoarseness and barking cough (affection of larynx).

HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]

Nausea, gagging, waterbrash.

Frequent vomiting.

SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]

Ecchymoses and ulcerations in mucous membrane of stomach and bowels.

Burning in epigastric region.

Weak nervous sensation in stomach.

Flatulent and fermentative dyspepsia.

Distension and formation of gases in stomach and bowels after meals.

Excessive accumulation of flatus and acidity of stomach, with much belching of gas, anemia and great irritability with despondency. θ Dyspepsia.

Dyspepsia with putrid eructations and much accumulation of gas on stomach.

A young lady of bilious temperament, wasted from a fleshy, strong girl to an emaciated, bony creature ; as soon as she would eat, no matter how simple the food, her stomach would bloat up so that it would be necessary to loosen her dress ; region of stomach looked like an inflated bladder ; after from one to two hours suffering in region of stomach from this extreme distension, was a putrid flatus belched up, accompanied by collapse of stomach and temporary relief ; frequent vomiting characterized by putrid fermentation ; severe headaches ; extremely nervous ; sleep fitful and unrefreshing ; bowels constipated ; urine heavily loaded with sediment ; fermentation and decomposition seemed to commence as soon as food reached stomach. θ Flatulent dyspepsia.

Woman, æt. 30, of very unhealthy family ; always suffering from indigestion ; daily, some hours after dinner, has diarrhœa ; sometimes looks very badly ; least error in diet shows effect in an aggravation of the diarrhœa.

Girl four years old, had relapse from malignant scarlet fever ; inflammation of bowels supervened, with immense distension of abdominal region.

STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]

Diarrhœa ; stools green ; flushes easily as in hectic ; acid, sour, or putrid smelling.

Costive ; stool dry, hard ; then diarrhœa, watery, sour, yellow, with great weakness.

Cholera infantum or other diarrhœa in children, when eructations have a peculiarly putrid and offensive odor.

(OBS :) In a case where tænia solium had existed for nine years four doses of 0.5 acid Salicyl. a dose every hour, followed by half an ounce Ol. ricini, caused in half an hour discharge of tænia ten yards long, with head entire.

URINARY ORGANS [21]

Diabetes mellitus (two cases).

Albuminuria ; rheumatic diathesis.

Urine very offensive, largely composed of mucus ; microscope revealed pus, blood and an abundance of mucous epithelium. θ Catarrh of bladder.

Urine : scanty, clear, brown ; three hours after its passage it has a green tinge and deposits a feathery precipitate, consisting of oblong, six-sided, silvery-white crystals of Salicyluric acid ; if these are removed the urine becomes at once putrid ; if not the urine remains fresh for above a week.

FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]

Large leuco-phlegmatic woman, æt. 45 ; constant dull, heavy pain in cerebellum ; great forgetfulness, excessive irritability and frequent hot flushes of fever.

PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]

A primipara, delivered on 9th of May of a large male child ; slight lesion of vagina ; a piece of membrane as large as fingernail was torn up ; membranes unusually tough and extensive and a small shred was left in utero ; on third day chill, followed by fever ; pulse 120, temperature 105 ; lochia offensive. θ Septic fever.

Confined with second child on May 15th, delivered with forceps owing to the great size of the head ; no apparent lesion ; lochia not offensive, disappeared on tenth day ; considerable hemorrhage after labor, and I suppose a small clot or clots became impacted in uterine bloodvessels and owing to access of air (perhaps) underwent decomposition, and this septic material was absorbed ; on eleventh day severe chill, repeated twice next day ; pulse 130, temperature 104 ; chills alternated with febrile heats, and chilliness was excited by slightest touch of anything cold or a swallow of cold water, and she was very thirsty ; some pain and swelling of one breast and one knee. θ Septicemia.

RESPIRATION [26]

Respiration hurried, sometimes deepened, sometimes shallow or sighing and almost panting, as if labored, but no complaint of difficulty of breathing.

COUGH [27]

Dry cough, of a hard, racking, spasmodic character, < at night in old people.

INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]

Spasmodic, flatulent asthma ; fetid bronchitis ; gangrene of lungs.

HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]

Pulse small, rapid, weak.

UPPER LIMBS [32]

Rheumatic gout or rheumatoid arthritis, occurring in some women during climaxis ; the pains disappeared, the engorgements and nodosities of fingers subsided, and the hands could again be used.

LOWER LIMBS [33]

Formerly had foot sweats, and since their suppression is more liable to rheumatic pains ; attacks especially at night ; after an hour's sleep the pains force him to leave bed ; he changes to sofa but must soon leave it again, and thus he passes a sleepless night ; the seat of pain corresponds exactly to exit of left ischiatic nerve, goes from behind forward and downward to knees and toes ; pain is drawing, shooting, at the toes burning, or as he expresses himself, "as if foot were on an ant-hill" and as if the foot would like to perspire ; no fever ; can hardly ascend stairs, must look for some support or he might fall. θ Sciatica.

Copious foul-smelling foot sweats.

LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]

Heat, redness, soreness and swelling about joints ; < in knees, with acute piercing pains ; < on motion, > from dry heat. θ Rheumatism.

REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]

Lying indeterminate giddiness.

Wants to be quiet : melancholic.

Forced to leave bed : sciatica.

Sitting up : considerable giddiness.

Motion : rheumatism in joints < ; exquisitely painful, rheumatism of affected limb causes soreness.

NERVES [36]

Weakness, faintness.

TIME [38]

Night : dry cough < ; attacks of rheumatic pains <.

TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]

Hot applications : rheumatism >.

Dry heat : rheumatism of joints >.

Sitting near open window in a hot room : rheumatism.

Touch of anything cold : excited chilliness.

FEVER [40]

Slight chill, crawls in spine ; yawning ; chill in finger tips.

Fever continuous, burning, then sweat with relief ; fever again, with exacerbation of symptoms.

Sweat at times more, at others less profuse.

Profuse but short-lasting sweat.

Weak, faint after fever and sweat.

Flushes easily, as in hectic.

Rheumatic fever.

ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]

Daily : some hours after dinner, has diarrhœa.

Nightly : agonizing rheumatism.

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]

Right : difficulty of swallowing ; swelling of tonsil ; severe pain in several joints ; pain in deltoid and gastrocnemius.

Left : inclines to fall to side, vertigo ; severe pain in all joints ; ankle and knee pains ; elbow and wrist enormously swollen ; pain in wrist and forearm.

SENSATIONS [43]

As if foot were on an ant-hill ; as if foot wanted to perspire ; as if head were squeezed between two beams.

Pain : in shoulder and elbow, then in lumbar region ; in r. deltoid and gastrocnemius.

Terrific pain : in knee joint.

Severe pain : in all the joints on left side and several on right side.

Acute piercing pain : in joints.

Piercing pain : in head.

Shooting pain : in lower limbs.

Burning pains : in toes.

Sticking : along Eustachian tube into ear.

Drawing pain : in lower limbs.

Rheumatic pains : in hands ; exit of left ischiatic nerves to knees and toes.

Dull, heavy pain : in cerebellum.

Dull, aching distress : in stomach.

Soreness : about joints ; in right deltoid and gastrocnemius.

Burning : of mouth and pharynx ; of vesicles in mouth ; of canker sores ; in throat ; in epigastric region.

Painful stiffness : of neck.

Dulness : of head.

Weak, nervous sensations : in stomach.

Dryness : of mouth and pharynx.

TISSUES [44]

Pieces of spongy bone became soft as leather in a few days when placed in a half per cent. solution, while compact bone tissue is very slowly softened ; enamel of teeth is very slightly affected by it, but the dentine, when it is exposed by caries, is rapidly destroyed.

The increased amount of the salts of lime in the urine soon after Salicylic acid has been taken shows that the acid deprives living as well as dead bone of its lime salts.

Causes a sort of necrosis, especially of tibia.

Ulceration of mucous surfaces.

Acute articular rheumatism.

Rheumatism : acute articular ; chronic ; gonorrhœal ; diphtheritic.

Acute, inflammatory, articular rheumatism attacking one or more joints, especially elbows or knees, with great swelling and redness, high fever and excessive sensitiveness to least jar ; motion impossible.

Muscular rheumatism.

Severe pain in all the joints on left and several joints on right side ; large joints on left side were attacked, except hip and shoulder, while on right side the wrist and ankle alone suffered.

A tall young man, æt. 16, suffered from severe acute articular rheumatism ; knee joint especially was seat of terrific pain ; painful stiffness of neck ; excessive perspiration, followed by miliaria ; great lassitude ; pulse full, soft, very frequent ; went out too early and a relapse set in, with same weakening sweats ; patient looked anemic and emaciated ; hurried pulse, reminding one of heart's beat in beginning of phthisis.

A teacher suffered from acute articular rheumatism ; a relapse followed from carelessness, attack being very severe, with profuse sour-smelling sweats and extensive eruption of miliaria ; very nervous, urine showed heavy sediment ; desquamation set in just as after scarlet fever in hands and feet ; pains first in shoulder and elbow, then in lumbar region, so that the patient could hardly move ; during relapse hands greatly swollen, could not be used ; sleeplessness or sleep interrupted by frightful dreams, as if his head were squeezed between two beams (stiffness of neck) ; constipation.

(OBS :) Acute gout.

Rheumatism after sitting near an open window in a hot room, so that she felt hot on one side and chilly on the other ; left ankle and knee joint, elbow and wrist enormously swollen, of a pinkish color, very sensitive, every motion exquisitely painful, pulse 120, high temperature, sweat, etc., even in bed, shocks passed from thigh down to foot so that she had to scream.

Polyarthritis rheumatica, temperature 105 ; pain intense, tenderness excessive.

Soreness and pain in right deltoid and right gastrocnemius, changing next day to left wrist and forearm ; some sensitiveness to touch and great soreness on moving limb ; no heat ; on following day pain had removed to inside of l. forefinger ; when the pain appeared in one part it disappeared in the part which had previously been painful.

Purpura hemorrhagica, with hemorrhages from all mucous membranes, accompanied by a constant dull aching distress in stomach and occasional vomiting of blood and mucus.

(OBS :) Has a specific action upon serous membranes and should be very useful in dropsical effusions ; should be tried in hydrocephalus, hydropericardium and renal dropsy.

May prove useful in caries and necrosis.

TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]

Touch : top or back of head tender ; tonsil sensitive ; arm sensitive ; limbs tender.

SKIN [46]

Skin red ; points on skin like flea-bites.

Skin red and sensitive ; rheumatism.

Urticaria.

Sprinkled on indolent or inflamed ulcers is said to induce rapid healing.

STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]

Healthy-looking child, æt. 5 weeks, suffering over two weeks ; diarrhœa.

Girl, æt. 12 ; rheumatism.

Young man, æt. 16, tall ; rheumatism.

Woman, æt. 30, coming from a very unhealthy family ; indigestion and diarrhœa.

Man, æt. 80, robust, formerly had foot sweats, and since their suppression is more liable to rheumatic pains ; sciatica.

RELATIONS [48]

Compare : Colchic . (rheumatism, also subsequent weakness) ; Kreos . (piercing in temples ; throat ; diarrhœa ; ulcers, antiseptic properties) ; Carb. ac . (mind ; throat ; weakness, especially at stomach ; hectic ; antiseptic properties ; topical use ; urine) ; Salicyl. of Soda (tinitus aurium, confusion and deafness ; rheumatism) ; Nitr. ac. ; Arsen. ; Phosphor . (bones) ; Lac. ac . (bones, throat) ; Cinchona (preventing sepsis ; fever ; ringing in ears).