Hepar sulphur

Volume II — Main text

Impure calcic sulphide, Cas. Liver of sulphur, prepared with powdered oyster-shells and flowers of sulphur. I. Provings.-I . HAHNEMANN, Mat. Med. Pura., vol. iv oforiginal, vol. i of translation. Contains 282 symptoms from self, 16 from two fellow- observers, and 10 from authors. 2. IBID., Chronic Diseases, part 3 of original, vol. of translation . Contains some 350 additional symptoms from self. II. Poisonings.- 1. A little girl, æt. 8, had whooping-cough, for which H. was given. She had taken it for some d. with good effect, but after taking 9 gr. m. and n., she slept till 4 a.m., and then had a paroxysm of more than common violence. The contents of stomach were ejected, large masses of mucus flew out of her mouth, the face was bloated, eyes swollen, pain along the attachment of the diaphragm to the ribs, the cardia and back very sensitive. The 4th dose brought on a febrile state of extreme violence, burning heat, unconquerable thirst, severe headache and delirious raving. The next n. the febrile state recurred, but less violently, she had several stools of green mucus mixed with discoloured fæces. The 3rd d. there was again some fever and the same kind of stools. During d. the patient was lively, but weak. (HINZE, Hufeland's Fourn., li, pt. 3, 75 ; in Frank's Mag., ii, 752.) 2. A boy, æt. 16, in order to cure the itch, took 3 drm. of H. in water. He soon felt unwell, went out into the open air to get breath, and in a few m. retched and vomited and fell down dead. P. M. after 36 h. L. lung adherent to costal pleura,lungs coloured blue, no blood in ventricles of heart. The veins full of black blood, arteries empty, liver blue throughout its substance, stomach small, contracted, containing a spoonful ofgreenish-yellow mucus, smelling ofH., its inner and outer surface dirty yellow, small intestine empty, normal colour ; brain normal, its blood-vessels full of black blood. (CAMMERER, Med. Corr. d. würtemb. ärzt. Ver., vii, No. 18, 41 ; in Frank's Mag., ii, 114.) 3. A woman, æt. 40, subject to pyrosis, prepared a solution of H. and carb. of pot. ofwhich she drank a quantity containing 3 to 4 drm. of H. After a short time she was found lying on the bed with her head over the utensil into which she had vomited ; she was unconscious. She had vomited about half a tumblerful of whitish fluid whence much gas was emitted. She was quite senseless and lifeless, no pulse ; the heart seemed to be faintly trembling. The whole of the skin, especially ofthe face, lips, ends of fingers and eyelids had a violet hue, the tongue protruded betwixt lips, the mouth exhaled a mephitic vapour, and viscid brown mucus exuded from it. She no longer breathed,- onl a slight hiccup occurred as the last remnant of irritability. P. M., a er 24 h. All the tissues seemed darker than normal, otherwise the organs were healthy. (CHANTOURELLE, Recueil périod. de la Soc. de Méd., lxvi, 353; in Frank's Mag., iii, 522.) 4. A girl, æt. 21, took by mistake about 3ss of H. She soon vomited a quantity of the stuff. Seen after h. she was pale, prostrated, had great heat of mouth, throat, along œsophagus to stomach.

Mouth and nose exhaled a strong smell of sulphuretted hydrogen, she seemed ready to suffocate, could not expand the chest, pulse irregular, very small and contracted, slower than normal, coldness of skin all over body, burning pain in epigastrium, constant but ineffectual efforts to vomit. She was made to drink water plentifully, which brought away all the H. along with green and frothy matter, and at last blood and a piece of membrane 24 inches long, apparently a portion of the m.m. of the stomach, in the centre of which was a clot of blood. She got some gummy emulsion to drink along with a spoonful ofa solution of chloride of soda. After this the gas ceased to be exhaled. The pain in stomach subsided, but there came on violent colic in the bowels and this was soon followed by diarrhea, the evacuations containing a whitish milky fluid similar to that first vomited. After the subsidence of these symptoms there came on a pretty sharp inflammation of bowels. The posterior part of the mouth, the soft palate and pharynx became dry and brownish red, with burning heat in these parts, pain in œsophagus when pressure was made along neck, dysphagia, great heat of stomach, violent pains in epigastrium and umbilical region, thirst, inclination to vomit, spasmodic closure of throat, pulse quick, hard ; transient flushing, and eventually permanent redness of face. Allthese symptoms became developed in a few h. After antiphlogistic and sedative treatment there was satisfactory improvement by the 3rd d. There still, however, remained great tenderness of epigastrium and umbilical region, complete anorexia, frequent nausea, heat and pain in œsophagus, redness and dryness of pharynx. Under appropriate treatment the health was completely restored in about 1 month. (Ibid., ci, pt. 2, 5. 188 , F. M., A man, iii, 524.) æt. 73, for chaps on heels and toes got H., of which in 2 weeks he consumed 8 gr. triturated with milk-sugar.-April 23rd, noon, severe rigor with chattering of teeth, icy coldness and pallor of hands and feet lasting several h. Face pale, features altered, loss of consciousness, sopor. On waking up he spoke confusedly, or lay with dull look, staring in front of him without thought. He had extreme weakness, could not stand erect without help nor turn in bed. Vertigo on being raised up, constant inclination to vomit, increased by every movement, bitter taste, vomiting of slime and bile, the smallest quantity of liquid drunk caused retching and vomiting. The chill was followed in e. by slight heat, with dry mouth, periodical colicky pains, thin stools, which increased at n., with persisting inclination to vomit.-24th. Stools every 20 to 40 m., consisting of dark brown, greenish fluid mixed with lumps ofyellow, green and bloody slime smelling of rotten eggs, preceded by very violent colicky, cutting, and tearing pains throughout body, especially in umbilical region, extending to deep in pelvis. These pains are increased before every stool, are attended by borborygmus and constant urging, so that they are passed several times in bed. During every stool the tenesmus continues, not afterwards . Continued sickness ; occasional vomiting ; loathing at food. Pulse and temperature normal. He remembered nothing of what occurred the previous d.; is very weak. Ipec. 3, every h.-25th. Diarrhea continues, also pains in bowels, only small quantities of bloody mucus

are passed. The pains, which involve the hypogastrium, are cutting, tearing. Urine dark, scanty. Inside of lips, cheeks, and tongue covered with aphthous patches. Painfulness of mouth increased by touch or by drinking. Weakness less. Merc. ox. nigr. 3, 1 gr. every 4 h.-26th. For first time has had some sleep at n . Pains diminished, they occur seldomer, though they are sharp but of shorter duration. Stools entirely consisting of bloody mucus, but they are rarer. Frequent ineffectual tenesmus. Discharge of inodorous flatus occasionally. Towards e. the pains cease.-27th. Quiet sleep at n.; no vomiting ; no stools. Frequent discharge of flatus up and down with relief. Convalescence. (KNORRE, A. H. Z., xix, 233.)