Arsenicum Hydrogenisatum
By Timothy F. Allen — The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica
Arsenetted hydrogen, Arsenious hydride or Arsine (AsH3 ).
Preparation , Dissolve the freshly prepared gas in ice-cold distilled water. (Provings were made by inhaling the gas.)
Authorities.
1 , Gehlen, Buchner Tox., 1827; 2 , Schindler, Græfe and Walther Journ. (inhaled an amount representing 1/8 grain of the metal); 3 , Eisenmenger, Z. f. H. Kl., 1, 103; 4 , O'Reilly, Dublin Journ., 1842; 5 , Ollivier, Gaz. d. Hôp., 1863.
MIND
- Anxiety, he believes his death is near, and despairs of being better (during the vomiting; more courage afterward till the next vomiting turn), (six hours), 2.
- Disinclined to work, 3.
- Almost unconscious, 2.
HEAD
- Vertigo, violent on going upstairs, so that he staggered against the sides of the stairs (the vertigo was not noticed on a level floor or going downstairs), (three hours), 2.
- Vertigo and general weakness, 4.
- Headache increased during the chill, 3.
- Violent headache in the forehead, 5.
- Violent pressive frontal headache, especially worse at night, and accompanied by such excessive weakness that he was obliged to lie in bed for several hours, after eating (first and second days), 3.
EYES
- Eyes yellow, deeply sunken, with broad blue circles about them, 2. [10.]
- All the hair on the "deadened" parts became snowy white, and the white brows formed a strange contrast to the dark-brown face, 2.
- Eyes sunken, lustreless; conjunctiva bulbi red, 3.
NOSE
- Nose and lips somewhat excoriated, 3.
- Violent sneezing, and such coldness of the nose that it must be wrapped up with warm cloths, 2.
FACE
MOUTH
STOMACH
- Appetite very spoor, 3. [20.]
- Thirst great, 5.
- Thirst excessive, 2.
- Eructations, 3.
- Spasmodic eructations of enormous quantities of tasteless gas, from the stomach, without relief of the pain in the abdomen that causes him to moan (six hours), 2.
- Incessant retching and vomiting, 1.
- Vomits everything taken into the stomach, 1.
- Violent vomiting, could, not retain the slightest thing, 4.
- Vomited food, 5.
- Vomiting with the colic, of green mucus, bitter (six hours), 2.
- Pressure in the stomach, 3. [30.]
- Pains in epigastrium, 5.
- Pressure in epigastric region, during chill, 3.
- Violent cutting pains in the epigastric region and below it (six hours), 2.
- Pressure of the hand causes dull pain in the epigastrium, 4.
ABDOMEN
STOOL AND ANUS
- Obstinate constipation, 3.
URINARY ORGANS
- Hæmaturia, passed two ounces of blood through urethra, 4.
- Urine dark, reddish-black; it formed a thick clot of blood in the vessel, 2.
SEXUAL ORGANS
- The foreskin and glans were covered with pustules, which left behind small round superficial ulcers, sixty-five on the outside of the foreskin alone, 2.
RESPIRATORY APPARATUS. [40.]
- Voice whispering, 4.
CHEST
- Oppression of the chest during the chill, 3.
HEART AND PULSE
NECK AND BACK
- Tearing pain in the neck, during the chill, 3.
- The pain in the region of the kidneys became exceedingly severe, with urging to urinate, 2.
- An unpleasant pressive feeling in the kidney region, which rapidly increased and spread up the back to between the shoulders (four hours), 2.
- Slight pain in the lumbar region, 4.
- Very violent pain in the lumbar region, 5.
EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL
UPPER EXTREMITIES
- A kind of stiffening of the upper extremities, which afterward extended to the lower extremities, and caused a pricking sensation, 4.
- Tearing pains in the upper extremities, during the chill, 3.
- Pains in the elbows and upper arms (five hours), 2.
LOWER EXTREMITIES
- Pain in lower extremities, especially in the right, 4.
- Rheumatic tearing pains in the knees (four hours), 2.
GENERALITIES
- All the hair over the "deadened" parts became snowy white, and the white brows formed a strange contrast to the dark-brown face, 2.
- Motion difficult, 5.
- Great fatigue and weakness, 3. [60.]
- Weak and prostrated on waking, 3.
- Sudden, indescribable weakness and nausea, 1.
- The hands as far as the middle of the forearm, the feet as far as near the knees, the nose, the eyebrows, became dead, the pulse ceased, and every sign of life left theses parts, though they could be moved (five hours), 2.
- Unpleasant crawlings in the deadened limbs (as they became restored), especially in the nose, 2.
SKIN
- Skin became dark-brown, 2.
SLEEP AND DREAMS
- Sleepless, 2.
FEVER
- Temperature diminished, 4.
- Chill, 4.
- Chilliness over the whole body (four hours), 2.
- Chilly while walking, 3. [70.]
- Chilliness became very violent on undressing, at 10 P.M. (in five hours), 2.
- Severe chill (on the third day), at 3 P.M., at the time when the headache was usually worse; beginning with yawning, discomfort, anxiety, and chilliness, accompanied by oppression of the chest, pain in the neck, and drawing in the upper extremities; increased frontal headache. After a two-hour's chill, came a moderate heat, which lasted till 8 P.M., with a hot, dry mouth, thirst only little. After the heat, a very slight sweat, during which the patient fell asleep; at first frequent startings, during the unrefreshing sleep, but after midnight he became quiet, 3.
- On the fourth day a slight fever-paroxysm, 3.
- On the fifth day, a paroxysm severe as on the third day, after which it returned every day (this attack was cured by Nux vom., but was renewed on a subsequent occasion from inhaling the same gas), 3.
CONDITIONS
- Aggravation.
- ( Night ), Frontal headache; pain in lower extremities.
- (
3 P.M .), Severe shill, etc.
- ( After moving in open air ), Aggravated always.
- ( During chill ), Headache; pressure in epigastric region; distension of abdomen; oppression of chest; tearing in neck; tearing in upper extremities.
- ( Damp atmosphere ), Aggravated always.
- ( After eating ), Frontal headache.
- ( Pressure ), Dull pain in epigastrium.
- ( Undressing ), At, 10 P.M., chill became very violent.
- ( On waking ), Weak, etc.
- ( While walking ), Chilly.
- ( On walking upstairs ), Vertigo.
- Amelioration.
- ( Sweat ), Deadness in limbs.
- ( During vomiting ), More courage.
SUPPLEMENT: ARSENICUM HYDROGENISATUM. Authorities. ( 6 to 12 , from Berridge's collection in Appendix to Brit. Journ. of Hom.).
6 , Dr. John Elliotson, Lancet, 1831 (2), p. 132, a family of eight or more were poisoned by Arsenite of copper, in and about the house, to which water had access; 7 , M. Raspail, Med. Times, vol. ix 1843, p. 15, and vol. xiii, p. 324, Ghelen, poisoned, death in eight days; 8 , Raspail inhaled the gas for three days; 9 , Vogel, Archiv des Verein (abridged), Dublin Hosp. Gaz., 1854 (1), 157 a man inhaled the gas; 10 , Dr. T. Monat, Glasgow Med. Journ., vol. v, 1858, p. 371, Mr. R. inhaled it; 11 , M. Piorry, Gaz. des Hôp., 1863 (Brit. Med. Journ., 1863 (2), 580), a man, æt. twenty-two years, imbibed a large amount; 12 , Dr. Dickinson, Med. Times and Gaz., 1865 (1), p. 659, effects of inhalation; 13 , Dr. Valette, Mémoire, Lyons, 1870 (Tardieu, Étude Méd. lég. et Clin. sur Empoisonnement, Paris, 1875).
HEAD
- Suddenly seized with vertigo, fainting, and vomiting, and died in eight days, 7.
- On the third day had vertigo and pains in the stomach, prostration of strength, cerebral congestion, fever, dim slight, indigestion, nausea, and griping, 8.
- Violent pain in the head (in one hour), 11.
- Intense headache came on suddenly on the fourth day, followed by very violent pain in the epigastric region and renewed vomiting, with pale tongue and great thirst; the features became for the second time altered, and the sclerotic again became yellow; prostration very great, 13.
- Intense frontal headache (in five hours), 11.
EYE
- Sclerotic injected with blood of a very yellow color, 13. [80.]
- Sclerotic yellow, 13.
- Every one had watery eyes, 6.
FACE
- Expression like that of a person suffering from cholera, 13.
- Face and lips pale (in five hours), 11.
MOUTH
- The gums became pale, discolored, and bled easily, 13.
- Tongue red and foul, 6.
- Blood seemed to ooze from the whole mucous membrane of the mouth, and accumulated on the anterior pillars of the palate, exhaling a nauseous odor, 13.
THROAT
- Constriction of the throat, 13.
STOMACH
- Thirst, 6.
- Great thirst, 13. [90.]
- Nausea and vomiting, 6.
- Vomiting (in four hours), 11.
- Pain in epigastric region (in four hours), 11.
- Feeling of heat of stomach, 3.
STOOL
- Bloody stool, 13.
URINARY ORGANS
- Bloody urine, 13.
- On the ninth day the urine again became suppressed, and vomiting reappeared, 13.
- Hæmaturia, 12, 13.
- Urine deep red, almost black, 13.
- Urine black, bloody scanty, 13. [100.]
- It caused blackish urine, depending upon altered blood-globules, 9.
- (Arsenic was detected in the urine), 13.
CHEST
- Constriction on the suprasternal notch, 13.
- Feeling of constriction at base of lung, and breathing was quickened (in five hours), 11.
HEART AND PULSE
- Distress about the heart and stomach, followed by profuse vomiting, 13.
- Pulse small and rapid, 13.
- None had a pulse under 120, and in some it was 160, 6.
- Pulse 90, 13.
BACK
- Violent pain towards lumbar region (in five hours), 11.
- Feebleness of the limbs continued for a long time, 13. [110.]
- Pains in the limbs, 13.
- After they appeared well they had pains in the limbs, 6.
GENERALITIES
- Blood exuded from the mucous membrane and from the prepuce; the blood was pale; I was scarcely able to call these exudations hæmorrhages, on account of the decolored character of the blood; the patient certainly lost a much as 300 to 400 grams of blood, 13.
- He soon had a sense of burning and constriction in the throat. Next day he was exceedingly ill. He had been suffering for several hours from excessive irritation of stomach, with an intense acrid burning sensation from the pharynx to the lower end of the alimentary canal. The vomited matter consisted at first of the food contained in the stomach, then of the bile which had evidently regurgitated into that organ, and ultimately of dark coffee-grounds looking matter, which was ascertained to consist of broken-down blood corpuscles and the desquamated epithelium of the stomach and lower part of œsophagus. The bowels had been obstinately, and there had been severe pains in the loins, accompanied with the discharge of between three and four pints of bloody urine. There was at this time (about sixteen hours after the poison) considerable fever, with a full, hard, frequent pulse, a dry, hot, unperspiring skin, burning pain in the whole course of the alimentary canal, deepseated pain in the lumbar region, intense restlessness, anxiety, and general uneasiness, pale, anxious face, and considerable prostration of the vital powers, 10.
- Very great restlessness, 13.
- Walked with difficulty (in five hours), 11.
- Very great prostration, 13.
- Indefinable malaise, 13.
SKIN
- Eruption of papules upon the abdomen, face, and loins, 13.
- The eruption on the skin became violet in color, 13.
SLEEP. [120.]
- After about four weeks the patient was attacked with somnolency; the face became of a bronzed hue, and the oozing of blood continued; afterwards the patient had repeated attacks of syncope, and soon after died, 13.