Arsenicum album

Arsenicum album

White Oxide of Arsenic. AS2O3.

Great prostration, with rapid sinking of the vitalforces; fainting.

The disposition is :

a. Depressing, melancholic, despairing, indifferent.

b. Anxious, fearful, restless, full of anguish.

c. Irritable, sensitive, peevish, easily vexed.

The greater the suffering the greater the anguish, restlessness and fear of death.

Mentally restless, but physically too weak to move; cannot rest in any place ; changing places continually ; wants to be moved from one bed to another, and lies now here now there.

Anxious fear of death ; thinks it useless to take medicine, is incurable, is surely going to die; dread of death, when alone, or, going to bed.

Attacks of anxiety at night, driving out of bed, < after midnight.

Burning pains; the affected parts burn like fire, as if hot coals were applied to parts (Anthr.), > by heat, hot drinks, hot applications.

Burning thirst without special desire to drink; the stomach does not seem to tolerate, because it cannot assimilate, cold water ; lies like a stone in the stomach. It is wanted, but he cannot or dare not drink it.

Cannot hear the smell or sight of food (Colch., Sep.).

Great thirst for cold water; drinks often, but little at a time; eats seldom, but much.

Gastric derangements; after cold fruits; ice cream; ice water; sour beer; bad sausage; alcoholic drinks; strong cheese.

Teething children are pale, weak, fretful, and want to be carried rapidly.

Diarrhoea, after eating or drinking; stool scanty, dark-colored, offensive, and, whether small or large, followed hy great prostration.

Haemorrhoids : with stitching pain when walking or sitting, not at stool; preventing sitting or sleep; htirning pain < hy heat; fissures make voiding urine difficult.

Breathing: asthmatic; must sit or bend forward; springs out of bed at night, especially after twelve o’clock; unable to lie down for fear of suffocation; attacks like croup instead of the usual urticaria.

Rapid emaciation : with cold sweat and great debility (Tub., Ver.) ; of affected parts; marasmus.

Anasarca, skin pale, waxy, earth-colored (Acet.ac.).

Excessive exhaustion from least exertion.

Exhaustion is not felt by the patient while lying still; when he moves he is surprised to find himself so weak.

Symptoms general!}^ worse from 1-2 p.m.^ 12-2 a.m.

Skin : dry and scaly ; cold, blue and wrinkled ; with cold, clammy perspiration; dike parchment; white

• and pasty; black vesicles and burning pain.

Bad effects from decayed food or animal matter, whether by inoculation, olfaction or ingestion.

Complaints return annually (Carbo v.. Each., Sulph., Thuja).

Phos., Pyr.

Ars. should be thought of in ailments from: chewing tobacco; alcoholism; sea bathing; sausage poison-

• ing; dissecting wounds and anthrax poison; stings of venomous insects.

Aggravation. — After midnight ( i to 2 a. m. or p.

M.) ; from cold; cold drinks or food; when lying on affected side or with the head low.

Amelioration. — From heat in general (reverse of Sec. ) except headache, which is temporarily > by cold bathing (Spig.) ; burning pain > by heat.