Argentum Nitricum - General symptoms - T.F. Allen

GENERAL

General

Imbecile appearance. he looks at people with a foolish expression of countenance, even while conversing with them on some serious subject.

he behaves shyly and sillily, and talks in a childish manner. On lying down for the purpose of relieving his head, visions and distorted faces hover before his imagination, although his eyes are closed, even in daylight (30th potency, second day),.

Digging and tumultuous raging in the right hemisphere of the brain, until he lost his senses.

if the pain abates in the forehead, it increases in the side of the head and toward the occiput, where it extends down to the nape of the neck.

the pain increases during motion, when vertigo accompanies it, to such an extent that he walks to the left, instead of walking straight (30th potency, second day),.

Pressure in the eyes, as if too full.

heat and pain in the ball of the eye when moving or touching it.

mucous flocks impeding the sight, and obliging him to wipe the eyes, in the daytime.

a scarlet redness, which had appeared in the morning in the inner canthus of the right eye, extended considerably in the evening, looked very much heightened, and spread as far as the cornea.

the conjunctiva, bulbi, and palpebrarum looked inflamed and infiltrated.

the eye was affected with a stinging-itching pain, as if occasioned by a grain of sand which had become lodged in the eye.

*gray spots and bodies in the shape of serpents moved before vision.

he saw as through mist.

even the light of the candle, which was not tinged white, was enveloped in mist.

the aperture between the edges of the lids became narrower, and he had to wink frequently (with general debility and increased temperature of the skin, 2d potency),.

The canthi are red as blood.

the caruncula lachrymalis is swollen.

it stands out of the corner of the eye like a lump of red flesh.

clusters of intensely red vessels extend from the inner canthus to the cornea.

the conjunctiva is puckered and interstitially distended, increased secretion of tears and gum (2d potency, second day),.

Nightly agglutination of the right eye.

in the morning the eye was closed with crusts of dry gum, which had to be soaked before they could be removed, and the eye could be opened.

when opened it looked redder than the day before.

pressure and heat in the eye were more intense.

the aperture between the lids was swollen, accompanied with photophobia, dimness of sight (2d potency),.

In the evening at twilight, she felt as if she would become blind.

her sight became so suddenly weak that she broke forth into loud complaints.

she had to open her eyes widely to recognize the things around her, with dilatation of the pupils.

she had not yet recovered her full power of vision at candlelight, although there was an improvement (30th potency, first day),.

The teeth become affected and spoiled.

whereas he formerly never suffered with toothache, and had perfectly sound teeth, he now suffered constantly with some pain in the teeth ever since he commenced the proving, which was felt especially when chewing, when eating sour things, and when introducing cold things into his mouth.

besides this there is a grumbling and digging perceived in the teeth, especially those of the lower jaw, on the left side, as if they would become carious,.

Pain in the right side of the throat, as of an ulcer drawing and tension upward and downward.

sensation as if a splinter were lodged in the throat when swallowing, eructating, breathing, stretching, and moving the neck, sometimes and undulating jerking and pulsating was felt in the throat, continuing for several days (2d potency),.

Catarrh, which is at first slight and dry, and afterwards loose, changing in a few days to a rattling cough, with yellow expectoration, profuse sweat breaking out readily, bad look, hollow eyes, and disturbed nightly sleep.

as the cough improved, the boy blew from his nose purulent mucus mixed with blood (30th potency, second to fourth day).

She wakes about midnight from the oppressive sensation of having a heavy lump in the region of the stomach, inducing vomiting.

not till morning does she throw up glairy mucus, which can be drawn into threads.

she had two paroxysms of that kind of vomiting, after which she felt the whole afternoon a desire to vomit, a tremulous weakness, and a sensation in the head as if it were in a vice (30th potency, sixth day),.

After yawning, a sensation is experienced in the stomach as if it would burst.

wind presses upwards, but the oesophagus feels spasmodically closed.

hence an ineffectual effort to eructate, with excessive strangulation, pressing pain in the stomach, faintish nausea, confluence of water in the mouth, and inability to stir.

the paroxysm ceases after a quarter of an hour, amidst frequent and violent belching of wind (6th potency, fourth day),.

He wakes in the night owing to an acute pain in the left wrist-joint, as if sprained, accompanied with heat of the whole hand, and uneasiness in the hand, obliging him to change the position of the hand all the time.

in the morning, a pimple is seen not far from the joint, the tip of which is filled with pus, and in which a stinging pain is experienced, as of a splinter which had been stuck in.

the tip is raised upon a red, hard base of considerable extent (1st potency, first day),.

Febrile condition. during the whole of the forenoon she suffered with headache and chilliness, ate little at noon, and without any appetite.

complained a good deal of nausea.

in the afternoon, about 4 o'clock, she was seized with violent tumult and beating in the head, with heat of the head, creeping chills, the skin being dry and hot, accompanied with nausea, and inclination to vomit, and with great desire for something salt.

she felt likewise so debilitated, that she was no longer able to remain out of bed.

the desire for something acrid and sour having increased, she took, at 7 o'clock in the evening, some pot-cheese, which she devoured greedily.

after this the symptoms improved, but the febrile sensation continued the whole night (30th potency, sixth day),.

He took 1/8 grain of Nitrate of Argentum Metallicum ^silver in distilled water, frequently repeating the dose.

slight burning in the stomach. Afterwards took 1/4 grain, then 1/2 grain, daily. The burning sensation in the stomach became quite severe. The tongue showed in various places a dark-bluish color, and in the stomach there was a sensation of increased warmth and some nausea.

these symptoms disappeared after taking food. The stools and pulse were not affected. Some time after this, Schachert increased the doses to a grain, which he took an hour and a half after dinner. The burning in the throat was very severe. The tongue showed for several days a dirty-brown color. The warmth in the stomach increased to nausea and retching, without actual vomiting, and after a few hours gave place to a persistent, periodically aggravated sensation of compression in the stomach. Towards evening diarrhoea set in, and continued during the next day, with relief of the pressure in the stomach. The evacuations seemed thin, but their color was normal. In addition to these sometimes there was a distressing dull headache, seated especially in the forehead, and associated with a certain prostration and restlessness. Changes in respiration, pulse, and secretion of urine were not marked. On the third day all the symptoms of the drug action had disappeared. Eight days afterwards Schachert took 1 1/2 grain in the morning fasting. He experienced nausea and efforts to vomit. He felt unwell through the day and suffered from dull headache.

When I began my experiment I was quite well and strong, but afterwards was sick, and my stomach suffered for many days after I had discontinued the use of the Argentum Metallicum ^silver.

I frequently had heartburn, from which I had never before suffered, though these symptoms gradually disappeared. But in their place there soon appeared an almost uninterrupted neuralgic pain in the left infra-orbital region, which for some moments became most terribly severe, and lasted with interruptions the whole following winter. At the same time the action of the heart became irregular, and the beats at times omitted, when I had a distinct disagreeable sensation in the chest. To this was added a constant sensation of faintness in the praecordial region. I found that on turning my attention to the action of the heart its irregularity became more marked, but on moving about freely the sensation at times entirely disappeared. Upon my disposition these symptoms had no effect. The paroxysms of anxiety at the heart were not associated with it. Physical movement was uninterrupted, only sudden violent muscular action, as for example, jumping or rapid running upstairs, or after emotional excitement, caused violent palpitation.

the disagreeable sensations were least marked in a horizontal position, and in the evening in bed. Sleep was rarely disturbed by palpitation. Towards the end of the winter the attacks diminished in intensity. Physical signs of anything abnormal about the heart were entirely wanting, as I was assured by an eminent medical friend. The next summer all morbid symptoms had entirely disappeared. That these changes in my condition were really the results of the Argentum Metallicum ^silver I have no manner of doubt.

there is no other explanation of them, and I make this communication in hope that my colleagues, who may have the opportunity to make similar observations, may be able to verify them.

In observing the action of Argentum Metallicum ^silver I have endeavored as far as possible to pay attention not only to all the subjective, but also to all the objective symptoms.

changes in the pulse, temperature, and character of the urine have been especially observed. I lacked the proper apparatus to ascertain the amount of carbonic acid eliminated by respiration.

My average pulse in the morning after rising was 66.

at noon, soon after returning from my visits, 72.

and in the evening, ordinarly 68. A strict milk diet for more than two weeks had no effect upon the character of the pulse. My temperature is from 29.6° to 30°R. I examined the urine, keeping account of the total amount, specific gravity, amount of water, quantity of uric acid, urea, and incinerated salts.

In order to have correct data, I examined the urine from the 6th to the 19th of October. I rise at 6 A.M., breakfast on two cups of coffee, am busy reading or writing till 9, visit patients till 1, then take dinner.

work till 5 in my office, make evening visits, take supper at 8, go to bed about 11. Noon and evening I usually drink a glass of beer or wine. From October 19th to November 6th, I kept a very strict regular diet.

took daily 2293.7 grams of fresh milk, and 418. grams of white bread.

A consequence of the strict diet was that the stools, which are usually regular, were affected, so that October 21st, one was evacuated only after violent and painful effort, and on the 23d there was no voluntary stool. After several hour's effort to evacuate hard faeces, I took 1 ounce of Castor Equi ^castor oil. In the evening there was a hard painful stool, and the next morning a pasty stool. On the 25 th, repeated the oil, and the night of the 25th and 26th, took in addition an extra 1/2 ounce of the oil. On the 28th again took oil, also on the 29th, and from the 29th to the 2d of November, I took daily a teaspoonful of Castor Equi ^castor oil, so that the stools continued without great difficulty. After November 3d, I did not require the oil, because the large amount of Argentum Metallicum ^silver nitrate kept the faeces soft. November 2d, my stomach began to suffer. At noon, after taking milk and bread, I experienced a pressing sensation of fulness in the epigastric region. November 3d, especially towards evening, the whole abdomen was very tense. November 4th, there was violent headache, and I could scarcely force myself to take the necessary amount of nourishment. The night was restless.

I could not remain in bed after 4 o'clock. November 5th, I was still more averse to food, though the taste was natural and the tongue not coated. Through the day I had violent headache. The following night was very restless. I rose at 3 o'clock, and took nothing but a glass of milk before noon. The headache was very violent. In the afternoon, after passing the last quantity of urine for examination, I took two cups of strong black coffee, after which I felt quite relieved. Supper was relished, but the next day I could take but a very small quantity of food on account of heart-burn. The action of the Argentum Metallicum ^silver seemed to cause a sensation of satiety, and my stomach seemed to need less nourishment than in a state of health. In the morning I took 1/4 grain in a pill form with white sugar dry on the tongue. I immediately experienced a very bitter taste, followed by warmth in the tip of the tongue, then in the pharynx, after which these two symptoms seemed to alternate with each other. I drank a little distilled water, which was followed by slight eructations, and a sensation of catarrh in the fauces and larynx. At noon, before dinner, I dissolved my dose in a drachm of distilled water. I experienced a sweetish taste and feeling of warmth in the mouth. Three hours after dinner took 1/2 grain in distilled water. The sensations were the same as before, but perhaps more severe. The scraping sensation in the pharynx provoked hawking and coughing. After a quarter of an hour I had a sensation of warmth between the scapulae and sternum, which gradually became a pinching and slight pressure in the epigastric region. This was followed by tasteless eructations. The next morning I took 1 grain in water, and had only a very bitter taste. After ten minutes there was only very transient nausea.

The relation of the urea to the solid constituents in my case is somewhat less than the average given by Simon in his Handbook. I had an average of 26.3 per cent. of urea, perhaps dependent upon the peculiarity of my diet, which is generally vegetable. Under the effects of the milk diet this per cent. rose to 37.6, and the amount of uric acid became quite small, which during my ordinary diet was 0.6, but was now reduced to 0.045.

the amount of solid constituents was not essentially changed by the Argentum Metallicum ^silver, nor was the amount of urea perceptibly changed.

the average was 33.5 per cent.

the whole amount daily excreted was 1.5 gram. Uric acid entirely disappeared from the urine under the influence of the Argentum Metallicum ^silver. The amount of incinerated salts during the milk diet remained very constant. After several days' use of the Argentum Metallicum ^silver it rose slightly. In the evening of November 6th, there was found 0.127 gram of pure silicic acid.

so far as I know no analysis of urine has shown a like amount of silicic acid. No changes were noticed in the circulation or temperature. Argentum Metallicum ^Silver was not found in the urine.