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ARSENIC ALBUM
Introduction:-
Arsenic is a highly poisonous metallic element that can
be found in some amount in a wide variety of sources,
including pesticides, laundry aids, tobacco smoke, bone
meal, kelp, table salt, seafood and even drinking
water. When indigested inorganic arsenic is deposited
in hair, skin and nails. Once it makes is way into the
hair follicles, its presence can be detected in the hair
shaft for years.
Headaches, confusion, drowsiness,
convulsions and changes in finger nail pigmentation may
occur with chronic Arsenic poisoning. Symptoms of acute
arsenic poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, bloody
urine, muscle cramps and/or weakness, fatigue, hair
loss, dermatitis, gastro-intestinal pain, and
convulsions. Arsenic poisoning primarily affects lungs,
skin, kidneys, and liver. The accumulation of toxic
affects of Arsenic can result in coma and death.
Exposure to arsenic has been implicated
in the development of certain types of cancer, as well.
Workers involved in pesticide production, copper
smelting, making and spraying insecticides, mining,
metallurgical industries are at high risk for skin
cancer, scrotal cancer, a type of liver cancer, cancer
of lymphatic systems and lung cancer due to arsenic
exposure. The toxic effects of arsenic are cumulataive.
HOMEOPATHICALLY,
from the time of Hahnemann to the present day Arsenicum
has been one of the most extensively used in the
following conditions:-
Anxiety
-- gastrointestinal disorders -
bronchial asthma-Coryza-
skin disorders(especially when there is hyper or
hypo-pigmentation) including
eczema.
In the old school, it is most
extensively used, in the form of Fowler's solution - a
solution made from Arsenic given in malarial fever or
chorea.
Arsenic Album is one of
the polycrest remedies in Homeopathy. It effects every
part of man; it seems to exaggerate or depress almost
all his faculties, to excite or disturb all his
functions. When all our medicines have been as well
proved, we will effect wonderful cures. It is a
substance easily proved because of its active general
nature. While Arsenic impresses the whole economy and
disturbs all the functions and tissues of man, there are
certain prevailing and striking features in it--à
ANXIETY, RESTLESSNESS, PROSTRATION, BURNING and Cadaver
odours, which are prominent characteristics.
Dr. Nash
says, " No remedy is more restless than this one. The
Aconite restlessness comes in the earlier
stages of inflammatory diseases, with fever of a high
grade. Arsenicum, in the later stages,
after the patient has become greatly reduced in
strength, or in low grades of fever like typhoids. The
Aconite patient tosses to and fro in agony
and fear. The Arsenic patient is too weak to toss
as the anguish and restlessness would incline him to. He
cannot move himself around as he desires, but wants to
be moved from place to place, or bed to bed, while the
least exertion on his own part exhausts terribly.
Mentally restless but physically too weak to move.
He has fear of death, but not like the Aconite fear, but
rather an anxiety and a feeling that it is useless
to take medicine for he is going to die, he is
incurable. Dr Kent describes him as follows:
"While lying in bed, at first he move his
whole body, moves himself in bed and out of bed, but the
prostration becomes so marked that he is able to move
only his limbs until at last he becomes so weak that is
no longer able to move and he lies in perfect quite , in
extreme prostration. It seems that prostration takes the
place of anxiety and restlessness; and he appears like a
cadaver. So remember that these states of anxiety and
restlessness go towards the cadaveric aspect towards
death. This is seen, for instance, in the Typhoid where
Arsenicum is indicated. At first there is
that anxious restlessness with fear, but the increasing
weakness tends towards prostration.
Arsenic leads all the remedies for
burning sensation, especially in acute diseases. It is
not by any means confined to acute diseases, but often
found in chronic affections, especially of a malignant
character or tendency to malignancy. I think perhaps,
Sulphur
outranks it generally for burning in
chronic affections. There is hardly an organ or tissue
in the human system where these burning of Arsenic are
not found. This burning, strange as it may seem is
generally ameliorated by heat. Hot applications if
they can be got from contact with the part, also heat of
a warm stove or warm room. This is the exact
opposite of Secale Cor. For while the part
is objectively cold, it still burns, but hot
applications are intolerable, they cannot even bear to
have it covered., but with Arsenicum, in the throat
complaints, in connection with acute catarrh. An
increased secretion of mucus from the membranes of the
nose, fauces, and bronchi with fever and attended
sneezing, cough, thirst, lassitude and want of appetite.
Two types : Catarrh a frigore (cold in the head) and
catarrh, a contagion (the flue ) the burnings in the
throat and from the excoriating nasal discharge are
ameliorated by hot application. The burning in throat is
better from eating or drinking hot drinks. This is the
chief modality which enables us to choose between this
remedy and CEPA and MERCURIOUS,
for all 3 have fluent coryza. Dr. Nash says, that he
once had a case of Gastralgia (stomach pain and
discomfort) caused by suppression of eczema on the
hands. He knew nothing of the suppression , but
prescribed Arsenicum because the
pains came on at midnight lasting until 3 am during
which time the patient had to walk on the floor in
agony, and there was great burning in the
stomach. She had but one slight attack after taking
Arsenicum, but said she, when Dr. Nash
visited her, Doctor, would that remedy send out Eczema?
Then it was found about the suppression of which had
been caused by the application of the ointment, and told
her that she could have back the pain in the stomach any
time she wanted it, by suppressing the eruption again
she did not want it.
This is an exception in the Burning of
Arsenic, the head symptoms are always better by cold
applications/bathing e.g. Burning in brain>washing his
head with cold water when the headacahe of congestive
character, with sensation of heat and burning inside the
head> cold applications, it is Arsenic Alb.
Fever.
: Arsenicum is one of our best remedies for
fevers of a typhoid character. But not too early
indicated; often after Rhus Tox . Also
indicated in the fever of intermittent type/hay fever
with afternoon chill 3-4 pm and after mid night chill 1
pm.. During Chill,
thirst for hot drinks, hot teas etc.
During the fever, the thirst increases because he has
dry mouth, and he drinks little very often. Water does
not quench his thirst, for he wants but a
teaspoonful of water, little and often . This
runs on into the sweat with prostration, increased
coldness, unquenchable thirst for cold drinks
Nose:
Thin watery, excoriating discharge. Nose feels stopped
up. Sneezing without relief. Hay fever with coryza <
open air, > indoors.
G.I.T.
Arsenic Album profoundly affects the alimentary canal
from lips to anus. The lips are so dry and parched and
cracked that the patient often licks them to moisten
them. The tongue is effected in various ways. It may be
dry and red with raised papillae, or red with indented
edges, brown or black especially in typhoid. The mouth
is dry or aphothous, ulcerated or gangerenous. The
throat is same Thirst for small quantities of water. The
stomach is so irritable that the lest food or drink
causes distress and pain, or immediately excites
vomiting, or stool or both together. Cold drinks,
ice-water, or ice-cream particularly disagree and create
distress. Vomits all kinds and grade of substance from
water or mucus to bile, blood, and coffee ground
substance.
The pains in stomach are
terrible and < by the least food or drink especially, if
cold. Burning in the abdomen> heat and also though not
invariably the midnight aggravation. He cannot bear
the sight or smell of food. Craves acids and coffee but
gets dyspepsia from acids/vinegar, ice cream, tobacco.
RESPIRATORY:-
Arsenic Album is particularly efficacious in many
affections of the lungs, where breathing is much
oppressed. Respiration is wheezing with cough and frothy
expectoration. Patient cannot lie down, must sit up to
breathe. It is especially useful in Asthmatic affections
caused or < by suppressed eruptions, like chronic lung
trouble from suppressed eczema.
Dr. Nash says that there was
a case of asthma of years standing where he found that
her attacks always come at 1 A.M. Gave Ars. Alb.
30c . She was completely cured of it.
The other most characteristic
of Ars. Alb. in pneumonia of old people is
that there is a darting pain through upper third of
right lung.
STOOL:-
Smell Offensive, dark with much prostration. < night,
and after eating and drinks, from chilling, stomach,
alcohol abuse, spoiled meat. Dysentery dark, bloody,
very offensive. Body cold as ice.
SKIN:
Itching burning, swelling, oedema, eruptions, popular,
dry, rough, scaly, <cold and scratching. Psoriasis.
MODALITIES:
<Warm, wet weather, after midnight; from cold, cold
drinks, or food. Seashore, Right side> heat, from head
elevated, warm drinks.
Dose:
3 to 30th potency. The very highest potencies
often yield brilliant results.
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