ARRANGEMENT ACCORDING TO HAHNEMANN.
Moral and Mental Sphere: 1. She answers no, whenever she is asked a question. Sensitive mood. Aversion to talking. Sensation as if one were falling out of bed, even while awake. 5. Loss of consciousness. She exclaims: he is in the lions’ den, but they will not bite him. Magnetic state; she hears a strange voice, follows it and tilts against the doors; she has three such attacks, occasionally interrupted by laughter and tears. Ineffectual desire to weep. Loss of memory. 10. Magnetic state; she hears nothing, and sees a black skeleton. Mania. He thinks he will die, especially when alone. Depression of spirits. Despair. 15. Anguish.
Head: Sensation as of a red-hot iron in the vertex. Lancinations in right temple. Violent ache at the vertex. Burning forehead. 20. Contusive pain at the occiput. Tightness of the head, from above. Her head feels heavy, with stupor. Sensation in the head as if some thing alive were walking about in a circle. Shocks in the brain. 25. Painful pressure in the temples. Sensation as if the brain were pressed upon by an iron helmet. Headache as if the forehead would split, with weight above the eyes. Pain in middle of forehead. Pain in the interior of the head. 30. Pain under the right orbit and in right side of forehead. Frontal headache, afterwards all over the head. Sensitiveness of the having scalp.
Eyes: Pain under the lids. Sensation as though her eyes would fall out. 35. Profuse lachrymation. Heavy pain at back part of orbit and left eyebrow. Vacant stare. Weight on the orbits, at night. The eyelids feel heavy. 40. Itching of the canthus. Yellow rings round the eyes. Blue dazzling light before the eyes. Twitching of the eyebrows. Sensation as if the eyeball were pulled towards the temple by a thread. 45. Sense of a grain of sand in the outer canthi. The left eye feels as if drawn towards the temples. Contractive pressure at right eyeball, which felt as if drawn out. Cutting round the eyeball.
Ears: Buzzing in the ears while going down-stairs. 50. Lancinations in the meatus auditorius. He imagines he hears some one walking behind him. Sensation as if some one were moaning. Titillating itching in the ears. Deafness. 55. Swelling of the right ear.
Face: Yellow complexion. Alteration of the features. Formication in the face. Flushes of heat in the face. Pain in left cheek.
Nose: 60. Ulceration of the inner nose. Discharge of a bloody liquid from the nose. Sense of burning and redness of the skin, with depression, at the orifice of the right nostril. Nosebleed. Smarting in the nostrils. 65. Insipid, nauseous smell all day, as in a hospital. The tip of the nose is drawn up.
Teeth: Pain in lower gums as from a red-hot iron. Aching in the upper molares, at night, with inflammation of the gums. The molar teeth are sensitive and set on edge. 70. Aching pain in left gums.
Mouth: Paralysis of the tongue. Burning and prickling at the tip of the tongue. Itching of the tongue. Tongue of a scarlet-red. 75. Pain in the tongue. Spitting of black blood. Spitting of blood, mixed with thick phlegm. Discharge of white mucus from the mouth. Greenish spitting in the morning. 80. Black, bloody froth around the lips in the morning. Thick, viscid saliva which it is difficult to get out.
Taste and Gastric Symptoms: Salt taste in the mouth, not removed by drinking sugar-water. Taste as of onions in the mouth, before rinsing it. Aversion to food. 85. Desire for snow. Desire for food, passing off on seeing it. Thirst. Fainting from hunger. Coldness in the back after eating. 90. Anorexia all day. The soup descends into the stomach quite suddenly, and lies there like a heavy body, with pain in the back. Stitch in the left side, after drinking when drawing breath. Colic after drinking. Aversion to meat. 95. Sweat and debility after eating. Desire to vomit.
Throat: Constriction of the throat. Sensation of a lump in his throat. Difficulty of swallowing. 100. Sense of dust in the throat. Burning and constriction in the throat. Tingling in the throat.
Stomach: Stomach-ache, when eating, as if too empty. Faint feeling at the stomach. 105. Pulling in pit of stomach. Sensation of an opening in pit of stomach, through which air passes. Pain from stomach to navel. Burning pinching at the pylorus. Feeling of coldness in the stomach, after eating.
Abdomen: 110. Sensitiveness of the epigastrium. Pressive points in the abdomen. Lancing pains in the large psoas-muscle. Pains in lower part of belly when taking a cold drink. Pain across the umbilical region, with alternate sensation of spreading out and pinching together. 115. Itching at the epigastrium. Shock at the epigastrium. Falling of the rectum. Weight at the diaphragm. Sense of bands round the abdomen. 120. Pressure in abdomen, towards the navel. The abdomen is sensitive. Discharge of an albuminous substance from the rectum, preceded by tenesmus. Borborygmi. Sense of a peg sticking in the middle of the liver. 125. Circular pain round the abdomen, terminating at the navel.
Stool: Constipation. Yellowish diarrhœa.
Urinary and Sexual Organs: Emission of a deeply-colored urine. Metrorrhagia (vermillion-colored). 130. Feels uncomfortable in consequence of having her courses. Metrorrhagia alternating with mania. Lancination in uterus, especially when washing one’s self with warm water, with weight at the uterus. Leucorrhœa.
Bronchial Symptoms: Aphonia. 135. Pain in the larynx. Dry cough, with tickling in the throat, at night.
Chest: Round spot between the breasts, black above and red below. Swelling of the humeral extremity of the left clavicle. Palpitation of the heart. 140. Suffocative oppression. Oppression of breathing, as from want of air. Bone pain and swelling of the left clavicle. Anxious breathing. The heart feels as if beating from above downwards. 145. The thorax feels as if encased in iron. Pain in the right clavicle. Violent pains in the chest. Pain above the right breast. Sensation of water in the chest, and as if the heart were floating in a liquid. 150. Copious sweat on the chest. Ulcerative feeling under the breast.
Back: Coldness in the back. Slow lancinations between the shoulders, when inclining backwards. Acute pain at the sacro-lumbar articulation. 155. Internal pain between the shoulders. Contusive pain between the shoulders. Lancination in the dorsal spine, as from needles. Painful heaviness in the loins. Contusive feeling at inner side of right shoulder-blade.
Neck: 160. Constrictive pain in thyroid body. Swelling of the jugular veins. He feels the blood rise in the carotid arteries, followed by faint feeling and sensation as if a valve were opening. Drawing from the neck to the epigastrium. Pain in the jugular veins when moving, the neck. 165. Constriction in thyroid body. Painful pulling in the sides of the neck when turning the head.
Upper Extremities: Lancinations under the right shoulder arresting the breathing. The bitten hand and arm are inflamed and very painful. Sensation of swelling in the forearm. Violent pain in the whole arm. Weakness of the arms. 170. Cramps in the arms as if the nerves had been tied up in a knot, during a venesection. Rheumatic pain in right shoulder. Trembling of the hands. Slight pain in the hollow of the hand. Pulling pain in the elbows. 175. Pain in the elbows. Enormous swelling of the hand. Feeling of coldness in the hand. Jerking in the fingers. Smarting of the tips of the fingers. 180. The tips of the fingers are blue. The last phalanges feel as if broken. She plays with her fingers. Nails are red. The nails are bare. 185. Rheumatic pain in left wrist.
Lower Extremities: Sensation as if the whole right lower limb were shorter; this causes him to limp. Acute pulling in the thigh, with momentary paralysis. Itching on the thighs. Drawing-up of the lower limb, with crampy pain. 190. Pressure at right hip as from a knife. Heat in the thighs. Sense of burning heat in the legs. Prickling in the bends of the knees. Itching of the calves. 195. Cold feet. Sense of coldness in the feet. The feet are icy-cold. Itching under the feet. Formication in the feet. 200. The toes remain bent. Contraction of the toes. Swelling of the three last toes of the left foot. Violent cramp of the heel.
Sleep: Sudden rising at three in the morning, and uttering two shrill cries, with throwing herself forward. 205. Dreams about dead persons and phantoms. Dreams about spiders attempting to crawl over her. Disposition to slumber. Somnolence, the whole morning. Moaning during sleep. 210. Involuntary urination during sleep. Dream about a horse which is drowned in a pond. Yawning. Dreams about illuminations, quarrels. Sleeplessness. 215. Starting during sleep. Fright at night, without knowing about what.
Fever: Chilliness all over. Sense of chilliness. Pulse heavy. 220. Pulse 98 to 104.
Cutaneous Symptoms: Bright-yellow spots on upper part of right hand. Red pimples on left foot. Red pimples all over. Red pimples with white tips. 225. Pustules on the left toes. Pimples on the hairy scalp. Pimples resembling flea-bites, afterwards becoming raised and exfoliating, leaving a black point in the centre. Red pimples on the wrist.
General Symptoms: Pain in left side. 230. Trembling of the whole body. She cannot see any one on her right side without feeling a palpitation of the heart, and a real fatigue from pleasure. Desire to move about. Pain in the joints, shoulder-blades, elbows, &c. Trembling of the limbs. 235. Weakness. Torpor. Pains in the whole body, inducing a moaning. Swoon. Lancinations in the side. 240. Prickling all over. Weariness of the arms and lower limbs. Lancinations in various parts of the body.
ELAPS CORALLINUS.
ELAPS. ELAPS VENUSTISSIMUS (SPIX.) VIPERA CORALLINA.
The elaps corallinus is found quite frequently in the woods all along the coast of Brazil, and its bite is much dreaded. Its colors are more brilliant and more agreeably combined than those of any other serpent in Brazil. Its head is small, covered with large polygonal scales; it swells behind and is continuous with the neck from which it is scarcely distinguished as regards size. It has round and small eyes; the jaws which are little dilatable, are furnished with sharp teeth accompanied by fangs that rest on the venomous glands. The body is about two feet and a half in length; it is round, rather big in proportion to the head, and terminates in a sharp tail. The upper part is covered with smooth rhomboïdal scales; the belly is covered with two hundred transverse shields; the tail numbers fifty shields, which are disposed in two parallel rows. Its colors are disposed in the shape of rings of a vermillion-red, alternating with black rings, each two rings being separated by circular lines of a greenish white. The upper part of the head is black; likewise the first colored ring of the neck; the shields of the jaws are white, and are separated from each other by black lines. As in the case of the crotalus cascavella, the poison was taken from the living reptile, not without danger.
As soon as I had determined to institute provings with the poison of the cobra-coral, several of these reptiles were, at my request, brought to me on the same day, so frequent are they in the forests of Sahy. The animal which I selected was wrapt up in a piece of linen-cloth, and, after its head had been steadied with a little wooden pin, some eight or ten drops of poison were pressed out of its jaws by means of a pair of steel-pincers, which I received on one hundred grains of sugar of milk, and at once subjected to the process of trituration in my mechanical mortar. They received six thousand successive turns. One grain of this mass was triturated a second time, and a grain of this second trituration a third time, each receiving three thousand turns.
Even while triturating the drug in my mortar, the most striking effects were produced by the simple emanations ascending from it. This phenomenon, however, is observed whenever I cause a somewhat active drug to be triturated in the mortar.
The symptoms which I have collected, are not a great many, but they can be depended upon. Most of the symptoms were experienced by several provers, and some of them have already been confirmed by treatment, among which may be mentioned the oppression in going up-stairs, the vesicular eruption on the feet and the deafness. This last symptom is of great importance on account of its being so obstinate. For pulmonary affections the poison of the cobral may likewise prove a valuable remedy, especially for the second stage of phthisis, characterised by bloody cough and derangement of the digestive functions. It may likewise be serviceable in mental alienation and cutaneous eruptions.
The special action which this poison seems to exercise on the right side, the paralysis, the lancinations, have appeared to me worthy of attention. The gyratory motions, the desire to move to and fro, the scaling off of the epidermis and several symptoms relating to the disposition and the mind, seem to deserve the attention of the philosophical physician.
There certainly exist remarkable analogies between the symptoms of the cobral and those of the lachesis. The differences, however, are sufficiently numerous to refute the doctrine that all serpent-poisons act almost alike and that the cobral, for instance, may be resorted to as a perfect succedaneum of the lachesis. I am convinced of the contrary to such an extent that it is my belief that the poison of serpents alone would, if sufficiently proved, furnish the safest and most rapid means of combating all human infirmities. Every epoch in the history of the world is undoubtedly possessed of therapeutic means which are more particularly homœopathic to the general character of the ruling maladies. Hence it is probable that when the human species shall have been freed from the miasms which now undermine its vitality, the simple flowers on the fields will be sufficient to control the remaining indispositions. Whereas we, unfortunate heirs of the chronic miasms of all ages, lepra, scrofula, syphilis and a host of other subtle plagues, are compelled to employ the most frightful agents in order to meet the intensity of our diseases.
First to third day.—1. Reveries in the day-time, one imagines one is receiving blows. One imagines one hears some one speak. One hears talking without comprehending. Absence of mind. 5. Nightmare and congestion about the head. Anxious dreams. Weight in the right parietal region and pain which penetrates to the nape of the neck. Beating at regular intervals in the nape of the neck, like the ticking of a clock. Weight in the forehead and above the orbits. 10. Boring pain from the vertex to the right eyebrow. Pain on the right side, which seems to be seated in the cerebellum. Sweat on the forehead and nape of the neck. The head falls forward with violence. Painful constriction in the temples and eyes. 15. Violent throbbing of the external carotid. Horrid pains when inclining the head backwards; less when inclining it forwards. Tension in the nape of the neck. Stiffness which prevents the head being turned. Sensation as of a foreign body in the right temple. 20. Lancinations in the outer angle of the left eye. Boring pain from the lower jaw to the right eye, and then from the right eyelid to the ear. Desire to close one’s eyes as in fever. Sharp pricking in the inner canthi of the eyes. Aching pains around the eyes, with vanishing of sight. 25. Continual buzzing as from a fly in the meatus auditorius. Constant deafness. Ringing in the ears. Discharge of a serous fluid from the left ear. Distressing prickling in the superior nasal fossa. 30. Swelling of the gums on the last three molar teeth. Prickling as if caused by strong spice, after having triturated the drug. Prickling at the tip of the tongue. Sour eructations, desire for cold water, ice. Loathing of food, acidity after every mouthful of food. 35. Pressive constriction in the throat. Burning from the larynx to the tongue as from peppermint, with desire for fresh air. The food descends in the œsophagus as if turned round like a screw. At other times the soup falls heavily and precipitately, as if through a metallic tube into the stomach, which trembles violently. Watery, yellowish diarrhœa, which is mixed with slime, attended with rumbling in the bowels. 40. Urine almost red. Urine profuse. Urine red. Constriction of the sphincter. Continual discharge of prostatic fluid. 45. Thickening of the skin of the prepuce, with inflammation. Excoriation on the back of the penis, which causes a continual itching. Weakness of the genital powers, impotence. Lancinations and prickings in the penis. Weight and swelling of the testicles. 50. Spitting of black coagula of blood, with painful tearing as if proceeding from the heart. Almost constant cough. Sensation in the chest and at the sternum as if the pleuræ would be torn off, and as if the two lungs would be separated from each other by force. Inability to incline to the right side, in consequence of a very painful pulling in the right lung. Violent itching, drawing, pricking at the epigastrium, which hinders drawing a full breath. 55. A chronic loss of breath when going up-stairs, disappears after the second day of the proving. Violent fit of dry cough which finally ends in raising black blood, with frightful tearing pains in every part of the lungs, and especially in the right side, at the upper part of the chest. Taste of blood in the mouth previous to the paroxysm of cough, succeeded by a desire to vomit. Burning in the hands while preparing the drug. Prickling in the back of the right hand. 60. Pulling in the right hand, which extends to the ring-finger. Pains in the elbows. Crampy constriction in the phalanxes of the fingers and under the nails. Lancinations and prickling in the back of the hand. The blood remains congested in the hand, which is of a violet color and as if paralysed; it has to be kept erect in order to prevent the congestion. 65. A black blood spirts out of the finger when pricking it ever so little. Vesicular eruption on the feet. Pains in the knees. Pains in the knees as if bruised and contused, especially in the left knee, which does not bear contact, and where the pain is as keen as if the part had been sprained.
Third to sixth day.—Sensitiveness of the right side. 70. Inability to rise in the morning in consequence of the pain in the right side. Slight phlyctænæ make their appearance here and there, especially on the extremities; the epidermis surrounding them sometimes scales off. Drowsy the whole day, but sleepless nights. Dreaming about the business of the day. Pain in the forehead. 75. Red eyebrows. The eye is extremely sensitive to cold water. Stoppage of the right nostril, improved by resting on the same side. Bad smell from the nose. Pulling in the œsophagus. 80. Violent headache, if the desire for food is not satisfied on the instant. Suffocative oppression after eating. Bloating of the stomach after eating. Pulling in the pit of the stomach. Violent hunger. 85. Pressure at the right hypochondrium. Pressure in the left side, which extends to the vertebral column. Dull pain in the right lung, worse when walking. Congestion of blood to the throat, which is caused by the pain in the lung. Sense of spraining and stiffness in the knee joint.
Seventh day.—90. Painful pressure at the nape of the neck, as if the cerebellum had settled downwards. Eyes red and inflamed. Blood oozes from the eyes. Glassy look. Bitter, salt taste in the mouth. 95. Noisy and violent borborygmi. Stitch in the side. Falling of the rectum. Hoarse voice. Violent beating of the heart. 100. Pain as if bruised in the sides of the neck. Painful drawing at the inner side of the arm, from the axilla to the wrist, but felt especially at the bend of the elbow. The right hand feels as if paralysed. Shuddering from the hand to the shoulder when dipping the former into cold water. A good deal of distress in the whole abdomen. 105. The left foot is swollen and blue, with red spots. Drawing-up of the feet. Twitching in the parotid gland. The saliva tastes salt. Crusty eruption over the ear and a part of the cheek. 110. Itching in the ear, in the evening. Red urine, with cloudy sediment. Pinching sensation at the helix and lobe of the ear. Discharge of a greenish-yellow liquid from the ear, in the morning. Painfulness of the parotid gland. 115. Itching pimple on the legs. Discharge of blood from the ear. Swelling of the inguinal gland. The left groin is painful to contact. Colic with urging to stool. 120. Blackish and frothy diarrhœa. The urine is very thick and deposits a red sediment.