Arsenicum Album Introduction: Arsenic is the horse's remedy; as Pulsatilla is the sheep's, and Antim. crud. the pig's. The reprehensible fashion of "doctoring" horses with Arsenic is merely an abuse of a therapeutic fact. The horse is an animal on whose power of endurance and "wind" enormous demands are made, and Arsenic is the remedy for the effects of feats of prolonged endurance. According to Teste Arsen. acts much more powerfully on vegetable-eating animals than on carnivora (opp. Nux v.); and it is suited to the effects of excess of vegetable diet, melons, strawberries, and fruits in general, especially watery fruits. Although arsenic can be poisonous in higher doses (2- 4 grains), it has also been used in some medicines. In the 1800s and early 1900s, arsenic was commonly used to treat diseases such as syphilis and psoriasis. A form of arsenic is still used to treat an uncommon blood cancer known as acute promyelocytic leukemia. In short, it gives the full picture of a cholera patient or you may imagine a dying man with burning sensation, continuously sipping warm drinks and wants to be carried from one place to another, with a cadaverous odor from his body. Kent says that from the very odor itself you may recognize an Arsenic patient as soon as you enter his room. Boerick says that Arsenic profoundly acting remedy on every organ and tissue. Its clear-cut characteristic symptoms and correspondence to many severe types of disease make its homeopathic employment constant and certain. Its general symptoms often alone lead to its successful application. Among these the all-prevailing debility, exhaustion, and restlessness, with nightly aggravation, are most important. Great exhaustion after the slightest exertion. This, with the peculiar irritability of fiber, gives the characteristic irritable weakness. Burning pains. Unquenchable thirst. Burning relieved by heat. Seaside complaints (Nat mur; Aqua Marina). Injurious effects of fruits, especially more watery ones. Gives quiet and ease to the last moments of life when given in high potency. Fear fright and worry. Green discharges. Infantile Kala-azar (Dr. Neatby). Arsenic should be thought of in ailments from alcoholism, ptomaine poisoning, stings, dissecting wounds, chewing tobacco; ill effects from decayed food or animal matter; odor of discharges is putrid; in complaints that return annually. Anæmia and chlorosis. Degenerative changes. Gradual loss of weight from impaired nutrition. Reduces the refractive index of blood serum (also China and Ferr phos). Maintains the system under the stress of malignancy regardless of location. Malarial cachexia. Septic infections and low vitality. Scientific Name: Arsenicum album Synonyms: Acidum arseniosum; Arsenic; White Arsenic; Arsenious acid; Arsenic black; Arsenic trioxide; Arsenious ahhydride. Source: The main source of Arsenicum Album is mineral kingdom. It may be obtained by roasting arsenical ores and purifying the product by resublimation. It is a white or transparent 1 amorphous lumps or crystalline powder; odorless, stable in air. Poison! It is slowly soluble in water. The amorphous variety being more soluble than crystalline variety. It is sparingly soluble in alcohol. It is completely soluble in glycerine. It may be obtained by roasting certain arsenical ores. Arsenic trioxide, dried at 105° for 2 hours contains not less than 99.8 percent of As2O3. Molecular weight: 197.841. Identification: (i) Sublimes, on heating, with the formation of transparent octahedral crystals. (ii) A small quantity warmed with about 5 ml of hydrochloric acid, gives a brown colored or white precipitate on the addition of few drops of solution of stannous chloride. (iii) An acidified solution gives yellow precipitate with hydrogen sulphide. Non-volatile matter: Leaves not more than 0.1 percent of the residue. Assay: Dissolve about 0.2 g accurately weighed, in 20 ml of boiling water, 5 ml of 1 N sodium hydroxide, cool; add 5 ml of 1 N hydrochloric acid followed by about 3 g of sodium bicarbonate and titrate the mixture with 0.1 N iodine using starch as indicator. Each ml of 0.1 N iodine is equivalent to 0.004946 g of As2O3. Parts used: Arsenic trioxide. Composition: Solution θ. Drug Strength 1/100 Active ingredient: Arsenicum Album = 10 gm. Excipients: Strong Alcohol = 100 cc. Distilled water, a sufficient quantity. To make one thousand cubic centimeters of solution. The finely powdered Arsenicum Album should be added to 800 parts of distilled water, boiled in a flask to bring the Arsenious acid into complete solution and filtered. Distilled water is then added to make the volume 900 cc. plus 100 cc. of alcohol to complete one thousand cubic centimeters of solution. Prover Name: Dr. Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann. Spheres of Action: Main seats of action of Arsenic are mind, nerves, mucous membrane, joints, periosteum, liver, spleen, lymphatics, blood, lungs, skin, and stomach and alimentray canal. Arsenic acts more promptly on vegetarians than on non-vegetarians (rev. – Nux vom; All. sat.) 2 Pathogenesis: Arsenic is a poison and causes constant and violent irritation to all tissues such as:- 1. Acting on gastro-intestinal tract, it produces a picture like Cholera Asiatica. 2. It attacks blood, causing septic changes i.e. exanthemata, ecchymosis, petechial haemorrhage etc. 3. It attacks veins, varices which burn like fire, especially at night. 4. It attacks serous membranes causing copious serous effusion. 5. It attacks glands which indurate and suppurate. 6. It causes inflammatory swelling with burning lancinating pain etc. 7. It attacks periosteum. 8. It attacks joints causing paleness, swelling, burnig, pain etc. 9. It also causes general anasarca; skin pale, waxy or earth-colored. 10. It causes rapid emaciation. 11. It also causes ulcerations which burn like fire, producing pains and discharges which may be scanty, putrid and offensive. 12. The skin is irritated producing violent itching and burning followed by eruptions, ulcerations etc. Clinical: Abscess. Acne rosacea. Alcoholism. Amenorrhœa. Anæmia. Aphthæ. Asthma. Atrophy. Bronchitis. Brown-ague. Caecum, affections of. Cancer. Cancrum oris. Carbuncle. Cholera Asiatica. Cholera. Cold. Coldness. Commissures, soreness of. Cough. Coxalgia. Croup. Dandriff. Delirium tremens. Depression of spirits. Diarrhœa. Diphtheria. Dropsy. Duodenum. Dyspepsia. Ears, affections of. Eczema. Endometritis. Enteric fever. Epithelioma. Erysipelas. Eye, affections of. Face, eruption on. Fainting. Fever. Gangrene. Gastric ulcer. Gastritis. Gastrodynia. Glandular swellings. Gout. Hay-asthma. Headache. Heart, affections of. Hectic. Herpes zoster. Hodgkin's disease. Hydro-thorax. Hypochondriasis. Ichthyosis. Indigestion. Intermittent fever. Irritation. Jaundice. Kidney, diseases of. Leucorrhœa. Lichen. Lips, eruption round; epithelioma of. Locomotor ataxy. Lung affections. Lupus. Malignant pustule. Measles. Melancholia. Menstruation, disorders of. Miliary eruptions. Morphœa. Myelitis. Nails, diseased. Nettle-rash. Neuralgia. Neuritis. Nonta pudendi. Numbness. Peritonitis. Perityphlitis. Pityriasis. Plethora. Pleurisy. Pleurodynia. Pneumonia. Psoriasis. Purpura. Pyœmia. Pyelitis. Remittent fever. Rheumatic gout. Rheumatism. Rickets. Ringworm. Scaldhead. Scarlatina. Sciatica. Scrofulous affections. Sea-bathing, effects of. Sea-sickness. Shiverings. Stomach, affections of. Strains. Suppuration. Thirst. Throat, sore. Tobacco-habit. Tongue, affections of. Trachea, affections of. Traumatic fever. Typhus. Ulcers. Vomiting. Whooping-cough. Worms. Wounds. Yellow fever. Constitution: Hydrogenoid constitution of Grauvogl and suits the complaints of drunkards. Physical make-up: The patient is lean, thin, debilitated having Hippocratic face, dirty and waxy look of the skin. Temperament: Very fastidious, wants everything neat, clean & in order. Relation with heat and cold: Chilly patient. There is internal chilliness and so the patient craves heat, excepting in outer head. Miasm: Arsenic has a combination of Psora, Syphilis and Sycosis. Diathesis: Scrofulous diathesis. 3 Causation: Chill in the water. Eating ices. Poor diet. Fruits, ailments from. Drunkenness. Effects of tobacco; of quinine; of iodine. Sea-bathing and sea-travelling. Climbing mountains. Strains. Fit of passion. Care. Grief. Fright. Guiding Symptoms: 1. Mind. Arsenic patient exhibits peculiar and striking mental symptoms which are as follows:- a. Great prostration, with rapid sinking of the vital forces; fainting: The disposition is: (I) Depressing, melancholic, despairing, and indifferent. (II) Anxious, fearful, restless, full of anguish. (III) Irritable, sensitive, peevish, easily vexed. b. The greater the suffering, the greater the anguish and fear of death or thinks that it useless to take medicine, is incurable, is surely going to die; dread of death, when alone, or, going to bed. c. He is extremely fastidious. Wants everything in order, neat and clean. Even a picture hanging on the wall slightly titled must be adjusted properly. So Arsenic patient is known as ‘A gold-headed patient”. Weak memory due to confusion in head. d. He suffers so much that he decides to commit suicide. Aversion to meet people, even with acquainted ones because he imagines that has offended them, but knows not how, when and where; yet fears to be alone. Sad, tearful and anxious mood. e. The patient is mentally very restless and 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.