AMMONIUM CARBONICUM
Spirits of Ammonia and
Carbonate of Ammonia are powerful but transient cardiac stimulants, very
similar in action to Alcohol ; they also increase the reflex activity
of the spinal cord and even induce convulsions.
(The Muriate of Ammonia has, however, quite a different action).
When the secondary effects of Ammonium carb. are studied it will be
observed that there is a well-defined tendency to disorganization of the
blood and numerous indications of defective nutrition, similar to scurvy,
dark fluid hćmorrhages, wasting of muscles, ulceration of the gums,
looseness of the teeth and finally a low type of recurrent fever.
Generalities :
General emaciation with a hćmorrhagic tendency.
Hćmorrhages thin, dark.
A general scorbutic state.
Restlessness.
Weakness.
Extreme sensitiveness to cold.
Constant desire to stretch.
Bruised feeling of the flesh.
General right-sided character of symptoms.
Aggravated in evening at 3 A. M.
(Urćmic convulsions).
Mind :
Listless, difficult to think.
Stupor (in scarlatina, diphtheria, etc.).
Head :
Fullness or throbbing, bursting headaches, especially in forehead and
vertex.
The brain feels loose.
Chronic headache with nausea, aggravated by walking in the open air.
(In low types of meningitis, especially in eruptive diseases, with
cyanosis ; of temporary use).
Eyes :
Burning.
Vision dim, with flickerings.
Photophobia.
Muscular weakness.
Yellow spots before vision.
Ears :
Hearing difficult but painfully sensitive.
Parotid gland swollen.
Nose :
Tip seems full of blood on stooping.
Nose bleed, dark, thin.
Stoppage at night.
Sneezing.
Coryza dry, then fluent, with acrid liquid from nose, burning.
Nostrils raw.
Face :
Deathly pale ; sometimes puffy.
Freckles easily.
Tetter around the mouth.
Lips cracked in the corners.
Mouth :
Gums swollen, bleeding easily.
Teeth loose, elongated.
Toothache, aggravated by biting on teeth, worse evening on first going to
bed.
Swelling of inside of cheeks.
Blisters on mouth and tongue.
Increased saliva, sour, salt or foul tasting.
Throat :
Sore throat, (right side worse), swelling dark and bluish, feeling of a
foreign substance, tonsils swollen, sub-maxillary glands swollen.
(Frequently needed in low types of scarlatina, diphtheria, etc.)
Stomach :
Great desire for sugar.
Appetite quickly satiated.
Must drink while eating.
Constant thirst.
Heartburn after eating, with scraping.
Nausea and vomiting of food.
Stomach oppressed after eating, with tenderness of pit of stomach.
Cannot bear pressure of clothes after eating.
Abdomen :
Symptoms accompanying the flatulent and acid dyspepsia, as above.
Cramps, contractive, cutting, tearing, largely from gas, accompanied by
nausea, waterbrash, followed by loose stool.
Stool :
Constipation, hard nodular stool, with bleeding.
Diarrhśa, preceded and followed by cutting in the abdomen.
Anus and Rectum :
Hćmorrhoids, bleeding with a hard stool.
Itching piles.
Urinary organs :
Urine copious, depositing a red sediment.
Micturition frequent, especially at night, even involuntary during sleep.
Sexual organs :
Sexual desire increased ; involuntary emissions at night.
Sexual organs, Female :
Pruritus vulvć, with swelling and burning.
Leucorrhśa watery, excoriating.
Menses too frequent, profuse, preceded by colic (often by diarrhśa) ;
blood dark or black, acrid, clotted, causes burning on the thighs.
Menses followed by bowel troubles, especially straining at stool, colic,
constipation.
Respiratory organs :
Laryngitis, with collection of mucus.
Hoarseness.
Dyspnśa, especially on ascending or in a warm room.
Dyspnśa at night, with palpitation, with dropsical symptoms, bloody
expectoration, etc. (Emphysema.)
Cough dry, as from a feather in the throat, aggravated at 3 A. M., with
asthmatic constriction in the chest ; expectoration bloody or taste
of blood in the mouth.
Cough from cardiac diseases ; especially valuable in pneumonia with a
weak heart.
Chest :
Internal oppression, as if filled with blood.
Stitches in left side, aggravated by lying on it.
Heart :
Weak, pulse quick.
Palpitation, with cough and dyspnśa. (Angina pectoris.)
Neck and Back :
Drawing pains from sacrum to nape.
Pain in back during menses.
Extremities :
Tearing in the joints, ameliorated by warmth of the bed.
Inclined to stretch.
“Falling asleep” when sitting.
Upper Extremities :
Right arm very heavy and powerless, veins swollen, aggravated by washing
in cold water. (The skin of the palms peels off.)
(Pains in old sprains of the wrist.)
Lower Extremities :
Bruised pain in the hip joint and thighs.
Jerkings in the knees.
Restless legs.
The big toe is swollen and painful, aggravated in evening in bed with
swelling of foot. (Compare symptoms of acid dyspepsia !)
Skin :
A scarlatina-like rash over upper half of the body (see throat and
glands !).
Itching and burning vesicles.
Sleep :
General tendency to sleep and even stupor, with febrile conditions as well
as gastric disturbances.
Night-sleep restless from dreams and startings.
Fever :
Chilliness, in evening, when going to bed.
Heat general with stupor ; local in face, in great toe. (Low type of
exanthemata, coldness with a cyanotic hue, fever with stupor, etc.)
Study Magnesia carb. and Apis.
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