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ARNICA. – THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PURE MATERIA MEDICA By TIMOTHY F. ALLEN, A.M., M.D.

Arn.

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ARNICA.

CONDITIONS.

► Aggravation.
► (Morning), Early
stupefying headache; on waking, violent headache; sticking pain in forehead, etc.; early,
bruised pain in right articulation of jaw; early, dryness in mouth; early, after waking,
bitter taste in mouth; early, eructations, etc., early,
nausea, etc.; in bed, tension in lower part of epigastric region; early, passes quantity of
urine; early, in bed feeling of weakness, etc.; after rising, dry,
etc., cough
; early hoarseness; early, when waking, feeling as of a load of blood
in chest; on rising from bed, painful sensation down back;
early, in bed, stitching in left forearm; in bed, chilly; in bed; cold feeling in right
side; early, chilliness in back, etc.; early, after waking, dry heat all over; fever. ► (Forenoon), nausea, etc. ► (Noon), During dinner, warmth of one check. ►
(Afternoon), When lying down, pain in fauces, etc.;
stitches in glands penis. ► (Towards
evening
), Dry heat in the face; arthritic pain in foot, etc. ► (Evening), When going to
sleep, coryza; flushes of heat in the face; enormous appetite; want of appetite; when lying
down, sense as of crackling in the trachea; drawing, etc., in right third finger, etc.; pain
in sick foot; chilliness. ► (Night),
Severe epistaxis; retching; diarrhœa, etc.; when asleep, involuntary stool; during sleep, cough; lower extremities painful; increased
perspiration; sour sweat; transient sweats all over. ► (About midnight), General sweat. ►
(3 to 8 P.M.), Pressive headache. ►
(When walking in open air), Pressive headache returns;
sense of heaviness, etc., in muscles under articulations of the extremities, weakness in
feet and arms; right side feels too heavy. ► (After walking in open air), Indisposed to think; burning pain in
back; feet feel tired; very sleepy. ► (In bed), Dry heat, etc., on the slightest motion, feels chilly. ► (Bending head over),
Pressure, etc., in lowest cervical vertebræ. ► (Blowing nose), Pains increase; right side of abdomen painful. ► (Breathing deeply),
Cutting over umbilicus; stitches in left breast; stitches in small of back. ► (Drawing breath), Cutting
pressure through both sides of thorax; stitch in right side of back. ►
(Coughing), Headache; stitches in head; stitches in
forehead; right side of abdomen painful; stitches in small of back. ►
(Cries), In children, cough. ►
(At dinner), Sudden vertigo. ►
(After dinner), Kind of suppressed hiccough. ► (During eating), Tearing
toothache, etc. ► (When standing
erect
), Pain in left shoulder. ► (Extending tarsal joint), Stitches in right foot. ► (When gaping), Violent
shivering thrills. ► (Lying down),
Pain in tip of big toe; stinging, etc., in skin. ► (When lying motionless), Feels hot, etc. ►
(Lying on left side), Pain in region of liver. ► (Between meals), Taste of
rotten eggs in mouth. ► (After a
meal
), Fulness in pit of stomach, etc. ► (During mastication), Gums pain, etc. ►
(At end of micturition), Cutting pain in orifice of
urethra. ► (After micturition),
Stitches in urethra; biting burning in urethra. ► (Motion), Pains increased; painful sensitiveness of joints, etc.;
all the joints of the bones, etc., of the chest feel painful; sensation as of a lump in the
back; heaviness in all the limbs, etc.; stitches in
wrist joint. ► (Moving the parts),
Burning pain in corners of mouth; pain in articulation of right jaw. ►
(Moving head), Feels as if everything turned with her;
stitches in head. ► (Moving neck),
Swelling of the cervical glands painful. ► (Moving hand), Cracking, etc., in right
wrist
. ► (Opening
eyes
), Qualmishness of stomach. ► (Pressure), Pains in stomach; pain in epigastrium; pain in right
side of neck; sharp pain in phalanx of right finger. ► (Raising oneself and sitting in bed),
Headache. ► (Raising head),
Swelling of submaxillary glands painful. ► (Raising eyes), Pricking pain in forehead. ►
(Reading), Pressive pain in forehead. ► (Reflecting), Pressive
pain in forehead. ► (On rising),
Felt sick, etc. ► (Rising and
stepping upon foot
), Pain in the thigh. ► (Rubbing), Burning of upper lip; stitches on inner side of thigh. ► (During rest), Distension
of the right side of abdomen; tearing-twitching pain on
dorsum of left hand; sense of crackling in the lower part of leg. ►
(When seizing something), Weakness of the hands. ► (Setting down foot),
Right side of abdomen feels painful; tearing in under surface of big toe. ► (Sneezing), Pain in
muscles of neck. ► (Sitting),
Tearing in lower extremities; pressure in middle of spine; thigh extended; pain in left
hip-joint; pressure in muscles of thigh. ► (Speaking), Swelling of cervical glands painful. ► (Every sound), Pains
increase. ► (Stooping),
Headache; jerking, etc., headache, etc.; pain in loins. ►
(Stretching the parts), Pain between scapula and spine. ► (After supper), Weeps,
etc. ► (When standing),
Fulness in pit of stomach, etc.; stitches under left false ribs;
straining, etc., in rectum; tension across chest; tension in muscles of calf. ► (At every step), Cutting
over the umbilicus. ► (Swallowing),
Burning in throat. ► (Swallowing
hot liquids
), Burning in the tongue. ► (Talking), Pains increase. ► (Touch), Teeth painful; swelling of submaxillary glands painful;
right side of abdomen painful; pain in knee; pimple
stings, etc. ► (Turning head to
left
), Pain in right side of neck. ► (Artificial vomiting), Confusion of head, etc. ► (When walking), Slight
sweat; continued chilliness. ► (Walking),
Feels faint; vertigo; pressive pain in forehead; pressure in region of spleen; pain in right
side of abdomen; sense of crackling in trachea; tension across chest; sputa tinged with
blood; stitching pain in sternum; cutting thrusts between scapulæ; stitches in small of
back; pain in thighs; pressure in tibia; on raising left foot, etc.; crawling in left sole;
stitches in toes. ► (Walking
upstairs
), Pressive pain in forehead; pain in right knee. ►
(Near warm stove), Pressive pain in forehead. ► (Weeping and lamenting),
Cough. ► (Yawning),
Tensive pain in muscles of neck. ► Amelioration. ► (Evening), Pain in left
half of forehead. ► (Motion in
open air
), Pain in right eyeball. ► (Walking in cool, open air), Better. ►
(Contact), Itching of thigh. ►
(After eating), Toothache goes off; pain in stomach. ► (Exercise), Feeling as if
load of blood in chest. ► (Emission
of flatulence
), Pain in right side of abdomen. ►
(Letting hands hang down), Tearing pain in left
wrist-joint. ► (Lying),
Headache; pressure in pit of stomach, etc. ► (Lying on back), Tense feeling across chest. ►
(Resting head on painful side), Stitches in head. ► (Rising), Pain in fauces
passes off. ► (Rubbing),
Crawling on nose; tearing in left knee. ► (Scratching), Stitch in abdominal muscles; itching of
finger-joints. ► (Standing),
Faint feeling. ► (After thin
stool
), Tenesmus.


SUPPLEMENT: ARNICA.

Authorities.

40, J. Epps,
M.D., Lancet, 1840-1 (2), p. 365, a lady applied the tincture to corns; 41, Dr. Morrison, Month. Hom. Rev., 1873, p. 471, Miss O. B.,
suffering from toothache, rubbed in some. mother tincture; 42,
43, 44, Jas. C.
White, M.D., Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ. vol. xcii, 1875, p. 61, cases of poisonous action
of the tincture on the skin; 45, E. W. Berrigde, U. S.
Med. Invest., New Ser., vol. iv, 1876, p. 573, a boy took 200th (Lehrmann); 46, same, a boy, æt. nine years, a patient, took 1000th (Jen.); 47, J. Fayrer, M.D., Practitioner, vol. xvi, 1876, p. 52, effects
of application of tincture; (48 to 58, A Imbert Gourbeyre, M.D., Memoir on Arnica, addressed to the
World’s Hom. Con., at Philad., 1876); 48, Madame C. took
two tablespoonfuls; 49, a man, æt. sixty-nine years,
fell five or six meters, and felt so bruised that he took a dose of a decoction of 30 grams
of Arnica flowers in two glasses of water; 50, Ferrand
Journ. de Chim. Méd., Sept., 1869, a man, æt. thirty years, swallowed 15 grams of the
tincture; 51, Ferrand, Journ. de Chim. Méd., Sept.,
1869, a woman took two cups of an infusion prepared with a pint of the flowers; 52, Berlin, Central f. d. Med. Wissen, Nov., 1874, a workman
swallowed at one draught 60 to 80 cc. of the tincture, death in thirty-eight hours; 53, Beilt, Dict. des Sci. Méd., 1812, a man was gorged with a
decoction of the flowers after a fall; 54, Guillemot,
Étude sur les Prop. Physiol. et Thérap. d. l’Arnica a student took 18 grams of alcoholic
Arnica tinct; 55, Attomyr, Primeiner Naturg. der Krank.,
Wien, 1851, a man, æt. fifty years. rubbed his wounded hand and foot with a weak tincture; 56, Blake, Month. Hom. Rev., Sept., 1874, Mrs. W., æt fifty
years, applied to her sprained ankle a cloth saturated with the pure tincture; 57, an officer applied a compress of pure Arnica to a
hydrarthrosis of the left knee; 58, effects on a
patient; 59, Chas. W. Earle, M.D., Chicago Med. Journ.
and Exam., vol. xxxv, 1877, p. 267, Mr. L. applied to a slight injury of the knee the
tincture, which came in contact with other parts; 60, D.
Dyce Brown, M.D., Month. Hom. Rev., vol. xxii, p. 171, a lady, æt. fifty-four years, had
leucorrhœa and then a bloody discharge, with all the sensations which used to accompany the
period, took Arnica 3d, three or four times a day, and afterwards 200th; 61, R. S. Harnden, New Remedies, 1878, p. 357, a man applied the
tincture to the stump of his arm, which had been amputated.

►

Loss of appetite at supper, for two successive days, [45]. ► Immediately after
drinking it she felt a burning pain in the throat, which persisted; five minutes afterward
violent pain at the pit of the stomach, lasting a quarter of an hour; at the same time
warmth and sweat, which obliged her to change her chemise. There was also some nausea. At
the end of half an hour a small stool, whit colic. After this painful cramp of the stomach,
an almost irresistible desire to sleep followed. I arrived forty minutes after the accident.
I found the patient in bed, face red, pulse frequent, skin hot, panting, complaining of
nothing but sleepiness, [48]. ►
Immediately seized with a violent burning in the stomach, followed by colics, [52]. ► Feeling as if the abdomen
were all slit down; worse on stooping, [46]. ► The first effect was to make the toes itch dreadfully,
keeping her from sleep the greater part of the night. The second effects, those which
troubled her most, and were the most painful, presented themselves in the morning; the face
was swollen and painful, the pain being smarting, particularly under the eyes, there was
great heat in the face; the patient presenting, be it remarked, the three characteristics of
inflammation, swelling, pain, and heat. Besides these symptoms, blotches came out on the
cheeks and the forehead, which, together with the swollen condition, did not disappear for
three days, then leaving the face rough, [40]. ► Erysipelas extending over the left cheek, from under border
of the lower maxilla to scalp, with intolerable irritation, and considerable constitutional
disturbance, [41]. ►
Thursday I took four pilules of Arnica 3d, and three the next day. Towards evening my face
ached. Next morning I felt very poorly, I took one pilule early, and another about 12 M.,
but my face got worse, and by evening I had every appearance of erysipelas, had to go to
bed, cover it with flour, and take Bell. and Aconite diligently. During this time I felt
extremely ill. I remained in bed till Monday morning, by which time the swelling had gone
down, and I gradually got better. I have had erysipelas so often that I am always nervous
about it. A few days later, after two globules of the 200th in one day, and one globule the
next day, was from home from 9.45 A.M. to 4 P.M., in and out of shops. About an hour after I
came in my face got hot and began to swell, but slightly. However, it was stiff and
uncomfortable, so I took Aconite, and though I am still redder than usual and a little
stiff, I have had no other ill effect, [60]. ► A gentleman, sixty-five years of age, slipped and scraped the
lower part of his back, to which the tincture of Arnica was applied. In a short time a good
deal of itching was felt in the back, which caused the parts to be rubbed vigorously. On
examination the skin was found to be already greatly congested, and the irritation of the
parts increased during the day and night. On the next day the skin of the back, nearly to
the shoulders, was in a state of active hyperæmia, and already covered with innumerable
papules. The inflammatory process spread rapidly downward nearly to the knees, and forwards
upon the abdomen and genitals. In a few days these parts presented all the characteristic
appearances of acute eczema in its various stages of progression; general hyperæmia,
papules, vesicles, excoriating and exuding surfaces, and crusts. The subjective symptoms
were intense itching, stinging, and burning in these parts. Scarcely any clothing could be
borne in contact with the skin by day, and sleep for a few nights was almost impossible, but
the system generally was only slightly disturbed, [42].
[920.] ► In the
morning every part of the integument which had been touched with the Arnica was slightly red
and swollen, erythematous (second day); swelling and redness increased, some fever (third
day); vesicles between fingers and upon the left knee (fourth day); vesicles upon portions
of all the integuments (except eyelids) with which the Arnica had come in contact, eczema
(fifth day); eye nearly well; integuments less swollen; considerable itching and burning;
pustules around the margins of the affect parts (sixth day); intense itching and burning,
and itching of the thorax and abdomen. An examination showed a profuse redness or vascular
congestion of the entire surface, and the presence of what Wilson would probably call eczema
erythematosum (seventh day); eruption on body disappearing; crusts forming on legs; fingers
nearly well (eight to twelfth day); crusts clearing; pruritus disappearing; new skin looking
healthy (thirteenth to fifteenth day), [59]. ► A gentleman, sixty years old, applied to his right arm above
the elbow a fomentation of tincture of Arnica on two successive days. The part became
generally reddened and swollen in a few days, and the day after the applications were made
he consulted me. The arm from the elbow to the shoulder was considerably swollen, of a vivid
redness, and covered over the lower half of this district, with a very thick eruption of
papules, many of which were already partially converted into pimples. Great itching and
burning was felt in the part, which gradually ceased as the inflammation subsided. The
efflorescence under treatment did not progress to the vesicular stage, and the skin returned
to its normal state in ten or fourteen days subsequently, [43].
► Arm began to swell and break out with little papules,
then with vesicles, and finally to become excoriated. The whole arm became intensely red;
the swelling, itching, and burning, accompanied with pain, being very great, and the
discharge of serum constant from the excoriated surface, [61].
► Swelling followed a strained wrist, to which was
applied Arnica; a vesicular erysipelas ot the whole arm followed, lasting three weeks. A
year after he had erysipelas of the leg, after applying Arnica to an excoriation. He used a
gargle of 15 or 20 drops of the tincture to a glass of water for toothache; the mouth and
lips became inflamed; a severe erysipelas of the face followed, which lasted ten days, [58]. ► To a sprained
wrist I applied a weak solution of tincture of Arnica. In a few days a few small papules
appeared on the skin, but they quickly disappeared, and the surface seemed sound. About six
days later I came in contact with a nettle, which stung the wrist very slightly. On the same
evening violent irritation of the part set in, and the skin of the wrist and forearm,
exactly corresponding to the early application of the tincture, became hot, painful, and
affected with an intolerable itching and burning sensation. The following day it was much
worse. The skin was much inflamed, and the pain extended up the arm to the axilla, the
absorbents being very painful. The skin was red, brawny, and covered with patches of an
eczematous character, [47]. ►
Inflammation of the hand, which acquired a scarlatinous redness, and erysipelas followed, [55]. ► A gentleman, æt.
fifty-two years, dressed his sprained knee with fomentations of tincture of Arnica and
water. After two days’ use the knee became red, the redness extending down the leg nearly to
the ankle, and upon this surface there was developed in a few days a general eruption of
papules. A similar process, but of less severity, ensued a day or two later upon the inner
surface of the corresponding part of the other leg. The efflorescence upon the legs did not
pass into the vesicular stage generally, but remained at its height for a week, and then
very gradually subsided under treatement. Three days after the use of the fomentations, an
inflammation of the skin of the face began, which increased in severity until I saw him, a
week after the injury. His whole face was then very much swollen, of a deep red color, and
covered with papules and vesicles towards its periphery, whilst upon the central portions
was a very free exudation of serum from many excoriated points, which in parts had stiffened
into crusts. The vesicles and papules of the forehead were arranged in prominent and
isolated clusters of two or three individuals each. The subjective symptoms were mainly
intense itching, with slight burning, and considerable suffering was thereby occasioned for
several days, [44]. ►
Erysipelas in the course of twelve hours. A band of inflammation about three inches in
width, and nearly encircling the ankle-joint; color dusky purple, the upper part raised into
large flattened blebs, the lower part slightly suppurated, the foot and leg somewhat
œdematous; the swelling extended several inches; the whole most exquisitely tender, and
appearing like a severe scald or burn more than anything else; the general disturbance was
very slight, except from want of sleep; one eye was slightly inflamed, and the eyelids were
swollen; a small patch of erysipelas on the palm of the right hand, [56]. ► Two days afterward
enormous swelling of the knee and of the thigh. Two days later diminution of the swelling,
but appearance on the knee of an eczematous eruption, with crowded lenticular bullæ, which
lasted three weeks. The compress having naturally touched the right knee, there was eczema
here also, less severe but quite as lasting; it was also upon the fingers of the hand which
had touched the Arnica. The eruption was very painful, [57].
► Violent twitchings, extreme anxiety, a feeling of
constriction at the level of the attachments of the diaphragm, paleness, cold sweat, pulse
small and frequent, convulsive movement in the limbs, alternating with trembling of the
whole body, [49]. [930.]
► After twenty minutes he had a violent headache,
vertigo, nausea, and vomiting; these lasted an hour, followed by drowsiness and deep sleep, [50]. ► Obstinate
vomiting, vertigo, convulsions, [53]. ► Violent vomiting, intense headache, choleraic diarrhœa,
epigastric pains and colics, general weakness, shivering of the extremities, pulse very slow
and small, [51]. ►
In five minutes his pulse fell from 70 to 64; at first irregular, it soon became thready and
evaded the finger. He experienced and unendurable præcordial anguish; it seemed to him that
his heart stopped, and was going to cease to beat; in fact on applying the hand to the
præcordial region, one perceived the feebleness and intermission of the cardiac
contractions. His face grew pale and almost immediately a great muscular weakness followed;
his knees failed him and he felt a desire to sit down, which he could resist only by a
strong effort of the will. There were fibrillar contractions of isolated muscular
fasciculæ, especially manifest in the region of the jaws and a sort of constriction of the
temples. We follow with the fingers the spinous processes of all the dorsal vertebræ. The
pressure does not give rise to any phenomenon, but as the finger descends and presses on the
dorsal vertebræ a lively and sudden sensation of illness is felt, and some involuntary
jerks in the muscles of the nape of the neck and of the back; the head is thrown backward,
the trunk is upright. At the level of the last dorsal vertebra the sensation of illness
provoked by the pressure is so great that the patient shrinks from our observation. This
rather strange localization of the pain, on the level with the last dorsal vertebra, seems
to us remarkable; we will attentively study the phenomena which accompany it. Pressure
develops pain in the waist at this point only, these pains radiate to the epigastrium; the
patient complains of suffocation, and of a sensation like a weight on the chest. These
rather alarming symptoms did not last more than twenty minutes. After half an hour there was
only great weakness, depression, paleness, a sensation of emptiness in the head, a slight
trembling of the hands, some nausea, then great sleepiness. This condition lasted until
evening. At 10 P.M. the pulse was still feeble and irregular, temperature 36 6/10° C.; the
night was pretty good. The illness terminated the next day by some loose stools, with
tenesmus, [54].

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Arn.