ARSENICUM HYDROGENISATUM.
Arsenetted hydrogen, Arsenious hydride
or Arsine (AsH3). Preparation,
Dissolve the freshly prepared gas in ice-cold distilled water. (Provings were made by
inhaling the gas.)
Authorities.
1, Gehlen,
Buchner Tox., 1827; 2, Schindler, Græfe and Walther
Journ. (inhaled an amount representing 1/8 grain of the metal); 3,
Eisenmenger, Z. f. H. Kl., 1, 103; 4, O’Reilly, Dublin
Journ., 1842; 5, Ollivier, Gaz. d. Hôp., 1863.
MIND.
► Anxiety, he
believes his death is near, and despairs of being better (during the vomiting; more courage
afterward till the next vomiting turn), (six hours), [2].
► Disinclined to work, [3].
► Almost unconscious, [2].
HEAD.
► Vertigo, violent on
going upstairs, so that he staggered against the sides of the stairs (the vertigo was not
noticed on a level floor or going downstairs), (three hours), [2].
► Vertigo and general weakness, [4]. ► Headache increased during
the chill, [3]. ►
Violent headache in the forehead, [5]. ► Violent pressive frontal headache, especially worse at night,
and accompanied by such excessive weakness that he was obliged to lie in bed for several
hours, after eating (first and second days), [3].
EYES.
► Eyes yellow, deeply
sunken, with broad blue circles about them, [2]. [10.] ► All the hair on the
“deadened” parts became snowy white, and the white brows formed a strange contrast
to the dark-brown face, [2]. ►
Eyes sunken, lustreless; conjunctiva bulbi red, [3].
NOSE.
► Nose and lips
somewhat excoriated, [3]. ►
Violent sneezing, and such coldness of the nose that it must be wrapped up with warm cloths,
[2].
FACE.
► Face pale, [5]. ► Face yellowish, [3]. ► The features were
painfully drawn, [2]. ►
Lips colorless, [5].
MOUTH.
► Tongue yellow, [3]. ► Taste bitter, [3], [4].
STOMACH.
► Appetite very
spoor, [3]. [20.] ► Thirst great, [5]. ► Thirst excessive, [2]. ► Eructations, [3]. ► Spasmodic eructations of enormous quantities of tasteless
gas, from the stomach, without relief of the pain in the abdomen that causes him to moan
(six hours), [2]. ►
Incessant retching and vomiting, [1]. ► Vomits everything taken into the stomach, [1]. ► Violent vomiting, could,
not retain the slightest thing, [4]. ► Vomited food, [5]. ► Vomiting with the colic, of green mucus, bitter (six hours), [2]. ► Pressure in the
stomach, [3]. [30.]
► Pains in epigastrium, [5].
► Pressure in epigastric region, during chill, [3]. ► Violent cutting
pains in the epigastric region and below it (six hours), [2].
► Pressure of the hand causes dull pain in the
epigastrium, [4].
ABDOMEN.
► Distension of
abdomen, during chills, [3]. ►
Glowing heat in the abdomen, with cold extremities, [2].
STOOL AND ANUS.
► Obstinate
constipation, [3].
URINARY ORGANS.
► Hæmaturia,
passed two ounces of blood through urethra, [4].
► Urine dark, reddish-black; it formed a thick clot of
blood in the vessel, [2].
SEXUAL ORGANS.
► The
foreskin and glans were covered with pustules, which left behind small round superficial
ulcers, sixty-five on the outside of the foreskin alone,
[2].
RESPIRATORY APPARATUS.
[40.]
► Voice whispering, [4].
CHEST.
► Oppression of the
chest during the chill, [3].
HEART AND PULSE.
► Pulse
small, rapid, [3]. ►
Pulse 90, weak, [4].
NECK AND BACK.
► Tearing
pain in the neck, during the chill, [3]. ► The pain in the region of the kidneys became exceedingly
severe, with urging to urinate, [2]. ► An unpleasant pressive feeling in the kidney region, which
rapidly increased and spread up the back to between the shoulders (four hours), [2]. ► Slight pain in the
lumbar region, [4]. ►
Very violent pain in the lumbar region, [5].
EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL.
►
Coldness of the extremities (four hours), [2]. [50.] ► Extremities cool, [5].
UPPER EXTREMITIES.
► A kind
of stiffening of the upper extremities, which afterward extended to the lower extremities,
and caused a pricking sensation, [4]. ► Tearing pains in the upper extremities, during the chill, [3]. ► Pains in the
elbows and upper arms (five hours), [2].
LOWER EXTREMITIES.
► Pain
in lower extremities, especially in the right, [4]. ► Rheumatic tearing pains in the knees (four hours), [2].
GENERALITIES.
► All the
hair over the “deadened” parts became snowy white, and the white brows formed a
strange contrast to the dark-brown face, [2]. ► Motion difficult, [5]. ► Great fatigue and weakness, [3].
[60.] ► Weak and
prostrated on waking, [3]. ►
Sudden, indescribable weakness and nausea, [1]. ► The hands as far as the middle of the forearm, the feet as
far as near the knees, the nose, the eyebrows, became dead, the pulse ceased, and every sign
of life left theses parts, though they could be moved (five hours), [2]. ► Unpleasant crawlings in the
deadened limbs (as they became restored), especially in the nose, [2].
SKIN.
► Skin became
dark-brown, [2].
SLEEP AND DREAMS.
►
Sleepless, [2].
FEVER.
► Temperature
diminished, [4]. ►
Chill, [4]. ►
Chilliness over the whole body (four hours), [2]. ► Chilly while walking, [3].
[70.] ► Chilliness
became very violent on undressing, at 10 P.M. (in five hours), [2]. ► Severe chill (on the third
day), at 3 P.M., at the time when the headache was usually worse; beginning with yawning,
discomfort, anxiety, and chilliness, accompanied by oppression of the chest, pain in the
neck, and drawing in the upper extremities; increased frontal headache. After a two-hour’s
chill, came a moderate heat, which lasted till 8 P.M., with a hot, dry mouth, thirst only
little. After the heat, a very slight sweat, during which the patient fell asleep; at first
frequent startings, during the unrefreshing sleep, but after midnight he became quiet, [3]. ► On the fourth day
a slight fever-paroxysm, [3]. ►
On the fifth day, a paroxysm severe as on the third day, after which it returned every day
(this attack was cured by Nux vom., but was renewed on a subsequent occasion from inhaling
the same gas), [3].
CONDITIONS.
► Aggravation.
► (Night), Frontal
headache; pain in lower extremities. ► (3 P.M.), Severe shill, etc. ►
(After moving in open air), Aggravated always. ► (During chill), Headache;
pressure in epigastric region; distension of abdomen; oppression of chest; tearing in neck;
tearing in upper extremities. ► (Damp
atmosphere), Aggravated always. ► (After eating), Frontal headache. ►
(Pressure), Dull pain in epigastrium. ► (Undressing), At, 10
P.M., chill became very violent. ► (On waking), Weak, etc. ► (While walking), Chilly. ► (On walking upstairs), Vertigo. ►
Amelioration. ► (Sweat),
Deadness in limbs. ► (During
vomiting), More courage.
SUPPLEMENT: ARSENICUM HYDROGENISATUM.
Authorities.
(6 to 12, from Berridge’s collection in Appendix to Brit. Journ. of
Hom.). 6, Dr. John Elliotson, Lancet, 1831 (2), p. 132,
a family of eight or more were poisoned by Arsenite of copper, in and about the house, to
which water had access; 7, M. Raspail, Med. Times, vol.
ix 1843, p. 15, and vol. xiii, p. 324, Ghelen, poisoned, death in eight days; 8, Raspail inhaled the gas for three days; 9, Vogel, Archiv des Verein (abridged), Dublin Hosp. Gaz., 1854
(1), 157 a man inhaled the gas; 10, Dr. T. Monat,
Glasgow Med. Journ., vol. v, 1858, p. 371, Mr. R. inhaled it; 11,
M. Piorry, Gaz. des Hôp., 1863 (Brit. Med. Journ., 1863 (2), 580), a man, æt. twenty-two
years, imbibed a large amount; 12, Dr. Dickinson, Med.
Times and Gaz., 1865 (1), p. 659, effects of inhalation; 13,
Dr. Valette, Mémoire, Lyons, 1870 (Tardieu, Étude Méd. lég. et Clin. sur Empoisonnement,
Paris, 1875).
HEAD.
► Suddenly seized
with vertigo, fainting, and vomiting, and died in eight days, [7].
► On the third day had vertigo and pains in the stomach,
prostration of strength, cerebral congestion, fever, dim slight, indigestion, nausea, and
griping, [8]. ►
Violent pain in the head (in one hour), [11]. ► Intense headache came on suddenly on the fourth day, followed
by very violent pain in the epigastric region and renewed vomiting, with pale tongue and
great thirst; the features became for the second time altered, and the sclerotic again
became yellow; prostration very great, [13]. ► Intense frontal headache (in five hours), [11].
EYE.
► Sclerotic injected
with blood of a very yellow color, [13]. [80.] ► Sclerotic yellow, [13]. ► Every one had
watery eyes, [6].
FACE.
► Expression like
that of a person suffering from cholera, [13]. ► Face and lips pale (in five hours), [11].
MOUTH.
► The gums became
pale, discolored, and bled easily, [13]. ► Tongue red and foul, [6].
► Blood seemed to ooze from the whole mucous membrane of
the mouth, and accumulated on the anterior pillars of the palate, exhaling a nauseous odor, [13].
THROAT.
► Constriction of
the throat, [13].
STOMACH.
► Thirst, [6]. ► Great thirst, [13]. [90.] ► Nausea and vomiting, [6].
► Vomiting (in four hours), [11]. ► Pain in epigastric region
(in four hours), [11]. ►
Feeling of heat of stomach, [3].
STOOL.
► Bloody stool, [13].
URINARY ORGANS.
► Bloody
urine, [13]. ► On
the ninth day the urine again became suppressed, and vomiting reappeared, [13]. ► Hæmaturia, [12], [13]. ► Urine deep red, almost black, [13].
► Urine black, bloody scanty, [13]. [100.] ► It caused blackish urine, depending upon altered
blood-globules, [9]. ►
(Arsenic was detected in the urine), [13].
CHEST.
► Constriction on
the suprasternal notch, [13]. ►
Feeling of constriction at base of lung, and breathing was quickened (in five hours), [11].
HEART AND PULSE.
► Distress
about the heart and stomach, followed by profuse vomiting, [13].
► Pulse small and rapid, [13].
► None had a pulse under 120, and in some it was 160, [6]. ► Pulse 90, [13].
BACK.
► Violent pain
towards lumbar region (in five hours), [11]. ► Feebleness of the limbs continued for a long time, [13]. [110.] ► Pains in the limbs, [13].
► After they appeared well they had pains in the limbs, [6].
GENERALITIES.
► Blood
exuded from the mucous membrane and from the prepuce; the blood was pale; I was scarcely
able to call these exudations hæmorrhages, on account of the decolored character of the
blood; the patient certainly lost a much as 300 to 400 grams of blood, [13]. ► He soon had a sense of
burning and constriction in the throat. Next day he was exceedingly ill. He had been
suffering for several hours from excessive irritation of stomach, with an intense acrid
burning sensation from the pharynx to the lower end of the alimentary canal. The vomited
matter consisted at first of the food contained in the stomach, then of the bile which had
evidently regurgitated into that organ, and ultimately of dark coffee-grounds looking
matter, which was ascertained to consist of broken-down blood corpuscles and the desquamated
epithelium of the stomach and lower part of œsophagus. The bowels had been obstinately, and
there had been severe pains in the loins, accompanied with the discharge of between three
and four pints of bloody urine. There was at this time (about sixteen hours after the
poison) considerable fever, with a full, hard, frequent pulse, a dry, hot, unperspiring
skin, burning pain in the whole course of the alimentary canal, deepseated pain in the
lumbar region, intense restlessness, anxiety, and general uneasiness, pale, anxious face,
and considerable prostration of the vital powers, [10].
► Very great restlessness, [13].
► Walked with difficulty (in five hours), [11]. ► Very great prostration, [13]. ► Indefinable
malaise, [13].
SKIN.
► Eruption of papules
upon the abdomen, face, and loins, [13]. ► The eruption on the skin became violet in color, [13].
SLEEP.
[120.] ► After about four weeks the patient was attacked with
somnolency; the face became of a bronzed hue, and the oozing of blood continued; afterwards
the patient had repeated attacks of syncope, and soon after died, [13].
FEVER.
► Body cold, [13]. ► Skin cold, [13]. ► General heat of
body, [6]. ►
Profuse perspiration, [13].® 2000
Article