Cenchris Contortrix.
Ancistrodon contortrix. Copperhead snake of North America. N. O.
Ophidians. Solution of venom.Clinical.─
Amaurosis. Catarrh. Diarrhœa. Eyes,
swelling over. Headache. Heart, affections of. Leucorrhœa. Menorrhagia. Nightmare. Ovary,
pain in. Throat, affections of. Vulva, throbbing in; eruption on.
Characteristics.─
Cenchris
has the main features of all the serpent poisons: Coma; semi-consciousness; insensibility of
cornea; swelling of upper lip; general swelling; paralysis; cold, clammy sweat. Distinctive
symptoms are: a marked alternation of moods; and dreamy absent-mindedness. The dreams of Cenchris are very vivid and horrible, cannot be shaken off during
waking hours; often lascivious. Swelling above eyes, below brow, like an over-hanging bag of
waters. Diarrhœa has been cured having the following characters: “Pain before stool;
stool papescent cold but not chilly.” Yellow Leucorrhœa; pain in right ovary herpetic
eruption on labia. Hard, dry tickling cough, < 3 p.m.
Restlessness and sense of suffocation; palpitation; sensation of dying. Must lie with head
drawn back, she chokes so. Tight clothing unbearable. Chill or fever beginning in afternoon.
Feeling as if whole body were enlarged to bursting; <
in region of heart. “Awoke with throbbing in vulva and anus, followed by a dull aching
in the sacral region, > by walking about.”
Symptoms < lying down; <
afternoon; < evening and all night; < on waking.
Relations.─
Laches.
is nearest, but affects left ovary more than right; Cench.
has difficult empty swallowing with easy swallowing of solids and liquids; Lach. can swallow solids but not liquids; Crotal. (lost sense of position and direction); Crocus
(alternating moods); Kali c. (swelling of upper lids). Antidoted
by: Cham. (internal hæmorrhage); Am. c. (general symptoms). Antidote to: Puls.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Memory lost.─Lethargy.─Anxiety,
feels she will die suddenly.─Alternating moods.─Dreamy,
absent-minded.─Took the wrong car without realising where she was going.─When
riding in the car rode past the place she intended to get off at.─Suspicious,
thinks her husband is going to put her in an insane asylum; every day, 3 to 8 p.m., for ten
days, yet she knew it was a delusion.
2. Head.─
Hard aching pain, commencing l. frontal
eminence, spreading down l. side to teeth, thence to r. frontal eminence, then to teeth r.
side.
3. Eyes.─
Swelling like bags over eyes and under
brows.─Aching and itching in eyes; dim vision, redness of margins and
twitching.─L. eye waters; from concussive cough.
5. Nose.─
Catarrh; scabs; obstruction.
6. Face.─
Expression bloated, besotted.─Face
sallow.─Burning face.─Blue circles round eyes.
9. Throat.─
Accumulation of mucus; glossy, thick,
tough.─Difficult empty swallowing, but easy swallowing of solids and
liquids.─Warm drinks grateful.
11. Stomach.─
Nausea >
by ice; < by water which =
vomiting.
12. Abdomen.─
Intolerance of tight clothing.
13. Stool.─
Diarrhœa early in morning, on,
waking.─Stool, gushing, frequent, watery, at first without pain; after
several hours, great pain before the motions.
15. Male Sexual Organs.─
Violent sexual desire.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Increased desire.─Yellow
leucorrhœa.─Pain in r. ovary.─Herpetic eruption on
labia.─Menstrual flow very profuse; light with dark clots.
19. Heart.─
Feels as if heart were distended, or
swelled to fill the whole chest.─Strongly conscious of heart.─Hard
aching and sudden sharp stitching in heart.─Throbbing or fluttering
under l. scapula.─At 3 p.m. sensation of fluttering followed by feeling
that heart fell down into abdomen; then pulse became feeble, with heat lasting until after
midnight.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Hard, dry, tickling
cough, < 3 p.m., even causing escape of urine.
27. Fever.─
Chill or fever beginning in afternoon.
® 2000
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