Arsenicum album is an excellent homeopathic remedy. Wonderful arsenicum album

The pathogenesis of arsenic tested by Hahnemann is found in "Pure Medicine" and in his "Cure of Chronic Diseases".

Physiological action

Arsenic poisoning mainly affects the digestive and respiratory apparatus, skin, nervous system, liver and kidneys.

Digestive apparatus: there are always three signs on the face: vomiting, diarrhea and pain.

Vomiting first erupts food, then the vomit becomes bile, mucous. Tormented by a burning thirst, the patients drink greedily, but what they have drunk almost immediately vomits back; so they drink little but often.

Diarrhea. - Watery, colorless, containing many white grains, like boiled rice, accompanied by burning pains and very painful convulsions in all the limbs. The resemblance to cholera is so striking that there are errors in diagnosis. For subacute poisoning stomach disorders with fever, noticed by Hahnemann in 1876, were described in cases of poisoning by Heirosh, Khavre and Lancero.

Respiratory apparatus: feeling of pressure and shortness of breath, the predominant symptoms of subacute arsenic poisoning; but in chronic poisoning disorders from the side respiratory organs manifest themselves more sharply, since arsenic is released through all tissues, covering the epidermis and epithelium.

Laryngo-tracheitis is noted, causing hoarseness, bronchitis and very frequent runny nose, which can reach in workers exhaling arsenic dust to necrosis of the bones of the nose.

Skin: Imber-Gourbair proved that all types of skin lesions can be caused by arsenic, but mainly scaly and pustular forms. Browardel, indeed, notes erythema, blisters, papules, pustules, ulcers, pityriasis peeling and cites a case of mildly pronounced scaly psoriasis that appeared after drinking arsenic, which in some cases makes it possible to determine the nature of poisoning. Edema is also one of the most constant symptoms and usually affects the eyelids. Edema is a characteristic sign of cachexia in workers in arsenic mines.

Nervous system: patients are in a state of deep prostration, but without damage to the mental faculties. There is insomnia, headaches, numbness of the arms and legs, crawling. Borda noted burning and shooting pains in the soles and palms of the feet during poisoning with arsenic beer.

The paralysis especially affects the lower extremities, beginning with the thumbs, and is usually symmetrical.

The heart muscle is affected at the very beginning, which is why death occurs. The blood is strongly changed, in all cases pallor and cyanosis are observed. There are various hemorrhages: petechiae, purpura, nosebleeds, bloody vomiting, etc.

The liver rapidly increases in volume and undergoes fatty degeneration, the kidneys are also affected by real toxic nephritis with albuminuria, oliguria or anuria.

Type

Piche distinguishes three main arsenal types: first of all, it is a flourishing type, muscular, with shiny hair, thin skin, strong, strong build, but with one or even two shortcomings: it is either asthmatic or suffering from lichen.

One rung lower, a malnourished person with a straw-yellow face, skinny and vomiting over every trifle, for whom the smell of the kitchen and even the sight of food is absolutely unbearable, who suffers from intense thirst, drinks a lot and often, and immediately vomits everything, what he drank. The face is edematous, the eyes are surrounded by a wide blue, as if he were wearing glasses, the lips are dry, cracked, with pityriasis peeling.

Another step, and we have cachexia: the skin is pale, the face of a seriously ill person: with a “disfigured appearance”, with an “expression of agony”, extreme emaciation, somewhere in the body there is a disorder of tissues; it is either cancer, or tuberculosis, or extremely acute cholera enteritis, or, finally, cachexia, due to some chronic illness: malaria, nephritis, heart disease. Very often there is puffiness, swelling, more pronounced on the upper than on the lower eyelids.

Let's add a few touches to this picture: usually a sick Arsenic is afraid of the cold, he wraps himself up and huddles in a warm corner, and at the same time opens the window, because he needs fresh air.

Peculiarities

Worse: after midnight, from one to three in the morning, from cold and exercise.

Better: from warmth, from anything warm; outdoors.

Dominant side: right.

Rhythm: frequency: every 2nd or 4th, every 7th or 14th day, hence the possibility of its use in swamp fevers.

Characteristic

Hourly aggravation, after midnight, between one and three in the morning.
The frequency of symptoms - every 2, 3, 4, 15 days; every 6 weeks, every year. The duration of the period is longer, the greater the duration of the disease.
Sadness and excitement always after midnight.
Excessive loss of strength, often inappropriate for the disease that causes it: dizziness, runny nose, vomiting, etc.
Malignancy: Arsenic for severe, malignant fevers, same as aconite for simple lungs.
Sequence: asthma after disappearance of eczema or measles; gastric disturbances simulating gastric ulcer after suppressing the eruption with some ointment. This is why arsenic is so well suited to skin diseases.
Character of the pains: burning, better from warmth.
Unusual thirst: the patient drinks often, but little by little. He especially prefers cold water, while it causes aggravation and relieves heat. However, drunk cold water often "falls heavily on the stomach and then is vomited."
Nausea from the smell of cooked food, and even just at the sight of it (colchicum, sepia).

Pains: The chief characteristic is burning, ameliorated by heat. They are often compared to the pain of a hot needle or hot coals. It should be noted that cold lotions can relieve them for a short time, but then bitterness sets in. They are often accompanied by edema, sadness, excitement and despair.

The stool has a dysentery or cholera-like character. It is exceptionally fetid: cadaverous, scanty,

accompanied by intense burning in the rectum. Worse at night, after eating and drinking, with great prostration.

Menses: too profuse, premature, with dark blood. The discharge is always corrosive, accompanied by itching.

Leucorrhea: acrid, burning, irritating.

Menstruation may be absent and replaced by secretions with a putrid smell (in cancer).

Main indications

DIGESTIVE TRACT: acute gastro-enteritis (arsenic causes it in a strong degree), with burning pains, great thirst; the stomach is so irritated that the least amount of food or drink causes pain, or immediately causes vomiting, diarrhea, or both. Cold drinks, water and ice cream cause or increase this suffering.

GASTRIC PAIN in lichen sufferers.

SEVERE FORMS OF DYSENTERIA in initial period illness. EXTERNAL HEMORRHOIDS, burning, better

from heat.

AIRWAYS. Asthma - chief remedy. It is especially useful for those suffering from lichen, after the disappearance of the rashes. Foamy, like beaten egg white, sputum is a special indication (Jusset). Add to this the aggravation of the symptoms and restlessness during the night and a burning sensation in the chest.

RUNNY - Watery, with slight discharge, corrosive, with a burning sensation in the upper lip.

PLEURITIS - Arsenic is especially indicated for a tendency to faint. For resorption of the effusion, it should be alternated with cantharis.

PNEUMONIA with high fever, great prostration and nocturnal excitement.

In diseases of the respiratory organs requiring the appointment of arsenic, acute, sometimes burning, pain is often noted in the upper third of the right lung, at the level of the 3rd intercostal space.

URINARY TRACT: Bright's disease. It is probably the best remedy for chronic Bright's disease, and Hughes prefers it for scarlatinal nephritis. Siffert attributes it in all periods of albuminuria to 5 drops of the 6th dilution 3 times a day. The clinical picture, in general terms, is as follows: general dropsy, edema and puffiness, albuminous urine, pale waxy skin, wasting diarrhoea, burning sensation and thirst.

LEATHER. Arsenic is indicated for all rashes, if they are accompanied by itching and burning, relieved by heat, but especially:

ULCERS, burning as if on fire, with a bluish bottom, black or greasy, bleeding easily, with offensive discharge.

GANGRENE, and especially dry senile gangrene, with sharp sensitivity and burning in the affected parts; relief from warm and hot compresses (sekale - relief from cold compresses).

ANTHRAX, burning like fire.

SCALING, worse from cold.

ECZEMA - worse in winter, better in summer, as in psorinum.

voluntary hemorrhage, purpura, in severe disease.

INFECTIONS. CHOLERA. cartoon points the following symptoms: strong melancholy with fear of death, extreme excitement, forcing the patient to constantly move, get out of bed, open up; burning in the pit of the stomach, as if from hot coals.

TIF: severe cases with extreme prostration, with irregular exhausting fever; bloating is often noted.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. Arsenic, like lead, is one of the best remedies for aortitis.

NERVOUS SYSTEM. HEADACHE. Migraine, with severe pain, especially over the left eye. The pains are burning, worse on the left side, intermittently, especially after midnight. Nocturnal neuralgia always makes you think about arsenic.

According to Buechner: moving neuralgias that appear at night - arsenic; morning and afternoon - ignatia; old - silicea.

FEVER. Seizures are rarely complete; have a tendency to appear at night. The chill is never accompanied by thirst, but it comes on with heat, of a burning character. Sweat profuse, cold and clammy. Periodicity and decline in strength are pronounced.

OTHER MEDICINES CAUSING BURNING PAIN: phosphorus - pains less intense than in arsenica, more limited: between the shoulder blades, along the spine and in the palms, aggravated by heat.

SULFUR : pains common, as in arsenic, but less acute, observed, especially in chronic diseases. Never ameliorated by heat.

Anthracite has the same burning pains as phosphorus, but they appear in the region of the boil or carbuncle and are accompanied by a blackish scab or sanious discharge.

APIS burns and pricks, “as if with red-hot needles”; worse from warm applications, better from cold.

SECALE: Burning as in Arsenic, but the affected parts are cold to the touch, and yet the patient cannot bear the slightest heat, desires to open up, and can only be relieved by cold compresses.

Doses

Arsenic acts in all doses, but, however, in certain cases, some are preferably used.

Low dilutions (hundredths) are more often used for nephritis, cholera, ascites, rhinitis, asthma, heart and aortic diseases, and scrofulous ophthalmia.

Medium dilutions (6 and 12) are often preferred for febrile processes, pleurisy and for the initiation of treatment of diseases requiring strong doses during the period of cachexia. High dilutions should be prescribed for intermittent fevers and neuralgia.

Summary

Arsenic has a profound effect on every organ and every tissue. Its symptoms are numerous, but the following should be especially remembered: Excitation with bitterness at night, severe weakness after the slightest movement, burning pains ameliorated by warmth, unquenchable thirst.

The alternation of the diseases in which it is indicated, with various skin eruptions, must never be forgotten.

Today we will study the last of the acid remedies. I mean Acidum arsenicosum (Arsenic acid) or Arsenicum album (White Arsenic). It has a number of similar (concordant) remedies and a whole series of antidotes. Its additional remedies are Phosphorus and Allium sativa.

Arsenic came to us very accurately investigated both as a poison and as a medicine. It has long been known as a quick-acting life-destroyer and has therefore been frequently used for suicide and criminal poisoning. It tends to enter into compounds with the tissues of the animal body, mainly with their protein parts, compacting them and causing resistance on their part to the usual process of decay, as a result of which these tissues last longer. This fact is especially used by specialists in stuffing birds and animals. Accidental poisoning with arsenic is extremely common, especially since arsenic is also used in the arts. In the form of arsenic copper (Scheele's grun), it is part of the well-known paints often used in the famous green wallpaper manufactory, as well as for artificial flowers. As an admixture to the paste, it is used for different kind packages to protect goods from insects. As a result of this use of arsenic, poisoning by it, especially chronic ones, is not at all rare.

In some areas Arsenic is abused as dietary remedy. Women use it to round shapes, men to lighten their hard work without much or no fatigue. Arsenic acts on muscle tissue, increasing its endurance. We can take advantage of this fact, in cases where the disease is due to climbing mountains or a long journey, as a factor that causes or cures the disease. "Arsenicism" is very reprehensible and of course very harmful. After some time, these persons begin to suffer from Arsenic poisoning, especially if they move away from their former place of residence. The symptoms of slow arsenic poisoning are as follows: swelling of the eyelids; slight inflammation of the connective membrane of the eyes; eyes are always red, full, with cutting and burning in them. As a result, vision is blurred. Whether it comes from external inflammation or from internal pain in the eye, I cannot say. The mucous membrane of the mouth, nose and throat is unusually red and dry. The patient complains about constant thirst. Digestion is definitely upset. The patient complains to you of dyspepsia. The skin takes on a more dry and dirty appearance; only in exceptional cases does it remain clean and transparent. The patient often suffers from urticaria; pimples appear, causing unbearable itching and burning. Later, eczema appears. The patient also suffers from persistent neuralgia in various parts of the body. These are the most common and surest symptoms indicating arsenic poisoning. In addition to these, there will be some acute symptoms. For example, at times the patient will have bouts of vomiting with excruciating nausea. He vomits everything he drinks. At other times, he may have symptoms similar to cholera, such as vomiting, diarrhea and cooling of the body.

You may often be called upon to help with Arsenic poisoning. If it is an acute case, you will induce vomiting and give iron oxide (Ferrum sesquioxydatum) as an antidote. Dialyzed iron was also recommended. It has the advantage that it is stronger than oxide. Ipecacuanha works excellently against the nausea seen in chronic poisoning. Against acute attacks simulating cholera, Veratrum album relieves.

Cinchona also corresponds to many symptoms, especially debility, dropsy and neuralgia.

Graphites is one of the best remedies for curing the skin symptoms of chronic Arsenic poisoning.

We will now consider the symptoms of Arsenicum album in their entirety. A very common symptom of this remedy, both in poisonings and in trials, is the one I have already mentioned, irritation of the muscle tissue (fibre). It exists and comes forward in the worst cases in which the use of Arsenicum may be necessary. Death may be almost certain, and yet this irritation exists, pointing to the general characteristic of this remedy. Even when the patient lies in a stupor, this stupor is interrupted by anxious groans and restlessness. According to this property, we find Arsenicum indicated for patients who are restless and anxious, often changing their position, filled with fear of death; so they don't want to be alone for fear of dying. The delirium is strong, stronger than all other acids except Nitric (Acidum nitricum). It is worse at night, especially after midnight. The patient sees ghosts and other bizarre figures and trembles all over. You cannot fail to see here a resemblance to delirium tremens or drunkenness mania. Arsenicum is very useful in such cases, especially in old drunkards, who have seriously weakened their health from the abuse of alcohol and cannot, for one reason or another, get their usual drink.

The pains experienced by the Arsenicum patient, whether neuralgic or otherwise, drive him into despair, irritation, and even almost rage. Falling asleep, he rushes about and jumps up. In a dream, his dreams are terrible and fantastic.

Before going any further, I want to give you a word of caution regarding Arsenic. Arsenicum is not among the remedies usually required at the onset of a disease. All his symptoms tend towards death. If you give it too early in a disease which in itself has the same tendency to end in death, you may hasten the outcome you seek to avoid. I myself have fallen into this error several times, in spite of all caution. Do not give Arsenicum too early in typhoid fever unless the symptoms unmistakably call for it; here its too early appointment is especially dangerous. It may often usefully be preceded by Rhus toxicodendron. The same can be said in relation to the tubercle. In the last period of this disease, restless tossing from side to side is not an arsenal symptom, and Arsenicum will not relieve it. It is only a harbinger of death. You must be sure that the nervous condition is undeniably in line with Arsenicum, otherwise you will do your patient harm instead of good. There is, however, one exception to this warning, and that is in inflammations. gastrointestinal system. Arsenicum can be given here very early, not only without any harm, but, on the contrary, with great benefit.

We pass to inflammations and fevers of Arsenic. Arsenicum produces changes in the blood. As we shall see, it is useful in debilitating fevers in which there are serious disturbances in the composition of the blood. The inflammations of this remedy are characterized by their strength and tendency to destroy the inflamed tissues. characteristic sensations in these local inflammations of Arsenicum you will find burning stabbing pains. They are described by the patient as if hot coals were burning the affected part. This sensation is often accompanied by a beating (pulsation). This burning, when Arsenicum is indicated as a remedy, indicates the destruction of the tissues, wherefore it is indicated for it in gangrene (Anton's fire), in scabs, in carbuncle, and in the most terrible disease, cancer. Sometimes patients complain of occasional burning pains here and there, coming solely from nervous causes. In such cases Arsenicum is of no use. I have often seen doctors prescribing Arsenicum when the women complained of burning pains in the ovaries; there was no trace of any inflammation whatsoever, but the burning came from the neuralgia of the ovary. Arsenicum is an invaluable remedy. All cases calling for Arsenicum are relieved by hot applications and greatly worse by cold.

The most important sites of Arsenicum inflammations are the stomach and intestines, first of all, and then the heart. This inflammation in the stomach and intestines can range from mild irritation to the most destructive gastritis. The mouth is dry, the tongue is white, as if whitened, and in some cases of irritable stomach, the tongue is red with elevated papillae. The thirst is very strong, but the patient only drinks a little at a time, because water irritates the stomach. The usual amount of food causes a feeling of fullness and fullness. In this case Arsenicum is similar to Lycopodium. The smallest amount of food or drink is vomited as soon as it is taken. But we can have another group of symptoms: a feeling of weakness and sinking in the pit of the stomach, relieved by eating, but as soon as the patient begins to drink, he has an urge to stool with diarrhea. Here the remedy is similar to Cinchona and Ferrum.

There is a very painful heartburn. Sometimes burning in the stomach as from hot coals, accompanied by diarrhoea. The stools are undigested, slimy, bloody, and are associated with great tenesmus and burning in the rectum. If the disease continues, the stools become brownish or almost black and terribly smelly, thus proving that Arsenicum is indicated in the most serious cases intestinal inflammation and dysentery. The stimulating causes for these varied symptoms are the sudden cooling of the stomach with ice-cold water, or ice-cream; alcoholic drinks in excessive quantities; known poisons like spoiled sausages, rancid fat, spoiled butter, or decomposed lard, and lobster salad at certain times of the year.

Arsenicum also excites an intestinal disease almost identical with Asiatic cholera. Even organic cholera formations were found in the stools of Arsenicum provers. Do not conclude from this that Arsenicum is the only remedy for Asiatic cholera. It is indicated only for the following symptoms: severe vomiting and diarrhea, and the stools are not so much the character of rice water as they are rather brownish-yellow, copious and smelly. The vomit is green or yellow in color and bilious in character. Burning thirst with excessive agony corresponding to Arsenicum. The surface of the body is cold as ice, but inside the patient feels hot, as if he were full of fire.

Arsenicum is also indicated in cholera infantum and infantile atrophy. Many of the symptoms already named serve as indications for it. Intestinal symptoms: undigested stools, diarrhea immediately brought on by the child eating or drinking, aggravation after midnight (especially restlessness and diarrhoea), and rapid emaciation. The skin of the child becomes hard and dry, often yellowish or brownish. The little patient is restless, apparently in constant pain. Here also we often have to resort to Arsenicum very early, because here the symptoms have time to develop long before you arrive. Nux vomica and Sulfur are in close proportion to Arsenicum in the atrophy of children. For example, in early insanity you may give Arsenicum if there is diarrhea, and Nux vomica or Sulphur if there is constipation. The same desiccated mummy corresponding to Sulfur may require Arsenicum if the characteristic gastric symptoms of arsenic are present. In the later stages of the disease, Cinchona, or China, and Arsenicum nitricum are suitable.

Let us now study a few related Arsenicum remedies for gastrointestinal troubles.

Argentum nitricum has slimy, greenish stools with excessive swelling and worse at night. Although both remedies have anxiety, it is not the same for both. Arsenicum has a restless desire to change places; The patient is either sitting or standing. Anxiety of Silver Nitrate (Argentum nitricum) is often nervous. The patient has difficulty in breathing, with long sighs.

Much more often you have to decide between Arsenicum and Carbo vegetabilis. The latter is somewhat similar to Arsenicum in stomach pains resulting from colds of the stomach, for example, ice water. It may not have the characteristic restless tossing, but at the same time it can have a nervous, irritable, anxious state, without tossing from side to side. Carbo veg. is also similar to Arsenicum when gastrointestinal symptoms excited by rancid fat.

Secale cornutum is very similar to Arsenicum in many of its symptoms. Both tools are complementary to each other and work well together. In abdominal pains both converge in Asiatic cholera, but Arsenicum can be distinguished from Secale by the following few symptoms: The stools of Secale are copious and are thrown out in sprays; besides, Secale does not have the anxiety that belongs to Arsenicum. If there are any spasmodic symptoms, as is often seen, you will find under Secale that the fingers are extended apart, with tingling in the hands and feet.

Veratrum album is somewhat similar to Arsenicum in cholera (cholera morbus). It has more profuse stools and a more pronounced cold sweat on the forehead than Arsenicum.

Forget not that Cadmium sulfuricum is similar to Arsenicum in black vomit, whether this symptom occurs in yellow fever or in any other disease.

We often find Arsenicum indicated in intermittent types of fevers. We all know what success Arsenicum often has after Cinchona in the treatment of chills and fevers; it often heals. It is indicated especially after the failure or abuse of Cinchona, and also when the fever is acquired in the salt marshes along the coasts. The chill is not very clearly expressed and is more often of an irregular nature; but the period of heat is unmistakable: the heat is excessive, with burning thirst, especially for warm drinks: cold drinks make the patient feel trembling. Sweat doesn't always make it easier. Sometimes he shows up very late. Apyrexia (a fever-free period) is characterized by severe symptoms, and the consequence of an enlarged spleen or liver is dropsy. The patient is hardly able to get up in bed. He often suffers from neuralgia, which is typical. The pain generally affects one side of the face, and drives the patient into insanity, forcing him to continually change places. At the height of the attack, nausea and vomiting and buzzing in the ears appear. Arsenicum may also be used in intermittent, one-sided headaches (migraines) of malarial origin, especially after the abuse of Quinine.

In these malarial neuralgias there are several remedies similar to Cinchona:

Cedron has neuralgia periodically returning daily at the same hour.

Cactus grandiflorus has neuralgic and other forms of pain, probably coming on when the patient is left without his usual food.

Kalmia and Kreosotum are useful in neuralgias, especially when there are burning pains.

Magnesia phosphorica is required for neuralgia, which regularly appears every night.

Mezereum has zygomatic or supraorbital neuralgia, leaving numbness behind. Pain worse from heat. This remedy is particularly useful in herpetic eruptions from the abuse of Mercurius. It is one of the remedies we use for girdle neuralgia (herpes zoster).

Robinia has a sensation as if the jaw were dislocated, due to the extremely sour taste in the mouth and vomiting.

In typhoid fevers, Arsenicum is indicated in the later stages of the disease, when the changes in the blood have advanced so far that you have a picture of complete exhaustion. The patient considers himself still capable of movement, until finally he is convinced of his weakness. He has very anxious fainting spells; he falls dead with cold sweat running down his body. The delirium is worse after midnight and is accompanied by great restlessness. The patient does not sleep until 3 o'clock in the morning due to the great heat. The mouth and tongue are covered with a dirty dark brown coating. Sometimes the tongue is very red. Around the back and tip of the tongue you will find red and elevated papillae, as in Belladonna, but the accompanying symptoms will enable you to make an immediate distinction between the two remedies. The oral cavity is covered with blisters and aphthous ulcers, which bleed easily. In other cases, the tongue is bluish with ulcerated edges. Sometimes, in severe cases, the patient cannot swallow water due to partial paralysis of the esophagus. You will not often find significant tympanitis (bloating) in Arsenicum cases. Significant bowel disorder. Diarrhea is almost always present and seems to be brought on by every attempt to eat or drink. Sometimes there is an involuntary separation of feces and urine. The stools are watery, yellowish, terribly smelly and worse after midnight. Sometimes they contain blood, mucus and pus. In some cases, urinary retention due to atony of the muscle fibers of the bladder. The fever is very violent, almost enough to kill the patient. Sometimes you will observe hemorrhagic diathesis (i.e., a tendency to bleed), while blood oozes from various parts of the body - eyes, nose, and so on. This is a dangerous sign.

Colchicum is a remedy which we are very apt to neglect in typhoid fever. In typhoid states, it seems to rank between Antimonium and Cinchona, having excessive debility of the former and severe tympanitis of the latter. The main symptoms of Colchicum belong to the abdominal region: great distension of the abdomen, involuntary, violent, watery stools with nausea and frequent bilious vomiting. The body is hot and the limbs cold, just as in Phosphorus. Nose dry and blackish; teeth and tongue are brown. Thinking is somewhat obscured. The patient answers questions correctly, but at other times almost does not speak.

The relation of Arsenicum to other remedies in typhoid fevers has already been pointed out to you when I spoke of these remedies, and therefore need not be repeated.

Arsenicum may also be useful in persistent fever, the initial period of which is so similar to Aconite fever that you can hardly distinguish between the two remedies. Hot skin, full racing pulse, restlessness and anxiety - all this is quite consistent with Aconite. But the matter does not end there. The fever rises to a permanent type without any intermittent and only slight relief. The fever increases, the patient becomes more restless, though weaker, the tongue becomes brown, and finally typhoid symptoms develop.

It is easy to distinguish Arsenicum from Sulfur. Sulfur is also indicated in persistent fever, but Arsenicum is indicated when great restlessness and burning show you that the case has gone beyond a simple persistent fever.

Let us now consider the action of Arsenicum on the mucous membranes. Arsenicum is an excellent remedy for winter colds. Discharge from nose thin, watery, corroding upper lip; nevertheless, the nasal passages are blocked all the time. This is accompanied by a dull, throbbing headache in the forehead. Repeated signs of such a catarrh or coryza result in the separation of thick, yellowish, mucopurulent sputum. Ulcers and scabs form in the nose. Sneezing is a prominent symptom. But this sneezing, in the case of Arsenicum, does not bring that relief which is usually obtained from a good sneezing. It is caused by irritation at one point of the nose, as if tickled with a feather. After sneezing, this irritation is as restless as before. As the coryza goes down, you find the catarrhal complications of this case: shortness of breath appears, the patient cannot lie down, especially after midnight. Cough with mucous sputum makes it very easy.

You will immediately notice the similarity between the symptoms of Arsenicum and hay fever. For this condition you may remember the following remedies: Ailanthus, Silicea (which has itching or irritation in the back of the nose or at the Eustachian tubes), Lobelia infanta and Rosa damascena, the remedies put into practice by the late Dr. Jeanes. This last resort useful at the beginning of the disease, when hurt Eustachian tube and there is some hearing loss and ringing in the ears.

Sinapis nigra is indicated for dryness and heat in the nasal mucosa. There is no branch. The symptoms are worse in the afternoon and in the evening. Each nostril may be affected either separately or alternately with the other.

In diphtheria, Arsenicum is a very valuable remedy. It kills the microscopic organisms that produce the disease. In a potentized state, it is of great help. It is particularly indicated in foul breath and adynamic fever, with considerable drowsiness. This drowsiness is interrupted by jumping up, screaming and twitching of the limbs. The mucous membrane has a dark color and a gangrenous appearance. The pulse is fast and weak. I would advise you to take Arsenicum jodatum if, in addition to the usual symptoms of Arsenicum, there is a marked enlargement of the lymph glands.

I have already said that Arsenicum acts on the heart. I am giving you a list of his cardiac symptoms, which is briefly as follows: the heartbeat is too strong, it is visible to the eye of an outside observer and audible to the patient himself. It is worse at night and especially worse from lying on the back. There may be palpitation with great irregularity of cardiac activity. The pulse may also be fast and weak. In inflammations of the heart, endocarditis and pericarditis, we find Arsenicum indicated after hiding measles or scarlet fever. Then you will find the characteristic restlessness and agony of this remedy and goosebumps in the fingers, especially of the left hand. The edema is more or less general, beginning with puffiness of the eyes and swelling of the legs, and ending with general dropsy. Significant shortness of breath. There are two varieties of shortness of breath due to heart disease; one depends on insufficient circulation in the lungs and in general in the body, the other on the accumulation of water in the chest cavity (hydrothorax) and the heart sac (hydropericardium). There are attacks of suffocation, worse at night, especially after midnight, and when lying down. The skin is cold and clammy, while inside the patient complains of a burning heat. If this condition requiring Arsenicum remains untreated, Bright's disease of the kidneys develops. Urine contains a lot of protein and are waxy and fatty cylinders. Is dropsy. Small bubbles appear on the lower extremities, which burst, and then a serous fluid oozes from the edematous legs. The skin itself is quite taut and has a pale waxy hue. These symptoms are accompanied by exhausting diarrhoea. There is often a burning thirst, but the patient is intolerant of water.

I would like you now to recall the comparisons I have already given you between Arsenicum and Apocynum, and Acidum aceticum, which stands in the middle between Arsenicum and Apis. I also remind you of the similarity between Arsenicum and Mercurius sulphuricus in chest dropsy.

In diseases of the kidneys you may compare Arsenicum with Apis, Helleborus, Phosphorus, Aurum, Terebinthina and Digitalis.

The symptoms of Digitalis are as follows: venous congestion (hyperemia) in the kidneys. Therefore you should study this remedy in kidney troubles when there is dropsy, weak or slow pulse, scanty, dark, cloudy urine, containing, of course, protein. Digitalis is very similar to Arsenicum, but lacks only the restlessness and irritability of the latter.

Then we find Arsenicum indicated in a certain troublesome disease, angina pectoris. The patient should sit upright; he cannot move the muscles of his body without great suffering. He holds his breath as it hurts him. The pain seems to radiate from the heart all over the chest and down into the left arm. In extreme cases there is a cold sweat on the forehead, the pulse becomes scarcely perceptible, and with all this there is sometimes a burning sensation around the heart.

Let us now turn to the action of Arsenicum on the skin. You have already seen that it can produce thickening and hardening of the skin. This makes it a precious remedy for eczema, and in general for every skin disease characterized by thickening and profuse squamation of the skin. Arsenicum is also useful in true eczema when vesicles appear, become pustules and form scabs. Arsenicum is a specifically indicated remedy for pityriasis on the head, descending to the forehead. It may also be indicated in the formation of thick scabs on the scalp, discharging very offensive pus.

Arsenicum can be compared with Sepia, Rhus toxicodendron, Graphites. As with Sepia, there is a dry scaly deposit, but with Sepia, this desquamation follows the formation of vesicles which were not surrounded by very red skin, or are small rash(rash), especially around the joints, or following a circular eruption like herpes circinatus.

Rhus toxicodendron has vesicles on a red, erysipelatous surface.

Graphites is very similar to Arsenicum, but has a sticky seepage.

Clematis is similar to Arsenicum, but has a rougher skin, worse from washing and dampness, with occasional dry scabs.

In rashes, Arsenicum is indicated primarily in urticaria. Here it is a valuable remedy when blisters are accompanied by burning, itching and restlessness. Especially it may be indicated against the evil effects of suppressed urticaria. Even croup can be cured by Arsenicum if it follows the hiding of the urticaria.

In scarlatina, Arsenicum can be used in the worst cases, when the rash does not show up enough. The child is in convulsions and lies pale, as if in a stupor. He is very restless and groans during this torpor. Suddenly he seems to wake up and immediately falls into convulsions, and then again plunges into the previous state of stupor. Arsenicum is also useful when the parotid glands swell and suppurate during scarlet fever, after failure of Rhus.

Arsenicum is useful in gangrene, especially in dry senile gangrene with great soreness and burning in the affected part, relieved by warm and hot applications. This property gives you a sufficient difference between Arsenicum and another precious remedy for gangrene, Secale, which is useful in gangrene in relief from cold applications.

We can use Arsenicum for carbuncles or boils, with small, pepper-like holes, and deep in the cellular tissues. It is shown by the nature of the pains running, as you know, through the whole series of symptoms of Arsenicum, namely, cutting, stitching pains, worse after midnight.

Carbo vegetabilis and Lachesis are the remedies we neglect in this disease. If we prescribe Carbo vegetabilis, it is also not bad to use a poultice of charcoal over the carbuncle.

Arsenicum may be used in cancer. I don't think to say that he can cure him. Epithelioma has been cured by Arsenicum, Conium, Hydrastis, Clematis, and a few other remedies. In cases of real open cancer I have not seen a cure; but even if these cases cannot be cured, it is still possible to bring a certain relief to the sick. You know that with cancer, the pain sometimes causes real torture. They have a sharp cutting character, and a red-hot knife plunged into the diseased part was hardly worse. Arsenicum sometimes relieves these pains, sometimes not.

Sometimes Belladonna relieves. In some cases where Arsenicum does not help, Arsenicum jodatum does.

The ulcers against which Arsenicum may be useful are generally not very deep, but rather superficial. The pains are of the character described above, burning, cutting. These pains often alternate with colic or liver troubles. They are worse from motion and are temporarily relieved by cold applications.

Finally, consider Arsenicum as a remedy for nervous diseases. It is indicated in migraine when the pains are worse over one eye and have a severe cutting character. These pains often alternate with colic or liver troubles. They are worse from motion and are temporarily relieved by cold applications.

Arsenicum can be used in epilepsy. The patient falls unconscious and then goes into convulsions. Before the attack, he has attacks of dizziness and severe occipital pain. Convulsions are replaced by numbness, which, however, is not complete, but is interrupted by anxiety.

Arsenicum album (according to Vithoulkas)

Arsenicum is a classic remedy known in its essential features to all homeopaths. It was originally tested by Hahnemann himself, and has since been exhaustively described in all Materia Medica. The classic description in the Materia Medica of Kent covers all the essential characteristics of both acute and chronic conditions: anxiety, restlessness, worse from cold, worse from 1 to 2 pm and from 1 to 2 am, thirst for small sips, periodicity, alternation of symptoms, ulceration, burning PAIN. Simply listing the symptoms can be misleading real destination drug. However, until the image is completed with an understanding of the main dynamic process and stages of development this drug, the picture will be incomplete.

Underlying the pathology of Arsenicum is a deeply rooted sense of INSECURE. From this feeling of insecurity derives most of the known key manifestations of Arsenicum. This sense of insecurity is not just a social dynamic, but more importantly, a sense of vulnerability and defenselessness in a seemingly hostile world. This feeling of insecurity prevails in the personality of Arsenicum from the earliest stages.

From the feeling of insecurity arises the DEPENDENCE of Arsenicum on other people. Certainly, Arsenicum is the outstanding remedy in the rubric "Company Desire". In fact, the Arsenicum person experiences more than a simple desire for company: it is a real need for someone to be around. Arsenicum surrounds himself with people because of his feelings of insecurity about his health and his unconscious fear of being alone. The need for company is not necessarily the need for interaction with people, as in Phosphorus. Arsenicum needs the presence of people more for support and support than for anything else.

The Arsenicum person is a great OWNER: the owner of things, money, and especially people. It is not easy for him to enter into a relationship where it is required not only to take, but also to give. He is much more selfish, he is a "taking" person. In personal relationships, he will give support to another person, but mainly expecting to receive support in exchange.

It is in this sense that Arsenicum is a selfish remedy. He automatically perceives the events taking place in the world from a purely personal point of view. If something happens to someone else, the Arsenicum person will first think about what it means to him. For example, if a car accident happens, the Phosphorus patient's heart will automatically open to the victim, he will put himself in the place of the victim. The Arsenicum patient will instantly think to himself, "Oh, oh! If it happened to him, it could happen to me." He may not think about the other person at all, but only about the consequences for himself.

Arsenicum's possessiveness extends to both physical possessions and people. He is stingy and greedy, consciously saves money and things, always calculates his profit. He can be generous with money or things that belong to him, but still gives in expectation of getting something in return, and will be upset if he is not repaid. The same possessive feeling makes him an involuntary collector. If he comes across anything that has some value in his eyes, even if it is some insignificant object, he will carefully store it in a place where he can easily find it later.

Now we come to the well-known PEDANCY of Arsenicum. In this regard, it is important to first reiterate that in homeopathy we make prescriptions based not on positive characteristics, but only on pathological ones. Thus, if someone is neat and organized as a result of an organized approach to life, this will not be a limitation in building a drug image for that person. The same can be said about exactingness, which arises in the same way as fastidiousness. On the other hand, these people are compulsively pedantic, obsessed with the need for order and cleanliness to the point that they spend exorbitant Energy on constant cleaning and putting things in order. Such is the pedantry of Arsenicum. These are obsessive attempts to alleviate a disturbing inner sense of insecurity by creating order and cleanliness in the outside world. Arsenicum's pedantry stems from anxiety and insecurity, while in Nux vomica it springs more from an excessive desire to work, an overly conscientious attention to detail, and an exaggerated sense of the need for efficiency. Pedantry Nat. mur. similar to this one, but Nat. mur. more concerned with timing.

When studying drugs, it is critically important to understand the stages of pathology development well. Otherwise, when we observe a patient at a certain stage, we may misidentify the remedy simply because we are looking for symptoms that are characteristic of another stage. Understanding the steps of a remedy also allows us to more easily discern the essence of the remedy and differentiate it from analogues.

On early stages Arsenicum, there is a relative predominance of physical level symptoms with less emphasis on mental disorders. The primary symptoms to be dealt with may be specific physical complaints: burning pains, chilliness and aggravation from cold, occasional frequent colds, thirst for small sips, and aggravation from 1 to 2 p.m. and 1 to 2 a.m. By asking a question, one can see pedantry, stinginess, as well as a certain sense of insecurity. At this stage, especially if the complaints are rather functional and do not indicate great physical decline, it can be difficult to distinguish Arsenicum from Nux vomica. Then one must carefully look for psychological tendencies: Arsenicum is more defenseless and seeks the support of people, while Nux vomica is more self-reliant and impulsive.

As the disease goes deeper, the Arsenicum patient shows more anxiety, especially HEALTH ANXIES, for he is afraid he will die. At first, this anxiety is most noticeable on waking in the morning, but gradually begins to occupy his attention around the clock. In addition, at this stage, the fear of loneliness becomes a noticeable factor. The patient has a constant need for company, especially at night. Arsenicum's fears are greatly increased when he is left alone.

Arsenicum's anxiety causes great internal anguish, and from this comes the extreme restlessness for which this remedy is known. Motor restlessness is not a physical process. It is a psychic restlessness, a agonizing attempt to soothe a deep-seated anxiety. The patient moves from place to place, from chair to chair, from bed to bed. He goes from one person to another, constantly looking for consolation and support.

It is interesting for the homeopathic doctor to note the difference in the behavior of Arsenicum and Phosphorus patients towards the doctor. Both are very anxious about their health, but the Phosphorus patient will beg the homeopath for help, and the Arsenicum patient will demand it. The homeopath must feel the weight with which the Arsenicum patient will hang on him. When they reach this stage of development, no other patient in our Materia Medica can match Arsenicum and Nitricum Acid in the strength with which they cling and demand to be relieved of their anxiety.

It is important to be able to distinguish characteristics Arsenicum's health concerns, as there are many other remedies that have this characteristic. They are carefully listed in the repertory with relative strengths, but it is impossible to describe the specific features that are so important for distinguishing remedies. If the doctor only knows the fact that a particular remedy has "health anxiety" without knowing how to differentiate it from others, he will have great difficulty in choosing the right remedy for the patient. This cannot be done by simple repertorization; knowledge of the smallest details of the Materia Medica is required.

In fact, deep down Arsenicum's anxiety about health is the fear of death. The thought of his own death causes unbearable anguish in the Arsenicum patient. It is not so much the fear of the consequences of declining health, but the fear of death as an end state of insecurity. Therefore the Arsenicum patient exaggerates many symptoms, exaggerates them without measure. He comes to the conclusion that he has cancer and goes from doctor to doctor looking for someone to confirm his fear. Even if all tests are negative, this will not console him: his excruciating fear and anxiety will continue to push him to more and more doctors. He is afraid that he has cancer, because in our time it is a symbol of a deadly disease. It is not the possibility of cancer that causes this torment to the patient, but the prospect of death. It's not a fear of getting cancer in the future; he is afraid that he is ill now.

Other drugs also experience intense health anxiety, but in a different way. Calc. carb. has strong health anxiety, but is more focused on the possibility of an infectious disease, and even more of a mental illness. Calcarea fears the mental or infectious disease itself, not the possibility of death. Calcarea may accept death with relative composure, but will rather fall into despair of incurability and inability to recover.

Kali carb. worries about getting sick in the future, while Arsenicum is afraid that he has cancer now. Kali ars. has a special anxiety about heart disease, but does not fear death as Arsenicum does. The Kali ars patient. say, "If I have to die, that's fine." However, if you start talking about his heart, he will start to express anxiety.

Phosphorus is anxious about his health, but mainly when it is spoken to. Many of Phosphorus's fears are related in one way or another to his own health or the health of his relatives, but Phosphorus' anxiety is not so intrusive. The Phosphorus patient is suggestible. Hearing that someone died from a bleeding ulcer, he imagines that he has a bleeding ulcer. He does not keep his anxiety to himself, but grabs the first person he meets and vividly expresses his concern. He immediately goes to the doctor, who reassures him, saying that he does not have any ulcer. Then the anxiety disappears as quickly and easily as it arose, but at the first provocation it returns again. He leaves the doctor's office in a state of great relief, saying to himself:

"What a fool I am!" - Unlike Arsenicum, Kali arsenicum and Acidum nitricum are not so easily pacified. They are inconsolable in their anxiety. The Acidum nitricum patient, unlike Phosphorus, is always anxious about his health. This is the fear of any possible ailment, not just cancer or infectious, mental or heart disease. He can read about a multiple sclerosis patient in a magazine and say to himself: "That's it! Now everything is clear! I must have it!" - Then instead of expressing his anxiety, he walks around holding it to himself. In the end, he secretly comes to the doctor, but remains deaf to the assurances of the doctor. He is convinced that he is ill and cannot be consoled. Then he can read another article and the process starts again. Acidum nitricum's anxiety about health is not so much the fear of death that we see in Arsenicum, but the fear of all the consequences of long-term degradation - expense, dependence on others, immobility, etc.

Lycopodium has a marked health anxiety. Lycopodium can be anxious about any disease, like Acidum nitricum, but cowardice is the basis of this anxiety. It is not the fear of death, but the fear of the pain and agony of illness. The patient is afraid that he will not be able to cope with a serious illness, that he will not be able to endure and that he will show his lack of courage in front of others. Thus, it is clear that the simple rubric "Health anxiety" is in fact full of numerous and varied shades and subtleties, which have a decisive influence on the exact choice the right remedy. In fact, this is the case with all the rubrics of the repertory.

The same is true of another rubric describing the well-known anxiety of Arsenicum, "Anxiety about others." As might be expected from what has already been said, Arsenicum does not so much care about other people in itself, but is afraid of losing loved one. At the heart of his anxiety is again concern about himself. Therefore, he shows little concern for strangers for him. It is the fear of losing the person on whom he depends.

Phosphorus, on the other hand, is so sympathetic and suggestible that in his concern for another person, whether close friend or stranger, he can completely forget himself. If an Arsenicum meets a newcomer to the area, he will be happy to have company, but will keep up the conversation just for company. If this person mentions, let's say, having trouble finding any hotel, the Arsenicum patient will kindly sympathize and perhaps make a few suggestions, but essentially his attitude will be: "Well, yes, you have problems, but how about my problems?" - The Phosphorus patient, on the other hand, will get excited and say: "You have nowhere to stay? Oh God, we must do something! Let's find the telephone directory right now and try to call some hotels!"

Sulfur is also anxious about others. IN this case the cause of anxiety is his active imagination. A Sulfur father, for example, may lose sleep worrying about his daughter being two hours late home from a date. It is not the anxiety of Arsenicum fearing the loss of his daughter, or the sympathetic anxiety of Phosphorus. The Sulfur person may lie awake and invent endless possibilities of what could have happened. He lets his imagination inflate the whole incident completely out of proportion to reality.

Let us return to the stages of Arsenicum. In the first stage, physical symptoms, pedantry and avarice are distinguished. Then we see insecurity, dependency, health anxiety, fear of losing others, fear of being alone, and fear of death becoming more prominent. Gradually, the fear of death becomes obsessive and painful, turning into the main problem of this person's life.

As the disease progresses, we see how a paranoid, delusional state arises. Everything is dominated by suspicion. When the patient develops a paranoid state, pedantry often disappears. As a deep state of depression sets in - despair of recovery, loss of interest in life, suicidal thoughts, suspicion of other people, and fear of killing people on whom the patient depends - anxiety and fear decrease. At this stage, the patient may even avoid socializing, becoming stubborn and introverted.

It is at this stage of the psychosis that it is most difficult to give Arsenicum without knowing its stages. Many may be missing usual symptoms Arsenicum - anxiety, desire for company, fear of death, restlessness, pedantry. At this stage it is difficult to separate Arsenicum from Nux vomica or other remedies. However, if the survey is conducted carefully, then the whole dynamic process will become clear.

The stages described here well illustrate the steady spread of pathology into deeper and deeper layers of the body. It starts on physical level, turns into a sense of anxiety and insecurity, then into fear of death, and finally into despair, loss of interest in life, suicidal predisposition and delusional state on a mental level. Therefore, after the correct administration of Arsenicum to such a patient, these events can be expected to develop in reverse order. After paranoia and delusions disappear and fears and anxieties return, a homeopath with a correct knowledge of health and disease will see progress towards health.

Arsenicum album (according to Berike)

Arsenicum album Arsenic white

Deeply acting on all organs and tissues. well-defined characteristic symptoms and the similarity of its pathogenesis with many severe forms and types of diseases have made it one of the most commonly prescribed remedies in homeopathy. Often, already general symptoms alone give clear indications for its use.

Among them, the most significant are weakness, exhaustion, anxiety, aggravated at night. Great exhaustion, exhaustion after overexertion. All this, combined with the peculiar irritability of the nervous elements, creates a characteristic picture of irritable weakness. Burning pains. Unquenchable thirst. Burning, paradoxically relieved by heat. Complaints from being near the sea (Natrium mur.; Aqua Marina). Worse after eating fruits, especially juicy ones. In large doses causes a quick, painless death. Feelings of fear and anxiety. Green diarrhea. The child form of Kala-azar (Dr. Nitbi).

Arsenic should always be remembered in diseases developed as a result of alcoholism, ptomaine poisoning, bites, sore wounds, chewing tobacco; in disorders caused by the consumption of spoiled foods or the pathogenic effect of a substance of animal origin. The smell of all secretions is putrid; annual repetition of all complaints. Anemia and chlorosis. degenerative changes. Consistent weight loss with malnutrition. Decreased refractive index of blood serum (also China and Ferr. phos.). Supports the body and in particular its circulatory system with muscle loads that are created by malignant processes of any localization. Malarial cachexia.

Septic infection with decreased vitality.

Psyche. Intense sadness and anxiety. Changes place all the time. Fear of death and loneliness. Cold sweat with a strong fright. I am sure that medicine is powerless.

Suicidal tendencies. Visual and olfactory hallucinations. Deep despair that drives from place to place. Stingy, treacherous, selfish, lack of courage.

Increased general sensitivity (Hepar). Sensitive to any disorder and confusion.

Head. Headaches relieved by cold (aggravating other symptoms).

Intermittent burning pains, with restlessness and coldness of the skin. Migraine with icy cold feeling on the scalp and great debility. The head is sensitive to open air. "Delirium tremens": swears, swears endlessly; vicious.

The head is always in motion. The hairline itches unbearably; rounded areas, devoid of hair, coarse, dirty, with increased sensitivity and covered with dry scales; burning and itching at night; dandruff. The hairline is very sensitive: cannot use a hairbrush.

Eyes. Burning in the eyes, with acrid lachrymation. Eyelids red, ulcerated, scabby, scaly and granulated. Swelling around the eyes. Inflammation of the outer parts of the eyes, extremely painful: burning, heat and excoriating lachrymation. Ulceration of the cornea. Great photophobia, relieved by external heat. Ciliary neuralgia with sharp burning pain.

Ears. Rawness and burning of the skin inside the auricle. Fluid, corrosive, offensive discharge from ear. Roaring in ears during attacks of pain.

Nose. Fluid, watery, excoriating discharge. Sneezing without relief. hay fever and runny nose; worse outdoors, better indoors. Burning and bleeding. Acne on the nose. Lupus.

Face. Puffy, pale, yellow, cachectic, haggard, cold and sweaty (Acetic acid). Expression - as in agony. Tearing, stabbing pains like needles; burning. Lips black, dead-looking. Clearly defined red spots on the cheeks.

Mouth. Painful, easily bleeding gums. Ulceration of the mouth with dryness and burning heat. Lip epithelioma. Tongue dry, clean and red; stitching and burning pains in the tongue, ulcerated and bluish. Bloody saliva. Neuralgia of teeth: sensation of lengthening and great sensitivity; worse after midnight, better from warmth. Metallic taste. Swallows boiling water.

Throat. Swollen, edematous, feeling of pressure, burning, swallowing difficult.

Diphtheria membranes are dry and wrinkled.

Stomach. Cannot bear the sight or smell of food. Great thirst: drinks a lot, but in small portions. Nausea, retching and vomiting after eating or drinking. "Sucking under the spoon." Burning pains. Strong desire for sour and coffee. Heartburn: greedily swallows sour and bitter, from which it feels as if the pharynx is being excoriated by what is swallowed. Prolonged burps. Vomiting of blood, green or dark brown bile mixed with blood. The stomach is extremely irritable: sensation of rawness, as if it were wounded, torn. Gastralgia from taking the lightest food or drink. Dyspepsia from vinegar, sour ice cream, ice cream, ice water, tobacco. Great fear and dyspnea with gastralgia, and fainting, icy cold, great emaciation. Symptoms of a malignant process. Everything that is swallowed seems stuck in the esophagus, which feels clogged and does not let anything through. Disorders from the use of plant foods, especially melons and juicy fruits. Desire for milk.

Stomach. Gnawing, burning pains, as from hot coals, relieved by heat.

The liver and spleen are enlarged and painful. Ascites and anasarca. The abdomen is swollen and painful. Pain as from a wound in the abdomen, on coughing.

Rectum. Painful, spasmodic and protruding. Tenesmus. Burning pains and pressure in rectum and anus.

Chair. Scanty, offensive, dark with great prostration. Worse at night; after eating and drinking; when cooling the stomach; with alcohol abuse; from spoiled meat. Dysentery, with dark, bloody, very offensive stools. Very distressing cholera, with prostration and burning thirst. Body cold as ice (Veratrum). Hemorrhoids burn like fire; relief from warmth. Excoriations in the anus.

Urinary system. Scanty, burning, involuntary urine. The bladder is as if paralyzed. Protein in the urine. Epithelial cells: fibrin casts, purulent bodies and erythrocytes. Feeling of weakness in the abdomen after urination.

Bright's disease. Diabetes.

Female reproductive organs. Menses too profuse and too short.

Burning in the region of the ovaries. Leucorrhoea acrid, burning, offensive, liquid. Pain as from red-hot wires (wrapped around the body), aggravated by least exertion (causing great fatigue), better in a warm room. Menorrhagia. Stitching pains in the pelvis extending down the thighs.

Respiratory organs. Cannot lie in a horizontal position: he is afraid that he will suffocate. Compression of the airways. Asthma gets worse in the middle of the night. Burning in chest. Bronchial asthma. Cough worse after midnight; worse, lying on back. Expectoration scanty, frothy. Stitching piercing pains through the upper third of the right lung. wheezing. Hemoptysis with pain in the intershoulder space behind. Dry cough, as after inhaling sulphurous smoke; after drinking.

Heart. Palpitations, pain, shortness of breath, fainting. Cardioneurosis in smokers and chewers of tobacco. Increased pulse in the morning (Sulph.). Dilation. Cyanosis.

Fatty degeneration. Angina with pain in occiput and neck.

Back. Weakness in the loin. Feeling of heaviness in the shoulders. Pain and burning in the back (Oxal. ac.).

Limbs. Trembling, twitching, spasms, weakness, heaviness, awkwardness.

Cramps in calves. Foot swelling. Ischialgia. Burning pains. Peripheral neuritis.

diabetic gangrene. Ulceration of the heels (Cepa; Lamium). Paralysis of the legs with atrophy.

Leather. Itching, burning, swelling; swelling; rashes: papular, dry, rough, scaly; worse from cold and scratching. Malignant pustules. Ulcers with offensive discharge. anthrax. Infected wounds. Urticaria with burning and restlessness. Psoriasis. fibrous cancer. Icy coldness of the whole body. Skin epithelioma.

Gangrenous inflammation.

Dream. Violated, pathological fear, anxiety. Be sure to raise his head higher with pillows. An attack of suffocation in sleep. Sleeping with arms overhead.

Dreams are full of worries and fears. Drowsiness, "sleeping sickness" (African trypanosomiasis).

Fever. Heat. Pronounced periodicity and adynamia.

Septic fevers. Intermittent fever. Paroxysms with an incomplete picture, with marked emaciation. Hay fever. Cold sweats. Typhoid-like conditions, but not in the early stages; often followed by Rhus. Complete exhaustion. Delirium, worse after midnight. Strong anxiety. Intense fever around 3 am. Dirty gray coating on lips and teeth.

MODALITIES. Worse, damp weather; after midnight; by cold; from cold food or drinks; while staying at the seaside. Better from warmth; when laying the head higher; from warm drinks.

Dominant side: right.

RELATIONSHIPS. It is an antidote for lead poisoning.

Antidotes for arsenic poisoning: Opium; Carbo; China; Hepar; Nux. Chemical antidotes: charcoal, aqueous peroxide iron, alkaline water.

Additionally: Rhus.; Carbo; Phos.; Thuja; Secale Similar: With enchris contortrix; Iod.; Phosph.; China; Verat. alb.; Carbo; Kaliphos.; Epilobium (irrepressible diarrhea in typhoid fever); Hoang Nan.

Compare: Arsenic stibiatum (D 3). In inflammatory processes of the chest cavity in children with restlessness, thirst, prostration, cough with easily separated mucus, with oppression, with rapid breathing, with crepitant rales.

Atoxyl. (D 3). With "sleeping sickness", in the initial stages of atrophy of the optic nerve. Levico water. In chronic and, especially, "dyscrasic" skin diseases, with minor chorea and spasms in scrofulous and anemic children, it helps to assimilate and improve nutrition. General debility and skin disorders, especially after high dilutions, when (as one might suppose) progression stops: given in doses of 10 drops in a wine glass of warm water, 3 times a day, after meals (Burnett).

Sarcolactic acids. Influenza with violent vomiting.

BREEDINGS. From the third to the thirtieth. The highest dilutions often bring brilliant results. Lower dilutions - for diseases of the stomach, intestines, kidneys, higher - for neuralgia, nervous and skin diseases. But if there are only physical manifestations of the disease, they give low dilutions - D2 - D3.

Arsenicum album (according to Kent)

Arsenicum album / Arsenicum album - arsenic anhydrous

Basic dosage forms. Homeopathic granules C3, C6, C12, C15, C30 and above.

Indications for use. In homeopathic doses, it is used for many diseases, which are characterized by a severe course with periodic deterioration of the condition.

There are three main arsenal types. Blooming, muscular, with shiny hair, thin skin, but this is an asthmatic or suffering from lichen.

Skinny with a swollen, straw-yellow face; eyes surrounded by wide blue; lips dry, scaly; suffers from indigestion, strong thirst with vomiting after drinking (especially cold).

A subject with pale skin and the face of a seriously ill person, extremely thin, with swelling of the face and eyelids, more pronounced on upper eyelids often a patient with a chronic disease.

Worse after midnight from 1 to 4 o'clock, from cold drinks and food, from being on the seashore.

Better warmth, warm food, open air.

Low dilutions (C3) are more often used for nephritis, ascites, heart disease, and childhood dyspepsia. Medium dilutions (C6 and C12) - with febrile processes, influenza, laryngotracheitis, pleurisy. High dilutions (C30) - for food poisoning, intermittent fevers, neuralgia. Skin diseases are recommended to be treated with arsenic in homeopathic doses only under medical supervision.

Characteristic symptoms: Unable to sleep because things in the room are out of place and not well cleaned.

From the time of Hahnemann to this day, Arsenicum album has been one of the most frequently and intensively prescribed remedies. The old school simply abused the prescription of this drug in the form of Fowler's solution.

Arsenicum album is capable of affecting all parts of the human body; it seems that all the functions of the body either increase or, on the contrary, decrease, until everything in the body is somehow excited or disturbed. After research, homeopathic remedies turn out to be capable of miraculous cures. This substance is very active in nature, so it is quite easy to study it, and the study of the consequences of its abuse in allopathic practice allows us to penetrate deeply into its action. Arsenicum album disturbs the life and functions of all the most important organs and fabrics.

Anxiety, restlessness, prostration, burning and putrid smell are the main characteristics of the remedy. The skin is pale, cold, wet, sweating; Outwardly, the patient resembles a corpse. The drug is indispensable in cases of chronic diseases with severe weakness, anemia, which occur after prolonged malarial fever, as a result of malnutrition, as a result of syphilis.

Anxiety in Arsenicum is usually associated with fears, with impulsive, unbalanced behavior, suicidal tendencies, unexpected whims, manias. It is characterized by various kinds of insanity, in the most active forms, as, for example, in delirium or severe emotional arousal. Longing can reach incredible limits. The patient is so sad that he is tired of life, he feels disgust for life, longs for death, he is capable of committing suicide. The pathogenesis of Arsenicum is full of suicidal tendencies. Anxiety is also expressed in anxiety when the patient needs to constantly move. If he can move, he moves constantly from one place to another; the child does not get tired of moving from mother to nanny, from one person to another. In more severe conditions, the patient rushes about in bed, rolls over from side to side; if possible, he moves from bed to chair, continuing to move and toss, then, completely exhausted, he returns to bed. Anxiety originates in the patient's psyche; he is full of anxious restlessness, or suffers from the thought that his torment is a harbinger of mortal anxiety. It's just a way for him to express his dismay under the circumstances. It seems to him that he can no longer live, it is not pain that torments him, but anxiety combined with anxiety and longing. This condition dominates in all diseases, interspersed with prostration. Anxiety first arises in the early stages of the disease and, gradually developing, reaches a state of extreme severity. Lying in bed, the patient first makes movements with his whole body, turning and getting up; then, as the impairment of consciousness increases, movements with only the limbs become possible; this state continues for some time, but then the weakness becomes so pronounced that the patient is not able to move at all, lies quietly, being in a state of complete unconsciousness. As if prostration takes the place of restlessness and anxiety, making the patient look like a corpse. It should be remembered that such anxiety and anxiety can be close harbingers of death. An example of a disease in which Arsenicum is often prescribed is typhoid. Initially, there is anxiety with fear, then increasing weakness leads to prostration.

Burning is mentioned among the most characteristic symptoms of Arsenicum album. A burning sensation in the brain is described, which makes the patient want to wash his head. cold water. Heat and throbbing inside the head are ameliorated by cold baths, except when the burning is caused by rheumatic affections of the skull and peripheral nerves, then the severity of this symptom is reduced by heat. When headache is congestive, with a sensation of heat and burning inside the head, there is a feeling as if the head would burst, and the face is red and hot, while the pains are usually better from cold compresses and cool fresh air. I once happened to observe a patient who, having put on a huge amount of clothing, trying to keep the body warm, sat in front of an open window in order to reduce the congestion of the head. However, this remedy has great relief from wrapping up the body and getting warmed up, while head complaints are usually better in cold, except for external pains, which are better from warm clothes and getting warm. Neuralgia in the face, in the eyes and above the eyes, better from warmth.

Burning also occurs in the stomach, bladder, vagina and lungs. In cases of gangrenous inflammation or pneumonia, the patient feels as if a fire is burning in the lungs. Burning of throat and mucous membranes. The skin burns with itching, the patient combs the skin until it bleeds, which, in turn, only increases the burning sensation, but the itching stops. As soon as the burning pain lets go a little, the itching resumes. All night the patient is disturbed by itching, then burning; tired of the burning sensation, he scratches the skin until it hurts, but soon the itching begins again, so that the patient does not rest at all.

All discharges from Arsenicum album are corrosive, they break the integrity of the skin, causing burning. Discharge from the nose and eyes causes reddening of the surrounding areas of the skin, the same applies to discharge from other openings of the body. In places of ulceration, a burning sensation occurs, and liquid spotting violates the integrity of the tissues around them. The odor of the discharge is putrid. If you have ever smelled gangrene or dead flesh, you will easily recognize the smell of Arsenicum discharge. The stools are offensive, like decaying meat, with an admixture of stinking blood. Discharge from the uterus, menstrual flow, leucorrhea, feces, urine, sputum, other discharges are offensive. The smell of ulcers is reminiscent of the stench of decaying flesh.

Arsenicum has a tendency to bleed. Bleeding occurs in the patient easily, from various parts of the body and organs. Vomiting blood; pulmonary and throat bleeding. Bloody discharge from the mucous membranes at the height of the development of the inflammatory process; intestinal, renal bleeding, hemorrhagic discharge from the bladder and uterus; in general, wherever there are mucous membranes, hemorrhages can occur. The most characteristic discharge of black blood.

Acute inflammatory reactions such as gangrenous and erysipelas are also common in Arsenicum album. Various parts of the body are suddenly affected by erysipelas, gangrene quickly begins in the affected areas. Gangrenous lesion internal organs, malignant inflammatory processes, erysipelas. No matter under what conditions the disease develops, no matter what it is called, it must be remembered only that in cases of severe inflammation with a tendency to malignant transformation, Arsenicum album must be prescribed. Inflammatory bowel disease lasts for several days, accompanied by characteristic strong secretions, vomiting with blood clots, severe burning in the intestinal area, combined with tympanitis. Such conditions are so acute, sudden, and malignant that they may be regarded as gangrenous inflammations; the patient in this case will be in a state of prostration, anxiety, he will feel cold, he is afraid of death, he wants to be covered warmer.

An additional indication of Arsenicum is that with such bowel symptoms the patient is relieved by warmth. Remember that Secale has a similar condition with all the signs of tympanitis, ulceration and prostration, with characteristic odours, peculiar clotting and burning, but the Secale patient tends to open up, gets relief from cold foods and drinks, from open windows. Thus, in such cases, the only difference between these two remedies is that the Secale patient desires coldness, while Arsenicum desires heat; this is the basis of their differences in homeopathic prescribing. In cases of gangrenous lesions of the lungs, patients experience chills, restlessness, anxiety and fear; just entering his room, we immediately smell a terrible smell, then we notice that the patient is spitting out fetid, black sputum with a full mouth. In such situations I advise you to observe whether the patient wants to be warmly covered; if he gets cold quickly, and the heat brings him relief, then this is a direct indication that you cannot do without the appointment of Arsenicum album.

There is no other remedy so characteristic of prostration, vomiting, anxiety, restlessness and cadaveric symptoms. I spent a lot of time studying the symptoms that can suggest the right decision from the doorway, even before you get to the bedside. In cases of Arsenicum album there are many, the patient looks, behaves, smells in a characteristic way. You may meet a patient with severe inflammation of the bladder, with frequent urge to urinate, with a significant distension of the bladder, and also with bloody urine, in which blood clots are sometimes determined. Perhaps he was already visited by a therapist, suggesting catheterization to improve the outflow of urine, but the procedure was impossible due to the fact that the catheter quickly clogged with blood clots. The patient had previously been characterized by restlessness, anxiety, fear of death, amelioration from warmth, periods of prostration. Arsenicum album should be prescribed, not because of the presence of inflammation of the bladder as such, but because of the rapid increase in the inflammatory process and its gangrenous character. In a short time, inflammation captures the entire bladder, but Arsenicum album is able to stop the further development of the disease. The same applies to all internal organs - the liver, lungs, etc., when an acute and rapid inflammatory process develops in them. Our task is not to enumerate particular symptoms, but to characterize the general condition of Arsenicum album as a whole, in order to find out what lies at the basis of its nature. As we examine the remedy in more detail, we will see that these signs will appear in all its particular symptoms.

The mental symptoms are at first limited to anxiety, then increasing to a degree of delirium and even insanity, with all the consequences that follow; disorders of the intellect and will. "He thinks he should die." One day I had to stand at the bedside of a typhus patient who had all the general characteristics I have described; albeit with difficulty, he could speak and, looking at me, said: “You came in vain, I still have to die, so you better go home: all my insides are already dead.” His friend sat on the edge of the bed and gave the patient drops to drink, and he demanded to drink as often as possible. He wanted nothing more; the mouth was black, cracked and dry. I prescribed Arsenicum album. A characteristic of Arsenicum is the desire for small amounts of water, often enough to wet the mouth. It often helps to distinguish between Arsenicum and Bryonia alba, as Bryonia wants a lot of water, but rarely, while Arsenicum has a desire for a small amount of water, but often, or a sharp unquenchable thirst.

"Thoughts about death or about the incurability of the disease." “Thinks there is a crowd around him; too weak to restrain it or to consistently develop thought. The patient lies in bed, day and night overwhelmed by such destructive thoughts and depression. This is how one form of anxiety is expressed; when the patient is overwhelmed by unpleasant thoughts, he is anxious. In a state of delirium, he sees insects of all kinds in his bed - bedbugs, lice, cockroaches, etc. "Constantly sorts out bed linen." "Delirium during sleep, mania with marked impairment of consciousness." "Whining and grinding teeth." "Loud moans, sighs and cries." “He complains bitterly, thinks his condition is hopeless.” "Screaming in pain." "Fears make him jump out of bed and hide in the toilet." Cases of insanity are characteristic of this remedy, beginning with anxiety, restlessness and fear. Religious fanaticism, the illusion that she spent the days allotted for forgiveness in sin, the biblical promises of salvation do not apply to her, there is no hope, she is doomed to cruel punishment. Religious thoughts drive her to madness. As a result, she actually goes crazy, a state of complete immobility arises; keeps silent; aversion to talking. Thus, one can observe how one state passes into another; it is necessary to consider the whole case as a whole; find out the cause of the disease; note the characteristic symptoms of the first and subsequent stages. For example, it is known that in acute cases of Arsenicum the desire for icy or cold water is not expressed, it is enough for the patient to moisten the mouth slightly, but sometimes the need for liquid may increase, large quantities of water are needed, which still do not quench the thirst; the latter state tends to change into another when there is an aversion to water; thus the chronic cases of Arsenicum are characterized by an absence of thirst. The same is true in cases of mania; in chronic cases the patient is calm, lethargic, but in the early stages he goes through the restlessness, anxieties and fears characteristic of Arsenicum album.

"Aversion to new meetings and acquaintances, as he feels offended." Severe mental depression, longing, melancholy, disappointment, does not believe in the possibility of recovery. When the patient is left alone or getting ready for bed, he is overwhelmed by the fear of death, anxiety and restlessness. It seems to him that he is about to die, he wants someone to be present at the same time. Nocturnal anxiety attacks make you get out of bed. This anxiety is also reflected in the heart; mental and cardiac anxieties always correspond to each other. An unexpected attack of anxiety and fear wakes the patient at night, makes him jump out of bed, gives rise to a premonition of imminent death or imminent illness. At this point, various forms of respiratory disorders can develop, up to cardiac dyspnea and bronchial asthma. As already mentioned, the attacks begin in the evening or just after midnight, when the patient is already in bed; around 1-2 o'clock in the morning he is overcome by mental anxiety, respiratory failure, fear of death, he freezes and is covered with cold sweat. "Anxiety, as if he had committed a crime." This is one of the possible types of anxiety; as a result, the patient is born with the confidence that the police are about to come to arrest him. Some unusually terrible things must happen to him, something terrible always seems to him. "Irritable, discouraged, restless." "Anxiety, never rests for a second." "Suicidal tendencies as a consequence of fright."

Arsenicum patient with similar mental state constantly freezes, tries to stay near the fire, despite warm clothes, he is still cold, which causes severe suffering. Severe chronic Arsenicum patients can never get warm, they are always chilly, pale, with a waxy complexion; after a few extra bouts a week, they usually develop edema. Arsenicum album is generally very puffy and puffy, swelling of the extremities; dropsy of hollow organs and cavities; swelling around the eyes; swelling of the face, after pressure, a hole remains. Similar symptoms of Arsenicum are always more pronounced in the lower eyelid, while in Kali carb. upper eyelid, localized between it and the eyebrow. It happens that the manifestations of Kali carbonicum are extremely similar to those of Arsenicum album, so such small differences can be of great help in the correct diagnosis. If the general features of these remedies are so similar, attention must be paid to particulars and minor symptoms.

A prominent general characteristic of Arsenicum album is periodic headaches. In general, the theme of periodicity runs through the whole pathogenesis of the remedy; thus, it is evident that it is very effective in cases of malarial affections, one of the most characteristic features of which is just such a periodicity. Periodic complaints of Arsenicum come on every other day or every four, seven days, or every two weeks. Headaches also follow this cycle, occurring every other day, after three, four, seven or fourteen days. The more chronic the patient's complaint, the longer its cycle, so that the most severe and acute symptoms worse every next or fourth day; as the disease becomes chronic with deepening complaints, deterioration occurs every seventh day, and for a psoric, long-term and deep disease, this period is two weeks. This cyclicity is not uncommon in many remedies, but it is especially pronounced in Arsenicum album and China. The two remedies are similar in many respects, including the appearance of the first symptoms in cases of malaria. However, Arsenicum is much more commonly prescribed than China. From my own experience I can say that in every case of an epidemic of malarial fever that I have met, the symptoms of Arsenicum album have been observed incomparably more often than the symptoms of China.

The presence of headaches brings up again an interesting topic, already mentioned earlier. The nature of Arsenicum is characterized by alternating states, and this no doubt constitutes the general characteristic of the remedy: in all physical complaints, Arsenicum is a "cold" remedy; the patient sits in front of the fire and trembles, he wants to dress as warmly as possible and be in a warmly heated room. But this symptom is expressed only as long as the conversation concerns the patient's body; when it comes to his head, everything changes, the patient strives to keep the body warm, but he washes his head with cold water or exposes it to a stream of cold air. Complaints from the head must be consistent with general features relating to the head, and complaints from the body must be combined with general features relating to the body.

It can be difficult to tell which of these circumstances is the most common, just as it can be difficult to determine what is the general symptom for the patient himself, as he confuses you by saying: "I am worse in the cold," but when it comes to headache, he says: "I feel better from the cold, I need the cold." In such cases, it should be noted that this symptom concerns only the head, highlight it and then consider the patient no longer in general, but in parts. When a feature is so pronounced, it is useful to examine it more deeply in order to find out what could cause such a modality. The same is observed in Phosphorus; all complaints of the stomach and head are ameliorated by cold, for example, during a headache the patient tries to apply cold to the head, and during symptoms of the stomach to the stomach, but all other complaints are ameliorated by heat. Cold, on the other hand, causes aggravation; for example, a patient suffering from chest disease begins to cough when going out into cold air.

Thus, it is clear that the modalities relating to the individual affected organs must always be taken into account. For example, your patient suffers from neuralgia and rheumatic affection, which is manifested by pains in the region of the head, during which he ties his head, as the pains are better from warming. But when it comes to congestive headaches, he gets better from the cold. As I have already mentioned, Arsenicum is characterized by an alternation of such states. For ease of understanding, I will illustrate this with an example. The patient suffers from recurrent headaches with nausea. The pains are greatly relieved by cold water, cold compresses to the head, in which it is difficult to maintain the necessary temperature, since the colder the better. Similar headaches occur every two weeks, as long as they continue, the patient has a strong desire for cold. Sometimes these periodic pains decrease for a long time; when they are absent, the patient is tormented by rheumatic joint damage, which also occurs periodically, accompanied by persistent pain; during such attacks of rheumatism, the patient develops tumors around the joints and swelling of the limbs to a greater or lesser extent; he can't get warm; wraps himself in blankets and sits by the fire; from the heat he is better, the desire for warm air and warm rooms is expressed. This condition persists for some time, and then goes away, and headaches with nausea reappear for a while. It is these states that I call alternating. Arsenicum cured this patient and none of his complaints recurred. Alternation of conditions sometimes implies the presence of two diseases in the body, and the remedy often covers all the signs of these alternating conditions.

Another case comes to mind, which may perhaps illustrate the peculiar nature of the alternation, and which must be kept in mind not only in the case of Arsenicum album, but also in relation to other remedies. The patient was troubled by a feeling of pressure in the vertex; as you remember, I have described this symptom earlier, speaking of Alumen. Similar symptoms persisted for several weeks; the only thing that somewhat improved the condition was an even stronger external pressure on the top of the head. She tried to press herself, and also applied various heavy objects to her head. These complaints disappeared spontaneously at night, in the morning the patient woke up with a pronounced urge to urinate. The symptoms of an irritated bladder alternated with pain in the vertex. Alumen quickly healed the patient. Many antipsoric remedies have this alternation of symptoms. This example perfectly shows the need to take into account all manifestations of the disease without exception, especially in chronic cases of a psoric nature, otherwise you will have to prescribe various drugs several times, which will only alleviate the condition, but each time some new complaint will come to the fore. You will only accelerate the course of the disease compared to how it would develop on its own. This is not a true homeopathic approach. Make sure the remedy is as suitable for one condition as it is for another, otherwise it is not really similar. You must meditate and seek until you find the one remedy for both conditions; Only with this approach can success be achieved. It is sometimes difficult to detect the alternation of symptoms until the cycles are repeated two or three times by wrong prescribing.

Some patients are so closed, so difficult to get the necessary information from them, that many valuable symptoms and their alternations are generally hidden from the doctor. Therefore, it is very important to be able to take the position of an observer, analyze your appointments, understand where a mistake was made and, discarding new symptoms, again and again return to the original problem. But do not forget that if the patient does not recover, then this means that you need to re-examine the entire case, reversing Special attention to alternating states. In Arsenicum, head symptoms alternate with physical symptoms. In general, there is an alternation of mental and physical symptoms in many remedies; when the physical symptoms are expressed, the mental fade into the background; This solid foundation to choose a remedy, but sometimes the search is still difficult, since not all drugs, and especially the alternation of their symptoms, have been sufficiently well studied. Podophyllum is characterized by an alternation of headaches and diarrhoea; he is prone to both, and at any particular moment either a headache or diarrhea is always present. In Arnica montana, mental symptoms alternate with uterine symptoms. The painful manifestations of the uterus correspond to those characteristic of Arnica montana. but at night the mental symptoms come to the fore, the patient's thoughts become heavy, gloomy and obscure. It takes a very deep understanding and vision to notice such alternations in remedies with such manifestations, so many of them are not described, simply because one researcher came to the fore one group of symptoms, and another another. And yet it must be remembered that a remedy that can cause two groups of different symptoms will be effective if they alternate.

The periodic headaches of Arsenicum affect all parts of the head. These are congestive headaches with throbbing and burning, anxiety and restlessness; hot head and relief from cold. And frontal headaches, with a sensation of throbbing, aggravated by light and after walking, which are often associated with great restlessness and anxiety, forcing the patient to move constantly. Most headaches are accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The most severe pains occur, which are combined with deterioration general well-being and occur every two weeks. In such cases, the patients are usually old, broken people, chilly, deathly pale and weak; they are always cold, except when there is a headache, which is better from cold; they are wrinkled, anxious, they have no desire for water. Remember, we have already said that in the acute state Arsenicum is thirsty, you want to drink often and little, the mouth is dry, you just need to moisten the lips, but in the chronic stages Arsenicum is completely thirsty. Headaches on one side involving the muscles of the skull, worse from motion, better from cold water, walking in cold air, although any jarring or walking causes waves of pain, jarring, vibration or empty feeling in the head. stun and stun the patient. They begin at midnight, after excitement or exertion; can be provoked by an active walk or heat, causing a rush of blood to the head.

In the periodicity and similarity of many complaints, Arsenicum resembles Natrum muriaticum. The latter is also characterized by congestive headaches after walking or heat; especially after a walk in the sun. The headaches of Arsenicum are worse from bright light and noise, better from lying in a dark room, especially with the head held high (on two pillows). Most headaches begin in the afternoon, between 1300 and 1500, after the second breakfast, culminating in the afternoon, continuing into the night. Often they are accompanied by deathly pallor, nausea, prostration, marked weakness. Pains are paroxysmal; sharp headaches during chill in intermittent fever; headaches, with a sensation as if the skull were on fire. Arsenicum has headaches of a congestive nature with intermittent fever, the head as if on fire. Absence of thirst during chill, except for hot drinks, is the hallmark of the thirst of this remedy; during heat, thirst is negligible, you just want to moisten your mouth, with perspiration it increases, you need a lot of liquid. Thirst begins with fever and increases as dryness of the mouth increases; the patient only needs to moisten the mouth until perspiration begins, then it is necessary to drink often and in large quantities; the more he sweats, the more he wants to drink. Headaches during chill increase to become throbbing, congestive headaches during chill and heat; when perspiration begins and fever subsides, they decrease; ameliorated by perspiration.

In chronic and congestive headaches, as well as in manifestations of malaria, the skin wrinkles and dries up; looks prematurely old and wrinkled. The mucous membranes of the lips and mouth also often wrinkle and become dry. The same happens with diphtheritic membranes in the throat, which is a hallmark of Arsenicum album and does not occur, as far as I know, in any other remedy. The exudations in the throat dry up and become leathery. Dry tissue is not an indication for Arsenicum album, but if you find any in giving this remedy, you can be sure you have chosen the right one; such symptoms are very malignant in character, the smell is offensive or even gangrenous.

In cases where there are complaints from the body, it is noteworthy that all its parts are too sore to move, but the head is in constant motion. The movements of the head are due to general restlessness and anxiety, the patient continues to move even if this does not bring relief. The head and face are often swollen; swelling of the skull, erysipelas of the face and head. After pressure, pits form in the skull, and slight crepitus may be noted. The skull is extremely sensitive, and rashes often form on it. The sensitivity of the skull increases to such an extent that it becomes difficult to comb the hair; it seems that the touch of a comb or comb penetrates deep into the brain.

Sensitivity is a characteristic feature of Arsenicum album; sensitivity to smells and touch; increased excitability of all sense organs. In addition, there is often a feature that has not yet been published - hypersensitivity to the setting and environment in the room. Arsenicum patients are very fastidious. Göring described them as "sugar patients with a golden head". When it comes to a woman who is sick and lying in bed, it often turns out that she is very upset by the fact that not all the pictures on the wall hang correctly and evenly. Arsenicum is suitable in cases where the patient is morbidly scrupulous and very sensitive to the slightest disorder and confusion, his condition worsens considerably until everything is in order.

The remedy has many eye symptoms. Old cases of suppressed malaria, when it comes to broken, deathly pale and weak patients, who are prone to catarrhs, localized mainly around the nose and eyes, the eye symptoms are most significant. Discharge from eyes. Possible conjunctivitis, involving in the general pathological process and eyelids and eyeballs, sometimes ulcerations form with a thin, bloody discharge, which increases into a thick, acrid discharge that corrodes the eyes, after which the eyes turn red, burning granulations appear in them. The burning sensation is ameliorated by washing with cold water, and also by dry heat. Very often, sores appear on the eyeballs, as well as on the cornea. Various forms of hypertrophy beginning as small dots and ending in deep scars, these scars develop pterygium-like growths that move towards the center of the eye and cause blindness. Inflammations are sometimes accompanied by swelling, burning, and corrosive discharge; these swellings look like "bags", so that the eyelids thicken; "bags" are also defined under the eyes. The face is waxy and pale, reflecting a depressed mood and a tendency to edema.

Catarrhs involve the nose and throat; sometimes it is difficult enough to separate the nasal and throat symptoms. The Arsenicum patient has a constant cold and reacts with a coryza to every change of weather. He is chilly, suffers from drafts; he is worse in cold and damp weather; always cold and cold. He is a pale, debilitated man with catarrhal discharge from the nose; bright light blinds him. Sneezing and coryza with signs of inflammation throughout the nasal cavity, throat, larynx and chest. The cold begins in the nose and descends into the throat, causing hoarseness with a dry, difficult, tickling, and scraping cough. It is difficult to find a remedy for acute rhinitis that starts in the nose; and then passes into the chest and ends with bronchitis; it is often necessary to change the remedy, as the chest symptoms may correspond to other remedies. It is difficult to find one remedy for both nasal and chest symptoms.

Arsenicum is effective in old, chronic cases of catarrh of the nose, when the nose bleeds frequently, the patient takes frequent colds and sneezes, is always chilly, deathly pale, tired, restless, full of anxiety and nightmares. The mucous membranes become easily inflamed, forming red scars and easily bleeding ulcers. A large number of crusts form on the back of the nose. Arsenicum has a marked tendency to ulcerate. The sore throat is followed by ulcers; if a cold settles before our eyes, then ulceration eventually develops; catarrh of the nose ends in ulceration; this tendency to form ulcers, no matter where they appear, is a very characteristic feature of Arsenicum album. It is an effective remedy for catarrhal complaints of the nose or other organs in patients who are weakened in constitution from syphilis or malaria, or in cases of some kind of poisoning of the body, such as cut wounds, or erysipelas, or typhoid fever, or any other untreated infectious diseases, or poisoning with quinine and similar substances that can change the normal composition of the blood and lead to anemia. It gives immediate relief from ulceration of the limbs, or leucorrhea that has begun, or any other characteristic discharge. When the secretions slow down, the disease can go into a chronic stage, which, although associated with their preservation, is in fact a consequence of the release of toxins into the blood. This is what happens in suppressing discharge from the ears, from the throat, in suppressing leucorrhoea and ulcers. Arsenicum album is one of the remedies which are useful in cases of anemia following any suppression.

IN modern medicine it became fashionable to use cauterization, local funds for the treatment of leucorrhoea and other discharges, to heal ulcers. As a result, the external manifestations go away, but anemia takes their place, the patient becomes deathly pale, waxy, quickly weakens, and catarrhal discharges bring him relief, as they reduce other manifestations of the disease. For example, after suppressing the leucorrhoea, a woman develops thin, bloody, or watery nasal discharge. Unfortunately, situations are often allowed when ulcers are dried with balms, and the discharge from the ears is stopped with the help of external application of powders. The doctor believes that he is doing the right thing by using such methods, but in fact he only suppresses the discharge, which brought only benefit to the patient. In the presence of such catarrhal discharges resulting from suppressive treatment in debilitated patients, Sulfur, Calcarea and Arsenicum album are prescribed. The latter remedy is also applicable in cases of ingestion of animal poisons. In addition, it is effective for cut wounds. Arsenicum album, like Lachesis, has the ability to act immediately as an antidote for various poisonings, restoring disturbed functions and lost harmony to the body.

The nasal symptoms of Arsenicum are, oddly enough, quite strong, and occupy a large part of all the possible symptoms of the Arsenicum patient. These subjects always catch cold easily, are always extremely sensitive to cold and catarrhal phenomena, and are always amenable to the slightest provocation. The Arsenicum patient, even in his best condition, retains thick discharge in more or less degree; but as soon as he catches a cold, the discharge immediately becomes liquid; liquid discharge to improve the patient's condition must be slowed down, later there are headaches, thirst, restlessness, anxiety and malaise. All these symptoms develop to catarrhal fever, which lasts two or three days, then the discharge becomes thick again, the patient feels much better; all his pains and ailments disappear. The medicine has been of great help in the treatment of epitheliomas of the nose or lips.

Inflammatory diseases of the throat and tonsillitis, with a burning sensation, aggravated by cold and ameliorated by warm drinks. Redness and wrinkling of mucous membranes. With diphtheria, when there is a pronounced general intoxication, a gray, dry exudate appears on the surface of the mucous membranes, usually it is ashen in color, often covers the entire surface of the soft palate and its arch. It looks like it's dried up. The patient is in prostration, he is anxious and weak, the fever is mild, there is a strong dryness in the mouth.

Going down into the larynx, catarrh causes hoarseness of voice, when the process passes to the trachea, a burning sensation appears, aggravated by coughing, then there may be chest spasm, asthmatic breathing, dry, rough cough without sputum. This irritating cough is often accompanied by anxiety, prostration, restlessness, exhaustion, sweating; coughing does not seem to do any good. At the onset of the disease for several days, such a dry, irritating, rough cough persists without any positive dynamics; then asthmatic symptoms follow, when the patient expectorates large amounts of thin, watery sputum. There is a spasm in the chest, a feeling of constriction, shortness of breath and wheezing; the patient thinks that he can suffocate. Bloody sputum is periodically discharged, but the symptoms are generally catarrhal in nature. Sometimes there are signs of pneumonia with rust-colored sputum. All discharges are annoying. There is a burning sensation in the chest, as if burning coals were lying there; with the further development of the process, bleeding and liver-colored sputum may occur.

Arsenicum album is a bleeding remedy, it is prone to hemorrhages, bleeding can come from any mucous membranes; the blood is usually bright, red, but in cases of gangrenous inflammation, the hemorrhages become black, contain clots resembling pieces of the liver. The same applies to vomit and stool. The whole discharge is terribly offensive and disgusting in appearance, so that you soon begin to think of a gangrenous lesion. At this time, the patient sinks into a state that cannot be more accurately described than by the words "gangrenous inflammation"; there are signs that indicate the presence of inflammation, and that characteristic smell of secretions that you recognize while still standing in the doorway. The discharge is thin and watery, interspersed with clots and scraps of tissue. You will see these secretions in the tray next to the patient's bed, they are watery, reminiscent of plum juice, blood clots are distinguishable in their thick; the appearance of the discharge is repulsive and disgusting. The patient has already passed the period of restlessness, and is now prostrated, deathly pale, weak, and covered with a rather profuse cold sweat.

Dismantling the stomach, we find all that is called "gastritis" - vomiting after any food eaten, even after a teaspoon of water, marked irritation of the stomach, prostration, terrible anxiety; dry mouth; sometimes a small amount of hot water brings relief for a few minutes, then all the symptoms return again; cold drinks immediately cause vomiting. The entire esophagus is in a state of inflammation; everything that enters and exits there causes a burning sensation. Vomiting of bile and blood. Great tenderness of the stomach and abdomen; the patient does not even allow to touch him. Hot much relieves the condition, warm drinks bring temporary improvement; warmly pleasant to the patient.

Significant bowel problems; this remedy has all the symptoms of peritonitis; tension of the peritoneum, tympanitis, the patient can neither be palpated nor even just touched, although he himself is constantly on the move due to pronounced anxiety, which simply does not allow him to lie still, but in the end he becomes so weakened that instead of anxiety comes complete exhaustion. It is possible to use the drug in cases of dysentery, when there is an involuntary discharge of urine or feces, or both at the same time, with hemorrhagic discharge from the intestines and blood in the urine. The stool has a putrid smell, the smell of decaying flesh. Feces are bloody, watery, Brown, reminiscent of plum juice, or black, disgusting. In some cases of dysentery there is tension and burning in the anus; every time the stool burns, as if hot coals were in the rectum; burning in the intestines, burning in the whole digestive tract. Abdominal pains are relieved by the application of hot heating pads. Pronounced signs of tympanitis.

Sometimes developing gastroenteritis takes on a gangrenous character, so pronounced that in the old days such conditions were called intestinal gangrene, a disease that almost always ended in death. The discharge is thin, watery, with a terrible smell, any food and drink causes vomiting, the patient wants the room to be very warm, seeks to hide; the desire for hot heating pads and hot drinks is expressed, he looks like a corpse and spreads a cadaverous smell, dry and pungent, which permeates everything around. In cases similar to the above, but when the patient wants to open up, wants to cool the room, asks to open windows and give him cold drinks with ice, Secale should be considered.

I want to warn you against the unwarranted use of Arsenicum album in cases of summer complaints in your children, or in dysentery and diarrhea in children. This remedy has so many small, non-specific symptoms relating to such diseases that, in the absence of due attention and forethought on your part, you will give Arsenicum album to all your patients, but it will most likely not cure, but, on the contrary, will lead to the suppression of many symptoms, change the whole structure of the case, so that later it will be very difficult to pick up the right medicine. Unfortunately, there is an ingrained tendency to prescribe Arsenicum album without having enough general characteristics. I advise you not to prescribe this remedy on the basis of isolated, particular symptoms.

The remedy is full of symptoms of diarrhea and dysentery; therefore, signs such as pallor of the skin, anxiety, putrid smell are almost always present. In cases of dysentery, the urge to stool is the most disturbing and most common, which is characterized by copiousness, mucous and liquid consistency, dark or inky color, cadaverous smell, and is associated with marked prostration, restlessness and pallor. In the presence of intestinal disorders, in severe stages of the disease, the act of defecation becomes uncontrollable, while there is a special condition of the rectum, its relaxation. Fecal incontinence always indicates local or general exhaustion; in general, this remedy has a very characteristic emaciation, as in certain forms of uncontrolled diarrhea in typhoid or other infectious diseases; urinary incontinence.

Arsenicum sometimes has loose stools, although this is not so characteristic of it as, for example, of Podophyllum or Phosphoricum acidum. These are usually short but frequent sudden urges, with a small amount of feces, flatulence, and great emaciation, as in cholera. Unproductive urging, with slimy, tenacious and pale stools. However, Arsenicum album is rarely indicated in cholera, and if it is indicated, it is during sudden fecal flows. Although there are situations when both vomiting and diarrhea have already been left behind, the state of pronounced exhaustion persists, the patient resembles a coma; were it not for the breath, he might have been mistaken for dead. In such cases, Arsenicum restores the patient's ability to respond to others. Diarrhea in children with great prostration, weakness and deathly appearance, the patient is cold to the touch, covered with cold sweat, the limbs are cold, cold as a dead man; half-dead, weak, smelly, with lingering secretions, with the smell of urine, feces and even vomit pervading everything. The contents of the intestine are caustic, irritating, causing redness and burning. Often the burning sensation begins in the intestine itself. Rectum and anus burning, burning pain around the anus. Tenesmus, painful, unproductive urges, damage to the large intestine, rectum and anus is expressed; the patient has such a strong anxiety, so sharp pains from which he suffers so much that he thinks of nothing but death; the patient experiences such fear and is so frightened as never before in his life, perceives death as an inevitable and indisputable fact. All this, as well as any other complaints, is accompanied by anxiety; while there is strength, the patient walks around the room, moves from bed to chair and back. Sometimes there is chronic hemorrhoids with a burning sensation, hemorrhoids come out during bowel movements, the patient returns from the toilet exhausted and tired, hemorrhoids resemble bunches of grapes, burn like coals from a fire. They are dry, hot, bleeding. Fissures in the rectum, bleeding at every stool, burning sensation. Itching and eczematous eruptions around the anus, with burning.

Similar pains can be observed in any part of the body; burning and stitching pains are characteristic features of Arsenicum album. Putting these signs together, it becomes clear why the patient says that he feels as if he were being pierced from all sides with red-hot needles. A similar sensation is characteristic of any affected areas, including the anus, especially in the presence of hemorrhoids; burning and stitching, as from hot needles.

When it comes to the initial stage of an acute attack, the patient can observe all possible types chills and trembling, which only exist in the Materia Medica or are among the symptoms of the disease. So, there is a sharp chill and trembling, at the same time the patient describes the sensation as if the blood flowing through his vessels had turned into frozen water. He feels cold, icy waves run through his body. When the fever is already at its height, the patient becomes hot from head to toe, before sweating begins he feels as if blood vessels boiling water flows. After this, sweat comes out, shortness of breath and all other complaints occur; the patient is in prostration and freezes again. Although sweating sometimes relieves the course of fever and pains, they still continue, bringing the patient to complete exhaustion, not stopping even then. Many complaints increase during sweating; for example, thirst increases, ever-increasing amounts of fluid are required, which is still constantly insufficient. The patient says: "I can drink anything" or "give me a bucket of water." Such symptoms are very characteristic of Arsenicum thirst. During a fever, a small amount of water is needed in small portions and often, during a chill, hot drinks are required.

Arsenicum album is indispensable for burning eruptions on the genitals. Small sores burn, even if they are of syphilitic origin; herpetic vesicles in the foreskin or above the upper lip; chancre or chancroid with burning, burning and stitching pains, especially in very debilitated patients who are not able to show the will to cure, but do the opposite; manifestations of their disease are phagedenic, i.e., those in which, as the ulcers grow, they corrode their own edges. Arsenicum album and Mercurius corrosivus are the main remedies for such spreading and eating ulcers, which are disgusting to look at. In the absence of a desire for recovery due to these ulcers in inguinal region buboes are formed. The patient is not fighting for his life, so the disease continues to progress, the ulcers grow larger and larger, the discharge of a small amount of watery, disgusting-looking secretion continues. Or there may be cases when the patient falls into the hands of a surgeon who performs an operative intervention for buboes threatening to suppurate, after which a red, very angry erysipelas appears, with absolutely no tendency to heal. The edges of the wounds are cleared of ulcers, leaving small, dollar-sized surfaces free of lesions; sometimes ulcers become creeping, with a wavy edge and an arcuate border. They are very sensitive to touch; burning as from fire.

Many important symptoms apply to the male and female genital organs. Men are characterized by edematous conditions, swelling of the penis, puffiness, so that the penis swells and resembles a small bag of water; scrotum, and especially the skin fold on the scrotum, very swollen, moist, the same as those surrounding it skin. In women, the labia swells, they become swollen and hard to the touch, burning and stabbing pains are felt; erysipelas of these organs, ulceration of a syphilitic nature, when symptoms such as burning, stitching and sharp pains are noted. In women, sharp burning pains in the genital area, with or without swelling, burning extends into the vagina with great dryness and itching in it. Leucorrhoea, corroding the surrounding skin and mucous membranes, causing great anxiety due to burning and itching. White, thin, watery discharge that corrodes; sometimes they are so profuse that they run down the thighs. The menstrual flow of Arsenicum album is also irritating. A plentiful stream of whites is mixed with menstrual flow, profuse and very caustic. Suppression of menstrual function may last for months; amenorrhea in emaciated, nervous patients who look anxious and haggard, their faces wrinkled.

In the old school, Arsenicum album was considered an excellent remedy for anemia, as effective as Ferrum; Ferrum and Arsenicum are indeed indispensable in such cases, so it is not surprising that deathly pale and weak patients recover quickly under Arsenicum. "Prickly in rectum during menstruation." "Acid leucorrhoea, corrosive, thick and yellow," etc.; in women after childbirth, urine is not separated, the absence of urine in the bladder; due to suppression of its production, or the bladder is full, but urine is not excreted. But in this connection Causticum is still most frequently prescribed; this remedy is usually used when there are no other symptoms, except that the woman is not urinating for a long time. In cases where urinary retention occurs in a child, Aconite is more often prescribed. But remember that these are only practical basics and can and should be disregarded in the presence of symptoms suggestive of another remedy. If there are no such symptoms, study Aconite and Causticum in more detail, ascertaining whether there are reasons why they should be abandoned. And more about women's diseases. Arsenicum album is an excellent palliative remedy for cancers when the uterus or mammary glands are affected. Even in hopeless cases, its use reduces burning and stabbing pains. But, of course, this is only one of the palliative measures.

Arsenicum is characterized by loss of voice, laryngitis with dry, irritating cough; cough that does not seem to bring any relief; persistent, dry, mucosal traumatic cough. Its relationship with asthma, shortness of breath, shortness of breath has been established. Arsenicum has cured some long-standing cases of asthma of a nervous nature; asthma with attacks at midnight, in very pale patients suffering from cold; cough dry, with wheezing; the patient sits up in bed and clasps his chest; restlessness with prostration.

Corresponding to Arsenicum album, the heart symptoms trouble the patient greatly; they come down to severe weakness, strong heartbeats; palpitations from the slightest effort or exertion, marked anxiety, restlessness, weakness; the patient is not able to walk, climb stairs, he generally moves with difficulty, fearing increased heart rate; any excitement causes palpitations. "Frequent episodes of palpitations or bouts of unconsciousness during endocarditis." Arsenicum album contains the most serious complaints of the heart, many incurable heart diseases. Remember that you are facing a very serious illness if you deal with the heart symptoms of Arsenicum album. This is fraught with such consequences as "angina pectoris", "rheumatism with heart damage", "hydropericardium with increased irritability", "pulse is frequent, weakly filled, fluttering", "pulsation spreading to the whole body", etc. Subsequently, it may a still more serious condition develops when the heart is weak, the pulse is thready, the patient is pale and cold, covered with sweat, the pulse is very weak. If it is not a question of the state of the heart itself as such, then Arsenicum album is indispensable in such cases; the patient can really help.

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the alternation of symptoms common to the Arsenicum type. Later you may re-read the general characteristics of intermittent fevers, and of fevers in general, and add to this material what will be said below. Arsenicum has the most intense chill of all remedies, with agitation, headache, prostration, dryness of the mouth, great desire for hot drinks and warmth, and all the restless and prostrative symptoms of other remedies. In the case of Arsenicum always pay attention to the timing. The hallmark of the chill of Arsenicum is its irregularity, and besides, the course of each subsequent episode differs from the previous one, the time of occurrence of the symptom is not limited. The chill may begin at noon and after midnight, sometimes in the morning, sometimes between 3 and 4 pm, sometimes at one o'clock. Very clear periodicity. During chills, in those rare cases when the patient is thirsty, there is an aversion to cold foods and drinks, he can only drink hot, hot tea, etc. As the fever develops, thirst increases, the mouth constantly dries up, the patient drinks often, but little by little, about a teaspoonful, just to wet your mouth. Water does not quench thirst, so the amount of fluid consumed increases slightly. This, in turn, causes profuse sweating, prostration, an increased need for fluids, the patient still freezes, begins to experience an imperative need for cold drinks. Chills are accompanied by severe soreness of the bones, mainly in the limbs, there is a rush of blood to the head, fingers and toes turn red up to purple, pour. Put together prostration and insane anxiety, and it will not be difficult for you to come to Arsenicum album on the basis of general characteristics alone. But all these symptoms - and chills, and fever, and sweating - have so many small parts that it is easy to get confused in them; inattention to general features will not allow you to correctly understand the features of the case; you will think that you are on the right track, but until one of the general characteristics leads you to Arsenicum album, all attempts are doomed to failure. It is one thing to consider the whole case, such as Arsenicum album, and quite another to determine that each particular symptom belongs to him. Similar situation also observed in relation to China and Quinine; they have innumerable minor symptoms, and yet the correct diagnosis of China or Quinine in any particular case can only be made by the presence of clear general characteristics.

Arsenicum album (according to Grangeorges)

Arsenicum album (death of the body)

The key to this remedy is the fear of death. This state of mind is expressed in great excitement (too excited child - "alive"), with the exception of chronic cases, when, on the contrary, the patient is subject to a strong obsession, becomes very petty in trifles, plunges into details Everyday life. Usually these patients dress in black and their condition worsens at midnight in the middle of the night, at the darkest time) or at noon (in the middle of the day, when the sun begins to decrease).

Many acute cases corresponding to Arsenicum album occur on the seashore (this climate tends to exacerbate them), in November (after visiting the graves on the feast of all saints among the Catholics), in January (at the height of winter) and in July, when the days begin to shorten. The black color symbolizes the lack of hope in the face of death (this is not a color, but the absence of colors), and the patient solves his problem when he realizes that the death of the body is a soul without a body!

In medicine, Arsenicum album is a great remedy for otitis media, nocturnal asthma, gastroenteritis in children with vomiting and diarrhoea. This remedy is also indicated for the effects of vaccination.

One day, a mother calls me at home at 1 pm about her 7-year-old daughter, who complains of earaches, is worried, but is calmed by the application of heat. I suggest taking Arsenicum album in 15CH boluses. The child quickly calms down.

I ask the mother if there is any mourning around the child, but the mother does not know anything of the kind.

The next day, driving neighbors' children to school in a car, she recalls that for two weeks she has not stopped at the house of neighbors whose daughter died of acute leukemia. The children weren't told about it, but it caused earaches in her daughter.

Ten-year-old Guillaume is brought to the doctor by his parents because of a strong "lag" in growth and body weight. An examination conducted in the hospital shows a minimal hormonal disorder for which nothing is prescribed.

Studying the curves of body weight and height in the child's medical history, I note a "break" in his development at the age of 9 months. At that time, he had been vaccinated against smallpox even earlier; his brother also reacted badly to this vaccine, becoming ill with widespread calf pox.

Noting this consequence of vaccination, the petty, picky, stern nature of the child, who also cannot stand butter, I think of Arsenicum album and ask this question: "When your child was nine months old, was there a death in the family?" Mother's eyes light up, "Yes, Doctor. Between 6 and 9 months, while I was still breastfeeding him, I spent whole days at the bedside of my mother, who was dying of advanced cancer.” Taking doses of Arsenicum album from 15 to 30 SN after a certain time, the child acquired normal growth. Once, during a regular visit, I asked him why he did not want to grow up, he answered me: “When they grow, they grow old, and when they grow old, they die!”.

A six-year-old girl was admitted to the intensive care unit with severe burns (2/3 of the body surface). The surgeon determines burns of the 2nd degree. The screams of this child, which do not stop for 24 hours, despite the use of the entire arsenal of classical medications, including morphine, are horrifying.

Confusion and nervousness reign in this pediatric intensive care unit. I was then a debutant in homeopathy and I had Dr. Jouani's book at hand in which he states that 2nd degree burns require Cantharis 7 CH. I give the girl Cantharis 7CH balls every hour for half a day without any result. Then the surgeon comes and says that in some places there are burns of the 3rd degree. Then, still according to Jouani's textbook, I give Arsenicum album 9 CH in balls. And here is a miracle: the girl calms down, falls asleep and sleeps for 2 days. The burns go away like magic, subsequently leaving almost no scars, much to our surprise.

A three-year-old girl is brought to me with recurrent asthmatic bronchopneumonia. While the mother, dressed in all black, tells me about their torment, the child runs around the office, touching everything, and the father follows him to prevent any extreme. I interrupt my mother and ask about her profession.

- "I am a nurse".

- "What is your specialization?"

- Leukemia. During pregnancy, I had to leave work at the 6th month due to contractions.”

With the use of Arsenicum album 15CH, the asthma attacks stopped and the excitement disappeared quickly.

The pathogenesis of arsenic tested by Hahnemann is found in "Pure Medicine" and in his "Treatment of Chronic Diseases".

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION

Arsenic poisoning mainly affects the digestive and respiratory apparatus, skin, nervous system, liver and kidneys.

Digestive apparatus: there are always three signs on the face: vomiting, diarrhea and pain.

Diarrhea. - Watery, colorless, containing many white grains, like boiled rice, accompanied by burning pains and very painful convulsions in all the limbs. The resemblance to cholera is so striking that there are errors in diagnosis. In subacute poisonings, gastric disturbances with fever, noted by Hahnemann in 1876, were described in poisonings by Heiros, Khavre and Lancero.

Respiratory apparatus: feeling of pressure and shortness of breath, the predominant symptoms of subacute arsenic poisoning; but in chronic poisoning, respiratory disorders are more pronounced, since arsenic is excreted through all tissues, covering the epidermis and epithelium.

Laryngo-tracheitis is noted, causing hoarseness, bronchitis and very frequent rhinitis, which can reach in workers exhaling arsenic dust to necrosis of the nasal bones.

The paralysis especially affects the lower extremities, beginning with the thumbs, and is usually symmetrical.

The liver rapidly increases in volume and undergoes fatty degeneration, the kidneys are also affected by real toxic nephritis with albuminuria, oliguria or anuria.

One more step, and we have cachexia: the skin is pale, the face of a seriously ill patient: with a “disfigured appearance”, with an “expression of agony”, extreme emaciation, somewhere in the body there is a disorder of tissues; it is either cancer, or tuberculosis, or extremely acute cholera enteritis, or, finally, cachexia, due to some chronic disease: malaria, nephritis, heart disease. Very often there is puffiness, swelling, more pronounced on the upper than on the lower eyelids.

PECULIARITIES

Worse: after midnight, from one to three in the morning, from cold and exercise.

Better: from warmth, from anything warm; outdoors.

Dominant side: right.

Rhythm: frequency: every 2nd or 4th, every 7th or 14th day, hence the possibility of its use in swamp fevers.

CHARACTERISTIC

Hourly aggravation, after midnight, between one and three in the morning.

The frequency of symptoms - every 2, 3, 4, 15 days; every 6 weeks, every year. The duration of the period is longer, the greater the duration of the disease.

Sadness and excitement always after midnight.

Excessive loss of strength, often inappropriate for the disease that causes it: dizziness, runny nose, vomiting, etc.

Malignancy: Arsenic for severe, malignant fevers, same as aconite for simple lungs.

Sequence: asthma after disappearance of eczema or measles; gastric disturbances simulating gastric ulcer after suppressing the eruption with some ointment. This is why arsenic is so well suited to skin diseases.

Character of the pains: burning, better from warmth.

Unusual thirst: the patient drinks often, but little by little. He especially prefers cold water, as it aggravates and relieves heat. However, drunk cold water often "falls heavily on the stomach and then vomits."

Nausea from the smell of food being cooked, and even just at the sight of it (colchicum, sepia).

The stool has a dysentery or cholera-like character. It is exceptionally offensive: cadaverous, scanty, accompanied by intense burning in the rectum. Worse at night, after eating and drinking, with great prostration.

Menses: too profuse, premature, with dark blood. The discharge is always corrosive, accompanied by itching.

Leucorrhea: acrid, burning, irritating.

Menstruation may be absent and replaced by secretions with a putrid smell (in cancer).

MAIN INDICATIONS

GASTRIC PAIN in lichen sufferers.

Severe forms of dysentery in the initial period of the disease. EXTERNAL HEMORRHOIDS, burning, better from warmth.

AIRWAYS. Asthma is the main remedy. It is especially useful for those suffering from lichen, after the disappearance of the rashes. Foamy, like beaten egg white, sputum is a special indication (Jusset). Add to this the aggravation of the symptoms and restlessness during the night and a burning sensation in the chest.

RUNNY - Watery, with slight discharge, corrosive, with a burning sensation in the upper lip.

PLEURITIS - Arsenic is especially indicated for a tendency to faint. For resorption of the effusion, it should be alternated with cantharis.

PNEUMONIA with high fever, great prostration and nocturnal excitement.

LEATHER. Arsenic is indicated for all rashes, if they are accompanied by itching and burning, relieved by heat, but especially:

ULCERS, burning as if on fire, with a bluish bottom, black or greasy, bleeding easily, with offensive discharge.

GANGRENE, and especially dry senile gangrene, with sharp sensitivity and burning in the affected parts; relief from warm and hot compresses (sekale - relief from cold compresses).

ANTHRAX, burning like fire.

SCALING, worse from cold.

ECZEMA - worse in winter, better in summer, as in psorinum.

voluntary hemorrhage, purpura, in severe disease.

INFECTIONS. CHOLERA. The caricature indicates the following symptoms: severe melancholy with fear of death, extreme excitement, forcing the patient to constantly move, get out of bed, open up; burning in the pit of the stomach, as if from hot coals.

TYF: severe cases with extreme prostration, with irregular exhausting fever; bloating is often noted.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. Arsenic, like lead, is one of the best remedies for aortitis.

According to Buechner: moving neuralgias that appear at night - arsenic; morning and afternoon - ignatia; old - silicea.

OTHER MEDICINES CAUSING BURNING PAIN: phosphorus - pains less intense than in arsenica, more limited: between the shoulder blades, along the spine and in the palms, aggravated by heat.

SULFUR: common pains, as in arsenic, but less acute, observed, especially in chronic diseases. Never ameliorated by heat.

Anthracite has the same burning pains as phosphorus, but they appear in the region of the boil or carbuncle and are accompanied by a blackish scab or sanious discharge.

APIS burns and pricks, "as if with red-hot needles"; worse from warm applications, better from cold.

SECALE: burning as in arsenic, but the affected parts are cold to the touch, and yet the patient cannot bear the slightest heat, desires to open up, and can only be relieved by cold compresses.

Arsenic acts in all doses, but, however, in certain cases, some are preferably used.

Low dilutions (hundredths) are more often used for nephritis, cholera, ascites, rhinitis, asthma, heart and aortic diseases, and scrofulous ophthalmia.

Arsenic has a profound effect on every organ and every tissue. Its symptoms are numerous, but the following should be especially remembered: excitement with bitterness at night, great debility after the slightest movement, burning pains ameliorated by warmth, unquenchable thirst.

The alternation of the diseases in which it is indicated, with various skin eruptions, must never be forgotten.

From the book Homeopathic Clinical Pharmacology author Ernst Farrington

From the book Practical Homeopathic Medicine by Gilbert Charette

Arsenicum album This is anhydrous arsenic acid or white oxide of arsenic. Homeopaths often prescribe it under the name of white metal. The first three dilutions are made from the primary substance either in rubbing or in solutions. For solutions we use 56 deg.

From the book Practical Homeopathic Medicine. Add-ons by Gilbert Charette

ARSENICUM ALBUM Case history 16TIF March 27, 1927 young girl who asked me to go to her dying mother and give her an injection. “Today she was taken from the hospital, where she had been lying with typhus for more than a month,” she told me, “and since the doctor

From the book Practical Homeopathy author Viktor Iosifovich Varshavsky

ARSENICUM ALBUM. ARSENICUM ALBUM - ARSENIC ACID (ARSENIC ANHYDRIDE) Specific action. On the central nervous system, "mucous membranes gastrointestinal tract, respiratory organs, urinary excretion, on hematopoiesis, on the skin. A tool that works like

From the book Portraits of Homeopathic Remedies, (Part 2) author Katherine R. Coulter

ARSENICUM ALBUM ARSENICUM ALBUM Everything that needs to be done is worth overdoing

From the book Homeopathy for General Practitioners author A. A. Krylov

ARSENICUM ALBUM Everything that needs to be done is worth over-fulfilling Anonymous statement The above epigraph accurately reveals the essence of Arsenicum album's personality and opens up wide possibilities in creating a portrait of this strong, projective and sometimes unrestrained

From the book Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica author James Tyler Kent

ARSENICUM ALBUM AS A PATIENT The following is a description of traits common to many Arsenicum patients as an example of an anxiety-ridden personality variant. Few Arsenicum patients exhibit all of these qualities at the same time, but each of them has

From the book Predictive Homeopathy Part II Theory of Acute Diseases author Prafull Vijaykar

Arsenicum album Arsenic anhydride The arsenic type is characterized by a melancholic character, pedantry, an increased sense of duty, love of order, a tendency to phobias, suspicion, and excessive scrupulousness. Signs of a severe somatic disease predominate. Even

From the book Materia Medica of homeopathic remedies by William Berike

Aurum arsenicum Aurum arsenicosum is an arsenic of gold from 8X. This remedy has symptoms in the morning, at noon, in the evening, at night, after midnight. All symptoms are worse in open and cold air. The patient loves Fresh air. Worse on rising. Feeling of numbness in

From the book Course of Clinical Homeopathy by Leon Vanier

39. Arsenicum album AXIS: MENTAL ANXIETY/ANXIETY+CHILLY+THIRST FREE/THIRSKY INDICATIONS FOR:- Desire to drink water in small sips- Desire for warm water and drinks- Fastidious ADDITIONAL:- Anxiety about

From the author's book

Arsenicum album White arsenicDeeply acting on all organs and tissues. The well-defined characteristic symptoms and the similarity of its pathogenesis with many severe forms and types of diseases have made it one of the most commonly prescribed remedies in homeopathy. Often

From the author's book

Arsenicum hydrogenisatum Arsenic hydrogenEspecially pronounced effect on the general symptoms. Anemia. Anxiety, despair. Hematuria with a violation of the normal composition of the blood. Bleeding from mucous membranes. Urination is depressed, vomiting appears. Many small pustules and

From the author's book

Arsenicum iodatum Arsenic iodide It should be given first of all in the presence of persistent irritating, corrosive discharge, which irritates also the places through which it flows. As a rule, it is offensive, watery, and the mucous membrane is always red, irritated,

From the author's book

Arsenicum metallicum Metallic arsenic Provokes latent syphilis. The periodicity is very clearly expressed: the symptoms recur every 2 and 3 weeks. Weakness. Sensation of enlargement of the genitals. Head. Intelligence is reduced, memory is weakened. Desire for loneliness. Bringing out visions

From the author's book

Arsenicum album Let us continue our investigation and take a well-known remedy, Arsenicum album. What medicines can be used as antidotes for aggravated conditions due to Arsenicum album? Arsenicum album, for example, is indicated for asthma attacks, chest tightness,

From the author's book

Arsenicum album and Pulsatilla These are completely incompatible remedies, which is already noticeable at first sight. Why? On the one hand you have a subject who is constantly anxious, fearful of death and in an agitated state - Arsenicum album. On the other hand, timid

Thank you

homeopathic remedy called arsenicum album quite often referred to as arsenic or arsenic anhydride. In fact, this homeopathic remedy is very poisonous. It is prescribed mainly in the fight against various chronic complications of certain acute pathological conditions. In addition, this drug has found its wide application in homeopathy and in the fight against various pathological conditions of the digestive tract, and of any severity. Arsenicum album has both antiseptic and soothing, antibacterial, analgesic, anti-allergic, and tonic effects. Influencing the human body, this drug tends to both relieve pain and restore strength. In addition, he is fighting with a very strong thirst. It is also appropriate to use it when some animal poison has entered the body along with food or air. It is also inherent in this medicine to prevent the consequences of a very strong cooling of the stomach, as well as excessive physical stress.

What are the indications for the use of this remedy in homeopathy?
This drug is often used to treat both liver hyperemia and yellow fever, Asian cholera, pain in the stomach, as well as inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and liver, which are chronic. You can not do without the help of this medication and if the person has intermittent fever, cholerin, enterocolitis, watery rhinitis, bronchial asthma. Gastric ulcer, chronic forms of eczema, herpes zoster or scaly deprive, prolonged croupous pneumonia, initial stages of dysentery, exudative pleurisy - all these are also indications for the use of this homeopathic remedy. It is often prescribed to patients with cardiospasm, anemia, malaria, loss of strength, chronic anemia. There are many other pathologies in which the use of Arsenicum is considered appropriate.

What are the contraindications to the use of this drug?
Arsenicum is categorically contraindicated in all those patients who have dyspepsia, neuritis or severe kidney damage.

What are the side effects of this remedy?
Side effects that may occur during the use of this homeopathic remedy include both vomiting and nausea, as well as diarrhea. If at least one of these effects makes itself felt, then this drug is recommended to be canceled immediately. In the fight against side effects that were caused by it, a medication called unithiol.

In conclusion, we note that the information that was presented to your attention a little higher is just a brief description of this homeopathic remedy. If you decide to use his help, then first of all sign up for

It is anhydrous arsenic acid or white arsenic oxide. Homeopaths often prescribe it under the name of white metal. The first three dilutions are made from the primary substance either in rubbing or in solutions. For solutions we use 56 deg. alcohol. The pathogenesis of arsenic tested by Hahnemann is found in "Pure Medicine" and in his "Cure of Chronic Diseases". Type Piche distinguishes three main arsenal types: first of all, it is a flourishing type, muscular, with shiny hair, thin skin, strong, strong build, but with one or even two shortcomings: it is either asthmatic or suffering from lichen. One rung lower, a malnourished person with a straw-yellow face, skinny and vomiting over every trifle, for whom the smell of the kitchen and even the sight of food is absolutely unbearable, who suffers from intense thirst, drinks a lot and often, and immediately vomits everything, what he drank. The face is edematous, the eyes are surrounded by a wide blue, as if he were wearing glasses, the lips are dry, cracked, with pityriasis peeling. Another step, and we have cachexia: the skin is pale, the face of a seriously ill person: with a “disfigured appearance”, with an “expression of agony”, extreme emaciation, somewhere in the body there is a disorder of tissues; it is either cancer, or tuberculosis, or extremely acute cholera enteritis, or, finally, cachexia, due to some chronic disease: malaria, nephritis, heart disease. Very often there is puffiness, swelling, more pronounced on the upper than on the lower eyelids. Let's add a few touches to this picture: usually a sick Arsenic is afraid of the cold, he wraps himself up and huddles in a warm corner, and at the same time opens the window, because he needs fresh air. Characteristic 1. Hourly aggravation, after midnight, between one and three in the morning. 2. Frequency of symptoms - every 2, 3, 4, 15 days; every 6 weeks, every year. The duration of the period is longer, the greater the duration of the disease. 3. Sadness and excitement always after midnight. 4. Excessive loss of strength, often inappropriate for the disease that causes it: dizziness, runny nose, vomiting, etc. 5. Malignancy: Arsenic for severe, malignant fevers, the same as aconite for simple lungs. 6. Sequence: asthma after disappearance of eczema or measles; gastric disturbances simulating gastric ulcer after suppressing the eruption with some ointment. This is why arsenic is so well suited to skin diseases. 7. Character of the pains: burning, better from warmth. 8. Unusual thirst: the patient drinks often, but little by little. He especially prefers cold water, as it aggravates and relieves heat. However, drunk cold water often "falls heavily on the stomach and then is vomited." 9. Nausea from the smell of cooked food and even just at the sight of it (colchicum, sepia). Pains: The chief characteristic is burning, ameliorated by heat. They are often compared to the pain of a hot needle or hot coals. It should be noted that cold lotions can relieve them for a short time, but then bitterness sets in. They are often accompanied by edema, sadness, excitement and despair. The stool has a dysentery or cholera-like character. It is exceptionally offensive: cadaverous, scanty, accompanied by intense burning in the rectum. Worse at night, after eating and drinking, with great prostration. Menses: too profuse, premature, with dark blood. The discharge is always corrosive, accompanied by itching. Leucorrhea: acrid, burning, irritating. Menstruation may be absent and replaced by secretions with a putrid smell (in cancer). Summary Arsenic has a profound effect on every organ and every tissue. Its symptoms are numerous, but the following should be especially remembered: excitement with bitterness at night, great debility after the slightest movement, burning pains ameliorated by warmth, unquenchable thirst. The alternation of the diseases in which it is indicated, with various skin eruptions, must never be forgotten.

indications for use

Main indications DIGESTIVE TRACT: acute gastro-enteritis (arsenic causes it in a strong degree), with burning pains, great thirst; the stomach is so irritated that the least amount of food or drink causes pain, or immediately causes vomiting, diarrhea, or both. Cold drinks, water and ice cream cause or increase this suffering. GASTRIC PAIN in lichen sufferers. Severe forms of dysentery in the initial period of the disease. EXTERNAL HEMORRHOIDS, burning, better from warmth. AIRWAYS. Asthma is the main remedy. It is especially useful for those suffering from lichen, after the disappearance of the rashes. Foamy, like beaten egg white, sputum is a special indication (Jusset). Add to this the aggravation of the symptoms and restlessness during the night and a burning sensation in the chest. RUNNY - Watery, with slight discharge, corrosive, with a burning sensation in the upper lip. PLEURITIS - Arsenic is especially indicated for a tendency to faint. For resorption of the effusion, it should be alternated with cantharis. PNEUMONIA with high fever, great prostration and nocturnal excitement. In diseases of the respiratory organs requiring the appointment of arsenic, acute, sometimes burning, pain is often noted in the upper third of the right lung, at the level of the 3rd intercostal space. URINARY TRACT: Bright's disease. It is probably the best remedy for chronic Bright's disease, and Hughes prefers it for scarlatinal nephritis. Siffert attributes it in all periods of albuminuria to 5 drops of the 6th dilution 3 times a day. The clinical picture, in general terms, is as follows: general dropsy, edema and puffiness, albuminous urine, pale waxy skin, wasting diarrhoea, burning sensation and thirst. LEATHER. Arsenic is indicated in all rashes when they are accompanied by itching and burning, relieved by heat, but especially: ULCERS, burning as if on fire, with a bluish bottom, black or greasy, bleeding easily, with offensive discharge. GANGRENE, and especially dry senile gangrene, with sharp sensitivity and burning in the affected parts; relief from warm and hot compresses (sekale - relief from cold compresses). ANTHRAX, burning like fire. SCALING, worse from cold. ECZEMA - worse in winter, better in summer, as in psorinum. voluntary hemorrhage, purpura, in severe disease. INFECTIONS. CHOLERA. The caricature indicates the following symptoms: severe melancholy with fear of death, extreme excitement, forcing the patient to constantly move, get out of bed, open up; burning in the pit of the stomach, as if from hot coals. TYF: severe cases with extreme prostration, with irregular exhausting fever; bloating is often noted. CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. Arsenic, like lead, is one of the best remedies for aortitis. NERVOUS SYSTEM. HEADACHE. Migraine, with severe pain, especially over the left eye. The pains are burning, worse on the left side, intermittently, especially after midnight. Nocturnal neuralgia always makes you think about arsenic. According to Buechner: moving neuralgias that appear at night - arsenic; morning and afternoon - ignatia; old - silicea. FEVER. Seizures are rarely complete; have a tendency to appear at night. The chill is never accompanied by thirst, but it comes on with heat, of a burning character. Sweat profuse, cold and clammy. Periodicity and decline in strength are pronounced. OTHER MEDICINES CAUSING BURNING PAIN: phosphorus - pains less intense than in arsenica, more limited: between the shoulder blades, along the spine and in the palms, aggravated by heat. SULFUR: common pains, as in arsenic, but less acute, observed, especially in chronic diseases. Never ameliorated by heat. Anthracite has the same burning pains as phosphorus, but they appear in the region of the boil or carbuncle and are accompanied by a blackish scab or sanious discharge. APIS burns and pricks, “as if with red-hot needles”; worse from warm applications, better from cold. SECALE: burning as in arsenic, but the affected parts are cold to the touch, and yet the patient cannot bear the slightest heat, desires to open up, and can only be relieved by cold compresses.

action on the body

Physiological action Arsenic poisoning mainly affects the digestive and respiratory apparatus, skin, nervous system, liver and kidneys. Digestive apparatus: there are always three signs on the face: vomiting, diarrhea and pain. Vomiting first erupts food, then the vomit becomes bile, mucous. Tormented by a burning thirst, the patients drink greedily, but what they have drunk almost immediately vomits back; so they drink little but often. Diarrhea. - Watery, colorless, containing many white grains, like boiled rice, accompanied by burning pains and very painful convulsions in all the limbs. The resemblance to cholera is so striking that there are errors in diagnosis. In subacute poisonings, gastric disturbances with fever, noted by Hahnemann in 1876, were described in poisonings by Heiros, Khavre and Lancero. Respiratory apparatus: feeling of pressure and shortness of breath, the predominant symptoms of subacute arsenic poisoning; but in chronic poisoning, respiratory disorders are more pronounced, since arsenic is excreted through all tissues, covering the epidermis and epithelium. Laryngo-tracheitis is noted, causing hoarseness, bronchitis and very frequent rhinitis, which can reach in workers exhaling arsenic dust to necrosis of the nasal bones. Skin: Imber-Gourbair proved that all types of skin lesions can be caused by arsenic, but mainly scaly and pustular forms. Browardel, indeed, notes erythema, blisters, papules, pustules, ulcers, pityriasis peeling and cites a case of mildly pronounced scaly psoriasis that appeared after drinking arsenic, which in some cases makes it possible to determine the nature of poisoning. Edema is also one of the most constant symptoms and usually affects the eyelids. Edema is a characteristic sign of cachexia in workers in arsenic mines. Nervous system: patients are in a state of deep prostration, but without damage to the mental faculties. There is insomnia, headaches, numbness of the arms and legs, crawling. Borda noted burning and shooting pains in the soles and palms of the feet during poisoning with arsenic beer. The paralysis especially affects the lower extremities, beginning with the thumbs, and is usually symmetrical. The heart muscle is affected at the very beginning, which is why death occurs. The blood is strongly changed, in all cases pallor and cyanosis are observed. There are various hemorrhages: petechiae, purpura, nosebleeds, bloody vomiting, etc. The liver rapidly increases in volume and undergoes fatty degeneration, the kidneys are also affected by real toxic nephritis with albuminuria, oliguria or anuria. Peculiarities Worse: after midnight, from one to three in the morning, from cold and exercise. Better: from warmth, from anything warm; outdoors. Dominant side: right. Rhythm: frequency: every 2nd or 4th, every 7th or 14th day, hence the possibility of its use in swamp fevers.

dosage

Arsenic acts in all doses, but, however, in certain cases, some are preferably used. Low dilutions (hundredths) are more often used for nephritis, cholera, ascites, rhinitis, asthma, heart and aortic diseases, and scrofulous ophthalmia. Medium dilutions (6 and 12) are often preferred for febrile processes, pleurisy and for the initiation of treatment of diseases requiring strong doses during the period of cachexia. High dilutions should be prescribed for intermittent fevers and neuralgia.