Cancer Fluviatilis

Astacus fluviatilis (Cancer astacus, Linn.). Class, Crustacean ; Sub Order, Macroura. Common Name, crawfish. Preparation, Tincture, prepared by pouring alcohol on the pounded living animal.

Authorities. Buchner's provings, Hygeia, 17, p. 1 ; 1 and 2, Two men proved large doses of the tincture, repeated doses; 3, case reported by Buchner, loc. cit., of a man who ate a soup made of crabs; 4, Cloud, Lond. Med. Gaz., 1833, quoted by Buchner, loc. cit., a man ate heartily of crabs ; 5, Seherin von Prevorst, 1, 124, from Buchner, 1. c, a woman ate three spoonfuls of crab soup; 6, Hagendorn, Ephem. Nat. Cur. Ann., 3, Obs., 35, p. 99, effects of eating crabs ; 7, Petros Rommelius, Ephem. Nat. Cur. Ann., 4, Obs., 25, p. 61, effects of eating crabs; 8, Boletus, from Buchner, 1. c, effects of eating warm crabs ; 9, Plank, Bromatolagie, p. 157, from Buchner, 1. c, statement of effects ; 10, Menage, Gaz. Med. de Paris, 1840, from Roth. Mat. Med.

Mind

Slight delirium

Great apprehensiveness, and anxiety in the chest

Head

Confusion. Confusion of the head

Great confusion of the head

Confusion of the forehead

Some confusion of the forehead

General Head. Inflammation of the head, neck, and chest, with efflorescence of red serous blotches ("macules rubicundis serosisque"), relieved after a time by sweating

Excessive pain in the head, caused by the violent sneezing

Headache extends towards the occiput, but is especially felt in the right temple and about the ear

Headache, with pressure to the eyes

Forehead, Pressure on the forehead

Pressure, confusion of the forehead, about noon

Constant pressure in the forehead, with frequent yawning

Temples. Pressure in the temples and forehead, after 10 a.m.,1.

Eyes p. 444

Pressure in the upper part of the right eye

Eyelids swollen

Conjunctiva somewhat injected, and decidedly yellow

Lachrymation

Pupils dilated

Dimness of vision

Ears p. 444

Sensation in the right ear as if a foreign body were lodged in the meatus, and caused some deafness

Dragging in the ears from within outward, about 4 p.m., lasting five minutes

Sticking in the right internal ear, lasting six hours, which changed to a dull pain (after two hour.-)

Nose p. 444

-Frequent spasmodic sneezing

Slight and sudden discharge from the nose, as in a slight catarrh

Nose-bleed, repeated daily for a week

Bleeding of nose toward morning, with relief

Face p. 444

Puffy face

Face red, puffy

Redness and increased warmth of the face, the whole afternoon, with burning in the left cheek, heat and redness of the ears

Burning of the face

Mouth p. 444

Violent dull toothache in a carious tooth, in the afternoon

Drawing pains in the teeth, soon followed by sticking in the right ear

Pressive pain in the tongue, in the pharynx, and in the region of the stomach

Sweetish taste in the mouth, after coughing

Continually dumb until the crabs had been vomited

Throat p. 444

Scraping sensation in the throat, with constant irritation to cough, and tickling in the larynx, the whole day

Rawness of the throat caused frequent hawking

Stomach. Appetite diminished

Eructations and increased warmth in the pit of the stomach ; nausea

Nausea

Vomiting of the contents of the stomach, almost without exertion, without nausea, with good appetite, followed immediately by great longing for food ; this vomiting took place at the time when he was passing the fatty substance from the bowels, and it persisted during the last ten months of his life/.f

Sour vomiting after smoking at 5 p.m.,1.

Stomach empty and sensitive

Great heaviness in the stomach

Violent pains in the epigastric region, especially in the duodenum

Burning in the pit of the stomach, followed by urging in the anus

Great oppression deep in the epigastric region, which extended to the lower portion of the chest

Abdomen p. 444

Hypochondria. Region of the liver was painful to severe pressure (after two hours)

Uncomfortable feeling in the region of the spleen

Pressure in the region of the spleen, followed toward evening by a tension, as though the bowels were contracted

Umbilical. Colicky pains around umbilicus

Colicdike pains about the umbilicus, quarter of an hour after dinner, so that he was obliged to bend double, followed by a soft, at last, pasty, dark-brown stool

Colic pains about the navel

General Abdomen. Distension of abdomen

Abdomen distended and painful

Flatulence, with urging to stool

Painful sensation in the abdomen, the whole afternoon

Pressure in the region of the duodenum caused constant pain/.

Griping in the abdomen, followed by an unsatisfactory stool, after 7 a.m.,1.

Gripings in the bowels, with urging to stool, and weariness, about 1 p.m.,2.

Griping and urging to stool, on every motion ; relieved when sitting still

Colicky pains before and during the stool (second day)

Feeling in the bowels as though he would have a painful colic, followed by griping in the left side of the lower abdomen

Prickling in the left pelvic bone

Hypogastrium, Griping in the left side of the lower abdomen (after two hours)

Shortcontinuing twingings in the left side of the lower abdomen, with great weariness, after 8 p.m.,1.

Stool p. 445

Diarrhoea. A second stool at 10 p.m. (the one in the morning had not afforded him relief)

A pasty stool at 5 a.m.,1.

Soft', somewhat slimy stool, after eating, followed by scraping in the rectum

Stool yellowish, consistent, afterwards pasty and offensive, with relief of the colic

Stool darker than usual

After some months, passage of a fatty substance from the bowels, looking like melted fat, and after being cold, of the consistence of butter ; this substance floated on water, melted in a moderate warmth, and was extremely inflammable, generally was separated from the faeces, sometimes mixed with them, usually of a dark color, sometimes light, but always yellow ; at the time this substance was passed the stool had a dark color, but never the color of healthy bile ; after the fatty substance ceased to pass the stool became again as white as before

Constipation. No stool the whole day (fourth day)

Stool unsatisfactory, with much urging

Stool scanty, crumbly, passed with much urging

Urinary Organs p. 445

-Pressure in the region of the bladder, with sensation of heaviness in it

Twitching below the right kidney

Drawings along the right ureter

Urine bright yellow, slightly acid

Urine golden yellow, at first not acid, but afterwards slightly acid ; with light flakes floating in it (when boiled it frothed a great deal, and when somewhat evaporated, showed much albumen), 2.f

Urine dark yellow, with sediment

Respiratory Organs p. 445

Larynx and Bronchi. Much hawking of mucus

Irritation to cough in the larynx

Tickling in the larynx, low down, which caused coughing

Accumulation of mucus in the bronchi and larynx, which seemed to be adherent

Oppression and difficult breathing in the bronchial tubes

Cough and Expectoration. Much coughing, without expectoration, in the forenoon, especially about ll

Cough followed by hawking, in order to loosen mucus, which was light yellow

Cough in the morning, with expectoration of bronchial mucus, which was light yellow, through the day, with rawness of the chest

Cough worse after 3 p.m., so that the chest became painful, with expectoration like saliva, or like white mucus

The cough did not trouble him while walking, but as soon as he sat down it returned

Expectoration had a sweetish flat taste, late in the evening

Haemoptysis and consumption

Respiration. Respiration more difficult than usual

Chest p. 445

Rush of blood to the chest, with difficult breathing and spitting of blood

Oppression of the chest

Pressive pain in the whole sternum, on waking in the morning

Slight sticking in the left side of the breast, beneath the nipple

Heart and Pulse p. 446

Pulse 80 (first day), pulse 50 (second morning), pulse 80 (second day, about 2 p.m.)

Neck and Back p. 446

Sudden tearing from the right lumbar region to the kidney, while sitting

Extremities in General p. 446

Obliged to move the limbs back and forth involuntarily, for it seemed as though she could only digest while doing so ; continued half an hour, till digestion was better

Superior Extremities p. 446

Jerking in the upper extremities, at 6 p.m.,1.

Weariness of the arms

Sensation of trembling in the arm upon which he was resting

Crawling in the arms, with trembling of tbe hands

Pressure and tension in the shoulder-joints and deltoid muscles,2. -

Pressure and heaviness in the bends of the elbows

Jerklike drawings in the left forearm

Trembling of the left hand, while holding a book

Tearing and sticking in the middle of the thumb, for a short time, early in the morning, immediately after waking

Inferior Extremities p. 446

Burning on the anterior surface of the left leg, while walking, as from an acid, so that he was frightened, and examined it with his hand

Generalities p. 446

Languor

Weariness, prostration (after two hours)

Prostration (in two provers)

Great prostration

Pains in various parts of the body, like rheumatic pains, now in the right clavicle, now in the left arm

Slight tension, extending from the nose downward to the forepart of the feet

Sticking pains continued till next evening

Skin p. 446

Skin red from severe itching

Jaundice for several months ; the urine, saliva, tears, mucus in the nose, and serum of the blood contained a large quantity of bile, but not the slightest amount passed through the intestines ; the stools were constantly as white as pipe-clay

Violent attack of urticaria, with hepatitis, followed by jaundice

Red, itching urticaria all over

-Urticaria developed on chest, back, arms, inner surface of thighs, under the knees ; the large spots were elevated, with red areolae; was obliged to scratch, so that, after four hours, these places seemed puffed up

Itching on the neck, about 6 p.m., with continued heat and redness of the face

Violent itching on neck

Sleep and Dreams p. 446

Condition of sopor, in the evening

At night, restless sleep, frequently interrupted, full of lascivious dreams, with increased temperature of the skin

Waking in the morning, earlier than usual

Waking at night, with sweat, especially on the abdomen

Fever p. 446

Chilliness. Shivering

Chilliness over the whole body, in the evening, especially sensitive below the axillae

Creeping coldness of the body twice (after two hours)

Shivering in the upper extremities about 6£ p.m.,1.

Heat. Feverishness

Increased warmth of the body (after two hours)

Increased warmth over the whole body, in the evening

Severe orgasm of blood

Heat and redness of face

Sweat. Sweating easily

Sweat breaks out easily, at night

Conditions p. 446

Aggravation.

(Morning), Cough; on waking, pain in sternum ; early, immediately after waking, tearing, etc., in thumb.

(Forenoon), About 11 oclock, cough.

(About noon), Pressure, etc., on forehead.

(Afternoon), Redness, etc., of face; toothache; painful sensation in abdomen; after 3 oclock, cough ; about 6 oclock, itching on neck, etc.; about 6.30 oclock, shivering in upper extremities.

(Evening), Sweetish-flat taste of expectoration; sopor; chilliness; warmth.

(Night), Sweat breaks out easily.

(After coughing), Sweetish taste in mouth.

-(After eating), Soft stool.

(On motion), Griping, etc.

( While sitting), Tearing from loins to kidneys.

(On sitting down), Cough returned.

(After smoking), Sour vomiting.

( While walking), Burning on leg. _ Amelioration

(Sitting still), Griping, etc.

(Sweating), Inflammation of head, etc.

Footnotes p. 444

† The post-mortem showed a great constriction of the duodenum, so that the cavity was almost obliterated; the opening of the gall-duct into the duodenum was completely closed.

† Translated literally ! — A.