Arsenicum Hydrogenisatum

Authorities. (6 to 12, from Berridge’s collection in Appendix to Brit. Journ. of Horn.) 6, Dr. John Elliotson, Lancet, 1831 (2), p. 132, a family of eight or more were poisoned by Arsenite of copper, in and about the house, to which water had access ; 7, M. Assail, Med. Times, vol. ix, 1843, p. 15, and vol. xiii, p. 324, Helen, poisoned, death in eight days; 8, Assail inhaled the gas for three days; 9, Vogel, Archiv des Vermin (abridged), Dublin Hosp. Gaz., 1854 (1), 157, a man inhaled the gas; 10, Dr. T. Mont, Glasgow Med. Journ., vol. v, 1858, p. 371, Mr. R. inhaled it; 11, INI. Piorry, Gaz. des Hop., 1863 (Brit. Med. Journ., 1863 (2), 580), a man, set. twenty-two years, imbibed a large amount; 12, Dr. Wilkinson, Med. Times and Gaz., 1865 (1), p. 659, effects of inhalation ; 13, Dr. Gazette, Memoire, Lyons, 1870 (Tardieu, Etude Med. leg. et Clin, sur Empoisonnement, Paris, 1875).

Head

Suddenly seized with vertigo, fainting, and vomiting, and died in eight days

On the third day had vertigo and pains in the stomach, prostration of strength, cerebral congestion, fever, dim sight, indigestion, nausea, and griping

Violent pain in the head (in one hour)

Intense headache came on suddenly on the fourth day, followed by very violent pain in the epigastric region and renewed vomiting, with pale tongue and great thirst; the features became for the second time altered, and the sclerotic again became yellow; prostration very great

Intense frontal headache (in five hours)

Eyes

Sclerotic injected with blood of a very yellow color

Sclerotic yellow

Every one had watery eyes

Face

Expression like that of a person suffering from cholera

Face and lips pale (in five hours)

Mouth

The gums became pale, discolored, and bled easily

Tongue red and foul

Blood seemed to ooze from the whole mucous membrane of the mouth, and accumulated on the anterior pillars of the palate, exhaling a nauseous odor

Throat p. 356

Constriction of the throat/

Stomach p. 356

Great thirst/l

Nausea and vomiting

Vomiting (in four hours)

Pain in epigastric region (in four hours)

Feeling of heat of stomach

Stool p. 356

Bloody stool

Urinary Organs p. 356

Bloody urine

On the ninth day the urine again became suppressed, and vomiting reappeared

Hematuria

Urine deep red, almost black

Urine black, bloody, scanty

It caused blackish urine, depending upon altered blood-globules

(Arsenic was detected in the urine)

Chest p. 356

Constriction on the suprasternal notch

Feeling of constriction at base of lung, and breathing was quickened (in five hours)

Heart and Pulse p. 356

Distress about the heart and stomach, followed by profuse vomiting

Pulse small and rapid

None had a pulse under 120, and in some it was 160,®.

Pulse 90,’®.

Back p. 356

Violent pain towards lumbar region (in five hours)

Feebleness of the limbs continued for a long time

Pains in the limbs

After they appeared well they had pains in the limbs.®.

Generalities p. 356

Blood exuded from the mucous membrane and from the prepuce; the blood was pale; I was scarcely able to call these exudations hemorrhages, on account of the decolored character of the blood ; the patient certainly lost as much as 300 tO‘400 grams of blood

He soon had a sense of burning and constriction in the throat. Next day he was exceedingly ill. He had been suffering for several hours from excessive irritation of stomach, with an intense acrid burning sensation from the pharynx to the lower end of the alimentary canal. The vomited matter consisted at first of the food contained in the stomach, then of the bile which had evidently regurgitated into that organ, and ultimately of dark coffee-grouudslookiug matter, which was ascertained to consist of broken-down blood corpuscles and the desquamated epithelium of the stomach and lower part of oesophagus. The bowels had been obstinately constipated, and there had been severe pains in the loins, accompanied with the discharge of between three and four pints of bloody urine. There was at this time (about sixteen hours after the poison) considerable fever, with a full, hard, frequent pulse, a dry, hot, unperspiring skin, burning pain in the whole course of the alimentary canal, deepseated pain in the lumbar region, intense restlessness, anxiety, and general uneasiness, pale, anxious face, and considerable prostration of the vital powers

Very great restlessness

Walked with difficulty (in five hours)

Very great prostration

Indefinable malaise

Skin p. 356

Eruption of papules upon the abdomen, face, and loins

The eruption on the skin became violet in color

Sleep p. 356

After about four weeks the patient was attacked with somnolency; the face became of a bronzed hue, and the oozing of blood continued; afterwards the patient had repeated attacks of syncope, and soon after died

Fever p. 356

Body cold

Skin cold

General heat of body

Profuse perspiration