The Medical Advance

AN ADVOCATE OF

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE.

H. C. ALLEN, M. D., Editor and Publisher.

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VOL. XIX.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, JULY, 1887.

No. 1.

MATERIA MEDICA.

LITHIUM CARBONICUM.

A LECTURE BY PROF. E. A. FARRINGTON, M. D.

Lithium carb., so far as proved, exerts but little depreciating effect on the vital forces, its main action seems to be about the joints; hence its efficacy in the treatment of rheumatism, and especially of gout.

Of the organs, the heart, stomach, kidneys and bladder are principally attacked; debility was observed in cɔnnection with the joint affections.

Mucous membranes are at first irritated and dry, and then they secrete a thick mucus.

The skin is the seat of an annoying itching, and finally becomes raw, sore, or rough and harsh, as in barber's itch. This itching, it will be seen, accompanies the rheumatic pains.

Studying the symptoms seriatim, we have: confusion of the head; headache on vertex and temples, on awaking; eyes pain, as if sore, could hardly keep them open; menses

ceased suddenly; pain from left temple to orbit, better while eating, returns after eating; black motes before the eyes; eyes sensitive after reading by candle light, right half of objects vanish; pains over eyes; temples feel bound. Here it is like Aurum and Titanium.

Agreeably to its effects on mucous membranes, the conjunctivæ are dry and painful; the lids feel sore while and after reading. This is an excellent picture of conjunctivæ asthenopia. Here it is similar to Alumina.

Pain behind left ear toward the neck; pains from throat to left ear.

Nose swollen, red, dry in the nostrils, or mucus drops in the open air, or hangs in posterior nares; similar to Arsenicum. In scrofulous or rheumatic persons, it is part of the irritation which an excess of urates in the blood causes.

The inspired air feels cold; similar to Kali bichromicum and Corallium rubrum. Solid lumps from posterior nares and fauces, worse mornings. Similar to Sepia, Teucrium and Kali bichromicum. Cough: must sit up in bed; worse lying down; comes from a spot in the throat.

Gnawing in the stomach before a meal, with the pain in the left temple to orbit. Fullness in the stomach; can bear no pressure. Fruit and chocolate cause diarrhoea; some eructations.

Tenesmus of the bladder; pains at the neck of bladder; urine turbid, flocculent; pains down ureter and into spermatic cord and testicle, followed by red turbid urine and mucous deposit.

Menses late and scanty; pains worse in left side of body. The heart symptoms are so closely connected with the rheumatic that they must be mentioned together. Rheumatic soreness about the heart; valvular deposits; feels worse from mental agitation which causes fluttering of the heart. Similar to Natrum mur., Sepia and Calcarea ost. In valvular deposit compare also Kalmia and Ledum.

Pains in the heart when bending forward. Pain in heart, better when he urinates; jerks or shocks about the heart. Swelling, tenderness and sometimes redness of last joints. of fingers.

Whole body feels stiff, feels as if besten. Stiff and wor in bones joints and arms. Borders of nails som rod, skin grows rapidly and adheres to roots of nails.

Gettysburg water owes its efficiency to this salt, it in hence of use in rheumatism.

From provings it is also of use in ulcers involving the joints, as in caries of the spine, hip, ete, with offensive pus and diarrhoea.

Antidote to Lithium carb, is lemon juice,

AMMONIA SALPN,

Ammonia acts like Potash and Soda, with the important difference, however, that it contains so much water, that it attracts but little from the tissues. Its solvent notion on tissues is also less than that of Potash and Noda, still ita high diffusive power causos it to easily ponotrate the skin, and mucous surfaces, and causes finally ulcers and slough ing. This fact has led to the allopathic use of Ammonin as a rubefacient; it raises blisters in from five to ten minutes.

When the mucous membranes are the sent of attack, a violent inflammation is caused, and irritation results, with symptoms varying with the locality. The common symp toms are burning, rawness, and congestion or copious mu corrhoea.

Taken internally, in moderate doses, there is produced a feeling of stimulation, while large doses develop transient giddiness, exhileration, and increased pulse force; later, drowsiness, and then coma set in. Whether or not uræmia is dependent upon the conversion of urea into ammonia carbonate is too doubtful a question to admit of discussion here, and it is questionable how far asphyxia is a legitimate consequence of Ammonia in the blood.

Therapeutically: Salts of Ammonia are antagonized by Veratrum vir., Aconite, Digitalis, cold and other cardiac sedatives.

Its action is favored by heat, Iodium, Opium, Valerian, Asafoetida, Alcohol, etc.

Ammonia antidotes Hydrocyanic acid.

AMMONIUM CARBONICUM.

Ammonium carb., or smelling salts, is suitable to stout persons; especially women, who lead a sedentary life; who are subject to catarrh, particularly during winter. Of the parts mostly affected we note the mucous membranes, skin, joints, glands, heart, etc. As shown above it is an irritant to the tissues, producing an inflammation which may result in gangrene. The vital powers are sooner or later affected, leading to coma or blood changes, which permit of hæmorrhages of dark fluid blood. If long used in small doses, a sort of scurvy ensues, teeth are loose, mucous membranes soft, bleeding and accompanied by hectic fever. The drowsy, comatose condition is interesting as suggesting Ammonium carb. in low states of vitality, induced by some blood poison, as scarlatina, or by deficiency of oxygen in the system, dependent upon chronic bronchitis, with atony and copious mucus through the lungs, dilatation of the bronchi, emphysema, oedema pulmonum, etc. In such cases the patient is weak, sluggish, coughs but rises with difficulty or not at all, yet loud râles announce plenty of mucus; drowsiness, cool surface, muttering, grasping at flocks, like Antimonium tart., Carbo veg., Arsenic, etc. Ammonium carb. is useful for carbonized blood when it is the result of catarrh of lungs, etc., in old or atonic patients,