Kalium Arsenicosum

It is not possible to separate entirely the pathogenesis of Ars. alb. and Kali ars.

Kali ars. is the favourite form in which Arsenic is prescribed by the allopaths, consequently the

bulk of observations from over-dosing are due to this preparation; and as it is named Liquor

arsenicalis it is considered as Arsenic and nothing else. However, a sufficient number of pure

observations have been made to warrant a separate consideration. The cases of poisoning with

massive doses present nothing to distinguish them from cases poisoned with other arsenical

preparations. But Kali ars. has had a short proving, and a number of cases of medicinal provings

in allopathic hands are on record. Jonathan Hutchinson has recorded a number of cases of right-

side herpes. One of his patients observed that whilst taking Kali ars. her sclerotics became thick

and yellow instead of clear and bluish. The iris which was blue became more grey. Her skin

instead of being fair and florid became muddy and older looking. This was a mystery to

Hutchinson seeing that he usually gave Kali ars. to make the skin clearer, but he was compelled

to record the homeceopathic fact, though, he did not apparently perceive the homceopathic

solution of the mystery. The same authority has put on record cases of epithelioma developing

• ▸after prolonged medication with Kali ars.
• ▸for psoriasis.
• ▸The skin symptoms of Kali ars.
• ▸are

exceedingly well marked. In one case an attack of measles was almost exactly depicted. Itching

was < at night; and < on undressing, < by warmth. Among the peculiar symptoms of Kali ars.

are: "Head feels larger." "Protrusion of eyeballs." "Burning and numbness of tongue; tongue

feels too large." "Sensation of a ball rising from pit of stomach to larynx causing suffocation."

"As if a red-hot iron were in anus." Periodicity was marked as with Ars.; symptoms were < every

other day in the morning; mind symptoms < every third day. The right-sidedness of Ars. was

reproduced in the right-sided herpes, repeatedly noticed by Hutchinson, but there was a left-sided

headache. A case of deafness of years' standing was cured with Fowler's Solution (gr. 1/60 of the

salt), the accompaniment being constant sickness; nothing could be kept down.

Scolding, morose, retired, quarrelsome, and discontented, jealous, indifferent to

everything, scarcely answered questions addressed to her, or replied to them in a peevish tone;

eyes had a fixed look, face looked frightened and anxious; < every third day.—Nervous

depression.—Great nervousness.

Such weakness she cannot sit up in bed; a loud noise or sudden, unexpected

• ▸motion throws her whole body into a tremor.
• ▸—Emaciation.
• ▸—Tremor.
• ▸—Faintness.
• ▸—Phagedenic

ulcers, deep base and turned-up edges——Rheumatic, gouty, and syphilitic pains.—Gouty

nodosities.

Thought her head felt larger —headache in 1. parietal bone, as if it was sore and

pressed upon by a hand; behaves like a crazy person.—Constricted feeling in head, as if there was

a wound on parietal bone which was being scratched; the place feels hot; pressure does not

>.—Crusta lactea.

Startled look, with protruding, brilliant eyes, pale face, and sunken cheeks.—Eyes

red.—Heat and itchiness of lids, followed by swelling and tenderness; conjunctiva becomes

inflamed, eye sensitive to light, dark discolouration round orbit.—Itching of

conjunctiva.—Protrusion of eyeballs—Whites of eyes look thick and yellow.—Jaundice—The

blue iris becomes more grey.—Conjunctiva glassy.—Dyspncea; injected conjunctive, and eyeballs

fixed.—Right eye weaker; watery, as after weeping.

Nodular eruption on face; boils.—Face pale-—Complexion muddy.—Looks

older.—Furfuraceous eruption on beard.

Gums swollen and tender.—Tongue clear, red, like raw beef.—Tongue coated on

edges only with mucous stripes.—In middle towards tip of tongue a smooth, red spot with

troublesome burning and numbness. (Neuralgia of tongue).—Tongue swollen, felt too large in

mouth.—Tongue whitish.

Sensation in throat and larynx as if forced asunder.—Throat dry and sore —Throat

constricted with copious flow of saliva.

Constant pain and nausea after food; frequent vomiting of ingesta.—Weight after

eating.—For one or two hours, repeated every five or ten minutes, sensation as of a ball rising

from pit of stomach to larynx threatening suffocation, > by loud belching.—From pit of stomach

to spine an anxious feeling accompanied by palpitation, not perceptible objectively —Empty

feeling in stomach.—Sin king at epigastrium with faintness.

Burning pain in bowels; unquenchable thirst; belly tense and painful;

involuntary watery stools with sense as if a red-hot iron were in anus.—Frequent griping pains in

bowels, and almost constant desire for stool; considerable tenderness in whole abdomen, which

is distended.

Violent diarrhoea.—Stools white, watery, frothy.—Sensation as of a red-hot

iron in anus.

Cauliflower excrescences of os uteri, with flying pains, foul smelling discharge, and pressure below pubis.

Cauliflower excrescence of os uteri, with flying pains, pressure

below os pubis, and stinking discharge.—Menses absent.—Milk entirely arrested (afterwards

restored by treatment).

Some gastric cough, and frequent raking of throat and fauces of a

muco-purulent secretion mixed with specks of blood——Complete aphonia, following skin

affection.

Knees bent up so he could not move his feet.—Varicose veins of

legs.—Crampy feeling of lower extremities, with partial loss of motion and sensation, livid in

places, tending to slough.

• ▸Intolerable itching, worse undressing.
• ▸Dry, scaly, wilted.
• ▸Acne; pustules worse during menses.
• ▸Chronic eczema; itching worse from warmth, walking, undressing.
• ▸Psoriasis, lichen.
• ▸Phagedaenic ulcers.
• ▸Fissures in bends of arms and knees.
• ▸Gouty nodosities; worse, change of weather.
• ▸Skin cancer, where suddenly an alarming malignancy without any external signs sets in.
• ▸Numerous small nodules under skin.

Dry, wilted skin; emaciated to a skeleton.—On three different occasions, swelling of

face and eyelids, then erysipelas invading whole face ending in desquamation in a week.—Acne,

appearance like that in early stage of variola—Miliary eruption.—Herpes zoster behind r. ear, r.

• ▸side of neck, r.
• ▸shoulder, r.
• ▸upper arm, r.
• ▸chest, a few isolated vesicles 1.
• ▸side of neck.
• ▸—Severe

attack of shingles r. side of chest.—Eruption covering entire body except scalp, comes out in red

papule, varying in diameter from size of pin's head to that of a three cent. piece; vesicles form

on summit, suppurate, crusts form and fall off, leaving a sore which heals; the places occupied

by these sores are marked by a dark-coloured cicatrix, and the skin generally has a dusky look;

intolerable itching, stinging, and burning, esp. on undressing at night; it is < on trunk, leg., and

forearms; mind much depressed.—Lichen confluens over whole body except face, palms, and

soles, and part of chest; the rest studded with papule, particularly distinct about outer sides of

thighs, arms, and back; they are covered with very minute, flimsy, whitish scabs, causing a

powdery appearance of skin; head very scurfy; hair crisp and dry; often irritation in skin, which

becomes reddened and cracked, particularly about bend of arms and knees.—One of the earlier

signs is a minute papular rash, which by and by assumes the form of delicate, brownish scales

giving the skin an unwashed appearance; esp. observed on parts protected from light by

clothing.—After taking it for three weeks, suddenly, after feeling ill for a few hours, a copious

rash made its appearance on face, hands, and chest, like measles; accompanied by catarrhal

symptoms swelling of face, lips, eyelids, yellow-furred tongue, gastro-intestinal irritation,

intense lameness of feet, standing giving great pain; complete aphonia followed in a few days,

desquamation commenced in tenth day; redness lasted some weeks.—Epithelial cancer

supervened after prolonged medication with Kali ars. for psoriasis.—A clerk had taken arsenic

for a long time for psoriasis, palms and soles became spreckled over with corns, finally epithelial

cancer of scrotum appeared (Hutchinson).—Dry chronic eczema; skin of arms thicker and

rougher than natural, covered with flimsy exfoliations of epidermis; very irritable, itching and

tingling when she gets warm; intensely fissured about bends of elbows and wrists; occasional

exacerbation, with eruption of distinct vesicles; languor and lassitude; pale, sallow complexion;

catamenia irregular.—Patches of psoriasis on back, arms, and spreading from elbows, and

anteriorly on legs, size of a crown piece, and indolent.—Psoriasis: scaly itchings, causing him to

scratch till an ichorous fluid discharges, forming a hard cake.—Discolouration of skin after

psoriasis and lepra.—Psoriasis in numerous patches, with great itching; the patches becoming

more active, scale off, and are replaced by smaller they leave behind them a red skin.—Jaundice.

Temperature of surface diminished.—Skin cool, dry.—Increase of heat and dryness of

skin.—Temperature, which before had been normal rose to 101, with malaise and anorexia.

• ▸Bright's disease.
• ▸Cancer.
• ▸Deafness.
• ▸Diarrhoea.
• ▸Dropsy.
• ▸Eczema.
• ▸Epithelioma.

• ▸Exophthalmos.
• ▸Eyes, affections of.
• ▸Herpes zoster.
• ▸Jealousy.
• ▸Measles.
• ▸Melancholy.
• ▸Miliary rash.

• ▸Neuralgia.
• ▸Neurasthenia.
• ▸Psoriasis.
• ▸Skin, affections of.
• ▸Tongue, neuralgia of.
• ▸Varicose veins.

Ulcers.

In some cases of overdosing Kali iod. proved antidotal. For other antidotes see

Arsen., which it greatly resembles, and with which it must be compared. Compare: Levico, Nat.

• ▸ars.
• ▸, and other Arsen.
• ▸compounds; Chi.
• ▸(periodicity) Cicut.
• ▸(fixed eyeballs); Rumex and jug.
• ▸r.
• ▸(<

• ▸on undressing); Iod.
• ▸Kali bich.
• ▸, Merc.
• ▸c.

Radium.

Third to thirtieth potency.