Oxalicum Acidum - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Oxalic Acid. Hydrogen Oxalate. C2H2O42H2O. Trituration. Tincture.

pains in. Tongue, affections of. Urine, abnormal. Voice, altered.

excruciating pain in epigastrium, and cold, clammy perspiration.

numbness and tingling in extremities, legs drawn up towards abdomen.

pulse was just perceptible.

breathing slightly spasmodic.

features anxious, pallid. At 8 p.m. (nine hours after observer's first visit) hot feeling in throat and tingling in extremities continued. Voice altered.

instead of a remarkably deep bass it was reduced to a very low key, like one talking in an undertone. This lasted a month, during which period the legs used to "go to sleep" several times a day. After nine weeks the voice, though stronger, was still "a complete old man's voice." (2) A woman took three drachms in three ounces of water. Most of it was evacuated within fifteen minutes by stomach-pump. Symptoms Convulsions.

spastic contraction of jaws and limbs.

forcible closure of mouth and drawing down of its angles. Dilated alae nasi, corrugated brows, twitching of facial muscles and insensibility. Great cerebral excitement afterwards occurred with dry coldness of surface and imperceptible pulse. Symptoms were less marked during intermission of tetanic spasms, and declined in three hours. In animals poisoned with Oxal. ac. the first symptom is stiffness of hind limbs. Farrington sums up the indications of Oxal. ac. in spinal affections Weak loins, hips, legs, numb back.

numb limbs. Limbs blue and cold.

weak and numb. agg. going up stairs. Limbs stiff.

The involuntary muscles are affected by Oxal. ac. no less than the voluntary. There is frequent ineffectual urging to stool, preceded by a sick, distressing feeling from navel downwards, agg. when thinking of it, agg. from drinking coffee. Sugar agg. pain in stomach. Wine = headache. Faintness and vomiting during stool. After stool amel. of pain in back. The heart may be paralysed in a few minutes if the dose of the poison is very large, and then it is found flaccid or distended with blood. In an interesting study of Oxal. ac., J. W. Ellis (J. B. H. S., vii. 285) cites a fatal case of poisoning recorded by Boericke (Med. cent., August, 1894) through exposure of the hands to a saturated solution used for chemical purposes. The symptoms were Intense pains in head. Hyperaesthesia, especially to light. Spasms of pain down extremities, along throat muscles, and through spermatic cord. Sensitive spots on spine. De Noë Walker told me of a case of his in which the patient, an elderly, gouty man, was suddenly seized with congestion of spinal meninges with great coldness, blueness, and numbness.

complete prostration of strength. Oxal. ac. 6 rapidly cured. A patient of mine who used Oxal. ac. in his work suffered from "Rheumatism of left side. Starting on falling asleep. When actually at work, acidity." This left-side rheumatism is noteworthy, for Oxal. ac. is a very left-sided remedy. But it has one special region of the left side, as Burnett has graphically illustrated, in which it is supreme. Sharp pains through the lower lobe of the left lung. It matters not what the name of the disease may be.

Enuresis has also been cured (H. P., vi. 232) with Oxal. ac. 6 in a blonde boy of six.

The guiding symptom was "Sharp shooting pain in left chest, close to sternum and parallel to it.

Ellis suggests that Oxal. ac. corresponds to many cases of neurasthenia.

It is a favourite remedy with S. A. Jones in cardiac trouble, occurring in highly "nervous" patients (H. R., v. 13).

Jones's remarks just quoted are made in reference to a case reported by "C.

Oxalicum Acidum is the case Mrs. S., 55, suffered for several days with Terrible pain in lumbar region, extending down thigh and over region of both kidneys.

Extremely anxious to change position frequently, but slightest movement, assisted or unassisted, caused her to shriek out in agony.

Frequent desire to pass large amounts of urine, but the pain on moving was so great that she would shrink from the attempt.

Legs numb and very weak and cold.

Pulse rapid. Short, distressed breathing in general, though there were intervals of easier breathing.

Appetite normal, though swallowing was difficult and painful.

Oxal. ac. 30, every half-hour, was given.

In two hours she could be placed on the vessel with very little pain.

In twelve hours she sat up.

In twenty-four hours was entirely relieved.

Banergee (H. P., xiii. 157) cured a case of strangulated hernia of left side with Oxal. ac. 6 trit.

He had no definite indication.

John Moore reports the case (H. W., xv. 53) of a sea captain who suffered much from indigestion.

Two years before Moore saw him he had had to undergo operation for strangulated hernia.

Ever since he had been subject to these symptoms Pain in region of navel coming on two hours after eating, accompanied by much flatulence and bitter and sour eructations.

Pain agg. in night, arousing the patient 3 a.m., and keeping him awake.

Burning sensation from throat downwards to the region of the pain.

The patient had always had a weak digestion, and had met with many severe accidents at sea.

Oxal. ac. 3, two drops, an hour after meals.

He was a little better the first night, and after that slept the night through, and said he had not had so much comfort for years.

Oxal. ac., the chief constituent of Sorrel (Rumex Acetosa ^{Rumex Acetosa}) and Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), exists in plants that are ordinarily deemed anti-scorbutic and are remarkable for the grateful acidity of their herbage.

Inspissated solutions of sorrel have been used successfully as local applications for epithelioma, and with a solution of Oxal. ac. and of Tannic acid, applied locally, Cooper removed a large patch of erythematous lupus on the cheek.

With a solution of 5 gr. to two drachms of water Cooper has often removed troublesome small naevi in infants upon the face and elsewhere, using it perseveringly for weeks or even months.

From this it would appear, taking into account that Oxal. ac. produces wart-like growths, that, well diluted, it may be regarded as having a beneficial influence, locally and probably internally as well, upon epithelial proliferations of the cuticle.

Among the Peculiar Sensations are jerking pains, like short stitches, confined to small spots, lasting only a few seconds.

Sensation as if all blood had left the brain.

As if blood in head was coursing upward and outward.

As from a screw behind each ear.

Hypogastrium as if bound.

Back as if broken or bruised.

Wrist as if sprained. Hands as if dead.

During shaving as from chafing.

Symptoms are agg. by touch (small spots on head); slightest touch = excruciating pain. agg.

Shaving. Eating amel. pain in stomach.

Soup amel. gnawing in stomach.

Sugar, coffee, wine agg.

After eating pains at navel, colic, rumbling in abdomen, urging to stool, weakness.

Motion and exercise agg.

Rest agg. colic. Lying down = swimming sensation; palpitation; erections; return of colic and diarrhoea; agg. headache; amel. pain in left lung.

Change of position amel. pain in back.

Slightest exertion = heat. agg.

Evening, night, and early morning.

Walking in open air = tickling in larynx.

Shaving agg. (skin of face).

After stool headache and backache amel.

Characteristics

pleurisy, pneumonia, phthisis

when that pain is present Oxal. ac. will do its work. The provings give Sharp shooting pain in left lung and heart, extending down to epigastrium, and lasting some seconds.

In afternoon, stitches several times in left lung.

Sharp, lancinating pain in left lung, coming on so suddenly that it deprives him of breath for a few seconds. Sore sticking in chest extending back to between scapulae." Oxal. ac. has cured many cases of angina pectoris, with symptoms recalling these. A powerful action is developed on the kidneys in the poisoning cases, albumen, blood, and oxalate crystals being found in the urine. Oxal. ac. in the attenuations has given good results in cases of oxaluria in which some of the leading symptoms of the remedy, as the backache, numbness, &c., were present.