A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

Cuprum Arsenicosum cupr-ar.

Clarke (1902)In every bookSave

General

Arsenite of Copper. (Scheele's Green.) Cu H As O 3 . Trituration.

Clinical

Cholera. Cholerine . Chorea. Diarrhœa. Enteralgia. Paralysis (left side). Uterine neuralgia. Vomiting.

Characteristics

Cupr. ars . combines the characters of its two metallic components. Intense neuralgic pains in abdomen; awful distress in epigastric region; burning along œsophagus and in urethra; numbness; creeping, itching, and chilly sensations. According to J. N. Majumdar, who gives a case, the great characteristic of Cup. ars . in choleraic conditions is "icy-coldness of the whole body, with cramps and an obstinate hiccough." B. L. Bhaduri pointed this out to him. Salzer has shown that "cold, clammy perspiration of intermittent nature " is unique and characteristic. He has found it most valuable in the collapse stage of cholera, where intermittent cold, clammy sweat was noted. The skin is very sensitive to touch; and pressure < all symptoms. Rest > and motion < most symptoms; but motion > stiffness of back and tingling of hands. Damp weather = neuralgia of abdomen. Weakness and restlessness. There is a periodicity in the symptom.

Relations

For antidotes see under Arsen. Compare: Arsenical and Copper preparations; Acon.; Act. r. (angina pectoris, numbness of left side of body, paresis of left arm); Merc. cor. (diarrhœa and tenesmus); Iris. v.

Head

Vertigo, confusion of ideas and headache between temples. — Fulness in head, brain seems to expand and press against frontal bone. — Sharp pain in temples, < in l. — Headache between temples; the pain seems to meet in centre of forehead and pass thence down nose. — Dulness and soreness of head in morning after washing.

Eyes

Dark spots before eyes; eyes very sensitive.

Ears

Boring pain in r. ear; sharp pain in temple, < in l.

Nose

Bones of nose very sore, esp. on pressure.

Face

Face haggard; expression of great suffering. — Violent twitching and jerking of muscles of l. side of face between eye and corner of mouth. — Soreness of bones.

Mouth

Mouth very dry; frequently called for something to wet his mouth. — Shooting in upper l. molars, extending upward into superior maxillary line. — Back part of tongue thickly coated. — Tongue, dry and tremulous. — Bad breath.

Throat

Burning along œsophagus from stomach to mouth.

Stomach

Moderate thirst; but drink of any kind increased the nausea; a few mouthfuls satisfied; desire for drink seemed rather due to dry mouth than thirst. — Intense thirst. — Nausea and vomiting, < after eating; < after study. — Obstinate hiccough. — Nausea and awful distress at epigastrium. — Burning. — Cutting in stomach while eating. — Cramp in stomach and bowels, followed by tonsillitis.

Abdomen

Burning, cramping, colic pains. — Spasmodic and neuralgic pains, accompanied by screams and cramps in fingers and toes. — Cramping pains in lower bowels, with extreme vesical and rectal tenesmus; micturition frequent causing great suffering. — Attacks of excruciating pains in bowels occurring every two or three weeks.

Stool and Anus

Vomiting and purging, with cramps and collapse. — Rectal tenesmus, with almost constant mucous discharges. — Chronic slimy diarrhœa during summer, with cramps in abdomen.

Urinary Organs

Pain in sacral region, with frequent urging to urinate. — Dark red urine; burning pain during and after urination. — Strong smelling urine; odour of garlic.

Male Sexual Organs

White purulent discharge from urethra; soreness of penis, with pain in prostate gland; tingling and burning in urethra. — Perspiration of scrotum, which is constantly moist and damp. — Boils frequently forming on scrotum.

Female Sexual Organs

About close of menses, worked out of doors during a moist, drizzling day; during night agonising pains in lower abdominal region; tender spot over l. ovary; tongue heavily coated white. — During pregnancy constant nausea, rejects everything; weak, very nervous; pulse quick and feeble; spasmodic uterine pain; at one time tenesmus and dysenteric stools.

Respiratory Organs

Voice altered; speech difficult. — Oppression of chest as if constricted. — Weight on chest, with difficult breathing. — Soreness of small spot in l. scapula, extending into l. lung, followed by dull, sticking pains in l. chest, between sixth and seventh ribs, < on deep inspiration; weak, Dumb feeling in l. chest, l. side of back, l. shoulder and arm. — Dull soreness in r. side of chest, with dull pains in back, < from deep inspiration.

Heart

Heart's action weak and hurried; pulse small, compressible, weak, and frequent, though quite regular. — Sudden debility, with dull pain in heart, and sense of oppression; l. chest feels too small; long involuntary inspiration; empty feeling in stomach, with vertigo and confusion of ideas, and headache between temples. — Palpitation of heart, with trembling of limbs. — Palpitation moving walls of chest up and down. — Cardiac chorea: at one time heart beats very irregular and feeble, at another time violent and irregular; attacks appear in paroxysms, action being normal in intervals.

Neck and Back

Soreness of glands of neck, with stiffness of neck; pain < on moving head. — Severe pains under lower angle of l. scapula < from motion or breathing. — Stiffness and lameness of back, < by motion > by rest; returns after sitting awhile. — Lameness of lumbar region. — Pain in r. lumbar region, and in anterior portion of r. thigh.

Limbs

L. arm feels numb and powerless; similar feeling in l. leg. — Spasms in extremities; coldness. — Itching of arms and legs. — Pustular tumours in wrists and ankles, and excessive sensitiveness and irritability of skin.

Generalities

Tremulousness of whole body, very noticeable on attempting to walk. — Quivering, impossible to control. — Great prostration; as from traumatic shock.

Fever

Whole surface covered with cold moisture; skin pale like death. — Icy coldness of whole body, with cramps and obstinate hiccough. — Intermittent, cold clammy sweat (in cholera collapse).