Arsenicum Album 30, 200 Uses Homeopathy – Arsenicum Album Materia Medica

Arsenic Album 30, 200 Homeopathy – Arsenicum Album Materia Medica

Potency: 3x, 6x, 12x, 30, 200, 1000, 1M, CM. Lower potency can be used in malignant cases.

• Gets worse after midnight
• Burning pains, better heat
• Mentally restless but physically too weak
• Rapid prostration, out of proportion to disease
• Burning thirst for sips of cold water at short intervals

Source: Mineral kingdom

Synonyms: Arsenious oxide, Arsenic trioxide, White oxide of arsenic.

Prover: The prover of the medicine is Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

Duration of Action: Short acting medicine, it may act for more than 30 days in chronic conditions

Temperament: The temperament is very fastidious

Miasmatic Background: Psora, syphilis and sycosis

Thermal Relationship: Chilly patient

Diathesis: Scrofulous

Introduction and History: Arsenic is famous as a remedy from ancient times; in olden days it was used as a medicine in India and China. It is also compared with a race of horses due to its restlessness. It is very venomous when taken in fatal doses. Arsenicum Album is one of the most frequently used medicines in both chronic as well as acute diseases.

Description: It is a transparent and white crystalline powder or amorphous lump, have no odour but stable in air. It is gradually soluble in water. The amorphous variety is more soluble if we compare it with crystalline variety. The remedy is soluble in alcohol to some extent and entirely soluble in glycerine. It may be obtained by roasting certain arsenic ores. It is not sold to common people because it is poisonous.

Constitution and Physiognomy: Patient is very weak, lean and thin, fastidious, debilitated, contains a restless, sunken face. Skin is dirty and waxy in nature.

Ailments From: Tobacco chewing, grief, having ice cream, insect bites, fright, shock, ptomaine poisoning, decayed food, by consuming alcohol.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): Mind, liver, digestive system, heart, nerves, lungs, blood, respiratory system, lymphatic glands, spleen, mucous membrane, skin etc.

Physiological Action

1. It is venomous and proves fatal when taken in physiological fatal doses, but works as a medicine when prepared homeopathically.
2. Applied to the skin, arsenic acts as a caustic and causes violent inflammation with sloughing of parts. When small doses are consumed internally it has a tonic effect on the nervous system and circulation, can increase the flow of saliva and gastric and intestinal juices, stimulating peristalsis and improving digestive and nutritive functions.
3. Toxic doses cause violent gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; dryness of the mouth and throat with burning sensation in the stomach.
4. The heart gets irritable and weak; fatty degeneration of the heart muscles occur as a result.
5. Red corpuscles of blood are decreased in number and the blood gets less clotted or coagulable.
6. The urine gets scanty, albuminous and bloody; the skin is dry and scurfy. This is accompanied by herpetic, eczematous or urticarious eruptions, bronzing and exfoliation.
7. Hair and nails may fall.
8. The nervous system is also profoundly affected by disorders of motor and sensory functions and depression of the respiratory centers, tremors and multiple neuritis.
9. Toxic doses give rise to the body temperature, although the extremities are cold.
10. Death from arsenical poisoning follows exhaustion and collapse.
11. The poison is found in the urine, saliva, tears and sweat.
12. Fatty degeneration in general, affecting stomach, liver, kidneys, heart and muscles particularly.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It works on the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal and causes cholera-like symptoms.
2. It works on lymphatic and other glands, producing induration, suppuration; also produces inflammation and swelling with burning pain.
3. Works on skin and causes burning, itching eruptions and ulcers. It works as a caustic and causes violent inflammation with sloughing of parts.
4. Works on blood producing ecchymosis, slight haemorrhage and at times, septic changes.
5. Due to its action, it produces sudden emaciation; skin is pale and waxy with general anasarca (general swelling of the body).
6. Works on joints causing swelling and burning pain.
7. Heart gets irritable and weak. Fatty degeneration of the heart muscles begins. Red corpuscles of blood decrease in number and the blood is rendered less clotted or coagulable.
8. Urine gets scanty, albuminous and bloody.
9. In small doses, it increases the flow of saliva, gastric and intestinal juices, stimulating peristalsis, improving digestive and nutritive functions.
10. The nervous system is profoundly affected by disorders of motor and sensory functions and depression of respiratory functions.
11. In almost all organs, fatty degeneration begins.
12. Toxic doses cause violent gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Person is mentally restless, very anxious and anguished.
2. Great fear of death when alone, afraid of going to bed at midnight.
3. Patient is extremely fastidious, yearns for everything neat, clean and in order. Hence, Arsenicum is called ‘a gold headed cane patient.‘
4. He thinks that he is going to die due to his disease is incurable and there is no use of taking medicines.
5. Weakness of memory, sad and awful.
6. Patient picks up bedclothes because he sees all kinds of worms in bed.
7. Decide to commit suicide, fears he will have to murder someone.
8. Aversion to people, does not want to mix with people, thinks that he has hurt them.
9. Hallucination of sight and smell.
10. Patient is very depressed, melancholic and fearful.
11. Dreams of fire, thunderstorms, death and darkness.
12. Religious insanity, in delirium and during sleep; he cries and screams because of pain.
13. Cannot find rest anywhere (restlessness), changes place continuously. Wants to go from one bed to another.
14. Patient is too weak to move.
15. He is very self-centered and lacks courage.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Prostration: Weakness, great prostration, restlessness with sinking of vital force.

Anxiety: Anxiety with restlessness and fear of death.

Thirst: Burning and unquenchable thirst for small quantities of cold water at short intervals accompanied by vomiting.

Burning: External and internal burning all over the body; burning pain gets relief from heat, hot applications and hot drinks, affected parts burn like fire,

Putridity: Discharges from the body are fetid in nature and the odor of the discharge is cadaveric.

Periodicity: Complaints come back periodically; for example, everyday, every third day, every fourth day, every fortnight, every week etc.

Acridity: All secretions and excretions are acrid and excoriate the parts; even their touch causes burning and redness.

Dryness: Internal and external parts get very dry. Skin gets rough; even the lips are dry and cracked because of dryness.

Bleeding: Bleeding from lungs, nose, boils, uterus, kidneys, throat, etc.; every part bleeds with ease.

Shrivelling: Pale face, wrinkled skin, prematurely old looking.

Dyspnea: Difficulty in breathing; asthma, also dyspnea; aggravates at night. Suffocation with anxiousness.

Violence: Sudden inflammation; violent and sudden erysipelatous inflammation; parts suddenly get gangrenous accompanied by marked, sudden weakness.

Irritability: Stomach is very irritable, everything comes out after consuming it in, even water is vomited though the patient drinks only sips of Water at frequent intervals.

Right-sideness: It is a right sided medicine; complaints usually start from the right side, because the right side is predominantly affected.

Sensitiveness: Patient is very sensitive to light, all noises, talking, touch, smell, etc.

Fear: Great fear of death, thinks that he is experiencing an incurable disease and there is no use of taking medicine; so refuses to take any medicine.

Puffiness: Edematous swelling of the face, eyelids, lower extremities, glands and general anasarca; skin is pale and waxy.

Emaciation: There is fast and sudden emaciation of the body parts.

Faintness: Nausea and faintness from the odour of fish, meat and eggs because these foods are allergic to him.

Diarrhea: Diarrhea after consuming cold drinks, ice cream, cold food, etc.

Restlessness: Patient is very restless, too weak to walk physically. It is one of the Nash’s Trio of Restlessness.

Important Characteristic Features

Asthma: Asthma gets worse at midnight. Suffocative catarrh, burning in the chest. Expectoration is scanty and frothy. Cough gets worse after midnight and becomes worse lying on back. Burning pain all over; haemoptysis; dry cough; unable to lie down; complaints with restlessness and prostration; afraid of suffocation.

Fever: High tempearture. Periodicity marked with sadness; paralysis incomplete; septic fever; with marked exhaustion. Cold sweat, hay fever, great heat around 3 am, complete restlessness. There is an entire image of death while fever – eyes are sunken; mouth and tongue are black, cracked, sore even the gums and teeth bleed during fever.

Diarrhea: Gastric problems from ice cream, cold food, ice water, sausages and alcoholic drinks. Stools are acrid, scanty, watery and offensive with vomiting and burning in the abdomen; hepatomegaly with vomiting and diarrhea. Dysentery – bloody, dark and very offensive in nature. The skin around the anus gets damaged because of diarrhea. All complaints are accompanied by fear of death.

Cholera: It is very good remedy for cholera. The main reasons are consuming decayed food, ptomaine poisoning, ice cream, sour beer and so on. Cholera stools are like the water of rice in color and contain a very offensive smell, marked restlessness and anxiety with great weakness and prostration; diarrhea gets worse at 12-2 am at night. At times, the color of the stool is blackish; patient is very fastidious with an intense thirst for cold water in small quantities at short intervals. Burning sensation all over the body excluding head; anxiety with fear of death.

Thirst, nausea and vomiting: In this medicine, there is an unquenchable thirst for cold water is present and small quantities of water at short intervals. The patient drinks sips of cold water very often. Even the smell of the food can cause nausea and vomiting; the patient drinks cold water but due to the irritability in stomach it causes immediate vomiting. The patient is restless along with anxiety.

Restlessness: It is one of the best homeopathic medicines for restlessness. The patient is mentally restless but physically too weak to move, cannot rest in any place. He also changes place continuously and wants to be moved from one bed to another. The greater the suffering, the greater the agony, restlessness and afraid of death; every movement is followed by fatigue. Thus, the patient of Arsenicum Album is restless both physically and mentally. The other medicines to treat restlessness are Rhus Tox where the patient is restless physically and in Aconite, the patient is restless mentally.

Fear: There is great fear of death is present in Arsencium Album. The patient is very worried about his illness. He thinks that his disease is incurable and it is useless to call a doctor and take medication. It is because he thinks that he is not going to get cured at all. That is why he refuses to take medicines. Dr. Kent said, fear of death when alone, on going to bed, he jumps out of the bed with fear, thinks that he is going to die or suffocate.

At times, the fear drives the patient out of bed; he hides in a closet. He is violent, increase of terror and horror in the dark. Several complaints come in the evening when darkness approaches. The patient of Arsenic is very anxious and restless, too weak to talk. He gets very irritable and sensitive. In Aconitum, the fear of death is also present but the patient also tells the exact time and date of death; he also thinks that his disease is curable by taking medicine.

Burning: It is also one of the best remedies for burning. In Arsencium Album, burning is very particular-burning pains, the affected parts burn like fire, as if hot coals were applied to the parts, get better by hot drinks, heat, and hot applications. Burning pain in the nostrils, eyes, throat, mouth, bowels, stomach, hemorrhoids, urethra, ovaries, bladder, genitals especially in chest, breasts, about the heart, back, spine, ulcers of skin, veins, cancer and carbuncles etc.

General Modalities

Aggravation: By cold bathing, cold wind, cold food and drinks, after midnight and midday 12-2 pm/am lying on affected side, by walking fast.

Amelioration: Rest, hot drinks, hot applications, from heat in general, from eating, lying with head high.

Remedy Relationships

Complementary: Pyrog, Nat-s, Thuj, Carb-v, Phos.

Antidoted by: Carb-v, Camph, Chin.

Follows well: Chin, Arn, Bell, Acon, Lach.

Antidotal to: Nux-v, Lach, Merc, Graph, Chin, Carb-v, Hep, Verat, Ferr.

Comparison

Cannot bear the smell or sight of food: Sep, Ars, Colch.

Boy’s complaints after using tobacco: Verat, Ars, Arg-n.

Burning pain of carbuncles: Tarent, Anthraci, Ars.

Aphthae, prevents child from nursing, with hot mouth, dryness and thirst: Borx, Ars.

Cholera, when vomiting predominates with great prostration: Verat, Ars, Bism.

Years for very hot drinks, unless boiling, stomach will not retain them: Casc, Ars, Chel.

Burning in every organ or tissue of the body: Sulph, Ars, Phos.

Diarrhea from ice cream, cold drinks or cold foods: Puls, Ars, Bry.

Diarrhea while eating or nursing: Crot-t, Ars, Arg-n.

Morbid fear of cholera: Nit-ac, Ars.

Great restlessness, anxiety and apprehension: Rhus-tox, Aconite, Ars.

Diarrhea with cold sweat on forehead and prostration: Verat, Ars, Tabac.

Anxiety at night: Puls, Ars.

Censorious (critical): Sulph, Ars.

Burning as if sparks of fire falling on the patient: Sec, Ars.

Vomiting worse by drinking: Verat, Ars.

Despair of recovery: Psor, Ars, Calc.

Warm drinks ameliorate: Rhus-t, Ars, Nux-V.

Arsenic Album Dosage

Lower potencies can be used in blood diseases and malignant tissues; for example, leukemia, anemia, malarial cachexia, Psoriasis and Cancer etc.

Higher potencies are prescribed in nervous and mental ailments.

Highest potencies work efficiently when the general and keynote characteristic symptoms are present.

It should not be prescribed to those patients who have very low vitality even if the characteristic symptoms of the remedy are present as it may cause rapid death without pain.

Repetition: The medicine may be repeated frequently in rapidly developing diseases; like in cholera, low potencies of Arsenicum Album may be repeated every 10 minutes until the condition improves.

Therapeutic Value: Fever, Gangrene, Measles, Abscess, Anemia, Anasarca, Asthma, Cancer, Cholera, Pneumonia, Skin diseases, Whooping Cough, Coronavirus, Cough, Diarrhea, Dropsy, Gastric ulcer; Gout, Headache, Heart disease, Kidney disorders, Menstrual disorder; Nausea, Otorrhoea, Piles, Pleurisy, Post Covid Syndrome, Rheumatism, Vomiting etc.

Note: Arsenicum Album is a deep acting medicine and must be used only after consulting a competent doctor and self-medication should be avoided.

Dr.Arsalan Rauf

I had accomplished D. H. M. S in 2008, I have been into practice (in Rawalpindi & Islamabad) for more or less 14 years. During my practice, I have been treating acute as well as chronic disorders. I had also completed MHS (Masters of Human Sexuality) in 2014 from SAIHS. Covid-19, Dengue fever, Genetic Disorders, Auto-immune Diseases, Sexual dysfunctions and disorders in males as well as females attract my attention, therefore, I love to solve these cases.

Apart from Homeopathy, I am M.A in English Literature from Punjab University. I have been teaching English at Post Graduate National College Rawalpindi for 7 years. So I am holding two noble professions. I have written more than 7000 articles on different subjects. To be more specific I have authored different websites as well.