Zincum Sulphuricum

Zincum Sulphuricum.

White Vitriol. Sulphate of Zinc. Zincic Sulphate. ZnSO47H2O. Solution. Trituration.

Convulsions. Cornea, opacity of. Dysentery. Granular lids. Headache. Heartburn. Laughter, involuntary. Metrorrhagia. Oesophagus, stricture of. Prurigo. Tongue, paralysis of.

A large number of poisonings with Zn. s. are on record, and these have furnished the symptoms of the Schema. The use of Zn. s. in solution as an eye lotion is founded on a specific relationship, and in homoeopathic attenuations it has cured corneal opacities. Severe gastric and dysenteric symptoms were induced, and Zn. s. has cured many cases of dysentery. Farrington says it is chiefly in subacute cases that it is indicated, when the pains are confined to the sides of the abdomen, probably to the colon.

Peculiar Symptoms are: Burning, acute pain in head. Immediately sensation as if a strong electric shock passed through head, he expected his brains would have burst through his skull. Abdomen contracted. She felt as if the blood could scarcely struggle through the veins.

Titillation all over, with an irresistible desire to laugh. A "milk-like pallor of the surface looks like a characteristic." Gerstel (H. R., x. 155) relates this case, treated by Arnold: A lady had suffered from headache from childhood. During childhood she was unable to study in consequence of it.

Menses began in her sixteenth year, were weak and irregular, recurring only every six weeks. In her eighteenth year she had serious inflammation of the brain, with unconsciousness, and was treated by venesection and leeches. When Arnold saw her she was married and a mother, the state being as follows: Dull, pressive pain running right across forehead, as if head compressed in a vice. (Formerly it had been more throbbing and shooting.) Eyes inflamed.

Forehead red and swollen. She was compelled to lie down, and had most frightful visions, saw her child with its head shattered, while she heard everything that passed around her. It required a strong effort to realise the emptiness of the visions. With them the headache reached its highest point, an abatement would follow, then sleep.

The head during the attacks was cold and dry to touch. The acute stage lasted one day, but the whole attack fourteen days, during which time the pain would increase and decrease, and the patient was well satisfied if it was bearable. Pain < at times when menses should appear; a few days before and after menses painful burning and sensation of weakness in spine. She did not look ill, and had a good colour.

Puls. did her no good. Bell. 6 strengthened the periods and diminished the frequency and severity of her headaches considerably; but she was now seized with an irresistible drowsiness, and troubled with a frequently recurring vomiting. Zn. s. 2nd trit. was given for sixteen days, one dose daily, then intermitted for eight days. The headaches now appeared before, during, and after the period in a moderate degree but in the intermediate time she was free from pain.

Zn. s. was repeated in the same way three times, and then she was free from all pain. She wrote the doctor three months later, "You have radically cured me of a great bodily ailment, and what is more, you have saved my mind from a yet more dreadful one."

Roaring in ears.

Face: pale; sunken; with cold extremities and convulsed pulse; leaden tint, contracted features.

Violent cough, with bloody and purulent expectoration.—Breathing: weak, slow; difficult.

Palpitation on every motion.—Pulse: fluttering.; indistinguishable; dicrotic; almost lost, as in cholera.

Trembling and cramps.

Convulsive movements of upper limbs and eyeballs.

Anaemia.—Tremors.—Convulsions.—Prostration.—Heaviness.—Feeling as though her blood could scarcely struggle through her veins.—Titillation all over body, with irresistible inclination to laugh.

Sleepy and stupid, wanted to sleep and die in peace.