Natrum Arsenicum |
Nat-ar.
The guilty think all talk is of themselves.
[Geoffrey Chaucer]
Signs
Sodium arsenate.
SUBSTANCE Colourless to white powder; very soluble in water; slightly soluble in alcohol. Poisonous, but less so than arsenic. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents and strong acids. Sodium arsenate is not combustible, but gives irritating or toxic fumes in a fire. Attacks many metals in presence of water, such as iron, aluminium and zinc, releasing toxic fumes of arsenic and arsine. Sodium arsenate is a pentavalent form of inorganic arsenic. In the body it is metabolized into the trivalent form, followed by transformation into organic forms which are excreted within several days via the urine. Humans and all animals exhibit this metabolism except rats, which retain arsenic in their bodies for up to 90 days.
USES Dying with Turkey-red oil and in printing fabrics; manufacture of other arsenates; insecticide [e.g. as an ant bait, used in 1% of U.S homes]; treating vines against scale diseases. In medicine formerly used as an antimalarial and dermatologic. Has been used in veterinary medicine in parasitism [internally and externally], for non-parasitic skin and blood diseases, in rheumatism, asthma and heaves.
TOXICOLOGY May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin. Inhalation causes headache, sore throat, cough, laboured breathing, and general weakness. Ingestion results in burning in mouth, throat and oesophagus, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Contact with skin or eyes causes redness and pain. In severe cases there are effects on the cardiovascular system, kidneys, and central nervous system, resulting in loss of fluids and electrolytes, cardiac disorders, kidney impairment, collapse, shock and death. Long-term or repeated exposure to sodium arsenate will have effects on the peripheral nervous system, skin, mucous membranes, bone marrow, kidneys and liver, resulting in neuropathy, pigmentation disorders, perforation of nasal septum, lesions of blood cells, kidney impairment and cirrhosis. The substance is carcinogenic to humans. Animal tests show that sodium arsenate possibly causes malformations in human babies. 1 The Pesticide Incident Monitoring System in the U.S. contains many recorded incidents of accidental poisoning from the use of sodium arsenate baits; 190 children were involved in 186 reported incidents; five of these children died and 43 were hospitalized.
PROVINGS •• [1] Imbert-Gourbeyre – 1 prover, 1863; method: 6th trit., one dose three times a day for 7 days.
•• [2] Hom. Materia Medica Club of Alleghany County, Pa. – 9 provers, c. 1876; method: 30x, 15x, 12x, 6x, 3x, or tincture, in doses of 5 to 15 drops three times daily for periods ranging from 5 to 16 days.
[1] International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre.
Affinity
Nerves. Blood. Eyes. Gastrointestinal tract. Liver. Urinary organs. Skin. Mucous membranes [nose]. * Left side. Right side.
Modalities
Worse: COLD [air; drinks; food; winter; DAMP WEATHER]. Mental exertion. Ascending. Lying down. Pressure. Motion. Daytime. Night [nasal obstruction and chilliness].
Better: Warm air. Passing flatus. Stool.
Main symptoms
* All Natrums are hypersensitive and closed. In Nat-a. the nervousness and anxiety predominate.
M NERVOUS. All sorts of fears.
Fear of disease, fear of impending evil, fear of something about to happen.
• “The nervousness is revealed by their general physical restlessness. Their hands are restless, their fingers are restless, and often there is a slight twitch of their shoulder, arm or the muscles of their face during conversation.” [Borland]
• “Cannot sit still without exercising all my self-command.” [Allen]
• “When roused up at any time since taking drug, he wakes nervously as if affright, which is not usual with him. … Found it difficult to get to sleep, from annoying nervousness; when attempts were made to rouse him in night rose up in bed excitedly and lay down again unconsciously.” [Hughes]
M Dulness; unable to think, study or concentrate. [Most provers]
• “It requires an effort to form each word.”
• “Feel much better doing nothing; do not wish to think, to read, or to exercise; eight days have passed since I quit taking the medicine, but still feel its effects.”
• “Could not study, but on going into the open air and walking about, all the symptoms were relieved, and while walking he was bright enough, but when he came in and sat down, the same feeling of dulness returned.” [Allen]
And Dull frontal headache.
And Sinusitis.
M Black.
• “On lying down at night [also previous night] on closing eyes visions of small black animals appeared to pass before him, arousing him from sleep; and while sleeping black objects were dreamed of.” [Hughes]
G Very CHILLY; take cold easily.
• “Like as much warmth as they can possibly get, yet after an emotional upset, they are better in the open air.” [Borland]
G THIRST during gastric pains.
G Hypersensitive to WARM DRINKS.
Even when the pain in the stomach is not present.
Warm drinks = burning in stomach.
Nose
Sneezing in cold air [1*].
Face
Coldness in region of thyroid gland [1/1]. Pain, pressing, thyroid gland, as if pressed between thumb and forefinger [1*].
Sensation as from smoke in chest [2].
Natrum arsenicum |