ARGENTUM NITRICUM

Every homeopathic remedy is explained in detail by William Boericke, M.D. in the Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory, a book which is highly respected by the homeopathy profession. The following text is excerpted from that book and explains the symptoms covered by this remedy:

ARGENTUM NITRICUM
Common name: Nitrate of Silver

In this drug the neurotic effects are very marked, many brain and spinal symptoms presenting; themselves which give certain indications for its homeopathic employment. Symptoms of inco-ordination, loss of control and want of balance everywhere, mentally and physically; trembling in affected parts. Is an irritant of mucous membranes, producing violent inflammation of the throat, and a marked gastro-enteritis. Very characteristic is the great desire for sweets, the splinter-like pains, and free muco-purulent discharge in the inflamed and ulcerated mucous membranes. Sensation as if a part were expanding and other errors of perception are characteristic. Withered up and dried constitutions present a favorable field for its action, especially when associated with unusual or long continued mental exertion. Head symptoms often determine the choice of this remedy. Pains increase and decrease gradually. Flatulent state and prematurely aged look. Explosive belching especially in neurotics. Upper abdominal affections brought on by undue mental exertion. Paraplegia Myelitis and disseminated sclerosis of brain and cord. Intolerance of heat. Sensation of a sudden pinch (Dudgeon). Destroys red blood corpuscles, producing anæmia.

Mind: Thinks his understanding will and must fail. Fearful and nervous; impulse to jump out of window. Faintish and tremulous. Melancholic; apprehensive of serious disease. Time passes slowly (Cann ind). Memory weak. Errors of perception. Impulsive; wants to do things in a hurry (Lilium). Peculiar mental impulses. Fears and anxieties and hidden irrational motives for actions.

Head: Headache with coldness and trembling. Emotional disturbances cause appearance of hemi-cranial attacks. Sense of expansion. Brain-fag, with general debility and trembling. Headache from mental exertion, from dancing. Vertigo, with buzzing in ears and with nervous affections. Aching in frontal eminence, with enlarged feeling in corresponding eye. Boring pain; better on tight bandaging and pressure. Itching of scalp. Hemi-crania; bones of head feel as if separated.

Eyes: Inner canthi swollen and red. Spots before the vision. Blurred vision. Photophobia in warm room. Purulent ophthalmia. Great swelling of conjunctiva; discharge abundant and purulent. Chronic ulceration of margin of lids; sore, thick, swollen. Unable to keep eyes fixed steadily. Eye-strain from sewing; worse in warm room. Aching, tired feeling in eyes, better closing or pressing upon them. Useful in restoring power to the weakened ciliary muscles. Paretic condition of ciliary muscle. Acute granular conjunctivitis. Cornea opaque. Ulcer in cornea.

Nose: Loss of smell. Itching. Ulcers in septum. Coryza, with chilliness, lachrymation, and headache.

Face: Sunken, old, pale, and bluish. Old man's look; tight drawing of skin over bones.

Mouth: Gums tender and bleed easily. Tongue has prominent papillæ; tip is red and painful. Pain in sound teeth. Taste coppery, like ink. Canker sores.

Throat: Much thick mucus in throat and mouth causes hawking. Raw, rough and sore. Sensation of a splinter in throat on swallowing. Dark redness of throat. Catarrh of smokers, with tickling as of hair in throat. Strangulated feeling.

Stomach: Belching accompanies most gastric ailments. Nausea, retching, vomiting of glairy mucus. Flatulence; painful swelling of pit. Painful spot over stomach that radiates to all parts of the abdomen. Gnawing ulcerating pain; burning and constriction. Ineffectual effort at eructation. Great craving for sweets. Gastritis of drunkards. Ulcerative pain in left side under ribs. Trembling and throbbing in stomach. Enormous distention. Ulceration of stomach, with radiating pain. Desire for cheese and salt.

Abdomen: Colic, with much flatulent distention. Stitchy ulcerative pain on left side of stomach, below short ribs.

Stool: Watery, noisy, flatulent; green, like chopped spinach, with shreddy mucus and enormous distention of abdomen; very offensive. Diarrhœa immediately after eating or drinking. Fluids go right through him; after sweets. After any emotion with flatulence. Itching of anus.

Urine: Urine passes unconsciously, day and night. Urethra inflamed, with pain, burning, itching; pain as from a splinter. Urine scanty and dark. Emission of a few drops after having finished. Divided stream. Early stage of gonorrhœa; profuse discharge and terrible cutting pains; bloody urine.

Male: Impotence. Erection fails when coition is attempted. Cancer-like ulcers. Desire wanting. Genitals shrivel. Coition painful.

Female: Gastralgia at beginning of menses. Intense spasm of chest muscles. Organs at night. Nervous erethism at change of life. Leucorrhœa profuse, with erosion of cervix bleeding easily. Uterine hæmorrhage, two weeks after menses; Painful affections of left ovary.

Respiratory: High notes cause cough. Chronic hoarseness. Suffocative cough, as if from a hair in throat. Dyspnœa. Chest feels as if a bar were around it. Palpitation, pulse irregular and intermittent; worse lying on right side; (Alumen). Painful spots in chest. Angina pectoris, nightly aggravation. Many people in a room seem to take away his breath.

Back: Much pain. Spine sensitive with nocturnal pains, (Oxal acid) paraplegia; posterior spinal sclerosis.

Extremities: Cannot walk with eyes closed. Trembling, with general debility. Paralysis, with mental and abdominal symptoms. Rigidity of calves. Debility in calves especially. Walks and stands unsteadily, especially when unobserved. Numbness of arms. Post-diphtheritic paralysis (after Gelsem).

Skin: Brown, tense, and hard. Drawing in skin, as from a spider-web, or dried albuminous substance, withered and dried up. Irregular blotches.

Sleep: Sleepless, from fancies before his imagination; horrible dreams of snakes, and of sexual gratification. Drowsy stupor.

Fever: Chills with nausea. Chilly when uncovered, yet feels smothered if wrapped up.

Modalities: Worse, warmth in any form; at night; from cold food; sweets; after eating; at menstrual period; from emotions, left side. Better, from eructation; fresh air; cold; pressure.

Relationship: Antidote: Nat mur.

Compare: Ars; Merc; Phos; Pulsat. Argent cyanatum (angina pectoris, asthma, spasm of œsophagus) Argent iodat (throat disorders, hoarseness, gland affected). Protargol (gonorrhœa after acute stage 2 per cent solution; syphilitic mucous patches, chancres and chancroids, 10 per cent solution applied twice a day; ophthalmia neonatorum, 2 drops of 10 per cent solution).

Argent phosph (An excellent diuretic in dropsy).

Argent oxyd (Chlorosis with menorrhagia and diarrhœa).