This is a remedy prepared by diluting and succussing (shaking while hitting on a firm surface) aqueous arsenic trioxide to either an X (1:10) dilution, C (1:100) dilution or M (1:1000) dilution.
Samuel Hahnemann - the original “founder” of homeopathy, in addition to being a practicing physician, was also a chemist in the 1700’s. Arsenicum album was one of the first homeopathic remedies he created to treat people.
It certainly isn’t a very beautiful substance in it’s raw form 🙂
Food poisoning with simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea. Not a pleasant situation. The situation is made even more unbearable by the accompanying burning pains.
Extreme weakness and at the same time, restlessness. Prime example would be a dog with Parvovirus vomiting and diarrhea. So weak and nauseated, saliva dripping from the mouth due to nausea. The patient feels cold to the touch and cannot get warm. Strange: they FEEL cold inside and feel cold when you touch them, but they have BURNING sensations in their body. They are so uncomfortable with the burning vomiting and diarrhea that they cannot get comfortable and want to keep walking around and around, anxious and restless. Even though the patient is nauseous, they desire small frequent sips of water which they vomit up immediately. Unusual, right?
In homeopathy, “sidedness” can be important. For example, Arsenicum album tends to have more symptoms on the right side, or at least the symptoms are worse on the right side. A burning eye discharge could be worse on the right. An excoriating burning ear discharge might be worse on the right.
Arsenicum album is also a possible preventative remedy in the ongoing scamdemic of Covid 19. There are many others.
A homoeopathic drug, Arsenicum album 30, has become a subject of debate after several states recommended it for prophylactic (preventive) use against Covid-19. This was after the Ministry of AYUSH listed the drug among “preventive and prophylactic simple remedies” against Covid-19. From “The Indian Express” September 22,2020.
Here is a quick summary of some symptoms of Arsenic in the ACUTE state.
Anxiety: Anxious & restless. Moves about all the time due to the anxiety. Thinks it’s worthless to take remedy or thinks someone is trying to poison him. Fear of being alone so follows the owner around everywhere. This symptom is worse when they are sick. The human always wants someone in the room with them when they are sick. Symptoms are worse when they are alone (more often in people).
Asthma: Shortness of breath. Feeling of suffocation on lying down; Onset midnight or soon after. All symptoms are worse or after midnight, not just asthma.
Colds: Profuse, burning, watery nasal discharge with sneezing, irritating nose & upper lip; eyes & nose red; cold tends to go down into chest.
A commonly used remedy for Covid.
Diarrhea: Scanty, dark, offensive stool with burning pain in anus, followed by great weakness;
Eyes: Aching, burning and shooting pains in the eyes. Pink eye- red, swollen. Granulated lids; tears hot & burning with intense aversion to light
Flu: Chilly, restless, anxious, peevish; prostrated; fears death; burning pains relieved by heat (really strange) thirsty for sips of cold water; red hot, needle-like pains;
Food Poisoning: Prime remedy in food poisoning; especially after tainted meat or spoiled food; vomiting & purging, “going both ways at once”
Skin: Top remedy for skin ailments-psoriasis, flakey scalp, dry eczema. Symptoms that burn yet improved by heat application. Weird- right? Feels better in the summer. Children who have skin that is dry and rough. Symptoms are often worse on the right side, after eating offending foods or drinking alcohol. Itching, burning, swelling, skin eruptions.
Sore Throat: Burning in pharynx; difficulty swallowing; thirsty for sips of cold water, but stomach intolerant. Vomits almost immediately.
Stomach: Indigestion, heartburn with burning. A good remedy to try for “heartburn” along with other naturopathic therapies. Difficulty swallowing; with nausea & intense thirst, vomiting simultaneous with diarrhea.
Death - Fear of death: This remedy is used when an animal or person is “holding on” due to an attachment to the caretaker or another person. When given, it helps the individual “let go” and pass on more easily.
I think that my grandfather needed the remedy Arsenicum album as his “constitutional remedy”- a deeper remedy that covers the entire person or animal. He died in 1986 before I practiced homeopathy , so I never had the chance to give him the remedy. I don’t know if he would have taken it anyway. Arsenicum always feels as if someone is trying to poison him.
Here’s my grandfather: Roland Albert Von der Vorn (something like that) Stolz , - a proper Prussian name! DOB: March 9, 1912. Married my grandmother: DOB: April 15, 1915. If you know anything about astrology (which I really don’t), these two are a very bad combination. I also believe that very bad combinations can “work it out” if they really desire. They didn’t.
Roland was a “functional alcoholic”, printing press operator for the Columbus Dispatch, small appliance repairman for Sunbeam Appliances- and never missed a day of work. Alcoholism is big with Arsenicum.
A total perfectionist in every way - his clothes were perfectly color coordinated in his closet and on his body, flawlessly pressed (by my grandmother, of course), very dapper, never a hair out of place on his head- even when he was working outside in his impeccable beautifully manicured yard. Grass mowed in exact rows every Saturday at 4PM. Seasonal flowers planted in rows. God help you if you disrupted something in his flower garden. Tools hung perfectly in the garage next to the two extremely well cared- for spotless vehicles. Maintenance charts hanging in the garage for cars and tractor.
Now for the inside of the house: walls painted every single year whether needed or not, new furniture almost every year, most up to date appliances in the kitchen (from Sunbeam). He had the newest and best waffle maker, toaster oven, hot dog cooker, crock pots, newest oven available, and probably many more I don’t know about. I think he purchased small appliances for a greatly reduced price since he worked there. He was always always always doing something for home maintenance- and of course, the snappy Schnauzer (Pete- named after a beloved bird) was impeccably groomed by the groomer weekly- every little whisker in place. Unrelated story: When I was about 8 years old and my brother was 6, we walked to a shopping center- for some odd reason- on a bitterly cold windy winter day. I have no idea why we were walking, why we didn’t drive? My grandmother- who was not even a dog person- fell in “love at first sight” with a little 8 week old Schnauzer puppy at the pet store. We bought him on the spot. Less than one pound, she let me carry little Pete home under my coat. My brother, Dan, was extremely jealous.
Christmas time - the tree had to be decorated so precisely- it would take him a WEEK! He would switch the ornaments over and over again until he thought it looked perfect, then start over again because it didn’t look right. Perfectionism due to anxiety is the name of the game for Arsenicum album. There are other homeopathic remedies that are “perfectionistic” also, so just because someone is obsessive about his home, appearance, etc does not necessarily mean he/she needs the remedy Arsenicum album.
Now for the downside. He was a total alcoholic, as were many of his siblings. He was the youngest of 12 children…mostly female until he came along. Over half of his siblings committed suicide. Maybe they all needed the same remedy?
Roland beat my grandmother many times over the years - beginning in the 1930’s , tried to smother her with pillows, drown her in the toilet. They finally divorced in 1973 after she left him for the umpteenth time. The last straw was when he came home drunk, left the gate open, and Pete the Schnauzer was hit by a car and killed when he was only 5 years old. He was never out of the back yard, and was not “street smart”. My grandmother was devastated. She never forgave him.
By this time, my grandfather’s liver was on the down turn from all the alcohol. Arsenicum album is one of many “liver remedies”. He still always made it to work on time after his drunken nightly stupors, because even in the drunkeness, he was still a perfectionist - at first.
After my grandmother left, he went into the “failed state” of Arsenicum. The house deteriorated, carpet filthy, dirty dishes in the sink, alcohol bottles everywhere, yard overgrown with weeds, car fell apart, junk accumulated in the house, and he didn’t really eat- he just drank. He died in 1986 of alcoholic liver failure and pancreatitis (from the alcohol).
He was always really kind to me, but I sure wouldn’t want to be his wife. He and my grandmother had the uncanny ability to pick just the right toys and gifts for me and my brother at Christmas and birthdays. They were the grandparents who got down on the floor and played with us- the “cool grandparents”.
About 6 months after he died, I had such a strong dream- more like a vision- where he held my face in his hands and said “I love you so much.” “You will do great things”.
Here are some arsenicum symptoms for the person who needs this remedy as their “constitutional” remedy: perfectionism to the point of obsession, alcoholism, extreme anxiety, irritability, critical and discontented, depression and suicidal in the “failed state”, all of the “acute symptoms” listed above when they are sick.
Another case:
When I treated humans (not just animals) in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I was called to an approximately 60 yr old woman’s home. I cannot remember the “presenting complaint” as it was about 25 years ago. I do recall that the diagnosis was a mental/emotional disorder such as “bipolar disorder” or “schizophrenia”, but unfortunately I just cannot remember the details of the case.
She lived in a duplex- kind of like a retirement home. When I walked into her house, I immediately noticed that I could not see the floor due to all of the clothes, boxes and miscellaneous items strewn all over the place and on every visible surface. I didn’t get the impression that she was a “hoarder” for some reason. Not a table or chair was available for use. I stood the entire hour or two I was in her home.
It is really useful to visit a person’s home when treating them homeopathically:) I don’t think I would have known the remedy to give her if I had not visited her house.
This scenario could have been just about any “remedy presentation”. There are hundreds of remedy types that are messy, unorganized, unkempt- and for many reasons too! Some time during our history taking and discussion, she talked about her neighbors trying to poison her (an arsenicum “keynote”) and “seeing green”…having a green tint to her vision - which is a “strange, rare and peculiar” symptom of Arsenicum album. I pretty much knew which remedy to give her right then. I sent her the remedy by mail, but she not surprisingly refused to take it because “I was trying to poison her”. I will never know if Arsenicum album was her “constitutional remedy”, but I bet it was.
I hope this “remedy spotlight” was helpful to learn the acute and chronic use of the remedy Arsenicum album.
