Benzoic Acid. (C6H5CO OH.) Obtained, by sublimation, from Gum benzoin, or artificially from several aromatic hydrocarbons. Tincture or trituration.
Clinical
Asthma. (Bladder, affections of.) (Bunion.) Cracks. (Diarrhoea.) Enuresis. (Eye, tumors of.) (Ganglion.) Gonorrhoea. Gout. (Joints, affections of). (Knee, pain in.) (Rheumatism.) (Sycosis.) Throat, sore. Tongue, sore. Tonsils, enlarged. Ulcers. (Urine, disorders of.) Wens.
Characteristics
The leading note of Benzoic acid is the occurrence, as a concomitant of any morbid condition, of strong-smelling urine, generally also dark. Benzoic acid is a chilly medicine, the symptoms being worse in open air, by uncovering, better by heat. Pains suddenly change their locality, but are mostly felt in region of heart. Joints crack when moving. Symptoms appear left side first, then right. Asthma has been cured by it, especially in rheumatic persons. Inflammation of bronchi and lungs, with great tenderness of chest, cough worse night, lying on right side. Some of the chief symptoms are: Inclined to dwell on unpleasant subject, if he saw any one deformed it made him shudder. Tongue spongy on surface with deep cracks and spreading ulcers. Sensation of lump (as of food) in pit of throat, of swelling and constriction. Throat symptoms are better by eating. Watery, light, very offensive stools (in children), stools like soapsuds, with usually strong-smelling urine. Enuresis nocturna, urine dark, strong-smelling, heavy, hot, smelling like horse’s urine. Shivering before stool. Long-continued, dry cough after suppressed gonorrhoea. Ganglion of wrist and bunion of great toe I have frequently cured with *Benz-ac. In these cases an ointment (3j) of the 3X to cetacean ointment 3j) is a useful external adjunct. Tearing and stitches in great toe, especially right (gout). Swelling and pain of right knee.Gouty concretions. “Most of the symptoms appear on the left side, but may subsequently come on the right” (Guernsey). Motion worse most symptoms, but headache is worse at rest, and toothache is worse lying down.
Relations.
*Compare: Copaiva., Ferrum, Zincum met., nitricum acidum (urine smelling like horse’s), Tropeolum. *Useful in gout after Colchicum, after abuse of Copaiva. In suppression of gonorrhoea, in enuresis after failure of Nitrum. *Incompatible: Wine, which worse pains in kidneys, drawing in knees, etc.
Mind
Inclination to dwell on unpleasant subjects, if he saw any one deformed it made him shudder. While writing he often omits words.
Head
Giddiness, especially in the afternoon, as if he would fall sideways. Pressure on the vertex, extending to the spine, without pain, but with anxiety. Rheumatic pains in the head. Headache from a draught of air, from taking cold in it, from uncovering the head, in the morning, when awaking, worse when at rest, returning periodically, and accompanied by pain in the stomach, nausea, and cold hands. Fearful pain in occiput or cerebellum. Cold perspiration on the head.
Eyes
Distress in eyes as from want of sleep. Throbbing in eyeballs. Burning heat in lids.
Ears
Swelling behind ears, which seems to reach periosteum. Sound as of confused voices in ears, worse when swallowing, or walking in open air.
Nose
Seems to smell cabbage, dust, or something stinking. Sense of smell diminished. Epistaxis. Sneezing with hoarseness. Cold easily caught. Pressure at root of nose. Pain in bones of nose. Itching of septum.
Face
Burning heat of one side of the face. Circumscribed redness on the cheeks. Copper-coloured spots on the face. Cold perspiration of the face. Trembling of lips. Involuntary biting of lower lip at dinner. Itching on chin.
Mouth
The tongue is spongy on the surface, with deep cracks, and with spreading ulcers. Toothache (the oil or gum is a popular local application.) After-taste of food. Acid mucus in month. Taste of blood, bitter, flat, soapy (water), smoky (bread).Ulcerated tumour left side of mouth, on soft commissure of jaws, behind last molar.Heat around mouth.
Throat
Sensation as of a lump in the pit of the throat, as if some food had lodged there. Sensation of swelling or constriction in the throat. The throat symptoms are relieved by eating. Swallowing difficult, incomplete, with noise in ear, with soreness on back of tongue. Heat in oesophagus. Thyroid gland feels swollen. Angina faucium and tonsillaris, with characteristic urine.
Stomach
Sweat while eating. Hiccough. Pressure in stomach and eructations. Burning or warmth, pressure on stomach. Weak digestion. Sensation of lump in pit of throat, as if food had lodged there.
Abdomen
Sense of weakness in precordia. Obstruction of the liver. In liver region constant, fine but violent stitching, midway in upper portion thereof. Cutting about navel, better by stool.
Stool and Anus.
Watery, light-coloured, copious, very offensive stools (in children), with unusually strong-smelling urine. Frothy stool. Stitching in rectum. Sense of constriction at lower end of rectum. Wart-like elevations round anus, with smarting soreness, strong-scented, high-coloured urine (after previous use of Copaiva for chancre). Formication at anus. Diarrhoea of children during dentition.
Urinary Organs
Urine highly coloured, urinous odour exceedingly strong, offensive, pungent smell. Soreness or hot, burning pain in the (left) kidney. A granular kind of mucus mixed with phosphates in the sediment, urine dark-reddish brown, sheets usually stained brown, acid reaction, or very offensive, heavy hot, fleeting pains in bladder, not when urinating, but at other times, vesical catarrh from suppressed gonorrhoea, calculi, or gout. Urinous odour highly intensified, like horse’s urine. Nocturnal enuresis, with strong, dark urine.
Male Sexual Organs.
Suppressed gonorrhoea: gleet, with offensive urine. Painfulness of genitals, raw pain. Smarting of frenum. Thrilling left side of glans, extending into urethra, causing starting. Itching on glans, on sulcus behind corona.
Female Sexual Organs.
Menses too early, or retarded. Amenorrhoea. Prolapsus uteri with fetid urine. -Weakness after menses.- Gastric derangements when ascending a height (in a pregnant women). Too long-lasting lochia.
Respiratory Organs
Long-continued dry cough, after suppressed gonorrhoea. Cough followed by expectoration of green mucus. Cough: after slight cold, excited by inspiration, produced by something acrid or dry in chest. Asthma with inflammatory rheumatism.
Chest
Burning in nipples. Sensation of swelling in breasts and thyroid gland. Stitches in chest, worse breathing deeply, in evening. Asthenic pneumonia. Mucous oppression of lungs.
Heart, and Pulse
Pains in the region of the heart. Most of the symptoms appear on the left side, but may subsequently come on the right side. Awaken every morning at two o’clock, with violent internal heat, and hard, beating pulse, compelling him to lie on the back, because the beating of the temporal arteries causes a humming in the ears, and prevents him from going to sleep. Pain about heart mostly, but suddenly change locality. Awakens after midnight with violent palpitation of the heart, and hard beating of the temporal arteries.
Neck and Back.
Stiffness of neck, only on one side. Nape: pressure, itching. Dull pain in back, in region of kidneys, stiffness in loins. Coldness in sacrum.
Limbs.
Nodes on joints of upper and lower extremities, cracking on motion. Gouty concretions. Syphilitic rheumatism.
Upper Limbs
Gouty deposits in both wrists between metacarpal bones, swelling of elbow-joint. Paralytic pains of fingers. Eruption of red spots on fingers. Fingers swollen, tearing and fine stitching pains in various parts of the limbs. Ganglion. Panaritium.
Lower Limbs
Swelling in right knee, ulcerative pain in whole leg, with pains in kidneys. Cracking or sense of dryness in knee-joint. Pain in both knees, after drinking wine. Pain in gastrocnemii. Sharp pain in left ankle, when weight is on left foot on walking. Severe pain in left tendo Achillis close to os calcis when weight on that foot. Pain in right tendo Achillis and in heart region at same time. Tearing and stitches, especially in the metatarsal joints of the right great toe. Gouty concretions and nodosities.
Generalities
Great weakness, perspiration, and comatose condition. Trembling, with palpitation of the heart. Weariness and lassitude. Pains suddenly change their locality. Symptoms in sick go from left to right and from below upward, especially in rheumatism and gout.
Skin
Itching on various parts, agreeable sensation on being scratched, but leaving a burning. Red spots on fingers. Syphilitic spots and marks.
Sleep
Awakens with oppression of breathing, with palpitation of the heat (after midnight), with heat and hard pulse.
Fever
Cold hands, feet, back, knees, as from cold wind. Chilliness before the stool. Great internal heat when awaking. Perspiration: while eating, when walking, morning in bed, especially on face, with anxiety. Cold sweat: on head, on face, on feet. Sweat with aromatic odour.