Introduction
Osmium, an element. Osmium tetroxide (Osmic acid), OsO4.
Preparation: Dilutions, with absolutely pure water, of Osmic acid; or triturations of the precipitated metal.
Mind
Morose mood. Irritable, at times even angry. He gets very impatient on account of an itching, on going to bed, which prevents sleep. Misplacement of words in the same phrase (1st dec.). Disinclination for every work; (after two hours). Thoughts of accidents having happened to others, by a blow, a fall, or being dashed to pieces; gradually these thoughts grow upon him, as if he were to do the same injuries to other (after several weeks). Inward weakness; thinks he will have to give up practice on account of mental weakness, in the evening, when riding out.
Head
Frightful headache, depriving him of sleep. Terrible headache above and under the eyes, on one side, tearing towards the ear; worse under the eyebrows; the eye waters and is weak (a similar effect from others influences, f. i., Oxide of kakodyl). Dull headache, like a band round the head above the ears; after the second dose, the dull headache extends from the base of brain into the jaws (third day); at night, dull aching at base of skull and in jaws (fourth day). Intense dulness of the head, with heat in it (soon after 1st dec.). Dullness of the head, with pressure and heaviness, especially in the left frontal eminence. Dull head all day (second day). Head feels dull and full (after two hours).
Heaviness of the head. Muddled head (fifth day). Peculiar feeling in the head (soon after olfaction). Forehead. Headache in the right upper side of the forehead, a tearing to and fro, deep in; at the same time similar pains in the bones of the limbs, deep in, the evening (first day, 1st dec.). Pressing headache in the localities of the organs of ideality (after olfaction). Pressing headache in the forehead, soon followed by ulcerative pain in the left leg and gluteal muscles, at 9 P.M. (five minutes after twice repeated olfaction). Great pain in the upper right side of forehead (soon after olfaction). Compressive pain in the forehead and temples. Temple. Headache, principally in the temples, with pain in the larynx, and hoarseness. Severe pressing pain in the left petrous bone, upwards and backwards of the ear (after trituration). Vertex and Parietal. All the afternoon had fullness and aching at the upper and back part of the head, indoors and out; worse by throwing the head back (second day). Occipital headache continued (sixth day). External Head. Falling out of hair is increased and continues (twelfth day, after 1st dec.).
Eye.
Immediately struck with a sharp pain, he shut the eye and drew back. In ten minutes he came to my office. The lids were spasmodically closed, light very distressing, and pain in the globe severe. The conjunctiva and sclera were intensely injected, an lachrymation profuse. Pupil of natural size and activity.
Slight dim, viz., 1/3, and reads only No.3 of Jaeger at ten inches. All objects look dim. This dimness is not the effect of lachrymation, because wiping away the tears does not better the vision. Accommodation perfect. There are no muscae nor phosphene; the visual field normal. By the ophthalmoscope, both the inverted and upright image, no material change discovered. The media clear, the optic nerve pink, but not unlike the other eye. The external inflammatory symptoms continued for one day, and then the eye resumed its normal condition, both in appearance and function. Extremely violent pains in the eyes. Violent pain around the left eye, as if externally on the bone (half an hour after 1st cent). Burning pain in the eyes, from going into an atmosphere containing vapors of Osmium. Sensation as if the axis of vision was moved back and forth a short distance, without moving the eyes; with closed eyes, in the evening (first day, 1st dec.). Burning sensation in the eyes, with profuse lachrymation.
Extremely violent burning pain in the eyes, with very copious lachrymation. Extremely small quantities of the vapor act violently on the eyes and lungs. Lid. Muscular twitchings, both felt and seen, in the levator of the right upper lid, relieved by rubbing, but always returning and lasting two hours, during the morning (second day). Violent itching in left inner canthus; irresistible desire to rub it (second day, after 1st cent.).
Lachrymation. Lachrymation, aggravated by fixing the eyes upon any object. Conjunctiva and Ball. Burning sensation in the conjunctiva. Pressive pain in the eyeballs. Vision. Acuteness of vision diminished, so that large objects, somewhat distant seem enveloped in a fog, and cannot be distinctly recognized. Dimness of vision, especially of the right eye, that cannot be removed by wiping; it seems as though a mist were before the eye, or the room were full of smoke. Decrease if sight; could just tell night from day, but could not discern the large letters on a title- plate; this remarkable affection of the sight lasted, each time, after smelling Bioxide of Osmium, for three or four days. When attempting to read, letters run together, so that he cannot distinguish them. The candlelight is surrounded by a bluish-green circle, the outer margin of which is bright red; if the light is removed to the distance of ten or fifteen paces from the eyes the circle disappears, an the flame seems indistinct, as if enveloped by a cloud of dust or smoke. Candlelight surrounded by a bluish- green circle, bordered by an ashy-gray margin, becoming larger as the light was removed. The flame of the candle seemed surrounded by a green circle, bordered by a red margin, which was larger or smaller, according to the distance from the light. Candlelight surrounded by a yellowish circle; at the distance of about ten feet it had a diameter of three inches. In the evening, a very large rainbow-hued ring around the flame of every candle, whenever he is exposed to an atmosphere smelling of Osmium, even slightly. The flame of the lamp, in the evening, seemed much larger and more confused than natural.
Ear.
Earache, first in the right, then in the left ear, in the evening (first day, 1st cent.). Ringing in the right ear (half an hour after 1st dec.), with pain (immediately after trituration).
Nose.
Coryza. Constant discharge from the nose. Constant running from the nose, with a sensation as if the nose were full. Secretion from the nose. Sneezing. Frequent sneezing, with increased secretion of mucus in the nose. Frequent ineffectual efforts to sneeze. From the posterior nares, lumps of phlegm easily loosened. Sensation of fullness in the nose, as if coryza would come on. Prickling sensation in the nose, as if coryza would come on. Prickling irritation in the nose, throat, oesophagus, an trachea, as if he had been burnt with hot water. Very violent burning irritation in the nose. Sensation in the nose as though blood rushed into it from the head. Irritation in the Schneiderian membrane, like that caused by snuff. Nose and larynx very sensitive to cold air. Smell. The sense of smell is diminished (second day). Sense of smell and taste blunted. Smell similar to Chlorine. The stinging odor of the acid remained for a long time in the nose, and afterwards changed to a sensation like that after one has received a blow upon the nose (odor of blood).
Face.
Dull aching in jaws an at base of brain, at night (fourth day).
Cold jerks in the left upper jaw and front teeth, after olfaction. Pain in the muscles of chewing, after eating wheat bread (from two to three hours).
Mouth
Teeth and Gums. The teeth creak, more than usual when rubbing them with the finger (1st dec.). The pain in the right upper tooth returned, but was drawing, and was relieved by sucking the tooth with the tongue (third day). Jerking pain in a right upper hollow tooth, very painful, frequently preventing speech (have had a pain in this back tooth before, but it was of a very different character). Broad swelling above the root of an upper left incisor, with pain and numbness; suddenly, after eating pears; disappeared after Silicea (fourteenth day, after 1st dec.). Tongue. There was a red stripe on the middle of the tongue, that pined as if sore; the edges of the tongue were rough and covered with small pimples; the tongue was sensitive to the slightest touch, when eating an drinking. Tongue much coated; coffee tastes badly (third day, after 1st dec.). General Mouth.
Mouth sticky and pasty, as after a long illness (after a few hours). Saliva. Increased secretion of saliva, with frequent need of spitting. Copious salivation, with constant expectoration of mucus, with retching, without inclination to vomit. Copious salivation. Salivation. Taste. Taste blunted. Taste of blood in the mouth. Metallic taste (after two hours). Tobacco does not taste as usual, it causes a scraping in the throat; cigars cannot be smoked, because they provoke cough an aggravate the rawness in the larynx.
Throat
Burning irritation in the pharynx. Sensation of increased warmth along the oesophagus, in the chest (immediately).
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.