Picric Acid. Carbazotic Acid. Tri-nitro-carbolic Acid. (C6H2(NO2)3OH). Trituration. Solution in rectified spirit.
Clinical
Acne. *Anaemia. Brain, base of, pain in. *Brain-fag, Burns. Cancerous cachexia. Condylomata. Debility. Diabetes. Ears, boils
in. *Emissions. Enuresis. Epistaxis. *Erotomania. Erythema. *Haemoglobinuria. Hands, perspiration of. Headache, of students. Hemiplegia. Jaundice. *Leucocythaemia. Liver, congestion of, fatty. *Locomotor ataxia. *Lumbago, Myelitis. Neurasthenia. Otitis, *Paralysis. Paraplegia. Pernicious anaemia. Priapism. Pruritus vulvae. *Self-abuse. Spinal exhaustion. Spinal irritation. Spinal sclerosis. Styes. Sycosis. Urine, bloody. Writer’s cramp.
Characteristics
*Pic-ac. was discovered by Hausmann in 1788. It is formed by the action of *Nitric acid on Carbolic acid, Salicin, Silk, and many other substances. It crystallizes in bright yellow needles or scales, of very bitter taste, sparingly soluble in water. The yellow colour is imparted to the eyes and skins of patients who take it in the crude, and it not only produces a semblance of jaundice, but actually disorganizes the liver if pushed. In some experiments by Parisel (*C. D. P.) these symptoms were observed: Buzzing and whistling in ears, sparks, whirling round of objects, heaviness of head alternately with sense of emptiness. Moderately copious, *oily-looking, yellowish stool, with amelioration of cerebral symptoms. Pulse slow, small, very feeble. *Great weakness, compelling to lie down, limbs hardly able to stir themselves, no anxiety, profound calm. *Vivid colouration of sclerotics and integuments, urine coloured blood-red. These were
effects of 0.5 gr. doses. Slow poisoning set up an intermittent fever of quotidian type, and “anorexia, thirst, often sweat, *cancerous tint about skin, tendency to cachexia.” These observations give the chief features of the drug’s action: Fatigue, mental and bodily, symptoms worse by least exertion, fatigue going into actual paralysis, brain fatigue, nerve fatigue, at the same time absence of anxiety indifference. Like so many other *yellow substances, *Pic-ac. acts powerfully on the liver, and produces jaundice, cachexia, and cancerous tints. “Tired-out, washed-out feeling must give in,” is the chief keynote of *Pic-ac. and its salts. Nash cured promptly with *Pic- ac. 6 trit. and old man who had been failing for a year, and complained of heaviness in the occiput, inability to exert the mind, talk, or think, and general “played-out” feeling. Nash had feared brain softening. Halbert (Clinique, September, 1898) reports a case illustrating the power of *Pic-ac. over the effects of fatigue in professional neuroses. A stenographer and typewriter after using her right index finger continuously for six years, noticed weakness of her thumb and index, and inability to hold pen or pencil. Next there was difficulty in striking correctly the keys of the typewriter and some wrist-drop. The finger when Halbert first saw her was quite rigid and straight, showing extreme spasticity. Massage, electricity, &c., had failed to give nay relief. *Pic-ac. 3x six times daily cured the case and made great improvement in the patient’s general health. Evans has found it curative in girls and young women who, under the strain of many studies, show signs of breaking down lose appetite, sleep lightly and lie awake (*Pic-ac. 30 caused a patient of mine, previously a good sleeper, to lie awake a long time at nights. ***J. H. C.), exhaustion after the day’s studies, fatigue even from a short walk, twitchings of muscles when asleep or awake, hysterical state, loss of will power, constant headache, irregular menses. Such patients are usually given iron, which does little or no good. Pic-ac. and its compounds are among the most powerful explosives known, lydite being an example. Pic- ac., like Gloninum, has occipital headaches and bursting headaches. The headache, frontal or occipital, is worse on any attempt to use the mind, and it may extend down the spine. There is also a headache extending from the top of the spine up over the head to the eyes. In a case of spinal irritation I relieved with Pic-ac. 30 a pain which shot up from the spine into the head. The pains referable to the spinal cord are strongly marked. Any attempt to study causes burning along spine, with great weakness of back and legs, soreness of muscles and joints. To the spinal congestion must be attributed the remarkable disturbance in the sexual sphere: Priapism, penis distended almost to bursting. Terrible erections, disturbing sleep. When over-excitement of sexual system is associated with spinal or cerebellar affections in either sex. Great sexual desire with emissions. Amorous fancies. On the skin Pic-ac. produces jaundice with itching, small painful furuncles, particularly in the auditory meatus, and erythema and pruritus of abdomen and feet. Thery of Paris accidentally discovered in Pic-ac. solution a remedy for burns. He twice dropped burning matter on his hands while working with a Pic-ac. disinfectant, and was astonished at the absence of pain or injury. From that date Pic-ac. became his principal remedy for burns, and though others have complained that it caused violent pains, Thery has only once in some thousands of cases had to abandon its use on that account. A. C. Blackwood (Clinique, October, 1898, H. W., xxxiv. 133) gives the details of its use. Burns of the first and second degree only are suitable. A saturated solution (Pic-ac. gr. x to alcohol iii.) diluted with one quart of water is used. The clothing is removed and the burnt surface cleansed with the solution and absorbent cotton. Blisters are opened but the epithelial covering is carefully preserved. If extensive, the whole surface may be bathed with the solution, and strips of sterilized gauze soaked and applied to entirely cover it, a layer of absorbent cotton held with a light bandage over all. After three or four days the dressing is removed carefully after thorough moistening, as it adheres closely. The second dressing is applied as at first, and allowed to remain a week. Blackwood finds it painless, anodyne, antiseptic, preventing inflammation and suppuration and septic poisoning. It coagulates the albuminous exudation, and healing takes place under the coagulum. The staining of the hands and linen caused by the dressing can be removed by Boracic acid. Gaucher (*Sem. *Medorrhinum, *May 26, 1897) has removed acute vesicular eczema by the same treatment. The skin and kidneys are intimately related, and *Pic- ac. has a powerful action on the latter. Among other affections it has cured diabetes. Halbert (*Clinique, quoted H. W., xxxiv. 542) reports this case: Mrs., C., 49, had “nervous prostration” since the shock of the loss of a child three years before. Wasting with great appetite. Intense thirst and copious urination, especially at night. Great perspiration and some jaundice. Heart flabby, mitral bruit, dyspnoea, emaciation, anaemia, exhaustion. Urine 1040, 7 1/2 per cent. of sugar and some albumen. *Pic-ac. 6x six times daily. Rapid and continuous improvement followed. Kent (*H. P. vii. 168) says *Pic-ac. cures fig-warts and gonorrhea, he was led to infer its relation thereto by its power over pernicious anaemia, which he has often traced to a gonorrheal base. *Pic-ac. is suited to dark complexioned persons, with dirty appearance about knuckles (from bile pigments), anaemic and cachectic persons, worn-out person, overtaxed mentally and bodily. *Peculiar sensations are: As if sand, or sticks, in eyes. As if throat would split. As if legs enclosed in elastic stockings, as if chest encircled in a tight band. Pricking as from needles in legs. As of a lump back of thyroid cartilage. As if stairs or ground coming up to meet him. As of ants crawling over surface. Nose-bleed accompanies heat and congestion of head. Heaviness of head alternates with emptiness. The right upper part of the body is more affected than the left, the left leg more than the right. Touch worse pimples. The headache is better by binding head tightly, better by rest, lying down. Worse By motion, walking, raising head, sitting up, stooping, ascending stairs. Worse By study or slightest mental exertion. The throat is better by eating, worse empty swallowing. Turning over, and turning the head worse headache. Worse Morning, 5 a. m. nausea. Open air and cold room ameliorates headache. Work in open air causes prostration. Wet weather worse pains. ameliorates From cold air and water. Chilliness predominates. Lamp light, strong light, moving eye worse pain in eyes. During and after micturition, burning.
Relations
*Compare: Am. Pic., Calcarea Pic., Ferrum Pic., Zn. Pic. Spinal exhaustion. Acid oxalicum (Acid oxalicum more numbness, blueness, pains in small spots, symptoms worse thinking of them. Pic-ac. more heaviness, extreme spinal softening). Tired feeling, exhaustion from sexual excess, Phos-ac. Fatty degeneration, sexual excess
and priapism, brain-fag, congestive vertigo, burning in spine, Phosphorus (Phosphorus has more irritability and excessive sensitiveness, sexual excitement very strong, Pic. c. has more intense erections but less marked lasciviousness). Brain-fag, inability to study, gastric symptoms, sour eructations, worse morning, Nux. Brain- fag, occipital headache, sexual neurasthenia, Gelsemium Lascivious thoughts in presence of women, Conium Headache and backache, Arg-n. Spinal pains, Alumina (Alumina pain as if hot iron had been thrust into the part). Nervous exhaustion, sensitive spine, Silicea (Pic- ac. washed out, *must give in, sil. *won’t give in). Nervous exhaustion, Zn. Violent erections, Cantharis, Graphites, Hyo., Phosphorus, Mygale, Silicea Acne, K. bro., Bells., Arc t. left Hands sweat, Silicea Burning in back, Lycopodium, Phosphorus Writer’s cramp, Gelsemium, Platina
