Cenchris Contortrix.

Ancistrodon contortrix. Copperhead snake of North America. N. O. Ophidians. Solution of venom.

Clinical.-Amaurosis. Catarrh. Diarrhoea. Eyes, swelling over. Headache. Heart, affections of. Leucorrhoea. Menorrhagia. Nightmare. Ovary, pain in. Throat, affections of. Vulva, throbbing in; eruption on.

Characteristics.-Cenchris has the main features of all the serpent poisons: Coma; semi-consciousness; insensibility of cornea; swelling of upper lip; general swelling; paralysis; cold, clammy sweat. Distinctive symptoms are: a marked alternation of moods; and dreamy absent-mindedness. The dreams of Cenchris are very vivid and horrible, cannot be shaken off during waking hours; often lascivious. Swelling above eyes, below brow, like an over-hanging bag of waters. Diarrhoea has been cured having the following characters: "Pain before stool; stool papescent cold but not chilly." Yellow Leucorrhoea; pain in right ovary herpetic eruption on labia. Hard, dry tickling cough, < 3 p.m. Restlessness and sense of suffocation; palpitation; sensation of dying. Must lie with head drawn back, she chokes so. Tight clothing unbearable. Chill or fever beginning in afternoon. Feeling as if whole body were enlarged to bursting; < in region of heart. "Awoke with throbbing in vulva and anus, followed by a dull aching in the sacral region, > by walking about." Symptoms < lying down; < afternoon; < evening and all night; < on waking.

Relations.-Laches. is nearest, but affects left ovary more than right; Cench. has difficult empty swallowing with easy swallowing of solids and liquids; Lach. can swallow solids but not liquids; Crotal. (lost sense of position and direction); Crocus (alternating moods); Kali c. (swelling of upper lids). Antidoted by: Cham. (internal haemorrhage); Am. c. (general symptoms). Antidote to: Puls.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.-Memory lost.-Lethargy.-Anxiety, feels she will die suddenly.-Alternating moods.-Dreamy, absent-minded.-Took the wrong car without realising where she was going.-When riding in the car rode past the place she intended to get off at.-Suspicious, thinks her husband is going to put her in an insane asylum; every day, 3 to 8 p.m., for ten days, yet she knew it was a delusion.

2. Head.-Hard aching pain, commencing l. frontal eminence, spreading down l. side to teeth, thence to r. frontal eminence, then to teeth r. side.

3. Eyes.-Swelling like bags over eyes and under brows.-Aching and itching in eyes; dim vision, redness of margins and twitching.-L. eye waters; from concussive cough.

5. Nose.-Catarrh; scabs; obstruction.

6. Face.-Expression bloated, besotted.-Face sallow.-Burning face.-Blue circles round eyes.

9. Throat.-Accumulation of mucus; glossy, thick, tough.-Difficult empty swallowing, but easy swallowing of solids and liquids.-Warm drinks grateful.

11. Stomach.-Nausea > by ice; < by water which = vomiting.

12. Abdomen.-Intolerance of tight clothing.

13. Stool.-Diarrhoea early in morning, on, waking.-Stool, gushing, frequent, watery, at first without pain; after several hours, great pain before the motions.

15. Male Sexual Organs.-Violent sexual desire.

16. Female Sexual Organs.-Increased desire.-Yellow leucorrhoea.-Pain in r. ovary.-Herpetic eruption on labia.-Menstrual flow very profuse; light with dark clots.

19. Heart.-Feels as if heart were distended, or swelled to fill the whole chest.-Strongly conscious of heart.-Hard aching and sudden sharp stitching in heart.-Throbbing or fluttering under l. scapula.-At 3 p.m. sensation of fluttering followed by feeling that heart fell down into abdomen; then pulse became feeble, with heat lasting until after midnight.

17. Respiratory Organs.-Hard, dry, tickling cough, < 3 p.m., even causing escape of urine.

27. Fever.-Chill or fever beginning in afternoon.