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Materia Medica
Ferrum Muriaticum.
Ferrum Chloratum. Ferrous Chloride or Dichloride. Fe Cl2, 4H2O. (Crystals.) Tincture, consisting of 25 parts of crystals to 225 parts of alcohol.
Clinical.-Anaemia. Angina tonsillaris. Constipation. Cramps. Diabetes. Diarrhoea. Disparunia. Dyspepsia. Dysentery. Haemorrhages. Headache. Marasmus. Neuralgia. Pleurisy. Rickets. Rheumatism. Scrofula. Spleen, enlargement of. Typhoid fever. Vomiting. Worms.
Characteristics.-Fer. mur. is the liquid preparation of Iron which, under the name of "Steel Drops," has been most used in old-school practice in the treatment of anaemia. Our knowledge of its properties is derived mainly from over-dosings, with a few provings, and clinical observations. Fer. mur. is mainly a right-side medicine, causing neuralgia and headache of the right side of face and head, and rheumatism of right shoulder. On the other hand it affects the spleen, causing pain in the left hypochondrium. Like other Iron preparations, it affects the blood, causing haemorrhages of all kinds. On venesection the blood is remarkably black and thick, so that it can with difficulty be made to flow. Weakness, restlessness, and nervousness. Poisonous doses have caused convulsions. Vascular and nervous irritability after haemorrhages; < from eating, and especially from eggs. Spasmodic cough, > by eating. Most symptoms are < by motion; < during the night and in the morning. Pressure by eating small quantities of food.-Dry cough, ending in retching.-When coughing: pain in occiput; bruised pain in chest; stitches in chest.-Pleuritic, stitching pains in chest, fever, severe cough with scanty expectoration, exudation within pleura; great weakness and emaciation.
19. Heart.-Heart affections with hectic; quick, superficial breathing cough; involuntary sighing; dyspnoea from slight exertion; painful drawing and expansion about apex; tumultuous fluttering heart-beat; small, threadlike pulse; at times double or intermitting.-Chlorosis; muscular debility; weak circulation.
21. Limbs.-Weakness, compelling to lie down.-Sudden cramps and distortion of limbs.
22. Upper Limbs.-Paralytic tearing in shoulder-joint, arm, clavicle, and muscles, making it impossible to lift arm; > by gentle motion.-Slight drawing pain in shoulder, followed by tearing, stitching pains extending to elbows; paralytic lameness of upper arm; pain < from least motion; < at night, driving him out of bed; slightly > by walking about; no swelling.-Acute inflammatory rheumatism of r. shoulder-joint, pain deep in socket, preventing motion.-Mechanical injury to shoulder-joint, with rheumatic lameness.
23. Lower Limbs.-Cramp in calves, esp. at night in bed.-Large, deep ulcer in l. calf, centre black and hard.-Å’dematous feet, drawing, tearing pains, esp. on beginning to walk; after metrorrhagia.
25. Skin.-Phagedenic ulcers.
