Vespa. (Vespa Crabro.)

The Wasp, including Hornet and Yellow Jacket.

Introduced by Hering, Amerikanische Arzneiprüfungen (see Bienengifte).

There are no provings with the exception of those by Berridge of Vespa crabro, the hornet, 30th dilution, Med. Inv., vol. 1, New Ser., 1875, p. 100.

The symptoms quoted are mainly the results of the sting.

Authorities : See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 10, p. 119 and supplement p. 639 .

CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.

• Œdema of face, etc ., Blake, Org., vol. 1, p. 320, from Hom. Rev., vol. 22, p. 270 ; Ophthalmia (Vespa crabro), Berridge, Org., vol. 2, p. 818 ; Vesical catarrh , Hering, MSS.

MIND [1]

Insensibility ; loss of consciousness ; inability to move.

Anxiety and universal distress.

Low-spirited.

SENSORIUM [2]

Fainting, loses consciousness.

A violent heat came over him, felt sick ; then turned giddy and spun round and round like a top till he fell head-long into a currant bush ; managed to stagger like a drunken man to house, got into chair, in a moment fell out of it upon his knees, all but fainting ; dashed water into his face, at length he was able to lie down upon his bed.

INNER HEAD [3]

Headache.

OUTER HEAD [4]

Face swollen and inflamed ; swelling extends upward over head.

Alopecia.

SIGHT AND EYES [5]

Vision, especially right eye, growing dim.

Eyes turned red and twitched.

Swelling and puffiness of lower lids.

Eyes nearly closed, two or three hours after sting.

Injection of conjunctiva of right eye.

Itching of eyelids ; adhesion in morning.

Itching and redness in eyes.

Itching of right lid in evening, slight tumefaction ; lids more swollen and painful ; swelling increased, considerable pain in eyeball and lids all night ; lids greatly tumefied with what seemed to be erysipelatous inflammation ; whole side of face painful and swollen ; on opening lids discovered almost complete chemosis of conjunctiva, it being raised up on sclerotic membrane more than half over eye to border of cornea, as if fatty matter were underneath it, caused by effusion of lymph ; an abscess opened upon inside of upper lid about its centre ; swelling began to abate and chemosis to flatten down, assuming instead of a semi-transparent, a reddish hue, as in common ophthalmia ; discharge from abscess profuse ; in fourteen days chemosis entirely disappeared.

Right eye inflamed for six days ; it had commenced with lachrymation ; had taken Acon. without relief ; now there is redness of conjunctiva of right lower lid ; in left lower half of right eye is a semi-transparent baggy swelling of conjunctiva extending up to cornea, and on pressing it upward it partly covers cornea ; much lachrymation of right eye, < in open air, right eyelids adhere in morning ; man, æt. 60.

HEARING AND EARS [6]

Subdued, stitchlike pain deep in right ear.

UPPER FACE [8]

Face : anxious ; livid ; bluish ; smooth, dark-red and bloated.

Facial neuralgia.

An ulcer lasting three months after a sting in cheek.

Stings in face, swelling closing eyes.

Swelling and redness of face like erysipelas.

After a sting in cheek a violent sensation burning like fire, as if it were going deep in ; a sensation followed as if something were sticking deep in, like a harpoon, and were drawn on frequently ; place of sting bright-red, elevated, and a hard swelling followed ; there was a very marked chilly-cold sensation all around red middle and this was followed by a general chill.

Face and ears became red as if covered with scarlet rash.

Face, especially eyelids, swollen and puffy.

Face swollen and puffy ; skin transparent and etiolated ; scalding urine, followed by itching ; itching of right arm ; vision, especially of right eye, growing slowly dim ; palpitation on exertion ; flatulence.

Next day, about 4 A. M., I was suddenly awakened by a burning, stinging sensation in cheek, and a great soreness and smarting along course of lymphatics down into neck ; I found my cheek much swollen and red, and there was a patch of redness about size of a florin that felt as if it were being pierced with red-hot needles ; temporo-maxillary joint stiff and painful, and a feeling of soreness ran along gums to tonsils on that side of face ; after bathing for a while affected parts, I got into bed again, feeling somewhat >, and fell asleep again ; about two hours afterward I was again suddenly aroused, this time by a sense of suffocation and difficulty of swallowing with renewal of former distress with intensified severity ; feeling alarmed, I obtained some hot water, to which I added a few drops of tincture of Ledum and fomented whole of affected part until severity of symptoms abated ; during remainer of that day and for four days afterward attacks continued to return in paroxysms of more or less severity ; submaxillary and cervical glands on that side of face became increasingly swollen and tender until fourth day, when these conditions began gradually to abate ; in immediate locality of wound pains began to assume a more constant character, throbbing, smarting and burning ; still there was a marked periodicity about stinging and lancinating pains experienced for more than a month afterward, although wound suppurated and discharged freely ; general constitutional disturbances were marked by slight rigors and febrile conditions felt mostly in evening.

TEETH AND GUMS [10]

Quaked and trembled ; teeth chattered as if he had a paroxysm of ague.

TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]

Pain for a minute or two intense, followed by a peculiar taste, a singular combination of palatal and nasal sensation, such as is noticed when a nest of these wasps is disturbed and they dart about through air ; for a week constant and annoying, then intermittent and very pungent, and whenever heated by exercise or near a hot fire.

Swelling of tongue, could scarcely talk ; pain exceedingly violent, burning stinging (Apis 30 relieved).

Tongue very red, greatly swollen and rounded ; could not move it about or protrude it, it appeared to entirely fill mouth ; could not speak, only mumble, swallowing painful and difficult.

Tongue very much swollen and tense ; considerable swelling immediately below chin, between that and hyoid bone ; pain referred to a point in middle line of tongue about three-quarters of an inch from apex.

Found her in a state of terrible anxiety, with eyes and face œdematous, and quite unable to articulate or to protrude her tongue, but she could open her mouth a little and I could see sting embedded in middle third of tongue ; I at once extracted it ; tongue itself with its root and whole floor of mouth swelled so that cavity of mouth was entirely filled therewith and then nothing else could be seen ; she could not articulate a single word ; suffered great pain in tongue, which she described afterward as burning, throbbing and aching ; great anxiety, appearance of face, mouth and throat that of severe cynanche ; great dysphagia ; surface of tongue and lining of cavity of mouth did not seem especially red, swelling being diffused and deep-seated.

INNER MOUTH [12]

Sting on roof of mouth caused immediately swelling in mouth and throat ; burning pain ; nausea and vertigo ; two hours afterward violent fever, pulse 126 per minute ; loss of consciousness, delirium ; face, neck, arms and chest swollen and red and glistening ; breathing oppressed ; swallowing very difficult. (Spirits of Camphor relieved).

PALATE AND THROAT [13]

Sore throat.

Sensation of heat in throat.

Throat greatly swelled.

Dangerous swelling in œsophagus.

Erythema spread into mouth and down into stomach, causing vomiting with temporary relief.

Tonsils repeatedly inflamed.

Pharyngeal varicosis.

Hypertrophied tonsils secreted a cheesy matter.

Swelling of mouth and throat with violent burning pains, nausea and vertigo so that patient was obliged to go to bed ; after two hours a violent fever, unconscious and delirious, face, neck and arms swollen and shining red ; respiration impeded, swallowing very difficult ; pulse 126 ; heart's action irregular and tumultuous. (Cured by Camphor).

EATING AND DRINKING [15]

Indigestion with flushing after meals.

HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]

Eructations.

Nausea, with faint feeling and trembling.

Vomiting.

SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]

Weight in stomach with nausea.

Heat or cold feeling in stomach.

ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]

Uneasiness in bowels.

Restlessness in abdomen.

Flatulence.

STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]

Constipation.

URINARY ORGANS [21]

Marked tenderness on deep pressure over renal region.

The pelves of kidneys shrunk irregularly to one-third of their usual capacity.

Kidneys enlarged and flabby, lobulated in outline, soft on section ; cortical part pale, medullary portions deep red and hypertrophied.

Mucous membrane lining both ureters much thickened and loaded with tenacious mucus.

Bladder free from disease ; mucous membrane thickened and tuberculated from previous inflammation.

Urine sometimes red and hot, always too frequent.

In urine frequent blood disks, no casts of any kind.

Irritation invaded urinary passages ; remittent dysuria with backache.

Incessant enuresis.

MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]

In less than an hour his hand became greatly swollen and painful, followed by swelling and puffiness of lower lids and scrotum, together with integuments of penis ; parts swollen more than twice their usual size ; almost immediately skin on abdomen, arms, legs, neck and nearly all of back turned purple (almost black), followed by an eruption of urticaria, which completely covered body ; two or three hours after sting his eyes were nearly closed, and this dark color and urticaria were fully developed ; they all continued about twenty-four hours, when they gradually disappeared in order in which they came.

FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]

Pain in left ovarian region.

Catamenia : intermittent ; sometimes brown ; always accompanied by pain and flatulence, preceded by mental depression, pain, pressure and constipation.

Fundus purple from congestion, dark blood oozing from incised surface.

An irritable ulcer surrounded os tincæ.

Vagina healthy, an ulcer encircled os and extended irregularly into cavity of cervix, half an inch in deepest part.

Irritation passing into pudenda, gives rise to ulceration.

Irritation especially painful in inguinal regions ; thence passing to pudenda.

VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]

Hoarseness ; entire loss of voice.

RESPIRATION [26]

Dyspnœa ; suffocation.

Respiration : hurried, 34, not particularly labored, and not strikingly laryngeal ; and deglutition much impeded.

HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]

Aching in heart.

Slow beating of heart, hardly perceptible.

Palpitation on exertion.

Pulse : small and quick ; feeble, quick ; 64 ; 160.

NECK AND BACK [31]

Beating of carotid arteries violent.

Woke with pain in left neck, preventing her from turning it to left side ; felt least when lying on back, best on right side.

Aching of part (r. side of neck) all day ; next burning, lasting all night ; cold water > burning for a time, but afterward it returned < than before.

Part (r. side of neck) began to swell that night, and was red and burning ; swelling gradually increased to size of an egg and lasted three weeks.

Much pain and soreness on shoulder blade where stings were received.

UPPER LIMBS [32]

Itching of right arm.

Hand and arm painfully inflamed and swollen.

Pain in shoulder in region of wasp sting ; glands in right axilla swollen.

Pain in left shoulder joint on moving it, as if sprained ; < on lifting whole arm and on twisting it.

Aching of hand and arm up to shoulder, lasting all day.

Burning of part (r. thumb), then swelling red, with burning pain.

Within ten minutes his thumb became considerably swollen, and whole of his face, especially eyelids, became swollen and puffy ; very shortly face, and more particularly ears, became very red, as if covered with scarlet rash ; child very restless during night ; complained of a sensation of heat and much irritation ; wherever he scratched there arose little spots, like blains of nettle-rash ; there was some swelling with redness of left hand and arm, but most marked symptom was swelling and redness of face, which reminded him of erysipelas ; after forty hours there was considerable œdema of eyelids, especially of lower, and face was pallid and puffy.

LOWER LIMBS [33]

Feet cold, except in Summer, when they burn uncomfortably.

Slight œdema of feet.

Rheumatic pain in left instep lasting a week.

LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]

It seemed as if a cutting instrument were piercing all joints ; he likened sensations to electric shocks ; arm, face and head became swollen ; eyes became red and twitched ; red lines extending along absorbents ; itching over whole body ; complete insensibility, after ten minutes ; vomiting ; pulse slow ; heart's action scarcely perceptible.

REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]

Motion : pain in left shoulder joint <.

NERVES [36]

Convulsions, if pain is violent.

Great lassitude ; cannot stand up, cannot move.

Universal distress.

Felt once or twice as if actually dying.

Faint feeling and trembling all day, with nausea.

Great prostration for several days.

Faintness.

Marked nervo-muscular excitement.

SLEEP [37]

Sleeplessness.

Desire for rest and sleep.

Disturbed sleep ; restless.

TIME [38]

At 3 or 4 A. M. : itching of right side of neck ; itching of right thumb.

At 4 A. M. : woke with burning stinging in cheek.

Morning : adhesion of eyelids.

At 8 or 9 A. M. : itching of right thumb.

At 3 P. M. : itching of right thumb.

Evening : rigors and febrile conditions.

Night : pain in eyeball and lids.

TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]

Cold water relieved burning for a time, it returned < than before.

Open air : lachrymation <.

FEVER [40]

A chilly-cold sensation in a circle all around red middle of sting, soon followed by chill running all over him, in short intervals, like waves.

Quaked and trembled and teeth chattered as if he has a paroxysm of ague.

Complained much of sensation of heat and much irritation.

A lady was stung by a wasp on back of left middle finger ; pain extremely intense ; in a few moments whole body tumefied, skin became red, and violent fever developed.

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]

Left : pain in ovarian region ; pain in neck ; pain in shoulder joint ; swelling and redness of hand and arm ; pain in middle finger ; erythematous blush on body.

Right : vision dim ; injected conjunctiva ; itching of eyelid ; eye inflamed ; lower lid inflamed ; left lower half of eye a baggy swelling ; lachrymation eyelids adhere ; stitches in ear ; itching of arm ; glands in axilla swollen ; itching of neck ; itching of thumb.

SENSATIONS [43]

As if a harpoon were sticking deep in and were drawn on ; chilly-cold sensation around sting ; as if pierced with red-hot needles ; patch of redness on cheek ; as if about to suffocate ; as if left shoulder joint were sprained ; as if a cutting instrument were piercing all joints, like an electric shock ; as if dying.

Pain : in left ovarian region ; in left stomach ; in shoulder blade ; in left shoulder joint ; in left middle finger.

Lancinating : in wound.

Stitches : in right ear.

Stinging : in wound.

Burning : like fire, in place stung ; in wound ; in tongue ; in throat ; right side of neck ; in right thumb.

Aching : in tongue ; in heart ; right side of neck.

Soreness : and smarting along course of lymphatics ; along gums to tonsils ; in shoulder blade.

Rheumatic pain : in left instep.

Throbbing : in wound ; in tongue.

Weight : in stomach.

Uneasiness : in bowels.

Heat : in throat.

Cold feeling : in stomach ; around sting ; like waves all over body.

Itching : of eyelids ; in eyes ; of right lid ; of right arm ; over whole body ; of right thumb.

TISSUES [44]

Red lines showed the course of the absorbing vessels.

Rapid decomposition of body.

SKIN [46]

Cheek much swollen and skin of bright-red tint ; redness spread rapidly in all directions over head and down neck, shoulders, back and from of chest ; wherever it traveled it was accompanied with pain and tenderness.

Hands, feet and chest becoming as red as if he had scarlet fever.

Erythematous blush on left half of body, from head downward, lasted eight to ten days and desquamated ; then rheumatic pain in left instep lasting a week.

Prurigo-like, pinkish, lentil-shaped spots on hand and forehead, on neck and all over to feet.

Sting followed by a burning sensation as if something were sticking and drawing out ; part stung was bright-red, elevated, with a hard swelling, redness surrounded by a circle of cold, chilly sensation, soon changing to general chill, repeated at short intervals that seemed to extend in waves all over body.

Intense itching of part (r. side of neck) every day about 3 or 4 A. M., lasting about half an hour, slightly > by vinegar applications (after third day) ; immediately after itching there was burning for half an hour.

Intense itching of part (r. thumb) ; it came on about 3 or 4 A. M., about 8 or 9 A. M ; and again 3 P. M. ; it lasted half an hour each time and was immediately followed by burning for half an hour ; itching > by application of salt and vinegar ; this lasted four days ; for next three days itching only came between 8 and 9 A. M. and was shorter and less severe.

Itching all over to a dreadful degree.

Subsequent desquamation of whole abdomen.

Was stung all over by wasps four or five years ago, followed by abscesses all over body, that caused great emaciation ; every now and then gets seizures of prostration, with enuresis somni ; heat especially overpowers him ; purulent catarrh of middle ear of both sides.

An ulcer, lasting three months after sting.

STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]

Æt. 16, scrofulous since birth, stung by a wasp, carious bones, severe rheumatism, suppurating in hands.

A pale, light-haired, worn-looking woman ; swollen face.

Mrs. E., æt. 58 ; œdema of face, etc.

Man, æt. 66, suffering six days ; ophthalmia.

RELATIONS [48]

Antidoted by : Apis , salt water and vinegar.

Incompatible : Argent. nitr .