These patients in contrast to the Arsenic type want to keep absolutely still, and movement of any kind greatly increases their distress.
In addition to the general distress, most of these Oxalic acid patients complain of very definite sharp precordial pains. These pains are not like the typical anginous stab but more of a sharp pricking sort of pain which usually comes through from the back and may run up left side of the sternum towards the clavicle, or down the left side of sternum into the epigastrium.
The most startling cases giving this picture that I have seen have been in the critical stage of an influenzial pneumonia where the patient was just fading out, having lost all strength and the heart failing rapidly. I think all the patient of that type that I have seen have been left basal pneumonias. I remember seeing two or three patient who apparently were doing quite well on Natrum sulph. react beautifully to Oxalic acid. But one does get indications for its use chronic cases as well.
He wrote a number of books: Children's Types, Digestive Drugs, Pneumonias
Douglas Borland died November 29, 1960.