Aggravation from dry cold weather.
Aggravation from eating potatoes.
Persistent constipation, even soft stools evacuated with great difficulty, must use great effort in order to void.
DOSE: Potencies from D 4 to C 30 are usual. According to my own experience I must hold D 30 as active. The slow unfolding of the action is to be noted.
ALUMEN
Aluminium potassium sulphate, AlK(SO4) 3, in its action correspond entirely to alumina. As special symptoms are cited: a pressing pain on the vertex, better from firm pressure on the place and from frequently changed cold applications; furthermore, cardiac palpitation when lying on the right side. the vertigo in alumen is present when lying on the back, and is accompanied by weakness at the pit of the stomach, better on opening the eyes and by turning on the right side.
In the catarrhs the yellow bland secretions (from eyes, vagina, urethra) are stressed, which is perhaps traceable to the potassium sulphate fraction. This also holds for the chest catarrhs of old people with abundant tenacious morning expectoration and great weakness of the chest so that the mucus is difficult to raise, occasionally spitting of blood as well as asthma. The yellow secretion of chronic gonorrhoea is understandable better as a potassium sulphate action rather than of alum. Furthermore, very painful ulcerated hemorrhoids and in general intestinal bleeding (in clots in typhoid) are ascribed to alumen. Widening of the veins appears more marked than in alumina. Likewise more is said of inflammatory and ulcerated processes in the mouth. Finally according to the provings swooning-like sensation of faintness, nausea, gastric pain with bending double, deathly pallor, blue lips, cold sensation and subsequent great weakness especially in the back belong to the picture of alumen observed with the 6th and 12 th potency. A rare sensation in the vertebra in alumina “as though hot iron was thrust through the lowest vertebra” appears similarly in the report in alumen: “as though cold water was poured down the spinal column”.
BORON
Of the trivalent element boron which belongs to the group with aluminium, in homoeopathic practice only borax, the sodium salt
of tetraboric acid, Na2B4O7 + 10 H2O, is in use. Boric acid, H3BO3 a very weak acid because it dissociates according to the equilibrium H3BO3 =H2BO3 + H, has been proven with large doses by Biswanger but actually its actions are known only from accidentaly poisonings.
DAMAGES AND INTOXICATIONS.
As a mild antiseptic for washing and instillations boric acid is widely used. That it is not harmless may be seen from the fatal poisonings when large amounts of boric acid are retained in the body cavities. Exact investigations of Rost Rubner and Forster have show that daily doses of 0.5-1.0 impaired the utilization of food (the weight and nitrogen content of the faeces increase) and the destruction of food substances increases, particularly the burning of fat. Moreover excretion from the intestinal epithelium is increased. With continuous introduction of 3 grams daily in healthy persons after 5-12 days there is a considerable loss of weight which according to Rubner can be traced to increased loss of fat and water. Boric acid is only slowly excreted and in kidney patients a definite injury may be expected. On the basis of these investigations boric acid is prohibited as a food preservative in our country, but not in many other lands.
Apart from the actions mentioned boric acid solution on longer use causes gastro-intestinal irritation, pain in the epigastrium, vomiting and diarrhoea and skin eruptions. Biswanger observed moreover, increased urinary urgency with increased amounts of urine and pain in the region of the ureter. He proved several boric acid alkalies among them borax with the intention of showing the non-effectiveness of small doses but even on himself after pustules some time progressing in a circinate manner appeared on the right thigh, an impetigo figurata, which finally extended over the entire extremity and passed to the left leg. The eruption lasted 8months and healed leaving a residual of dark red spots, 2 months later the boric acid containing remedies were discontinued.
In occasional acute boric acid poisonings loss of appetite, weakness, increased temperature, pallor, collapse, apathy, headache, vertigo, ear noises, nausea, sweating on the abdomen and at times vomiting of greenish masses are observed. The tongue is dry and coated. In addition to boric the urine contains protein. In a fatal case after retention of the irrigation fluid in the pleural cavity there was an extensive erythema with subsequent pearl shaped vesicles.
In other cases salivation, gastric pains, feeling of chilliness and heat, hematuria, bladder spasm, sleeplessness from preceding headache, delirium, hallucinations, disturbances of vision and speech, collapse and skin eruptions (erythema, urticaria, papules, petechia) were observed.
Cases of poisoning after the introduction of tampons of dry boric acid in the vagina are reported. The symptoms were: sensation of formication on the hands and feet, later on the face; mental gloominess, marked nervous depression; burning of the skin with hard swelling; all movements were painful. The patients were cold, sensation of icy coldness in the vagina, a calm collapse. Finally a case with multiform erythema of the trunk which extended to the arms and a painful swelling of the upper lids with conjunctivitis and photophobia was observed.
Rabbits die from 4 grams of boric acid in 17 hours with acceleration of the pulse and respiration, gastro- enteritis, lassitude, dogs with paralysis of the nervous and muscle systems.
According to Jaksch after the employment of boric acid solutions on esees spasms on the musculature which are not rarely followed by a paretic-like weakness. Furthermore he speaks of a hemorrhagic diathesis, hemorrhages in to the skin and serous cavities. Poulsson mentions a dark discoloration of the gums resembling a lead line. Animal experimentation shows that increasing central paralysis may be the cause of death.
Apart from the acute actions in the form of gastro-enteritis and more rarely nephritis also diverse skin manifestations, nutritional disturbances with emaciation appear, and the most diverse nerve actions so far as one can form a picture of boric acid poisoning from the incomplete material available up to present.
In general the same actions are ascribed to borax. From antiquity borax has had the reputation of promoting menstruation and causing abortion. Today this action is in general denied.
The excretion of borax occurs through the saliva, milk, urine according to Lewin. The excretion through the milk is worthy of note in respect to action upon the mammary glands and the influence upon nurslings, moreover from the fact that borax in a concentration of 0.01-0.04 Percent makes the coagulation of casein difficult.
After the internal use of borax in epilepsy in tow personal cases Gowers observed in whom the treatment was continued 8 months and two years respectively a psoriasis-like eruption on the trunk and extremities. At most the eruption differed from psoriasis only through slighter thickness of the scales.
I have made this observation the point of departure for the supportive treatment of psoriasis with daily washing with borax and am satisfied with the results obtained.
CURRENT USES
In the school borax as well as boric acid finds use at present only as a mild local antiseptic, in particular in the dermatomycosis (herpes tonsurans, favus, and especially thrush) and in aphthous stomatitis. The last indication concurs in a striking way with an important homoeopathic one.
Recently the ancient treatment of epilepsy has been again renewed with born preparations. In order to avoid the untoward effects of large doses, tartarus boraxatus (1-6 g pro die according to the age) is suggested.
BORAX
Provings of borax are found:
1. Annalen der Hom. Klin. von Hartlaub. u. Trinks, Bd. 3, p.309, 1832.
2. Hahnemann: Chr. Krkhten, 2 AUFL, 1836.
3. Binswanger: Pharm. Wurdigung der Borsaure, etc. Munchen, 1847. 4. Ztschr. d. V. d. h. Aerzte. Oesterr. Wien. Bd. 2, 9H, p. 217, 1858.
5. Woodward: U. S. Medorrhinum Invest., vol 8, p. 495 (the last however, with the medicinal use of D 1 trituration in catarrhal fever. Thereby symptoms from the uterus and vagina were observed).
In borax one must remember that we are confronted with a sodium salt of boric acid. In the effect picture both components come into evidence.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
In the psychic actions two outstanding sodium characteristics again appear, the hypersensitivity towards unexpected noises and alarm and the aggravation form mental labor. Thinking is difficult, indeed, and even causes nausea in the borax patient. The aggravation from cold wet weather, though not outstanding, designates ti as a “cold” remedy. Otherwise borax more than natr. carb. has an anxiety and nervous excitability which according to Kent often lasts until 11 in the evening and then should cease with the beginning of sleep. Likewise the poor humour, indolence, dissatisfaction with the bowels are said to be prominent. The patient dreads the time at which he must change from one activity to another; is easily terrified. Anxiety, excitation and vertigo are mixed with descent and swinging movements. Going down stairs causes vertigo, confusion and headache; the baby shows an anxious expression, grasps and cries when it is put down, carried down stairs or swung. This aggravation from downward motion holds as the leading symptom of the borax picture. We have in this lability of coordination an accord with the chief trend of the group neighbor aluminium and indeed can ascribe it to the boron constituent, particularly since disturbances of the central nervous system especially with vertigo are repeatedly reported in boric acid poisonings.
Leeser, a Consultant Physician at the Stuttgart Homeopathic Hospital and a member of the German Central Society of Homeopathic Physicians, fled Germany in 1933 after being expelled by the German Medical Association. In England Otto Leeser joined the staff of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. He returned to Germany in the 1950s to run the Robert Bosch Homeopathic Hospital in Stuttgart, but died shortly after.
Otto Leeser wrote Textbook of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Leesers Lehrbuch der Homöopathie, Actionsand Medicinal use of Snake Venoms, Solanaceae, The Contribution of Homeopathy to the Development of Medicine, Homeopathy and chemotherapy, and many articles submitted to The British Homeopathic Journal,