Barium is also a strong exciting agent for the muscle of the intestine.
Barium chloride increases the spontaneous movements; in about 0:1 per cent solution causes a marked increase of tonus with standstill of rhythm; through strong poisoning the intestine becomes hard and stiff. This action remains after paralysis of the nerves of the intestine. It is, therefore, a direct action of barium on smooth muscle.
The urinary output is depressed through large doses of BaCl2, (just as by large doses of CaCl2). Apart from the vasoconstrictive action a narrowing of the urinary excretory passages is also to be considered.
The irritability of skeletal muscle through small amounts of BaCl2 is increased but on longer action the muscle dies. On account of its toxicity for muscle, barium cannot replace calcium in Ringer’s solution.
Through immersion of nerves in BaCl2, severe muscle contractions are released, whereby calcium can come into action depressing as an antagonist. BaCl2, produces such a hypersensitivity in motor nerves that the least mechanical stimulus produces tetanus.
POISONING
In barium intoxication, outside of the peripheral action on the heart muscle and the smooth musculature of the vessels and the intestine, there seems to be still a direct action on the central nervous system which express itself in spasms and finally paralysis of the extremities.
The symptoms of an acute barium intoxication are described by Lewin as follows: retching, vomiting, gastric pains, diarrhea, chilliness, vertigo, coldness and contractions of the extremities, tension of the facial muscles, slowing of the pulse, palpitation, increase of the blood pressure, numbness and other actions similar to digitalis, feeling of anxiety, visual disturbances, rarely paralysis. It is worthy of note that, after apparent recovery, persistent muscle weakness may remain. There are also some other symptoms which are observed after medicinal use of barium chloride according to Lewin, which has special interest for us: fever, stomatitis, salivation, swelling of the salivary glands, foetor ex ore, conjunctivitis and skin eruptions. Here one encounters the relation of barium to inflammations of the glands, particularly of the mouth as well as the skin and mucous membranes. The nephritis occasionally mentioned represents a remote point of attack.
OLDER USE
It is not amazing that, in the cruder manifestations arising out of newer experimental pharmacology, the finer actions of smaller doses of barium have completely dropped out of sight. A medicinal use of barium slats now-a-days is no longer customary in the school. It was otherwise a century ago. So Vogt states of barium chloride: If the chloride of barium is administered in small doses then initially one does not note any visible alterations, beyond some increase of secretion on the external skin. Only later with a gradual increase of this secretion one notes a greater capacity of resorption in the region of the lymphatic vascular system, indeed lymphatic accumulations diminish, glandular swellings soften and become smaller, etc.
Further Vogt states that barium chloride is quite analogous to the chloride of calcium and just like this, chiefly acts on the lymph and glandular system and the structures standing with them on the same level of organization, where it acts as solvent agent. Accordingly the reports of Vogt on the clinical use of barium chloride are understandable, namely: scrofula, deposits, swellings, hardening, exudations, etc. in the glandular structures as well as in the vegetative organs in general. The resorptive action of barium on the glands was also well known to Hufeland. So the consideration of the finder actions of barium on man from earlier times has a certain approximation to the indications of the homoeopathic school while barium as a drug has found no mercy before the modern exactitude and Objectivity.
PREPARATIONS
The common preparations are barium carbonicum, barium aceticum (usually employed like barium carbonicum), barium muriaticum and barium iodatum.
PROVINGS
The provings are found:
1. Hahnemann: Chronischen Krankheiten, 2 Aufl., p 243. (Barium carbonicum an aceticum).
2. Hering: Homoop Vierteli. Band 10,, p.95.
BARIUM CARBONICUM TYPE AND LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
One must take his point of departure from calcarea in order to understand the drug picture of baryta. A very similar constitution is designated for both. A torpid scrofula is the morbid background of it. The type for barium is: retarded children who develop poorly, mentally and physically, remain dwarfed, learn to speak and walk late, dull, will not play, learn poorly, and are fearful and depressed. They are chilly, become chilled easily and have swollen tonsils after exposure to cold. In general there is the tendency to frequent angina, also with suppuration, an important indication for baryta, which should prevent the recurrence of inflammation. Symptoms are: feeling of a plug in the throat, can only swallow fluids, aggravation from empty swallowing. They refer to the chronic tonsillar swelling. It should be noted that thereby baryta involves the mucous membranes less that perhaps belladonna and apis, but more the glandular parenchyma. In general baryta is a slowly acting remedy and must be given over a long time and thereby also stands in contrast to the acute acting remedies mentioned. In chronic throat and pharyngeal lymphatic enlargement the association with mental retardation and difficulty in heating is well known and comes into consideration for barium iodatum (as well as calcium iodatum). The chronic inflammation of the mucus membrane of the naso-pharynx in such a state causes sensations as noises in the ears on swallowing and sneezing, echoing in the ear on sneezing is under standable and provocative of further relaxation of the Eustachian tube. (These signs are stressed especially for barium muriaticum.) The flow of saliva at night with barium carbonicum likewise belongs to this field. The chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane with swelling and tenacious, bloody secretion is considered the cause of the foetor ex ore, which is not noted by the patient himself. We also called attention to it under the symptoms of acute poisoning with large doses of barium. Of the other symptoms which correspond to the torpid scrofulous type, baryta has outstandingly offensive footsweat. Cold clammy feet point in the same direction as with calcarea carbonicum. Other scrofulous symptoms: glands in the neck and about the ear are swollen, swollen abdomen from mesenteric glandular enlargement, crusted eruption especially on and behind the ear, nasal discharge with swelling of the upper lip and nose, scrofulous eye inflammation, chronic cough, leucorrhoea in girls likewise belong to the baryta child is not always puffy and plump, as it is in the type common with that corresponding to calcarea; it may be sickly, thin and look old.
VASCULAR SYSTEM
A second trend in the baryta picture comes into much stronger relief than in the calcarea picture. That is the action on the heart and vascular system and moreover on the vessels of the central nervous system. Indeed we know the vessel tonus- increasing, blood pressure-raising, digitalis-like action of baryta from animal experimentation. There may also be a direct influence on th central nervous system which explains may of the nervous symptoms of baryta, but it is striking how closely the symptomatic picture corresponds to arteriosclerosis of the central nervous system. And so this same remedy which seems especially suitable for children because of its relationship to the lymphatic system, belongs to the outstanding old age remedies because of its blood vessel effect. It is suitable for old people who are weak and tired. The great lassitude which compels lying down and the sensitiveness toward cold can increase up to a marasmus senilis. Especially numerous are the symptoms of a disturbed cerebral circulation: vertigo, anemic headache, weakness of memory or loss of memory, old age insomnia aversion to friends, loss of self-confidence, indecision up to senile dementia with childish ways. A complete series of paraesthesias which are found in the symptom register of baryta refer to circulatory disturbances in the brain: for example, a feeling, like a spider web on the face (this is also mentioned as a symptom of alumina!), a sensation as if the scalp was stretched tight. With such trophic disturbances are perhaps associated many forms of baldness which are also cited as indications of baryta, also the feeling of looseness in the brain as though it moved here and there on movement of the head; moreover, burning stitches as if from a needle in various parts; numbness, lame and trembling limbs, in particular a numb feeling from the knees to the scrotum which lessens on sitting; numbness in the mouth and vesicles on the tongue; soreness and painfulness of the soles (awakens in the night with heat and bruised sensation in the soles of the feet, better after standing up). The senile itching, not relieved by scratching, also belongs here. Cloudy vision in old people with muscae volantes, a pain directly over the eye, a feeling of heaviness as though the forehead pressed upon the eyes, asthenopic complaints, are not characteristic in themselves but only valuable in connection with other indications for baryta. Likewise baryta is the chief remedy for the end-results of cerebral sclerosis, for the manifestations of a typical apoplexy.
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,