Even before Hahnemann, acidum muriaticum was valued in putrid fevers as he reported in his apothecaries lexicon from pre- homoeopathic times.
For the chief homoeopathic employment of acidum muriat. in adynamic fevers, the provings from the Hahnemannian circle. give some support. Moreover, H. Schulz mentions a self- investigation of Bobrik in which a similar action appeared in the vascular system.
Characteristic for the acidum muriat. fever is the extraordinary weakness, especially, in the legs; the patient slides down in bed, sleeps while sitting up, the lower jaw falls, the tongue is dry, heavy, trembles and is shriveled. Stools and urine pass involuntarily, or the emptying of the bladder is difficult; thirst exists during the chill more than in the fever; the patient tosses here and there in bed; the pulse is rapid and weak, every third beat intermits (as in natr. mur). the extremities are cold; chilliness prevails and the patient is stupefied. Such is the picture in typhoid and malignant, septic, infectious diseases which holds as indications for acid. mur. Naturally not observed in this degree in the provings are weakening of the pulse, increased rate, heightened tension intermittence, attacks of palpitation, many other vasomotor disturbances, febrile chilliness and heat, dead fingers and blue nails. But in severe intoxications appear similar states of prostration. Perhaps one can bring this into connection with a rapid decrease of alkali reserve.
Similarly as with potassium chlorate, acidum mur. causes inflammatory manifestations in the mouth and throat. The halogen affinity for the throat also comes into evidence here; still the use in diphtheria and similar diseases is rare. Aphthous mouth affections and severe inflammation of the throat with a tendency to bleeding in conjunction with adynamic fevers of an infectious septic type can assist in the selection of acidum muriat.
The physiologic task of hydrochloric acid in the gastric digestion permits one to suspect that the long-continued use can also provoke disturbance of digestion. There develop aversion to eating, especially for fleshy foods, desire for stimulating foods; the taste is disgusting, foul; gas and fluids are eructated; there is an empty sensation in the gastric region and particularly in the esophageal region which is not improved by eating; in the intestine there is colic from gases which at times alternates with an invlountarily discharged diarrhea. The stool passes involuntarily during the attempt to urinate. Hemorrhoids are inflamed a blue-red, they burn and are very sensitive to touch. Warm applications are said to relieve; cold, to aggravate.
Ulcers on the skin and mucous membranes show slight tendency to heal; their surroundings are painful, the secretion foul and decomposed. Decubital ulcers are example of this type.
Acidum mur. is little used, and then best when inflamed hemorrhoids are present. In severe forms of disease, for which the remedy should be adapted, a convincing performance of the remedy is not as yet known.
DOSE :
It is usually recommended in the lower potencies.
FLUORINE
Pharmacologically, we have nothing to do with the action of the elementary fluorine molecule. The chemical preparation of the element is very difficult since it combines with nearly every substance with which it comes in contact but especially with water, forming hydrofluoric acid, HF. For actions on the organism only compounds of fluorine come under consideration, for the most part, acidum fluoricum, furthermore calcium fluoricum, CaF2, and at times sodium silicofluoride, Na2SiF6.
The elementary relationship with the remaining halogens, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, we find of significance only because the actions of fluorine can be observed less than with chlorine and bromine in the form of a gas. We are able to see modified effects only because of the very firm combination to acid or salt. Prevailing for the effect picture is the molecular-chemical relations of fluorine compounds to constituents of the organism.
There are two viewpoints to be stressed:
(1) The calcium compound of fluorine possesses in contrast to the calcium compounds of the remaining halogens an exceptional position, for it is insoluble in water. There is also an easy but final precipitation of calcium by fluorine and a deposition of CaF2 whereby under the usual conditions the calcium cannot be reactivated again. This connection to calcium is significant through the normal appearance of fluorine in large amounts where calcium is also deposited, as in the teeth and bones. If it happens that the fluorides in the organism are made active, then thereby the physiologic paths of calcium particularly its places of deposit, will be involved as a point of contact.
(2) Active fluorine in the form of fluoric acid, HF, has an extraordinary capacity for destroying silicates. This is due to the fact that the fluorine is charged negatively to such an extent that even hydrogen is withdrawn from firm compounds. Use of the destruction of silicates through fluorine is made technically in glass etching. It is the sole halogen hydrogen compound which also attacks the generally indifferent silicic acid compounds: SiO2 + 4 HF = SiF4 + 2 H2O. Thereby is the possibility given for the mobilization of silicium in the organism through fluorine. This would show us the way to the first understanding of the extremely striking similarity of acidum fluoricum and calc. fluoricum with that of silicea. If the indicated silicea fails in its action perhaps because of overdosage, then according to homoeopathic experience the fluorine compounds render good service; one knows this type of therapeutic relationship in which two similar agents follow each other well in homoeopathy as a complementary relation. But only extremely rarely are the numerous complementary drug relations chemically so well established as in this case. On can consider that a deadlocked silicic acid metabolism is again mobilized or activated through fluorine if it is only converted at the place from the usual SiO2 into SiF4.
This exceptional position of fluorine in the halogen series is very important for the medicinal trend of effect, as can be perceived in the chemical connections to calcium and silicium, and, in any case, is associated with the fact that fluorine has the lowest ordinal number in the halogen series. Also in the other affinity series, at times, the element with the lowest atomic weight, whose valence electrons are believed to be on the first eight ring, comes to have a special position, as for example, magnesium in contrast to calcium, strontium and barium; and again lithium in contrast to sodium and potassium; or oxygen in contrast to sulphur, selenium, tellurium; or nitrogen in contrast to phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. On this also depends the greater tendency to complex molecular compounds.
APPEARANCE AND PHYSIOLOGIC ROLE
A very widespread, even though slight, content in fluorine goes through the entire organic and inorganic nature. It can be found in soils and water, in plants and animals. Geologically, it belongs to the lithosphere, especially as the calcium compound, CaF2, fluor spar, and as the complex sodium-aluminium compound cryolite. It is hard to say what role fluorine plays in inorganic nature and in the plants. In any case it enters the animal body by means of plants Naturally, in the newborn, small amounts are found in various tissues and this permits one to conclude the significance of a certain physiologic role for the element. The bones and teeth are richest in fluorine, and in the alter, more in the enamel than in the dentine, in the second line one finds it participating in the skin, hair, and nails and finally also the blood, muscles and brain. Again, in the results of the elementary analysis of the organism we find the first indication of the working direction of the substance. Naturally, we cannot conclude further examination from the appearance in that there is a physiologic effectiveness on, but still there is a certain amount of probability. But in any case it is very striking how much the supportive substance is favored. In feeding animals sodium fluoride, NaF, it is the bones and teeth which show many times the normal amount of fluorine. So it is also understandable that the fluorine content in man is found increased with older ages. The content in active fluorine need not be much greater and an increased deposition as complex calcium compounds in the tissues is to be considered. This presumes an inactivated deposited calcium salt; but it is not probable that with this the physiologic role is exhausted. To calcium comes the great significance of rendering harmless the extremely poisonous active fluorine ion and in this process a good part of active fluorine action may well rest upon a sudden withdrawal of active calcium ions. Recently an influence of fluorine on muscle function has been demonstrated. It promotes the esterfication of phosphoric acid with carbohydrates in muscle by the depression of lactic acid formation.
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,