The Nat. mur. child is slow in learning to walk and talk, craves salt so that he will eat it as some children do sweets, and when out of doors is apt to eat earth. We are told that Nat. mur. is the chronic of Ignatia; certainly the emotional Natrum family shows the effects of emotional strain or shock as much as Ignatia; and Ignatia, by the way, is a remedy we often overlook in diabetes following emotional shock.
Nat. phos. children develop improperly because of excess of lactic acid in their diet. It merits wider use than it has received, and its general features are marked by the parent substances. Like Phosphorus, it is effective in diabetes, but here it shows its relationship to the Natrums, because this diabetes is apt to be a reflex of hepatic derangement. There is much disturbance of the sexual organs; there is weak back and trembling limbs, especially knees, after coition and after the nightly involuntary emissions. Instead of the weak, lax muscles of Nat. carb. we find here a tension of muscles. There is inability to apply himself to his books, and even the effort causes despondency.
Nat. sulph. is unusually gloomy, even for this gloomy family. It is strongly hydrogenoid in tendency; there is marked aggravation from water and dampness; he may be so sensitive to this that he cannot eat food grown on wet ground; he cannot live with comfort near a body of water. Nat. sulph. has less influence on goitre, perhaps, but there is the sense of constriction in the throat that foreshadows its usefulness in this field. It has marked usefulness in the enlargement of the liver and spleen and is almost as useful in old malarias as Nat. mur. It is particularly valuable in glandular imbalance following injuries to the head; in fact, it is almost a specific for head injuries, even long after the trauma. It has profound action on the blood, and it has proved its usefulness in leukemia.
In his Dictionary Clarke lists twenty-one Kalis, the majority having been well proved. T.F. Allen said the Kali salts were insidious in action and destructive of every organ and tissue in the body, so it is natural they are frequently indicated in glandular dysfunction.
No doubt the predominant action of the group is antisyphilitic. There are the manifestations of primary syphilis, ulceration of mucous membranes, even destruction of bony structure as in the nose, as well as symptoms of the miasm. On the other hand there is the marked sycotic trend as shown by the catarrhal discharges, and it has a field in acute gonorrhoea.
The chronic Kali patient exhibits the classical stature of the sycotic rather short than tall, chubby to obesity, and with an accompanying anaemia. Here we have the perfect field for homoeopathic therapeutics in endocrine imbalance, for there is a wealth of characteristic mental symptoms varying from the dull mentality with loss of memory and inability to exert the mind, even to softening of the brain, through all the states of nervous excitability (with or without intelligent coordination) to the high-strung nervous, patient who borders on insanity or is actually insane. These people are easily started at the slightest noise; fearful, apprehensive, expect to die shortly and fear death. They may be as sad as the Natrums at times, but they are even more fearful. The Natrums have aggravation from mental exertion, but the kalis cannot concentrate enough to bring on an aggravation.
Clinically, the following brief summary suggests fields of special usefulness in glandular dysfunctions, and indicates further study:.
Kali aceticum in diabetes. Kali arsenicosum for exophthalmic goitre. They are quarrelsome, discontented, jealous; the mental symptoms recur every third day.
Kali bromatum and Kali phos. are the most mentally degenerate of the Kalis; both have developed softening of the brain in their clinical picture. Both remedies have done good work in the backward children and the aged. In the adolescent Kali brom. is often useful for acne appearing at that period. Kali brom. is useful in diabetes; emissions, importance and masturbation; and in women, affections of the ovaries. Kali brom.s peculiar mental symptom is that, when walking, he is sure he cannot pass a certain point which lies ahead of him.
Kali phos. has marked flushing, especially in young people they flush and pale because of nervousness and it aggravates the nervous strain. There is marked anaemia; disturbance of the menstrual function; atrophy of the male organs; nymphomania. Sexual excitement, either indulged or suppressed, aggravates all symptoms.
Kali carb. is such a polychrest that it is difficult to limit it to a brief citation without omitting salient points. However, it is marked by such a great weariness that she wants to lie down, even in the street. It is exceedingly useful in the menopause, in disorders of pregnancy and in disordered menstrual functions. It is anaemic and obese, with atony of the muscles.
Kali ferrocyanatum deserves a wider use than it has received. It was well proved by Bell, who found that “it rivals Sepia in the uterine sphere”. These people are chlorotic and debilitated; they suffer from dysmenorrhoea, dyspepsia and fatty degeneration of the heart an exemplification of Allens estimate of the family.
Kali iod. is one of our great goitre remedies and it also has atrophy of testes and mammae. Life seems insupportable to this patient; he awakens at night to dread the return of dawn.
Kali mur, is the outstanding member of this family for swollen glands; in fact, swelling is one of its characteristics, for it is very useful in swellings following blows, cuts and bruises. It may be indicated in glandular troubles following vaccination, and in Hodgkins disease. The Kalis tend to white mucous surfaces, and Kali mur. is probably the most marked for this symptom.
Silica has such a vital relationship to growth, development and functions of mind and body that it is difficult to limit our view of it to brief mention. It affects the development of the bony structure and teeth, and is useful in knitting tissues after operation or trauma, or in removing keloid or abnormal scar tissue. There is profound action on the blood, and this, together with its affinity for glandular swellings, is the key to its suppurative tendency. A weak spine, brain fag, feeble circulation, caries, abscesses and fistulae, hernias and even hydrocele, give some idea of its depth and breadth of action. This is one of the few remedies listed as clinically useful in elephantiasis. Remember that vaccination or suppressed foot-sweat may be the cause of your Silica condition, and that your Silica child is the classic problem “angel child”.
The Calcarea group should be studied in these conditions. Calcarea carb., especially, has a strong resemblance in the childhood symptoms to Silica, but where Silica has the suppurative tendency in glandular symptoms, Calcareas tendency is to indurate. Calcarea is apt to be potbellied; but there is the same depraved appetite as Silica, a like relationship to growth and development of the teeth and bony structure, and as much anaemia, and even more spinal affections. It has weak ankles and the child walks late; the child is fat, rickety, pale, and sweats profusely about the head. Calcareas sexual organs are greatly disturbed functionally, while Silicas sexual symptoms may be more pathological. Calcarea is the corpulent adult with full, even pendulous, abdomen, and goitre or renal calculi.
We should remember the carbons Carbo veg., Carbo an., Graph., Sepia, in glandular conditions. The major nosodes merit further study along these lines. In fact, all our polychrests and many of our near-polychrests will yield richly to the search for effective remedies in endocrine disorders.
As homoeopathic physicians, we have undertaken a labor that is vast in its expanse, yet it yields to us in the degree to which we apply ourselves to its pursuit. Our resources are far greater than those of the orthodox school; we have proved them to be potent in a varying range of attenuations to suit best each mans experience and requirements. Our remedies will not upset the balance of endocrine secretions, for the similimum will fill the demands of the system in all its parts without stimulating too much those organs which have mentioned a relatively secure balance. In other words, our remedies affect directly the vital energy which in itself establishes equilibrium, those parts which are susceptible because of imbalance becoming a part of the normal healthy functioning of the whole unit.
Let us watch with great interest the investigation of the endocrine system, but let us look with the expectant eye of the explorer upon our homoeopathic remedies, that we may meet and cure even these little understood conditions.
DERBY, CONN.
