Mirza Tahir Ahmad James Tyler Kent
Muriatic Acid, i.e. Hydrochloric Acid, is a common acid deeply linked with our digestive system. Most homoeopathic doctors draw a very scary picture of Muriatic Acid, i.e. a patient whose muscles have become completely useless and his head constantly rolls off the side of the bed, with death only moments away. Such a patient is typical of Muriatic Acid. In fact, Hydrochloric Acid is routinely secreted in our stomach on a daily basis. The amount secreted varies. When the acidity increases in the stomach, it is possible that the quantity of Muriatic Acid has increased. However, the situation may be exactly the opposite in the sense that the level of Hydrochloric Acid in the stomach has decreased (hypochlorhydria). This also, can produce the symptoms of hyperacidity, because when the gastric lining make less hydrochloric acid, then due to a lack of the antiseptic effect of Hydrochloric Acid, the food inside the stomach starts to decompose, leading to the formation of other acids and producing gases in the stomach. The normal acidity of the stomach does not weaken a person. However, when the acidity increases above or decreases below the normal level, it produces the ailments that we commonly call “acidity”. Anyhow, one has to decide after carefully observing the symptoms. As soon as the digestive system is noted to be upset, the patient should be given Muriatic Acid in homoeopathic potency so as to normalize the acidity in the stomach.
In Muriatic Acid patients, the mind remains absolutely clear and alert, even if the nerves and muscles have been afflicted. However, the symptoms of a patient ameanable to Acid Phos treatment are exactly opposite to those of Muriatic Acid patients. In Muriatic Acid, the body is affected first and the mind last, whereas in Acid Phos patients, the state of mind deteriorates first and physical ailments appear later on. The patient’s ability to think and understand is badly affected. The intellectual capacity slowly decreases and memory deteriorates. After some time, these symptoms gradually lead to the weakening of the muscles. The Acid Phos patient takes a while to develop the symptoms of the muscular weakness. If the mental symptoms are treated with this remedy, then the muscles may not be affected at all.
It is relatively easy to take care of the Muriatic Acid patient. As long as the mind remains alert and the mental faculties have not been affected, the patient will be cured by just one or two doses even if he is at the point of death. The profound weakness due to the “acidity” is very dangerous but at the same time can be very easily reversed, without leaving any long-lasting bad effects. The same is the situation with Sulphuric Acid. So, it is most essential to understand and compare the nature of the various acids.
In Muriatic Acid, there is severe headache that may also blur the vision. On straining the eyes, the headache becomes worse. Furthermore, pimples appear on the face. The lips become dry and crack. The tongue becomes pale, dry and swollen. Quite often, ulcers develop in the mouth and over the tongue. Gums become swollen and may also bleed while teeth become loose.
Some Muriatic Acid patients do not even like the sight of meat, however, most of them enjoy eating it. Sometimes, the patients feel severe hunger and thirst. Some patients are so sensitive to touch that they do not even like to cover themselves with a sheet. The ailments of Muriatic Acid get worse during humid weather. The disease aggravates shortly before midnight. The patient finds comfort on lying on the left side.
The headache starts from the nape of the neck and vision becomes blurred. Sometimes, the field of vision becomes half (hemianopia). Either the upper half or the lower half of a thing becomes invisible. Similarly, either half of the left side or half of the right side becomes obscure. In the latter condition, Muriatic Acid is very effective. For quivering vision in one eye, Rhus Tox is very useful as it also protects against many dangerous conditions.
One symptom of Muriatic Acid is that when the child passes stools, a portion of the intestine prolapses out (rectal prolapse).
In the conditions associated with formation of blisters and sores in the mouth, and cuts developing on the tongue, there is a need for vigorous treatment not only to cure the mouth problems but also to cure the fever and its bad effects. Sometimes, in Muriatic Acid, the tongue becomes paralyzed. There is no problem of the voice mechanism, but only the tongue is non-functional. For such paralysis, Muriatic Acid is very valuable. The tongue is usually dry.
In Muriatic Acid, despite the skin being sensitive, the paralytic effects are more manifest internally. All these kinds of contradictions help in identifying the remedy. Though, the body appears lifeless, yet the slightest touch on the skin produces shudders. Such hypersensitivity is also found in Agaricus, Staphysagria and Oxalic Acid. Similarly, Picric Acid is also a very sensitive remedy. In all these remedies, strong pressure is bearable, although a light touch is unbearable and the patient pushes the hand away with a jerk. In Muriatic Acid, the legs and arms become cold and feel heavy. Most of the excretions (i.e. urine, stools) are no longer under voluntary control. The pulse is rapid but weak.
Antidote: Bryonia Alba
Potency: Usually up to 30
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
MURIATICUM ACIDUM
When treating a low form of continued fever with extreme prostration Arsenicum, Muriatic acid and Phos. acid force themselves upon the mind.
With Arsenicum there has been the anxious restlessness; with Phos. acid there has been the mental prostration, and then the muscular weakness; with Muriatic acid the muscular weakness comes first, and there has been history of restlessness and the mind has been stronger than could be expected.
With this great muscular exhaustion with jaw hanging down and the patient sliding down in bed and soon the involuntary stool and urine, this remedy is forced upon the mind. Paralytic weakness is what it must be called.
Soon the tongue is paralyzed, as well as the sphincters of the bladder and rectum. It seems to be eminently fitted for the lowest forms of zymotic fever when the above symptoms are present, He finally becomes unconscious.
There has been some restlessness, but nothing like Arsenicum and Rhus tox. He refuses to talk because it frets him to do so. Phos. acid is slow answering questions because of exhaustion of mind which makes him unable to think.
The vertigo comes on moving eyes, and on lying on the right side. This vertigo is sometimes associated with liver disease. A stout, full blooded jaundiced man about forty had suffered much from pain in the liver, with great soreness, was comfortable only when lying on left side; when he turned on his back or right side an anxious vertigo would come at once and he would break out in copious sweat, and be forced back to the left side. Muriatic acid made a complete cure of this liver trouble, which had been pronounced serious.
The headache is aggravated moving the eyes and rising up in bed. ameliorated by walking about slowly. Occipital headache with dim vision, aggravated by effort to see. Heaviness in occiput. Numbness in forehead. Soreness in occiput. Feeling as if hair were standing on end. Heat in top of head,
Perpendicular half sight. The eye symptoms ameliorated in the dark. Stitching pain. Burning, extending left to right eye, ameliorated washing. Itching in the eyes.
Hardness of hearing; loud crackling sounds during the night. The sound of voices unbearable. Buzzing in the ears.
The nose is stopped. Nosebleed in whooping cough, in zymotic fevers, in diphtheria and scarlet fever. Dark putrid blood from nose.
The lower jaw hangs down in typhoid fever. Margin of lips dry, sore and cracked. Burning lips.
Mouth and tongue coated white.
Sordes on the teeth. Gums swollen and bleeding. Teeth become loose. Tongue dry, heavy stiff and paralyzed. Mouth dry. Ulceration of mouth and tongue. Red tongue. Blueness of the tongue. Mucous membrane of lips denuded.
Sore mouth of nursing infants. Mouth studded with ulcers. Deep ulcers with black base. Violent inflammation of the throat. Dryness of the throat. Dark red throat with ulcers. Grayish white exudations. White exudations resembling diphtheria. Gangrenous sore throat. Hawks out foetid MUCUS. Diphtheria with extreme prostration.
Great thirst. Thirst during chill and thirstless during the fever. Aversion to meat. Craves stimulants. Eructation bitter and putrid. Spasmodic action of oesophagus. Vomiting sour. Involuntary swallowing. Emptiness in stomach, not ameliorated by eating. Empty sensation in stomach and abdomen without desire for food. Emptiness in stomach from 10 A.M. till evening. Emptiness in abdomen in the morning after the usual normal stool.
Indigestion; faintness constipation; confusion; sleepiness after eating. Pressing in the liver. Soreness, and enlarged liver. Fullness and rumbling in abdomen.
Watery stools, involuntary while urinating. Stools pass unnoticed. Dark brown stools, with blood. Much flatus with stools. Urging aggravated by motion. Dysentery, putrid blood and slime. Haemorrhage from intestines of dark liquid blood. Prolapsus ani while urinating. Urging to stool while urinating, Marked relaxation and itching of anus.
Large, dark, purple hemorrhoids, extremely sensitive to touch. Inflammation of the pile tumors, hot and pulsating; must lie with limbs wide apart. Bleeding piles. Burning and cutting during stool.
Burning after stool, ameliorated by warm applications, aggravated from bathing with cool water. Excoriation of anus. Fissures.
The urine flows in a feeble stream. Must wait a long time for urine to start; must press so that anus protrudes. This is in keeping with the general paralytic muscular weakness in the body. Involuntary flow of urine and stool in low fevers. Burning and cutting in the urethra while urinating, tenesmus follows.
Impotency; desire weak. Bloody, watery discharge from the urethra. Scrotum bluish. Itching of the scrotum not ameliorated by scratching. Margin of prepuce sore.
Pressing in genitals as if menses would appear. Menses too early and profuse. Ulcers on genitalia with putrid discharges. Cannot bear least touch, not even of sheet on genitals.
Leucorrhoea with backache. Puerperal fever with extreme prostration, dropped jaw, sliding down in bed, suppressed lochia. Stool and urine putrid and involuntary.
Short breath with rattling after drinking. Breathing seems to come from stomach. Oppression of chest.
Pulse slow and weak, intermits every third beat.
Pressing pain in back. Pressing, drawing, tired feeling in small of back. Burning in spine.
Heaviness of arms. Numbness and coldness of fingers at night. Lower limbs dusky. Putrid ulcers on legs, with burning margins. Swelling of right tendo Achillis. Feet cold and blue. Burning of palms and soles. Swelling and burning of tips of toes.
Tearing in limbs, ameliorated by motion. Pain in the limbs, during intermittent fever.
Evening fever with chill with or without sweat.
Chill mingled with fever. The image of this remedy is found in typhoid and yellow, fever. Perspiration during first sleep. Symptoms worse when perspiring.
by James Tyler Kent