Muriaticum acidum

Sore, RESTLESS AND ERETHISTIC, but soon grows weak and very debilitated; wants to lie down; slides down in bed, eyes fall shut; lower jaw drops, etc. Muscle exhaustion. Bluish parts; tongue, piles, ulcers, etc. Tearing in limbs. BURNINGS. Dry, bleeding, cracked or deeply ulcerated parts. Thin, acrid, foul discharges. Decomposition. Violent hæmorrhage. Bloody mucous membranes. Typhoid or scorbutic states. .................... Introverted. Sad and taciturn. Irritable. Muttering. Persistent, loud moaning. Vertigo if lies on r. side. Brain feels bruised. Periodical pain over l. eye. Occipital pains; leaden heaviness. Cutting from mastoid to nape, < touch. Deafness. Nosebleed. Dark or glowing red face; with cold hands, but no thirst. Lips, sore, cracked and scabby. Dry, mouth and throat. Tongue heavy, stiff, shrunken or burnt looking (Ars.). Aphthæ. Teeth, < acids or sweets. Sordes. Averse to meat. Ascites. Profuse, involuntary stool or prolapsing bowel, on urinating, or passing flatus. Very sore piles, > heat. Atony of bladder; must press until rectum comes down. Can't urinate without also stooling. Red, swelled, burning fingers and toes. Weak thighs. Scurfy eruption on dorsæ of hands. Ulcers throb on walking. Pulsations in single parts. Sparse scarlatina, mixed with petechiæ. Large, full and soft pulse. Pulse drops every third beat. Cold in bed, in early morning. Intense, burning heat, with aversion to covers. Adynamic fevers; typhoid, septic, etc.

Touch. Wet weather. Walking. Cold drinks; bathing. Sitting. Human voice.

Motion. Warmth. Lying on L. side.

BLOOD. MUSCLES: HEART. ANUS. MUCOUS MEMBRANES: Digestive tract. MOUTH. TONGUE. Brain.

Related: Bap. Bry.

Muriatic acid

Hydrochloric Acid. HCl.

Adapted to persons with black hair, dark eyes, dark complexion.

Irritable, peevish, disposed to anger and chagrin (Nux) ; restlessness and vertigo.

Diseases of an asthenic type, with moaning, unconsciousness, fretfulness.

Ulceration with fungus-like growths and pseudolike membranous deposits of intestinal tract.

Great debility : as soon as he sits down his eyes close; lower jaw hangs down ; slides down in bed.

Mouth and anus are chiefly afifected; the tongue and sphincter ani are paralyzed.

Malignant affections of mouth : studded with ulcers, deep, perforating; having a black or dark base; offensive, foul breath; intense prostration; diphtheria, scarlatina, cancer.

Cannot bear the thought or sight of meat (Nit. ac.).

If the anus be very sensitive either with or without hasmorrhoids ; anus sore during menses.

Haemorrhoids : swollen, hhie; sensitive and painful to touch ; appears suddenly in children; too sore to bear least touch, even the sheet is uncomfortable. Prolapse while urinating.

Diarrhoea : stool involuntary while urinating ; on passing wind (Aloe) ; cannot urinate without having the bowels move at the same time.

Urine passes slowly; bladder weak, must wait a long time ; has to press so that anus protrudes.

Cannot bear least touch, not even of sheet on genitals (Murex).

Typhoid or typhus ; deep stupid sleep ; unconscious while awake; loud moaning or muttering; tongue coated at edges, shrunken, dry, leather-like, paralyzed; involuntary fetid stools while passing urine; sliding down in bed; pulse intermits every third beat.

Palpitation of heart is felt in the face.

Freckles; eczema Solaris.

Relations.' — Follows well: after, Bry., Mer., Rhus.

Cures the muscular weakness following excessive use of opium and tobacco.

Lecture XLIX — The Acids — Fluoric and Muriatic acids

Muriatic Acid.

f Debility, typhoid fever.

Diphtheria.

Muriatic acid. < „ Scarlatina.

(^ Muscular weakness from Opium.

f Rhus tox., Bry., Phos., Phos. ac.

^ r . . . , Apis, Rhus tox., Arsenicum. ( Camphor.

Muriatic acid. < ~:

^ J _ .

Opium. > < Bryonia.

[_ Nitr. ac. ( Alkalies.

Now that we have obtained an idea of the acids in general, we will find Muriatic acid a very easy drug to study. The continued use of Muriatic acid must give us pathological effects. Now this acid, when abused, produces pathogenetic effects, which present two series of symptoms for study. We find its mental and nervous disturbances under two stages or classes. Under the first effects of the drug there is considerable excitement. The patient is irritable and peevish, and the senses are all too acute. Thus light hurts his eyes, distant noises cause buzzing or roaring in the ears, or aggravating headache. Both smell and taste are abnormally acute. The patient is restless and changes his position frequently. His mind is actively engaged in visions in reference to the past and present and even to the future. The cheeks are quite bright red, the tongue and mouth are apt to be dry, and the heart-beat is quick and irritable but lacking in energy and force. If he is at all delirious, it is only slightly so. He is sleepy but unable to sleep, or he tosses about, dreamy and restless, all through the night. Now these are the transient symptoms of excitement or erethism which may occur under the influence of Muriatic acid. You are able to trace beneath these symptoms, from beginning to end, a certain amount of weakness. There is an appearance of over-strength, but it is in a weakened constitution. You know that it is not a true '

' hyperaction, '

but only an irritability, that comes under the head of irritable weakness.

The next stage, or that of exhaustion, has several grades, of course. Beginning with the mental S3'mptoms, we find that the patient is apt to be sad, and is absorded in self, taciturn, introspective, sad and brooding. If you question him you will learn that he is anxious about something real or imaginary. Headache may now appear, he feels as if the brain were being torn or bruised, or there is heaviness as if the occiput were made of lead. The patient becomes unconscious, with muttering delirium, sighs and groans during sleep, the tongue grows more dry and seems to have actually shrunken and become narrow and pointed; so dry is it that when he attempts to talk, it rattles like a piece of wash leather in his mouth. Still later, the tongue becomes paralyzed, so that he can scarcely move it at all. The heart-beats are regular and feeble. The pulse intermits characteristically at every third beat. He now becomes so weak that the muscles refuse their office. He has diarrhoea, which is watery and is accompanied by prolapsus of the rectum. Stool is involuntary when straining to urinate. He slides down in bed. He actually 'has not sufficient strength to keep his head upon the pillow. Paralysis of the brain is now threatening. This is indicated by vacant, staring eyes, dropping of the lower jaw, coldness of the extremities, and this, if not checked, is followed by death. Now these are the symptoms that call for Miuiatic acid, particularly in typhoid fever.

The concordant remedies of Muriatic acid here are Rhus, Bryonia, Apis, Phosphoric acid, A T itric acid and Arsenicum.

Bryonia resembles it in the early stages of typhoid fever. Both have that nausea when sitting up in bed, both have dry tongue and soreness through the body, but there are quite a number of other symptoms which will enable you to distinguish, and which have been mentioned in the lecture on Bryonia.

Rhus tox. , like Muriatic acid, has this restlessness in the beginning. The patient is continually moving and tossing about the bed. He cannot sleep at night. There is slight delirium, with muttering. All these symptoms are under both Rhus and Muriatic acid. Rhus has not so much debility as the latter, hence it is followed rather than preceded by the Muriatic acid.

Phosphoric acid resembles Muriatic acid, but resembles it in this respect: Phosphoric acid has apathy and indifference; a complete "don't care condition;" indifferent to what may happen to himself, or to others. That is not the condition calling for Muriatic acid, for taciturn^ is not indifference. Then again, Phosphoric acid does not cause the same prostration that we find under Muriatic acid. The characteristic stupor of Phosphoric acid is this: the patient is easily aroused from stupor, and is perfect^ rational when aroused, no matter how soon he may drop off again to sleep.

Apis resembles Muriatic acid. Both remedies have this dry and shrunken tongue, both have sliding down to the foot of the bed, impending paralysis of the brain, etc. The Apis tongue is very characteristic, and differs from that of Muriatic acid. It is covered with little blisters, especially along the border. The patient cannot put the tongue out; it seems to catch on the teeth, or, if he does get it out, it trembles.

Arsejiicum you can readily distinguish by the symptoms, which I will give you next week when I lecture on that drug.

You should also remember in this connection Baptisia, which has, in common with Miiriatic acid, this great weakness. Baptisia, however, has a besotted look to the face; the teeth are covered with black sordes, and the tongue is red on the edges and yellowish-brown down the centre.

Now, a word of caution. Do not mistake the symptoms of Muriatic acid for those of Belladonna. The novice is apt to do it. For instance, you notice the flushed face, the over-excitement of the senses, desire to sleep but cannot; these are all symptoms of Belladonna. But try to find the meaning of the Belladonna symptoms and then of those of Muriatic acid, and you will find that they are by no means the same. The Belladomia symptoms apply to hyperemia, and to the beginning of the disease, and not to overwhelming of the system by disease, as in Muriatic acid.

Next I wish to refer to Muriatic acid in scarlatina. The body is intensely red. There is rush of blood to the head, with bright red face and great drowsiness. Now the rash comes out very sparingly, and is scattered irregularly over the surface of the body, and interspersed with petechise, with bluish or purplish spots. The child is very restless, throws off the clothes, and will not be covered, As the symptoms progress, the skin becomes purplish and the feet decidedly blue. Catarrhal or even diphtheritic symptoms, the diphtheritic symptoms already referred to, may complicate the case. A thin, excoriating discharge escapes from the nose, making the upper lip sore. And so irritating are the discharges from the mouth that the mucous membrane becomes intensely red, and even denuded of its epithelium. By and by, yellowish-gray deposit forms in the mouth, and particularly in the fauces, and on the tonsils, uvula, and posterior wall of the pharynx. One of the provers had symptoms that made it difficult to decide between those of diphtheria and those produced by Muriatic acid. The breath becomes very foetid, and the uvula, cedematous. Sometimes the latter hangs down as thick as your thumb, and lies on the tongue, causing the child to gag and choke. These are the diphtheritic and catarrhal symptoms, and they may occur with or without scarlatina. Belladonna is apparently, not truly, a concordant remedy here. These symptoms may cause you to give Belladonna, and incorrectly, too. The drowsiness and disturbed sleep, etc. , of this remedy are caused by congestion of the brain, which is not the case under Muriatic acid. More closely allied are Apis and Sulphur, which both produce redness of the skin to a marked degree.

Kalipermanganicum resembles Muriatic acid in the throat symptoms, especially in the cedematous uvula, but is marked by excessive fcetor. Other remedies having this symptom are Apis, Natrum arsenicosum, Mercurius cyanatus, Capsicum, Kalibichr., Arsenicum and Hydrocyanic acid. This last remedy resembles Muriatic acid in its throat symptoms, and in the blueness of the surface, and in the presence of petechiae in the rash.

Sulphuric acid resembles Muriatic acid in scarlatina in that both remedies have these bluish spots, great weakness and diphtheritic membrane. Sulphuric acid does not have relief from uncovering. Then again, there are appearances on the skin like suggillations. Spots appear that look as though the parts had been bruised.

I have also found Muriatic acid useful in the last stages of dropsy from cirrhosed liver. Of course it may be used in any other serious disease of the liver in which the symptoms indicate it. The dropsy progresses as it does ordinarily in cirrhosed liver. The patient finally develops a typhoid condition, and becomes drowsy. Now these are the symptoms for which I have selected Muriatic acid. It does not cure; it will only relieve. The patient is drowsy and becomes very much emaciated. The mouth is dry or it is aphthous. The stools are often watery and involuntary. The stomach is so weak and irritable that no food can be retained.

Nitro-muriatic acid is also to be remembered in these cases of weak digestion. Its symptoms you will find recorded in Allen, and are very similar to those of Muriatic acid.

The antidotes to Muriatic acid are Camphor and Bryonia for the dynamic effects of the drug, and alkalies for its acute poisonous effects. Mtiriatic acid may also be used for the muscular debility following the prolonged use of Opium.

Irritable and peevish; fretful Loud moaning. Great restlessness. Sad, taciturn; suffers in silence.

Muriatic Acid This acid has an elective affinity for the blood, producing a septic condition similar to that found in low fevers with high temperature and great prostration. Patient becomes so weak she slides down the bed. Decomposition of fluids. Involuntary stools while passing urine. Hæmorrhages. Mouth and anus chiefly effected.

Worse, in damp weather, before midnight. Better, lying on left side.

Vertigo; worse lying on right side; occiput heavy as if filled with lead. Sound of voice is intolerable. Pain as if brain were crushed.

Lower jaw fallen; pimples and freckles; lips raw, dry, cracked.

Hæmorrhage; much sneezing.

Tongue, pale, swollen, dry, leathery, paralyzed. Deep ulcers on tongue.

Hard lumps in tongue. Epithelioma; edges bluish-red (Carbol ac). Aphthous mouth. Gums and glands swollen. Fetid Breath. Sordes on teeth.

Uvula swollen. Ulcers and false membrane. Œdematous, dark, raw. Attempted swallowing produces spasm and choking.

Cannot bear sight or thought of meat. At times, ravenous appetite and constant desire to drink. Achlorhydria and fermentation of food.

Tendency to involuntary evacuations while urinating. Hæmorrhoids most sensitive to all touch; even sheet of toilet paper is painful. Anal itching and prolapsus ani while urinating. Hæmorrhoids during pregnancy; bluish, hot with violent stitches.

Cannot urinate without having bowels move at same time.

Menses appear too soon. Leucorrhœa. During menses, soreness of anus. Ulcer in genitals.

Pulse rapid, feeble, and small. Intermits every third beat.

Heavy, painful, and weak. Tottering gait. Pain in tendo-Achilles.

Papular and vesicular eruptions, with great itching (Rhus). Carbuncles; foul-smelling ulcers on lower extremities. Scarlet fever, livid, with petechiæ; scanty eruption. Eczema on back of hands.

Cold extremities. Heat without thirst. Typhoid types, stupid. Hæmorrhages. Restlessness. Involuntary discharges. Bed-sores. Pulse rapid and feeble. Excessive prostration.

Compare: Phos ac; Ars; Bapt. Follows well after Bry and Rhus. Antidote; Bryonia.

First to third potency.

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.