Drug Personality Of Natrum

Muriaticum

By: Dr. Dariker Bateilin Kharmujai

Department Of Materia Medica
Homeobook.com
History & Authority
• Historically, salt was a great economic value in trade. To
produced salt, brine was collected & evaporated in large boiling
pans. Salt or sodium chloride, has long been a highly prized
mineral resource.
• The word salary comes from
the Latin “Salarium” which means
to the payment of salt to soldiers.
• Although salt was used traditionally as a remedy in some diseases (
eg malaria) it was generally considered medicinally inert until
Hahnemann conducted his provings in the 1820 .
• Because of the great osmotic power , sodium chloride in solution is
used in orthodox medicine to maintain replacements of deficits in
extracellular body fluids.
• In alchemy , a salt is any solid substance that has freed itself from a
solution or from union with soluble or combustible compounds,
symbolically with its source in the sea.
• Natrum muriaticum might be seen as the individual mind or ego
emerging from the collective unconscious, or the source of all, in the
ocean.
• Sodium is the main constituent of ECF of the body .
• It is a reminder to us that life started in the ocean & sea water formed
the fluids.
• Sodium in the body helps to keep balance or in the other words
maintain homeostasis. Thus Natrum, as opposed to calcium which has
a protective function is responsible for balance & maintenance of the
balance of internal harmony.
• In human psyche, one could say that the main anxiety of Natrum is
anxiety of keeping a balance or harmony. In human situation, this
would mean maintenance of relationships.
• Natrum as an element is also known to be highly reactive & needs to
form a compound with an anion ( negative ion) , it cannot exist
independently. In the Natrum side we see this marked desire to form
& maintain a relationship, especially on a one-to-one level.
Idea
• In human frame, the basic quality of a natrum mur is a strong
desire for relationship.
• This need of natrum patient need to be balanced by the quality
of expectations, disappointment & rejection of being able to
break off the relation. This quality comes from the Muriaticum
element .
• Thus Natrum mur is understandably a very basic salt, for it
represents man’s need to form relationships & at the same time
the ability to withstand rejection.
• Common names
1. English – sodium chloride.
2. French – chlorure de sodium. Rock salt, Halite.
3. German – chlor Natrium
Source – mineral kingdom
Natural order – NaCl
Description- colourless , transparent, cubical crystal or white
crystalline powder, odourless, taste saline, stable in air. Freely soluble
in water. Slightly soluble in alcohol & insoluble in hydrochloric acid ,
contains not less than 99.5% of NaCl with reference to the substance
dried to constant weight at 105 degree Celsius .
The mineral rock salt, as halite is formed by the evaporation of saline
waters, usually lakes. A thick salt is left behind. Rock salt or halite the
source of common table salt , is used to make homoeopathic remedy.
• Distribution
– rock salt , which is found in dead sea & in parts of US,
Europe & India.
• Prover –
Dr C.F.S. Hahnemann
 ORIGINS

• Whenever we want to employ a person for a job, we first ask him ,

“where were you before? And what were you doing there?” Now
we want to employ Natrum mur. in our practice. So, let us ask the
same questions about it.
• Salt, we all know , comes from the sea. A person imbibes certain
qualities of the place from where he comes.
• Salt also has got a few characteristics of the ocean. When we think
of the ocean we think of rhythm, the waves move up & down
rhythmically. The pain of natrum mur are rhythmic. Hammering or
throbbing. There is rhythmic increase & decrease of symptoms. The
tides of the ocean represent a periodic increase and decrease. We
find the same periodicity, in Natrum Mur.
• It has the aggravation at the same time every day. It has periodic
aggravation on alternate days. It has the periodic aggravation on
alternate days.
• The tides of the sea are dependent
on the sun & the moon. Similarly
natrum mur has the aggravation
at forenoon & full moon.
• In the mental sphere Natrum mur. again shows the alternating high
tide & low tide of moods.
• The sea is very deep & for all the activity going on beneath its surface
, it is silent, secretive and hides everything in its depths . The Natrum
mur. mind is similar to this. It suppresses all the grief & puts forth a
calm exterior.
• Sometimes natrum mur like the sea erupts into sudden violent
storms & then subsides to a sudden calm.
• All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. Natrum mur
remains depressed even if we pour happiness into it. The river
pour sweet water into the sea, the sea makes it salty. Natrum
mur looks at the
dark side of the
best of things.
• Now in the ocean , when water evaporates from one area , the
salt concentration increases there . This causes a flow of water
from other areas of the sea towards the area of higher salt
concentration. This is what causes ocean currents . So it is salt (
which creates this difference of concentration) that causes
movement of water .
• Life first originated in the sea . Man & other animals have
descended from sea organisms.
• If we analyse the concentration of cations in our blood serum,
we find that the ratio (ca : k : Na = 5 : 10: 160 ) is very similar to
their ratio in sea water. In fact our body itself is around 75%
water . Muscle is 75 % water, liver is 70 % , brain is 79 % & kidney
is 83 % . This water is actually a salt solution . Our ECF is like an
ocean of salt that surrounds our cells. Our blood & fluids are
nothing but a modified form of sea water.
AND WHAT DOES SALT DO IN OUR
BODY ?
• It does precisely the same things that it does in the sea , it moves
the fluids. In the sea when a difference in concentration of salt
occurs ocean current results . In the body , similar process is
called osmosis. Leeser remarks that the salt is the “ impulse
factor” for the movement of body fluids .
• It is the salt that is entirely responsible for osmosis . Let us
compare the osmotic pressure exerted by different substances .
• Osmotic pressure in milli osmols – K. Mg.Ca – 8
Glucose – 3
Na - 142
• Like in the sea , salt keeps the fluids in the body in eternal
motion
• A disturbance in its metabolism stops this movement producing
a stagnation.
• In the physical sphere this is represented by ‘choking,
constrictive sensation’ throughout; and in the psychical sphere
by the blocking of the healthy flow of emotions . The individual
becomes stagnant & instead of moving forward reverts to the
past.
 SALT IN OUR BODY
• Salt is one of the most essential things for our body. That is why we
all need salt .
• Functions of salt
1. Initiates & maintains contraction of heart.
2. Essential for contraction of voluntary & involuntary muscles.
3. Excites nerves
4. Maintain blood reaction
5. Maintain osmotic pressure of body fluids.
6. Helps in formation of gastric juice.
7. Helps fat absorption
8. Maintain water balance.
These gives us the sphere of action of natrum
mur. & the effects therefrom.
NATRUM MURIATICUM ( locations & effects)

Conscious Grief suppressed

MIND –
UNCONSCIOUS :
SOMNAMBULISM,DREAMS

MIGRAIN
HEAD -

SINUSITIS
 PALPITATION
• HEART

FLUTTERING

EATS WELL YET

EMACIATES

• STOMACH
( gastric juice) CANNOT DIGEST
BREAD , FAT.
 NUMBNESS
• NERVE PARALYSIS
TREMORS
STARTS < NOISE

WARTS
• SKIN URTICARAI
HERPES
 CONTRACTION AS IF…
• MUSCLES CRAMPS
TWICHES
OLD SPRAIN
NATRUM MUR

FLUIDS
DRYNESS EXCESS OF WATER
CRACKS LIPS , DRY MOUTH OEDEMA

CONSTIPATION. DRY STOOL CATARRH

THIRST LACHRYMATION – WHEN
LAUGHING , CHOUGHING ETC
DRY COUGH DRIPPING FROM NOSE
EMACIATED, ‘DRIED UP’ INCREASE SALIVATION
DRY THROAT ( FISHBONE WATERY DIARRHOEA
SENSATION)
BLOCKED NOSE
SCANTY URINE ( RED SEDIMENT) GREASY SWEATY SKIN

DRY VAGINA ( PAINFUL COITION )

Onkar Sing Khalsa puts it well in the form
of a poem
“ Awkward, anaemic , cachetic persons,
having dirty greasy skin,
Notwithstanding eating well,
Are emaciated & thin”.
 • If we study Natrum mur. in terms of disturbance in salt metabolism ,
then natrum mur. Has got effects of increased salt concentration (
hypernatremia ) as well as effects of decreased salt concentration (
hyponatremia ) .
HYPONATREMIA :
WEAKNESS

MANIFESTED IN
NATRUM MUR THERE IS INVOLUNTARY
DISCHARGES FROM
APATHY , FATIGUE, WEAK WEAKNESS OF SPHINCTER.
MEMORY , WEAK BACK THAT NATURALLY WITH LESS SALT ,
NEED SUPPORT. THE PATIENT HAS CRAVING
THE LIGAMENTS ARE WEAK FOR SALT
CAUSING PROLAPSE .
 HYPERNATREMIA ( MANIFESTS
AS RETENTION OF WATER )

LEADS TO OEDEMA &

HYPERTENTION – THIS ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PREDOMINANT RELIEF
FROM PERSPIRATION.
Let us see Natrum mur. The Remedy of
Contradiction.
Natrum mur. The Remedy of Contradiction

• Dr S . R. Phatak – he opened Boger’s synoptic key & read ,

“thin , thirsty , hopeless”. Boger has the knack of coining a general
from numerous particular symptom .
• Now in Natrum mur , he say , “hopeless”. This is the physical
generals symptom. By this it means not only the patient is mentally
hopeless but also that the symptoms of the case are hopeless or
contradictory.
• Lets us take for instance its desires & aversion. We all know of its
desire for salt & aversion to bread.
• But surprisingly its has got aversion to salt & desire for bread to
almost the same extent. In fact most of the aversions are also
included in desires in the repertory . The exception is the
aversion to fat.
• However ,Margaret Tyler in her article ‘ Repertorising’ gives a
case of natrum mur which
has desire for fat .
 Thus natrum
AVERSION mur has DESIRE
BREAD BREAD
COFFEE COFFEE

FATS FATS

MEAT MEAT

SALT SALT
TOBACCO ---------
WATER GREAT THIRST
WINE WINE
FOOD RAVENOUS APPETITE
IS NATRUM MUR HOT OR CHILLY ?
• Here again it shows contradictory nature . Lippe says natrum
mur. Has, “great chilliness with disposition to put on more
clothing”.
• Biochemic practitioners also consider it to be chilly .
• But we all know its aggravation from the heat of the sun.
Cleveland points out that natrum mur cannot tolerate the
extremes of heat or cold . The characteristic is however coldness
of the parts & chilliness relieved by cold .
• Bellokossy & Kent – natrum mur is warm blooded.
• Bellokossy further experience, gradually taught him that ,
natrum mur is not warm blooded though he may dislike hot air ,
hot baths, hot sun . His vitality is always diminished.
• This makes him often chilly , yet aversion to heat is the only
effect of the sensitiveness of his vascular system to temperature
changes & while he is sensitive to heat , he is just as sensitive to
cold . “ He feels better in winter only if he is warmly dressed or
heavily covered in bed”.
Seashore
• The second modality – the effect of seashore .
• Salt comes from the sea & is bound to be affected by it . But
again it shows both effect. It has aggravation at seashore in
some cases & amelioration at seashore in others.( this is like
carcinosin which has both < & > at seashore)
• “Burnett reports- a case of obstinate neuralgia on which he
exhausted all neuralgic drugs & not knowing what to do , he sent
her to sea side & when she came back – was worse . Taking agg
at seashore , he gave Natrum mur which cured”
 Some contradictory modalities
AGGRAVATION AMELIORATION

HEAT & COLD --------

SEASHORE SEASHORE

EATING BREAKFAST

COITION( SADNESS AFTER) COITION ( CHEERFUL AFTER )

PRESSURE TIGHT CLOTHING

HOW DR. PHATAK INTERPRETED :
• A case of chronic non- malignant ulcer of tongue . When he went
to palate the ulcer, the patient said ‘do not touch it, touching
causes too much pain’ .
• Dr Phatak asked – “how do you eat”
• Patient replied – “I do not get pain while eating”.
• Taking this as contradictory modality & taking ulcer , tongue, he
gave Natrum mur which cured in no time
A MIND FULL OF CONTRADICTIONS
• Blackie comments, “Natrum mur has an unstable mentality .
• They can be absolutely up at the top & laughing or down in the
depths in two minutes & too gloomy for words .
• They are a really a mass of contradictions. They are difficult to
get on with. They are difficult to live with .
• As Dr Borland always said ; “ They are very nice to know but
not so nice to live with”.
 At the consultation
• Natrum mur – slightly embarrassed & self conscious .
• They are apprehensive & yet do not want to appear to be finding
consultation a strain.
• They have the appearance of self assurance , almost of opposition.
• They are not the most friendly of patients & seem to be definitely on
their guard.
• They will answer all questions
usually fairly shortly , often abruptly &
do not give anything away at the beginning of interview.
• After their confidence is gained they often pour out their troubles,
but this is defensive mechanism must be broken first.
• “There is a degree of lack of balance.

• They may either be over conscientious or may lose all interest in

what they ought to be doing.
• They may either be over affectionate or have no interest in people
around them.
• They may be either full of fears – afraid of all sorts of things- or else
they may get into a state when , they say they are afraid of nothing.
• The same patient may change from one state to another. One day he
weeps from the slightest cause , the next day nothing would make
him weep. One day he will tackle anything , the next day he will want
someone to back him up in everything he does”.
• The mere idea of an emotion arouses the contrasting emotion. He
cannot cry at a funeral , he even laughs when everybody else is sad &
his eyes are dry .

• On the other hand he may be sad & quarrel-some at a party when

everybody else is cheerful & smiling. Sometimes the pendulum does
not swing to the opposite side but swing till further in the same
direction.
 Mind of Natrum muriaticum
• Here the patient hides his symptoms , hides his grief. And whatever
little he tells , it is all contradictory.

DOMINATED BY
• MIND GRIEF

KEEPS BROODING SEEMS TO ENJOY

OVER PAST BROODING ( HE
UNPLEASANT RUBS SALT IN HIS
HAPPENINGS OWN WOUNDS).
• Herring presents a good picture – “Tries to recollect past disagreeable
events for the purpose of thinking of them & indulging the grief which it
causes”. “Sadness Causeless”.
• He wastes fresh tears over old griefs.
• Weeps when alone
• Sadness aggravated by consolation.
• Sadness before menses – Natrum mur is
prove useful in what is called premenstrual
tension. So much does she want to grief that
if there is no cause in the past , she will
grief about the future ( kent )
• Sadness during pregnancy
• Difficulty in thinking ; she has to think a while before she could hit on
the right thing.
• Anxiety of conscience as if guilty of a crime – kent
• In the midst of his work he suddenly loses all pleasure , indifferent
sad
• Sleeplessness from grief. Sleepless after 2 am
• There is tremendous grief after death of someone dear.
• There is bitter feeling , tremendous anger , irritability , hatred ,
revengeful.
• They are very organised , in dependable , reserved, have a wall of
unapproachability but are externally cheerful.
 Mental aetiologies Criticism

Mortification

Betrayal Ridicule
Life
Grief tragedies

Love Failures
disappointment
Humiliation
 Rejection ( lack of
nurturing )

Absence of Abandonment ( inside

mother’s affection incubator feeling )
Psychic manifestation
Closed or
open

Lack of
balance

Conscientious Affectionate or
or withdrawn detached
 Loyal & Closed &
dedicated withdrawn

Difficult to
forgive
Fear Resentful ( on
rejection the guard ) Angry –
Sensitive vulnerable ,
impatient
 Angry

Retain
Past dwelling

Hatred
THE APPEARANCE OF NATRUM MURIATICUM
Face
• Heavy persons.
• Greasy.
• Withdrawn
• Pale , puffy face ( due to sodium stagnation)
• Dry looking, wrinkled ( due to Nacl depletion )
• Greasy, shiny , sweaty.
• Oily, shiny, as if greased.
• Old looking
BODY LANGUAGE
• Sit with their arms crossed-
defensively in interview.
LIPS
• Dry with crack in centre ( especially upper lip).
VOICE
• Low pitched, not clear.
• Sensitive to noise, high pitched music.
• Speech – confused.
 TONGUE
• Geographical or mapped. Frothy coating on tongue, with bubbles on
side. Sense of dryness.
• Numbness , tingling of tongue,
lips & nose.
• Vesicles & burning on tongue,
as if there was a hair on it.
• Tongue mapped. Loss of taste.
 DRESS
• Dark
• Non – attractive ( giving message: don’t come near me).
• Indifferent to dress, hair disarray,
unfashionable clothes.
• Wears thick, awkward glass.
NAILS
• Thick corrugated with ridges.
• Hangnails; ingrowing toe nails.
• Twitching – sensation.
MAKING APPOINTMENT
• Will reflect a “closed” aspect while making appointment.
• Inflexibility (supposed wants Saturday at 6 p.m. appointment).
• Will appear on time on the day of appointment!
• After 1 year of treatment, may open her feelings more freely and
be a very loyal patient of yours!
SIT & BEHAVE
• Leaning back.
• Closed.
• Arms crossed non interested attitude.
• Sits there with crossed hands
clasped tightly to the chest,
holding in his anger,
resentment or unhappiness.
GESTURE
• Pendulous abdomen, suspended from a narrow strip of a throat on
which is mounted a head.
• Persona is “heavy”.
• Non – communicative, hides.
• Leaning away from the physician.
• Kleptomania, thumb – sucking.
• Children suck their thumb & bite their nails, children who are afraid
of worms & small animals.
• Indifferent to dress is a humiliation , to apologise is extremely
difficult.
• Admits his errors by his actions – but cannot say sorry.
• Inflexible , unbending, pillar- of – salt personality.
• Cannot hide feelings of displeasure, critical feelings or disgust –
if he says nothing, his silent disapproval is apparent.
• Inability to pretend.
• Fastidious, perfectionist , always on time.
• Too serious & overly proper & responsible.
• Serious appearance.
• Practical & unflattering hairstyle
• Wears thick , awkward glasses
• Face & lips are thin and pinched.
• Skin is pale & fine with blue veins showing.
• Obsesses with social injustice & inequity.
• Difficulty expressing anger- retains it , allows it to fester – mourns
the past.
• Unpredictable behaviour.
• If Nat Mur conceives and aversion ,
he cannot tolerate that person’s
presence for a single moment.
• Uses alcohol to loosen inhibition
“ when I drink I love everyone”
• Bites fingernails.
• Introverted , overly serious.
IRRITABILITY , IMPATIENCE
• Projects a leave me alone attitude.
• Rejection of sympathy – feels he must go through his difficulties
alone, no one can help him.
• Clutch their hand –ups and
emotional knots – depressions &
neuroses are like a blanket –
protective and also smothering .
LOOKS
• Small
• Underweight for her age.
• Serious.
• Relatively dark skin.
• Thin neck – long, like a Giraffe
• Weak, wasted cold clammy hands
• Fine, thin, translucent
• Obesity and oedema ( from salt retention).
• Neck is long & thin but patient often heavy in thighs & buttocks.
BEHAVIOURAL
• Imbalanced • Screaming
• Aloof • Fretful
• Not sociable • Irritable
• Closed • Awkward
• Withdrawn • Hurried
• Depressed • Clumsy
• Awkward , hasty , drops
things.
PERSONALITY
• Closed ( sad, depressed)
• Resentment
• Sensitive
• Vulnerable
• Loyal
• Irritable
 Long neck, emaciation proceeds downwards

non – communicative leaning away firm handshake

 Awkward , hasty, drops things

Sit with arms crossed : defensive Nail biting, thumb sucking

Reaction to emotions
• Grieving or sad mood: Silent
• Anxious mood : before menses.
• Aggressive mood: Rage from consolation.
• Personality: Resentful.
• Envious mood : Hatred & revengeful.
• Miserable nature: Indifference to pleasure.
• “The entire nervous economy is in the state of fret & irritation”
kent
IS NATRUM MUR ALWAYS AVERSE TO
CONSOLATION ?
• It is generally accepted that Natrum mur is averse to consolation & is
aggravated by it . As Patersimilias rhymes,

“Though he wasn’t quite as well as he seemed to be,

He concealed it as he didn’t like sympathy”

Kripal Sing Bakshi puts it,

“ The more you console the more he cries,
Detest all company & away he flies”
Lets us go back to Natrum mur's Different authors have
reaction to consolation. different viewpoints on
this.
• Borland explains , “They carves attention yet, if it is given, they
are just about as disagreeable as they can be. They resent it if they do
not get it , and are dissatisfied if they do”.

• Bellokosy opines “The books say that consolation aggravates &

makes angry . It does sometimes; but just as often it is soothing &
craved by the patient exactly as in Pulsatilla. Consolation makes him
feel better is therefore not a symptom counter-indicating Natrum
mur”.

• Pulford say ,that the Natrum mur. Patient “bids for sympathy yet
(has) anger when consoled”.
• Margery Blackie adds, “The Natrum mur likes attention. They
pretend they do not like it, that they do not want attention ad they
do not want consolation and all these”.

• Whitmont analyses, “Natrum mur. Feels isolated & lonely , the

patient longs for love & sympathy , but an inner command, as it
were, forbids their acceptance. An inaudible voice of his ego urges
him to find the source of strength within himself”.
• Twentyman reasons: “Under the stronger emotional challenges they
become irritable, even impossible & I think , this accounts for the
often repeated phrase that they object to sympathy. Its is not
sympathy discreetly , tactfully , offered that they object to, but they
fear being involved, overwhelmed in an emotional situation beyond
their control. They excel in a gentle sympathy which keeps
uninvolved & people hence may go to them in their troubles”.

• Hamish Boyd opines, “they dislike sympathy but at the same time
crave attention which they consider due to them”.
• Hubbard writes that Natrum mur . Is a “ closed book,
taciturn, secret , sad , yet craving love & saved by it”.
 Discussion
• We can only emphasise again that aggravation from consolation
does not rule out Natrum mur.
• We believed that the core personality of Natrum mur needs
consolation & craves attention, but often something , may be the
past experience & disappointments , make the patient chary when
offered sympathy.
RELATIONSHIP
• Natrum mur & Sepia are complementary remedies. Both come from
sea.
• Sepia must be containing some portion of salt. Both have similar
mental states.
• They have the depression, weeping, dwelling on past unpleasant
events & irritability . Both are worse from consolation. Both have
action on female genital organs. They have the prolapse uteri, painful
coition & troublesome scanty , delayed menstruation.
 The differences are as follows:
Natrum mur Sepia

Irritability , contradictory Indifferent

Satiety of life Aversion to loved ones
Dwelling on past grievances marked Less mark
Weakness & nervous exhaustion Vascular commotions predominate
predominates , e.g . headache, e.g. flushes of heat , sweat, varicose
palpitation, paralytic effects etc. veins etc.
crack in the middle of the lips. Yellow saddle across the nose

< with sun, forenoon No characteristic time modality

< from exertion Relief from exercise.

• Ignatia is acute of Natrum mur. Both these remedies are very close.
But ignatia is more superficial, short acting.

• The symptoms common to both are sadness, tearfulness, nervous ,

faintness , numbness and ailments due to strong emotional
disturbances . Aggravation from consolation & silent grief.
 The differences are only in the degree of
various symptoms:
NATRUM MUR IGNATIA

IRRITABILITY INTROSPECTION

HEADACHE , GIDDINESS, TWITCHING & JERKING MARKED

PALPITATIONS MARKED

SADNESS, AVERSION TO CONTRADICTORY , HYSTERICAL

COMPANY & CONSOLATION IS SYMPTOMS ARE MORE
MARKED MARKED.
COMPLEMENTS FOLLOWS WELL ANTIDOTE
AFTER
SEPIA IGNATIA ARSENIC

PHOSPHORUS APIS PHOS . NUX V. APIS

CARCINOSIN BRYONIA NITRUS SPIRITUS

DULCIS
A small poem, summarizing the effects of
Natrum mur
 Oh salt!
You move the sea.
The deep blue sea,
And the sea within me.

Without you
The flow is stopped.
Too much somewhere,
Too little elsewhere.

The mind
Stops flowing is dammed.
Waves upward & downward.
And finally reverts backward
 The muscles
Which you move, stop moving.
Get cramped, become weakened,
Look thin, feel shortened.

Come salt!
Move the muscles, free the mind
Make the fluids move again,
Make life flow again.
By - Dr. Dariker Bateilin Kharmujai