Encyclopedia of Homeopathy

MINOR REMEDIES• 157and chosen by Dr. Schüssler as a “biochemic”tissue salt (see page 90).PREPARATION Sodium phosphate crystals aretriturated with lactose sugar.Remedy profileResponsible people who find it difficult todelegate tend to respond most effectively toNat. phos. Despite being generally friendlyand sympathetic, they are highly selfcontained,finding it hard to talk about theirproblems and tending to become withdrawnfrom loved ones. Fears of the dark, insects,storms, illness, and death are typical, as isbeing easily startled by noise.Nat. phos. is used primarily to treatdigestive disorders characterized by excessacidity and sour discharges. There may bea feeling of emptiness in the abdomen andchest, and a tendency to vomit or producesour belches. Cravings for strong-tasting,spicy foods, salt, and fried eggs are associatedwith Nat. phos. It may also help bottle-fedbabies who are failing to thrive.Symptoms better For cold.Symptoms worse For storms; after sexualintercourse; for bitter foods; for fatty foods;for sugar; for milk.Natrum sulphuricumNAT. SULPH.COMMON NAMES Sodium sulfate, Glauber’s salt,sal mirabile.ORIGIN Occurs naturally in the mineral watersof some saltwater lakes, but it is chemicallyprepared for homeopathic use.BACKGROUND The main mineral salt in many spawaters, such as those at Carlsbad, sodiumsulfate was also identified by Dr. Schüssler asone of his “biochemic” tissue salts (see page 90).PREPARATION Sodium sulfate is triturated withlactose sugar.Remedy profileNat. sulph. is best suited to people who areserious, reserved, responsible, and focusedon work, yet paradoxically highly sensitive:music may move them to tears. They mayfeel isolated from intimate, committedrelationships, perhaps after losing a partner.Nat. sulph. has an affinity with headsymptoms, such as headaches due to injury,or those accompanied by increased salivationor strong intolerance to light. It is prescribedfor severe or suicidal depression, and forprofound mental changes, possibly withsuicidal thoughts, following a head injury.Nat. sulph. is also a major remedy for asthmabrought on by damp conditions. In addition, ithas an affinity with the digestive system,liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.Liver conditions treated by the remedy includehepatitis and gallstones with bitter belching,colicky abdominal pains, and jaundice.There may be watery stools, especially onrising in the morning.Symptoms better For warm, dry air; forchanging position; for movement.Symptoms worse For damp; for night air; forhead injuries; for lying on the left side.Natrum tetraboracicumBORAXCOMMON NAMES Borax, tincal,sodium tetraborate.ORIGIN Chemically prepared.BACKGROUND In the 19th century, borax wasa traditional Western medicine for treatingmouth ulcers and labor pains.PREPARATION Borax is triturated withlactose sugar.Remedy profileThose for whom Borax is most appropriate areirritable, angry, and passionate. They tend tobe very fearful, even of the slightest noise, andprone to phobias. If pregnant, women suitedto Borax dread labor. Mental activity or stresscauses nausea, giddiness, and a fear offalling, which become worse for downwardmovement, such as that of an escalator.Children may feel worse for being carriedor swung downward.Classic symptoms associated with Boraxfocus particularly on the mucous membranesof the digestive tract and the skin. In children,there may be weight loss and a failure to thrive.The remedy is used for painful ulcers thatdevelop in the mouth or on the tongue, and forulceration that extends down through thewhole gastrointestinal tract. Further symptomsmay include cold sores on the lips, a hot, drymouth containing a white fungal growth, andincreased salivation during teething.Symptoms better In the morning; for pressingon or holding the painful area.Symptoms worse For cold and damp;for sudden noises; for downward orupward movement.See also Phobias, page 211Nerium oleanderOLEANDERCOMMON NAMES Oleander, rose bay.ORIGIN Native to the eastern Mediterraneanor possibly farther east, as far as China, butnow widely naturalized.NERIUMOLEANDER(Oleander)BACKGROUND The plant and its vapors arevery toxic: in 1844, some soldiers died aftereating meat roasted over a fire of oleanderwood. In 19th-century southern Europe,bathing in an oleander decoction wasa treatment for killing lice and fleas.PREPARATION The fresh leaves are gatheredbefore flowering, chopped finely, andsteeped in alcohol.Remedy profileOleander is typically given to people witha dull, sad mental state. They are unableto think clearly, and lack self-confidence.Skin symptoms are the main focus forOleander, and it may be used to treat dry,itching, flaking eruptions, especially on thescalp: dandruff, cradle cap, eczema, andpsoriasis may all be helped. The skin isviolently itchy and burning, as if it is beingbitten by lice. The slightest friction on theskin causes soreness and chapping. Theremay be trembling and weakness, andsymptoms are generally made worse byeating oranges and other citrus fruits.Symptoms better For scratching; for lying down.Symptoms worse For rubbing the affectedarea; for the friction of clothing on the affectedarea; for undressing; after breast-feeding.See also Severe eczema, page 194