• Great debility and vertigo
• Irritable, peevish and restless
• Diarrhoea; involuntary stool while urinating, on passing wind
• Haemorrhoids appear suddenly in children

Source: Mineral kingdom
Synonyms: Hydrochloric acid
Formula: HCL
Prover: Dr Samuel Hahnemann
Duration of Action: As per Dr Clarke, 35 days

Introduction and History: The alchemist’s name of hydrochloric acid is ‘Spirit of Salt’, which describes at once it’s nature and origin. It is a colourless gas with a pungent, suffocating odour and acrid taste; it is manufactured from salt. Muriatic acid is a constituent of gastric juice and must therefore be considered as allied to the sarcodes and proximate principles of the tissues, for example, Cholesterinum. Teste, who did much to define the powers of Muriaticum acidum, groups with it Agnus castus and Hyoscyamus niger. He considers that its action corresponds perfectly to a typical case of typhus.

Preparation: First dilution with distilled water.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is suited to people having black hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts on blood, female sexual organs, bladder, anus, tongue, etc.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It has an elective affinity for blood, producing septic conditions similar to that found in low fevers with high temperature and great prostration.
2. Muscles are affected, especially heart, bladder, anus, tongue, etc, causing paresis. Mouth and anus chiefly affected.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Patient is irritable, peevish, disposed to anger and chagrin; restless.
2. It is suited for diseases of the asthenic type with moaning, unconsciousness and fretfulness.
3. Patient is an introvert.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Great debility: As soon as he sits down his eyes close, lower jaw hangs down and finally he slides down in bed.

Oral affections: It is useful for malignant affections of the mouth, studded with ulcers which are deep, perforating, having a black or dark base; offensive, foul breath.

Indicated in: It is a very medicine useful for intense prostration, diphtheria, scarlatina and cancer.

Peptic ulceration: Ulceration with fungus-like growth and pseudomembranous deposits in the intestinal canal.

Paralysis: Tongue and sphincter ani are paralysed.

Anus: Anus is very sensitive, either with or without haemorrhoids. Anus is sore during menses.

Haemorrhoids: Haemorrhoids are swollen, blue, sensitive and painful to touch. Appear suddenly in children; too sore to bear least touch; even the touch of a sheet is uncomfortable. Haemorrhoids prolapse while urinating.

Diarrhoea: Stools are involuntary while urinating.

Bowel movement: Patient passes wind, cannot urinate without having the bowels move at the same time.

Palpitations: Palpitations of the heart are felt in the face.

Urinary affections: Urine passes very slowly; bladder is weak, must wait a long time to urinate. Has to press or strain so that the anus protrudes.

Sensitiveness: Patient cannot bear least touch, not even that of a sheet on the genitals.

Skin: It is useful for freckles; eczema solaris.

Typhoid fever: Patient has a deep, stupid sleep; unconscious while awake, loud moaning or muttering.

Tongue: Coated at edges, shrunken, dry, leather-like, paralyzed.

Stools: Stools are involuntary, foetid, while passing urine.

Pulse: Intermits every third beat.

Important Characteristic Features

Oral affections: It is a very useful medicine for oral affections like stomatitis, cancer of tongue, etc. Gums and glands are swollen, bleeding and ulcerating. Foetid breath. Sordes on teeth. Deep ulcers, hard lump on tongue. Cancer of tongue, epithelioma, edges bluish red. Tongue is pale, swollen, dry, leathery and paralyzed.

Affections of rectum and anus: Involuntary stools or prolapse of rectum on urinating or passing flatus. Haemorrhoids are most sensitive to touch. Even a sheet of toilet paper is painful. Haemorrhoids are bluish, hot with violent stitches, protruding like a bunch of grapes. Haemorrhoids during pregnancy. Anus sore during menses. Anus itchy and prolapsed while urinating. Worse touch.

Typhoid fever: It is a very useful medicine for typhoid fever, septic fevers. Feels cold in bed every morning. Cold limbs. Patient feels intense burning heat with aversion to covers. Heat without thirst. Intense restlessness. Involuntary stools while passing urine. Tongue is coated at the edges; shrunken, dry, leather-like, paralyzed. Pulse intermits at every third beat. Worse cold drinks, cold bathing, by uncovering.

General Modalities

Aggravation: From touch, walking, cold drinks, cold bathing, from sitting, human voice, sun, before midnight, after sleep, after eating.

Amelioration: From motion, warmth, lying on the left side, after drinking, uncovering during fever.

Remedy Relationships:

Follows well: Bry, Merc, Rhus-t.

Follows well after: Bry, Rhus-t.

Antidoted by: Carbonate of alkalies and earth in poisoning cases, Camph, Bry, Ip.

Antidotal to: Merc, Op.

Comparison:

Haemorrhoids protrude everytime patient urinates: Bapt, Bar-c, Mur-ac.

Continued fever with extreme prostration: Ars, Mur-ac, Ph-ac.

Lower jaw hangs down: Lyc, Mur-ac, Op.

Prolapse of rectum and anus during vomiting: Mur-ac, Podo.

Phosphoricum acidum: Mental prostration is followed by muscular weakness.

Arsenicum album: Restlessness with debility and rapid emaciation.

Muriaticum acidum: Muscular weakness comes first preceded by restlessness without mental weakness.

Dosage

1. As per Boericke, first to third potency.
2. 30c is found useful till a response is observed.

Repetition: Lower potencies maybe repeated till a response is observed.

Therapeutic Value: Anal prolapse, Cancer of tongue, Diarrhoea, Heamorrhoids, Impotence, Intestinal fever, Peptic ulcer, Typhoid, Typhus, Varicose veins.