Aurum Muriaticum
Auric Chloride
The essential features
Aurum muriaticum is a remedy with a great deal of feeling; it is the most passionate and romantic remedy, with particularly erotic feelings. It is a tubercular remedy par excellence, and may be said to stand between Stannum and Tuberculinum. You may find an individual who has suffered with tuberculosis in her younger years but has been cured by modern medicine. This person goes through a period of emotional stress later on in life – due to an unhappy love affair perhaps – and her health starts to decline. A hacking cough may appear out of the blue and show no sign of abating, shortness of breath can develop, and depression may set in sooner or later. The patient cannot sleep, loses her appetite, is restless, anxious, dissatisfied; her health declines fast and yet she does not want to admit that she is seriously ill, to the point where if somebody reminds her of this issue she becomes angry. She cannot face reality, soon takes to Valium and Tavor and you have a case in hand that looks like a serious case of anorexia nervosa with tuberculosis lurking underneath. If she does not take the remedy soon, surely you will have to put her in hospital with a very bad prognosis. In short you have a case that looks very much like theLady with the Camelias.
Aur-mur has anxiety about health more than any other of the Aurums. The patient has a deep concern about his health, he feels that something very serious is going on, but he does not want to speak about it with unqualified people. The Aurum muriaticum individual is an extremely anxious person prone to palpitations. The feelings are very much alive in this remedy and therefore when hurt the heart is affected. “Thinking about his complaints caused the heart to beat strong and fast” is how this is described in the texts. It is also a remedy that should be thought of in cases where there is a combination of insomnia, sciatic neuralgias and depression, when all this is coupled with a deep inner anxiety about health that is not always expressed as such to the attending physician. It is actually a preoccupation with death, and fear of death is a strong feature for this remedy. In the last stages though we may see a desire for death.
The Aurum muriaticum patient is a very sane individual, but when his health is mentioned he cannot remain calm and logical. He imagines he has all kinds of diseases. In this remedy we do not see the specific fear of heart disease that we see in the Aurum, but a general fear of any kind of disease. Even simply thinking about his condition causes palpitations; an overwhelming anxiety overtakes him and then he has strong palpitations. This is momentary but very strong.
If the patient stays alone his mind revolves around his health problems, and the more he thinks about them the more he sinks into anger and depression. It is a peculiarity of this remedy that the patient feels really angry because he is sick, angry that he has to put up with all this care necessary to his health. His family members may often ask what is wrong with him, as they observe that he is not feeling well, and he will decline to give them an answer. He will be irritable and usually he will give the answer: “nothing is the matter”. Such is the attitude of this remedy that the patient feels anger when someone mentions the state of his health. He does not want others to think about him as a sick individual, he cannot tolerate this attitude.
We have seen that “angry when thinking of his complaints” is a strong keynote of this remedy. But all this thinking takes place when the patient is left alone. This is why he likes to be with others and discuss different matters, never health matters. He desires company for this reason. He will not discuss his condition, but is simply relieved because his mind is not revolving constantly on his ailments. In the texts it says: “His mind dwells upon his broken health until he becomes low-spirited and desires death”.
Aurum muriaticum is a heart remedy where, as we have said, emotions have an important repercussion on the heart and its function. These patients are excitable people who will be strongly attached to their lover, and who can get extreme pleasure from sexual play. Sexual excitement is a feature of this remedy. A woman may produce several orgasms before being able to go to sleep. Men have exhausting erections. We notice a special activity in the sexual organs and the sexual hormonal system seems to be in an excitable state. These individuals are passionate and faithful, not out of conviction but simply out of pleasure. They get attached to one partner and this gives them pleasure, they do not want to change it. They are rather refined individuals, the most refined of all the Aurums, with a vivid erotic imagination. They will not fall in love with someone with whom it is not possible to have a close relationship, as the Natrum muriaticum patients do, but they are unhealthily romantic in their attachments. There is an element of sadness and pleasure mixed in their romantic attachments. It is the tubercular miasm mixed with syphylis.
Aurum muriaticum are very sensitive people who are deeply affected by grief, by insults, by mortification. They suffer from intolerable and extreme mental or physical restlessness, which must be relieved. This may often involve going out for a walk and spending hours walking in the open air until eventually they feel better. A strong keynote of this remedy is amelioration in the open air, almost more than Pulsatilla; but what really makes them feel good is the wind blowing in their face. The wind is like a live element that brings life back to them, also an inner calm and joy. The patient loves the wind, “opens her arms to hug it”. “He walks the streets slowly, to be in the open air which ameliorates; he is much worse in the house, and in the warm room.” There is almost a psychic desire for the wind. This remedy has a delicate constitution, with refined, romantic, sensitive feelings. Aurum muriaticum people are definitely those human samples of degeneration and refinement that have resulted from generations of syphilitic and tubercular undermining.
Children have a very delicate constitution, with a fine head, fine features, fine hair, small eyebrows, small nose, very white skin and an angelic look with some sadness in it. They will easily develop swelling of the cervical glands, and their intense but hidden emotions can lead them to tuberculosis.
The adults are excitable people who start or jump easily when spoken to, and start in their sleep. When depressed they lose interest in their work and go into a weeping mood. They soon develop an aversion to their occupation. Indolence, aversion to work. Indisposition for mental work. Aversion to business. They feel tired, with loss of energy especially when their feelings are hurt, or when depressed. One point of differentiation from Aurum met. is the fact that usually Aurum muriaticum patients have sadness alternating with periods of excessive elation or joy, whereas Aurum-met. has a constant and deep depression. “Very bright and happy, with occasional fits of depression.” These patients can be extremely irritable and capricious. Nothing can be done to please them when in such a state.
States of extreme irritability and anger can alternate with severe depression.
This remedy will be indicated in the particular group of homosexuals that has had several suppressed syphilitic and gonorrheal infections and where as a secondary reaction warts, condylomata, glandular swellings and indurations develop, especially when all this condition is accompanied by occasional depressions and constant worry about health with palpitations.
Generalities
It has cured rheumatic fever with heart involvement. Diabetes where polyuria is mostly at night or at least much more pronounced than in the day time. Sinusitis affecting mostly the left frontal sinus with severe pain on bending head forwards. Mental depression, sciatica and loss of sleep. Dropsical states from heart disease, from liver affections, with albumen in the urine. Paralysis of the bladder with frequent urination during night. Multiple sclerosis, especially if the cause was traumatic, either by a fall or grief. Morvan’s disease (chorea) greatly improved under its use. It is a most useful remedy in patients suffering from the chronic effects of gonorrhoea and syphilis, where fig warts and syphilitic ulceration are present together. Valuable in haemorrhages from the uterus at climacteric and after. Catarrhal and glandular affections are marked. The glands and parts inflamed become indurated. It has been useful in cancerous glands. Inflammation of the bone and periosteum. Caries of the joints, with nightly boring and gnawing pains. The pains are tearing.
It has many bone symptoms and pains worse at night. Drawing, tearing in various parts. Fulness of the veins all over the body is a strong feature of this remedy. (Vipera) Weariness. Many symptoms come on during rest and some during motion. Exertion and walking increase many symptoms. The palpitation, suffocation and great weakness come from walking and exertion. Fast walking is impossible.
Aur-mur seems to be indicated also in cases of suppressed gonorrhea. It has warts in various parts: on the tongue, on the genitalia. Cold, wet weather ameliorates.
Warm air, warm bed, warm room, warm wraps, becoming warm even in open air, and warmth in general aggravates.
Great restlessness; changes his position every moment; his friends call him “the quicksilver man”. Great nervous irritation. Greatest exhaustion, mostly in limbs. Restlessness with palpitation.
Head
Vertigo, as if he was walking in air. Dulness of head. Violent left-sided headaches. Pain in the region of the left frontal sinus on bending the head forwards. Pain ameliorated by cold application. His forehead is hot. Heat of the head and cold extremities. Exostoses of the skull. Tearing pains in the skull. Dull frontal headache. Drawing headache in forehead, in left half of head. Constant burning in whole head worse on left side. Throbbing in left temple after rising; ameliorated by application of cold water. Burning in forehead. Head hot; limbs cool. Drawing, tearing in bones of skull from time to time; head feels insensible. Pressure on brain, along sagittal suture. Cool sensation on vertex. Hair, eyebrows and beard fall out.
Eyes
Ears
A sensation as if the ears were wide open. Music relieves the ear symptoms. Eczema behind the ears. Buzzing in left ear and sensitiveness. Ringing and roaring in ears, followed by deafness, with sensation as if ears were wide and hollow inside, could not hear distinctly. Ears reddened. Scurf behind ears. Burning and itching behind ears, particularly at night.
Nose
Catarrh of the nose in patients who are worse in a warm room. It classes with Pulsatilla and Kali Sulphuricum, as both of these are better in the open air. The discharges of the remedy are like pus, offensive and sometimes bloody. A bad-smelling, watery discharge from the nose, very irritating to the lip. Many hard crusts in the nose. Bleeding of the nose on blowing out of the crusts. Yellow, greenish discharge. It cures the most stubborn syphilitic catarrh.
Red, swollen nose. Deep cracks about the wings of the nose. Lupus of the wings of the nose. Red swelling of the left side of the nose; the nasal cavity is ulcerated deep in, with dry, yellowish scurf, and sense of obstruction, although enough air passes through it. Ozaena scrofulosa, with unbearable odor. Sudden running of pus from nose. Hardness around corners of nose and lips. Deep cracks in alae nasi; in old cases of ozaena. Lupus attacking alae nasi. Infant’s nose dented in.
Face
Red face. Pale face with red spots. Burning in face at times, mostly after shaving, with a dark redness of cheeks. Itching, as from tickling of a feather on various parts of face. Acne rosacea. Caries of upper jaw after typhoid fever. Caries of lower jaw since scarlatina in second year of her age; aged 18. Exostosis of right cheek. Trembling of lower jaw and threatened with trismus. Burning like pepper on lips. Pustule on lip. Indurations in lips. Lips swollen, they burn and itch. Cancerous ulcers on lips. Lips deep red. Painful swelling of submaxillary glands.
Mouth
It has been useful in cancer of the tongue. Tongue as hard as leather, hardly movable. Inflammation of the tongue followed by induration. Tongue became stiff and prevented articulation of certain words. Induration remaining after glossitis. Warts on the tongue. Metallic taste and salivation. Gums inflamed or white, blueish. Tongue ulcerated in various places. Mouth filled with aphthae.
Throat
Fauces red, pain in throat. Mucus in morning passes from head to throat. Inflammation with hoarseness. Scraping and pricking in throat. Dryness in throat; difficult deglutition. Frequent desire to swallow; feeling of a plug in throat.
Stomach
Coffee, tea and wine disagree. Sweetened coffee disgusts him. Gastritis, cramps in stomach. Slow digestion. Sharp pains in the stomach with burning, intense thirst.
Nausea in morning, worse after breakfast; after eating; with vomiting of the water drunk and a trace of clear blood. Appetite increased or lost. After eating: nausea; distention and fullness of stomach; frequent yawning. Belching and nausea; risings have a putrid taste. Nausea on fasting, better after breakfast. Burning, cutting, stitching in stomach. Painful drawing in pit to middle of sternum; as if a hard body was pressed into cavity. Increased warmth in stomach.
Abdomen
Liver troubles associated with heart disease with albumen in the urine and dropsy of the limbs. Burning in right hypochondrium, with heat and pricking in abdomen. Constant sensation of tension in right hypochondrium. Induration of liver with dropsy. Spleen enlarged. Stitches in left hypochondrium, as after running.
Abdomen distended; constrictive colic obliges her to double up; only goes off in bed.
Distention of single places in abdomen. Stiffness in region of the groins. Eruption of small red nodules above the pubes. Abdomen sensitive to touch. Considerable swelling of inguinal glands.
Rectum
Diarrhoea with liver affection, or with Bright’s disease. Diarrhoea worse at night. Diarrhoea worse at night; after eating; with pain in bowels. Stools: greyish-white, yellow, watery. Frequent fluid stools. A heavy ring of warts around the anus with copious moisture. Fistula in ano. Fig warts of the anus with ulceration.
Condylomata at anus. Excrescences near anus, with an abundant serous discharge. Numerous circumanal condylomata, in a scrofulous, syphilitic baby. Haemorrhoids, with discharge of blood during stool. Anal and intercrural excoriation in a baby.
Urinary organs
Genitalia – male
Warts on the penis, on prepuce, scrotum or anus. Chancre-like ulcers. Flat ulcers on scrotum, secreting a fetid ichor. Chancres secrete an abundance of pus. Bubo in left groin. Excrescences extending from gland to os sacrum. Excrescences on scrotum. Diminished virility, melancholy. Increased sexual desire. Exhausting erections; hyperaemia. Testicles swollen, tense; drawing along the cords. Gleet; worse mornings.
Genitalia – female
Enlargement and great hardness of uterus. Painful induration of mouth of uterus.
Burning and itching of the vulva. Heat and itching in the vagina. Light-yellow leucorrhoea, especially in the morning. Heat in vagina with itching. Burning in vulva, with itching. Constant running from vulva. Leucorrhoea acrid, with itching of genitals. Sterility. Vaginitis. Chronic metritis, with malposition and discharge. Amenorrhea. Uterus prolapsed, indurated. Pudenda oversensitive.
Chest
It has all the symptoms of angina pectoris. Pain in the heart. Violent pressure in the region of the heart. Cardiac anguish. The palpitation keeps her from sleeping.
Rheumatic heart. Heart disease accompanying carious affections of bones. Beating of heart causes anxiety and sleeplessness, cannot rest until heart is quiet. Percussion all along heart dull. Heartbeats irregular, with severe constriction of chest. Palpitation: with anxiety; worse from every mental emotion. Heart contracts more strongly; first sound increased. Heartbeats sharp and metallic. Violent, irregular palpitation, with great oppression of heart. Throbbing in carotid and temporal arteries. Endocarditis rheumatica. Enlarged right side of the heart. Pulse large. Pulse small and frequent.
Suffocation in a warm room, from the clothing, from ascending stairs and from walking fast. Dyspnoea at night. Oppression compelled deep breathing, which relieves.
Oppression as soon as clothes are fastened. Anxious contraction of chest.
Heart cough. Short, dry cough in paroxysms, especially at night, followed by heat in throat. Frequent hard cough, with white sputa mingled with threads of blood. Frequent, loud sounding cough. Frequent night cough. Loose cough, with thick yellow expectoration.
Back
Dull drawing in neck while sitting. Tension in dorsal vertebrae. Burning, pricking, cutting and stiffness in back. Very severe backache.
Extremities
Legs swollen, and very tender to touch, especially along the inner side of the tibia.
Swelling of fingers. Painful swelling of right hand. Swelling in wrist.
Dropsical swelling of the lower limbs. Redness and swelling of toes, with burning and stinging; cannot put feet down. Exostoses on the tibia. Periostitis of the labia, of left foot. Extreme sensitiveness of the tibia. Exostoses, with bone pain in both shin bones. Disagreeable sensation in shoulders and arms. Tearing in left shoulder; in right arm, from elbow to tip of little finger. Burning, lancinating in arms and forearms. Involuntary concussive shocks in arms. Spasmodic motion of arms.
Trembling of hands in morning. Stiffness of arms and finger joints.
Blood-boils on nates and thighs. Stiffness in thighs and legs. Deep-seated, troublesome pain in left foot. Burning in feet. Cutting pain in toes when walking.
Sleep
Sometimes a penetrating pain from forehead down to nose. Throbbing in head, with heavy dreams. Violent dreams, tormenting dreams of sadness. Yawning after eating. Sleepy by day even at work. Sleepless: from excitement; from palpitation. Wakes with a start.
Fever
Violent fever. Violent chill and fever. Hectic fever. Copious, offensive smelling sweat. Copious cold sweat.
Skin
Eczema. Skin dry and shrunken. Small red itching elevations, leaving spots after they disappear. Whole body covered with ulcers and scurf, with hectic fever. Eruptions of pimples; crops of pustules all over the body.
Clinical
Heart affections. Rheumatic fever with heart involvement. Angina pectoris.
Diabetes with polyuria is mostly in the night. Albuminuria. Frontal sinusitis. Ozaena. Mental depression. Insomnia. Dropsical states from heart disease, from liver affections, with albumen in the urine. Paralysis of the bladder. Multiple sclerosis. Morvan’s disease (chorea). Haemorrhages from the uterus. Catarrhal and glandular affections. Cancerous glands. Cancer of the tongue. Periostitis. Caries of the joints.
Fulness of the veins. Liver affections, induration. Ophthalmia. Spleen enlarged. Sterility. Tumors in uterus.
Relations
Similar to: Acon., Amm-carb. (hyperaemia of chest from heart disease); Arg-met., Arg-nitr., Arsen. (dropsy, albuminuria, heart); Bellad., Cinnab. (syphilis); Ferrum, Glonoine (intermediate remedy in neurosis cordis); Lycop., Mercur., Nitr-ac., Phosphor., Platin., Silic., Sulphur.
Antidotes
Bellad., Cannab., Mercur.
Causation
Chagrin, fright. Vexation.
Dosage
From 30c to the highest.
Cases
Aurum Mur. in Insomnia, etc. Dr. Clifford Mitchell (Med. Era) had good results with this drug in a case of sacral neuralgia, insomnia, and depression of spirits. The remedy was prescribed to relieve troublesome nocturnal urination, which was very annoying – the night urine being considerably in excess of the day. The whole of the symptoms disappeared.
The Monthly Homoeopathic Review. Vol. 36, 1892, p. 371
Grotzner relates the case of an old man, who had suffered from dropsy, having its origin apparently in a paralysis of the bladder, and who had incontinence of urine, especially at night. The chloride of gold was given with happy effect, and gradually resulted in powerful voluntary urination and recovery. Rusts’s Mag., 21. h. 1. , p. 28.
The North American Homoeopathic Journal, Vol 3. 1853, p. 332.
C.G. , aged 10. December 1st 1920. Suffering from congenital heart disease. Attacks of feeling quite dead beat. Acute palpitation on exertion. Huge appetite, and loves sweets. Loves the wind, “opens her arms and would hug it”. Very bright and happy, with occasional fits of depression.
On examination: Very small, small hands and feet, rather a fat face. Heart very much enlarged. Marked double murmur all over the precordia. No cyanosis. No enlargement of the liver. Fingers not clubbed. Aurum mur. 1m 1, S. L., 30 Mane.
January 5th, 1921. Very much better in every way. “Never been so well in her life.” Heart very much improved. S. L.
In 1924, Mr. P., aged between 60 and 70, had been consulting me for several weeks for mental depression and loss of sleep. He was of independent means and was worrying about some rather speculative investments which he had been making, the market value of which was steadily falling. He was of medium height, thick-set build, of dark swarthy complexion and dictatorial in manner. Functions normal, prostate hypertrophied, with some urinary frequency and probably some residual urine, but no albuminuria. Blood pressure high, about 180 usually, but it would go up to 210 or over if he was excited or put out. On one occasion this happened in my consulting room when I had said something that made him angry, but it rapidly fell to his normal after I had been able to calm him down. One day I was sent for urgently because he had gone out of his mind and had attempted suicide by trying to jump out of a third floor window. I found him delirious and under the restraint of two male nurses. Fortunately the wife had a horror of him being taken to an asylum (not called mental hospitals in those days), and implored me to treat him at home, which I consented to do. He was kept in bed attended by two male nurses night and day and given Aurum muriaticum 3x trit. every three hours. In a couple of days he was no longer delirious and was comparatively calm in mind. In a week he was his usual self, but it was thought advisable to retain the services of the nurses for another week as a precaution, after which they were dismissed. He had lost a good deal of his usual depression and, as luck would have it, his doubtful shares went up in value again, which no doubt contributed to his greater cheerfulness. He died some years after from kidney disease consequent on his enlarged prostate and high blood-pressure.
The British Homoeopathic Journal, Vol 29. , No. 2, pp. 187,188.
Now as a link between skin cases and tumours may I just briefly report a case of mycosis fungoides which responded very nicely to homoeopathic remedies.
This condition, as most of you know, is characterized, amongst other symptoms, by the appearance of more or less irritating skin tumours.
The patient was a man, aged 63, who for seven months before consulting me had noticed the development of small irritating tumours almost universally distributed over the body. After having been very ill in himself for some months, when I saw him his general health was fair, but he still had his tumours. On putting him through an exhaustive examination, including the biopsy of a tumour, the diagnosis of mycosis fungoides was definitely established. As there was nothing definite beyond the irritation on which to base a homoeopathic prescription, he was given a dose of sulph. 200 at the beginning of February, 1927, which allayed considerably the irritation, but did not affect the tumours, for which on April 12, 1927, he was given aur. mur. 4x b.d. for a month, at the end of which time the tumours on his face and back were much smaller; this was repeated for another month and he was given carb. veg. 30 to be taken occasionally at night as flatulence disturbed his sleep. I lost sight of him for six months, and then on his return his face was quite cleared of tumours and those on the back and limbs were much smaller. He was advised to continue the aurum, which he had omitted for some months. I did not see him again for sixteen months, by which time all the tumours had disappeared. Unfortunately my notes do not show how long he continued the aurum. The British Homoeopathic Journal, Vol 22, No. 2. , p. 171
Inflammation of frontal sinus. Miss H., an elderly lady of gouty stock and subject to rheumatoid arthritis, had attacks of severe pain in the frontal region, worse on the left side. They came on suddenly with irritation in the left ear, followed by violent fits of sneezing, and pain and weight in the region of the left frontal sinus.
The pain would last for a week and then be relieved by discharge of brownish coloured mucus from the left nostril. Sense of smell lost during the attacks.
Tenderness to pressure at the inner and upper angle of the left orbit. Washing out the left frontal sinus through the nose brought away a small amount of pus. Aurum mur. 3x soon rendered her quite free from the attacks.
(Monthly Homoeopathic review, March, 1894).
Inflammation of frontal sinus. Miss R., aged 39. Attacks of discharge from the nose coming on every five or six weeks for the last two years. First a headache, with intense burning pain in the region of the left frontal sinus on bending the head forwards, then a feeling of something giving way very high up in the left side of the nose and immediate discharge of about a tablespoonful of clear fluid, which continued three or four days. The headache is worse from warm applications. After the acute symptoms are gone hearing and smell become abnormally acute. Examination showed nothing beyond a general hyperaemia of the nasal mucous membrane. After the failure of a number of drugs Aurum mur. 3x, t.d. s., quite cured her of the attacks. (Monthy Homoeopathic Review, March, 1894)
Inflammation of frontal sinus. Woman, aged 39. Repeated attacks of inflammation of left frontal sinus, sudden, preceded by headache, then intense burning in the region of the sinus, worse bending the head forwards. Discharge of glairy, often blood-stained fluid followed. Attacks lasted several days accompanied by fever, hyperosmia, and hyperacusis, and left her very weak. After the failure of many drugs Aurum mur. was given and from that date she was freed from her complaint. (Monthly Homoeopathic Review, June, 1895).
Inflammation of frontal sinus. Elderly lady of gouty history, subject to attacks of pain in the left frontal region, which came on suddenly with irritation in the right ear, with slight bleeding, followed by violent fits of sneezing and pain and sense of weight in the left frontal sinus, lasting about a week and relieved by discharge of brownish fluid from the left nostril. Tenderness to pressure and a slight prominence at the inner and upper angle of the left orbit. Aurum mur. was given for four weeks. No return of the attacks.
(Monthly Homoeopathic Review, June, 1895).
The above three cases are quoted in their brief form in The British Homoeopathic Journal, Vol 29, No. 2, pp. 188,189.
Dr. H. R. Arndt, of San Diego, related a case of a woman who early in life had indulged in excessive masturbation, been the mistress of a hard character, and finally married a steady-paced man. But, though wanting to be a faithful wife, she was beset with a passionate longing for her old paramour, and would lie by her husband and “produce upon herself orgasm after orgasm before being able to go to sleep.” During the day periods of frightful depression with suicidal tendency would alternate with spells of unbounded wrath.” Aurum Mur. every two to four hours soon made a sane and cured woman of her. The doctor further said: “I know of no pathogenesy in our entire Materia Medica which more graphically describes an actual natural disease as do the symtpoms of gold describe the effects of certain forms of general, mental and nervous troubles arising from sexual depravity, especially those severe functional disorders which are due to excessive and long-continued masturbation in the sexually immature”.
The Homoeopathic Recorder, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 107-108
