Argentum Nitricum has previously been used in treating
epilepsy. It relieves epileptic fits but causes
itching of the skin. Traditionally, it has been used in
eye diseases.People who wear silver jewellery may develop symptoms of
silver poisoning.
Similarly, prolonged allopathic use of silver can have a negative effect
on mental faculties. When the
mind becomes slow and creative skills decline,
Argentum Nitricum must be kept in mind. The memory
is weak, and reasoning is flawed. Superstitions, visual hallucinations
and delusions prevail. The patient is afraid of visiting some particular
places. Such children should be accompanied to such spots and told
that there is nothing to be afraid of. Argentum Nitricum is not only
capable of curing these symptoms, but is also effective against some
other deep-seated illnesses. The Argentum Nitricum patient is afraid
of heights lest he may leap off. Argentum Nitricum patients are
afraid of even looking up at a very tall building or a building with a
high ceiling, in case it may fall on them. Most homoeopaths have
not stressed these symptoms: they have only mentioned fear of
heights and epileptic fit. However, when I personally
analysed the symptoms of my patients after closely observing them,
the above mentioned symptoms became clearly evident. Such a
patient is afraid of jumping into the river while crossing a
bridge. In advanced illness, there is a strong desire to jump from
the bridge. Such patient trembles with fear and also feels weak. Some people have loose motions prior to an
exam or an important interview. Some may feel agitated and
angry. Extraordinary mental fatigue and gastric
hyperacidity adversely affect
the memory. Transient loss of recent memory can also occur as
a result of narrowing of the arteries going to the brain (due to arterial
thickening or just because of spasms of the artery). If the tendency to spasm
is frequent, the patient loses his memory permanently. This
is not related to transient stomach upset or mental fatigue. Argentum
Nitricum also shows these signs, however, loss of memory appears as
a permanent sign. Alumina is also useful in this disease; but has
to be used for a long period. In
Argentum Nitricum, the heart
becomes weak. There is bluish discolouration of
the body as in Cuprum and Carbo Animalis. In Cuprum, the
cyanosis is due to the spasm of the blood vessels. In Carbo Animalis it
is due to lack of oxygen and disorder of the blood. The blueness of Argentum Nitricum resembles that of
Carbo Animalis.
In both these remedies, blueness appears all over the body as if somebody
has been suffocated. In Cuprum, there may be violent spasms of the
hands and feet, along with cyanosis of the face and the lips. In Argentum
Nitricum, there is a tendency to form sores. In allopathy, silver
nitrate was used in many eye conditions. In homoeopathy also,
silver nitrate in a well-diluted form can benefit many eye
conditions, especially corneal ulcers. The eyes are hypersensitive to
light. The eyes ache and feel tired. Argentum Nitricum is good
in persistently sore eyes with
purulent discharge. The
eyelids are swollen. Their inner linings are inflamed and form red circles.
This condition (which is called purulent Conjunctivitis) is very common in
the Indo-Pak sub-continent during summer. Argentum Nitricum is very useful in diseases of the women,
like abdominal
discomfort and discharging sores at the mouth of the uterus before the onset
of periods. The periods become frequent, but are scanty. If other
symptoms of Argentum Nitricum are also present, this remedy can cure
other internal diseases of uterus as well. The wounds tend to bleed. There is a tendency of
vomiting containing blood. Argentum Nitricum may be used
in chronic resistant ulcers of the stomach. The peptic ulcer of the
stomach can be treated with ground liquorice. Unripe banana,
dried and powdered, taken two to three times a day, is also very
useful in such ulcers. The powder coats the ulcer, as
well as inducing healing. This treatment has been described in a
scientific magazine and I have often used it very successfully.
Argentum Nitricum patients with chronic ulcers tend to have
anaemia.They crave sweets. This craving for sweets is also found in
other homoeopathic remedies. Some people can eat a lot of sweets
but this does not bother them, whereas in a patient of Argentum
Nitricum, sweets do not suit him: on ingestion, the stomach becomes
upset and other symptoms also aggravate. In an Argentum Nitricum
patient, the desire to eat sweets,
if associated with wind and abdominal distension,
is very typical. The patient cannot sleep on his right side. This symptom is also found in
Naja. On lying on the right side, the pulse becomes rapid. The symptom of a
rapid pulse is common to Kalmia, Spongia, Kali Nitrate,
Alumen, Platina, Lilium Tigrum also. A
distinction among these remedies can be made by keeping their respective
characteristic features in mind.
The symptoms of Argentum Nitricum aggravate in a warm room
or sitting
near the fire. The perspiration on the face is very prominent. It appears
as if water is erupting out. The face is sallow and bluish. The eyes
are drawn in and are without lustre. Like in Thuja, there is tendency to
develop warts. Blisters form
in the throat. The throat feels as if something is stuck in it,
like Hepar Sulph, but any attempt to cough it out makes the sensation
worse. In fact, there is nothing inside the throat; it is just a
feeling and it is typical in Nitric Acid also. The person feels as if something is poking him on
his body. If touched by hand anywhere on the body,
the person feels pain. In
case of Argentum Nitricum, the symptoms of lactating mothers are exhibited
in their children. If the mother eats too many sweets, the child develops
diarrhoea. In case of Argentum Nitricum, the vomiting and diarrhoea start concurrently.
The stools are green. The
ingested food passes out of the system quickly. Such children are generally
dehydrated and marasmic. However, the marasmus of the children may not
always be the result of suckling Argentum Nitricum mothers. They can
be patients of Argentum Nitricum per se. The stools are green;
vomiting and diarrhoea can alternate or be present at the same time.
With the stools, the child passes a lot of mucus. In Argentum Nitricum there is pain in the deep
organs of the body.The
liver, spleen or stomach may hurt. The discomfort may not be felt spread
throughout the abdomen.
In Argentum Nitricum, one may involuntarily pass urine.
Children
may wet their beds at night. Another sign is that one may have the desire
to urinate, but is unable to pass urine easily. There may be pain, swelling or
itching in the urethra. This is also one of the best remedies for gonorrhoea. Argentum Nitricum is very useful in many problems associated with pregnancy.
The patient feels a weakness of the heart which worsens due to the
additional load of pregnancy. The feeling of weakness of the heart by
physical exertion or mental anguish continues throughout the pregnancy.
The patient may have nightmares. In the morning, as the person gets up, the legs feel as if
they have been beaten. Walking is uncomfortable. The legs feel weak and the
upper arms feel numb. The back hurts and the backbone area is very sensitive. The backache is worse at night. In Argentum
Nitricum, there can be paralysis
of the lower half of the body, and
stiffness and tightness at the tissues surrounding the backbone. The
symptoms
aggravate in the heat and after food. The open air and the cold
relieve
the symptoms. In epilepsy, fear of heights, and the tendency to see
dreadful dreams, a very high potency should be given.