Table salt vs Natrum muriaticum

James Compton Burnett, homeopath

James Compton Burnett is one of my favorite homeopaths from the 19th century. He attended medical school in Vienna and Glasgow, graduating in 1872. Four years later, he turned to homeopathy after observing a peer who used homeopathy at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, and after conducting his own experiments. He wrote:

"Those ignorant of homœopathy laugh at it: the writer went through this laughing stage of ignorance, but did not find it very blissful, and so was constrained to put the doctrine of similars to the test of scientific experiment, and found it a true one of great practical value. Almost all homœopaths have come that way. Hence disbelieving a thing does not disprove it."

The homeopaths of Burnett's day were bitterly divided. They all believed in the fundamental philosophy of similars, or "like cures like," but there were those who could not believe in the need for dynamization—the process of dilution and succussion (shaking) that takes a substance to its infinitesimal state. The disbelievers of dynamization gave remedies that were not properly diluted, and even spoke against dilution. Burnett quotes Dr. Kidd, who infamously said, "Truth is greater than Hahnemann (*), and of late years his speculations about ... infinitesimal doses have been tacitly given up by all the most skilful and intelligent of his followers." Burnett rebutted with, "We are very apt to lose sight of the fact that our beliefs have nothing to do with truth. Truth is truth whether it be believed or not."

Burnett has written many books, one of which is a book on Natrum muriaticum (Nat-m), which is a homeopathic remedy made from basic table salt. In the book, he not only gives clinical observations about the curative effects of the remedy, but he also makes a strong case that it is the dilution of the substance—the infinitesimal dose—that brings about the cure.

He describes one case of a woman, aged 50, who had the hiccups morning, noon, and night—attacks that were very distressing and would last ten minutes at a time. They were brought on by quinine, a drug she had taken for a complaint ten years previously. The woman regularly salted her food, so had had plenty of exposure to the undiluted substance. Burnett prescribed homeopathic salt—Nat-m—since it is known to antidote the effects of quinine. By the third day, the hiccups of ten year's duration had stopped completely. Burnett comments in his book that the dynamization process "does so alter a substance that it thereby acquires a totally new power."

Burnett gives other examples of cures from Nat-m in his book, and below I've listed three more to give you a little insight into the remedy, which covers many conditions. I also want to point out that table salt (Nat-m in its raw form) is pretty much used by everyone all the time, whether they are actively salting their own food or eating a dish that someone else has salted.

Case one: A man in his mid-thirties had poor circulation (which led to chronic chilliness), sleepiness after eating, a sour taste in his mouth and black spots before his eyes. He was cured of all by Nat-m in about two weeks.

Case two: A boy, 12, had "caught a cold" in his eye and it was still painful and inflamed a month later. He had photophobia (could not look at bright light) and lacrymation (watering of the eyes). Nat-m was given three times per day and the eye was completely healed in a little over a week.

Case three: A woman in her 60s had chronic gout on her left big toe and foot. Nat-m cured her gout in four days. She was very fond of beer, and Burnett asked her to limit it, which she didn't do. But she kept the Nat-m powders on hand, and called them her "gout powders." Burnett learned from her daughter that they promptly relieved two or three similar attacks that occurred afterward, probably due to her inability to limit the beer.

Nat-m covers many conditions and has been a widely recommended homeopathic remedy since Hahnemann's time (*). Like all homeopathic remedies, it has certain characteristic keynotes that guide a homeopath to choose it over another remedy that covers the same condition. Some of the most common characteristics of Nat-m are feeling WORSE between 9-11 AM, in the sun, at the seashore, lying down, from mental exertion, and/or from consolation. The person can feel BETTER in open air, with cold bathing, going without regular meals, lying on the right side, having pressure against the back, and/or from tight clothing.

*Hahnemann is the father of homeopathy, and it would not be in existence today without him. His first book, "The Organon of Medicine," was published in 1810.

Interested in homeopathic treatment? Please seek a professional homeopath for chronic and complex issues, and do not interpret anything read here as a recommendation to take Natrum muriaticum.

Food choices can help homeopaths choose a remedy.

The foods you choose to eat matter ... they are pieces of the whole-person puzzle, and can help a homeopath choose the best remedy.

Just as a regular physician encourages good eating habits, so does a homeopath. However, a homeopath notices what a person likes to swallow (or not swallow) for reasons other than nutrition.

Keeping track of food, drink (and inedible) preferences can lead a homeopath to the correct remedy choice or, at the very least, can confirm one. The remedy must fit the person otherwise—a homeopath would rarely recommend a remedy based on one such meager symptom.

For the purposes of this blog, I went in search of single-remedy symptoms related to eating and drinking. They were easily found in my homeopathic repertories—those gigantic tomes that systematically house every symptom imaginable. To give perspective, single-remedy symptoms do not occur in the repertories that frequently, but they are powerhouse clues—since no other remedy is connected to that symptom. For instance, in the Reliable Repertory there are 36 remedies under the symptom "desires apples." However, there is only one remedy under "desires apples in the middle of the night," and that remedy is Tellurium metallicum. So ... if eating apples in the middle of the night is a symptom a client reports, Tellurium should be examined closely to see if it fits the entire picture of the case.

I've listed several more examples below, giving you the remedy name, what it's made from, the symptom that it (and it alone) is tied to, and some of the characteristics of each remedy. I hope you enjoy them!

Allium cepa (red onion) desires onions, but also feels better after eating them. Other indications for the remedy are acrid discharges, many sneezes, feel worse in a warm room, and feel better in the open air.

Lac caninum (dog's milk) desires fish and everything except fish makes her worse. Other indications for the remedy are cold, including cold drinks, make her feel better, and there might be dreams about snakes.

Sulpher (Sulpher) desires pickles when she has a headache. Other indications for the remedy are feels worse at 11 AM, symptoms worsen after bathing or getting warm in bed, and she feels better in dry, warm weather.

Ignatia amara (St Ignatius Bean) feels better from eating raw food. Other indications for the remedy are feels worse after coffee and in the morning, has spasmodic tendencies, and feels better while eating but not after.

Crotalus cascavella (Brazilian rattlesnake) wants to eat snow. Other indications for the remedy are clairvoyance, clothing feels irritating, and symptoms occur on the right side of the body.

Argentum nitricum (silver nitrate) craves salty foods during a fever. Other indications for the remedy are fear of heights, strong cravings for sugar but it makes her feel worse, and worse from warmth of any kind.

Magnesium carbonicum (carbonate of magnesium) is indicated for a child who can only tolerate eating meat. Other indications for the remedy are worse warmth of bed but better walking in warm, open air. Worse from changes in weather.

Nux vomica (Poison nut tree) thinks that water does not taste right. Other indications for the remedy are worse from stimulants and dry, cold weather, and better from resting and strong pressure.

Platina metallicum (Platinum) has aversion to meat during the menses. Other indications for the remedy are worse sitting and in the evening, and better from walking.

Interested in homeopathic treatment? Please see a professional homeopath and do not interpret anything read here as a formal recommendation to take a remedy.

Homeopathy Q & A

Homeopathic remedies are made from countless sources

What is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a method of holistic healing. It is based on the fundamental law of nature, like cures like, which has been written about at various times throughout history. Hippocrates (460 – 377BC) wrote, “By similar things a disease is produced and through the application of the like is cured.”

How is homeopathy different from standard healthcare? One major difference is that homeopaths look at the whole person, not just one part. A dermatologist looks at skin, an ophthalmologist looks at eyes, an ENT looks at ears, noses, and throats, and a psychiatrist looks at the mind. A homeopath looks at the whole person.

Why is looking at the whole person desirable? Standard doctors have protocols that treat the illness, regardless of the individual. Homeopaths treat the individual, regardless of the diagnosis. In this way, people receive a highly specific treatment that addresses their whole being, not just the ailment. In the process of being treated homeopathically, one will often hear that the remedy taken for ailment “A” also cleared up ailment “B” – something chronic the person had learned to live with over the years.

In homeopathy, there are many remedies that help a specific ailment (eczema, whooping cough, asthma, depression, otitis media, or whatever diagnosis is given). But the main goal in homeopathy is to find the remedy that best fits the whole person, which goes beyond fitting the ailment alone.

How do homeopaths understand a whole person? By asking many questions and listening carefully to the answers, a homeopath comes to understand a client’s general constitution.

An initial homeopathic consultation often takes well over an hour. Questions related to the ailment hone-in on the details of that ailment. For example, asthma has an array of triggers, depending on the person. Homeopaths are interested in the exact triggers of the asthma, and what the person does to feel better (in lieu of medication). Some might breathe better by lying down; another person might breathe more easily by getting into the fresh air. The scenarios of amelioration are numerous, and a homeopath will discover what they are. More general questions during the initial consultation include temperature preferences, food and drink preferences and aversions, sleep patterns, dreams and more!

When do I take a remedy, and how often? The dosing of homeopathic remedies is also individualized. The homeopath takes into consideration the age and vitality of a person, as well as whether or not the illness is acute or chronic.

Why do some say that homeopathy is only placebo? Homeopathic remedies are highly diluted substances and some people find it impossible to connect a result with something they cannot see with their eyes. Yet sound waves and radio frequencies are invisible, and we know they exist and have an impact. Homeopathic remedies also have an impact, particularly when their energetic patterns closely match the energetic patterns of the disease. The best argument against the placebo claim is to remember that animals and babies are also helped by homeopathy.

Where can I find a homeopath? There are many good homeopaths. It’s good to get a referral, just as you would for any medical doctor, but many homeopaths also offer a free 15-minute chat that can help to determine if the two of you are a good fit for one another.