Natrum-mur - The Hidden Agenda
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1999 Jul / Aug VOL VIII NO 4.
Dr Ranga Krishnan
'Nat-mur / Nat-mur

Homoeopathy, like music, is a vast ocean. Understanding it depends upon our ability to swim and capacity to remain afloat. I find the subtle shades of our remedies akin to a `Raga' where specific musical notes and their subtle nuances differentiate one `Raga' from another, just as our perception of dominant emotions & their manifestations in our Materia Medica and how we use the remedy that makes all the difference. My inspiration to write this article stems from two outstanding papers by Dr FK Bellokossy on Nat-mur in "The Hahnemannian Gleanings" Jan '73. Of course, Kent & Burnett have always been my lifelong source of faith in Homoeopathy.
Let us look at some dominant notes in Natrum-mur.

Rock Salt:
Everyone knows that rock salt never melts fully in cooking. This is the basic dominant note of Nat-mur. Constitutionally Nat-mur patients never melt. They are steadfast and very private.

Ego / Selfishness:
It is common knowledge that Sulph talks big, boasts, never cares for others, sees his needs are fulfilled first; at the same time has no enemies, bears no grudges Titillating his ego can easily appease his obstinacy.

On the other hand Nat-mur has lots of masked qualities along with hardness. His sorrow and hatred fill his whole life and so he has no space for others in his 叢rincipled' life.

A long time acquaintance, who became a top beaurocrat in the Indian government led a disciplined & blemish free life. He was well versed in traditional scriptures and also successful in handling contemporary issues in the government. In his entire successful career he never recommended a single person for a job or anything else regardless of the merit of the person. He always claimed that he neither helped nor asked for help. Nobody liked him for this unapproachability despite his goodness. He finally died as a lonely person despite all his wealth, scholarliness and good habits.

If closely observed, the funerals of Nat-mur patients will be unnoticed and sometimes known only through obituary columns. But an Aurum funeral will be full of people. Both when alive were conscientious, hard working, virtuous and decent people. Yet what a contrast!

At a Sulph funeral there is a spontaneous thronging of people. Along with decency and honorableness Sulph has spontaneity in everything. This allows him to change and go with the times. Similarly, at marriages, Sulph makes sure his presence is noted and Aurum is surrounded by people, who are benefited by him. Nat-mur will come, eat and go. He will remember all the small details of who spoke and who did not speak to him and brood over it.

Love & Hate:
Nat-mur will not fall easily in love like Ignatia & Phos. Since there is no spontaneity here, Kent's statement "falls in love with a married man" seems contradictory. This is my interpretation.

Nat-mur people build an impenetrable fortress around their emotions. They neither like to be hurt or rejected. So they will never intentionally hurt anybody despite harboring ill feelings. I think they choose whom to love and if the person happens to be married, too bad. Inevitably the rejection comes from the other side and then. ... shock... anger... brooding 層hy me?'... hate... grief... ! Then he lives in grief but never reveals it. This leads to constant thinking about it, brooding and hatred, which is usually permanent. They can reject but they cannot be rejected. The masked ego is always present. They become aloof and a victim of their own doing.

Case 1:
A young 18 years old girl studying in college and living with her grandparents was brought to me on 5.10.91 looking very sad but silent and not responding to any questions. Her two sittings with the psychiatrist had made no dent except for a diagnosis of 羨bulia with Disassociate Psychosis.' According to the mother she kept saying she was feeling guilty and nothing else. A dose of Ign 10M was given with Avena-sat Q BDS

On 25.10.91 she was still uncommunicative, had no appetite, a dry tongue with cracks and white coating. She was taking sleeping pills and therefore very hazy in her responses. One dose of Nux-mosch 1M was given with Avena- sat Q BDS.

On 7.11.91 her tongue was better. For the first time she spoke and said that she was most comfortable on the phone. She felt everybody was criticizing her. She also mentioned that she was not comfortable with friends and preferred only her parents. She had just discontinued her allopathic medication. She still refused to divulge any details except repeating her fear of being criticized.

Baryta-carb was chosen and was given 10M-1 dose. She returned to her grandparents' place that night to resume college.

On 12.11.91 she wrote to her mother confiding in her problem. She stated that she was confused and unable to concentrate, as she was distracted due to sexual awakening. I concluded that, being a good student with a natural pride and superiority, she could not reconcile with constant sexual thoughts. One dose ofPlatina 1M was given (SRIII607 - Sexual desire increased in virgins)

On 22.11.91 she wrote another letter where she wanted to run away and escape from everything due to the constant thoughts of sex. She also mentioned that she felt that she was responsible for everybody else's bad luck in her house. She wanted to eat and sleep all the time. She still remained to her self and had not got her periods for 3 months. Though her self-esteem was very low, she wanted to overcome it for the first time. One dose of Platina 1M was repeated on the basis of the rubric SR I 69 - Anxiety, conscience, as if guilty of a crime. On 18.12.91 she got her periods which, though scanty, lasted for 4 days.

On 16.1.92 she came alone to the clinic and talked about her problem. She was `in love' with her classmate who did not reciprocate with the same intensity. She had tried to completely change her self to get into his good books. This normally gregarious and vivacious person had become conservative in dress and outlook. She had progressively cut herself off from her friends because 蘇e did not like it.'

Once, she went out alone with him and he touched her casually. She felt so guilty after that incident that she wanted to die but felt that she was a coward not able to commit suicide. She completely cut herself off from her friends and her family and attributed every calamity that befell the family, on her.

On the basis of these rubrics one dose of Nat-mur 1M was given.

On 4.2.92 her mother reported that she had aphthae on lips and under tongue. She also reported of having a repeated dream of all cousins playing and happy when suddenly `he' appears and then she becomes sad. Sleep was a bit disturbed. Sac-lac was given.

On 18.2.92 - her sleep was better, without much dreams. She went cycling, had a good appetite and normal stools. White aphthae again on edges of tongue. No periods as yet. Seems a little relaxed. Sac-lac.

25.3.92 - Menses had just finished. Very profuse and painful, the first day. Later on there was no discomfort. She felt normal and went out with friends and family. Sac-lac.
16.4.92 - She was going to the US of A for a holiday. Had met ‘him' and decided to be friends without any commitment. Nat-mur 1M was given as SOS.
29.6.92 - Returned looking happy, cheerful and ready to rejoin college. Her periods had regularized and she did not need the SOS! Sac-lac.
8.9.92 - Called from Bangalore and said that the guilty feeling had returned as she had shouted at others due to water shortage in the college. She kept repeating nervously ‘of my honour at stake’. It was the third day of her periods. Ign 1M one dose to be followed two days later with Nat-mur 1M one dose.
6.5.93 - SOS call again from Bangalore. She said `he’ unjustifiably insulted her. Next day `he' met with a major bike accident. She went to the hospital along with her other friends. These very friends did not invite her for their party as she was in a different class now. She felt hurt, left out and slighted. She had to study as her final exams were close at hand but just could not concentrate. Nat-mur 10M one dose was given.
She had a cold that lasted for a month for which no medicines were taken. She did well in her exams and went on to top her class. She got married at the end of the year. To date there has been no problems.

Impenetrable:
A constitutional Nat-mur patient, in my experience remains Nat-mur despite the remedy being given in the highest potencies. In India we say, that the `Svabhav' i.e. the inner nature with which we are born and operate vis a vis our environment, never ever changes. So too, it appears that constitutional Nat-mur does not change; not only in this life but also passes on this impenetrable quality to their progeny. However, it is important to note that if a diseased state of Nat-mur comes up, it can certainly be modified by our potentised Nat-mur. As Hahnemann has so often mentioned in the Organon, the diseased state of the organism is what has to be addressed, and never the ‘healthy' or those with ‘impenetrability’ as a basic `Svabhav' The hallmark of skillful case taking is to distinguish between the constitutional "Svabhav" and the diseased state!

In the famous epic of the "Mahabharata", the character of the blind Kaurava king, Dhritharashtra, is one of being engulfed in his own ‘impenetrable' sorrow and unwillingness to perceive the injustice being meted out to the Pandavas by his sons. His constant refrain was "This Kingdom belongs to me as the eldest son. It is not my fault that I was born blind. How can I be denied my right? Why do I have to suffer like this?"
This blind prejudice & hatred was passed on to his sons who were so vengeful that they brought about the destruction of their dynasty. Even Lord Krishna could not save one with such a "Svabhav".

Malaria
Nat-mur in malaria is almost like a miasm - malarial fever caught long ago, resurfaces years later. The malarial manifestations of headaches, biliousness, clear cut chills, body pain, weakness etc. seem to linger life-long. Even in these malarial cases I have found a hidden hardness and an underlying tone of selfishness. Nat-mur in occasional high doses seems to eliminate the physical debility only when indicated.

Case 2: Speech Disorders
8.5.90 - A 41/2 year old boy, only child of successful parents, was brought for being late in speech. Though the pregnancy was uneventful and delivery normal, his milestones of walking (2.5 years) and speech (3.5 years) were delayed. He often had colds, coughs and tonsillitis. His appetite, urine, stools, sleep were okay. He had an aversion to biscuits, chocolates and cold drinks & liked semolina, yogurt & ice cream. He loved to paint and listen to music. He was extremely observant and alert. His hearing was okay. All clinical tests were normal.

He was good with puzzles and electronic toys and hated blocks and babyish toys. At home at least he attempted to speak but at school, he hardly spoke and was scared to move about. He hardly mixed with the other kids. His written work was exemplary but in his orals he was zero. He was very adamant and liked to do things at his own pace. He was very sensitive to rude talk and hated to be consoled when he cried. If things did not go his way, he would not throw tantrums but remain quiet. But if he wanted to do something no power on earth could stop him, however difficult the task was. The last was observed by the grandparents too.

Nat-mur emerged as the main remedy and it was given in 200 potency, 3 mornings.
8.6.90 For a few days after the medication she had diarrhoea, no medicine was given and it improved. His appetite was better now. He had an interest in books for the first time.
Though still shy at school, he was smiling a lot more and the teachers were impressed.
Sac-lac was given.
11.7.90 - Tongue thickly coated cold with sticky mucus, bed wetting since 4 days, less shy now. Sac-lac.
24.7.90 - Some words were clearly spoken but the cough & phlegm remained. Child more cheerful and happy. Bed-wetting stopped. Phos 30 - 3 doses.
1.8.90 - Has gained 1 kilo in weight. Cough better, some small skin eruptions on face and upper body, which did not seem to bother him, speech a little better and more active at school. Sac-lac was given.
11.8.90 - Sensation of boil under tip of tongue since many days, preventing him from speaking. No cough, skin clear, Nat-mur 1M one dose.
4.9.90 - Mother is very happy, feels he is almost like a normal child, playing and mixing with others. Speaking more than two words at a time easily. Sac Lac was given.
The boy slowly improved and was speaking normally in a few months time. His grandfather was amazed at the progress in contrast to the years of allopathic treatment he had to undergo.

As Nat-mur was the diseased state here, the child blossomed and had no major problem till date.
In my experience, Nat-mur is one of the deepest constitutional medicines of our times today. Thanks to the breakdown of joint family systems and the emergence of nuclear families in urban complexes, it has brought about enormous insecurity resulting in deep feelings of prejudice and mistrust. This preoccupation with the `self' and `fear of rejection' forms a rock like barrier and does not allow the emotions to become transparent. This impenetrability in most of the patients remains so and seems to require Nat-mur whether in an acute crisis or a chronic one.