Introduction
Hahnemann, Chronic Diseases, discusses Borax, which he says “has for a long time been used as a domestic remedy, against the aphthae of children, and to facilitate the labour-pains of pregnant women.”
Borax is another of those invaluable minor remedies, with very distinctive symptoms and selective tissue-action. It is not easy to forget, when once its peculiarities are mastered. Its great suggestive symptom, which will lead to its use in a variety of conditions, is its intense dread of downward motion of any kind. It has a curious action on hair, which tangles at the tips and sticks together; and this is re-formed when these bunches are cut off. Its most notable effect on eyes is that the lashes turn in (entropion) and of course inflame the eyes: especially are the outer canthi inflamed. The lower lids may be entirely inverted.
One notices the “red nose of young women”. Also the pale earthy, suffering expression of face-especially in young children; and the herpetic eruptions about the mouth, reminding one of Nat-mur. and Sepia. From the mouth, downwards, all through to the anus, Borax can be a torment. It has aphthae, so tender that they prevent the babe from nursing, or the older victim from eating; that, in the stomach, prevent peaceful digestion, with vomiting of slime; that affect the abdomen with pinchings and diarrhoea; that inflame rectum and anus, even to stricture, with burnings and aphthae. But Borax not only tortures the infant, but the pregnant and nursing mother; with aphthous nipples that will not tolerate suckling; and milk, too copious, or too thick, or repulsive to the infant by reason of its bad taste.
Borax is one of the remedies of pleurisy when, like that of Bryonia, “the patient cannot move or breathe without a stitch”.
But we will not let some of the Masters of prescribing take up the tale.
GUERNSEY. Great fear of downward motion of every kind. Afraid to go downstairs; can’t swing, ride horseback, or use a rocking chair. Children spring up suddenly on being laid down in bed; or may be sleeping quietly, when they suddenly wake up, screaming and holding on to the sides of the cradle, without any apparent cause.
Hair rough and frowsy: eyelids turn in upon the eye: distension from flatus after every meal: stool before making water: dingy, unhealthy skin which ulcerates easily on being injured. Smoking may bring on diarrhoea. FARRINGTON says:
Borax as a medicine won its first laurel in the nursery, where it has long been used in the treatment of sore nipples and children’s sore mouth. Like all popular remedies, it has been greatly abused. Homoeopathy has rescued it from the nursery and now offers it to the profession as a medicine of great value, telling when it may and may not be used. Underlying this sore mouth, which seems to be the keynote for the use of Borax, is a system or constitution which will permit of the sore mouth, that is, an ill-nourished system. Thus the infant becomes pale or of an earthy hue, its flesh grows soft and flabby; it cries a great deal when it nurses, screams out during sleep and awakens clinging to its mother as if frightened by a dream. It is excessively nervous, so much so that the slightest nose, the mere rustling of paper, as well as a distant heavy nose, will arouse and frighten it. This nervous excitability qualifies the pains (of Borax). For instance, in earache, you will find that each paroxysm of pain causes the child to start nervously.
Borax is distinguished from those other remedies, Belladonna, Pulsatilla and Chamomilla, by this starting with the pain or from slight noises, by the paleness of the face and above all by another well-proved symptom, the dread of downward motion. It is not simply the motion that awakens the child, for the child will not awaken if it is moved without any downward motion. It must, then, be the downward motion that arouses it. The reason for this is, that the child is suffering from cerebral anaemia and this downward motion causes a feeling as though it were going to fall. You will also find that ladies, after some exhausting disease, cannot use a rocking chair, because, when they rock backwards, they feel as if they would tumble.
Aphthous inflammation of the mouth appears as a concomitant of the diarrhoea. The mouth is hot, which the mother notices when the child takes hold of the nipple. The child lets go of the nipple and cries with pain and vexation, or else refuses the breast.
BRYONIA has caused and cured infants’ sore mouth. But the characteristic symptom in Bryonia is this; the child refuses to nurse or makes a great fuss about it, but so soon as its mouth is moistened, it takes hold of the nipple and nurses energetically.
MERCURIUS, with the sore mouth, has profuse salivation.
ARUM TRIPHYLLUM is readily distinguished from Borax by the violence of the symptoms, and is accompanied by soreness and scabs around the mouth and nostrils.
I would advise to caution your nurses, not to use powdered borax every time the child has a sore mouth. It may do harm if not indicated. I think that I have noticed after its use that the bowels suffer and the child grows paler and dwindles rapidly, which it did not do before the meddlesomeness of the nurse.
From KENT: abstracts:-
Borax, is one of those domestic remedies, long used for all sorts of local conditions as a soothing substance, and for healing purposes. In “nursing sore mouth” of mother or child borax has been used as borax and honey, as a wash, it is a fact that borax will rapidly heal up a sore mouth, and it is not strange that it does do, for Borax in its proving, produces aphthous conditions of the mouth, which extends down the throat and even into the stomach. It cures where the genitalia and anus are covered with these aphthous appearances.
Nervousness, anxiety, fidgetiness and sensitiveness are prominent in Borax. a state of turmoil and anxiety: aggravated by upward or downward motion. Going up in an elevator nearly drives him to distraction; but is made worse by going downwards. All complaints are worse from downward motion. Sore mouth in children with worse when laid down in bed:-cries out in fright Borax is the remedy An intensified activity all through the body- -hearing intensified; oversensitive to all surroundings; over anxious. Aggravation of anxiety till 11 p.m., he has noticed as the peculiar time of Borax. “You will notice sometimes in insane people that it seems as if they were possessed of the devil; and at once a lucid interval will come and they will talk as if nothing had happened. So it is in Borax that a great change may occur at 11 p.m.; this state of anxiety and nervous excitement may stop at that hour.
“Here is another feature, while engaged in thinking at work, strong nausea with the aggravation from mental exertion, from nose, from excitement, from downward motion, we get the mental aspect of Borax.”
“The Borax patient with stomach aphthae will gag and retch and cough: mothers say, ‘It is a stomach cough because the child gags and retches with it.'”
Then the rectum; thickening of the mucous membrane, with stricture growing smaller and smaller till only a long thin stool is passed this inflammatory stricture has been cured by Borax.
The urine burns so that child screams with the desire to urinate. The hot urine burns like fire.
Membranous dysmenorrhoea, with violent labour-like pains before and during the flow, as if the uterus would expel itself from the vagina. I have known Borax cure when the membrane was a cast of the uterus: such patients are easily startled from downward motion: let that be your guide in membranous dysmenorrhoea.
When mother could not nurse the child. “The milk is too thick and tastes badly.” If Borax is given at the beginning of pregnancy to a Borax patient it will change the milk, as well as the rest of the constipation, and the mother will be able to nurse the child. This remedy has loathing of the breast in infants, due to the fact that the milk tastes bad the mother needs a dose of Borax.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS
The child becomes anxious when dancing; if one rocks it in arms it has an anxious expression of face during downward motion.
Anxious feeling during downward motion or rocking. Dread of downward motion.
Very anxious when riding rapidly down hill, contrary to his custom he feels as though it would take away his breath.
Anxious feeling during downward motion or rocking. (Diarrhoea.)
VERTIGO and fullness in head on descending a mountain or stairs.
APHTHAE with salivation.
Aphthae in mouth and on tongue, and inner surface of cheek, bleeding easily; with great heat and dryness of mouth; with cracked tongue.
Mouth of infant very hot.
Aphthae are so tender that they prevent child from nursing.
Soft, light yellow, mucous STOOL.
Worse before URINATION.
Frequently cries and screams before the urine passes.
While albuminous, or starchy LEUCORRHOEA.
Leucorrhoea like the white of an egg, with sensation as if warm water were flowing down.
Acrid leucorrhoea, appearing for two weeks, between catamenia, with swelling of labia and inflamed and discharge Duvernis glands.
