6.11.2 Aurum muriaticum, Case 1
A 40 year old woman has lots of lumps in her breasts. The breasts are swollen and painful when touched, even when you jut look at them. It is worse during the 2 weeks before the menses. She has always had these complaints but they are gradually getting worse. The menses last a long time, 10 to 14 days. She usually feels ill on the first day with the sensation as if there is a stone in her stomach and cramps, like labour pains. She feels feverish and clammy and quite ill. Better from sitting still or lying down. She also gets a headache in her forehead at the same time.
She is a very motherly type of person who feels very responsible for her children. She feels she is the only one who can bring up her tow sons. She is always anxious about their wellbeing and worries that something will happen to them when they are out.
She suffers from hyperventilation when she is in narrow, stuffy rooms. It makes her hands tremble and her mouth go dry, her heart starts racing, she can feel it pulsating in her right ear and she fears she is going to faint.
She had polio when she was little, which left her with a right leg that is slightly less developed. She has had 5 operations on it. She had shingles in her left eye once. It happened at a time when she was too stressed because of her children. Her eldest son was ‘killing’ the younger one at the time. After the births she suffered from tiredness and post natal depression.
Her mother was a very sweet woman, ‘wanted all three of us to make something of our lives’. Her mother used to make sure that she walked correctly in spite of her bad leg, took her to the best doctors and constantly took care that she would grow up into a woman who could take care of herself. Her father used to be away a lot for his work but he loved his children, and she was his favourite.
Generals
Weather: cold (2), cold hands, nose and feet; < heat, warm, stuffy rooms.
Time: < 1 pm.
Desires: sweet, sour, egg, citrus fruit, lemon ice-cream.
Aversion: snails, crab, game, mutton.
Food: fat, sauerkraut with sausages.
Sleep: long, on right side.
Physical: < touch, shaking.
Analysis
The theme of breasts and motherhood reminds us of Muriaticum. She feels very responsible towards her children. This sense of responsibility is very much an Aurum symptom, so mixing the two together we get Aurum muriaticum.
She has a great (Aurum) sense of responsibility (Aurum) as a mother (Muriaticum). She is the only one (Gold series) who can bring up her sons (Muriaticum). She had shingles (Muriaticum) in her left eye (Aurum) and was suffering from a nervous breakdown because her eldest son was ‘killing’ (Aurum) the little one (Muriaticum). Her mother (Muriaticum) wanted her to make something of her life. Her mother (Muriaticum) felt very responsible (Aurum) for her handicap and made her stand up for herself.
Other Muriaticum symptoms: post natal depression, breasts painful and swollen, < before menses, menses protracted, < too much heat.
Reaction
One month after Aurum muriaticum 1M her breasts feel much better. She herself feels less depressed and not so worried about her children. Six months later, after three more doses of Aurum muriaticum she is still improving. Her breasts don’t start to be sensitive until just before the menses and she can now lie on the at night without much problem. The exaggerated responsibility towards her children has been brought back to more normal proportions.