Kalium bromatum Case
A man, aged 60, suffers from bronchitis. He has had many treatments with antibiotics. He has slight fevers with perspiration. In the morning he has to cough up an accumulation of mucus from his throat. The mucus is stringy, almost black, or yellow. He is short of breath and very sensitive to draught, always has to wear a scarf. Lately he has a swollen sub-maxillary gland on the left side and a croaking voice.
He also suffers from an inflamed testicle, painful on pressure, and decrease of sperm.
Past history: bronchitis since childhood.
Temperature: warm, < draught (3), desires fresh- and sea air.
Perspiration: often at night and copious during fever.
Time: < 5 pm.
Desires: potatoes (3), beans, beer, bananas.
Aversion: rice, cheese (3).
Sleep: not very good. Often awake after 2am or from 3am to 5am.
sleeps on left side.
Mind: He is nervous and anxious, better after a glass of beer. He is very restless during the consultation, constantly rubbing his hand. He feels as if he is at the end of his tether. He is not as happy as before, because of all this anxiety, and he doesn’t enjoy his work as much either.
He is afraid of diseases, is always looking up his complaints in some medical books.
He is sensitive to other people's remarks. Sometimes he returns a nasty remark, but he immediately feels guilty afterwards and wants to make up for it, for instance by buying them a bottle of wine.
He is very ambitious. He has started four shops and is busy transferring the last one to his daughter. But he finds the prospect of stopping work very difficult: what will he do then?
He generally tends to feel guilty, also about his wife who has suffered from manic depression for years. He thinks it is his fault, although he can’t give a clear reason for this. It is as if he murdered someone, or has a relationship with another woman somewhere else.
Analysis
We have many indications for Kali: < draught, ambitious, < 3am. Also indications for Bromium: swollen gland, inflammation of testicle, warm blooded, -> sea. But on top of this we also have some direct indications for Kali-br: wringing of the hands, << stopping work, feeling of guilt, the delusion of having murdered someone, or having another woman. It is because this remedy is relatively well known that we can recognise the symptoms of the combination: Kali-br.
Reaction
Kali-br 1M was give twice and the complaints disappeared almost completely within 3 months.