Dread of downward motion; child jumps and cringes or cries when laying it down; also very sensitive to noises.
Aphthous sore mouth; greenish stools day and night; mouth very hot.
Pain in right pectoral region; cough with expectoration of an OFFENSIVE, HERBY TASTE.
This remedy, although an old one, is not universally appreciated. Its action upon the nervous system is very marked. In the first place it manifests itself in what is called nervousness in regard to NOISES, to which the patient is very sensitive. Almost any noise, as a cough, a sneeze, rustling of a newspaper, a cry, distant shot, etc. BELLADONNA is sometimes given for this starting at noises, when BORAX would do better. Then there is another very peculiar nervous symptom, viz., FEAR OF FALLING, FROM DOWNWARD MOTION (GELSEM., SANICULA). The child cries out and clings to the nurse when she attempts to lay it down in the cradle. Carrying it down stairs has the same effect. It will scream and cling to the nurse as long as the downward motion continues. Adults get the same symptom. Will not sit in a rocking chair, or ride on horseback, or on the waves, or swing, or go coasting, because of this dread of downward motion. There is only one other remedy having this symptom that I know of, and that is GELSEMIUM, and so far I think that this has only appeared in intermittent fever.
A child may be sleeping quietly and awake suddenly screaming and holding on to the sides of the cradle, without an apparent cause for so doing, or it may start from sleep clinging to the nurse as if frightened. In such cases we might think of APIS MELLIFICA, BELLADONNA, CINA, STRAMONIUM, etc., but don't prescribe on the one symptom. Look at the child's mouth and if you should find an APHTHOUS SORE MOUTH it would settle it pretty surely for BORAX. Then, again, BORAX has a very strong action as a general remedy, even domestic, from "way back," and has been prescribed without rhyme or reason until the homeopaths took it and found its exact place. Now the choice has to be made between it and MERCURIUS, HYDRASTIS, SULPHUR and SULPHURIC ACID, etc.
It is not necessary to draw the line between the different remedies here, but I will say that the sore mouth itself is only ONE SYMPTOM in every case. The rest are found outside the local affection and often have more to do with the final choice of the remedy. The nervous symptoms already mentioned are "pointers" for BORAX. Not only upon the mucous membranes of the mouth is this action of BORAX notable, but upon every other one. The EYE-LASHES BECOME GUMMY AND STICK TOGETHER, OR TURN INWARD. The ears discharge. I cured a case of otorrhoea of fourteen years' standing with this remedy.
Dry crusts form in the nose and reform if removed. GREENISH STOOLS DAY AND NIGHT, WITH APHTHAE. The infant cries when urinating or before, showing an inflamed condition of the urethra. If the crying spells before urinating should be followed with a deposit of sand in the diaper or vessel, LYCOPODIUM or SARSAPARILLA would be thought of.
The mucous membranes of the respiratory organs are also affected. There is cough, and expectoration of an OFFENSIVE HERBY TASTE. Then we have decided pleuritis in the chest, in the right pectoral region.
BORAX has also white, ALBUMINOUS, STARCHY LEUCORRHCEA, quite profuse, and with a sensation of warm water running down. These altogether show the action of BORAX upon the mucous membranes. Like CHAMOMILLA, HEPAR SULPHURIS and SILICEA, BORAX has ulcerations of the skin from slight injuries, which suppurate.