Aqua marina

Clinical.-Biliousness. Constipation. Headache. Sea-sickness. Seaside, effects of.

Aq. mar has been principally used in high potencies for the effects of residence near the sea (as biliousness, constipation, headache)

Neuralgic pains down right temple and forehead. Face ache left side; cold water intolerable.

Sensation of a hair or fishbone in throat, tickling and urging to swallow, causing cough, which does not relieve. Pain on swallowing, extending to ear and temples. Nausea; and nauseous sensation in stomach and abdomen. This symptom seems peculiar: "Constant hawking and raising of phlegm, tough and white like cotton." The leading indication for it is: < at seaside; or on the sea.

Compare: Nat. mur., Chlorum (but in addition to its chief ingredient, sea-water contains in solution every inorganic substance in the world); also Silica marina.

This remedy may be used as an alternative to Nat-m or Med when you have a case displaying a strong agg or amel near the sea or from bathing in sea water, and when neither of those two remedies acts, though apparently indicated.

Skinner has reported a remarkable cure of granular ophthalmia with an aggravation near the sea and claims to have used it for over 20 years with success in constipation aggravated or induced by a temporary residence at the sea coast, also for any disturbance of the system resulting from a saline atmosphere. Clarke reports that it has been used in seasickness. It has been proved by C. Wesselh_ft.

It is interesting to me that this remedy produces a granular ophthalmia like that of Medorrhinum, and also “constant hawking and raising of phlegm, tough and white like cotton.” Both of these symptoms are strong Medorrhinum symptoms. Unlike Medorrhinum, however, which is typically ameliorated when in or by the sea, Aqua marina will most of the time be aggravated in the sea.

Dosage

The higher potencies should be used.

General

General and genital weakness, despite arousal of desires. Vesicular rashes. Alcoholic polyneuritis with mental troubles. Addison’s disease. Emaciation . Hypoglycemia. Overactive thyroid. Hyper-secretion from the thyroid. Perspiration. Trembling. Fatigue in the morning, feeling feverish at 10 a.m.

Clinical

Addison’s disease. Anxiety. Biliousness. Constipation. Flatulence. Headache. Hypoglycemia. Hyperthyroid. Sea-sickness. Seaside, effects. Thyroid problems.

Comments

COMMENTS - Seeping of fetid mucus, worse when getting up in the morning. Sore throat with sensation of foreign substance in throat. Pain in the right tonsil, aggravated after eating, ameliorated by pressure and during the night. Acute, paroxysmal, neuralgic pain in right anterior portion of head all the afternoon and evening (from inhalation by atomizer).

Constitutions

Constitutions - Hypersensitive subjects, tubercular with a congestion of the veins and mucous membranes in the phosphoric or carbo-phosphoric type with an unstable nervous system.

Modalities etc

Better from eating, rest.

Worse from movement, pressure and heat. Worse afternoon and evening, neuralgic pain in anterior portion of head. Pain in right ear, worse evening. Face pain, worse cold water. Aversion to bathing.

Compare

1. Nat-m
2. Chlorum - but in addition to its chief ingredient, sea-water contains in solution every inorganic substance in the world,
3. Silica marina
4. Med

Mind

• Intellectual concentration difficult. Feels tormented. Absent-minded, agitated.
• Tormented by lewd thoughts and fear of madness. Impression of being spied upon. Finds salvation in religion. Aversion to bathing. Anxiety aggravated by talking, walking in company, by iced drinks, by perspiration. Anxiety improved between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Head

Head - Headaches with vertigo, aggravated by pressure, eating, heat, movement, improved after sleep. Localized head pains in the forehead and occipital region and felt when thinking about them. Occipital headaches, vertigo, buzzing in ears, with visual and psychosomatic complaints. Acute, pressure, neuralgic pain above right frontal portion of head (from inhalation by an atomizer). Severe neuralgic pains down right temple and above right frontal protuberance, very acute and vanishing without a trace, appearing after ten or thirty minutes in left side of neck, (near edge of trapezius muscle), (immediately from inhalation by an atomizer). ≡ show all authors ...

Ears

Ears - Stinging pain in right ear in the evening. Transient stitches. ≡ show all authors ...

Face

Face - Face ache on left side of upper and lower jaw, extending under lower jaw to right side. The pain was acute like toothache. Cold water was intolerable. ≡ show all authors ...

Nose

Nose - Coryza with watery flow, blocking the left nostril. Feeling of having a cold at the root of the nose only. Thick, fetid mucus, falling into the back of the throat. Aggravated after eating, by respiration and sleep. Burning and heaviness in the eyelids. Spasmodic rhinitis. Purulent rhinitis. Frontal sinusitis. ≡ show all authors ...

Mouth

Mouth - White, yellowish mucous. Lips dry, especially at night, split in the middle of the lower lip. Breath fetid, spitting of blood and burning in the mouth. Pain on swallowing, ameliorated by gulping, aggravated by cold drinks. Red rash, painful around the chin. ≡ show all authors ...

Throat

Throat - Sore throat after eating. Pain in the right tonsil, improved by pressure and sleep. Throat congested, especially on the left and trickling of mucus. Mucus fetid when swallowing. Sensation as if a small substance were in the throat causing a desire to cough, but not benefited by coughing. Pain on swallowing, extending into ear and temples. ≡ show all authors ...

Chest

Chest - Thoracic pain situated at the level of the third intercostal space, right against the sternum. Pain the lowest three intercostal spaces in the morning when rising, worse with pressure. Pain at the tip of the shoulder blade in the evening.

Lungs

Lungs - Early tuberculosis. Loeffler’s syndrome. Morning cough with cold, watery sputum. Rusty, dirty taste at the back of throat. Difficulty expectorating. ≡ show all authors ...

Skin

Skin - Itching of the toes, the inner side of the thighs and the bends of the arms and legs. Vesicular rash on the face, cheeks and chin. Fetid sweating of the feet and hands. Acrocyanosis. Eczema of the palms. ≡ show all authors ...

Back and neck

Back - Vertebral column affected. Pains in the neck, back and thorax, stiff, heavy or prickling pains. Aggravated by hot drinks, heat, pressure contact. Pain at the nape of the neck with stiffness and difficulty in turning the head. Arthritis of the spine. Arthrosis of the spine. Arthritis of the scapula and shoulder. ≡ show all authors ...

Abdomen

Abdomen - Flatulence, sensitivity, pain at the sides of the ribs. Spasmodic colitis. Intestinal parasites. Epigastric pain, aggravated at the tip of the xyphoid cartilage. Pains at 11 p.m., worse by pressure and agitation.

Stomach - Epigastric pain, aggravated by pressure and hot applications. Nausea and nauseous sensation in stomach and abdomen with eructation of wind.

Food

Food - Appetite and thirst increased, especially at 11.30 a.m. after eating.

Liver

Liver - Slight hepatic deficiency. ≡ show all authors ...

Rectum

Rectum - Heaviness, pain before and during defecation, even when stools soft. Anal burning, heavy bleeding when first going to stool. Stools: hard at first, then soft in great quantities. Evacuation of small worms. ≡ show all authors ...

Male

Male - Libido maintained, but sexual impotence. Seminal discharge followed by weakness, sleepiness and the need to stretch out as a result of muscular pains. Impotence. ≡ show all authors ...

Extremities, limbs

Limbs - Pain in the right arm from the elbow to the fingertips. Pain in the lower limbs, tenderness at the limbs. Fetid-smelling perspiration of the hands, feet and axilla . Pain on exerting pressure on muscles. Trembling of the limbs. Involuntary movement of the legs when they are touching the ground.

Case

She was a smart, well-dressed, 48-year-old woman

She hailed from a wealthy family and was the mother of a grown-up son and daughter. Her daughter was studying overseas and her son had already settled in the US. Her husband was a businessman and they had not a care in the world.

All She had to do was look after herself, a job she excelled at! She was a regular at the gym and was well turned out – I noted that her clothes were also tight-fitting and were very provocative

She said her husband was an excellent provider and the couple went out together a lot. To all intents and purposes, many women would be envious of her life.

Presenting Complaints:

• Depression with mood swings,
• Joint pains,
• Allergic cough
• Hyperthyroidism
• Short-tempered when things didn’t go her way and irritable.

Despite a detailed case taking, She said she had no problems and I had little to go by. I therefore prescribed a simple remedy, one that would act like a pick-up. I would have to wait three months to get to the crux of Shalini’s problem.

Since I hadn’t yet found her Key Sensitivity and prescribed the right remedy, Shalini grew increasingly depressed. Oddly, she described her mood swings as “high tide and low tide”. She craved the sea, and sitting by the ocean always made her “feel better”.

Two months into the case, Shalini grew even more depressed. I tried to probe a little and asked her if there was anything she hadn’t told me. She finally revealed that she was in a relationship with a clerk who used to come to her house to assist with her husband, who often worked from home. The young man was ten years younger than Shalini and it was a purely physical relationship, no strings attached.

I thought her depression was linked to this liaison, because it turned out that the young man was engaged to be married and this had caused her upset.

I prescribed Nat-m, a ‘salt remedy’. Rubrics: Sadness, cries alone, problems in a one-to-one relationship, secretive.

It didn’t help.

Then one day, during the third month of our consultation, Shalini walked into my clinic quite agitated. She sat down and said, “I need space!” Before I could ask her what she meant, her cell phone began to ring, and she exclaimed again, “See, this is what I mean!” I was startled as Shalini had always been very composed. Then, it all came out in a rush.

Turned out her husband was insanely possessive and kept tabs on her all day. In fact, he was so controlling that he barely let her out of his sight. These are her words:

“I am emotionally charged. He sticks to me all the time. He keeps watching me all the time. I need breathing space.”

He constantly keeps track of me. He keeps calling me, even when I go out to shop.”

“Nowadays, I cry a lot and I dream about the sea. My emotions are like high tide and low tide. I love to walk on the beach and feel the waves on my body. I am somehow connected with the sea.”

“My relationship with my husband is also like high tide and low tide. Sometimes, he is so loving and caring, but sometimes I feel caught up in his love. I want to get away from this.”

Peculiar disturbance: Husband was following her.

Delusion Spied on he is; tormented he is

Then it struck me – Aqua Marina (sea water)

Following were my Rubrics

• Grief, silent

• Feels tormented
• Sensitive, (oversensitive)
• Change, desire for

• Del, watched, he is
• Del, tormented he is

• Thoughts: tormenting, sexual
• Offended easily
• Weeping alone when amel
• Dress indecently
• Eating Amel mental symptoms
• Air, seashore amel
• Air open amel
• Weeping, alone amel
• Anxiety, talking amel

Discussion:

When the practitioner goes solely by the patient’s outward behavior, or if the homeopath (not the patient) decides what is important and what is not, it is easy to get misled. In this case, Shalini’s extramarital relationship seemed significant, but regardless of how central it seemed to her life at the time, it wasn’t disturbing her Vital Force. It is easy to get thrown by red herrings, or assess a patient on the basis of what are actually superficial characteristics.

Shalini was a colourful personality, expressive and talkative. But she was also secretive – which is why the most significant detail surfaced only three months into the case taking.

Thus, there were different sets of rubrics one could have arrived at, if one had taken only her behaviour into account. However, I preferred to wait, knowing I had not yet got to the core of Shalini’s disturbance or her Key Sensitivity.

It paid off.

Note: This is only a brief presentation of Shalini’s case. I have evolved a method whereby I use any one or more of eight possible entry points to any given case. In Shalini’s instance, ‘listening’ to her Mentals was more than enough to understand her Core Disturbance. Neither did her Physicals nor Generals bear any special markers.

Editor’s note: Please see Dr. Salunkhe’s article “The Essence of Being Human” in this issue.