Repertory › Remedies in the repertory

Natrium carbonicum (Nat‑c.)

Natrium carbonicum (Nat‑c.) appears in 1,034 rubrics in the Repertory. Of these, 33 are single-remedy rubrics in which only this remedy is listed, and 46 are small rubrics with at most two other remedies. The emphasis lies on the rubrics on Children, Anxiety, Delusions, Fear, and Sadness, in addition Irritability, Restlessness, and Confusion of mind. The picture is that of a withdrawn, easily exhausted person, sensitive to atmosphere, music, and noises, whose mood is heaviest in the morning.

Music and Noises

The most striking group concerns music. Anxiety arises from music and when playing the piano, the restlessness is anxious and aggravated by music, sadness is brought on by music and by noises, and the thought of suicide can arise from hearing music. During menses music aggravates or is rejected, a single-remedy rubric; sadness from music during menses stands beside it. Atmosphere and air excite sensitiveness, even as a delusion. The person is open to the surroundings, whether it is sound, air, or thunderstorm: irritability increases before a thunderstorm, anxious restlessness appears during a thunderstorm.

The Morning

Numerous small rubrics assign states to the morning: disgust on waking, disgust for life in the morning, weary of life on waking, suicidal disposition in the morning, indecision and unconsciousness on waking, absorbed in the morning. A single-remedy rubric names self-contemplation in the morning, another oversensitiveness in the forenoon and intolerance of contradiction in the forenoon. The condition is heaviest at the beginning of the day and loosens after rising.

Withdrawal and Distrust

The person withdraws: he likes solitude, the aversion to company stands with it in a small rubric, strangers cause anxiety, there is fear of company and distrust. The silliness of men is avoided. The attitude is discreet, self-protective, and reserved; the rubrics "Discreet" and "Securing oneself" stand next to each other. Unexpected opposites are added: a single-remedy rubric describes cheerfulness, but fearful and anxious, others the tendency to tattle, quarrelsomeness with disposition to brawl, and kleptomania for sweets.

Mental Exhaustion

Mental exertion is the center of the weakness. Single-remedy rubrics record that inability to think comes on from studying and learning, that the thoughts become disconnected when listening, and that impatience appears when reading. Irritability when reading is likewise recorded. Striking is the opposite: "Mental exertion – amel. – lying amel." and "Restlessness – mental exertion – amel." The person seems to think best lying down and comes to rest through exertion. The confusion improves in bed and aggravates in the sun. Laziness appears at rest, when sitting, and after emission of semen.

Exhaustion and Violence

Several single-remedy rubrics describe states to the point of exhaustion: violent, talkative, and insulting to exhaustion, followed by weakness. They show that the discharge does not come from strength but is consuming. They are connected with irritability and restlessness.

Delusions

The delusions contain a scene of their own: soldiers. The person sees figures marching through the air, in the evening in half-sleep, feels surrounded by soldiers, and hears noises from the left side. Further single-remedy rubrics describe that the body is thick, heavy, and has become thick. The rubric "Delusions – body – heavy and thick, body is" agrees with this. The dreamlike also appears at night as the feeling of being in a dream.

Children and Body

The 80 rubrics on Children contain specific entries: children start up and scream terribly when trying to jump; they are easily frightened. Anxiety appears daily and periodically every day, also after washing the feet; washing the feet also aggravates as a single-remedy rubric. A connection of mind and digestion is shown in sadness from errors in diet and in grief that causes dyspepsia. The sadness appears in flushes of heat and is inconsolable: "Inconsolable – weeping, consolation agg., continued." A small rubric describes the person as a co-alcoholic.

Summary

In the Repertory, Nat‑c. shows a picture of high sensitivity to music, noises, thunderstorm, and atmosphere, which can reach anxiety, sadness, and suicidal thoughts. The person withdraws, is discreet and distrustful, is most burdened in the morning, quickly exhausted mentally, and relieved when lying down. Behind the reserve stand discharges to the point of exhaustion and images such as marching soldiers or a heavy, thick body.

A reference work for professionals; it does not replace diagnosis or treatment.