(Carbonate of Ammonia)

This is a profoundly effective medicine, which works on blood circulation. Its effect resembles several kinds of snake venom. Ammonium Carb has been successfully used in the Sindh province of Pakistan by eminent homoeopaths, for the treatment of snakebites. The resulting bleeding is thin and dark. The dark colour signifies that the inner lining of the nose, mouth, pharynx, stomach and intestines are no longer intact, they have either ulcerated or ruptured. The same also happens following a snakebite. The blood that comes out is dark and thin. Ammonium Carb is extremely useful in combating such conditions. In some diseases, the lining of the blood vessels becomes permeable and cannot retain the red cells. For such diseases, there are other useful remedies described elsewhere in this book. Dark blood is usually indicative of a severe illness, which may lead to death, unless treated promptly. There are also other remedies for the dark bloody discharge, as mentioned in other places of this book. The dark bloody discharge occurs in in serious illnesses. This requires urgent treatment otherwise the patient’s life will be in danger. To distinguish between different remedies, one has to keep the differences of different remedies in mind. Otherwise, only the mere presence of this symptom will not help. For example, the dark blue bleeding of piles is a result of failure of the portal venous system, rather than the effect on the inner lining. This system of circulation is related to the liver and the veins of the intestines draining into the liver. The veins contain dark blood. Portal system dysfunction may be treated with Sulphur or Hamamelis. However, if the dark blood is exuding from the broken down lining of the kidneys or intestines, Ammonium Carb is the ideal remedy in this critically serious condition.

In snakebites, the blood may either clot or flow freely. Bleeding is from the junctional area (i.e. where the outer skin and the inner lining meet), such as the roots of the nail, lips, and other natural orifices. Whenever there is such bleeding, this is a sign of snake venom and similarly that of Ammonium Carb.

Female Ammonium Carb patients may become hysterical. Their symptoms aggravate with sleep (as in Lachesis). Puerperal fever or

other fevers due to blood poisoning (toxaemia or Septicaemia) can influence the mind. The patient experiences strange, dreadful dreams. Detailed analysis of such dreams can help in making a proper diagnosis. If the patient sees snakes in his dreams, it indicates Natrum Mur, although, snake venom is Lachesis, rather than Natrum Mur. If the patient sleep walks, it indicates Silicea. Such patients may walk long distances and then come back to their bed. One such patient got up during her sleep and picked up the bedding and took it to another house. Finding the door of that house locked, she dropped the bedding there, returned home and lay back on the bed devoid of bedding. In the morning, she did not remember anything about it at all!

Restlessness during sleep, or non-satisfying sleep should be properly looked into, so that a diagnosis may be established and correct treatment offered for natural relief.

An offensive discharge from the ear should lead the homoeopath towards Ammonium Carb. Ammonium Carb is very useful in chronic illnesses of the ears associated with putrid discharge. In a chronic illness, the patient may be on the verge of death. The affected tissues start decaying and dying. The deadly odourous discharge from the ear results from the destruction of the inner lining of the ear. Ammonium Carb should be used in these patients on a permanent basis.

Pulsatilla will offer immediate relief in case of a sudden, severe earache associated with restlessness, provided the patient is of mild nature and has the sobbing tendency. Chamomilla would be the best remedy if the patient suffering from earache is also irritable. Allium Cepa is good if the earache is secondary to a nasal cold. If there is lots of blood congestion of the ears associated with a reddish glow on the face, one should also add Belladonna 30 to Pulsatilla.

Ammonium Carb is useful in diseases of the glands and chronic diseases of the lungs. Sometimes the lymph glands of the neck enlarge, become firm and then harden due to chronic inflammation and may resemble cancerous glands. So Ammonium Carb is also useful in cancerous conditions of the lymph glands. When the skin diseases are suppressed due to some kind of treatment, the diseases settle in the lymph nodes making them hard and subject to cancerous transformation. Even if cancerous, such lymph adenopathy is very amenable to Ammonium Carb.