Kali Bichromium

Kali bichromium

Description

Kali bichromium is a bright orange, caustic, corrosive compound used in the manufacture of dye, photography, and batteries. It is also used as a homeopathic remedy. In homeopathy, potassium bichromate is diluted to the point where it no longer retains any poisonous or caustic qualities. Homeopaths usually abbreviate kali bichromium as Kali bich. or as Kali bi.

General use

Homeopathic medicine operates on the principle that "like heals like." This principle means that a disease can be cured by treating it with products that produce the same symptoms as the disease. These products follow another homeopathic law, the Law of Infinitesimals. In opposition to traditional medicine, the Law of Infinitesimals states that the lower a dose of curative, the more effective it is. To achieve a low dose, the curative is diluted many, many times until only a tiny amount, if any, remains in a huge amount of the diluting liquid.

In homeopathic medicine, Kali bichromium is said to have an affinity for the mucous membranes and the skin. It is used primarily to treat stringy yellowish or greenish mucous discharges from any part of the body, including the nose, throat, larynx, vagina, urethra, and stomach. Its most common use is to treat colds that are accompanied by sinus congestion or evolve into sinusitis.

In these situations the patient feels pressure and fullness in the sinuses and experiences extreme pain at the root of the nose that improves when pressure is applied to the painful spot. Kali bichromium is also used to treat feelings of fullness and pressure in the middle ear and to treat sinus or migraine headaches that start at night.

In addition, Kali bichromium is used to treat a sore throat with swollen tonsils, swollen neck, and a discharge of pus. In the mouth, ulcers or a dry, burning feeling are treated by Kali bichromium when accompanied by intense pain at the root of the tongue or a dry, yellow-coated tongue.

Certain types of coughs are also treated with Kali bichromium when the voice is rough and hoarse, and the cough is dry. If the cough worsens when breathing damp, cold air, worsens in the early hours of the morning, and is better in warm air, these are also indications to the homeopath that kali bichromium is an appropriate remedy.

Kali bichromium is used to treat joint pains that appear and disappear suddenly or wander to different spots in the body causing severe pain. These pains, like the cough, are improved by warmth.

Kali bichromium is sometimes used for relief of dis-tress in the digestive system such as nausea and vomiting of yellow mucus and bile. In homeopathic terminology, the effectiveness of remedies is proved by experimentation and reporting done by famous homeopathic practitioners. Kali bichromium was proved as a vomiting remedy by Dr. John H. Clark (1853–1931).

In homeopathic medicine the fact that certain symptoms get better or worse under different conditions is used as a diagnostic tool to indicate what remedy will be most effective. Symptoms that benefit from treatment with Kali bichromium get worse in the very early hours of the morning (2 a.m. to 5 a.m.), worsen in wet weather, are worse in the summer, are worse upon awaking, upon getting cold from undressing, and upon consuming alcohol (which often induces vomiting and diarrhea in patients that need this remedy). Symptoms improve with warmth, movement, pressure, and from eating. Patients needing Kali bichromium tend to get cold easily.

Homeopathy also ascribes certain personality types to certain remedies. The Kali bichromium personality is said to be listless with aversion to physical or mental exercise . People with Kali bichromium personalities also tend to be rigid and inflexible, doing most activities such as eating, sleeping, and working on a rigid timetable. They are very detail oriented. Morally, they tend to be very proper, rigid, and conservative, which results in a narrow-minded, self-centered personality.

Preparations

Kail bichromium is prepared by extensive dilutions of what is called a mother tincture of potassium dichromate dissolved in an alcohol/water mixture. There are two homeopathic dilution scales, the decimal (x) scale with a dilution of 1:10 and the centesimal (c) scale where the dilution factor is 1:100. Once the mixture is diluted, shaken, strained, then re-diluted many times to reach the desired degree of potency, the final mixture is added to lactose (a type of sugar) tablets or pellets. These are then stored away from light. Kali bichromium is available commercially in tablets or pellets in strengths of 6x, 12x, 30x, 200x, 6c, 12c, 30c, and 200c.

Homeopathic and orthodox medical practitioners agree that by the time the mother tincture is diluted to strengths used in homeopathic healing, it is likely that very few if any molecules of the original remedy remain. Homeopaths, however, believe that these remedies continue to work through an effect called potentization that has not yet been explained by mainstream scientists.

Precautions

No particular precautions have been reported when using Kali bichromium.

Side effects

When taken in the recommended dilute form, no side effects have been reported. However, concentrated quantities of this compound are corrosive.

Interactions

Studies on interactions between Kali bichromium given in homeopathic doses and conventional pharmaceuticals are nonexistent.

Resources

BOOKS

Cummings, Stephen and Dana Ullman. Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. 3rd edition. New York: Putnam, 1997.

Hammond, Christopher. The Complete Family Guide to Home-opathy. London: Penguin Studio, 1995.

Lockie, Andrew, and Nicola Geddes. The Complete Guide to Homeopathy. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995.

ORGANIZATIONS

Foundation for Homeopathic Education and Research. 21 Kittredge Street, Berkeley, CA 94704. (510) 649–8930.

International Foundation for Homeopathy. P. O. Box 7, Edmonds, WA 98020. (206) 776–4147.

National Center for Homeopathy. 801 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 306, Alexandria, VA 22314. (703) 548–7790.

ORGANIZATIONS

The British Institute of Homeopathy Canada. 1445 St. Joseph Blvd., Gloucester, ON K1C 7K9 Canada. (613) 830–4759. http://www.homeopathy.com.

OTHER

Holistic Medicine Online. http://www.holisticmed.com.

Tish Davidson