I think that this is a remedy that we are under prescribing in general. I think that we are frequently giving Arsenicum or Nux or Sulphur when we sometimes should be giving Nitric Acid. You can give this remedy just on the basis of the physical symptoms. You can give this remedy without anxiety about health, although the vast majority of the time they will have the typical personality. They are not always people that you don’t like. So, don’t get the idea that they are that nasty necessarily. But there will be something in them that you don’t like. There is something extremely selfish about these people. I don’t know whether George will confirm this, but I have noticed that selfish people tend to crave fat. It seems like the very concept about eating not just meat but the very fat off of another living organism, there is something inherently selfish involved. I have also noticed that people that tend to be more on the sort of hypersensitive and overly refined side have craving for salt. So, these people and also people who are very selfish are usually the first people to develop anxiety about their health. They are people that enjoy living and they want for themselves and therefore they are afraid when something is going to be taken away. So, Nitric Acid, especially when you see the combination of anxiety about health and fear of death, the first thing to come to your mind should be Nitric Acid, and then right up along with it would be Phosphorus. But for obviously totally different perspectives. Of course everybody knows that Nitric Acid is the fear of anxiety about health that is not consolable. You may even think you have them all consoled and they walk out of the office and within a half an hour they are already totally calling you on the phone and wanting to know.

Q. Will they cry a lot about their despair of their health?

A. You mean, weep tears? No, not so much that. They could. They could. They are more closed really. They wouldn’t necessarily be the type that would come in and cry in front of you. They certainly could, but they are actually sort of irritable people and that is why you can confuse it with Nux. They seem to get involved in little petty quarrels and they will never patch it up. You know, bears grudges until their dying day. In the repertory we have the rubric, "Unmoved by apologies. I think it’s under "unmoved."

The selfishness would come out in other ways. These wouldn’t be people ever to do altruistic things. Whereas, you might find an Arsenicum doing altruistic things or whatever. These would be people that, of course they are very pessimistic. They despair recovery.

Q. So, we should add it to selfishness, that’s what you’re saying? It’s really strong, right? A. Yes. George didn’t add it at all? Put it in parentheses.

Q. How about avarice?

A. No, it’s not that they are greedy. Arsenicum of course is under avarice. But I don’t want you adding things to the repertory just on my say so. You know this kind of, "Me. Me. Who is going to take care of me?" sort of thing. So, the pessimism goes into despair of recovery, goes into despair about life, goes into suicidal kinds of thoughts, although unlike Arsenicum, you wouldn’t really take them as seriously. Remember George’s case about the guy that carried around the gun in his pocket for 20 years, just to have it there when he wanted to kill himself?

Now, physically, of course, they are very chilly. One of the chilliest remedies. The physical pathology that they will develop will be mostly of the skin or mucous membranes. In the skin, they develop ulcers, and also in the mucous membranes, peptic ulcer, and other ulcers, ulcers in the mouth and cracks. Cracks at the corners of the mouth, cracks on the lips, or any type of eruption at the corner of the mouth. Cracks of the nipples. Also rectal fissures, it would be one of the main remedies. Also, hemorrhoids, condylomata of the rectum and condylomata anywhere, it would be one of the main remedies. It’s mainly a syphilitic remedy, although it can be psychotic as well. But, it is one of the main remedies. If you think of a syphilitic taint, you will think of certain remedies and Nitric Acid will be one of the strong ones like Mercury, Aurum, Syphillinum.

The cravings of Nitric Acid are for mostly fat and salt. They can crave sweets, they can also have an aversion to sweet, I think. It is not so strong. There can be either a desire or an aversion to bread. There can be a craving for charcoal or dirt. The other remedy? Cicuta. There are a lot of remedies that have that craving though, Alumina, Calcarea, Calcarea Phosphorica, Nux Vomica.

There is an offensiveness about the remedy both in the sweat and specifically where else? The urine. And the urine smells like what? Horse’s urine. Of course, the pains of Nitric Acid are like what? Sticking pains and that can be in the throat, in the ulcers, it can be in the skin, it can be in the warts, the condylomata, like splinters.

The can have acne, especially in the throat there can be that sliver, splinter sensation. There are a lot of remedies for that. Natrum Mur, Argentum Nitricum, Hepar, Silica, and Kali Carbonicum.

Dark - complexioned, thin subjects of rigid fiber who readily catch cold; naturally or prematurely old people with general weakness and emaciation; sycotic or mercurio-syphilitic states, or advanced cases of phthisis.

Depression and irritability with vindictiveness; patient excitable; anxious about his disease or past troubles.

Ulcerations, fissures, condylomata, warts, etc., especially at all muco- utaneous orifices, with easy though usually slight bleeding.

Cutting or pricking pains and sensations as from splinters, especially on touching the part.

Thin, offensive excoriating discharges; sometimes purulent, dirty yellowish green.

Ptyalism; offensive odor of breath, etc., with diseased conditions of the mouth in general.

Hemorrhages of bright red blood, generally scanty.

Urine scanty, dark brown and strong-smelling (Benz. Ac.); often cold when passed.

Ailments predominantly right-sided.

Modalities; < cold; change of weather; night; touch, etc.; > while riding in vehicles.