Acids; Uses, Indications, Side Effects, Interactions

Acids is a molecule or ion capable of donating a hydron (proton or hydrogen ion H⁺), or, alternatively, capable of forming a covalent bond with an electron pair (a Lewis acid).^[rx]Acids have characteristic properties which provide a practical description of an acid.^[rx] Acids from aqueous solutions with a sour taste, can turn blue litmus red, and react with bases and certain metals (like calcium) to form salts. The word acid is derived from the Latin acidus/acēre meaning sour.^[rx] An aqueous solution of acid has a pH less than 7 and is colloquially also referred to as ‘acid’ (as in ‘dissolved in acid’), while the strict definition refers only to the solute.^[rx] A lower pH means a higher acidity, and thus a higher concentration of positive hydrogen ions in the solution. Chemicals or substances having the property of an acid are said to be acidic.

Indications/ Uses of Acids

Acids are derived from the mineral and vegetable kingdoms.

ACIDS

• Arsenious acid (As 2 O 3)
• Acetic acid ( Glacial acetic acid -HC 2 H 3 O 2)
• Benzoic acid ( C 6 H 5 CO. OH )
• Boricum Acidum ( H 3 BO 3 )
• Butyric acid
• Carbolic acid ( Phenol- C 6 H 5 OH )
• Chromic acid ( Cr 2 O 3 )
• Flouric acid ( Hydrofluoric acid-HF )
• Formic acid
• Gallic acid ( C 7 H 6 O 5 )
• Hippuric acid
• Hydrobromic acid
• Hydrocyanic acid ( Prussic acid- HCN)
• Lactic acid ( Milk acid- HC 3 H 5 O )
• Malic acid
• Muriatic acid ( Hydrochloric acid- HCl )
• Nitroso-muriatic acid ( Aqua Regia N 2 O 2 Cl 4 + H 2 O + Cl 2 + NOCl)
• Nitric acid ( HNO 3)
• Oxalic acid ( Hydrogen Oxalate-C 2 H 2 O 4 2 H 2 O )
• Phosphoric acid ( H 3 PO 4)
• Picric acid ( Tri-nitro-carbolic acid- C 6 H 2 ( NO 2 ) 3 OH)
• Salicylicum acid ( C 6 H 4 ( OH) . CO. OH)
• Sarcolactic acid
• Silicic acid ( SiO 2 )
• Sulfurous acid ( H 2 SO 3)
• Sulphuric acid ( H 2 SO 4)
• Tannic acid ( C 14 H 10 O 9, 2 H 2 O )
• Tartaric acid ( C 4 H 6 O 6)
• Uric acid. ( Lithic acid – C 5 N 4 H 4 O 3 )

Acids derived from the mineral kingdom: (Mineral acids)

• Arsenious acid
• Flouric acid ( from the distillation of fluorspar- calcium fluoride)
• Muriatic acid
• Nitric acid
• Phosphoric acid
• Silica or silicic acid
• Sulphuric acid

Acids derived from the vegetable kingdom ( Organic acids)

• Acetic acid ( principal ingredient of vinegar)
• Benzoic acid ( obtained by sublimation of gum resin)
• Butyric acid ( acid obtained from butter)
• Citric acid ( found in Oranges and lemons)
• Hydrocyanic acid ( or prussic acid contained in a great number of plants )
• Lactic acid ( source sour milk)
• Malic acid ( source apples, pears, raspberries )
• Oxalic acid (source rhubarb )
• Salicylic acid ( found in Spiraea blossoms&Gaultheria)

General features of acids (physiological and medicinal effects )

They decrease the acid secretions in the body and increase the alkaline secretions of the body. For example; if a quantity of citric acid is taken into the stomach it will diminish the secretion of gastric juice. On another hand, it will increase the secretion of saliva which is alkaline in nature.

• Antidotal and complementary action to certain drugs. Example;
• Vinegar retards the action of Belladonna, but lemonade aids the action of the remedy.
• Antimonium crudum will not tolerate acids but you may use tamarind water.

Dyspepsia

• Vegetable acids are useful in dyspepsia.
• Example; Allow the patient to drink lemonade before meals and we can find that the usual heartburn and sour rising after eating are diminished.
• Some persons are greatly relieved by drinking sour milk ( Lactic acid).
• Muriatic acid and Hydrocyanic acid favor digestion. Some persons have been cured of dyspepsia by eating peach kernels which contain these acids.

The antidote for intoxication

• Vinegar ( acetic acid) has been used as an antidote for intoxication.

Corrosive action

• Discharges are acrid and excoriating.
• Lactic acid: It will eat into every tissue of the body. It will dissolve enamel of teeth. Dr. Hering was in the habit of recommending that the teeth be washed occasionally with milk cream that had become sour by keeping 24 hours.

Weakness

• Mineral acids produce irritability of fiber with weakness and prostration.
• Vegetable acids produce weakness without irritability.

They produce and check hemorrhages

• Acetic acid, Phosphoric acid, Sulphuric acid, Arsenious acid.
• They produce pseudomembranes
• Hence they are indicated in the treatment of diphtheria.
• Example: Muriatic acid, Phosphoric acid, Sulphuric acid, and Nitric acid. So do not permit a child, convalescing from croup to partake of acid fruits, because any one of these acids may tend to produce this disease again.

Debility resulting from defective nutrition especially blood disease, blood poisoning etc

• Example: Sulphuric acid, Phosphoric acid, and Arsenious acid,

Useful for treatment of drunkards

• Sulphuric acid.

Indicated in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

• Phosphoric acid and Lactic acid.
• Many of the acids are useful in the treatment of scurvy resulting from a diet of salty food with deprivation of vegetables.

Common features of Acids in detail

Antidotal action

• Acetic acid –  antidote anesthetics and sausage – poisoning.
• Muriatic acid – It is a powerful antidote to mercury and opium.
• Nitric acid – Antidotes mercury ( after its abuse in syphilis) and kali iodide (in syphilis or nonsyphilitic cases)
• Sulphuricum Acidum – Antidotes Lead poisoning.

Corrosive action

• Arsenicum album – Fluent coryza which is corrosive, reddening the upper lip with burning.
• Carbolic acid – Foetid, acrid discharge from erosion of cervix. Irritating leucorrhoea causing itching and burning.
• Chromic acid – Corrosive discharge from the nose with ulceration scab.
• Fluoricum Acidum – It acts on long bones causing necrosis and caries and favors the expulsion of the necrosed part.   It produces acrid leucorrhoea.
• Muriatic acid – Coryza with thick yellow or serious and corrosive mucus.
• Nitric acid – Discharges are offensive, thin, excoriating. Discharge thick and corrosive mucus from the nose.

Dyspepsia

• Acetic acid – Burning in throat, nausea, retching and sour rising. This is found in cancer stomach. There are gnawing ulcerative pains in stomach. Pain and burning in stomach. Profuse exhausting diarrhea with colic pains and tenderness of abdomen. Insatiable burning thirst. Disgust for salted things and cold. Cold drinks lie heavy. Vegetables except potatoes disagree.
• Ars alb – Cold food and drinks < stomach irritation. Complaint from drinking ice water and eating ices and fruits. The lips are so dry and parched and cracked that the patient often licks them to moisten them. Least food or drink causes distress or vomiting or stool or both together. Thirst for little and often. Unquenchable thirst. Want of appetite. Colic pains in stomach, nausea, vomiting, and eructation after a meal.
• Benzoic acid – Hiccough, the pressure in stomach and eructation, weak digestion.
• Butyric acid – Poor appetite. Much gas in stomach and bowels. Stomach feels heavy and overloaded. Bowels are irregular.
• Carbolic acid – Burning in the mouth to the stomach. Constant belching, nausea, vomiting, dark olive green in color. Painful flatulent distention of stomach and abdomen. Fermentative dyspepsia with bad taste and breath.
• Flouric acid – Frequent eructation and discharge of flatus, which gives relief. Nausea with lassitude. Fullness and pressure in epigastrium – pressure as from weight in the stomach between meals. Heat in the stomach before a meal. Bilious vomiting after slight errors in the diet with increased alvine discharges. Increased thirst. Craves refreshing drinks. Tongue deeply and widely fissured in all directions.
• Gallic acid – Appetite lessened with nausea. Faint, sick, gnawing sensation in bowels; extending to stomach with an astringent taste in the mouth. Pyrosis.
• Hydrocyanic acid – Anorexia, repugnance to food. Vomiting of a black liquid. Burning pain in stomach. Fluids enter the stomach with a gurgling noise. Taste sweetish, fetid, acrid and irritating. Tongue coated white, afterward dark and dingy. Hiccough and great prostration. Sudden cessation of all discharges -cholera sicca.
• Hippuric acid – Acid rising. Soreness and pressure over the liver.
• Lactic acid – Eructations of hot acrid fluid, which burns from stomach to throat which must be constantly hawked up; < smoking tobacco. Constant nausea with waterbrash or vomiting persisting for days < on rising in the morning; after breakfast. Tongue coated thick white or yellow coating with a bad taste in the morning. Increased salivation tasting salt.
• Muriatic acid – Putrid or bitter rising; hiccough before and after dinner. Vomiting of bile at night with and eructation. The sensation of emptiness in the stomach as if it were retracted. Cannot bear the sight or thought of meat, it is so distasteful.
• Nitroso-muriaticum-Acidum – Evacuation of flatus and eructation. Food took longer to digest than usual. A sudden increase in secretions of bile. Free, loose, yellowish, pappy stool after breakfast. Constipation, with desire for stool.
• Nitric acid – loss of appetite. Milk is not digested. Bitter taste in the mouth especially after eating. Complaint< while eating. Dislike meat, and sugar. Vomiting from eating bread. Craving for fat food, earth, chalk, lime, and herring. Waterbrash after drinking quickly. Borborygmus.
• Oxalic acid – Pain in stomach < by thinking the complaint, and > by eating. Eructation, nausea, rumbling in the abdomen and urging for stool after eating. Eructation with hiccough. Unquenchable thirst. Morning diarrhea. Pain in back > after stool. Diarrhea after coffee.
• Phosphoric acid – Aversion to coffee. Violent thirst for cold milk or for beer. Insatiable thirst excited by a sensation of dryness in the whole body. The pressure in stomach after a meal; with the confusion of head, uneasiness, fullness and disposition to sleep, or dejection as if about to faint. Nausea at sight of food. Sour vomiting. Painless, fetid, yellowish diarrhea.
• Picricum Acidum – Eructation; empty, sour, of gas and ingesta. Waterbrash. Nausea on retiring. Weight in a pit of the stomach with ineffectual desire to eructate. Jaundice.
• Salicylicum acidum – Nausea, gagging, waterbrash, frequent vomiting – erosions and ulcer in stomach and bowels. Burning in the epigastric region. Fermentative dyspepsia. Putrid belching. Constipated bowels. Cholera infantum. Caused expulsion of tapeworms.
• Sarcolactic acidum – Nausea. Uncontrollable vomiting even of water, followed by extreme weakness; especially in the case of influenza.
• Sulphuric acid – vomiting in the morning. Burning in chest and stomach. Sour, acid or foul eructation. Water is not tolerated unless qualified with alcohol it chills the stomach. Rumbling and borborygmi in the abdomen. After eating, pain in stomach and rising of food by the mouthful. Lassitude and flatulence after drinking milk.
• Sulfurous acidum – Ulcerative stomatitis. A headache relieved by vomiting. Loss of appetite. Obstinate constipation.
• Tannic acid – Loss of appetite. Obstinate vomiting of bilious substance. Violent pain in stomach. Obstinate constipation.
• Tartaricum Acidum – Pasty taste in the morning, ceases in eating. Nausea and eructations, continuous vomiting. Vomited matter deep green. Pain in the umbilical region. Coffee ground colored stool.

Pseudomembranes

• Acetic acid – White false membranes in the throat. Children thirsty, but swallow with difficulty even a teaspoonful of water. Lining membrane of larynx and trachea covered with a fibrinous exudation as in true croup.
• Arsenic album – Burning in throat> by eating or drinking hot things. Inflammation and gangrene of the throat. Spasmodic constriction of throat and of the esophagus, with the inability to swallow.
• Carbolic acid – Diphtheria with fetid breath, regurgitation on swallowing liquids; but little pain. Fauces are red, covered with exudation.
• Chromic acid – Diphtheria; a sore throat. Tough mucus with an inclination to swallow it.
• Muriatic acid – Mucus lining of the throat and fauces deep dark red, swollen and burning, covered with a grayish-white diphtheritic membrane like deposits. Attempting to swallow produces violent spasms and choking.
• Sulphuric acid – Thick yellow membrane on fauces, sticks like glue. Stringy, lemon – yellow mucus hangs from posterior nares in diphtheria.

Debility

• Acetic acid – Excessive wasting and debility. Anemia with the waxy pallor of the face.
• Ars. Alb – Prostration with a desire to move or be moved constantly. The patient is exhausted from slightest exertion. Anemia, chlorosis, pyemia. Rapid failure of strength wishes to lie down. Emaciation and atrophy of the whole body with colliquative sweats < during the night. Earthy face eyes sunken with a dark ring surrounding them.
• Benzoic acid – Great weakness, weariness, and lassitude with increased perspiration.
• Boracic acidum – Collapse.
• Flouric acid Lassitude – Loss of strength, limbs go to sleep.
• Gallic acid – Weakness with irritability. Profuse night sweats.
• Hydrocyanicum acid –  Speedy failing and weakness of limbs; especially thighs. Extreme weakness and weariness. Nervous weakness. Diminution of vital heat. Continued inclination to sleep coma vigil.
• Lacticum Acidum -Weakness as if from exercise with rheumatic pains in the bones. Debility with weariness of limbs.
• Muriaticum Acidum – Muscular poisoning from blood – poisoning; going on to paralysis; finally of brain or heart. Excessive depression on sitting down, the eyelids close, the lower jaw hangs down, he slides down in bed. Tottering gait, from the weakness of thighs and knees. Paralysis of tongue and sphincter ani.
• Nitroso- muriaticum Acidum – Weak, physically and mentally depressed.
• Nitric acid – Great weakness and general lassitude, with trembling, the heaviness of legs and desire to remain lying down, especially in evening or morning. The inclination to sleep during the day from weakness with vertigo.
• Phosphoric acid – Mental weakness. Marked action on emotional and sensorial faculties, a drowsy, depressed, apathetic state is produced. Stupor, from which he is easily aroused and is then fully conscious. Indifference prostrated and stupefied with grief, effects of disappointed love. Confused mind. The legs tremble in walking and limbs are as difficult to control as the thoughts. Though the weakness is very great the patient is rested by a short sleep. It is suited to persons of originally strong constitution, weakened by the loss of fluids, excesses, violent acute diseases; chagrin; or a long succession of moral emotions. Weakness of sexual organs with onanism and little sexual desire. Exhaustion after coition. Scanty milk with debility and great apathy. Great weakness after walking.
• Picric acid – Anemia, brain fag. Cancerous cachexia. Spinal exhaustion. Mental prostration after reading a little, after writing a little. Weakness from a short walk.
• Salicylicum acidum – Weakness and faintness. Prostration after influenza.
• Sarcolactic acidum – Violent retching and great prostration in epidemic influenza after Arsenic alb had failed. Muscular prostration with tired feeling , worse any exertion. Tired feeling in the morning on getting up. Paralytic weakness. Wrist tires easily from writing . extreme weakness from climbing stairs. Arms feel as if no strength in them.
• Sulphuricum Acidum – Sulphuric acid is suited to cases where the weakness is out of proportion to the disease. Weakness seems to come from deep seated dyscrasia. Useful for inebriates. Nervous fatigue. Weakness with trembling of the body.
• Tannic acid – Weakness with Palpitation.
• Tartaricum Acidum – Paralysis of thighs and legs. Extreme weakness in the evening. Feels very tired can scarcely drag himself along. Paralytic debility. Frequent yawning.

Hemorrhage

• Acetic acid – Hemorrhage from the bowel. Metrorrhagia after parturition with great thirst. Haemoptysis.
• Ars. Alb – Metrorrhagia, Haemoptysis, resulting in anemia or chlorosis. Violent bleeding of the nose. Swelling and bleeding of gums. Catamenia too early too copious, attended by much suffering.
• Benzoic acid –  Epistaxis
• Carbolic acid – Bloody stool like scrapings of the intestine.
• Chromic acid – Haemorrhoids- bleeding . Bloody foul smelling lochia.
• Gallicum Acidum – Pulmonary hemorrhage in phthisis. Excessive menstruation. Nose bleed. Hemophilia.
• Hippuric acid  – Menstrual flow for three days with complete relief of muscular and joint pains.
• Hydrocyanicum Acidum – Haemoptysis with sharp pains in chest.
• Lactic acid – Nose bleed – every morning.
• Muriatic acid -Continuous discharge from the nose. Scorbutic gums, swollen, easily bleeding ulcerating. Discharge of blood during stools- bleeding hemorrhoids. Scurvy.
• Nitric acid – Ulcers are easily bleeding. The dressing causes bleeding and every touch causes splinter-like pains. Frequent hemorrhages, bright red, profuse. Hemorrhage from bowels with pain after stool. In physical cases, there are frequent hemorrhages, bright red, profuse with sharp stitches through the right chest to the scapula. Haematuria, bright red, profuse with strangury and strong odor like horse’s urine. Hemorrhages occurring in cachectic women after confinement or abortion. Epistaxis < morning, excited by weeping. Blood is black. Gums bleed, are white and swollen.
• Hemorrhoids- bleeding after every evacuation.
• Oxalicum acid – Gums bleed and are painful in spots. Blood coagulate very slowly. Petechiae appearing on the face, head, chest, and nates.
• Phosphoric acidum – Scurvy- gums bleeding easily, swollen, stand off from teeth. Hemorrhage is passive, profuse and dark. Nose bleed at the beginning of typhus. Uterine ulcer with copious, putrid, bloody discharge. Too copious menses.
• Picric acid –  Haemoglobinuria
• Salicylicum acidum – Retinal hemorrhage. Haematuria.
• Sulphuric acid – Scurvy. Epistaxis in the evening. Swelling and easy bleeding of gums. Discharge of blood during the evacuation. Long continued Haemoptysis.
• Tannic acid – Haemorrhagic pharyngitis. Painless bloody discharge from bowels.

Diabetes

• Acetic acid – Urine increased in quantity , pale, phosphatic. Diabetes with burning, unending and unquenchable thirst and great debility.
• Ars alb – Frequent inclination to urinate with excessive exhaustion from least exertion.
• Benzoicum acidum – Nocturnal enuresis with strong smelling dark urine, the urinous odor is highly intensifid.
• Boric acid – Frequent and urgent desire to urinate. Quantity of urine double. Albumen in urine.
• Carbolic acid – Diabetes with almost black urine. Irritable bladder with frequent urination at night.
• Flouric acid – Indicated after phosphoric acid. Free discharge of light-colored urine. Whitish purple colored sediment in urine.
• Gallic acid – Excessive dryness of mouth and throat with increased urine.
  Hydrocyanic acid – Frequent emission of aqueous urine or pale or pale yellow urine, depositing a turbid cloud.
• Lacticum Acidum – Frequent desire to urinate large quantities. Urinate frequently day and night, the attempt to retain it causes pain.
• Muriatic acid – Frequent desire to urinate with abundant emission-immoderate emission of aqueous urine- both day and night. The patient cannot urinate without having the bowels moved at the same time.
• Nitric acid – Frequent want to urinate which is fetid; offensive.
• Oxalic acid – Thinking of urinating produce desire for urination. Frequent and copious urination; which is clear, straw-colored. Oxaluria and albuminuria.
• Phosphoric acid – The child passes a great quantity of urine. Polyuria with dry mouth and throat; with a history of sexual excess or severe mental or emotional overstrain. White, milky urine. The urine may be passed clear but, turns milky at once and is very offensive. Frequent and profuse emission of aqueous urine which immediately deposits a thick white cloud.
• Picric acid – Frequent micturition in the morning. Urine dark yellow with a strong odor. specific gravity increased. Urine contained much indican, numerous granular and fatty degenerated epithelium.
• Salicylicum acidum – Diabetes Mellitus- albuminuria. Urine – clear, brown; three hours after passage has a green tinge and a feathery deposit of crystals of Salicylic acid.
• Sulfuric acid – Diabetes with lassitude, despondency. Emission of urine at night. Urine watery and as if it contained casts.

References

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