Borax veneta

Borax is a naturally occurring compound of sodium, boron, oxygen, and water (Na₂[B₄O₅(OH)₄]·8H₂O), obtained from dried lake beds in regions such as Tibet and California. It appears as soft white crystals and is alkaline in reaction. Homeopathically, it is prepared by trituration and is noted especially for its action on mucous membranes, skin, and emotional states, particularly in infants and sensitive individuals.

Used historically as a cleansing agent, food preservative, antiseptic, and insecticide. In domestic use, borax was a common ingredient in washing powders and eye washes.

Proved by Hahnemann and developed through extensive clinical experience, especially in paediatrics. Proving data appears in Materia Medica Pura and was further expanded by Hughes and Allen.

• Mucous membranes – mouth, genitals, digestive and respiratory tracts
• Skin – prone to ulceration, inflammation, and fungal infection
• Ears and hearing – sensitivity to sound
• Nervous system – startle reflex, anxiety
• Female genitals – leucorrhoea, vulvitis
• Gastrointestinal tract – colic, flatulence, nausea
• Infants and young children – remedy frequently used in paediatric complaints

• Pressure on abdomen
• Bending double in colic
• Motion (in some complaints)
• Cool, open air
• Holding the child during downward motion (supporting head or back)

• Downward motion – being laid down, rocked downwards, or taken downstairs
• Sudden noise
• Sudden light
• Warmth and heat
• Dentition
• Touch or sudden shock
• Sudden jerks or jarring

• Chamomilla – Also irritable, teething children; more anger than fear, and symptoms better from being carried
• Calcarea carbonica – Cradle cap and sweat on head, but less sensitivity to motion
• Pulsatilla – Also suited to leucorrhoea and menstrual irregularities; more emotional softness
• Silicea – Delayed dentition and nervousness, but chilly and stubborn
• Sanicula – Similar fear of downward motion, but with more digestive focus

• Complementary: Pulsatilla, Calcarea carbonica
• Antidotes: Chamomilla, Coffea
• Follows well: Chamomilla, Mercurius

Borax veneta typifies the sensitive and reactive human state, particularly in early life. It is a remedy of hyper-vigilance, emotional vulnerability, and mucous membrane erosion. The person or child needing Borax feels unprotected, vulnerable to shocks—whether physical, emotional, or sensory. Their reactions are sudden and disproportionate, yet arise from real inner frailty. This makes Borax not just a physical remedy for aphthae or leucorrhoea, but a deep constitutional support for the overreactive, sensitive temperament.

• Essential in aphthae of mouth, vagina, or anus
• Consider in teething children who fear being laid down
• Valuable in infantile colic with abdominal bloating
• Use in nervous women with leucorrhoea and vaginal aphthae
• Helpful in seborrhoea and cradle cap in infants

Mind

• Fear of downward motion
• Startles easily from noise
• Anxiety during dentition
• Screaming before sleep

Mouth

• Aphthae, painful
• Ulcers in infants
• Tongue coated white

Female Genitalia

• Leucorrhoea, egg-white, before menses
• Vulvitis, itching and soreness
• Aphthous ulcers of vagina

Skin

• Cradle cap
• Eczema in children
• Ulcers, sensitive

Generalities

• Worse from sudden noise, downward motion
• Better from pressure
• Worse during dentition
• Better in open air

• Samuel Hahnemann – Materia Medica Pura: Core proving symptoms including aphthae and emotional reactivity
• C. Hering – Guiding Symptoms: Noted infantile anxiety and startle response
• William Boericke – Pocket Manual: Aphthous stomatitis and female applications
• John Henry Clarke – Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: Expanded on leucorrhoea, skin eruptions, and modality profile
• Hughes and Allen – Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy: Early proving and verification of mucous membrane affinity