Vanadium metallicum

(the metal)
Pharmacy
Vanad. The Metal. Vanadium metallicum. Burnett used the soluble ammonium salt. Trituration.
Historical dose: All potencies, 6c to 12c potency.
History
Vanadium's action is that of an oxygen carrier and a catalyzer, hence its use in wasting diseases.
Increases amount of hemoglobin, also combines its oxygen with toxins and destroys their
virulence.
Also Vanadium increases and stimulates phagocytes. Planets: Jupiter.
PAGE 1766
Homeopathic
Vanadium is a remedy in degenerative conditions of the liver and arteries. Anorexia and
symptoms of gastro-intestinal irritation, albumen, casts and blood in urine. Tremors, vertigo,
hysteria and melancholia, neuro-retinitis and blindness. Anemia, emaciation. Cough dry,
irritating and paroxysmal, sometimes with hemorrhages. Irritation of nose, eyes and throat.
Vanadium acts as a tonic to digestive function and in early tuberculosis. Arteriosclerosis,
sensation as if heart was compressed, as if blood had no room in the aorta. Fatty heart.
Degenerative states, has brain softening. Tuberculosis, chronic rheumatism, diabetes. Anxious
pressure on whole chest.
Vanad. is a remedy for degenerative conditions of liver and arteries. Fatty degeneration of the
heart and liver. Arteriosclerosis. Deeply pigmented patches on forehead in liver disorders.
Profound weakness.
Clinical
Addison's disease. Anemia. Arteriosclerosis. Atheroma. Emaciation. Fatty heart. Liver disorders.
Malnutrition.
Comments
Burnett tells how he came to use Vanad. through reading the result of some experiments on
animals in which the Salts of Vanadium produced "true cell destruction, the pigment escaping,
the liver being hit hardest."

Burnett had at the time a case of "fatty liver, atheroma of the arteries, much pain corresponding
to the course of the basilar artery, large, deeply pigmented patches on forehead, profound
adynamia."
Vanad. restored the patient, who was seventy and at eighty he was "hale and hearty."
Marc Jousset tells of experiments with salts of Vanad., chiefly the meta-vanadate of sodium, by
Lyonnet and others. Animals poisoned by intravenous injections rapidly develop Cheyne-Stokes
respiration with little or no action on circulation or blood.
These clinical observers gave Vanadates to two hundred patients, suffering from neurasthenia,
tuberculosis, chlorosis, chronic rheumatism, etc. It produced in nearly all cases increased
appetite, strength and weight. The amount of urea was also increased.
They regard Vanad. as "an energetic stimulant of nutrition," and probably an oxidant stimulating
organic combustion. The dose was 2 to 5 mg. In twenty-four hours and only on three separate
days in the week.
Compare
(1) Ars., Phos. Am-c.
(2) Vanad. - fatty degeneration of liver.
(3) fatty degeneration, Phos., Ars.
(4) Addison's disease, Adren.
(5) Tuberculosis, Tub., Bac.
Sources
Boericke. Clarke.
Vermulen Concordant MM
Vanad.
Vanadium metallicum
Characteristics
Its action is that of an oxygen carrier and a catalyser, hence its use in wasting diseases. Increases
amount of haemoglobin, also combines its oxygen with toxins and destroys their virulence. Also
increases and stimulates phagocytes. A remedy in degenerative conditions of liver and arteries.
Anorexia and symptoms of gastrointestinal irritation; albumen, casts and blood in urine.
Tremors; vertigo; hysteria and melancholia; neuro-retinitis and blindness. Anaemia, emaciation.

Cough dry, irritating and paroxysmal, sometimes & haemorrhages. Irritation of nose, eyes and
throat. Tuberculosis, chronic rheumatism, diabetes. Acts as a tonic to digestive function and in
early tuberculosis. Arteriosclerosis, sensation as if heart was compressed, as if blood had no
room in aorta. Anxious pressure on whole chest. Fatty heart. Degenerative states, has brain
softening. Atheroma of arteries of brain and liver. 2 Deeply pigmented patches on forehead in
liver affections.
Relations
Compare: Adren. [Addison's disease]; Ars. and Phos. [fatty degeneration]; Bac. and Tub.
[tuberculosis]; 1 Am-van. [fatty degeneration of liver].
Vanadium metallicum
Vanad.
Signs
Vanadium metallicum.
This silvery-grey, malleable metal was named vanadium by a Swedish chemist Sefstrm from
Old Norwegian Vanadis, the goddess Freyja. The Scandinavian goddess Freyja was happily
married to Odur, but spoiled her own happiness through her love for jewels. Four dwarves had
made a magnificent necklace, called Brisingamen. Freyja wanted to have it at all costs and
offered a fortune in silver and gold to obtain it. The dwarves refused and would only exchange it
for the greatest treasure in the whole world: Freyja herself. If Freyja would marry each of the
dwarves for a day and a night, the necklace would be hers. In her folly, Freyja sacrificed
everything for the shine and beauty of Brisingamen and agreed. The four marriages were
consummated, after which Freyja returned home. Ashamed at what she had done, she kept
Brisingamen hidden from everybody. She only took it out and enjoyed its beauty when she was
sure not to be disturbed. The only one who knew of this was Loki the Bringer of Doom. He
managed to steal the necklace from her and showed it to Odur, who then in great sadness floated
off into the far heavens. Loki, who had changed himself into a seal, was forced to give up the
necklace. After a perilous adventure, Freyja found Odur again, after the supreme god Odin had
forgiven her on condition that she would wear the necklace for eternity.
Vanadium is in Group 5 b of the periodic system, which also includes niobium and tantalum. It
is preceded by titanium, and followed by chromium. It is quite a common element. It is known to
occur in around 65 minerals. It is also found in phosphate rock, some iron ores and some crude
oils. The biggest user of vanadium is the steel industry, for the manufacture of ferrovanadium [an
iron alloy with 30% vanadium]. Less than quarter of one per cent added to steel makes it very
hard and increases the resistance to tension and heat in construction materials, tools, springs,
axles, suction rods and pipelines, as Vanadium makes steel resistant to shocks and vibration. It is

also used in ceramics, rubber, chemicals, and dyes and special inks [due to its multicoloured
salts].
Even small amounts of impurities change the properties in this element drastically. Pure
vanadium possesses a high plasticity which makes it forgeable. But even the presence of minute
amounts of substances such as nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen renders the metal hard and brittle
and not easily machined. For a long time it proved extremely difficult to produce pure vanadium
because of its extraordinary activism at high temperatures. It was almost impossible to find a
suitable metal for the crucible: vanadium dissolved them all during smelting and became impure.
Only recently an electrolytic method of refining was designed, where vanadium pure up to
99.99% was obtained. Though the earth's crust is quite rich in vanadium - about 0.2%, which is
15 times more than lead and 2000 times more than silver - its accumulations hardly occur at all,
hence ores containing 1% of vanadium are regarded as exceptionally rich. Meteorites hitting the
earth contain two to three times more vanadium than the earth's crust. Solar matter is also richer
in this element than is our planet. During the First World War vanadium steel began to be used
for soldiers' helmets. Exceptionally light and thin, the steel proved exceedingly resistant against
bullets and metallic splinters. Even pigs have given vanadium its due. Experiments carried out in
Argentina have shown that the introduction of vanadium in the pigs' feed considerably increases
their appetite and they gain weight faster. [Venetsky]
Humans certainly need vanadium, although its exact function is as yet unclear. It is assumed that
it prevents the formation of cholesterol in the blood vessels and thereby plays a role in the
prevention of heart attacks. There are also indications that vanadium prevents tooth caries. The
best natural sources of vanadium are fish, eggs and cow's milk. Vanadium seems to be essential
for the functioning of many living tissues: it has been discovered in eggs, fowl meat, cow's milk,
animal liver and even the human brain. Curiously, certain sea plants and animals collect
vanadium by extracting it in some mysterious way from the environment. It is believed that in
this group of living organisms vanadium functions in the same way as iron in the blood of
humans and higher mammals. Japanese metallurgists have already produced steel in which the
alloying element is vanadium extracted from ascidians. Vanadium 'collectors' are also to be found
on the ground. One of them is the well-known death cup [Amanita phalloides]. Some species of
moulds simply cannot develop without it.
"From the exposure to vanadinic acid salts in industry, irritative states of the mucous
membranes, the respiratory passages and the gastrointestinal canal as well as the kidneys have
been observed; its general effects include headaches, trembling and psychic disturbances."
[Leeser]
Compare
Phosphorus. Arsenicum. Sulphur. Kali carbonicum. Aurum muriaticum. Lac defloratum. Oleum
jecoris aselli. Strophanthus.

Region
Digestion. Bloodvessels; circulation.
Leading symptoms
M Believes that achievement breeds success.
High [self-imposed] standards [the malleable metal becomes brittle if 'contaminated' with
minute amounts of other elements].
Attaches importance to external beauty. Vanity.
Make many plans, but does not know what he wants.
Bouts of eating to compensate for lack of warmth and encouragement.
Anorexia with the idea that it can be observed.
Excited when successful, depressed by failure.
Docile and easily influenced.
Feels guilty for not achieving what his successful parents wanted. [Scholten]
G Right side more affected than left side.
G Hypertension.
and Vertigo and sensation as if heart were enlarged. [Voisin]
G Weakness after exhausting diseases.
and Emaciation; loss of appetite; hypotonia. [Voisin]
G Chilly.
Cold hands and feet.
Raynaud's syndrome.
G Anorexia - bulimia.
"In my experience, it is the first and foremost remedy in cases of anorexia or bulimia."
[Scholten]
"Another important remedy for anorexia is Mur-ac. which, like Vanadium, also has fear of
failure." [Dockx]

G Craving for sweets; liquorice.

G Menses scanty or absent.
Premenstrual complaints.
agg. Ovulation.

* Mental picture and generalities after Jan Scholten, supplemented with signature.
Rubrics
Head
Softening of brain [1].
Eye
Opacity, arcus senilis [1]. Paralysis of optic nerves, amaurosis [1].
Abdomen
Fatty degeneration of liver [1].
Kidneys
Addison's disease [1].
Chest
Anxiety in chest from pressure on chest [1/1]. Sensation as if heart were compressed, as if blood
had no room in aorta [1/1]. Constriction in heart, grasping sensation [1]. Fatty degeneration of
heart [1]. Bursting pain in heart, sensation of being too full [1].
Generalities
Arteriosclerosis [2]. Hypertension [1]. Sensation of strength [1]. Tumours, benign, atheroma,
steatoma [1].
Food
Desire: Liquorice [1]; sweets [1]. [Scholten]
YASGUR
Essence

the true characteristic or substance. See drug picture. For example, the essence of Vanadium is
the idea that they have to be successful, but they are not allowed or they are incapable. They
feel obliged to live up to many tasks, but they are confused as to what tasks and why.
Vanadium metallicum (Homoeopathic Links, 2/94, p. 11).