Benzoic Acid

The grand central characteristic of this remedy is found in the urine, which is scanty, of a dark brown color (like French brandy), the urinous odor being highly intensified. This odor comes at the time of passing and remains afterward. One need not wait on a long-standing specimen to find it. It is found in connection with rheumatism, quinsy, dropsy, diarrhoea, headache and other diseases. Of course many other remedies have offensive urine, like Nitric acid urine offensive like horse urine, Berberis, but the deposit is turbid, Calcarea ostrearum, but the deposit is white. Benzoic acid often smells horribly, with no deposit at all. Both Benzoic acid and Berberis are great remedies for arthritic troubles with the urinary symptoms. Lycopodium and Lithium carb. also claim attention in this affection, the concomitants deciding the choice. I have seen wonderful relief from Benzoic acid in nephritic colic with the characteristic offensive urine. In dribbling of urine of old men with enlarged prostate it has also done good service. The urine in the clothing scents the whole room. Menstrual difficulties and prolapsus uteri with the characteristic urinary symptoms are also relieved by it. Heart troubles of rheumatic origin also. So we have a widely diversified list of diseases in which this remedy is the one, and all seem to be connected with this one strong characteristic symptom.