Baryta carb is a drug of the chemical kingdom. It is an inorganic compound. It is composed of the elements – Barium, Carbon & Oxygen. Barium carbonate is found in the nature as witherite. It is a yellowish or grayish brilliant mineral crystallizing in rhombic prisms. Most often it is found in round or kidney shaped masses.

    This may also be prepared artificially by precipitating any soluble barium salt by a soluble carbonate, preferably of an alkali. The precipitate is then collected by filtration, next it is washed & dried.

Synonyms : Barri carbonas, Barium Carbonicum,Carbonate of Barium, French: carbonate de barite, German: Kohlensaures barium.

Chemical formula: BaCO₃

Common name: Carbonate of barium.

Description: It is white in colour. It is a heavy powder. It has no taste or odour. It is almost insoluble in water. It is readily decomposed by acids with the evolution of carbon di oxide. It is soluble in dilute Hydrochloric acid, Nitric acid & Acetic acid. The specific gravity is 4.43 & the Molecular wt. is 197.35.It occurs in nature as mineral witherite & is purified by precipitation. It contains not less than 98% of barium carbonate.

Identification:

(i) Moistened, with hydrochloric acid and heated on a platinum wire in a Bunsen flame; it imparts a green colour to the flame.
(ii) Heat 1g with 5ml of nitric acid, cool, dilute with three times its volume of water and filter; the filtrate gives a precipitate with sulphuric acid.

Assay: Cover 4g accurately weighed with 50ml of water, run in 50ml of 1N hydrochloric acid, boil, cool, titrate excess of the acid with 1N sodium hydroxide using bromophenol blue as indicator. Each ml of 1N hydrochloric acid is equivalent to 0.09868g BaCO₃.

History & Authority: It was first proven under the directions of Dr C.F.S.Hahnemann. It is a well proved remedy. Allens Encyclopoedia Mat. Med, Vol. II, 49, X, 372.

Preparation :

a) Trituration 1X........................ Drug Strength: 1/10
    Baryta Carb.......................... 100g
    Saccharum Lactis.................. 900g
    To make one thousand grams of the trituration.

b) Potencies

    2X and higher to be triturated to 6X . 6X trituration. is converted to liquid 8X. The higher potencies are prepared with dispensing alcohol.

Caution : Baryta Carb should never be prescribed below 3X potency.