Ferrum is one of the prominent constituents of the animal body, being present in considerable quantity in the blood and hence iron has great importance in human nutrition. 
The body of an adult human contains 3-4 gm (4.2gm) of iron and 75% of this amount found in the blood. Small part of iron is also present in myoglobin (muscle protein). Iron also exists in combination with iron storage protein as ferritin and hemosiderin in the macrophages seen in the muscles, liver and bone marrow. 

Iron is considered as a trace element. (Trace elements are those minerals required by the body in micro quantities. WHO Expert Committee on Trace Elements in Human Nutrition – considered 14 elements as being essential for animal life. They are Copper, Cobalt, Chromium, Iron, Iodum, Fluorine, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Selenium, Silicon, Tin, Vanadium and Zinc). 

When iron given excess to man or animal, its first effect is increase the amount of iron in the blood, stimulate the appetite and augment the heartbeats and the bodily vigour. 
The infant liver contains large amounts of iron, which is used up in the first 3 months. After third month infant should have added amount. 

SOURCES: 
Iron is widely distributed in foodstuffs. 

ANIMAL SOURCES: 
      Liver, kidney, meat, fish and eggs. (Animal sources are not only important sources of readily available iron, but they also increase the absorbability of iron in plant food at the same time. Iron from animal food is absorbed well than that from vegetable sources) 
The iron content of milk is low in all mammalian species. 

PLANT SOURCES: 
Cereals, pulses, vegetable especially green leafy vegetable, onions and grapes (Vegetables are the most important sources of iron in the diets of large majority of Indian people) 
Other vegetable sources are nuts, oil seeds, jaggery etc. Even though plants are good sources of iron, the bio availability of iron from plant food is low owing to the presence of phytates and oxalates, which interfere with iron absorption. 

OTHER SOURCES: 
Significant amount of iron may be derived from cooking in iron vessels. 

ABSORPTION: 
Iron absorption takes place in the duodenum and upper small intestine. Animal protein and vitamin C enhance iron absorption while phytates and phosphates retard it. 

IRON LOSSES: 
Major routes of iron loss are –
1. Loss through the haemorrhage
2. Excretion through urine, sweat and bile.
3. Loss of integumental tissues (skin)
4. Loss of nail and hair.
5. Women loss a considerable amount of iron during menstruation and childbirth. (Menstrual loss of iron in women has been found to average 1mg per day.  There fore women needed more iron than male).
6. Hookworm infestation and malaria.      

DEFICIENCY: 
Iron deficiency result in hypo chromic, microcytic anaemia. (It is generally believed that anaemic subjects are more prone to infection than are non anaemic. Recent reports indicate that iron deficiency interfere with both cell mediated immunity and bactericidal activity).

Iron deficiency anaemia occurs most commonly in—
1. Growing children,
2. Menstruating and pregnant women and
3. Those who are suffering from parasitic diseases such as hookworm and malaria.

REQUIREMENTS: 
Adult man — 24 mg/ day
Woman -- 32-mg/ day
Children -- 20- 25 mg/day
Pregnancy—40 mg / day.
 
IRON POISONING: 
Initial features are epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting. Haematemesis is frequent and may cause shock. These symptoms may settle after few hours and may then be a quiescent period lasting for up to several days, suggesting that all is well but then frequent black and offensive stool may passed. Followed by acute encephalopathy and circulatory failure. Most death occurs in this second stage. But even if the patient survives acute liver and renal failure may develop later and both carry a high mortality, particularly in children. 2to 6 week after ingestion stricture formation may occur in the upper gastrointestinal tract, especially in the pyloric antrum with vomiting and other features of high intestinal obstruction. 

IRON DISTRIBUTION IN THE BODY: 
Iron distribution in the body as—
1. Iron porphyrins—in haemoglobin and myoglobin
2. Iron enzyme – in catalase, cytochrome and peroxidase and
3. Non-iron porphyrins—in transferring, ferritin and haemosiderine.

FUNCTION: 
Iron is component of haemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, catalase, peroxidase and certain other enzyme system. As a part of these haeme complexes and enzymes, the function of iron in the body is oxygen transport and cellular respiration. Iron deficiency may also impair immune response. 

FERRUM HAS 7 SPECIAL CENTERS OF ACTION (OTTO LESSER) 

1. Blood: Iron has a specific action up on the blood producing a decrease of the albumin and an increase of the water in the serum and at the same time diminishing R.B.C. 
2. Temperature: raise the temperature when the disease lowers it or when under a given dose, the temperature ceases to rise. Iron even in healthy man raises temperature above the normal standard.  
3. Spleen: Producing atrophy and rendering it unable to perform its function in the process of sanguinification resulting anaemia. 
4. Digestive organs: Promote the appetite and invigorate the digestion. Stomachic tonic by increasing disposition for food. Hence when it is given in a healthy state or when administered for too long period in disease, the gastric gland becomes exhausted by over stimulation and then it is said the iron disagrees. 
5. Teeth: Destruction of enamel. 
6. Kidney: Fatty degeneration and albuminuria. 
7. Elimination: Through the intestinal mucus membrane. 

FERRUM GROUP OF MEDICINE

Ferrum (Ferrum met)
Ferrum aceticum
Ferrum ars
Ferrum brom
Ferrum carb
Ferrum cit
Ferrum colloidal
Ferrum cynatum
Ferrum form
Ferrum fluoratum
Ferrum gluconicum
Ferrum glyc. phos
Ferrum iodatum
Ferrum lacticum
Ferrum magn
Ferrum muriaticum
Ferrum nitricum
Ferrum oxal
Ferrum oxydatum rubrum
Ferrum phos
Ferrum per nitricum
Ferrum phos. hydricum
Ferrum picricum
Ferrum pomatum
Ferrum protoxalatum
Ferrum pyrophosphoricum
Ferrum reductum
Ferrum sulphuricum
Ferrum silicum
Ferrum siderum
Ferrum tartaricum
Ferrum valerianum
 
Emperical Use 
Ferrum met— In its crude form used in old school for anaemia and for the bad effects of over dosing of quinine. 
Ferrum pernitricum— Used by old school practitioners with good effect in the diarrhoeas of India, diarrhoea of phthisis, diarrhoea in feeble and nervous female and diarrhoea in scrofulous children with enlarged glands. 
Ferrum ammonium sulph
Ferrum mur As astringent and styptic.
Ferrum sul 
Ferrum ammonium sulph – otherwise known as iron alum or ferric alum.
(Astringent is an agent causing contraction of the tissues, arresting secretion and control bleeding. Styptic—having an astringent or haemostatic effect. Used externally to stop the flow of blood.) 
Ferrum citricum— Used in anaemia. 
Ferrum glycerol phos— Used as tonic and source of iron. 
Ferrum oxydatum rubrum— Used as a colouring material for preparation designed for application to the skin. 
Ferrum phos— Used as a feed and as a food supplement. 
Ferrum brom— Used in the treatment of chorea. 
Ferrum sulph— Deodorant and disinfectant.
 

Next Page