VITHOULKAS G., Materia Medica Viva
Abelmoschus Hibiscus Abelmoschus or Ambretta. Family: Malvaceae
The essential features This is a remedy with a lot of fears; that you will tend to confuse with Phospho rus, Crotalus cascavella or Calcarea car. The patient is overwhelmed with a fear that poisonous creatures such as spiders, scorpions, sna es, insects, flies etc are going to bite him. The fear of sna es and insects is quite a strong eynote of t his remedy. The fear is so unreasonable that he has to ta e all inds of crazy prot ections, in order that spiders or flies or mosquitos will not stri e him. He clo ses the doors, the windows, etc. and may stay awa e at night awaiting the daylight with the fear that the insects will bite him. But this remedy also has all inds of other fears. Rapid palpitation with fears. Fear that something bad will happen, fear in crowded places, fear of staying al one at night. The night and dar ness are really tortuous because his fears are then so much exaggerated. Apart from this aggravation in his general condition, his energy for instance is better in the evening. It has caused tremblings and paralysis of the extremities. Difficult motion of l ips with difficulty in swallowing. Edema of hands and legs. A constrictive feeli ng li e a band is felt in the head and oppression in precordial region. With the fears epistaxis and fibromas of the uterus may be found, ma ing the cas e similar to Phosphorus. Other symptoms include excessive salivation but with a sensation of dryness in the mouth, and piercing pains in the eyes as if caused by a nail.
Abies nigra Blac or Double Spruce. N.O. Coniferae. Tincture of the gum.
The essential features Both the Abies affect the digestive system, but each one in its own unique way. Where in Abies canadensies the focus is on the empty feeling in the stomach with the faintness arising from epigastrium, in Abies nigra the leading symptom is again in the stomach but this time it is accompanied by a feeling as if a hard boiled egg had lodged in the cardiac orifice of the stomach. This symptom will not always be described using this particular expression by the patient but the main idea should be there. It can be described as a constriction in this area, or as an u ndigested lump of food that has lodged there, or as a discomfort, or a not etc. In such a case, you will have difficulty in the digestion, a stomach that is overwor ed and gets upset easily, a stomach of the aged. There is a ind of hysteria going through this remedy; you may see this idea of constriction, or lump, or hard round substance appearing in other parts of the b ody, li e the lungs or the throat, and you will tend to thin of Ignatia, because in the X-rays there is no pathology yet the patient complains bitterly. You will notice that the patient is quite a hypochondriac as he relates his symptoms in great detail , and in a gloomy, dejected way as though something were very seriously wrong wi th his health. Abies nigra is indicated in aged people with wea digestive power, who have a fl ushed face, who drin a lot of tea and smo e and are aggravated by both, who sta y
awa e at night and feel drowsy, and sleepy all day. They are never optimistic, but usually despondent and with a bigger or lesser degree of depression. As soon as they try to drin their usual tea there is a heartburn in the stomach and event ually the stomach feels notted up, constricted, especially after eating. It is mostly after loading the stomach with food that the symptoms appear. In the morning they never want to eat, there is no appetite, but as the day adva nces appetite returns and they can in fact eat a lot, and finally at night in be d they may feel hungry. You will not however find the empty, gnawing feeling in the st omach that characterizes Abies canadensies. Such patients tend to have cardiac problems associated with the stomach, where the heart feels as though it were w or ing slowly, and as if there were a ind of heaviness, in which case we have bradycardia. A tachycardia is also possible sometimes. Abies nigra will also be indicated in cases where the person feels as if he has aged mentally, where he has lost his mental agility, his ability to comprehend a nd process ideas, where he senses a difficulty in comprehending a discussion, diff iculty to thin , to put the mind in action. He has the impression that his mind is bloc ed, that his mind is tied up, and therefore he cannot study. Because of th is situation he becomes dejected and sad. We perceive a similarity in the patterns occuring in both the stomach and the me ntal sphere: in short a difficulty to digest, or to "process intellectual food" which remains as a big lump in the brain. Every meal is accompanied by pain in the stomach, followed by a great number of sour eructations and a tendency to vomit, all pointing to the degree of indigest ion. This brings to the patient's mind the idea that he may have cancer, and indeed he will feel as though he has a tumor in the stomach. He will not express or adm it a great anxiety about his health but in the way he describes his symptoms you wil l notice a hypochondriacal element. It is interesting also to observe in this re medy that whenever he has this feeling of a lump, or hard ball-li e substance in som e part of the organism, the tendency is to bring it out. With the sensation of a foreign substance lodged in the lungs, for instance, the patient will try to co ugh until it is ejected. There is restlessness at night in bed, and he may stay awa e with hunger. In thi s remedy it is interesting to note that the patient's appetite is non-existant i
n the morning, increasing during the day until eventually at night it becomes an anno ying hunger that eeps him awa e in bed. So we see that, inspite of the fact that these two remedies have so much in comm on, you will not confuse the one for the other, so long as you now what to as for and how to obtain information.
Generalities and eynotes Most, if not all, of the symptomatology is intimately associated with gastric di sturbances. The main idea is indigestion and dyspepsia which is found mostly in old people. The great eynote is the sensation as if a lump of undigested food or a hard boi led egg had lodged in the cardiac orifice of the stomach. (A similar feeling of cho ing and constriction or of a foreign body may also occur in the throat). Th e other most characteristic indication is a continuous distressing constriction just above the pit of stomach, as if everything was notted up. Almost all symptoms of Abies-nigra are centered around the stomach. Even chronic intermittent fever is accompanied by stomachache. All stomach symptoms are wors e after eating. Severe pain or the sensation of a stone, that comes on at once af ter eating (and not one hour later li e Nux-v.). The appetite is totally wanting in the morning but increased at noon and at night it can become so excessive that it prevents sleep. Incidentally: Abies-nigra is one of the very few remedies wit h a desire for cucumbers. At night the patient sometimes has bad, unpleasant dreams or he is wa eful, rest less, cannot sleep and wants something to eat although he was dull and sleepy du ring the day. A terrible distress in the head with flushed chee s often accompanies the dyspep tic symptoms. The combination of dyspepsia with functional heart symptoms or dyspnea especiall y in aged persons is a very good hint for Abies-nigra. Heavy and slow beating of the heart, bradycardia or tachycardia; sharp cutting p ain in the heart. Dyspnea worse on lying down; sense of suffocation as if the lu
ngs were compressed and cannot be fully expanded; as if a hard lump were lodged in the chest which he wants to cough out; waterbrash after coughing. The remedy has also often proved curative in the dyspepsia resulting from the us e of tea and tobacco.
Abies canadensis
Pinus canadensis, Hemloc spruce, Canada Pitch and Canada Balsam. Natural order: Coniferae Mode of preparation: We prepare a homeopathic tincture from the fresh bar oung buds.
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The essential features This remedy has not been proven in such a way as to bring out the mental-emotion al symptomatology clearly. But we still have a unique picture of the remedy acco rding to which we can prescribe it. Abies-canadensies is indicated in cases where you have probably failed with such remedies as Nux-v, Sepia, Chelidonium and Lyc. The problems of these patients are focused mainly in the digestive system with t he first target being the mucous membranes of the stomach. We see an increase of gastric juices that have as a result a tremendous gnawing hunger. The person ha s the feeling that he cannot stand it, that it is eating up his stomach and that he has to eat something immediately to relieve this gnawing pain. There is an empt y feeling in the stomach that cannot be satisfied with any amount of food. As a result he may be eating much more than he can digest and eventually feels that he has overloaded the stomach. These patients can feel light-headed, with a sensation of swimming in the head. They describe it as a tipsy feeling in the head. Together with the above symptomatology Abies-canadensies is easily prone to feel tired, a feeling of debility that ma es him feel that he wants to lie down, wan ts to rest all the time. Another eynote is that he wants to lie down with the legs drawn up. It is as if there were an effort on the part of the organism to prevent a feeling of draggi ng down of the intestines, a feeling of debility which goes through the internal o rgans. In the women we see prolapse or displacement of the uterus (Sep.) and the y describe it as if the uterus were soft. The liver is eventually affected. It wo r s sluggishly, and the patient feels as though the liver were small and hard. Sometimes there is a pain in right hypochondrium extending to the right scapula (Chel.) and many times constipation with a burning feeling in rectum. There is distension of the stomach with eructations, or rumbling in the abdomen with dis tension. The distension has an effect on the heart and respiration, where we see
strong palpitations after eating and labored breathing. This torpidity of the liver and the general debility point to a wrong assimilati on of food which is further aggravated by the peculiar type of food that he crav es, coarse food li e radishes, pic les, turnips, articho es, highly seasoned food, meat; we may on the other hand see an aversion to such food and a definite avers ion to acid food (Nux-v.). With this symptomatology the patient becomes irritable, ill humored, he is cross , peevish, feels on edge, and becomes snappish. Mentally he will give you a pict ure similar to Nux-vom., without being as impatient, irritable, nor short tempered, but more peevish and less active. Actually the Abies-canadensies patient has ne ither stamina nor drive; there is a deep sluggishness that will not go away by eating stimulating food, unli e Nux-vom. In Abies canadensies we do not see the heartburns, so prominent with Nux-vom., t hat are largely associated with active people. This remedy is much quieter, some times giving the impression that he does not care about things, and what is prominent is the fact that he is tired in body and mind. He feels mentally exhausted, confused and loo s as if he is dazed. It is a remedy that can be indicated in b rain fag due to a wrong assimilation, to a sluggish liver with all its ill-effec ts and repercussions. It is a remedy that has a concrete physical symptomatology that can be applied to diseases li e duodenal ulcers, gastritis, liver and gall bladd er affections, hypoglycemia, etc. It is a chilly remedy in general but what is peculiar is a cold feeling in the b lood stream as if the blood was iced water. Where he mostly feels the cold is be tween the shoulder blades as though there were a wet cloth stuc in this area. This s ymptom can guide you to prescribe this remedy in acute respiratory problems, or influenza. In influenza you will often prescribe Gelsemium instead of Abies can adensies because both have the exhaustion, the paralytic wea ness, but the deep coldness and especially the sensation of the wet cloth on bac this remedy.
that belongs to
So in this remedy we see that, in spite of the fact that we do not have a big or a complete picture, the remedy is full of peculiar symptoms that can guide us t o its correct prescription.
Generalities Abies-canadensies is a cold remedy with a feeling of coldness in the blood vesse ls. Fainting feeling originating from the epigastrium.
Very faint as if the top of the head were congested: drun en feeling. Due to the tipsy feeling in the head it might be indicated for the after effects of intoxication. It is aggravated by the coarse, indigestible food that the patient craves. Aggra vated by tea. Pressure ameliorates the pains. Wea ness, enervation, debility. Twitching of the muscles. Constant inclination to lie down and rest. It is a right sided remedy.
Head Tipsy feeling; swimming of the head; light-headed.
Stomach You can prescribe it with quite a degree of certainty when the patient focuses h is symptomatology upon an increased hunger in general. A gnawing, ravenous, cani ne, excessive appetite, an empty, wea feeling and faintness felt in the epigastriu m. Great appetite with rumbling in stomach and bowels after eating. Tendency to eat far beyond the capacity for digestion. Has an aversion to acids; meat; pic les. Has a craving for coarse food, meat, pic les, radishes, turnips, articho es, and indigestible food which all can aggravate his condition. In addition he has the tendency to eat far beyond the capacity of his digestion. The effect is flatulence and d istention of stomach and abdomen, which causes palpitation and laboured respirat ion.
Abdomen
Distention and rumbling in abdomen after eating. Liver and region of liver feel hard especially when moving. Sensation that his right lung and liver are small and hard. Complaints from spleen.
Rectum Constipation with a burning pain in rectum.
Genitalia - female Displacement of uterus. Pressure ameliorates pain in uterus. A feeling as if the uterus were wea
and soft.
Sore feeling at the fundus of the uterus, relieved by pressing.
Chest Palpitations especially after eating, due to flatulence. Sensation that his righ t lung and liver are small and hard.
Bac Pain in the dorsal region under the right scapula. Coldness in the dorsal region between the scapulae as if there were a wet cloth stuc there, coldness extending down bac .
Extremities Cold hands. Lies with nees drawn up. Hand is shrivelled as if shrun en.
Fever Has perspiration at night; clammy and stic y. Cold shiverings as if blood were ice water. Chills run down the bac . Night sweats.
Sleep Sleeps with limbs drawn up. Sleepiness. Yawning.
Clinical
Gastrointestinal: Indigestion. Troubles from indigestion. Gastritis, duodenal ulcer. Genitalia: Prolapse of uterus. Uterine displacement.
Relationships Compare Abies nigra, Chelidonium, Lyc., Nux vomica.
Dosage
From the lowest to 200.
Abrotanum Artemisia abrotanum. Lady's Love. Southernwood. N.O. Compositae. Tincture of fresh leaves and stems.
The essential features Abrotanum is the remedy to be thought of first in a case of "metastasis", or alt ernation of pathological conditions. A bout of diarrhea may stop suddenly and rheumatism or uric acid arthritis set in. Later on the rheumatic pains may go a way only to be succeeded by a cardiac problem. A swelling of the parotid gland disappears when the testes or the mammae appear affected. A further case of dia rrhea is chec ed and we see blood in the urine, or anxiety and trembling with si gns of paralytic wea ness etc. Abrotanum patients are especially sensitive to the stoppage of discharges, and w e observe that immediately after such stoppage a new, deeper and more serious internal condition appears. Hemorrhoids are suppressed and a heart condition ma nifests itself, or an ulcerative colitis starts up. The Abrotanum patient may have chronic diarrhea but does not feel bad with it in general; he does however feel most sensitive to a sudden stoppage of the diarrh oea, whether due to some strong medicine or otherwise. The stoppage is immediately s ucceeded by the appearance of piles, stomach pains, a rheumatic condition or a heart problem. Should the diarrhea be reestablished, by chance or through the u se of some medicine, and accompanied by the immediate relief of the internal pro blem, then you may be sure of your remedy. Diarrhea is actually the great relief of t his patient. He feels well as long as he has loose stools. This remedy needs an outlet, a discharge and it is one of the main remedies that produces ready discharges and exudations. The most characteristic is a discharg e from the umbilicus, especially of the newborn. There is an exudation of blood a nd sometimes an ulceration of the infant's navel. Ready exudation in the pleura in
pleurisy, or in the joints in arthritic conditions are characteristic. The next prominent and peculiar condition we see in this remedy is an emaciation that ta es place in the lower extremities and then progresses upwards. (The opposite is true forLycopodium and Natrium muriaticum.) This Abrotanum characte ristic can be observed in all its glory in "marasmus" of the new born. These children, whose s in is shrivelled, loo malnourished and old, with ulcerations or exudations in the navel. The baby's head topples over because the nec is em aciated. The face loo s old, and a small child loo s li e an old man. The whole body is emaciated and wrin led. Abrotanum is one of the main remedies to be thought of i n this condition, together with Baryta, Sulphur, Calcarea, Iodine, Silica, Sarsaparill a, Natrum muriaticum, Aethusa, and if this marasmus comes from Syphilis Aurum muriaticum etc. The emaciation in Abrotanum occurs inspite of the fact that there is excessive a ppetite and that the patient eats a lot. Another condition for which Abrotanum should be thought of is in case of anaphyl axis after T.B. vaccination. The child has boils or abscesses, commences to lose weight, develops hectic fever that can develop into pleurisy or any other tuber cular manifestation. Abrotanum in its mental-emotional ma e up is an angry person, not easy going, so metimes malicious and with some cruelty in his behaviour. Such people feel that they have the capacity to inflict pain on others without much moral resistance. They can be very cross and ill humored. If somebody goes against them, they can be venomous, vindictive, spiteful and fierce. They may let themselves go and becom e violent. Others see them as irritable, irascible and not willing to open a conversation. At other times Abrotanum cases can behave very nicely, especially with people whom they li e. They can be cheerful, gay and tal ative. Moods alternate, and you may encounter an element of hysteria in some cases. They are anxious, apprehensive people, with a fear of losing their brain-power. They have a fear of idiocy. These fears manifest themselves because of the wea n ess and dullness of their mind, or because of memory failures. They feel that they cannot stand any mental exertion, and do not want to engage in any mental labour ; the least mental wor , even a conversation, fatigues them. They have anxious dreams and wa e from a dream in a fright. Eventually fear and anxiety overcome them causing internal trembling.
While lying in bed they may hear a sound li e distant tal ing which ameliorates when listening intently but returns as they turn their mind from it. Abrotanum can also develop paralytic states where the head drops, or the hands l oose their power to hold anything.
Children are irritable, obstinate and melancholic. They may sit by themselves wi thout much involvement with others. They feel dull, sluggish, with a difficulty of comprehension.
Generalities One of the best nown symptoms of Abrotanum is emaciation - marasmus in children or cachexia in adults. The emaciation sometimes develops very quic ly. It usually begins in the lower l imbs and gradually spreads upwards so that the face is the last affected. The abdomen is often enlarged, bloated and distended. The next eynote is emaciation with ravenous, gnawing hunger, losing flesh while eating well. (Calc., Iod., Nat-m.,Tub., etc.). The baby cries all day for mil and drin s a lot but the food is not assimilated properly and passes in large, freq uent and undigested stools. Total loss of appetite may be possible in some cases . The children are at first mostly cross and irritable, crying constantly. As the emaciation proceeds they become more and more depressed and despondent. The s in becomes flabby, loose, shrivelled and lies in folds. Their face becomes wrin le d, dry, pale and cold with blue rings around the dull, sun en eyes and distended veins on the forehead. It is an old face, a face that loo s much older than the actua l age of the patient. The wea ness becomes more and more pronounced. The patient may be unable to stan d or cannot hold up his head because of the wea ness of the nec . (Aeth., Calc-p .,) This whole state, which naturally never shows itself in such a mar ed degree, ca n accompany many different diseases; for example a chronic tuberculous or cancer ous peritonitis with enlarged abdominal glands. (Abrotanum has a special affinity t o the mesenteric lymphnodes.) It doesn't matter what the name of the disease is as long as the characteristic symptoms are present. The wea ness and prostration combined with a ind of hectic fever can also occur after an influenza especially in children. (One should not only thin of remedi es li e Gels., Chin., etc. in such cases.)
Abrotanum is not only an important remedy in marasmus and wea ness of children b ut also a good one in other children's diseases such as hydrocele or nosebleed i n little boys. In addition it is almost specific in discharges from the umbilicus of the newborn with oozing of serous or bloody fluid if the general symptoms ar e at least partly present. (Calc., Calc-p.,) A great characteristic is the so-called metastasis and the alternation between d ifferent disease symptoms i.e. one diseased condition completely disappears and another ta es its place. Inflammation of the parotids changes to inflammation in the testes or mammary gl ands. (Puls.,) Hydrocele after supressed eruption. Headache alternates with hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids alternate with rheumatism. Rheumatism alternates with diarrhea or dysentery. Diarrhea alternates with constipation. Another great characteristic of Abrotanum is complaints or diseases after suppre ssion of discharges, in particular after a suddenly chec ed diarrhea. This suppression can occur after medical treatment but also spontaneously i.e. the d ischarge or the diarrhoea can slac off by itself without visible reason. The consequences are diverse: general wea ness, emaciation, nose bleeding, or bleed ings of the urinary organs, dry cough, gastric disturbances, rheumatism, etc. An ill Abrotanum patient cannot bear not to have loose stools and a diarrhea oft en relieves all his other complaints. (Nat-s., Zinc) Many internal diseases can supervene after suppressed hemorrhoids, as after thei r extirpation. The hemorrhoids themselves are inflamed, protrude, burn when touched or while pressing at stool and li e in Aesc. or Nux-v., they are accomp anied by sacral pains. Sometimes the patients have a frequent inclination to sto ol although hardly anything but blood is passed. During a "hemorrhoidal colic" the patient is restless, sleepless and in some cases one may see ebullitions with g eneral heat and distended veins on forehead and hands. Abrupt suppression of rheumatism or receding gout are other important causes of many ailments. This suppression can happen either spontaneously or after a local treatment with strong ointments, liniments or injections into the painful joint . One of the most frequent consequences of this suppression is endocarditis with violent pains, and other more or less severe heart diseases. Catarrhal symptoms li e hoarseness with painful throat, pleurisy, bronchitis and many other diseas es are also possible consequences.
If you have given a high potency of Abrotanum in this situation and see that the internal problems get better but the joints begin to get painful again, don't c hange the remedy but wait. After some days or wee s you will often find that the rheu matism disappears too. During the rheumatic complaints all joints can be affected: shoulders, elbows, h ips and nees, hands, feet and especially the wrists and an les. The joints are inflamed, painful, or swollen and stiff with a pric ling sensation. Another aspect of this remedy has not until now been ta en into account sufficie ntly. The disturbances of the nervous system which possibly have a central origi n and produce a ind of paralysis and anaesthesia.
The extremities can be very wea and lame, as if paralysed. The arm may feel as if tied to the body and it may be almost impossible to move the arms or legs. (T his symptom may also be caused be severe rheumatic pains.) At the same time, togeth er with this paresis a numbness of the arms or legs occurs with pric ling, numbn ess and coldness of the fingers or toes. On wa ing in the morning all limbs feel sore and lame which only improves after the patient gets up and moves his arms and legs. Also severe neuralgic pains causing great restlessness are only relieved by moti on. The bac is wea and lame as well and the nightly, sudden pains in the bac are also ameliorated by motion. Abrotanum has also been used in suddenly appearing myelitis and inflammation of the spine. One should thin of that if one sees a patient with spinal symptoms w hich occured after a suppressed rheumatism of the joints. It has long been nown that Abrotanum has a definite effect on the s in which se ems mainly to have to do with the cutaneous capillaries. Herbal healers for instance have used the tincture externally and internally aga inst copper colored nose and nevus flammeus and report that they have often seen a success after some wee s or months. Also homeopaths have treated successfully a ngioma of the face in particular hemangiomas in children. It has also been observed that the s in becomes purplish-colored after an eruption of the face h as been suppressed. Even the homeopathic provings seem to affirm these empirical experiences. Abrota num produces blue-red, blotchy, indistinct limited discolorations on the chee s with a very fine venous drawing/patterning (teleangiectasies) in the affected area. In addition this remedy has frequently proven its worth in itching chilblains. Anemic patients with tendency to hemorrhages Numbness and pric ling externally. Formication of external parts. Sensation of external constriction Paralysis with neuralgia. Shortened muscles and tendons. Trembling on wa ing.
Benign tumors: angioma, fungus hematodes, hemangioma; nevus. Has effects from abscesses, suppurations. The great amelioration comes from loose stools and motion though there may be an aversion to move. Crossing of limbs both aggravate and ameliorate symptoms. An aggravation of symptoms can ta e place in the morning from 5 to 9 A.M. , and in the evening from 6 to 9 P.M. But the general trend is to be aggravated during the night. There is restlessness at night. Wea ness, enervation in the forenoon, especially after influenza. In such states they have frequent, accelerated, pulse and desire to lie down. I had almost forgotten - Abrotanum is a cold remedy. The patient is sensitive to cold air and cold, damp or foggy weather and many (but not all) symptoms are aggravated during the night. This remedy has yet other indications - li e, for example, in nightly stomachach e or in pleurisy when a pressing sensation remains in the affected side which im pedes the breathing - but in conclusion I will only describe three or four symptoms w hich are peculiar enough to be mentioned: Sensation as of creeping chills along convolutions of brain accompanied by pric ling. Sensation as if wind rushes out of right ear. Sensation as if stomach was hanging or swimming in water with a peculiar feeling of coldness.... Feeling as if bowels could be ept from passing out at anus only by close together.
eeping legs
Head Sensation as of creeping chills along convolutions of brain, accompanied by pric ling. Falling of hair. Itching of scalp. Headache in general alternating with hemorrhoids.
Headache sensitive to pressure. Unable to hold up head, in infants.
Face Wrin led, emaciated, marasmic. An infant loo s li e a little old person, with fa ce wrin led, nec emaciated, the temples mar ed with distended veins. Old loo in g expression. Cold and pale with blue circles around the eyes which have a dull hollow loo . C omedones. Acne with emaciation of the whole body. Angioma. Bluish discoloration of face when eruption is suppressed. Distended veins on temples and forehead.
Ears Ears are sensitive to wind. Has a sensation of wind passing in and out of ears. Sound of wind in ear. Humming; rushing noises in ear.
Nose Watery discharge. Dryness inside nose Epistaxis in young boys.
Mouth Mouth feels hot in the morning. Slimy taste in mouth. Sour taste in mouth.
Throat Scraping. Pain felt on sides of outer throat. Sudden hoarseness of voice. Wea voice.
Stomach Abrotanum has a sensitive stomach with impaired digestion but the main problem i s bad absorption of food. It is for this reason that we see the great eynote of this remedy: ravenous, canine, excessive appetite with emaciation; with marasmus. He may describe this hunger as: gnawing appetite, a feeling of emptiness, a wea feeling, faintness, goneness, hungry feeling in stomach, sin ing feeling in sto mach.
Here we have a peculiar symptom: sensation as if stomach is swimming in water. H as sensation that stomach is relaxed, hanging down. The pains in the stomach appear mostly at night: cutting pain; burning pain; cra mping, griping, constricting pain; gnawing pain. Stomach feels sore, bruised, beaten in the evening. You may see coldness in the stomach or heat flushes. Desire for bread boiled in mil , or simply bread or mil . Aversion to sweets. Distension and eructations mostly in evening. Sour eructations. Vomiting of liquids. Indigestion with vomiting of large quantities of offensive matter.
Abdomen The great eynote we have in this area is a discharge, an oozing from the umbili cus. Bloody, fluid discharge. Abdomen is distended. Sensation as if bowels were falling down. Sensation of hard lumps in abdomen. Se nsation of retraction in abdomen. Enlarged glands in emaciated abdomen. Flushes of heat in tubercular inflammation of abdomen. Aching, dull pain. Twitching and jer ing in inguinal region; extending to bac .
Rectum Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Frequent desire to stool but only a litt le bit of blood passes. Diarrhea at night. Diarrhea with rheumatism. But do not forget: diarrhea may ameliorate other unrelated symptoms.
External hemorrhoids, protruding with burning pain, worse from touch. Hemorrhoid s become better as soon as the rheumatism appears and start to bleed as the rheumatic pains disappear. Ascarides, worms in rectum
Urinary organs Ulceration of meatus. Scanty urine. Has many frightful dreams, anxious dreams; about dogs; about mad dogs.
Genitalia - male Hydrocele in boys after suppresed eruption. Metastasis of swelling in testes from parotid gland. Pain in testes.
Nightly seminal emissions without erection.
Genitalia - female Suppressed menses. Pain in left ovary extending to bac . Burning pain in left ovary. Stitching pain in ovaries. Piercing pains in the ovaries more on the left. Painful menses. Metrorrhagia.
Chest Difficult respiration because of rheumatic heart. Impeded, obstructed respiration. Anxious; difficult respiration. Dry cough alternating with diarrhea. In the chest we see a lot of symptoms but what is mostly affected with inflammat ion and exudations are: the pleura, the endocardium and the pericardium. Heart i s affected after rheumatic affections. Stitching pain in heart. Cutting pain in heart. Pains on right side of the chest coming mostly from right sided pleurisy. Burning pain on right side of chest. Drawing, digging pain in chest worse from motion.
Bac Pain in the afternoon. Pain on wa ing; in the cervical region; in the lumbar region extending to testes ; in sacral region. Aching pain; aching pain in the afternoon. Lameness; on wal ing. Wea ness.
Extremities In the extremities we have a lot of paralytic feelings, as if extremities are we a and paralized. Emaciation of lower limbs. Rheumatic pain in extremities from suppressed hemorrhoids. Pains and aches in all joints. Gouty pain in joints. Swelling of joints Inflammation of joints; arthritis; arthritis deformans. Arthritic nodosities. Burning pain in joints. Pressing pain externally. Joints feel sore, bruised. Stitching pain in bones. Lameness and pains of all inds, especially on wa ing from sleep in the morning. Numbness; in upper limbs; hands; fingers.
Rheumatic pains alternating with diarrhea; alternating with hemorrhoids; amelior ated by motion. Extremities feel sore and bruised. Joints are sore, bruised; on wa ing in the morning. Stiffness in all joints. Fingertips are cold. Cold feet. Restlessness in upper limbs at night during sleep. Paralysis of extremities. Aw ward, he drops things from a sense of paralysis. Sensation as if upper limbs were tied. Contraction of muscles and tendons.
Sleep Sleeplessness; from anxiety; from excitement; from restlessness. Restless sleep. Unrefreshing sleep. Sleeps on abdomen. Wa ing in sleep as from fright with trembling, covered with cold sweat. Yawning.
S in The characteristic here is that once an eruption is suppressed then the s in is left with a purplish colour at the area where the s in eruptions were. The textu re of the s in is loose and flabby; shrivelled. Boils.
Clinical GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM Marasmus in children. Wasting diseases from malnutrition. Chronic diarrhea. Ulce rative colitis. Gastralgia. Indigestion. Worms.
SKIN Furuncles; boils. Chilblains. NERVOUS SYSTEM Paralysis. Chorea. GENERAL Inflammatory rheumatism; gout. Hydrocele of children. Chronic myelitis. Nose ble ed. Oozing from umbilicus.
Relationships Compare: Absinthium, Chamomilla, Cina, Gnaphalium, and other Compositae. Nux vomica and Agaricus for chilblains; Bryonia and Baryta carbonica. Follows well: Aconitum and Bryonia [for pleurisy]; Hepar [for boils].
Dosage From the very low to 200.
Absinthium Artemisia Absinthium, Absinthium vulgare, Absinthium vulgare majus, Absinthium p onticum, Romanum officinarum. Other synonyms: Wormwood N. O. Compositae Mode of preparation: We use the tincture from the fresh young leaves and flowers .
The essential features An interesting feature of our remedies is the preference shown by each individua l one to attac and affect a specific area, organ, or system of the body. With Absinthium we have a clear effect upon both the central and peripheral nervous systems. This remedy has an almost exclusive preference to upset the nervous system in all its degrees and depths. It is a very vivacious remedy, producing an intense homeopathic picture, which has unfortunately been neglected as it has not been understood so far. Absinthium is indicated in cases where the nervous system is the patients's wea point, manifested in four different steps: giddiness, convulsions, delirium and finally unconsciousness and stupor. Each step has peculiarities of its own; in order to remember their most prominen t characteristics a guide to these peculiarities is given below. Giddiness comes on suddenly, on rising from a chair, and the patient has the ten dency to fall bac wards. Here the emphasis is on the direction of falling: bac w ards. The peculiarity of the next step, the convulsive state, is not so much convulsio ns per se as the fact that convulsions are preceded by muscular quiverings, and by trembling felt in the tongue and in the heart as palpitations. The convulsions begin in the face with distortions, grimaces, tongue biting, foam in the mouth, and then
spread to the body and limbs. A large number of epileptiform seizures come in rapid succession, one after the other, without total loss of consciousness, within a short period of time, for i nstance three or four hours, after which they stop for some time and are then repeated again in the same fashion. The convulsions start with a scream and are followed by a state of mind which is obtuse, dull, stupid, with lac of sensibility and also total loss of memory. After the epileptic attac the patient loo s quite dazed, does not now what has ta en place, loo s stupid as if trying to come to his senses; he may answer questions but it is obvious that he is not bac in the present. He ca nnot remember anything for quite some time. In this remedy we also have hysterical s pasms where we see rigidity of the limbs and some irregular motions. During delirium we see a tremendous restlessness that does not allow the patient to sit still for a moment, but drives him to wal constantly. He is in distress , as if haunted by evil images, terrible visions of demons, of grotesque animals; he se es rats of all colors, sees cats etc. that terrify him. Because of this symptoma tology (the tremors and the delirium) we can see that this remedy will be one of the b est to treat the last stages of alcoholism and also cases poisoned with mushroom s. It is a characteristic of Absinthium that delirium may follow an epileptic attac , or the hysterical spasms. In the fourth step we have sudden loss of consciousness, stupor. But as soon as the Absinthium case comes out of it he becomes violent, vehement, brutal, maniac al. His speech becomes hesitating, incoherent. In the text it says "Stupefaction, a s if intoxicated, alternating with violence." Again here we see the effects of a lcohol and the similarities of the symptomatology of Absinthium to alcoholic behaviour . In the mental emotional sphere we see some interesting symptomatology as well. A bsinthium is a person who does not li e company, does not li e to mix with peopl e, who indeed has an aversion for everyone; nobody gives him pleasure or solace. This state is accentuated during convalescence, where he is in a tearful mood and wan ts to die. Serious illness, especially with convulsions, accentuate his emotions, bringing on a tearful mood. At other times he enters a state where emotions are not felt, the mind
becomes dull and sluggish, he has difficulty in comprehending, and develops an indifference to everything, becoming almost cruel and inhuman in his emotions wi th other persons. Develops
leptomania.
This seems to be the first state of mental pathology but he may progress eventua lly to a deeper state where real insanity ensues. It is rather a state of parano ia where he is afraid that he will be assassinated, that his enemies are after him , that they have sent soldiers to ill him, or he may be afraid that he himself will
ill somebody. He has various fancies, he behaves in a foolish way. He eeps bu sy all the time without accomplishing anything. Yet at other times he feels as i f he were in a dream, in a fantastically beautiful dream totally out of touch with r eality. He has delusions of hearing voices. Eventually he goes into an idiotic, imbecile state.
Generalities The sphere of action of this remedy is in cases of alcoholism or in cases where symptoms are aggravated by alcohol, in chorea, in epileptiform clonic convulsion s without loss of consciousness, in petit-mal, where there are palpitations and t remblings before the epileptic fit. It has been of use in prolonged spasms of children as well as in nervousness, ex citement and sleeplessness in children; also in hysterical convulsions with teta nic rigidity. Paralysis of organs. External numbness. Trembling especially of the lips, the tongue and the limbs. Painless paralysis. Faintness. Has wea ness, enervation. Desires to lie down. Symptoms are aggravated in the morning from 5 to 9 A.M.
Vertigo Sudden vertigo on rising with tendency to fall bac ward.
Head When he has a headache he has to lie with head low.
General confusion with headache. Convulsions or spasms begin in face and spread to the body and limbs. The face easily assumes a bluish discoloration especially during clonic convulsi ons. Distortions in face, grimaces and foam comes to the mouth during convulsions. Fa cial twitchings. Foolish expression on face. Tendency to lie with the head low.
Eyes Eyes brilliant. Conjuctiva injected. Pupils dilated unequally. Swollen lids. Dim vison.
Ears Auditory illusions.
Mouth Sensation as if tongue is thic , cannot tal distinctly. Bites tongue, jaws are firmly fixed and foam in the mouth during epilepsy. Complains that the tongue and larynx are paralysed. Tongue protrudes. Trembling of tongue before convulsions.
Throat Voice feeble, speech hesitating. Voice trembling and hoarse.
Stomach Nausea felt in the region of gall bladder. Stomach feels cold and oppressed.
Abdomen Distension. A lot of accumulation of flatus. Bloated around waist and in abdomen. Liver feels swollen; pain in spleen that feels swollen. Cramping, griping pain in abdomen from passing flatus.
Urinary organs Color is dar yellow
Urine deep orange smelling li e horse's urine.
Genitalia - male Nightly seminal emissions without erections.
Genitalia - female Abortion. Menses too late. Premature menopause.
Stitching pain in ovaries, in right ovary.
Chest Oppression. Respiration is accelerated, difficult lying on left side. Cough with expectoration. Tumultuous heart palpitations can be heard in the bac . Trembling heart, fluttering, before convulsions.
Extremities Foot is cold. Clonic convulsions. Tetanic rigidity. Convulsive motions. Throws about limbs in epileptiform convulsions. Paralysis. Stiffness.
Sleep Sleeps with his head in a low position. Sleeplessness. Restless at night with disturbing dreams.
Clinical Epileptiform convulsions. Epilepsy. Delirium. Sleeplessness in typhoid fever whe n there is congestion of the brain. Prolonged spasms of children. Nervous headac hes. Neuroses with catatonia. Hysterical paralysis.
Relationships Compare: Artemisia vulgaris, Abrotanum, Cicuta, Hyoscyamus, belladonna.
Antidotes Iron, mercury and lead salts, coffee.
Dosage From 30th upwards.
Acalypha indica Cupameni. Indian acalypha. Euphorbiaceae. Tincture of fresh plant.
The essential features Acalypha indica is an unproved remedy, but we may nonetheless prescribe it accor ding to a number of definite symptoms available to us. It is a remedy that has b een used mostly by Indian homeopaths in tuberculosis and has indications in respira tory problems, primarily where there is hemoptysis in tubercular patients. This is a remedy with a strong hemorrhagic predisposition, whether of the lungs or of the alimentary canal. In a case bearing some similarity to the following you will probably get help fr om Acalypha indica: you have prescribed remedies such as Kali-carb., Phos., Dros ., Bry. etc and they have failed, the patient loo s seriously ill with a violent, hard, dry, rac ing cough followed by bloody expectoration or hemoptysis, complaining of a constant severe pain in chest; he is very exhausted in the morning hours, yet w ithout much fever, and gains in strength as the day advances. The pulse is usual ly small, soft and easily compressible but very much accelerated during the hemopt ysis. Timothy Allen notes in his Materia Medica: "Severe fit of dry cough, followed by spitting of blood. This symptom, doubtless a clinical observation, enabled Dr. Holcomb, of New Orleans, to cure a most obstinate case of hemoptysis, after oth er means had failed." Should you observe, in a further stage of expectoration, bright red blood in the morning and dar clotted blood in the afternoon or the evening, together with t he fact that the patient is progressively losing weight and loo s emaciated, and t he coughing is much worse in the morning or at night with a night sweat, then yo u have a further confirmation of the remedy. There is also a dullness of chest on
percussion. The emphasis should be on the hard dry rac ing cough, bloody expectoration and aggravation in the morning. In the alimentary canal Acalypha indica has distension and rumbling in the abdom en with constant tenesmus and a spluttering diarrhea with forcible expulsion of noisy flatus much li e Podophyllum. There may also be rectal hemorrhage. This syndrom e is accompanied by gripping or burning pains in the abdomen and there may also be a burning pain in stomach and esophagus. Here again we see the morning aggravatio n which is so characteristic of the remedy. Leucorrhea in women sometimes thic , sometimes watery in a consumptive patient. The patient sometimes has a yellow, jaundiced face and is usually gloomy, deject ed, and depressed but he has a desire to live, and does not have a negative attitud e towards life.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
As I have already written down all the important symptoms of this small remedy, I now want to report a very interesting case which I read in the boo of Edward P. Anshutz "New Old and Forgotten Remedies": " ... at the time I had a case of haemorrhage per rectum that had baffled me for several months. No remedy had aided the case in the least, so far as I could se e. ... I had given all the haemorrhagic remedies I new of or could hear of. Still the b leeding came just as often, with increasing severity. Each time the patient was sure, she would "bleed to death", and I was not positive she would be disappointed. . .. She became reduced in flesh and the haemorrhagic drugs became reduced in numb er until li e the nine little indians sitting on a gate the last one tumbled off a nd then there was none. As soon as I read Dr. Jones's monograph on Acalypha indi ca, I determined to try it. She had all the symptoms -- bright red blood in the morni ng; dar and clotted in the forenoon and evening; wea and languid in the forenoon, stronger during the afternoon -- except one, i. e., instead of the bl ood coming from the lungs it came from within the portals of the anus. I procure d the 6x dil. and solved it in water. It gave speedy, almost immediate relief. Ea ch subsequent attac came less profuse and at longer intervals. She has not had a
haemorrhage now for more than two months, while before she was having from seve n to one (continuous) a wee . She is gaining in flesh, is in every way improved, and eeps Acalypha indica constantly by her." Error! Un nown switch argument. Error! Un nown switch argument.
Aceticum acidum ACETICUM ACIDUM English: Glacial acetic acid; ethanoic acid French: Acide acetique German: Essigs ure Acetic acid [CH3 COOH] is an acid anhydride and the most important of all carbox ylic acids. It is a product of the oxidation of ethanol and the destructive distillation of wood. It is prepared by air oxidation of acetaldehyde, which is gotten from either the hydration of acetylene or dehydrogenation of ethanol. An imal and vegetable fats are sources for Acetic acid. The dilute aqueous solution of Acetic acid is also nown as vinegar. Mode of preparation: Distilled water is used for attenuations Ix and I; very dil ute spirit for 3x and up to 4; rectified spirit for 5 and higher.
The essential features You must thin of acetic acid when you see a case with profound anemia, with pro gressive loss of weight, anorexia, leading to emaciation and cachexia. If you ad d to this picture nightsweats, excessive pallor of face, great debility, burning thi rst, a chronic hac ing cough, chronic diarrhea, vomiting and profuse urination y ou will have quite a good picture of the pathogenesis of this remedy. It is easy to see that this remedy is very much indicated in wasting diseases li e tuberculosis, hypoproteinaemia, diabetis melitus, pernicious anemia, hemorrha ges from anywhere, ulcerative colitis but most of all the AIDS syndrome, cancer cas es, particularly of the stomach, and also cases of old habitual opium users. Its pathogenesis ma es this remedy a very interesting one in our times. Kent wrote almost 90 years ago : "This is a deep acting, constitutional remedy a nd when well studied will be very useful". This is another remedy that has been neglected and seldom prescribed. It does seems however to fit such cases extrem ely well. But the whole picture should fit the case before it can act.
There follows the mental/emotional picture of the remedy, to enable you to visua lize the psychopathology of Acetic acid. Acetic acid develops its mental patholo gy mostly because of its physical pathology. This means that most of the mental problems arise when Acetic acid cases find th at they are starting to lose weight and are easily exhausted, when they see that their appetite is diminishing. These observations ma e them feel that something is wrong with their health. The more they lose weight the more they thin somet hing serious is going on. If they should develop some ind of pain in the stomach a definite probability in this remedy - they immediately become convinced they h ave cancer. Actually this type of constitution can develop cancer of the stomach, and Acetic acid will help with the excruciating burning pains in cancer of the stomach in patients who are debilitated, waxy, lean and irritable. They cannot get over the fact that something is wrong with their health, they wo rry and worry and complain about it in a negative and peevish way. If there is n o problem, the Acetic acid case will discover one in order to complain. They also start worrying about others, and particularly about their own children . The idea is : what will happen to the children if they themselves die. They be come easily alarmed at everything that ta es place around them. Their nervous system is on edge. They fear something bad will happen. They become very irritable and any emotional excitement ma es them feel worse. There is no emotional stamina. Thei r memory wea ens, and they cannot remember what has happened. They feel especially irritated if they have a headache. Sexually, Acetic acid people are almost impotent, although they usually have a s trong desire; the cause is sheer exhaustion and debility. Male patients' semen d ribbles during stool. They develop fears, especially fear of people, fear of strangers coming near the m, fear that something calamitous will happen, fear of water. They may suffer fr om attac s of anguish, during which they feel unable to breathe. Sighing. At other times Acetic acid cases may feel low, depressed, dull in their intellec t; they cannot perform, they are averse to wor ing mentally, their memory declin es, they
cannot remember persons, forget what has recently happened, ma e mista es in sp ea ing, at wor . Eventually they are short of ideas, the intellect feels clouded, they can hardly express themselves, a ind of confusion prevails, and then they become dull and
indifferent to everything. This mental picture must be coupled with a general waxy appearance, a wasting of the flesh, debility etc. In some cases you will observe a hysterical element coupled with wea ness due to anemia; the person has easy and frequent fainting. These patients will have consequences from grief and vexation. In acute cases, in fever we may see a ind of confusion in which the patient may not recognise anybody, not even their own children. There is stupor which is interrupted only by delirious tal ing. You may have convulsions so severe that the patient jumps out of bed li e a madman, and crawls on the ground, howling wi th pain. Children are pining, without appetite, pale, irritable, they will not let you to uch their head. They are peevish, complaining and want to be carried li e Chamom illa. Chronic diarrhea in children who are emaciated.
Generalities This is definitely a hemorrhagic remedy, hemorrhages from nose, stomach, rectum, lungs, ulcers, therefore one that could be useful in tuberculosis. Diabetes with or without sugar in the urine. It is interesting also that Acetic acid does not develop a very high fever but r ather a hectic one with coughing and night sweats pointing to a tubercular diath esis and of course to the Aids syndrome. Excessive wasting and debility Anemia with waxy pallor of face. Anemia of nursing women. General aggravation from cold and sleeping on his bac . Amelioration from lying on abdomen. This remedy has an ability to affect the idney and produce dropsical affections . Burning in inner and outer parts. It antidotes bad effects of chloroform - mother tincture rubbed in the mouth. Effects from chloroform. Orgasm of blood with internal pulsations. Wea ness afte r coition.
Head Headache from abuse of narcotics, tobacco, coffee, alcohol but especially opium and chloroform. Headaches that date since the time of narcosis. A nervous annoying headache that irritates tremendously. Shooting pains through the temples. Child does not want its head touched. Dull headache in forehead, in right frontal eminence and then in left. Blood rushes to head during delirium. Temporal vessels distended. Red patches on scalp, crusts between hair.
Face Pale, waxy, emaciated, with bluish lips, sometimes the face is cold on one side and hot on the other. Eyes sun en, surrounded by dar
rings.
Bright red flush on both chee s and spots of perspiration on forehead. Epithelio ma of lips. Chee s hot and flushed. In convulsions the face has a wild expression and the pupils are dilated.
Eyes Croupous inflammation of conjunctiva. Pupils dilated, great flow of tears.
Mouth Tongue is discolored, pale and flabby with diminished appetite and no thirst. Scorbutic ulcers on gums. Pain across root of tongue.
Stomach Extreme, insatiable, burning thirst but only for water, other inds of drin s ar e repelled. Child shrie s at night calling for water. Aversion to salty things. Aversion to cold drin s, if he does drin them he is m uch aggravated with heaviness in the stomach, oppression in chest or a feeling o f a lump in the throat. Also they can produce a pressing pain in stomach. Vegetables, br ead and butter also disagree. Has the feeling that there is an extreme fermentation in stomach. Vomits after every ind of food. Vomiting of blood with all the contents of the stomach. Epigastric tenderness. Hot, sour eructations. He fancies there is an ulcer in the stomach. Cancer of stomach. Violent burning pain in stomach and chest, followed by coldne ss of s in and cold sweat on forehead.
Abdomen Distension of abdomen with flatulence and colic y pains. Abdomen is sore to touc h. A sensation as if abdomen is sin ing in while lying on bac .
Ascites.
Rectum Diarrhea with great thirst, they can drin apparently large quantities without s ide effects, but not cold water. Chronic diarrhea in patients with tubercular di athesis. Chronic constipation. Ascarides Hemorrhage from bowels, ulcerative colitis.
Urinary organs Copious watery urine.
Genitalia - male Sexual passion, but feeble erections.
Wea ening emissions; semen passes at stool. Male parts flush and sweat.
Genitalia - female Menses excessive. Hemorrhages after labor. Breasts painfully enlarged, distended with mil . Mil sparent, sour.
impoverished, bluish, tran
Anemia of nursing mothers.
Chest Hoarseness with pale mucous membranes. Difficult breathing. Chronic hac ing cough in those tubercular patients with edema of the lower limbs , diarrhea and dyspnea. Coughs when inhaling. Membranous croup, hissing respiration with rattling in the throat; lining membra nes of the windpipe is found covered with fibrinous membrane, exactly as in true croup. laryngeal diptheria. Children thirsty but swallow with some difficulty, even a teaspoonful of water. Hemoptysis.
Bac Pain in bac is ameliorated only by lying on abdomen.
Extremities Wea ness and lameness of the extremities. Impaired muscular power of the legs. P aralytic sensations in wrists and hands.
Convulsions in right leg. Swelling of foot, (phthisis). Emaciation. Edema of feet and legs with diarrhea.
Sleep Impossible to sleep on bac because of a feeling as if abdomen is sin ing in.
Fever Hectic fever with emaciation, cough, night-sweats, diarrhea, dyspnea and trouble some swelling of the feet and legs. Red spot on left chee . Profuse night sweat. Cold perspiration.
S in Waxy s in. Flat condylomata. Pale, waxen, edematous. Burning, dry, hot s in or bathed in profuse sweat.
Clinical Effects of chloroform, of narcotics. Anemia. Debility. Phthisis. Croup. GASTROINTESTINAL Diarrhea. Dyspepsia. Stomach cancer. Diabetes. Hemorrhages from nose, lungs, sto mach, bowels and uterus.
Relationships Compare: Apis mellifica, Arsenicum, Ammon-acet., Benzoin oderiferum, Carbolic ac id, China, Digitalis, Lac-defloratum, Lactic acid, Liatris, Uranium nitricum. It complements China. It aggravates the effects of belladonna, Mercury, Arnica and Lachesis. It disagrees when given after Borax, Causticum, Nux vomica, Ranunculus bulbosus, Sarsaparilla.
Antidotes It is antidoted by: Magnesia or Calcarea either as fluid magnesia or lime water. It antidotes: Anesthetics, Aconitum, Asarum, Coffea, Euphorbium, Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum, Opium, Plumbum [colic], Sepia, Stramonium, Tabacum.
Dosage From mother tincture to the highest potencies.
Acetanilidum Antifebrinum. Acetanilid (formed from aniline). CH3 CO NH C6 H5. Exalgine is a derivative from this, Methylacetanilid, and has almost identical a ction. Solution and trituration.
The essential features This small remedy has sometimes helped me out of trouble, and though almost noth ing is nown about its mental/emotional pathology, it has a very definite pictur e that can guide you to its selection. We need to now much more about this remedy as I feel it is one that should be used more frequently. The Acetanilidum patient will always will give you the impression that she is ve ry tired, with no stamina, no life in her. She will come and sit down and tell y ou in a wearisome manner how tired she is, how weary and how indifferent. No real joy. It is not a depression per se but she will give you the impression that she is depressed because of the manner in which she spea s and acts.
They are persons who are anemic, pale, exhausted, with low blood pressure, low r ate of pulse which can be irregular and imperceptible. The body temperature is lower than the norm and in general you will gain the impression that the whole organism is functioning in a very low gear. Due to anemia, the low ey action of the heart, the low blood pressure etc., the y have easy fainting spells. They get common colds easily and feel totally exhau sted during the course of the cold. The symptoms of these patients will never be given in a vivid way of course but in a tired and lifeless manner.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
To understand this remedy rightly one should now something of its production an d history. As can be recognized by the name, Acetanilid is a combination of acet ic acid and aniline which are both in use in homeopathy. Although these three remedies - especially Anilinum and Acetanilidum - have many symptoms in common, they are nevertheless so different that they cannot be simply interchanged. Acetanilid is an allopathic medicine that has been used in the past not only as a pain- illing drug (in headaches, migranes, dysmenorrhea, arthralgia, myalgia a nd similar disorders) but also against fever. Because of this effect it has been introduce d into medicine at first under the name of antifebrin. (Also in the older homeop athic literature this remedy is mostly called Antifebrium.) But very soon many poisoning symptoms became nown which mainly occured in those patients who had either ta en too much of this medicine or had used it a very l ong time. Apart from that, a considerable individual susceptibility has also been o bserved: i.e. the dose which was toxic for one patient could be harmless for ano ther. As far as I now homeopaths have never proved this remedy in a high potency. The y have only adopted the observation of the allopathic drug picture as Acetanilid um almost exclusively consists of toxicological symptoms! That means that all the so-called side-effects of the allopathic medicine acetanilid are exactly those symptoms after which the homeopathic remedy Acetanilidum is prescribed. I will give an example to clarify this. Cyanosis is a conspicuous symptom of an acetanilid poisoning. (Indeed, one should hesitate to ma e diagnosis of an aceta
nilid intoxication in the absence of this sign.) Nevertheless, according to the law o f similars, a high potency of Acetanilidum can be of great service in some cyano tic patients. Another example: The allopathic medicine acetanilid can produce a col lapse or shoc syndrome. Therefore, homeopaths may use a high potency of Acetanilidum in collapsed patients, especially if they are cyanotic with at the same time a very low pulse rate. Acetanilid and also some other chemical substances such as aniline and its deriv atives can favour the conversion of hemoglobin to methemoglobin which has lost t he ability of oxygen transference. The result is a methemiglobinemia (because of t hat, the blood may even be chocolate-colored in severe intoxication) and a more or less clear cyanosis. But this discoloration of the s in and of the mucÔus membran es may exist even when only a small amount of methemoglobin is detected in the blood. The cyanosis has two peculiarities which have sometimes proven to be leading sym ptoms in the homeopathic description. Firstly, it is usually of a greyish shade, grey-blue or grey-violet, although it is sometimes also described only as livid , bluish or blue. And secondly this discoloration is, in the beginning, mostly o nly visible on the peripheral parts of the body especially on the fingers and finge rnails, toes, ears, and nose. But it can also occur on the temporal regions, eye lids, chee s, chin and lips and eventually on the whole surface of the body. Anemia is another very important symptom. Because of the reduction in the amount of hemoglobin available for oxygen transport the methemoglobinemia causes a functional anemia. But acetanilid also has an hemolytic effect. It shortens the life span of the red blood cells (high concentrations of the drug may occasiona lly even cause their destruction) which sometimes results in an hemolytic anemia wi th all nown symptoms. One should even have in mind that a lot of symptoms of Acetanilidum, for example paleness, vertigo, wea ness, dyspnea, palpitations, anginal pain, etc., can be traced bac to continuously progressing anemia. The acetanilid poisoning may be acute or chronic (the latter is the more frequen t type) but in both cases the main effect is a general depression and wea ening. Acetanilidum patients are usually very prostrated, anemic, pale, or cyanotic and
in chronic illnesses sometimes also without appetite, lean and emaciated. They are susceptible to cold and even the temperature of their body may be below normal. Frequently they complain of shortness of breath with rapid and shallow respirati on, difficulty in breathing, especially during exertion and the dyspnea may even produce a feeling as of impending death. The cardiovascular system of these patients is often disturbed/depressed as well . The cardiac activity may be wea ened, in some cases the feet or an les are oedematously swollen and the blood pressure is mostly very low. Together with t he anemia that is one of the reasons why headaches, vertigo with singing in the ears and throbbing in the temples, weariness and powerlessness occur so frequently. The pulse is usually rapid, wea and often irregular but particularly if the
dilatation of the blood vessels is mar ed and a shoc -condition ensues, a very slow or not countable pulse may also be possible. Fainting spells and especially collapse with coldness of the body, perspiration, paleness and the above described cyanosis are typical symptoms of Acetanilidum. In some cases the renal function is seriously impaired. The urine is sometimes b rownish in color and may contain methemoglobin, albumin, casts, and red blood ce lls and hematuria, oliguria or anuria may ensue. Also the eyes are sometimes affected. The pupils can be large or small although mydriasis seems to be more frequent. On the eyeground one sees in some cases a p ale optic disc with shrin ing retinal vessels and the visual field may be contracte d. Other possible symptoms are for example sleeplessness, lac ve disturbances and jaundice.
of appetite, digesti
In severe intoxication excitement and delirium followed by depression, stupor, a nd somnolence may occur, even respiratory paralysis and terminal asphyxial convu lsions have been observed. The death of the patient is usually preceeded by a period o f collapse and coma, and occurs suddenly or may be delayed for several days. Until now, Acetanilidum has been used only extremely seldom. Many of its specifi c symptoms are almost un nown and also in homeopathic literature the description of this remedy is only very incomplete. Therefore it is certainl
Other possible symptoms are for example sleeplessness, lac ve disturbances and jaundice.
of appetite, digesti
In severe intoxication excitement and delirium followed by depression, stupor, a nd somnolence may occur, even respiratory paralysis and terminal asphyxial convu lsions have been observed. The death of the patient is usually preceeded by a period o f collapse and coma, and occurs suddenly or may be delayed for several days. Until now, Acetanilidum has been used only extremely seldom. Many of its specifi c symptoms are almost un nown and also in homeopathic literature the description of this remedy is only very incomplete. Therefore it is certainly of service to re port of some acute poisoning cases which have been caused by an overdose of methylacetanilid (exalgine), a derivative of acetanilid which has, according to J.H. Clar e, an almost identical action.
>>...The first symptoms noticed were blueness of lips and chee s, and small comp ressible pulse; she felt sic and giddy, sight was indistinct, and there was a f eeling of weight at the epigastrium. Amyl nitrite was given by inhalation, but this incre ased the cyanosis. After five hours the patient vomited, followed by still a fur ther increase of cyanosis and delirium, with frothy salivation. The temperature rose to 99.8F, pulse to 144, small and compressible, but regular....agg. (Brit. Med. journal, 1890) >>...she too a 7th dose, and in 15 minutes had a feeling of impending death, co uld not spea , gasped for breath, pallor intense, dilated pupils; limbs became q uite rigid, heart palpitated; she felt utterly powerless, and bro e into profuse perspirati on. By aid of fresh air, stimulants, etc., the attac passed off in 15 minutes, leaving her very prostrate, with ringing sounds in ears. agg. (Lancet, 1891) >> she soon experienced a feeling of complete prostration, her limbs became powe rless though not rigid, she felt as if she was sin ing through the bed, and thou ght she was dying; there was a slight perspiration, breathing was faint and shallow and she was nearly pulseless. Mustard, heat and stimulants brought her around, but she was very wea
for many days afterwards. agg. (Lancet, 1891)
>>...a medical man too a gram of exalgine at 9:30 p.m. , and 3/4 hour later 2 g rams more in a little whis ey. Shortly afterwards he complained of a little gidd iness, and several times said that his head felt so large it seemed to occupy the whole ro om. He continued, however, playing cards until 11:00, when without warning, he collapsed in his arm-chair, prostrate, quite unable to spea or move, and gaspi ng for breath. He continued in this state for over 1/2 hour, when he got slightl y better, and said a few words between his gasps; he said he was not strong enoug h to move, and felt each breath a fearful effort. In this condition, he was carr ied up to his bedroom and laid down; but feeling unable to breathe lying down, was pla ced in an arm-chair well covered up before the fire. His respiration became pain ful to witness; he seized and clenched the hands of those around him, he was in many r espects just li e a man suffering from a bad attac of asthma. Respiration was 3 8, gasping and shallow; pulse quiet, rather wea ; surface very cold, face pale but not cyanosed. Was relieved in 2 hours after vomiting a little whis ey, but rema
ined sic , giddy and wea , and for an hour suffered from frequent and painful strang ury. He then got to bed and slept well.....The day following he was slightly jau ndiced. During the paroxysm, he felt no pain, but numbness all over, and as though diap hragm had stopped wor ing, and he must go on breathing on his own account at any cost. He is not at all subject to asthma. agg. (Brit. Med. Journal, 1890)
Aconitum napellus Aconitum caule simplici; Aconitum vulgare English: Large blue wolfsbane, Mon shood, Aconite, Helmet flower, Friar's cap.
French: Aconit napel, Napel, Aconit. German: Napel Sturmhut, Eisenhut, Blauer Sturmhut Italian: Napello Spanish: Napelo. Dutch: Monni s ap Danish: Dreumun e Swedish: Stormbat Russian: Borets Natural order: Ranunculaceae Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] - Polyandria trigynia, L. Mode of preparation: The juice of the fresh herb is prepared and mixed with equa l parts of alcohol, yielding the mother tincture.
The essential features In the beginning years of my practice I used Aconite only for acute inflammatory conditions, li e everybody else in the homeopathic world, because of the wrong assumption that Aconite was indicated only in acute, febrile conditions. It was only later that I discovered that it was also very useful for what could be cal led chronic conditions, especially chronic phobic or anxiety states. Since that tim e we have been using it at the Center of Homeopathic Medicine in Athens quite frequently for such chronic conditions with very good results. Actually Hahnemann had made a similar observation when he wrote: "Although aconi te, on account of the short duration of its action, might seem to be useful only in acute diseases, yet it is an indispensable accessory remedy in even the most ob stinate chronic affections, when the system requires a diminution of the so-call ed tension of the blood-vessels."
The causative factor There are remedies for which the causative factor is of paramount importance in determining their indication; Aconitum is one of them.
The central theme that runs through Aconitum is an excessive excitability in the nervous and vascular systems. These systems can easily be upset by different stimuli. Modern civilization is rife with innumerable stresses -- disappointmen ts, grief from loneliness, loss of a lover, child or parent, fears, frights, fai lure in wor or on examinations, financial insecurities, financial ruin, stresses from the weather, chemical and medical stimuli, enviromental pollution, etc. -- which , if sufficiently severe, can shoc an individual. An Aconitum case will not develop from all of these stresses, only from some specific ones. Aconite, for instance , is well nown for producing inflammatory conditions from sudden exposure to cold, dry winds, but it has become increasingly apparent that there is another stimulus, namely sudden fright, that can also produce an Aconite state. It is, of course, not necessary to have a history of a sudden fright to prescrib e Aconite, but, if such a causation exists in the case under study, then this re medy must be seriously considered. The rest of the symptomatology will, of course, affect the final decision. During Kent's time Aconite individuals were typically vigorous and plethoric, an d he vividly describes them as such. Today's typical Aconitum cases have changed to a great extent. Of course, some of them still fit his description. They are usual ly sympathetic, vital, and extroverted people, yet, despite the apparent robustn ess of their appearance, they are exquisitely sensitive to a mental shoc . Aconite individuals will not develop their symptomatology when the shoc is caus ed by financial ruin, an exam failure, a grievous love affair, etc. They have a specific vulnerability to sudden stresses that can create a simultaneous overexcitement of both the circulatory and nervous systems. In simpler terms we can say that an Aconite state may develop if the organism is subjected to the shoc of "fright" or of "freezing." "Frightful" shoc s obviously affect or stimulate the nervous sytem first and, secondarily, the vascular system, while in "freezing" it is th e vascular system that is primarily affected, through vessel contraction, and th e nervous system that is secondarily affected or excited. What is important in both cases is that the systems can easily be overexcited. T his actually means that the person who develops a constitutional Aconitum state under such specific stresses must have certain inherent predispositions for wea ness
of the nervous and vascular systems imprinted in his DNA. Not everyone who
undergoes similar types of shoc s will develop the same symptomatology, and, th erefore, not everyone will need the same remedy.
The reactions of aconite It must be understood that when we spea of an Aconite constitution being expose d to "sudden cold winds," we are referring to a sensation of being "extremely chilled;" he feels as if he has come very near death and reacts violently. Conv ersely, if an Aconitum constitution faces the possibility of dying, the experien ce is a "chilling death experience" for him. It is interesting here to note and underst and the underlying mechanism that evo es an Aconitum state, the sudden mobilizat ion of the vascular system -- sudden intense constriction or dilatation -- as a result of a strong stimulus. The wea ness of Aconitum lies in the easy mobilization of these systems, their p redisposition to tumultuous upheaval. Such vascular systems, as Kent observed, a re often encountered in plethoric or vigorous individuals; however, as I previousl y intimated, today's Aconitum patient is far less li ely to possess such vigor. His robustness has been compromised by the hazards of modern civilization: poor die t, environmental pollution, constant use of chemical drugs, etc. As the plethori c Aconitum becomes more and more rare, we see fewer of the Aconitum febrile condi tions of old, and instead are increasingly confronted with the mental and emotio nal disturbances characteristic of the newer Aconitum constitution. Furthermore, we may, in general, say that whenever there is sudden exposure to c old and, at the same time, an immediate, violent inflammatory reaction in any sy stem or organ, we should thin of Aconitum. The poison is deadly, the effect immedia te and the result violent -- such are the characteristics of Aconitum.
The fear of imminent death The Aconitum picture seems to especially develop after violent events, events in which the patient experiences a fear of imminent death; such as, when someone i s threatened with a pistol during a robbery.
Automobile accidents and earthqua es are other types of stresses that can especi ally provo e an Aconitum state. The1982 earthqua e in Athens provided ample example of this observation. There were many Aconitum cases seen after this ear thqua e whose fears reached panic proportions; these fears were accompanied by trembling, restlessness and exhaustion from the constant anticipation of anothe r earthqua e. Aconitum 30C provided quite a bit of relief for these individuals. Other situations or types of stresses that can induce an Aconitum state are: ent rapment in an elevator, riding on a train through a dar tunnel and suddenly experiencing an electrical blac out (The mere anticipation of such events may b e sufficient stimulus.) Informing a patient prior to major surgery that it may e nd fatally for him, seeing one's child in a precarious position and sensing that d eath is near. This last causation is illustrated by the following case report. "A little girl was accidentally wounded by a pistol. Her mother suffered mental shoc , paleness and faintness, especially on attempting to sit up; great concern for the result. Relieved after a dose of Aconite." - J.C. Morgan, M.D. The important element in all of these situations is the sudden fear that death m ay come to the individual or to his beloved ones at any moment. Aconitum contains this element strongly in its causation. In febrile states this very sa me idea overwhelms an Aconitum case. The fever is so severe, so sudden that the patient is convinced that he is not going to survive, that he will die soon. In the acute state, as mentioned, the fear is that "they will suddenly die at an y moment." In chronic states the fear is that death is nearing; it is a fear tha t death will occur within the next few months (up to a year or so). Only seldom will Ac onite predict death at a precise moment; such as, "I am going to die when the cl oc stri es eight." They are absolutely sure that because of their condition they a re not going to live very long. They ma e preparations for death, such as writin g their will, etc. If one does not now that this element belongs to Aconitum pathology , one might thin that the patient is just being prudent in ma ing such preparat ions, but in such cases the driving force is the fear of dying, a fear which is not j ustified by the pathology of the case. This conviction of imminent death has not hing to do with reality and must be ta en as a symptom.
The mental-emotional structure Let us now review Aconitum as it is seen in the patient of today. Because Aconit e cases of today so seldom present with the traditional physical inflammatory reactions of old, it is critically important to understand the remedy's inner m ental-emotional structure that its current indications might be better recognize d. The shoc s in an Aconitum case penetrate the entire body and mind and send the w hole organism into a shudder, into extreme trembling with tremendous restlessnes s,
unrelieved by any change of position, and an agonizing fear of death. Phobias, especially of death, that persist for years can result. It produces a fear that death will come on suddenly, when least expected; this phobic state is not constant, but rather one that comes in fits. The fear is most accurately expressed as a "f ear of impending death." We witness this ind of picture today in patients sufferin g from phobic neuroses. From time to time, with or without small provocations, acute states erupt with the above characteristics. In the provings Aconitum has produced a sudden tumultuous stimulation of the vas cular and nervous systems, bringing about fear, heat, flushing, strong palpitati ons or arrhythmias and eventually coldness - blueness, small pulse and death. Vertigo and, often, one-sided numbness of the face or body can result. The numbness can be severe or can resemble a tingling state; it may affect the whole body. Aconitum patients will suffer from episodic spells of any or all of the above symptoms; that is, the pathology ta es the form of separate crises which last from but a few m oments to a few hours. The attac s are not regular, nor are they constant; they come in fits, in sudden acute crises and can come at any time and as a consequence of any stimulus. The most important point is that in almost all cases we see a tremendous fear of death, which sometimes reaches panic proportions, in addition to the feeling that death is imminent. A physician attending an Aconitum patient in a crisis may hear the pa tient saying that he has "come too late," that he will "die soon," this being an other expression of the presentiment of death. The boo s say, "Predicts the time of d eath.", and while it is not always expressed in exactly these words, the patient 's comments will have the same implication. A similar fear of death during pregnan cy or during labor can be seen and is a eynote for this remedy. In chronic conditions the patient will not ma e such specific predictions; he just has a g eneral presentiment that death will come soon and suddenly. For instance, a woma n may fear that she will die before she can bring up her children. This is an almost clairvoyant perception; in fact this remedy often has clairvoyant experiences an d in particular clairvoyant dreams. The Complaining, Reproaching and Wailing
Aconite patients have a disposition to weep; they moan, and complain bitterly, w ith fears, despair, and loud whining. Here are a few examples: He has a feeling as if something is ic ing in his heart and an overwhelming fea r arises. In this state he does not want to do anything, and, if forced to do it , he will have the tendency to brea the things he is handling. Any ind of outside press ure gives him the impression that he is going to have a brain stro e or heart at tac . In the past she loved her family, children, husband, etc., but now she avoids th em because they irritate her and she cannot tolerate any contradiction from them . Anything that the husband does is wrong. She does not now why she is behaving li e this, but she cannot avoid it. She tries to suppress her anger, but she feels such rage inside that she wants to ill somebody. Although she loves her husband, she wants to ill him.
The plethora Here it should be noted that Aconitum patients have a desire to be the first in whatever they are doing; it is difficult to suppress this inclination. If they d o try to suppress it, a boastful attitude usually results. A similar result - appearance of another deeper disturbance - applies when discharges are suppressed. The suppression of anger can also have adverse consequences. Also, if any of their desires are not appeased immediately, they fall to pieces. Great impatience is characteristic of the remedy; time seems to pass too slowly while waiting.
The anxiety attac s Picturing an Aconitum individual with the intense fears, pounding tachycardias, arrhythmias, or other intense symptoms, one might expect to see a plethoric and intensely communicative patient in the consulting room, but this is not the cas e. When he is not in a crisis situation, he will be calm and quiet. He will appe ar fairly normal. Even his descriptions of the crises will not be very intense. However w hen the crisis comes, the violent intensity, panic, and fear surface to an unbel ievable degree. These sudden attac s of anxiety are of such an intensity and so overwhelming tha t they normally cannot be controlled at all. They are li e a storm coming on, a
storm which overcomes the psyche and produces a terrible state of panic-stric en fear . But despite their anxiety these patients will still try to control their fears , and if their efforts are successful a ind of internal trembling and sha ing occurs sometimes, invisible to others. In this situation, even during the crisis, it i s not necessary to see the patient restlessly running around or tossing about - it ma y be enough to perceive the sense of agony and despair exuding from such patient s to prescribe this remedy. Chronic Aconitum conditions are typified by intense exacerbations interspersed w ith completely normal intervals. It is as if Aconitum cannot go on having attac s all
the time because the attac s are too strong, too terrifying for the patient to survive a constant onslaught. The anxiety state of Aconitum can be reflected in many symptoms/syndromes. Here are some examples: Flic ering before vision ma es him anxious on the street, he thin s he constantl y jostles the passers by. He needs to press his heart and at the same time breathe deeply because he is af raid his heart will explode. Inconsolable anxiety, sad wailing; peevish and impatient. Anxiety is transiently ameliorated by drin ing cold water; followed by apathy; w ith cold sweat. Anxiety as though a great misfortune would happen to him. Increased anxiety, followed by total apathy. Anxiety which does not allow him to remain in one place, he must constantly wal about. Anxiety and peevishness,with fine stitches in the side of the chest, then palpit ation at the pit of the stomach, and pressive headache. Inconsolable anxiety and piteous howlings, with complaints and reproaches about unimportant matters. Pitiful anxious complaints, with fears, despair, loud wailing, weeping, and bitt er reproaches. He cannot banish anxious apprehensive thoughts, even in gay company Suddenly, as he is wal ing or sitting, a sudden feeling of faintness and intense wea ness overta es him that may last for one or two days.
The sadness and indifference Aconitum can show a completely different picture which is far less nown than th e anxiety and restlessness. Many homeopaths would never thin of Aconitum when t hey see a person who is very sad or apathetic and indifferent to everything. In this particular state of mind he whines and howls piteously and weeps without cause. Music is unbearable to him because it ma es him sadder. He desires to be left alone, shuns other people, does not want to tal and if someone as s a question he answers only with a yes or no. It is as if he has lost all affection for any body and
he becomes indifferent to his relations, friends and persons he normally loves. He sits buried in thought. He may even thin about committing suicide by jumpin g from a high place or from a train. This state of mind appears sometimes after a long period with very severe anxiet y attac s. It seems to be a ind of reaction, as if he could not endure his pani c anxiety any longer and therefore found an escape in a state of emotional indiff erence or a suicidal mood. Here it is important to note the polarity that appears quite often in Aconitum c ases. Most patients have fear of death and agonising restlessness, but a few wil l manifest the opposite extreme and actually desire death. Sometimes the two stat es alternate. A similar opposition can be seen in fevers. In such instances rath er than the usual restlessness and fear that accompany high temperatures, we witne ss indifference, exhaustion and sleepiness or a stupid, groggy feeling. All of the above symptoms do not necessarily have to be seen in one individual f or him to be given Aconitum. Some people will have fear of death, vertigo, fear of fainting, and tachycardia; others may have trembling, arrhythmia, perspiration, unilateral numbness (e.g. numbness of half of the face,) etc. Another group of patients may experience a type of extreme psychogenic dyspnea, similar to that of Lobelia but more intense, which causes them to inspire deeply , loudly and with great anxiety. We may also see flushes of heat involving parts of the body, especially the head. There are also allergic eruptions surfacing af ter flushes of heat. The time of aggravation in general is during the night, especi ally from midnight to 4 A.M. There is generally an aggravation from sudden chang es of temperature. Once the chronic state of Aconitum has become established, the acu te exacerbations or crises can be precipitated from either sudden dry cold, dry heat, overheating, or warm rooms.
The sympathetic element These patients are very sympathetic. They need company and are usually extrovert ed, but they do not li e consolation. They express their feelings easily. The sympathetic element leads to a state of anxiety about others. They are very con cerned about their relatives and friends, and they react exaggeratedly when
something happens to someone about whom they care. They erupt emotionally when they hear news of something bad happening to a friend. The reaction is out of proportion to the significance of the event. Because of that element, Aconitum patients do not li e to hear bad news. One should not be misled into prescribing
Aconitum simply because a patient has such a symptom. The whole picture must be seen to justify the prescription of this remedy -- the intense crises with pani c, fear of death, tachycardia, perspiration, etc. Prescribing solely on a symptom such as "anxiety about others" is an example of "one-dimensional" prescribing which is not only misleading but erroneous. Even i f only one symptom exists upon which to prescribe, it must be viewed in a three-dimens ional context if there is to be any hope for success in eynote prescribing. To glean an impression of what is meant by three-dimensional prescribing let us consider the differential diagnosis of one symptom -- anxiety about others -- and the corresponding remedies: The Aconitum sympathy is reactive. It consists of an emotional eruption or explo sion; such as, " Oh, my God! What shall we do!" Such reaction arises especially when the patient is suddenly faced with a severe health problem or, even worse, an a ccident concerning one of his relatives. Aconitum is especially afraid of accide nts and consequently over-reacts when hearing of one. The anxiety about others is very intense and disproportionate to the reality of the situation. Stoicism is not Aconitum's long suit; his reactions are immediate and exaggerated. Sulphur will not show such anxiety. He will worry only in special situations. Su lphur is anxious about his children. It is very seldom that he worries about any body else, being in essence quite self-centered. If his child is late coming home, he star ts to worry. He will be unable to sleep, will wal up and down imagining that th e child has had an accident or some other mishap. When his son or daughter drives into the driveway, all of his concerns evaporate and he goes bac to sleep. Phosphorus will have a completely different ind of anxiety. He shows great affe ction and concern for everybody, even recent acquaintances. He becomes especiall y concerned and attentive if he hears of their having a health problem. His invol vement is genuine, his sympathy for them great. Phosphorus does not display the imaginative worry that Sulphur does; he suffers only when he actually encounter s a situation in which another person is suffering, and then he empathizes inten sely. A Phosphorus mother has to get up in the night to see whether her little baby is breathing, or is alive. A Phosphorus patient who is confined to the hospital wi ll not be able to tolerate the pain of his roommate; he will persistently as
the nurse t
o do something to alleviate his pain. The same is true in Causticum, because of the extreme sympathy towards the pain of others that the two remedies have. Arsenicum is also anxious about others. In this case it is an inner anxiety. The objects of his anxiety are those who are close to him-- father, mother, brother , etc. These people provide him with a sense of security; thus, he himself feels threa tened when they are not well. It is a self-motivated anxiety for others; he want s them to be well so that they can help him. Baryta carbonica has a sweet concern about the people who are loo ing after her. She is very concerned that something may happen to them though she feels completely inadequate in doing anything about the situation. Baryta carbonica w ill display a lot of silent sympathetic concern which others can feel, but under neath there is a terror that something may happen to the individuals that ta e care o f them or protect them. This is a genuine concern but one arising from a feeling of insecurity, inferiority and helplessness. They fear that they will be left comp letely unprotected, unable to fend for themselves if something happens to their protector. They resist even thin ing of such a possibility. Cocculus has a passive anxiety about others -- a type of anxiety that ma es him stay in the hospital the whole night, attending one of his relatives and not sle eping for an instant. His anxiety that this relative may die is so great that he does not allow himself to relax. Cocculus does not thin ; instead he acts almost instinc tively when one of those he loves is in danger. He seems not to feel the tiredness whi le in the grip of his anxiety for others and their welfare. His anxiety, though, is limited to those he loves. Causticum has a more general anxiety or rather compassion about others, that is so great that he suffers when he hears or he even reads that others are sufferin g, or are under a ind of suppression by authorities or injustice. It is enough for h im to read in a newspaper or to see in television that people, even in a foreign country, are starving and he is affected so deeply that he has to weep and he gets extre mely excited.
The fear of closed spaces Aconitum also produces claustrophobia; it can arise in a crowd, a train, an airp lane or a bus. If the weather is dar or cloudy, the claustrophobia will be aggr avated and may eventuate in a panic attac . Fear of the dar , fear of suffocation and, esp ecially, fear of crowds are characteristic of this remedy. Aconitum patients wil l not participate in a demonstration which would necessitate their being in close pro ximity with a large number of people. A characteristic case I once saw illustrat es the possible intensity of the claustrophobia and the fear of crowds. The claust rophobia was so strong that with only six or seven people in the room this patie nt would have to leave the room. As a consequence, she could no longer invite all of her relatives to the house on the same day. In theatres they may sit in the rear so their exit will be made easier if an eme rgency arises. There is also a fear of suffocation, especially in warm, closed p laces and when they are caught in traffic jams, where panic may overta e them and force t hem to leave their car or the underground train. Sometimes, interestingly enough ,
one will encounter exactly the opposite sensation -- a fear of open spaces. The y cannot drive on open highways, yet they will have no difficulty driving within the city. They are paralyzed with fear the minute they enter a highway. But they ca n also have a fear of going out of the house or crossing a street.
The fear of the dar These patients often can not sleep with the lights off. Dar ness is aggravating, producing a feeling of suffocation; there is also fear of ghosts. They will not go through tunnels (dar and closed places), nor will they ta e the elevator lest the electricity goes out, leaving them trapped in a "closed and dar place" wher e they might suffocate; they would rather wal up five stories than enter an elevator. The same fear precludes their riding in an airplane. A fear of accidents can be so prominent in Aconitum individuals that they refuse to drive an automobile alone ; they need someone to accompany them.
The fear of diseases They also have a fear of diseases, of impending disease, brain stro e and heart disease -- a fear that their heart will stop beating and that they will drop dea d or that their heart will explode. It appears that these fears are usually dormant, but with the least provocation they surface with an impressive intensity. All s uch symptomatology surfaces quite readily in our modern cities with their inhuman a ggressiveness and violence; consequently, this remedy will be required increasin gly often. Some Aconitum cases bear a strong resemblance to Lachesis by virtue of a peculia r nocturnal aggravation: after having gone to bed and having slept for ten or fi fteen minutes, they suddenly awa en with tremendous fear and jump up in a panic. The difference is that with Lachesis the fear is not a fear of death; it is rather a fear of suffocation because they cannot breathe. It results from a momentary paralys is of the vagus nerve as they were falling asleep. Aconitum has a fear of death
that occurs ten to fifteen minutes after falling asleep. Pay special attention to these differences because one can easily confuse remedies with similar symptomatology. In Aconitum the subconscious fears surface as sleep removes the control of the l ogical mind. Aconitum has a subconscious mind loaded with fears. These fears sur face suddenly with such an intensity that the person jumps up from bed "in a panic," trembling and anxious, feeling that he is about to die. Another possible explan ation for this symptom is that since Aconitum has an aggravation from heat, the panic state is provo ed as the person becomes warm in bed. Sometimes these fears will appear as nightmares -- awful nightmares -- instead of the symptom just describ ed. Another condition that can be encountered in Aconitum is a state of paralysi s on wa ing (Phosphorus, Lachesis, Sulphur, Medorrhinum); they are unable to move th eir extremities and subsequently become extremely panic y.
The fear of earthqua es Aconitum is the remedy most affected by earthqua es, and it is an interesting an d very apt simile that the internal state of Aconitum is li e that of an earthqu a e. The internal circulatory system is in such a turmoil that it is as if an earthq ua e is occurring inside the body. Sometimes the sensation of an internal earthq ua e is so strong that these patients may wa e up from sleep with a feeling that there is an actual earthqua e ta ing place and that the ceiling may fall on them. Ther e is a tremendous commotion inside these patients; it can be so intense in the chronic Aconitum patient that it becomes terrifying for the practitioner to behold.
The fear at twilight I have seen Aconitum cases that have suffered a state of agony every evening at twilight. They would experience intense fear and would sob so intensely that the sounds resembled the bar ing of a dog. One case I encountered was so terrified that she was unable to voice any of her feelings during the crisis because of he r anxiety; she could only sob and sobbed so loudly that she could be heard in the
neighbors' apartments. One such crisis was actually witnessed as it occured whi le her case was being ta en; it was a terrifying experience. One of the times of aggra vation for Aconitum patients is twilight, and the aggravation may continue until midnight.
The confusion The Aconite patient will complain that ideas haunt him, and that he cannot get r id of them. His mind is very active, but he will say that his attention is distr acted while reading, and that thought seems to cease. He cannot finish a half-written idea without great effort. On attempting to thin of one thing, another intrude s, followed by another and so on. There may be a stupid feeling in the head, as if there were a board before the forehead; or he may say that he cannot thin , tha t ideas seem to come from the stomach. Such patients suffer from diminished intellectua l power, and cannot perform even light mental wor . They can also suffer from wea ness of memory. They may feel that what they have just done was a dream, an d be scarcely able to recall what it was. The inability to continue long at one thing may be accompanied by impatience; the patient throws himself about, constantly changing position, unable to thin or perform even the slightest mental labor, w ith an unusual distraction of ideas.
The alternating states The Aconite mood can alternate between laughter and crying; at one time he is ga y, at another gloomy; he may be excited, or sit buried in thought; at times he s eems to weep, and at times he sings. Now he is perfectly conscious, now raving. There m ay be alternate attac s of opposite moral symptoms. The patient sometimes doubts he will recover, while at other times he is full of hope.
The delirium In Aconite the delirium is characterized by worry, fear, raving, and sometimes u nconsciousness. In this state the Aconite patient may cry out, with a staring lo o , with convulsive motions, with great heat in the face, dilated pupils or convulsions, spea ing in a childish, nonsensical way and being extravagantly gay or tal ing about
death. At night he raves, springs out of bed and may imagine that he is driving sheep. He may be quarrelsome, with constantly varying delirium, imagining his t houghts come from the stomach or that parts of his body are abnormally thic . There is the feeling that what has just been done was a dream. Insanity and maniacal deli rium follow. During the convulsions there is loss of consciousness. The delirious pa tient lies in a stupid condition, with eyes closed and twitching of the facial m uscles, while the mouth is tight, without power of speech. Comatose states may also be found in Aconite.
The irritability The Aconite individual may have an angry disposition, be quarrelsome, morose and peevish and desire to be alone. She ma es reproaches, ta es every jo e in bad p art, is irascible and fretful, and inclined to be irritated over trivial matters. In th is state she shuns people, disli es to tal and answers laconically yes or no. S he has no affection for anybody, is morose, misanthropic, peevish and of a malicious mood . Such an individual may also have anthropophobia. The slightest noise is unbearable, and the irritability may be accompanied by ov er-sensitiveness to light and touch. For instance, in cases of otitis, the patie nt does not want to be touched. He screams with pain at slightest touch. In cases of de pression the patient will not be touched or uncovered. It is apparent that Aconitum states can include a wide range of symptomatology. Symptoms can vary from relatively mild tachycardias, arrhythmias, numbness, tinglings, etc. to fears, phobias, tremendous panic and, finally, coldness, ext reme prostration and collapse with blueness and coldness of the whole body.
The aconite baby and child A few observations about Aconitum children may prove helpful. They can be subjec t to sudden anger, fits of rage and nightly enuresis, this occurring if one or b oth of the parents behave aggressively or if the child has a fright. Aconitum can also be helpful in convulsions after a sudden nervous shoc or in c onvulsions of teething children with jer s and twitches of single muscles, high fever,
hot and dry s in; the child gnaws its fists, frets and screams and cries violen tly,with convulsive twitching of the facial muscles The remedy is often used in newborns for asphyxia, apoplectic symptoms, hot, pur plish, pulseless breathlessness; icterus; ophthalmia; vomiting of blood, with bl oody
stools; retention of urine from the shoc of birth or the sudden coldness of th e new external environment. When suffering painful affections, Aconitum children will feel the pain so intensely that they tend to protect the painful part with their hands. During a cystitis for instance the children reach with their hands to the genitals and cry out. The whole body is sensitive to touch; the child will not allow itself to be moved; it whines. It is important for the student of homeopathy to understand that a case that nee ds Aconitum will be cured in an impressive way only by this remedy alone; no oth er remedy can replace it, be it an acute or a chronic case. Do not hesitate to pre scribe it if the symptoms agree in any case no matter how severe its pathology m ay appear to be. I repeat, the information given by old masters that Aconitum is i ndicated only in the beginning stages of acute conditions is totally misleading.
Systems Some general remar s: It is important to understand the remedies in their genera l action upon the human organism and apply this understanding to the diseases be ing treated. One should avoid the trap of getting stuc on little details and inste ad try to perceive the general image of the patient, then prescribe correspondin gly. The student of homeopathy should ma e sure that he nows a wide range of homeop athic remedies before attempting to ma e a differential diagnosis; otherwise he will tend to see in all of his patients the characteristics of the few remedies he nows.
Generalities Physical and mental restlessness. Most of the symptoms are accompanied by shivering and anxiety. Nervous excitability. Trembling and tendency to palpitation. Aconite will be indicated in cases of epilepsy or convulsions when you see a pic ture li e the following: loud lamentations; body rigid and bent bac ward; fists
clenched across throat; gnashing of teeth; eyes drawn up spasmodically under lids; the l imbs are distorted with spasms; jer s of left leg or arm, grinding teeth; comato se; restless, moaning. Convulsions of whole body worse towards noon time. Sudden and great sin ing of strength. Great muscular wea ness, weariness, prostration, almost total inability to stand. Feeling very drowsy, languid and unable to rise from couch; obliged to discontinue all wor ; system feels prostrated with sense of inward fever. He loses his ability to stand, must sit down. Numbness, tingling more on left side. Numbness and tingling over the body. Faintness on attempting to sit up. Pains intolerable; more so at night. Stitches in the forehead, bac , sides of chest, bac of hands, and other parts, as if he stood on the isolated plate of an electrical machine, and one to o spar s from him. Very fine stinging, or stinging burning pains in many parts, as if seated in the s in, sometimes combined with a sense of heaviness, numbness, or swelling . Tearing, cutting, wandering pains. Burning through all the mucous membranes. Neuralgia with congestions, from dry cold air or chec ed sweat. Pains are intolerable to the extent that they drive him crazy.
As if bruised or beaten in different parts. Has but little effect on disorganized blood-globules, hence seldom useful in true typhoid states. Acts more on arterial system. Plethora; active capillary congestions (from overactive serous membranes). Local congestions and inflammations. Neuritis, with tingling. Complaints in joints: shooting, cramp, crac ing, loss of power; drawing in joints and aponeuroses. Acute rheumatism, much fever, restlessness and anxiety; swellings of joints whic h are red and hot or pale; shifting from one point to another; especially if cau sed by suddenly chec ed sweat or by dry cold air or winds. Common colds with high fever in the very beginning. Muscular rheumatism with high fever. Palpitation of the heart and anxiety, and increased heat of the body, especially in the face. Palpitation of the heart with great anxiety; oppression of the breathing and great weariness in all the limbs; it rises from thence into the head, and she is as if stupefied from flying redness in the face. Wounds painfully sensitive after surgical operations; fever. Shoc
from injury or surgical operations.
Children's diseases; with high fever. Contraindicated in fevers which bring out eruptions, unless there is agonizing t ossing with dry s in. Tendency to apoplectic congestion; plethora. Sensitiveness to fresh air. All the symptoms of having caught cold. Remar able degree of sensitiveness to the least draught of cold air.
From a fall or concussion; face pale or red, but no stupor. Apoplexy or apoplectic congestions. Head feels dull, stupefied. Dull, stupid; pressure outwards, aggravated on sitting up; with anxiety and fear of death. Alternate stupefaction and restlessness, with mild delirium twitchings, starts as in a fright, pulse frequent. Stupor, with cold feet.
Aggravations and ameliorations: Anxious restlessness, finding no comfort in any position. Worse from dry cold or from becoming overheated. Worse from motion, li e Bryonia , but in Aconitum the restlessness usually reigns and forces the patient to move despite the fact that he is aggravated by motion. Better in open air; worse lying on affected side, from music, from tobacco-smo e . Worse at twilight and in the hours following until 11 or 12 midnight; also worse from 10 P.M. until 4 A.M. Worse after fright. Worse from touch, especially in fevers where the whole body is in pain. The pati ent has an aversion to being touched and is aggravated by touch because of the p ain.
There is decided relief from any ind of discharge; such as, vomiting, diarrhea, perspiration, free flow of menses, leucorrhea, etc.
Vertigo Vertigo after fright; from congestion, as in sun; on stooping; staggers to right ; as if drun , with nausea, aggravated on rising from seat, ameliorated while wa l ing, none while sitting; blac ness before eyes when sha ing head; with nosebleed; fr om sudden suppression of menses by cold. On rising from a recumbent posture, red face becomes deathly pale, or he becomes dizzy and falls over, he fears to rise again; often accompanied by nausea, vani shing of sight or unconsciousness. Vertigo, headache, nausea, gagging, coldness. Turns suddenly red and falls unconscious.
Head In the head there can be tormenting sensations -- tormenting headaches and verti go. The head in front is as if nailed up, when in a warm room. Congestion, anxiety; face hot and red, or pale; carotids pulsate strongly; pulse full, strong, or small and quic ; aggravated toward evening. There is often congestion and fullness in the head, frequently accompanied by a sense of great heat and a feeling as if the head is enlarged. Throbbing in temples. Headache and roaring in ears. Constant burning in forehead. A very characteristic sensation of boiling inside the head is often encountered. A fainting feeling, vertigo and paleness on attempting to sit up in bed are seen in this remedy. Headaches can occur after fright or after exposure to cold, dry winds. Squeezing in forehead above root of nose, feels as if she would lose
her reason; aggravated on wal ing in open air. Pressing shooting pain in forehead. Pressive, stupefying headache; sleeplessness. Shooting, pulsating headache, as if from an internal ulcer, sometimes prevents s pea ing.
Severe blows in right side of forehead. Sunstro e; especially from sleeping in sun's rays. Headache, as if brain was moved or raised; aggravated during motion, drin ing, t al ing or sunlight. The headaches are most often located in the occiput and forehead. They are usually accompanied by some
ind of fear of death.
One-sided numbness of the face is common. Head excessively hot. Bends head far bac . Constantly tosses head about. Sensation as if hair stood on end. If he raises his head, he vomits phlegm or what he dran . Constantly puts hand to head.
Cold sweat on forehead. Aconitum will probably be indicated in severe cases of encephalitis and meningoe ncephalitis judging by the tremendous fear, upheaval and tormenting sensations f elt inside the head, and the high fever, and severe headaches.
Eyes Vision as if through a veil; difficult to distinguish faces; anxiety and vertigo . An anxious loo can be perceived in the eyes. Staring, glaring eyes. Eyes contorted. Eyes excessively hot and dry; conjunctiva of lids very red, constant win ing and closing of lids, could hardly force them open; temporary relief from cold water; asthenopia from straining eyes. Severe conjunctivitis can occur from exposure to cold, dry winds. The eye and eyelid inflammations of Aconitum may produce copious discharges. Pho tophobia from sunlight. Desire for light; photomania. Pupils contracted, then dilated. Dilated pupils (immediately). Eyeball feels enlarged, as if coming out of soc et. Sclerotica yellow. Eyes bloodshot. Eyes red, inflamed, vessels deep red; burning, pressive shooting pains. Eyes dull, encircled by blue rings. Stic ing and tearing pains around eyes; aggravated at night. Upper half of eyeball sore when moved; feels as if it would be forced out of orb it (better on stooping). Profuse lachrymation with intense pain; tears flow, with or without local inflam mation. Inflammation extremely painful.
Aconitum has proved quite useful for injuries to the eyes, especially when there is severe sudden inflammation because of a foreign body injuring the sclera. Acute aggravations of granulated lids and pannus of cornea, with excessive hyper emia, heat and dryness especially if induced by overheating from violent exercis e, or by exposure to dry, cold air. In earlier stages of violent acute inflammations of deep structures of ball, whe n it becomes sensitive to touch and feels as if it were protruding; rarely after exudation. Sudden blindness resulting from exposure to excessively cold or hot weather or f rom fright is seen. Ophthalmia neonatorum; in beginning. Copious tears and red conjunctiva. Lids feel dry, burn and are sensitive to air. Lids hard, swollen, red, with a tense feeling; aggravated in the mornings.
Ears Averse to noises, they startle him; they are intolerable. Music goes through every limb; ma es her sad. Roaring in ears; humming; ringing. Left ear deaf, with buzzing in whole head.
Tearing pain (left ear); pains in right ear. Stinging in ear; meatus red and narrowed. External ear hot and red; swollen, painfully sensitive, noise intolerable.
Nose Sense of smell very acute, especially for unpleasant odors. Great sensibility of the olfactory nerve; bad smells have a powerful effect. Distressing cramp or pressure at root of nose. Nosebleed; blood bright red. Epistaxis. Nosebleeding and headache. Coryza : dry, with headache, roaring in ears, fever, thirst, sleeplessness, caus ed by cold, dry winds; chec ed with headache; ameliorated in open air, aggravate d from tal ing; fluent, frequent sneezing; dropping of a clear, hot water; fluent morn ings; inner nose red, swollen, interfering with breathing. Mucous membrane dry, nose stopped up; dry or with but scanty watery coryza. Mar ed pain between orbits at the base of nose.
Face Anxious expression; frightened. The face is usually hot and dry during fever. In the nose there can be great heat with fire-li e burning in the nostrils durin g catarrhal inflammations. Facial flushing with a sensation of enlargement of the face is characteristic of the remedy. Face pale, with restlessness and expression of anxiety; Red chee s with fear of death.
The face, red when lying, becomes deathly pale on rising up. Between attac s, face pale; now and then flying heat. Face and whole body pale. Face dar red, lips blue. Redness of one chee
with paleness of the other.
Numbness on one side of the face. Neuralgia of trigeminus, left side; face red and hot; restlessness, anguish; rol ling about, screaming. Rheumatism in face and teeth. Creeping pain in the chee s. Sensation as if chee s were swollen to double their size. There may be perspiration of the face occurring only on the side lain upon. Lips: blue, dry, blac , peeling off; swollen, inflamed. Burning and numbness of lips and mouth; heat and tingling. Burning of lips and tongue, as after eating pepper or smo ing. Mouth drawn to one side (right). Lips on left side motionless, during breathing.
Trismus. Constantly moving lower jaw, as in chewing. Aconitum is the first remedy for facial paralysis after exposure to a cold, dry wind, especially when accompanied by numbness or tingling.
Mouth Grinding teeth. Trismus. Toothache: even in sound teeth; with throbbing in one side of face, intense redn ess of one chee , congestion to head, restlessness; most left-sided, or going fr om right to left. Toothache caused by: dry, cold winds; ta ing cold in raw air; during pregnancy; especially in young, plethoric sedentary persons. Sensibility of the teeth to open air. Gums hot and inflamed. There is a sensation of heat of the lips. The mouth tastes bitter, and all but water tastes bitter. Mouth as if filled with air tasting of rotten eggs. Trembling and temporary stammering. Speech imperfect, lisping. Mouth dry. Frothy salivation. Saliva - copious, strea ed red, sweet taste in mouth. Accumulation of water in mouth. Yellowish-white thic fur in mouth. Sensations of numbness and tingling of lips and tongue. There is great dryness in the centre of the tongue. There is a sensation as if cold air were blowing on the tongue. Tongue feels swollen, burning, pric ling and tingling. Tongue and lips swollen.
Burning on tip of tongue and lips. Burning vesicles on tongue. Tongue coated white or thic
yellow-white.
Tongue dry, furred, white. Tongue red, with great thirst. Tongue dry, red on sides, centre thinly coated white. Penetrating fine stitches in the tip of the tongue. Chronic affections of tongue.
Throat Red, dry, constricted, numb, with pric ling, burning and stinging. Redness of uvula and soft palate. Uvula: swollen and elongated; feels as if elongated and coming in contact with tongue.
Feeling of dryness and as if something stuc
in throat.
Acute inflammation of throat, palate, tonsils and fauces with high fever, dar edness of parts, burning and stinging in fauces.
r
Burning sensation in bac of throat, causing him to haw . Burning and fine stinging pain in bac
of throat.
Severe stic ing pains in posterior fauces. Burning and numbness in throat; throat almost insensible. Pric ing, burning in throat and along eustachian tube. Roof of mouth and fauces dotted with eruption. Burning sensation in pharynx. Swallowing: stinging cho ing in throat. When swallowing food, it feels as if it had lodged in cardiac region. Swallowing much impeded. Muscles extremely sore in swallowing. Almost entire inability to swallow. Burning from mouth along esophagus to stomach. Tingling in esophagus.
Stomach Lively sensation of hunger, renewed soon after eating. Excessive hunger and thirst, but eats slowly. Thirst burning, unquenchable. Excessive thirst, yet can retain nothing. No appetite; loathing of food, qualmishness. Desires: wine; brandy; beer; bitter drin s. Violent pain in stomach on eating, with warmth and tenderness; hiccough; nausea (after meat broths). Momentary relief from cold water. Aconitum can often ameliorate a gastritis produced by drin ing cold water when o verheated.
Drin ing ice water excites cough; generally better from cold drin , especially a nxiety. Worse from smo ing. Wine generally relieves, but sometimes brings on congestions, hemoptysis or palp itation, and augments rheumatic pains. Painful hiccough. Better from eructations. Empty eructation. Violent but ineffectual urging to vomit. Gagging, retching, gasping for breath. Vomiting: of lumbrici; of bile; of green masses, with diarrhea of same appearanc e; of mucus; of blood, of bloody mucus; of what has been drun , followed by thir st. Vomiting with anxiety, heat, thirst, profuse sweat and increased micturition. Green vomit. Vomiting, meteorism and inability to ma e water. On sitting up, vomits clear water. Inclination to vomit, just as if he had eaten something disgustingly sweet or gr easy. Cholera. Vomits sour phlegm.
Nausea, vomiting, thirst, general heat and profuse sweat with flow of urine. Region of pit of stomach sore to touch and meteoristic. Burning from stomach up through esophagus to mouth. Sudden excruciating pain, with gagging, retching, vomiting blood, gasping; cold sweat on forehead; congestion of mucous lining of stomach. When breathing, pit of stomach is drawn to spine. Pressure in stomach and pit of stomach, as from a weight or hard stone. Tensive pressive pain, as from fulness or a weight pressing in the stomach and hypochondria. Stitch-li e, burning, pressing pain in pit of stomach, with fear of death. Pressure as from a stone in pit of stomach going through to the bac , with a squ eezing sensation as from a strain, li e stiffness.
Abdomen In the abdomen there are pains which extend to the chest. Burning, stinging, hepatic pains. Hot, tense swelling under right short ribs. Pressure and constriction in hepatic region, with obstruction of breathing. Pressive pain,as from a weight in the hypochondria. Feeling of violent constriction in the hypochondria. Acute hepatitis, with violent fever. Tension and heaviness in hypochondria. Agony, has to sit straight up, can hardly breathe, pulse thread-li e, vomituriti on, sweats with anxiety; abdomen swollen, particularly under short ribs. Stitches in region of liver ta ing the breath. Severe and constant pain in epigastrium, pressing outward. Stitches and heat in diaphragm. Pain going to umbilicus, or changing from stomach to liver.
In acute infections of the intestinal tract characterized by stools which are gr een and watery or which consist of green masses li e spinach, violent tenesmus, and severe colic y pains that are relieved only after stool, nothing else will reli eve. Colic forces him double, yet relieved in no position. Colic involving bladder, contraction of hypogastrium in region of bladder; const ant ineffectual urging to urinate. Flatulent colic in the hypogastrium as if he had ta en a flatus-producing purgat ive. Burning in umbilical region. Burning in abdomen. Umbilical region hard, swollen, li e ascites. Great swelling of abdomen, which is painful to touch. Meteorism, vomiting, inability to urinate. Abdomen burning hot, tense, tympanitic, sensitive to least touch, cutting pains, fever, anguish. Abdomen puffed and hard. A feeling of weight, as if a heavy load were resting on abdomen and bearing one down. Hernia, recent and small, also incarcerated with bilious vomiting and cold sweat ; burning as from coals of fire. Sensitiveness of lower abdomen to touch. Sensitiveness of abdomen to touch, as from slight peritoneal inflammation.
Pain in loins, as if bruised. Aconitum is in general ameliorated by evacuating the alimentary canal, either th rough vomiting or diarrhea. Aconitum has to be thought of in jaundice of the newborn. Jaundice: during pregnancy, liver atrophied; after fright; from a cold, with cat arrh of small intestines. Splenitis with inflammatory fever.
Rectum Diarrhea: watery; frequent small stools; li e chopped spinach (summer complaint) ; bilious, of infants, with colic, which no position relieves; from getting wet; slimy, bloody, violent pains in bowels; tenesmus, also between discharges. Scanty, loose, frequent, with tenesmus; small, brown, painful; at last bloody. Pure blood passes without feces. Urging; slimy stools; intolerable nightly tingling, itching at anus. Dysentery or inflammatory diarrhea during hot days and cold nights. Cutting, griping, followed by frequent urging to stool, after anger or fright. Pain in the rectum. Shooting and aching in the anus. Hemorrhage from bowels bright red, in streams. Alternate slimy stools and constipation. Constipation; clay-colored stools. Stool and urine suppressed. Stool white, with dar red urine. Stool white, with saffron-colored urine. Cholera, congestive stage; stage of reaction. Bleeding piles; stinging and pressure in anus, burning and heat in piles.
Urinary organs
Stinging and pressing pains in region of
idneys.
Renal region sensitive, with shooting pains. Violent burning in bladder. Inflammation of bladder; constant urging, water passes in drops, with burning, a dmixed with blood; tension, heat and tenderness over pubes. Painful anxious urging to urinate. Children reach with hands to genitals and cry out. Burning in urethra when urinating. Must rise each night between 12 and 3 A.M. to urinate. Dysuria during pregnancy. Urine scanty, red and hot. Urine: hot, dar colored; red, with white feces; red and clear. Urine dar brown, frothy or yellow. Urine turbid. Urine yellow-red and no sediment. Ischuria.
Involuntary urination. Enuresis, with thirst. Diuresis, with headache and profuse sweat. Retention or suppression of urine, with pressure in bladder or stitches in region of
idneys.
Retention from cold, especially in children, with much crying and restlessness. Hematuria, with hemorrhoids of anus or bladder; burning distress in urethra. There may be retention of urine after a fright. Aconitum is very often used in n ewborns who suffer urinary retention subsequent to the fright of birth. Tenesmus of the nec of the bladder.
Genitalia - male Increased sexual desire; lascivious dreams; fits of lasciviousness. Testicles feel swollen and hard, as if surcharged with semen. Bruised pain in testicles. Simple pain in the testicles, li e that caused by a bruise. Violent, sudden orchitis. Gonorrhea, first stage.
Genitalia - female Stitching pains, more to right of fundus uteri; sharp, shooting pains, abdomen e xceedingly sensitive. Sudden inflammation of the ovaries in cases of suppressed menstruation. Prolapsus uteri, occurring suddenly, with inflammation, bitter vomit, cold sweat , or dry, hot s in; with or without hemorrhage. Labor-li e pressing in womb; has to bend double, but relieved in no position. Uterine hemorrhage, active, much excitability, giddy, cannot sit up, fear of dea th. Menses too late, diminished and protracted; plethoric females, who lead a sedent ary life.
Menses profuse in plethoric women. Suppressed or painful menstruation after exposure to cold or after a fright, by getting feet wet, or by a cold bath. Amenorrhea during puberty; nosebleed; palpitation; congestions. Restores menses of plethoric women, after their suppression from any cause. Inflammation of genitals. Vagina dry, hot, sensitive. Leucorrhea copious, tenacious, yellow. During pregnancy; restlessness; fear of death, predicts time of death; jaundice; blood-spitting; disturbed between 12 and 3 o'cloc at night, compelled to get u p to urinate; has no affection for anybody. Impending abortion from fright, with vexation; circulation excited, rapid breath ing. Pains of labor: distressing; vagina hot, dry, tender and undilatable; violent, f ollowing in rapid succession, particularly with a large child (head seems immova ble), contractions insufficient, pains overwhelming; shrie ing; red, sweating face; t hirsty; head and hands glowing, pulse hard, s in scarcely moist, increased actio n of heart; ineffectual from defective position of child. Puerperal convulsions, cerebral congestion, hot, dry s in, thirst, restlessness and fear of death. After tedious and difficult parturition.
After-pains too painful, too long-lasting. After-pains, with fear and restlessness. Mil -fever with delirium; mammae hot, hard, tense, with scanty mil . Lochia offensive, bloody, slimy. Return of lochial discharge, when women commence going about after confinement. Childbed fever after suppression of lochia; mammae lax, no mil ; dry, hot s in; hard, frequent pulse, or tensive, contracted; fearful, wild, staring, glittering eyes; dry tongue, great thirst; inflated abdomen, sensitive to slightest touch.
Chest Larynx and Trachea - Hoarseness, with pain when tal ing. Voice crowing, croupy. Voice hus y, can scarcely spea , points to larynx, wants to cough, but cannot. Tic ling in the larynx provo ing cough. Larynx sensitive to touch and to inspired air, as if raw. Laryngitis, with inflammatory fever; also with suffocative spasms (spasms of glo ttis). Laryngeal complaints after straining voice. Dryness in windpipe causing a frequent little cough. Croup: awa ing in first sleep; child in agony, impatient, tosses about; dry, sho rt cough, but not much wheezing nor sawing breathing; cough and loud breathing d uring expiration; every expiration ending with a hoarse, hac ing cough; after exposur e to dry, cold winds. Burning low down in larynx. Pain in larynx on coughing. Respiration - Fetid breath. Breath cold. Breath hot.
Inspiration through the nose impeded, especially in sleep. Breathing: short, in sleep, after 12 P.M. ; labored, anxious or quic , and super ficial; deep, slow, sighing; difficult, must breathe deeply; slow, rattling (apo plexy), whistling (croup in old age), short, when raising one's self. Asthma from active hyperemia of lungs and brain; face red, eyes staring; after e motions; can tal but little at a time. Asthma after suppression of acute rash; feeling of band around chest; muscles of chest rigid; occasionally vomiting; urine scanty, dar ; after paroxysm, sputa y ellow or blood-strea ed. Agony, sits up straight, can hardly breathe; pulse li e a thread, vomiturition; sweat, with anxiety; swelling under short ribs. Oppression of chest when moving fast or ascending. Oppressed respiration, dry hac ing, much thirst and chilliness. Inhalation difficult and noisy. Worse during inspiration; better during expiration. Constant short, dry cough, with feeling of suffocation, which increases with eve ry inspiration. Difficult breathing. Breathes only with diaphragm. Cannot breathe freely from a sensation as if lungs would not expand; frequently ta es deep breaths. Fear of suffocation. Dyspnea from fear in hysterical women.
Dyspnea from cardiac excitement in plethoric persons. Dyspnea in chest affections -- has to sit erect to breathe. Cough - Clear ringing or whistling cough, caused by burning, pric ing in larynx or trachea. Cough short, dry, forcible, excited by scratching in throat. Short cough after 12 P.M. , from tic ling in larynx; the more he attempts to rep ress it, the more severe it becomes. Dry hoarse, bar ing cough. Dry cough, with shooting in chest; with raw pain in chest, caused by change of t emperature. Frequent dry cough, with occasional expectoration of bright red blood. Dry, whistling cough; beginning of pertussis; feverish, anxious, restless. Wants to cough, but cannot. Cough hollow, hoarse, cho ing, causing blueness of face. Violent hollow cough at night; shorter and more panting during day. Cough awa en s him from sleep, is dry, croupy, suffocating; great anxiety. Cough better lying on bac ; aggravated on side. Cough with nervous excitability. Cough with viscid mucous expectoration. Cough after drin ing, sputum thin, frothy, blood- strea ed; burning, shooting in chest; dulness on percussion. Cough worse: after eating or drin ing; lying, must sit up from a constrictive fe eling and suffocation (tracheitis) until 3 A.M. ; evening, night, more after 12 P.M. ; from tobacco smo e; during sleep; from vexation, especially fright; when overheated; from dry, cold winds, or currents of air; from wal ing in open air; when assumi ng an upright position; from deep inspiration; from spea ing. Expectoration - Hemoptysis: blood comes up with an easy haw ing, hemming or slig ht cough; expression of anxiety; great fear of death; palpitation, quic pulse, stitches in chest; caused by mental excitement; exposure to dry, cold air , or after ta ing wine. Sputa: absent; thin, gelatinous, more mornings and during day; scanty, falls in round lumps, dar cherry-red (pneumonia); bloody or blood-strea ed; bright red b lood. Expectoration of thin, frothy, white mucus, mixed with strea s of bright
red blood. Expectoration brownish-red, rust-colored; cough frequent, with severe pains from shoc
through chest.
Expectoration of blood and mucus, with raw sensation behind the sternum. Heart - Palpitation of the heart accompanied by great anxiety and fear of death. Tachycardia. Palpitation, anxiety, restlessness; aggravated lying; face pale, anxious. Palpitation, with anxiety, fainting, and tingling in fingers. Palpitation and anxiety, with increased heat, especially of the face. Palpitation of the heart, with great anxiety and restlessness, and pressive pain in the cardiac region. Palpitation; feeling as if boiling water was poured into chest. Hyperemia of lungs, violent palpitation of heart; face red; spitting of blood. Oppression about heart, burning flushes along bac . Oppressive feeling in the heart region, as if heart will explode. Inward pressing pain in region of heart. Anxiety about praecordia, heart beats quic er and stronger; fear of death. Anxiety, difficulty of breathing, flying heat in face, sensation of something ru shing into head. Anxiety in cardiac region, and oppression of chest, with contracted pulse and co nstriction of the chest, when sitting after much motion. Inflammations of the heart -- pericarditis, endocarditis -- with severe shooting and stitching pains, obliging the person to shout. Sudden attac s of pain in the heart with dyspnea. Sudden violent cardiac irritation with fluttering pulse; has to sit up in bed; g rasps the throat with anxiety or even anguish.
Feeling of fulness; pulse hard, strong, contracted; stitches at heart; lies on b ac , with raised shoulders; constriction of chest. Slight stitches in cardiac region. Uncomplicated cardiac hypertrophy; especially with numbness in left arm and ting ling in fingers. Great agitation of heart, anxiety. Intense pains in all directions, especially down left arm, with numbness and tin gling; anxiety, fear of death, coldness, cold sweat; feeble pulse. Fainting, with tingling. Pulse quic er than beat of heart; during three beats apex stri es only once. Pulse strong, full, hard. Full, strong, hard pulse, with heat and thirst. Short, small, quic pulse with flushed face. Pulse: small, intermitting, irregular (asthma); accelerated, with heat of s in ( jaundice); contracted, full, powerful, over 100 per minute; full, powerful, inte rmitting every six beats with cardiac heaviness; slow, intermittent; slow, feeble, wea and small; li e a thread, with anxiety; quic , hard and small (peritonitis). Pulse strong, full and quic . The heart beats quic ly while the pulse was slow, apparently intermitting with a ttac s of powerlessness. Pulse full, hard; tense and bounding; sometimes intermits. Toward evening the pulse became full and quic ; he felt the beating of the temporal and carotid arteries, while sitting. Carotids beat violently. Beat of heart powerful; pulse full, hard and strong, moderately frequent. Inner and Outer Chest - Tightness of chest. Oppression of chest, feeling of great weight, must breathe deeply, with anxiety. Constrictive stic ing pain in sides of chest. Pressure, weight and burning under sternum. Pressive tight pain in side of chest. Pressure, especially on right side of chest.
Heaviness on the chest. Pain in middle of chest drawing toward bac , aggravated with every motion of bod y. Squeezing pain in the chest. A creeping pain in the chest. Stitches in right side of chest, but only when lying on that side. Stitches: whe n breathing; with cough; from lowest rib, right side, through lung to apex of sc apula; at every inspiration; in left chest; last rib, right side, through to bac ; transi ent, now here, now there; aggravated bending sideways; between scapulae, on deep breathing; and burning shooting in chest. Anxiety in the chest, and oppression on the right side, afterward in the whole chest. Cannot lie on right side, only on bac . Lancinating through chest, with dry heat, difficult breathing, often violent chill. Painful shoc s in left chest superiorly, especially on ta ing a deep breath. Synochal fever, hot sweat, oppression; children have rattling in chest; sensation of fulness in chest; must lie on bac . Heat in lungs. Rush of blood to lungs. Pleurisy with stabbing, stitching, severe pains that are aggravated by the least motion, coughing, laughing or even yawning.
Veins of throat expanded. Chest muscles rigid.
Bac Nec sore and painful; glands swollen. Tearing in nape of nec . Drawings in muscles of throat and nec . Rheumatic pain in the nape only observed on moving the nec . Painful stiff nec , aggravated on moving nec ; pains down nec to right shoulder . Cutting pains extending in a circle from spine to abdomen. Crawling in spine, as from beetles; formication. After injury or chec ed sweat. Numbness of small of bac , extending into lower limbs. Violent, shooting, digging pain all down the left side of the spine to the sacrum, which was so much increased by inspiration that tears came repeatedl y into the eyes, for four hours. Pain as if bruised in the articulation of the lowest lumbar vertebra with the sa crum; the sacrum feels hac ed off. Bruised pain between the shoulders. Pain as if from a bruise, from the loins through the bac
into the nape
of the nec .
Extremities Coldness of extremities. Hands icy cold; cold, sweaty palms. Coldness of feet and an les; soles and toes cold and sweaty. Hot palms. Drawing, tearing pains in limbs.
All the joints are painful. Affections with associated numbness and tingling of the extremities. Trembling and tingling in limbs, accompanied by shooting pains. Convulsive trembling of limbs. Convulsive contraction of limbs. Slight starting of limbs, alternating with trembling. Limbs feel wea , heavy and painful. Limbs feel tired during repose. Wea ness and laxity of the ligaments of all the joints. Automatic motion of left hand; he stri es his face. Trembling of hands. Creeping pain in fingers. Creeping in fingers, also while writing. Twitching of fingers and toes. Formication in arms, hands and fingers.
Arms hang powerless, as if paralyzed by blows. Numbness of left arm; can scarcely move hand; tingling of fingers. Numb, tingling sensations in arms and hands, as though the poles of a galvanic b attery were being held. Numbness in gouty limb. Legs almost powerless; after sitting, numbness. Legs and feet feel numb; tingling, commencing in feet and spreading upward. An les feel as if tied with a ligature. Hot pric ing in toes; they "go to sleep" while wal ing. Lameness and numb feeling in affected parts; pain intolerable. Numbness, icy coldness and insensibility of hands and feet. Aconitum is indicated in cases of functional paralysis, especially after an expo sure to very cold winds while being warm, and for paralysis that ensues from a sudden frightful experience, a form of hysterical paralysis. Paralysis of wrists. Acute rheumatism with excruciating pains, restlessness, congestion and heat of t he affected joint and a feeling of enlargement of the inflamed part. Rheumatic inflammation of joints, aggravated evening and night; intense, bright red, shining swelling of parts; sensitive to least contact, with high fever. Red pimples on bac of hands; stinging itching. Bright red hypothenar eminences on both hands. Hip and hip-joint (left) swollen, hot and exceedingly painful to touch; feverish , thirsty, anxious. Drawing tearing in left hip-joint on moving. Thighs when wal ing feel as if tightly bandaged. Lower limbs sore. Shooting, tearing pains in legs,
nees, an les, toes, etc.
Shootings in the left nee. Unsteadiness of nees; bend while standing or wal ing. Knees swollen; painful, throbbing, cutting, stinging pains; cannot sleep, had to sit up. Knifeli e pains in nee joint. Shooting, tearing, erratic; in arms, forearms, wrists and finger-joints.
Icy coldness of the nee alternating with flying shootings. Legs stiff when moved, after ta ing cold. Cramps in calves, also in feet.
Sleep Passed a restless night, body very hot, tossed about much, and had excessively v ivid dreams. Light sleep (from 1 to 5 h.). On going to sleep; fever becomes intolerable; jer s; restless tossing. Somnolency, eyes closed; in a little child. Senseless; snoring. During sleep: delirium; starts; profuse sweat; hot, restless and tal ing; slow breathing. Restless nights; must wal t.
or move about; alternately cold and hot, partial swea
Excessive wa efulness; nervous sleeplessness. Sleeplessness after midnight with anxiety, restlessness, continual tossing about; eyes closed.
Sleeplessness caused by fear, fright or anxiety, with fear of future. Yawns often, without being sleepy. Vivid dreams of day's occurrences. At night anxious dreams, several times wa ing with start. Long dreams with anxiety in chest, ta ing away breath and causing him to awa en. Anxious heavy dreams with oppression of chest. Awa ened: by asthma; by nightmare; with starts; by cough. He starts up in a fright, moves much and tal s in his sleep.
Fever Aconitum is indicated in all inflammatory conditions with the following characte ristics: congestions, especially when the s in is dry and hot, great thirst, int ense suffering and pain, restlessness that can find no solace in any position, anxie ty and fear. In some cases of fever a different situation will be encountered: sudden, contin uous very high fever with no apparent causation nor apparent localized site of inflammation, without thirst, without restlessness or anxiety or other specific s; the only complaint is that of being very tired, and these patients loo sleep y, groggy and stupid. The fever is of very sudden onset and is so high that the patient (often a child ) literally seems to be burning up. Such cases bear resemblance to Ferrum phosph oricum, but in Aconitum the fever is much higher, more sudden in onset, and the patient more tired and sleepy. Aconitum is used in infectious diseases, especially measles. Chill: anxious; on slightest movement; being uncovered or touched; ascends from feet to chest; with formication between shoulders and down bac ; finger tips col d, nails blue, aggravated in a warm room. Shuddering on lying down at night. S in cool, dry or cold and viscous; or cold t o touch, but patient feels as if burning. Whole body stiff and cold.
Rigors and vomiting. Frequent shudders. Cold crawls over bac , with hot s in. Sudden chill in evening, followed by heat. After a violent chill, dry heat with difficult breathing and lancinating pain th rough chest. With chill, internal heat, anxiety, red chee s; body chilly, hot forehead and ea rs, internal heat. Chill at beginning violent, more in evening after lying down, often with one hot chee and contracted pupils. Cold waves pass through him. Alternate heat and chill all night; restless, wants to uncover, yet chilly there from. Face hot, hands and feet cold; face flushes, with cold hands and feet, mostly ev enings. S in hot and dry, with anxious tossing about. Heat with thirst, hard, full and frequent pulse, anxious impatience, inappeasabl e, beside himself, tossing about with agony. Dry, burning heat, generally extending from head and face, with much thirst for cold drin s. Toward evening burning heat in the head and face, with redness of the chee s and outpressing headache; at the same time rigor over the whole body and thirst. Heat, with inclination to uncover; fever unbearable towards evening and after ge tting into bed. Heat, with chilliness at same time. Red chee s, with obstinacy, complaining mood; burning in region of navel and pre ssive headache. Redness of the chee s and heat of the head; shuddering all over the body, with p roper taste in the mouth. Or along with redness of the chee s, rigors,with weepi ng and pressive headache.
Heat in the head; forehead hot to the touch, with rigor over the body on the slightest movement. Thirst for beer during heat. Drin s little during the heat, yet has dry lips. Free sweat. Profuse sweat during sleep, even in consumptives; sweat after 12 P.M. Long continued, general sweat, of a somewhat sour odor. Affected parts and covered parts sweat; li es to be uncovered. Worse while sweating; better afterward. Profuse sweat relieves rheumatic pains. Bad effects of suppressed sweat: catarrhs; fever; local inflammations, etc. Cold sweat. Slight perspiration all over the body.
S in S in dry; absence of sweat. Tingling over whole surface. Red, shining, hot swellings; violent pains. Fine pric ings, as from needles, here and there. Spots li e flea-bites; itching unchanged by scratching. Formication and biting, especially on the hairy parts of the body, with the exception of the head, as if from fleas, ma ing him scratch. Erythema from sun's rays; papular erythema. Erysipelas, smooth s in; violent fever. Yellow s in. Red rash all over, except on abdomen. Purpura miliaris. Measles: dry, bar ing cough; painful hoarseness; eyes red; cannot bear light; to ngue red; jer s of left leg or arm, or grinding of teeth; restless moaning and l amenting;
lying in a comatose state; pains in joints; free sweat. In red miliary fever: increasing restlessness, agonizing anxiety and heat of bod y. Rash of children. Seldom in scarlatina, except as specified below or during desquamation. Scarlet rash, with high fever. Scarlet fever, with dry s in and very great restlessness and distress; must frequently sit erect in bed in consequence of dyspnea.
Clinical Anxiety states. Common colds. Inflammatory conditions. Measles. Encephalitis. Meningoencephalitis. Endocarditis. Pericarditis. Acute arthritis. Neuritis. Pneumonia. Peritonitis. Pleurisy. Gastritis. Conjuctivitis.
Causation Fear. Fright. Chill. Cold, dry winds. Heat, especially of sun. Injury. Surgical operation. Shoc .
Relationships . Compare Aconitum with belladonna, Coffea and Lachesis Compare also with:Aconitin e - Heavy feeling as of lead; pains in supraorbital nerve; ice-cold sensations c reep up; hydrophobia symptoms. Tinnitus aurium 3x. Tingling sensation. Aconitum Lyco tonum - Great yellow wolfsbane. Swelling of glands; Hodg in's disease. Diarrhea after eating por . Itching of nose, eyes, anus and vulva. S in of nose crac ed; taste of blood. Aconitum Cammarum - Headache with vertigo and tinnitus. Catalep tic symptoms. Formication of tongue, lips and face. Aconitum ferox - Indian Aconite . Rather more violent in its actions than A. nappellus. It is more diuretic and less antipyretic. It has proved valuable in cardiac dyspnea, neuralgia, and acute go ut. Dyspnea. Must sit up. Rapid respiration. Anxiety, with suffocation from feel ing of paralysis in respiratory muscles. Cheynes-sto es breathing. Eranthis hymnalis Winter Aconite. Acts on solar plexus and wor s upwards causing dyspnea. Pain in occiput and nec . It is complementary to Arnica, Coffea and Sulphur. Arnica can complement its act ion, especially in injuries. Similar to belladonna, which can be antidoted by Aconitum, if one is not careful . It is often indicated after: Arnica, Coffea, Sulphur, Veratrum album, Abrotanum, Arsenicum album, belladonna, Bryonia, Cactus grandiflorus, Cantharis, Hepar, Ipecacuanha, Kali bromatum, Mercury, Pulsatilla, Rhus toxicodendron, Sepia, Spi gelia, Spongia, Sulphur, Silica.
Antidotes When ta ing Aconitum, vegetable acids and wines, as well as other alcoholic stim ulants, should be avoided.
It is antidoted by Acetic acidum, Alcohol, Paris quadrifolium, belladonna, Berbe ris, Coffea, Nux vomica, Sulphur and Vinum. It antidotes belladonna, Chamomilla, Coffea, Nux vomica, Petroleum, Sepia, Spong ia and Sulphur.
Dosage Aconitum seems to be active in all the potencies from the very low to the very h igh. In the Centre of Homeopathic Medicine in Athens experience has shown that t he very high potencies act well and for long periods of time, especially in chroni c cases and cases of anxiety neurosis. According to Hahnemann: "In measles, in purpura miliaris, and in the acute pleur itic fevers, &c., its curative power is marvellous, when, the patient being ept rather cool, it is given alone, all other medicinal substances, even vegetable acids, being avoided, in the dose of a thousandth part of a drop of the decillionth dev elopment of power. It is seldom that a second similar dose is required thirty-six or forty-eight hours after the first."
Actaea spicata Baneberry. Herb Christopher. N.O. Ranunculaceae. Tincture of root obtained in autumn.
The essential features Actea spicata is a neglected remedy, often overloo ed in favour of other remedie s such as Caulophyllum, Sabina, Viola odorata, Bryonia, Sticta etc. It has come down to us as a rheumatic remedy but is also indicated in facial or teeth neuralgias, in stomach affections, including cancer, in gout, in headaches , in anxieties etc. Its "female" counterpart is Actea racemosa, which is better now n to homeopaths as Cimicifuga. Actea spicata is indicated mostly in men while Ac tea racemosa (cimicifuga) is mostly indicated in women. It affects principally the small joints with a preference for the wrists, where tearing pains and sudden enormous swellings develop. Gout. This remedy is very much aggravated from fatigue. A man may go out feeling well for a tennis match and after a comparatively small amount of exertion start havi ng pains and swellings in the joints. He will then probably be forced to give up t he game and ta e some rest, because as the swelling progresses any ind of movem ent is intolerable. He feels a paralytic pain especially when the hands are affected. A constitutional Actea spicata is particularly interesting from the point of vie w of the mental/emotional structure. Here we have persons who have an inflated i dea about themselves, who are always trying to be the centre of interest in a group , and who must constantly have somebody to tal to about themselves. They can establish easy and good contact especially with the opposite sex. But they are people who are easily frightened and the fright has a deep effect upon them. The y may startle very easily, especially if alone and some sudden noise occurs. They feel definitely better in company, they loo happy and satisfied, but as so on as they are alone their problems start. They hate solitude, they do not li e to stay by themselves because their mental problems are exaggerated. They develop a con stant state of apprehension and fear, and not only are they easily prone to be frightened but their symptomatology can be greatly aggravated by fear or fright . The swellings and the pains can become worse from fright, while in the women we may see suppression of menses from fear or fright. These easy going people h ate exertion, physical, mental or even emotional, and if things do not go their own way become angry, irritable, obstinate and are prone to lament. Actea spicata men, due to the fact that they can have good and easy contact with the opposite sex, are prone to flirt with and go after women, thus becoming
womanisers, which soon degenerates to a type of debauch. It is in this state th at they may develop self deception, a false esteem about their own self and thei r abilities, and become egocentric and egotistical. Due to their egotism they usually establish a rather superficial contact in thei r relationships, they act in a capricious way, they are inconsistent and unrelia ble. This type of person enjoys the good things in life without much effort and without m uch thought. They actually have an aversion to thin ing, to tac ling problems. A ny exertion of mind ma es them feel worse. They are easily fatigued physically, em otionally and mentally. An interesting eynote of this remedy is that, after an enjoyable day, an Actea spicata person may go bac home to rest, but as soon as he lies down there emerg es a ind of anxiety that will force him to get up and move about in order to be rel ieved (li e Mag-m.) because motion ameliorates the anxiety. Actually during the night and especially if they are sleeping alone they suffer from a fear of dyin g that eeps them awa e. And in the morning after they have slept they hear a murmuring in the ears which is clearly aggravated by their anxiety. As the pathology progresses they feel that their mind slows down and wor s with difficulty. They feel confused, unable to ma e decisions even as to small things , their memory fails them, they become absent minded, unobservant and their judgement i s perplexed. They begin to feel that they do not have the capacity to clarify anything in their mind, they feel bewildered, and then the thought comes that t hey are going crazy. It is not a real fear of insanity but a thought that crosse s their mind due to the way they feel mentally. Eventually they may become convinced that whatever they underta e is doomed to f ailure. They may be overcome with hopelessness, and have outbursts of sighing. During this period any exertion, any fatigue or any fright will ma e things wor se. Eventually Actea spicata cases can go into a state of depression, of gloom, diss atisfaction or despondency and later on loathing of life. They feel that they ca nnot bear their pains and swellings, that they have to live a very restricted life w hich to them is unbearable. During fever they may succumb to bouts of furious raging delirium and eventually they may lose consciousness.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
Actea spicata people are in general aggravated by cold, cold air, change of temp erature or weather. They are easily exhausted. A sudden, unforeseen debility or lassitude overcomes them while wal ing in the open air. Also after a change of temperature their leg s and nees become weary and even after eating or much tal ing they may feel tired an d wea .
A slight exertion of body or mind often causes a cold, viscid perspiration but i f the sweat becomes suppressed they get a rheumatic attac . This remedy has a special affinity for the small joints of the wrist and of the fingers (in particular the index finger) but also for the an les, feet and toes. The pains often have a tearing and drawing character and the painful joints are aggravated by motion, by pressure or touch and sometimes at night. (But remember that their anxiety is ameliorated by motion.) It is very characteristic of this remedy that even after a slight exertion or fa tigue the joints become painful and swell. He goes out feeling tolerably comfort able but after he has wal ed for a while or has done some little wor or exercise hi s joints begin to ache and swell. The swelling and the pain of the right wrist for instance may become so intolera ble that he cannot move his hand and the slightest pressure on the palm of the h and near the little finger causes him to cry out. These symptoms may occur together with a lame feeling of the right arm and a paralytic wea ness of the painful ha nds. The fingers are sometimes discolored, cold and numb. (Actea spicata has also been prescribed for the deforming, climacteric arthropat hy of the finger joints.) Other symptoms which have been observed in rheumatic patients are impatience and restlessness with an accelerated pulse or a bric -dust sediment in the urine. A good combination is also rheumatism associated with a decided gastric derangem ent li e disgust for food, nausea, sour vomiting etc. In the region of the head many symptoms occur: Vertigo with dim vision or dar ne ss before the eyes, giddiness and reeling especially in the open air together wi th a feeling as if drun or an empty feeling in the forehead when stooping. The headaches are often periodical and aggravated at night or by wal ing. After he has been in the sun or just from the broad daylight he feels a pressure in th e forehead. The headache may be so severe that he is full of despair especially i f he has rac ing pains in the vertex extending to the eyebrows. "Ebullition of blood to head excited by drin ing coffee" is a symptom from Boeri c e, but on this point I must ma e a note. According to the experience of some F rench homeopaths Actea spicata is one of the few remedies whose headache is better af ter drin ing coffee.
They also may have a ind of rheumatism or neuralgia of the face: Pulling, teari ng pains originating from a decayed tooth going up to the temples worse from sli ghtest touch and movement of muscles. The same capriciousness that we see in the character of the patient is also noti ceable in the stomach: Hunger with aversion to food or hunger with lac of appet ite or an empty, wea feeling in the stomach without hunger. He has a disgust for food, shudders after drin ing and his stomach gets disorder ed after he has eaten salt meat or fruits. Also beer and smo ing cigarettes do n ot agree with him. Cramp-li e pains in the stomach with difficult breathing. Stitches or a painful shoc in epigastrium during deep inspiration. Tearing, darting pains in epigastr ium with vomiting. Nausea and sour vomiting. All these symptoms indicate that the remedy will be of service to cancer of the stomach. Actea spicata has further peculiar symptoms not mentioned so far: Sensation of goose-flesh on scalp. Warm sweat on head, especially on forehead. Sweating on chee lain on. Objects seem colored blue. Urging sensation in heart towards abdomen and region of liver with great anxiety at night. Throbbing, pulsation in tight hypochondria or in region of
idneys.
Bruised pain in sacral region when lying on side. Please notice how many symptoms are aggravated by motion, slight exertion or wal ing although the patients often have a great desire to wor and even enjoy exercising.
Adonis vernalis Adonis vernalis. N.O. Ranunculaceae. Infusion or tincture of fresh plant; an extract, Adonidin.
The essential features This is a remedy that you will need to use mostly when you have a medium-grave o r even gross pathology of the heart and especially if such pathology is connecte d or implicated with idney problems or rheumatic conditions that have involved the heart. Pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, mitral and aortic regurgitation, cardiac asthma, chronic aortitis, etc. are the special sphere of action of this remedy. It is especially indicated in cases where the myocardium has been wea ened, and no longer has the natural force to contract, and as a result of which cardiac dr opsy, cardiac asthma, heart enlargement etc. may develop. It may also be indicated in cases where the valves are at fault with mitral or aortic regurgitation. Heart diseases that originate after rheumatism, influenza or Bright's disease. You will need this remedy when you have tried other remedies and failed, where y ou see that the heart is in a precarious state with arrhythmia, feeble and rapid pulse, where there is precordial pain or feeling of oppression on chest, that c auses a ind of dyspnea and the patient is obliged to draw long deep breaths. Eventually you may see cardiac asthma. "Hale reports of a beautiful cure in a labourer suffering from chronic valvular disease of the heart with dilatation under the action of Adonis. The heart becam e diminished in size, the congestion of the lungs disappeared, the edema of the l egs vanished, the palpitation of the heart and the dyspnea stopped." (N.M. choud huri) "Cash gave great relief to a "water-logged patient of seventy-four" with mitral regurgitation, with one-grain doses of Adonidin at eight-hour intervals, after f ailure of Arsenicum and Digitalis." (J.H. Clar e) The general state of the patient is one of great wea ness and you have obvious r easons to believe that the heart is giving up. The person wa es up in the mornin g with swollen extremities, is already exhausted, the pulse is wea , feeble and rapid in most of the cases (though sometimes we may see slow pulse as well) there is retention of fluids, the idneys are disfunctioning, there is albumin in the ur ine with casts, and the patient is exhausted anxious and restless. The patient i s either sleepless because of rambling thoughts or his sleep is disturbed by horrible dr
eams. In such cases it is only after exerting themselves that the patients start feeli ng better. Actually Adonis Vernalis feels worse when resting, when lying down; i t seems that the heart enters a state of stalemate and needs some stimulation in order to function better. With all these irregularities of the heart there is ve rtigo which is worse on rising from bed, on turning the head suddenly and on lying do wn. The patient feels better if he goes for a wal in the open air. Together with such symptomatology you will find a ind of fainting feeling in th e epigastrium, as if the life force is seeping away through the stomach. Sometim es with the adynamic state, and the feeble and fast pulse, there comes an indescribable anxiety which seems to arise from the stomach. This feeling is usually connecte d with a dysfunctioning of the heart. When the pathology of the heart progresses there is also depression and the mind seems to wor very slowly. A feeling as if intoxicated.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
Although Adonis vernalis has been used for quite a long time in homeopathy, it i s actually rather a phytotherapeutic than a homeopathic remedy. It is one of the many "heart remedies" which homeopaths have at least partly ta en over from herbal m edicine, li e, for example, Apocynum, Crataegus, Convallaria, Digitalis, Leonunu s cardiaca, Lycopus viginicus, Oleander, Scilla, Spartium scoparium, Strophantus, etc. Many of these remedies - just li e Adonis - are mainly prescribed in very low potencies, or in the mother tincture. But nevertheless each plant has its own p eculiarities which one should ta e into account even when "only herbal tinctures " are given. One of the main indications of Adonis is a wea heart, a medium grave insufficie ncy of the heart with early stages of cardial decompensation. But it can also be of great service in really grave wea ness of the myocard by relieving the conditio n of the patient although it is usually not sufficient to heal such an advanced stage. An albumen containing urine and in particular a very scanty urinary secretion wi
th the tendency to cardial dropsy, anasarca and edemas are very typical for the cases which Adonis can help. The edemas can develop everywhere: swellings of th e extremities especially of the legs, collection of fluid in the chest (hydrotho rax), in abdomen (ascites) and because of the strong relation to the idneys probably also in the face. Adonis not only strengthens the myocardium, increases the car diac contractions and the arterial tension, but it has also a strong diuretic effect . It is sometimes astonishing how fast the effect sets in, much faster than in Digitalis for instance. But it is usually not very long lasting and it may be n ecessary to repeat the remedy quite frequently. (By the way in contrast to Digit alis Adonis has the great advantage that it almost does not cumulate.) Another characteristic of this remedy is usually an accelerated, rapid but feebl e pulse. The wea ened heart tries to increase the output of blood but because of the
wea ness of its contractive force it can only raise the number of the heartbeat s, resulting in a rapid but feeble pulse which is additionally often irregular. In contrast to some other "heart remedies" insufficiency of the heart with scant y urine, edemas, tachycardia and arrhythmia are very characteristic for Adonis. The wea ness of the heart and the tachycardia can have many different causes: va lvular heart defects with stenosis or insufficiency of the mitral and aortic val ves as a consequence of rheumatic fever, for instance; inflammation of the myocardi um or a ind of toxic damage of the heart after an infectious disease, influenza , pneumonia, nephritis etc. Apart from these indications Adonis also has a ind of sedative effect in double respect. It not only calms down nervous heart complaints with tachycardia, arrhythmia and extrasystoles but it also has an effect on the apprehension, anx iety, and restlessness which are so often associated with many patients sufferin g from a heart condition. For this reason it is also used in hyperthyreotic patie nts with nervous disorders of the heart. (Leonunus, Lycopus, etc.) Besides it may perhaps be helpful in Angina pectoris because of its dilative eff ect on the coronary vessels. Almost all other symptoms in the different regions of the body are more or less connected with the heart. For example, the vertigo which usually occurs with palpitation and gets worse by motion e.g. on rising, turning the head quic ly or on lying down. In addition i t is often connected with a faint feeling in the epigastrium and ameliorates out of doors, in the open air. Adonis also has a characteristic headache, namely an ach ing from occiput around temples to the eyes. The respiratory symptoms are mostly caused by a heart disease. The patient may have a dry, tic ling, cardiac cough or a cardiac asthma with the feeling of a weight on the chest and frequent desire to ta e a deep breath. The dyspnea which often occurs in connection with praecardial pains and palpitation is in a peculiar way worse if someone touches the bac . In the region of the abdomen there is still another peculiar symptom. It is the feeling as if the bowels were brea ing, especially while bending forward. As already mentioned above the most important symptoms of the idneys are a scan ty, sometimes albuminous urine and the tendency to edemas. The increased quantit y of urine after Adonis has been given is not only caused/produced by the amelior
ation of the wea ness of the heart but also by a direct effect on the part
idneys. A
from that an oily pellicle on the surface of the urine may be visible in some c ases. Additional symptoms which perhaps help to differentiate Adonis from other "heart remedies" are for example a tight feeling of the scalp, a sore as if scalded to ngue, a stiff spine and a painful, tired bac .
Generalities There is a predominance of symptoms on the left side. The patient is aggravated by cold and while lying and ameliorated by eating, pre ssure, exerting himself and ta ing a wal in the open air. Wandering rheumatic pains that end up affecting the heart.
Vertigo Vertigo while lying; while turning or moving the head quic ly; on rising.
Head Feels light. Headache from occiput extending to temples and eyes. Constriction, tension. Scalp feels tight.
Mouth
Tongue dirty yellow, sore, feels scalded.
Stomach Gnawing hunger. Heavy weight felt on stomach. Faint feeling in epigastrium with vertigo which is better on going for a wal in the open air.
Abdomen There is a peculiar symptom on the abdomen where the patient feels as if the bow els are brea ing and this feeling is worse on bending forward.
Urinary organs Oily pellicle on urine Scanty, albuminous with casts.
Chest Frequent desire to ta e a long breath Feeling of weight on chest. Precordial pain, palpitation and dyspnea. Dyspnea which is worse if somebody is touching her bac . Mitral and aortic regurgitation. Chronic aortitis. Fatty heart pericarditis. Rheumatic endocarditis. Cardiac asthma. Myocarditis with arrhythmia, constriction and vertigo. Pulse rapid and irregular.
Extremities Swelling of extremities in heart disease.
Sleep Dozing as soon as eyes are closed. Restless sleep. Sleeplessness; from palpitation. Frightful dreams.
Clinical Heart affections li e: pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, mitral and aorti c regurgitation, cardiac asthma, cardiac dropsy, chronic aortitis. Albuminuria
Causation Rheumatic fever, influenza.
Relationships Compare: Digitalis, Crataegus, Convallaria majalis, Strophantus hispidus,
Antidotes Coffee
Dosage Very low potencies.
Adrenalinum Adrenalin is also called Epinephrine. It is a sarcode and it is obtained as an e xtract from the adrenal or suprarenal glands. In Homeopathy we use the tincture or trituration. Practitioners should ta e special care when using this extract, to find out the exact composition origin of the remedy used by the pharmacy.
Physiological action Adrenalin or epinephrine is a 3, 4 - dihydroxy-a(methylaminomethyl) benzyl alcoh ol. It is a catecholamine and the chief neurohormone or neurotransmitter of the adrenal medulla. It has a sympathomimetic action on adrenergic a and b receptors result ing in increased heart rate and contraction, vasoconstriction or vasodilation, relaxation of bronchiolar and intestinal smooth muscle while corresponding sphi
ncters are stimulated, lipolysis, etc. Epinephrine and generally catecholamines increase metabolic rate, and stimulate the brea down of stored fuel with the pr oduction of substrate for local consumption; for example glycogenolysis in the h eart. It also contributes to the regulation of the volume and composition of extracel lular fluid, promoting cellular upta e of potassium in the renal tubule. Epineph rine along with the other catecholamines - norepinephrine and dopamine, also influen ce the secretion of renin, insulin, glucagon, calcitonin, parathormone and possi bly testosterone. In the viscera, especially the stomach and intestines and less so in the uterus and s in, Adrenalin causes constriction of the peripheral arterioles resulting i n a rise in blood pressure. It also increases glandular activity, promotes glycosuria, depr esses the respiratory center, and promotes contraction of muscular tissue of the eye, uterus and vagina while relaxing the muscular tissue of the stomach, intestines and bladder. In classical medicine it is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma [status as thmaticus], acute allergic disorders, open-angle glaucoma and heart bloc and as a local vasoconstrictor.
The essential features This remedy - when properly proved and understood - will, I believe, become one of our major assets in combating contemporary diseases such as hypertension, dia betes, paroxysmal tachycardia with anxiety, arteriosclerosis and in general diseases t hat have come about because of the stresses of contemporary life. It is a remedy
from which we could learn a lot, should we be able to test it in high potencies on animals or humans under stress, in order to ascertain how far it could count eract such stress. In the few cases where I have made use of Adrenalin, it was always in connection with underlying stress and high blood pressure. They were cases that loo ed ver y much li e belladonna patients, with throbbing paroxysmal headaches, with hot bo dy and cold extremities, with flushed face, tachycardia and generally a strong a nd full pulse, and on whom belladonna had an insignificant effect. Since almost everybody today is under "a stress syndrome" I believe this remedy will be very frequently indicated, either to complete a cure or to open a case. I believe that Adrenalin will be a specific when the stress is of an emotional, p sychological nature and is connected with continuous subconscious stress which h as as a first indication the elevation of the blood pressure. Selye has also demonstr ated through his theory of the "general adaptation syndrome" the direct relation between stress and production of adrenalin and noradrenalin. It is more than clear that the production of these two medulla hormones is direc tly connected with the defence system of the body. Their characteristic is that they are excreted in great quantities under stress and are retracted equally easily. Their amount in the bloodstream therefore varies widely under different circumstances. Most of my cases in which Adrenalin has shown some effect were in men with high blood pressure whose extra-marital affairs were of a complicated nature that cau sed them a lot of distress and inner unexpressed anxiety. The extreme explosion of the "idiopathic blood pressure syndrome" in our modern times seems to be related to a great extent to an abnormal production of Adrenal in caused by such stresses. From this logical sequence it will appear that the rol e of Adrenalin in treating this type of diseases with high potencies will be gre at in the near future. Adrenalin should be effective for instance in cases of paroxysmal tachycardia wi th high blood pressure. It will also be needed in cases of diabetis melitus wher e it
is preceded by a history of hypertension and a life of constant and unresolved stress. Due to long term pressure on blood vessels and the increase of lipids in the blood the manifestation of arteriosclerosis, with cardiac distress, or even cardiac asthma, will also come under the action of the remedy. Other pathological conditions which we may thin of for Adrenalin are: Pheochrom ocytoma, renal insufficiency, eclampsia, malignant hypertension with arteriosclerosis. It is indicated in cases of cardiac infarction or angina with severe constriction across the chest, anguish, vertigo, nausea and vomiting, hyperthyroidism. It is useful in congestion of the lungs, especially because of heart failure, and in cases where we may have sudden hemorrhages from all parts of the body, ie . nose, throat, larynx, stomach, rectum, uterus, bladder etc. Clar e says "it ha s cured a case of haematuria accompanied by pain in the adrenal region". There is progressive loss of strength and loss of weight and eventually emaciati on. The pulse is very rapid and strong. In violent paroxysmal tachycardia with fear of dying and high blood pressure it is almost a specific. It causes constricting pains in the intestines with anxiet y and tachycardia; metrorrhagia during and after labor in hypertensive women. Paroxysmal pulsating headaches with perspiration. Feeling of strong pulsation in the abdomen or in the whole body. Headaches during hypertensive crisis. The similarity of pheocromocytoma headaches and belladonna is stri ing. I quote from Harrison's Principles of Internal medicines: "Tumors that produce epinephri ne predominantly are associated with prominent sweating, palpitations, nervousness , tremor, weight loss, pallor followed by flushing, heat intolerance, and rarely with hypotension.....Particular attention should be given to the three most common s ymptoms, headache, excessive sweating and palpitations, since at least one of th ese symptoms is almost always present. Headache is the most common. The headaches a re abrupt in onset, severe, throbbing, generalised, and relatively short in duration..." We could not have a better description of belladonna headaches.
Clinical Hypertension. Arteriosclerosis. Angina pectoris. Hemorrhages. Hyperemia. Hemophilia. Acute congestion of lungs. Asthma. Hay fever
Relationships Antidotes: Coffee
Dosage From 6x up to 200.
Aesculus hippocastanum Hippocastanum vulgaris. Horse chestnut Natural order: Sapindaceae. Homeopathic preparation: Tincture of the ripe, fresh nut.
The essential features Aesculus has established a wonderful reputation, and rightly so, for painful and enormously protruding hemorrhoids, purple in colour, that have a reflex action upon the sacral, the lumbo-sacral or the sacro-iliac regions with excruciating pains . These two areas, the rectum and the sacral region, can be affected in sequence , either the sacral area is affected first and then the hemorrhoids appear or the painful hemorrhoids protrude first and then there is a reflex pain in the sacra l area. Bleeding is not common but if it occurs it relieves the pain somewhat. The above is the " eynote syndrome" on which you may prescribe the remedy with a lot of confidence, but Aesculus can cure much more than this. It has, li e every other remedy in our Materia Medica a concrete, definite and s ingular action upon the constitution that can be expressed by the words venous s tasis with venous engorgement. The venous system is in a state of flabbiness, of stag nation, of sluggishness, of laziness that permeates the whole organism. We can s ay without exaggeration that this remedy is full of "hemorrhoidal" veins that are flabby, full of blood and engorged. The rectum and the portal system are especia lly sensitive to the effect of this remedy in cases of congestion of the liver, in which the liver feels full and has slowed down in its function, being sluggish a nd
painful. This sluggishness, this fullness and stagnation affect the functioning of the ey es, stomach, bowels, rectum and heart, as well as that of the mind and emotions. There is a general state of venous stagnation. It is wonderful to observe how these individuals, after lying down to rest and s leep for several hours, wa e up in a dazed state, in total confusion, where they do not now where they are, they cannot recognise the environment, they do not perceiv e what is going on, unless some considerable time passes and after having moved about quite a lot. They wa e up from a dream and are so lost that they do not now whether they are still in the dream or not. They wa e up in the middle of th e night with a feeling of fear, an indescribable apprehension for no apparent rea son. Sleep is an aggravating factor for this lazy vascular system which slows do wn and stagnates further, and therefore is worse during and after sleep. This aggravation is observed in acute as well as in chronic conditions. In acute conditions with fever the patient will wa e up in a torpor, unable to recognise anyone in the room, with delusions that he is lost, not nowing where he is, and then he may want to escape from the window. The element of disorientation is very strong in Aesculus. Lying down promotes the venous stasis, the vascular laziness. With Aesculus ther e is a vicious circle: the more he lies down (something that he desires) the mor e lazy his body, mind and emotions become. He nows that the best for him is to s timulate his physical body with vigorous exercises and his mind with intense thin ing. The more violent the exercise the better he feels. Actually he is at his best when engaged in a vivid conversation in a congenial atmosphere or if stimulated mentally. Then he may find himself having a lot of ideas, his mind b ecomes lucid and active, he is pleasant with others and feels happy and content. But if the opposite occurs, if he gives in to his "stasis", to his sluggishness and la ziness then his mind becomes more and more dull; he feels stupid, discontent, mi serable and cross at the same time. The Aesculus hippo. case is especially cross if he does not agree with something you are doing or something that he does not wants you to do. If he should become cross he can be violent and it will ta e him a l ong time to recover. Eventually he develops a definite aversion to doing any mental or physical wor ,
prefering to remain lazy and inactive, and the more he is in that state the mor e he sin s into depression. He loses his joy of life and the tranquility which are s trong elements within this remedy. Eventually sadness, despondency and depressio n lead to the confusion of mind which is found in the final state.
Aesculus patients are very difficult people to persuade to do physical excercise , in spite of the fact that they now that if they force themselves to perform s uch physical exercises they will feel much better in the end. Usually they feel tha t they cannot be bothered, that it ta es too much of an effort to excercise, the y now that they are lazy! They are intelligent and nice people with a lot of good hum or but if their bac starts hurting they give up, they want just to lie down and rest, they feel that they do not want to go to wor he vicious circle starts.
or attend to their business and t
After a disappointment they easily become indolent, indifferent for their wor o r even their appearance. They start being absent minded, cannot pay attention, c ould not care less; their memory wea ens rapidly, they become dull and at the same t ime cross, irritable and miserable because they do not li e themselves at these moments. They are in a dazed state and may mista e one locality for another. Di fficulty in orientating themselves. You will have to imagine these plethoric individuals, with vivid mind and ideas, active and engaging, afflicted suddenly with hemorrhoids, with engorged purple huge veins with excruciating pains. It is a stasis where nothing moves. Then the bac ache starts and they feel miserable, they lose their temper very easily, especially i n uncongenial environments, and stay in this cross state for a long time, unable to fix their attention, to thin clearly. In this stage they have something li e a feeling of death. It is not a fear of dying but a sensation as if death is near , although not at a specific time li e Agnus castus or Arg-nitr .
Generalities In general we can say that this remedy has congestion of blood vessels with a fe eling of fullness internally and a feeling of heaviness externally. Symptoms may appear in the afternoon at 4 P. M and in this respect will resemble Lyc. as the liver is one of the main seats of trouble for both. Aesculus is one of those remedies that are aggravated by both warmth and cold, d epending on the ind of pains or affections. The superficial pains of Aesculus a re aggravated in winter, from cold bathing, cold air, and ameliorated in the summe r. But deeper affections are ameliorated by cold and this is in accord with the
nature of the remedy. There is also a general amelioration from violent motion or exercise while slow motion may aggravate the pains on the extremities. Aggravation during and after sleep, while lying, on stooping, after stool. It is important for the student of homeopathy not to ta e in a mechanical way ce rtain local or general symptoms li e "worse in cold" or "better in warm weather" but rather to pay attention to the nature of the remedy and discover all its hidden sides. I get impatient in my lectures when a student ignores in his analysis of the case a bunch of symptoms peculiar to the remedy and pays attention to a minor d etail, especially if it is not written in the boo s in the same way as the patie nt expresses it. Aesculus has flying, shooting pains on the surface to a certain extent. Splinter-li e pains. Pains along the course of the nerves. Other pains are deep, drawing, lancinating, causing lameness. Hot perspiration with flushes of heat going downwards. Clonic convulsions after shoc . Stretching before chill. Formication all over the body, in different parts, mostly scalp.
Head Ta ing into consideration the general nature of the remedy, which is stagnation of blood and engorgement of veins, we can expect a lot of headaches. The headach es are often accompanied by, or alternate with, abdominal, hemorrhoidal, rectal, or sa cral symptoms. In most of its headaches there is a feeling of fullness, a pressure from inside out as if the brain would burst. The pains are felt especially in the bac of the head, as if the head is being c rushed. Congestion of head with beating of temporal arteries. Feeling as if he had a board over the head. Dull weight in forehead.
Most of the headaches are centered on forehead and occiput. Heaviness in occiput .
Ears Pains in the head move from one side to the other, and so it is with the pains i n the ears: first one is affected, and then the other. Burning in the ears. The remedy is suited to mastoiditis with paroxysmal pain behind ear. Ringing in right ear.
Nose Dryness of posterior nares and throat. Dry feeling and sensation of heat especially on tip of nose. Burning and rawness in the nose sensitive to inhaling cold air. Feeling of coldn ess inside the nose on inhaling air. Severe fluent coryza. Nose feels raw during inspiration and this brings on a ing. Congestive catarrh.
ind of coryza with sneez
Sense of fullness in root of nose. Violent formication of the nose. Drawing pain in right side. Rawness after blowing, during coryza. Pain in right nasal bone.
Confused feeling in head with giddiness. Dull pain in forehead, in occiput. Dull pain in occiput extending to ears. Dull pain in occiput, with flushes of heat over occiput, nec and shoulders, and lame feeling in small of bac . Headache in temples and occiput as if the head is being crushed. Headache alternating with pain in abdomen. For instance there may be stitching, flying pains from right to left in forehead and once this ind of pain subsides flying pains appear in abdomen. Or headaches which are connected with the liver, or wi th hemorrhoids, or bac pain in sacral area. Dull pressure, in forehead, with sl ight
feeling of nausea in stomach, followed immediately by stitches in the right hyp ochondrium. Headache as if he had a cold. Vertigo in the afternoon when sitting or wal ing. Formication in scalp, in templ es and shoulders. Frequent flying pains through temples and forehead. Pulsating, beating, throbbin g headache in right temple; right; frontal eminence of forehead.
Eyes Kent writes concerning the action of Aesculus upon the eye: "Aesculus is a wonde rful eye remedy, especially when the eyes have "hemorrhoids." Does that convey a ny idea to you? By that I mean particularly enlarged blood vessels. Great redness of the eyes, with lacrimation, burning eyeballs and vascular appearance. This increased determination of blood is more or less painful" This is the ind of symptom we are loo ing for in a case. This type of symptom b elongs to the nature of the remedy and will give you a good hint if you are obse rvant enough and you evaluate correctly what you are seeing. Yet in our texts of Mate ria Medica you may never find such a symptom as the one Kent gives here. Weight in eyes; they feel heavy and dull. Sharp shooting in left eyeball, sometimes through left ear. Stinging pain about the eyes.
Face The face has a bewildered and miserable expression. The face loo s congested and red after washing it. Red spots on forehead and swe lling after washing. Face is red on left side. Lips feel heated.
Mouth Viscid yellow mucus, with yellow coating of tongue. Stitching pain in palate. Metallic taste. Bitter taste. Sweetish taste. Oily taste of saliva. Sensation of spasmodic contraction of mouth. Cannot control tongue so as to form words correctly. Unable to articulate long words distinctly. Difficulty in moving tongue. Mouth feels burning, as if scalded, raw and smarting, and this sensation is exte nded to stomach. Tip of tongue sore, as if ulcerated. Excessive salivation. Cold water ameliorates toothache.
Throat Here again the
ey-words are congestion, fullness, distended veins.
Varicose veins of pharynx. Throat loo s dar , red. Dar , congested fauces with a full feeling. The throat and pharynx feel dry and rough as if he had a cold. All the throat feels excoriated and constricted. Cho ing, constricting in esophagus. Burning and stinging pain in throat when swallowing. A feeling as if something h ad lodged in fauces that causes constant swallowing. Throat feels sore in the fo renoon. Sensation of coldness, as from cold air.
Soreness of cervical glands. Mucus secreted becomes thinner, watery. Rawness in larynx. Pressure in throat-pit.
Stomach Dull distressing pains are characteristic. Constant burning aching distress in the epigastric region with constant dull, ac hing pains in the right hypochondrium. Dull pain in stomach giving a distress ve ry hard to endure. Constant pain in the stomach with severe pain in lumbar region. There is a feeling of emptiness, wea feeling, faintness, goneness, in the morni ng, before brea fast but after eating there are also a lot of problems : eructat ions, heaviness, heartburn etc.. Heartburn and gulping up all food after eating. Eructations : frequent, of wind, sour, greasy, bitter. Eructations that taste of the food with nausea. Flying pains in stomach after headache. Pressure as from a stone in pit of stomach. A great deal of distress in the stom ach.
Heartburn and feeling of weight as if from a stone, after eating. Nausea and also a general aggravation after drin ing tea. Violent retching and vomiting, with burning in the stomach. Pain in stomach extending downwards. Trembling of stomach when coughing. Stomach feels as if will fall down into the intestines. Distension. Stomach feels dull, as if walls were thic ened after eating.
Abdomen Again in abdomen symptoms are characterised by fullness, congestion and dull pai ns. Kent writes: "If we read the symptoms of the right hypochondrium, of the abd omen and of the rectum, we shall see from the study of these that there must be a ma r ed portal stasis." Abdomen and liver region sensitive to touch. A great deal of distress in liver and epigastrium due to a dull, aching pain. There is a reflex dull pain in the whole of the abdomen from hemorrhoids. It has most troublesome hemorrhoids with fullness of the right hypochondrium. Constant, dull, aching distress in the umbilical region. Another characteristic is a dull pain in right hypochondrium extending to bac o r to the scapula or under the scapula, felt also on inspiration. (Farrington say s that he has never gone outside of three remedies Aesculus, Chelidonium and Kali-c. i n order to cure this syndrome.) Dull pain in region of umbilicus at night. Dull pain in region of umbilicus after stool. Throbbing in abdomen during menses. Throbbing in pelvic cavity and hypogastrium. Rumbling in hypogastrium. Swelling of mesenteric glands, liver. Ulcers about the umbilicus. Inguinal hernia.
Rectum It is in the rectum that we have the most prominent symptomatology in Aesculus a nd the symptoms are in accordance with the nature of the remedy: There is draggi ng, heaviness, weight in rectum, great fullness especially after stool. Constipatio n from portal stasis with as a result blind, bluish, external, large hemorrhoids Dry, uncomfortable feeling in rectum, as if it were filled with small stic s. Dr yness, the rectum feels raw, the pain of the hemorrhoids is excruciating, stic i ng, stinging, stitching burning pain extending to the bac . Wiping after stool aggr avates hemorrhoids. Standing aggravates the hemorrhoids and the pain and there i s also an aggravation during straining and after stool. Lying down aggravates the pain. Kneeling ameliorates the pain. appearance of the hemorrhoids li e groundnuts, of a purple colour, very painful, and with sensation of burning. The hemorrhoidal veins are distended and ulcerat e. Internal, strangulated hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Has sensation of prolapsus and actual prolapsus of rectum after stool. Hemorrhoids that do not bleed are also indicated in certain cases. Swelling of anus or a sensation of swelling of anus. Fullness after wal ing. Impossible to wal because the hemorrhoids are so painful and the bac aches tre mendously. Wal ing or standing are very painful. Another characteristic that you have to remember in this remedy is the fact that hemorrhoids have an effect upon different other parts of the body, li e the hea d, the abdomen, the bac but mostly upon the sacral, lumbosacral and sacroiliac region s. Kent says "It is a very common thing for patients suffering from hemorrhoids to
have pain in the bac
of the nec and base of the brain, basilar headaches."
Chilliness during stool. Formication in anus. Itching. Itching while wal ing. Dar
stool followed by white one, showing the liver is involved.
The stool becomes jammed in the rectum. Diarrhea during hectic fever. Open anus. Stool flat, mushy brown, white, mil -li e, chyle-li e stool.
Urinary organs Desire to pass water but little at a time. Scanty urine in daytime. Terrible pain in region of
idneys aggravated by motion.
Stitching, stinging, stic ing, shooting pain ascending length of ureters. Pain in urethra during urination. Urine scanty and of a dar yellow color. Urine dar and muddy and passed with much pain. Brown dar sediment in urine. Urine scanty and of a mahogany color and as it passed through the urethra burned li e hot water.
Genitalia - male Amorous dreams and seminal emissions. Drawing pain in left testes. Drawing pain in testes extending towards the spermatic cord. Dull and heavy shooting pain through penis.
Genitalia - female
Dar colored leucorrhea aggravated by wal ing. Wal ing aggravates an albuminous leucorrhea. Uterine soreness with throbbing in hypogastrium. Constant pulsation behind pubes . Pulsating uterus. Leucorrhea with wea ness. Pain in left ovary extending to abdomen and small of bac . Leucorrhea while standing. Pain in ovaries extending to bac .
Chest This remedy is suited also to all inds of chest complaints, from bronchitis to tuberculosis. We observe a lot of pains across the chest. Tightness of the chest. Raw feeling in chest. On the right side of chest, when breathing, feels the ches t painfully moving up and down. Pain in chest alternating with pain in abdomen.
Pain in sides of chest on respiration. Stitching pain on right side of lower rib s. Stitching pain in left side extending to right side. Crampy pain in forenoon. Short cough on deep breathing. Dry short cough increased from swallowing. Spitting of blood in the morning on rising. Twitching over the region of heart. The heart is affected and again we see fullness in the heart. Cutting pain in heart. Twitching of muscles in heart region. Stitching pain in heart on inspiration. Burning pain in heart region. Frequent stitches in the heart region. Deep inspiration aggravates stitching pain in heart. Periodic palpitation of hea rt. Neuralgic pain so severe as to arrest breathing. Urination ameliorates stitching pain on lower left side of chest.
Bac As we said before the bac , and especially the lumbo-sacral region, is one of th e main seats of action of Aesculus. The sacral, the sacroilliac and the lumbo-sa cral areas are very sensitive. The pains are excruciating forcing the patient to ben d and are mostly apparent when in motion, on rising, from sitting. He cannot rai se his body and has to wal bending. Pains on stooping, wal ing. Feels as if the bac would brea , as if sacrum is bro en. We may also have pain in these areas at the stage before chill, from suppressed menses and after stool. Pains in sacral area extending to hips. Lameness on wal ing, in sacral region. Pain in cervical region on moving head. Pain in lumbar region extending to hip. Pain in lumbar region after stool. Drawing pain in cervical region. Pain between shoulder blades.
Wea ness in cervical region and in lumbar region. Chill extending up and down bac ; in sacral region. Flushes of heat in cervical region. Pain in sacral region after stool. Rheumatic pain in right scapula; on breathing.
Extremities Sensation of paralysis and wea ness of upper limbs while writing and lower limbs on wal ing: foot turns inside. Power of direction is impaired in hands when try ing to write. Strange trembling of muscles of left shoulder, continuing for two hours and foll owed by a sensation of soreness. Shooting pains from the shoulder extending down the arm into the wrist and thumb . Arthritic nodosities in finger joints. Rheumatic pain in upper limbs on left side. Rheumatic pain in joints of fingers, in forearm. Wandering pain in lower limbs. Shooting pain in thigh extending downward; in leg.
Stiffness and swelling in the nee in the morning on rising. Varicose; blue areolae ulcers in lower limbs. Hands are blue. Chapped hands. Blue nails. Hands are cold during menses. Jer ing of upper limbs on right side. Tingling, pric ling in hand after washing. Numbness and tingling in the forearm and hand on the side lain on.
Clinical GENITOURINARY Affection of anus. Prostate gland affections. Prolapse of uterus. GASTROINTESTINALConstipation. Hemorrhoids. Liver affections. Throat affections. MUSCULOSKELETAL Lumbago. Pain in sacrum. Bac
affections.
RESPIRATORY Cough. Headache. Hernia. Intermittents.
Relationships Compare: Aesculus glabra, Aloe, Collinsonia canadensis, Mercurius vivus, Nux vom ica, Polophyllum, Sulphur. Nux vomica antidotes the pile symptoms. It follows well: Collinsonia canadensis, Nux vomica, Sulphur Compare also: Kali bichromicum [throat; but Aesculus hippocastanum hasn't the st ringy mucus]; Phytolacca [follicular pharyngitis].
Antidotes It is antidoted by Nux vomica, coffee. Foods inimical to it: Tea.
Dosage From 12c to 10m or higher.
Aethusa cynapium Aethusa cynapium. Fool's Parsley. N.O. Umbelliferae. Tincture of whole flowering plant.
The essential features Unfortunately, nowhere in our homeopathic literature do we find a clear descript ion of the chronic conditions of the remedy Aethusa. The remedy has been conside red
mainly for acute conditions. Of course, Kent has beautifully described the acut e picture of the remedy: aggressive gastric and intestinal conditions where "The child has the appearance as if it were dying, pale hippocratic face..." However , certain clues, which appear in the Materia Medicas, the Repertory and other so urces, when combined with information gleaned from clinical cases, have helped establi sh a picture of the chronic state of Aethusa. With regard to the mental-emotional characteristics, we frequently find that the Aethusa individual remains separate from others -- a man apart. He is withdrawn , but in a very singular way. Inside he experiences very deep, intense emotions, yet he does not communicate these emotions to other people. He may be moved to tears, but tears do not come. He may feel friendly, but he appears aloof. It seems that at a certain point in the psychopathological development of the Ae thusa individual he has decided to refrain from communicating with other people. The emotional injury or disappointment which provo es this withdrawal may be su rprisingly mild. We do not find in Aethusa a prolonged history of many bitter disappointments and griefs which can account for such introversion or withdrawa l. Usually there is some past stress which does not seem very significant. The patient may say, "I didn't grow up in a happy family" or some other such vague statement, but nothing definite seems to have occurred to explain this decided withdrawal. This lac of a definitive and sufficient causation and its strange effect is a peculiarity of this remedy. In other cases we find instead a slow-growing disillusionment, a sense that no o ne has fully understood or responded to the patient's intense emotions. Thus the patient may feel that communicating with other people simply is not worthwhile, not worth the effort. Some patients may experience a sense of alienation. They feel that no real outlet exists for their emotions, that no other person could truly understand the strong feelings they have inside. Consequently, in the interview they may say something such as, "I am different from other people." Thus, the Aethusa person becomes a loner. It is not a matter of his being unable to communicate; in fact, during the interview he may be quite communicative. He is neither insecure with others nor fearful of their reaction to him; rather he ap pears to have adopted a fundamental conviction that communication with other hum an beings is practically impossible on a deeper level.
Aethusa should not be confused with certain other closed personality types, such as Ignatia and Natrum muriaticum. These latter types are highly refined, oversensitive, almost hysterical people in whom hurts and griefs produce a type of emotional cramping or hardening. The Aethusa type is not hypersensitive, not so refined, not hysterical. He has intense feelings which are more robust, more pr imal -- li e a child's emotions. The emotions are too vital to become cramped in Aethusa; embitterment is unli ely, and the fragile, hysterical elements of Igna tia and Natrum muriaticum are not found in this remedy. Such intense emotions, however, must find expression, and the Aethusa person see ms drawn to one singular outlet: animals. This person who does not want to communicate with other human beings may have extraordinary communication with a nimals. He may develop an exaggerated attachment to animals and communicate all his pent-up emotions to his pets. From our earlier comparison of the primal emotions of Aethusa to those of a child we can understand this love for animals by recalling the love certain children develop for a pet. The Aethusa person may l ove animals more than he loves any human being. The patient actually may say, "I am not interested in the love of human beings, only the love of animals." He conve rses with animals as if they were human, and he derives great emotional satisfaction from this communication. In some cases he may even collect dozens of animals; he becomes an animal protector. If someone were to throw a roc at o ne of his pets, he could become livid and literally have the urge to ill the offe nder. The attachment can be so extreme that the patient may even consider bequea thing his estate to his animals. It is interesting that in the provings as well in Kent's Repertory Aethusa is me ntioned in the rubric "delusions of animals." Some patients may see non-existing cats and dogs for instance or a woman gets it fixed in her head that a rat or mouse is running across the room. Such delusions suggest that even when the logical mind is no longer operative, t here remains a deep subconscious connection with animals. In these advanced ment al states or deliriums there is no fear of the animals seen in the hallucinations; the subconscious mind merely projects animal images. One might argue that a love for animals is natural, and, indeed, this is true, b ut Aethusa's love is exaggerated. After treatment with Aethusa these animal coll ectors
begin to give away their animals; their degree of attachment returns to a norma l level. This change of behavior demonstrates the pathological nature of the attachment to animals. The Aethusa patient may, after treatment, feel as if his departure from his withdrawn state is li e emerging from a dream. There is an alternative path for the release of the emotional energy; the patien t may become extremely involved with social wor . There is something quite simil ar here to the tendency to care for animals. Through social wor he expresses love , but without the need to directly communicate about his feelings to another individual. The patient may paradoxically state in the interview, "I have finis hed with human beings." However, at another point he may say that he has moments when he "...wants to embrace the whole world." He is capable of feeling great love. It is exactly this discrepancy that characterizes the Aethusa case. Now, it easy to imagine that if insufficient outlets are found for this intense emotionality, if the feelings remain withheld, the emotions can overload the sub conscious mind. This overloading sets the stage for much of the pathology of Aethusa. As the brimming subconscious mind overflows, we may often see the patient begin to tal to himself. He may not even notice people around him as he voices his thou ghts out loud. It is a "pouring out" -- symbolically, a verbal equivalent of the
vomiting and diarrhea of this remedy. Staphisagria may also tal to himself; he is very emotional and needs emotional communication but when something a little bit aggressive is said to him, he withdraws at once, goes home and tal s to his mir ror. Persons with a saturation of the subconscious mind, such as is the case with Aet husa, tend to manifest a host of symptoms at night and especially before falling asleep. The Aethusa person is aggravated by the dar . The dar ness seems to permeate hi s being producing a heavy sensation in his chest. He fears suffocation in the da r and, as a consequence, is forced to turn on a light and open a window. He also fears death; this fear in Aethusa is especially peculiar and stri ing in that it tends to occur just at the moment when the patient is falling asleep, startling him t o wa efulness. It seems that as the patient relinquishes rational control of his mind, the force of his loaded subconscious mind asserts itself in its entirety. Just as he begins to fall asleep subliminal, tumultuous emotions force themselv es into his awareness, threatening to overwhelm him, and he starts with a mar ed fear o f death. In the Repertory Aethusa is the only remedy listed under the rubric "Fear of sle ep -- fears to close his eyes lest he should never wa e," a very impressive and highly characteristic fear of this remedy. In many cases the Aethusa patient do es not want to sleep. He is afraid to go to sleep, fearing that somehow he will die during his sleep. A corollary to this fear is a fear of surgery; the patient fe ars that he will not awa en from the anesthesia -- an expression of the combinat ion of the fear of suffocation and the fear to go to sleep. When he finally does drop off to sleep, the sleep is restless and often interrupted by frequent startings; he tal s in his sleep and may even be prone to somnambulism. There is another peculiar fear seen in Aethusa. As previously mentioned, the Aet husa person has very deep emotions, and although he does not express it, he may feel a very strong attachment to his family. He may dread the thought of a family memb er dying. The emotions that he invests in his family may be so intense that he literally feels that he would be unable to cope with such an eventuality. He fe ars that such a grief will cause him to lose his emotional control, that he may go insane. However, despite such a strong attachment to his relatives, direct emot
ional contact between himself and his family is almost non-existent. In a similar fashion, the patient is unable to tolerate other situations which m ay stimulate his emotions. He may say, for instance, "I cannot go into a doctor' s office when there are many sic patients there. I cannot bear to see that someone is s uffering." The Aethusa patient may appear sympathetic, but will never show it in a direct way, rather he will remain aloof, hiding the intensity of his emotions. The Aethusa emotional sphere is li e a volcano, the surging activity within port ending eruption, yet it never does erupt. Instead it finds other outlets, outlet s in the physical body, most notably through vomiting or diarrhea. The vomiting and diar rhea of Aethusa possess an extreme intensity, bordering on violence, a violence most probably proportional to the unexpressed intensity of the emotional level. It is interesting to observe the violence with which food, especially mil , that was recently ingested is forcibly ejected. The organism quic ly deteriorates to an almost deathly state, so serious is the vomiting. One intuitively has a sense t hat a similar emotional purging could ta e place in the patient, a purging that could be so violent as to threaten self-annihilation -- death. When the emotions remain controlled and without outlets for a considerable time, irritability may arise, and can reach the dimensions of fury. Women may, with t he approach of menses, display a steady increase in irritability. Tremendous irrit ability can occur from two days before until two days after the onset of the men ses. As the menstrual flow begins to taper off the whole system begins to relax. Som e women may say that they experience great sexual desire as this relaxation occurs. As the month progresses the sexual desire diminishes until, with the ap proach of the next menstrual cycle, it is entirely absent. The lives of Aethusa patients are usually relatively devoid of sexual concerns. It is not that they are asexual, rather they just do not consider sex, do not th in about it any more. Sexual activity has disappeared from their lives gradually in the same way that "communication" with other human beings has gradually subsided. It is as if they have sublimated their sexual energy and directed it instead into the ir social wor or their love for animals. Such sublimation does not ta e place dramatically; it is instead a gradual, almost unconscious process, a process wh ich may follow a serious love disappointment. Usually, rather than suffering an
immediate big reaction to their disillusionment, these patients seem to become resigned to a life devoid of sex in consequence of a series of small but cumulat ive disappointments. The withholding of their sexuality ma es these persons appear to others as rather serious and unhappy individuals. There may even be a total aversion to sex. One woman said, "In the beginning I had a strong desire for se x, but my husband was not so interested, and so I developed an aversion to sex eventually." Generally spea ing, however, there is a strong sexual desire, but, just as there is a withholding of other forms of communication, there can also be a withholdi ng of sexual feelings. As a consequence, these patients may become quite agitated or perturbed when they hear a ribald or risqué jo e. They cannot tolerate anything which excites their already intense inner emotional state. The Aethusa patient seems to be too serious. He will give you the impression of one who seriously meditates all the time. This strong meditative inclination is depicted in the linea nasalis which are deep and well-mar ed, giving the impression of a n older age and a ind of wisdom. The Aethusa face is an old wise face with deep furrows.
A good homeopath should ta e all such observations into consideration because th ey will sometimes help him ma e a "unique" prescription. Once I had under my car e an Indian philosopher who had been around the world to see the best homeopaths of the time. According to his own estimation, nobody was ever able to help him substantially. I was a young homeopath when he invited me to treat him. He was ta ing a lot of allopathic medicine at the time. He told me his medical history, and I could not ma e head nor tail of it. However, I noticed that his face resembled the description of Aethusa; then I loo ed carefully at the tip of his nose, and I there saw an eruption that was similar to the typical nasal eruption of the remedy. C onsequently I was able to correctly begin the case and successfully treat his ch ronic bronchitis, as well as a host of other quite bothersome symptomatology. Aethusa benumbs the mind and ma es it feel empty and incapable of perceiving, re taining and processing information. Schoolboys or students cannot concentrate th eir mind on their wor . It seems to them that is an utter impossibility to prepare for an examination because they are unable to read anything; unable to thin or to fix their attention. Their head is confused and sometimes they feel a ind of s tupefaction as if a barrier were erected between their organs of sense and the external objects. This state arises especially after having become overtaxed fr om mental exertion. I used to almost always give Picric acid to such cases until I witnessed the results Aethusa could achieve. The effort these people ma e while being so intellectually compromised leaves them loo ing extremely tired and exhausted. Aethusa children may resemble Calcarea phosphorica as both remedies can present headaches coupled with inability to focus the mind and learn. The mind of Aethusa becomes wea and seems to have abandoned all efforts to oper ate effectively in much the same way that the emotions and sexual desire have be en relinquished with no considerable resistance. The idea is that with relatively little provocation the organism gives up. Aethusa would most li ely be indicated when the student tells you that he cannot continue studying despite the fact that, a ccording to his estimation, he has not overexerted himself tremendously. There is a peculiar anxiety and restlessness that sets in as the mind seems to b e giving up; then a form of sleeplessness ensues with the peculiar fear that he may not wa e up if he goes to sleep. The patient is exhausted, and yet sleep does not c ome. During the day he may display reactive episodes of extreme fury which arise
and subside quic ly. His irritability is aggravated especially when wal ing outside in the open air; when indoors, he feels better.
Generalities General wea ness, especially in children: tired in body and mind, aversion to mi l and a tendency to vomit easily. Violent convulsions; epilepsy with eyes turned down, flushed face, foam from mou th, pupils dilated and thumbs clenched. The time of aggravation for Aethusa is three to four in the morning. Vertigo with sleepiness.
Face The face has several very characteristic symptoms. There is on occasion a peculi ar flushing of the face. The face becomes red and drawn, giving it a rather wild loo . The patient may during the interview complain of having noticed this wild, red face at times when loo ing in the mirror. Other cases may demonstrate the chroni c analogue to the "Hippocratic" face which Kent describes. Here the face becomes deeply furrowed and ma es the person appear very old, ancient. It is a disturbin g face to behold, and it convinces one that the patient is seriously ill, perhaps approaching death. Another prominent characteristic of this remedy is a herpetic-li e or eczematous eruption on the nose. This eruption is frequently but not exclusively on the ti p of the nose (Causticum ); it may be around the nostrils or near the septum.
Mouth Salivation during sleep may be present.
Stomach/abdomen/rectum In acute enterocolitis, or cholera infantum, we have one of our best remedies in Aethusa. As Kent describes superbly: "It applies to the cases that come on very
suddenly in hot weather, in infancy, with extreme prostration. The mother does not suspect the child is sic and she ta es it from the crib; only a few hours b efore it was well; but when cholera infantum is prevalent in hot weather, this little one fills its stomach with mil and almost before it has had time to coagulate or form, the mil comes up partly in curds and partly liquid, and accompanying the vomit ing there is a thin yellow, greenish, slimy stool. The child has the appearance as if it were dying, pale Hippocratic face, there is a whitish blue pallor around the li ps, the eyes are sun en and there is a sun en condition around the nose. The mot her is astonished and sends for the doctor hurriedly. The child sin s into an exhauste d sleep. It wa ens and again fills the stomach with mil which comes up again in a few minutes, partly in curd and partly liquid, and again there is an awful exhausti on, deathly appearance and prolonged sleep. Without Aethusa, in two or three day s the underta er gets the child. This is nearly the whole story of Aethusa."Colitis i s a common chronic condition of Aethusa. There is often distention of the abdome n, especially when irritated or after overeating. Sometimes these patients will be compelled to induce vomiting because of this uncomfortable sensation. There is a desire for cheese, farinaceous foods and salt. There may be an aversi on to fat. Most characteristic, however, is a mar ed aversion to mil . Rarely, t here may be a craving for mil , but with either the desire or the aversion there is invariably an intolerance to mil . In some cases mil is not digested; it curdle s in the stomach and induces vomiting of curds. In other cases reactions can range from general indigestion to abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
Genitalia There can be a mar ed yellowish vaginal discharge. Aethusa should be added to th e rubric, "Yellow leucorrhea, stains linen." In summarizing the salient points of Aethusa, the following deserve emphasis: 1) An isolated person -- a loner. 2) An unwillingness to communicate or express deep emotions (often without any apparent justifying cause).
3) A strong attachment to animals. 4) The emotional energy may be directed into social wor . 5) Fear of going to sleep. Starting with fright on falling asleep. 6) S in eruption on the nose. 7) Aversion to or aggravation from mil .
Agaricus muscarius Amanita muscaria. Agaricus imperialis. English: Bug agaric French: Agaric moucheté, Champignon rouge German: Fliegenschwamm, Fliegenpilz Italian: Amanita Russian: Moucho-more N.O. Fungi; Class I. Thallogens Vegetable family [Jussieu]: Cryptogamia Preparation: Agaricus is collected in the hottest months and hung up by a string in the air to dry; some dry of themselves on the ground and are said to be far more narcotic than those artificially preserved. To render it proper for homeopathic usage, the stal and the cap are cleaned, and after the epidermis is removed, i t is cut into small pieces, on which an equal quantity of alcohol is poured. From th e tincture thus prepared the alcoholic attenuations are produced.
The essential features Agaricus is a remedy which is needed more often in our times than in the past si nce its psychological picture corresponds closely to many of the contemporary an xiety states encountered with increasing frequency today.
The psychological pathology of Agaricus typically manifests in dependent, wea -w illed individuals. These persons have from an early age established a pattern of see ing the guidance and domination of a stronger person. This desired dependen ce originates from an inability or a refusal to act with initiative or to accept responsibility. It is as if there is a paresis of the will and of the power to thin ; these patients cannot summon enough will power to confront life situation s. Instead they will attempt, by lavishing great love and devotion upon their ment or or protector, to seduce this stronger person into ma ing and accepting responsibility for the difficult decisions in their lives. A man, for instance, may depend upon and obey with almost complete fealty his mother and, later in l ife, his girlfriend or wife. He is a wea willed individual who as s everybody for advic e: "what shall I do?" It is also frequently observed in these cases that angry emotions against others are readily repressed because of a fear of the consequences of showing "muscle. " Agaricus persons may display considerable aggressiveness after they have been t reated correctly with the remedy. It seems as if all those years during which th ey were under the influence of Agaricus and did not have the power or the will to express anger, the suppressed anger lay dormant and deeply hidden within the subconscious mind. It is really amazing to see how much ridicule these persons can ta e from their parents, wives, superiors, teachers, etc. without being able to voice objection or anger. Their sweet, suppressed, non-aggressive manner bears resemblance to that of Staphysagria and Baryta carbonica . In fact, the practitioner will sometimes find himself thin ing about such a patient, "What a nice man!" Instead of showing their anger, the muscles of their face twitch; they can also develop choreic movements and involuntary muscle spasms. Anxiety about their hea lth, constipation, hay fever, as well as other symptomatology can also result. Many times, in their wea ness, they will see out a scapegoat whom they can blam e for any future difficulties they may encounter. They constantly see to avoid responsibility. They are pampered people, living lives as sheltered and comfort able as their social environment will allow. Nonetheless, the side effects of th eir abrogation of responsibility always catch up with them on some level or another . Though the impact of life's many stresses may not penetrate their psyche, it m ore
than li ely will be felt on the level of the peripheral or central nervous syst em. Despite leading sheltered lives, the impact of stress is unavoidable. At some po int these people are confronted with a death, either of someone in their immedia te environment or of a family member, but they are unprepared to face such an even t and may, as a consequence, become overwhelmed by the fear that a similar trage dy may befall themselves. They are especially sensitive to premature, sudden death and death from cancer. The idea of death and decay intrudes upon their convenie nt, easy life. Eventually they become preoccupied with thoughts of death and diseas e, with morbid ideas. They lac the will power to push such thoughts from their mind. It is as if the mind has become "anemic." Agaricus patients are frequently troubled by an extreme anxiety about their heal th or, at other times, by a preoccupation with the diseases of those around them . The Agaricus anxiety about health is centered around a tremendous fear of cancer. T hey will go through sleepless nights thin ing about the possibility of having cancer. The intensity of this fear can lead to the mista en prescription of suc h remedies as Nitric acid, Arsenicum album, Phosphorus or Kali arsenicosum with little or no amelioration. The fear is so overwhelming that they feel that it m ay drive them mad. There is hardly any moment during the day or night that they do not thin about this possibility. This extreme anxiety is usually triggered by very mild pains and will provo e the patients to complain in a very exaggerated fash ion. They may have so trivial a complaint that the physician has difficulty understa nding why they are ma ing such a fuss about it. What is even more amazing is the fact that one may see Agaricus patients with a nowledge of medicine equivalent to t hat of a medical doctor who, despite their nowledge, will persistently pester t he practitioner with anxious inquiries as to whether or not their symptoms suggest cancer. The symptom that they have may be so trivial that another person would not be bothered at all. They complain with such unbelievable intensity that the physician is certain to comprehend how serious they believe their problem to be. They have already arriv ed at the conclusion, which they may or may not express, that their symptoms are the result of some form of cancer. Consequently, one may see a patient with but a mi ld
case of lumbago, for example, who will sob pitifully, "You can't now how much I'm suffering. Why am I in pain? Why does my bac hurt? Why can't any doctor fin d out what's causing it? I just don't want to live any longer!" During the interv iew they may cry and cry due to the anxiety they feel. Their fear of cancer caus es them to weep even with the smallest amount of pain. These performances readily evo e the image of a "cry baby;" they are amazing displays designed to convey th e patients' certainty that their disease is serious as well as to ma e the physic ian feel responsible for them. These patients are not demanding of relief in the manner of Kali arsenicosum, Nitric acid, and Arsenicum album, rather they will tend to sob self-pityingly, often unable to voice their fear that they have canc er, but with an agony which is explicitly depicted in their face. At home Agaricus pati ents can ma e everyone's life miserable because of their constant worrying, complaining and moaning. Often almost everyone in the immediate neighborhood is aware of an Agaricus patient's suffering, so vocal is the complaining. One Agar icus woman put it succinctly, "I feel my husband has had enough of me; I have made h is life and the life of my children miserable by my constant complaining." Perhaps a patient has only a small hemorrhoid that has produced some bleeding tw o or three times. Suddenly an overwhelming fear that he has cancer of the rectum seizes the patient. The doctor examines and reassures the patient, advising him that he has only a simple hemorrhoid and recommending frequent sitz baths.
However, as soon as there is a recurrence of the bleeding, he is unable to resi st his fear. "Now I am lost. There's no hope; surely this is cancer!" he thin s. He is overwhelmed by a tremendous fear of cancer. It is strange that the fear centers almost exclusively around cancer unli e other remedies which may fear a variety of diseases (Ars., Kali ars., Nit-ac.). Another patient, a woman, will excessively complain of a pain in her breast. She presses the breast repeatedly, and it is evident that she cannot stop touching it or thin ing about it. She touches and chec s it for lumps so often that she irrita tes the tissue and creates actual pain in the area. She may have been examined b y another physician, but despite the fact that all tests and perhaps even biopsie s were normal, she remains fearful. The idea that she could develop cancer remai ns implanted in her mind. During the course of interacting with such a patient, th e practitioner will sense a prevailing selfishness; she will give the impression that she cares only about herself and constantly thin s only of her own condition At other times these patients may be obsessed with the sufferings of people arou nd them. They seem to collect information on all varieties of accidents and trag edies, especially cases of cancer. Thus, during the interview these patients will give endless accounts of such cases: "I have a friend who was in a car wrec and had to have both legs amputated... There's a boy in our neighborhood who was just diag nosed as having cancer of the colon... My friend's girlfriend, who is only thirt y, is dying from cancer of the uterus.... etc." It is difficult to determine how thes e patients could possibly now so many people with such horrible conditions, and , in fact, the "friendships" to which they allude in this context may have no substa nce beyond the patients' preoccupation with the "friend's" disease. After listen ing to these people for a while, one is struc by the fact that they spea of nothing but tragedies. Agaricus patients seem to be preoccupied with these horrible even ts. They pay such inordinate attention to these tragedies because, most probably, t hey fear subconsciously that a similar tragedy might befall them as well. However, unli e other remedy types who also have anxiety about their health, Aga ricus patients, despite their fear, do not have an aversion to visiting or even helping
patients who are dying or very ill with severe disfiguring or horrifying condit ions. Quite the contrary, Agaricus patients seem to be able to cope with horribl e diseases and will even go to the home of a suffering person to help with his ca re. They display a peculiar sort of courage in such situations. Their fear is of "cancer" -- its "finality," not other diseases. They may visit an elderly dying person who has been abandoned by everyone else in a dirty disgusting enviroment or situation. They do not shir such activities as bathing patients with foul ulce rations, changing soiled sheets, emptying bedpans, etc. Admittedly there is an i dealistic element to such wor , a desire to help and also an element of courage; however, there may be an ulterior motive involved. Agaricus patients may feel a certain desire to do "good deeds" as a means of achieving a form of insurance, so to spea , fo r the afterlife. The effort put forth in performing good deeds may be intended t o counteract a vague superstitious fear of hell, a fear some of these patients ma y have. During the interview they may describe in a rather whining and disgusted tone th ese nursing experiences in elaborate detail. Though they feel disgust, their dis gust does not hamper their almost infallible instinct for see ing out the most despe rate terminal cancer patients; such cases seem to stimulate their anxieties and become the central focus of their thoughts. As soon as one case fades from thei r mind another case appears. This preoccupation with death and disease has another facet, namely an absorptio n in morbid thoughts. The Agaricus mind easily turns to such topics as death, gh osts, tombs and graveyards. One may encounter a woman who has a "spoo y" quality abou t her. While on vacation she may, upon seeing her hotel bed, become disturbed; something about the lighting or the bed's position upsets her. "The bed loo s l i e a tomb," she states. Perhaps she may spea of ghosts or evil spirits as if t hey were familiar to her. At times the morbid quality can be expressed more subtly. For example, a patient who has been told that she has sinusitis with pus in the sinus may let her imagination lead her into thin ing that she has something rotten in her sinus that is decomposing and stin ing. Another aspect of this spoo iness is that these patients possess a stri ing tend ency for "out-of-the-body" experiences. In contradistinction to other remedies w hich also have this tendency and develop a tremendous fear of dying during the exper
ience, Agaricus patients may actually enjoy these conditions and even try to pro vo e them. (Cannabis indica can also enjoy their out-of-the-body experiences, but mo st of the time they are tremendously afraid either of death or of becoming insan e.) In fact, they often find that their general psychological state is ameliorated after out-of-the-body experiences. To this group of symptoms belongs easy, hyste rical fainting, which can occur after orgasm, especially in young hysterical women. There are periods when the Agaricus anxiety can subside and an extreme euphoria and cheerfulness can ta e its place. This euphoria can be a very powerful experience which the patients themselves recognize to be abnormal. They feel ab normally strong with a sense they can do anything. At times these ecstatic momen ts may be alluded to as being indicative of spiritual attainment. Even during thes e episodes the feeling that something is wrong persists, and eventually the anxi ety returns. Alternating states of cheerfulness and depression are also seen. On another level, an advanced mental derangement can occur which is characterize d by an excessive loquacity. In such a case the patient, engrossed in his own wo rld, tal s constantly; his jabbering is incoherent and spontaneous. There is no cont act with the practitioner, and if as ed questions, he will not answer, yet he wi ll eep on tal ing, changing from one subject to another. His is a state of silly hilar ity; he sings and laughs without reason. He embraces people and isses their han ds in a ridiculous manner. He sings or whistles quite inappropriately while in this gay state; in his elation he creates verses and ma es prophesies. In general his ma nner of
expression is peculiar in the sense that he seems to be overstating his point, overstretching it, or overstepping the bounds of reason. A crazy fearlessness pr evails at times where danger is not perceived or recognized, resulting in a feeling of extreme mental and physical power. People who have eaten Agaricus mushrooms can also have strange experiences which remind one of a hallucinogenic drug. Here are some examples from old literature :" Imagines himself at the gate of hell and that the mushroom tells him to fall on his nees and confess his sins, which he does. Phantasy that he saw his dead si ster in heaven. Calling for his hatchet alternately with religious excitement. Ta es lo ng steps and jumps over small objects as if over trun s of trees. A small hole s eems li e a frightful chasm and a spoonful of water an immense la e." In fever states we observe either a state of raging delirium or mental sluggishn ess. The delirium is full of fury and mania, a frenzy that causes the patient to try to injure himself -- he may want to rip out his bowels, for instance, he throws hi s medicine to his nurse. When mentally sluggish, the patient can reach a state i n which he loo s almost stupid and is indifferent to his surroundings. From this state he can easily proceed into a gay, loquacious delirium. His whole condition sugge sts a state of inebriation and therefore this remedy has been prescribed with success in delirium tremens. These unusual characteristics complete the peculiar nexus of symptomatology that characterizes many Agaricus patients. An interesting observation is that the typical anxious and depressed psychological state of Agaricus may at certain mo ments disappear; this alteration occurs when some aspect of physical pathology becomes accentuated. For instance, when the pain of lumbago becomes especially pronounced, the pre-existing fear of cancer is minimized. This alternation of physical and mental symptoms is similar to that seen in Platina and Cimicifuga. (In Cimicifuga one may see lumbago or sciatica alternate with depression.) The disease appears to temporarily move more peripherally as the physical pain inte nsifies and the internal psychological state becomes calmer.
The agaricus child Agaricus children are slow in wal ing, tal ing and learning. Their mind seems to develop slowly, which is why they ma e mista es in spea ing and writing later.
They have a bad memory. They are also slow in comprehending and have difficulty in ma ing decisions. They feel wea and are very attached to and dependent upon their par ents. This is the reason why they may develop chorea or convulsions if they have been badly offended or reprimanded by their parents or teachers. These children are clumsy, aw ward, timid and loo a bit bac wards. They are pro ne to redness of the nose and to chilblains in the ears with occasional twitchin gs of the face. There is a tendency to convulsions. In meningitis these children roll their head and bite themselves or otherwise try to hurt themselves. M. Tyler describes the child with chorea in a picturesque way: "The child gets s colded for ma ing faces; then it gets smac ed for dropping and brea ing cups and saucers; then at last it dawns on the most unobservant that it is no case of or iginal sin but St. Vitus Dance..." Another aspect of Agaricus children is described by J. Metzer in his Materia Med ica: "Nervous excessive liveliness of children with mental and motoric restlessn ess, they laugh, sing, dance and run about in a boisterous manner... With their grea t restlessness and fidgety nature these children become a real trial for their p arent's patience. When playing they are wild, boisterous and incredibly agile; inspite of the talent they possess, they are poor achievers at school due to their fligh tiness. These children have no perseverance due to their mental and physical restlessne ss, they slip from one thing to the next and and show no concentration whatsoeve r. Because of their fidgeting they are clumsy with their hands and drop things. Wh en lying in bed they move their bottom rythmically or roll their head. In the treatment of chorea I always found Agaricus the most reliable remedy. Agaricus children are frequently subject to bed-wetting, particularly after lively play o r excitement..."
Generalities Here again the aggravation of Agaricus, in the form of general debility and symp toms of the nervous system, after coition and sexual excesses should be stressed . Aggravation from cold. Red patches result from exposure to cold, most notably on the face and hands; this happens even though the extremities that are covered m
ay sweat profusely. Symptoms appear diagonally. Convulsions after coition and excitement, after fright, from suppressed eruption s, and from suppressed mil in nursing women. Epileptiform convulsions in hyster ical women with frothing at the mouth and an aura consisting of the sensation of col d air spreading over the whole body or the spine. Aggravation from motion, especially beginning motion, pressure, even touch. Chorea that establishes its full severity slowly over the years. First seen is t he twitching, the clumsy dropping of things, and/or the stumbling; later the jer y
movements of the face or grimacing occur; and finally the full manifestation of chorea presents itself. It may ta e several years for this progression to compl ete itself. The choreic movements may occur with such violence that they literally throw the patient off the bed. Worse in the morning: he feels heavy, sluggish, stupid, dissatisfied; he complai ns a lot, moans about different things. In the evening he feels livelier, brighter and more able to wor .
Head Pains in the head as if cold needles were piercing it or as if sharp pieces of i ce were touching it. Coldness of head, especially after scratching, is a eynote for Agaricus. Coldness of forehead though the forehead feels hot to the touch. Headaches coupled with twitchings or spasms in different parts of the body, most specifically the face. Icy coldness of the whole scalp or of certain localities (vertex) (Calcarea phosphorica, Veratrum album). Headache after excessive mastu rbation, coition (Calcarea carbonica, Sepia, Silica), alcohol (Lachesis, Nux vom ica, Ranunculus bulbosus). Pain on the right side of head as from a nail, worse sitt ing quietly, better wal ing about. Convulsive motion of the head as from chorea. A feeling as if the head is enlarg ed. Vertigo while wal ing in the open air (Pulsatilla, Sulphur). Vertigo from exposu re to sun and heat, with a tendency to fall bac wards (Rhus toxicodendron).
Eyes Convulsive involuntary movements of the eyes; the movements are pendulum-li e, f rom side to side. This symptom is a great eynote of Agaricus. The eyelids tremble, quiver (belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Cicuta) or twitch ( Physostigma, Rheum, Sulphur); if this happens before a thunderstorm, it becomes a strong eynote. The twitching is better during sleep. Redness of canthi (Argentum nitricum, Sulphur). Delusions of colors and figures in front of the eyes.
Ears Chillblains are often noted in the ears, a ey characteristic of this remedy, es pecially if these chillblains come during menses. There is redness in areas comprised of cartilaginous tissue; e.g. , the ears and tip of the nose. The ears feel frozen, as if frostbitten (Petroleum, Pulsatilla). External and internal itching in the ears; extreme itching which feels li e burn ing (Arsenicum, Bryonia, Petroleum). Burning pain in ears during menses.
Nose Tip of nose red. The nose is red with a bluish discoloration, as if frostbitten. Pain in the nose, especially the root of the nose, during headache is a eynote . It is the leading remedy indicated when prolonged coughing ends in sneezing. Par oxysmal sneezing. Chronic catarrh with dryness and crusts. Intense itching in nose and ears as in hay fever. Epistaxis, especially in old people (Secale).
Face The expression of the face is idiotic, stupid. The face ta es on a stupid, puzzl ed expression if they were as ed a question that they do not understand.
A lot of twitchings are seen, especially of the left side of the face. A few mus cle fibers quiver quite frequently and change place quic ly, driving the patient crazy. Even more characteristic, however, are the involuntary grimaces where several bu ndles of facial muscles participate in creating jer ing movements. There is repetitive blin ing of the eyes or stretching of the mouth to the left and right in a jer ing motion. It appears as though a facial twitch or jer occurs with every stressful thought the individual experiences, a ind of spasmodic conversion that leaves him psychologically unaffected. All of this activity of the muscles and fibers subs ides completely during sleep. Trigeminal neuralgia of the right side of the face where the pain feels li e col d needles piercing the nerves; pains as if frostbitten. The feeling that the pai nful part is affected by frost; the pain felt is similar to that of frostbite: this is actually a more general characteristic of Agaricus. At times there is stiffness of the facial muscles during headache.
Mouth Trembling and severe quivering of the tongue that affects speech. Thus, speech b ecomes jer y. This is especially seen in chorea. At times articulation of words is difficult. Offensive breath, li e horseradish. Teeth feel very long and sensitive to touch.
Stomach Excessive thirst and appetite that feels unnatural. No appetite at all after coi tion. Empty eructations alternating with hiccough. Eructations tasting li e appl es or rotten eggs. Gnawing in stomach as if from hunger without desire to eat. A feeling of a lump in epigastrium. Aversion to bread, meat and wine. Agaricus can have a desire for eggs (as oppose d to Nitric acid, a remedy which can appear very similar to Agaricus, which has an
aversion to eggs) and a strong desire for salt and salty things. Worse with cold food and cold drin s.
Abdomen Distension of abdomen, especially in the morning after brea fast. Around this ti me, before and after brea fast, there is a general aggravation with flatulence a nd gurgling. It affects the liver and the spleen, and it is especially curative for the pain in those organs that frequently troubles those who jog. Agaricus is indicated in liver affections such as hepatitis when associated with quivering or twitchings of th e abdominal muscles, especially in the evening in bed, together with distension, rumbling and flatulence around brea fast time. A feeling of tension in the inguinal region which is ameliorated by wal ing. Rumbling after stool (Jatropha), worse from pressure. Pain in the umbilicus in t he morning on wa ing. Diarrhea after rising in the morning and after eating, with much flatus. Strong tenesmus before, during and after stool. Sometimes severe constipation which may resemble that of Alumina , with a lot of straining without result. Rectum feels unable to expel contents. Constipation during pregnancy.
Urinary organs Urine feels cold on passing. Mil y urine in the afternoon. Urinary urgency -- a feeling that she must run to the toilet or she will lose ur ine.
Much painful urging; dysuria with a painful coldness and twitching along the lef t leg. Urine is scanty in hysterical women.
Genitalia Sexually Agaricus is rather overactive, intense, easily excitable, and enjoys se x to a great degree. As a result of this overexcitation trembling and ultimately fainting may occur in women after coition. Agaricus is nown for having a general aggrav ation of its symptoms after coition. The symptoms which are most aggravated are those belonging to the peripheral nervous system. The mental symptoms of extrem e anxiety and fear, however, are actually ameliorated for sometime after sexual intercourse. Sometimes the anxiety state can be so great that Agaricus women will have no int erest in having intercourse, or, if they force themselves to have intercourse, t hey will feel depressed afterwards. Quite a lot of masturbation, with a heavy reliance on pornographic magazines or films to stimulate sexual excitement, may be seen in both sexes. This desire is very strong in Agaricus and is in eeping with the general character of the remedy - the search for easy pleasure without much responsibility. These patients, desp ite the fact that they may feel rotten after coition on a physical or mental level, are not much bothered by masturbation. The women are many times driven to masturbation by a voluptuous itching of the clitoris. The Agaricus leucorrhea is copious, dar , bloody and acrid. The male genitalia are cold, the testes retracted and painful.
Chest Agaricus is a strong tubercular remedy and can follow and complement Tuberculinu m. In bronchitis or pneumonia there is convulsive cough with anxious, profuse ni ght sweats or paroxysmal coughing ending in sneezing. The coughing and sneezing occ ur with such intensity and rapidity that the patient does not now whether he is
coughing or sneezing. There are not many peculiar symptoms with regard to the respiratory system; the decision to give the remedy should be determined from the generals and mentals. Suffocation; a feeling of tightness; chest feels too narrow. Oppression of the cardiac region. Expectoration in the shape of balls. Palpitation with redness of the face. Palpitations are worse in the evening and after stool. Severe pain and anxiety in heart cases; the patient's countenance is changed as a consequence, but he will not admit his pain and anxiety when questioned, or, a t the least, he will ta e a long time before he decides to do so. Disappearance of mil in nursing women with the subsequent appearance of nervous system (central or peripheral) disorders. General symptom metastasis after the disappearence of mil erupt elsewhere in the organism).
(i.e. ; new symptoms
Bac In the bac the usual characteristic of coldness appears in different areas; the bac feels very cold, as if water were poured on different areas, especially between and beneath the scapulae. Coldness descending down and through the bac . The bac is a sensitive area for Agaricus and touching it, especially between th e scapulae and cervical region, is aggravating. Formication of the spine (Aconite). In Agaricus we meet a lot of lumbago and sciatica cases where the main character istics are: worse from motion in general, but especially when rising from a sitt ing position, and, more specifically, when trying to raise the thigh while sitting; better lying down, especially when the pain is located in the sacral region. The pains are so severe that the patient has to lie down and finds it almost imp ossible to raise himself from the bed; the bac feels tremendously stiff and pai nful. One of the worst positions for Agaricus is sitting, especially for the sacrum. A feeling of tension in the bac made worse by standing, stretching and touch.
Twitchings of the bac , worse in the evening.
Extremities As a general remar we can say that Agaricus has difficulty in coordinating the movements of the extremities. He may overstretch his legs, reaching too far or t oo high with irregular angular motions, when ascending or descending stairs; he is clumsy and aw ward when handling things; he stumbles when wal ing. His fingers may fly open spasmodically for no apparent reason, causing him to drop whatever he is holding. (Women that easily brea all their brea able utensils will primarily need either Apis, Natrum muriaticum, Bovista, or Agaricus.) All of the above is char acteristic of the spasmodic and paralytic nature of the remedy. Paralytic wea ness of the lower limbs during pregnancy. Trembling and twitchings in different parts of the extremities; twitchings in th e nates is a eynote. Jer ing of muscles on falling asleep, especially of the toes. Another characteristic that has to be stressed is the sensation of coldness, esp ecially the sensation of coldness in spots; if such a cold spot is felt in the e lbow, it is especially characteristic of Agaricus. Chilblains in feet, toes and hands. Symptoms of frostbite: s in loo s bluish-red in spots. Eruptions li e pimples (miliary) on the bac of the hand. Burning and itching of the extremities, especially after coition.
Sleep Ineffectual, frequent yawning followed by nervous laughter. Starting on falling asleep; twitching all over that eeps him awa e.
S in
Burning and itching are most characteristic of Agaricus s in eruptions, together with coldness in spots and the sensation as if frostbitten. Easy ecchymosis. Angioneurotic edema with burning, itching and redness.
Causation Agaricus is sensitive to - and its symptomatology can be triggered by - the foll owing: Depletion of energy as a consequence of sexual excessess, masturbation, coitus, etc. Fear originating from death of loved ones, grief, vexation. Overexcitement and overexertion. Alcoholism. Frost. Sun. Fright. Mental application or excitement. Blood poisonin g.
Clinical The nosological entities which may require Agaricus include neurological disorde rs characterized by twitching, jer ing and trembling (fasciculation, myoclonus, tremor and convulsions); such as, multiple sclerosis, convulsive disorders, epileptifo rm convulsions, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chorea, facial paralyses (such as Bell's palsy, in which there is accompanying twitching), etc.. However, in our times, Agaricus is most frequently indicated for either such physical complaints as hay fever,
lumbago and sciatica or such psychological conditions as the intense phobic or anxiety neuroses described above. A more complete listing follows: , Chronic conditions: Anxiety and phobic states, chorea, chorea in children convul sions, epilepsy, hay fever, delirium tremens, paralysis, sciatica, spastic colit is, rheumatic affections, nystagmus, cramp. general paralysis, tremors, blepharospa sm, lumbago. neuralgia, rheumatism, pains in sacrum.
Relationships It follows well: belladonna, Calcarea carbonica, Mercurius, Opium, Pulsatilla, R hus toxicodendron, Silicea, Tuberculinum. It is followed well by: Tuberculinum, Tarentula hispanica, Calcarea carbonica
Antidotes It is antidoted by: charcoal, coffee, wine, brandy, camphor, fat or oil, and the remedies: Calcarea carbonica, Pulsatilla, Rhus toxicodendron, Vinum.
Dosage For anxiety states the very high potencies have proved of service and yield good results. The remedy can be used from the lower (12C) to the highest potencies.
Agnus castus Vitex agnus castus English: Chaste tree French: Gattilier commun German: Keusch-lamm N.O. Gattiliers or Verbenaceae, Vitices Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] - Didynamia angiospermia Mode of preparation: The juice of the ripe berries, leaves and flowers are mixed
with equal parts of alcohol. History: Agnus castus means chaste lamb, and its name hints at the remedy's spec ial action. The leaves of this plant were used to adorn the beds of Gree women during the absence of their husbands so as to prevent any impure thoughts from entering their minds and also by medieval mon s to repress sexual desire. In the actual provings the remedy has shown that it does repress sexual instinct and d esire.
The essential features Agnus castus is a remedy which, I believe, will be increasingly needed in modern societies, especially by the younger generation and especially by homosexuals. It is a remedy that first excites the sexual sphere to the point of perversion and even tually depresses it, resulting in a decline in sexual power and joy and a deplet ion of bodily fluids. The individual feels that he has squandered his vital fluids, that he has nothing more to give, that he is dried up, totally empty inside; he feels as if he almost does not exist and has the impression that death is fast approaching. The Agnus patient becomes prey to perverted desires and later on finds himself i ncapable of having normal sexual intercourse. Coupled with this incapability is a lac of enjoyment of life, dejection, depression, discouragement -- all this plus a feeling of tiredness and of having wasted the best years of his life. The remedy is indicated after all inds of self-abuse common among many young pe ople today, especially homosexuals; such as, sexual excesses, the use of psychoactive drugs, loss of sleep, constant excitement, improper nutrition, etc . Such people are easily excitable and indulge in many of these activities inten sely over a lengthy period of time. Subsequently they become pale, anaemic, lose wei ght, are easily enervated, and become absent-minded; this general deterioration leads to a sense that death is near. The picture of Agnus in its end pathology loo s similar to the picture of AIDS, but to justify the prescription of this remedy, the
peculiarities attributed to it should be present. Eventually these people begin to realize that their whole constitution is deteri orating. They develop the fear that within a few years or a few months they are going to die. They feel that they have overexerted themselves and dissipated their li fe energies to the point that their whole system has become rotten. Such young people reach a stage at which they are unable to concentrate on their studies o r their daily tas s. To remember something they are reading they must read and re-read it again and again. They are unable to fix their attention on their rea ding (Phosphoric acid). They feel a ind of dullness in the head. They feel old in their mind and body. In addition, they become impotent and suffer great preoccupation with this problem. They become convinced that they are about to have a nervous brea down or that their vital organs are about to fail. This concern in Agnus c astus becomes so great as to assume the proportions of significant anxiety about health, and, at times, hypochondriasis. In my experience, Agnus castus should b e added to the Repertory under the rubrics "Anxiety about health" and "Hypochondriacal anxiety." In this state they close up in themselves, they do n ot want to tal , they feel totally insecure in everything and develop a ind of indecision. The sexual sphere is, of course, the most important area of action in Agnus cast us. As their constitutions brea down after numerous excesses, these people beco me sexually impotent; however, they continue to entertain very exciting sexual fan tasies. Consequently they resort to masturbation either as their sole sexual out let or in addition to other sexual activities. The Agnus castus man may become simu ltaneously so sexually wea and so excessively excited that he has a seminal emission merely upon embracing a woman. As the impotency deepens, he develops v oluptuous fantasies but without any erection. In other cases, there may be early ejaculation without erection. There is a point in the beginning of their impote ncy where they are so frightened that will try to masturbate to see if they stil l have an erection, but the results of masturbation are devastating, they feel totally exhausted. Finally, such men may lose their sexual desire altogether. They beco me incapable of arousal. This last condition is seen especially in marriage; after many years of abuse, he finally marries a beautiful woman but finds himself com pletely impotent (Lycopodium ). The genitalia seem cold and relaxed, as if the natural
circulation is lac ing. This is a condition not uncommonly encountered in older men who have overindulged throughout their lives. So, in Agnus castus we have an excitable and easily arousable individual who ove rindulges sexually and then brea s down, first into having voluptuous fantasies without erection, and finally into complete loss of sexual desire. Also seen is excessi ve desire with lascivious thoughts on rising in the morning and, later on in the day, impotency. It is interesting to note here that the Gree meaning of Agnus castus is of some body who is pure and chaste! Was it possible that the ancients who coined its na me had found out that if promiscuous people ate its berries they would become chas te again? Is it possible that the remedy was used to suppress sexual desire? Fro m its name and the historical accounts of this remedy such usage is not only plau sible but well supported. Here it might be of interest to quote the following. "In order to pass childless married life, a man too for three months m. and e. twelve seeds of Agnus castus, thereby so wea ened that he not only felt an obsta cle to erections of penis, but - as he wished - he lost his semen entirely and never b egot children" (LINDROW Venusspiegel, p,119) from Cyclopedia of drug pathogenesi s by Hughes and Da e p. 203 Agnus castus is indicated for promiscuous young people who have abused their sex ual energies through either homosexual or heterosexual multiple contacts and who have contracted repeated venereal infections, especially gonorrhea. They eventu ally lose their sexual power, lose the ability to ejaculate; instead their semen dribbles away as their desire for sex increases. These people become absent-min ded and wea ; they despair, cannot concentrate, cannot remember things and feel that death is approaching at great speed. [In acute conditions, such as during fever, the patient will repeat over and over again that he is going to die soon and there is no use in trying to do anything to save him (Argentum nitricum ).] Sometimes the loss of sexual power comes slowly over a period of time without pr evious sexual abuses. In such cases the constitution is wea genetically. These are peevish, wea individuals who are sad, easily discouraged and who suffer a sens
e of worthlessness. They loo and act older than their age, hence the appropriat eness of this remedy for complaints of the elderly. Women may also need Agnus castus, but to a lesser degree than men. In such cases the women are very lascivious, almost hysterical in their desire for sex. Incap able of being satisfied by normal relationships, they resort to their fancies and ex cessive masturbation. And, interestingly, if they eventually marry, they become depressed and frigid, completely lac ing in sexual interest. This remedy is for young people who are wea and impotent, who loo degenerated with a pale countenance, who sometimes loo prematurely old and who try to cover their wea nesses and impotency with eccentric behavior-- an air of superiority and haughtiness when with others. But these same people, as soon as they are alo ne, will thin about their vices, the masturbation towards which they are extremely prone, and will become dissatisfied, discontented, and despise themselves. It also happens that the Agnus castus patient brea s down in another manner: he feels that he is worthless, that he is absolutely useless. A deep passive depres sion
emerges, a feeling as if he is nobody and nothing exists around him. This feeli ng of non-existence is so bad, so intense that he will admit that he would rathe r be dead. And then, after an interval, a different phase arises -- at this time he has an illusion that he is a very great man, that he is somebody quite special, very wealthy for instance. His sense of self-importance swells considerably, and his energy increases a great deal. These two states may alternate, hence its useful ness in manic-depressive states. Another variation of this manic-depressive state is a condition of total indiffe rence, extreme apathy (Phosphoric acid ) in which the individual feels as if not hing has ever existed. In this state he has no initiative and is very discouraged; he st ays at home doing nothing and lac s the energy to even dress and go out for a wa l (Muriatic acid ). Eventually he emerges from this condition and proceeds to a s tate of extreme cheerfulness and exaltation, something resembling a state of ecs tasy that is not justified by the circumstances. Agnus castus patients tend to appear pale, anemic, fatigued, anxious, and as if lac ing in courage. They loo prematurely old because of their past sexual abuse s. Their eyes are sensitive to light and their pupils dilated. Their stomachs are easily disordered by food that is the least bit heavy.
Generalities General wea ness as a result of violent anguish, from depression, while at the s ame time there is a drying up of vital fluids, the semen is very little or very thin, watery or lac ing, the mil in nursing women is dried up etc. This dried up fee ling is similar to Sepia. The general modalities of pain resemble those of Bryonia:: worse motion, better rest. Often there is a sense of inner trembling and coldness -- an inner chill; this occurs even though the body itself may feel warm. In fever there is constant tr embling of the whole body from internal chilliness while the body itself feels w arm to the touch. There is chilliness alternating with heat. There is a
ind of relaxation of internal organs (Sepia ); one may see prolapsus
and a feeling of wea ness in the abdominal area. The sensation is more one of w ea ness than of pressing down. This same wea ness can also lead toSilica -li e constipa tion: the stools come out in pieces and they sometimes recede. Bruised feeling all over the body.
Head Headaches in general are worse from motion and are very much affected by the mot ion of the eyes (Bryonia, Ruta ). Constriction and tension in the forehead while reading. Heaviness in the head wh ile loo ing sideways. Tearing headache in the forehead or over the eyes, worse with the motion of the eyes. Headache which is ameliorated by immobilizing the eyes and by loo ing fixedly at an object. Tearing with pressure, in the temples and forehead, in the brain; more violent d uring motion. Headache on the vertex or of the whole head which feels as if the patient had st ayed for a long time in a stuffy room. Headache over the right eye and temple; soreness as if he had received a blow which is worse on touch, worse on motion and which recurs every evening for several days.
Eyes Pupils widely dilated. Photophobia. Moving the eyes seems to bring on headache (see Head). Dim vision before menses. Pain in the right eye towards the temple as if he had received a blow. Itching about eyes. Itching in the upper eyelids.
Ears Hardness of hearing. Roaring noises. Considerable heat in the left external ear.
Nose Illusions of imaginary odors, as of herring, fishbrine, fermented beer or agreea ble odors li e mus . Hard aching pain in dorsum of nose, as if a stone was pressing there, ameliorate d by pressure.
Face Itching in different parts of the face, especially on falling asleep. Drawing pa in in left parotid gland. Tearing pain in right lower jaw.
Mouth Metallic taste, coppery, bitter. Tongue is coated white. Ulcers in the mouth and gums. Viscid saliva which can be drawn out in threads; sensation of tenacious mucus in throat, as if a piece of cloth were hanging in the throat. Teeth painful when touched by warm food or drin .
Throat Sensation as if tenacious mucus is lodged in the throat and cannot be expectorat ed. His voice sounds as if passing through wool; it has no characteristic tone.
Stomach Nausea in the pit of the stomach while standing. Increased hunger, but the food he li es causes discomfort and general wea ness. Desires sweets. Thirsty. Pinching, griping, constricting pain while sitting in a bent position.
Abdomen Loud rumbling in the abdomen during sleep. A sensation as if the intestines were sin ing down with nausea; wants to support bowels with the hands.
Rectum Difficulty on expelling the stool, even that which is not hard; stool tends to r ecede. Frequent diarrheic stool. Offensive flatus having ammonia-li e odor or smelling li e old urine. Deep rhagades or fissures of the anus, often with pain when wal ing.
Urinary organs Frequent urination with copious dar urine. A disagreeable sensation in the posterior urethra after urination. Gleety, yellow or chronic white discharge from the urethra, after (suppressed) g onorrhea, with impotence and no desire for sex.
Genitalia - male Coldness of the genitalia with wea ness, loss of sexual desire, loss of erection s and decreased amount of semen. Testes cold, swollen, hard and painful. Testes objectively cold at night. Impotence, wanting erections, penis small and cold. Incomplete erections with st rong desire. Impotence after gonorrhea or after continuous discharge from the urethra. Violent erections with excessive sexual desire when rising in the morning. Semen dribbles out instead of being ejaculated during orgasm. Odorless ejaculation. Penis is so relaxed that it cannot be excited with any sex ual stimulation, be it real or imaginary. Emission of prostatic fluid while fondling women or wal ing. Emission of prostat ic fluid while straining at stool. Old men suffer from constant dribbling of semen.
Genitalia - female In puerperal mania there is depression and fear that death is near.
Agalactia in nursing women with great sadness and aversion to coition. Mil scan ty, disappearing or suppressed. Sterility with no sexual desire. Sterility with suppressed menses. Protracted menses that last 12 to 18 days. Leucorrhea transparent or albuminous; staining linen; passes imperceptibly from the relaxed genitals. Menses too late, scanty, absent or suppressed. Metrorrhagia, uterine hemorrhages. Here it is interesting to mention that that R. F. Weiß, Germany's best nown phyto therapist, writes about Agnus castus:..."many recent investigations have been ma de of agnus castus which have proved that it has an inhibitory effect on the anter ior lobe of the pituitary gland, the organ which controls the production of horm ones in the gonads. To-day Agnus castus is employed for cases of excessive or too fr equent menstruation and seems to be particularly indicated for the inds of disturbance (such as headache, feeling of tension in the breasts, depression, s welling of the lower legs, etc.) that many women experience from the middle of t he ; cycle until the actual inset of menstruation. Agnus also increases the producti on of mil in nursing mothers .." In Germany Agnus castus in the form of "Agnolut" is frequently prescribed for me nstrual problems by allopathic physicians. Agnus has also shown to have an effect in bleeding myoma, and will probably be o f help in cases of premenstrual syndrome where hormonal inbalance is the main ca use.
Extremities
Agnus castus is indicated when there is a tendency to easy sprains and dislocati ons and for the long-lasting consequences of such sprains (overlifting, turning the foot inward while wal ing, etc.). Rheumatic swelling of single joints, monoarthritis. Gout. Some peculiar symptoms in the upper extremities are: Pressure in right axilla and upper arm, worse from touch and motion. Tearing pain in the right shoulder joint, worse on motion and on inspiration. Swelling of the finger joints with tearing pains in gouty or arthritic nodes. Perspiration almost only on hands, when wal ing in the open air (Thuja) In lower extremities: Coldness of the nees, worse in the evening. Stitching pain in the hollow of the nee while in motion and while standing. Sho oting pain in the bend of the nee while standing. Twitchings of the leg on touch and also while wal ing. Wea ness of the an le in the morning, while wal ing Tearing pain in the foot, wal ing aggravates. Heaviness of the right foot as from a weight. Rheumatic pain in left big toe; st itching pain causing the leg to jer . Swelling of the thigh in the evening.
Sleep Restless sleep with constant dreams. Voluptuous dreams. Lies on his left side preferably. Wa es up unrefreshed. Perspiration during sleep.
Clinical Impotency. Non-specific urethritis with impotency. Swelling of testicles; indura
tion. Agalactia. Sterility. Leucorrhea. Mouth ulcers. Dislocations. Gouty joints . Rheumatic pains, monoarthritis. Chronic effects of sprains. Toothache.
Causation Sexual excesses and drug abuse. Repeated attac s of gonorrhea. Sprains, dislocat ions from overlifting.
Relationships It is followed well by: Arsenicum album, Bryonia, Ignatia, Lycopodium, Pulsatill a, Sulphur, Selenium.
Antidotes It is antidoted by: Camphor, Natrum muriaticum; strong solutions of table salt, coffee. Inimical to it: warm food.
Dosage From 30 C upwards.
Ailanthus glandulosa Ailanthus glandulosa. Chinese sumach. Tree of Heaven. N.O. Simarubaceae. Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] Mode of preparation: For Homeopathic use we use the tincture from the fresh shoo ts, leaves and blossoms.
The essential features Ailanthus has come down to us with a reputation for malignant scarlatina, where the normal rush of the disease does not appear but instead we see sparse patches of a dar bluish colour, li e mahogany and symptoms of cerebral intoxication. But th is remedy, li e every one of our remedies, is indicated in both chronic and acut e conditions as long as the general picture agrees. It is very unfortunate that t he old masters left none of their personal experience of the action of the remed ies apart from those indications that have always been in our boo s. In my understa nding Ailanthus is a remedy that could easily be confused with Baptisia in acute cases and with Lachesis in chronic cases. We shall spea about the chronic conditions first, after which we will consider its action upon the acute diseases. Ailanthus is a remedy that you need to thin about in cases of congestive headaches, hay fever, thyroid problems, high blood press ure, brain stro e, allergic s in conditions, acne, chronic abcesses etc., where you have a stout and robust patient with a feeling of fullness and heat in the head; an "apoplectic fullness" as described in the boo s where the face is besotted, dar red, or
has a bluish discoloration; it may be mottled or you may find patches of bluish red colour, whether due to a mistreated s in eruption, an allergic s in conditi on or a simple discoloration. It is a remedy that should be remembered in cases of alzh eimer's disease where we have an appearance of the type of Ailanthus with high b lood pressure. It is the face that you see in those suffering with chronic hypertension or thos e that are about to have a brain stro e. They complain of a severe internal full ness with extreme diminution of their mental faculties. Their mind becomes dull, stupid, sluggish and they start having difficulties in comprehending a discussion, difficulty in thin ing. They cannot ma e simple calc ulations as they used to, it is very difficult for them to concentrate and do calculatio ns. They will answer incorrectly. They develop an aversion to mental wor , even to thin ing. They feel prostrated, mentally exhausted, and eventually mentally con fused. This may be characterized by a feeling as if they were drun , which cause s everything to seem unreal and dreamli e. Ailanthus' memory decreases rapidly; what happened yesterday is forgotten, they may not recognise persons they were supposed to now, and forget what they have just said, etc.. "All past events are forgotten. Past events are forgotten or r emembered as belonging to someone else, or as matters read." In a similar way the senses are blunted and lose their acuity. In such patients you will notice an anxiety depicted in the face, a ind of obvious distress. The re is an aggravation which starts before going to bed and lasts until sleep ta es over, which reappears on awa ening after a little sleep, and continues for some time a fter rising in the morning. The aggravation of their symptoms is coupled with an acu te anxiety. Symptoms are also aggravated if they lie on their left side, so in a ll these symptoms we see the resemblance to Lachesis. Epileptic convulsions very e arly in the morning with extremely distressed breathing. Ailanthus cases have a desire to weep all the time for no reason as they are acu tely troubled by all this mental confusion and deterioration. Eventually they fall into depression, low spirits, or a state of indifference or apathy with constant sighing. I should li e to note here that you should not always giveIgnatia for grief and sighing, since other remedies, li e Ailanthus, also have sighing after grief. In order
however to prescribe Ailanthus you need to have the mental picture as well, the stupefuction of the brain, the dar redness of the face, the fullness in the he ad etc. It is important for the student of homeopathy to realise the particular effect t hat each remedy has upon the different systems or organs, and prescribe accordin gly. In this remedy we have a specific effect upon the brain that the student of hom eopathy must perceive clearly before he can prescribe it to the sic with some
accuracy. There are some peculiar symptoms in Ailanthus, one of them being electric curren ts, which may also be described as an electrical thrill, going through the body starting from the head and ending in the finger tips. These symptoms in the pro vings suggest that the remedy may be of use in convulsions or epileptic fits. An other symptom is a crawling feeling especially on legs where the sensation is as if s ome small animal is crawling upwards. In the fever these sensations become illus ions. His sleep is restless and there is a lot of moaning and groaning during sleep as well as much tal ing. I have observed that patients with progressed arterioscle rosis tal very loudly in their sleep in response to vivid images they see in their d reams. Do not forget that it is a remedy that can easily deteriorate into a stat e of delirium. Pediatricians or general practitioners should ma e a special study of Ailanthus in acute conditions, as it corresponds to severe cases of zymotic fevers, li e b lood poisoning, epidemic diseases, especially malignant scarlatina, meningitis, foll icular tonsilitis and diphtheria. Ailanthus is also indicated in typhoid, glandu lar fever, puerpural fever, septicemia, etc., as well as in cases where there is an erupti on which is in appearance li e measles or scarlatina, but is partially suppresse d for one or another reason. Kent writes: "This remedy is especially suitable in the low zymotic forms of sic ness such as we find in diphtheria and scarlet fever.....where the rash does no t come out, but in its place red spots, roseola li e, ma e their appearance; the usual uniform spread of the eruption has failed, or has been suppressed, and there is bleeding from the gums and nose, and dreadful tumefaction in the throat...There is an ap pearance of great prostration but it is really stupefaction; he seems stupid and benumbed. If you loo at the throat you see it is covered with little purple pa tches, intermingled with an oedematus appearance similar to that found in Baptis ia. .... The blood that oozes is blac . The child enters a state of stupor and it is wit h difficulty that he can be aroused. Sometimes blisters are formed on the end of the fingers, or here and there over the body. From the mouth and nose come fetid od ours. The child is going as rapidly as possible into a form of malignant disease
. Sometimes the disease comes on as a light febrile attac , but from ta ing cold and suppressing some of the natural manifestations the case ta es on a low typho id form. Whereas you had at first only a simple remittent, the case has now assume d a state of prostration with a very rapid heart, foetor, purple or blueness, a passive congestion with purple blotches of the s in, causing a mottled appearan ce. When a disease turns so suddenly it is due to blood poisoning and a symptoma tic typhoid state appears." N.M. Choudhuri describes the acute throat condition in an excellent way: "It is very helpful in some of those obstinate cases of malignant sore throat ac companying scarlatina, measles and other eruptive diseases. It was in such a cas e that I first tried Ailanthus. The result exceeded my most sanguine expectations. The fever was very high and the patient was in a state of stuporous delirium. His w hole body was covered with a sort of dar miliary rash. The inside of his throat was swollen and livid. The tonsils loo ed immensely large and were studded with eve r so many angry loo ing ulcers, discharging a sort of a foetid, ichorous, humour. Th e tongue loo ed equally bad - it was crac ed, dry and parched. The teeth were co vered with a brown sordes. The cellular tissues around the nec were infiltrated. Thr ough the nostrils there flew a thin ichorous bloody discharge. All symptoms poin ted towards a fatal end. His prostration very mar ed from the beginning progressed with leaps and bounds. This sudden and great fall in vital force, so characteris tic of Ailanthus, drew my attention to it and as it covered most of the symptoms of the patient, it was administered." There follows a summary of the main points that should be born in mind for an Ai lanthus case: 1. a stage of cerebral intoxication that comes very early, and slips too soon in to a state of stupor, of muttering delirium (Bapt.) and finally into unconscious ness. In his delirium he does not recognize anybody, but loo s prostrated, totally exhau sted, in spite of which there is restlessness, illusions of mice running across the room or up his leg or of a sna e crawling up. Thin s the house is on fire. Delirium with sleeplessness. Another peculiarity is that the delirium, the stupo r, the coma and all these precarious situations are relieved by vomiting. Vomiti ng
ameliorates the symptoms. Sometimes we may see a maniacal, raging delirium with brilliant eyes. (Bell). Re stless delirium. 2. rapid prostration in fevers with rapid pulse, nausea and vomiting. 3. the face during fever becomes red, purplish, besotted, (Bapt.) li e Lachesis or Opium, or develops purple or blue patches, the eyes are very congested (li e belladonna), to the extent that sometimes they actually bleed. 4. fetid odour from mouth and nose. (Baptisia) 5. where you may expect an eruption in epidemic diseases that does not appear or appears in a different form (partially suppressed eruption). Finally, in Ailanthus children we see a lot of shrie ing, screaming and shouting with a tendency for weeping all the time.
Generalities Ailanthus has a most prominent action upon the blood, disorganising it and produ cing zymotic fevers, and has a remar able resemblance to symptoms of malignant scarlatina. Hemorrhagic diathesis from all mucous membranes. Hemophilia. This r emedy is characterised by a purplish appearance, dullness, stupor, and delirium, and all this tending towards malignancy. Rash returns annually. Flushes of heat; after chill Bloody mucous secretions. Offensive, fetid mucous secretions are increased. Crawling sensations. Electric-li e shoc s or thrills from head to the finger end s. Frequent, accelerated, thready pulse. Rapidly appearing wea ness, prostration in acute diseases. Sudden wea ness, ener vation. Ailments during convalescence. General sensation of emptiness. Faintness, fainting during nausea. Cold perspiration; with nausea and vertigo. Reeling, staggering, tottering and wavering gait. Numbness and a general feeling of sensitiveness externally. Obesity. Symptoms are aggravated before retiring and after sleep, lying on the left side, on sitting up (where you may see a sudden, violent vomiting during the act of r ising), from seeing food, from motion and from wal ing. Worse from suppressions (erupti ons, discharges). Better from lying on the right side and from hot drin s.
Vertigo Dizziness which is aggravated on rising, in the morning; while lying; from motio n; on stooping. Dizziness with severe headache, with nausea, with vomiting.
Feels as if intoxicated. Sensation of giddiness with nausea and sic ness at the stomach. Tottering gait, with an inclination to stagger, requires extra effort to wal raight.
st
Drun en feeling in brain, with fulness. Apoplectic fulness of head.
Head Has severe headaches with dizziness while the face is dar red and hot and they have difficulty in sitting up due to the nausea or the vomiting this can cause. Severe headache interrupted by delirium of a frightful ind, with fever and anxi ety. Vertigo with nausea, faintness and cold sweat. There is a fullness or a pressure felt from the inside. This fullness will appea r frequently after wine. The headaches are mostly in the forehead, occiput and temples. It has congestive and gastric headaches as well. The headaches are ameliorated by pressure. He wa es up in the morning with headache in forehead or in occiput together with pains in cervical region and bac and this whole syndrome is aggravated if he h as been lying on his bac . Darting through temples and bac
part of head, with confusion of ideas.
Dryness and falling of hair. Head feels as if it is burning. Head is pulsating, beating, throbbing. Electric-li e shoc s, blows, jer s, etc.; extending to extremities.
Eyes Again in the eyes we see congestion, redness with purulent discharges and someti mes, in malignant scarlatina, bleeding. Conjunctivitis. Redness of eyes. Eyes ar e agglutinated in the morning. Eyes suffused and congested; startled loo gish.
when aroused; pupils dilated and slug
Pupils are dilated, there is photophobia and excessive lacrimation worse in open air. Hair falling from eyebrows Defective accommodation. Uncertainty in seeing. Blurred figures; letters. Dim vision. Has flashes on closing the eyes.
Ears A feeling in right ear as from a blow. Redness; when ear is touched or scratched. Noises in ear; in right ear; seems to hear music; ringing noises. Pain in the ear on swallowing.
Nose Coryza during scarlatina. Bloody, ichorous, excoriating, copious discharge. Epistaxis. Raw pain in nostrils. Soreness on left side.
Annual coryza [hay fever] long continued. Sneezing with sensation of cold about the eyes and gnawing in chest. Itching. Nose is red and dry on the inside. Bleeding of bright blood or a thin ichorous b loody discharge. Obstruction that causes difficult breathing through the nose. Smell is wanting, lost.
Face Anxious expression on face. Distressed expression. Has frightened expression on face when aroused. Besotted expression. Bluish discoloration. Bluish spots. Blue circles around eyes. Dar , as mahogany (scarlatina). Capillary congestion in irregular spots. Red and hot face in the morning; during headache. Face puffed, erysipelatous. Eruptions on lips. Vesicles on lips; lower lip. Rash on forehead.
Miliary eruptions. Ulcers on corners of mouth. Crac ed lips. Parotid gland is enlarged, feels sore, bruised. Swelling; around right eye; of lips; of parotid gland. Neuralgic pain forcing him to wal . Pain is ameliorated by pressure
Mouth Tongue is fissured; coated; dry parched and crac ed; brown. White tongue with dar
brown centre. Tip and edges livid.
Tongue oozes blood. Bleeding of gums. Ropy; viscid mucus, slime, etc. Excoriation of mucous membrane. Burning, raw and smarting pain. Insipid taste after drin ing water. Sordes on teeth. Toothache. Mucus on teeth.
Throat Ailanthus has a specific effect upon the throat, where one might say that all it s viciousness is made apparent with an appearance which is really alarming. The throat loo s swollen, purple, blac , dar and the tonsils are swollen, full of small d eep ulcers. Ulcers on fauces. Membrane, pseudo-membranes exudation in diphtheria . Pain on swallowing or on inspiring. Pain in throat on empty swallowing. Refuses to swallow anything. Croupy voice.
Lost voice in the morning on wa ing. Thic edematus and cho y feeling in throat. Throat dry, rough and scrapy; worse in the morning. Disposition to haw in the m orning. Sensation of foreign body in the throat in cases of goitre. Swelling of thyroid gland. Soreness of thyroid gland. Sensation of fullness in throat. Sensation of lump, plug in throat. Thic sensation in throat.
Stomach The eynote here is vomiting on sitting up in bed with a peculiar feeling of emp tiness, a sin ing feeling in stomach. Stomach inactive. Aversion to even loo ing at food. The appetite is capricious. Has indistinct desires, he does not now what he wan ts. Disgust for food. Aversion to alcohol and worse from drin ing alcohol. Ameliorated by hot drin s. Thirst while eating. Sometimes there is the opposite : desire for alcohol, brandy or whis y.
There is a desire for cold drin s, cold water and raw food. Chill during hunger. Vomiting during chill and during vertigo. Sour eructations. Nausea in the morning on wa ing, especially during pregnancy. Constant violent increasing pain in stomach.
Abdomen Sensation as if diarrhea would come on and a feeling of insecurity in the rectum as if about to loose stool. Feeling as if intestines were loose. Relaxed feeling in abdomen. Rumbling. Tympanitic distension.
Rectum Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Involuntary stool during urination. Formication in anus. Hard hemorrhoids. Prolapsus of rectum when neeling. Prolapsus during stool. Stool frequent; mucous, slimy, bloody; offensive; soft. Stool forcibly expelled. Tapeworm, taeniae.
Urinary organs Involuntary urination. Frequent urination at night. Suppression of urine. Scanty urine. Sensation absent when urinating.
Genitalia - male Prepuce of penis feels sore, bruised. Ulcers on penis; on prepuce of penis. Sore on prepuce loo ing li e an incipient chancre.
Genitalia - female Copious menses; at night.
Chest
Irregular, accelerated, deep respiration. Laboured breathing during epileptic co nvulsions. Expectoration ameliorates difficult respiration. Violent fits of coughing before retiring and on rising. Wheezing, fluent coryza and sneezing. Cough in the daytime; in the morning after rising; in the morning on wa ing; in the evening. Constant, deep cough worse in the morning on wa ing. Expectoration ameliorates the cough. Bloody expectoration, spitting of blood; in the morning. Copious expectoration. Lumpy expectoration. Expectoration that has a bitter taste. Yellow expectoration in the morning. Oppression of breathing. Constriction, tension, tightness in whole chest and in heart. Pain and contracte d feeling especially through the centre of the left lung, sternal edge. Pain as from a blade two inches at the left of the lower portion of the sternum. Burning in right lung and left shoulder. Sense of fullness. Expectoration ameliorates fullness in chest. Clothing aggravates. Stitching pain from clavicle extending to sternum.
Bac Thic swollen feeling of muscles of nec . Nec
tender and very much swollen.
Drawing pain in the cervical region. Pain in dorsal region in the right scapula, worse motion. Pain in the dorsal region of the spine. Pain in the sacral region. Cutting pain in the sacral region and the hips.
Pressing pain in the dorsal region of the spine. Spinal irritation in the dorsal region. Subacute congestion of cord, leading to paralysis. Limbs heavy; feel as if asleep.
Extremities One of the main eynotes of this remedy is a feeling as if a rat is running up t he leg. This is part of a general tingling feeling and formication that can be d escribed in different ways by the patient.
Ending on tips of fingers Burning pain beneath shoulder, in palm of hand, in sole of foot. Forearm feels sore, bruised. Restlessness in lower limbs. Numbness of upper limbs; of left upper limb; of forearm; of fingers; of lower li mbs; of leg. Trembling of legs.
Wea ness of lower limbs. All the above symptomatology suggests an effect on the nervous system that can p roduce convulsions. Vesicles on fingers, about the nails Vesicles on tips of fingers; on tip of thumb.
Sleep Sleep heavy or disturbed and unrefreshing. Comatose. During sleep tal s, moans, has sweat, is restless. Deep, delirious, disturbed sleep. Sleeps best on right side.
Fever The fever characteristics have been discussed in the main text. Febrile heat only during the day. Dry heat; in the morning. External heat. Succession of stages, heat followed by chill. Chill feels as if cold water were dashed over him. Cold sweat. During fever longing for brandy. Chilliness with perspiration. Cold perspiration; with nausea and vertigo.
S in Blue, dar eruptions on s in. Milliary rash in patches of a dar almost livid colour. Body and limbs covered w ith an irregular patchy eruption. Gangrenous scarlatina.
Scarlatina in patches. Vesicles filled with blood or with dar serum. Bluish discoloration.
Clinical Blood poisoning, epidemic diseases, especially malignant scarlatina, meningitis, follicular tonsilitis and diphtheria, also indicated in typhoids, glandular fev er, puerpural fever, sepsemia, etc. Mumps. Septicemia, blood poisoning. Suppressed eruption. Acne. Abscesses, suppurations with acrid pus. Chancre. Hemophilia, hemorrhage.
Relationships Ailanthus is related botanically to Ptelea and the Xanthoxyleae. Compare: Ammonium carbonicum, Apis, Arnica, Arum triphyllum, Aloe [dull, frontal headache], Baptisia, Carbolic acid, Crotallus hor, Lachesis, Nitric acid, Nux v omica,
Phytolacca, Hydrocyanic acid, Rhus toxicodendron, Stramonium and Echinacea.
Antidotes It is antidoted by: Alcohol, Rhus toxicodendron, Nux vomica.
Dosage From 3x upwards
Aletris farinosa Star Grass. BLazing Grass. Colic Root. Unicorn Root. N.O. Haemodoraceae. Tincture of root.
The essential features Aletris farinosa is a remedy that should be thought of in cases of prolapsus of the uterus whereSepia or similar remedies seemed to be well indicated and did no t act. The similarities with Sepia go beyond this however as we shall see from the dev elopment of the remedy. This is primarily a woman's remedy that is suitable for anemic and debilitated f emales with little stamina in body and mind, where the reproductive organs are a t fault, relaxed and heavy, much li e Sepia. There is sterility from uterine aton y but if there is a pregnancy you will observe a lot of problems during pregnanc y where the fibers must ta e an extra load and are unsuited for such wor . Theref ore you will see in the history of the patient frequent abortions, uterine atony , misplacement of the uterus etc. Even when pregnancy is progressing there is a g eneral wea ness, there are myalgic pains stimulating false pains and also much suffering from an obstinate vomiting and a distressing feeling in the rectum. T
here is an uncomfortable feeling in this area as if the rectum were full without the possibility to evacuate. The uterus feels heavy and prolapses easily; here, as we have said before, we ha ve a stri ing similarity with Sepia, though in Sepia the feeling that the intern al organs are dragging down is much more pronounced. In Aletris we see the woman h aving a feeling of weight, a heaviness but not the excessive dragging down sensation of Sepia. You will often see leucorrhea, which does not have to be th ic and yellowish as is frequently the case in Sepia, but is usually a white str ingy leucorrhea, for example in women with habitual abortions. In endometritis or wi th the prolapse of the uterus or in an irritation of the right ovary there is of ten a pain in the right inguinal region extending down the thigh. There seems to be a connection between the disturbances in the reproductive orga ns and the stomach. The woman easily loses her appetite when suffering from disturbances of her sexual- reproductive organs. She may have profuse hemorrhag es from the uterus coming on in the middle of the night, leaving her totally prostrated in the morning and scarcely able to spea . You may see frequent menses or in anemic subjects total absence of menses. In su ch instances the least ind of disagreable food will upset the stomach, food sta ys as a heavy load there, there is a digust for food and also a lot of frothy sali va and frothy eructations which are characteristics of this remedy. The Aletris patient loses weight easily, is thin, emaciated and anemic with vert igoes and fainting. When anemic Aletris individuals cannot concentrate, they fee l confused, they cannot study, the mind seems to have lost its power; though ther e are a lot of thoughts, the mind wanders around different things, usually pleas ant thoughts, but does not stay for a long time on one subject. A feeling of discontent, of dissatisfaction eventually arises, though we do not yet have the real mental-emotional picture of this remedy. Adynamia is the word that mostly suits the picture, adynamia primarily in sustai ning a new life, in pregnancy, adynamia of the reproductive organs and adynamia in general.
You may encounter cases of Aletris farinosa during the convalescing period in a patient who does not seem to pic up fast enough after an acute disease, whose appetite does not return and whose stomach is upset with the least amount of fo od, who feels debilitated but not depressed, suffers with vertigoes and an easy fainting feeling, is debilitated and feels as if the muscles and internal organ s are relaxed and wea . Or you may find a similar condition of wea ness, debilit y and difficulty in convalescing in a woman after a spontaneous abortion.
Some general symptoms and eynotes Aletris farinosa is an excellent remedy which you will see relatively frequently , particularly in a gynaecological practice, because it is principally a remedy for women. It has three or four essential characteristics: The first one is that an Aletris woman feels tired all the time. She wants to do nothing or at least as little as possible. She doesn't want to wor much in the itchen, to clean rooms everyday, to go out for long shopping trips or indeed d o anything else. She wants to stay at home and she prefers to lie down and rest all the time. She may have a headache on wa ing in the morning, and on rising from bed she has a nauseous, all-gone feeling in the stomach. She feels so tired, dull, heavy an d confused that she is unable to concentrate the mind on anything. All her power and energy are almost gone and after a hemorrhage of the uterus she may even be so exhausted that she is unable to spea . When she comes to you in the practice and tells you about her weariness and wea ness you will probably examine her thoroughly, but most of the time you cannot f ind a real cause for her debility - no serious organic disease. A blood-test will p robably indicate that the hemoglobin and iron are low; this ind of anemia is usually caused by a uterine hemorrhage. Sometimes she has no energy because of a protracted illness from which she cannot recover (for example after an abortio n or after she has given birth to a child). There may also be a possibility that the wea ness originates from defective nutrition; she often has little appetite, doesn't
eat much and is therefore sometimes very emaciated. The second characteristic is a feeling of heaviness or of a weight. Not only does she feel tired and heavy but this sensation dominates in many part s of the body too: she has the sensation of a weight or pressure over the eyes. Her eyelids feel as if pressed down. Possibility of heaviness in the vertex. Heaviness as if a weight would draw the occiput bac ward which the nec does not have the strength to prevent (together with a feeling as if the scalp were contracting/drawing the sides of the occiput together.) This sensation often ap pears in the morning and is sometimes ameliorated during brea fast. This "heavy-occiput-feeling" is not at all rare in women with uterine diseases. Even a little amount of food lies heavily in the stomach. Sensation as if all the intestines had sun en down to lower abdomen. Heaviness in the region of the uterus, the uterus feels heavy. Bac ache with dragging in the sacral region. The third and probably most important characteristic is that the main problems a re central in the female genital organs. All other disorders are also more or le ss associated with the uterus. In the region of the uterus Aletris women have a bearing down sensation as if th e contents of the pelvis were attempting to escape. This sensation is much aggravated while wal ing and often connected with the dragging in the sacral re gion. Aletis is an important remedy for prolapsus or displacement of the uterus because of the wea ness and relaxed state of the genital organs. In addition th ese women often have a leucorrhoea which is usually colorless or white and strin gy. The above-mentioned sensation of a heavy uterus is at least partly caused by an engorgement, congestion of the uterus with too much blood. The exit seems to be closed by clots and the hemorrhage from the uterus -menorrhagia- begins often w ith dar or blac clots followed by a copious bleeding. The hemorrhage may last quite a long time, not ceasing even after the normal end of the menses, but cha nging into watery oozing interrupted by sudden gushings with clots or coagulated blood. This ind of hemorrhage together with the debility of the patient may of ten be seen before or during menopause. The menses are too soon and too profuse with labor li e-pains and most of the ti me, they are connected with the bearing down sensation or prolapsus of the uteru s.
But also scanty, almost blac menses and even amenorrhea can point to Aletris, i f associated with general wea ness and anemia. A bruised feeling in the right ovary or a griping, clutching pain in the right i nguinal region extending down the thigh may occur in the time of menses in an Al etris case. Her abdominal cramping pains are worse by bending forward and she bends herself bac ward to relieve the pain. These colics may also occur independently of the
menses, during a constipation for instance, and are often ameliorated by a scan ty diarrhea. (By the way, a pain in the trapozious * muscle is worse bending the head forward and better bending bac ward.) Before the menses Aletris women may have a peculiar symptom. It is a continuous, dry, hard almost spasmodic cough which is immediately better as soon as the menses appear. Another interesting symptom is a sharp pain in the left breast as if a nife ran into it extending through the bac to the left side of the lower part of the ri ght scapula. (A sharp pain from lower point of the left scapula through to left bre ast can also be possible.) A very important time for Aletris is during pregnancy because this time gives ri se to many symptoms. Very often these women can either not get pregnant because of the atony of the u terus or they have a great tendency to loose their child. These abortions are al so due to the wea and relaxed condition of the uterus. After an abortion you will often see a hemorrhage from the uterus with the above described peculiarities. But if a pregnancy should occur nevertheless, the wea ness and the anemia and fr equent disorders of the stomach become more prominent. Usually the Aletris case has a disgust for food, suffers from stomach troubles after eating a little and at the mere sight or thought of grease tends to gag, feels nauseous and retches. Sh e has copius frothy eructations with great accumulation of frothy saliva and must vomit a lot. This obstinate vomiting prostrates her additionally. But sometimes the nausea may be better after dinner, and the faint, all-gone fee ling in the morning is sometimes ameliorated after eating. The fourth characteristic of Aletris is that the wea , relaxed state may also be present in the other organs of the lower abdomen (it is not restricted to the u terus). The bladder is wea and can not hold bac the urine. The Aletris woman may suffe r from incontinence every time she is ta en cold and loses urine while wal ing f ast, when coughing or sneezing and even during sleep. The rectum in particular is so wea that it is almost paralysed. The constipatio n of Aletris is as bad as the constipation of Alumina. The rectum is loaded with feces and can only be evacuated with great effort, and at the same time she often has terrible pain as if something were being pressed through the closed rectum. She
may have to strain so much that pains emerge in her head, particularly in the v ertex. The stools are usually very large and hard. This ind of constipation, together with the general tiredness and one or two sy mptoms of the genital organs are usually enough to justify the prescription of A letris farinosa.
Allium cepa Common red onion N.O. Liliaceae Mode of preparation: For Homeopathic use we use the tincture of the onion or of the whole fresh plant. This is gathered from July to August.
The essential features Allium cepa has established an undisputed reputation for acting upon the upper r espiratory system and in curing common colds that settle in the nose and travel downwards, with a watery, acrid discharge from the nose while at the same time there is redness of eyes with lacrimation which is bland. It affects primarily t he left side of the nose and later on moves to the right side. There is aggravatio n from warm room and in the evening and amelioration from open air. In my experience this remedy has been misused for this ailment (common colds) an d has been prescribed too frequently when other remedies should have been indica ted. A note of warning: since this remedy has in its pathogenesis the tendency to dri ve the inflammation from the uppermost part of the respiratory system -the nosedownwards -towards the larynx and bronchii-, I have observed in especially sens itive patients with a tendency to developing allergic asthma that their respirat ory difficulties are much aggravated from a wrong prescription of Allium cepa. I wo uld warn you not to use high potencies in cases you may suspect such sensitiviti es and you are not sure about the remedy. I have found out that if this remedy is really indicated, apart from the other l ocal symptoms mentioned above, we must have an effect upon the head and the whol e
organism. The patient feels really rotten, has dullness, torpor, difficulty in thin ing and much sleepiness. It is very doubtful whether a patient with a cold that has only the local symptoms on the nose or larynx with a clear head and no general wea ness would react to this remedy. It is a remedy that will cure cases of common colds that spread easily to the ea rs producing a lot of pains li e Pulsatilla, Chamomilla, belladonna, Mercury and Nitric acid, the main remedies that will cure such conditions.
But apart from this extension, Allium cepa is indicated where the cold spreads d ownwards to the larynx producing a violent laryngitis where the pain during coug h is felt as if someone is scratching the throat with hoo s. Whooping cough in a chi ld with dreadful pain during coughing compelling him to grasp the larynx and at the same time an upset stomach with vomiting and a lot of flatulence. It is useful in polypus of the nose. Sometimes it will be indicated in conjuctiv itis where the eyes burn and smart as if from smo e with excessive lacrimation. Allium cepa will be indicated where the respiratory system is in a state of cons tant catarrh which is aggravated in the evening. The catarrh from the nose is al most always acrid and watery, running constantly. Cases of hay fever that have this ind of cattarrh with violent sneezing and which are aggravated in a warm room, in the warmest month - August - and in the evening, while they are ameliorated in the open air, will need this remedy. It is very similar to Pulsatilla except for the acrid cattarrh while in Puls. the discharge is bland. This remedy will also be indicated in chronic headaches with similar modalities: worse in the evening, worse in a warm room, better open air; headaches are most ly felt in the forehead extending to temples. Another condition where this remedy is indicated is in neuralgias that have a "t hread li e" pain. Especially for very bothering neuralgias after amputation wher e the extension of the pain is felt as if the real limb was there, stump neuralgia, t he pains are unbearable, driving the patient to despair. It has traumatic neurit is, and facial paralysis of the left side. In its mental-emotional sphere we observe a very interesting picture. Allium cep a has a definite effect upon the brain bringing about a state of absent-mindenes s with much sleepiness. The brain seems to degenerate easily into a ind of torpo r, especially if affected by some wine or coffee. The mind becomes confused but it is a completely passive confusion where the patient does not care about anything. He does not observe what is going on around him. It is as if he were not interes ted. Great dullness of mind with a definite aggravation in the afternoon. He starts m a ing mista es in his wor , he cannot concentrate, he seems confused as if the m ind
is under the influence of a lot of barbiturates, yawning all the time, sleepy a nd disinterested. In writing he ma es a lot of mista es in spelling, misplaces w ords etc. But remember that the sleepy brain is the main idea behind the symptomatol ogy. Sleepiness with indifference. This is very much in accordance with the pathogenesis of this remedy, as the oni on was nown in ancient times to be a hypnagogic, and has been used for sleeples sness since then. It is peculiar that in our Materia Medica this element is not menti oned in the provings. If anybody eats a lot of onions the first thing he will ex perience will be sleepiness. Because of this quality of affecting the brain the ancients were actually afraid of using onions in excess. There is another state to which Allium cepa can move and this is a very serious mental state: the patient may loo quite well, but suddenly he may have a disappointment, or he may be offended by something, with the result that the mi nd is totally thrown out of balance. Following this we see a state of real insan ity, a totally passive insanity where the brain does not function at all. It is a state that can come suddenly in a person who was very balanced before, v ery conscientious, very meticulous in his cleaning habits, with a lot of warm fe elings for his relatives, very sympathetic; he really cared about others. A straight m ind that did not hide, was not devious. And suddenly this behaviour changes from one day to another: he does not recognise persons he new very well before and is t otally indifferent towards persons who live with him, li e his wife or his paren ts. He does not understand the meaning of things. You give him money and he does not now what it is. Never mind how much you explain to him what to do, he does not comprehend. It seems that the only thing he wants to do is to go to sleep. He s leeps and sleeps and it is very difficult to wa e him up. He goes from a chair t o bed and from the bed to the chair, and falls immediately in a deep soporous sleep. He is lethargic. When you hear such a story and you do not now the mental pictu re of Allium cepa you will tend to give Opium or Nux-moschata, but Allium cepa fit s this mental pathology better. It is interesting that in our boo s Allium cepa is mentioned in insanity, but nowhere could I find any indication of the type of i nsanity. He ma es foolish grimaces, foolish gestures and in general his behaviour becomes foolish. He may tease a stranger in the street by ma ing some ridiculous gestur e,
for instance while travelling in a train he may act as if he were catching a bi rd. He does not pay attention to others, and has lost the sense of timidity. He may urinate in front of everybody where before he was very timid. It is interesting that his mode of wal ing is affected, and he may wal on his t oes or step only on the lateral side of his feet. If he gets cross with somethin g or somebody, he will go away, refusing to see anybody, going out for a wal alone. There is a strong element of misanthropy in his behaviour. In this state his relatives will tell you that he is very serious or rather depr essive. He will tal very little and seems completely withdrawn into himself, bu t in spite of this total confusion and withdrawal in which he lives he is able to attend t o his needs. He has an increased appetite and there is a great desire for onions , for instance onions with olive oil. He can eat a lot of raw onions, sometimes nothi ng else, and there is a general amelioration. You may see this desire many years before the insanity appears, indicating the predisposition to Allium cepa pathology. U sually he avoids cucumbers as they ma e him feel sic . This is the constitutiona l type of Allium cepa, which can be a very deep acting remedy if it is really indicate d.
Generalities It is a remedy for those who have a tendency to ta e colds that settle in the no se and eyes and extend to the ears, throat, larynx and the bronchii very rapidly . There is a feeling of rawness in all the different stages of his cold with a copious watery excoriating catarrh from the nose which burns li e fire and excoriates th e upper lip. Ailments start on the left side and move to the right, especially the discharge from the nose. This remedy is aggravated in a warm room, in a warm enviroment, i n August, in Spring, with damp weather and ameliorated in the open air and in a c ool room. There is also an aggravation as the day progresses towards afternoon and evening and we see his cough to be especially aggravated on getting into bed at night. There is a general aggravation by eating cucumber and amelioration by eating oni ons. If you have such a symptom you have definitely a case of Allium cepa. The remedy has the tendency to develop ailments after injuries and operations an d it is definitely indicated when there is a thread-li e pain aggravated in the evening. It has a peculiar modality: Faint feeling after urinating. Aconite has it also, even more strongly. Sensation of glowing heat in different parts of the body, the face, the abdomen, the rectum etc. Perspiration has aromatic odor.
Head It is not difficult to construct the ind of headaches that this remedy produces if you now the general modalities. It has a dull headache during coryza especi ally if the watery catarrh slows down or stops altogether. There is an aggravation in w arm rooms, amelioration in a cool room, worse towards the evening. The headache is ameliorated if a cattarrh from the nose sets in. Headache ceases during menses and returns when flow disappears. Headache in forehead, above eyes extending to nose. Headache in side of occiput in forenoon.
Win ing aggravates headache in temples. Stitching headache in sides of forehead extending to jaw; to teeth. Sensation as if head was wrapped up in water.
Eyes Inspite of the fact that Allium cepa has profuse bland lacrimation it may have a lot of burning, smarting, biting pain in eyes as if there was smo e in the room , causing a desire to rub them. Lacrimation in a warm room. Itching of eyebrows in the evening. Dim vision - candlelight.
Ears Pain in the ears extending to throat. Shooting in eustachian tube during coryza. Humming noises in ear while lying. Distant ringing noises in ear. Swelling below ear. Sounds seem distant.
Nose The elements that prevail are coryza and hay fever. In both conditions we will s ee violent and frequent sneezing with acrid discharge from nose eating the hair of the upper lip. Hay fever worse in August, returns annually, worse in Spring. The discharge with coryza is worse in a warm room. Coryza from flowers; from the odor of peaches; in a warm room; ameliorated in th e open air and in a cool room. Worse towards the evening. Excoriating discharge from left nostril. Excoriating discharge from nose with bland discharge from eyes. Coryza during scarlatina. Itching on the inside of nose on the right side. Coryza from left to right. Burning, smarting pain in wings. Pulsation. Sensitive to the odor of flowers, acute smell. Acrid discharge when singing.
Face Cold air ameliorates pains that may appear in the face. Paralysis of left side of face. Paralysis with profuse urine.
Mouth Constricting pain in tongue. Dryness of the root of the tongue. Burning taste in mouth.
Throat Colds from nose settle in the throat. Pain as if hoo s are scraping the throat. Rawness of the throat. Pain in throat going from right to left. Drawing pain ext ending to ear. Heat extending to stomach. Sweetish mucus in throat. Hoarseness. Cold air ameliorates the pain but causes tic ling and aggravates the cough. Pain in larynx on coughing, ma ing him grasp his larynx. Pulsating larynx. Hoarseness of voice in the Spring. Tic ling in larynx. Sensation as if larynx is split or torn.
Stomach
Constricting pain in stomach while sitting. Pain in the area of pylorus. Pain is ameliorated by wal ing. Constriction of cardiac orifice on swallowing. Frothy eructations in the morning. Canine hunger. Desires raw onions which ameliorate in general, desires raw food. Cucumbers aggravate.
Abdomen There is a lot of flatulence with rumbling with offensive flatus. Rumbling in ab domen after brea fast. There are colic y pains with a lot of flatulence which are worse by sitting, or motion. Pain in hypogastrium after coition. Pain in the umbilicus while sitting; this pain can be ameliorated or aggravated by wal ing. Cramping, griping pain when getting feet wet. Coldness in sides of abdomen. Distension before dinner. Heat in the afternoon. Dull pain in hypochondria in the evening; in inguinal region in the afternoon; a fter coffee.
Rectum Diarrhea after midnight from 4 to 6 A.M. Moist flatus. Glowing heat in rectum. Coldness in rectum. Constriction preventing stool. Itching and rhagades in anus.
Urinary organs Heat in bladder. Retention of urine after getting feet wet. Aching pain after coition. Burning; pressing pain in morning at 10 A.M. Pain in bladder after coition. Pain in prostate gland after coition. Wal ing aggravates pain. Copious urine with coryza. Yellow, reddish sediment.
Genitalia - male Painful erections in the morning.
Painful erections without desire. Strong erections on wa ing in the morning. Pain in spermatic cords extending into testes. Aching pain in spermatic cords.
Chest Cold air aggravates hac ing cough. Grasps his throat when coughing, grasps larynx involuntarily at every cough, fee ls as though larynx would be torn. Going from warm room to cold air, or vice versa, aggravates. Oppressed breathing from pressure in the middle of the chest. Wandering pain in chest. Pain on swallowing. Feels pain behind sternum, when swallowing, as if food had lodged there. Burning pain on sides of chest.
Bac Pain in dorsal region, right scapula, while lying; under right scapula after sit ting. Coldness, chill extending down bac at 9 P.M. Shivering extending down bac .
Extremities Joints feel lame, numb, especially the elbow aggravated by motion. Trembling of the hand in the evening. Felon. Heat in the bac of the hand. Heaviness of hip. Wea ness in hip prevents finishing coition.
Pain in joints worse evening. Burning pain in the upper arm extending downwards . Foot ulcers from rubbing of the shoe especially on heels. Urticaria on thighs.
Sleep Yawning with headache. Yawning while he is in a deep sleep. Wa es at 2 A.M. Dreams of precipices, of high places, the sea, storms at sea; wells.
S in Red strea s running up, panaritium, ulcers in heels from rubbing shoes.
Clinical RESPIRATORYCatarrrh. Cold. Coryza. Cough. Hay fever. Influenza. Laryngitis. Pneu monia. Whooping cough. GENERAL Fissures of anus. Panaritium. Facial paralysis. Traumatic chronic neuritis. Neuralgia.
Causation Effects of exposure to damp cold winds and weather. Spring colds, hay fever in A ugust. Wet feet. Injuries. Surgical operations. Mortification.
Relationships Compare: Allium sativum, Aloe, Convallaria majalis, Euphrasia, Gelsemium, Lilliu m tigrinum, Scilla It is incompatible with: Allium sativum, Aloe, Scilla It is complementary to: Phosphorum, Pulsatilla, Sarsaparilla, Thuja Also compare: Aconitum, Chlorum, Ipecacuanha, Lachesis Remedies that follow well: Calcarea silicata
Antidotes Coffee and warm food are inimical.
Dosage From the lowest to the highest.
Allium sativum Garlic. N.O. Liliaceae. Tincture of fresh bulb
The essential features Allium sativum is another remedy to be classed among the neglected remedies in o ur Materia Medica. I consider it to be an important and valuable remedy in certa in
cases for which Bryonia, Kali bichromicum, Sulphur, Lachesis, belladonna etc. a re given today. It corresponds to fleshy people with voracious appetites, with chronic spastic c olitis where there is a lot of gas that cannot come out and that causes pain. Th ere is a pressing pain - from within outwards - in the upper abdomen and along the trans verse colon which is aggravated from stepping. Wal ing causes excruciating pains (Bell). They have to lie down to get relief or sit in a bent forward position a nd press with both hands. Allium sativum people are obliged to eep to a particular diet, for fear of imme diate aggravation in their digestive problems from any deviation in their eating habits. They may develop heartburns, gas in the abdomen, eructations with much saliva, and strong pressing pains, pressure from within outward. They have a fee ling as if everything inside the abdomen is dragging down (Sep). In comparing this remedy to others, we see that it has a unique symptomatology, inspite of certain similarities to other remedies. For instance, inspite of aggr avation of abdominal pain on stepping, we do not see in Allium sativum the general sens itivity of belladonna from jarring. In Allium sativum only wal ing or stepping c auses such severe pains. Then he feels that everything inside the abdomen will be tor n apart. In this remedy we shall find a characteristic of Lach. which is a general amelio ration when the flow of menses has been established. But in Allium sativum we sh all see also that the symptoms return as soon as the flow diminishes, while in Lach esis they remain ameliorated until the beginning of the next flow. In Allium sativum this ind of amelioration is very prominent in conjunction with headach es and vertigoes while in Lachesis we see it also in almost all symptoms, especi ally mental and abdominal. Another interesting symptom is aggravation while reading. The moment he tries to fix his eyes to read a boo symptoms start appearing, especially in the eyes an d mouth. This remedy is also indicated in chronic bronchial cattarh with dyspnea where th ere is constant coughing associated with a very fetid breath during the cough (Caps) and with expectoration of stringy, ropy mucus (Kali-bi.) with dry lips. In some cases, you may see another type of patient: thin and emaciated with low
blood pressure, empty feeling in stomach that forces him to eat, but without appetite , a ind of a tubercular patient. The Allium sativum patient is restless and anxious, his restlessness is aggravat ed when he is alone. The inner restlessness is such that sometimes he may develo p an impulse to run. Dromomania (Tarentulla). This tendency appears also as a psycho logical need to escape from unpleasant situations. Many patients are sensitive, irritable, and impatient, difficult to please and seemingly do not now what th ey want. The most characteristic feature is their suspiciousness in matters concerning th eir own health. They occupy themselves so much with this theme that they eventually become a very special ind of hypochondriac. They go from one doctor to another, receiving all sorts of advice, but if you offer them a medicine, ev en when you explain to them that the remedy is harmless, they loo at you with sus picion and are very cautious in ta ing the prescribed medicine. At home they may ta e the tablets or drops for some days but it seems as if that only increases their hypochondriacal anxiety and despair. These pills don't help me at all. They are not good for my body.....Is it possib le that this medicine may be poisoning me? I canot bear any ind of medicine. No thing can help me, I am incurable, etc., are typical remar s of Allium sativa. These patients are sometimes really very ill, not only in their imagination, but they cannot tolerate any ind of medicine and therefore the fear or conviction finally arises that nothing can help them and that they will never get well again. It is mainly in this situation that they are restless, sad and low spirited espe cially when alone and not distracted by others from their anxious wandering thou ghts. And then the above mentioned impulse to run away ta es over in order to escape from all that. Even sleep is frequently very restless and disturbed. Sometimes it may be imposs ible for the patient to sleep on account of darting pains in the chest, or becau se of a sensation of a weight in the stomach or simply just because he is thirsty. On f alling asleep his muscles begin to twitch and he has shoc s in the feet. The All ium sativa case may not only weep in his sleep, but may also have a feeling of oppr ession in the chest or may wa e up frequently due to a sensation of coldness. The general restlessness occurs in dreams as well. He has frightful, anxious dre
ams or he may dream for example of rapid transits from place to place or of wate r and storms, and the dreams may continue even after wa ing. Allium sativum may also be of service in special inds of neurological symptoms which manifest themselves mostly as lassitude and wea ness of the lower limbs. T his peculiar muscular wea ness of the legs is sometimes so great that the patient f eels that it would ta e too much effort even to climb a few steps. A ind of general lassitude and torpor have also been observed. This can particu larly be the case in children, who are usually very pale, topically emaciated, t he bowels wor ing only sluggishly. The bac may be so wea that they do not learn to wal . These children are sometimes so drowsy that they appear lifeless.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
Garlic is a very old remedy. It was nown in ancient Indian, Egyptian, Roman and Gree medicine as a very potent remedy against many diseases. The only reason w hy it is not used more frequently in Homeopathy seems to be the insufficient experien ce that we have with this plant. Since Allium sativum has been proved by Petroz and Teste in the year 1852, homeo paths have mainly used it in chronic dyspepsia and chronic bronchial catarrh, bu t also in other parts of the body such as in the region of the head and of the lower l imbs, where we can find interesting symptoms. The classical description of Allium sativum is a dar complexioned, well-fed per son with a strong constitution and firm flesh although he may be disposed to cor pulence and obesity quite frequently. He li es a good living, loves eating very much, this being indeed one of his fav orite occupations in which he can indulge with excessive abandon. He is neverthe less rather a gourmand than a glutton. He may not in general be very fond of vegetar ian food, and prefers meat, a good juicy stea for instance, which may be accompanied by a desire for butter. But to his great regret, a time comes in his life where he can no longer tolerat e this good living anymore. At first he only has complaints after overeating, bu t very soon he is compelled to eep to a special diet because his stomach or his bowel s are disturbed by the slightest deviation, by the least change of his usual foo d. He may even get complaints if he drin s water which is not good enough. After he has eaten he must belch, has heartburn and burning eructations which ex cite a copious salivation. The saliva is often sweetish and a great amount of it accumulates in the mouth especially after supper and during the night, although the tongue may be dry at night. He sometimes also has the sensation as if somet hing cold followed by something hot and stinging ascends the esophagus. He feels a burning in the stomach which is very sensitive to the least pressure but painless as long as it is not touched. Or he may have pressing pains as from a stone or a weight in the stomach. He may also feel a weight in the hypogastrium (the region of the lower abdomen) immediately after a meal and everything in th e abdomen seems to drag downwards.
After a meal he is very drowsy, and complains about chest problems li e palpitat ions or dry cough which are presumably caused by the formation of gas in the abdomen. This flatulence is connected to an incomplete emission of fetid flatus as if the wind were held bac in the bowels. The abdominal pains can really be terrible, especially the wind-colic. In a simi lar way to Lycopodium or Momordica he complains about a pain just below the left ribs in the region of the transverse and descending colon. Or he feels a pressure in the upper part of the abdomen - in the epigastrium and transverse colon - which forces him to sit bent forward and to press with both hands in order to get rel ief (li e Coloc.) and these pains become unbearable while wal ing around. Every step causes an excruciating pain as if his intestines were being torn apart and he must lie down to get relief. Even a constipation is connected with almost constant dull pains in the bowels. The stool itself is at first more or less normal, but then watery and hot. Prola psus ani may also be possible. As one would expect in chronic disturbances of the stomach and bowels the appear ance of the tongue is mostly abnormal. It is either furred white or pale with re d papillae or smooth with dwindling of the papillae. After this ind of dyspepsia has lasted a long time and has become chronic, he g rows afraid of never getting well, especially because every little change in his usual manner of living increases his complaints afresh. When he is alone he feels uneasy, depressed, restless and gets more and more anx ious about his state of health. But in a strange way, after going to the doctor to have a chec up, he either ta es the prescribed medicine for a short time or not at all as though he had a fear of being poisoned. What shall I do with this stuff? I can't ta e anything, not even my normal food. I can't bear any ind of medicine either. He would li e to escape from the whole situation but there seems to be no way out. The Allium sativum person who in the past has loved good living so much has even tually become an oversensitive, hypochondriacal patient, restless, anxious, impa tient, not pleased with anything, neither with his food nor with his medicine. Of course, all of these mental symptoms can occur in other chronic diseases as w ell although they seem to be particularly typical in gastrointestinal disturbanc
es. Another main indication of Allium sativum are diseases of the respiratory tracts . In earlier times, garlic had been used not only as a prophylactic but also with germicidal expectations in chronic congestion of the bronchi with phlegm, as for instance in tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiectasia, pulmonary emphyzema, asthma, and eve n in tuberculosis. Besides the old herbal healers report that garlic is especial ly useful in general complaints li e coughs and sneezes which are caused by cold a ir, mist, humid, or cold-wet weather and stic y air. In an incomprehensible way, in spite of all these empirical experiences, we rare ly use it in these diseases, although garlic has also produced very clear sympto ms in homeopathic provings: In coryza, there is either an increased secretion with slight stoppage of both n ostrils or the coryza is rather dry than fluent with pressive pain from above th e
root of the nose... Heaviness in forehead.... Pressing pains in head from withi n outward. These symptoms indicate that Allium sativum is probably a good remedy in frontal sinusitis. Catarrhal deafness of the left ear. In addition the auditory canals are sometime s stuffed up by hardened earwax or hardened crusts. Accumulation of mucus in throat with heaviness of head in the morning. Voice rou gh and hoarse. Chronic catarrh of windpipe without fever but with difficult breathing and moist cough. In chronic bronchitis with continuous mucous rales the expectoration of extremel y copious mucus occurs especially in the morning after leaving the bedroom. The expectoration may be a thin, yellowish, purulent-loo ing, blood-strea ed mucus of putrid odor but often the sputum is tenacious, glutinous or even ropy and ver y difficult to raise. Also without much expectoration the cough gives rise to a perceptible fetid smel l. The cough itself is not only aggravated in the morning, but also by bending the head, after eating and in the open air. Especially while smo ing a cigarette the patient has sudden paroxysms of a hard, dry cough. (Herbal healers use garlic as a of antidote against the consequences of chronic smo ing.)
ind
In the region of the head there are some eynotes too. For example dull pain in occiput in morning when lying on bac . That is interesting because it is a pathognomical symptom of high blood pressure. And indeed garlic is one of the f ew plants which is well nown for having an influence on hypertension. Low blood pressure with transient vertigo on rising from a chair may be also be possible. Another important symptom is a heaviness in the head, particularly in the forehe ad, almost preventing him from opening the eyes. In women this heaviness of the head ceases with the onset of menses but returns after the flow has stopped. Ve rtigo too ameliorates as soon as the menses appear. Another characteristic symptom is that vertigo comes about when the patient loo s long and steadily on anything, fixing the eyes or exerting them, (li e in Natm. and Phos.). Not only the vertigo, but also some catarrhal symptoms of the eyes with agglutin ated lids, smarting, burning lacrimation may be caused or at least aggravated if he
exerts his eyes by reading at night. Even some mouth symptoms li e drawing in the teeth, swollen gums and a sensation of a hair on the tongue may be worse from reading. These days, it is probably possible that all these symptoms also occur while sta ring steadily at a computer screen or watching television. (As you can see garli c is not only good against vampires and Count Dracula) The feeling of a hair on the tongue is another Keynote (li e in Kali-bi. and Sil .) which for example may occur during the night or in the morning, especially on wa ing. Some symptoms of the bladder and of the female genital organs are also worth men tioning. Bladder distended, can bear no pressure, with continual urging to urinate, but o nly a few drops are passed. Ulceration of bladder caused by calculi. (This is only one of the many symptoms which we can find in Kent's Repertory although it is not an observation of homeo paths, but rather of the "Old School" i.e. of herbal healers.) During menses pustules may develop on the vulva or a soreness of vulva and the i nner side of the thighs. Also bright red spots with itching and smarting on the inside of the labia majora and at the entrance of the vagina have been repeatedly obse rved. The mammae may be swollen and painful to touch. Apart from the symptoms of the lower limbs which have already been described at the end of the first chapter I also want to draw your attention to a special in d of hip-pain against which we do not have any remedies. Allium sativum has a special affinity to rheumatic, sometimes tearing pains in t he hip, in particular when they are connected with pains of the common tendon of the iliac and psoas muscles. On the attempt to cross the legs the pain in the tendo n of the Musculaus iliopsoas becomes so severe that the patient has to cry out. Also when lying in bed he cannot change his position, turn to the other side fo r instance, without pains. The least active motion causes or aggravates the pain i.e. when the affected muscles are actively tensed. Therefore the patient has n o pains by passive motion when for instance he lifts his leg gently with the han ds. Incidentally, some pains of the lower limbs are worse from change of temperature and moist heat. But damp cold weather can also cause tearing and stinging in different parts of the body.
The most interesting symptoms of the upper limbs are presumably the tearing pain s in the fingers extending below the nails, the dry heat on bac of hands and th e peeling off of s in on the hands. Before I conclude the description of Allium sativum I would li e to point to the importance of this remedy for old people. In nearly every country, even in anci ent Indian medicine, garlic is nown as a rejuvenating and life prolonging plant. M odern phytotherapists sometimes call garlic a geriatricum with a definite effect on arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, hypercholesterinemia, diabetes mellitus, disturbances of stomach and bowels and other diseases of the aged.
Aloe socotrina Aloe vera, Barbadensis vel Socotrina, Aloe Soccotrina N.O. Liliaceae Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] - Hexandria monogynia, L. Mode of preparation: A tincture is made from the fiery red gum of the plant by t rituration.
The essential features This is a remedy that primarily affects the digestive system and more especially the end of the large intestines. Its tendency is to produce an engouement of th e veins causing fullness throughout the body, but more especially in the liver region, an abdominal, rectal and intestinal fullness. The main pathology in which you wi ll find Aloe to be indicated is spastic or ulcerative colitis. I have found, however, that the great characteristic of this remedy is a preoccu pation that the patient has with his pathology, that is to say with the whole cy cle eating to excreting. Aloe is easily disturbed by the inta e of food, its digest ion and its expulsion. If you should have such a case, and treat it for a long time before recognising it, you will find that the patient ta es on a hypochondriacal attitude towards h is "stool" and the disturbances that accompany it. The patient may complain constantly abo ut being unable to have a normal stool, and though there may be several stools a day he remains unsatified. Actually Aloe can produce a state where the intestines wor intensely, as if inf lamed for a few days, where the patient may have several stools a day, and then for a certain period of time there may be total inactivity. Stool is not diarrhoic, b ut soft, unformed and can come several times in the morning, for several days, a nd this in a crescendo, e.g. three times the first day, four times the second, five tim es the fourth etc. This can then be followed by an obstinate constipation for tw o or three wee s, during which there may be no stool, or very little, passed with gr
eat difficulty. Together with this or a similar situation the patient may feel an uncertainty co ncerning the rectum. He may often pass some flatus, and accompanying this, or in stead of it, a little bit of a soft stool. The patient nows this and tries to contro l it, but there is excessive flatus in the abdomen and a lot of rumbling and gus hing; much gas is evacuated with stool, but he gets little relief and you will tend to pre scribe Podo. or Lyc. with little or no effect. This syndrome seems to annoy the patient tremendously. He may become angry again st his disease and almost constantly preoccupied with his stool. Why can't I hav e a normal stool? Where is this condition going? Am I going to have a normal stool or not? Today I did not have any stool, and so on and so forth. He is so preoccc upied with it that he will give you the impression that he is very anxious about his health. If you as him directly whether he is afraid of having cancer he will de ny it but he will accept that this whole situation annoys him tremendously and ma es him somewhat anxious. There seems to be a disturbing feeling originating from the rectum; this may be due to a number of causes, namely: an intense itching deep in the rectum, a sens e of fullness as from the presence of stools that cannot come out, deep pain from he morrhoids, the fact of having mucus in the stool, or some involuntary discharge of stool or mucus. Whatever the cause, the result is always the same: tremendous a nnoyance that leads the patient to despair, and sometimes leads him to put his finger right into his rectum to relieve the itching or whatever other feeling m ay be there. Your final observation will be that "his stool and his rectum" preoccupy his min d so much that he cannot thin of anything else; this at least is the impression that he will give you. A grand eynote of Aloe that can always guide you to this remedy is the lac of control he has over the sphincters of the anus in both acute and chronic conditi ons. Kent describes this beautifully for the acute state: "Dysenteric and diarrhoic troubles. In the attac of diarrhea there is gushing of thin, yellow, offensive excoriating faeces, which burn li e fire, and the anus is sore. He holds the st ool with difficulty, does not dare ta e his mind off the sphincter because as so on as he does so the stool will escape. He cannot let the least quantity of flatus es
cape, because with it there will be a rush of faeces. With the Aloe diarrhea the abdomen is distended with gas, causing a feeling of fullness and tightness, and he must go often to stool. Little ones soon after they begin to wal , will drop all over the carpet, involu ntarily, little yellow drops of mucus and faeces,..There is a lac of control of the sphincter. This state is not always confined to diarrhea because sometimes chil dren will go around dropping involuntarily little hard, round, marble-li e piece s of stool. They do not even
now the stool has passed... "
I had a case of chronic spastic colitis with a lot of rumbling and flatus and di stension, with little pain in the abdomen and an amelioration in the evening and I
prescribed Lycopodium in different potencies with very little effect, then I ga ve Gambogia and Podophyllum and waited but no effect. I too the case again and again until I learned, out of a direct question, that sometimes the patient would hav e a little involuntary stool thin ing that it was flatus; she confessed further that at least three times during the last few years she had had an involuntary stool du ring sleep that passed out unnoticed, a complete evacuation. She was too shy to tell me all that from the very beginning, and did not thin that it was that importa nt as it happened infrequently. Aloe brought about a relief not only of the spas tic colitis but of her mental state as well. Loo ing upon the case in this way we notice the great annoyance which the patien t suffers from the stool and rectum. The patient becomes irritable and hateful, dissatisfied, discontented and his conduct repels others. The Aloe case may bec ome cross and peevish, without any reason, but especially in cloudy weather. Dissatisfied and angry about himself. In the text it says loathing of life duri ng pain, irritability during pain. All this seems to be connected with the funct ioning of the digestive cycle. Sometimes the patient may become particularly angry if somebody expresses a diff erent opinion; he then has to restrain himself not to hit the other person, not to be violent. All this turmoil upsets him enormously however, and he starts having p ains in the abdomen, and more distention and more flatulence and more irritabili ty. He nows that by becoming so angry inside he will have to suffer. Aloe appears to be a rather calm and stoic individual in spite of such inner irr itations. To others he loo s calm and serene and ta es up a rather philosophical attitude. He loo s content. Aloe individuals appear to be phlegmatic and indole nt. Underneath there is actually a state of indifference. Indeed I have often fo und a state of resignation from life, an attitude such as: "I now there is no hope. I will die soon, but it does not matter really". A loathing of life is apparent, where it seems as though he were not interested in continuing to live, though the pathol ogy does not at all justify such an attitude. In the boo s we read: "Tranquility , serenity, reconciled to fate." Further on we read: "predicts the time of death" , but this symptom, if you should find it, is only expressed in this way in the acute
states. There is a strong fear on seeing blood which may cause Aloe to faint, also fears of doctors, of hospitals, of being alone and of high places. Aloe people seem to be rather closed up and do not establish deep relationships. The Aloe organism is one that goes up and down easily, and has alternating state s. For instance he can be excited easily, the face becoming flushed, heated up, the mind racing with thoughts crowding each other, and then a change can ta e place leading him to a state of lassitude and indifference. The mind can be very acti ve for a certain time, followed by periods of exhaustion and indolence with an aversio n to mental wor . Mental exertion ma es him feel worse. This ind of functioning of the mind, for instance discontent in the morning fol lowed by contentedness in the evening, is similar to the one we see in rectum: a lot of successive stools and then a period of constipation. In remedies we must try to see patterns rather than symptoms; be aware, however, and ma e sure you see the real ones and not imaginary ones. Once you understand the pattern you can recognise it with greater ease in a case than a ch can often be misleading.
eynote whi
A usual time of aggravation for Aloe is undoubtedly the time after eating. Immed iately after eating his mood changes, he wants to be by himself, wants to remain silent, immersed in his own thoughts. Many times he becomes anxious or indiffer ent. He may have fainting spells, vertigo or headache. A similar condition will appear in case of abnormal or inefficient stool. What is important for you to remember is that his mood changes once the process of digestion starts and will not stop until it is finished. Of course this is an exaggeration, but the underlying idea, the pattern, is correct. It is an organism that labours under the effort of processing food and expelling the waste. It is aggravated with irritability before stool, or if the stool is insufficient, but we do not see the real amelioration after stool characteristi c of Natr-s., or Calc-carb. On the contrary we see a general wea ness, a faintne ss after stool, and in severe acute cases Aloe may fall into unconsciousness durin g stool. The time of amelioration of this remedy is in the evening, the anxiety, the irri
tability, the discontent, the sadness are all better in the evening.
Generalities Suitable for obese people with sedentary habits, of a lymphatic or hypochondriac al temperament. Phlegmatic, indolent. We must stress also the portal congestion, the portal stasis and the propensity of this remedy to manifest haemorrhoids which protrude li e "a bunch of grapes". Wea ness with perspiration; entering a warm room; after vomiting; from sour food . Fainting after diarrhea, also after stool. Desire for cold air.
Sensation of congestion and fullness all over the surface of the body. There is orgasm of blood with anxiety and restlessness. Sensation of a plug internally. Aggravations: There is a general aggravation from heat; after eating; from oyste rs; in warm season; in a warm room; in the morning at 5 or 6 a.m. Aggravation of colitis symptoms with beans and peas. Amelioration in cool open air, with cold applications, passing flatus, after tea . Needs stimulants Aloe has a reputation for clearing a case after a lot of medication. I have not been able to understand this reputation or to justify it.
Vertigo - head There is a peculiar vertigo as if elevated higher than he actually is, as if he is sitting in a very high chair, which is felt mostly after meals. Vertigo while reading; after fright; from stooping; rising from a seat; after co ngestion; from sun; from suppression of menses; from concussion. A child during teething turns suddenly red and falls unconscious. Head congestion due to venous stasis. He has to sit up. The head feels hot and h e wants something cool on it. Burning headache as of brain agitated by boiling water. Hyperemia of the head during stool. Pain in the head before stool. Headache from insufficient stool. Dull headache across the forehead with heaviness in eyes and nausea. Headaches are aggravated by heat and ameliorated from cold applications. Headaches before and after menses, ceases during menses. Sensation as if air is passing through the head. Sensation as if the head is enl arged. Pain in the temples extending to eyes. A great peculiarity of this remedy is the alternation of symptoms of the head wi th different other symptoms. Head symptoms alternating with abdominal or uterine symptoms or with bac pain, lumbago. Headache alternating with hemorrhoids. Dandruff.
Eyes Congestion of eyes. Lacrimation. Closes the eyes partially from pain in the forehead. Twitching of eyelids during day time, more of the left. Pain deep in the orbits. Flic ering before the eyes. Colours before the eyes; yellow rings moving in fron t of the eyes. Dim vision while writing. Scotoma.
Ears There is a peculiar sensitivity towards sounds, mostly musical, which can ma e h er tremble. She hates it (in hysteria). On pressing the teeth together a sensation of numbness behind the ears. Tearing pain in left and then in right ear. Noises and pain in ear while chewing. Crac ing noise while moving the jaw.
Nose
Coldness of the tip of nose. Redness of nose in the cold open air while the rest of the face is not red. Blee ding after wa ing. Dryness of the nose. Burning pain during coryza.
Face Heat of the face during excitement and during headache. Lips dry and crac ed. Dry and scaly, continuously lic s them with the tongue. Lips red, crac ed and bleeding.
Mouth Yellow white discoloration of tongue. Sensation of coldness of the left side of the tongue. Sore spots inside chee s. Difficult to protrude the tongue, causes pain. Yellow ulcers in the mouth and tongue. Taste li e in or iron in the mouth. Metallic taste. Tongue and mouth dry. Accumulation of saliva in the mouth. Sensation as if the palate was swollen.
Throat Thic lumps of jelly li e mucus in the throat which come out easily early after rising. Rough, as if burnt. Pain in the throat as if soft palate and uvula were swollen.
Stomach
In the stomach in general we observe an immediate association between the appeti te and eating and the functions of digestion. There is definitely an inbalance w hich appears in different ways li e : Increased appetite in the evening, also in the morning after stool. While having diarrhea the appetite is increased. After eating there is pulsation and sexual irritation. Hungry after stool. Empty feeling in stomach after stool. Indigestion. The stomach is disordered from beer and from wrong diet. Desires juicy things, fruits, especially apples; salty things. Aversion to meat or desire for meat. Thirsty during eating. Thirsty after supper. Bitter eructations and pains after drin ing water. Pains after brea fast. Eructations ameliorate a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. Sour things disagree with him, cause indigestion and a general feeling of wea ne ss. Pain in the pit of stomach from a mis-step.
Hematemesis. The stomach pains are worse from jar and motion and usually extend upwards towards the chest and throat. Vomiting of thic mucus on going to stool, or after drin ing water. Distension of epigastrium and both hypochondria. Fullness in epigastrium with great desire for stimulants.
Abdomen In the abdomen we see a lot of characteristic symptoms as this is the area of sp ecial action of this remedy. The fullness, the distension, the dragging down sen sations prevail. There is fullness due to portal stasis, irritation of the mucous membranes of th e intestines with a lot of mucous discharge and wea ness of the muscular structu re especially of the sphincters of the anus. The abdomen feels full and bloated with gurglings before stool. There is heavine ss in lower abdomen with dragging down sensation. Prolapse of rectum. Distress and a ind of anxiety felt in the abdomen before stool. The pains in abdomen tend to extend to different directions. It is one of very f ew remedies that have this tendency. Pain in the hypochondria extends to the chest. Pain extends from the inguinal re gion down to the legs and nee. Pressing pain from the sides extends to the navel. Pain from the umbilucus or the lower abdomen extends downwards, to the anus. The peculiar thing is that this pain will appear immediately after the stool or in the effort to have an unsatisfactory stool. The pain is better lying on abdomen or bending forwards. Dull pain, uneasiness, tension in the liver region, worse when standing, has to bend forwards. Discharge of flatus relieves pain in the abdomen. Sensation of pulsation during night in bed. Constant rumbling in abdomen, with a feeling as if they must have a stool, but n o evacuation following (in cases of severe gastroenteritis).
Rectum Sense of insecurity in the rectum, he is not sure whether stool or flatus will p ass. Stool escapes with the flatus or even during urination. It seems that the l east pressure on the sphincters will ma e them give in. Before stool, much rumbling in the bowels, accompanied by the escape of large volume of wind. Involuntary stool during sleep, after eating, during urination, on wal ing. The stool is formed and can also be hard. Stool passes unnoticed in little children. Has to rush to the toilet otherwise feels that he will loose stool Sensation of paralysis in the rectum. Sensation of a plug between the pubis and the coccyx with urging to stool. Bowel motion every time he moves around. Anus feels wea , mucus oozes out, soils the underpants and irritates the patient tremendously. Hemorrhoids that protrude li e a bunch of grapes. Diarrhea: after eating unripe fruits, oysters; from been overheated; before mens es; from vexation Diarrhea early in the morning about 5 or 6 am, driving him out of bed. The diarrhea is better when lying on his abdomen and worse when standing and wor se wal ing Diarrhea alternates with constipation. Constipation of old people. Constant desire without effect. Can pass a stool onl y when urinating. Intolerant itching in rectum, ameliorated by cold bathing, has to stic in his f inger to ameliorate the distress.
Stool burning excoriates rectum Pain in the rectum extends to abdomen. Burning pain in the rectum after flatus. The burning is ameliorated by cold bath ing. Cutting pain after stool. Pulsation in rectum while sitting. Sudden urging for stool on passing flatus; after eating; on rising; while standi ng; all symptoms pointing out again the basic wea ness of the rectum. Stool: cream colored, first hard and then soft hot, burning excoriating the rectum lumpy and liquid sputtering watery, bloody, yellowish-greenish.
Urinary organs Involuntary urination in the aged, bearing down sensation and enlargement of the prostate gland. Dribbling with enlarged prostate. On passing urine feels that stool will escape. Frequent urging with burning during urination. Urination retarded, must wait for urine to start. Sediment bran-li e, granular. Urine copious, offensive, putrid.
Genitalia - male In the male we see either impotency with coldness of the scrotum and indifferenc e, no desire at all, or easy excitement especially after the urethra has been stimulated with urination or involuntary emissions. Penis shrun , atrophied, testicles cold. Impotency. There is neither desire nor
erections. They can be easily disappointed from their own performance in sex, th ey feel they cannot satisfy the partner, which ma es them lose their desire and potency . In general the libido is not strong. Erections in children. Involuntary emissions during sleep at night, in the morning and during siesta, f ollowed by sexual excitement and erections. Sexual irritability, erections without desire after eating. Sexual excitement af ter urinating. Seminal emissions from slight fright, from noises. Affections of the prostate gland.
Genitalia - female The desire for sex is less than normal and the pleasure is local. Fullness and heaviness felt in the uterus, feeling of congestion worse when stan ding. Labour-li e pains extending to the rectum or to thighs. Menses early and profuse. Menses can easily be suppressed if she ta es a cold ba th, even washing herself locally the menses may stop. Leucorrhea of bloody mucus preceded by abdominal colic. Cold feet during menses.
Chest Hoarseness of voice on wa ing in the morning. Tightness of chest, congestion. Bronchitis. Cough which is better on lying on abdomen and worse standing. Cough worse in the act of rising from a sitting position. Winter cough with tic ling. Respiration difficult, impeded because of stitches on the left side of the chest . Pain in chest from rising after stooping. Pain on the sides of chest on bending forwards. Pain in the heart extending to bac . Pain on deep inspiration.
Bac Pain in lumbar region alternating with headaches or hemorrhoids. Pain in bac on beginning of menses. Pain from lumbar region extending to rectum. Pain in sacral region worse sitting and better moving about.
Extremities Coldness and numbness of the extremities are very prominent symptoms in this rem edy. Cold hands alternating with cold feet. Cold hands with hot feet. Warm feet with coldness of the rest of the body. Pains of the extremities of all inds. Pains as if bruised, dislocated. Drawing pains in the joints. Soles painful wal ing on a hard surface. Feet burning during fever, uncovers them.
Sleep Sleep is easily disturbed by joyful news, from coldness of hands or feet, after midnight until 5 a.m. Wa es early at 5 or 6 a.m. with urging to stool. Sleeplessness from itching of the anus Dreams amorous; of stool, excrements, that he is soiling himself; of becoming in sane. Dreams of monsters.
Fever Heat in spots. Succession of stages, heat and then sweat and then heat again.
S in Eruptions mostly in winter. Spots that once scratched become painful and sensitive. Heat of the surface of t he body.
Clinical Affection of anus. Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Gastroenteritis. Chol era. Dysentery. Hemorrhoids. Proctitis. Prolapsus uteri, anus. Affections of prostate . Lumbago. Pain in sacrum.
Causation Sedentary habits.
Relationships It is related to: Aeculus, Podoph., Sepia It is complementary to: Sulphur Remedies that follow well: Kali bichromicum, Sepia, Sulphur and Sulphurosum acid um
Antidotes It is antidoted by: Sulphur, Mustard, Camphor, Lycopodium and Nux vomica.
Dosage From 3x to the CM.
Alumina silicata Andalusite roc - Alumina 63, Silica 37 parts.
The essential features This is another interesting remedy about which we do not have enough information . Most of the symptomatology comes from Kent and from the few cases where I have prescribed it so far. I am convinced that this is going to prove to be a very i mportant remedy once we now more about it. You may need this remedy in the deepest and most stubborn cases you meet in your homeopathic career. It is a remedy that contains in its pathogenesis elements f rom all three remedies : Alumen, Alumina and Silica and yet it has its own individu ality. What is stri ing in my experience is the fact that those patients who nee d this remedy may present symptoms which are not very obtrusive, but deep and disturbi ng on a permanent basis. It seems that once an Alumina silicata symptomatology sets in there is no interval in the suffering of the patient, it is there all t he time, day and night. In this way the patient becomes a victim of the most dee p and
annoying symptomatology. This subtle but incessant suffering becomes a great el ement of this remedy. For instance a woman may ta e to her bed for most of her wa ing time for years complaining of a nondescript lassitute. It so grasps the system as to slow down its action and defences and leaves the p atient in a miserable state. The brain seems not to wor or wor s very slowly, a s if clouded all the time; there is no moment when Alumina silicata individuals feel their mind is clear, and it is only in the evening that there is a little bit o f an amelioration. They complain that their thin ing processes have been diminished to the extent that they seem to themselves to be useless individuals. A usual expression is "I have become an invalid". They abhor any mental labor and slowl y start giving up their everyday activities one after the other. This process ta es a long time to develop, even years, but it is a steady and sure decline of the organism. It is useful at this point to state a warning about this remedy: do not be in a hurry to change it if you see no apparent results within two or even three month s. There is a definite similarity between the long process of time ta en by the or ganism to develop the disturbance and the time needed for the cure. Yet in order to wait so long you must see some subtle, minute changes especially in energy leve ls and in a clearing of the mind. This long process of development also ta es place in the peripheral nervous syst em, where we see a course of very slow, gradual paralysis. The extremities becom e heavier and heavier, the body feels heavier every day and eventually they canno t lift their legs to step up a few stairs; the lassitude is so great that they t a e to bed. We can see the same story with the constipation, which is stubborn and persisten t, which nothing can help. The Alumina silica case will give you a story of prog ressive constipation, in the early stages of which the problem was not so bad, but whic h eventually came to the point where none of the laxatives could help. They have to strain a great deal, even with soft stools, and then only a small, unsatisfacto ry amount is passed. Together with such conditions you may have chronic stubborn headaches where the patient complains of nondescript pains in the head - not severe, not excruciatin g
but rather a ind of headache that paralyses the mental faculties of the patien t rendering him "useless". These types of headache can be so persistent that the patient cannot perform his daily duties, the mind is clouded and he becomes irr itable, irascible and dissatisfied. In such cases you get the impression that the liver is torpid, slow, congested, not functioning properly. Bilious headaches. The patient is irritable, never satisfied or happy as he feels that he cannot en joy anything. He cannot ta e any heavy food, and experience teaches him to ta e good notice of everything he eats, and ma e sure that it be pure and simple and easi ly digestible. Often complete fasts are necessary for Alumina silicata patients to eep their health in a tolerable condition. Fasting seems to help the headaches , the constipation, the torpidity of the liver and the cloudiness of the mind an d, in general, the congestion of the organism. You may find yourself wondering how these people eep going as they lose flesh a ll the time, becoming anemic, emaciated, disturbed by any ind of heavy food, by cold weather, feeling constantly tired and having to have frequent rests. Resting and warmth bring the greatest amelioration to Alumina silica, though the y may desire the fresh air and may feel heat in the head. Any strong excitement or motion will aggravate their condition. Alumina silica cases are closed in on themselves, year after year. They become m ore and more timid, introverted and reserved, and cannot face the challenges of life. They are very sensitive to criticism and easily offended but will not show it, attempting to hide it. They will suffer silently and deeply without ma ing a str ong point about their suffering. They have a desire for solitude, the presence of o ther people aggravates their symptomatology. It is only if they are depressed, that they get some relief by telling some frie nd about their misery and depression. They don't li e crowds of people, preferri ng the company of one person only, and they are better when alone, li e Sepia in some respects, especially in their energy. These patients are critical, dissatisfied, never happy or content. It seems as i f they cannot enjoy the good things in life; they are displeased, dissatisfied w ith everything. They cannot tolerate contradiction and easily feel hurt and start w eeping. They do not li e to get into arguments as they now that if they get ang
ry or upset this will cost them a lot, with more headaches, more constrictions, mo re cloudiness of the mind, more misery. They become morose, peevish, ill-humored . With the decline of Alumina silica's mental faculties, indecision sets in, due t o the fact that they cannot thin clearly. They develop aversion to wor , they f eel mentally fatigued, prostrated. If they force themselves to study or to do some mental wor they are aggravated, and even develop symptoms from mental wor . Other mental symptoms are: dullness, difficulty of thin ing and comprehension. D ifficult concentration, worse in the morning on wa ing where they feel confused, as if the brain were congested and torpid. They are absent-minded and ma e mista e s in spea ing and writing, using wrong words. Deficiency of ideas. Wea ness of memory. And in the midst of this mental confusion Alumina silica patients develop an anx iety as if they were guilty, as if they had committed some crime. They are const antly reproving themselves, even feeling remorseful. They may also develop a covert a nxiety about their health, or an anxiety in the evening, at night and after slee p. Eventually they become fearful, living in a constant state of fear, especially in the morning on wa ing. Apprehension that they will lose their sanity. This fe ar is
mostly apparent on wa ing in the morning where the mind is most confused. She t hin s that she is growing smaller and that she will fall if she rises to her fee t. Such numerous problems frequently cause these patients to fall into indifference , apathy, and eventually states of depression where they feel that they cannot g o on living li e this; they may wish to die, loathing life and contemplating suicide . Eventually a passive ind of insanity may develop with great mental wea ness, religious affections and hysterical laughing.
Some general symptoms and
eynotes
The patient has a desire for cold air but cold air and cold in general aggravate all complaints; he is much worse after becoming cold. Great coldness during the pains. Even chilliness after eating is possible. (But cold applications ameliorate the headache and the crawling and itching of the female genital organs.). Worse from cold drin s, cold water, mil but also from very warm food. Warmth and warm applications ameliorate but a close warm room aggravates and the extreme heat of summer ta es her strength. She wants her body wrapped up, but wants her head in cold air. All pains are worse from excitement and motion and are better from perfect rest, especially from resting in bed. (Yet some symptoms are worse lying in bed or ly ing on bac .). Wal ing fast, lifting or any exertion aggravate, even standing, rising up from b ed or chair and going up stairs. The brain, spine and abdominal viscera are extremely sensitive to a jar, as in r iding in a car or wagon. Pressure sometimes increases and sometimes helps the pa ins. The patient is better from fasting. He feels a general amelioration of his condi tion if he eats nothing, or only very small quantities of food, and he does so i n a very strict manner. Constriction is a general symptom that applies to all parts of the body, also ch aracteristic is a sensation of constriction of orifices. Sensation of fullness throughout the body with distended veins and fainting spel ls.
Nerves Epileptic and epileptiform convulsions. Multiple neuritis, multiple sclerosis, locomotor ataxia. Inflammation of the nerves. Trembling and twitching all over. Paralysis of the lower half of the body: painful or painless paralysis of the lo wer limbs, paralysis of the rectum, paralytic wea ness of the bladder. The whole body is sore to touch and pressure, burning stitching, tearing pain wa ndering from place to place. Pain in the lower limbs from excitement; burning pain in the arms from excitemen t. Sensation of crawling as though ants were in the brain, this sensation travels d own the body and leaves at the toes. Tearing pains, painful itching without eruption. Tearing pains, painful itching and formication along the course of nerves. Tingling, pric ling and violent itching without eruption. Numbness of single parts and of painful parts. Numbness of all the limbs, hands and fingers, feet and heels. Numbness of first two toes of right foot while lying on the bac . Wea ness and aw wardness of the limbs. He is unable to step up when ascending stairs, it seems to him that he cannot li ft his body to the next step. Great wea ness and stiffness of the bac compelling her to remain in bed. Aching and burning in the spine. Pain in the bac on motion, rising from a seat stooping or wal ing, better by ly ing perfectly quiet. Pric ling li e needles in the lumbar region on exertion, better during rest.
Vertigo Vertigo while closing the eyes with tendency to fall forward; on turning the hea d a tendency to fall towards the direction the head is turned.
Head Rush of blood to the head with a boiling sensation and coldness of the occiput. Noise affects her deeply when she has a headache, it causes the headache to beco me pulsating and when something drops on the floor it seems to drop on her head. When a lancinating pain in head comes on the lips stic together because of the dryness of the mouth.
Nose Dull pain in nose when breathing extends upward to middle of vertex.
Stomach Appetite is increased but the first mouthful causes nausea. The sight and thought of food causes nausea. Food is tasteless. Water tastes as if spoiled.
Chest Lying on right side causes coughing spells. Coughing after eating and during headaches.
Extremities The nails become brittle; the hands are constantly chapped; coldness of hands le
gs and feet; hands cold as ice and fingers blue. Ulceration about the nails. Wou nds heal slowly.
Sleep The sleep is restless with frequent wa ing, full of nightmares, with tal ing or weeping in sleep.
Alumen Common potash alum. Alum. Potassic-Aluminic Sulphate. An astringent double salt, found as a mineral near the volcanoes of the Lipari I sles, in Sicily.
The essential features This remedy should be understood as having mainly two phases, two states of path ological action upon the human organism. In the first it produces conditions where we see extreme dryness of the mucous m embranes (coition is almost impossible), and s in which becomes rough, induratio ns and hardening of glands and tissues of tongue, of rectum, uterus, mammae etc wi th a tendency to malignancy, ulcers with indurated bases, epitheliomas, scirrhus etc. There is a tendency in this remedy to greyish blac manifestations such as erupt ions, stool which is blac , dar pseudomembranes on throat etc. The second phase is one of paralysis, paralytic wea ness, especially in rectum ( severe constipation) and bladder (no power to expel the urine, runs perpendicula rly), with constricting feelings li e that of a tight band especially on extremities. Also paresis, sluggish action of muscles, varicose veins that become relaxed an d bleed, hemorrhages of various types especially from rectum, etc. Sometimes we see a combination of the two phases as in the severe constipation t hat this remedy produces, where there is dryness of the mucous membranes and dry hard stool, with no peristalsis, a ind of paresis of the rectum where the pati ent will go for many days without any urging for stool. No ability to expel the stool which is as hard as a stone, dry, forming little balls li e sheep dung that adh ere together and come out in big masses with an unbearable, excruciating pain th at extends to the thighs. Alumen wea ens the system causing the person to become very excitable, very nerv ous, crying or laughing easily, often with a spasmodic laughter. Such persons cannot sustain stress; as soon as they hear something bad that upse ts them even a little, they have tremors in the muscles. If they believe that something is wrong with their health they experience strong palpitations, wea n ess and trembling; again, thin ing about their disease will immediately ma e the m have palpitations. They cannot bear pain, which is unbearable to them, and in t heir despair they will express a disbelief in your medicine; they are almost cer tain that the medicine is not going to help. For instance you may have a case with c ancer of the rectum, or very painful hemorrhoids and you may have decided that t he
remedy loo s li e Alumen; you say so with confidence, but you notice that the p atient does not believe that there will be any relief, and this is another confi rmation of your choice. Alumen has no stamina, and will remain in bed all day long without much apparent reason. The whole family will be upset, they will as why and will be given no reason. It is actually an anxiety that produces a condition where she feels she must st ay in bed, for otherwise she will not recover. She does not want to move about. The Alumen patient wa es up in the morning with depression, but his worse time i s between nine and twelve noon during which time there is a strong inclination t o weep. Other moods include a state of loathing of life in the evening and strong anxiety at night. Alumina cases can be very much oppressed, anxious, with a fee ling of heaviness as if there is a stone on their chest with a desire to ta e deep b reaths. Alumina cases have an indolent mind, an aversion to doing anything at all; there is an aversion to either physical or mental labor, they just want to stay in be d. In fevers or in last stages they feel confused and have a sensation as if they wer e intoxicated, as if the mind were not clear. From time to time they have a strong fainting spell which is usually associated with gastric disturbances. They may have sudden periodic flushes of heat that ar e very strong, as if the blood is boiling and rushing to the head. During this time th ey feel anxious and fearful. Ailments in Alumen usually come and go suddenly. There is quite a lot of suppressed aggression in the Alumina patient, who will n ot express it until suddenly he becomes furious, and in his fury may attac peop le. Such crises will appear suddenly and periodically. After such incidents the patient may develop a fear, a terrible apprehension that he may ill somebody. This ind of fury, this rage we may see during a high fever, during a delirium. During fever he may also have delusions that the blood is rushing and roaring th rough the veins. A short description of an Alumen syndrome could be: Thin, spare, nervous and exc itable subjects, frightened easily, with no appetite, pain in the stomach, who c annot ta e any food, constipated with hard, blac stool, li e sheep dung in large or small quantities, voided with the greatest difficulty.
Alumina children may have tremendously enlarged and indurated tonsils, (Bar-c., Bar-m.), enlarged uvula, constipated, thin, nervous without appetite, and may ca tch colds easily and repeatedly. To conclude, in this remedy we see a symptomatology which, though similar to Alu mina, has a distinct individuality which characterises it.
Generalities As we have already said in this remedy we see indurations of glands, of tonsils, of uterus, of mammary glands etc... Indurations that are really very hard. We s ee
ulcerations on mucous membranes, especially cervix, vagina, urethra, mouth, sto mach, intenstines, lupus erythematodus, cancer, epitheliomas, scirrhus. It is important to perceive this tendency of the remedy for hardening, infiltrating, indurating the tissues. In studying this medicine one perceives easily that this is a remedy that can produce malignancy. It is indicated also in old people, susceptible to common colds with a lac of r eaction, with bronchial catarrh, with lung abscesses or cancer of the lungs, wit h hemoptysis. Another stri ing feature of this remedy is the paralytic wea ness of the muscles . The muscles lose their tone, their strength. Paralysis from lead poisoning. Wea ness during pregnancy. Faintness, fainting due to a feeling of emptiness in the stomach in chronic gast ritis, has to lie down to feel better. Flushes of heat upwards from the hips to the head, very severe, blood feels li e boiling. Worse from the cold, except for the headache which is ameliorated by very cold a pplications and hard pressure. Aggravation before brea fast. One of the eynotes for this remedy is strong palpitations when lying on right s ide while the vertigo is ameliorated lying on the right side. Periodicity, every other day in the morning Frequent, fast pulse on wa ing in the morning Weariness after menses. This remedy should be thought of in diphtheria, or dipht heria-li e fevers, where there are grayish membranes, extreme prostration entail ing loss of voice, excruciating headache on vertex, vomiting, fetid breathing and t hirst for cold water that ameliorates.
Vertigo Vertigo when there is dar ness, on entering dar room, or vertigo on closing the eyes, better with eyes open. Vertigo with wea ness in pit of stomach which ends in fainting. Vertigo on lying on left side ameliorated by turning to the right side.
Head There is a characteristic headache on vertex, which is burning and pressing as i f there were a heavy weight there ameliorated by hard pressure and very cold applications. The head feels burning and wants cold applications applied with strong pressure and frequently changed. The headache sometimes alternates with cystitis or with pain in the throat. During the headache a desire to drin very cold water that seems to ameliorate t he headache. Headaches may appear after dinner or in the morning on wa ing; or at 4 a.m. , in bed at night. The rest of the headaches are not so peculiar: Shooting headache in temples on wa ing in the morning. Drawing headache in the temples in the evening. Jer ing headache on left side of forehead; in the evening. Pressing headache in the forehead, over the eyes, in the morning; on wa ing. Shooting headache extending from temple to temple. Stitching headache in vertex on stooping. Sensation of twitching of muscles of the head, as if in the brain.
Eyes Corneal staphyloma resulting from injury.
Lupus, eyebrows; lids Strabismus, the right eye is turned in. Purulent ophthalmia. Trachoma. Varicosities of conjuctiva.
Ears Acute hearing during sleep, can hear almost everything. Inflammation with pus. Heat in both ears and left side of the face at night.
Nose Crusts, scabs inside posterior nares. Lupus. Polypus on left side. Sneezing in open air.
Face Formication in lower jaw. Heat on left side of nose.
Mouth Profuse bleeding of gums after extraction of teeth. Gums swollen and spongy, inf lamed, surrounded by a greyish coating. Tongue is folded li e little bags on edges - in lead colic. Spreading ulcers in tongue. Scirrhus of tongue with stitching pain in the tip Pr ofuse saliva. Teeth loose, surrounded by proud flesh.
Throat Very enlarged and indurated tonsils. Recurrent inflammation of tonsils. Greyish thic coating of mucus that loo s li e membranes. Swallowing is impossible because of constriction of esophagus. Varicose veins. Phlegmonous inflammation. Dryness in throat from tal ing. Complete aphonia. Loss of voice from a low state of the economy and from ta ing colds frequently. Rawness in larynx on tal ing. Sensation of s in in larynx. Tic ling in air passages in the morning; on tal ing. Heat in larynx.
Irritation in air passages after rising in the morning. Copious mucus in larynx. Changeable voice; higher voice.
Stomach It has been useful in those people who have easy hematemesis due to using a lot of alcohol. The text says: vomiting of blood in drun ards; the idea is that ther e are small ulcers that bleed easily under the influence of alcohol. Emptiness in stomach with a feeling of faintness before eating. Flushes of heat are ameliorated by drin ing cold water. Loathing of food with nausea worse in the evening. Nausea on wa ing at night; at 4 a.m. Vomits everything he eats. Pain in the stomach that is aggravated by jar or wal ing and ameliorated by lying on bac . Lying down ameliorates nausea also. Cramping, griping, constricting pain at noon; in the afternoon at 4 P.M. Cutting pain in the afternoon at 4 P.M. ; while sitting. Pulsation in the evening; while lying on one's bac . Desires indigestible things. Desire for soft food. Soup aggravates.
Abdomen Flatulence with colic y pains. Retraction of the abdomen and drawing in of the n avel. Dull pain from lead poisoning. Dull pain in abdomen extending downwards to penis. Cramping, griping pain at noon; after ta ing cold. Stitching pain extending to pelvis; extending into penis
Rectum Here we see the most important symptoms of this remedy. Malignant constipation, the patient will wait for several days before he has a s tool that consists of small hard balls adhered together which come out in a big mass creating excruciating pains that extend to thighs especially if the rectum is a ffected with small ulcers due to hemorrhoids. The rectum feels very sore for a few hours after passing of stool, but inspite o f massive evacuation the rectum still feels full because it does not have the po wer to expel all the amount of stool present. Dryness of rectum. Ulceration with bleeding. Hemorrhoids ulcerate and are very painful especially a fter stool; the pain remains for a long time. Blac hemorrhage from anus, large masses of coagulated blood, is something that can be seen in the last stages of typhus where this remedy has to be considered. Lying on bac ameliorates pain. Stitching pain extending to inner side of thigh; extending upward after stool. Bending forward or lying on bac Pulsation in rectum after stool. Stool blac li e balls.
ameliorates the tearing pain in rectum.
Stricture of the urethra. Erections in the afternoon at 2 P.M. ; during dinner. Itching in scrotum in the evening, a dry eruption on the bac side of penis.
Genitalia - female Scirrhus cancer of uterus. Copious leucorrhea in daytime. Leucorrhea that stiffens the linen.
Chest Kent writes: "It has been useful in the treatment of old people who suffer from copious ropy, morning expectoration, catarrh of the chest, haemoptysis and great wea ness of the chest, so that it is difficult to expel the mucus. In this it i s similar to Antimonium Tartaricum. Cronic morning cough. Dry cough in evening after lying down. Cough is not a very important thing in th is remedy. It is the general state of the economy that is to be loo ed at. The c ough will not interpret the nature of the disease to the physician, because when these li ttle ulcers are present they must cause some ind of a cough. This patient may g o into phthisis or be affected by any of the ultimates of the disease." Difficult respiration during stool. Stool is first hard then soft.
Urinary organs Kent again gives us the best description: "Catarrhal conditions prevail througho ut the remedy. In old scrofulous, psoric patients, who are subject to chronic ye llow bland discharges from the eyes, with enlarged veins, chronic yellow discharges from the vagina and from the urethra in the male. Chronic painless gonorrhea. In
addition to the catarrhal discharges there is a tendency to ulceration, so that there are little ulcerative patches in the vagina, little aphthous patches on t he vagina and on the cervix of the uterus. When a patient is suffering from a chronic gonorrhea, instead of the discharge b ecoming white, as in a gleet, it remains yellow and there are little indurations along the urethra, which the patient will call the physician's attention to as "lumps ." Discharge with "little bunches" along the urethra. These are little ulcers, and beneath the ulcers are indurations. When this state is present you have an Alumen gonorrhea. In a little while the p atient will have two or three strictures unless he gets this remedy, because the se little ulcers will each end in a stricture narrowing the canal." Wea ness of sphincter, the urine is falling down perpendicularly. Muco-purulent catarrh in old people. Frequent urination in the afternoon. Chronic, acrid, yellow discharge. Itching of meatus in the evening. Bloody clots in urine. Urine has a bluish iridescent color. Loo s as if cheesy mil had been stirred in it. Cheesy sediment.
Genitalia - male
Difficult respiration after supper. Asthma Fullness in the afternoon; in the evening after eating. Pain in heart extending to right leg. Lying on right side aggravates heart palpitation. Stitching pain extending downward. Palpitation of heart after sudden excitement; after lying in one position for too long, after thin ing about her disease. You may sometimes see old people who are suffering with a chronic cough which ap pears every morning in paroxysms with a copious ropy expectoration, having from time to time some blood in the sputum, who will tell you that they have been co nstipated all their life, that they are wea , nervous, easily trembling with eas y palpitations, who have a history of suppressed gonorrhea. and now have difficul ty in urination because of a stricture in the urethra, and you have a case of Al umen in hand. Cough before or during brea fast is ameliorated after brea fast. Paroxysmal cough followed by copious mucus Tic ling cough in the morning; after rising in the morning. Globular expectoration. White expectoration in the morning. Expectoration after dinner. Expectoration of much yellow mucus.
Bac Kent again writes: "It is well nown that it has a wea spine, with coldness of the spine, a feeling as if cold water were poured down the bac ." Pain, feels as though bac
would brea .
Gnawing pain in lumbar region. Rheumatic pains in the edges and below the scapulae, worse when breathing or sit ting still. Such pains are ameliorated by motion. Wea ness in dorsal and lumbar region.
Extremities Here the eynotes are constrictions: Pains li e a band tied around the arms or t he legs. Constricted feeling around limbs. This constriction is mostly felt in t he right upper arm. Sensation as if lower limbs are bandaged and wea ness of all muscles , especially arms and legs. Paralytic wea ness of the hand during menses. Aw wardness of hands during menses . Paralysis in upper limbs from lead poisoning. Coldness of extremities. Heat in hand in the morning but cold after motion, wal ing. Numbness in extremities, worse lying on them. Rheumatic pain in fingers. Pain in the an le in the morning; while wal ing; on ascending stairs. Trembling in upper limbs after rising. Restlessness of the nee. Twitching. Hands are cold in the afternoon. Eruption on shoulder.
Sleep Sleep is disturbed by frightful dreams. Sleeplessness from sensation of blood rushing through the body. Restlessness in bed.
Fever Lac of reactive power exhausted, voice can scarcely be heard, pseudomembranes w ith a blac ish colour in throat. In typhoid fevers when there is hemorrhage from the bowels, exhaustion etc. Feels as if water is running down bac .
S in Alopecia. Ulcers with indurated base. Varicose veins that bleed easily.
Clinical GASTROINTESTINAL Colic. Hemorrhages. Lead colic. Stricture of esophagus. Constipation. Diarrhea. Affections of anus. Noma [gangrenous stomatitis]. GENITOURINARY Gleet. Gonorrhea. Leucorrhea. Uterus affection. Relaxed uvula. Vaginismus. SKIN Indurations of glands, tonsils, tongue, uterus. Chillblains. Eczema. Pruritus. Scurvy. Rough s in. Polypus. MUSCULOSKELETAL Paralysis. Multiple sclerosis. Locomotor ataxy. EYES
Eye affections. Traumatic conditions after operations on eyes. Strabismus. RESPIRATORY Bronchitis. Catarrh. Cough. Hoarseness. Throat affections. MISCELLANEOUS Effects of alcohol. Cancer. Diabetes. Hemorrhages. Ulcers. Hemorrhages in typhoi d.
Causation Bad news. Operation on eyes; on teeth.
Relationships
It is similar to: Alumina, Aluminium; Aloe [rectum], Capsicum [long uvula], Ferr um [relaxed abdominal walls, prolapsed uterus], Kali bichromicum [stringy discha rges], Mercurius [prolapsed uterus, vagina, rectum, tenesmus], Mercurius corrosivus, M uriatic acid, Nitric acid, Nux vomica, Opium, Platina [lead poisoning], Plumbum, Rhatan., Stannum, Sulphur, Sulphuric acid, Zinc [eyes] It is complementary to Bryonia and Ferrum Remedies that follow well: Argentum metallicum, Bryonia
Antidotes It is antidoted by Bryonia, Camphor, Chamomilla [cramps in abdomen], Nux vomica, Ipecacuanha [nausea and vomiting], Sulphur, coffee It is an antidote to lead poisoning, calomel, other mercurials and aloe. Foods i nimical to it: Alcoholic drin s.
Dosage From 6c upwards to the highest.
Alumina Aluminum oxydatum, Argilla pura. English: Oxide of aluminium, common clay French: Alun, Argile German: Thonerde, Alaunerde Aluminum is one of the most abundant metals on earth, being found in air, water and soil. It is used in the manufacture of abrasives, smelting and in antacids. In olden times it was confounded with lime and silica, but it has been recognized now as an oxide of aluminum [Al2O3]. After silica, aluminum is one of the most widely disseminated substances in nature and is found almost pure in the sapphire, cor undum and adamantine spar. It is extracted from alum, which is a supersulphate of alumina and potassa or am
monia, by pouring an excess of ammonia into a slightly concentrated solution of this salt; the precipitate which is formed, being carefully washed and dried, is pur e alumina. Of this powder, ta e one grain [5 centigrammes], in order first to ma e three triturations with sugar of mil , prior to dissolving it and ma ing the su cceeding attenuations with alcohol.
The essential features The Alumina case is one which is difficult to diagnose. Frequently, as one ta es a homeopathic case history, one searches for positive symptoms on which to base a diagnosis. In Alumina however, perhaps because of a characteristic vagueness of the patient's descriptions, this approach often will not yield the necessary information. Instead it will be needed to observe the whole patient, loo ing at the contextual bac ground as well as the specific symptomatology that is provid ed. It can be said that the pathology of Alumina evolves from two different tendenci es: confusion and retention. In the neurological system we find confusion of neu ral impulses resulting in incoordination, ataxia and finally paralysis. Alumina is one of our most useful remedies for deep neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tabes dorsalis, an d even acute forms of paralysis li e Guillain-Barré syndrome. In the mental sphere one almost invariably finds mental haziness and dullness of thin ing. As the mental pathology progresses the confusion becomes so profound that it leads to imbecil ity or near psychotic states. The Alumina tendency for retention is pervasive; both expressiveness and normal eliminative processes seem to be held bac . The patient gives the impression of being very closed and self-protective. He seems unwilling or often unable to bring fo rth his thoughts and emotions. Even in his sexual life the release of orgasm is delayed or completely absent. On the physical plane one sees that normal secret ions such as the menses are retained or scanty. Perspiration and other lubricati ng secretions are also scanty, giving rise to the great dryness of the mucous memb ranes and the s in which is so characteristic of Alumina. Of course, Alumina is
also famous for severe constipation without urging. Thus, one finds the same th eme repeated in all the normal outlets of the organism -- retention and difficul ty in moving forward, even to the point of paralysis. It is as if the entire system w ere moving in slow motion. The pathology of this remedy seems to concentrate mostly on the mental and physi cal levels, with the emotions less affected. On the mental level the Alumina pat ient almost invariably displays mar ed dullness and slow comprehension. During the i nterview the patient gives information very slowly and in vague, hazy terms. Of course, as in all remedies, one finds a spectrum of cases ranging from intellec tuals to more unsophisticated, primitive type people. Patients at either extreme will present themselves quite differently. The intellectual will come to the office with carefully prepared notes. He has realized that he has difficulty in retriev ing the information he needs from his memory, so he comes with everything written down. He gives this information very slowly, as if being very careful to be exact. However, even as he describes his symptoms he does not seem to be really involv ed with the interview. He plods along, spea ing in a colorless, monotonous voice , giving just minimal answers without elaborating, even to the point of monosylla bic replies. The homeopathic practitioner may well feel li e reaching across his des and sha ing this patient just to provo e some ind of interaction. Even if the interviewer "zeroes in" on the patient and exactly describes his condition, the patient may rather blandly respond, "Yes, that's correct." He may appear slightly perpl exed at the practitioner's comprehension of him, but he shows none of the excite ment or relief normally expressed by a patient who finds that he has been understood so completely. At the other end of the spectrum, the unsophisticated or primitive type patient demonstrates an even more extreme picture. The effort to describe himself can vi sibly entail an almost agonizing struggle. He seems powerless to describe what he fee ls. Despite the probing and questioning of the interviewer, the conversation may resemble the following: Interviewer: "Can you tell me how you feel?" Patient: "Umm...ahh...hmmm...I....I don't feel well." Interviewer: "Are you feeling anxious?"
Patient: "I...umm...I thin .............umm......yes." (One may wonder from such a response whether the answer is affirmative or not.) Interviewer: "Are you afraid? You feel afraid?" Patient: "Ahh.....afraid? Ummm...........umm.....I thin
so.......I feel.......
umm....I don't feel well." (and so on.) Meanwhile, loo ing at the patient's face one may observe a deep struggle and a s ense of agony. He struggles to find words to describe himself, or even more prec isely, he struggles to comprehend what has happened to him. He rubs his forehead, stra ining to answer even the simplest question (as if his mind were constipated). Ev en this struggle, though, is not vividly expressed. Rather it seems li e the effor t one ma es in trying to wa e up from an anxious dream -- a nebulous, inscrutabl e type of struggle. At this point one must mention that the imagination of Alumina see ms extremely restricted, and therefore he has difficulty in ma ing decisions, perceiving things in their real dimension, and comprehending abstract or compli cated ideas. He sits there silently trying hard to comprehend what everyone is t al ing about, wearing an expression, to the observing eye, of constant bewilderment. H is associative capacities are minimized or lost, his judgement crippled. Because of this mental slowness the Alumina patient seems to need a slow, consis tent lifestyle. He cannot tolerate pressure, especially time pressure. If allowe d to wor at a slow, familiar pace, the Alumina patient can be a diligent, competent wor er, but he must do things at his own pace and according to an established r outine. If such a person is rushed, for instance, by someone who hurriedly says, "We ha ve to leave here in three minutes!", a great commotion will follow. He loses all sense of organization and hurriedly rushes about, almost hysterically frantic. Even t hough he may be physically and mentally capable of accomplishing all of the nece ssary tas s within fifteen minutes, the sense of being pressured causes him to lose a ny ability of functioning effectively. He becomes immobilized and confused, almo st paralyzed. It is a slow competence that, if pushed to a faster pace, completely disintegrates. An interesting consequence of the mental slowness and confusion of Alumina is a distorted time sense -- time may seem to pass too slowly (Medorrhi num ).
The patient often recognizes his mental inefficiency. He may wor hard to overco me his wea ness by eeping notes and performing tas s in an organized, systemati c manner; however, the apprehension that he may not finish things on time remains . It is as if the patient moves at a slower rhythm than the rest of the world. W ith the slightest provocation he feels rushed. He may now certain information perf ectly well, but if one were to say, "Quic , tell me about this matter!" he would become confused and unable to thin clearly. become confused and unable to thin clearly. From the above it is easily understood that the Alumina patient does not li e su rprises or excitement. He may tend to be rather antisocial, preferring small gat herings or one-on-one interactions. Especially in the morning upon awa ening there may be a great aversion to conversing. Interestingly, Alumina women may be more open and outgoing during the menstrual period, as if the flow of their emotions para llels their menstrual flow.
As a rule the Alumina individual is self-protective. He withholds his feelings u ntil he is certain that his affection is reciprocated. He represses his anger an d may later redirect it toward family members. Again one sees the idea of retention. Often an Alumina patient will be encountered who lives excessively in his imagin ation. He will have all sorts of daydreams and fantasies, but he tends to eep them to himself. Sometimes his mind will get stuc on one theme, and he will dwell repe atedly on that thought. His mind is wea , and he ma es silly, stupid comments. At othe r times he becomes argumentative, bringing up foolish objections during a discus sion. One can be tempted to sha e one's head in disbelief at some of these foolish st atements. The mental deterioration occurs in stages. At the beginning the patient merely e xhibits some slowness of thin ing. Then he seems to lose his expressiveness, dev eloping the tendency for retention. His mind fatigues very easily, and it becomes a gre at effort to thin at all. The patient especially becomes confused when he attem pts to read; the mind becomes dull and does not absorb the material. At this stage he answers questions somewhat vaguely, rubbing his forehead and thin ing a long time to find an answer. When a case has evolved this far, the prescriber will have c onsiderable difficulty ma ing the diagnosis. Frequently the homeopathic practiti oner will be so preoccupied listening for specific symptoms that he will fail to not ice how this patient must hesitate and puzzle before he can manage ma ing even a simple observation, such as whether he is warm or chilly, etc. At this stage the patient notices that something is wrong with his mental functi oning: "I have a fear and an anxiety that I won't do what I want myself to do".. ..or perhaps, "I am not who I thin I am." The latter phrase is illustrative of a pe culiar feeling of unreality, especially about the patient's sense of his own identity, that can accompany the Alumina confusion. The patient may say that wh en she tal s, she thin s that someone else is tal ing, or, even more strangely, the patient may say that she cannot hear except through the ears of someone else. " When he hears or states something, he has the feeling as though some other perso n has said or seen it or as though he was placed in another person and could see only through them." Such information will not be volunteered; it must be elicite d by
direct questioning once one suspects an Alumina case. As a consequence of his developing confusion, the Alumina patient can come to fe el quite insecure about his mental capabilites, suspecting, at times somewhat fearfully, that he may be going insane. This insecurity may lead to dependency on other people. His developing uncertainty and irresolution compel him to cling dependently to some trusted person (a parent, spouse, etc.). As the mental dete rioration continues, the mind becomes increasingly indolent such that eventually almost all reasoning power may be lost. Alumina is listed prominently in the Re pertory under the rubric "Prostration of mind." Frequently this prostration in w omen is worse after the menses. The end stage of Alumina corresponds to imbecility o r what we today see so frequently -- Alzheimer's disease. It is one of our most frequently used remedies for senility (Argentum nitricum, Baryta carbonica, Plu mbum, Secale ). Even though the emotional level is less affected in Alumina than the mental and physical levels, significant emotional pathology can be encountered. The Alumina patient often develops great anxiety, most frequently in the morning on wa ing. He may awa en with a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. There is a fea r and anguish that the patient himself cannot explain. Frequently the patient may awa en with this anguish in the morning, especially at 4 AM. As the morning passes the anxiety subsides, and by evening it is mar edly ameliorated. Many times he may experience feelings of guilt that bring about a ind of indescribable anxiety, b ut all the same these feelings are described or defined with great difficulty on the p art of the patient (Arsenicum album, Aurum, Chelidonium, Digitalis, Psorinum, Su lphur ). Alumina can have very definite fears and phobias. Perhaps the most stri ing of t hese is a fear of nives or pointed things (Ars., Chin., Hyos., Lyss., Sil., Spi g.). The Alumina fear is different from the fear of small pointed things seen in Spigeli a and Silicea; it is, rather, a fear of, or at times a repulsion for, large niv es. The disturbing idea is that the object is potentially lethal. Sometimes the patient has the thought, "Someone could be hurt with that instrument." However, this symptom of Alumina is often not so clearly presented. There may simply be revul sion when loo ing at the instrument, an instinctive disli e. At other times ther e can
be momentary impulses to use the nife or images flashing in the patient's mind of the instrument being used to hurt someone else or himself. Thus, there is a gamut of unformulated fears and impulses concerning
nives and pointed instruments.
Another phobia is fear on seeing blood (Nux m.). Alumina can also produce a grea t fear of coc roaches. The fear of insanity is quite strong, but there may also be a fear of disease in general which causes the patient to travel from doctor to do ctor. A fear that she may get epileptic fits may be seen (Arg-n., Merc. ). Fear of evil spirits (Calc-c., Chin-s., Manc., Psor., Phos. ); this is the only fear th at may come at dus , when dar ness comes (Graph., Sulph. ). Such fears seem to c ome mostly in the morning when the mind seems to be sluggish, wea , and non-functional. At some point the patient seems to arrive at the vague realization that there is something seriously wrong with his system. Loo ing for an answer, he visits sev eral doctors. When he sees that no one seems to understand what is wrong with him, h e despairs that he may never recover. The patient thus progresses into depressio n, even to the point of having suicidal impulses, especially on seeing a nife (Me rc.). It is rather an impulse than a logical decision stemming from long and ted ious suffering. He logically rejects the idea of illing himself, but as soon as he sees the nife the impulse comes automatically. However, imagining himself wound ed and bloody is an idea abhorrent to him.
The Alumina depression can be described as a "gloominess;" there is no light. Th e patient complains to the doctor, but not in a burdensome way. He does not expr ess his despair to the doctor; instead it is incumbent upon the doctor to see, to obser ve the despair in the demeanor of the patient. His disease has slowly progressed and has become so deeply ingrained that he sees no possibility of recovery. He want s to be alone, undisturbed by people; his inability to cope with, to process the sensory stimulation underlies this aversion to company. A feeling of unreality prevails, and despairing, he resigns himself to his condition. From this description of the mental and emotional spheres, we proceed to a discu ssion of the generalities and the specific complaints of Alumina in each organ s ystem.
Generalities Alumina has a general aggravation in the morning upon wa ing. This aggravation m ay ta e the form of anxiety, as previously mentioned, or it may consist of irritability, aversion to company, sadness or confusion. There is an ameliorati on in the evening and night; there may also be an amelioration or aggravation at 4 PM or from 4 to 8 PM, as in Lycopodium. Alumina patients are generally warm, and t here is often an aggravation from heat or from the heat of the bed. (Some cases can be aggravated from cold.) This warm-bloodedness, together with the mar ed d ryness of the s in, explains the amelioration from snow that can be seen in Alumina. Alumina is one of the driest remedies in all of the Materia Medica, wh ich explains the aggravation from dry weather of this remedy. There can also be an aggravation from both wal ing and tal ing. On the other hand, there is a genera l amelioration from eating. There is also an amelioration from lying down and a strong desire to lie down. Alumina can display a mar ed periodicity with sympto ms recurring on alternate days; the intervals can be longer however. Alumina suffers lassitude from tal ing (Calc-p., Stann., Sulph.) and from coitio n, strenuous exertion for Alumina. Worse during full and new moon. Intolerance t o starches, especially potatoes, and a general aggravation from salt, pepper, win e, and vinegar. Alumina states can sometimes follow such causative factors as: a long history of allopathic drug treatment, long use of aluminium utensils, intense anger, a cerebrovascular accident (stro e), and extended over-exertion of the mind. The
time required to witness positive results of homeopathic prescribing in Alumina patients can be prolonged (Calc. p., Sil. ).
Vertigo Alumina can produce a true vertigo in which objects whirl around; it can also pr oduce a sense of faintness, especially from standing (Bry, Dig , Nux m, Sulph, Z inc ) and also from tal ing, and from opening and closing the eyes. Thus, Alumina can be seen in cases of compromised proprioception causing a posit ive Rhomberg's sign -- a tendency to fall when standing with the eyes closed. (A lumina is indicated in neurological disorders of the peripheral nerves and posterior c olumns of the spinal cord.) Vertigo in old, wea and fragile people, with stiffn ess of the nec .
Head Alumina has periodical headaches, especially headaches every other day. The head aches frequently occur from 10 AM until 2 PM. The pain is aggravated from wal in g and by tal ing. The symptoms are ameliorated when the patient lies down. Headache in forehead as if a hat is pressing hard against it. Headache after an upper respiratory infection. Headache, as if one is pulled by the hair. Frontal sinusitis coming after a cold, when a thic , crusty discharge from the n ose is suppressed. Alumina also produces falling of the hair. There can be great itching of the sca lp with numbness, but without eruptions. As in all of the s in conditions, the i tching drives the patient to scratch until the s in bleeds and then forms crusts.
Eyes
Falling of the eyelashes. There is dryness of the eyes (Acon., Ars., Bell., Lyc., Mez., Nux m., Op., Puls. , Sulph.,Verat., Zinc ), as well as inflammation of the conjunctiva. Alumina produces a thic ening of the eyelids (Arg-m., Arg-n., Merc., Tell. ) and also a paralysis of the lids. Chalazion. Granular formations on the margin of the eyelids. Inflammation of the conjunctiva. Sees a yellow halo around lights; white stars before the eyes with vertigo. Dimness of vision as if in a fog. Wea and changeable vision. W ea muscles of the eyeball. Strabismus in teething children. Diplopia loo ing sideways. Eyes feel cold.
Ears The symptoms of the ears are rather sparse. In some cases a purulent otorrhea is encountered, also tinnitus. One ear hot and red. Noises in the ears on swallowing.
Nose Alumina is one of the main remedies for frequently recurring colds. This tendenc y seems to be due to sluggish neural and circulatory reaction in the mucous memb ranes of the nasopharynx. In these infections the patient often responds to Bryonia, which is considered the acute complementary to Alumina. Also, catarrh in elderly patients with red discoloration of the tip of the nose is seen in Alumina. A diminished sense of smell.
Crac s or fissures on the tip of the nose can be seen (Carb-an.). . Red discoloration of the nose (Chin, Phos., Sulph. ). Dryness of the mucous membranes with crusts or tenacious mucus in the nostrils.
Face Usually there is a strong whitish, pale color of the face, as if the s in resist s the sun's rays and does not tan easily. The s in is easily wrin led with very fine lines, and the person loo s tired and older than his chronological age. There can be itching of the face, again without an eruption. Sensation of tightness of the s in of the face or a sensation as if eggwhite had dried on the face.
Throat Frequently lingering colds settle in the throat, indicating wea ness of the immu ne system. The upper respiratory infections usually settle in the pharynx and la rynx giving rise to a persistent dry, constant cough, worse in the morning after wa ing. These morning coughs are ameliorated only after finally expectorating a lit tle tenacious sputum.
Great dryness of the pharynx, in the evening only (Bar-c., Zinc. ). There can be dryness of the esophagus with cho ing, which is worse in the morning on wa ing or worse with swallowing. As he swallows, the patient feels the esophagus throughout its whole length. Partial paralysis of the esophagus such that the patient has to force down his f ood. Offensive ulcers with a yellow-brown discharge. Tonsils hard, indurated. Tic ling in the throat as if s in is hanging there. Sensation as if the uvula is elongated and touches the tic lish spot. The voice becomes wea
and feeble, as if from paralysis of the vocal cords.
Stomach Alumina has an unusual desire for dry food; such as, dry rice, starch, etc.. Thi s is all the more strange considering the general dryness of the Alumina constit ution. Also, a desire for indigestible things, such as dirt, lime and chal , is seen. There may be an aversion to beer, meat and potatoes. One of the best confirmatory eynotes of Alumina is a mar ed aggravation from potatoes. Col d drin s and cold food may aggravate the patient while warm drin s ameliorate. Th ere may also be an aggravation from wine, excess salt and pepper. Nausea may occur from vertigo; nausea is especially prone to occur at 4 AM or up on wa ing in the morning. Nausea from standing is also found in Alumina. Bitter eructations and indigestion, especially after mil or potatoes.
Rectum As mentioned, Alumina is famous for constipation. Usually the rectum is totally passive and dry (Hep., Nux m., Sep. ), and the patient sweats and strains in the effort to pass a stool, finally being forced to use his fingers to dig out the stool even though the stool is usually soft. Despite this effort the bowel movem ent is unsatisfactory. It is almost as if the rectum is paralyzed. Sometimes the stool
is hard and
notty, li e sheep dung.
One must be careful to note that although most cases of Alumina constipation are without urging, some cases manifest urging without effect. Often the Alumina patient can go as long as ten or fifteen days without stool. In some cases the movement is facilitated if the patient tries to evacuate during urination. Also, there can be great dryness of the mucous membranes of the rectum. Alumina is indicated for constipation of pregnancy when accompanied by great dryness of the rectum. Burning pain during stool (Ars., Con., Iris., Op., Sulph. ).
Urinary organs The same tendency for retention occurs in the urinary system. Often the stream o f urine is feeble in the morning on wa ing. In some cases the patient must press for a long time before he can initiate urin ation. Urinary frequency in the night or during menses can be seen. Alumina can be indicated for painless, chronic urethral discharges of yellow col or.
Genitalia - male Alumina males can have either increased or diminished sexual desire. In some cas es frequent sexual fantasies lead to masturbation. Alumina can cause relaxation of the genitalia and impotence, especially after se xual excesses. Also, hypertrophy of the prostate is seen, accompanied by delayed urination. In these conditions one may see pain in the prostate from sneezing or from blowing the nose.
Involuntary emissions on straining for stool, especially when the organism has b een wea ened. Emissions during sleep. Hardness of the testes.
Genitalia - female This patient may have great difficulty discussing her sexual life. She will usua lly say that her sex drive is "normal;" however, she may often have an active se xual imagination with but little expression of her desires. She li es to engage in f oreplay but seldom allows herself to experience orgasm. As one patient stated, " I want the foreplay in slow motion but not the orgasm." There are scanty menses of a pale color, frequently lasting for only one day (Se pia ). The patient may complain of an acrid leucorrhea with a yellow or white albuminou s discharge which can be ropy, viscid. Alumina patients often have prolapse of the uterus. Great mental and physical exhaustion after menses (Carb-an., Cocc. ). Small ulce rs of the vagina li e aphthae or indurated ulcers. Hardening or even scirrhus cancer of the entrance of the uterus. One may see one group of symptoms relating to the sexual organs disappear after cessation of menses, only to be supplanted by another group of symptoms; such as , difficult digestion with sour eructations, flushes of heat to the face, redness of the tip of the nose, and a feeling of dyspnea. A tendency for alternation of symptoms in a periodical fashion is quite strong in Alumina.
Chest Alumina produces an almost constant dry cough (Caust., Chin., Lyco., Rumx., Spon g. ), worse in the morning on wa ing and worse from tal ing. Also, there can be urinary incontinence from coughing. Vomiting from coughing. There may be constriction of the heart, aggravated by eating.
Bac In the bac one finds a wea ness in the lumbar region similar to that of Calcare a. Also, there may be tearing pain in the lumbar region which is worse at night in bed. Burning pain along the spinal cord. Burning pains as if a hot iron were pie rcing the dorsal region, scapulae, and left superior angle of the scapula, ameliorated by massage. Sensation of bandages in different places in bac and extremities.
Extremities As mentioned, Alumina is a very important remedy in paralysis of the extremities , as in hemiplegias or degenerative neurological conditions. There can be painful paralysis of the lower limbs. Ataxia is a common pathological condition of Alumina. In other cases the patient may merely complain of a sensation as if the limbs we re paralyzed. Multiple sclerosis cases when the disease steadily progresses toward paralysis w ithout remission -- a slow, steadily increasing paralysis. Generally these conditions evolve slowly with, first, a sensation of heaviness a nd tingling, especially in the legs when sitting, later, incoordination or ataxi c gait, and possibly a final progression to complete paralysis. A variety of sensory disturbances is also seen. There can be delayed conduction of sensory neural impulses to the brain; hence, a delayed reaction to a pinpric can be seen (Cocc., Plb. ). There is sometimes numbness of the soles or heels. There c an be tingling in both the upper and lower limbs. In the upper limbs one sees ti ngling in
the hands and fingers and, especially, the left forearm, which is worse while s itting. Trembling of the limbs, especially of the nees. Lower limbs go to sleep while sitting. Arthritic nodules. Coldness of the extremities, especially the bac . Brittle nails.
of the hands
Sleep The Alumina patient is often troubled by frequent wa ing from sleep at night, es pecially before menses in women. The sleep is filled with anxious dreams and oft en dreams of robbers (Mag-c., Nat-m. ). Dreams of being confused. As mentioned previously, the sleep is unrefreshing, and the patient may wa e wit h anxiety, fear, palpitation or irritability.
Fever The fever pattern in Alumina is consistent with the wea reaction of the remedy and the tendency to retention. Alumina patients seldom produce high fever. Its f evers are of a lower grade with mild chills. Very little sweating occurs.
S in There is great dryness of the s in, and often fissures and crac s develop, espec ially in the winter. No sweating at all, even when very hot. There can be many types of eruptions, but, most characteristically, the patient has itching without any eruption. It is as if, consistent with the theme of Alum ina, the eruption is retained, not brought forth; the itching, however, can be quite int ense, especially from the warmth of the bed. Often the patient is forced to scra tch himself even to the point of bleeding before he finds relief. He may have scabs in certain areas as evidence of this habit. Sometimes eruptions are seen which are consistent with the idea of dryness and h
ardness; e.g. , indurations, crac s, ulcerations that loo dry, thic ening of th e s in which loo s dry and withered.
Clinical MENTAL CONDITIONS Anxiety states, mental confusion, phobic states. Arteriosclerotic behavior. Effe cts of disappointments. Dementia. Alzheimer's disease. NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS Diffused encephalomyelitis, benign myalgic encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Locomotor ataxia. Neurological conditions arisi ng from arteriosclerosis. Paretic conditions. INTESTINAL TROUBLES Affections of the anus. Fissures. Constipation. Constipation of nursing infants. Constipation of pregnancy. Gastritis. EYES Dryness of eyes. Chalazion. Strabismus. Induration of lids. SKIN Itching without eruption. Eczema. Fissures. Boils. Fistula. Indurations. Tetters , moist and itching. Lupus erythematosus. GENITALIA
Causative factors
Anger. Disappointments. Physical exertion. Long use of aluminium utensils. Long use of allopathic drugs.
Relationships Complementary to Bryonia and Ferrum. Remedies that follow well: Argentum metallicum, Bryonia, Lachesis and Sulphur.
Antidotes Antidotes: Bryonia, Ipecac, Camphor, Chamomilla, Coffee. Inimical: Alcoholic drin , wine, tobacco, cold drin , cold food, mil , potatoes, salt, green vegetables, warm food.
Dosage From very low (3x]) to very high (CM) can be prescribed. In the Homeopathic Medi cal Center of Athens we usually prescribe from 12c upwards.
Ambra grisea Ambra Grisea seu Ambrosiaca. Ambra vera seu maritima French: Ambre gris German: Graue ambra English: Ambergris; Gray amber Animal substance Ambra grisea or Ambergris is a grayish, waxy pathologic secretion from the intes tine of the sperm whale and is found floating in tropical seas. It occurs as a flammable, waxy mass, insoluble in water with a melting point of 60o C. It contains cholesterol and benzoic acid. Along with its Homeopathic use it is a
lso used as a base for perfume. Mode of preparation: Trituration and tincture
The essential features The ey word that best describes the mental emotional state of an Ambra grisea c ase is INHIBITION. Most of the symptomatology of this remedy revolves around the idea of not being able to loosen up, to relax and "exchange", to let go whe n in the company of other people. Yet when we read the excellent exposition of K ent on this remedy this idea does not come across clearly. Stress has been given to th e state where the patient tal s incessantly, without really understanding what s he is tal ing about, while as ing questions without waiting for an answer and jumping from one subject to another. I believe this description capable of giving a wro ng impression to the student. It was so with me until I met some severely inhibite d cases that were unable to open up and would give no information and yet were constitutional Ambra grisea cases. Then I new better. Then I understood the in ner structure of this remedy. An Ambra grisea case is manifested when the person comes face to face with the i dea of "failure". This idea can indeed easily be imposed on them by others, in c ases were they might put them down, or alternatively the cause might be an objective situation in which a heavy loss in their business or some embarassment in their wor might have been incurred. They seem to loose their self-confidence instant ly, they retreat into themselves and eventually develop a tremendous bashfulness , a peculiar timidity when in the presence of others. It is as if they were tied up in nots; the mind seems to stop wor ing, and it becomes impossible for them to
express anything. Ideas do not emerge if they are with other people; if someone is present the mind becomes cramped, inhibited, perception is lost and the expression nullified. It is impossible for them to open a conversation with oth ers especially if they are not well nown. In the text it says "aversion to conversation" but the real cause is the state of their mind. There is no reflec tion, no real perception of the situation. But Ambra patients are emotional, sentimental people who suffer tremendously fro m this crippling inhibition. They need to express themselves, but in the company of other people they become mute. As a result they start to phantasize in order to balance their psychological needs. They are people who are easily excited and e asily depressed. One can easily perceive the inconsistency of their idiosyncracies. T hey are especially sensitive to music, "the tones seem as if they were a materia l substance ta ing hold of him". Kent attributes aggravation to music to the fact that their hearing is diminished. From the cases I have seen I have understood this aggravation to come from a different level: As music brings about an emotional reaction, and as at the same time they feel incapable of responding to such a reaction in a natural way, that is to say, by letting out the emotions that hav e been stirred up by the tones of the music, the resulting conflict created with in themselves leads to intolerable and extreme aggravation. They tremble and have palpitations; they suffer from a host of symptoms, including even pains in the bac , while listening to music. Sometimes the stirring of the emotions is such that they will feel li e weeping all the time. This last symptom shows how deepl y music can touch their emotions. We come now to their sexual life. In view of their mental-emotional ma e-up it i s easy to understand the problems that will be encountered in their sexual life. While they are easily excitable and aroused sexually, tending to fantasize and yet un able to bring about and sustain a proper relationship, it is understandable that they will easily resort to masturbation. It is a desperate situation which brings in to conflict the desire for physical contact and their inhibition: they feel the need for physical contact, they even have lascivious thoughts and fancies even in their dreams, yet they are so inhibited, and timid and easily embarassed that it is ve ry difficult for them to establish a relationship. As a result we see constant and long term masturbation with feelings of guilt.
In our modern society you will find that almost all these cases have already had several sessions with the psychiatrist, not to mention the psychologist. Actual ly in the end they may become psychologists themselves. Such is the psychological tor ment they undergo in their social life. It was with one such woman psychologist for whom we were not able to find the correct remedy, since she gave no symptoms, n o reason for her chronic colitis, that I investigated deeper and found this tremendous inhibition which put me on the right trac . Even once she appeared t o have overcome several of her problems of expression, she would intellectualise and mention only those symptoms that did not touch upon her real mental or emotiona l problems. Ambra patients may have been people with a lot of confidence and a certain degre e of egotism in the past, who, after a "failure" or the stress of an offending r emar or the pressure of a business embarassment or the trial of a series of deaths o f people on whom they relied, have changed, and gone to the opposite extreme; th ey start seriously questioning their mental abilities, they lose their confidence entirely, they lose their self esteem and their mind becomes almost paralysed wi th thoughts of their inability. From this point onwards you will notice that they start to avoid meeting people; the mere idea of meeting a new person on a business appointment or socially sen ds them to pieces. Anticipating a meeting with people is torture for them. They fe el they cannot ma e an effort to do any mental wor ; they become physically indo lent, they feel wea , nervous, fidgety, aggravated by noises. They cannot fall asleep easily, they fall asleep quite late. It ta es on their part a tremendous effort to eep up a conversation, they actua lly do not feel their own self to be present at the moment of a conversation, th ey tremble, twitchings come to their face, a dreamy or a cloudy state overta es th em and any ideas they might have had seem to vanish. The rubric "aversion to conversation and aggravation from it" has to be understood in this context. There is such difficulty in communicating with others at any level that the sigh t of people laughing creates an aversion to laughter, almost a disgust! This sym ptom cannot be understood, however, unless we perceive the whole picture of the reme dy. Laughing is a free expression of the emotions, manifest when a person feels free
to externalize completely their state of emotions at a given moment, and it is an expression that almost demands a participation from the other person. Yet the inner state of Ambra cases is such that they cannot "let go"; they cannot bring themselves to a sufficient state of relaxation to participate in this most natu ral condition. Naturally, as a result, they are embarassed, and aggravated. The poi nt that must be understood with Ambra people is not that they never laugh, but t hat, with strangers present at a social gathering, their state of mind is so confuse d that if a jo e is crac ed they will not grasp it immediately and therefore wil l not li e to see others laughing. They are in a state of embarassment. In this way " the disgust from seeing others laughing" that we encounter in our Materia Medica can be fully understood. The timidity, the bashfulness the inhibition of an Ambra Grisea case are unbelie vable. This remedy is many times confused with Bar-c., Gels., or Alumina. When t hey feel this bashfulness their face becomes red and "boiling" hot. It is impossible for Ambra Gr. to appear in public and give a speech. We often s ee a claustrophobia, an aversion to crowded areas or narrow places. In the prese nce of other people, Ambra's personality seems to be minimised and eventually almost t otally eliminated: they become non existent. They feel completely inhibited, can not
express anything and of course any conversation that demands their presence of mind seems to aggravate them. They become irritable, restless and anxious during a conversation and any pain they may have is aggravated. In fact when th ey are stirred up emotionally, instead of expressing their feelings to others, t hey start experiencing pains and aches and discomforts inside their own body. This wea state of mind could be identified with a state of mind that is brea ing dow n, that is wea , that is prematurely old. If such a state is left to undermine the constitution, we may eventually see a s ituation such as that of an older lady, who, having made a conscious effort all her life to participate in social conversation, seems gradually to have divorced herself from reality, and in a hazy and dreamy state of mind will eep up a bizarre conversation, jumping from one subject to the other, as ing one question after another without waiting for an answer. It is a type of insane behaviour. We see an unbalanced state of mind where the person has decided before the meeti ng to behave "socially" to tal to everyone, to overcome his shyness etc. but as soon as he is in the presence of others the mind becomes clouded, wea , hazy, the ha nds tremble, the face twitches and it becomes impossible to sustain a proper conversation. Kent describes this state beautifully. He writes: "We recognise trembling and a peculiar ind of feebleness that cannot be described by any expression but senil ity, it is not the confusion of mind belonging to sic ness, but the peculiar state we r ecognise in old people, in declining life. Trembling and tottering and a dreamy state of mind with forgetfulness. He goes on from one subject to another, as ing a quest ion and without waiting for it to be answered, as ing another. And so he jumps a bout from one topic to another. It can hardly be said to be confusion, it is a dream y state of mind, a state of senility. This remedy is useful when such a state is found in young persons, when the mind is not insane and yet is wea . It is especially in dicated in those persons who manifest a momentary, fleeting inquisitiveness, jum ping from one subject to another." Yet, I thin , in actual practice, the patient will very seldom tell you that "I eep as ing questions not waiting for an answer", or that "I jump from one subje ct to the other". However, if you have thought about this remedy during the interview and
describe this behaviour to her she will recognise it and admit it promptly. In a constitutional case of Ambra grisea, it will easily be established from the patient's description that the most prominent elements in their mental/emotiona l symptomatology are inhibition and timidity, such states ta ing precedence over the dreamy state of mind discussed above. The torture felt by Ambra grisea when appearing in public to ma e a speech, or w hen in the presence of other people, is so great that many of them eventually be come misanthropic. They will seldom go out with strangers, preferring always the com pany of people with whom they feel secure. The main idea that we have been describing so far, namely that of inhibition in front of others, or in the presence of people who are not familiar, happens duri ng stool as well. It is impossible for the Ambra case to "let go" and have a stool with anyone present. In hospital they cannot have a stool in the presence of a nurse; in the house of a friend they cannot have a stool out of the mere thought that som ething can be heard by those outside. Even in their own house, nowing somebody to be near the toilet, who may hear the noises of a natural evacuation, can cause them to sit on the toilet and go into a state of anxiety with an ineffectual des ire for stool, but without the organism being able to relax and let the stool go. I n order to have a normal stool they must be quiet and alone in the house. This a lso applies to urination or the emission of flatus. Every student of homeopathy nows that this is a eynote of this remedy; we must always loo at the overall picture of a remedy, however, before attempting to understand a local symptom. It is also in the nature of this remedy to have a tremendous concern about other s: "what will they say", "what will they thin about me" are typical exclamation s, especially if something "bad" comes out. This idea pervades on all levels, and it is an idea that seems to affect Ambra Grisea cases so deeply that it inhibits all natural expression, all natural eliminations! This is the way to understand the essence of this remedy. They may perspire and feel anguished for no reason, or because the perspiration might be offensive and bother others. They go to tremendous lengths and out of t heir way to please others, not to offend or displease. They can never say "no". "Som etimes I decide to say no but at the last moment I cannot. Once I said no and th
en I felt bad." This is a typical expression. The idea that others might put them do wn by an offending remar terrifies them. Thus we see that Ambra Grisea patients try to please everybody except themselves. It is easily understood now that if this state is left to progress we shall even tually witness a gradual degeneration of the condition of the patient's mind. Fu rther symptoms include forgetfulness, dulness of the mind, a state of mental torpor, where what is read is not understood; the same sentence must be read two or thre e times for the meaning to sin lculate.
in to their conscious mind. They are unable to ca
Difficulty in thin ing and comprehending. "He has to ma e an unusual effort to b ring his thoughts bac to the place before he can concentrate the mind to medita te upon the same idea. He gets up in the morning with dullness and confusion of mi nd and is in a dreamy state and towards the evening ta es on symptoms of insanit y". The power of reflection is lost and the capacity for mental wor
is minimised.
Eventually, these initially excitable people fall into a state of indifference, where they do not care about anything. "...He treats with indifference things th at would
naturally brea the heart of a well-balanced person. He does not even wonder wh y he is not excited over these wonderful things, so decided is the state of indifference." Periods of excitability and periods of indifference alternate for some time unti l sadness, depression, despondency ta e over and become more or less permanent. Accompanying this state is a feeling as though they were going insane, with des peration, and no desire to live. Loathing of life. They have delusions, imaginat ions; he sees diabolical faces crowding in on him; he sees hideous faces. He has delusio ns that there is too much light in the room while falling asleep. When going to sleep she sees herself doing things and has other visions also. He has visions on wa ing, sees windows full of people, strange lights etc, and the visions frighten h im. Once in a state of depression, Ambra grisea sits wrapped up in deep, sad thought s and ta es no notice of his environment; he broods over past experiences: incid ents that too place long ago are continued as vivid reality. Disagreeable things fr om the past force themselves onto his mind. He cannot get over old events where he was hurt, and his mind comes bac to them again and again to be tormented. Simi lar to Natr-m. with the difference that Natrium actually enjoys delving into suc h painful experiences. "Haunted by persistent unpleasant subject". This dejection , this sadness sometimes give way to irritability, to vehemence, with quasi insa ne behaviour, cursing, with impulses to yell and stri e out. In his rage Ambra Gri sea has the fear that he may ill his child and feels he is going crazy. It is a n alternating state that resembles manic depression. To conclude this description of the mental/emotional picture, I would li e to pa ss a remar concerning this remedy: almost all our Materia Medica's stress the hysterical aspect of this remedy, which I have not experienced in the cases I h ave seen so far; the only aspects of this remedy which I have encountered are th e ones described above. I mention this so as to remind the student to eep this i nformation in mind, and apply it, when faced with the typical hysterical Ambra G risea, which I have yet to encounter myself.
Generalities This is a remedy for people who are primarily prematurely old, lean, emaciated, marasmic. Over-impressionable patients, worn out, tired, suffering in their majority from a nondescript vertigo with high blood pressure, headaches or colitis. The peripheral nervous system is affected with twitches, jer s and nervousness. The symptoms are most erratic, they loo inconsistent and therefore the general idea of the remedy should be ta en into account. There seems to be a definite and strong connection between the emotional complai nts and the effect that these have upon the alimentary canal. In younger people we shall see mostly duodenal ulcers, gastritis and colitis, wh ile with older people we see high blood pressure, dizziness, vertigoes, headache s and mental wea ness. Aggravated in the presence of others, from music, from emotional upsets, from em barassment, in spring time. Aggravation in the morning on wa ing. Trembling on rising, with dizziness and pr essure in the occiput. Lassitude in the morning, in bed. Symptoms come in bed, in the morning from 5 to 9 A.M. Wea ness in the morning, in bed, especially with old people. Warm mil aggravates. Pressure on painless side aggravates. Feeling of external pulsation after wal ing in the open air. Occasional epileptic convulsions of a mild type; at other times a sensation of i nner convulsion, aggravated by lying down on either side. Complaints aggravated by the presence of people in the room Ameliorated by cold drin , cold water. The wea ness is better after having their dinner. Itching and tic ling internally. Abscesses, suppurations with grayish pus. Perspiration of affected parts in the morning. One sided perspiration.Numbness in general in different parts of the body, dimin ished sensibility, feeble circulation.
Vertigo
Ambra grisea is almost a specific remedy for the nondescript dizziness of old pe rsons. It has been used a lot by older homeopaths for this condition. It is a ind of giddiness which is something between a dizziness and vertigo, us ually the complaint of old people, denoting a process of arteriosclerosis withou t any other modalities. They are so dizzy that they cannot go out in the street. The dizziness ma es the m want to go and lie down and have a nap. They wa e up in the morning and have to wait for some time before being able to wal around. There is noticeable aggravation in the morning in this remedy in ge neral. Vertigo in the act of lying down. (In the case of Ambra grisea, the term vertigo generally means the ind of giddiness we described above.) Vertigo while wal ing in the open air. Vertigo accompanied by wea ness in the stomach and head.
Head In 'head' we have a great eynote for this remedy: a ind of hyperemia, heat of the head while listening to music. It is a rare, strange and peculiar symptom. Brain feels loose, falls to side lain on. Dryness and falling-out of hair. Heaviness in head from tal ing. Numerous pains in the head: Pressing headache starting from both temples; lancinating shooting pains shooting through the head worse from exertion, better lying down; pressing pain in the left frontal eminence and in the eye. Soreness of head in the morning, turning to numbness and extending to body. Headache in old people. Cold perspiration on forehead in warm room. Trembling sensation in the head from conversation after tal ing.
Eyes The eyes are affected in accordance with the general idea of "senility" that thi s remedy produces.
Dimness of vision without obvious pathology except the one that comes with old a ge. Dulness of vision as though loo ing through a mist. Itching in eyelids as if a stye was forming. Pain in the morning. Redness of lids. Eyelids are heavy; cannot open them.
Ears In ears we see a similar condition as with eyes: the hearing is diminished witho ut underlying pathology. Diminishing hearing with coldness in abdomen. Deafness of one ear with roaring and whistling noises in the other. All through this remedy the ageing process is much speeded up with relevant effe cts, becoming a eynote of the remedy in itself. This is how we should loo upon the study of our remedies. This remedy seems to be similar to Bar-c. in many respec ts yet it has its own unique individuality. Hears noises in the afternoon. Whistling in ear in the afternoon. Tearing pain behind left ear. Noises in ear sound as if one was winding a watch. Pain in ear extending to occiput.
Nose Copious bleeding from the nose. Epistaxis early in the morning while lying in bed. Dried blood gathered in nose. Dryness of nose. The nose inside becomes shiny and withered. Epistaxis during menses. Cramping pain in right wing of nose. Pressing pain above nose, changing to tearing pain followed by dulness in bac f head.
o
Dry sneezing. Spasms in wings. Tingling in root of nose. Increased gray mucous secretions that have salty taste.
Face Convulsions, spasms of lips. Twitching. Tingling on forehead. Tingling of beard. Spasmodic trembling of face. Twitching of face in the evening after lying down. Old loo ing expression. Perspiration on one side of face. Music brings on congestion and redness of face. Lips are dry and numb on wa ing in the morning. Enormous swelling of lips worse in the morning on wa ing after suppression of me nses. Pimples on forehead.
Mouth Blotches on the palate, under the tongue, that loo li e vegetable growths. Nodosities under right side of tongue. Tubercles under tongue. Ranula (sublingual cyst). Grayish-yellow discoloration of tongue. Burning, raw and smarting pain in velum, palate. Tearing pain in palate extending to left ear. Dryness of mouth on wa ing in the morning with sensation of numbness in the mout h, tongue and lips. Caries, decayed, hollow. Anything cold ameliorates toothache. Toothache from warm drin s, food. Teeth feel as if cold air was forced into them. Inclination to bite teeth together and grinding of the teeth at night.
Eating ameliorates drawing pain. Drawing pain in one of the incisors. Drawing pain in right molar. Stitching, stinging pain after dinner. Tearing pain as from a current of air.
Throat The throat complaints are worse in the morning, after eating and from warm drin s, especially warm mil . Sensation as if of plug in throat with difficulty of swallowing. Cho ing, constricting sensation when clearing the throat. Dryness in throat on wa ing. Mucus is difficult to detach. Accumulation of grayish mucus in the throat. Dryness and accumulation of mucus in the throat which he tries to expel and when ma ing an effort to cough out the mucus he gags and sometimes vomits. Pain in throat from draft of air. Pain in throat on moving the tongue. Rawness of uvula. Stitching pain from motion of the tongue. Itching of internal throat when coughing. Itching of larynx and trachea. Rawness in trachea. Trachea is sore. Burning pain in larynx extending to abdomen
Stomach Gastritis and duodenal ulcers have been cured with this remedy. Emptiness, wea feeling at the pit of the stomach after stool.
Faintness, goneness, hungry feeling after eructations. Lying down ameliorates emptiness. Empty eructations after cough or together with violent convulsive cough. Eructations after eating. Cough and gagging after eating and a feeling as if food did not go down to stoma ch. Acrid eructations in the evening. Haw ing up mucus when vomiting. Heartburn after mil . Indigestion in the evening. Indigestion after warm drin s. Pain in stomach in duodenal ulcer is ameliorated by drin ing a sip of cold mil every 5 to 10 minutes. Pain in stomach worse from tea, coffee, vegetables and any excitement. The increase in the desire for salt combined with aversion to fat, general inhib ition and "impossibility to urinate in front of others" mean that there could be some confusion with Nat-mur. Pain at midnight. Lying on abdomen aggravates pain.
Pain in stomach is ameliorated while wal ing in open air. Distension of stomach after midnight. Eructations ameliorate cutting pain in stomach. Vomiting after rising up in bed. Nausea worse motion and worse thin ing about it. Thirst alternating with thirstl essness.
Abdomen There is a lot of flatulence, especially after eating, but in accordance with th e general pattern of this remedy they cannot relieve themseves if they have the slightest suspicion that others may hear them. In this remedy there is always great relief at letting gas out by the anus or th e mouth. Sensation of coldness in abdomen, it feels as if the whole insides of the abdome n are cold. Sometimes coldness on one side only; on left side. The abdominal complaints can come in the middle of the night rousing him with ru mbling and cutting in the abdomen. Distension after midnight, or after drin ing. Perspiration in abdomen and thighs during
Ambrosia artemisiaefolia Ragweed, Roman Wormwood, Hogweed
Ammoniacum gummi Gummi ammoniacum, Dorema ammoniacum
Ammonium carbonicum Carbonas [sub] ammonii
Ammonium causticum English: Water of ammonia; Solution of ammonia; Ammonia; Spirits of
Ammonium muriaticum Muria s. Hydrochloras ammonii
Ammonium bromatum Synonyms: Bromide of Ammonia; NH4 Br
Amylenum nitrosum Synonyms:
Anacardium orientale anacardium orientale
Anagallis arvensis Synonyms: Scarlet Pimpernel; Weather-glass; Red Chic weed
Anantherum muricatum Anantherum muricatum
Angustura vera Angustura cortex, Galipoea cusparia, Cusparia febrifuga, Bonplandia trifoliata, Galipoea officinalis
Anhalonium lewinii Anhalonium Lewinii
Anthemis nobilis Synonyms: Roman chamomille, English chamomille.
Anthracinum
Antimonium tartaricum Tartar Emetic
Antimonium crudum Native sulphide of Antimony SbS2
Antipyrinum Synonyms: Antipyrinum; Phenazone; 2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazoline-5-one
Apis mellifica Apium virus. Honey-bee poison.
Apium graveolens Celery
Apocynum cannabinum Indian (American) Hemp. N.O. Apocynaceae.
Apocynum androsaemifolium Spreading Dogbane. Apomorphinum hydrochloricum An al aloid obtained from the decomposition of Morphine by means of hydrochloric acid. The chemical formula is C17 H17 NO2. The al aloid is triturated with suga r of
Aqua marina Sea water. Aralia racemosa The American spi enard is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Araliacea.
Aranea diadema The Cross Spider
Tela araneae Cobweb - that of the "blac spider found in barns, cellars, and dar places."
Aranea scinencia A grey spider found on old walls in Kentuc y. It does not spin a web; it employs a springing lunge to ta e its prey. Argentum metallicum Pure metallic Silver
Argentum nitricum Nitras argenti
Arnica montana ARNICA MONTANA: Doronicum plantaginis folio alternum,
Arsenicum bromatum Bromide of Arsenic; As Br3
Arsenicum hydrogenisatum Arsenetted hydrogen, Arsenious hydride, or Arsine; AsH3
Arsenicum iodatum Iodite of Arsenic Trituration; AsI3
Arsenicum sulphuratum flavum Arsenious Sulphide; AsS3; Orpiment.
Arsenicum album Acidum arsenicosum
Arum triphyllum Arisaema triphyllum
Arundo mauritanica An Italian Grass; Gannizola
Asa foetida N. O. Umbelliferae
Asarum europaeum Asarum vulgare, Asarum foliis reniformibus subhirsutis
Asclepias tuberosa Pleurisy root, Butterfly-weed.
Asparagus officinalis A. officinalis
Astacus fluviatilis Cancer fluviatilis. Crawfish or River Crab.
Asterias rubens Star fish
Atropinum-pur. + -s. (old abbr.)
Aurum arsenicum Arseniate of Gold
Aurum bromatum Bromide of Gold
Aurum iodatum Iodide of GoldAu13.
Aurum metallicum
Aurum muriaticum natronatum
Aurum muriaticum Auric Chloride
Aurum sulphuratum Auric sulphide. Au2 S3.
Avena sativa Oat.
Bacillinum burnett A nosode of tuberculosis first described by D. Burnett, prepared from tuberculou s sputum by Dr. Heath.
The essential features The constitutional type that needs this remedy is usually characterised by a fla t, narrow or hollow chest, shoulders thrown forward, an undernourished appearanc e and a s in color going from a deep yellow to a greyish brown. In some cases you may notice that the front part of the head is narrow and pointed, while the bac pa rt is very large and rather square, unli e theCancerinum child whose very big head bu lges out in the front. The Bacillinum individual is thin and emaciated and suffers from a permanent fee ling of wea ness which turns into exhaustion with the slightest cold or cough. T he cough could be a constant dry, hac ing one or accompanied by much purulent expe ctoration. Bacillinum has more pus from the lungs but less exhaustion than Stann um. Stannum and Muriatic acid lead all the other remedies in general exhaustion. Bacillinum patients present the following characteristics in their medical histo ry: 1. Susceptibility to common colds, which they catch easily and frequently, and f rom which they do not recover quic ly. No matter what medicines are used, the colds drag on for a long time. Rapid decline in health after influenza. Suffoca tion during the night with a constant exhausting cough. 2. Expectoration with pus. Bacillinum is nown to be of particular use in cases where there is excessive muco-purulent bronchial secretion threatening to occlud e the lungs. (Ant-t) 3. Histories of ringworm affections. 4. Any condition accompanied by pityriasis versicolor may point to this remedy. Dr. Burnett has maintained that ringworm of the scalp and pityriasis versicolor on the body are indications of tubercular diathesis, and that they respond to this remedy. This is correct but not a rule. It is interesting to note here that it has been reported that Bacillinum has cur ed insanity with pityriasis. I believe this to have been only an acute psychotic episode,
and not a real form of schizophrenia. The heavy forms of schizophrenias, such a s the process s., the catatonic s., the disorganised s. or hebephrenia, the para noid s. etc. always need more than one remedy to cure them, and most of the time indeed cannot be cured at all. A homeopath should be careful in reporting such cases, as they tend to give wrong impressions and therefore discredit our science. In thi s disease in particular, there are so many degrees of severity in each individua l case that we cannot really be reporting on curing insanity. 5. Personal or family histories of tuberculosis or even frequent chest affection s. 6. Glandular swellings in general with exhaustion. The past history of a case is of greater relevance to the prescription of Bacill inum than its present symptomatology. Whenever such a medical history is to be f ound in a case, independently of the concomitant symptomatology, suspect tuberculosi s and thin of Bacillinum. It has been said that Bacillinum acts less well in cases of acute tuberculosis t han in chronic cases. This is not true. The remedy will always act when indicate d, in both acute and chronic conditions. One of the main indications for this remedy is: active tuberculosis of the lungs where there is excessive purulent expectoration with rapid emaciation, no appet ite and copious night sweats. Bacillinum is indicated during active exudative tuber culosis where the lungs are primarily affected. These cases require Bacillinum rather than Tuberculinum, although Bacillinum andTuberculinum have a number of parallel characteristics. The most important of these is perhaps an eczematous
condition of the margins of the eyelids that becomes worse at night and in the early morning and from cold air. This redness with small follicles of the margin s of the lids I have found to be an important indication for both remedies and it se ems to point to a strong tubercular predisposition. Other common characteristics are: grinding of the teeth during sleep, which is less prominent in Bacillinum, and fear or disgust of cats, which in Bacillinum appears as fear of dogs. Bacillinum is indicated in the pre-tubercular state characterised by constant lo ss of flesh, night sweats, lac of appetite, glandular swellings, clammy hands, cold and sweaty feet, a feeling as though one were wearing wet stoc ings and a sensation as of a damp cloth on the spine. This remedy is also indicated in conditions wh ere there is a tendency to bleed freely from the least injury. Other clinical condi tions for which this remedy could be indicated are spinal tuberculosis, osteitis or caries of the vertebrae, conditions that usually arise as a complication from l ung tuberculosis. The spine curves inwards while the belly and stomach bulge out wards. The similarity here with Calc-carb. is obvious. The provings show severe headache, deep inside, worse by motion, reminding one v ery much of Bryonia The psychological ma e up of the initial stages of a Bacillinum case is characte rised by a combination of an overflow of energy with voracious appetite and weig ht loss. This energy cannot easily be disciplined, and the patient does not now w here to direct it or how to spend it. He may be very active sexually, expending himself in excessive sexual practices. He may stay out late at night, involved in sever al love affairs, trying to live life as fully as possible. The patient feels tha t this energy will not last long, and is driven to ma e use of it. Any sense of equani mity is lost; the normal and balanced expression of the life force is totally fo rgotten by the organism. The processes of tuberculosis are near and the patient is fast progressing towards a totally degenerate state. This fierce energy is produced by an internal sensation as of something being bu rned up rapidly. The inner state of the patient can be described in the terms of a "wild animal". It is at this stage that homeopathy can do its best and prevent the tu bercular processes that are moving in fast. There comes a point where this overabundance of energy is burnt out and the pers
on turns irritable, snappish and sul y. The appetite is lost and is replaced by constant wea ness. The patient eventually becomes melancholic, morose, with uns teady and heavy mental faculties, unable to thin much. He suffers from great despondency and a sense of foreboding, he complains and whines and allows himse lf to be frightened easily, particularly by dogs.
Generalities Bacillinum individuals present great sensitivity to many external influences. Th ey are prone to allergies, especially those manifest in the respiratory system. Bacillinum is indicated in hay fever cases that develop a state of suffocation overnight, followed quic ly by muco-purulent discharge. Use this remedy when Tuberculinum fails and also in cases that loo x when the restlessness is during night in bed.
li e rhus-to
Sleep is very heavy and profound.
Head Severe headache, deep in, recurring from time to time, compelling quiet fixednes s; aggravated by sha ing head. Headache with trembling of hands and total sleeplessness. Terrible pain in head as if he had a tight hoop of iron around it. Ringworm.
Alopecia areata.
Eyes Eczematous condition of eyelids.
Face Lupus exedens over the left superior maxilla. Indolent, angry pimples on left chee , brea ing out from time to time and persis ting for many wee s.
Mouth Strawberry tongue. Tongue is covered with a thic
yellowish-white coating.
Aching in teeth, especially lower incisors. Teeth very sensitive to air. Grinds teeth in sleep. Imperfectly developed teeth.
Throat Tic ling in fauces, compelling cough. The cough is worse indoors, relieved outdoors.
Stomach Appetite poor. No appetite at all. Appetite ravenous, especially for pic led things.
Windy dyspepsia, with pinching pains under ribs of right side in mammary line. Glands of nec
enlarged and tender.
Abdomen Consumption of the bowels.
Tubercular ulceration of intestines Fever, emaciation, abdominal pains and discomfort, restless at night, glands of both groins enlarged and indurated; cries out in sleep; strawberry tongue. Tabes mesenterica; tal s in sleep; grinds teeth; appetite poor; hands blue; indu rated and palpable glands everywhere; drum belly; spleen region bulging out. Inguinal glands indurated and visible; excessive sweats; chronic diarrhea.
Rectum Sudden diarrhea before brea fast, with nausea. Severe hemorrhages from bowels, cough. Obstinate constipation. Passes much ill-smelling flatus. Stitchli e pain through piles.
Urinary organs Increased quantity of urine, pale, with white sediment. Has to rise several times in night to urinate. With the cough and this form of aphonia there is always a gushing from the bladd er.
Genitalia - female Very acrid and copious leucorrhea, not able to nurse her baby, no mil .
Chest
Dyspnea, without any rattling in the throat and without expectoration, which obl iged him sometimes to pass the entire night upright in bed. Coughs all night. Nothing relieves it. The cough is loose, rattling with scanty, thin, whitish expectoration. The cough is worse indoors, relieved outdoors. Cou gh is worse tal ing and lying on the bac . Slight, tedious, hac ing cough. Hard cough, sha ing patient, more during sleep, but it did not wa en him. Pric ing in larynx with sudden cough. Single cough on rising from bed in morning. Cough wa ing him at night; easy expectoration. Expectoration of non-viscid, easily detached, thic phlegm from air passages, fo llowed after a day or two by a very clear ring of voice. Sharp pain in praecordial region arresting breathing. Very sharp pain in left sc apula, aggravated by lying down in bed at night, better by warmth.
Bac Sensation of damp cloth on spine.
Extremities Trembling of hands. Pain in left nee whilst wal ing; passed off after perseverance in wal ing for a short distance li e Rhus-t. Tubercular inflammation of
nee.
Sleep Drowsy during day; restless at night; many dreams.
Fever
Flush of heat (soon after the dose) some perspiration, severe headache deep in.
Clinical
Addison's disease. Alopecia. Consumptiveness. Defective growth. Hydrocephalus. I diocy. Insanity. Affections of joints. Pityriasis. Ringworm. Scrofulous glands. Teeth defective; pitted. Tuberculosis.
Relations Calc. phos. goes with this remedy very well. So do Lach. and Kali c. I o antidote.
now of n
Dosage From 30c to the highest.
Badiaga Badiaga is the Russian name for the river sponge. Spongilla fluviatilis. Fresh-water sponge. Trituration of the dried sponge gathered in autumn.
The essential features In my experience Badiaga is mainly an arthritic and rheumatic remedy of great im portance which cannot really be replaced by any other remedy. However, the symptomatology of Badiaga may easily be mista en for that of Rhus toxicodendron , Arnica, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Bellis perennis, or Rhododendron. In case you should chose one of these remedies without obtaining a curative response, try B adiaga. This remedy should be thought of in the following conditions: 1. Chronic rheumatic or arthritic conditions arising either from a chronic disea se or from injuries, with much soreness of the muscles and affection of joints, particularly the nees. Badiaga should be thought of as a first prescription in cases of excessive pain in nees on descending stairs. To be more specific, the pain
in nee is not felt when ascending stairs, but only when descending; I have rar ely seen Badiaga fail where this symptom was present. These conditions are usual ly worse from cold, especially in cold air. Stormy weather aggravates, as does mot ion; relief is found in a warm room and with warmth in general. The aggravation from motion is the only symptom that differentiates Badiaga from Rhus-tox., whi ch is better from motion. The two remedies have a very similar symptomatology in their rheumatic and arthritic conditions. 2. Chronic cases where the deeper layers of the s in feel sore to the touch, eve n to the touch of clothes. The body feels sore as if it had been beaten, and ver y sensitive to touch, much li e Arnica. There is easy extravasation of blood whic h again shows the similarity to Arnica. It is this symptomatology that ma es thi s
remedy useful in cases of trauma and injuries, with blueness of the s in, deep soreness and pain in the muscles and joints. This remedy should follow the presc ription of Arnica or Rhus-tox.. in case no result should be forthcoming from the latter . 3. Cases of influenza or common colds where there is excessive soreness of muscl es and s in, (Eup-per., Arnica, Rhus-tox.) coupled with a gushing discharge from the left nostril. The decision for this remedy should be based on the combinati on of symptoms. Flying out of viscid mucus from lungs on coughing (Stannum) coup led with this soreness of the s in and muscles also ma es a case for this remedy. W e must consider as a ey-note the easy way in which mucus is detached and the forceful way that it flies out on blowing the nose or on coughing. 4. Cases of left sided sinusitis with soreness of the malar bone even to touch, with profuse discharge from the left nostril. 5. Cases of hyperthyroidism with arthritic involvement. The patient who will need this remedy is lively, excitable and emotional, prone to attac s of internal trembling and palpitations. The nervous system and the ci rculation seem to be in a constant state of excitement. There is an active memory, a clea r mind and a desire for mental wor . Mental activity brings about a restlessness which worsens towards night-time. In this respect Badiaga resembles Coffea crud a. Li e Coffea, Badiaga cannot tolerate excess joy and develops symptoms from it , such as annoying palpitations and tremblings. From the symptomatology one gets the picture of an overstimulated thyroid gland, with the concomitant excess of emotions and trembling produced by such stimulation. Badiaga has a reputation f or curing Basedow's disease and for treating syphilis, and is considered a complimentary to Mercury. Some mental symptoms to be found in this remedy include: tearful mood, especiall y during coughing, with despair; mista es in time, confuses the days of the wee .
Generalities Badiaga has a reputation as an antisyphilitic remedy, completing the action of M ercury. Infantile syphilis, bubo, roseola. After effects of injuries, including blows,
bruises, falls, with extravasation of blood. Muscles and s in feel sore, as if beaten. Soreness of muscles and s in in its deeper layers; general soreness of integuments and muscles. Obesity in children due to thyroid disfunction. Glands swollen. Basedow's disease. It is a remedy that is sensitive to cold, especially cold air, and worse from it . Worse in stormy weather and better in a warm room. Worse afternoon, worse from pressure and touch: there is general soreness, even to touch of clothes. L ying down ma es the pains better and the palpitations worse. Carcinoma of breast . Lancinating pains in stomach; liver; below scapulae; urethra; chest. Tremulous vibrative palpitation, aggravated when lying on right side. Palpitation after pleasurable emotions.
Head Headache with aching in bac s of eyeballs, worse with motion and in the afternoo n. Pains in eyeballs extending to head. Pain in right eyeball extending to foreh ead and then to temple, worse in the afternoon. Severe headache in vertex, better towards night-time, ameliorated completely aft er sleep and returning severely after brea fast. Headache from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. , with slight aching in posterior portion of b oth eyeballs and in temples; worse on moving the eyes. Headache with inflamed eyes.
Excess of dandruff; scalp sore to touch; tetterli e eruption on forehead; drynes s of hair. There is a sensation as if the head had increased in size and were full.
Eyes Blueness of margins of lids and blue circles under the eyes. Irritation of the eyes in the afternoon. In general we see an aggravation for th is remedy in the afternoon. Hardness of meibomian glands. Scrofulous ophthalmia; inflammation aggravated by heat. Pain and inflammation of the right eye extending to left. Pain in eyeballs extending to temples. Headache with aching in posterior parts of eyeballs, worse on turning eyes. Severe intermittent pain in posterior portion of right eyeball - paroxysmal. The left eyeball quite sore, even upon closing it tightly. Exophthalmus. Twitching of eyelids, especially the left.
Ears Pain when descending steps. Slight shoc s in ears as of distant artillery; afternoon and evening.
Nose Hayfever with asthmatic breathing. Coryza worse on the left side. Gushing of mucus from left nostril. Aggravation of the discharge in the afternoon. Sneezing, fluent coryza, stoppage at times.
Itching of left wing of nose.
Face Herpes on forehead. Redness of face. Numerus frec les on the face Face pale, ashy or leaden. Left chee and malar bone sore to touch. Maxillary joint stiff. Glandular swellings on left side of face, throat and nec , nearly as large as a hen's egg.
Mouth Gluey saliva. Saliva and mucus flie from mouth when coughing. Bad taste in mouth, evening. Mouth and breath hot, feverish, with thirst for large quantities of water at a t ime. Mouth and tongue feel scalded.
Throat Catarrhal affections of throat. Haw s up masses of gluey, bloody mucus from throat, which is inflamed and sore; worse from swallowing solids. Flying out of mucus while coughing. Exophthalmic goitre. Pulsation of carotids from excitement.
Stomach Lancinating pain, worse on deep inspiration, worse at 8 a.m. Appetite diminished.
Thirst for large quantities of water. Headache after brea fast. Pressure in pit of stomach, nausea and rumbling. Severe lancinating pain in pit of stomach, extends to vertebrae, right scapula, and at times to right side, resulting there in a pleuritic pain.
Desires salty things and vinegar.
Abdomen Lancinating pain with a bounding movement in region of liver with anxiety. Indurated inguinal glands. Syphilitic bubo. Swelling of inguinal glands.
Rectum Catarrh of bowels. Constipation. Hemorrhoids.
Urinary organs Sharp pain in right idney. Urine high-colored, reddish. Severe, sharp, lancinating pain, in and near orifice of urethra.
Genitalia - male Chancres suppressed by cautery or mercurial ointment, leaving elevated, discolor ed cicatrices. Syphilitic bubo, left groin, hard, unequal li e scirrhus; buboes from different causes. Syphilis of infants, whole convolutes of hard glandular swellings, buboes. Cured a syphilitic bubo of left groin after Sulphur, Carb-an., Clemat., Silic., Iodiu m and Arsen. had failed.
Genitalia - female Carcinoma mammae.
Chest Cough loose morning, tight afternoon, better in a warm room. Cough ends in sneezing. Cough excited by sweets, candy, etc. Spasmodic cough, strangling, face turning dar . There is a definite aggravation of the respiration on lying on right side. While lying in bed on right side, just becoming unconscious by sleep, severe oppressi ve suffocative attac s from suspended respiration; must turn immediately to preven t suffocation. Grindelia and Lachesis have a similar condition (respiration arrested on falling asleep). Breath hot and feverish. Occasional severe paroxysms of spasmodic cough, ejecting viscid mucus from bronc hial tubes which at times comes flying forcibly out of mouth; more during afternoon and evening; caused by tic ling in larynx as if sugar was dissolving; better in a warm room. Cough causes sneezing. Pain in upper part of right chest. Sharp, lancinating pains in chest, worse from motion and deep inspiration, with soreness of chest; worse afternoon and evening. Severe stitches in sides, especially right, aggravation from least motion. Lungs feel as if sin ing down. Tremulous, vibrating palpitation upon slightest emotion of mind. Lying on right side, heart is heard and felt to pulsate from chest up to nec . At midnight, while in bed, vibrating palpitation of heart for a few minutes.
Bac Nec very stiff, worse flexing head. Soreness, lameness with stitches in nape; worse bending head bac and forward. Severe lancinating and stitches below scapulae, much worse from throwing shoulde
rs bac and chest forward, or from any contortion of body. Severe pain in or near head of right scapula. Pain in front of upper part of right shoulder, afterwards in left shoulder and a rms. Pain in small of bac , hips and lower limbs. In right scapula pain from pit of stomach.
Extremities Pains in the
nees worse on descending.
Pain in front of upper part of right shoulder, afterwards in left shoulder and a rm. Palms hot and dry. Pain in hips. Intermitting pain in muscles of lower posterior third part of leg, with a sore, clumsy, contracted, bruised feeling of anterior muscles of lower third, worse fl exing foot and going up-stairs. Chilblains. It has lessened a hard cellular swelling of both legs. Sitting or lying: legs become numb, soon feel sore, must change position. Pain in the heel worse by least pressure. Paralysis of toe, turns under while wal ing.
Sleep Restless at night; must frequently change position, body feels sore. Awo e with frightful dreams and severe crampy pains in metatarsal bones of both feet; 3 to 4 a.m. Arrested respiration on falling asleep on his right side, has to change position immediately. After sleep, head feels better.
Fever Heat in forehead. Fever and thirst. Feverish, hot breath and mouth. Hot stitches in bubo. Palms dry, hot. Foot sweat chec ed.
S in S in sore to touch. Elevated and discolored (blue) cicatrices.
Rhagades here and there. Brown and blue spots in s in after concussions.
Clinical Arthritis. Rheumatism. Bruises. Injuries. Catarrh. Coryza. Hay-fever. Pains in e yes. Ophthalmia. Affections and indurations of glands. Palpitation. Scrofula.
Relations Side relation: Spongia Compare: Seneg. (cough caused by sneezing); Spongia (cough, with much sneezing). Similar to: Calc-sulph. (indurations); Carb-an. (indurations, buboes); Rhus-tox. , Arnica , Eupat-per., Clemat., Mercur., Nitr. ac., Silic., Sulphur. Complementary to: Sulphur, Iodium, and Mercury.
Dosage From 6x to 50m.
Baptisia tinctoria Wild Indigo N.O. Leguminosae Tincture of fresh root and its bar .
The essential features Baptisia has come down to us as a remedy for typhus, although it has been a subj ect for controversy over the years. Some practitioners, including Kent, have pra
ised Baptisia highly in this condition, where others stated flatly that it was usele ss for the real typhus. Kent also states in his materia medica that this is an a cute remedy for acute conditions only. I do not agree with either statement. In my e xperience Baptisia has wor ed well when prescribed on proper indications, whethe r for acute or chronic conditions.
Since the idea of typhus has overwhelmed our literature on Baptisia, and has giv en the impression that this remedy should be thought of only in typhoid states, I will begin by indicating the range of diseases or conditions in which this remedy is needed: Influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, cholocystitis, food poisoning, e nteritis, enterocolitis, peritonitis, tuberculous enteritis, psychotic condition s, anxiety neurosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, alzheimer's disease and asthmatic condition s. These are some of the conditions where you may see the "picture" of this remedy. The symptomatology on which to prescribe Baptisia is one close to Arnica, Rhus-t ox. and Eupat-per. but it has features of its own. The first characteristic to consider is the "scattered" feeling experienced by t he patient. Baptisia can be described as the most scattered remedy in the materi a medica. That is to say that the patient has the feeling that parts of the body are scattered around. The following expression is characteristic of this sensati on: "I am all scattered around. One little piece is over on the dressing table in a cu p"". There is also a feeling of duality in this remedy, which, however, has noth ing to do with the duality of Anacardium. There is no fear with it, no aggressiveness, no thing grotesque. This feeling of duality is a calm delusion and is described by the patient as a reality, without fear. He is experiencing one part of his body tal ing to another; two parts of himself are holding a conversation together. This condition appears during high fever, or during acute or chronic psychotic state s. A typical Baptisia case will always be accompanied by this type of confusion of the mind. The patient experiences conditions in which one part of the body is on the bed, the other on the floor. "Thin s she is in two parts, and, when she gets a viole nt paroxysm of coughing, says she must eep awa e while the half coughs; thus th e alternate coughing of the two halves eeps her awa e the whole night." This d of delusion indicates Baptisia.
in
Kent describes this state eloquently: "His mind seems to be gone. He does not n ow what he is tal ing about. He is in confusion, and when aroused he attempts to say something, and utters a word or two and it all flits away, and he is bac in hi s state of stupor again. No matter what disease that comes in, no matter what
inflammation is present, no matter what organ is inflamed, if thatstate of the blood that can give rise to such symptoms and such sepsis is present, if that st ate of the mind is present, it is Baptisia." This does not mean that Baptisia cannot be prescribed unless such a state of con fusion is present. Behind such a description lies an idea or a "picture" of the ind of confusion and disturbance that this remedy can produce. Old homeopaths used to see the typical Baptisia pictures described below; we are much less li ely to se e this type of case today, because most patients resort to antibiotics from the v ery first stage of their acute diseases. "...offensive stool associated with thi s typhoid state; the stool is so extremely offensive that you can smell it all ov er the house. It is death-li e, it permeates the house, you can carry it with yo ur clothing. We have extreme offensiveness in Bapt.; it has a little restlessness at times but he will draw up his nees and lie over on one side, and lie there f or days and will not spea to anybody; he attempts to answer and falls asleep; if he ha s wandering, as we sometimes find him, he seems to be scattered all over the bed , and seems to want to get the limbs together; he thin s he is made up of numerous fa ctors; he thin s his limbs are tal ing to each other and it annoys him; he wants to get them together." Other expressions during the delusion are:- arms do not belong to her; arms are cut off; bed is sin ing down; someone is in bed with him; parts of the body have been ta en away; tossed about bed to get the pieces of his body together; imagines l egs are conversing; that toe is conversing with thumb; imagines limbs are separa ted. Sensation as if there was a second self outside of patient. He thin s his legs are holding a conversation with each other. Kent again describes : "Now, a strange thing that runs through the remedy is a p eculiar ind of mental confusion, in which he is in a constant argument with his parts. He seems to feel that there are two of him. He realizes a dual existence whenev er he is roused up. He will begin tal ing about the other one in bed with him. I t is said clinically that "his great toe is in controversy with his thumb." Or, "one leg is tal ing to the other leg." Or, one part is tal ing to another part; or, he is
scattered around over the bed; fumbles and you as him what he is trying to do - "why, I am trying to get those pieces together." He never succeeds; he is in
delirium, of course. These are only examples; you will get a new phase every ti me you get a Baptisia case. Most of the time he is unconscious except when rouse d. Sometimes he mutters. You will see his lips go, and you rouse him to see what h e is about, and he is trying to get the pieces together.. i Confused as if intoxicated." There are stages when he is not quite so stupid, an d hes sleepless and restless. That is the exception. Most generally you will fin d him lying upon one side curled up li e a dog, and he does not want to be disturbed. Again, when the stupor is not so great he is restless and turns and tosses. In that case he cannot sleep, because he cannot get the pieces together. He feels if he could once get matters together he could go to sleep, and these parts that are tal ing to each other eep him awa e. His mind wanders as soon as his eyes are closed. Dulness, especially at night." At this point we should consider the apparent similarities between Baptisia and Cann-i. The Cann-i. patient feels as though he were moving out of his body, wher eas the i Baptisia patient feels his body to be scattered in various places. In Cann-. th e hand appears to be moving out of the physical body, and this symptom is accomp anied by a tremendous fear of going insane or dying. The Cann-i. patient experiences it as a process of separation that will result in death or insanity and feels te rrified. This is not the case in Baptisia. Here the confusion and congestion of the brai n are such that the question of fear does not arise. The patient does not have t he awareness to feel fear. A peculiarity of Baptisia is the rapidity with which delirium sets in at the hei ght of a fever: constant, loquacious delirium, muttering with no sense, with ope n eyes; delirium on closing the eyes; delirium worse at night; the emphasis here is tha t the delirium appears quite early in cases where you do not expect it. Clar e writes : "Baptisia has gained its greatest reputation as a remedy in typh oid fever, to the symptoms of which its pathogenesis stri ingly corresponds. But it is only when it is used strictly in accordance with its symptoms that it will give successful results. When given as a matter of routine there are sure to be fail ures. Another disease in which it has proved specific in a large number of cases is e pidemic influenza."
In influenza of course you should not expect to see such a severe mental state, but a condition where the muscles are sore and the bed feels hard, the excretion s are offensive and there seems to be a slight confusion in the mind, with high fever , not much restlessness, neither extremely cold nor extremely hot, but the patie nt loo s reddish, besotted and tired, unable to give symptoms. He says "I'm just s ic all over." The patient does not want to tal much, and you will confuse the case with Bryonia, because he just lies motionless and lifeless. The high fever, the confusion in the mind, the besotted face and the offensiveness that was not usu al to the patient should ma e you thin of Baptisia. It is this element of an early m ental confusion in a case that should guide you primarily to thin of this remed y. If the tendency of the delirium is to present the scattered sensation described ab ove, you have a Baptisia case. In cases of pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, pericarditis or endocarditis, the patie nt wa es up at night and breathes with great difficulty; the lungs feel tight; h e cannot get a deep breath; he will give you the impression that he is out of breath, as if tired after ascending a hill. The bed feels so hard that he cannot lie long in one place. The fever is high, the s in dry, the face red and has a besotted loo . T here is obvious confusion in the mental region. The patient feels that he is suf focating, and gets up from bed or as s for the window to be opened. This seems to relieve him (Carb-v., Pulsatilla). His breathing is worse on lying down; there is a fea r of going to bed, mostly because of a fear that on going to sleep he will suffocate and have terrible nightmares. Having considered the features of acute Baptisia cases, I shall now concentrate on the Baptisia chronic case. This is characterized by a feeble mind; there seem s to be an aversion to thin ing, a disli e for mental, emotional or physical exertio n. The mental powers seem to slow down and confusion supervenes. This individual cannot concentrate on a specific subject and experiences a wild, wandering feel ing in his mind. The patient feels as though the forehead and eyes were pressed inside the head, and as though the forepart of the brain were stuc , preventing him from thin ing, and causing him to rub his forehead all the time as though t o activate the brain. The moment he tries to say something he forgets it. His tho ughts wander and vanish. The brain softens, and alzheimer's disease is on its wa y
fast. The patientãs ideas are confused in her brain, and she is ta en over by the feeling that she no longer wants to live, that she has nothing to live for, tha t she wants to die. In a more acute mental state the Baptisia patient becomes very re stless, rubbing her hands continuously, wanting to move all the time, lying in b ed and
rolling her head from side to side. She is confused as to her identity. She fee ls she cannot catch her breath: "...will clutch her breast and act as though she wanted to tear it open, then she would act li e one dying. 'I am cho ing, I will die i f I do not get more air'. If the windows are opened then she appears to be bette r". A further stage to be considered is the Baptisia anxiety neurosis. Here we find anxiety about health, the anxiety revolving mainly around the heart. The patient fears that the heart will stop, or that it will, or has, quit beating. This bri ngs on a tremendous anxiety and fear. He fears that he has an incurable heart di sease. He does not want to hear any conversation about sic ness, especially concerning the heart, because it brings about a wild state in his mind. This is not the lo gical fear we find in Phosphorus, where the patient feels that he may have, or may ge t, the same condition. This is a "confused fear". It is followed by despair, by a certainty that he will never recover and is sure to die. He is restless and ner vous at night and his condition is aggravated by dar ness, and by thin ing of hi s pains. His memory wea ens, and as it wea ens the anxiety increases. As a final stage, the patient eventually lapses into sadness, mental depression and lastly perfect indifference. He loses all feeling, does not care about anyth ing, no longer wants to continue living. This state is similar to Ph-acid. You could ca ll it a state of insensibility. Insensibility is a eynote for Baptisia. The ins ensibility is apparent in the mental, emotional and physical regions. During a headache, the patient may feel sleepy and stupid, the hands dead, without feeling. "Hands and feet were cold, and she said they were dead; there was no feeling in them; her arms were numb, and it extended down into her hands; she felt as though she would be paralyzed". Baptisia has loss of sensibility as a general condition.
Generalities Again it is important to loo upon the experience of Kent who apparently saw a g reat many cases of typhoid fevers and whose descriptions of this remedy are supe rb: "All of its acute diseases and complaints have the appearance of zymosis, li e scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhoid, and gangrenous complaints. There is one thin
g that is unusual about it, it brings on this septic state more rapidly than most othe r remedies. The zymotic complaints of Ars., Phos., Rhus., and Bry., are much slo wer in their pace. But Baptisia is suitable for typhoids that come on rapidly, and hen ce it is not so often suitable in idiopathic typhoids. When an individual comes down suddenly from cold, from malaria, from drin ing poisonous waters, and from any zymotic or septic cause he is hurled into bed in a few days, instead of going th rough a period of four, five or six wee s. The old idiopathic typhoid fevers come on slower. Baptisia is suitable for those blood poisons that are highly septic, such as the puerperal state, such as scarlet fever. He comes down perhaps with the appearan ce of a sudden violent brea down, with a remittent fever. But all at once it turns con tinued, and ta es on septic symptoms. So much for its progress and its pace. Eve ry medicine must be observed as to its velocity, as to its pace, as to its periodi city, as to its motion, and its wave. We get that by loo ing at the symptoms. Yo u ta e an individual who has been down in a mine, in the swamp, down in the mud, in th e sewers, who has inhaled foul gases, who goes into bed with a sort of stupor, f rom the very beginning he feels stupid. It is not gradual, but he goes down very sudden ly, and he is stupid. He is prostrated. His face is mottled. Sordes begin to app ear on the teeth much earlier than in the regular typhoid. The abdomen becomes distend ed much earlier than in the regular typhoid. That is, one who is accustomed to observing those things nows they are postponed for a number of days; while wit h this remedy the third day the abdomen is distended, his mouth is bleeding, and is putrid. His odors are horrible; and he is in a mar ed state of delirium, such a s would not be expected until the typhoid is out for many days. So it has rapid running diseases. It has velocity. That is, he is going down toward death rapidly. He i s increasing in his prostration more rapidly than usual. It is not a gradual dec line of days and wee s. He goes into a state of stupor. When aroused he ta es on deliri um. It does not matter whether it is scarlet fever, or typhoid fever, or a septi c surgical fever, or a puerperal fever, or what. He has fever, and if you loo at him, and tal to him, and turn him over, and rouse him up, and ma e him realize that you
want to say something to him - which is difficult _ he gives you the impression that he has been on a big drun . That is the first thought you will have in a B aptisia case. His countenance is besotted. It is bloated and purple and mottled. Blood oozes from the mouth. You have seen the besotted countenance of drun ards, and i t is li e an old drun ard. All the discharges are putrid. The odor is cadaverous, pungent; penetrating. His perspiration, if he has any, is sour, foetid, pungent, and penetrating. If he h as no sweat the body gives off an odor that is unaccountable. The odor is so penetrating th at on going into the front door the whole house, if the room is open, is filled with the odor. The odor from the stool is putrid and so penetrating that it can be detec ted on first going into the house." The characteristic generalities of this remedy are: a. an all round sic
feeling
b. great muscular soreness, bed feels very hard c. insensibility d. mental confusion e. prostration and f. offensive discharges, offensive breath, stool, urine, sweat, etc. Cases of convulsive contraction of esophagus with regurgitation of food have bee n cured by it. One of the older homeopaths, Hale, considered it a specific in threatened miscarriage from mental depression, or mental shoc from bad news. M ucous membranes become dar . Ulceration of mucous membranes. Morbid irritability of nervous system, preventin g sleep. Restless, uneasy, could confine himself to nothing; wanted to be moving from place to place. Dull, heavy feeling in whole body, with indifference to everyth ing. General malaise, wea feeling, but especially of lower limbs. Entire system feels wea , especially lower limbs and nees. Feels wea and languid, sore and bruise d, especially arms and calves of legs. Feels wea and exhausted after a little l abor, soon becoming tired. Feels wea , tremulous, as after severe sic ness. Faintness on rising. Great languor; wants to lie down. Lassitude and wea ness of whole body, with ind ifference. Great prostration and restlessness. Prostration and trembling.
Prostration, with soreness of muscles. Slides down in bed; feels as if sin ing away. Paralysis of whole left side; left hand and arm are numb, powerless. Numbness an d tingling in the whole of left side. Baptisia resembles Rhus in its typhoid tendency, but the prostration of Baptisia is greater, with a drowsy, stupid condition and besotted loo instead of the re stless irritability of Rhus - the throat, too, is dar -red, with dar putrid ulcers an d a mar ed painlessness, while all the discharges are very offensive. Some eynotes for Baptisia: - A feeling as if the forehead or the eyes or both were being pressed in. - A tendency to rub the forehead constantly. - A feeling as if the tongue were scalded. - Swelling at the base of the tongue.
Head There is a dull heavy sensation in head with drowsiness and heavy eyelids.
The head feels large, with a numb feeling of head and face. Bruised soreness as if in brain; bruised feeling in occiput. The nec
is tired, cannot hold head easy in any position.
The s in of the forehead felt as if drawn tightly and to the bac ad; a feeling as if the forehead was being pressed in.
part of the he
Sensation as if a band were around forehead. Head feels heavy as if he could not sit up, causing a wild feeling; worse from n oise. Dull, bruised feeling in occiput. Top of head feels as if it would fly off. Sensation as if head was swelling slowly, growing larger and larger. Sharp pains by spells in right and left temples.
Eyes Lids partially paralysed. Cannot bear light; eyes burn, but do not water. Occasionally delirium with confusion of sight. Feeling as if eyes would be pressed into head; eyeballs feel sore with great con fusion of sight. Left eye for a moment feels very wea , followed by stitches in upper eyelid. Stitches in right eye; also in left as from needles. Eyeballs feel sore; sore and lame on moving them. Vessels congested, eyes loo
red, inflamed.
Partial paralysis of lids; difficulty in
Ears Roaring in ears with mental confusion. Delirium with almost complete deafness. Ears feel hot and burn, yet cold to touch. Right ear sore and nec tired.
eeping them open.
Soreness in right ear, running down nec . Pain below left ear, midway between mastoid process and angle of lower jaw. Slight pain in left parotid gland.
Nose An illusion of smell "as of burnt feathers". Sensation of great fulness, edematous swelling of affected parts. Epistaxis duri ng typhoid fever. Severe drawing pains along nose. Nose stopped up as if had ta en a bad cold. Thic
mucus from nose.
Dull pain at root of nose. Unpleasant sensation at root of nose as if water had passed through posterior na res while drin ing. Epistaxis and oozing of dar
blood from nose.
Face Anxious, frightened loo . Dar red, with besotted expression; flushed, dus y; hot and perceptibly flushed, epistaxis ameliorates. Discoloration with bluish spots. Burning, pric ling of left side of face and head. Burning heat in face with flus hed chee s. Sweat on forehead and face. Face and whole head feel numb. Muscles of jaw rigid. Jaw dropped. Crac ed lips. Pain in region of right mastoid process.
Mouth A general comment here is that in spite of the fact that we have a lot of extrem ely offensive ulcers or ulcerations, we do not see much pain. Putrid ulceration of buccal cavity, with salivation; well-developed ulcers, slight pain. Fetid ulcer
s, filthy taste with flow of saliva. Gangrenous ulcers. Painless ulcers. Sordes on teeth and lips. Tongue coated white, yellow or yellowish-brown, and feels as if burned or scalde d. Tongue has a yellow centre, or yellowish-brown coating. Tongue yellowish-brown with shining edges. Shining, glazed edges of tongue. Saliva rather abundant, somewhat viscid and flat tasting. Enlarged tongue, swollen, thic , ma ing tal ing difficult. Roof of tongue is swo llen and feels numb.
Tongue feels stiff. Pain in root of tongue on swallowing. Crac ed, sore ulcerated tongue. Trembling of tongue when protruding it. Swelling of the palate. Taste is nauseous. Fetid odor. Aphthae blac . Gums dar red.
Throat Although there is severe inflammation the pain is much less than expected. Nervous spasm of the esophagus. Paralysis of esophagus. Esophagus feels as if constricted from above down to stomach. Constrictive feeling causing frequent efforts at deglutition; throat sore, feels contracted. Can swallow liquids only; least solid food gags. Frequent inclination to swallow, causing pain in root of tongue. Painless inflammation of throat. Fauces dar red; dar , putrid ulcers; tonsils and parotids swollen; unusual abse nce of pain. Burning and heat in fauces, as from heartburn, extending into ears; aggravation from belching, which causes pain to extend into chest, and there producing a wea feeling. Tonsils and soft palate very red, but not painful. Uvula elongated. Discoloration of tonsils, uvula dar Swelling of epiglottis, mornings. Throat sore; averse to open air.
red.
Dar , putrid, wash leather-li e exudation of membrane. Sensation as if had eaten pepper. Mucus abundant and viscid, can neither be swallowed nor expectorated. Children cannot swallow solid food; the smallest solid substance causes gagging, thus they cannot use anything but mil . The larynx is very sensitive to touch, sore to swallow or spea .
Stomach Loss of appetite. Constant desire for water, with nausea and want of appetite. All symptoms worse from beer. Belching of large quantities of wind. Nausea with eructations, followed by painful vomiting. Feeling as if he would vomit, but no nausea, with severe shooting in left idney and to left of umbilicus. At night frequent pain in epigastric region; aggravation from turning over, whic h he had to do all the time. Sin ing, "gone" feeling at stomach, fainting; tongue brown in morning. Cramp in stomach; evening. Severe pain every few minutes in cardiac region of stomach.
Abdomen Dull pain in umbilicus on deep inspiration. Dull pain at pit of stomach, with constriction of diaphragm. Constant pain in stomach and liver; worse from wal ing; heavy aching in stomach and liver. Pain in region of liver on going up-stairs. Constant aching distress in stomach and umbilical region, with a great deal of p ain in region of gall-bladder; pain extends to spine. Pain in region of spleen, with darts of pain in body, especially in carpus, meta carpus and phalanges. Severe colic y pains in umbilical and hypochondriac regions, recurring every few seconds. Pain in abdomen with diarrhea. Griping pain in bowels while at stool. Distress, dull pain in umbilical region. Distended abdomen; fulness; flatulence, rumbling, feels as if vomiting would rel
ieve; mushy stools. Right iliac region sensitive. Abdominal muscles sore on pressure, with acute intermitting pain. Abdominal tend erness, with flatulency. Cutting in bowels, relieved for a short time by passage of flatus, which causes burning at anus. Severe pain in left groin; better from wal ing, better from rest, but returning again on motion. Glands of left groin swollen; painful on wal ing. Severe pain in the region of the gall-bladder, it is almost impossible to wal , it ma es the pain so severe.
Rectum Diarrhea, with pain and soreness in bowels. Stools of pure blood, or bloody mucus. Fetid, exhausting diarrhea, causing excoriation. Thin, watery, offensive diarrhea day and night. Aphthous diarrhea. Dar brown mucous and bloody stools. Stools: dar , thin, fecal, offensive. Fetid stools. Stool very small and difficult to pass, it resembles sheep dung. Pain before stool, wea ness after stool. Constipation and diarrhea; stools dar
and blood-strea ed.
Before stool: severe colic, more in hypogastrium. Stool papescent, with a large quantity of mucus, but no real pain.
Urinary organs Stitches in region of right idney. Shooting pains in region of left
idney.
Urine scanty, dar red; light green. Urine very highly colored and scanty. Urine not very copious, but of dar -red color. Urine al aline, fetid. Passes water often with a great deal of fiery pain. Red sand is passed with urine, and is seen at once on bottom of vessel. Increased secretion of urine at night.
Genitalia - male
Dull drawing in right groin and testicle, also in legs and
nee joints.
Orchitis; cannot sleep because he feels as if his body was scattered about bed. Pressing pain in left testicle, as if it had been squeezed. Cramps in testes, as if they had been squeezed.
Genitalia - female Abortion from bad news, from emotions, from low fever, from night-watching. Menses brown. Menses too early and too profuse. Tendency to or threatened abortion. Lochia acrid, fetid; great prostration. Puerperal fever, with typhoid symptoms. Metrorrhagia. Dysmenorrhea.
Chest Hoarseness or aphonia. Larynx very sore to touch, painful swallowing or spea ing. Hoarseness, must use great effort to be understood. Sensation of weight and oppression in praecordial region, with a feeling of unsa tisfied breathing; afternoon. Fetid breath. Asthmatic oppression of chest, with frequent yawning; worse from motion; better after rest. Snoring respiration. Catarrhal pneumonia; cough, night sweat and diarrhea. Oppressed breathing, 6 p.m. , with cough; right lung sore; sneezing. Awo e with great difficulty of breathing; lungs felt tight, compressed; could no t get a full breath; must open window and get his face to fresh air; burning hea t of s in; dry tongue; accelerated pulse; peculiar feeling of brain. On lying down difficult breathing, but no constriction of chest, must rise; afra id to go to sleep, fears nightmare and suffocation; arises from want of power in lungs, not constriction.
Dyspnea, with a tight cough. Stitches in sternum on inhalation. Tic ling in throat provo ing cough; uvula elongated. Tightness of chest; constriction. Pain in right lung; less pain in left, with soreness. Pain through left chest.
Sharp pains when ta ing a long breath. Dull, oppressive pain in left chest at origin of serratus magnus; worse on inspi ration and motion; pains in metacarpal bones. Throbbing of heart so as to be distinctly heard. Compass and frequency of heart's pulsations seem increased; pulsations seem to f ill chest. Pulse at first accelerated, afterwards slow and faint. Pulse accelerated or slow er than in health. Sharp pain in centre of sternum. Dull stitches in left nipple. Dull heavy pains in region of origin of pectoralis minor, lasting about ten minu tes, followed by a bruised feeling.
Bac Nec so tired she cannot hold her head easily in any position. Cervical muscles stiff, lame. Bac and hips very stiff, ache severely. Pain under right scapula; better on motion. Dull lumbar bac ache, worse wal ing. Dull sacral pain, compounded of a feeling as from pressure and fatigue, from lon g stooping; soon extends around hips and down right leg. Feels as if lying on a board; changes position often, bed feels so hard; worst p art in region of sacrum. Rheumatic pains in muscles of bac , followed by burning. Pain in right subscapular muscle; worse on motion of arm; better from pressing p art against something hard. Pain under right scapula; better on motion. Pain in sacrum.
Extremities Severe pain in left shoulder joint, causing a disagreeable, sic ening feeling at stomach; also darts of pains in various parts of body; aggravated during rest a
nd when thin ing of them. Feels sore and stiff about shoulders and chest. Pain in right elbow, causing a wea ness in arm and hand, scarcely able to hold p encil while noting these symptoms. Rheumatic thrusts in left ulna (lower part), with pain in different parts of bod y; aggravated at rest. Severe rheumatic stitches in metacarpal bone of left index finger, lasting sever al minutes. Rheumatic stitches in left radius, lasting but a little while. Numbness of left hand and forearm, with pric ling; worse from movement; sharp da rting pains through fingers.
Hands feel large, tremulous. Rheumatic pains in left wrist and stitches in right eye. Tearing pains in carpal bones of right hand, lasting but a short time, followed by several sharp pains in phalanges of left hand. A sharp dart of pain in first phalanx while writing. Pain running up and down bones of left forearm. Tearing pain in palm of left hand, and also darts in various parts of body. Terrible rheumatic pains in metacarpal bones of left hand, lasting but a few mom ents, though very severe; also pain in left nee and shoulder. Tearing pain in right metacarpus. Rheumatic pain in metacarpal bone and phalanges of left thumb (long, severe thru sts), lasting several minutes, every thrust causes a momentary sic ness at pit o f stomach. Sharp stitches under left thumb nail, lasting but a few moments, but returning i n a short time as before. Rheumatic pain in phalanges of middle finger right hand, and also in right shoul der joint. Lower limbs feel wea and vacillating when wal ing. Soreness in anterior of thighs; worse after sitting awhile. Drawing in hips and calves. Several rheumatic stitches in outer hamstring. Severe pain in left nee (outer side), running down into fibula. Rheumatic pain in left
nee joint.
Dull pain in right patella and right tarsal bones. Cramp in calves whenever he moves them. Pains in lower part of left ulna and tarsus. Left foot numb, pric ling. Burning of top of right foot, from toes to bac
of foot.
Rheumatic pain on inner side of right os calcis. Tearing pains in os calcis of right foot, lasting about half a minute. Pain in first phalanx of right great toe, as if hair on it was steadily and cont inually pulled; aggravated at rest, better on motion; after moving a little whil e toe feels
hot, and then pain leaves, but when at rest heat leaves, and pains return. Rheumatic pain in right (lower part) ulna, also in muscles on posterior part of right thigh and metacarpal bones of right index finger. Rheumatic pain in right shin bone, also in bones of left wrist and hand. Rheumatic pains in left elbow and nee, and also right an le and heel. Rheumatic stitches in right subscapular muscle, with pains in different parts of body, especially in metacarpal bones and phalanges, lasting but a few moments; pains in hand seem to be deep in bones. Aches from his finger ends to his toes. Soreness, bruised feeling in extremities during chill.
Paralysis, hemiplegia, left. Aching in limbs. Drawing in arms and legs.
Sleep Dreams of snow. Lies curled up li e a dog. Excessive drowsiness. Feels very drowsy, can hardly eep awa e. Drowsiness, can only eep awa e by great effort; pains in body still continue. Drowsy, stupid, t ired feeling; disposition to half close eyes. Feels dull and sleepy; with slight headache. Feels sleepy and drowsy; lay down to doze, but soon lower limbs suddenly start a s if had been frightened. Feels drowsy; while sitting on a chair and lying with head on arms, and arms on table (dozing, yet conscious), had a sensation as if some person touched him ver y gently in both sides; followed by a want of power to sit up, made several efforts to d o so, but was perfectly helpless; in a short time had a similar attac of about same duration, but more severe; felt wea for some time afterwards. Delirious stupor; falls asleep while answering a question or while being tal ed to. Lies semicomatose, loo s as if dying. Slept well until about 3 a.m. , then restless until morning, tossing about. Rest less; does not sleep quietly. Sleep restless, frequent wa ings. Wants to get up and yet does not want to. Sleepless, with wandering of mind. Delirious disturbance at night, varying from a mere uneasiness and inability to sleep to delirium proper. Cannot sleep; head or body feels scattered about bed; tosses about to get pieces together. Wants to get out of bed. Restless, with frightful dreams. Sleep restless and troubled with dreams, but in ability to remember what had been dreamed, and weariness, as if had not slept en
ough. Sleep very restless, dreams; heavy gnawing at stomach; pains in hands. Nightmare. Sleeplessness. Worse on awa ing: difficult breathing; parts rested on feel very painful; flashe s of heat.
Fever Shivering. Shivering preceded by a sense of wea ness. Chilly all day; whole body feels sore.
Chilly on going into open air; chills over bac and lower limbs; evening. Chilly over bac while sitting by a fire; forenoon. Chilliness alternated with heat. Chilliness of lower limbs and bac , with fever at night. Chill followed by fever, with severe aching in muscular portion of body. Whole surface hot and dry, with occasional chills, mostly up and down bac . Extr emities feel hot, except feet, which are cold. Flashes of heat from small of bac in all directions; dull, heavy aching, great prostration. On awa ing at 3 a.m. , flashes of heat, feeling as if sweat would brea
out.
Gentle flashes of heat over whole body. Fever set in with headache. General fever and malaise. Heat of face, flashes over face. Burning, pungent heat over whole body, especially in face. Heat at night; burning in legs preventing sleep. Heat of s in. Uncomfortable burning all over surface, especially face; had to move to a cool p art of bed, and finally to rise and open a window and wash his face and hands. Gentle flushes of heat over whole body, followed by a slight perspiration. Frequent sweats. Causes sweat to brea out and relieves; critical sweat on forehead and face. Fetid sweat. Chills, fever and sweat every other afternoon. Fever cases, with peculiar delirium; dulness of intellect and abdominal tenderne ss. Sensation as if there was a second self outside of patient. Fever, delirium, headache, pain in bac
and limbs; [Rhus].
General fever and malaise. Aspect of low fever, determination of blood to surface and profuse sweating. Early stages: white tongue, red edges; or brown, or yellow brown down centre; bi tter or flat taste; cannot digest food; stools frequent, yellow; gurgling and sl ight. Sensitiveness of right iliac region; pulse high; fever tends to increase; parts rested on are sore.
Typhus and typhoid fever, with a tendency to putrescence. Fever originating from confinement on shipboard, without good care or food. Beginning of typhus, when so-called nervous symptoms predominate. Cerebral forms, especially with excessive drowsiness, delirium, confusion of ide as, stupefying headache; restless sleep, head feels scattered about; frightful dreams; great debility and nervous prostration, with erethism, etc. Typhoid and cerebral forms of fever; delirium, drowsiness, confusion, gives slow answer or falls asleep attempting a reply; erethism; tries to escape from bed; sleepless because she cannot get herself together; head feels scattered, a nd she tosses about to get pieces together; sensation of a second self outside of patient; indifferent; low delirium, stupor; sordes on teeth; face da r , besotted loo ing; hearing dull; epistaxis; involuntary, scanty stool;
difficult breathing; fever increases each afternoon.
S in Burning all over s in, worse in face. Livid spots over body and limbs, not elevated, of irregular shape, size of a pea up to bean, without any sensation. Rose-colored spots. Eruption li e measles or urticaria. Pimples thic on palatine arch, tonsils and uvula; breath fetid; salivation; pro stration. Foul, gangrenous, phagedenic syphilitic sores. Smallpox confluent, tardy eruption. Gangrenous sores, aphthae, sore nipples (locally).
Clinical Threatened abortion. Apoplexy. Brain softening. Cancer. Diphtheria. Enteric feve r. Affections of gall-bladder. Gastric fever. Hectic fever. Hysteria. Influenza. Mumps. Stricture of esophagus. Plague. Relapsing fever. Sewer gas-poisoning. Shivering. Stomatitis. Tabes mesenterica. Tinea capitis. Tongue ulcerated. Typhu s. Worms.
Relations Cognates : Arnic., Arsen., Bryon., Gelsem. (especially in the malaise, nervousne ss, flushed face of drowsiness, and muscular soreness in early stages); Hyosc., Kali chlor., Laches., Mur-ac., Nitr-ac. (in typhoids); Nux vom., Opium, Rhus tox. When Arsen. has been given in typhus improperly. Silic., li e Baptis., has ability to swallow only liquids, (li e mil ), but unli e the latter, it has also aversion to mil .
Terebinth. and Nitr-ac. acted well after Baptis. Hamam. speedily chec ed copious, repeated epistaxis. Compare: Ecchin-angust., Kali mur.,; Ecchinacea angustifolia is perhaps its near est analogue.
Dosage
From 6x to the highest.
Baryta carbonica Carbonas baryta "Carbonate of Barium Ba CO3, with which are included symptoms of Baryta acetica - Barium acetate Ba(C2H3O2)2. (I follow Hering and Hahnemann in combining the two, as I agree with Hering that "there is hardly any difference between the tw o, and certainly none in the symptoms cured.") Solution of acetate; trituration of carbonate." Clar e. English: Carbonate of Barytes; Carbonate of Baryta French: Baryte carbonatée; sous-carbonate de baryte German: Baryt; Schwererde Mode of preparation: Crystallized chloride of Barium, well pulverized, is to be boiled for two minutes with six parts of alcohol, in order to free it from the c hloride of strontium, which might be mixed with it; the powder is then to be dissolved in six parts of boiling distilled water and precipitated by carbonate of ammonia; t he precipitate is to be repeatedly washed with distilled water and then dried. The attenuations are to be first prepared by three triturations, li e those of the minerals.
The essential features Li e all polychrests, Baryta carbonica is used in all age groups and in a wide s pan of disorders. The old homeopaths' observation of Baryta carbonica is most interesting however: they found that most patients who required Baryta carbonic a were either very young or very old, and that the elderly patients who needed Baryta carbonica were generally those who had fallen into their "second childho od". It is a fact that Baryta carbonica is very useful in treating old patients whose behaviour becomes childish as well as children whose behaviour is far behind th eir
age, but this does not exclude patients of all ages. Some authors have used the term "dwarfishness" in describing the Baryta carbonic a state, and this quality is most certainly an aspect of this remedy as will be seen later in this chapter. However, a more apt characterization may be found by emp loying the term "immaturity". This immaturity is seen on all levels. The whole body or single organs, such as the testicles, or the penis, or the uterus, or the head, or the toes, or the fin gers etc. remain small; they fail to develop li e the rest of the body, and do not reach maturity. The same can be seen with the mind or certain functions of the mind wh ich fail to develop fully. The critical faculties for instance remain undeveloped, the memory wea ens or loses the power to retain facts and it is a great effort f or the patient to combine or associate complex ideas. But you do not have to have all these symptoms combined in one case. A child for instance may be very intelligent on certain levels and the teachers will be sat isfied with his progress, yet on other levels immaturity will be apparent. He may be i nsecure when left alone at school and may need the company and support of his fa mily in order to feel at ease. He will also probably show signs of underdevelopment in the body or in some organ.
The emotions are the last and the least to be affected. The emotions become mini mal: Baryta carbonica individuals cannot tell whether they love somebody or not, as their emotions are not strong enough to ma e an impression on their mind so as to be able to describe them.
The desire for protection The only thing of which the Baryta carbonica patient is fully aware is the desir e for protection. This symptom is almost universal with this remedy. That is why , for instance, if a husband is providing enough protection the wife will attach hers elf totally to him, no matter whether she loves him in an erotic way, or whether she is just tolerating him. For these patients the most important thing is their insec urity; if this is covered then everything else is of secondary importance and ca n be tolerated. It is interesting to note here that the insecurity is such that the patient ofte n wants to lean on to somebody else physically. For instance, on wal ing down th e street, the Baryta carbonica patient will want to lean on or be supported by the person accompanying them. When alone, such a patient may worry about feeling dizzy and see out a place to hold on to, regardless of whether they are in the street or in a building. Their dizziness leads them to a fear that they will faint. If th ey are left alone in the street they start to panic. In a young woman this symptom was so strong that she was afraid to go out in case there was no place to hold on t o should she feel dizzy. Fear of fainting has to be added to the repertory. I should mention at this stage that the overwhelming majority of the patients ne eding this remedy in my experience were female. I imagine that the Barium carbon ate affects the female hormonal chain more easily than the male. As we shall see fr om the following description of the pathology Baryta carbonica accentuates what we can term "the female traits." A young boy is so sweet and placid and non-aggres sive that he reminds one of a girl (I do not want to imply, though, that there i s a tendency to homosexuality); yet you may find that after having suppressed his a nger he needs an outlet and will curse and swear when alone.
The immaturity As one traces the different stages of Baryta carbonica, one sees the theme of im maturity repeated in many forms. Immaturity is of course proportional to the chronological age of the patient; i.e. , at age five the child acts as if he we re two or three, at age thirty he acts as if twelve, or sixteen etc. etc. Kent writes "You will have patients to treat, where this slow development manife sts itself in girls 18 to 25 years of age, who do things they did when they were children, and say things as they said them when they were children...They have not come to womanhood. They are late in ta ing on the activities and uses of the woman. They lac the prudence of the woman..They have not become circumspect an d say things just as a boy or just as a little girl would say them. That is the dwarfishness of the mind." Sometimes you will see cases where the patient herself will tell you most emphat ically that she does not want to grow up, that she wants to remain as a child, o r even a baby in the protection of the mother's lap. The world with its complicat ions and society's complex demands scares these patients to death; they do not w ant to go out there and fight. They really feel li e children in the midst of grown -ups and do not now how to protect or defend themselves. A tremendous anxiety neurosis may develop out of this state, especially if the p erson is pushed by his family or society to go out and act. This can be accompan ied by
inability to retain food, or to swallow solid food, by tremendous inexplicable fear, constant weeping and the desire to be protected and stay at home. They hav e no desire to go to the cinema or to social events. Any ind of enjoyment or amusem ent is unthin able in their condition. They cannot bring themselves to laugh; th e problem ta es on a serious dimension in their mind, they can thin of nothing e lse. You may wonder how they can exaggerate a small problem to such proportions. The more their mind dwells on the problem, the bigger it becomes. They will sit in the house in a corner and brood and bite their nails. If they leave the house an d go out into the open they immediately develop anxiety. The anxiety may also occur at n ight in bed, they become restless and want to uncover. The anxiety can revolve around business, domestic affairs, relatives and friends and is usually sudden in its appearance. It is a negative attitude towards life, denying the natural e volution that is normal for human beings, all without any serious reason. It is noteworthy that in the life of such persons there is usually no adequate s tress to account for their pathology. Everything seems to be going smoothly and unobstructedly and the patient herself will confirm it. Yet this tremendous anx iety will arise. If you investigate the case properly, you will find that the re ason for this anxiety is not a prominent single grievous event in their life, but ra ther a continuous feeling of inadequacy that pervades their existence, and that all of a sudden, with minimal stress, erupts into an annoying pathology. The nature of our remedies is such that different inds of stresses produce diff erent symptomatology, while each remedy can be said to be sensitive to a particu lar ind of stress. The general idea prevalent in allopathic medicine that all stre ss gives out anxiety is not only grossly oversimplified but also untrue. For instance, Aconitum is very sensitive to a sudden fright that is momentarily life-endangering, while Natrum muriaticum will show no reaction to such a shoc , but will on the other hand be extremely sensitive to the stress of a love disappoin tment, particularly in case of a possibility that he may be ridiculed. Baryta ca rbonica or Aconitum will not be affected at all by such types of stress. A financial ru in or stress will affect Aurum, Psorinum or Bryonia deeply while Ignatia or Natr um Muriaticum will remain unaffected. A stressful situation in an Arsenicum patien t will produce anxiety about health, fear of having cancer and tremendous fear o
f death. The same stress will ma e a Hyoscyamus patient cut off his emotions and feel dead emotionally. These are but a few examples to illustrate my point. The type of stress and the ind of effect it has upon an organism become therefo re extremely important in the differential diagnosis of a case. Thus, I have never so far seen a Baryta carbonica case develop pathology because of a love disappointment. I do not mean that such a thing could never occur, bu t it is rare, and it is probable that in such a situation another remedy and not Baryta carbonica is indicated. You will see cases of Baryta carbonica where, with extreme application, the pati ent has become an architect, lawyer, doctor, psychologist etc, but who lac s the inclination or the courage, once the studies are completed, to go out and wor or open an office. The inner inclination of this patient will be: "let me remain in the house protected by my own people, without demands, without responsibilities". T hey themselves are bothered by such thoughts but cannot help it. The general ide a that Baryta carbonica hinders one from becoming a scientist due to the fact tha t the memory and critical faculties are minimised is totally wrong. Actually mos t of the cases of Baryta carbonica which I have treated successfully were either sci entists in their younger years or seniles in old age. Of course only in cases where the patient has the means to afford to do so will such behaviour manifest itself; in cases where the person really needs to go out and wor in order to survive you will see a different attitude, although the inner pressure will still be tremendous and the main idea under such pressure will be the same. These cases will prefer positions of little or no responsibility. They wi ll remain unoticed in their professional group, though every one will li e them because they very seldom object to or quarrel with their superiors or others.
The fear of responsibility
Another aspect of this remedy, associated with the fear of responsibility, is th e fact that these patients do not want to have a child. The idea that a woman sh ould have the responsibility of a child is totally intolerable to her; she herself f eels li e a baby and does not want other babies in the family. There is such a f ear of pregnancy that the Baryta-carbonica woman fears she may become pregnant even th rough erotic play, without any actual contact. It is an irrational thought for a n educated woman, yet for all that she will have the fear.
The baryta carbonica child Baryta carbonica children have a characteristic appearance which includes an enl arged belly -- they are not fat but have a marasmic appearance li e Calcarea carbonica. Baryta carbonica is famous for glandular swellings, and often in the se children the tonsillar enlargement is so large as to ma e the swallowing of f ood difficult, and to force them to breathe through their mouth. This open-mouthed expression gives them somewhat of a "stupid" loo which is at the same time rath er serious and rather vacant, as if they can never quite figure out what is happen ing around them. If you have a child who loo s marasmic, has tremendously swollen cervical glands , with frequent tonsilitis, very swollen tonsils, and you see the child does not have the development of a normal child for his age, you almost certainly have a case of Baryta carbonica, even though the parents may tell you how intelligent the child is. There is always a tone of immaturity, especially in the voice and mode of tal i ng which resembles that of a baby, and you will surely see some other aspects of Baryta carbonica in them. Yet if the mind is primarily affected you will see that they are bac ward childr en. They are very timid and shy. They do not grasp the situations in which they find themselves, and therefore feel very insecure. For instance, if they want a drin of water, they will go and whisper in their mother's ear. On the first day of school the child cries, clings to its mother, and does not want her to leave. When lef t at school it throws a fit, and this is repeated every day for months. They fee l
particularly threatened and fearful with strangers. When strangers are present, they cling to their mother or hide behind her or the furniture. They pee out f or a little while at the doctor and then withdraw again. The child may go and hide f or he thin s that all visitors laugh at him. The presence of strangers aggravate s to such an extent that the child may start coughing in their presence. These child ren will be resistent to gentle coaxing, remaining hidden behind their mother. I f one goes to them and ta es them by the hand or gives them a forceful command, they either emerge in a fearful state or they start crying. In the interview one rare ly hears these children spea a word. One gets the information primarily from gest ures or subtle signs, and even that with difficulty. When one tries to physicall y examine such children, they withdraw, resist and if you force a bit they cry. B aryta carbonica children don't li e interference from strangers, although they a re very docile and obedient where their own parents are concerned. The mother will notice that her child seems to suffer from a lac of concentrati on. When he plays with a toy, he seems to pay only superficial attention and the n loses interest. He seems unable to concentrate or apply his mind. Often the child may sit without playing at all. He has no interest in the toys around him and just sits staring, inactive. This child is also late learning to tal and wal . One may s tand him on his feet to encourage him to ta e a few steps, but he does not seem to comprehend that he is supposed to put one foot in front of the other. This ment al inefficiency will create difficulties when another child comes into the famil y. The Baryta carbonica child feels inferior to other children and responds with a typ e of jealousy. This jealousy is not overt but is displayed by a variety of physi cal disorders such as loss of energy, enuresis, hair loss, periodical fevers and em barrassed nail biting. The Baryta carbonica child can also be rather fearful. Nightmares are very frequent in Baryta carbonica; the child may awa en terrifie d and in a panic. However, he does not seem to understand why he has awa ened no r why he is afraid. In this aspect there can be a similarity to Stramonium.
When this child reaches school age, his problems become more visible. It is not unusual to hear that a Baryta carbonica child has repeated several school years. His memory is very poor; he cannot remember what he has just heard or read. The min d brea s down even to the point of forgetting words (Ph-ac.). Consequently, he does very poorly at school, even though he applies himself. He willingly sits w ith the parents and studies his lessons. With their guidance he seems to be able to repeat the lesson almost word for word, but by the next day his to evaporate as he goes in for his test.
nowledge seems
Baryta carbonica children tend to be rather passive. They do not ma e friends no r play with other children. They prefer to stay passively at home. They can some times suffer an irritability which may lead them to brea their own favorite possessi ons. Normally, though, they are shy and easily repressed. Adults also occasional ly exhibit anger, but at the same time will display a degree of cowardice. This an ger can also be malicious. They may be furious at trifles, exemplifying the imma turity and narrow-mindedness of Baryta carbonica. There will sometimes be spells of gr eat despondency and grieving over the merest trifle, where the patient goes off alone and sobs and cries as though he had no friends in the world. The antisocial strea remains throughout all the stages of Baryta carbonica. Children and adults ali e prefer to stay home in familiar surroundings. They may fear to stay alone, and yet they are averse to company. They feel better when a lone. When in company they can be very critical of others but will never voice critic ism. In general Baryta carbonica does not tal much, or may prefer not to tal a t all. However, a eynote for this remedy is extreme tal ativeness during pregnancy or during menses. They often become very attached and cling to close family members. This attachme nt explains why Baryta carbonica people can have anxiety about others -- they ar e fearful of losing their protectors, the people to whom they cling for help and advice. In a case of mild pathology, the Baryta carbonica individual may finish school w ithout real difficulty, the tendency for mental decay remaining dormant. If the pathology is centered on the physical body alone then you may even have a brili ant student. In a non constitutional type needing this remedy as a first prescription, we may for instance give Badiaga to a child who, while doing very well at school, sudd
enly and without apparent reason stays behind and has difficulties in comprehending and remembering his lessons, and where in general one sees clearly a bac ward moveme nt. Baryta carbonica will be needed in cases of autistic children who present the fo llowing picture: muscles lac ing in tone so much so that they cannot stand even for a few seconds without support. The head falls to the side. The fingers cannot clo se upon an object placed in her hand. Vacant eyes turn and move about incessantl y, never resting for a second upon any object. The child obviously does not recogn ise anything. Lac of response to your attempts to bring bright objects to his attention, or to your shouts. This is a perfect picture of total passive retard ation with very little action apart from a general restlessness, especially of t he eyes. You will have difficulty in differentiating such a state from Cicuta.
The sexual behaviour and the maternity Finally the time will come when the person becomes involved in their first love affair. Often one may see a Baryta carbonica person becoming romantically involv ed for the first time only very late in life; perhaps, instead of at eighteen or ninet een years of age, she may first become involved at age twenty-five or thirty. Wh en she finally does fall in love, she gives herself up to the man in the same way as, previously, she had trusted her mother, and clings tenaciously to him. She can t olerate anything in order to maintain the relationship. The amount of insult and repres sion these women can tolerate from their husbands is amazing. This is true to su ch an extent that Staphysagria will often be prescribed in cases of Baryta carbonica. The sexual demands of Baryta carbonica are simple and easily satisfied as long a s the patient is provided with security and protection. You will very seldom see a
married woman having an extra-marital affair. Not only because the insecurity t his can produce is intolerable, but also because such a woman will not attach he rself to anybody without preliminary security. The sexual drive in Baryta carbonica can be very easily suppressed. If she becom es disappointed by her sexual relationship, she can easily turn to masturbation and feel comfortably fulfilled. Or she may not need the desire for sexual intercour se. She seems to need little stimulation. Often one may find a sort of narrow-minded morality in Baryta carbonica. She can become very upset by any "bad" comment or even subtle reference to her sexual conduct. A Baryta carbonica woman cannot have an extra-marital love affair beca use if she is recognized with her lover by someone, she will become overwhelmed by the thought that she was discovered, and not because of the larger moral issues such as "why did I accept the marriage in the first place?" or "was this marria ge right for me?" or "why did I start another affair?" She will not be the type of person who says, "If this man is right for me I will divorce my husband and cha nge my life." She is preoccupied with a superficial morality instead. Finally, as a consequence of the continual suppression suffered in the course of the relationship, her mind brea s down. She was previously well-compensated, bu t now she becomes very childish, her faculties dwindle. She says silly, childish thin gs, things she nows better than to say. For example, she may see a rooster and childishly as , "Oh, can he also lay eggs?" This emotional and mental behaviour is connected to the fact that the genitalia have not developed fully. The uterus is small and loo s li e a child's and the m enses start late and are easily suppressed. There is a hypotonic function in this are a that is characteristic for this remedy. The Baryta carbonica woman will not be fit to bear a child, not only because of the small uterus but because she actually perceives that she cannot go through with a pregancy and refuses to underta e th e responsibility of having a child. As mentioned earlier, she feels that she is a child herself and does not want to grow up; for a child, the thought of rearing another child is unbearable. Such is the physico-psychic state of a Baryta patient.
The indecision Of course, it is easy to understand that a person with this type of mentality ca n become very indecisive. The Repertory indicates this by listing Baryta carboni ca in capitals under the rubrics: "Irresolution, in acts, in projects, for trifles." For example, the Baryta carbonica woman and her husband may be loo ing for a hou se. They find a well-located house which suits all of their needs and is being offe red at well below the mar et value for a quic sale. The husband is enthusiastic , and he as s his wife, "What do you thin ?" It is a moment for decision, and yet at tha t point the woman becomes afraid of the decision. Consequently, she begins to ma e silly objections, "Yes, but that mountain by the house is so big it may bloc o ff all of the air. And the road is full of potholes etc etc." The indecision is so great that a professional woman, who was loo ing for an office building to settle her practice for four years without being able to decide on any, would probably nev er have decided to ta e one unless she was given this remedy, after which she had her office within a few months.
The lac of self-confidence In all of these characteristics one can see a great lac of self-confidence. Thi s lac of self-confidence will be most apparent of course in their professional life. Most of the cases that I have treated with Baryta carbonica were cases of profe ssional people with a tremendous inferiority complex. It is so great and bothersome that it leads them to the psychologist and later to the homeopath.
They will always feel inferior to their colleagues, they feel that they are inad equate for their jobs, that they do not now enough to compete with others. They have a strong tendency to compare themselves with others and the conclusion is always that they are inferior. I must insert here an observation of mine, for what it i s worth. I have noticed that people with inferiority complexes at one time or ano ther study psychology boo s trying to find solutions. With the Baryta carbonica patients I have never encountered this inclination in spite of the fact that th eir inferiority complexes are almost the worst in the whole materia medica, shor t perhaps of Anacardium. This lac of confidence is manifested repeatedly in various other traits as well . For example, Baryta carbonica patients may develop an extreme preoccupation wi th their appearance. They fear that they are not good loo ing, and they will dwell on the "bad" quality of their face, or the shape of the eyebrows which are not what they should be, there is excess fat in their belly, their nates are too obese e tc. They become very attached to their bodies and their appearances; they may be come completely preoccupied by some aspect of their body such as their characteristi cally small testicles or an obese part in their gluteal region. It is also true that the Baryta carbonica woman will indeed have a tendency to excess fat on and aro und the abdomen and gluteal region. It is characteristic for them also to be repulsed by what they may see as disharmonious appearance in the body of others . They seem not to be able to perceive the deeper aspects of the human being and the appearance becomes all important. This lac of self-confidence may be very evident also in family relationships. T he Baryta carbonica patient often feels that brothers or sisters are superior to him. He feels overwhelmed by the other family members even if he is better educated or has more impressive credentials. He feels he is not strong enough to resist. He constantly observes how the parents treat their brothers or sisters and will al ways reach the conclusion that they are treated with much more sympathy and appreciation than themselves. For instance, a woman may not li e to have her si ster at home when entertaining people because she feels the sister is overshadow ing her.
Another element is that they cannot be aggressive under any circumstance. No mat ter what they feel inside, even if someone is very nasty towards them, they cann ot fight bac . They become cowed, apologetic, and are prone to self-reproach.
The anxiety about health Baryta carbonica patients can be very anxious about their own health and especia lly about cancer. These patients will complain constantly, as if life were a tremendous burden for them. They will visit the physician several times to be e xamined for a supposed cancer of the breast. A typical reaction of a Baryta carbonica case in follow-up interviews, after a few remedies have been wrongly prescribed, is to say at once that they feel better, while continuing to relate the same symptomatology all over again. In the end you wonder to what extent they f eel better and you decide on another remedy. And so the story is repeated until you see this lawyer, this doctor, this architect you are treating to be a small and pitiable and fearful individual who so perfectly fits the Baryta carbonica pict ure. Give the remedy in high potency and wait, wait for several months, before you h ear from the patient that he is really better now. And you will see that this ti me the changes are deep and lasting. There are patients who will tell you immediately about the changes and you can a ssess and easily evaluate the situation; Baryta carbonica is not one of them. This anxiety will frequently revolve around let us say a characteristically enla rged cervical gland. When a doctor informs these patients that the enlargement i s not pathologically significant, they are readily reassured. However, after one mont h they seem to forget this reassurance and return to the doctor for another examination of the very same gland, and so on month after month.
It is tremendously bothersome for the homeopath to see such cases of anxiety as these patients will plague the doctor with complaints that are undefined and confused. Their attitude is helpless, wretched, miserable, pitiable, distressed but always soft and non aggressive, as though they were afraid to ma e the doct or cross, or to ma e him shout at them. So in their constant complaining they try to be nice and sweet and not overburden the doctor. For instance a woman will sit up the whole night, not moving at all, in order to prevent a brain stro e which she thin s is coming on just because she ate too m uch at dinner. She will not dare phone the doctor during the night and she will wait u ntil the morning to visit him. In such anxiety states they are afraid of everything, of being alone, of the dar , of ghosts, of flying by airplane, of going out from the house, of going crazy , of staying in the house alone, about the future, etc. They can ma e the life of th e persons they live with a misery, but still due to their "mild characters" are easily tolerated by others. All these fears seem to have no ground as such but are rat her the side effect of their insecurity and immaturity. If you do not perceive the general attitude of the patient, the insecurity and i mmaturity that are behind all these fears and anxieties, the fear of crossing a bridge, fear from noise in the street, fear of strangers, fear while wal ing, you will be inclined to give Calcarea carbonica. But the fears of Calcarea are really str ong and bothersome, whereas the fears of Baryta carbonica do not seem so deep, or s ubstantial. I have seen cases living for years in such a state and everybody around is used to such conduct but after the remedy they assert themselves and then a commotion arises around them. All of a sudden everybody starts tal ing about their change and how "assertive" and "domineering they are!"
The naivet Another aspect of Baryta carbonica pathology is an inability to thin or act ind ependently. Today many cases of Baryta carbonica are missed and other remedies a re prescribed instead because of a misconception according to which, in order to a dminister this remedy, we had to be confronted with a quasi imbecile patient. I have
often myself mis-read a Baryta carbonica case for several years before being ab le to see the real picture of lac of self confidence, of inferiority complexes, naiveté and immaturity lying beyond the phenomena. The Baryta carbonica of today, who is often a scientist, can conduct herself in a such a manner as to mislead one completely, and only these subtle deviations from the norm are left for the contemporary homeopath to discover. One must be careful in what one tells such a patient for she may follow the phys ician's advice quite literally in a very naive way; she may use no discriminatio n in following instructions. For example, a young woman goes to the general practiti oner and complains that her husband dominates her, that she is afraid of him. Th e doctor advises her to try and free herself from the husband, to live her life m ore as an independent person. He may even jo ingly suggest that she see another man. But this patient could not discriminate, and "at the doctor's orders" she tried to have an affair with the psychiatrist whom she visited after the general practitioner. It is a foolish sort of behaviour, very naive, very childish. Thi s story was told to the homeopathic physician who prescribed Baryta carbonica, a nd perhaps spared her from a lot of trouble. Along similar lines, these patients m ay be rather superstitious. Remember these basic concepts must dominate, color and underlie the case before you can prescribe this remedy. There are always many aspects to a remedy that indicate or point to the same basic concept or idea, but it is not possible for all of them to be described in a materia medica. The student must use his judge ment where these matters are concerned.
The cautiousness and mistrust
A characteristic of Baryta carbonica is a lac of trust and tendency to secretiv eness; they never show that they are depressed or in a bad mood. Nobody can understand or should understand the bad mood in which they live, not even their closest relatives or husband. The patient becomes mistrustful, cautious, reticent with people, and he goes out less and less. He is afraid to meet people. He feels inefficient and thin s peo ple find him stupid or incompetent. He can be over-sensitive and "touchy" such that even little criticisms cause him to withdraw and sul . As the pathology progresses, the patient's faculties, and indeed the patient himself, seem to dwindle, to become small, and to enter a marasmic state mentally and physically. The patient may s ay: "I used to be outgoing and have strong interests. Now I am becoming isolated, and my mind is less active." Baryta carbonica can, therefore, produce a type of paranoia in which the main ch aracteristic is that she is being watched by others who are tal ing about her, m a ing fun of her, criticising her and laughing at her. She may have other inds of de lusions, a few examples being delusions of fire, of every noise being a cry caus ing her to tremble, a delusion that a beloved friend is sic and dying, or a delusion t hat her legs are cut off and that she is wal ing on her nees. Here is a typical case: A patient has delusions that she hears voices that try t o confuse her or harm her. A female voice is constantly audible, as though from far away, trying to confuse her. Voices communicate between themselves. They give a dvice, tell jo es and at times ridicule and laugh at her; they try to harm her o r harm relatives or friends. She says she does not want to die. Sometimes she swe ars at the voices, telling them to "go to hell". The voices tal about sexual ma tters, but she is too shy to give details. She is mistrustful of even the closest frie nds or relatives. She is jealous, suspicious. At times she is closed and remote, at others open and loquacious. Suddenly she grows wild, has a wild loo and retrea ts to her bed, but she never attac s. Baryta carbonica was prescribed with long lasting success in this case due to th e fact that many of the themes running through this remedy were present in her symptomatology.
The senility and old age The idea of the dwindling of the faculties is more mar edly apparent in elderly Baryta carbonica patients. Just as there is atrophy of other organs, it seems th at the mental powers and the brain itself begin to atrophy. In fact, Baryta carbonica is one of the main remedies used in organic brain syndromes with actual cerebral atrophy and imbecility. These are the senile patients who become childish in th eir behaviour, playing with dolls or tying ribbon in their hair. It is important for the right prescription of the remedy that the patient should have this childish behaviour. Simple imbecility will not necessarily require Ba ryta carbonica. But we must understand that these patients who are now senile may ha ve needed the remedy many years ago, and that at that time the picture may have been quite different. They had probably started losing their memory and their c omprehension was possibly somewhat affected but still nobody would have noticed the difference, only they themselves new. Yet the element of inferiority must have been there in one way or another. Therefore we must perceive the remedies as developing in pathology, which goes deeper and deeper, accompanied by analogous manifestations. Sometimes these older patients may sit and give a feeble, helpless sort of moan. When they attempt to write the size of the letters is very small, so small as t o be difficult to read. Old people needing this remedy may present cardiac, vascular and cerebral proble ms, enlarged prostate glands, indurated testes, wea ness with palpitations, need to lie down, chilliness, loss of memory and aversion to meeting strangers. They don't really say what is bothering them but instead just continue whining. Treatment with Baryta carbonica may bring these people several more useful years before their degeneration begins again. In these senile states these patients m ay even ta e on a childish appearance. The face is practically free of wrin les, as if
they have lived life only superficially. The feelings have not been sufficientl y intense or deep to leave their mar on the face.
Generalities Baryta carbonica particularly affects the lymph glands. It produces hypertrophy of the parenchyma of the tonsils with chronic ulceration of the glandular system and atony of the lymphatic system. Its other main focus of action is on the cerebra l and ganglionic nervous systems, irritating and depressing them and thus produc ing a condition resembling mental and physical decay. There is also a characteristic action on muscular tissue in that it prolongs the contraction of a muscle, both smooth and striated, when it is stimulated. Tende ncy to aneurism and arteriosclerosis. You will prescribe this remedy with certainty when you see children who are bac wards and scrofulous with a tendency to marasmus who grow very slowly, have enla rged glands, constantly swollen tonsils, who ta e colds easily and have a pot-bellie d abdomen. Baryta carbonica could also be prescribed in inflammation of the glands with inf iltration. The glands become harder and harder. Ulcers become infiltrated at the base. In general all glands can be swollen and indurated, the tonsils, the testes, th e parotid, the prostate, the mesenteric glands, the axillary glands, the cervica l glands etc. Swelling of glands after scarlet fever. Sensitiveness of glands. Baryta ca rbonica (and Baryta muriatica) are often indicated in infectious mononucleosis w hen the lymph nodes have become swollen and very hard. Cystic tumors, fatty tumors. Lipomas that appear in different parts of the body but especially on lids and external ears. Baryta carbonica should be thought of without fail in the swolle n and indurated prostate glands of old men. It should be used in suffocative bronchial catarrh of the old where we see great accumulation of mucus in the lungs li e in Antimonium tart. and where there is threatened lung paralysis. These two remedies may complement each other in case s of bronchitis or pneumonia. When in such cases of catarrh you have given Ant t., and it has not cleared up you can perhaps complement its action with Baryta car bonica and vice versa. The chronic cough of Baryta carbonica reminds one of the
tubercular constitution with the swelling of glands with night sweats. Hypertension is a strong feature in cases of adults who need this remedy. Weary, as with sleepy eyes during the whole day. After eating, so tired that she cannot raise the hands; she is too wea to masticate. Generally these are chill y patients who have a desire for open air but open air aggravates certain of thei r complaints. They suffer with lac of vital heat. Ta ing a part out of the cove rs li e the hand or the feet ma es them feel worse (Hep-s.). Cold bathing and cold wet weather aggravates them. Aggravation from lying on painful side; from thin ing a bout their complaints. There is also a strong tendency to ta e cold. They often have an aversion to sweets, and Baryta carbonica is one of but a few remedies with an aversion to fruit, especially to plums, but also to bananas. Av ersion after eating a little food, sudden aversion while eating. Finally, a peculiar s ymptom which might lead one to consider Baryta carbonica is the sensation that s mo e is being inhaled when, in fact, the air is clean. Emaciation in old people, premature ageing. Marasmus of old people. Convulsions with sexual excitement. Strong sensation of heat on wa ing. Wea ness after eating in old people, emissions with wea ness; paralytic wea ness .
Sensitive during perspiration. Offensive perspiration on left side. Sensation as if forced through a narrow opening. Fainting at night, in crowded room, after eating. Seminal emissions from lassitude. Numbness of upper half of body. Kent writes "The Baryta carbonica patient is often sensitive to the extremes of heat and cold. Hot weather will bring on complaints. Hot weather will cause the blood to mount to the head, and favors apoplectic conditions. It has many complaints of the head li e unto the stupor of apoplexy. It has some of the paralytic condi tions analogous to the complaints in old apoplectics, and it has been very useful in re-establishing the supply and flow of nerve force along the nerves. It parallel s Phos. and it is an excellent remedy for old paralytic conditions that have come from a rupture of a blood-vessel, and therefore pressure upon the nerve supply."
Vertigo In vertigo we have several eynotes that may guide you to the remedy li e vertig o at night in bed, from motion of arms, on reaching up with hands, from sneezing , wal ing along a narrow path, wal ing over a narrow bridge. Vertigo in old people [Ambr., Cupr., Rhus-t., Sin-n.].
Head The typical Baryta carbonica patient will usually complain that there is an exce ss of grease in the scalp, that the hair is falling out, that there is itching o f the scalp, that there are tensions, pressures and stitches in different parts of th e scalp, and in general they will complain a lot with symptoms centered in and a round the head. Nondescript pains and sensations that are very bothersome, but she ca nnot say whether they are inside or outside the head, ma ing her life miserable. When I see these wea nondescript symptoms, that are so bothersome, I do not li e them at all, as they indicate that the vital force is not strong enough to gi ve
out clear signals. Such cases will relapse again and again before you can ma e any real progress. Young people frequently go bald and young women have very scanty and thin hair. When this is the case in a young woman we also see a reduction in, or even total lac of, sexual desire. There is no overt aversion to sex but she is totally disinte rested. The falling of the hair in this remedy is gradual and over a long period of time . Alopecia, where the hair is lost suddenly and in patches, does not belong to t he typical pathology of this remedy. Epidermal cysts in scalp. There is a sensation of looseness in the head as if the brain were falling from one side to the other, or was rising and falling. A sensation of motion of the b rain when moving the head right or left. The brain seems to follow the motion of the head, shifting to the direction the head moves in. The head feels moist. For swollen glands of occiput Baryta carbonica stands almost alone. Eruption, eczema on head. Headache from becoming heated by a fire or a stove [Ant-c., Glon.] and ameliorat ed from open air. Pain from stooping; from exposure to sun. Pressing pain, as if in a vise. Pressing pain outward in forehead. Pressive stic ing on the vertex which extends through the whole head, whenever he stands in the sun. Wens.
Eye Thic ening of the eyelids, thic ening of all the membranes and tissues about the eyes. Granular lids. Eyelids are agglutinated in the morning on wa ing. Ulceration of cornea. Styes in left eye. Pain from light [Chin., Con.]. Pupils dilate and contract quic ly.
Photophobia Dazzling vision [Con., Dros., Kali-c.,] . Fiery spar s in the dar . Cataract. Opacity of the cornea. Itching of the eyes. Dim vision in old people as if loo ing through fog or smo e. Foggy vision; in th e morning or after eating. Pressure felt deep in the eyes better loo ing downwards.
Ear There are a lot of different noises in the ears in accordance with an early arte riosclerosis that is a prominent feature in this remedy. Crac ing or flapping no ises worse when swallowing and chewing, better lying down [Ph-ac.]. Rushing sounds i n the ear when breathing. Noises reverberating when blowing nose [Hep.]. Glandular swellings and eruptions about the ears.
Scabby eruptions behind ears [Graph., Lyc., Sil.]. Eruptions on lobes of ear. Pain below ear. Swelling of glands below ears [Caps.]. Impaired hearing. Impaired hearing from paralysis of the auditory nerve.
Nose Painful dryness inside nose. Sensation of dryness when blowing it. Epistaxis from blowing the nose mostly before menses. Swelling of nose and upper lip during coryza in children. Acute smell. Smells pine smo e. Coryza worse in the morning [Nux-v.]. Coryza with crusts and thic
yellow mucus.
Face The face has a foolish expression with open mouth much li e Bufo, purple and puf fed sometimes. In some other cases the face loo s old, marasmic, withered. Swollen, indurated and painful submaxillary and parotid glands especially on the right side. Swelling of upper lip, bluish discoloration of lips with deep redness of the who le face. Lips dry and crac ed. Cannot close the lower jaw without great pain in the articulation. Exanthemata after swelling of parotid gland [Brom.]. There is a peculiar sensation of cobwebs in the face as if from the white of the egg much li e Graph. Scurfy eruptions.
Mouth Bleeding of gums. Frequently recurring abscesses of gums [Caust.]. Foul taste in the mouth every morning. Excessive salivation even during sleep. Offensive smell. Dryness of mouth in morning. Dryness with thirst [Bry., Nat-m.]. Crac ed tongue with burning pain. Tongue coated, as if fuzzy.
Smarting, burning pain in the tip of the tongue. Crusts on the palate, behind the base of the uvula. Paralysis of tongue in old people. Speech wanting after apoplexy [Nux-v.] Whole mouth filled with vesicles especially inside the chee s.
The buccal cavity feels numb. Toothache before menses with pale red swelling of the gums and of the chee .
Throat The throat presents a strong seat of action for Baryta carbonica. There are two important states that point to this remedy: a. difficulty in swallowing solids [Bapt.]. b. enlargement and induration of tonsils [Bar-mur.] with recurrent inflammation. Impossible to swallow due to constriction of esophagus [Phos.]. Cannot swallow her own saliva. We see that old people can only swallow liquids because of a ophagus.
ind of spasm in es
There are spasms of esophagus on swallowing [Bapt., Merc-c.] and sensation as if food lodged in esophagus. Stricture of esophagus [Ars., Bapt., Nat-m.] Swelling and infiltration of cervical glands in external throat. Knots of lymphatic glands down the nec under the ear. You will see a child suffering with recurrent tonsilitis every three or four wee s, with high fever. The tonsils become bigger and bigger with every attac and eventually you will notice that the child is not growing, but is losing weight, and some cervical glands have appeared and are hard and his face has ta en on a marasmic aspect. Tenacious mucus. Burning pain in the throat at night [Nux-v]; on empty swallowing. Raw pain at night; when swallowing [Arg-m., Stann.]. Fatty tumors in external throat.
Stomach The stomach troubles are characterised by indigestion, or better by wea ness of digestion. There is pain or distension or different inds of disagreeable sensations after eating. Waterbrash, eructations.
Pain after swallowing even a little bit of food. Sensation of stone in stomach which is ameliorated by eructation. Extreme wea ness after eating. In an anxiety state the stomach feels so upset that she does not want to eat, th ough she feels hungry, from fear that she will vomit. She gags and cannot swallo w any solid food. Child is very pic y concerning food, will eat only certain inds. Loss of appeti te especially if the child is upset because of jealousy, it eats very small amou nts. Aversion to food after eating a little. Aversion to food with hunger [Cocc., Nat -m., Nux-v.]. Sudden aversion to food while eating [Ruta].
Aversion to fruits. Bread aggravates and warm food aggravates. Desire for salty things and eggs. Pain while fasting.
Abdomen Abdomen is hard, distended and painful. Enlarged abdomen in children [Calc., Sil .]. Pot-bellied children; flabby protruding abdomen in adult women. Abdominal muscles are sore to touch. Hardness of mesenteric glands [Calc.]. Swelling of inguinal glands.
Rectum Constipation, inactivity of rectum, difficult stool. Ineffectual urging and straining with insufficient stool in old people. Hard, notty stool. Diarrhea. Ascarides. Hemorrhoids protruding during urination is a strong ey note [Bar-m., Kali-c., M ur-ac.]. Hemorrhoids protrude when passing flatus [Phos.]. Hemorrhoids protrude during stool [Calc-p., Rat.]. Formication in anus. Moisture in anus.
Urinary organs Frequent urination in the aged. Frequent night urination with prostate enlargement [Calc., Con., Dig., Puls.]. Senile enlargement of prostate gland [Dig., Sel.].
Frequent urination every other day.
Genitalia - male Baryta carbonica diminishes the sexual passion [Agn., Graph., Lyc., Sil.] to suc h an extent that it can easily be suppressed or diverted to masturbation. Baryta carbonica also diminishes the size of the genitalia (penis small and cold [Agn. , Lyc.] and testes small and indurated). Increases the size of the prostate gland which is hard. Erections are wanting, incomplete or delayed. He falls asleep while having coition before the emission has ta en place. Troublesome erections in the morning on wa ing [Pall.]. Troublesome erections in the evening with shivering and great desire. Premature seminal emissions.
Genitalia - female Sexual passion diminished or totally lost. No interest in having sexual intercou rse though she can tolerate it. Aversion to sexual intercourse but li es to be c aressed. The uterus is very small. The mammae diminish in size, as do the ovaries. Menses are diminished: scanty, feeble, of short duration. Sterility. In short you will observe that the sexual function is minimised, and the organs which are used to "commune" become smaller and smaller. The natural sexual funct ion slowly disappears, and with it the elimination process which in a normal state ta es place through emotional expression, while the person becomes more and more cautious and withdrawn. This absence of an elimination process extracts a react ion from the organism, which enlarges the lymphatics to cope with the toxins. It seems that the poisonous effect which the suppression of the emotions has upon the organism is ta en up by the lymphatic glands, which in order to fulfill thei r cleansing function grow larger and larger. Passive leucorrhea discharge, whitish thic , persistent. Toothache before menses.
Respiratory This remedy will frequently be indicated when you see old bro en down people wit h chronic bronchitis, with a lot of mucus that is expectorated with difficulty. The chest feels full but there is no power to expell. You will observe that they ar e nice little old men with no personality left, they are cute but wea and helpl ess as a child, heavily dependent on you, with no initiative whatsoever. Aphonia from constitutional wea ness and paralysis of the vocal cords. Voice is entirely lost. Low deep voice. Catarrh in larynx and trachea in old people [Seneg.].
Chest is full of mucus but cannot expectorate. Suffocative cough better lying on abdomen. Impending paralysis of the lungs. The idea here is that the person seems to battle to ta e out the mucus but the lung s seem to have no power to expell it, they seem too wea . There is a sensation in the larynx as if inhaling smo e or sulphur fumes [Ars., Brom.]. At other times there is copious expectoration in cases of chronic bronchitis of old people [Ammc., Ant-t., Ars., Kreos.]. A lot of mucus in larynx, hoarseness of voice because of mucus [Samb., Sel.]. Asthmatic respiration in old people [Ars.]. Swelling of axillary glands. Pain in the glands of axilla is a tumors under the arm-pit. Hidradenitis axillaris.
eynote. Encysted
Palpitation on exertion, palpitation while lying on left side [Cact., Nat-m., Ph os., Psor., Puls.] sudden and very strong palpitation [Mang., Stry.], palpitatio n on thin ing about it [Arg-n., Aur-m., Gels., Lycps., Ox-ac.]. Aneurysm in large arteries [Calc., Lyc., Spong.].
Bac There is a lot of pain, stiffness or tension in the different parts of the bac . Sometimes this tension is felt li e a weight or heaviness. Tension and stiffnes s in cervical region and in the shoulder blades more so in sharp, cold weather, stif fness in cervical region on wa ing. The symptoms are similar to Cimic. Stiffness in sacral region. Tensive stiffness in the loins aggravated very much in the evening, so much so t hat patient cannot get up from the chair. It is characteristic of the remedy to have a pulsating feeling in the bac , the lumbar region [Lac-c., Sep., Sil.], between scapulae [Phos.] in sacral region [N at-m.]. Emotional excitement brings on pulsation upon the bac . There is another eynote of this remedy in the bac : a sense of restlessness in lumbar region which is ameliorated by passing flatus. Burning pain in dorsal region, left scapulae at night ameliorated by wal ing. Drawing pain in sacral region in the evening and on bending bac wards. Swelling of glands in nape of nec .
Fatty tumors on nec
is another eynote for this remedy [Calc., Thuj.].
Kent writes :"A number of times a patient has said,"Doctor, did you intend to ta e away that fatty tumor I had on my bac ?". The chances are that I did not now he had one. That is generally the way such things appear in the practice of the ho meopathic physician, for he does not prescribe for the tumor, and the chances ar e he thin s little about the tumor in his prescription, he gives the constitutional medicine and they often disappear after a while, and then the patient thin s the doctor has done a wonderful thing. He gets more glory and more credit for curing a war t than he does for curing the patient. The doctor who prescribes correctly turns the vital state in to order." These remar s by Dr. Kent could not have been more accurate and more to the poin t, yet I would li e to add that if in a case we have some symptoms pointing to, for instance, Bar-c., and the patient mentions during the interview that he has a f atty tumor in his nec then this physical local symptom can become a confirmator y symptom for your prescription. Any local eynote can become a major point in th e analysis of a case, yet local symptoms by themselves are of very little value. I do not thin that Dr. Kent would have had any objections to these clarifying remar s of mine.
To evaluate correctly all the information you have about your patient is an art needing more than just nowledge of the materia medica. I would say that it also needs "the advice of experience".
Extremities Fetid foot-sweat, with callosities on the soles which are painful on wal ing. So les feel bruised at night, eeping one awa e, after rising and wal ing. Another peculiar symptom belonging to Bar-c. is a numb feeling creeping up from the nees to scrotum and penis, disappearing as soon as he sits down. The most peculiar symptom affecting the extremities is that the hands are so dry they feel as if they have a dry membrane on them. Scleroderma. Warts on hands and fingers. Perspiration of feet acrid, cold, offensive, causing rawness between the toes. Itching of thigh [Calc., Sulph.]. Swollen axillary glands with pain in upper limbs. Trembling of the feet on standing and of hands while writing. Drawing pain in lower limbs. Tearing pain while extending lower limbs downwards, tearing pain in nee. Contraction of muscles and tendons. Painful corns. Formication, numbness of fingers and limbs.
S in Intolerable itching and tingling over the whole body at night. Excoriation and oozing in several parts of the s in. Injuries heal slowly. Fatty tumors, lipomas, warts, cysts, corns, sarcoma.
Clinical It is useful in conditions of malnutrition in children when there is imperfect d evelopment of mind or in diseases that have a tendency to slow degenerative chan ges, li e scrofulous glandular indurations of various sorts. It is an extremely valu able remedy in degenerative changes in coats of arteries, aneurism, arterial fib rosis, in apoplexy as the result of senility, etc. Fatty tumors, particularly about ne c and bac . Paralysis of old people. In children mental wea ness, approaching idiocy. Mental impairment, as a result of masturbation, irresolute, memory lost, no confidence in himself. Senile demen tia,
with loss of memory. Apoplexy of old people. Wens. Crusta lactea, with moist crusts, falling of the h air, especially with swelling of the glands. Cataracts. Deafness, the result of impairment of the auditory nerve, especially in old peop le. Suppurative inflammations of the middle ear, especially in connection with suppurating tonsils. Coryza, with great swelling of upper lip. Paralysis of tongue in old people. Submaxillary glands swollen, indurated, especially those glands posterior to par otids. Quinsy (it seems to remove the predisposition to quinsy). For suppurating tonsils from every cold; indicated when the tonsils are inflamed with swollen veins, in persons who have habitual sweat of the feet. Habitual colic of children who do not thrive, who seem hungry but refuse food. E nlarged mesenteric glands, the abdomen is hard and swollen, the swallowing of fo od is painful, in scrofulous children [Calc-c.] Constipation, with hard notty stools [Mag-m.]; hemorrhoids, burning and sorenes s. Diminished sexual desire and premature impotency. Enlarged prostate. Chronic aphonia in scrofulous patients. Capillary bronchitis, suffocative catarr h of old people. Palpitation and distress in region of heart, etc. See Bar-mur. Tendency to sweat of the feet.
Causation Chec ed foot-sweat.
Relationships It complements Dulcamara. Remedies that follow well: Ant-t., Con., Chin., Lyc., Merc., Ac-nit., Psor., Pul s., Rhus tox., Sep., Sulph., Tuberc.
Compare: Digitalis, Radium, Aragallus, Oxyt., Astrag. Complementary: Dulc., Silica, Psorin. Incompatible: Calc. Antidote for poisonous doses: Epsom salts.
Dosage
The highest potencies from 200 to CM are the most effective but in very old peop le 12 or 30 could be tried. 1
Baryta iodata Baric iodide Ba I2 Trituration
The essential features The main action of Baryta iodata is to retard development and to infiltrate, enl arge and indurate glands and organ tissues. You will need this remedy mostly wit h children, particularly in cases of cachetic, malnourished children. Baryta ioda ta suits a child who does not grow as he should, whose lymphatic glands are very swollen and hard, who catches cold easily and who exhibits opacity of the corne a. The opacity which is apparent in the eye parallels the induration and infiltr ation of internal organs and glands. There are other remedies that feature opacity of the cornea and swollen cervical glands, such as Cadm., Calc-c., Arg-n., etc. But in order to prescribe this rem edy you need to observe that the child is not developing properly and that its growth i s stunted. Here we must differentiate with Baryta carbonica as far as the stunted growth or dwarfishness is concerned. In Baryta iodata we do not see dwarfishness as such but rather a general cachexia and emaciation. When we tal about the characteristics of a remedy it means that these character istics are the first thing you will notice in the case. These are the main featu res in its pathology. Baryta iodata feeds and greatly enlarges the lymphatic system, while undernouris
hing the patient. You should consider Baryta iodata in cases where the glands ar e hard and painful to touch, and most particularly where the patient tells you th at his leucocytes are always on a high level. Baryta iodata, as mentioned above, will infiltrate, enlarge and indurate glands, especially the tonsils and breasts (mastitis). It also has a mar ed effect on new growths and tumors such as cancer of the breast, in cases w here the whole organism is undernourished or suffering from arrested development . The general impression received from such cases is that of a severely damaged i mmune system. The thyroid is primarily affected in adults, presenting us with symptoms of hype rthyroidism with tremblings and fainting spells and protrusion of the eyes. As the lymphatic system is heavily involved, the leucocytes are frequently incre ased. Hodg in's disease, infectious mononucleosis, and glandular fever are withi n the sphere of action of this remedy. Other conditions requiring Baryta iodata are s taphyloma and phlyctenular eratoconjuctivitis accompanied by swelling of the lymphatic glands in children who do not seem to grow. The hardening action of this remedy on the physical organs is mirrored in a simi lar process of hardening and growing "opacity" of the mind and emotions. The emotions become hardened and dead, the patient exhibits indifference and apathy , and the mind becomes indolent and dull. The patient feels confused, and has
difficulty in concentrating his mind and in getting it to function. Mental wea ness is mar ed in this remedy. The patient finds it impossible to come to any de cision. The Baryta iodata child will stri e you as loo ing almost stupid. It is incapabl e of any mental effort and has a wea memory. These children are timid, but not as much as the Baryta carbonica child; they are however much more restless than the lat ter. When faced with a child whose mentality resembles Baryta carbonica, with hugely swollen tonsils, but restless and ameliorated by fresh air li e Pulsatil la, thin of Baryta iodata. These children are afraid of people. They are not communicative or social and pr efer to stay by themselves. When offended they li e to sit and brood, recalling the hurtful events, with more pleasure than pain. The action of Baryta iodata is so metimes complemented by Natrum muriaticum if the patient has previously suffered great loss or grief. The adults needing this remedy are people with chronic mental and physical fatig ue, whose glands - especially the submaxillary - are chronically swollen, and wh o feel that they have lost their interest in life. They are in a constant hurry but without effect in what they do. They are incapa ble of concentration and application; they cannot do anything properly as there is this hurried feeling inside, accompanied by mental dullness. These patients are easi ly angered, and quic to fly into a temper and express their anger. In general h owever they are timid and anti-social, with a tendency toward hysterical behaviour and impatience. Baryta iodata has frequent mood changes. As the pathology progresses you will fi nd cases of depression with occasional outbursts of anger and weeping. At this s tage the symptoms resemble Pulsatilla, but the swollen lymphatic glands should ma e you thin of Baryta iodata. Further symptoms include great anxiety, delusions in which the patient thin s he sees dead people, fear of evil, of ghosts. The head feels cold and at other times hot. Heat and flashes occur in different parts of the body but especially in face and stomach. A final point to mention concerning Baryta iodata is the number of contradiction s among the symptoms. The patient finds that lying in bed increases the anxiety while
it ameliorates the pains. He desires cold open air, but feels dizzy while wal i ng which also increases the physical suffering. At times the patient has aversio n to company, while at other times he desires it. Lassitude is better by continued l ying, but lying in bed increases some of the symptoms. Eating ameliorates at tim es, while at other times it aggravates.
Generalities Strong desire for open air and better in cold air is a strong characteristic of this remedy. Ta es cold easily; worse in cold, wet weather. Convulsive action of muscles. Emaciation. Fainting spells. General sensation of fullness. Easy hemorrhage. Induration in many parts especially in glands. Inflammation or congestion in int ernal organs; in glands. Swelling and inflammation of affected parts and of glan ds. Pain in bones and glands. Tension all over body. Wea ness during menses.
Pulsation all over body. Pulse fast and full. Very sensitive to pain; glands sensitive to touch. Leucocytosis. Worse: before eating and when fasting; after eating sometimes; before and during menses; lying on bac ; from warmth in general; in a warm room; on becoming warm ; from pressure. Exertion, motion and especially wal ing aggravate very much. Better: in cold open air, after eating.
Vertigo Vertigo while lying, stooping; wal ing
Head Heat and hyperaemia of head evening and night. Heaviness of head. Pain in head in the morning on rising; better in open air; worse binding up the hair; from noise; while wal ing; in warm room. Bruised pain in head. Pressing, shooting, stunning pains in head. Tearing in vertex. Perspiration of scalp. Pulsation in forehead and temples.
Eyes Opacity of the cornea. Inflammation of conjunctiva. Tubercular iritis. Staphyloma. Phlyctenular eratoconjunctivitis.
Itching of eyes. Pain in eyes worse from light; burning pain; pain as from sand; tender feeling. Photophobia. Protrusion of eyes; pupils dilated.
Redness of eyes and lids. Vision dim, foggy; wea . Diplopia. Swollen lids.
Ear Suppurative inflammation of the middle ear. Sensation of flapping in ears. Noises in ears when chewing. Stopped feeling in ears. Hearing impaired.
Nose Catarrh of nose; discharge bloody; copious; hard mucus; thic ; yellow; post nasa l. Dryness in nose. Fluent coryza with cough. Epistaxis on blowing nose. Obstruction of nose at night. Pain in nose; in root of nose. Frequent sneezing. The nose is swollen and red. Redness of nose.
Face Coldness of face. The face is congested and red; the lips are blue; face sometimes pale and someti mes circumambient redness. Face loo s drawn and shrun en. Emaciated.
Eruption on face and nose; boils and pimples. Pain in face; in submaxillary gland. Swelling of glands of lower jaw; parotid gland; submaxillary gland.
Mouth Bleeding gums, crac ed tongue. Swollen gums. The gums are detached from the teeth and the teeth become loose. Drawing and tearing in teeth. Dry mouth in morning; dry tongue. Mucus in mouth which is offensive, even putrid. Burning tongue; sore gums. Salivation. Taste bad; bitter; sour.
Throat Throat dry and constricted. The tonsils are enlarged. Inflammation with mar ed swelling of tonsils. Membrano us exudation in throat. Pain in throat on empty swallowing; burning. Swallowing difficult. Swollen and indurated glands of nec .
Stomach Appetite diminished; increased, even ravenous with emaciation; without relish of food; wanting, aversion to food. Thirst extreme; unquenchable. Emptiness. Eructations; empty; sour; waterbrash; ameliorate. Fullness and heartburn. Flashes of heat in stomach.
Heaviness after eating. Indigestion with hiccough. Nausea and loathing of food.
Inflammation of stomach. Pain in stomach after eating; cramping; gnawing; pressing; soreness; stitching. Retching. Feeling of tension in stomach. Vomiting bile; watery.
Abdomen Distension of abdomen; enlarged mesenteric glands. Flatulence; rumbling. Different inds of pain in abdomen; after eating; before and during menses. Stitching in hypochondria and sides of abdomen.
Rectum Constipation; difficult stool; inactivity of rectum; insufficient stool; hard, notty stool. Diarrhea with yellow, watery stools, much flatus, external piles. Itching anus. Pain in rectum; burning after stool; tenesmus. Ineffectual urging to stool.
Urinary organs Urine copious. Retention of urine; constant; frequent. Urination frequent at night; involuntary. Enlarged prostate gland.
Genitalia - male Enlarged prostate gland. Induration of testes.
Erections wanting. Seminal emissions.
Genitalia - female In the female the desire is increased. Leucorrhea bloody; before menses. Menses copious; frequent; painful; short; suppressed.
Chest Bronchitis and bronchopneumonia are within the sphere of this remedy. Mucus in the trachea. Voice hoarse; lost; rough, wea . Respiration fast; asthmatic; difficult at night and on ascending; rattling; shor t; suffocative. Cough morning; evening; asthmatic; dry in morning; from irritation in larynx or trachea; rattling; spasmodic; suffocative; as tal ing; from tic ling in larynx a nd trachea. Expectoration in morning and evening; difficult; mucous; purulent; salty; viscid ; yellow. Catarrh of chest. Constriction of chest. Oppression of chest. Inflammation of bronchial tubes; of lungs. Pain in chest; stitching in chest and in mammae. Palpitation of heart; night; tumultuous. Paralysis of lungs. Swollen axillary glands.
Bac
Pain in sacrum; stitching pain in bac
Extremities
and in lumbar region.
Cold hands, legs and feet. Hot hands. Heaviness of limbs. Itching limbs. Numbness of arms and fingers. Pain in joints; gouty; in hip; thigh; nees. Stitching in
nees; tearing in nees and legs.
Perspiration of hands; palms; feet. Weariness of
nees.
Sleep Dreams: amorous; anxious; vivid.
Clinical Cancer; cancer of breast. Enlargement of glands. Tumors.
Relations Compare: Acon-lycotonum (swelling of cervical, axillary, and mammary glands). La pis; Con.; Merc-iod.; Carbo an.
Dosage From 6x to the highest. 2
Baryta muriatica Chloride of Barium
Ba Cl2 2H2O
The essential features This remedy, though presenting many similarities in its gross symptomatology wit h Baryta carbonica, yet has features of its own. It has all the main symptoms of Baryta carbonica including the difficulty in concentration, the dulness of mind , the confusion, the indecision and the immaturity. The Baryta muriatica patient is confused in her mind. She does not answer properly, as if she were thin ing of something else at the moment. She has great difficulty in concentration while ng studying or reading, and difficulty in learning, comprehension, and memory. She is irresolute and indecisive, and very similar to Baryta carbonica in her immat urity. There is anxiety about the future, and a rapid progression to a state of idiocy . The primary action of Baryta muriatica, which presents us with the unique pictur e of this remedy and on which I shall now focus, is concentrated on three partic ular areas: the nervous system, the vascular system and the glands.
The effect on the central and peripheral nervous system This is primarily a "convulsive remedy" in the broadest sense of the word. When the nervous system is affected we see a hysterical person with a tendency to convulsions, twitchings or choreic movements. The picture one gets from this re medy is of a build-up of unexpressed energy that suddenly erupts in the form of hysterical fits, epileptic fits, convulsions or twitchings. During such a hyste rical fit the patient feels a tremendous anxiety that almost prevents her from breathing and her tendency is to fall down on the ground and roll there in agon y. Another condition can be great anxiety, with pressure in stomach, nausea and retching, where the patient must bend double in order to feel better. Baryta muriatica patients experience the strange feeling that the legs are non-e xistent, and have the illusion of wal ing on their nees without legs. This is accompanied by the tendency to bend over and roll on the ground. As an example of such a case you may see a woman who suspects that her husband i
s not interested in her any more, or who believes that her husband is having an affair with another woman. On the least provocation, following the mildest remar from her husband, she goes into a hysterical state. She falls to the ground in a semiconvulsive state of anxiety. The idea underlying this behaviour is that she falls to her nees, totally helpless in front of the all-powerful master, as sh e is incapable of a better reaction. A feature of this remedy is the lac of a sense of humiliation, prevalent in Nat rum muriaticum. On the contrary, the Baryta muriatica patient is essentially hum ble without any egotistic element whatsoever. Baryta muriatica is wea -willed and w ea -minded, and therefore does not have the courage to voice an argument or to carry a discussion to demand her due. She feels better when she stoops down or bends over physically - but also when she yields and submits mentally. The anxie ty is better when stooping, the stomach and abdominal pains are better when stooping. She must "lean over" in order to feel better, and, most remar ably, has an aggravation of symptoms when "rising up". It should not be forgotten that this behaviour is exhibited by a person whose mi nd is confused, whose understanding is restricted and who is timid and cowardly, needing protection to face the challenges of life. These patients easily develo p fears of people and of evil; they indulge in few social contacts and little conversation, being by nature suspicious and averse to company. The insecurity that dominates the patient causes her to cultivate excessive sexual excitement i n
her imagination, should she fall in love with somebody, with the result that th e excess of excitement can lead to explosions of apparent acute insanity. In fac t the patient is suffering from manic-depression, with the mania state manifesting ev ery time she falls in love when the sexual excitement that is generated cannot b e fulfilled. The Baryta muriatica woman characteristically shows an exaggerated attachment to the loved one, with a tendency to suffocate him. A typical result will be an increase in sexual desire and excitement on her part, with a corresponding decr ease of interest on the part of her husband. It is this state of conflict that b rings about the syndrome of "acute insanity from sexual excitement" that is one of th e main characteristics of this remedy. The imagination turns to sexual matters and produces a frenzied desire for sexua l intercourse, so much so that it will lead women to nymphomania and men to satyriasis. The sexual element is particularly strong in this remedy, and a gre at deal of its symptomatology originates from this feature, quite unli e Baryta carbonica where the sexual element is by no means so important. The prevalent symptoms during the Baryta muriatica state of insanity are confusi on, disorientation, and idiotic or childish behaviour. There are delusions where familiar things seem strange, and where the locality around the patient seems c hanged. Out of all the Baryta's, this remedy is the fastest to bring about a sta te of idiocy, of imbecility, with all the characteristics of the disease. The facial expression is idiotic, with drooping jaw and drooling saliva, the eyes are vacan t. This state can be accompanied by epileptic fits, chorea or swollen glands. It is sim ilar to Cicuta in this respect. The convulsive tendency, as mentioned, is a very important feature for this reme dy. The convulsions characteristic of Baryta muriatica are as follows: convulsio ns with headache, deafness, vomiting and burning in the the stomach; convulsions w ith full consciousness, with electric shoc s; clonic spasms. Periodical attac s of convulsions, with excessive jactitation of the limbs. Convulsions, accompanied by shoc s which sha e the whole body. Convulsive tremor and twitches. Epileptic convulsions. Convulsions from worms. Convulsive trembling. Further important sy mptoms include: Violent chorea, the arms and legs are in constant jer ing so that she cannot fee d herself nor wal . The face is spasmodically twitched, and the the speech is
unintelligible. All the spasmodic movements cease during sleep. Voluntary muscular power gone but perfectly sensible. Multiple sclerosis and other neuro-muscular disorders will fit its picture, as d o icy coldness of the the body, with paralysis, paresis after influenza and diph theria, paralytic wea ness and left sided paralysis.
The effect on the vascular system Both elements in this remedy have a strong action on the heart and arteries. Bar yta muriatica has a great reputation for improving aneurysms, especially of the descending aorta, and also abdominal aneurysm. It causes hypertension with high systolic pressure, and comparatively low diastolic tension. Other conditions for which you will need Baryta muriatica are: arterio-sclerosis ; tachycardia from excitement; increased tension of pulse; pulse fast, 120; full , hard, small. Rising up from bed brings on many symptoms.
The effect on the glands The diseases most amenable to this remedy are those which affect the glands in g eneral, and most particularly the lymphatic glands, the parotid glands and the
pancreas. The conditions which benefit from Baryta muriatica include: enormousl y swollen and indurated lymphatic glands around the nec . Stitching in glands an d along nerves. Painful swelling of glands. Parotid glands hard and swollen. Swel ling of salivary glands. Attac s of tonsillitis occurring in spring and autumn. Enlargement of the glands and induration of tonsils and pancreas. Inflammation of glands, adenitis and in fectious mononucleosis. It is the natural complement of Conium in glandular affections and bears many si milarities to it, though much deeper acting.
The children Baryta muriatica children present a similar picture to Baryta carbonica children . They do not want to play li e other children, but are isolated, sitting in cor ners and giving confused answers. They may be hard of hearing. They are dull and have di fficulties in learning, being unable to remember what they study. They suffer fr om a retarded development, and in serious conditions present a picture of imbecility . Baryta muriatica is suited to scrofulous children, who go around with their mo uth open and tal through the nose. Such a child may lie on its abdomen to shun the light. An example from a case may serve to illustrate this condition: The whole nec wa s covered with indurated glands of the size of an egg; the abdomen was much dist ended and hard; the seventh and eighth dorsal vertebrae projected posteriorly in a lu mp. Both ears discharged an offensive pus; tongue coated; stool produced only by enemata; faeces small in quantity, white in color, and hard as a stone; the uri ne yellowish and very offensive; the feet swollen.
Generalities The patient desires open air, yet open air often increases the symptoms. General physical anxiety is a strong feature. Heaviness externally and internally as from wea ness and relaxation.
Extreme lassitude, compelled to lie down. General feeling of lassitude in the mo rning, especially wea ness of the legs, with muscular stiffness. Wea ness in whole body, can hardly move a limb; general muscular wea ness while wal ing; paralytic wea ness; weariness. General malaise, faintings. Heaviness an d prostration, must lie down. Wea ness from ascending stairs. Dread of bathing li e Sulphur. Bleeding from mucous membranes and from ulcers. Symptoms come before and during menses. Neither motion nor pressure is painful Painless symptoms predominant and pain is the exception. Many parts are tender to pressure. Formication all over the body. Sensation of internal fulness. External numbness of whole body.
Perspiration staining the linen. Complaints from suppression of foot perspiration. Better lying on right side; riding in a car. Some symptoms are better from motion. The earache is better by sipping cold water. Head bent forward ameliorates the breathing. Worse rising from bed. Complaints such as dyspnea, palpitation and wea ness are worse ascending stairs. Complaints are prominent in the morning, forenoon, afternoon, evening, night and after midnight. The symptoms are often worse in cold air and from becoming cold, worse in wet we ather. They are worse in fall and spring. Complaints left-sided - worse while sitting; must lie down. Symptoms come on during sleep - worse while standing. Lying on painful side: earache worse.
Vertigo Fainting; vertigo when wal ing; objects seem to turn in a circle. Vertigo due to cerebral anemia with noises in ears. Vertigo in old people.
Head Head drawn forwards. Headaches, but without acute crisis, occurring in old people; heaviness rather t han pain. Heaviness of head so that he cannot eep it up. Headache with angina. Headache with vomiting. Headache when moving eyes. External headache aggravated by pressure.
Tinea capitis extending to sides and posterior portion of nec . Tinea, with abundant discharge of pus. The whole scalp covered by a thic , offen sive crust. Itchli e eruption on scalp and nec . Eczema; moist eruption; offensive eruption. Suppurating eruption.
Eyes Pupils dilated and immovable. Eyes sun en. Eyeballs much inflamed. Eyes stiff, cannot move them. Lids on both eyes swollen and inflamed. Ophthalmia scrofulosa. Child lies on its face in order to avoid light. Staphyloma on inner edge of left cornea. Ulceration of lids. Paralysis of left lid.
Ears Offensive otorrhea (especially right). It has cured whizzing and buzzing in ears ; noises on chewing and swallowing. Deafness. Earache right side; worse lying on painful side; better by sipping cold water. Discharge from both ears of an odor li e rotten cheese. Postscarlatinal otorrhea. Otorrhea after frequent otitis. Abscess behind both ears, discharging offensive pus. Parotid on right side swollen, with a swelling of submaxillary and cervical glan ds. Both parotids, especially right side, swell after scarlatina.
Nose Sneezing in sleep, four, five times before midnight, not wa ening. Catarrh of nose. Coryza, with fever heat.
Nodular eruptions on nose. Broad, red nodule on side of point of nose; biting, t ic ling soreness and with fine stitches in it when touched. Red pimple on side o f tip of nose. Pain in nose on touch; on biting.
Stitching pain in nose. Rawness in nose.
Nasal speech Face pale, with anxious expression. Red face, with fever. Tension in whole face, with nausea and diarrhea. Sensitive drawing, twitchings and spasmodic contractions in facial muscles. Enlarged, indurated and painful submaxillary glands. Inflammation, hard swelling and induration of (right) parotid gland. Crusty, scabby eruptions.
Mouth After fine stitching a pulseli e jer ing and throbbing toothache; worse after mi dnight; worse after sleep; is compelled to sit up in bed. Putrid taste in mouth, even food has a putrid taste; tongue and mouth dry. Ulcers on tongue. Tongue furred; covered with mucus; collection of slime on tongue. Salivation, with looseness of teeth, swelling of salivary glands and palate, odo r li e from mercurialism. Salivation with convulsions. Offensive breath during menses. Paralysis of tongue. Bleeding.
Throat Valuable in loss of power, paresis of the pharynx and Eustachian tube, with clac ing sounds on swallowing or sneezing; air is forced into the tympanum too easil y.
Chronic hypertrophy of tonsils. Tonsils enlarged. Recurrent inflammation of tonsils. Disposition to tonsillitis, with suppuration each time after ta ing cold.
Chronic scrofulous enlargement and induration of tonsils. Hard swelling of cervical glands, that can become enormous in size. Swelling of uvula and palate. Elongation of uvula, with hyperaemia. Varicose veins in throat and tonsils. Pharynx and esophagus inflamed. Difficult swallowing. Catarrh extends over tonsils, epiglottis, glottis, into tubes. Angina tonsillaris, with suppuration, after every cold. Severe pain in right side of throat and ear; with every paroxysm saliva in large quantities of a deep red color runs out of mouth and fauces, especially on righ t side; tonsils but little swollen. Discoloration and redness of uvula. The whole nec
and throat full of hard glandular swellings.
Stomach Desires dry bread, white bread; dry food, bread and butter. Indurated and narrowing of the cardiac orifice with pain immediately after eatin g, and epigastric tenderness. There is great indigestion. Below stomach to left a hardness from which paroxysms of dyspnea come. Nausea, with vomiting and violent colic Vomiting with pain in abdomen; of everything ta en, with stringy mucus. Violent vomiting and purging, with anxiety. During six hours he vomits small quantities of a disgusting matter. Burning pain when vomiting. Incessant vomiting. Ineffectual retching. Stomach feels heavy; a pressure in stomach, most after eating solid food. Cramps in stomach.
Warm sensation rises up to chest and head. Flushes of heat extending over chest and to head.
Abdomen Abdominal aneurysm.
Hardness of mesenteric glands. Liver and spleen full of thic , watery bile.
blac blood; gall-bladder filled with pale yellow
Tumefaction of liver. Induration of pancreas. Aching, dull pain in region of navel; worse in morning; dry cough. Pain in abdomen, rising from lying ameliorates. Sore pain in abdomen in inguinal region. Distressing throbbing in abdomen (abdominal aneurysm). Borborygmus. Abdomen much swollen, distended and hard. Swelling and induration of abdominal glands, mesenteric glands and lower limbs. Swelling of liver. Inguinal glands swollen and painful. Suppuration of inguinal glands. Fetid, ichorous ulcers in inguinal region.
Worms Bubo after suppressed gonorrhea.
Rectum Obstinate constipation. Stool only after injections, excrement white and hard as stones. Hemorrhoids protrude during urination. Stools of a jellyli e appearance, with blood, no pain at all, discharges every 1 5 or 20 minutes, covered with mucus. Dysentery in emaciated undersized children. Yellow, slimy stools; vomiting and exhaustion. Stools green, thin, watery, chopped and very fetid. Paralysis of sphincter ani.
Passage of ascarides and slime. Fistula.
Urinary organs Micturition painful, constant. Cystitis. Frequent urination during perspiration. Continual violent urging to urinate; sometimes involuntary. Pain in urethra during urination. Urine yellowish, of a very offensive odor, whitish sediment. Great increase in uric acid.
Genitalia - male Sexual desire tremendously increased leading to satyriasis. Violent sexual passi on. Nightly seminal emissions. Gonorrhea and gleet. Hypertrophied testicles after suppressed gonorrhea. Testicles increased in size, hard and painful stitches. Swelling of testicles and scrotum, painless. Buboes after suppressed gonorrhea.
Genitalia - female Menstruation induced. Sterility. Leucorrhea. Induration, tumor, or atrophy of ovaries.
Nymphomania Violent desire leading to acute insanity.
Squeezing pains in pelvis.
Chest Aneurysm of the descending aorta. Bronchial affections of old people with cardiac dilation. Facilitates expectorat ion. Mucous expectoration. Catarrh in chest. Wea , hus y voice. Attac s of anxious dyspnea; rolls on floor, several attac s a day, also at night . Dyspnea and oppression. Respiration difficult, impossible when lying; upright ameliorates. Has to sit up, head bent forward; slime and saliva run from mouth, without cough . Chronic cough of scrofulous children. Inner heat in upper chest. Heart beats irregularly, pulse scarcely perceptible. Phthisis scrofulosa, with herpetic eruption and indurated testicle. Palpitation. Pulse rapid, full. Pulse soft and irregular. Pulse 120.
Bac Enlargement and induration of cervical glands. Submaxillary and cervical glands swollen to size of pigeon eggs, two li e hen's eggs, very hard, and painful on slight pressure. Inflammation of cord. Curvature of spine. Itching eruptions. Tinea from scalp to nec .
Extremities Inflammation of nee. Heat of nee. Painless jer ing in arms, principally at night. Convulsive jer ings of hands and feet.
Twitching of arm, worse at night. Twitching of foot. Eruption li e millet seed on hands. Brownish scurfs. Scurfs on lower limbs; on thigh. Tension in thighs. Emaciation of thighs and nates. When neeling, a violent stitch, followed by a peculiar tension in right patella , ma ing it difficult to wal . Tension and increased warmth in nee. Feet swollen. Swelling of lower limbs after dropsical fever. Swelling of hands a nd feet. Cramps in toes. Trembling of limbs. Pulsation of shoulder. Paralysis of upper and lower limbs. Paralysis of left hemiplegia. Suppressed perspiration of foot. Weariness of muscles of extremities.
Fever Fever: thirst; loss of appetite; dry mouth and tongue; dysphagia; frequent, full pulse; flushed face; catarrhal; with chilliness; prostration generally lasting seven days, occasionally accompanied by catarrh of eye, ear or nose, or inflammatory action of s in. Chill with thirst in evening. Chills with heat, alternately with angina tonsillaris. Dry heat all day; pulse excitable; head affected. Heat, with coryza. During fever increased suppuration of ulcers with boys, and enlargement of swoll en cervical glands with girls. All day dry heat; pulse irritated; head affected. Cold sweat. Perspiration has offensive odor.
Perspiration staining the linen.
S in Spasmodic contraction of s in. Discoloration; bluish spots.
Itchli e pimples on head, nape of nec , abdomen and thighs. Herpes on various parts. Herpes favinosus all over body, face excepted. Ecchymoses. Eczema. Tetters.
Scrofulous eruptions Yellowish, scaly eruptions. Fetid ichorous ulcers in inguinal region. Scurf, profusely suppurating, on scalp. Biting pain in s in. Cold surface; cold extremities. Whole body covered with ulcers.
Clinical Aneurysm. Abscess of anus. Asthma. Convulsions. Epilepsy. Deafness. Fistula. Gla ndular swellings. Idiocy. Mania. Acute insanity. Nymphomania. Leucorrhea. Mumps. Otorrhea. Pancreatitis. Paralysis. Scrofula. Sterility. Affections of testicles . Tinea capitis. Tonsillitis.
Relations Useful after Arnica, in extravasations of blood. Similar to Conium in indurations of abdominal glands. Compare: Con. (indurations of abdominal glands); Iod., Kali iod. and Iris (pancr eas); Selen. (pulsations in abdomen). Compare in sclerotic degenerations, especially of spinal cord, liver, and heart. Plumbum met. and Plumb-iod. Also Aurum mur. which will often accomplish more in sclerotic and exudative degenerations than other remedies. Multiple sclerosis,
fulgurating pains, tremors, Morvan's disease, hypertrophy of fingers.
Dosage From 6x to the highest.
Baryta sulphurica
The essential features Barium sulphuricum is the remedy to try in a Sulphur case that does not respond, where the patient loo s timid, confused, and is closed in on himself, with an amelioration in the open air. This remedy should also be thought of in a case t hat loo s li e Baryta, where the patient is much more critical than you would ex pect a Baryta patient to be, though the criticism is internal - the patient is averse to discussing such matters, so does not voice her criticism. Barium sulphuricum derives very few of its symptoms from the Barytas ; many of i ts characteristics come from its other component: Sulphur. We do of course see t he aversion to mental wor , the confusion of mind particularly in the morning or e vening, the wea memory, especially for words while spea ing, the difficulty in concentration and the general tendency towards imbecility which we recognise fr om the Barytas. But these elements do not suffice to give the true picture of th is remedy. The eynotes are the withdrawal and sense of being closed in, the avers ion to or even fear of communication, although inwardly we see the tendency to b e very critical of others. The Barium sulphuricum patient is utterly withdrawn into herself, with an intern al life of her own which she is unwilling to share with anyone. She can be fearf ul when in the presence of many people, have aversion to others eeping her company, an d may be anthropophobic. The nervous system appears to be in a constant state of stress. In the early stages this stress may manifest as a slight involuntary mo tion of the head; the head feels loose and falls to the side leant on. Later sta ges can bring convulsions and epileptic fits. It is quite understandable that such a closed in person who is unable to express herself will suffer from hysterical fits after a deep disappointment or grief. The patient cannot express her emotions in a normal way, and the loaded feelings ev entually explode in an uncontrollable, hysterical outburst, without however show ing
aggression towards others. This remedy is suitable in cases of epilepsy where the patient loo s totally wit hdrawn into herself, avoiding people, avoiding society, with fear of starting a conversation or fear of being involved in any conversation. She is not stupid, and does not lac opinions of her own, but she simply does not want any contact, she is fearful and shy, much li e Bryonia. Other particular characteristics of Barium sulphuricum are a strong tendency to fainting spells, a fearful sensation after siesta as if she had not entirely com e bac from sleep, which is a eynote, and a sense of insecurity which always ma es he r want more than she needs. The patient is suspicious, suffers from anxiety befo re midnight, anxiety during heat or with fever, anxiety about the future. She has fear of death and evil in the evening, and tal s in her sleep. Impatience and irritability are very mar ed. Barium sulphuricum is always in a h urry, and irritable, worse in the evening. They can also be indifferent, indolen t, bashful, with loss of will power. All mental symptoms are ameliorated in the open air Other symptoms include s in eruptions, especially on the head, with swelling of lymphatic glands, especially the submaxillary. The glands in general are inflame d, swollen and indurated. You may see exophthalmic goitre with trembling of the wh ole body, of head and hands. It is useful in cataract when the general symptoms agree, and has cured opacity of the cornea. There is painless paralysis, one-si ded, mostly right, and paralysis of organs.
Generalities The symptoms of this remedy appear mostly in the morning and at night, after mid night. Symptoms come on during and after eating. There is a general amelioration from the open air. Emaciation, marasmus. There is a mar ed physical anxiety. Flabby feeling in hard parts. Relaxation of muscles. Faintness and the muscles b ecome flabby. Single parts become numb and pric le. Sensation of external constriction. Jer ing in muscles. Tension felt all over body. Pulsation all over the body. Pulse feeble on motion. Distension of blood vessels. Tearing pain in glands. Stiffness of muscles and joints. Complaints from suppression of foot perspiration. Ta es cold easily; there is a lac of vital heat. Symptoms come on before and during menses. Wea ness after eating; during menses; while wal ing. Aversion to motion. Heaviness and lassitude. Desire to lie down. Desire for open air and wal ing in open air ameliorates. Many symptoms show themselves or are worse on exertion and ascending stairs. Mot ion, wal ing, physical exertion aggravate. Generally worse from bathing; in a close room. Ailments after eating to satiety; from cold air; from becoming cold; from cold w et weather. Pressure aggravates the pain and many symptoms. Rising up aggravates; ascending aggravates; standing aggravates.
Vertigo Vertigo; objects turn in a circle; when standing; when wal ing.
Head Pain in the evening; better in the open air; better while wal ing in the open ai r. Pain in the head worse from coughing; after eating; from becoming heated; fro m a jar; when lying; moving head and eyes; from pressure; sha ing the head; after sleep; from sneezing; when stooping; in the summer; from heat of the sun; violent; whe n wal ing; worse in a warm room. Pain in forehead in the evening; worse on the right side; in the sides of the he ad; in the temples; boring in forehead and temples. Jer ing pain in head. Sore-bruised pain in head. Stitching pains in head. Electric shoc s in head. The head is sometimes cold; there is mar ed hyperaemia with cold feet. Empty feeling in the head. A feeling of looseness of the brain. A sensation of motions in the head. Eruptions on the scalp; crusts; moist; pimples. Itching of the scalp. Formication of the scalp and the hair falls out. Perspiration on scalp.
Eye Inflammation of the conjunctiva, of the lids. The eyelids are stuc together in the morning. Swollen lids. Dryness of eyes. Redness of eyes. Protrusion of eyes. Pupils dilated and insensible to light. Itching and lachrymation.
Pain in eyes on exertion of vision; worse from light; aching; burning on using e yes; burning in canthi; pressing; pain as from sand; tearing. Paralysis of optic nerve.
Photophobia Blac spots; spec s and flies before the eyes.
Dim vision. Cataract.
Ear Bloody discharge from ear. Eruption behind ears. Formication of ears. Itching in ear, stitching in ear; twitching of ears. Noises in ears; ringing; ro aring. Pain in right ear; behind ear. Pulsation in ear. Hearing impaired.
Nose Constant inclination to blow the nose. Fluent coryza with cough. Catarrh of the nose with discharge bloody; thic ; yellow, offensive. Epistaxis on blowing the nose. Dryness in the nose. The nose is often obstructed. Much sneezing. The nose is swollen. Smell is acute.
Face The face is cold, pale or red. The face is red and hot while the extremities are cold.
Drawing pain in face; in submaxillary gland. Convulsive twitching of face. Swelling of face; of parotid gland; of submaxillary gland; painful swelling.
Eruptions on the face: acne; boils; crusty; eczema; herpes; pimples. The lips are dry and crac ed.
Mouth The gums are detached from the teeth, bleeding, swollen. Crac ed tongue. The tongue is coated white. The tongue burns. Salivation. Burning vesicles in mouth and on tongue. Offensive, even putrid odor from mouth. Taste is bad, bitter or sour. Pain in teeth worse from cold things; cold drin s; after eating; from warm thing s. Speech difficult.
Throat Constriction in throat. Dryness and roughness in the throat. Sensation of a lump in throat. Enlarged, swollen tonsils with suppuration. Liquids are forced into nose. The membrane of throat is covered with exudate and throat is full of viscid mucu s. Pain in throat on empty swallowing. Spasms of the esophagus on swallowing.
Stomach
Appetite is variable; wanting; diminished; ravenous; easy satiety. Aversion to f ood. Craves sweets. Thirst in the evening; unquenchable.
Heat felt in stomach. Sensation of coldness in stomach. A sensation of emptiness. Pressing pain after eating; tenderness. Eructations; after eating; bitter; empty; sour; watery; waterbrash. Fullness in stomach even after eating a little. Wea and slow digestion. Nausea in the morning. Vomiting; bile, mucus, sour, watery.
Abdomen The abdomen is distended with flatulence and feels full. Abdomen large and hard; the mesenteric glands are enlarged. Pain in abdomen in the morning, after eating; during menses; on motion; on press ure; after stool. Pain in inguinal region; cramping; cutting; before stool.
Rectum Constipation; inactivity of rectum; difficult stool; unsatisfactory stool; hard, notty stool. Involuntary stool. Constant or frequent ineffectual urging to stool. Pain during and after stool; pressure; soreness; stitching; tenesmus. Diarrhea; worse at night from ta ing cold; yellow watery stools. Offensive flatus. Crawling and itching in rectum and anus. External piles. Constant moisture at anus.
Urinary organs Retention of urine.
Dysuria. Urging to urinate; constant; frequent; sudden, must hasten to urinate or lose it . Urination frequent at night. Involuntary during the night, copious. Discharge from urethra gleety; purulent.
Genitalia - male In the male there is no sexual desire and erections are wanting. Induration of t estes. Sweat on the scrotum. Seminal emissions nightly.
Genitalia - female In the female desire is also absent. Leucorrhea: smarting; copious; acrid, excoriating. Menses scanty; suppressed. Burning of the vulva.
Chest Catarrh of the trachea with copious mucus. Voice is hoarse; rough; lost; wea . Respiration is accelerated; asthmatic; difficult at night and on ascending; ratt ling. Cough in the morning after rising; in cold air, in damp cold air; asthmatic; wor se tal ing; from tic ling in larynx and trachea; tormenting; whooping cough. Expectoration in the morning and evening; difficult. Catarrh of chest with mar ed constriction and oppression. Pustules on the chest.
Itching of chest; of mammae. Palpitation: at night; anxious; tumultuous.
Bac Itching of the bac . Feeling of weight in the bac . Pain in the bac , before and during menses; while sitting. Pain in lumbar region in evening and before and during menses. Drawing pain in l umbar region; in the sacrum. Pulsation in lumbar region. Wea ness in lumbar region. Burning in spine and in lumbar region. Stitching in bac , in cervical and lumbar regions. Stiffness in the bac ; in cervical regions. Tension in bac .
Extremities Cold hands and feet. Crac ed hands and fingers. The hands are very dry. Perspiration of hands, of palms. Offensive sweat of feet; suppressed foot sweat. Painful eruptions on the limbs; pimples. Heaviness of limbs. Itching limbs; thighs. Jer ing of the lower limbs. Numbness of the upper limbs; hands; fingers. Tearing pain in all the limbs. Bruised limbs and joints. Stitching: in nees; forearm; wrist; lower limbs; thighs; legs; feet. Painless paralysis of upper limbs. Tension of thighs. Cramps in the calf. Ulcers on legs; wea ness of lower limbs.
Sleep
Deep sleep. Falling asleep late. Restless sleep. Sleepiness after dinner. Dreams; anxious; frightful; of misfortune; vivid.
Fever Fever evening and night; alternating with chilliness; burning heat; flushes of h eat. Sha ing chills; one-sided chill; generally left-sided. Chilliness in the open air; in the least draft. Coldness in bed; external coldness; daily spells of coldness. Perspiration after midnight; cold; while eating; offensive; on single parts; dur ing sleep; on wa ing.
S in The s in is very sensitive. Tension. Burning s in at times; otherwise coldness; crac ed s in, dry. Pale s in; red spots. Eruptions: burning, with yellow moisture; dry; worse after scratching, place bar e after scratching; eating; scabby; smarting; stinging; suppurating; nodular. Tubercles; herpes; ringworm; pimples; rash.
Urticaria Vesicular eruptions; vesicles after scratching. Moisture of the s in after scratching. Stitching in the s in after scratching.
Excoriation of the s in. Formication. Itching at night; itching, stinging; in a warm bed. Small wounds slow to heal and often fester.
Small stinging warts.
Clinical S in eruptions. Swelling and induration of lymphatic, submaxillary, parotid and prostate glands. Exophthalmic goitre. Paralysis, one-sided, mostly right; of org ans. Painless paralysis of upper limbs. Cataract. Opacity of the cornea. Hysterical fits.
Dosage From 6x to the highest.
Belladonna Atropa belladonna Deadly Nightshade Solanaceae Tincture of whole plant when beginning to flower
The essential features When one "clearly perceives what it is in medicines which heals," as Hahnemann e njoins, then one no longer thin s of a medicine in narrow terms. That is to say, when one understands the essence of a remedy, one can envision the possible applicat ions of that remedy in their broadest context. Many of our medicines are spo en of as "acute remedies" or "constitutional remed ies", but no such artificial boundaries exist in homeopathy. In the course of my personal experience I have observed that belladonna, a medicine generally consi dered as an acute remedy, is among the most frequently used polychrests for chro nic
conditions as well. belladonna is a remedy characterized by great intensity and vividness. Both bell adonna patients and belladonna disease processes are impressive because of the g reat energy they manifest. Thus, belladonna pathology can be among the most extravag ant produced by any remedy in our entire materia medica. Great forcefulness seem s to characterize the pathological processes of belladonna. Similarly, the consti tutional belladonna individual generally appears vital and intense. He seems to possess a great amount of well-balanced energy. One rarely finds a use for this remedy in depleted, apathetic individuals. Rather, belladonna people loo healt hy and robust. They seem to be people without deep miasmatic illness, without many lay ers of sic ness. Consequently, there is frequently a paucity of mental and emoti onal symptoms in the first stages of pathology of these patients. Furthermore, they almost invariably have clear aggravations after ta ing the remedy and generally
require little long-term management. In most homeopathic materia medicas great emphasis is placed on the "suddenness" of belladonna conditions. This "sudden" quality certainly pertains to acute conditions and also to some of the individual crises of chronic conditions, but in the typical chronic cases one very frequently sees a slow steady intensifica tion of symptomatology over the years. Thus, it is usual to find a history where the sy mptoms began rather innocuously but have been progressing steadily, such that wi thin the last year or so the condition has become unbearable, driving the patient to see treatment. The pathology of the constitutional belladonna patient generall y confines itself to the physical level; this contrasts with the usual patient co urse seen in other remedies. Typically, a patient will initially manifest only p hysical symptoms, but, with added stress or suppressive medical therapies, the disease penetrates to involve deeper levels of the organism, i.e. , the mental-emotional sphere. Consequently, in most cases, one sees a mixture of both psychological a nd physical symptoms. belladonna constitutions, however, seem to "quarantine" th e pathology to but some specific physical disorder, perhaps because of their rela tively higher vitality. In these patients one usually encounters a history of a progressive intensification of the physical disorder and little evidence of men tal or emotional affections. For example, one often hears a patient relate a his tory of migraine headaches which originally were infrequent and rather mild but which h ave in the past two years increased in frequency to several times a wee and whi ch consist of an almost maddening pain. As a consequence of the above observations, one can say that the diagnosis and p rescription of belladonna is generally made on the basis of physical disorders. However, a characteristic belladonna personality does exist.
The external appearance The belladonna external appearance is one of vitality. These people are full of life and may appear plethoric. Their faces are often red and flushed, and their eyes seem to glisten. As mentioned below, they are not easily ignored or passed by, but t end to stand out in the crowd.
The mental emotional picture belladonna individuals are vivid; they have a type of presence which is not easily ignored. They are the ind of people who stand out in a grou p; they may even tend to find themselves the center of attention at parties as a result of their bright eyes and great vitality. However, they are not people who see out company. The belladonna personality possesses substance and richness. They a re intellectuals with a high I.Q. and a great number of vividly expressed ideas. T hey have strong, vivid emotions and sentiments, vivid thoughts and imaginations. More than anything they are excitable. Although they do not avoid company, it appear s that their thoughts and imaginations are so vivid that they do not need extra stimulation from outside sources. In fact, they seem to avoid strong stimuli an d have an aversion to noisy, bright places. Furthermore, their strong characters do not need support from others. They do not li e to reveal their suffering (altho ugh in a crisis they are usually unable to hide it). They do not require consola tion, and they tend to eep their problems to themselves.
The irritability and anger In our materia medicas the belladonna pathology is presented in such a manner as to ma e you thin that unless somebody is totally mad, or convulsed or in a del irium you cannot prescribe this remedy. My experience with the chronic patients of be lladonna, with those I call the constitutional type, is quite different. I have seen a lot of belladonna cases that had no mental pathology at all. As stated, the pat hology in constitutional belladonna is generally confined to the physical plane. But, of course, when the patients' defenses are extensively harrassed, there can be det erioration to deeper levels and then we see a sudden appearance of mental pathology. We do not see a progressive psychopathological state. The mental-emo tional pathology that does finally appear in belladonna can be seen as an accentuation of the described personality type. The same "intensity" that chara cterizes the belladonna physical pathology applies to the mental-emotional patho logy: they both come on li e a storm. Irritability, anger, and finally violent impulses and violent mania can be witne ssed. Irritability is the one symptom which is consistently present even in the early stages of pathology. One very often finds a history of impatience and sudden fl ares of temper. These patients may literally explode with anger. There are paroxysms of anger and shouting, and a patient may say that when he is angry, " the whole building hears me shout!" The anger is such that it can bring about co ughing while the face becomes extremely red. The patient becomes angry even at his own mista es and then wants to brea things. Sometimes the anger alternates with weeping in a state beyond his control. The anger is, however, equally rapidly forgotten, li e a storm that rages and qu ic ly subsides. But beware, should anyone try to give advice to a belladonna pat ient while in this temper, however indly one may try, the result will be to ma e him mad and explode in an even worse manner.
The anxieties and fears Because the belladonna individual is generally strong of character, he is not pr one to suffer fears and anxieties. One does find anxiety about health in some ca ses,
especially fear of cancer, but this fear is easily overcome by the reassurance of a physician and soon forgotten. Anxiety is not generally mar ed in belladonna cases, though it may appear sometimes alternating with rage, or in a crowd, or during menses. There can also infrequently occur fear of death or fear of the dar . Of course, the most famous fear of belladonna is the fear of dogs and fear of anim als in general. As belladonna is a remedy with a vivid imagination it is natural that there should be a fear of imaginary things.
The destructiveness There is also an element of violence running throughout belladonna. When the pat ient does begin to show signs of mental-emotional pathology, he may mention a de sire to perform violent acts. In the earlier stages the patient may struggle to cont rol various compulsions to violence; e.g. , a temptation to bite or to pull some one's hair. He may even feel compelled to grab the hair of an un nown bystander, but he restrains himself. In a state of rage or delirium he may lose control however , and actually stri e those around him, biting people or objects, such as a spoon. belladonna can become very destructive in its insanity or delirium. There is a d esire to tear one's clothes, to ill people, or to be illed. A belladonna patie nt can become very destructive under the influence of alcohol. The belladonna mental p athology is very much aggravated by drin ing spirituous liquors.
The rage and the mania Finally, when all control is lost, one sees the occurrence of one of the most vi olent manias produced by any remedy. As stated, the belladonna constitution is g enerally resistant to psychological impairments, but it may suddenly deteriorate into ad vanced mental pathology. The belladonna rage can appear during headaches, or, alternatively, during the excited state a fit can be brought on by simply touch ing the patient. The belladonna patient can become frighteningly destructive and wildly violent, wanting to stri e people or bite them as previously described. There i s a wildness in him, a wild loo on his face, and his strength may be greatly in creased. He may turn to bar ing and growling li e a dog in his delirium. During an inter val from the enraged state he may want to die, and may try to commit suicide. belladonna is indicated in cases of manic-depression where the state of mania t hat we have just described is succeeded by long periods of depression with a des ire for death, where the patient wishes to commit suicide by hanging or stabbing hi mself, or in any other ind of violent way. These violent episodes may also occur during febrile deliriums. One may see such a case in utter delirium, groping around the room and literally trying to climb the walls or trying to gather objects off the wall. In this state the patient sees blac animals on the walls and furniture, he spits around and ma es grimaces whi le his strength is tremendously increased. It is truly frightening to observe such a c ase. At other times the patient hallucinates and sees all manner of phantoms, ev il spectres and faces with vicious fangs. He may tal about devils, saying that he will be ta en away by the devil. In the midst of these vicious hallucinations t he patient may laugh in a sardonic and almost evil manner. Further symptoms that m ay be found during a belladonna state of mania include bouts of noc ing the hea d against a wall, attempts to stri e out at imaginary objects, or at people imagi ned to be on their abdomen or face. Sometimes there are convulsions during the m ania state and the fury. In epileptics we see the fury and rage with the full intens ity of the remedy and frightful distortions of the face.
The insanity In a belladonna case a state of insanity may arise due to a number of factors in which the natural outlets for the emotions are suppressed. For example, an indi vidual may suffer from excessive anger, whatever the cause, and be unable to find a pr oper outlet for this anger. Alternatively, a person may be unable to fulfill his ambitions, or may have to suppress them. Other factors include an eruption whic h may have been suppressed, or a terrible fright, grief or mortification suffere d by the patient. These situations may all lead to an insanity state. The form of th e insanity may be different, depending mostly on the cause, but the common characteristics are the glistening of the eyes, the heat of the face, the inner excitability, the senseless restlessness and the increased strength. belladonna should also be thought of in conditions li e pyromania and leptomania. In a case where the ambitions have been affected the resulting insanity will sho w excessive pomposity. The person for instance may say that he has made a great discovery from which he stands to gain a lot of money. He signs cheques for vas t amounts to overpay people for buying things that he cannot afford or does not need. He brags a lot and tal s in an excited and intense manner. He sleeps but a few hours at night and roams about in an aimless way all day. Should anybody t ry to contradict him he flies off in a temper and becomes very aggressive, with an im pulse to ill. If the reason for madness is a love disappointment the form of the insanity may ta e a on very different aspect. Here you will have a patient who may strip down to only his shirt and run out into the streets in broad daylight, gesticulating an d uttering many absurd things. He may start a sort of wild dancing, with shrie i ng, singing, clapping of the hands. The dancing may alternate with sighing. He jump s over chairs and tables, tears his own hair, indulges in obscene tal and cursi ng. He
may spit and bite at those around him. The madness may alternatively result from grief, and here you may see a differen t picture again, though the basic characteristics should be present as already mentioned. This patient has a tendency to sit and brea pins or stic s, ma ing gestures as if he were drin ing. He may go to hide with fear in his eyes. He has a feeling of being possessed by the devil or pursued by the police, or he may fee l that he is divided into two parts. He may have the illusion that he is a dog a nd start growling and bar ing. He is impelled to touch everything, and aimlessly wal s r ound and round in a circle.
The delusions, hallucinations and visions During the belladonna insanity and febrile states the patient experiences vivid delusions, hallucinations and visions. The vivid imagination of belladonna and i ts excitability have been mentioned. In certain circumstances this imagination may suddenly burst forth giving rise to hallucinations or visions. Most often this occurs in febrile states, but it also arises in mental disorders. These visions may oc cur with the eyes wide open; furthermore, the hallucinations are not of pale gho stly images but rather sharp, vivid pictures. If the patient mentions that he has a tendency to be delirious and to see visions as soon as he suffers a fever, this can be a strong confirmation of the diagnosis for belladonna. The delusions of belladonna can be triggered by fever, by injuries to the head, by suppressed menstruation and by hysteria, and they are almost always accompani ed by dilated pupils and a red face. A typical belladonna delirium is described here: "In the evening he was seized w ith such violent delirium that it required three men to confine him; his face wa s livid; his eyes injected and protruding, pupils strongly dilated; carotid arteries pul sating most violently; a full, hard pulse, with loss of power to swallow. Violen t delirium; bro e into fits of laughter, then gnashed teeth disposed to bite and stri e those around ." The following examples may serve to illustrate the almost unlimited delusions of the belladonna delirium: The patient throws his arms about, moves his lips as i
f tal ing, urinates outside the pot. He has delusions of fire on distant home; of someone trying to ta e away the bed clothes; of body sin ing down between the t highs; of coc roaches swarming about the room. He believes that he sees cucumbers on t he bed, or dead persons, or blac dogs. He imagines himself dreaming when awa e; sees giants, a friend's head stic ing out of a bottle, a transparent and spec l ed head. He thin s himself a juggler, thin s that he has a transparent nose. He sees brilliantly colored, glittering objects. He thin s that a physician is a police man, that he is riding on an ox. He misrepresents his sensations. He sees spectr es, ghosts, spirits in fire. His head and nose seemed to be transparent; trees seem to be people in fantastic costume. He sees large turtles in room. Kent summarises the whole picture beautifully: "The mental symptoms of belladonn a are delightful to study, but dreadful to loo upon. The mental symptoms are su ch as come on in intense fevers, such as are observed in maniacal excitement, in d elirium. Excitement runs all through. Violence runs all throughthe mental sympto ms. It is a wild state. He is wild; stri ing, biting, tearing things, doing unusual things; doing strange things; doing unexpected things. He is in a state of exci tability. These mental symptoms that come on during fevers, the delirium and excitement, are very commonly ameliorated by eating a little light food."
The sleep The intensity that characterizes the mental-emotional pathology of belladonna is mirrored by the intensity of the sleep, which in this remedy is of exceptional interest. Patients may tal loudly during sleep, even in a quarrelsome manner. They confess things they have done during the day in a very vivid manner. They s ing
or croa during sleep. They turn around restlessly in bed in a ind of fury and stretch and ic the sleeping partner. They grind their teeth and in general th ose who sleep with them will tell you of the intense activity that characterises their sleep. They may be prone to somnambulism, or may suffer from sleeplessness the w hole night, with starting at the least noise, burning s in, constipation and headach e.
The child The belladonna vitality and vividness are nowhere more apparent than in the chil d, who is full of energy and restlessness. His appearance is characterised by re d chee s, hot s in and glistening eyes. He jumps around all over the room, from t he chair to the table to the bed. In the consultation room he will not stay in o ne place. This is a lively child, full of imagination and very impressionable. Wha tever the child experiences during the day seems to be re-lived during sleep. Th e mother will tell you about his sleep and the intensity with which this child sleeps, t he restlessness, tal ing or screaming during sleep, even getting up and wal ing around. The child is difficult to wa e and has nightly enuresis, particularly after sug ar or sweet things. He is aggressive and fights with other chidren, but is not m alicious li e the Stramonium child. While studying the child's history you will learn that the child is prone to co nvulsions with high fever. When suffering from abdominal pain there is vomiting of all food, and a violent thirst develops, coupled with great prostration. Lying flat on the abdomen ameliorates the pain. The convulsions are brought on from light, from a draft of cold air, from the infant becoming cooled. They are more li ely to occ ur in nervous, brainy children, with a good sized head. In the case of an inflammation of the meninges the child becomes wild and beside himself. The aggressiveness increases tremendously, he stri es those around him , ma es terrible grimaces, has contorsions of the limbs and becomes tremendously restless. In delirium the child tal s a great deal, and this is followed by laug hing; he does not recognize his parents. The convulsions can be so strong that the ch
ild may fly off the bed to the floor from the sudden convulsion. While the child is unconscious and convulsed, he bores in to the nose with his fore-finger, so har d and with such force that he bores a hole there. If the nurse tries to prevent the child's hand from doing such damage to himself a severe convulsion supervenes. Special attention should be placed here on this strange symptom for belladonna: boring with the finger in the nose and chee ameliorates the general condition of the child. Kent writes: "In Bell. the infant also commonly remains in a profound stupor, th e profound stupor that goes with congestion of the brain; pupils dilated; s in h ot and dry; face red, throbbing carotids. Finally the child becomes pale as the stupor increases and the nec is drawn bac , because as it progresses the base of the brain and spine become involved, and the muscles of the nec contract, drawing the he ad bac wards, and he rolls the head; eyes staring, pupils dilated. This mental s tate is associated with scarlet fever and with cerebro-spinal meningitis." belladonna is one of the remedies that fits most closely the symptomatology of t he terrible disease that hits the young age: the Gilles de la Tourette's syndrom e. The child ma es terrible tics and grimaces, and is so restless that he cannot be re strained to sit quietly for five seconds. He ma es terrible sounds with his nose and larynx, groans, coughs, bar s, loo s retarded, sometimes is destructive and oth er times tender. He seems impulsive, doing everything and anything that comes to his mind. Crying seems to ameliorate the belladonna symptoms, even in adults. A tearful mo od in children and even babies is characteristic, but they do not want consolati on, which only aggravates their condition. They cry for the sa e of crying and this seems to do them good. Eating ameliorates most of the conditions in belladonna. It has been observed in hydrocephaloid children that they cry until they get somet hing to eat. Restlessness during stool is another characteristic in belladonna children. When children are sic in bed with congestion of the brain, they have an intensely hot head while throbbing is apparent. The temporal arteries and th e
carotids pulsate, with great violence. During fever, belladonna children can also behave li e Chamomilla or Cina. They are capricious, cannot stand being tal ed to in a nice pacifying voice, fly into a temper on being given good advice for anything, complain that everything tastes bitter , desire things which when offered are refused, and cry with the least provocati on. Lastly, belladonna should be considered in cases of worms in children.
The sexuality The sexuality of belladonna is usually well-balanced, but when this sphere is af fected the result can be a tremendous increase in desire leading to excessive pr actices such as nymphomania and frequent masturbation. This heightened sexual excitemen t cannot be satisfied easily. Thus we find cases of belladonna who are shameless in their sexual conduct and sometimes practice exhibitionism. The excitement is so great that interrupted coition can cause a general upset of the organism leadin g to the appearance of a headache or even a fever. In women the increase in desire c an lead to an obsession with the idea of marriage.
The speech The belladonna speech is characterized by a number of difficulties and impedimen ts. There seems to be a wea ness of the organ of speech, leading to stammering l i e one who is intoxicated. Speech may be confused, hasty, incoherent, even unintel ligible. Temporary speechlessness may occur, where the patient cannot utter a so und.
The causative factors The symptomatology in this remedy may be brought on by a number of different fac tors, the main one of which concerns the circulation which, when affected by a stressor, especially heat or cold or excitement, may cause symptoms to appear.
Unfulfilled ambition is another factor, when one expects that he will become ric h or famous from a project and this does not come true. Injuries to the head, dis appointed love, reverses of fortune, grief, anger and fright are further factors to be considered in a belladonna case.
General remar s The belladonna pathology tends to be carried to extremes. For example, when irri tability appears, it tends to be extreme irritability. Similarly one may note th e greatly heightened intensity of the physical complaints; for example, the heada ches are rarely mild and nagging but severe, throbbing and bursting, indeed they are among the most violent in all of our materia medica. Again, when the fever rise s, it rises fast and is very high. It seems that the expression of the symptomat ology cannot be restrained by the organism; it brea s out, rages wildly and then pass es suddenly leaving the patient exhausted. As stated, the individual crises may occur with suddenness, but the chronic conditions tend to slowly mount in intensity, gradually approaching the extremes described.
As previously stated, the vast majority of belladonna cases involve predominantl y physical pathology. The pathological processes of belladonna tend to be concen trated on the vascular system. Flushing and vascular congestion are the hallmar s of t his remedy, with engorgement of blood vessels and throbbing, pulsating pains. In acute conditions the congestions may be truly violent, characteristically inv olving intense heat and a sensation as if the part were burning. The patient is compelled to use cold compresses, even ice, to find relief. This heat can be so intense t hat one can literally see steam emanating from the compress. In the chronic cond itions, however, milder conditions can be seen. Flushing of the face is a well- nown ch aracteristic of belladonna, but one may also see flushing in other regions such as the bac or the extremities. For example, episodic congestions of the legs can occu r where the feet become hot and have to be uncovered for several days until the congestion subsides. belladonna also has mar ed dryness of the s in and of all the mucous membranes, yet when this dryness involves the mouth, there is general ly little thirst. Anything that mar edly alters the circulation can provo e or aggravate the bella donna state. Generally, overheating and abrupt exposure to cold can provo e or aggravate the symptoms, not just in the immediate sense but also chronically. O ne often hears a history of chronic headaches or vertigo, etc., which began afte r a patient washed his hair and immediately went out into the cold air. belladonna patients can be either warm-blooded or chilly or sensitive to both heat and cold . Rarely does one find in the constitutional belladonna extreme chilliness or war m-bloodedness. The consistent theme is that abrupt temperature changes provo e symptoms by altering the circulation. belladonna can be adversely affected by e xposure to the sun, to overheating from sitting in the sun. It is curious that s uch apparently vital patients can be so easily discomfited by so mild a stress as e ntering the cold when overheated. It is as if the intense energetic state of bel ladonna is but precariously held in balance, vulnerable to the slightest bit of extra s timulation. Also, hormonal disturbances may bring about these circulatory changes; consequen tly, many of the complaints of belladonna occur around the time of menstruation -before, during, or after. Symptoms may also follow childbirth or hysterectomy.
Generalities The complaints of belladonna usually come on suddenly and subside suddenly. This is a general rule but not, of course, without exceptions. Burning heat, bright redness especially of the head and dryness of the s in are very mar ed in almost all the acute cases. Hot head with cold extremities in all inds of acute or chronic ailments, whether there is a fever or not, constitute s the main eynote for belladonna. Hot body, hot parts - especially the head - a nd hot discharges are eynotes. Stupor interrupted by screaming is a mbs.
eynote as also stupor with twitching of li
Pulsations are felt all over, in the head, chest, throat etc. The whole body thr obs. Any ind of sudden jar can be unbearable to these patients, in both acute and ch ronic conditions. belladonna is the main remedy in conditions which are aggravat ed from a jar. Every jar, turning or movement of body increases the pain; the pati ent therefore lies immovably on his bac . Another general characteristic of belladonna is worse on lying down. This refers to headache and all inds of inflammatory affections. belladonna symptoms are frequently right-sided: right-sided headaches, sinusitis , ovarian pains and even right-sided convulsions. Once the pathology begins, any ind of strong stimulus can disturb these patients. They often want to lie down in a da r , quiet room, usually lying on the abdomen. Light bothers them. The belladonna convulsions come on from a reflected light, from a mirror, from w ater, after mental exertion. The convulsions are accompanied by coldness of feet and hot head, and by stretching out parts of limbs before and during convulsions. T he patient throws his body forward and bac ward while lying, with constant chang e
from emprosthotonos to opisthotonos. Tetanus, trismus, and eclampsia. Restlessness during stool, restlessness at night; grinding of the teeth, and now and then convulsions. Twitchings more in arms and face; difficult articulation; throws head bac , roll ing head. Starting on falling asleep; the feet are jer ed upward and the head forward. Semiconsciousness and loss of speech; convulsive movement in limbs and muscles o f face; paralysis of right side of tongue. Paroxysms of stiffness, and immobility of all limbs, or of single limbs only. Noises can cause an aggravation not only of the headache but also the sciatica, the gastritis, the convulsions etc. In tetanus a sudden noise, a slight touch, a jar, an attempt to spea or to move or to drin will induce a spasm. Teeth are clenched with such force that they c annot be opened. Great irritability and impressionableness of the senses is another belladonna sy mptom; he tastes and smells everything more acutely; cannot tolerate any touch, the s in is supersensitive. Spasms and convulsions of limbs renewed by least contac t. A lot of the symptomatology of this remedy appears around the time of menses. We a ness and headaches mostly come on before, during and after menses, with desire to lie down. belladonna has a liability to ta e cold, with great sensitiveness to draughts of air, especially when uncovering head, or after cutting hair. Sensitive to changes from warm to cold, to damp weather, to chilling from having the head uncovered; better from being wrapped up warmly in a room. Feels very chilly, wants warmth of a stove. Cool hands and forehead, with much thirst, but no fever. Shuddering, or violent chill in bac , epigastrium, or arms. Several attac s of fever in one day, during which hot stage followed cold within a few minutes to half an hour, always without thirst in either stage, and mostl y with confusion of head. Heat of forehead, with cold chee s. Coldness of limbs, with heat of head. Temper ature of head very much increased, of rest of body diminished. Unconsciousness from wor ing in hot sun.
belladonna has nervous shuddering on going to sleep, and on falling asleep an el ectric-li e shoc . There are pulsations on wa ing in the morning. In general sweat occurs suddenly and quic ly disappears. It has a smo y odor, an d stains the linen. There is cold sweat after urination. belladonna has congestion of the liver with jaundice, the liver burns. In general the inflamed parts swell rapidly, throb, are extremely sensitive to t ouch, are very painful, with the sensation as if they would burst. The inflamed parts, and very commonly the s in, are very red, but as the inflamm ation advances they become dus y. belladonna can have inflammations anywhere: inflammation of nerves [neuritis]; i nflammation of the marrow of bones [osteomyelitis]; inflammation of bursae [burs itis]; inflammation of cartilages [chondritis, perichondritis]; inflammation of muscle s [myositis] and all these inflammations come on suddenly. Worse in all complaints from motion. Motion brings on convulsions, motion brings on pain, motion increases the action of the heart and brings on throbbing, moti on brings on many complaints and increases the suffering. Wal ing in the wind aggravates. Better wrapped up warmly in a room.
Holding the breath ameliorates. Boring in ear and nose with fingers ameliorates. belladonna's influence is felt more in intelligent and plethoric persons who are jovial and entertaining when well, but violent when sic . It is therefore a gre at children's remedy. - Some pathological conditions for which belladonna must be considered: The clinical application of belladonna is so broad that one can say that it enco mpasses all disease-conditions and can be prescribed in all of them once the mai n characteristics of the remedy are present. This remedy is considered to be useful primarily in chronic headaches. It should be thought of in cases of high blood pressure with redness of the face and flushes, where the patients loo as if they are about to have an apoplectic attac . Patients with high blood pressure and diabetis melitus. It should also be thought of in brain affections, delirium, delirium tremens, me ningitis, convulsions. One-sided paralysis, with convulsions, spasms or twitchin g of the well side. Other conditions for which belladonna is considered useful are: Epileptic spasms followed by nausea and vomiting; epilepsy, with violent congest ion to head; epileptic convulsions, followed by an apoplectic condition; epileps y; patient clutches wildly at throat; eyes roll bac uth.
in their soc ets, he froths at the mo
Chorea during pregnancy. Manic-depression. Puerperal mania. Insanity. Ear affections, especially otitis media on the right side with excruciating pain , throbbing and redness of the face. Peritonitis where the patient cannot endure the slightest pressure, even the pre ssure from the bed covers or a cloth compress is not tolerated. Pneumonia when the main characteristics of the remedy are present. Cholocystitis where the pain is aggravated very much on lying on the right side, even touching the area is painful.
Sore throat as if there is a coal there, or an area where the mucous membrane is raw. Vertigo especially on turning in bed. Exophthalmic goitre, with extreme thyroid toxaemia. Hydrophobia. Catalepsy after fright. The belladonna fever is very high, you will seldom see a patient running a low f ever, and it is remittent, not continued. belladonna is almost a specific for the following conditions: scarlet fever; tra umatic erysipelas.
Vertigo
belladonna is one of the main remedies in Menière's disease. Vertigo when stooping , or when rising after stooping, in the act of lying down. Vertigo while lying, as if feet were going up, or as if feet were sin ing down through or with the bed. The vertigo is frequently aggravated by moving the head or, even more often, by turning from one side to the other in bed; patients may even become fearful of turning over in bed because of this aggravation. Sometimes vertigo is seen which comes on quite suddenly even though the patient is sitting still. He may feel that he is about to fall over and is only relieved by jumping up and moving around vigorously. This type of attac is often attended by heat throughout the body and tachycardia. belladonna is also indicated in pat ients who are prone to motion sic ness when riding in a car. Vertigo, mostly at night on turning over in bed, or when getting up in the morni ng, also when wal ing, and on every change of position. Vertigo that ma es him feel as if he were bouncing up and down in bed. Vertigo with dilated pupils. Vertigo from motion of eyes. Sensation as if roc ing. Vertigo in sunlight and heat. Vertigo, with perceptible pulsation in the head, with dilated pupils and nausea. To summarize we can say that belladonna produces all varieties of vertigo; perha ps as many as one-fourth of all cases of vertigo will require belladonna.
Head The headaches are li e many of the other pains; it feels as if the brain was goi ng up and down, tearing and burning at every step he ta es, and from every motio n of the eyes, or turning of eyeballs, or going up-stairs, rising from his seat, or sitt ing down; all motion creates violent pains; feels as if the head would burst, as if the eyes would be pressed out. Very frequently the symptomatology of belladonna is focussed from the cervical r egion upwards. Perhaps fifty percent of all belladonna chronic cases involve lon g-term
headaches. Some statistics suggest that a great number of migraine headaches ma y require belladonna as a constitutional prescription. Generally, belladonna produces headaches of vascular origin, but one frequently sees a hormonal compo nent as well, such as migraines occurring in relation to the menstrual cycle or after an abortion or hysterectomy-oophorectomy. Headaches may also arise from abnorma l cervical spine curvatures or malalignments. The headaches are of various types and may vary even in one individual case. For example, a patient may complain o f frequent, minor headaches which are punctuated once a month by severe headache s which drive her to bed. Classically the headaches begin at three p.m. ; however, it is even more common to find headaches which originate at eleven a.m. to noon and which then pea at three p.m. or between two and three p.m. Very frequently the headaches may last for l ong periods of time; e.g. , twelve or even twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Probably the most common headache is pulsating and pounding in quality, but one also sees headaches which are felt "as if a nife were being driven into the hea d." The patient may describe a sensation as if he were being struc by a hammer in one single spot. The common element is the severity of the pain, for belladonna head aches are the most intense in the whole of our materia medica. The patient may say th at the pain is "maddening", as if the pain will drive him mad, or he may say tha t the pain is so intense that, "I don't feel my head anymore." Frequently the pain is severe enough to provo e nausea and vomiting. When the headache finally subside s, it
leaves the patient exhausted. Another type of belladonna headache can be related to high blood pressure. Here the patient may describe a sense of pressure arising from inside the head, as if the head would burst open or as if the eyes would "pop out". The patient presents w ith a red, congested face, engorged blood vessels and headache. This presentatio n may occur during a full-blown hypertensive crisis, accompanied by hypertensive reti nopathy and papilledema; consequently, it is imperative to monitor the blood pre ssure in such cases. The headaches often originate in the cervical region or the occi put. Though not mentioned in the Repertory, there are headaches starting in the occiput and radiating anteriorly which are provo ed by changes in the weather. These headaches may also be located in the temples or the forehead, especially t he right temple or just above the right eyebrow. As previously stated, with the headache the patient usually wants to lie down, u sually on his abdomen, in a dar , quiet room. Loud noises, light and sudden jars cause a mar ed aggravation of the pain. Even the jar of each step while wal ing can be unbearable. Also, any ind of excitement or emotional stress may precipitate or aggravate the crisis. There can also be an aggravation from stooping forward. T he headaches are worse from the sun and from the heat. Sometimes during the headaches the congestion in the head is so intense that the patient may feel th ay he actually has a fever. He wants cold applications or even ice on the head f or relief. He may also find relief from hard pressure and from binding the head ve ry tightly. In general, the patient is better during cloudy or rainy weather; he has far fewer headaches in such weather. Finally, belladonna headaches may be triggered by the following: eating acid foo d; suppressing a catarrh; during dentition; after nursing; smo ing tobacco. The headache may be accompanied by a desire for lemonade. Other head symptoms for belladonna include: Sensation as if s ull were as thin as paper; as if the s ull were transparent. Boring of head into pillow. Children tear their hair. Brittleness of hair.
Eyes The eyes of the belladonna patient easily become red and bloodshot, often withou t any inflammation and with little or no irritation. During a fever the eyes are glistening, spar ling or may become almost dar red. There may be ecchymosis fr om coughing. Redness of eye during headache or during menses is characteristic o f belladonna. Erysipelatous inflammation of eye. belladonna is especially indicated in hyperaemia of optic nerve and retina, if d ependent upon cerebral congestion and accompanied by aching pain in eye, aggrava ted by any light. Scrofulous ophthalmia: cannot bear artificial light; abundant flow of hot tears. Blueness of conjunctiva. Conjunctivitis with dryness of eyes, thic ened red lids, and burning pains in ey e. Chronic eratitis, when suddenly the eye becomes intensely congested, with heat, photophobia; pains often sharp, shooting through ball to bac of head.
Apoplexy of retina, with suppression of menstruation. Ciliary neuralgia appearing and disappearing suddenly. Violent pain deep in eyes aggravated by movement, but particularly by light. Severe pains of glaucoma. belladonna may be indicated in cases of strabismus due to spasmodic action of mu scles, or when resulting from brain affections. belladonna is one of our most important remedies for photophobia, possibly becau se of the well- nown effect of mydriasis. Photophobia during chill; during rage. Wild loo during meningial inflammation. Staring loo
during headache.
Loo ing steadily upward aggravates. Eye turned inwards; turned outwards. Pulsation in eyes. Sensation of eyes being smaller. Sensation of rough cornea on win ing. Visions on closing eyes. On closing eyes for sleep a sudden shoc
runs through body from below up.
Lachrymation with pain in face. Lachrymation on side affected by headache. Very salty tears. Sensitiveness of the eye. Pupils dilated during headache, during heat, during epilepsy, during perspiratio n and in general in many disturbances requiring this remedy. Pupils dilated and immovable. Protruded eyes with dilated pupils. Pupils contracted with headache, during chill, during heat, during perspiration. Spasmodic motion of eyes. Eyes are in constant motion, pupils extremely dilated. Constant, convulsive move ment of eyeballs, aggravated by light. Nystagmus. Vision - Triplopia. Diplopia with convulsions. Diplopia during pregnancy, after vertigo. Amblyopia caused by stoppage of menses; veil before sight; chromopsia; dilated p upils and stitching in right eye.
Everything he loo s at seems red. Flic ering before eyes; spar s, or dimness of vision. Outlines of objects are blurred and indistinct. Vision of snow fla es. Distorted vision. When reading lines appear croo ed. Wea ness of sight in the light. Partial blindness, cannot read anything printed. Vision obscured as from a white vapor.
Dimness of vision, or actual blindness. Dim vision after dinner. Loss of vision in the evening at sunset, on wa ing in the morning. Blindness following severe congestive headaches, after scarlet fever. Complete amaurosis caused by a severe nervous fever, or from large amounts of qu inine. Amaurosis from a cold, with much vertigo; pressing pain and feeling of fulness i n eyeballs; blac spots before eyes; increased pain by candlelight, and much con gestion of vessels. Amaurosis of four years' duration, occurring after suppression of rash in scarla tina; only a perception of light remained; pupils dilated. Falling of lids in the morning after wa ing. Styes on upper lid. Ulceration of lids under surfaces. Painful quivering of lids. In blepharitis, lids are painful and swollen li e erysipelas. There is a tendency for edema and swelling of the lower eyelids, and one frequen tly sees this swelling as part of the aggravation response to the administration of the remedy.
Ears The almost absolute deafness seen in cases of belladonna poisoning is indicative of the ability of this remedy to cure similar conditions. belladonna is frequently indicated in acute or recurrent otitis media, especiall y right-sided otitis media. Here one finds a sudden onset of the infection with pulsating, throbbing pain or tearing stitching pains with the general modalities of the re medy. A peculiarity is that the pain from the ears extends everywhere: to chest, to face, to forehead, to occiput, to teeth but mostly downwards to nec . The infec tion can be accompanied by ringing or roaring in the ears. The earache is worse from least noise. As mentioned, belladonna can be indicated in Menière's syndrome with vertigo and t innitus, with or without a middle ear infection.
Ear sensitive to wind - sensation of wind in ear. Heat inside ear. Heat of ear during chill. Discharges of blood from ear during cough. Sensation of distension of ear. belladonna has a great variety of noises in ear. These include: Roaring, ringing, tingling, murmuring; fluttering sounds in the morning; humming noises in ear aggravated while sitting; humming in ear with vertigo; warbling o f birds in ear. The noises in ear are heard while sitting and on wa ing; they are ameliorated wh ile lying, while standing, while wal ing. Hearing is impaired after hiccough, after scarlet fever. Deafness as if a s in were drawn over ears.
Hardness of hearing, owing to having ta en cold. Partial deafness. Acute hearing during heat. Acute hearing during perspiration.
Nose belladonna is an important remedy in sinusitis. The sinusitis can involve either the frontal or maxillary sinuses. In belladonna one finds a very troublesome ma xillary or frontal sinusitis with heaviness and mar ed tenderness to light touch but relie f from hard pressure. Every time the patient stoops forward the pain intensifies , and the patient experiences a sense of stuffiness of the sinuses. In belladonna there is dryness of all the mucous membranes and great dryness of the nose. Frequent dry sneezing, with tic ling, especially in left nostril. There is a tendency for epistaxis, especially nosebleeds which occur at night wh ile asleep. Nosebleed with congestion to head; in children at night. At other times the nosebleeds occur as part of a typical syndrome - red face, in jected eyes and hypertension. Epistaxis may also occur with vertigo; with numbness of nose. Sneezing after coughing. After suppressed catarrh, maddening headache. Inflammatory swelling and redness of internal and external nose. Inflammation of nose in drun ards. Pain as if bruised, when touching nose. Cramp at root of nose. Sudden redness of tip of nose, with burning sensation. Tip of nose red, swollen and shining, feels that with every step the tip of the nose will fall off. Tip of nose red and hot, particularly in warm weather. Swelling of tip of nose in warm weather. Perspiration on nose. Oversensitiveness to odors. Extreme sensibility of smell; odor of tobacco is int
olerable. Smell in nose as from herring brine or sour beer. Putrid smell from nose.
Face The typical belladonna face is red, shiny, glowing, dry and hot. The expression is often one of astonishment or fright and may sometimes be wild or fierce. The face may equally be pale with sudden alternations to a red hue. There may be bluish discoloration during maniacal rage, or mottled discoloration with pale spots in face.
belladonna is one of the main remedies for flushing of the face. This symptom ca n appear independently or it may be associated with other complaints such as hea dache, vertigo, toothaches, hypertension, etc. Of course, one of the most famous sympt oms of belladonna is a hot, flushed face with cold extremities. The flushing can cause confusion with other remedies such as Pulsatilla, especia lly with the timid type of belladonna patient sometimes encountered. Also, it ma y resemble Lachesis, especially because belladonna may also have an intolerance t o tight clothing around the nec and because both remedies can have complaints around the time of the menses. In general, one can see great sensitivity of the face in the belladonna patient. In some cases one finds a mar ed aversion to having the face touched, not from a specific inflammation but simply because of a general sensitiveness, much li e Chamomilla. Abscesses, acne and erysipelas are the most frequent s in conditions on the face . belladonna produces a malignant type of acne of the face and sometimes of the bac . The s in becomes very red, and the pimples themselves are huge, almost sm all boils. When the lesions heal, they frequently leave scars on the face. The w hole condition can be aggravated by heat, but an even more pronounced aggravation is caused by sunlight. The belladonna small pox eruption on the face is characterized by intense pric i ng li e a thousand needles, ameliorated by compresses dipped in boiling hot wate r and changed every few minutes. Eruptions may appear at the right hand corner of the mouth and inside the left s ide of the nose. There may be boils at margins of hair, or abscesses on upper li p. The face may have unusually thic s in. Other conditions which may require belladonna are: Chronic atrophic polychondritis, a degenerative disease involving the cartilages of the nose and ears. In these cases one can see sudden, violent inflammations of the face with redness and mar ed swelling of the cartilagenous tissues of nose and ears. Right sided trigeminal neuralgia with aggravation from cold applications; the co ndition increases gradually and ceases suddenly, or comes and goes suddenly. Pains that cause redness of face and eyes.
Violent shooting in right maxillary joint, extending to ear, when chewing. Extraordinary mobility of facial muscles, especially on left side. Convulsive movement of facial muscles, with distortion of mouth. Continual win ing and trembling of eyelids, alternating with cramps of hands and feet. Sensation as if lower jaw was drawn bac ward. Clenched jaw. Convulsive closing of jaws, and contraction of muscles of face and extremities. Trembling of upper lip. Numbness of affected side of face. Paralysis of right side of face. Hard painful swelling of jaw and glands in general. Painful swelling of submaxillary glands. Swelling and aching of right parotid gland. Inflammation and swelling of submaxillary and cervical glands. Inflammation of parotid glands with metastasis to testes.
Swelling of lips, mostly of the upper lip.
Mouth The lips and mucous membrane of mouth, fauces and nose are very hot and dry. The mouth is exceedingly dry without thirst. The dryness is almost beyond relief . Dryness of mouth and pharynx, with a sense of constriction of the throat. Troublesome, continued dryness of the mouth, lips, and throat, with a violent lo nging for drin , but not satisfied by drin . Mouth feels scalded; feels hot. Bloody frothy foam from mouth. Frothy foam from mouth with odor of rotten eggs. Sensation as if mouth were enlarged. Gums - Extremely troublesome itching of gums, with pain in throat. Vesicle in gum below one of front teeth, with a pain as if burnt. Pulsating pain in gums. Swelling of gums on lower left side with stitches up to left temple. Bleeding of gums around decayed tooth during menses. Heat in gums. Taste - salty; sour; bitter; offensive. Bread tastes sour. Putrid taste rising out of throat; also when eating or drin ing, although food a nd drin have proper taste. Putrid, disagreeable taste in mouth, with a clean tongue. Acute sense of taste. Bad taste ameliorated after eating apples. Apples taste bitter. Bitter taste at noon. Bitterish-sour taste of mil . Food tastes saltish. Meat tastes spoiled. Odor as of stool. Speech - Hasty speech; often inarticulate, confused sounds.
Stammering speech. Inarticulate speech from hindered mobility of tongue. Tongue dry and disli e to tal . Loss of speech. Paralytic wea ness of organs of speech.
Paralysis of tongue which is drawn to the left. Tongue - Paralytic wea ness of internal parts of mouth. The tongue and palate dar -red; she complains of dryness of the throat, and of d ifficult swallowing. Tongue: inflamed and much swollen; papillae of deep red color; tip and edges lig ht red. Papillae on tongue erect. The papillae on tongue are of a deep red color, inflamed and much swollen. Trembling of tongue when protruded. Smac ing with tongue. Stiff tongue. Feeling of coldness and dryness of forepart of tongue. Dryness of tongue and throat becoming so great as to interfere with speech. Tongue dry, crac ed and difficult to move. Tongue adheres to roof of mouth. Hot tongue. Tip of tongue burns, aggravated by touch. Red strea
in middle of tongue.
Fiery-red tongue. Mil y white tongue. White stripes on tongue. Painful pimples on tongue. Saliva - Salivation succeeding dryness of mouth. Increased flow of saliva. Salivation at night, aggravated by lying down. Salivation with cough. Mucus and slime in morning. Thic whitish mucus accumulates in the mouth and throat, with constant inclinati on to haw and swallow. Collection of slimy mucus on tongue. Saliva thic ened, tenacious, clings to tong ue li e glue. Teeth - Grinding of teeth. Grinding of teeth during sleep. Grinding of teeth, with foam at mouth.
Convulsive grinding of teeth. Teeth clinched firmly. Grinding of teeth during maniacal rage. Sensation as if her teeth would be forced out of her head. Numbness of teeth. The teeth feel elongated. Sensation of elongation of incisors.
Toothache from excitement. Pain aggravated from jarring. Toothache immediately after lying. Toothache, with red, hot face and throbbing in head. Toothache with otalgia. Rheumatic toothache, particularly in females, especially when pregnant. Throbbing in teeth.
Throat There is great dryness of the mouth; sometimes there is dryness without thirst ( Bry., Nux m., Puls.). Dryness of esophagus. Troublesome continued dryness of mouth, lips and throat with a violent longing f or drin , but not satisfied by it. Great dryness of mouth and throat; desires drin
but cannot swallow.
Dryness of fauces, causing excessive difficulty of swallowing; and alteration of voice. Painful narrowing and contraction of gullet. Dryness of mouth and pharynx, with sense of constriction of throat. belladonna has all manner of pharyngeal and tonsillar inflammations, often as a consequence of exposure to cold or to drafts. In fact, belladonna is probably th e most frequently indicated remedy for acute suppurative tonsillitis; perhaps thirty p ercent of these cases require belladonna. The throat becomes red and inflamed and sensitive to air. The fauces, uvula and tonsils are scarlet and shiny. Follicular inflammation; erysipelatous inflammation. Inflammation on right side of throat. Tonsillitis worse right side; parts bright red, worse swallowing liquids. Burning pains in the throat are very common. There can be a burning pain in the pharynx from the passage of air during inspiration. Sudden and rapid onset of cervical adenitis. The glands soon swell and become ha rd.
There can be a sensation as of a foreign body in the throat: sensation of foreig n body in esophagus; sensation as of a lump, which cannot be removed; sensation as if a large tumor were growing in the throat and stopped it up. In belladonna there is also constriction of the larynx which occurs from being t ouched at the throat. There is an aversion to being touched at the throat or on the face. Pain in the throat from cold air, from motion, while lying down, from spea ing, ameliorated from swallowing. Constant pressing and burning in throat. Felt great soreness in throat, which loo ed very red about tonsils and palate; s oreness extended to ears.
Sore throat, which increases every hour. Spasmodic constriction of throat. Spasms in esophagus. Spasms of esophagus on swallowing liquids. Only with difficulty and by constantly ta ing liquids is he able to swallow soli d food. Difficult swallowing due to convulsion. Constant urging and desire to swallow; seemed as if he would cho e if he did not swallow. During deglutition, feeling in throat as if it was too narrow, or drawn together , as if nothing would pass properly. On attempting to pour down liquid, tetanic closure of mouth, and regurgitation o f liquid. He swallows water with greatest difficulty, and can only get smallest quantity o f it down. Cho es easily; things go down wrong way. Cho ing on going to sleep. Aversion to all fluids, so that she behaves frightfully at sight of them. Aphthae on tonsils. Pulsation of glands. Cervical glands inflame suddenly. Mucus li e false membrane. Glazed appearance of throat. The intolerance to tight collars of belladonna has been mentioned; a subtle dist inction between this intolerance and that of Lachesis is that Lachesis has a sen se of constriction that is largely of psychological origin. belladonna patients have this aversion to tight collars because of the increased heat and congestion of t he head which they induce. However, belladonna does not have a sensitivity to tight clo thes in other parts of the body such as the waist as does Lachesis.
Stomach The pains of the stomach often radiate to the bac , especially between the shoul der blades. The pain is aggravated by touch or local pressure; however, bending
forward gives some relief. There may be stomach pain around the time of the men ses. The food cravings of belladonna are for vegetables, sour things and sweets, but most characteristically for lemons and lemonade. Desire for lemons is perhaps th e most important food preference; even in acute cases one can witness a craving f or lemonade. One sees aversion to fat, fruit, fish, and beans or peas but strong desire for bread and butter. Also, one may see an aversion to sour, sweets and vegetables as opposed to a desire for these substances. Generally belladonna is considered a thirstless remedy; one can, though, see very great thirst. There i s also an aversion to warm drin s. During the crises, belladonna pains can be so severe as to cause vomiting. Thus, one frequently sees violent right-sided migraine headaches with vomiting (Sang. ). The differentiation from Sanguinaria rests in the fact that vomiting affords no rel ief in belladonna while mar ed relief from vomiting occurs in Sanguinaria. Food and Drin - belladonna is sensitive to food inta e and patients often find their condition ameliorated by eating. The following particuliarities can be fou nd: Desire for gruel which aggravates.
Desire for bread and butter, sweets and ca es. Desire for lemons, cider and lemonade which ameliorate. Desire for slate pencils, earth, chal , clay, indigestible things. Desire for snuff. Aversion to liquid food, to smell of mil , to smell of food, to solid food, to v egetables, eggs, broth, beer, acids, coffee and fat. Aversion to food, particularly meat. Ailments from eating sausages, shell-fish, sugar, from drin ing coffee or liquor . Thirst for large quantities often. Can drin all the time, anything that is liqu id. Excessive thirst for cold water. Desire for drin s, but refuses when offered. Desire for drin s without thirst. Thirst during menses. Thirst after midnight. Violent burning, suffocative, unquenchable thirst, with inability to swallow lea st drop, or with great aversion to drin s. Thirst during and after convulsions. Gulping of food. Complete loss of appetite. Appetite wanting before menses. Diminished appetite after perspiration Hiccough, Eructations, Nausea and Vomiting - Crying on account of pain from hicc ough. Hiccough after perspiration which causes crying. Hiccoughing eructations; spasm composed partly of eructation, partly of hiccough . Convulsive hiccough. Hiccough while vomiting. Half suppressed, incomplete eructations. Bitter, frequent eructations, with want of appetite and giddiness. Sudden vomiting, vomiting mucus in the afternoon. Vomiting after eating or drin ing. Nausea, with loathing of food. Nausea and bitter eructations
Anxiety with and after nausea. Passing flatus ameliorates nausea. Unsuccessful inclination to vomit. Vomiting impossible. Vomiting: of mucus; of bile and mucus, or undigested food; watery, sour, bloody mucus. Vomiting after convulsions. Vomiting during suppressed menses. Vomiting blood during suppressed menses. Urging to vomit after stool.
Faecal vomiting in intussusception. Faecal vomiting in strangulated hernia. Tensive pressing pain in pit of stomach, particularly after eating. Pressure in stomach after eating. Excruciating pains about pit of stomach. Chilliness in pit of stomach. Feeling as if stomach would fall out. Spasm in stomach li e cramp. Chronic spasm of stomach, always occurring during a meal. Pain in stomach extending through to spine, between shoulders. Sensation of burning ball in stomach. Sensation of a hand clutching intestines. Region of stomach sensitive to touch. Gastritis and duodenal ulcer: the pain is aggravated before and after menses, ag gravated by breathing, by jar of wal ing, by jolting in a vehicle, from motion, etc. Distension of epigastrium, with tensive pain in stomach. Distension in evening in bed. Epileptic aura starts from the stomach.
Abdomen It would appear that belladonna is indicated in perhaps five percent of cases of acute appendicitis. The attac s begin abruptly. As in most belladonna complaint s, there is aggravation from touch (local pressure) and/or from a jar. However, generali zed pressure on the abdomen may often ameliorate the pain; consequently, lying o n the abdomen or bending forward will relieve, but local pressure will aggravate. The patient is unable to even lie on his right side during the attac of appendicit is or cholecystitis. belladonna will be the remedy to be thought of in the following cases: Peritonitis, inflammation of liver or gall bladder, spastic colitis,
intussusception, inflammation of inguinal hernia with vomiting, strangulated ing uinal hernia, inflammation of inguinal glands, typhlitis, acute and chronic hepa titis. Of course, belladonna is well- nown as a remedy for colitis. In colitis there is a stri ing tendency for complaints to affect the transverse colon, and sometime s spasms in this region will be visibly reflected in motions of the abdominal wal l. I once saw a stri ing example of this phenomenon in an infant with intussusce ption. There was complete bowel obstruction, and upright abdominal x-rays showed air-f luid levels. I examined the child and saw that the face was hot and flushed. The hands, however, were quite cold. Then I noticed spasms travelling in ripples (t hat were visible in the abdomen) across the transverse colon. We scrambled to fi nd a dose of belladonna. Meanwhile the child was being prepared for immediate surger y. We gave a dose of belladonna 10M, and within forty minutes the child passed s ome stool and repeat x-rays showed resolution of the condition. Of course, the coli tis pains are ameliorated by bending forward or lying on the abdomen.
The modalities of the pains in the abdomen have all the general characteristics of the remedy. They are violent, aggravated by slightest pressure, by touch, eve n the touch from clothes, by a jar, by sneezing, by lying on painful side, by motion. They come quic ly and disappear suddenly or sometimes may come gradually and go away gradually. There is a strong dragging, bearing down sensation in lower abdomen before mense s as if everything would be pushed out, much li e Sepia. The general picture of the belladonna patient is quite different from the Sepia one of course, the first b eing full of life and energy and the other lifeless. The local symptoms however seem to be quite similar: Pressing downward as if contents of abdomen would issue th rough vulva, worse mornings; often associated with pain in bac as if it would b rea . In the morning, immediately after getting out of bed, a violent, tensive, press ing pain in the whole of the hypogastrium. Severe pain in abdomen in cases of colitis, appendicitis or peritonitis where th e patient cannot endure the slightest pressure, even the pressure from the bed c overs or a cloth compress is not tolerated. Stri es the two legs together in peritoni tis so the inside of the nees are blue. Flexing the limbs or lying on abdomen ameliorates the pain; sitting bent forward s or bending bac wards ma es him feel better. In women we have amelioration of the pain once the full flow of menses has start ed. There are pains from constipation and from straining for stool. Pains li e clutching with nails Pain in right hypogastrium worse any jarring or even breathing. Acute pain in region of liver; pains go to the shoulder and nec . Long-lasting painfulness of the whole abdomen, as if it were all sore and raw wi th chronic constipation. Colic, as if a spot in the abdomen were seized with the nails, a griping, clutch ing, clawing. Pain in inguinal region which causes urging to urinate. Distension of transverse colon. Sense of fullness in hypogastrium in evening. Heat in abdomen ascending to chest.
When the belladonna abdomen is distended it becomes very sensitive, even to touc h. Heaviness in hypochondria as from a load when wal ing. Sensation of a lump in abdomen - spleen. On standing the intestines seem to press outward below umbilicus; the patient fe els better by pressing them bac towards the genitals.
Rectum Although it is not mentioned anywhere in the Repertory, belladonna is one of our best remedies for chronic, obstinate constipation. belladonna, in my experience , cures more cases of constipation than Silica or Alumina, although the belladonna cons tipation is of a much milder variety than the other two. It seems that there is a dryness of the rectum, as in all of the mucous membranes, which may cause this constipation. There is no urge for stool and the rectum is stopped-up -- both constant features of the chronic cases. Patients suffer with pains in abdomen, especially on straining. The constipation may be associated with headaches and congestions of the head which are aggravated if there is no defecation. The pas sage is perceptibly retarded.
belladonna is also a very useful remedy for treating hemorrhoids. The veins are red, swollen, bleeding and very sensitive to touch. In these patients one can se e a mar ed irritability after stool. The symptoms are similar to those of Aesculus : bleeding piles, bac iated with them as if the bac were brea ing.
pains assoc
Strangulated hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids so sensitive to touch that he must lie with nates separated. Touch aggravates hemorrhoids. Diarrhea after hair cutting, from bright light, from sudden noise. Involuntary hard stool in bed at night. Involuntary stool on coughing or sneezing. Involuntary evacuation, temporary par alysis of the sphincter. Stool in lumps li e chal . Slimy, mucous stool. Slimy and bloody diarrheic stools. White, chal -li e stool. Yellow granular stool. Pressure alternating with contraction. Spasmodic contraction of anus. Constriction of rectum alternation with itching - with pressure. Straining to stool; the evacuation is undoubtedly diarrheic, but very little is voided, and immediately after follows much-increased straining. Impossible straining. Painful itch in rectum Prolapsus of rectum in children
Urinary organs belladonna is indicated in children with enuresis. Most of the urine seems to be produced at night in bed during deep sleep. As a consequence, the belladonna ch ild is unaware of his incontinence and cannot be made to wa e up. The parents will oft en explain how they wa e up before the child loses his urine and try to wa en th
e child to go to the toilet. When this proves to be impossible, the child has to be carried half asleep in their arms where they manage to ma e him urinate but w ithout really wa ing the child. Retention of urine in children belladonna is indicated in acute prostatitis where there is long hesitation befo re urination. It is also indicated in cases where there is very frequent desire to urinate, even if only a few drops have accumulated. Urination is difficult and retarded, must wait for urine to start, then press. Emission of prostatic fluid without erections. Pain in prostate gland aggravated by jar.
belladonna is useful in pyelitis or pyelonephritis. Urine becomes turbid li e ye ast, with a reddish sediment. Pain in idneys on coughing. Tearing pain in idneys extending down ureters, aggravated by motion, touch, jar , sneezing and inspiration. It is also indicated in cases of cystitis where there is pain in nec on urging to urination.
of bladder
Burning pain in bladder at night. Sore, tender pain in bladder aggravated by motion and jar. Twisting sensation in bladder. Sensation of worm in bladder. Paralytic wea ness of sphincter. Wea ness of sphincter. Copious urine at beginning of menses. Scanty urine alternating with copious flow. Scanty urine with brain affection. Urine watery during fever.
Genitalia - male One must not be fooled by the great vitality and plethora of belladonna into ass uming that the sexual drive in this remedy is very strong. Instead belladonna pa tients generally have average or medium-range desire -- healthy and balanced. Yet when this sphere has been affected or if they are in a manic state the desire can be tremendously increased and leads to frequent masturbation, exhibitionism and co pious seminal emissions. Involuntary erections. Handles genitals. Pimples on penis. Vesicles on scrotum. Genital hair falling off. Heat of penis. Cutting or drawing pain in spermatic cord during urination.
Pressing pain in male genitalia alternating with contraction of anus.
Genitalia - female In the belladonna female the desire for sexual contact may be greatly increased, and there is often an obsession with being married. Desire is increased before menses and during pregnancy. As has been mentioned, many of the complaints of belladonna are aggravated aroun d the time of the menses.
Inflammations and abscesses of ovaries, especially of right ovary. Enlarged ovaries. The pains in the ovaries have the tendency to extend bac wards and present the g eneral modalities of the remedy: aggravated by jarring, by stepping, by motion, by sneezing etc.; they occur mostly before menses. Intermittent pain in ovaries. Endometriosis with a feeling of congestion of uterus. At every step violent shoo tings in the genital region. Pain in uterus ameliorated during menses. Pain in uterus aggravated by motion; by wal ing. Paroxysmal pain in uterus. Pulsating pain in uterus. Pain in uterus comes and goes suddenly. Wandering pain in uterus Pain in uterus extending to bac Prolapsus of uterus in the morning, after confinement. Bearing down pain in uterus and region of uterus as if everything would come out . Bearing down pain during stool, during menses, aggravated by wal ing, ameliora ted by pressing on vulva or by supporting the abdomen with hands. Bearing down pain in uterus and region of uterus while sitting, she feels as if pushing something up, ameliorated when standing erect. belladonna is indicated in cases of menorrhagia that start suddenly with a hot f low of dar blood with blac clots. Menses too soon and very profuse, of thic , decomposed, dar -red blood. Offensive, acrid menses. Fluid blood of menses contains clots. Metrorrhagia appears suddenly and ceases suddenly. Metrorrhagia with convulsions. Metrorrhagia after fright. Gushing metrorrhagia in labor. Hot metrorrhagia in labor.
Metrorrhagia from polypus. Vagina open and dry. Heat of vagina during labor. Pressing pain in vagina before and/or during menses. Labor pains ceasing and convulsions come on. The belladonna pulsating can be felt also in ovaries or in the uterus.
Chest belladonna patients may complain of pulsation in the chest in the morning on wa ing. At other times there can be a sense of constriction in the heart area which may worry the patient and ma e him want to press his chest and bend forward. In bel ladonna the cough aggravates the whole condition; the headache and all pains are bothered by the cough. The head feels as if it would brea open with each cough . Lastly, one finds inflammations of the breast where the pain is aggravated by lying down. Larynx and Trachea - Constriction of larynx during cough. Painful dryness of larynx with aversion to drin . Constriction of larynx from touch. Dryness of larynx at night. Dryness of larynx on coughing. Pain in larynx during heat, on motion, by respiration, on touch. Larynx sensitive to slightest pressure. Violent scraping in larynx excites a dry cough. Sensation as if someone constricted his larynx. Sensation of foreign substance in larynx. Bar ing voice. Hissing voice. Painful hoarseness. Hoarseness, which was especially noticed when crying. Sudden hoarseness. Sudden loss of voice. Now and then, while spea ing, the voice, which had been wea , becomes suddenly l oud and clear. Respiration - Anxious respiration with oppression during heat. Asthmatic respiration in the evening, in warm wet weather. Respiration difficult after rising in the morning, ameliorated in cold air. Respiration difficult when bending head bac wards, from coffee, with constrictio n of larynx, when drin ing, with epistaxis, after sleep, when swallowing, on tou ching
larynx. Respiration intermittent during sleep. Respiration rapid and somewhat oppressed. Moaning expiration. Cough and Expectoration - The bar ing cough of belladonna is well nown, with ag gravation after 3p.m. until almost midnight. Bar ing cough, li e a dog. Cramps in chest from cough. Dry cough at night aggravated by motion, on inspiration, on tal ing. Cough from fright.
Grasping throat during cough. Cough from lump in throat. Paroxysmal cough consisting of few coughs. Empty swallowing ameliorates cough. Violent cough during sleep, with grinding of the teeth. Before each attac of coughing the child is quiet, and immediately before the co ugh comes on, she begins to cry. Expectoration blac ish. Bloody expectoration in the morning on coughing. Expectoration after eating. Expectoration with taste li e that of putrid meat. Expectoration with taste li e that of wine. Anxiety in heart region in the evening, after dinner, aggravated by lying on lef t side. Anxiety in heart region during menses. Constriction of chest in the evening in bed. Convulsive constriction of chest. Gurgling of heart when breathing. Hemorrhage of hot blood. Chest hot and glowing. Pain in chest when lying on left side - lying on painful side aggravates. Pain in right side of chest. Pain in chest while lying on painful side. Sore, bruised pain in chest during non-menstrual periods going up and down stair s. Aching pain while sitting. Crampy pain in chest during sleep. Gnawing pain in costal cartilages of short ribs. Stitching pain aggravated by sneezing and yawning. Violent palpitation of heart. Bubbling palpitation of heart.
Pulse much increased in force and frequency. Spasms of diaphragm. Sensation as if heart were swelling. Trembling of heart in forenoon. Perspiration of chest during menses. Redness of chest.
Erysipelas of mammae. Hypertrophy of mammae. Pain in mammae while lying. Sensation of lumps under sternum.
Bac belladonna produces a peculiar type of lumbago with pain that radiates up to the head. In this condition, and indeed in many of the complaints of the lower half of the body, the patient wants and is ameliorated by warm applications. There is a characteristic coldness of the bac and of the extremities - especial ly legs - during menses. Pain in bac from suppressed menses. Pain as though the bac
would brea during suppressed menses.
The coldness of the bac can extend over the whole body. The pains in bac have all the modalities of the remedy: aggravated by coughing, by jarring, while wal ing; ameliorated when bending bac ward, lying on somethin g hard, by gentle motion, by sitting up, by standing. The pain from the bac extends to groin, to bladder, to stomach, to lower extremities. Pain with chill in lumbar region extending to bladder and groins. Drawing pain in lumbar region extending into arms and thighs during labo r. Pain from left side goes to the right, from left scapula to the right. Pain in lumbar region with hemorrhoids. Pain in coccyx while lying on bac . Swelling of glands of nape. Boils in scapular region. Eruption of pustules in cervical region. Red eruptions.
Extremities Coldness of extremities with hot head should be considered a universal symptom f
or this remedy. In belladonna we find all inds of convulsions and cramps: convulsion of extremi ties after hiccough; convulsion of flexor muscles; convulsion of upper limbs at night; convulsion of thumb. Cramps in hand during stool alternating with dim vision; in thumb while writing; in nates while stooping; in the thigh etc. Upper Limbs - Eruption of boils on shoulder. Eruption of red spots on bac
of hand.
Pustules about finger nails. Crac ed s in at tips of fingers.
Dar , hot, pale or shining swelling of hand. Erysipelatous inflammation of upper arm. Drawing pain in upper limbs ameliorated by motion. Painful drawing in the posterior joint of the left middle finger, as if in the p eriosteum. Pulsation in forearm. Pulsation in tips of fingers. Hasty motion of hands. Paralytic tearing pressure in the anterior surface of the left upper arm. Paralytic pressure in the left upper arm, with paralytic feeling and wea ness of the whole of the left arm. Paralytic tearing in the middle joint of the right index finger. Sensation of paralysis in upper arm. Paralytic wea ness of upper arm. Sensation as if upper limbs were too short. Lower Limbs - Bubbling sensations are felt in the extremities, in lower limbs, m oving downward towards the nee, or the foot. Formication of foot extending upward over body. Formication of heel extending to toes. Redness of extremities. Red eruption on extremities. Ulcers in lower limbs, elevating limb ameliorates. Pain in hip ameliorated by lying on painful side. Pain in thigh ameliorated by wal ing. Pain in foot feeling as if it were dislocated. Gnawing pain in lower limbs ameliorated by wal ing. Pressing pain on sole of foot ameliorated by pressure. Shooting pain in lower limbs ameliorated by wal ing. Perspiration of foot while sitting. Restlessness of extremities at night. Swelling of joints.
Tension in nates when stooping. Trembling of
nee while sitting.
Twitching in one side, paralysis of the other. Painful twitching of leg. Paralysis of the lower extremities, together with nec of the bladder, and the s phincter ani. Sensation as if cold water were running from clavicle down to toes along a narro w line.
Hip seems bathed in warm water, with cold water running down to toes. Wea ness of extremities alternating with dim vision. Paralytic wea ness of leg. Ascending wea ness in calf. Whizzing sensation in thigh.
Fever belladonna can produce convulsions, mainly febrile. The convulsion frequently lo calizes to the right side of the body, often beginning in the right arm. Feet ice-cold; can scarcely be warmed. Chill in the evening when undressing. Anticipating chill. Chill from bathing. Chill beginning in and extending from both arms at once; from sacrum; from scrob iculis cordis. Chilliness in the afternoon; after dinner; during stool. Drin ing warm drin s aggravates chill; eating warm things aggravates chill. Chill after eating. Chill after exposure: during the rains, to the heat of the sun, from becoming we t. Chill in hot summer weather. Periodicity of chill regular and distinct - not mar ed. Pernicious chill with red face, delirium and bursting headache, pale face when l ying down, red when sitting up. Chill after perspiration. Double quotidian chill. Several chills in a day. Sha ing from chills, with heat of face and head. Sha ing with chill during stool. Violent chill with delirium. Violent chill with unconsciousness.
Chill ameliorated by external warmth. Fever with dry burning heat at night. Fever at night with perspiration. Fever with dry heat and delirium at night. Fever at noon.
Fever in affected parts. Fever ameliorated in bed. Fever without chill in the afternoon; evening; night. Fever with febrile heat only during the day. Fever during dentition; when drin ing beer; with shivering from drin ing cold wa ter; after eating dinner. Dry, burning heat alternating with chilliness. Burning heat with distended blood vessels. Excessive heat, distended veins, insatiable thirst, with anxiety and trembling. Burning heat in the afternoon; evening; night. Burning heat with furious delirium. Burning internal heat. Burning hot fever within and without, body turning hot. Fever with intense heat of the head and face, while body remains cold. Heat and pulsation in the head, with burning of the eyes. The head and face hot, the latter somewhat puffy. Head hot; face red; eyes protruding; pupils dilated, loo staring. Fever with intense heat, with stupefaction and unconsciousness; with convulsions ; with delirium. Continued fever at night, temperature running very high. Cerebro-spinal fever. Burning hot fever with unquenchable thirst. Exanthematic fevers - measles, scarlatina; exanthematic continued fever. Fever with external heat in the morning. Inflammatory fever. Fever after mental exertion. Remittent fever in the afternoon; evening. Infantile remittent fever. Shuddering fever with the heat. Standing ameliorates fever. Succession of stages of fever: chill, then sweat, then heat.
Succession of stages of fever: chill followed by heat with sweat. Succession of stages of fever: chill then heat. Several attac s of fever in one day, during which the hot stage followed the col d within a few minutes to half an hour after, always without thirst in either st age, and mostly with confusion of the head. Fever in heat of sun.
Fever with aversion to uncovering. The s in hot, dry, scarlet, especially intense on the face and ears. Temperature of s in increased, face red, pulse accelerated, with senseless tal i ng, and tottering about as if drun . Profuse perspiration on covered parts. Perspiration on uncovered parts. Perspiration ameliorated on uncovering. Perspiration during daytime sleep. Perspiration in the afternoon, from 4 p.m. to midnight. Perspiration at night before menses; during menses. Perspiration at midnight on wa ing; after wa ing. Perspiration ascends. Getting out of bed ameliorates perspiration. Cold perspiration after urination. Perspiration during convulsions. Perspiration from fright. General sweat except on head. Intermittent perspiration. Perspiration before menses. Smo y odor of perspiration. Burnt odor of perspiration. Perspiration on right side. Perspiration on single parts when lain on. Perspiration ameliorated during sleep. Perspiration staining the linen brownish-yellow. Sudden perspiration, and disappearing suddenly. Complaints from suppressed perspiration.
Sleep
During the belladonna sleep one often sees evidence of the same intensity and em otional vividness which was earlier described. The sleep is usually very deep wi th heavy snoring, and the patient is aroused with difficulty. These patients may t al in their sleep, or, at other times, there may be bruxism or grinding of the teeth during sleep. belladonna patients characteristically sleep on the abdomen, and many of their complaints are ameliorated when lying on the abdomen. Furthermore, they may find it impossible to sleep while lying on the bac . Frequently one finds i n these patients a history of recurrent dreams of falling (Thuja). They may see
themselves jumping from a height or see themselves wal ing up a flight of stair s and missing a step and plummeting downward. Then, as if stri ing the ground, t hey wa e up with a jer . Thus, belladonna is listed in capitals in the Repertory un der the rubric "starting from sleep". Sleep disturbed by frightful visions on closing eyes. Delusions with sleeplessness. Sleeplessness during climacteric period. Sleeplessness during dentition. Sleeplessness in insane people. Sleeplessness from thoughts of business. Frequent wa ing at about midnight. She awa es in the night full of fright and fear. In the evening, frequent starting as in a fright, when just on the point of fall ing asleep; the feet were jer ed upwards and the head forwards. She started as in affright, in otherwise quiet sleep, feeling as if she were fal ling deep down, which caused her to shudder violently. Wa ing is impossible in the morning. Wa ing by jer s. Yawning during menses. Dreams of battles, of danger of death, of flying, of falling, of giants, of bein g shot, of swimming, of urinating. Frightful visionary dreams. Anxious and frightful dreams.
S in The s in of the belladonna patient can be quite sensitive. It may become raw and red. The s in is exquisitely sensitive to the sun, direct sunlight being possib ly very painful on the s in. The eruptions can be mar edly aggravated by the sun, even more than the eruptions of Natrum muriaticum. The s in can also be prone to a type of contact dermatitis. There is frequently a sensitivity to detergents or soaps, and the s in becomes irritated from washin g.
Sometimes even bathing in salt water can produce this eruption. Large, red patc hes of s in may rapidly swell up and rapidly disappear in this dermatitis. belladonna can be useful in s in infections. It produces erysipelas with glisten ing, red, dry s in. Also, belladonna can be indicated in rapidly developing boil s. The boils swell and throb with the pulse. Finally, one can see in the s in the development of erythema nodosum. Large, int ensely red nodules appear which give the impression that the disease is of great intensity. The characteristic s in of belladonna is: "Uniform, smooth, shining, scarlet red , so hot that it imparts a burning sensation to the hand of one who feels it." Redness of the whole body with quic
pulse.
Redness, li e scarlatina, of the entire surface of the body. Scarlet redness of the surface of the whole body, especially of the face, with m ar ed action of the brain.
A scarlet redness suddenly spread over the body, especially the face and limbs, with which appeared heat and exaltation of all the faculties. Scarlet redness of s in of face and nec , followed, on the second day, by peelin g off of the cuticle. Inflamed red patches of the s in, and irregularly-shaped scarlet spots over the body. Red s in with heat. Bluish-red spots on s in; fiery red spots; scarlet spots. Violet s in. Erythema of s in. Eruption of blisters as from a burn. Eruption of boils in the spring. Carbuncle. Eruptions; confluent; crusty blac ; flat. Eruption of smarting pimples; of titillating pimples; of blac
poc s.
Suppurating poc s Eruption of humid pustules; of malignant pustules; of pustules after scratching. Bluish rash; fiery red rash; scarlet rash. Red eruption li e insect stings. Scarlatina; smooth scarlatina.
Smooth erysipelas Erysipelas with swelling. The face, upper extremities, and trun exhibited a diffuse scarlet efflorescence , studded with innumerable papillae, very closely resembling the rash of scarlat ina. The eruption terminated abruptly at the wrists and flexure of the thighs, the rest of the body retaining the natural color. The s in was hot and dry. Eruptions li e roseola and scarlatina, with fever, sore throat, cough, headache, etc. Sensitive eruptions. Blac small-pox.
Eruption of painful tubercles; of painless tubercles; of soft tubercles. Urticaria in the morning. Drin ing cold water aggravates urticaria. Eruption of urticaria during menses. Bluish vesicular eruption. Gangrenous vesicular eruption. Inflamed vesicular eruption.
Painful vesicular eruption. Erratic erysipelas. Erysipelas in new born babies. Medullary excrescences - fungus or cauliflower. Pustules brea out on the chee and nose, which rapidly fill with pus, become co vered with a crust. Hot gangrene from burns or gangrenous sores. Cutting. Tearing itching of s in. Tearing itching of s in after scratching. Sensation as if the s in were hanging loose. Miliaris purpura. Shining s in. Swelling on affected parts. Cold swelling. Swollen sensation. Aching ulcers. Burning ulcers at night; ulcers burn when touched. Burrowing ulcers. Ulcer with crusty blac scab. Ulcers with cutting. Indurated ulcers. Painful ulcers. Ulcer tears on motion. Tingling ulcers. Ulcer surrounded by vesicles.
Clinical Abscess. Acne. Amaurosis. Apoplexy. Bladder wea ness. Boils. Affections of brain . Disease of bronchial glands. Carbuncle. Colic. Constipation. Convulsions.
Cough. Croup. Delirium tremens. Depression. Diarrhea. Dysentery. Affections of ear. Enteric fever. Epilepsy. Erysipelas. Erythema. Excitement. Affections of eye. Effects of fear. Glandular swellings. Goitre. Gout. Hemorrho ids. Headache. Affections of heart. Hydrocephalus. Hydrophobia. Hyperemia. Influenza. Affections of idney. Affections of lung. Malignant pustu le. Mania. Measles. Meningitis. Menstruation. Mouth affections. Mumps. Neuralgia. Affections of nose. Nyctalopia. Nymphomania. Paralysis. Parametritis . Perichondritis. Perimetritis. Peritonitis. Phlegmasia alba dolens. Pleurisy.
Pneumogastric paralysis. Pneumonia. Disorders of pregnancy. Puerperal mania. Rh eumatism. Roseola. Scarlatina. Sensitiveness. Disorders of sleep. Disordered smell. Strangury. Disordered taste. Tenesmus. Affections of testicles. Thirst. Sore throat. Affections of tongue. Tuberculosis. Ulcers. Uterine affections. Vaccinia. Vertigo. Whooping-cough. Worm fever.
Relations Bell. must be compared with the other Solanaceae: Caps., Dulc., Lycopers., Hyos. , Stramonium and the al aloids Atropia and Solania.. It follows well: Ars., Calc-c., Cham., Lach., Merc., Nit-ac. It is followed well by: Arn., Chi., Cham., Con., Dulc., Hep., Hyo., Lach., Rhus, Seneg., Stram., Tereb., Valer., Verat. Complementary: Calc-c. Incompatible: Vinegar.
Dosage From 3x to the highest. 3
Bellis perennis The Daisy. N.O. Compositae. Tincture of whole fresh plant.
The essential features Bellis is an important remedy for deep traumas, whether they be of the physical body or of the psyche. It is a remedy that should be considered whenever a
mistreatment or hurt has been suffered in deep parts: when the physical body ha s been cut up in an operation or hurt in an accident, or when the emotional body has been mistreated in an emotional conflict. It is important for the student of homeopathy to understand that different const itutions have different predispositions. In this remedy there seems to be a predisposition for the tissues of the muscular system and the tendons to be in a precariously wea or tired state. The imposition of an injury on such an organ ism will almost inevitably result in a deep trauma, a chronic condition that will t a e a certain form. A different organism, with a different predisposition, will be much
less li ely to have such a reaction. For instance a Graphites or a Sulphur pred isposition will not develop a similar condition after an injury. Another condition that can generate symptoms in a Bellis patient arises when the body has been overwor ed and stretched beyond its capacity. Strained muscles or tendons from weight lifting or in long distance athletes such as marathon runne rs come into this category, as do the stiff and sore bodies of old people wor in g as labourers or gardeners after comparatively little wor . Wor men who by their pr ofession are forced to stand and wal a lot find this remedy of use, as do those who subject their muscular system to constant physical exertion. Bellis is a be tter prescription in all these cases than Arnica or Rhus tox.. The Bellis perennis personality is characterized by a deep tumor in the feelings . When studying the Bellis psychology one finds bruised and sore emotions which have been mistreated and hurt by others to such an extent that a painful and hard sp ot has developed in the deep recesses of the patient's feelings. The patient wil l never reveal this to those around him, presenting instead a happy face. In this context it is interesting to consider Clar 's apt comment on this remedy: "The daisy is a flower which is repeatedly trodden upon and always comes up smiling afterw ards." Thus we have a person whom everybody considers to be strong, resiliant, with no great sensitivities; he himself nows the truth to be different however. He now s that there is an area in his emotions that is tremendously bruised and painful. All the hurts and shoc s that the person has received in his life seem to be absorbed by this area and contained there. These patients display a ind of ine lasticity or inflexibility of the emotions which does not allow them to adapt fa st enough to inner shoc s and which is evident in their tendency to stubborness an d rigidity of ideas and emotions. Such a patient will have a fear of falling in love and will resist it, for this would involve opening up and showing their emotions, w hich they feel may overwhelm and destroy them. Along similar lines, the uterus m ay be rigid. During pregnancy a Bellis patient may find that the need for the uterus to expand causes great pains. The Bellis woman has a deep fear of anyone showing an erotic interest in her. Sh e feels that this would penetrate her defences and may touch the painful area sh e
nows to be there, hidden under a show of great resiliance. If this painful spo t is opened up by chance (or due to a sensitive contact by another person) an excruciating psychic soreness spreads all over her existence. The 'bruise' whic h had been ept inside for many years is now felt all over in such an intense wa y that the person feels she cannot stand it any more and indeed that she will not surv ive very long. I have treated such cases with Rhus tox. and Bryonia for several years with doubtful results but the remedy that really helped in the end was Bellis. A Bellis pathology may also develop in another way. A man may have a very warm h eart and intense feelings. While expressing these feelings he is given a cold re ception by others, causing some area inside him to freeze. This feature of Bellis is pa rticularly interesting when compared to the Bellis physical pathology: bad effec ts from being exposed to cold and wet when overheated. Effects of cold or ice drin s while heated. A cold drin can suppress menses, causes a stomach ache, diarrhea, bac ache or all of these. Yet the peculiarity of this remedy is the a melioration with local application of cold if there is an inflammation. An infla med eruption of the s in is made worse by the heat of summer, while there is amelio ration if the patient moves to a cooler climate. When the Bellis patient suffers a hurt he may not show it to others, but inwardl y a deep wound or scar develops. It is well enclosed li e an encysted tumor and will never open up again or discharge, but the excruciating pain it causes will defi nitely be felt. The patient does not confess his trauma to anyone, he does not s ee help, but tries to contain all the pain and suffering within himself without sh owing it. He is suffering from a "psychic tumor". A point which facilitates the differentiation of Bellis perennis with other reme dies is this tendency to hide the feelings. In Natrum-muriaticum, Ignatia and Phosphoric acid, among others, the whole person is affected after suffering a s hoc , and the difference after the stress is evident to all, even though these remedies are reluctant to show their feelings. Bellis however, as mentioned abo ve, contains the pain in an area within and is able to exhibit a happy face. This determination to show a happy face is a result of the Bellis patient's fear that, should this pain be left to spread all over his existence, he would not b e able to survive. When such a thing actually happens the pain is really unbearable: "Unb earable pain that drives to distraction". A Bellis state can also be created when a person feels unloved, ignored by other s, especially by parents or a lover. In such a case no complaints will be voiced
openly,
but inwardly the need to give and to ta e affection is there. They need securit y, they need to feel truly loved, and only then can they open up and bloom. Ther e is a superficial resemblance to Natrum muriaticum here but the real situation is qui te different. A similar reaction to hurt or mistreatment is exhibited by the physical body. If a woman receives a physical blow on her breast and a tumor develops, this tumor will remain enclosed for years, painful but without tendency to open or discharge. T he tendency of the remedy is to entrench the painful spot. Accordingly, Bellis will be indicated in an entrenched inflammation of an organ with no outlet - an inflammation that does not have the power or the force to open up an outlet and release the pressure within. Examples include inflammation of the gall-bladder where the biliary duct is obstructed and there is excruciating pain from the bui lt-up inside pressure; enormous swelling of the teste after an injury with severe pai n; cystitis where the urine can hardly pass. A eynote for this remedy is a debilitating bruised feeling which spreads all over the body from such inflamed areas. If in such a situation you can trace bac to an injury you will have ext ra confirmation of the remedy. The Bellis patient is prone to rheumatic affections. He suffers from stiffness a nd soreness of the muscles, similarly to Rhus tox. or Eup-per. He cannot find re st in bed, wa es up very early, has little sleep and is always tired. These patients feel debilitated, and worse when rising. The thighs feel especially wea even wh en lying in bed. There is a constant tiredness and wea ness, and an anxiety that will show by the patient wa ing at around 3 a.m. or later and staying awa e for several hours. But as far as I have nown there is no anxiety about health in the Bellis patie nt. On the contrary there is an indifference towards health matters and he is scornful of death. Mentally Bellis perennis presents us
Mentally Bellis perennis presents us with a dullness and slowness of perception. Sometimes there is a peculiar failure to recognise nown localities, and the pa tient loses his sense of orientation when travelling from place to place. The desire for sexual contact is seldom inhibited, even though a Bellis patient's feelings
may be easily hurt. Sexual excitement is easily aroused and difficult to satisfy in a normal way, driving the patient to repeated masturbation. Such an act brings abo ut a great tiredness and an inner discontent and restlessness. The tiredness of the brain is similar to Picric acid. Another characteristic of Bellis perennis is to produce eruptions. We find boils all over the body, acne on face especially during menses, eruptions whenever th e s in is scratched against something hard. Psoriasis erupts where the s in has been w ounded or forced against a blunt instrument: a farmer wor ing with his hand trac tor will be prone to develop an eruption, usually psoriasis, at the points where hi s hands ma e contact with the tractor handles. Other conditions for which Bellis perennis has been of service include: septic w ounds of abdominal and pelvic organs after surgical operation, injuries of nerve s with extreme pain much li e Hypericum, injuries of the deeper tissues. It affects th e muscular fibers of the blood-vessels and causes venous congestion. It is usefu l after injuries with extravasation of blood, much li e Arnica, but Arnica is ind icated with superficial injuries while Bellis should be thought of when the hurt tissues are at a deeper level and the tendency is to produce a
ind of tumor.
Generalities Ailments from exposure to cold and wet when overheated is a eynote but the pecu liarity is that once the inflammation has set in, a local application of cold is beneficial to the patient.
Ill effects of cold drin s, when overheated. Can cause dyspepsia, amenorrhea, rh eumatic pains etc. Ailments from injuries. It removes the exudations due to injury. Tumors originating from a blow. It must be thought of in cases of cystic tumors, eloid tumors, naevus tumors, i nflammation of bursae (bursitis), chronic appendicitis, neuritis, fractures of b ones if the symptoms agree. Hemorrhages after exertion. It affects blood vessels causing venous stasis and varicose veins. Burnett suggests it for debility following acute attac s of gout. It causes a tired feeling with desire to lie down. Weariness during climacteric period. Lassitude. Sore, bruised pain of muscles, internally, aggravated on motion. Excessive physical irritability. Complaints from suppression of perspiration. Irregular pulse. Trembling internally. Aversion to washing and bathing. Faint spells with cold sweat [Carb-v.]. Left sided remedy. Worse around 3 p.m. or 3 a.m. and for a few hours after that time is another cha racteristic. Worse from cold baths, food or drin s; becoming chilled when hot; hot bath; warm th of bed; before storms; interrupted coition; physical exertion; ailments from ice, from cold wet weather. Better from continued motion. Cold application locally ameliorates in inflamed p arts. Better after eating; lying on abdomen; rubbing. Hard pressure ameliorates the abdominal pains.
Vertigo
Vertigo in elderly persons (cerebral stasis).
Head Headache from occiput to vertex or sinciput of a cold, aching character. Shootin g pain. Headache in occiput extending to forehead. A little giddiness in the head at times.
Brain feels as though contracted in frontal region. Constriction of forehead.
Eyes It has been observed to cause dilatation of the pupil when used locally.
Face Eruptions: herpetic, allergic, acne, cystic.
Mouth Abscess of roots of teeth.
Stomach Effects of cold or iced drin s when heated, dyspepsia, diarrhea. Want of appetite. Slight nausea. Pain while lying. Aversion to sweets. Desire for: meat, raw onions, vinegar.
Abdomen Soreness of abdominal walls. Fulness about the spleen, swelling and stitches. Foul, painless yellow diarrhea worse at night. Pain in abdomen after ice cream.
Pain in abdomen during inspiration.
Urinary organs Urination difficult, involuntary while lying.
Genitalia - male Erections wanting. Masturbation in children. Masturbation causes great weariness. Excess of masturbation.
Genitalia - female Severe dysmenorrhea, worse at around 3 p.m. and at 3-4 am.; ameliorated by hard pressure to the hypogastrium and by cold applications, not relieved by heat; accompanied with nausea and vomiting and throbbing in the pelvis. General muscular aching. Shooting from the uterus to the rectum. Uterine colic ameliorated by flexing the thighs tightly; intense every few minut es with throbbing and strea ing pains. Breasts and uterus engorged; uterus feels squeezed, sore. Small uterus. Inability to wal during pregnancy due to venous stasis. Varicose veins during pregnancy. Sore, tender pain in uterus; during pregnancy. Leucorrhea - acrid, excoriating; constant, chronic; ropy, stringy, tenacious, st ains the underclothes yellow. Ailments from interrupted coitus. Disposition to masturbate even in little girls. Atony of uterus. Small uterus, very painful during pregnancy. Amenorrhea. Itching in uterus. Menses clotted. Menses copious; much worse with exertion.
Menses can be easily suppressed by exposure to cold weather, cold bathing and th en followed by terrible bac ache. When the menses are scanty or suppressed acne or an eruption appears on the face . Menses suppressed from cold. Menses suppressed from having a shower.
Chest Cancer of mammae; cancer of mammae from contusion. Induration of mammae after contusion. Inflammation of mammae. Sensitive nodules in mammae. Burning pain in chest.
Bac Injuries of the spine - coccyx. Pain in bac as from a fall on coccyx. Pain in bac on lying on abdomen.
Extremities Pain down anterior of thigh. Wrists feel contracted as if from elastic band. Bursae - cysts in wrist. Pain as if sprained. Pain inner side right (also left) forearm, as if a boil were developing. Varices of lower limbs during pregnancy. Wea ness after gout.
Sleep Sleeps on abdomen. Wa es up too early, 3 a.m. , and cannot get to sleep again. Sleep bad, disturbed. Sleeplessness after 2 or 3 hours, or after 3-5 hours.
Wa ing after sleeplessness. Wa ing toward morning.
Exciting dreams. Vexatious dreams, anger in their dreams. Situation in the dreams where anger is really expressed.
S in Boils all over. Ecchymosis, swelling sensitive to touch. Small boil. Small boil at angle of left lower jaw. Painful pimple a little behind angle of left lower jaw. Large boil on bac of nec , commencing with a dull, aching pain; some difficulty and bruised pain in eeping head erect; began as a slight pimple with burning p ain in s in, increasing until in six days it was very large, of a dar fiery purple color, a nd very sore, burning and aching pain in it; accompanied with headache, extendin g from occiput to sinciput, of a cold, aching character. Eruptions in summer, itching, worse from scratching, better in a cooler environm ent. Sensitive s in, they enjoy a gentle touch, easily arouses them sexually, but muc h friction on the s in causes a s in eruption to appear. Erysipelas. Herpetic eruptions. Keloid. Psoriasis.
Clinical Diseases of arteries. Varicosis. Exudations. Fatigue. Gout. Masturbation in litt le children also. Mydriasis. Overwor . Acne. Psoriasis. Boils. Rheumatism. Sleeplessness. Stasis. Traumatism. Tumors. Fatigued uterus.
Relations
Some authors class it with Vanadium, of which it is a complement in degenerative states, as brain softening and atheroma of arteries. Compare: Arn., Rhus t., Hyperic., Con., Ars., Hamam., Vanad. In effects of fag, Pic-ac.
Dosage From 6x to the highest.
Benzoicum acidum C6 H5 CO. OH. Obtained, by sublimation, from Gum benzoin; or artificially from several aromati c hydrocarbons. Tincture or trituration.
The essential features Benzoic acid is one of the main sycotic remedies and particularly concerns cases with an inherited sycosis from the parents. The main seat of wea ness seems to be located in the idneys, although the joints and the heart are also sensitive ar eas. Benzoic acid is equally valuable in cases where the patient develops idney problems or rheumatic, arthritic or gouty manifestations soon after suppressed gonorrhea. The great eynote for prescribing this remedy is strong smelling, highly colored urine, which occasionally has an appearance resembling brandy. The odor of the urine is strongly ammoniacal, or li e that of a horse, and very pungent. It is said i n our literature that this strong odor of urine is a constant concomitant to alm ost any Benzoic acid disease condition, whereas the very dar color of the urine is not always present. In my experience this is not always the case, as there are cond itions under which the strong odor is not present and you may trace it only in the pas t history of the patient. Yet it is true that the main characteristic of this re medy is the strong odor of the urine. It is also said that the whole patient smells of urine, especially children with enuresis. But with the present sanitary possibil ities that are available in our Western world, you will seldom trace this as a sympto m. Another eynote in this remedy is trembling in the left side of the lumbar regio n or in the loins. Some conditions for which you may thin of this remedy:
1. Fluctuation of symptoms according to the odor of the urine. Due to an irregularity in the action of the idneys, an increase in the pungency of the urine is accompanied by an amelioration of symptoms, and vice versa. The idneys appear to function for a while, eliminating freely, in which case the urine is loaded with plenty of uric acid, full of deposits, dar in color, profuse and st rong smelling; these conditions are accompanied by minimised symptoms and an increas e in the patient's comfort. At other times the idneys seem not to be able to perform their eliminating processes and the urine is scanty or of light specifi c gravity, coming out li e clear water. In such a case the complaints of the pat ient are almost always aggravated. This is not always the case however. Symptoms may appear and be aggravated with scanty, suppressed, and at the same time highly odorous urine. 2. Benzoic acid should be considered as well as Medorrhinum in cases with a prehistory of suppressed gonorrhea, with complaints now mostly in the joints but wi th a tendency to affect the heart as well. In most of these cases where there is an aggravation from weather changes, from cold drafts and cold air, and amelioratio n from heat and warm covering, the usual prescription of Rhus tox. seldom does an y good, and Medorrhinum also often fails. Benzoic acid should be thought of especially if the pains change place suddenly and constantly, from the extremit ies to the heart and vice-versa, while staying mainly about the heart. It is interesting to note here that the pains of Benzoic acid have a tendency to migr ate in a peculiar way: arthritic pains in the joints may move to the muscles and
appear as rheumatic ones, and vice versa. Pains in the right hand can later tra vel to the left arm down into the elbow and thence to the heart region; later th ey reappear in the right thigh and an le. Pains in different parts of the body may alternate with heart symptoms. In some of these cases you will see that when th e rheumatic pains in the extremities are really severe the pains in the heart are completely relieved. Pains in the heart often alternate with urinary symptoms. The heart symptoms include intermittent heart beats, palpitation of heart with t rembling, palpitation while sitting; worse after drin ing; at night. Awa ens after midnight with violent palpitation and hard beating of temporal art eries. Slow pulse. 3. Benzoic acid may be useful in treating cases where there is a tendency to dev elop gout with high uric acid. Such cases may have the following symptoms: pains worse during the night in right great toe, gout moves from left to right. Gout and rh eumatism, with swelling of joints, joints crac and feel dry. Rheumatic gout of the fingers, nodes are very painful. Gouty deposits in both wrists, between metacar pal bones. Swellings of the wrist, swelling of elbow joints. Swelling of the rig ht nee, with pain as of ulceration of the whole leg, together with pains in the idneys. The symptoms tend to fluctuate according to the fluctuation of urine. All such c ases have relief when the urine is copious and heavily loaded with deposits, but are full of pains if the urine is light in specific gravity. 4. Constitutions with a predisposition to develop idney stones (lithaemic const itutions.) Benzoic acid should be considered for people who are careful with the ir diet yet develop stones in the idneys all the time, accompanied by frequent idney colics. There is frequent vomiting during the idney colic which is usally left sided, but pains travel towards the right side as well. As mentioned previously, the idneys are affected in one way or another in this remedy. Renal insufficiency may occur, or chronic nephritis with dropsy and high ly odorous urine, but more especially when the heart is also involved in which cas e the intensity of the heart symptoms alternates with the intensity of the idne y symptoms. When the idneys are chronically and seriously involved we see that the patient
falls into a profound unrefreshing sleep. At other times he stays awa e the whol e night and is exhausted in the morning. In the period of wa efulness during the night, he dwells upon all the unpleasant subjects that he can thin of. This state alt ernates with nights of stupid sleep for wee s. These fluctuations occur in accordance w ith the state of the idneys. Further symptoms include puerperal albuminuria, uraemia and convulsions. 5. Another important symptom which so far has been totally neglected in this rem edy is periodical asthma, especially in rheumatic persons. You will need to thin of this remedy if the asthma appears after suppressed gonorrhea, where the idneys seem to have been affected and do not function well. The asthma ma es its appearance when the idneys fail to eliminate properly and the urine is suppres sed, scanty and strong smelling. Benzoic acid should also be considered in cases of: inflammation of bronchi and lungs, with great tenderness of chest, cough worse during night and lying on right side; long-continued, dry cough after suppressed gonorrhea. 6. Benzoic acid may be thought of in Reiter's syndrome with primarily arthritic manifestations, urethritis and conjunctivitis. 7. Rectal fistula and hemorrhoids after suppressed gonorrhea where the fistula d ischarges constantly and the patient has to wear a cotton cloth to absorb it. Th e hemorrhoids are more pronounced on the right side, and are accompanied by obsti nate constipation. There may be bleeding from the anus during stool, long lastin g burning after stool and a sense of awful constriction of the anus, which may la st for hours and eep the patient awa e all night. 8. The Benzoic acid child is cross and irritable, much li e the Chamomilla child . The child shrie s and ic s and only calms down if you carry him in your arms. He wants to be nursed in arms and will not be laid down. This remedy is useful in nocturnal enuresis in children, where the whole room sm ells of the urine, and the sheets are stained brown. Alternatively there may be retention of urine in children, or diarrhea of children with watery, light, ver y offensive stools, resembling soapsuds, with strong-smelling urine. Shivering b efore
stool may be a further symptom. 9. Menstrual difficulties, prolapsus of uterus, when accompanied by the characte ristic smell of the urine, are symptoms that should ma e you thin of Benzoic ac id. 10. Dribbling of urine in old men with enlarged prostate, arthritic nodosities a nd strong smelling urine are further important symptoms. 11. Periodical headaches of rheumatic origin, alternating with or accompanied by rheumatic conditions and associated with a highly intensified odor of the urine . The head is worse from: emotions; exposure to a draught of air; uncovering of head; in morning on awa ing; at rest; periodically better by warm applications and mo ving about. 12. Quinsy, diarrhea, etc., all when accompanied by the highly intensified odor of the urine. 13. Lastly, a feature of this remedy is the tendency to catch cold easily, espec ially if exposed to a cold draft on the head. Typically, the patient applies hot applications and the cold seems to go away. He is encouraged and goes out, and again the head is exposed to a draft and the cold returns. This process is repea ted, as the patient applies the hot applications and goes out again, only to catch c old once again. The Benzoic acid patient is a closed up individual who eeps all his problems, g riefs and anxieties to himself. He will never allow his emotions freedom of expr ession, preferring to hide his grief or anger. Even a disagreement with others is ept hidden. This point serves to differentiate Benzoic acid from Natrum muriaticum o r Nitric acid, remedies which have a lot in common. Natrum muriaticum or Nitric a cid are incapable of hiding their feelings of disapproval as their facial expres sions give such emotions away. The Benzoic acid personality is deeply timid and reser ved, it does not allow the patient to clear up his emotions. There can be no ope n catharsis, no solution to be found in a fit of weeping when as ing forgiveness for some deed. One could characterize such a personality by saying that the pati ent cannot "eliminate the rubbish" from his emotions. An analogy can be made here w ith the inability of the idneys to eliminate useless matter; the rubbish stays inside the organism and creates uric acid, idney stones, headaches and disease in general. So difficult is it for the patient to eliminate in any way that per spiration
causes him to be overwhelmed with anxiety. The useless matter retained in the organism concentrates in the idneys and form s stones and excess uric acid. The arthrosis are affected and deformities in the extremities appear. You may find bunions, gouty concretions, nodes on joints, s wellings of the nees, gouty deposits on the wrists etc. Stimulation of the emot ions may bring about headaches, pains in the heart or in the joints, idney colics o r an aggravated asthma attac . The emotions are not expressed as they are really felt, and this suppression may eventually create deformations in the organism. A peculiarity of Benzoic acid is a strong fear of becoming deformed or of seeing any deformed person. The thought of deformity, or the sight of a deformed perso n causes the patient to shudder. He cannot stand the idea that one day he may be deformed himself, it is beyond his endurance. Yet this remedy produces deformati ons li e Ammonium phosph., Calcarea caustica, Calcarea fluorata, Lycopodium and Kal i carbonicum. In general this remedy is inclined to dwell on unpleasant things much li e Natru m muriaticum. The patient may lie awa e the whole night, letting his mind revolv e around things that bring on sadness, causing a ind of hysteria. When thin ing of disa greeable things, particularly of ill health or the possibility of becoming defor med, he cannot control his emotions and a momentary physical chill or nervous shudderin g may go through his body. The mind is in a state of confusion; once the patient gets hold of an idea he cannot be rid of it. He is forgetful of words while spea ing , ma es mista es in writing and omits words. Sadness and depression may superven e, especially with headaches. The sadness sets in when thin ing of possible illnes s, such as a brain tumor. The patient then loses his desire to live and experien ces loathing of life. A vicious circle sets in: when the emotions are excited a hea dache is li ely to develop, and with the headache the patient becomes depressed.
Generalities Benzoic acid is a chilly medicine, the symptoms are worse in open air, from chan ges of weather, from cold drafts and cold air, worse by uncovering and better by heat and warm covering of the head. Many of the symptoms are aggravated by wal ing in open air or uncovering head: t hrobbing in eyeballs becomes worse; confused sounds of voices in ear are aggrava ted, gastric symptoms become worse, etc. Motion in general aggravates most of the symptoms, but headache is worse at rest , and toothache is worse lying down. Turning in bed ma es the symptoms worse. Most of the symptoms appear on the left side, but may subsequently go to the rig ht. Pains suddenly change their locality. Patient gives out a very strong urinous odor. Trembling: with palpitation of heart; in loins. Weariness, lassitude; extreme wea ness. Head and asthmatic symptoms return periodically.
Head Symptoms in the head bring on anxiety, depression, lassitude and loss of appetit e. While sitting, pressure on whole lower part of head and whole spine, as if they were pressed li e an elastic body, so that he stretched himself involuntarily an d bent forward. Fearful pain in occiput or cerebellum, which had confined the young man to bed f or three wee s. Pressure on vertex extending to spine, with anxiety. Hammering pain in temples, has to lie down. Cold feeling in head. Sha ing in head. Rheumatic pains in head.
Formication in forehead. Cold sweat on head. Headaches worse at rest, better moving about.
Eyes Burning heat in eyes and lids.
Throbbing in eyeballs; becomes worse while wal ing in open air. Worse reading by artificial light; wal ing in open air. Distress in eyes, as from want of sleep. Irritates conjunctiva, causes pressive feeling in bulbus.
Ears Sensation in ears li e a sound of confused voices, most when swallowing or wal i ng in open air. Throbbing and hissing in ears synchronous with beats of heart. Swelling behind ears, which seems to reach to periosteum.
Nose Frequent attac s of profuse epistaxis from left nostril, blood thic , dar . Seems to smell dust, cabbage, or something stin ing. Sense of smell diminished. Pain in nasal bones. Pressure on root of nose. Epistaxis. A cold in head readily occurs from exposure to cold, and is renewed every day. Sensitiveness of nose. Redness in corners of nose.
Face Sense of pressure, as if face had gone to sleep. Tension in one side of face. Numb feeling in face. Burning heat of face or of one side.
Symptoms better by external heat, by pressure, or friction. Cold sweat on face. Circumscribed redness on chee s.
Copper-colored spots on face. Face red, with little blisters. Trembling of lips. Involuntary biting of lower lip at dinner. Itching on chin.
Mouth Glossitis. Gouty inflammation of tongue. Tongue spongy on surface with deep crac s and spreading ulcers. Extensive ulcera tions of tongue, with deeply chapped or fungoid surfaces. Tongue of a slight bluish color. Velvety coating on tongue, with high-colored, strong smelling urine. Tongue coated with white mucus. Soreness of bac part of tongue, felt most while swallowing. Taste: of blood; bitter; food tastes salty; bread smo y; after taste of food. An ulcerated tumor on left side of mouth, upon soft commissure of jaws, behind l ast molar. Slightly acid mucus. Heat around mouth.
Throat Peritonsillar abscesses. Sensation of lump (as of food) in pit of throat; of swelling and constriction. Swallowing difficult, incomplete; with noise in ears; with soreness on bac of t ongue. Sensation of swelling, or of constriction of throat. Mouth and throat symptoms relieved by eating. Heat in esophagus, as from acid eructations. Tonsillitis with characteristic high-colored, strong urine.
Collection of mucus in throat. Thyroid gland feels swollen.
Stomach Appetite in evening; lost in morning. Thirst with sleepiness; evening. Sweat while eating. Loathing sic ness at stomach, pain and discomfort; with gagging. Vomiting: of a salty substance; bitter. Wea digestion. Gastric symptoms increased when wal ing, especially ascending. Sensation, as of a lump in pit of throat, as if some food had lodged there. Sensation of heat in stomach.
Abdomen In region of liver constant fine stitching midway in upper portion thereof, not increased by pressure. Ascending stairs ma es the gastric symptoms worse. Pain below left short ribs. Heat through abdomen. Cutting about navel; relieved by stool. Pressure of clothing ma es him feel wearied. Tearing bellyache. Tensive pains in loins and groins.
Rectum Diarrhea in afternoon, 5-7 p.m. Watery clear stool. Frothy stool. Stitching in rectum. Urging to stool, with ineffectual straining.
Sensation of constriction at lower end of rectum. Horripilations, or chilliness before stool. Stools: copious, watery, greyish-white, li e dirty soapsuds; excessively offensi ve, scenting whole house; of a strong pungent smell, li e that of urine; putrid, bloody;
frothy; insufficient. White, stin ing, liquid stools. Diarrhea of children, discharge copious, watery, clear-colored, very fetid; prof use, watery, running through diaper. Watery, light-colored, very offensive stools (in children) with unusually strong -smelling urine. Fetid, watery, white stools, very copious and exhausting, in infants, urine bein g of a deep red color. Formication at anus. Slightly elevated, wartli e, round surfaces around anus.
Urinary organs The odor and the color of the urine is of the greatest importance in this remedy . Odor li e horse's urine. Renders urine acid; excess of hippuric acid. Urine dar , urinous odor highly intensified. Dar , or highly colored, offensive urine, after suppressed syphilis or gonorrhea . The urinary odor is very strongly ammoniacal. Urine dar brown, of a putrid cadavarous smell. Odor aromatic, changeable. Brown urine, smells sour, scalding in passing. Urine diminished; thic ; bloody. Fetid urine, with prolapsus uteri. Urine of a very repulsive odor, of a changeable color, brownish, cloudy, of an a l aline reaction; effervescing with hydrochloric acid; white, flocculent sedimen t in the urine immediately after its passage, consisting of the phosphate and carbonate of lime, without uric acid; pale, languid; wea loins. Al aline urine. Color of urine brown, li e beer; reddish-brown. A granular ind of mucus mixed with phosphate in sediment; urine dar , reddish-b rown; acid reaction.
Urine with concretions of urate of ammonia. Enlargement of prostate gland - senile. Dysuria in the morning in old men. Acrid, fetid discharge from urethra. Pain in urethra when not urinating.
Kidney colics
Sore pain in bac ; burning in left idney, with drawing when stooping; dull pain in idneys, loins stiff; right nee swollen. Kidney pains, which penetrate chest on ta ing a deep breath. Pain in idneys when breathing deeply. Drawing in left ureter when stooping. Cystitis, with extremely offensive odor. Fleeting pains in bladder, not when uri nating, but at other times. Too frequent desire to evacuate bladder, urine normal. Sensibility of bladder with muco-purulent discharge. Hot, scalding urine, deep red, of strong odor, causing so much suffering in its passage that this was performed but once a day. Irritability of bladder: muco-purulent discharges. Pains in bladder. Dysuria senilis, when the gravel is trifling and the irritable state of bladder and pains are induced by other causes. Valuable especially for catarrh of the bladder, with offensive brown urine. Enuresis nocturna of children up to age 16 if the urine is strongly smelling.
Genitalia - male Pain in genitals; pressure; raw pain; splitting pains. Gleet; urine offensive. Gonorrhea suppressed (by copaiva) with offensive urine. Smarting of fraenum praeputii. Itching in sulcus, behind corona glandis. A thrilling, almost painful sensation left side of glans, ending in a sensation of tic ling and itching.
Genitalia - female Menstruation too early or retarded. Wea ness after menses.
Amenorrhea. Prolapsus uteri with fetid urine. Gastric derangements when ascending a height. Retention of urine with infants. Lochia last too long.
Chest This remedy should be thought of in cases of heart conditions that have arisen a fter suppressed arthritic manifestations, and more so if there is a history of suppressed gonorrhea. Gouty heart. Gout, or rheumatism, affecting heart. Pain in heart alternating with rheumatism of the extremities. Tearing rheumatic pains in extremities, relieving heart. Pains change place incessantly, but are most constant about the heart. Intermittent beats of heart. Palpitation of heart, with trembling. Palpitation while sitting; worse after drin ing; worse at night. Awa ens after midnight with violent palpitation and hard beating of temporal art eries. Awa ens with oppression of breathing; with palpitation of heart (after midnight) ; with heat and hard pulse. He wa es every morning about 2 o'cloc from strong internal heat, and a hard, bounding pulse. Inflammation of the lungs. Slight hoarseness in morning; sneezing. Difficulty of breathing on awa ing. Asthma alternating with inflammatory rheumatic complaints or with s. Periodic attac s of asthma.
idney problem
Oppression of lungs because of excess collection of mucus. Cough: after a slight cold. Dry, constant, hac ing cough. Dry, tormenting cough with great wea ness; sweat. Last stages of pneumonia. Cough followed by expectoration of green mucus. Copious secretion of mucus. Painful trembling in chest. Morbid agitation and restlessness in chest. Pressure on ribs. Sensation in chest of swelling; of roughness. Pains often change their place suddenly, causing a dry cough and asthma.
Stitching in right side of chest. Asthenic pneumonia of a young man; after strength had sun breathing increased every hour to a fearful degree.
daily; difficulty of
Great wea ness and difficult breathing, increasing every hour.
Bac
Stiffness of nec only on one side. Pressure in nape of nec . Violent itching in nape of nec . Deep penetrating pain in posterior part of left side, at about sixth rib. Pain right side of bac between tenth dorsal vertebra and side Dull pain in region of
idneys; stiffness in loins.
Trembling in lumbar region. Myelitis. Sense of coldness at sacrum.
Extremities Arthritic nodosities in wrists, hands, finger joints. In both wrists, between me tarcarpal bones, abundant gouty deposits with swelling of elbow joints. Tearing pain in third and fourth finger joints. Fingers swollen; tearing and fine stitching pains in various parts of limbs. Sensation of swelling under axillae. Paralytic pain of fingers. Eruption of red spots on fingers. Itching in palm of right hand. Crac ing in joints of lower limbs, sense of dryness in nee joints with crac ing when moving. Swelling of the right nee, with pain as of ulceration of the whole leg, with pa ins in the idneys. Gouty nee. Tearing and stitching pains, especially in the metatarsal joint of the right gre at toe. Tearing pain in gouty toes. Pains are changing location all the time. Pain in left hip, nee and toes; thenc e into muscles of calf and then in nee; after it has left these parts it appear s in right thigh and an le. Pain in right nee first then in left. Tearing pain in anterior surface of thigh. Drawing pain in nees after drin ing wine. During night gout commences in right great toe. Swelling in first right toe.
Stitch passing upward through right great toe, followed by burning, which increa ses the stitch; afterwards it appears in left great toe, from which it vanishes with a thrill. Pain in toes at night, joints gouty, stitching pain. Pain in large joints of big toe, with tumefaction and redness. Swelling in gouty right nee. Lassitude in lower limbs.
Sensation as if lower limbs were tightly bandaged. Discoloration of toes, then redness. Panaritium. Numbness in toes.
Sleep Periods of wa efulness, alternating with periods of deep stupid sleep from which wa es up unrefreshed. Palpitation from sleeplessness. Heat on wa ing. Sleepiness, with dulness of head. Awa ens with difficulty of breathing; with palpitation. Starting up from sleep. Pulsation of temporal arteries from falling asleep. He wa es every morning about two o'cloc , from strong internal heat and a hard, bounding, but not quic ened pulse.
Fever Cold hands, feet, bac , nees, as from cold wind. Coldness with feeling of heat. Sense of heat in esophagus; stomach; belly. Heat: with sweat; with cold in head; with nightly palpitation. Awa ens every morning at 2 o'cloc with violent internal heat, and hard, beating pulse, compelling him to lie on bac , because beating of temporal arteries caus es a humming in ears, and prevents him from going to sleep.
S in Sweat: while eating; while wal ing; morning in bed, especially in face; with anx
iety. Cold sweat: on head; on face; on feet. Sweat with itching; with aromatic odor. S in pale, cool, with sweat, wea ness, coma. Itching on various parts, yielding a rather agreeable sensation on being scratch ed, but leaving a burning.
Sweat with itching. Syphilitic spots and mar s. Ulcers. Slightly elevated round surfaces of a wartli e appearance.
Clinical Gout. Deformative arthritis. Rheumatism. Kidney affections. Urine disorders. Bla dder affections. Asthma. Enuresis of children. Tumors of eye. Gonorrhea. Sycosis . Ulcers.
Relations Incompatible: wine, which aggravates pains in
idneys, nees, etc.
Compare: Copaiva, Fer., Natr-m. Nit-ac. (urine smelling li e horse urine); Fluor -ac., Med., Rhus t.
Dosage From 6x to the highest.
Benzinum C6H6 A product of distillation from petroleum. Tincture with alcohol. Benzol, Benzoline, Benzene.
The essential features Benzinum is a remedy which primarily affects the circulatory system, the blood a nd the heart, causing conditions such as heart infract, circulatory disturbances and blood disorganisation, so familiar in our modern civilisation.
As we shall see below, the grand tion on the side not lain on.
ey-note for this remedy is a peculiar perspira
Benzinum is suitable for angina pectoris when it causes a peculiar pain that is felt in the upper chest or in the throat and shoots upwards towards the head. A relatively small exhaustion may bring on these pains. There may be occasional p alpitations with fulness and pains in head, or flushes of heat with redness of f ace from slight exercise. Pulsations are felt in the region of the stomach. The pat ient sleeps very little, an hour or two only on first going to bed, then lies aw a e most of the night. This may be accompanied by cold sweat on legs and thighs at night. But, as mentioned, the most important symptom is perspiration on parts no t lain on. The patient may have a craving for lemons and cider. Benzinum is also useful in all inds of anemia, where the patient is wasted, pal lid, and easily exhausted. He suffers from strong vertigo or dizziness and when lying has a sense of falling through the bed and floor. On trying to turn the eyes upward there is severe aching and throbbing. This remedy is especially useful in the last stages of leu emia, particularly in cases where the stool smells of benzin e. The patient has frequent stools mixed with blood or with lead-colored mucus, tenesmus, throbbing in anus and rectum and pains from the rectum that travel up wards. In such cases the mind is profoundly disturbed, and the patient suffers from opt ical illusions without closing the eyes. For example, a great white hand may app ear to him out of the dar ness, coming outspread towards his face, causing him to scre am in terror for the watcher. The condition is similar to a semi-comatose typhoi d state. The Benzinum patient suffers from extreme irritability. He is censorious, critic al and faut-finding. He has disagreeable thoughts at night during sleeplessness, weeps at trifles and in general despairs of recovery. You will note apprehension, fea r of heart disease and fear of apoplexy. Speech is confused and there is frequen t sighing.
Generalities
The three eynotes of this remedy are: - 1. Pains travel from below upward (headache, pain in anus, also chills.) - 2. Perspiration in parts not lain on. - 3. A sense of falling through the bed and floor. Hemorrhage, the blood is brownish, blac
and thin.
Hallucinations, optical illusions. Epileptiform attac s, coma, and anesthesia. Tetanic rigidity of convulsions, das hing cold water on face ameliorates. Patients are tired and nervous. Perspiration towards morning; staining the linen yellow. Aggravation of symptoms at night with sleeplessness; in cloudy weather.
Head Severe darting pains in occiput, from below upward, recurring in paroxysms, wors e by motion, and especially by rising after sitting.
The hair is very greasy.
Eyes Sensation of enlargement of the eye. Glassy appearance. Constant movement of the eyeballs under closed lids. Rolling nystagmus, from side to side li e a pendulum. Could not turn eyes upward, or to one side, without severe aching and throbbing. Optical illusions with wide-open eyes. Flashes. Conjunctiva somewhat congested.
Face Pale, lead-colored discoloration of the face. Occasional sudden puffing up of left chee and calf of left leg, as though fille d with air, going off in a few hours and returning again.
Mouth Stammering speech. Teeth covered with sordes. Soreness and sensation of looseness in upper incisors. Tongue parched and brown. Painful round white ulcers in the mouth, especially on inside of chee s. Hot and very offensive breath.
Stomach Appetite lost.
Craving for lemons and cider. Extreme thirst; for ice-water, satisfied with a sip, but wanting it again direct ly. Vomiting during unconsciousness.
Abdomen Continual soreness to pressure in abdominal walls. Heat and grinding wearing pains in lower part of bowels, worse just before stool .
Rectum Several times an hour, a stool, smelling of benzine, of lead-colored mucus, mixe d with bright blood, accompanied with some tenesmus, and followed by throbbing i n anus and rectum and lancinating pains from below upward, continuing about five minut es.
Urinary organs Pressing pain in bladder, after passing urine, throbbing and smarting in nec of bladder and urethra for several minutes. Urine: dar , offensive; sediment li e red sand.
Chest Every few days continual dry, hac ing cough. Continual soreness and aching in clavicular region. The pulse is wiry, intermittent and tense.
Bac Continual aching and throbbing in lumbar region, worse by a full inspiration. Ex treme irritation of the idneys.
Extremities
Continual soreness and aching in muscles of upper arm. Hands and fingers blue and cold. Extended, stretched out arms.
Sleep For three nights, before the sweating began, complete insomnia, with unpleasant thoughts crowding the mind, and wide-open eyes, before which optical illusions f loated continually.
Fever Chills seized remote parts and passed toward the head, from the thumbs to the el bows, and thence to shoulders; from small of bac to shoulders and vertex. Cold compresses came off steaming in a few minutes, smelling of benzine and stained a deep yellow, which could only be removed by long exposure to the sun. For seve ral nights copious, general, warm sweat toward morning, very exhausting, followed o n several succeeding mornings by sweat only on breast, on side not lain upon, an d in axillae.
Clinical Angina pectoris. Heart infract. Anemia, leu emia. Dysentery. Fever. Headache. In somnia. Disorders of vision.
Relations Compare: Bryonia a., Bell., Benz-nit., Benz-dinit. (amblyopia and disorders of v ision). Sulph. and Ledum (symptoms go from below upward).
Dosage From 3x to 1m.
Berberis vulgaris Barberry. (Britain) N.O. Berberidaceae. Tincture of the bar
of the root.
The essential features Berberis vulgaris is indicated for persons who are pallid and sic ly loo ing. Th e Berberis patient is pale-faced and appears tired. He has a dirty grayish loo , with sun en chee s, deeply seated eyes surrounded by bluish or blac ish-gray circles and a sic ly expression. The mouth is dry and stic y, with painful white blisters on the tip of the tongue. He tends to be chilly, with a rheumatic and gouty disposition. Three grand characteristics may be identified in this remedy: firstly the pains which radiate from a point, involving the joints, idneys, liver and heart; seco ndly a bubbling sensation; and lastly the wandering nature of the pains. These charact eristics are described in detail below. A prominent feature of this remedy are c hills and fever. A common complaint will be coldness of body with hot face, commencin g at 11 a.m. ; burning heat in afternoon and becoming worse during the night. Th e venous system, where Berberis vulgaris acts forcibly, is often involved. You wi ll find swollen varicose veins, itching in varicose veins, networ of varicose v eins in s in, producing pelvic engorgement and hemorrhoids. This remedy acts upon the u rinary organs, when there is a tendency to the formation of calculi and lithaemi a. It is also of use in cases of ague with enlargement of the spleen, and spleen p ains. Dr Edward Cranch gives an interesting summary of the therapeutic uses of Berberi s vulgaris. He describes the class of case calling for its use as the following: chronic gouty cases, with histories of gravel, old eczema, joint affections, pr uritis, stomatitis, and ophthalmia, the special eynote being pain over the righ t idney, radiating forward over the crest of the ilium. Pains rapidly change the ir locality and character. The three major characteristics of Berberis vulgaris mentioned earlier will now be described in further detail. The prescription of this remedy does not, of cou rse, rely on the presence of all three characteristics in one case. The first characteristic, a great eynote for Berberis vulgaris, is "radiating p ains from a particular point." The radiating pains are accompanied by soreness a nd lameness in the joints. The patient suffers from pain in a given joint, from wh
ich the pain radiates in every direction. For example if the ted the
nee joint is affec
pain moves up and down and in every direction; similarly with the finger joint. If the seat of the pain is in the idneys or renal region, the pain will move t o the ureters, into the urethra and bladder, up to the bac or to the chest. Pains in the liver will travel downwards in every direction into the abdomen or up to th e chest, while pains in the lumbar region will tend to shoot around the abdomen. Stitchi ng and tearing rheumatic pain in the sides extend to arms and occiput. In dysmenorrhea, pains from the abdomen radiate in all directions and, characteris tically, down to the thighs. The second characteristic of note in Berberis vulgaris is a "bubbling" sensation that can be experienced in any part of the body. This bubbling sensation is mix ed with pain; it can be experienced as if water were coming up through the s in, or as bubbling pains in joints or in the idney region. The patient can suffer from bu bbling toothache, bubbling in inguinal region, bubbling in urethra while sitting. Ther e may be a bubbling sensation in dorsal region, in scapula, in shoulder, in uppe r right arm, in thigh or nees, etc. When stooping, there may be a feeling as if the brain w ould fall forward, with a sensation of bubbling, as if all would prolapse from f orehead. The third important characteristic in this remedy is the wandering nature of pai ns in the nerves and the nerve sheaths. Little twinges are felt one moment in on e place and the next moment in another. Kent gives his own experience of this sym ptom: "As you sit by the side and tal to a gouty patient - "Ow," he will say. W hat does he mean by it? He has had one of those twitching pains. The next thing he nows it is in his nee; then it is in his toes; then it is in his head, all ove r him. In Berberis these twinging, tearing, stitching, burning pains are everywhere, they never remain in one place, but are always moving, and they are not often affected by motion. Whether he moves, or eeps still, they eep coming. In a fe w instances we have pains aggravated by motion, but a very few in proportion to the many pains in Berberis." Further characteristics to be found in this remedy include the sensation of a s ullcap. The patient has the feeling that his whole scalp is tight, or that he is wearing
a hat. This is a rheumatic condition that can be felt in a number of ways; it m ay be experienced as numbness, enlargement of the s ull, or a painful constricti on of the whole of the s ull. The patient may alternatively have "a feeling in the he ad as if it were becoming larger," or a peculiar puffy sensation in the head. Another symptom to be considered for Berberis vulgaris is the extension of any pain from the abdominal area to the thighs. Finally, mention should be made of the aggravation of mental symptoms in twilight, with apparitions and visions of imaginary forms.
The mental-emotional picture In the majority of cases needing Berberis vulgaris you will find few mental-emot ional symptoms. This is particularly so in those cases where the problem is cent ered around lumbago, sciatica, arthritic or rheumatic conditions. The mental picture in this remedy is one of a tired individual, not only physically, but also ment ally and emotionally. When you encounter such a patient your impression will be of a pre maturely old and worn out individual whom you want to support and help. However, the patient will not beg you for your help and support; on the contrary, with an op timistic cheerfulness and courage, smiling even when in pain, you will probably find him consoling you instead of you consoling him. The Berberis vulgaris individual is usually serious and reflective and prefers his own company to that of others. I have never seen a Berberis patient suffer from anxiety about his health, or fe ar of death. A feeling of anxiety may arise in different positions, in bed, befo re stool, from motion, from rising from a seat, in the evening before sleep, while standi ng. This can be characteristic as long as the emphasis is on feeling the anxiety when in different body positions. Some patients do suffer mental aberrations due to a wea mind. This wea ness pro gresses during the day and is especially apparent at twilight. The patient sees terrifying apparitions at twilight, including ghosts or imaginary forms surroun ding him. Objects at that time appear twice as large as normal. Any mental labor that requires real attention becomes an arduous tas for Berber is patients. The least interruption brea s their chain of thought, and they cann ot remember what they were saying or thin ing. Memory grows wea and they become f
orgetful, having great difficulty in recalling what was said earlier. Dullness o f mind, especially after a deep sound sleep, is characteristic, the head feeling heavy and dizzy. Furthermore, Berberis has an aversion to and an aggravation from dar ness. You w ill find melancholy, apathy, prostration of mind, and sadness with inclination t o weep. Much dizziness and faintness is very usual. The faintness and dizziness m ay be brought on by lying, standing, rising from bed, wal ing in the open air wh en his face becomes very pale; the faintness may be caused by asthma or heat. Women ha ve symptoms at the time of menses which include irritability, or a feeling that they are weary of life and desire death.
Therapeutic indications Urinary and Kidney symptoms: Berberis vulgaris causes inflammation of the idney s with hematuria. Pains may be felt all over the body, emanating from the small of the bac . Lancinating, or tearing, bubbling pains in region of idneys; worse stooping and rising again, sitting or lying; from jar; from fatigue; very sensitive to touch in renal region. Many cases of (especially right-sided) renal colic have been cured by this remed y. All the urinary organs are mar edly affected.
The emission of urine is frequently accompanied by pains in thighs and loins. Violent stic ing pains in bladder, extending from ing to urinate.
idneys into urethra, with urg
Urine dar yellow, red, becoming turbid, copious; mucous sediment, or transparen t, jelly-li e or reddish, bran-li e yellowish sediment. Urine slimy when passed, depositing copious foamy yellowish sediment. Greenish urine depositing mucus. D uring urination burning in urethra, or bladder, pressure in bladder, cutting, bu rning, or stitches in urethra. Gall-stones: Stic ing pain in region of liver and gall-bladder shooting up to le ft shoulder, worse by pressure. Gall-stone shooting up to left scapula. Pains sh oot down from tenth rib to navel. Very valuable for hepatic diseases; with indigestion, eructations, salivation, h eartburn, vomiting of food after eating. Soreness in the region of the liver. Bi lious colic, colic from gall-stones, with jaundice. It cures gall-stone colic when these little twinges go in every direction from t hat locality. Rectal Symptoms: Berberis produces both constipation (sheep-dung stools) and dia rrhea, and a number of symptoms about the anus. Hemorrhoids, with itching or burning, particularly after stool, which frequently is hard and covered with bl ood. Fistula in ano with painful pressure in perineum, extending deep into pelvi s. For post-operative pains and also in cases where, after an operation on fistula, th ere appear symptoms such as short coughing in the chest. Genitalia: Dragging or lancinating pains in spermatic cord, extending into teste s. Cold feeling in prepuce, glans, testes, and scrotum. In the female a mar ed symptom is absence of pleasurable sensation during coitio n. Uterine symptoms and leucorrhea associated with painful urinary symptoms. Dysmenorrhea, pains radiating in all directions down thighs, etc. Vagina intens ely painful; reddened. Violent pain in bac , with menses which are too scanty. Neuralgia of spermatic cords and testicles (Clem., Cimicif., Puls.) Uterine symp toms, with leucorrhea, associated with painful symptoms in urinary organs. Dysmenorrhoea, with pains, radiating in every direction, down thighs, into abdo men, etc. (Cimicif.). Vaginismus, with inflamed idneys, etc. Lumbago: Berberis is a leading remedy in lumbago and slipped disc. Pains extend from bac , round body, down to the thighs and leg; red sediment in urine is a concomitant.
Numbness, stiffness, and lameness felt in idney region. Pains are worse from an y exertion and fatigue, and therefore you will find aggravation after the mornin g activities at 1 or 2 p.m. Worse from lying down on the bac , especially first t hing at night, which prevents them from sleeping. Much worse from bending forwar d. Warm coverings are pleasant but do not ameliorate the pains dramatically. This w ill help to differentiate Berberis from Calc. or Rhus tox. Aching in small of bac aggravated when sitting; when lying; in the morning on a wa ening. In lumbago most cases are better from motion. But note that while the pains in t he lumbago are better from motion, the pains that appear in the joints are worse from motion. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Berberis could be useful in C.F. S as there is great w ea ness, li e fainting, after a wal , with perspiration and heat on the upper pa rt of the body; cold, pale, sun en face and oppression of breathing. Great relaxation , with disinclination to do anything. After a short distance the patient is comp elled to stop from a feeling of intense weariness, heaviness, lameness, and stiffness of the legs, which feel sore as if bruised. Polypus of the Vocal Cord: On the indication "tumors and sessile growths," Ozana m cured a case of polypus of vocal cords, red, with a sessile base. Thuja had failed. bear. 200 was given at first with good effect, the attenuation being gr adually reduced with increasingly good effect until the growth disappeared entir ely under the 1x. Arthritis: Stuart Close records the cure with Berb. 200 of a woman who had the f ollowing symptoms: cutting, burning pains in the balls of the feet on stepping. On standing with most of the weight on the heels she had no pain. On rising in mor ning sensation in soles as if stepping on needles. Gouty concretions in the auri cle,
becoming very painful, with tearing stinging pains. Acne: The drug has been successfully used in common acne.
Generalities The idneys, liver and heart are more or less affected. The urinary secretion is always increased when the action of the drug is favoura ble. Light urine, and heavy urine, excessive deposits of uric acid and urates. Copious discharges, alternating with scanty discharges. The burning, stinging, tearing, stitching, wandering pains are the main feature, the grand feature of Berberis. There is swelling of the joints but this is not so common as the pains without s welling. Soreness, lameness in the joints, with these radiating pains. "A pain i n the heel as if it were ulcerating," and then the pain shoots off in every direction . He moves many times, because he cannot eep still, especially at night in bed. W orse in various attitudes, especially standing, and lying on bac . Mucous membranes become dry - mouth, vagina etc. Increased albuminoid and gelati nous mucous secretion. Discharges or s in are dirty gray. Cold feeling in the bones, blood vessels, eyes, ears etc. Chest affected after operations on piles, fistula, etc. The metatarsus and metacarpus are often the seat of pain, as if sprained. Indura tion of glands, notty li e ropes. Watery blood in hemorrhage. Odor of perspiration li e urine. Perspiration on single parts of the upper part of body before sleep. Aggravation from: change of position; spoiled fish. Cold bathing ameliorates. Bending over: compelled by cutting contraction in chest to abdomen; pain in hepa tic region better. Sitting: anxiety; anus very sensitive; pain in renal region is made worse; pain in left spermatic cord; vulvar itching and burning increase; bac ache aggravated
; s in of arms painful to touch, aggravated; stitches in thighs; stitches in tendo-achill is and heels. Rising from a seat: sensation in
nees as if palsied.
Standing: anxiety; pain in groins is made worse; pain in renal region is aggrava ted; pain left spermatic cord; painful swelling of tendo-achillis and heels; sti tches between metatarsal bones. Lying: pain in renal region is worse; vulvar burning and itching ameliorated; ba c ache aggravated; crawls. Arm hanging down: numbess worse. Raising arm: obstruction in breathing. Raising foot: pain preventing flexion.
Exertion: heat in head; pain in wrist; uterine symptoms at first aggravated, the n improved; inclination to sweat. Wal ing: pain between anterior superior spine of ileum and umbilicus is made wor se; pains in groins worse; vulvar itching and burning is aggravated; pain in vag ina worse; stitches in thighs; stinging in nee joint; painful swelling of tendo-ac hillis and heels; great wea ness. Ascending: shortness of breath. Motion: anxiety; headache; ma es the pain in epigastrium and other abdominal and stomach pains worse, also the pain in bladder, genitals and eye symptoms, but t he lumbago is usually much better from motion. Lamed all over with warm feeling in lower part of bac
and sacrum.
Fainty feeling, with wea ness and giddiness. Exhaustion to such an extent as to cause trembling and s.
noc ing together of nee
Rapid change of symptoms - pains change in regard to place and character; thirst alternates with thirstlessness, hunger, and loss of appetite. Sees things at twilight.
Head The sensation of a s ullcap may be described in a variety of ways by the patient . Puffy feeling in head; a sensation as if head were becoming larger. Scalp tense; numbness of the scalp. Tension of scalp and s in, as if swollen. In s in of head and face a tension as if it was bloated, or covered with a hat, in the morning on wa ing. Heat of the head after chill, after dinner, after exertion - mental or physical. Heat in temples with cold chee s. A peculiar cold sensation in the right temple. Sha ing sensation of head on stooping. Heaviness in head, when stooping, as if brain would fall forward, with a sensati on of bubbling, as if all would prolapse from forehead.
Headache aggravated by movement or stooping, better in open air. Headache: accompanied by hepatic or rheumatic arthritic complaints; or with affe ctions of urinary organs; or with menstrual derangements. Pain in temples, extending vertex and eyes across forehead. Darting and shooting pains in head, often changing their locality. Drawing pain in head during menses. Shooting pain in head after menses. Shooting pain, extending from temple to temple. Sudden stitches from eyes to forehead. Stitching pain during and after menses. Pains behind the eyes worse exertion and loss of sleep.
Itching, with burning and stitches on scalp and face. Baldness in old people.
Eyes Shuns the light. Illusions; in twilight objects appear twice as large as natural. Dim sight, all objects loo ing dar , as if through a veil. Loss of vision when exerting eyes in sewing. Sensation of sand between lids. Cold feeling in eye, li e from a cool wind, with lachrymation when closing eyes. Quivering of eyelids when reading in poor light. Quivering of left upper lid at night. Itching in canthi, eyebrows and eyelids. Violent shooting pains through eyes into brain, or from temples to eyes; sometim es into arms, or from nee to eye. Conjunctivitis, with inflamed lachrymal caruncle. Eye symptoms aggravated out-doors, and on moving eyes.
Ears Coldness in ears during pregnancy. Heat alternating with cold on external ear. Buzzing noises in left ear. Throbbing and roaring in ears. Stopped up feeling in ear, with pressure. Tearing pain in antitragus. Tearing, alternately in ear and other parts of body. Tearing and stitches in ears, through membrana tympani, as if a nail was thrust through, or li e from sting of an insect. Shooting and stitching pain behind right ear in attac s, worse every evening.
Stitching pain in the afternoon at 5 p.m. Pain while sitting. Nodosities, size of hemp seed, on auricle, painful to touch. Small cystic tumor behind ear, size of a hazel-nut. Pulsation in left ear.
Nose The mucous membranes of the nose are usually dry, with little discharge. Dryness of nose, succeeded by chronic catarrh with discharge. Offensive, fetid, burnt, pungent discharge. Chronic obstinate coryza in left side, pains extending to Highmorian cavity and frontal cavities, with moderate secretion of a yellowish or greenish mucus, more copious in morning, and having a pungent, empyreumatic smell or taste, succeede d by violent ophthalmic complaints. Pain in nose, extending to ears. Pric ing in point of nose. Gnawing pain in tip of nose. Epistaxis in the morning after rising.
Face Face pale, a dirty grayish loo , sun en chee s, surrounded by bluish or blac ish -gray circles. Greenish face, with blue rings and pin eyes. Sensation as if cold drops were spurted in face when going into open air. Sensation of chilliness, succeeded by deep red spots on chee , attended with hea t extending over face in afternoon. Coldness in face extending to bac . Heat and redness and burning of face by mental exertion. Stitching pain in lower jaws in the evening. Red spots in forehead. Pulsation of lips, quivering in lips. Formication in upper lip, around mouth and chin. Dryness of lips, with scaling and formation of thin brown scurf on edges. Bright red, inflamed pimples on chee s and lips, ulcerated in centres. Pea-shaped vesicles on lower lip. Cold sweats on face.
Mouth A stic y, frothy saliva li e cotton; soapy saliva. Sour taste after drin ing.
Taste: of blood; bitter; sour. Inflammation and swelling of palate arch. Gums bleed easily. Sore gums during dentition. Dirty redness of gums. Tongue smarts when touched. Painful white blisters on tip of tongue. Ugly bluish-red spots in mouth. Under lip bluish-red on internal surface. Pimples and pustules on inner chee s, gums, tongue, lips, red and painful, size of a pea. Aphthae. Nodosities of gums. Offensive metallic odor from mouth. Teeth as if too long, sensitive to touch and to air. Drawing and bubbling toothache. Piercing pain in hollow teeth of lower jaw. Pain as if gums were torn, or tooth pulled out. Jer ing pain as if tooth would be torn out.
Throat Splinter as from awns of barley in the pharynx. Sensation of a plug in side of throat, with dryness, roughness and scraping; sev ere pain from empty deglutition. Polypi in larynx. Stitching and tearing rheumatic pain in the sides, extending to arms and occiput . Inflammation of tonsils and pharynx, with swelling and fiery redness. Tonsils pain when spea ing or swallowing; stitching li e from an awn in throat. Pain in left tonsil, as if a hus was stic ing there, particulary when spea ing and swallowing; interior of throat red, exterior very sensitive to touch and mot ion.
Expectoration of a quantity of thic , yellow, jellyli e mucus; white, stic y ton gue; viscid saliva resembling soapsuds. Empty swallowing hurts in throat. Coldness in external throat. Indurated goitre.
Stomach Duodenal ulcers. Indigestion. Very slow digestion. Pit of stomach puffed up. Pressure in stomach as if it would burst. Chilliness in region of stomach, ceasing after vomiting. Chilliness before dinner. Frequent bitter eructations, alternating with yawning. Increased hunger, alternating with loss of appetite. Great thirst, alternating with aversion to all
inds of drin s.
Desires eggs, raw meat. Thirsty for cold drin s. Nausea before brea fast, gone after it. After eating solids, belching for hours, and soreness continuing whole night. Worse after spirituous drin s.
Abdomen Pain in hypochondria, breathing aggravates. Stitching pain in hypochondria, pressure aggravates. Stitching in hypochondria extending to bac . Drawing-tearing in left hypochondrium, with sensation during inspiration as if s omething was torn loose. Violent burning, li e heartburn, in left hypochondrium, extending upward into es ophagus. Crampli e contraction in splenic region. Stitching, cutting pain in liver. Pain in liver when breathing. Paroxysmal pain in liver, extending to epigastrium. Stic ing-pressive pain in the region of the liver, increased by pressure. Sharp, pinching pains in region of liver, which come suddenly and with great sev erity; at times caused him to hold his breath, to bend over and to get red in fa ce; pin sediment in urine; feces blac , or very dar , very adhesive to commode.
Colic from gall-stones. Bilious colic, followed by jaundice. Coldness in inguinal region becoming burning. Pain in inguinal region on motion. Burning pain in right inguinal region.
Stitching and pressing pain in inguinal region, paroxysmal, pulsating, extending downward. Veins distended in inguinal region. In the right inguinal region, near the abdominal ring, some varicose veins. Pressure and tension in groins, as if a hernia would develop, especially when wa l ing and standing. Itching, or pressure in region of inguinal glands, with pain from touch as if th ey would swell. In inguinal region a pressing, squeezing tension, stinging and cutting, extendin g towards thighs. Bubbling sensation in inguinal region. Pain in crest of ilium, extending to thigh, when urinating. Stitching, tearing pain in crest of ilium, extending to gluteal muscles and upwa rds. Colicli e pains, especially about navel. Burning pain in or under s in of abdomen. Stitching tearing or burning in s in of abdomen, mostly about navel.
Rectum Venous stasis occurs in pelvic region, causing hemorrhoids. Tension in rectum after stool. Burning pain in rectum during menses. Soreness in rectum during menses. Burning stitching pain during, before, and after stool. A long-continued sensation after the stool, as if one had just been to stool, or as if one had just recovered from a pain in the anus. Constipation with hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids, with itching or burning, particularl y after stool, which frequently is hard and covered with blood. Large hemorrhoidal tumors with itching and burning. Frequent ineffectual urging to stool. Painful diarrhea with rumbling. Clay-colored stools.
Changing stool, irregular, costive or loose. Small, indurated, intermitting stool. Hard stool, li e sheep's dung, passed only after much straining. Stitching pain in perineum extending to uterus. Violent burning pain in the anus, as if the parts around it were sore. Tearings extending around the anus. Smarting pain in the anus.
Hemorrhage from anus after exertion. The s in for some distance around the anus feels completely raw, with severe bur ning. Excoriation between nates. Crust, eczema and herpetic eruption about anus. Fistula in rectum when attended with bilious symptoms. Itching around anus. Formication in anus after stool.
Urinary organs Kidneys - Bubbling sensation in region of idneys. Renal colic, from right ureter to the bladder, with stinging, tearing, digging p ain. In Berberis, the pain radiates from the idney; pain may be either side, ma y be below the idney, but it is sure to be a radiating pain. Pain from idneys extending to abdomen and hip, extending to calves and downward . Pain radiating from renal region to ureters into bladder and urethra. Tearing pain in the region of both idneys soon after rising in the morning, whi ch extends sideways and forward, both upward and downward, so that the whole region of the bac between the thorax and the pelvis is affected. This tearing was noticed even when sitting, more severe than when standing; was relieved in t he afternoon. Heat in region of idneys. Numbness and weariness in region of
idneys.
Pain in idneys before and during urination. Pressive or tensive pains in region of loins and idneys, with a feeling of stif fness and lameness, or swelling, in bac and lower limbs. A stic ing-digging, or digging-tearing pain in one or the other as if it were suppurating, aggravated by deep pressure. Sore, bruised pain, extending to thighs.
idney regions,
Stitching pain, extending to
nee and urethra, while sitting.
Motion aggravates pain. Standing ameliorates pain. Drawing pain in ureters, especially left side. Tearing in ureters, after rising in the morning. Bladder - Burning pain in the bladder. After urinating, a sensation in the bladd er as if one must go again soon, or as if some urine remained behind. Drawing-stic ing pain in one or the other side of the bladder, extending down in to the female urethra, often arising in the lumbar region, and extending along t he course of the ureters.
Violent stic ing pain in the bladder extending from the
idneys.
Painful cuttings in the left side of the region of the bladder extend into the u rethra, coming from the left idney along the course of the ureter. Pulsation in bladder. Frequent urging to urinate, the slightest motion aggravates. Violent urging to u rinate after urination. Calculi in bladder. Urethra - Bubbling sensation in the urethra while sitting. Convulsive constriction. Pain in anterior part when not urinating. Burning pain in urethra after ejaculation at night, urination ameliorates. Burning pain in the female urethra during and after urinating. Cutting pain when not urinating and after urination. Stitching pain bac ward to bladder. Tearing and twinging pain in female meatus. Most violent burning in meatus. Prostate Gland - Sensation of enlargement. Fullness of prostate gland. Urine - In Berberis we see all inds of sediment in the urine: clay-colored, gel atinous, whitish-gray, mealy, mucous, bright red, thic , white, bran-li e, granu lar, pin , dirty-red, renal calculi, sand gravel, yellowish-red crystals, translucent. Color of urine li e coffee, blood-red, light/dar yellow. Mil y during menses. We have a characteristic odor which is li e coffee.
Genitalia - male Suppressed sexual desire. Depressed sexual function, excitement feeble and too short, ejaculates too soon. Straining during and after ejaculation of semen.
Great prostration in sexual parts after coition. Sensation of wea ness and unexcitability in parts, especially after urinating. Coldness and numb feeling from glans, scrotum and prepuce of penis. Scrotum shrun en, shrivelled, cold. Soreness, especially on left side of scrotum. Penis hard and contracted all along upper part, bending it upward.
Atrophy of penis. Penis small and cold. Retraction of penis. Soft pulpy swelling of the left spermatic cord, with at times drawing, burning, or smarting, dragging, lancinating, or tearing pains, with pain extending down i nto the testicles, especially the epididymis, also extending up into the abdominal ring , wal ing aggravates. Neuralgia and inflammation of spermatic cord, testicles and epididymis. Drawing from right or left testicle to spermatic cord. Testicles drawn up.
Genitalia - female Bursting pain in ovaries and vulva. Dryness of vagina after menses. Intensely painful vagina; burning, sore, as if e xcoriated. Insensibility of vagina during coition. Tearing pain in vagina, extending about the meatus. Pain in vagina when touching and before menses. Sensation of burning and soreness in the vagina, frequently very sensitive, espe cially in the anterior portion, even extending to the labiae. Grey leucorrhea. Vulva itching and burning; aggravated while wal ing or sitting, better when lyin g. Sun en uterus. Menstruation - Berberis has a lot of problems with menstruation extending all ov er the body. At beginning of menstruation: violent pain in idneys. During menses: pain in bac ; pressure and tension in upper arm and shoulders, ex tending to nec ; vehement tearing through whole body, particularly left side; pa in in idneys; stitches in breast; pressing headache; painful distended abdomen; exha ustion, faintness, shivering, and weariness of life. After menses: great lassitude with tearing and stitching in head; pain in small
of bac and loins; pressure in mammae, especially at nipple, with sensation as i f mamma was swollen; stitches in left mamma. Menses very scanty. Menses only in the evening while lying. Offensive clotted menses. Menses too frequent. Suppressed menstruation.
Chest Obstructed respiration, pains ta e away the breath. Lancinations from lower dors al vertebrae through chest, arresting breathing. Pain in chest when raising arms, stretching the arm ameliorates. Respiration difficult on raising arms. Oppression, with fluent coryza, mostly at night. Oppression before sleep. Shortness of breath when going up-stairs. Pulsating, stitching pain in region of right clavicle. Stitches in sides, extending to hypochondrium. Stitches in anterior and middle of breast, particularly when inspiring deeply, a ttended with a dry, hac ing cough. Cutting pain in the middle of chest extending to abdomen. Shooting pain deep in front of middle chest. Violent, sudden, incisive, contractive pain, in front part of chest, extending d own to abdomen, obliging him to bend double. Pressing pain in mammae, behind left nipple after menses. Stitching pain in mammae during menses. Stitching pain in left nipple. Painful dragging-stic ing in region of heart, outward and downward. Very painful contracting urging-shooting in region of heart, wor ing from in out and up down; next day palpitation. Squeezing and stinging about heart. Stitches about heart. Frequent palpitation. Pulse slow and wea , or full, hard and rapid. Pimples on chest and scapulae.
Bac Sciatica aggravated from changes of weather. Bubbling sensation in dorsal region or the scapula, aggravated when lying and ri
sing from a seat. Sore pain before menses, worse at night. Pain extending to arms. Aching pain in bac in the morning on wa ing. Pains in the bac are generally worse when lying. Aching pain after menses.
Pressure in bac , as if bones would be pressed asunder, with heaviness, numbness , vibration and warmth, disappearing after expulsion of wind. Pain in bac with efforts to stool. Stitching pain in scapulae between inspirations. Lancinating pain in lower dorsal vertebrae through chest. Sudden stitch darting from side of nec into upper arm. Stiffness in nec half-sided, with a sensation of inward swelling. Pain as if bruised or swollen, from right scapula to shoulder joint. Lumbar region - Stic ing or pressing pain, at times slight, at times very sensit ive, in one or the other lumbar region, now in a small spot when it is a simple stic ing, now in a larger place, when it is chiefly pressing, either exactly in the regio n of the idneys, or at times extending above or below, but especially outward, so that it extends around the side of the abdomen in front, or to the region of the hip s, sometimes also in the spine and extending down to the small of the bac , and the region of the bladder and groins; sometimes fine, sometimes dull; the stic ing sometimes extends from the region of the idneys straight forward into the abdomen, at times with a numb, paralyzed, bruised sensation; frequently returni ng and lasting a long time. Numbness. Postoperative pains. Pain on appearance of the menses. Fluttering pain. Burning pain when rising from sitting or stooping. Tearing pain while lying, while standing. Sore pain on awa ening from sleep. Wea ness when riding. Sacral region - Pain while sitting and while lying. Amelioration after stool. Pain as if the bac would brea . A feeling of warmth in the lower part of the bac and in the small of the bac , as if the lumbar region were asleep, extending down into the sacrum, the hips, a nd the posterior portion of the thighs.
Pressive-tensive or pressing sensation in the sacrum, deep, internal, when sever e, with a feeling as if the bone would be forced asunder, worse when sitting and lying. Great soreness and pain through entire bac from sacrum to shoulders, greatly in creased whenever patient performed any labour. Boils in groups. Pimples in dorsal region.
Extremities Limbs - Pain in lower limbs, in changing weather.
Pain in lower limbs while wal ing, aggravated after wal ing. Upper limbs and shoulder, when scratching, ulcerative, vibrating. Stiffness in lower limbs when wal ing in open air. Sensation as if sprained in muscles and bones of lower limbs. Tension in upper limbs, extending to nec . Arms and Shouders - Ulcerative pain in shoulder, in upper arm when lifting, duri ng menses, extending to nec . Gurgling feeling in shoulder, with sensation as of something alive in joint, esp ecially about midnight. Gurgling (bubbling) feeling in muscles of right upper arm. Cold arms. Sensation of heaviness in axilla. Bubbling sensation of shoulder, upper right arm, thighs,
nee.
Tension in shoulder during menses. Tension in elbow, bending aggravates. Hands and Fingers - Pain in wrist after exertion. Sensation as if drops of cold water were sprin led on bac of hand on going into open air. Pulsating pain in palm of hand. Vibrating, ulcerative pain in joints of middle finger, fingernail and tip of fir st finger. Heaviness in fingers, lower limbs as if beaten, with heaviness in nee after ris ing from a seat and after wal ing. Pulsation of fourth finger. Sensation of swelling of thumb. Neuralgia under fingernails with swelling of finger-joints. Knees - Stinging in joint of nee, particularly on inner side, when wal ing. Tension in bend of
nee, as if tendons were too short.
Swollen veins in bend of
nee.
Rheumatic pain in left nee, in hollow of right nee, while sitting. Pain in patella while wal ing. Sensation in nees as if palsied, weary and beaten, after wal ing, and when aris ing from seat.
Tension in
nee, stretching aggravates.
Thighs, Tibia and Calves - Pain in thigh on motion; during menses. Pain in thigh, change of weather aggravates. Pain in thigh by urination, before a heavy wind, extending downward during mense s. Pain in thighs, aggravated by changes of weather, mostly before heavy wind. Pain in tibia on motion. Pain in calf during menses.
Calf is sensitive. A peculiar, spongy sensation, as if feeling was lost in left thigh, from hip to nee; cupping brought no blood; has to limp in wal ing on account of pain in lef t thigh. Sensation of icy coldness on small spots on thigh. Feet - Burning an le in anterior part. Pain in foot while lifting. Pain of foot sole in the evening, while standing. Pain in heel while standing. Pain in tip of first toe. Ulcerative pain in third toe. Pain in fourth toe as if it were sprained. Sensation of coldness on an le joint. Tension in heel when standing. Itching pain - Biting, crawling, stic ing, burning in upper limbs and upper arm. Biting in hand and wrist. Crawling in hand, rubbing ameliorates. Crawling in the metacarpal joint of the first finger. Biting, stic ing and burning in thigh, an le, foot, bac toes.
of foot, sole of foot,
Numbness of upper limbs and forearm when hanging down. Tearing pains - Wandering in the same hand; wrist; fingers. Tearing under thumb nail, extending upward. Pinching pain - in posterior part of forearm. - in calf when sitting and lying. Burning pain in spots. Drawing pain in forearm on exertion and after exertion. The pains of Berberis are mainly stitching pains or twinges and have the charact eristics already mentioned: Stitches at intervals in sitting or while wal ing, either through, across thighs , or from hip down to foot. - in shoulder, burning in achromic, on inspiration, on expiration.
- acute and burning in forearm, while writing. - in ulnar side of wrist and hand. - in bac of hand. - in fingers, extending to tips, in joints. - in s in of first finger. - in thigh, extending outward, inner side when stepping. - pulsating on posterior part of thigh.
- in tendons of nee while standing and wal ing. - in an le while standing and running. - in anterior part of an le. - in foot sole while standing. - tingling stitches in heel after wal ing. Crawling, pulse-li e, twitching and twinging stitches in first and fourth toe, e specially when stepping. Lymphatic swelling of upper and lower limbs and leg. Lymphatic swelling in flexors of arm, with petechia-li e spots, and burning. Eruptions - Warts on second finger. Small warts on balls of hand and on middle finger. Small, flat, semitransparent pimples, or rudimentary warts on fingers. Blotches li e nettlerash on upper arm, scaling off. Dingy red marbled spots on arms, with bruised pain. Pimple on point of each elbow, much inflamed after rubbing. Petechiae, small and red, with white spots on forearm and bac s of hands. Redness of points and bac s of fingers, with itching; after chilblains. Pain under nails, with tenderness to touch.
Sleep Anxious feeling in bed. Anxious dreams. Sleepiness early in evening. Faint when going to bed. When lying down, crawls. Sleep disturbed by shuddering. Ta es strange position in sleep. Wa ing after midnight, between 2-4 a.m. Yawning while wal ing, open air ameliorates.
Restless, dreamful sleep, with frequent wa ing and congestion of blood to head. During night awa ened by violent thirst, profuse sweat, or itching-burning stitc hes. Difficult awa ing in morning, succeeded by pains in head and bac , exhaustion an d want of recollection. Sleep unrefreshing.
Mind and body relaxed after sleep.
Fever Chill, beginning in face and extending from face to the bac y.
and rest of the bod
Internal chill, as if coldness in the bones. Chill before menses. Chill before dinner, with icy cold feet. Suffering parts chilly, in region of idneys; accompanied by gooseflesh. Chilliness in region of stomach, ceasing after thirst. Chill as if in bones, with warmth of s in. Chills in bac and bac s of arms, as from cold water, evening before going to be d, afterwards warm. Chills in bac , extending to hips, as if produced by an icy cold wet hand erchie f, in twenty minutes succeeded by warmth; after a second attac swelling of tendo-achillis. Chill followed by heat with or without thirst. Short crawl and shudder from up down through bac and chest, followed by heat. Chill in forenoon with cold feet, heat in afternoon and sweating evening or nigh t. Cold feeling in eye, li e from a cool wind, with lachrymation when closing eyes. Fever in the evening after chill. Fever at 6 p.m. Burning heat in the afternoon. Febrile heat only during the day. Sensation of coldness on isolated spots, as if from cold metal, cold substances, or as if cold drops were sprin led. Running cold, and crawls in s in. Heat in face, extending over whole body, which is cool, without thirst. Transient sensation of warmth at different places. With heat, anxiety, oppression of chest, shooting in head, thirst.
Inclination to sweat with least exercise. Typhoid and putrid fevers. Ague with enlargement of spleen or pains in region of spleen. Perspiration during occupation. Odor li e urine. Perspiration of single upper parts of the body before sleep.
S in Crusty, brown eruptions. Painful pustules. Stinging pustules. Discoloration, white spots. Itching spots. Old yellow spots around navel peeling off. In s in much itching, biting, pric ing and burning, with minute stitches, someti mes with increased sensation of warmth and with eruption. Rasping and pric ing in s in, increased by friction, and frequently succeeded by a red spot. Red spot on left eyelid, feels li e a mosquito-bite, but swelling nearly closes eye; next day other spots on face, behind ear, on nec ; third day on chin and no se, with itching and burning: in evening covered with small vesicles, oozing watery flui d. Spec s resembling nettlerash and patches on shoulders, arms and hands. Pimples, usually isolated, sometimes in groups. Single, red pimples burning, itching, leaving brown liver spots. Inflamed pimples, sensitive to touch.
Clinical Rheumatic conditions, gout, lumbago, sciatica. Joint affections. Knee affections . Biliary colic. Gall-stones. Bladder affections. Kidney affections. Calculus. G ravel. Oxaluria. Renal colic. Dysmenorrhea. Leucorrhea. Vaginismus. Fevers. Fistula. H erpes. Tumors. Acne. Liver disorder. Affections of spleen. Ophthalmia. Polypus. Neuralgia of spermatic cords.
Relations Compare: Alo., Ant-t., Arsen., Calc., Calc-ph. (fistula in ano; chest symptoms, especially after surgical operation); Canth., Carb-v., Cham., Chi., Lyc., Nat-m. , Nit-ac., Nux v., Pul., Rheum. In burning and pric ing pains in anus: Lyc., Thuj. In duodenal catarrh: Chi., Lyc., Hydrast., Pod., Ric-com., Merc. In aversion to dar ness: S tram., Am-m., Calc., Carb-an., Stro., Val. In pains in feet on stepping: Cycl. Botanic al relations: Podo., Caulo., bear-aq. Antidoted by: Camph., Bell. Antidote to: Acon. An occasional dose of Lyc. helped action of Berb. Follows wel l: Bry., Kali bi., Rhus, Sul.
Dosage From 3x to the highest. BISMUTH Bi2O3OH2. Hydrated oxide of Bismuth and the precipitated subnitrate of Bismuth are not dif ferentiated. THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES Bismuth is a remedy which should be thought of in cases where the focus of the p roblem lies in the stomach region. Severe stomach pains of whatever origin are a strong indicator for this remedy, particularly in cases of pure gastritis, and inflammation of the mucous lining of the stomach. The Bismuth patient's face is earthy, pale, with blue rings around eyes; there is great thirst for cold drin s in evening, nausea and pressure in stomach after eating with great drowsiness in forenoon. He may experience flushes of heat over head and chest and feel prostr ated. Any derangement in the health of the individual has repercussions on the stomach. Thus Bismuth may be classed with the group of remedies whose common fa ctor is a wea ness in the stomach region, such as: Nat-carb., Ant-c., Nux v., Robinia, Kali-c. and Kreosotum. The characteristics of the Bismuth gastritis are the following: severe burning, pinching, cramping or lancinating pains with violent vomiting of enormous quanti ties of food. The epigastric pains usually extend to the spine. The pains are temporari ly relieved by drin ing cold water, but as soon as the water becomes warm in the stomach it is ejected by spasmodic vomiting. If this does not happen automatica lly a heavy load, li e a stone, is felt in the stomach which prompts the patient to stic
a finger into his throat to induce vomiting.
The patient vomits at intervals when the stomach becomes full and the amount of vomitus is really enormous. It is as if food had been left there for days and is suddenly ejected. Here it is interesting to note another peculiar symptom of Bi smuth that has been confirmed: eructations taste of food eaten 24h before. The pains of Bismuth are so severe that the patient is in constant turmoil, writ hing about in great distress. The arms and legs, the entire body - all are in co
nstant motion. There is tremendous physical restlessness. The patient goes from one pl ace to another, lies down, gets up, sits now here, now there, but he cannot stay long in one place. The pain is so intense that it provo es great fear in the patient . He eeps repeating, "Am I going to be well? Will I recover? Please hold me! Do n't leave me alone!" These patients, because of the violence of the pain, have a gr eat fear of being left alone and of solitude. They need somebody to be with them constantly, sometimes just to hold their hand. This fear of being alone during the pain is very characteristic of Bismuth. If such are the symptoms of the case, the attending homeopathic physician will t end to prescribe other remedies first. Arsenicum will come to mind, because of t he characteristic restlessness, or Phosphorus, because of the anxiety and fear of being left alone. The selection of Phosphorus may be further justified in a case of Bismuth by the great thirst for cold water, the temporary amelioration from it and more particularly by the fact that the water is ejected soon after reaching the stomach, combined with the tremendous anxiety about health, the need for reassu rance and the desire for company during the pain - all symptoms that are as typi cal for Phosphorus as they are for Bismuth. However, in other areas the two remedie s differ totally, as may be seen by the following description of Bismuth's mental-emotional picture. The Mental-Emotional Picture The typical Bismuth patient is one who has suffered a great deal in the course o f his life, both emotionally and physically. The resulting stress has centred on his
stomach which is now inflamed. This patient is nervous, fleshless, irritable an d hysterical, and his emotions are hardened. This type of person does not forgiv e easily, and may pursue a ruthless course of action even with the nowledge that in so doing the other person will be hurt. You will find a combination of excit ability, amounting to hysteria, and near cruelty or indifference for the pain of others. The Bismuth patient's behaviour can be so contradictory that one may get the impression that he is crazy. In the text it says: "want of moral feeling". In t his respect Bismuth is totally different from Phosphorus, whose characteristic emotions are sympathy and compassion. When in pain Bismuth cases become extremely fearful, worrying that others will n ot care for them and that they will be deserted at this time of suffering. They develop an obsession with the fear of being left alone. They dread solitude, especially in times of trial, and they want to cling to per sons around. When suffering with a headache they become apathetic and sullen, an d their mood becomes one of complaining and peevish dissatisfaction. Actually the Bismu th patient suffers from an alternation of headaches with stomach pains. There ar e periods when the headaches are in excess and then the stomach problems subside and vice-versa. Headaches appear mostly in winter These patients do not li e to tal , especially during the day when they appear t o be irritable and complaining, ill-humored, morose and discontented. This mood is better in the evening when they become more tal ative and communicative. Indolence is also better in the evening. Their minds may be unstable, even confused, as if intoxicated. They start on one subject, then change to another, holding but a s hort time to any one thing. This lac of consistency would seem to indicate a we a will and lac of ability to ma e a decision. Lastly, the Bismuth patient is easily f rightened on wa ing. The Children Bismuth children are slender and irritable, with a tendency to slow chronic diar rhea. This remedy is indicated in infants where a difficult teething period is accompanied by vomiting, offensive eructations, intermittent diarrheic stools, or soft semi-liquid stools of a light color and foul odor, preceded by crampy pa ins and pinching in the stomach. Children with summer diarrhea, watery offensive stool and great prostration fall into this category if vomiting predominates. This is one of the main remedies in cholera infantum with a sudden onset of the
disease and where the case loo s very serious. The stools are watery but excessi vely offensive and cadaverous smelling, and there is excessive vomiting, especially of cold water as soon as it reaches the stomach. The tongue is thic ly coated wh ite, there is rapid exhaustion and dehydration which show the severity of the case. The child is restless and anguished, he wants his mother next to him all the tim e holding his hand. The case bears a strong resemblance to Arsenicum, with one im portant difference: the surface of the s in is warm, while in Arsenicum it is co ld. Other Characteristics Another stri ing characteristic of Bismuth is that the pain is ameliorated by ru bbing or massaging the bac . Massaging the region of the solar plexus itself can not be tolerated, but rubbing the region of the bac ameliorates. Such massaging may r elieve not only the pain and writhing, but also the tremendous anguish. Here it must be stressed that the Bismuth epigastric pains are felt behind as if they were i n the spine; they are not felt on the outside of the bac li e in belladonna but rather deep in the spine. While the acute exacerbation of pain is continuous for days at a time, chronical ly the pain recurs in paroxysms with an irregular periodicity. This periodicity may vary from every fifteen to thirty to forty-five days, and, once the paroxysm begins, its violence, anxiety, and characteristic great thirst for cold drin s (which a re vomited) are unmista able signposts to Bismuth. It is strange, however, that once the pain abates, these patients can eat and di gest virtually anything. During the paroxysm, the body and head may feel as if f ever is present. Eventually the extremities become cold, but the torso and head remain warm to the touch, even though there is actually no fever. Bismuth is indicated in the chronic non-febrile vomiting following an acute gast ritis, or indigestion. It is important to remember that in spite of the fact tha t there is such a strong inflammation of the stomach lining, fever is lac ing or very l ow. This will help you to differentiate it from the belladonna gastritis as both have
the intensity of the pain and the extension to the bac . I have used the oxyde of bismuth with success in a number of cases: a. for a wearing, nightly cough, (in a hysteric lady, whose strange and odd mann ers almost amounted to craziness). b. in a case of sub-acute cystitis, (after Plumbum), accompanied with violent cr ampy pains at the bladder, which came on in irregular paroxysms. c. in several cases of dysmenorrhea in hysteric females. d. and lastly, with brilliant success in a case of phlegmasia alba dolens (phleb itis of the femoral vein). The left lower extremity was the principal seat of th e disease. Generalities Restlessness, driven from place to place, driven out of bed. Faintness from pain in stomach. Most symptoms are ameliorated from motion. All muscles of body, particularly those of legs, from toes to thighs, are spasmo dically contracted. Great debility; languor; prostration. Cold drin s and bathing ameliorate the stomach pain, the headache and the tootha che. Vertigo Vertigo on exercising. Vertigo; a sensation as if the anterior half of the brain were turning in a circ le, several times during the day, lasting several minutes. Confusion of head. Head Constriction of head alternating with relaxation. Heaviness in head on motion, while sitting, on forehead, on occiput, in temples. Headache alternating with pains in stomach. Violent neuralgic headaches which al ternate with gastralgia, the pains in the head involve the face and teeth, worse eating, better from cold water in the mouth. Headache attended by gastralgia. Headaches in winter. Boring pain in forehead after eating, while sitting, extending to nose, motion a
meliorates. Burning, cutting and contracting pain from forehead to occiput. Pressing pain as from a weight in forehead above nose. Dull cutting pain in the brain, which begins above the right orbit and extends t o the occiput. Dull pressive-drawing in the head, now here, now there. Pressure and sensation of heaviness in the forehead, more violent on motion. Violent pressive heavy pain in the forehead. Eyes Distended feeling. Boring, contractive, digging, pressing pain.
Mucus discharged in both canthi. Thic ened mucus in both canthi. Pressure on the right eyeball, from before bac ward and from below upward. Ear Tearing pain in ear, pressure of hand ameliorates. Nose Nosebleed, dar blood. Heaviness of root. On attempting to swallow liquids come out through the nose. Face Pale, cold face; earthy complexion; blue borders around eyes; features changed, as if he had been very sic during headache. Pain in face alternating with pain in stomach (see also stomach). Motion aggravates. Pressing pain in chee . Mouth Gums swollen. Pain in gums as if excoriated. Swelling of mouth, of one side of the tongue. Taste is bitterish-sour, bloody in the morning. Taste: sweetish, sour, or metallic on bac brown, thic , metallic-tasting saliva.
part of tongue. Copious secretion of
Mucus bloody. In the evening, white-coated tongue. Slight salivation, with mar ed tumefaction of inner surface of chee , and side o f tongue. Sensation of looseness of teeth. Toothache relieved by ta ing cold water in mouth; worse when water becomes warm. Pain in teeth, anything cold ameliorates. Pain from warm food and drin s. Drawing pain in molars. Throat
Ulcers spreading on uvula. Inflammation of the throat wa es him at night. Phagedenic ulceration of uvula, with burning and tearing; difficult swallowing o f fluids, which return through nose. Stomach Convulsive vomiting. Vomiting immediately after drin ing the smallest quantity.
Violent retching, followed by fearful vomiting. Vomiting with oppressive anxiety. Vomiting and diarrhea. Vomiting and purging with great prostration; warm surface; flatulency; white ton gue; cadaverous-smelling stools; patient desires company. Water is vomited as soon as it reaches the stomach. Vomiting in teething of children. Nausea in the stomach; he feels as if he would vomit, especially violent after e ating, with pressure in stomach. Nausea, ameliorated after cold drin s. Nausea from warm drin s. Nausea after operation on abdomen. Pain alternating with pain in face. Periodical pain. Pain in stomach with fainting. Pain on small spot. Pain as if something would brea
inside.
Pain as if pressing food in one spot. Pressure in the stomach, especially after eating. Cancer of stomach. Fetid eructations. Pains better from cold drin s. Eructations that taste of the food eaten 24h before. Rubbing bac ameliorates. Pain in stomach relieved by bending bac wards. Abdomen Rumbling when standing, right side. Frequent passage of flatus. Pinching pressure in the lower abdomen, and rumbling with desire; a sensation as if he must go to stool. Abdomen painful to touch.
Rectum Urging in the evening. Clinical symptoms: Painless diarrhea, with great thirst. Cholera infantum, with tongue thic ly coated white, vomiting etc. Urinary Organs He is obliged to urinate frequently, every time profusely; the urine is watery. Genitalia - male
Aching, pressing pain in right testis. Pollutions without erections, awa ens frequently. Chest Burning, hot constriction. Pain in lower chest when wal ing, extending transversely. Pain in the chest and bac , with burning and boring. Boring pain in right side. Pinching pain in diaphragm. Pressing, stitching and tearing pain in nipple, left side of sternum. Tearing pain in lower ribs. Bac Pain as after prolonged stooping. Must bend bac ward from pressure in spine. Extremities Trembling in upper limbs when and after eating. Blue discoloration of upper limbs, forearm, thighs. Paralytic wea ness and weariness in the right arm. Paralytic tearing pressure in the right forearm, especially in the bones of the wrist, toward the outer side, at times more in the upper part. Paralytic pressing in upper arm, forearm, touch ameliorates. Pain in forearm, touch ameliorates. Cramp-li e pain in anterior muscles of upper arm. Pain in elbow, motion ameliorates. Motion ameliorates lameness in forearm. Sore bruised pain in ulna and radius. Pressing, tearing pain in wrist. Trembling in hand while eating. Yellow spots in fingers. Tearing in the metacarpal bones of the right index and middle fingers. Fine tearing in the tips of the fingers of the right hand, especially under the nails.
Itching of lower limbs and feet, scratching aggravates. Corrosive leg. Drawing pain in calf, extending downward. Tearing pain in tendo Achillis. Pressing pain in bones of an le.
Boring pain in bones of foot. Pressing pain in outer side of foot. Dryness in soles of feet. Pressing pain in first tip of toe. S in Corrosive itching near the tibia and the bac s of both feet near the joints, whi ch becomes much worse on scratching; is obliged to scratch himself until it blee ds. Sleep In the morning, a few hours after rising, an excessive sleepiness, but after eat ing he was unable to ta e his accustomed nap for several days. At night, frequent wa ing in sleep as from fright. Restless sleep at night on account of voluptuous dreams, without, or frequently with, emission of semen. Starts in sleep; thin s that he is falling; awa es in a fright. Fever Flushes of heat over the whole body, mostly on head and chest, after rising in m orning. Heat in entire body, with accelerated, contracted pulse; temperature not increas ed; no perspiration; coated tongue; vertigo; pressure in forehead and reddened conjunctiva. CLINICAL Painless diarrhea, with great thirst. Cholera infantum, with tongue thic ly coat ed white, vomiting etc. Gastric catarrh, with terrible gastralgia, the pain extending from the stomach t hrough the body to the spine. The gastric disorders requiring Bismuth vary, but usually are burning, with a feeling of a load or hard lump in stomach (compare with Abi es); vomiting of food and of mucus; gastric symptoms ameliorated by cold drin s. Very valuable for inflammation of the stomach occurring during the progress of chron ic diseases, for instance scirrhus. A mar ed indication for Bismuth is that while ta ing cold drin s there is relief , yet when the stomach becomes full there is vomiting of enormous quantities. RELATION Antidotes: Nux, Capsic., Calc.
Compare: Antimon., Ars., Bellad., Kreosot. DOSAGE From 6x to 50m. 5 Bism 5
Blatta americana Coc roach.
N. O. Orthoptera. Trituration of live insect with sacch. lact.
The essential features This remedy may be indicated in cases where there is a combination of pathology involving the liver and lungs. It should be tried for instance in cases of asthm a accompanied by a liver disfunction or an affection of the idneys. Some peculia r symptoms may be noted in Blatta americana, notably pains shifting from bac to shoulder-blade, and acute pain in chest with want of breath. The patient exhibits a general prostration and weariness, especially on going up stairs, accompanied by indolence and laziness.
Generalities Extreme weariness when going upstairs. Nervous shuddering. Ascites. Various forms of dropsy. Yellow complexion.
Head Numbness and heaviness of the head. Pain in the temple, with lancinations now and then. Aching pain in the temples. Acute pain in the temples, every now and then, at 4 p.m.
Eye
Pric ing, as by a fly, in the corner of the left eye, at 10 a.m. Lachrymation. Yellowness of the sclerotica.
Nose Watery discharge from nose.
Face Yellowness of face. Yellow sclerotics.
Mouth Very salt saliva.
Stomach and abdomen Transient bloating at pit of stomach. Slight colic. Pain in transverse colon, duodenum, and pit of stomach.
Urinary organs Much heat in urethra, when urinating. Yellow color of urine, increasing more and more. Urine bright yellow, albuminous.
Chest Asthmatic respiration. Acute pain in chest, afternoon. Violent pain in chest, with want of breath. Pain in right side of chest.
Bac Pric ings in right side of nec . Pain in bac , right side. Pain shifting from bac to shoulder-blade
Extremities Sense of weariness in the hams. Cramp in right leg. Pain in right leg, from toes to
nees.
Pain in feet, here and there, sometimes in the sole. Pain at left little toe.
Sleep Frequent yawning
Fever Chill and shuddering, for half an hour. Shuddering, with sense of heat and moisture all over.
Clinical Asthma. Dropsy. Jaundice.
Dosage From 6x to 10m.
Blatta orientalis Indian coc roach. N. O. Orthoptera. Trituration of live insect.
The essential features Blatta patients have a tendency to catch cold, as well as a sensitivity in the b ronchi which are easily irritated and inflamed. A Blatta case often starts with a common cold which develops into severe bronchitis and coughing; this in turn creates r espiratory problems which eventually turn into chronic asthma. Blatta orientalis will prove to be one of the most important remedies for asthma attac s which begin after an inflammation of the bronchi and end as asthma and finally emphysema. This remedy is mainly indicated when the asthma attac s are much worse during th e night and the patient cannot get any rest or sleep because it is not possible to lie down at all. He has to sit up, propped up with pillows all night to avoid s uffocation. The patient is drenched in sweat from his efforts to cough out the m ucus, but little expectoration is raised. These symptoms mean that difficulties may b e experienced in the differential diagnosis with such remedies as Ant-t., Ars. a nd Sambucus negra. Blatta is very similar to Sambucus in severe cases of chronic a sthma where respiration is difficult all night and profuse cold perspiration accompanies the exhaustion. Indeed, in most of these cases, Sambucus or Carb-v. are usually prescribed instead of Blatta. Another characteristic of this remedy is aggravation of the asthma in humid cold weather, particularly where the air is saturated with moisture and the smell of mould. This type of smell is prominent in damp climates, li e that of India, wh ere the smell of the ground after rain mingles with the odor of rotten leaves. T he attac s of asthma may be periodic but irregular, very severe at the time of the crisis but once the crisis is over the patient can be entirely free of it. Amelioration of the asthmatic attac may be found by sitting up and bending for wards.
Excess of heat all over the body is another eynote for Blatta orientalis. Heat radiates from the ears, the eyes, the nose, the top of the head, palms, soles of feet or indeed anywhere. Another symptom indicating this remedy is a dry hac ing cou gh with little expectoration during the day, inspite of the fact that the lungs are full of rales. In some patients the excess of mucus is such that it threatens s uffocation. Strea s of blood in the sputum may become the cause of great anxiety to the patient, who fears contracting tuberculosis. Blatta is indicated in the first stages of tuberculosis where there is cough with dyspnea, blood strea s in the sputum and great anxiety on seeing this little bit of blood. The Blatta patient as a rule is not anxious, but as soon a s he sees blood in the sputum he immediately thin s of a bad hemorrhage and death. In oth er cases we may see prolonged fits of spasmodic cough at short intervals with bu t slight expectoration. Alternatively there may be much pus-li e mucus. In the final stages of Blatta's respiratory problems the patient breathes with e xtreme difficulty. The breathing is hard, the jaws are loc ed, saliva dribbles f rom the corners of his mouth, the body is cold with clammy perspiration on forehead, th e patient is so exhausted that he is motionless. The patient loo s almost dead, sitting in bed and leaning forward so that the head almost touches the legs.
Generalities Found accidentally to relieve asthma in a patient who too had been infused.
tea in which a beetle
Great oppression of breathing, restlessness, profuse perspiration, inability to move or lie down, loud wheezing, worse during the night and inability to raise t he excess mucus are the main characteristics. It has acted well in cases in which suffocation was threatened by a great accumu lation of mucus. It is also useful in cases of bronchitis and phthisis where the re is much dyspnea. Obesity. Excess heat radiating from all over the body. Cold wet weather aggravates. Clar e mentions that Blatta orientalis is especially suited to corpulent people and also to malarial cases, and that cases are aggravated in rainy weather. The aggravation in rainy weather has not been my experience however, but rather agg ravation in humid cold weather with a smell of mould.
Head Headache is much worse with the coughing.
Face Yellow discoloration.
Chest Difficult respiration because of constant coughing, which exhausts the patient. Patient has to sit up day and night but is always worse at night. Rales and ronchi can be heard but little expectoration comes out; the little muc us that appears is stic y in the beginning of the crisis but when the attac res olves
mucus comes out in big quantities and in big yellow lumps. Frothy mucus or big yellow lumps of mucus. Emphysema. Pain on right side of chest.
Extremities Cramps in leg. Pain in leg, foot, fifth toe. Wea ness in hollow of nee.
Clinical Asthma. Bronchitis. Phthisis.
Relationships It completes the action of such remedies as Ars., Samb., Ant-t., Carb-v. and, vi ce-versa, these remedies complement the action of Blatta.
Dosage It has been used in very low potencies. In the acute attac it acts better in lo w potencies. In the chronic stages higher potencies are advised.
Borax veneta Borax veneta. Natrum biboracicum. Sodium biborate. Na2B4O7 10H2O. Trituration and Solution.
The essential features Borax primarily affects both the nervous system and the mucous membranes to an e
qual degree. The typical Borax patient is a very excitable, anxious, and oversensitive individual whose mucous membranes exhibit an aphthous condition; the membranes ulcerate and deteriorate, forming white patches or ulcers. Moreove r, these cases suffer from an aggravation from downward movement.
The aphthae The mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue and chee are often affected by aphtho us formations, accompanied by offensive breath, hot mouth and salivation. The irritation goes right through the alimentary canal but strangely enough affects mostly the beginning (mouth) and the end (anus/rectum) of the digestive trac . The area surrounding the anus has an aphthous appearance, and the thic ening of the mucous membranes of the rectum creates a stricture. The stool is slimy, of a greenish or yellowish color, and frequent both day and night. This evidence of an irritation of the alimentary canal suggests that some ind of ulceration is g oing on inside the intestines as well. Great quantities of fluid li e boiled starch are passed through the anus. The action of Borax includes all mucous membranes, and you may expect to see thi s aphthous appearance in all areas where such a membrane is present. The labia m ay be affected by white patches. Membranous dysmenorrhea (Cham., Lac-c.) comes under the action of Borax, and indeed this remedy is one of the best in the materia medica for this condition, which is typically accompanied by very strong pains as if in labor, while the woman feels as though the uterus were about to come ou t through the vagina. Such pains start before the flow but also continue during t he flow.
The nervous system The effect on the nervous system is equally pronounced. Borax patients are highl y excitable individuals with a great intensity in both their emotions and though ts. Their thoughts and feelings can be so confused that they cannot be separated on e from the other. They are people who do not understand what it is for one to be cool and phlegmatic. There is a resemblance to Phosphorus in the vulnerability to external impressions and stimulus. However Borax patients are not as receptiv e and sympathetic as Phosphorus. You may call the Borax state a hysterical condition, although it does not comply with the technical meaning of the word. What we see here is an oversensitivity
and a wea ness "on the surface of the nervous system", and not a profound trouble on a deeper level of the central nervous system. This condition is not insanity, it is simply annoying, and it hinders the individual from serious thought and concent ration. An analogy may be drawn between the irritation from pains felt by the patient su ffering from an aphthous condition the moment he starts eating, and the excitabi lity and restlessness which assail him the moment the thin ing process starts. In th e first case the patient is compelled to stop eating, causing him to starve, and in the second he has to stop thin ing, clear his mind, and generally abandon all a ttempts at serious thought, getting up and wal ing around the room and stretchin g his body bac ward in order to feel better. In the text we read: "While engaged in t hin ing at wor , strong nausea. Every time he is engaged in any sort of meditati on he becomes nauseated and excitable and must leave his wor and rest a little while , and then he goes at it again until he becomes sic at the stomach and so must rest again." This nausea is produced by the intense feelings that arise while engage d in serious thought. It shows an oversensitive state of the mind and feelings, which does not allow the individual to do any continuous or deep thin ing. As soon as he starts meditating, intense feelings are produced by his reflections, and the se bring about a state of overexcitement accompanied by a stomach upset or possibly naus ea. He then has to get up and wal around to calm his thoughts and ta e his mind away from the subject he was engaged on. As soon as he tries to go bac the nausea returns.
to wor
The aggravation from downward movement The great eynote of Borax is of course the aggravation from downward movement, a unique symptom that can serve as a sure pointer to this remedy. For a fuller comprehension of this symptom, it is useful to consider what may be termed a "l oose connection" between the etheric and the physical bodies (a concept describe d fully in my boo "A New Model for Health and Disease"). This loose connection c an explain the tremendous anxiety felt by Borax patients when experiencing a downward motion. All mental complaints such as nervousness, anxiety and apprehe nsion are aggravated from upward or downward motion. Whether the patients find themselves in a lift going down, on a rough sea, riding in a car on a slope, in an airplane that drops in air poc ets, on a swing or a roc ing chair, the feeli ng is always unbearable. As well as experiencing fear and anxiety, they suffer from vertigo and confusion and tend to "go to pieces", not nowing where or who they are. The se patients will avoid lifts and boat-rides at all costs. The slightest downward motion, as when putting an infant to bed, causes the chil d to scream in a great fright and to try to hold on to the mother as if trying t o stop this terrifying downward motion. It seems as though the experience of the "ethe ric body" moving upwards while the physical body goes downwards causes an experience of disconnectedness. The soul appears to be trying to escape through the stomach and mouth, causing a very frightening feeling. This feeling simulat es the moment of death when the soul (or etheric body, or energy body), leaves the physical body. Borax has the same reaction on wa ing suddenly during the night. The patient wa es up in a terrible fright, as if his end had arrived. The etheric body returns to the physical body with a jer and produces this frightening experience. Similarly, hearing a sudden noise brings about this frightened reaction. The patient gives the impression of being absent minded at that moment and out of touch with the envi ronment; this sudden noise brings him bac to his body with a fright. This react ion may be brought about by hearing a cry or an unexpected noise such a something d ropping from a chair or a door closing unexpectedly. Hearing someone haw or sne eze may provo e a fright, as may even very slight noises li e the crumpling of pape r, or the rustling of sil . Other fears to be found in Borax include fear of imp ending
disease, fear of infection, and fear of falling.
The mental-emotional state The Borax patient is typically prone to extreme inner restlessness, coupled with anxiety. He cannot remain concentrated on one project for long. The emotions ar e easily aroused, which then give way to an anxious, nervous and excitable state, followed by fear and apprehension. This condition typically becomes worse as th e day progresses. The time of aggravation is at 4 p.m. At 4 p.m. the patient is at hi s worst; he is fretful, irritable, faultfinding, discontented, dissatisfied and critical to people around him. The time of aggravation culminates at 11 p.m. At around t hat time a sudden change ta es place, allowing calmness and tranquility to super vene. Kent states: "it is in Borax that a great change may occur at 11 p.m. ; this st ate of anxiety and nervous excitement may stop at that hour." After that the pat ient grows lively again, with clearness of mind, tranquil and joyful. The same ind of tranquility may also be experienced after stool, while previous ly there was discontent and annoyance. This remedy is characterised by strong discontent, dissatisfaction, indolence, dullness, pessimism and bad mood in gen eral, but especially at around 4 p.m. , as mentioned earlier, and before stool. After passing stool there is liveliness, contentment and cheerfulness. Confusion of m ind can prevail in the evening, while wal ing, but passing stool ameliorates thi s condition. Where the future loo s grim, the evacuation of the bowels provides o ptimism with regard to the future. This calmness is not due to the stool being h ard or difficult and finding relief, but it is the peculiarity of this remedy to ha ve such a condition. In this it is equal to Calc-c. and Natr-s. These changes of mood are frequent. The patient may feel weary of life and disco ntented during a number of hours, later the mood alternates with cheerfulness.
Morosity alternates with laughter, and weeping or irritability with cheerfulnes s. A feeling of liveliness in the morning, with affectionate mood and desire for wor may be replaced by indolence and aversion to wor in the afternoon, especially after siesta. Moreover, nosebleed ameliorates the psychological state. The excitability and restlessness are aggravated by heat, and therefore at night sleep is difficult. You may also find restlessness with ebullitions, especially after tal ing. On going to bed the patient starts getting excited, and if the room is heated, or he feels heat in the head he becomes so restless that he cannot slee p. The main hours of sleeplessness are after midnight. The patient usually finds that he cannot sleep from 1 a.m. -4a.m. , from 2 a.m. - 5 a.m. or after 4 a.m. The sleeplessness from heat may last all night. You will consider this remedy after having prescribed the different Natrums, li e Natr-m., Natr-s., Natr-p. or Phosphorus. Borax is not a social being li e Phos phorus. He is a serious individual who does not enjoy tal ing or jo ing. He is taciturn , indisposed to tal and timid, and in this respect resembles Natr-m. He exhibit s dullness in the morning, and excitement in the evening in bed. In general there is amelioration from wal ing in open air, and aggravation from mental exertion. On being obliged to concentrate on some serious business the Borax patient becomes irritable, fretful, discontented and morose. He may want to leave or not go to the appointment, particularly if the business is to ta e place in the afternoon at around 4 p.m. He suffers from irritability after eating. The general bad mood th at prevails often ma es him quarrelsome, vehement and even violent and abusive. Vi olence, scolding and swearing ta e over with small cause, sometimes turning to maliciousness. There may be a disposition to be critical of others and to sland er. The mood may turn to weeping and tearfulness, particularly before coughing, before urination and during stool. As the pathology progresses, Borax patients suffer from wea ness of memory and d elusions. In general the Borax memory is in a bad condition. You will find vanis hing of thoughts; a patient will be obliged to reflect long before being able to rem ember what he has done through the day, being uncertain for a long time whether he was at a place yesterday or to-day. Mista es in both space and time may occur. The patient may moreover be suspicious, and have delusions that he is possessed of a
devil or that he is going to be robbed. In cases where the above mental state is present, the aphthous condition is not necessary in order to prescribe this remedy. You will often find, however, that the past history of the patient reveals suppressed aphthae. After suppression of ap hthae Borax should be seriously considered.
The sexuality In this remedy the sexual sphere is characterized by great excitability. This st ate of sexual excitement can reach such extremes that a man may have an orgasm b y merely touching a woman. Such a patient will in fact tell you that he is more i nterested in caressing a woman than in having normal intercourse with her. You w ill find strong desire, though not for coition. This may be due to pain in the uret hra after coition. Burning pain in urethra when semen is discharged is character istic of Borax. Sometimes the seminal discharge appears later than the pleasure. The patient has dreams of coition with orgasms. There are strong erections in the morning on wa ing. Women also experience an intense desire, but, eventually, due to grief and disap pointment, they may exhibit indifference or even aversion to coition. It is characteristic for this remedy that women become pregnant very easily. However, due to heavy leucorrhea and membranous dysmenorrhea, a decline in desire is experienced, replaced eventually by indifference and sterility.
The borax child Borax is a remedy that is used primarily in children in cases where they exhibit the grand eynote of this remedy: aggravation from downward motion. For example , when the mother is in the act of laying the child down onto the bed, it may ris e up in its sleep and cry out in fright. Lifting up an infant's feet to change a diaper will aggravate the child who will start to shout. Borax children in general hav e a tendency to shout or scream rather than cry. An infant being laid down will start and throw up its hands as if afraid of falling, and some nights it may be impos sible to put the child down at all. When laying the child down on the couch or i n the crib, it cries and clings to the nurse. Children who are lifted or roc ed may s uffer from arrested respiration. They cannot bear a downward motion, even in sle ep. When dancing a child up and down or when roc ing it in the arms, you may find t hat it ma es an anxious face during the downward motion. Borax children also exhibit another important symptom: fright during sleep. They may scream and shout during sleep. Children wa e up suddenly, screaming and gra sping the sides of the cradle, without apparent cause. They start in sleep, as if fri ghtened. The infant frequently cries out in its sleep and anxiously grasps its m other, as if it had been frightened by a dream. There is frequent wa ing in the newbor n, and screaming during fever when the head becomes hot. Another interesting point in these children is that they cry and shrie with pai ns before urinating or passing a stool. You may find cases of colics in babies, after suppressed aphthae. They suddenly scream and ic and equally suddenly turn qui et for 10 to 20 minutes, and then start again. They want to be carried about but the fits are not prevented. In cases of enteritis the child cries a great deal, its mouth is very sore, greenish stool passes every hour or two, a white coat cover s the tongue and inside the chee s, and a red eruption appears on the face. Hot urine in the infant, and burning urine in children are frequent. The infant urinates nearly every ten or twelve minutes, and frequently cries and screams be fore the urine passes. Children are afraid to urinate, they almost have convulsions when the desire to urinate comes on. Excessively nervous, these children are especially affected by noise. A slight n oise will wa e them up. They are frightened on hearing a distant shot, and start
in every limb on hearing an anxious cry. They start at haw ing or sneezing or pape r rustling. The slamming of a door would cause the child to start and then scream with fright. The child is frightened during thunderstorms. Borax children may be affected by aphthae. The infant's palate is wrin led and i t cries frequently when nursing. The child has an aphthous sore mouth, the ulcer s bleed on eating or on touch. The mouth is very tender in nursing children; it m ay be very hot, with thirst and vomiting. The child's mouth feels hot to mother' s nipple; the child lets go of the nipple and cries with pain and vexation, or el se refuses the breast altogether. Children become marasmic because of the aphtho us condition, they cannot digest. Further symptoms to be found in Borax children include: slowness in learning to tal . Weeping tearful mood in children at night. Prolonged sleep in children. Th e child at the breast sleeps more than usual, but wa es up frequently. Sleep fitful in small children. Aversion to drin s. Loathing of the breast in infants because of the state of the mil , which is thic and tastes bad. Carphology during fever. Fina lly, the child's hair becomes entangled at the tips and stic s together so that it cannot be separated. If these bunches are cut off they form again.
Keynotes The three main
eynotes on which Borax is usually prescribed are:
- 1. Aggravation from downward motion. - 2. Fretfulness, ill-humour, indolence and discontent before stool; but lively, contented, and cheerful after stool.
- 3. Amelioration of mental and physical symptoms after 11p.m. Other eynotes: - Ingrowing of lashes, tangled hair that stic s together. - Exhilaration after coition. - Mouth very hot in aphthae. - Greenish stool day and night. - Tip of nose shining red. Red noses of young women. - Wa ing as from fright. - Mother cannot nurse child due to thic ened mil which tastes bad.
Generalities There is a morning aggravation that resembles Natr-m. : 9-12 a.m. , more precise ly 10 a.m. Symptoms such as headaches, wea ness or trembling of the whole body are aggravated at 10 a.m. We also find an evening aggravation of mental conditions at 4 p.m. that resemble s Lycopodium, as well as an aggravation after midnight and around 3-5 a.m. Faintness from noise, during stool, on wal ing in open air. Faintness in the aft ernoon, better in open air. Flushes of heat. Sensation of heat in single parts. Sensation of a cobweb. Increased mucous secretions: hot; with musty, mouldy, herby smell. Stretching during fever. Shuddering from nervous headache. Trembling on slight exertion, from conversation, from mental exertion. Wea ness in the afternoon after sleep. Lassitude during stool. Weariness during menses. Urination after morning. Frequent pulse by night but slow by day.
Reopening of old cicatrices. Extreme seasic ness has often been found to be relieved by Borax. Symptoms are worse in warm weather, worse after menstruation. Turning sideways aggravates. Thought of food aggravates.
Aggravation from mutton, pears, apples, chocolate. Pears cause diarrhea, indiges tion, stomach pain. Motion downward, wal ing downstairs, riding in a car downhill aggravate. Stretching bac ward ameliorates. Better in the open air at the seashore. The infant becomes pale and nearly earth-colored, flesh soft and flabby, cries m uch, refuses the breast and screams out anxiously in sleep.
Vertigo Vertigo in the morning in bed; when ascending in lift; ascending stairs; ascendi ng an eminence; on descending; from roc ing; before menses; while tal ing; on tu rning in bed to left side. Vertigo followed by epistaxis, which relieves. Vertigo with swaying towards the left on wal ing in open air. Fullness of head during vertigo.
Head Headache in forenoon, at 10 a.m. [Natr-m.]. Aching in the whole head, with nausea, and trembling in the whole body, in the m orning at 10 a.m. Reading and writing aggravate the headache. There are a lot of pains in head which are usually ameliorated by wal ing outsid e in the open air, or after having a stool. The headache appears usually before and during menses. Headache mostly in the forehead and temples. Sensation of a current of wind above the eyes. Congestions before and after eating. Constriction in forehead over the left eye. Pain ameliorated after stool. Pain extending to nose.
Pain in occiput as if suppurating. Pain in spots of vertex. Drawing pain in forehead when reading, when stooping, when writing. Twitching of muscles of head in the afternoon. Drawing pain in vertex extending to temple. Intermittent, rhythmical, pressing and stitching pain in temples.
Fullness of head on ascending, on descending, after eating. Heat of head when ta ing a deep breath, during chilliness, during diarrhea. Heat in head and in palms. Hair tangled at the tips, so that it cannot be separated, as in plica polonica, and if these bunches are cut off they form again.
Eyes Inversion of lids. Entropium. Inflammation of the edges of the eyelids, which tu rn inward towards the ball, so that the lids rub against the ball. The eyelashes turn inward toward the eye and inflame it, especially in the outer canthus, whe re the margins of the lid are very sore. Inflammation of the right outer canthi, with irregularity of lashes, and at nigh t agglutination of the eyes; inflammation of the left inner canthi with nightly agglutination. Closing of eyes difficult in the evening. Hair falling from brows. Ulceration of external canthi. Swollen meibomian glands. Sore pain on touch; sore pain in outer canthi; sore pain in margins of lids. Stitching pain in the evening. Tearing pain in the afternoon. Dim vision of left eye. Dim vision in the evening. Flic ering vision in the morning when writing so that he does not see distinctly ; there seem to be bright moving waves, now from the right to the left side, now from above downward. Photophobia during chill.
Ears Very sensitive to slightest noise. Acute hearing to noises of paper being crumpl
ed. Different sounds seem to appear mostly before and during menses. Seems to hear p iped music; roaring before menses. Itching in the evening while wal ing. Cold applications aggravate pain. Sore pain in the evening. Stitching pain in ear while wal ing, in the morning on wa ing, in the morning wh en washing in cold water. Stitches in the left ear. Impaired hearing in left ear. Chronic otorrhea.
Mucous discharges. Sensation li e a valve opening and closing.
Nose Sudden redness of nose. Tip of nose shining red. Red noses of young women. Red and shining swelling of the nose, with throbbing and tensive sensation. In the upper and forepart of the left nostril, towards the tip of the nose, a sm all boil, with sore pain and swelling of the tip of the nose. Many dry crusts in the nose, will constantly form again after being removed. Dryness inside of nose in the night that prevents sleep. Obstruction, first righ t then left. Obstruction with lachrymation. Epistaxis before headache. Pain in nose while strongly breathing. Pain in nose worse lying down. Pressing pain in nose as if brain were forcing its way out. Itching nose; rubs it constantly.
Face Pale, earthy (in an infant), with suffering expression. Anxious expression of face during downward motion. Erysipelas in the face, on the left side, while nursing, during pregnancy. Erysi pelas of face, with feeling of cobwebs on it. Eruptions on lower lips. Eruption of boils under tip of nose. Eczema on chin. Herpes on forehead; around mouth. Vesicles on forehead and around mouth. Red discoloration of left side of face.
Heat of left side of face. Heat of face during chilliness. Pain in face when laughing. Burning at corner of mouth. Sore bruised pain of lower lip.
Formication of lips. Twitching below right eye. Twitching at corners of mouth. Swelling of right side. Hot red swelling.
Mouth Alveolitis, severe pain after extraction of tooth. Sensitive and bleeding aphthae on tongue and on the inside of the chee . White aphthae in mouth. Aphthae, bleeding easily. Red blisters on the tongue, as if the s in were eroded; they pain on every motio n of the tongue, or if anything salt or sour touches them. Red vesicles on tongue. Ulcers in mouth, forming rapidly. Gangrenous ulcers. Mercurial ulcers. The mucous membrane of the forepart of the palate is shrivelled as if burnt, and pains, especially when chewing. Blood oozes from mucous membrane, palate excoriated, shrivelled as if burnt. The mouth of the infant is very hot. Pain in palate while nursing. Spasms of tongue. Sensation of large and swollen teeth. Intermittent, paroxysmal toothache. Smo ing tobacco ameliorates toothache. Intermittent stitching, stinging in teeth. Tearing pain in teeth on touch, extending to side of head. Griping in the hollow of tooth in rainy weather. Dar redness of gums.
Painful gumboil on outer side, with pain in a hollow tooth and with swelling of the chee and whole left side of face, as far as below the eye, where there was an edematous swelling. Heat in mouth. The taste is flat and insipid.
She had no taste when she ate anything, for several wee s. Bitter taste; if she eats anything or swallows saliva everything tastes bitter. Musty taste in throat.
Throat Tough whitish mucus in the fauces, which is loosened only after great exertion. Mucus in throat: albuminous; bloody; greenish. Roughness from hiccough. Cho ing when clearing the throat. Dryness of throat in the morning when wa ing.
Stomach Appetite diminished in the evening. Aversion to food at noon. After eating, which he relishes, great distension, discomfort, sic ill humor. Thirst after sleep. Thirst during and after perspiration. Perspiration on pit of stomach. Constriction extending to bac
and spine.
Contraction in the morning until noon. Contraction of stomach extending to spine. Emptiness in the afternoon. Eructations during labor. Eructations when pressing painful parts of stomach. Heaviness ameliorated on wal ing in open air. Indigestion and pressing pain after pears. Nausea in the morning on wa ing.
feeling and
Nausea at 10 a.m. , nausea at 3 p.m. until evening. Nausea at thought of food, after mental exertion, while tal ing. Thin ing of nausea aggravates it. Bitter vomiting after drin ing.
Bitter vomiting in the morning. Sour vomiting after brea fast. Difficult vomiting. Vomiting when haw ing up mucus. Vomiting after menses. Pain in stomach before menses; after menses. Pain in stomach ameliorated while wal ing. Pain after fruit, after pears. Pain after lifting. Pain in the region of the stomach after lifting something heavy; the pain goes i nto the small of the bac , where it becomes stic ing, so that she cannot turn without pain the whole night; in the morning better. Cramping pain from 4 a.m. till daily noon. Cramping, pressing pain after menses. Cramping pain while sitting bent. Pressing pain, wal ing ameliorates. Pressing pain in stomach after menses, after pears. Pressing pain while sitting, while sitting bent. Stitching pain in stomach extending to bac .
Abdomen A really peculiar symptom is a diarrhea which starts after smo ing tobacco or/an d pain after tobacco. Pain in the abdomen several times through the day, as if diarrhea would result. Pinching with diarrhea Pain is as of hard stic s. Cramping, griping pain in hypochondria and inguinal region after menses. Dragging, bearing down pain in the evening during menses. Lancinating, stitching and pressing pain in inguinal region during and after men ses.
Stitching pain in hypogastrium during menses. Pain in the afternoon, ameliorated by a short sleep. Pain in the evening during stool. Pain when rapidly wal ing. Pain in inguinal region on coughing, when yawning, extending to right shoulder b lade.
Drawing pain in the inguinal region in the evening. Pain in left side extending to vagina. Pain in spleen from a jar, during heat. Burning pain in left hypochondrium on deep breathing. Cutting pain after brea fast and distension after supper in hypochondria. Cutting pain in hypochondria extending downward to umbilicus. Pressing pain in left hypochondrium when deep breathing, while riding, and exten ding to scapula. Stitching pain in sides, aggravated by wine. Rumbling before and after dinner, ameliorated by eructations and passing flatus. Flatulence after every meal. Heaviness in inguinal region as from a load. Sensation of a hard body moving in abdomen. The abdomen has a shrivelled appeara nce.
Rectum Diarrhea from sudden noise is a great eynote. Diarrhea; six times from morning to 2 p.m. , without pain. Aphthous condition of anus with itching in the evening and moisture after stool. Frequent very easy stool every day. Diarrhea after chocolate, after pears, which is aggravated from emotions or smo ing. Soft, light-yellow, or albuminous/mucous stool, three times a day, with wea ness and exhaustion. Slimy, mucous stool li e boiled starch or brown, red, tenacious, transparent, wh ite. Green stools (in an infant) preceded by crying. Frequent and easy. Stools alternating hard and soft; long, narrow with cadaveric odor.
Urinary organs Retention of urine in the evening with violent urging to urinate at night and fr equent urination at night, seldom during the day. Difficult urination at night causing the person to cry before the urine passes. Frequent micturition (in an infant). Severe urgent desire to urinate, so that he can scarcely hold the urine. Ineffectual urination. Desire to urinate, without being able to pass a drop but copious urine in the af ternoon. Sudden urging to urinate during menses.
Urging to urinate after seminal emission. Pressing pain in region of
idneys.
Blue spot on meatus. Pain in meatus after urination and soreness of meatus after coition. Hemorrhoids of bladder. Pain in the orifice of the urethra as if sore, after urinating. Burning, cutting pain in urethra when semen is discharged with a burning pain in the urethra when touching it. Urine has odor of cat's urine or is acrid and pungent.
Genitalia - male Emissions when touching a woman, and when dreaming of coition. Sexual passion increased, but without desire for coition. Strong erections in the morning on wa ing. Seminal discharge too late. Biting pain in prepuce after urination. Cutting, stitching pain. Sore bruised pain in penis.
Genitalia - female Easy excitement. Desire wanting, indifference. Leucorrhea membranous, lumpy or transparent, thic starch.
as white paste or li e boiled
Leucorrhea li e the white of an egg, with sensation as if warm water were flowin g down. Hot, burning albuminous leucorrhea Leucorrhea during pregnancy.
Galactorrhea. Menses too soon, profuse, or only at night, or too short, lasting only one day. Menses during lactation. Downward motion aggravates menses. Menses four days too soon and very profuse, with gripings in the abdomen, nausea and pain in the stomach, extending into the small of the bac .
Membranous menses. Membranous dysmenorrhea. Burning pain in vagina during pregnancy. Itching in vagina during pregnancy. Labor pains running upward with pain felt more in the stomach than in the uterus . Cutting pain in the ovaries during menses; lancinating pain felt before and duri ng the menses. Pain in ovaries, extending to shoulder blade. Stinging pain in ovaries. Stinging, stitching pain in clitoris at night with sensation of distension. Stitching pain in uterus before menses. Aphthae. Easy conception. In nursing, pain is felt in the opposite breast. Vaginitis and endometritis are covered by this remedy.
Chest Larynx and Trachea - Pain in larynx on sneezing. Stitching in throat pit. Tearing pain in larynx, in the evening, on coughing. Whining voice, in the morning. Respiration - Impeded respiration on descending. Arrested respiration in the act of lying down. Respiration difficult in open air; before menses; after running. Respiration short after ascending steps, so that he cannot spea , and everytime he spea s a stitch in the right side of chest. Catching respiration before menses. Every three or five minutes he is obliged to ta e a quic , deep breath, which is every time followed by a stitch in the right side of the chest, with a subdued painful sigh and slow expiration.
Arrest of the breath every time he has a stitch in the right side of the chest. Cough and Expectoration - Changing position in bed ameliorates. Must hold chest with both hands while coughing because of pain. When coughing he is obliged to press the right side of the chest and flan with the hand, whereby the pains are tolerable. Bathing chest in cold water ameliorat es cough.
Cough from cold bathing. Cough from irritation in epigastrium. Cough with difficult expectoration of white mucus strea ed with blood. Violent and hac ing cough in the evening. Hac ing and violent cough, with slight expectoration, of a mouldy taste and of t he same smell, from the chest, with every paroxysm of cough. Dry cachectic cough with stic ing in the right side of the chest and right flan ; after drin ing wine the pains were aggravated. Dry cough in the morning after rising. Dry cough in the evening on lying down. Musty odor and taste of expectoration. Offensive odor of expectoration. Inner and Outer Chest - Anxiety felt in chest in the evening, in bed. Oppression in bed in the evening. Coldness, must wrap up the chest. Constriction of chest on breathing. Oppression before menses. Washing chest with cold water relieves chest symptoms. Wal ing slowly ameliorates pain in chest. Pressing, stitching pain during inspiration, when sneezing, on coughing, when ra ising arm, when touched, when yawning. Stitches between the ribs of the right si de, if he lies upon the painful side the pains immediately awa en him from sleep. Pressur e ameliorates stitching pain in right side. Pain in sides from vexation and from wine. Pressing pain in sternum on deep respiration, when sitting stooped, in sternum a fter dinner. Rawness in the morning. Sore pain, holds chest with hands during cough. With every cough and deep inspiration stic ing in the chest. Stitching pain in sides on exertion, during menses. Stitching when yawning; in the region of the right nipple in the evening with ev ery paroxysm of cough; between right ribs, worse lying on right side, with drawing and obstruction of breathing.
Stitching pain in sides ameliorated on washing with cold water. Sensation of constriction of left mamma, when child nurses from right. Sensation of emptiness in mammae after child nurses. Drawing, stitching pain in opposite mamma than the one child nurses. Pulsation of mammae. Stitching pain in right nipple. Stitching pain in mammae during cough. Griping pain in mammae.
Gripings and sometimes stitches in the left mamma, and when the child has nursed she is obliged to compress the breast with her hand, because it aches on account of being empty. Aching in mammae when empty. Pain in the right breast when coughing, ameliorated by pressure and pain in the right flan , ameliorated by wal ing slowly about the room. Child refuses mother's mil . Stringy mil . Mil is thic and tastes bad. Cheesy mil . Increased mil . Mil in non-pregnant women. Cyanosis. Scirrhous, stinging, burning ulcer of mammae, with odor of old cheese. Bleeding aphthae of nipples. White pimples with red areola. Ulcer in axilla, boils. Inflammation of right pleura. Wal ing slowly ameliorates. Heart - Sensation as if heart is on right side, as if heart is swimming in water . Pain in heart as from sprain, deep breathing aggravates. Squeezing sensation of heart. Palpitation of heart, motion of arms aggravates. Pleurisy in upper part of right chest, with cough, expectoration of a mouldy sme ll.
Bac Formication and itching in the sacrum. Easy straining of the bac
with pain from lifting, ameliorated by sitting.
Pain in bac after menses; tearing pain in the spine. Pain extending to feet. Pain in cervical region extending to left shoulder while wal ing.
Pain in scapulae extending to stomach; tearing pain between scapulae, stooping a ggravates. Pain in sacral region, with an inability to stoop. Pain with chill in right scapula, extending to lumbar region and stomach. Pain in lumbar region when coughing, pain with chill when stooping, when sitting , when turning body, extending to feet, ameliorated by sitting. Stitching pain in lumbar region in the morning, in the evening, at night, after lifting, when stooping, when turning body in bed, extending to chest, on coughin g, on
wal ing, sitting ameliorates. Drawing pain in head and left shoulder while wal ing in open air. Bloody scabs and eruptions on the coccyx. Itching of coccyx.
Extremities Upper limbs - Redness of forearm in spots; itching of the anterior part of the f orearm. Bran-li e eruption on upper limbs. Pain in upper limbs in daytime, as if sprained. Tearing pain in shoulder on stooping. Stitching pain in right shoulder on and from coughing. Drawing pain in shoulder when stooping. Sensation as if cold water were running from clavicle down to toes along a narro w line. Sensation as if upper arm would brea . Eruption of herpes on elbow and hand. Eczema and pustules of fingers with loss of nails. Felon in thumb, beginning in nail. Blue coldness of the hands and finger tips or heat of fingers. Sensation on hands of a cobweb; formication on bac Itching of the finger joints or the bac
of hands.
of finger joints.
Lameness in fingers with numbness in upper limbs and hand in the evening. Sensation as if hand were bro en. Pain in fingers at night, tearing pain in left thumb. Pulsating pain in tip of thumb. Pulsation of fingers and thumbs and the tips of both. Burning stinging in palm of hand, stitching pain in the evening. Drawing paroxysmal pain in wrist. Stiffness and swelling in second finger, suppuration of fingers.
Ulcers of finger joints and fingernails. Trembling in the hand on mental exertion. Warts in palm of hand and horny callosities on the hands. Lower limbs - Purple discoloration in spots on lower limbs.
Corroding vesicles on lower limbs. Erysipelatous inflammation of leg after dancing, with epistaxis. Heat of thigh. Perspiration of thigh. Restlessness in leg during heat. Trembling of lower limbs with anxiety. Trembling while meditating. Tension and numbness in the left leg. Sensation as if drops of cold water tric led down front of thighs. Wea ness of joints after diarrhea, after wal ing, wal ing ameliorates. Wea ness in lower limbs during diarrhea, wal ing ameliorates. Wea ness in nee on mental exertion. Pain in lower limbs in wet weather. Pain in thigh during chill; pain in the leg on touch. Burning pain in thigh, coughing, touch aggravate. Burning pain in thigh near female genital organs. Herpes, corroding vesicles, and ulcers on the nates. Chilblains on toes; chilliness of the toes; blueness of the foot and redness of the toes; pimples on toes. Corns in rainy weather and painful as if ulcerated. Formication of foot ameliorated when wal ing in open air. Burning heat in toe. Itching of ball of fifth toe. Pain in foot, wal ing ameliorates; pain in foot as from chilblains; touching agg ravates. Pain in joints of toes, in the ball of the foot on stepping, and pressing pain in the an le on stepping. Burning pain in sole of the left foot; stitching in the soles of the feet. Burning pain in toes as if frost bitten and in the first toe while wal ing. Sensation of suppuration in heel. Ulcers on foot from rubbing of the shoes.
Phagedenic ulcers of joints of toes. Tension in bac of foot. Trembling of foot, wal ing in open air ameliorates. Wea ness in foot when ascending stairs and after wal ing in open air.
Sleep Sleeplessness in the evening after going to bed. Sleeplessness after midnight from heat, during heat in head. Sleeplessness after midnight until 2 a.m. Sleeplessness after midnight from 1 a.m. - 4 a. m, from 2 a.m. - 5 a.m. Sleeplessness during dentition; with difficult respiration. Wa ing from sleep while lying on painful side. She wa es uncommonly early, at 3 o'cloc ; she cannot fall asleep again for two h ours, on account of heat in the whole body, especially in the head, with sweat o n the thighs. Wa ing before midnight; wa ing early and falling asleep late and wa ing by erect ion. Sleep disturbed by coldness. Sleep after perspiration. Sleeps on side, on the left side or impossible to sleep on side. Deep sleep in noon and afternoon. Sleepiness in the evening at twilight, falling asleep late and difficult. Sleepiness in children. The child at the breast sleeps more than usual, but wa es frequently. The child tosses about, cries till 4 a.m. , frequently out of its sleep, and in the morning is in a whining mood. An infant cries out of sleep and anxiously grasps its mother, as if frightened b y a dream. Sleepiness during dinner; falling asleep early. Falling asleep late with early wa ing and with sleepiness in the daytime and eve ning. Yawning while sitting. Dreams: coition; sore throat.
Fever
Chill in the morning after rising, chill from 2 to 4 a.m. Chill from 2 to 6 p.m. and in the evening on rising. Sha ing chill with perspiration and pulsating pain in occiput. Chill in the afternoon after dinner, on rising from bed, before urination and be ginning in and extending from the face. Chill during sleep; absent after midnight. Trembling and shivering at night.
Hot head in infants. Fever in the afternoon after sleep, in the evening at 6 p.m. , in bed with sweat . Fever at night at 2 a.m. Fever and chilliness from putting hands out of bed. Perspiration at night, 10 p.m. during menses; while writing; in the morning duri ng sleep and during mental exertion.
S in Unhealthiness of the s in, with dirty discoloration. Erysipelas in face. Cicatrices brea
open.
Severe itching on the bac s of the finger joints, so that he is obliged to scrat ch them violently. Eruption of pustules with red areola. Eruptions with moist white discharge; phagedenic vesicular eruptions; whitish er uptions; eruptions which itch in the evening. Serpiginous; serpiginous ulcers. Psoriasis. Hard s in peeling off, li e callosities. S in aggravated before menses.
Clinical Aphthae. Aphthous ulceration of mucous membranes. Genitalia and anus are covered with aphthous appearances. Gastro-intestinal irritation. Stomach problems with salivation, nausea, vomiting. Sea-sic ness. Diarrhea with pain or soft yellow s tools accompanying aphthae. Albuminuria, haematuria. Delirium, visual changes. Epilepsy. Leucorrhea clear, c opious, albuminous, unnaturally hot, acrid. Dysmenorrhea membranous. Menstruatio n painful (membranous). Sterility. Painful nursing; empty feeling in breasts; ameliorated by pressure. Sore nipples
. Herpetic eruptions. Pleurisy with expectoration of a mushy, mouldy odor. Entropi on. Affections of eyes. Trichiasis. Ulcers on finger joints. Erysipelas. Herpes. Psoriasis. Ulcers. Affections of nose. Plica-polonica. Screa ming. Syphilitic sore-throat. Disordered taste. Strong-smelling urine. Vertigo. Zoster.
Relations
Acetic acid, vinegar, and wine are incompatible. Antidote: Cham.; Coffea. Compare: Calc.; Bryon.; Sanicula; Sulph-ac.
Dosage From the lowest to the highest.
Boricum acidum Acidum Boracicum. Boric acid. H3 BO3. Solution of crystals in alcohol.
The essential features You will need this remedy in cases where you find a deep coldness in the patient (Heloderma, Mezereum or Aranea diadema). This coldness is mostly felt inside th e vagina, and the patient may describe this feeling as if the vagina were pac ed with ice. Alternatively, it may be the saliva which feels cold. A further sympto m serving to confirm this remedy is a subnormal temperature. Should these characteristics be present, Boracic acid must be considered whateve r the pathology. However, this remedy is most li ely to be needed in a case wher e the above symptomatology is combined with severe s in eruptions such as impetigo, e rysipelas or whitlow. The s in eruptions start on the face and extend to the tru n and extremities. The main seat of action seems to be the eyelids which swell so much as to close the eyes. Conjunctivitis and photophobia are also present. The mental symptoms for Boracic acid include strong nervous depression, and sigh ing and weeping by turns with apathy.
Generalities Coldness is a prominent feature. Temperature subnormal. There is a state of collapse, prostration. General discomfort, which disappears after a long wal . Wal ing in general ameli orates. Climacteric heat flushes and wea ness after sleep. Sweat on the scrobiculis cordis.
Head Vertigo with noise in the ears. On wa ing in the morning the head is unusually confused. Gastric headaches. Pain in forehead above the right eye.
Face Sensation of cobweb on the face. Face bright red, and very much swollen, with distinct patches of red on the fore head, and above the upper lip. The inflammation extends also to the head and nec , and the hands are swollen.
Eyes Intense edema of lids closing the eyes eventually giving the appearance of scler osed tissue. Hard edema and edema of the tissues around the eyes. Painful swelling of upper lids with conjunctivitis and photophobia.
Ear Noises in the ears.
Mouth and throat Cold saliva in the mouth, the tongue dry and furred with difficulty in moving it ; dryness in the throat; haw ing.
Stomach Heaviness and restlessness in the stomach till dinner. Great nausea and heaviness in the stomach, which disappears after
wal ing in the open air. Uncontrollable vomiting; retching and vomiting of tough mucus, or greenish stuff with watery fluid which is very strongly al aline. Hiccough.
Abdomen Rumbling in the abdomen in the afternoon, and two scanty pasty stools.
Urinary organs A moderately transient pain in the region of the ureters. There is frequent and urgent desire to urinate and nearly double the amount of urine may be passed. Albumen is present in the urine. Renal colic.
Genitalia - female Climacteric flushings. [Lach.; Amyl-nit.] and menopausal complaints. The vagina may feel very cold, as if pac ed with ice. Frequent urination with burning and tenesmus.
Extremities Pain in the foot, ameliorated by wal ing. Swelling of the hands, and rash on the legs and feet, with extreme irritation. Multiform erythema of the trun extending to the upper limbs.
Fever Coldness; temperature may be subnormal.
S in Erythematous eruption on face, body and thighs followed by pearly vesicles on fa ce and nec . Multiform erythema of trun and upper extremities. Whitlows, formication of hands and feet; later of the face. Eruption on the right thigh, consisting of vesicles, which continually extended and became covered with crusts; in the middle, a circumscribed spot as large as a ten-cent piece, surrounded by new vesicles, which were very moist when bro en. Exfoliating dermatitis. Burning s in; it became swelled and charred and all motion was painful.
Clinical Multiform erythema. Erysipelas of the face. Affection of eyelids. Red eruption o f face with concentration of eyelids. Whitlow, (herpetic paronychia). Impetigo. Diabetes.
Relationship Compare: Borax, Carbolic acid, Kali-bi., Heloderma.
Dosage From 6x to 1m.
Bothrops lanceolatus Yellow viper. Vipera jaune. Fer-de-lance of the island of Martinique. N.O. Crotalidae. Solution of the poison in glycerine; attenuations in rectified
spirit.
The essential features
This remedy, together with Lachesis, Arnica, Latrodectus mactans and Lycopodium should be our main remedies for coping with the first hours following heart infr acts and brain thrombosis.
Mind Depression and exhaustion associated with the pains ; a feeling of oppression, w orse in the afternoon, in hot and oppressive weather. The oppression is accompan ied by feeling of apprehension which seems to start in stomach. There is extreme we ariness, lassitude and sluggishness. Exhausting weeping from the shoc of a fall. Aphasia and forgetful of words while spea ing or mista es are made whilst spea ing and the wrong words are used. Inability to articulate without an y affection of the tongue. The mind becomes confused, restless Apprehension seems to center in stomach
Generalities Blac , thin hemorrhages. Hemorrhages from all orifices of the body. Blood non-co agulable; hemophilia. Thrombosis and thrombotic hemiplegia; phlebitis of the blood vessels with blac n ess of external parts. Convulsions, tetanic rigidity, right sided paralysis after apoplexy, faintness. Shoc from pain of injuries very severe; so severe that cannot move for a few mi nutes, followed by fit of exhaustive weeping and dryness of mouth. General exhaustion and depression with the pains. Extreme weariness. Internal tr embling, seems to start from chest and abdomen, worse in the afternoon; sometimes accompanied by trembling of left arm and hand. Shuddering without coldness starts at stomach and spreads over body, at onset of menstrual flow. Cold perspiration or clammy, stic y, viscid perspiration. Frequent or slow pulse; frequent syncope or unconsciousness; cyanosis.
Septicemia, injuries with extravasations, abcesses and caries of the bone. Lymphangitis. Emaciation. Symptoms are aggravated after eating, in the afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. , while eating, raising the left arm, from motion, after sleep with nosebleeds, in the morning after sleep, from going into the cold and from oppressive hot weather. Symptoms are worse periodically; annually. The pains are irregular and can come on suddenly. Ameliorated by rest, lying in a horizontal position or ceasing movement and exer tion. Diagonal course of symptoms.
Vertigo Giddiness which comes and goes very suddenly and is brought on by movement or ex ertion.
Head There are dull pains in the right side of the head, in the right side of the occ iput. Sensation as of a nail in right parietal bone; the headache returns in the open air. Sudden stabs of pain through head from front to bac during the morning. Pains which start at eyeball seem to run a little way bac into the head.
Eye Amaurosis is a strong symptom; day blindness so can scarcely see her way after s unrise. Bleeding from the eyes. Blindness from hemorrhage into the retina. Localized boring pain above right eye all day, worse after eating. Sharp stitching and stabbing pains through bac of both eyes in the afternoon. P ains occur in the bac of eyeball and seem to shoot bac a short distance into t he head. Dimness of vision aggravated by sunlight or loss of vision. Small floating areas in sight of right eye, obscuring half of a written word.
Ears Bloody discharge. Sensation of fullness in right ear.
Nose
Epistaxis with tight feeling in the nose all day as if it might bleed any time. Nosebleed when the menses were due, on getting up in the morning instead of the menses. The blood is characteristically fluid and blac . Purplish roughening of the nose li e fine eruption under the s in; veins more no ticeable, li e little purple threads.
Face Bluish and dar discoloration. The face is swollen and puffy with a besotted expression.
Mouth Inability to articulate, without any affection of the tongue. Dryness of the mouth after injuries and consequent shoc from pain. Posterior pa rt of tongue covered with heavy brown fur, crac ed and furrowed crosswise.
Throat Red, dry and constricted. Difficulty in swallowing liquids.
Stomach Nausea and vomiting of blac substances; intense hematemesis. Thirst. Shuddering and feeling of apprehension in stomach at onset of menstrual flow. Th ere is a sense of oppression associated with internal trembling, aggravated in t he afternoon. All symptoms aggravated after eating.
Abdomen Sharp stabbbing pain in the diaphragm on deep inspiration. Mar ed internal trembling in abdomen and chest, spreading now and then over body . Aversion to tight clothing around the abdomen.
Stool Diarrhea, with semi-solid stools or stools scanty and lumpy, passed with some wa ter and much flatus.
Bloody stools. Loose, watery, yellowish stools; passed in small amounts at a time with no disco mfort.
Urinary organs Bloody urine with burning itching in vagina and urethra and a constant desire to urinate, but no amelioration from emptying bladder.
Genitalia - female Fluid metrorrhagia, dar
in color.
Menses scanty and watery; onset of flow accompanied by shuddering (without coldn ess) and a feeling of apprehension in the stomach. Weight in the chest ameliorated by the flow. Cramping pains in the right side of the pelvis. Heavy feelings in the pelvis as though the menses would start. Increase in sexual desire with a sensation of internal heat and trembling.
Chest All the symptoms of pulmonary congestion, oppressed breathing and bloody expecto ration, more or less profuse. Dull pressing pain in region of heart extending to left axilla, wa ing from slee p, aggravated 4 to 5 a.m. Sharp stabbing pain at apex of heart and in the right side of the lower chest, a ggravated by motion. Severe stic ing pain in the region of the heart which is aggravated from deep br eathing, tal ing and movement. Sudden stic ing pains in the precordial region brought on and aggravated by wal ing, radiating down the left arm, with desire to be perfectly quiet. Symptoms accompanied by a feeling of exhaustion and depression and a sensation a s though the heart might stop beating. Sharp, rhythmical pains in the precordium, li e the pulse while resting.
Persistent pressure about cardiac region, as if there were not sufficient room, after midnight to sunrise, with a short, hac ing cough. Sensation of weight and heat in left chest, most mar ed when lying on left side, and felt more posteriorly than anteriorly; generally worse in the morning, the afternoon and after eating, with a desire to stretch up and lift the weight off the chest. Sensations of internal trembling. Wa ing with heaviness of the left arm, aggravated by lifting it. Blueness of hands, especially right, aggravated when hanging down or when bearin g weight on it.
Bac Opisthotonos. Soreness in the muscles on the right side of the body. Dull pain and lameness in dorsal region and clothing found to be unbearable abou t the waist and abdomen. Stabbing pains which cause the person to hold their breath. Bac ache in lumbar region, aggravated while standing, ameliorated by lying or si tting down.
Extremities The diagonal course of symptoms is mar ed. Coldness of the extremities; blue discolorations. Upper limbs - There is paralysis of the upper limbs or swelling of the upper lim bs which loo flabby and livid in color. After being bitten in the little finger of one hand, paralysis began in the fing ertips of the other hand and extended over the whole of that side. Muscles in right side of nec , right arm and hand and right torso became very so re and pains from precordial region radiating down the left arm. Aching in the elbows with numbness and tingling from the elbows through to the f inger tips, followed by heat in the forearms and hands. The left arm feels heavy, principally around the elbow, and lifting the arm aggr avates the symptoms. The trembling of the left arm and hand accompanies the gene ral internal trembling. The hands have a blue white color which is worse after carrying something or put ting weight on them, worse in the right hand; the fingers, particularly, loo colorless and the s in loo s wrin led, lifeless and has no elasticity. Lower limbs - Hemiplegia; sensation of paralysis of the leg; in the fingers whic h extends over the whole side or paralysis of one leg or one arm only. Pain in right great toe. Rheumatic pains in the right
nee and an le all day.
Thrombophlebitis and thrombosis of the lower limbs. Inflamed varices.
Lac of co-ordination in the feet when stepping causing the person to stumble or fall. The feet are constantly cold.
Sleep Dreams of heart troubles and thrombosis. Dreadful dreams of suffering anginal at tac s accompanied with a feeling of depression. Tal ing in sleep.
Sleepiness but also frequent wa ing because of the pain in the left elbow and th e sensation of weight in the left chest, worse after midnight and between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Fever Slight shivering, followed by very profuse cold sweat. Internal heat and burnings felt in the left arm with a feeling of weight in the left chest accompanied by internal tremblings. Perspiration: cold, stic y and profuse. The sweat is profuse and is warm on the covered parts but cold, clammy and stic y on the hands. Putrid odor to the sweat which is worse after unusual exertion or weariness.
S in Swollen, livid and cold with hemorrhagic infiltration; blac
spots on the s in.
Deep and dissecting gangrene with the bones being laid bare and necrotic.
Clinical Blindness, day blindness; necrosis of bones; gangrene; hemorrhages; congestion o f lungs; paralysis of the tongue
Relations Compare: Toxicophis. - Moccasin Sna e (pain and fever recur annually, after bite from this sna e, and sometimes change location with disappearance of first symp toms. An unusual dryness of s in follows the bite. Edematous swellings and periodical neuralgia. Pain travels from one part to another.) Other sna e poisons, notably Lachesis.
Trachinus, -Stingfish (intolerable pains, swelling, acute blood poisoning, gangr ene.)
Dosage From 12x to 10m.
Bovista lycoperdon Lycoperdon bovista. Warted puff-ball. N.O. Fungi. Trituration. THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES Bovista should be thought of in the following circumstances: 1. In cases where loose stool precedes menses or metrorrhagias or other patholog ical conditions, even acute mental conditions. 2. In cases where the patient mentions a feeling as if a particular part or orga n of the body is enlarged, for instance the head, the ovary or the uterus etc. 3. In cases where the patient tends to be extremely aw ward in speech and action s, brea ing things by dropping them, falling to the ground easily by misstepping , misplacing words etc. 4. In cases where there is a mar ed effect on the s in, with eruptions li e ecze ma or urticaria, moist vesicular eruptions with formation of thic crusts, neurodermatitis etc. 5. In cases where the circulation is influenced, with relaxation of the capillar y system, thereby producing a hemorrhagic diathesis. 6. In cases of stammering in children. 7. In cases of flatulence with distention and passage of noisy flatus. The Mental-Emotional State Bovista is an intense remedy both mentally and emotionally. A Bovista patient co ming into your office for consultation will cause you to feel the upheavals goin g on inside her. Overflowing anxiety coupled with restlessness and excitement put th e patient into such a state that you feel as though she were tal ing over your h ead. You may even find that she is also loo ing above you, as though she were tal in g to your aura. The excitement and intensity with which such a patient behaves may lead you to w onder whether she is really in contact with you while tal ing. She is driven to tal ceaselessly and with earnestness. You get the impression that she wants to tell you everything about herself without hiding anything, and you may wonder exactl y how easy she finds it to tal about these private family affairs, which other p eople might be ashamed of. She reminds you of a motor which cannot be stopped on
ce started, and you immediately thin of Lachesis or Hyos. while ta ing the case. Thus, great loquacity and unreserved conversation characterize Bovista. The pati ent is openhearted and tells the plain truth. While tal ing she misplaces words, mumbling or tal ing too fast, occasionally stuttering and stammering, and misap plying words when writing too. This loquacity stems from a desire to have somebo dy to tal to. She is better in company but indifferent and melancholic when alone . You may feel that she is swollen with emotions, and this is indeed confirmed b y the patient. She feels bloated, with a general puffiness of the body and a sensatio n of not wishing to be restricted, both physically and emotionally. Nothing can stop the Bovista patient from finding relief by telling others exactly what is going on inside her; she finds any restriction intolerable, including tight clothing which is unbearable; the body is puffy and sensitive to constriction. She will explain w ith great intensity that she is suffering from pains in the joints, with a s in eruption, pains in the abdomen or other discomforts. You may get the impression that she is anxious about her health, but this is not the case. She is merely telling you the stories that are on her mind at the moment. Remedies have a ind of symbolism within themselves and Bovista is one of these. It feels swollen in body, mind and emotions or in parts of these areas and this overflow, this swelling is aggravated by constriction and feels better when a f ull discharge has been established. These situations again ma e one thin of Lac hesis.
Bovista however lac s the envy and the maliciousness of Lachesis; instead we ha ve a naiveté and a desire to spea the truth. She is compelled to reveal the truth , even when this has been hidden by others, and even if it tells against her. Bovista patients, as mentioned, are very emotional. Their emotions are strong an d changeable, alternating despair with hope, or anger with exhilaration. Life to them seems charming at certain times and they love it, whereas at other times it see ms difficult and they hate it. They are easily offended at the smallest provocat ion, occasionally becoming very irritable with a desire to curse and even fight. In this irritable state they ta e everything the wrong way, and become clumsy. The aw wardness is most prevalent while they are in an irritable state; they noc over furniture, drop cups, omit or misplace words in their anger. The irritabili ty is most li ely to come on after coition or during a headache. All their ailments, especially the abdominal pains, can be ameliorated by eating , although they may feel indolent and heavy after eating. As the pathology progresses, Bovista patients suffer from difficulties in concen tration, with misapplication of words and omission of syllables when spea ing an d writing, and mista es in localities and in space and time. Their memory for wha t they have just done is wea , the senses are dull. The patient just stares vaca ntly into space. On rising in the morning they have a sense of stupefaction, which m ay also be felt in the evening and during vertigo. There is a slowness of comprehension and dullness of hearing. Mental confusion supervenes; the patient does not now where he is at night; he is confused after spirituous liquors, wh en stooping and standing; the confusion is better after brea fast. Mental symptoms may also be triggered by sexual excesses. After coition the patient may suffer from numbness in the head, staggering and confusion. The patient may be absorbed in sombre thoughts, or overwhelmed by a placid melan choly with inquietude. You may find an indolence from sadness; the patient is we ary of life and has an aversion to wor . They have fears of insanity, of contagious di sease and of infection, and many delusions, among which may be found: delusions of ghosts, of creeping and crawling vermin and worms, of water, of an enlargement of parts of the body (head, heart), of enlarged distances. The Diarrheas Precede Serious Conditions
The evacuation of a large stool is the prodrome of a coming disaster rather than a release. The oncome of loose stool leads one to expect a serious problem. Leucorrhea is preceded by a loose stool, and profuse metrorrhagias are preceded by diarrheas. A strange symptom may be noted in metrorrhagia: there is an amelioration during the day during exertion and an excess flow at night while r esting. The Bovista patient can have acute mental and neurological outbursts at each menstrual period or just preceding the period. At this time she can become viol ent, jumping out of bed and brea ing furniture and windows, even throwing things out of windows. It may be necessary to tie her in bed until the flow is fully estab lished, and she may attempt to bite and spit in one's face while being restraine d. She screams, sneers, laughs and ma es grotesque faces when spo en to. This conditio n may last from a few hours to a day, and subsides as soon as the flow is established. The whole of this acute mental condition will be preceded by a loo se stool. Another type of reaction preceding menses is a constant inclination to yawn, fol lowed by stitching in throat and a sensation as if the tongue were cut through w ith a nife, accompanied by painful tensions in the mouth and convulsions of all the facial muscles. This is followed by spasmodic laughter with suffocation, constri ction or distention of the throat and lastly by spasms of chest and a dar red face. Generalities Ailments appear in warm weather and in summer. Many symptoms are worse in the early morning which is when the diarrhea usually occurs. Spasms before menses or after strong emotions. Colics of whatever origin, better after eating and after voiding reddish urine. Mar ed languor and lassitude, great want of strength, especially in the joints.
Bloatedness and puffy condition of the surface of the body with a sense of enlar gement, therefore instruments (e.g. scissors, nives etc.) indent the fingers to an unusual degree. The heart feels enormously large. The corners of the mouth are crac ed and bro en. Chilliness predominates with sensitivity to drafts. Sensitive to touch and cannot bear tight clothing. Flatulent distension and noisy passage of flatus. Early morning sweat worse on the chest; the sweat of the axilla smells li e onio ns Symptoms from over exertion and manual labour. Nervous shuddering during supper and internal twitchings. Numbness and tingling in multiple neuritis. There are flushes of heat while eating; desire only for bread. Ebullition of blood, with much thirst. Mar ed effect on the s in, producing eruptions li e eczema, neurodermatitis, urt icaria, corns, warts. Faintness at noon; on sitting down. Aggravated by cold food, coffee, wine, before menses, by getting warm, hot weath er and full moon; time of aggravation from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Ameliorated by bending double, hot food and eating. Vertigo Sudden attac s of vertigo and feeling of stupidity in the head, on rising; she l oses consciousness for a moment, before, during and after headache in the mornin g. Vertigo from having drun only a little wine. Vertigo after coition or after emission. Head Sensation as if head were enlarging, especially the occiput. Sensation as if a wedge were pressed into the occiput. Numbness in the head after coition. Heaviness after a siesta; after wal ing in open air.
Constrictive pains in the head, ameliorated by brea fast, on entering a room, or when head becomes warm; aggravated by the warmth of the bed. Pain in the morning on the right side at 8 a.m. , at midnight, at 3 a.m. and in the evening on the left side. Pains in the centre of the brain, with a sensation as if the head were enlarged. Nightly headache with unsupportable pain on raising the head. Pains pressing, stitching and stunning. Compressive and bruised sensations in and around the head. Headache when wal ing in the open air, ameliorated in a warm room. Pains over the eyes, and all over the head extending to the centre of the head, to the nose, the nec , the vertex and the occiput.
Pulsations in the right side to the left in the morning; quiverings in the head. Itching over the whole scalp, extending to the nec , especially if he became war m, so that he was obliged to scratch the forehead, which was not relieved by scr atching. Scratching to the point of bleeding. The scalp becomes very sensitive to touch, the hair falls out easily and there a re areas of excoriation on the scalp. Eyes The bone of the soc ets is sensitive to pressure during menstruation. Pains in the eyes causing the person to eep them shut. Burning pains in the eyes on stooping; drawing pains in the evening. The margins appear blue, the eyes loo
dull, without brightness.
Agglutination of the lids in the morning; redness of the canthi and irritation o f the lids. Lachrymation in the morning. Tension in the eyebrows. Amaurosis. Mista es in vision. Objects seem to be nearer than they really are. Ears Diminished hearing with tingling in the left ear. Hardness of hearing with frequ ent misunderstanding and mista es in spea ing. Ulceration in right ear with pain on swallowing. Boils in meatus with scabby and humid eruptions in the ears. Fetid pus oozes fro m the ears. The ears itch and irritate, ameliorated by boring with the finger. Stitching and drawing pains; pain extends to the jaw. Tearing pain in the afternoon; after dinner with quivering and tension in concha . Twitching in both external ears. Nose A few drops of blood from the nose every time on sneezing and on blowing the nos e. Epistaxis in the morning in bed.
Redness and bleeding of the septum. The nose is sore and painful, with rawness in the nostrils and with many scabs i n the nostrils which are frequently renewed. The discharge is viscid, tough and stringy, the nose becoming stopped, which imp edes respiration. Obstruction of left nostril with water dropping out. Coryza without discharge in the morning while lying and after rising. Sneezing in the morning after lying. Face Heat in the chee s, as if they would burst, or face alternately pale and red. The face is very pale, in the morning, after rising.
The chee s and lips feel swollen, loo pale and the lips are chapped and crac ed . Eruptions, crac s and ulcerations at the corners of the lips. Ulcers of lips with sensation of a splinter or of something stic ing in the lips . Boring pain in chee
bones.
Burning, rheumatic pain in the lower jaw, with swelling and pulsative pains in t he sub-maxillary gland. Acne, worse in the summer. Mouth The gums bleed when suc ed, oozing blac blood and the whole gum becomes painful . Pain in gums ameliorated by cold water. Numbness of tongue in the morning on wa ing as if it were li e a lump of wood. Stammering when reading. The tongue is coated yellow. Cutting pain in tongue before asthma. Ulcers on tongue which are painful to touch. Accumulation of saliva in the mouth or dryness in mouth, as if there were sand i n it; bitter or bad taste in the mouth. Putrid smell from the mouth. Pain in mouth as if burnt in the morning on wa ing. Stitching pain in palate extending to chin. Painful, sore and smarting ulcers on gums, exude blood on pressure. Teeth - Pains in the upper incisor teeth, followed by a swelling of the upper li p. Violent drawing pain in hollow molars in the evenings and at night. Stitching, stinging pain in teeth extending to eyes. Pain in teeth as if being torn out. Pain in teeth, suc ing teeth aggravates/ameliorates. Pain in teeth, wal ing in open air and warm things ameliorate. Throat Sore throat with scraping and burning pains.
Irritation of pharynx with desire to cough with burning sensation extending into the chest. The throat is dry and feels raw on wa ing in the morning. Stitching pain before asthma. Pain on swallowing saliva as if something were stic ing in the throat and difficulty in swallowing food. The cough is hectic and dry in the morning, dry between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and lo ose in the evening. Nasal voice in the morning.
Tension in external throat on moving head. Tearing pain in external throat. Stomach Sensation of a lump of ice in the stomach; coldness li e ice with pain. Frequent empty eructations in the morning before brea fast and while fasting. Tight clothing feels uncomfortable around the waist. Nausea in the morning, ameliorated after brea fast with vomiting of water. Feels chilly all morning with the nausea. Excessive appetite towards the evening, or the appetite is poor and desires only bread. Great thirst in the evening for cold water or for wine. Thirst during and after perspiration. Hiccough in the afternoon, before eating, with chilliness. Gurgling in the morning while eating. Pressing pains in the stomach ameliorated by eating. Abdomen Flatulent distension and noisy passage of flatus are leading features of Bovista . Violent colic ameliorated by eating; with coldness, trembling and chattering of teeth, aggravated by lying down and accompanied by passing of red urine. Pain gr iping, twisting, intermittent, starting below the umbilicus and extending towards the epigastrium. Nothing gives relief except eating. The pain around the umbilicus is twisting, causing the patient to bend double, w hich ameliorates. Pain in region of umbilicus in the morning on wa ing. The abdomen feels distended at night and the interior and exterior of the abdome n feels painful and sore. During chill in the morning there is pain in the abdomen, in right inguinal regi on, ameliorated by stretching and pain at midnight to 5 a.m. Constriction of inguinal region, amelioration by stretching out. During menses the inguinal region becomes painful and excoriated. Pain in hypochondria in the afternoon; extending to scapula. Burning pain in sides after dinner and pain in the sides ameliorated by pressure
. Pain after having eaten as if the abdomen were cut by nives. Diarrheic stool causes cutting pains in the abdomen. Stitching pain when stooping. Stitching pain in hypochondria while sitting, while bent and in the region of th e umbilicus after eating. Rectum Diarrhea, frequently before and during menstruation. Diarrhea, after menses; ameliorated by eating brea fast. Chronic diarrhea in old people worse at night and in the early morning.
Diarrhea with colic, cutting pain and pain of ulceration in the abdomen. Feeling after an ordinary stool as if diarrhea would come on. Cutting, stitching pains through perineum, towards the rectum and genitals. Pulsating pain in region of and in the prostate gland, extending forward to the genitals. Tenesmus at night with ineffectual urging to stool. Constipation. Stool hard and difficult, the faeces being compact and after stool there is much tenesmus and burning in the anus. The first part of the stool is thin and hard and the latter part thin and watery . Urinary organs Frequent desire to urinate, even immediately after urination. Copious urination in the afternoon and at night. Gnawing pain when not urinating. Chronic induration and
notty sensation.
Stinging pain in the urethra and during urination; the orifice is inflamed and f eels as if it is glued up. Urine turbid li e gruel with a violet sediment or very yellow and cloudy. Genitalia - male Staggering, confusion and numbness in the head after coition. Increased sexual desire with frequent pollutions; aggravation from excess of sex ual activity. Abscesses and blotches on the penis. Hard, painful, suppurating nodules of penis. Pustules on penis which burn. Genitalia - female Diarrhea before, during and after menses is the grand characteristic of this rem edy. Menses every two wee s or too late and scanty, sometimes flowing only in the mor ning, or when lying down in the evening. Discharge of thic leucorrhea, li e the white of an egg, or greenish, when wal i ng, or a few days before or after menstruation. Leucorrhea which stains the linen.
The menses are too early and profuse, flow more at night and less while moving; exertion brings on the flow. Hemorrhage between the periods. Scanty menses in daytime. Traces of menstruation between the menses. After midnight, painful urging towards the genitals, with heaviness in the small of the bac , ameliorated the next day with the discharge of blood. Soreness of pubes during menstruation with excoriation in the inguinal fold. Cannot bear tight clothing around waist. Parovarian cyst. Bovista has cured cases of ovarian cyst and also warts and corn s, with shooting pains. Chest
Feeling as if heart is swimming in water. Palpitation of heart, aggravated by bathing. Sensation of water in chest. Constrictive oppression of the chest aggravated by dry food. Everything seems to be too tight. Oppression during fever. Acute pain in region of heart. Griping pain in right chest. Stitching pain while and after eating. Stitching pain felt throughout the chest aggravated by deep breathing. Itching of s in when warm, which is aggravated by scratching and afterwards the itching returns. Difficult and short respiration during manual labor. Perspiration in the morning from 5 to 6 a.m. Offensive perspiration in axilla li e garlic or onions in cool air. Perspiration of mammae in the morning. Spasms of chest before menses. Burning, hard pimples on the chest or white pimples with red areola. Bac Intolerable itching of the tip of the coccyx with formication of the bac at nig ht. Heaviness in lumbar region before menses. Compressing of lumbar region in the afternoon and stitching pain in lumbar regio n when turning body. Pain around the region of the idneys. Stiffness and aching in bac after stooping; in the morning on rising; sitting b ent causes cutting and stitching pains between the scapulae, ameliorated by straightening up. Swelling of the glands of the nec
with tensive and drawing pains.
Pain in cervical region extending to the ear. Extremities Upper limbs - Aw wardness of hands and fingers, drops things easily; wea ness an
d lac of power. Paralytic wea ness and pains of dislocation in the joints of the arms and hands. Great weariness in the hands and feet the whole day. Wea ness in hand during the afternoon and during menses. Sprained feeling in the wrists and acute stitching pain in wrist, when bringing thumb and index finger together or when trying to grasp anything. Heaviness in right hand; the hands tremble with anxiety; with palpitation of the heart. Tension in shoulder joints, while writing, as if the tendons were too short.
The upper limbs itch in the morning when washing; feel sore and bruised around t he upper arm, ameliorated by pressure. Perspiration in the axillae which smells li e onions. Tearing pains in the elbows and around the olecranon in the morning. Stitching pain in elbow extending to fingers. Stitching pain in first joints of fingers when wor ing, with cramp li e drawing pains in the joints of the hands. Herpes on upper and lower limbs. Dry eruptions or burning and hard pimples on the hands. Vesicles on hand with red areola; the bac s of the hands have moist eruptions wi th felons beginning in the nails from a pric with a needle under the nail. Lower limbs - Numbness and tingling in the legs with inability to stand upright, especially in the afternoon. Stitching pains in the thighs and nees when sitting down and standing up; in st retching the nee and in the first toe, which extends to the an le. Dancing aggravates causing the leg and the an le to become red, swollen and infl amed. Sore bruised pain in bend of thigh during menses. Cramps in the calves in bed in the morning with a feeling of tension in the calv es and legs as if the tendons were too short. After diarrhea the right leg feels wea . General itching of the lower limbs ameliorated by scratching. Stiffness in the t.
nee with shooting pains in the joints of the nees and the fee
The extremities are painful during chill and the toes hurt when stepping. There are sharp stitches in the right external malleolus, and tearing, dragging or dra wing pains in the feet. Painful corns on the feet. Chronic swelling of the an le after a sprain or edema of the joints after a frac ture. Hard, painful, burning, itching eruptions on the lower limbs, and on the foot. C rusty eruptions on the hollow of the foot and vesicles on the bac of the foot. Sleep Great sleepiness early in the evening. Falling asleep after coition or difficulty in falling asleep after coition and l ays awa e until late. Frequent wa ing and dreams of frightful things:
imprisonment; of being bitten by sna es; falling into a cellar; drowning Wa ing from scratching in larynx and from itching of the s in. Fever Sweat in axillae which smells li e onions. Sweat in the morning from 5 to 6 a.m. Chill with pain and chill whilst eating. Chilliness not ameliorated in a warm room nor by a warm stove in the morning, an d severe every evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The chill can last all night with symptoms of intermittent fever. External chill in the night after wa ing. Predominating, long lasting chill without heat, sweat or thirst. Long lasting sha ing without heat or sweat, or shuddering alternating with heat.
S in The s in of the fingers becomes unusually dented by the instruments being wor ed with. Urticaria on excitement, with rheumatic lameness, palpitation and diarrhea. Itching at night, on and after bathing, bathing in cold water, and during the me nses. Itching of the anus. Red, crusty eruption on the thighs and bends of the nees. It disappears for wee s, reappearing in hot weather and at the full moon. The corners of the mouth are bro en out. Severe itching on the coccyx, so that he is obliged to scratch it till sore. Crusty eruptions in warm weather; acne which is worse in the summer. Pimples and miliary eruption, with burning itching. Tensive pimples, dry and reddish, covering the hands. The bends of the elbows and nees have oozing eruptions producing a thic
crust.
Painful, suppurating, ulcerating tubercles. Warts painful and suppurating. CLINICAL Itching of the coccyx. Corns. Cysts. Diabetes. Diarrhea. Eczema of the ear. Ecze ma. Ganglion. Gleet. Hemorrhages. Hemorrhagic diathesis. Headache. Affections of the heart. Jaundice. Affections of the joints. Disordered menstruation. Metrorrhagi a. Affections of the ovaries. Rheumatic affections. Stammering. Ulceration of th e tongue. Tumors. Urticaria. Warts. Whitlow. Wounds. RELATIONS Bovista antidotes tar applications. Suffocation from gas. After Rhus in chronic urticaria. Compare: Calc.; Rhus; Sepia; Cicuta. DOSAGE From 6x to CM.
Brachyglottis repens New Zealand "Pu a Pu a". N.O. Eupatoriacea Tincture of green leaves and flowers.
The essential features
Kidney and bladder symptoms predominate in this remedy. Brachyglottis should be thought of in cases of glomerulonephritis with excessive albuminuria. The patien t feels a tremendous urgency to pass urine at once or he will lose it. Great pain is experienced in the nec of the bladder, the urethra and penis if the desire is not attended to immediately. The urine passed is copious, pale, of low specific gra vity; apart from albumin it contains mucous corpuscles and epithelium. A characteristic symptom of this remedy is a fluttering or a swashing sensation felt in the abdomen or bladder. The whole condition is attended with chilliness, a desire to stretch, muscular pains and a sore bruised feeling on being touched. There may also be other symptoms such as lassitude, wea ness, internal trembling and loss of flesh.
Generalities Throbbing pains. Pains felt all over the body but mostly on the right side. Heaviness and sleepiness. Itching in ears and nostrils. Oppression of chest. Writer's cramp. Prostatitis. The spine and nerves are more affected than the muscles. Dysmenorrhea with flutt ering in the abdomen and right ovary has been cured by this remedy.
Head Vertigo with flushed face. Throbbing pains in the head passing from ear to eyes and then to nec . Headache and faceache very severe preventing sleep at night. Pulsating pain in forehead. Cold sensation and tightness about the scalp.
Desire to bend the head. Soreness all over the head and stiffness in the nec .
Eyes Redness in canthi.
Ears Tingling, itching and pric ing in the ears, with secretions. Pain in the left ear in the evening; throbbing about the right ear, from ear to eyes, and throat to nec .
Nose Nostrils sore, with itching inside and repeated sneezing. Sensitivity and pain on inhaling air. Burning and smarting in the nostrils.
Face Chilliness. Red discoloration and flushing of the face or the face has a sic ly color. Twitching below left eye and in the left side of the face. Left side of the face aches affecting the submaxillary glands. Lancinating pain in right side of the face and soreness in the right zygomatic p rocess. Dryness of lips; excoriation of corners of mouth relieved by swelling of the lip s.
Mouth Pain, numbness, soreness and pric ing of the tongue. Heat in the mouth. Pain in teeth extending to ear.
Throat Rawness and scraping in the evening aggravated by swallowing.
Stomach
Fluttering in the stomach. Soreness and throbbing in the right side of the stomach. Nausea in the evening with eructations tasting of ingesta. Loss of appetite. Sensation of fullness.
Abdomen Fluttering. Isolated throbbing in left inguinal region; in the morning; with weariness of lo wer limbs. Soreness as if in the spermatic cords with thrilling through the penis and teste s. Pulsation in right hypochondria. Colic with desire for stool.
Rectum Constipation, ineffectual urging and straining; prostration about the anus. Painful constriction with soreness during stool. Diarrhea after the slightest indiscretion in eating; diarrhea in the evening.
Stool Li e balls; dry, notty, nodular and lumpy.
Urinary organs Pain in the bladder after evacuation and in the urethra with stinging in the pen is. Pressure and soreness in the nec of the bladder; constant urging to urinate, di fficult and unsatisfactory urination.
Pain during and after urinating with a feeling as if the urine could not be cont ained. Sense of swashing in the bladder. Formication around the
idney area.
Aching, gnawing, sore bruised pain in region of idneys.
Chronic induration of the prostate gland. Specific gravity of urine decreased. Copious urine containing mucus and albumen. Pale in color, acrid and containing epithelial, hyaline and waxy casts. Genitalia - male Throbbing in the penis and pressure in the bladder with a desire to urinate; sti nging in the urethra and penis after urination. Sore bruised pain in spermatic cords. Stitching pain in penis.
Chest Breathing is oppressed in the evening, ameliorated by sighing. Painful throbbings about the shoulder and the collar-bone. Pains fly about the chest and the precordial region. Throbbing in the sternum; p ain in region of axilla, extending to pectoral muscles. Sore bruised pain in axilla. Pain in region of heart, with stitching of heart.
Bac Opisthotonos or a feeling as if the whole bac fecting the muscles of the nec .
would contract bac wards, also af
Pain in spine; isolated throbbing on the right side of the bac . Wea ness in small of bac when wal ing and after wal ing; soreness in the lower part of the spine almost traceable to the sciatic nerve. Gnawing pain in the region of the idneys, with weariness in the limbs. Weariness felt in the bac
from the coccyx upward.
Spinal irritation in dorsal region with the first dorsal vertebra sore to touch. Soreness and stiffness in the cervical region; pains felt in the evening and whe n moving the head. Pain in lumbar region extending to pectoral muscles after riding; aching pain in lumbar region when wal ing.
Extremities Great wea ness, weariness and prostration felt in the limbs, worse in the aftern oon. Heaviness in upper limbs and leg. Coldness of hands and foot.
Crac ing of joints in upper and lower limbs and shoulder. Inclination to stretch, especially the arms, to relieve the weariness between th e scapulae and trapezius. Upper limbs - Cramps in wrist and fingers, in thumb while writing; soreness exte nding along flexor carpi ulnaris; thumbs drawn inward. Isolated throbbings in the arms. Stitching and shooting pains in upper limbs, wrist, and nee. Sore bruised pain in shoulder extending to wrist; in biceps; in fingers, and thumb. Wea ness in upper arm, in wrist, in hand while writing, worse in the evening. Painful soreness under the arms; pain under the right axilla extending to the pe ctoral muscles. Cutting under the left shoulder. Pulsation in shoulder, in the left wrist; in the m. Pains felt in the elbow in the morning.
nee with pains in the upper ar
Lower limbs - Wea ness in the morning, the afternoon and the evening. The hips, lower limbs and left thigh wea in the morning. Burning pain in first toe while wal ing. Pains in thigh and wea ness when wal ing. Cramps and sudden short pains in the thighs with sore, bruised pains in the nee , leg, foot and sole. Itching in lower limbs and sole of foot.
Sleep Sleep is restless with many confused dreams and tal ing in the sleep. Sleepiness during the day and constant yawning. Sleeplessness from headache and from pains of the head. After wa ing unable to f all asleep again. Wa ing too early.
Chill
Chilliness with shivering with pulse at 50; with heat in the face. Cold sensation and tightness about the scalp. Cold hands and feet.
S in Itching on the face; painful, itching and burning under the big toes, with itchi ng of the right sole which occurs after wal ing.
Clinical Bright's disease and affections of the bladder. Dysmenorrhea. Brachyglottis was proved by C.L. Fischer. The Maories use the leaves to apply to old sores and ulcers.
Relations Compare: Apis; Helonias; Merc-cor.; Plumbum.
Dosage From 6x to 200.
Bromium Bromine Br. Solution in distilled water
The essential features In order to gain a greater understanding of Bromium, I thin it best to examine the different pathological states which can be cured by this remedy, and compare Bromium to other remedies with which it can be confused. 1. The first thing to stri e one in this remedy is the inflammation, infiltratio n, enlargement and finally hardening of the glands. The glands that inflame eventually end up becoming enlarged and hard. This process is one of petrificat ion. The glands generally remain hard for very long periods and very seldom
suppurate. All the glands can be affected: thyroid, testes, submaxillary, subli ngual, parotid, ovaries, mammary and prostate glands may all enlarge and harden. The thyroid may bulge so at one side, and may be so hard, as to restrict the mo vement of the head, and yet there may be no other symptoms. The inflammation process is slow, and the swelling increases over a long period of time without every reaching suppuration. This is one of the differential poin ts with belladonna, a remedy with which Bromium could be confused.
2. Bromium has symptoms such as emaciation, infiltration of glands, general wea ness and perspiration, therefore we may expect it to be curative in conditions l i e tuberculosis, cancer and AIDS. Cancerous affections of the body, especially of the mammae may respond to this remedy. The mammae become as hard as a stone with an irregular surface, as if there were hard nots tied together in a mass. In such conditions you should not only thin of Conium or Calc-f. but of Bromiu m as well. As the legs become wea and tremble with growing prostration, with tremulous wea ness, fainting and infiltration of glands, the case may resemble chronic fatigu e syndrome. Here you may find a similarity with Gels. 3. Another important symptom for Bromium is asthmatic attac s, particularly asth matic respiration in sailors as soon as they go ashore. Here the remedy should b e compared to Med., as the difference between being at sea and on land is tremend ous. The condition is much better at the sea-side or travelling at sea. Thus Bro mium is the exact opposite to Natr-m., Mur-ac. or Mag-mur. You will also find asthmatic respiration at night, after measles. The attac s ar e characterized by difficulty in breathing, where the patient cannot inspire sufficiently and the breathing feels obstructed when swallowing. There is spasm odic closing of the glottis. Breathing is impossible when lying down and is diff icult in the mornings, before menses and during palpitations. With every breath the p atient feels he is inhaling sulphur fumes or as if there were dust in the bronch ial passages. Respiration is very short and the patient is obliged to gasp and catc h his breath. Respiration is rough and sawing, and better by wal ing and motion. Bromium is also indicated in pneumonia for suffocative attac s when the patient cannot expectorate. 4. Bromium predominantly affects the upper respiratory tract, particularly the l arynx and trachea. Another condition for which you will find Bromium very useful is laryngeal diphtheria, or croup, where the inflammation starts from the larynx a nd spreads upwards. Kent's is the best description: "Bromium is one of the routine medicines. It is one of the medicines that the neophyte will ma e use of for every case of diphth eria and croup and laryngitis he comes across; and when it does not wor
he will "try so
mething else." All who prescribe on the name use Bromium as one of their routine medicines; but Bromium is so seldom indicated that most homeopaths give it up a s a perfectly useless medicine. The reason is that they do not ta e the symptoms of the case and prescribe in accordance with the individualizing method. They do n ot prescribe for the patient, but for the disease. You may see very few cases of diphtheria calling for Bromium; but when you see a Bromium case you want to no w Bromium. There is one underlying feature of the Bromium conditions, they are found especially in those individuals that are made sic from being heated. If there is a diphtheria epidemic and the mother bundles up her baby until she overheats it, and eeps it in a hot room, and it happens to be a child that is sensitive to being wrapped up, and one whose complaints are worse from being wra pped up, loo out. You are going to have a Bromium diphtheria. It is indicated also in complaints that come on in the night after a very hot day in the summer. Now, this is as near as you can come to being routine in croups and diphtheria. If the mother has the baby out in a dreadfully cold, dry day, and also towards m idnight it wa ens with spasmodic croups, you now that it is more li ely to call for Aconi te than any other medicine. But if the mother has had the baby out in a hot day in the summer, and that baby has been overheated, with too much clothing, and it is a plethoric child, and towards midnight you are called up, and the child has a red face, and your examinations reveal a membrane in the throat, we will see as we study the remedy that this may be a Bromium case. "Hoarseness coming on from getting overheated. Loss of voice coming on from gett ing overheated." A turmoil in the whole economy; with headaches, coming on from getting overheated. That runs through Bromium. So it is in the hot weather, and being confined to a hot room, and after going from the cold into the heat. But after the complaint comes on, no matter where it is, he is so sensitive to cold that a draft of cool air freezes him; but he cannot be overheated without suffering." A very good description of a typical acute attac , whether of croup or diphtheri a, is the following : "violent suffocative breathing, accompanied with dry, obst inate and croupy cough. High fever and flushed face; during a coughing paroxysm the f ace and lips would become purple and eyes congested with much lachrymation. Coldness of feet, very restless at night, tossing and pitching about most of th e night. Pulse quic , feeble and tremulous. Hoarseness and almost entire loss of
voice." In croup Bromium is rarely indicated in the early stages. 5. A symptom running through many Bromium ailments is palpitation. You will find palpitation with nausea, palpitation with headache, palpitation with anxiety, w ith premenstrual disorders or various inds of nervous excitement. Hypertrophy of t he heart and palpitation may be present, with pain of the heart going up to an axilla. 6. You will confuse Bromium with Bell., particularly in states when, after expos ure to the cold from being heated, the patient comes down with fever, with hot h ead and cold extremities. The points to note here are that the face is not as red and t he fever does not develop as fast or run as high as in Bell. Moreover Bell. does not exhibit so much restlessness during the high fever period. 7. The catarrhal affections are accompanied by a more or less important membrano us formation. Membranous exudate is a natural course of events. A natural featur e of the mucous membrane is infiltration, so that the mucous membrane appears to exude little grayish-white vegetations, and beneath them is induration. An ulcer will form upon the mucous membrane and eat in, and build beneath it a hardened strat um of tissue. These catarrhal states are accompanied by febrile conditions. Cystic tumors, atheroma, steatoma and gangrenous wounds are all conditions for w hich you should thin of Bromium. 8. There is a premenstrual syndrome that is characteristic of Bromium. The patie nt complains of a fulness in the head and chest, with difficult respiration and headache and an indescribable queer ill-feeling all over, which ma es her feel depressed or low-spirited. She says, "I do not feel as I generally do, but can't say why."
The mental-emotional picture The process of swelling and induration of the glands described earlier is mirror ed within the Bromium patient's mind and emotions; in the same way that the glan ds lose their ability to function and are unable to clear the impurities of the blood, so we see a process of petrification ta ing place in that portion of the mind th at is
concerned with the clarifying processes. The mind loses its flexibility and bec omes as immovable as a stone and quite unable to function. The patient then ente rs an indescribable state of paralytic anxiety. She cannot say what is wrong with her ; a strange, queer, ill-feeling prevails which ma es her so low-spirited, so dep ressed that she has no desire to do anything. The patient will say, "I do not feel well, but can't say why." This condition ma y be accompanied by some pain somewhere, although the patient is incapable of determining whether the pain is the reason for her mental state. Her depression resembles Puls. She is deeply despondent, sits alone in her room without doing anything, without saying anything and constantly loo s in one direction. A ques tion about her condition will elicit this type of answer: "I am not at all mysel f, there is something wrong with me but I do not now what it is". She is in a sta te of deep depression, caused by a loss of elasticity of the emotions. The emoti ons have ceased to function: they do not allow her to understand what is going on a nd to describe or react to it. One may describe this condition as being somewhere between the Aurum and the Pul satilla depression. A few points may serve here to differentiate the various typ es of depression. The Bromium depression does not drive the patient towards self-d estruction, as is the case in Aurum, where the patient nows that he wants to br ing an end to the suffering. Neither is the Bromium sufferer lost in the state of " non-existance" - unable to move, eat and spea - that characterizes the final st age of a Pulsatilla depression. The Bromium patient is very tired and sad and has a n aversion to any ind of wor , to reading and to spea ing, but will still funct ion somewhat, whereas Pulsatilla has to be forced to eat and will refuse to spea , neglecting all duties.
In this remedy most complaints are accompanied by anxiety. Anxiety is produced w ith bodily symptoms such as violent coughing spells and pains in the abdomen. It may originate from the heart or lungs; an anxious feeling about the heart with constriction in the chest; after dinner a feeling of an impending attac of apop lexy; oppression at heart brought about by exertion; apprehension in the evening with oppression of the heart and headache. An anxious state of mind may bring about a fear of ghosts or visions in the dar , as well as fear of being alone in the da r , and of someone being behind him. There may also be a state of anxious deliri um. The Bromium fever can bring about delusions. Things appear to jump off the groun d before her; she thin s people are loo ing over her shoulder and that she would see someone on turning; she feels as if spectres would appear in the evening. Many of the delusions are similar to belladonna: the patient sees dead persons, image s, phantoms; thin s that he is on a journey; has visions in the evening; thin s an other person is in the room. These patients' mood is capricious. On wa ing, they may be cheerful, happy and l ively, or quarrelsome and fretful with irritability. Generally they are displeas ed, discontented and dissatisfied. She does not feel normal, but cannot tell why. A desire for mental labor may be preceded by an aversion to her own profession. T he patient is morose in the afternoon after siesta, or very low spirited with pain in the left iliac region. Concentration is difficult, with confusion of mind wh ile writing, also at night on lying down. He is disinclined to read and has difficu lty in fixing thoughts; there is a loss of ideas and forgetfulness. In general t he patient is subject to intellectual wea ness and melancholia. Hysterical or manic behavi our may include crying, howling, bar ing and lamentation with a hoarse voice. Th e patient is subject to hysterical attac s with fits.
The bromium child Bromium is mostly prescribed for acute disorders and for children. It is especia lly suitable for children with thin, white, delicate s ins, with very light hair and
eyebrows, who are in general puny and sic ly loo ing, and also for scrofulous c hildren with enlarged glands. Dar haired children may also be affected. The chi ldren desire to be carried, particularly during croup, and nose-bleed accompanies man y conditions. Bromium mostly affects the left side, particularly the left side o f the head, though not exclusively. It also affects the right side, and can go fr om left to right.
Generalities Bromium is very close to Puls. in that both these remedies are very much aggrava ted by the heat and the sun. They both have reactions from the heat, and exposur e to the sun causes allergic reactions. Bromium patients are described as: "Fair, blond, light haired people with lax fibre, especially children with thin, white , delicate s ins, with very light hair and eyebrows." Tremulous wea ness at night on wa ing; after brea fast, in diphtheria, before or at the beginning of menses. The patient is wea and easily overheated, then sweaty and sensitive to drafts. Diphtheria which begins in the larynx and runs upwards; faintness with diphtheri a. A peculiar symptom, characteristic of this remedy, is loud emissions of air from the vagina. A peculiar vertigo with a sensation deep in brain as if vertigo would come on wi th a tendency to fall bac ward which is worse at the sight of running water or stepping on to a bridge. The nose tends to bleed with the vertigo.
Nose-bleed accompanies many affections, especially of the chest. Affects mainly the left side, particularly the internal head. There are spasmodic attac s, usually one sided, during whooping cough. Left-sided paralysis. Migraine chiefly left sided, worse stooping and after drin ing mil . Sore bruised pain in the evening on sitting. After dinner sensation as if he wil l have an attac of apoplexy. Pressing internal pain or pain as from a load; as if scraped. Pains are left sided. Boring and gnawing in the bones; burning in the blood vessels and glands. Cancerous affections. Painful varicose veins and suppressed gonorrhea. Acridity, excoriations, with moist blac ness of external parts. Aversion to cold drin s; onions. Desire for oysters. Feeling of dust in internal parts. Aggravated by inhalation of smo e. Other things that aggravate are: mil , onions , oysters, hot weather, or becoming warm, change of weather from cold to warm, damp weather, summer solstice, wal ing over running water or seeing and h earing running water, lying on the left side. Time of aggravation: evening until midnight. Ameliorated by air at the sea shore, by shaving, by violent motion, after drin i ng coffee or wine, lying on the right side, riding a horse, riding in a car, run ning, wal ing fast.
Vertigo Vertigo when crossing a bridge or when wal ing over running water. Anxiety with vertigo. Feels dizzy from seeing rapid motion in front of him. Vertigo in damp weather. Dizzyness ameliorated when followed by epistaxis. Vertigo in the morning on wa ing, in the evening in bed, on lying down, during m
enses with a tendency to fall bac wards. Smo ing, sunlight and heat causes dizziness and warm rooms aggravate.
Head Heaviness in the occiput and the forehead in the heat of the sun; goes away in t he shade, and is ameliorated by dar ness. There is a sensation as if everything would fall out of the forehead.
Heat of head in occiput; the head feels congested and he fears a stro e. Damp weather or the heat of the sun will cause pain in the occiput; pain in left side, ameliorated when lying on right side with the hand over the head. Fullness in head before menses. The head is sensitive to cold air and there is a sensation of numbness in the fo rehead. The brain feels sensitive. Tic ling and formication felt in the forehead and the occiput. Pain is ameliorated in dar ness and after a nosebleed, when leaning against some thing or when riding in a car over rough ground. Headache at commencement of menses, from smo ing tobacco or in damp, cold weathe r. Headache worse from drin ing mil ; from stooping. Drin ing mil will cause pulsating pain, which is further aggravated by stooping and causes pain in the temples. The pain is felt on one side and occurs in the afternoon from 3-4 p.m. The pain extends to the eyes. Headache alternating with pain in bac and in the stomach. Pain in forehead alternating with pain in small of bac . Pain before and during menses. The pain extends to chee s; to lower jaw; and to the tip of the nose. The pains in the forehead are of different inds, including pressing both inward and outward with a feeling as if the brain would come down and out, at the root of the nose, ameliorated in the open air. Stitching pain in forehead extending to chest and lower jaw. Headache when lying on right side; pain felt deep in the crown with palpitation; over the left eye. The scalp feels tender. Malignant eruptions, crusts, scabs on the head; offensive eruptions and eczema.
Eye The eyes appear protruded with swollen conjunctiva and lachrymal canal. The conjunctiva are wrin led. Spasmodic closure of the eyes and lachrymation of the right eye, with coughing.
The pupils are dilated. Cutting and stitching pain in canthi, especially in the right canthus. Pressing and stitching pains when moving the eyes, aggravated by pressure and by stooping. Stitches through the left eye. Pulsation in eyes. Flashing and lightnings in the eyes. Points before right eye, moving with eye. L oss of vision in the evening while reading; objects seem grey.
Ears
Noises in the ears, especially the right ear. Rushing distant noises, ringing in the right ear and rustling in the left. Swelling and hardness of the left parotid gland, feeling warm to the touch. The swelling remains hard and unyielding. Suppuration of the left parotid with watery and excoriating discharge. Discharge s after scarlet fever. Pain in left, then right ear, in the afternoon. Pain in right ear on swallowing and about the ear in the morning after rising. Aching pain in left then in right ear. Aching and burning in the ear in the evening; burning in the meatus, especially the right side. Pressing pain about and above the ear in the morning after rising. Stitching pain in right ear. Itching behind ear, scratching ameliorates.
Nose Sensitive to inhaled air with coldness inside the nose when inhaling. Severe coryza with the right nostril stopped up and sore throughout, with violen t sneezing, afterwards the left nostril is affected. The whole nose is sore, and the wings of the nose swollen; a scurf forms in it, with pain and bleeding on wiping it. The area under the nose and around the margins of the nose become extremely sore and corroded from the continuous and obstinate coryza. Crusts and scabs form inside the nose which leave the nostrils raw and bleeding when detached, until others form. Yellow orange crusts in coryza. Coryza with sneezing and sneezing from inhaling and from dust. Afterwards the no se is obstructed and the nostrils stic together. Obstruction, first right then left nostril. The nostrils itch inside, first the left, then the right. Twitching in right side with tic ling and smarting as from cobwebs. Swelling of wings of the nose; swelling of left side of nose when pressed. Constant, fan-li e motion of the wings of the nose.
Face Hot unpleasant feeling in the face and below the nose, with a tic ling-smarting sensation as from cobwebs, especially on moving the nose. Formication. Haggard appearance, with a greyish, earthy complexion. The face seems drawn to a point, the forehead wrin led. Bluish discoloration in croup or red face during fever.
Strong hard swelling of the glands, especially on the lower jaw and throat. Heat first in the right gland, then in the left. Pain in and hard swelling of submaxillary gland, especially left. Bleeding lips with herpes, vesicular eruptions or fever blisters on the lips. Burning pain in the upper lips. Eruptions on nose, bleeding when touched. Crac ing in jaw when chewing; pains in the jaws, on articulation. Shaving ameliorates cold sensation in larynx and trachea.
Mouth Burning from the mouth to the stomach, with heat in the mouth and the esophagus. The mouth is dry and parched or produces excessive frothy mucus. Acrid or astrin gent taste. Water tastes saltish in the morning and the mouth aches. Sensation of elongation of teeth when chewing. Toothache ameliorated when biting teeth together. Teeth sensitive to cold water. The gums are indurated and painful in the morning. Yellowish-brown discoloration of tongue with burning under the surface of the to ngue; burning on the tongue extending to palate and the stomach. Pimples on tongue with stitching pain on the tip. Tongue has a sensation of dryness and cannot be protruded. The mouth is open during sleep. Nail biting.
Throat Scraping in the throat and a rough deep voice; inflammation of the throat with n et-li e redness of dilated blood vessels and corroded places. Hoarseness coming on from being overheated.
Swelling of the mucous membranes of the fauces and pharynx. Elongation and inflammation of the uvula. Tonsils swollen and deep red. Membrane on the left side, extending to the nose. Diphtheria begins in the larynx and runs upwards.
Pain when bending head forward. Pressing pain in cervical glands in throat pit. The glands are stony hard and sw ollen. Pressing pain in esophagus. Catarrh in throat which is loose and rattles with the breathing and when coughin g, but does not cause cho ing. The mucus is frothy. Dryness in the evening. Erosion in spots. Pain in left side of throat. Pain in throat when touched; on the left side; on turning the head; extending to the ear on swallowing. Swallowing liquids more difficult than solids. Spasms an d tension in the throat. Sensation of sulphur vapor in throat during coughing. Tic ling in the trachea during inspiration. Touching external throat aggravates. Fullness in the throat with heat in esophagus. Cystic tumors in side of external throat. Goitre.
Stomach Sharp burning from the tongue to the stomach. Pressure in the stomach li e a stone, aggravated by pressure. Heavy feeling and inflammation in the stomach. Nausea, retching, empty feeling and cramping stomac h pains ameliorated after eating. Violent and ineffectual retching. Nausea after palpitation and after smo ing. Vomiting of bloody mucus and coffee grounds. Eructations li e spoiled eggs with vomiting of much mucus. Pain in stomach alternating with pain in head. Pain ameliorated after coffee, bu t hot drin s generally aggravate pain. Or warm drin s ameliorate pain; food
aggravates. Pain in stomach extending to the navel and the esophagus. Thirst in the afternoon. Desires oysters but suffers pain afterwards. Desire for sour things which aggravate the symptoms and cause diarrhea. Appetite wanting during menses; aversion to onions, water and cold water.
Abdomen Tympanitic distension of the abdomen and passage of much wind. During menstruation, pain in the abdomen gradually moving downwards into the sma ll of the bac , with the passage of much flatus. Distension of the abdomen during the menses. Fermentation and rumbling in the abdomen with sensation of fullness in the hypoc hondria; a feeling of a ball in the left hypochondrium. Pulsation in the hypocho ndria; in the evening. Wal ing ameliorates the pain in the hypochondria. Pains come on from sitting bent forward, from pressure; pains on the right extend to the left . Stitching pain from right hypochondrium to left; after eating. Enlargement and induration of the spleen. The abdomen is sensitive to clothing. Liver feels as though it has a lump in it and is sensitive to pressure. Pain in liver when riding in a bumpy car and on coughing. Pain in and above umbilicus, comes and goes slowly, extending to bladder and to rectum. Pain after spea ing; after tobacco, extending to spermatic cord. Pain two hours after eating; on expiration; during inspiration; on motion, ameli orated by pressure. Dragging, bearing down pains in the inguinal region and in the glands, from coug hing and while wal ing. Pain in crest of ilium. Cramping, griping pains after smo ing, before the menses, on inspiration, on mot ion, ameliorated by pressure. Stitching pain, ameliorated while lying croo ed, before the menses and extending to the bladder and rectum along the spermatic cord. Stitching pain in inguinal region during and after menses and in the crest of th e ilium. Pressing pain during stool.
Rectum Frequent urging with passage of more flatus than stool. Intensively painful hemorrhoids, worse during and after stool, worse from the ap
plication of cold or warm water; ameliorated by wetting with saliva. Blind or internal hemorrhoids aggravated by wal ing, ameliorated by cold. Pain in the rectum aggravated by warm bathing. Eruption at the perineum; vesicular and itching pimples. With the diarrhea of blac , liquid fecal stool there is severe pain in the blind hemorrhoids. Slimy, yellow, mucous stool, worse after every meal. The stool loo s membranous; li e the scrapings of intestines. Diarrhea after oysters, after acids, and from tobacco. Diarrhea ameliorated after eating, from coffee. Stool hard, brown and glistening li e sheep dung.
Urinary organs Sudden urging to urinate, patient must hasten or urine will escape. Urination is difficult with involuntary dribbling afterwards. Constant itching in meatus as if urging to urinate. Pressing pain in prostate gland while wal ing, aggravated by wal ing. Clear or chronic gonorrheal discharge from urethra. Stitching pain in meatus extending bac wards. Pulsation in urethra. Ammoniacal odor of urine with an adherent reddish sediment which is hard to wash off or a white adhesive sediment.
Genitalia - male Swelling and induration of the left testis, with sore pain or sensation of coldn ess; inflammation of the testes from suppressed gonorrhea; coldness from the scr otum. Swelling of scrotum with chronic gonorrhea. Stitching pains in the testes. Hard painless swelling of left testes; painful wh en driving. Stitching pain in penis extending to glans; pinching pain in the penis. Pressing pain in spermatic cords. Erections from 3 - 8 h. with quic
discharge of seminal fluids.
Sexual passion wanting with coldness of scrotum.
Genitalia - female Loud flatus from vagina during menses. Hardness and induration of the ovaries, especially the left side. Boring pain an d aching in the ovaries, worse on the left, extending to the groin and hips. The ovaries are swollen before and during the menses. Enjoyment of coition absent with insensibility and inflammation of the vagina du ring coition. The vagina feels sore and tender. Orgasm delayed.
A few days before the menses a queer, ill feeling is experienced. Low spirited before the menses. Menses too frequent, every 14 days and too profuse. Bright red blood with passiv e flow and accompanied by much exhaustion. Violent contractive spasm before or during the menses, lasting hours and leaving the abdomen sore. Pain in the abdo men and small of the bac . Membranous dysmenorrhea and metrorrhagia. Tumors in the breast with stitching pain, worse on the left. Dropsy of uterus; fibroid tumors.
Bland leucorrhea with itching of the vagina. Copious lochia. Membranous dysmenorrhea; spasmodic contractions. Chronic inflammation of the ova ries. Tumors in mammary gland.
Chest Larynx and Trachea - Hoarseness, loss of voice in the evening; he cannot spea c learly; the voice is wea and soft, with a feeling in the throat as if scraped raw. The voice becomes indistinct, bar ing or deep. Painful hoarseness from being ove rheated. There is scraping and rawness in the larynx which causes a dry cough; much rawne ss in the larynx which ma es the patient want to haw . Every time he swallows saliva there is a stitch in the posterior portion of the larynx, with a feeling of contraction. Mucus in the larynx from being overheated. Contracted sensation internally in the trachea, or a feeling as if the pit of th e throat were pressed against the trachea. Stic ing constriction deep in the larynx and in the throat pit. The trachea feels dry as if it is full of dust, with much tic ling on inspiring causing a cough. The dry cough causes pain and burning behind the sternum and so reness in the trachea. Cold sensation when inspiring and after brea fast, ameliorated by shaving. The p atient wants to ta e a deep breath, but it excites the cough. He feels he cannot breathe deep enough. Inhaled air seems smo y, cold or raw, with a sensation of sulphur vapour in the larynx during the cough. The cough is spasmodic with much rattling of mucus in the larynx, and fits of su ffocation on swallowing. Spasmodic closure of the glottis. Colds start in the larynx and go upward and downward. Irritation in the larynx from being in a warm room. Piercing and contractive pai ns in the larynx, aggravated by touch. Recurrent inflammation of the larynx. Croup and membranous croup from being heated and after febrile symptoms have sub sided, where the patient is wea and perspiring; with the croupy cough there is a
good deal of loose rattling in the larynx with the breathing and coughing, but no cho ing. The croup may extend to the fauces. Whooping cough during croup. Laryngeal diphtheria where the membrane begins in the larynx and spreads upwards . Respiration - Cold sensation and wheezing when inspiring. Deep forcible inspiration is necessary from time to time; the respiration is imp eded with the constriction and pain in the chest. Oppression of breath immediately after ta ing it, with deep inspiration, togethe r with a sensation as if he did not get enough air into the chest, on account of which he elevates the thorax and inspires forcibly. Velvety feeling in the lungs as if t hey were coated with down. Asthmatic respiration at night, after measles and asthma in sailors as soon as t hey go ashore. Difficulty of breathing; he cannot inspire sufficiently and breathing feels obst ructed when swallowing. Spasmodic closing of the glottis. Breathing is impossibl e when lying down and is difficult in the mornings, before the menses and during palpitations. With every breath he feels he is inhaling sulphur fumes or as if t here is dust in the bronchial passages. Respiration is very short and the patient is ob liged to gasp and catch his breath. Rough, sawing respiration, ameliorated by wa l ing
and motion. Stertorous respiration during sleep. Whistling in whooping cough.
Cough Cough on deep inspiration, worse during the day, with paroxysms of suffocation w hen swallowing. Cough aggravated or excited on becoming warm in bed; in close air, from acids; f rom dry cold air, from smo ing, from mil , from touching the nec ; ameliorated i n open air and from cold drin s, after midnight. Difficult, distressing, bar ing cough. The cough is most distressing in the morn ing and evening and on going to sleep. Dry cough in the daytime and at night, brought on from scraping in the larynx or from a sensation as of a foreign body in the larynx; from deep inspiration. Sen sation as if sulphur fumes were in the air passages. Drin ing ameliorates. Cough as fr om elongated uvula in the morning. Burning cough in larynx with constriction. Loose cough without expectoration or loose cough with expectoration, aggravated by exercise and warm rooms or on entering a warm room from outside. Hoarse cough; excited by deep inspiration. Hac ing cough when going to sleep. Co ugh on tal ing; with inability to spea . Whooping in daytime. Cough with convulsions; croupy cough. Loose cough during fever. Expectoration - Thic white expectoration or bluish expectoration. Mucus may be membranous or scanty. Heart - Anxiety and oppression in region of heart in the evening. Oppression of heart on least exertion. Affections of the heart with pains extending to the axilla and cutting pain in t he region of the heart. The heart beats severly when standing, ameliorated by deep inspiration. Pain with squeezing sensation.
Hypertrophy of heart from overexertion. Palpitation of heart on rising from a seat, on wal ing. Violent palpitations when lying on left side. Nervous palpitations; with nausea, in the evening and during a headache. Inner and Outer Chest - Sensation of great weight on the whole of the chest when breathing, with constriction and a sensation of coldness. The chest itches in t he morning. Pain in chest on bending forward; while wal ing or wal ing rapidly; when lifting ; ameliorated after epistaxis. Fullness in the chest before menses. Aching pain in sides on turning chest, on wal ing, after eating, when lifting. P ressure in sides of the chest.
Drawing pain below the clavicle and in the sides extending to scapula. Stitching pain while wal ing rapidly and in the sides extending towards the arms , in the morning, in the region of the right axilla and under the mammae. Epithelioma of mammae. Moist eruptions in axilla. Coagulated hemorrhage and hepatization of the lungs. Purulent and ulcerative tub erculosis; inflammation of the right lung. Emphysema. Sensation as if the lungs were full of smo e.
Bac Stiffness in the nec with swelling in the glands of the nec . Two encysted tumo rs on both sides of the nec . There is stiffness in the cervical region which is worse in the afternoon. Goitre. Coldness while sitting. Aching with chill, at the inner border of the left scapula up to the nec , on mo ving the left arm, or sitting leaning to the left. Bac pain in the lumbar region alternating with headache and before the menses w ith wea ness and want of appetite. The lumbar region feels tense during motion. Boring pain in the spinous processes of different vertebrae; tearing pain in the dorsal region.
Extremities Stiffness in all the limbs, worse around mid-morning and ameliorated in the afte rnoon. Pain in the limbs alternating with chilliness and heat. Coldness in the evening in a warm room. Upper Limbs - Icy coldness in forearm and a feeling of constriction as if the ar m was in a vise. Coldness in hands during diarrhea; coldness in the fingertips, in the foot and t
he first toe. Contraction of muscles and tendons in shoulder with constricted feeling in the u pper limbs. Paralytic pain in the shoulder while wal ing, particularly when wal ing in the open air, extending to the arm. Pain in finger joints extending upward. The upper limbs feel restless. Crac ing joints in the morning; after rising. The joints feel lame, especially t he left upper limb. Redness of bac of hand with itching spots; itching particularly between the thu mb and the index finger; formication of the fingers and of the first toe at nigh t on wa ing; eczema on elbows and boils on the upper limbs. The shoulders feel hot and itch. Fullness and jer ing of the hand and twitching of the inside of the convulsions.
nee; clonic
Lower Limbs - Heaviness of the thighs before menses. The legs become numb whilst sitting and ache. Pains and aching in the lower limbs, especially the left side .
Drawing pain in tibia extending to an le. A feeling of pulsation in the joints, in particular the nee, whilst sitting. Burning, gnawing, pressing, stitching, tearing pains in the upper and lower limb s; tearing pain felt in the first toe. The nee and upper limbs have a sensation of paralysis while wal ing; in the aft ernoon. There is also a feeling of paralysis in the left shoulder and in the hip . Wea ness of the shoulder and left upper limb. Left-sided hemiplegia. Perspiration of the hands.
Sleep Sleepiness in the evening while reading and when writing. The head feels confuse d and the scalp tight as if a band were around it. Sleepy yet unable to fall asl eep. Then prolonged unrefreshing sleep in the morning. On wa ing feels tremulous, we a and sluggish. Yawning all day with difficult breathing. Yawning when coughing and during chill. Sleep full of anxious dreams; of dying, coffins, funerals, of ascending, climbin g, high places. He dreams of descending a steep place and gets out of bed but wa es as soon as his feet touch the floor. Historic dreams. He remembers the dreams on w a ing. Restless sleep with twitching and starting and tendency to sleep with the mouth open.
Fever Violent shiverings, with yawning and stretching, as in intermittent fever, which she had ten years before; with this the head is confused; drawing in the left t ibia down to the an le, whereby the foot becomes quite cold; this is repeated every other day, as a chilliness with cold feet. The s in is cool and covered with a viscous sweat. Sweat appears on the palms an d the least exertion will cause fever and perspiration. The perspiration is stic y. Paroxysms of coughing end with perspiration. The pulse is accelerated.
Internal burning heat at 9 a.m. with chill in the evening during motion. Cold un pleasant drawing through the whole body, with rapid alternations of warmth, at f irst in the left hand and side. Sha ing on inspiring.
S in Yellow or bluish in many parts. Eruptions which are destructive, burn and then l eave an inflammation. Foul ulcers. Red spots on the bac of the left hand disappear and reappear, sometimes itching and sometimes changing to vesicles which leave red spots. Boils on the arms and face. Pimples, pustules and acne. Formication in the arms and legs; tic ling ameliorated by scratching. Glands stony and hard, especially on the lower jaw.
Clinical Apoplexy. Asthma. Cancer of breast. Cancer. Cough. Croup. Diphtheria. Dysmenorrh ea. Emphysema. Pain in feet. Fistula lachrymalis. Enlargement of glands. Goitre. Disease of heart; hypertrophy of heart. Laryngismus. Migraine. Induration of pa rotid gland. Affections of respiration. Scrofula. Effects of seaside. Induration of testicles. Sore throat. Enlarged tonsils; inflamed tonsils. Irritation of trach ea. Tuberculosis. Tumor of breast. Ulcers. Air in uterus. Air in vagina. Vertigo .
Relations Antidotes: Ammon-carb.; Camph. Salt inhibits the action of Brom. Compare: Conium; Spongia; Iod.; Aster.; Arg-nit. Avoid mil when ta ing Brom. Hy drobromic acid. (Throat dry and puc ering; constriction in pharynx and chest; wa ves of heat over face and nec ; pulsating tinnitus with great nervous irritability (Ho ughton); vertigo, palpitations; arms heavy; seemed as if parts did not belong to him. Seems to have a specific effect on the inferior cervical ganglion, increasing t he tonic action of the sympathetic, thus promoting vaso-constriction. Relieves headache, tinnitus and vertigo, especially in vaso-motor stomach disturbance.)
Dosage From 6x to CM.
Bryonia alba Vitis nigra; Bryonia nigram; Chironiam vitam; Bryonia dioica; Bryonia vera; Viti s alba. English: White bryony; Blac -berried white bryony; White hops.
French: Bryone; Bryone blanche; Coulevre. German: Weisse Zaunrube; Stichwurz Polish: Pryestepbiaty. Dutch: Welde wyngaar; Witte Bryon Portuguese: Norca branca. Italian: Brionia, Vita bianca. Spanish: Neuza alba Swedish: Hundrosva.
Natural order: Cucurbitaceae - Monoecia, Monodelphia. Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] Dioecia gynandria, L. Tincture of root procured before flowering.
The essential features The pathology which every remedy represents and cures in the human organism can be conceived of as an "idea" rather than as a heap of meaningless symptoms. The important remedies of our materia medica have been proven extensively and their symptomatology is sufficiently comprehensive for the contemplative student to extract therefrom the prevailing "idea". In Bryonia we have a patient who is emotionally, bodily and mentally dried up. H e wants to be left alone, undisturbed, while at the same time constantly needing great quantities of water to balance his dryness. If this is loo ed at symbolically, we see that the water element, symbolising the emotions, is lac ing, or has been restricted. It will be apparent to you when you loo upon a typical constitutional Bryonia t ype that there is an element of dehydration at all levels. The sensation of dryn ess of the mucous membranes is most frequently reported, but the dryness of Bryonia ex tends to the emotional and mental levels as well. The mind is dry -- in other words, the mind lac s nimbleness and agility; it is unimaginative.
The stiffness of the mind Constitutional Bryonia patients suffer from a stiffness of the mind; they tend t o be very business-li e and matter-of-fact. Their perspective is quite limited o r earthy. Consequently, they often focus their energies upon the attainment of ea rthly things and material security, especially money. Underlying their rather gr uff, business-li e manner, however, a sense of financial insecurity dwells, and the primary expression of this insecurity in Bryonia patients is a fear of poverty. They are afraid of being poor one day, irrespective of the degree of their ban bala nce or business success.
Bryonia is a remedy which is indicated quite frequently today. The need for Bryo nia is quite possibly a result of the pressures arising from the currently preva iling socioeconomic system. The pressures to perform effectively in the business worl d and to achieve financial success in the face of fierce competition can have a profound influence upon one's psychological functioning. As a consequence, many susceptible individuals will develop the mental, emotional, and physical pathol ogical indications for Bryonia. The Bryonia individual, most often a male, will be one who primarily wishes to b e alone. This desire to be alone is attributable to a great amount of internal irritability and anger. Underlying the irritability is a considerable sense of insecurity expressed, as we have said before, with an irrational fear of poverty and also fear about the future and, most specifically, about the future as it relat es to his financial situation. These people are very business-li e. Business con cerns even occupy their subconscious mind; as a consequence, they often will tal abo ut business while in a delirium. As one might expect, these people will be very careful with their money and are reluctant to part with it, though they are not stingy to the extent of Arsenicum or Mercury . It is unli ely that a Bryonia case shoul d buy expensive goods for himself which he feels to be unnecessary. He may however sp end money for a good cause. The Bryonia attitude, as has been mentioned, is a materialistic one. Bryonia patients are earth-bound; i.e. , earthy in their per spectives and attitudes. They will pursue with determination whatever they decid e
would be beneficial for them. Bryonia patients with any interest in spiritual m atters are definitely the exception.
The emotional dryness and desire to be left alone The emotional dryness manifests in the patients' irritability and peevishness, m ajor characteristics of Bryonia. They are very serious people, lac ing in imagin ation. They are neither playful nor joyful. Seldom will they attempt a jo e. Typically these people lac refinement and sensitivity, but they do retain a specific sen sitivity -- a sensitivity to annoyance. They do not welcome interference in their lives; they simply want to find their own niche, their place in life, and to be left a lone. They are averse to being bothered by others because of the internal irritabilit y which they are reluctant to show. The problem with any ind of interference is that there must be some reaction on their part; this is tremendously difficult and a ggravates them. Their attitude is "Leave me alone." This is the nature of Bryonia, and we must perceive its inner structure along th e same lines. The agility goes and a rigidity settles in. This individual is dry ing up, and in order to eep in balance he must have supplies of water, of emotions and of money. All of which must come from the outside. He is afraid that in his old age nobody will love him, nobody will care about him and he has to have money to pa y people. Emotionally he cannot give love but he needs to feel loved in order to feel secure, in spite of the fact that when he is loved he does not appreciate it. H e can be busy and excited, buying and selling on the stoc mar et, for which he can have a great passion, but he is unable to fall passionately in love with a woman. He cannot feel or express passion, although he can perform sexually. For a Bryon ia individual, it is enough that his wife should love him and be available, but he is incapable of romance or appreciation of her tenderness. He is usually angry and irritable and inconsiderate towards others, and once he has finished with sexual intercourse he retreats into himself and is better if n o-one bothers him anymore. In a description of this type it is not possible to describe all the variations
of the remedy and all the different moods. The student of homeopathy is requeste d to understand the main ideas that run through each remedy.
The dryness of the physical body and thirst This same attitude will be apparent when the patient has to move a painful joint . Moving the joint creates a dry and crac ing sensation, and he hates to have to do it. This dryness is apparent at different levels of the physical body. The mucous m embranes, serous membranes or s in can dry up to a tremendous extent. Further examples of such dryness include: dryness of the conjunctiva of the eyes, so th at the eyes cannot be moved without distress; dryness of the synovial membranes, so the joints cannot be moved without pain; dryness of the linings of the intestin es so the stool will not move and a most distressing constipation sets in. Bryonia is, of course, an extremely thirsty remedy. The thirst is for large quan tities of cool or tepid water. In Bryonia there is a preference for warm drin s that actually ma es the patient feel better , often tepid tap water is quite suffici ent. These characteristics help to distinguish Bryonia from such remedies as Phosphorus, Natrum muriaticum, and Sulphur which all desire great quantites of cold water frequently. (Lycopodium, on the other hand desires and is ameliorated by warm drin s but the quantity of water they require is much less; Lac caninum, A rs. and Chel. also crave warm drin s.) As mentioned, Bryonia manifests great dry ness of the mucous membranes in many conditions. One must be careful when analyzing a case however, because some Bryonia patients can experience great dryness of th e mouth without thirst. There are other remedies which have dryness and a simulta neous aversion to water. One of these remedies, Nux moschata, possesses such
great dryness that the tongue feels stuc to the palate, yet there is an aversi on to water. If these patients even attempt to drin some water to help wash dow n some food, they will have to spit out the water; they cannot drin it. There is a complete absence of thirst. Natrum muriaticum often exhibits this symptom too . So far we have given a description of the symptoms of the remedy. However, you s hould bear in mind the importance of the pathological picture that presents itse lf when you combine all the symptoms, for this is where the peculiarity and unique ness of this personality lie. On prescribing this remedy you should not lose sig ht of the dryness, of the aggravation from moving these dry parts, nor of the "do not bother me" attitude, and the persistent but slow development of the pathology. And beyond that, you should ma e an effort to understand the subtleties of the path ology of the personality. As you perceive the idea behind a remedy, you find yourself prescribing it with more surety and greater confidence than ever. If, however, you prescribe the rem edy on symptoms alone, the margin for error remains very great. In order for one to be able to see these images and ideas correctly, it is necessary to have seen a lo t of cases, and most of all to have prescribed the remedy correctly in several const itutional types. When I started tal ing about these ideas more than 25 years ago my students got excited and became very receptive. As a side-effect of this excitement, several "eager homeopaths" came on the scene, trying to copy these ideas, as a result c reating confusion in the minds of those who were listening. Do not be in a hurry to ma e up stories about the remedies before you have seen enough cases and gained some real insight into the remedies, and before being able to confirm your observations.
The acute state Bryonia is a remedy that will show persistence and determination, and will not v acillate. The complaints start slowly and develop steadily to a crescendo over a much longer period of time than most other remedies. Acute conditions ta e several d ays to reach their full-blown manifestation, whereas in other remedies - eg. Aco nite
or Belladonna - we see a much more immediate and explosive reaction of the orga nism. Bryonia presents a slow but steady development of complaints, which persis ts until a very serious level is reached. We can better understand the chronic state of Bryonia by examining Bryonia's acu te state. Typically during severe Bryonia acute states -- usually involving feve r and bronchitis -- patients realize that they need to muster all of their recuperati ve powers. Their suffering and irritability are tremendous. They want to be left alone in order to collect all their energy to insure that they will be able to weathe r the illness. Even in their normal chronic condition Bryonia individuals don't easily see help for mental or emotional problems; they would rather attempt to wor t heir problems out by themselves. In this acute state they are dry and dehydrated . The mouth is very dry and there is a constant need to drin . Consequently, duri ng a fever, the patients tend to become irritated when someone enters the room t o tal to them, console them, or to offer help. They feel that quiet is the best thing for them. It is very distressing for them to have to react to anything, or even to have to move. During a fever, the simple question: "Do you want a cup of tea?" is liable to ma e the Bryonia patient feel worse. He feels that the simple act of answering suc h a question will cause an aggravation by expending the recuperative powers. The us ual observation made in a Bryonia case is that the person attending the patient will say that the patient is very ill and does not want any interference. On being o ffered a cup of tea, even though the patient is thirsty, he is aggravated by the fact that someone has disturbed him. But when the tea arrives, he will drin it with great relish. He is very thirsty and is often ameliorated by warm drin s. Howev er, the whole process of being as ed and of having to respond remains very aggravat ing. In such a case it is best to leave the tea and go out of the room immediate ly. If you are sensitive enough you will perceive the aggravation, even without words. Kent writes: "Do not cross a Bryonia patient for it ma es him worse." The patie nt
himself feels that it is unfair to treat others, who are interested in him, in this way, but he cannot help it.
The aggravation from movement Exhaustion and sluggishness play a role in this unwillingness to interact with o thers when ill, but far more responsible is an irritability and a basic aversion to motion. Any motion -- that of physically moving, even breathing or moving the eyes -- o r the effort of feeling or tal ing, even of thin ing -- aggravates Bryonia patie nts; they do not want to move. They are aggravated from movement; and here we have t he greatest characteristic and eynote of Bryonia. Such is the aggravation from motion that you may not be able to ma e a physical examination, as the pat ient faints as soon as he tries to raise himself in bed. I recall a case of Bryonia that I saw in South Africa. When I entered the patien t's room, he was lying facing the wall. He coughed and lay perfectly still with his bac towards me. During the entire visit I conversed through an interpreter, and the patient never once turned around to loo at me. It was too painful for him to m ove. He offered very little information. The person who was interpreting and who had been caring for him said that he had had no appetite for two to three days, tha t he had been in a great deal of pain while coughing and would lie in one position o nly, never moving. He did not want anything; he only dran water from time to ti me. He was given Bryonia, and the next day he was much better and recovered without ne eding any other remedy. The aggravation from movement of Bryonia ma es it a good remedy for arthritic co nditions. Severe arthritic inflammations that are aggravated by the slightest movement will often be benefited by Bryonia. An important observation, however, is that sometimes, when the joint pain is extremely intense, the pain can be so severe that, despite being aggravated by motion, the patient feels compelled to get up and wal about. The suffering is so great that he has to move. This paradoxical restlessness can at times create confusion with Arsenicum and Rhus toxicodendron. A further important eynote of Bryonia is an amelioration from pressure. Many fo rms of pain and discomfort are ameliorated by holding and pressing upon the affected part. Lying on the painful side (e.g. , in headaches, chest pain, etc.
) frequently provides respite from the pain. An important observation in cases o f acute appendicitis corresponding to Bryonia is that there will seldom be tenderness t o direct pressure. When the examiner's hand is suddenly removed from the abdomen , however, severe pain occurs. This presentation is classic for Bryonia: with pre ssure there is an amelioration of the pain, but the sudden release of pressure sudden motion -- provo es pain. Bryonia is one of the specific remedies for acu te appendicitis; it will cure a very large percentage of cases which present wit h mar ed rebound tenderness and a lac of significant tenderness to direct pressu re. Bryonia is full of anxiety and despondency. He is not easily pleased with others , and often does not now himself what he really wants. There is an internal restlessness that forces him to move about, in spite of being aggravated from m otion. There is anxiety and fear, including fear of death and fear that he will not recover from his illness. But his mind which is logical and practical does not allow the fears to overwhelm him. He may allow his temper, his anger, or his irr itability to reach violent expressions, but he will not allow the fears to cloud his mind completely. Kent writes about Bryonia:"The mental state of Bryonia is usually relieved from cool air, he wants the windows open. Anxiety, confusion of mind, fear, etc., are ameliorated from being cool. Sometimes the delirium, and the congestive fulness of the head affecting the mind, will increase if the room becomes very warm, or from the heat of the stove, from becoming heated, or from warm covers. In child ren this will be noticed, whereas if the window be thrown up to relieve the stuffiness of the room the child will sleep quietly. Such remedies as Bryonia, Apis, Pulsatilla, and many others, come in here. If you go into a room and find the child raging with delirÈum, turning and tossing, and the mother is trying to eep the r oom warm because she is chilly, and say: "Why, how stuffy it is in here!" and yo u open the window and then notice that the child goes off to sleep, do not overlo o that; because that relief was caused by something. There should be nothing th at
can possibly occur to a patient, but that you should solve the meaning of befor e you leave the room. Settle in your mind as to what it was that caused it. "Fear of death." Full of fear, anxiety, despair of recovery, great despondency. Both mental and bodily quietness is required, that is he wants to eep still. Of ten he wants the room dar . It has complaints from getting excited. Bryonia patients a re nearly always worse from visitors. "Morose." Do not cross a Bryonia patient f or it ma es him worse. "Bad effects from mortification." "Ailments arising from ch agrin;" these are headaches usually. Violent, congesting headaches that come on a few hours after altercation or controversy, or little misunderstandings with so mebody that he cannot tal bac to, will be covered by Staph., but Bryonia also has that. Staph. is suited to irritable, violent, nervous, excitable people, who ge t into violent altercation or dispute. If a headache comes on, such a patient ma y need Bryonia. If in a chronic state a patient says. "Doctor, if I ever have a disput e with a man over anything I come down with nervous excitement, sleeplessness, headaches;" you do not have to wor long upon that case, because more than li e ly Staph. will be suitable."
The bryonia child Bryonia children, during acute illnesses, will often as for things that they ca nnot have. In the midst of their fever and moaning they will call out their dema nds, which typically will be for several impossible things. Should their parents hand them one of the items, they will immediately throw it away li e the Chamomilla child does. The especially characteristic trait, though, is that they as for things that a re difficult for the parents to find. There is a feeling of dissatisfaction, of discontent inside them; they don't actually now what they want. "He wants some thing and he nows not what," is a very important symptom for Bryonia. It is a symptom that calls for Bryonia only when the rest of the symptoms agree. You go to a child who is being carried in the arms of the nurse and wants one toy afte r another; you get the toy he wants and he does not want it and will throw it bac at you. When that case is loo ed into thoroughly it may be covered by Kreosote ; another is never satisfied with anything and rejects everything he as s for; yo u loo into that case and it may be covered by Chamomilla.
A characteristic that one may at times encounter is a tendency for nosebleeds in children during the night while they are in bed, between three and four a.m. Ch ildren seem weary, easily fall down from dizziness. In brain affections children perfo rm a strange chewing motion as if they were chewing the cud. This usually occurs during sleep. The mouth may distort during sleep when there is brain involvemen t.
The delirium Bryonia's well- nown time of aggravation is morning on wa ing and 9 p.m. ; there is a general aggravation at this time. This is how Kent describes it: "In rheum atic complaints, in pneumonia, and in typhoid conditions, when he is aroused from th is stage of stupefaction he is confused, sees images, thin s he is away from hom e and wants to be ta en home. Sometimes he will lie and say nothing but he "wants to go home." The delirium is of a low type: it is not the flashing wild excitement of Bell. or Stram.; it is the very opposite; he tal s and wanders and does not say much unless he is disturbed. You disturb him and he says " Go away and let me go home " and if you let him alone he will relapse into a perfectly quiet state and seldom sp ea . "Irrational tal or prattle of his business aggravated after 3 p.m. Usually you will find the delirium commencing about 9 p.m. and eeping up all night li e th e fever. The acute mental symptoms appear on rising in the morning, but as the f ebrile state advances and ta es possession the symptoms ta e on a 9 p.m. aggravation; those that have chill will have it at 9 p.m. ; in those who have a fever the fev er will come at 9 p.m. If mental symptoms are uppermost they increase and spread over t he night." ... "Bryonia will begin at 9 p.m. and run through the night." When delirious, Bryonia patients will, in addition to tal ing of business, often express the wish to go home, even if they are already in their home. The origin of this
delirious request is the feeling of security they enjoy when they are in their own place. This trait is very strong.
The mind conditions Bryonia is one of our major polychrests and a remedy that covers a vast amount o f pathology. The above description has not exhausted the symptomatology and the conditions in which this remedy could be prescribed, and therefore we give belo w some characteristic mind conditions for the conscientious student wanting to now more about the mind of Bryonia. The Anger and Irritability - Ailments after anger, vexation, fright, scorn or ac ute disappointment and mortification with anxiety. Complaints from hurry; from violence. Anger, irascibility, and irritability; in the evening. Irritability in the morni ng on wa ing, during chill, after eating, during headache, during heat, during m enses, and during perspiration. Irritability in liver troubles and from the cough during whooping cough. Quarrelsome and inclined to scold those around him. Envious of others and feels himself unfortunate. Becomes violently angry from contradiction. After having be en angry he is chilly, but has a red face with heat in the head. The Ill Humor - Morose during whooping cough. Ill humour with needless anxiety and everything seems to put him in a bad mood. Moc ing and sarcastic. Bad tempered and weeping mood. Wearisome, weeping, tearful mood, in day time and at night, before coughing, during the heat, durin g the perspiration; he feels nervous all day. Taciturn and disinclined to conversation. Answers hastily, does not as for anyt hing and wishes to be alone. He is averse to any company, particularly the prese nce of strangers and does not wish to be disturbed. Aversion to being touched. The Dissatisfaction - Generally displeased, discontented and dissatisfied with h imself. Complaining and despondent. The Anxieties and Apprehensions - Extreme anxiety for the future, especially in the evening, in bed at night, before midnight; ameliorated in the open air.
Anxiety about his health and thin ing about his complaints aggravates his sympt oms. Causeless anxiety; feels anxious in the house. The state of apprehension is felt in the whole body forcing him to do something constantly. He is always busy and thin s about his wor or his business all the time. Hurried, impatient and industrious. Conscientious about trifles. Avarice with a desire to have material objects and ma e plenty of money. Fear of poverty. The Restlessness - Restlessness, nervousness, at night, with anxiety, during hea dache, during perspiration. Restlessness, causing him to toss and turn in bed and eventually drives him out of bed. The Capriciousness - Capricious mood; has a desire for many things which when of fered are refused; desire for change; obstinate. Lac s confidence and becomes hesitant. Timidity. The Stupefaction and Dullness - Disinclined to thin . Indolence and aversion to wor ; irresolution.
with exhausted mental power
Stupefaction and confused hasty speech. Feels confused in the morning, on rising and in the afternoon, ameliorated in th e open air. Persistent thoughts when wal ing. Confusion during the heat, as after being intoxicated; when lying, while riding, from motion, after sleeping, while wal ing, ameliorated from yawning. Confusion after
drin ing; ameliorated with eructations. The mind becomes so wea that his ideas seem to disappear, as if he would faint; he becomes hot in the face and feels worse standing. Inclination to sit. Momentary absence of mind with giddiness and forgetfulness. Dullness and sluggi shness, while lying down and during chill. The imagination is sluggish with an inability to ma e any plans for the future. Ameliorated in the evening with clearness of mind and abundant ideas. The Depression - Sadness and depression during heat and perspiration with much s ighing. Wants to be quiet during chill and during heat. Becomes oversensitive during the chill. Sensitive to noise. Despair of being cured and fear of death. He has many fears and is easily fright ened, the fear rising up from the stomach; fear of being alone, of poverty, of death, of impending disease, of evil, of insanity, of narrow places, of being p oisoned, when riding in a vehicle, of suffering, of starving, of thunderstorm. M ental symptoms before and during thunderstorms. Bryonia has ailments from mortification and from chagrin and these are usually h eadaches. The Insanity and Delusions - Madness and insanity with a desire to travel. Menta l insecurity. Raging and raving during delirium, which occurs at daybrea , in the morning or i n the evening, at night. On closing the eyes, he becomes loquacious and busy. He has a presentiment of death and many delusions: as if the bed were sin ing, the bed i s too hard, fancies is doing business, sees dead persons, sees faces on closing eyes, illusions of fancy; thin s is away from home, is in a strange land, is being in jured, being beaten; sees people on closing eyes, thought he was pursued by sold iers, sees spectres, ghosts, spirits, friends appear as strangers. Desires to leave h ome and tal s about home. During the delirium he attempts to escape through the window. Impetuous during p erspiration with moaning, groaning, during sleep. Symptoms are aggravated by heat. Starting on falling asleep in the evening, also in bed while lying awa e; startl ed from sleep. Muttering and shrie ing during sleep and becomes excitable with exaltation of fa ncies; very anxious and fearful during a fever. Tal s about business matters whe n he
is delirious and thin s he is somewhere else and wants to go home. Waves his hands around and gesticulates with the delirium. Unconsciousness in the morning, after delirium, during fever, on rising in the m orning and on rising up. Suspicious. With the information provided above, one can cure any condition that manifests t he typical Bryonia picture, be it bronchitis, pneumonia, intercostal neuralgia, constipation, diarrhea, etc. But the symptomatology must be present -- the dryn ess, the aggravation from motion, the irritability, the desire to be left alone, the thirst etc.
Generalities Kent writes:This medicine is suitable in a great many diseases, diseases of a ty phoid nature, diseases that ta e on a symptomatic typhoid, diseases that start o ut as remittents and run into a continued fever, as in pneumonia, pleurisy, inflammat ion of the liver, of glands, of the bowels, etc. It may be a gastro-enteritis or peritonitis, or inflammation of the bowels, with the sensitiveness, the aggrava tion from motion and the desire to eep perfectly still. Inflammation of joints,
whether of rheumatic character or not, whether from cold, exposure or injury, B ryonia is often indicated in injuries of joints where Arnica would be a failure. There is an extreme state of irritability in Bryonia; every word which compels h im to answer a question or to thin will aggravate him. The effort to tal will be attended with horror. At the beginning of complaints you go to the bedside of a patient who has been grumbling a few days; something is evidently coming on; th e family meet you at the door and say, "The patient is almost unconscious;" you l oo at him, the face is puffed and purplish, he seems to be dazed, there appears to be a sort of venous stasis all over the body, but especially about the face; his c ountenance is almost that of an imbecile, yet he is perfectly capable of tal ing , although he has an aversion to it and appears to outsiders to ignore everything that is said. This sometimes comes on apparently in a short time; the patient awa ens in the morning with a dull, congestive headache and a stupid feeling in the head; dulness of mind so that he cannot wor , and this feeling gradually in creases; such a state is sometimes the forerunner of a serious illness. We find, when a pneumonia or inflammation of the liver, or some slow insidious inflammation is c oming on somewhere in the body, but not yet located, that this state will begin in th e morning. This is peculiar about the aggravation of Bryonia - its troubles comm ence many times early in the morning. On wa ing, with the first move, he realizes th at things are not all right, there is a state of stupidity bordering on unconsci ousness. Those who have been grumbling for a wee or ten days wa e up in the morning fee ling miserable, some time that night or the next day they have to send for the doctor. If this is watched for a few days, a continued fever is observed. Or at night a chill will come on, with much pain in the chest, rusty expectoration, s hort dry cough and other symptoms that will be spo en of under Bryonia later, showing th at the trouble is going towards the chest; or the condition may gradually increa se as a congestive, dull headache. This will be seen when congestion of the brain is coming on. ........." ".......There is a feature worthy of consideration because it sometimes ma es a case appear inconsistent. It is due to his anxiety that pervades the whole body. In Bryonia as in Arsenic there comes an anxious and uneasy feeling which compels h im to move, but he is worse from motion, yet so uneasy and anxious that he must
move. There are pains so violent that he cannot eep still, and yet when he mov es he screeches from the pain. So it is really not an inconsistency but simply d ue to the great violence of the pain. Even though he nows that the motion is going t o ma e him worse, he cannot eep still, for the pain is so violent. Early in the case he was able to eep still, and found that he was better from eeping still, and th at the mental state was better from eeping still, and that the anxious restless ness increased the more he moved, until finally a reaction comes and he is obliged t o move. You would thin , loo ing at the case superficially, that patient is bett er from motion as in Rhus tox., but in Rhus you find that the patient moves and in movi ng he gets feeble, and when he sits down the pains begin to come on again. There is the distinction between the two, and yet they loo ali e if not examined into caref ully. It is common for Bryonia to be ameliorated from cool air, and from cool applications. Now, if he moves, he gets warmed up, the pains are worse, but the re are rheumatic complaints of Bryonia which are better from heat, and under the se circumstances he is better from continued motion. It is another form of relief, and another of the modalities. I sometimes wonder whether Bryonia has a greater element of relief from heat, or greater element of relief from cold. Most of th e head complaints that are of a congestive character are better from cool applications, from cold air, etc. Yet there are some of the Bryonia head compla ints that are relieved by hot applications, and these seem to have no accompanyi ng cerebral congestion. So that Bryonia has opposite modalities, but in all its op posite states there is still a grand nature running all through, sufficient to d etect it. In a damp climate Bryonia is one of the most frequently indicated remedies, but in the clear climates, where the thermometer runs low, Aconite will be indicated more than Bryonia. These atmospheric changes should be thoroughly considered in rela tion to our Materia Medica. The patient is worse from a warm room, worse from too much clothing, worse from the warmth of the bed, wants the windows open, wants to breathe fresh, cool air. He suffers more than ordinary persons, from a stuffy room. Persons who are subject to Bryonia conditions suffer in church, at the opera, in close warm rooms, li e Lycopodium. Girls who faint every time they go to church are relieved by Ignati a.
Bryonia has a mar ed action on all the serous membranes and the viscera they con tain, causing inflammation and exudation. It disorders circulation, alters the blood and gives rise to fevers of the typho id, bilious, rheumatic and remittent types. The acute symptomatology of Bryonia has a
tendency to develop gradually over a course of two to three days, similar to Ge lsemium. Characteristic stitching and tearing pains with AVERSION TO THE LEAST MOVEMENT. The patient avoids even moving the eyes, and raising the head from the pillow causes faintness, nausea and vomiting. These stitching pains are fou nd everywhere, but especially in the chest. Has strong effect on nerves and muscles, where it causes inflammation and soreness. Muscles become hard, after neuralgia. The typical Bryonia patient is of dar complexion and hair, plethoric or choleri c constitution, has a bilious tendency with firm fleshy fibre and a tendency to great irritability and bad temper. Easily angered (with biliousness, headache, and dy spepsia). Ailments after: anger, catalepsy from anger, chagrin, fright, suppress ed eruptions and discharges; alcohol, over-indulgence in rich food and red meat, w ounds; blac or brown abscesses with acrid pus, suppressed abscesses. Ulcers of the s in with fistulae. Aluminium poisoning. Influenza. Measles after repelled exan thema. Lac of reaction in exanthemas. A remedy which closely resembles Bryonia and which is often effective when a cas e appears to call for Bryonia but fails to respond to it is Stellaria media. It is a remedy for rheumatism, stiffness of the joints, synovitis, general irritability ; the nec muscles are "stiff and sore"; the "eyes feel protruded." There is an aggravation from movement in this remedy as well. There is typically an aggravation from heat. Complaints from drin ing cold drin s in hot weather, from ta ing cold or getting hot in summer; complaints when the warm weather sets in after cold days. Irritability of mind and tissues runs through this remedy and chilliness predomi nates. Headache or neuralgia in (left) side of the head and face, aggravated by moving and ameliorated by hard pressure and cold applications. There is a peculiarity of Bryonia that one may encounter in elderly patients. Ar teriosclerotic patients will tend to ma e a lateral chewing motion with their ja ws; it is somewhat li e a cow chewing its cud. This chewing motion can also be seen in febrile children when there is brain involvement. Dryness of the mucous membranes; scanty discharges. Dry, burning heat, as if blood were burning in the veins or one part cold with h eat of another. Flushes as if warm water were poured over one
and a sensation of heat in the evening in bed. Profuse sour or oily sweat night and morning. Dryness of the mouth and stomach; extreme thirst, worse from drin ing beer. Desi re for food which cannot be had or refuses things when offered. There are no particularly strong desires and aversions in Bryonia's food preferences with th e exception of a strong desire for oysters and for meat. There is also a desire for warm drin s which ameliorate the stomach symptomatology. Bryonia is gluttonous in its eating and suffers many digestive complaints. Food lies li e a stone; ameliorated by bringing up wind. Eructations of tasteles s gas is characteristic. Symptoms worse after a meal. The tongue is foul and everything tastes bitter. Sour stomach. Digestion usually worse in the summer. Teste regards the digestive canal, and more particularly the stomach, as the principal seat of the action of Bryonia. Diarrhea in the morning as soon as he moves, but more commonly constipation with large, dry, burnt loo ing stools. Stools that smell of old che ese. Bryonia is one of the main remedies for constipation when the stool is large, ha rd, and dry; there seems to be no mucous lining to the intestines to facilitate the passage of the stool. There is also a deficiency of peristaltic activity in the bowels. Inflammation and tenderness of the liver and out deposit.
idneys. Urine is dar red but with
Hemorrhages are frequent; nosebleed especially in the night around 3-4 am is cha racteristic. Nosebleed from the suppression of menses.
Bryonia has been found to be curative in chlorosis. Mastitis with hardness and tenderness of the breasts. Pain in the left ovary ameliorated by lying on the painful side. Stupid, drowsy condition during fever, where the patient has the delusion that h e is somewhere else and "wants to go home'. Headaches which are bursting, splitting and go bac wards and are worse for any m ovement or from coughing. Headaches from over-indulgence in alcohol and food. Convulsions from suppressed eruptions, after perspiration and after hemorrhages where the aura begins with jer ing in the nape of the nec . The respiratory organs and heart are profoundly affected. A characteristic of Br yonia is a frequent desire to ta e a long breath; must expand the lungs. The Bryonia cough can be quite painful; patients will be seen to hold their ches ts when coughing in order to minimize the painful motion of the chest wall. Dropsical swellings into synovial and serous membranes, painful to touch, which increase as the day goes on and disappear during the night. Hot swelling of the affected parts. Swelling of glands, li e nodes. Joints red, swollen and stiff with stitching pain from the slightest motion. Chi ldren disli e to be carried or raised. Pains are bursting, stitching or heavy and go bac wards and appear gradually. Pa in tends to move to the part lain on and after the pain has subsided the patient trembles. On coughing he holds his sides, the chest and the head. Burning pain of parts grasped with the hand and burning and tearing pains extern ally and internally. Pressing pain as from load or pressing pain outward, from within. Painful joints, worse motion and touch. Often indicated in an injury of the join t when Arnica fails. Stitching in affected parts upon pressure. Jer ing, especia lly in places of the forehead, with sensitiveness of the teeth. Bruised or suppurat ing pain in whole body when ta en hold of, especially in the pit of the stomach, worse in the morning. Pains worse on the right side; pain from motion and worse during rest. Drawing p ains and tension in almost all the limbs, especially in sinewy expansions. Physical wea ness from the slightest exertion, with general sweat. Worse in the morning, on rising; in the morning while wal ing so that he drags himself about.
Wea ness felt in the nees and legs on ascending stairs. Unsteadiness of all parts of the body when wal ing. Faintness on rising from the bed, with cold sweat and rumbling in the abdomen. Disappearance of symptoms aft er a short rest in bed, except the wea ness and depressed mood. Rapid cooling after heated wal causes wea ness and sore bruised pains. Symptoms are usually right sided, worse in the morning around 9 a.m. and in the evening at 9 p.m. Aggravation from vexation, from WARMTH, in cool days after the summer; from cold wind; change of weather - cold to warm aggravates, becoming hot in a room or in the open air, drin ing while hot; warm, wet applications. Aggravation after sitting up, rising from a seat and on beginning to wal , bette r for continued wal ing; worse ascending, physical exertion, running, stepping o r jar; lying on the side, the painless side, worse from touch. Worse before, at the be ginning of and during sleep. Worse from vegetables, acids, early morning. Aggravation from suppressed coryza or suppressed eruptions or discharges. Amelioration from pressure; better for lying on the affected part, lying on the bac , in a warm bed with heat to the inflamed part, bandaging the affected part, for cool; for open air, for quiet; cloudy, damp days; drawing nees up; d escending, sitting up, cold food and drin after eating, from perspiration, from
diarrhea, in the evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Vertigo The vertigo of Bryonia posesses some unique characteristics. During an episode o f vertigo these patients may report the peculiar sensation that they feel as tho ugh they were sin ing through the bed. This feeling is very characteristic; they fe el that they are passing right through the bed or sin ing with the bed. Bryonia patients will feel better if they lie quietly in bed; if they attempt to sit up , they will suffer a surge of nausea and vertigo requiring them to lie bac down . Whirling in the head if she sits up in bed, with nausea in the middle of the che st, as if faintness would ensue. Staggering and drun enness as if the head were congested, with staggering and ru nning bac wards. Dizzy in the morning, and wea in the limbs the whole day; dizziness before a chill. Confusion, giddiness and cloudiness of the head with a sensation of looseness in the brain when stooping and when raising up the head or on the slightest motion . Vertigo felt in the occiput, followed by epistaxis or dizziness with epistaxis. Vertigo on turning or moving the head quic ly or from inclining it forward; with suppressed eruptions. Vertigo on rising in the morning with wea ness in the limbs, as if the head were turning in a circle or on rising from a chair when everything seems to turn in a circle, ameliorated after wal ing. Vertigo ameliorated while sitting and while lying with the head high.
Head The important eynote is "aggravation from motion", and this applies to the head most impressively. Headaches, for instance, can be aggravated by the slightest motion of the eyes; simply by turning the eyes ever so little, the headache can become excruciating. Bryonia headache patients prefer a semi-dar
room. Were one to enter the room a
nd turn on a light, their headache would be aggravated, and they would quite probably shout at the person in irritation. Just the small motion of the pupils of the eyes as they accommodate to the change in lighting can provo e an aggrav ation. There is another characteristic of Bryonia headaches; they are usually left-side d headaches and are typically situated over the left eye. Spigelia is another pr incipal remedy for headaches in this location; Bryonia, however, is the only remedy cor responding to such headaches which then extend to the left occiput and subsequen tly to the entire head. Bursting, splitting or heavy crushing headache, as if everything would be presse d out of the head. Headache in the morning as soon as the eyes are open and moving the eyes is very painful with twitching and drawing in the malar and maxillary bones. Pain in the forehead, above the left eye, followed by a dull, pressive pain, goi ng to the occiput and thence spreading to the whole body; after eating or moving quic ly the pain is so severe that it seems a distinct pulsation in the head; w orse while wal ing, ameliorated by pressure and lying on the left side. Headache after washing with cold water when the face was sweating; even opening the eyelids increases the headache. In the morning before brea fast, pain as if the head were compressed, with heaviness in it mingled with stitches; ina bility to raise the eyes on account of the pain, and if the patient stoops he ca nnot
rise up. The headaches begin in the morning and cease towards the evening and occur after over-eating or drin ing, with constipation or after vexation; from lifting; fro m suppression of the menses; after anger, rheumatic headache in cold, raw, wet se asons; from running, after scarlatina, in the summer or from exposure to the sun; from the cold, cold wind, or cold, damp weather; during pregnancy or after nursing a baby; from stepping too heavily; on ascending steps. Meningitis; apoplexy. Convulsions where the aura begins with a jer ing in the na pe of the nec . Great fullness and heaviness of the head as if it would fall to either side. Pre ssure outwards in the brain and digging with pressure towards the forehead and a desire to lie down. Rushing of blood to the head, with dar red color to the face, but the patient feels generally chilly. On stooping there is a sensation as if ever ything were going to fall out through the forehead. The brain feels compressed inside the head which is made worse by sitting, worse raising the eyes and with an inability to rise. The headache may become seated in the occiput or be frontal and affect the frontal sinuses. The patient wa es in the morning confused, with boring and aching pains in the h ead as if he had been drin ing heavily with a disinclination to rise. Feels conf used after getting up from bed; before sleep; with drawing in the occiput extending into the nec . Stupefaction. Pulsating pain in occiput; in the vertex on wa ing; pain around the occipital pr otuberance; from the sun; in the morning while lying on the bac , which extends to the shoulders, li e a heaviness which pressed upon a sore spot; during the mens es. Amelioration at noon. Aggravated by noise and warmth. Headache in the temples extending to the face. Pressure on coughing; pressing pain from sha ing the head; shooting pains in the head sometimes only on one side. Stitches through the head from stepping hard g oing from the front bac wards. Bursting pains during the menses; after drin ing cold water when hot; when cough ing. On coughing the patient holds his head with his hands. Strange bubbling sensations in the head; chirping and gurgling noises in the tem ples. Turning, twisting sensations in the head; the brain feels as though it is twitching. The scalp is very sensitive, especially towards the evening and cannot even bear
to use a soft brush. The hair is very greasy and seems fatty in the morning; th e hands become fatty whilst combing. Sour smelling, oily perspiration on the head, worse at night in bed. Pain is worse from motion, touch, heat, stooping or opening the eyes. Feels wors e if he is disturbed in any way. The patient prefers to lie with the head high and in a dar room; lying on the b ac or on the painful side and lying with the eyes closed brings relief. Amelior ation by cool air and being left alone.
Eye The eyes feel sore with pains behind the eyeballs. Intermittent pain in the left eyeball, worse on moving it, with a feeling as if the eyes became smaller and were retracted within the orbit. The eyes feel distended or have a sensation of protrusion. Bruised, sore pain on moving the eyes and the eyelids, especially during influen za; the lids are swollen and puffed, worse in the right upper lid. Glaucoma. Blindness of the right eye.
Crushing eye pain; pain from exertion of vision. Aching in the eyes as if they w ere going to start out of the head; pain extends inward; worse on moving, on ope ning the eyes, better by pressure. Pressing pains in the eyes on wa ing in the morning, better with rest. The pains extend downwards or towards the occiput. The eyes feel as if they are full of sand. Frequent burning lachrymation of the right eye; lachrymation from sunlight. Burn ing pain of canthi at night. The eyes and eyelids loo inflamed and red, worse i n the morning, worse from heat and are sore to touch. Inflammation of the eyes especi ally in gouty types. Choroid inflammation, amelioration by cold, aggravated by heat. Recurrent inflam mation of the eyes. Agglutination of the lids in the morning. Furfuraceous tetters on the eyelids wi th burning and itching; styes. The eyes loo dull, glassy, turbid or spar ling as if they were drowned in tears . Glassy appearance of eye during fever; chemosis during chill with a desire to close the eyes. Cold either aggravates or ameliorates the eye. Vision - Confused sight from bright sunlight. The vision is foggy in the morning and letters run together. Flic ering vision. Blac ness or flames appear before the eyes. The eyes are wea in the morning. Blue haze appears before the eyes; appearance of all the colors of the rainbow; every object seems covered with these colors. Circles appear before the eyes or a strip appears on closing one eye. Presbyopia.
Ear Aural vertigo. Contractive pains in the ears with diminution of hearing. Hearing is poor in the left ear. Sensation in the ears as if they were bloc ed. Loud roaring and rumbl ing noises in the ears, worse in the right one. Singing noises in the left ear. Hum ming noises before menses. All noise is insupportable.
Crac ing in the ears when sneezing. Pain in ear worse from the warmth of bed and from dry warmth. Pinching pains in the ear at night. Bleeding from the ears and discharges of blood from ear instead of menses. Soreness in the external ear; small cystic tumors appear in front of and behind the ears. The ears discharge clear substances or purulent and pusli e material. Itching and burning in the ears with formication behind the ear. In the evening, there is heat in the ears.
Nose The nose has a tendency to bleed profusely every day and the patient becomes ane mic. Epistaxis from suppression of the menses; during the menses, if the menses are
scanty or during the menopause. Nosebleeds during pregnancy and while wal ing i n the open air; during whooping cough; during sleep or during a headache; during fevers or during chill; with perspiration; or when washing the face. Epistaxis after rising in the morning or between 3 and 4 a.m. and at 8 a.m. Ulcers inside the nostrils which cause a gnawing pain, particularly in the right nostril. Ulcer in tip of septum. Swelling of posterior nares. The patient sneezes frequently. When the patient becomes overheated he produces a profuse coryza. There is no cough but the larynx becomes inflamed. The coryza goes down onto the chest. Ailments from suppressed coryza. Dryness, sometimes obstinate obstruction of the nose; itching inside septum or t ingling in septum when blowing the nose.
Face Red, hot, soft puffiness of the face with red spots on the malar bones. The face becomes red after getting angry or during a chill or after washing in a warm room. On wa ing in the morning there is great heat in the face. Yellow or pale discoloration of the face. Bluish or pale discoloration during a chill; with dyspnea. The upper lip and expansion of the nose is swollen, red, and hot, as in the begi nning of erysipelas. The muscles of the face are stiff, the expression bewildered. During sleep the f ace twitches, the lower lips tremble and there is twitching around the corners o f the mouth. Aching pains in the face which are better by lying quietly on the affected side. Exertion, mental exertion and motion aggravate the pain, even opening the mouth or moving the eyes; but hard pressure ameliorates the pain in the face. The parotid gland becomes sore and bruised or is inflamed and then suppurates. The lips are characteristically swollen, crac ed and dry and are painful to touc h. Great dryness of the lips, of the tongue, and of the hard palate, while the t ip of the tongue is moist. Children pic their lips.
Crac s in the lower lip and swelling, redness and heat in the upper lip as in th e beginning of erysipelas. Eruptions on the lips with burning and smarting. Nodular eruptions or eruptions of inflamed pimples on the face. Membrane on the corners of the mouth and on the lips.
Mouth The mouth and lips are very dry and crac ed so that the tongue stic s to the pal ate; drin ing moistens it for a moment, but the former dryness returns in a grea t degree. Dryness in the mouth, without thirst, or with thirst for large quantiti es of water. The inner mouth seems dry, but without thirst, whilst the tip of th e tongue is moist. After eating the palate becomes very dry. The tongue is very f urred and discolored, grey, brown, yellow or thic ly coated white. The centre is hardened and crac ed in places which causes a burning pain. Burnin g blisters on the edge of the tongue and aphthae on tip of tongue; in the mouth in infancy.
Collection of much soapy, frothy saliva in the mouth which is offensive and slim y. Salivation in the evening or while smo ing. An intensely bitter taste on the tongue with a nauseous bitter taste in the mout h in the morning. Frequent drin ing of cold water relieved the bitter taste and the inclination to vomit. The mouth tastes rancid, stale, burnt, sweetish. Eating is unpleasant as the bit ter taste is there during and after eating. Food is difficult to swallow and after drin ing beer there is an offensive, bitt er taste. Bitter risings into the mouth with nausea but without eructations. The mouth has an offensive, putrid odor. Teeth - Pain as if a tooth were screwed in and then pulled out, which is momenta rily relieved by cold water, but becomes better on wal ing in the open air. The toothache is ameliorated by washing with cold water, or lying on the painful si de. Ta ing anything warm into the mouth brings on toothache, although the pain i s sometimes better from warm drin s. Toothache from smo ing, chewing, from openin g the mouth, after midnight; in the summer and the autumn. Toothache shooting from one tooth to another, or into head and chee s. Drawing, at times jer ing toothache in the left upper bac teeth, only during an d after eating, when the teeth seem too long and wobble bac and forth. In the evening, in bed, jer ing toothache, first in the upper, then in the lower bac teeth; when the pain is in the upper teeth, and they are pressed by the ti p of the finger, the pain suddenly ceases, and changes to the corresponding lower te eth. The pains are aggravated by brushing the teeth, from coughing, from motion and b y others tal ing. Amelioration from chewing hard on something and from lying dow n. Toothache in teething children. The gums are spongy and painful as if they were excoriated and the teeth become loose.
Throat Dryness and a scraped feeling in the throat ma es spea ing very difficult and th e speech becomes very indistinct. Tough, tenacious mucus in the larynx and trachea, especially in the fauces and o
nly loosened by haw ing or hac ing. Cho ing when clearing the throat. Worse coming into a warm room and in the eveni ng. Raw pain in throat on empty swallowing or after swallowing liquids. Swallowing s olid food is difficult and food is felt in esophagus until it enters the stomach . The throat is painful on turning the head and in a warm room. Crawling in throat causing the patient to cough, but coughing and swallowing cause stitching pains in the throat. Painful tonsils in the morning on wa ing; the bac of the throat feels swollen w ith a sensation of swelling and constriction in the esophagus. Itching needle-li e stitches in the throat especially when wal ing rapidly, whic h irritate and cause scratching and then disappear after scratching. The external throat feels stiff along the sides with soreness on moving it. Spots and urticaria appear on the external throat.
Stomach
Burning, vehement thirst with a desire to drin large quantities of water. Great thirst with internal heat but without feeling hot externally; great thirst afte r anger, during all stages of fever; before and during stool. Frequent drin ing o f cold water relieves the bitter taste and the inclination to vomit. He was obliged to lie perfectly quiet, because the slightest motion caused nause a, even vomiting. Rising up in bed brings on faintness and nausea which is ameli orated by drin ing cold water. Nausea after beer; after wine, after coffee; during dinner; while drin ing; or e ven at the thought of food. Nausea at night and while lying on the side, or while washing or on rinsing out the mouth. Incessant vomiting of solid food, but not of drin s, or vomiting after drin ing or after drin ing the smallest quantity. Vomiting when lying on right side in liver affections. Ravenous appetite in the morning and at night; before and after nausea. Capricio us appetite; a desire for things immediately, but, when offered, does not want t hem. Or a desire for something but doesn't now exactly what. Abnormal hunger which forces the patient to eat something little and often. There is a great desire fo r wine, acid drin s, coffee and even things which are not eaten. However, the thirst is worse after drin ing beer. No appetite for mil ; but if it is drun , the appetite returns, and the patient begins to relish it. The appetite is poor and all food tastes bitter or the food has lost its taste. Eating is unpleasant as the bitter taste is there during and after eating. Loss of appetite after the first morsel has been eaten, thereafter a repugnance and disgust for food. Frequent, sour and bitter eructations with waterbrash after eating, particularly after eating rich food, bread, or oysters. Food is regurgitated with the eructa tions and shivering and shooting pains follow. There is pressure in the stomach and o n the epigastrium after eating with a heavy, stone li e feeling in the stomach, which ma es the patient fretful. Motion of any sort aggravates the dis comfort; eructation ameliorates. Heartburn in the afternoon; in the evening after wine. Hiccough after eating, and on every shoc
caused by it, pressure in the forehead
, as if the brain shoo from behind forward. Hiccough after eructations and after vomiting. Coughing, haw ing up mucus, motion or eating, especially after eating bread, wil l cause the patient to vomit. Vomiting, or vomiting blood when the menses have been suppressed; vomiting durin g dentition. The patient vomits bile, watery fluid, chocolate colored material or mouthfuls o f food soon after eating, or vomiting of bile, then food; food, then bile. Bitter and offensive smelling vomit in the morning; mucus in the evening. Faecal vomiting. The stomach feels full, is very sensitive to pressure or touch; there is a feeli ng of pressure in the pit of the stomach, even while eating, accompanied by a se nsation of heat. Pains in the stomach after eating bread, while wal ing, during heat or on motion, during the chill or with constipation. Constrictive sensation in the stomach in the afternoon at 4 p.m. , aggravated by deep inspiration. The constr ictive pain in the region of the stomach is relieved by drawing the legs up against the abdomen. Constriction of pylorus and contraction in the stomach aft er eating, sometimes to vomiting. The epigastric region is painful to pressure, even to the pressure of clothes. Heat, pressure, warm drin s, and sitting bent over ameliorates the pain. Burning sensations in the stomach after wine, on bending forward or from motion. Standing erect ameliorates cramping pain.
Pressing pain in stomach, better when bending bac ward, worse when bending forwa rd. The pains usually come on in the afternoon, from 4 - 5 p.m. , and are better while sitting bent. Bending to the right, ta ing a false step, or eructations cause stitching pains in the stomach; worse when lying down on the side. The stomach becomes easily disordered; after excitement, after a cold, after foo d and eating cold food which brings on indigestion. Inflammation in the stomach after getting cold. Numbness and apprehension felt in the stomach. All inds of flatulent food aggravate and the patient is generally worse from bu ttermil , warm food, hot drin s, ice, indigestible things, hot mil , oil, fruit, raw food, rice, salad, sauer raut, sausages, spoiled sausages, starchy food, turnips and vegetables. Cold drin s and water aggravate when heated or in hot weather. There is a desire for beer, wine, strong coffee, for sour and acid things, for s weet things and strange things, for lime, earth, chal , clay, for warm mil , warm drin s and soups and for cold drin s and water during a chill. Aversion to fats, rich food, to meat, mil , beer in the evening, hard boiled egg s, cabbage, turnips and hot drin s. Aversion to food after eating only a little; children are averse to drin s. Warm drin s can ameliorate, or the patient is better with cold drin s, cold wate r and cold food.
Abdomen Tensive pain below the false ribs in the right hypochondrium, especially sensiti ve on deep inspiration and in the region of the liver. Many pains in the liver which are shooting, burning or tensive, relieved by lying on the right side. The patient cannot bear tight clothing pressing against the abdomen and the whol e area feels sore and bruised, especially before and during menses. Spasms of muscles in hysterical women. The abdomen feels tense and distended in the afternoon after eating; drin ing ho t mil brings on cramp-li e pains with a feeling as if diarrhea would ensue. Pinching and soreness with pains that drag downwards and outwards. Dull, aching
pain throughout the abdomen, during cough, from motion. In the evening, or while sitting, the abdomen feels heavy as if there is a load inside it. Hard swelling or dropsical swelling of the umbilical and hypochondriac regions. Getting cold suddenly will bring on aching and gnawing pains around the umbilicu s. Tractive pains in the hypochondrium, extending to the stomach and the bac . Pai ns are sometimes brought on by lifting. All motion aggravates the patient. The pains are worse from being jarred, deep i nspiration, coughing and being touched. Sudden painful cuttings in the intestines, with a feeling as though one were dig ging him with the fingers, compelling him to bend double; aggravated by standing , relieved by profuse pasty evacuations. During the chill the patient has dull aching in the region of the spleen. Stitching pains in abdomen which extend upwards; stitching and burning pain on t he right side of the inguinal region; digging, gnawing pains worse from uncoveri ng. Gurgling and borborygmi in the abdomen, with escape of loud, offensive flatus, s ometimes only in the evening in bed. Gurgling in abdomen in the afternoon at 3 p .m. and after stool; rumbling on rising.
Eruption of itching pimples on the abdomen. Heat of abdomen at night, extending to the chest. Inflammatory conditions of the abdomen - peritonitis, enteritis, appendicitis.
Rectum Obstinate constipation with DRY, HARD STOOL. The faeces are too large and evacua tion is difficult, the stool having to be removed mechanically. Great effort in the morning to pass a stool, with much urging; the stool is very unsatisfactory and only after much straining is anything passed which causes a rush of blood to the head and a feeling of confusion. Urging to stool, followed by copious pasty evacuations, with relief of all the s ymptoms, except that the confusion of the head remained. Urging on tightening the clothing, from motion or while standing. The stool may remain in the rectum a long time with no desire, no urging as if t he rectum were inactive. The rectum feels wea with strange pric ling and twitch ing sensations. Sensation of fullness in perineum or as if plug were pressing out of rectum. Involuntary stools passed during sleep or during motion. Constipation after vexation; in old people; during pregnancy; with retention aft er delivery; before menses; from sedentary habits, after abuse of drugs; alterna ting with diarrhea. Gushing, liquid diarrhea in the morning after rising and on moving about and esp ecially at night, during sleep, with burning in the anus at every evacuation. Pa inless diarrhea at night or diarrhea preceded by pain in the abdomen. Hot weather, ta ing cold in the summer or drin ing cold drin s when he is hot wi ll bring on diarrhea. Emotional upset and anger will give the patient diarrhea. Also after the suppression of eruptions and exanthemata and in phthisis. Diarrhea after the slightest indiscretion in eating with pain in rectum extendin g through to urethra. Diarrhea with colic, sometimes alternating with constipation and gastralgia. Mot ion, sitting erect, lying on the side, rising up or standing aggravates the
diarrhea.
Stool - LARGE, DRY AND HARD, which loo burnt or charred. Brown, blac or crumbl ing stools. Offensive smelling li e old cheese or bilious and acrid causing soreness in the anus. Pasty stool passed in the morning and followed by an offensive smelling liquid s tool, which causes burning and soreness in the anus. Evacuations of undigested substances or stools brown, thic and bloody. Stools mushy and yellow, lienteric at night or stools that loo gs of intestines.
Urinary organs
li e the scrapin
Bladder - Morbid desire to urinate after lifting; during motion; at night. Invol untary urination during cough, during exertion, and from motion. Urging in bladder during perspiration and during chill. Frequent urge to urinate immediately and if he does not go there is a feeling th at he will not be able to hold on to his urine, even though the bladder is not f ull. Pressing pains ameliorated when sitting and while wal ing. Stitching, stinging, and tearing pains in bladder. Constriction and contraction in urethra during urination with burning and incisi ve pains before passing water. The urethra feels constricted or narrowed. Red sp ots appear on the urethra. The meatus feels sore. Increase in greenish, gonorrheal discharge from urethra, after having decreased, or hemorrhage of pure blood. Also hemorrhage of pure blood from urethra when no t urinating. Inflammation and pain in the idneys. Fullness and sensation of enlargement in the prostate gland. Urine - The urine is very dar , scanty and almost brown or is reddish and leaves a pin sediment in the bowl and leaves a thic sediment after standing overnight. Mil y, turbid urine which has a mousy odor. Scanty urine with brain affection. The urine feels hot as it passes and causes burning sensations.
Genitalia - male Increased desire with emission in the night after coition and painful erections after morning and night coition. Erections wanting in sexual passion. Blotchy eruptions and eruption of a red, itching, miliary rash on the glans peni s. Drawing pain in spermatic cords, extending into abdominal ring. Drawing and stitching pain in right testicle and in the testes extending to ingu inal ring.
Genitalia - female Suppression of the menses with bleeding of the nose or bad headache. Menses supp ressed after getting hot, by ironing, after exertion, or from fright; in plethoric women. Menstrual irregularities with gastric symptoms. Menses too early and too profuse, with dar red blood; bac ache, splitting heada che and tractive pains in the limbs during the flow; all worse from motion. Prot racted menses which are copious, dar , brownish or membranous. The flow has a bad smel l. Suppressed lochia from the cold, with sensation as though head would burst. Metrorrhagia of dar , fluid blood with a feeling of heat, aggravated by motion. Intermenstrual pain with great abdominal and pelvic soreness. Inflammation of ovaries, in particular the right ovary with pain extending down to the thigh.
Lying on right side ameliorates pain in right ovary, or lying on the painful sid e ameliorates the pain. Stitching pains on ta ing a deep breath, from motion and the ovaries are very se nsitive to touch. The uterus is generally sore and painful, aggravated by motion, diminished by pr essure and rest. Inflammation and dropsy of the uterus. Sore pain in the abdomen before the menses. Abortion from becoming overheated, or from exertion. Puerperal fever, particularly when the breasts are distended with mil . Deep inh alations are painful; there are stitches in abdomen, which is greatly distended, thirst for large quantities of water, and the patient cannot lie upon either si de. Nursing women who get cold, then ache all over. The head feels as if it would bu rst, the lips are dry and parched, the breasts swollen and feel heavy and the mi l suppressed. First stage of mammary abscess where the breasts become hard, hot and painful. Swelling of the left labia majora with eruptions of hard blac hout inflammation or pain.
pustules, but wit
Chest Larynx and Trachea - Irritation and rawness of the larynx with a sensation as if a crumb is in there. Hoarseness, worse in the open air. Tic ling in the air passages at night or in a warm room. Sensation of a vapour, on going from a war m room into the open air, causing the patient to cough and a feeling as if he could not inspire enough air. After coughing there is excoriating pain in the larynx which is aggravated by sp ea ing or smo ing tobacco. Bending the head bac wards or turning the nec is als o painful. Irritation and tough mucus in the trachea, which is loosened only afte r frequent hac ing. Pain and soreness in the trachea on coughing and inspiring. Voice - Voice rough and hoarse during coryza, after measles and from singing. Hoarseness when wal ing in open air and when in a warm room. Respiration - Respiration is difficult, rough, accelerated and deep with a desir
e to ta e deep breaths. The patient feels that he must try and fill his lungs an d ta es frequent short breaths and has a constant disposition to sigh, and sigh d eeply. Deep breathing, during the cough. The discomfort in the chest impedes the breathing and the pain ta es the breath away. The patient is obliged to rem ain quite still. Respiration is difficult and slow especially during motion or on entering a warm room from the open air. The patient is able to breathe more easily in the open air, when lying quietly or when wal ing. Respiration is difficult in the upper part of the sternum with a feeling of oppr ession in the chest. Sensation of heaviness beneath the sternum, which extends toward the right shoulder, impeding respiration; deep inspiration is only accom plished with exertion. Raising the arms ma es respiration difficult, as does lau ghing and tal ing; worse at 9 p.m. in the morning and accompanied with nosebleeds. Asthma, with a feeling as if something should expand, but would not. Asthmatic r espiration from the open air, in warm room or in the evening at 9 p.m. , alterna ting with a headache; ameliorated in cold air. Asthma occurs nightly about 8 - 9 p.m. and lasts through the whole night.
Arrested respiration and fits of dyspnea, even at night, sometimes with shooting colic and a desire to open the bowels. Cough - Dry, spasmodic cough, principally at night, and after drin ing and eatin g, when entering a warm room, and after ta ing a deep inspiration or after vexation. Scraping cough in and from trachea, in the evening after lying down. Irritation to cough, as though some mucus were in the trachea; the pain in the t rachea is worse while tal ing or smo ing. A hac ing dry cough, during fever, from the upper part of the trachea. A constant crawling upwards in the throat starts the cough and the patient is th en able to expectorate some mucus. Yellow expectoration or coagulated brown bloo d is coughed up during the daytime. Violent cough early in the morning in bed, and i n the evening at 7 p.m. The cough will start if the arms get cold and will be further aggravated by raising them. Stic ing pains under the sternum and pleuritic stitches during heat. The cough s eems to come from the stomach, together with a crawling and tic ling in the pit of the stomach, ameliorated by drin ing. Symptoms are made worse while lying on th e left side. Irritation in epigastrium from cough. The patient has to sit up when coughing at night and press his hand upon the ste rnum as though to support the chest, which ameliorates the painful stitching pains. Cough with stitches in sides of chest, or with headache as if head would fly to pieces. Cramp-li e, suffocating cough, especially after midnight, or after drin ing and eating, which causes vomiting of food. The patient has fits of cho ing before the paroxysm of the nocturnal cough. In the morning the cough is looser and is better in the open air. The cough is r ac ing, spasmodic and painful and starts from an irritation in the air passages, or as if there is smo e in the larynx and the patient has to breathe often. The co ugh seems to sha e the whole body and pain is felt in the head or in the abdomin al muscles. Whooping cough in the evening and at night and from eating. Going into a warm room and damp rooms aggravate the cough as does bending the he ad bac wards or lying with the head low. Lying on the bac and drin ing ameliorates the cough. Cough in bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy and pneumonia. Cough during pregnancy.
Coughing with a red face; with sneezing, hoarseness, involuntary escape of urine , thirst, stitches in the chest and the small of the bac . Expectoration - Expectoration in morning is tough, strea ed, bloody or brown. Br ic colored or rusty-loo ing mucus falls li e lumps of jelly or is thin and watery. Expectoration tastes burnt; smo y; li e putrid meat; or li e wine. Inner and Outer Chest - Constriction of the chest; with the desire to breathe de eply and a feeling as if the chest were stopped and no air could get in. Attempting to breathe deeply is painful as if something were being distended wh ich could not be distended completely, or a feeling of smo e in the chest. Anxie ty in the chest in the morning. Constriction in chest from cold air, when falling asl eep or on exertion of the heart. The chest feels oppressed in the morning when tal ing and is ameliorated by passing flatus. Respiration, deep respiration, in spiration, sneezing, laughing, motion and sitting all cause or aggravate the pai n in the chest. The pains are cutting, stitching, pressing or a sore, bruised fee ling throughout the whole chest. Tearing pain in the right side of the chest, which caused the patient to hold hi s breath in order not to cry out. As the patient breathes he has a sensation that the chest is distending. Sensation of heaviness beneath the sternum, which extends toward the right shoul der, impeding respiration; deep inspiration is only accomplished with exertion. Sensation in the chest as if all there were detached and falling into the abdom en.
Chest pain and pain behind the sternum during cough and during inspiration which compels the patient to press the hand to the middle of chest. Pressure ameliorates pain as does lying on the painful side. The patient has to lie stil l and lie on the bac or the abdomen to get relief, as motion of any ind aggrav ates the pain. Dull pain extending from region of the lower angle of the shoulder-blade forward . Fluttering in the chest when ascending steps. Internal heat or chilliness in the chest, with pain during the chill. Heat and burning pain in the chest with anxiety and tightness. Pleurisy with fluid exudation or pneumonia; coagulated brown hemorrhage from the lungs. Pleuro-pneumonia, with stabbing pains; frequent respiration; bloody expectoration; high fever; bursting headache; worse on motion and deep inspirat ion. Inflammation of bronchial tubes, the lungs, the diaphragm and the mammae. Inflam mation of lungs after abuse of aconite; in old people and in babies. Typhoid inflammation of lungs. Rheumatic inflammation of pleura; inflammation of the right pleura with fluid ex udation and of the right lung. Congestion and dropsy of the chest. Inflammation of the endocardium and the heart. Cramp in heart or a sore, bruised feeling around the heart. It beats violently and rapidly; the pulse is full, ha rd and rapid, especially on getting up. Induration of the mammae with either an increase or the suppression of mil . Ill -effects of weaning. The mammae become hot and swollen and produce abscesses. Th ey are worse before the menses. Eruption of pointed pimples with whitish semi-transparent vesicles on chest. Ulc erative chest pain. Blotchy eruptions on axilla and perspiration in the axillae.
Bac Painful stiffness in the nape of the nec , especially on the right side towards the shoulder and pain near the occiput with a feeling as if the head were wea . Pain in the trapezius when turning head to left. Rheumatic pain and stiffnesss in the bac , especially on rising. Drawing and con
tracting pains in the muscles. Drawing pains in the bac tend
while sitting, which ex
downwards, aggravated by turning and ameliorated by wal ing. Drawing pains in t he lumbar region at night, which ma es turning in bed almost impossible, also worse after eating and during a hard stool. There is pain in the lumbar region and the spine in the morning; the pain extends to the abdomen. Tearing pains fro m standing and on stooping. Aching pain in lumbar region on touch. Lying on the b ac ameliorates the pain; standing erect is impossible and motion is painful. Pain is brought on by coughing, when lifting something, on raising or stretching out a leg, or on turning in bed. The patient is only comfortable when lying wit h the body bent forward. Pain in coccyx while wal ing and in the small of the bac , which ma es wal ing v ery difficult. When lying down, the small of the bac feels sore and bruised. Dull stitches between the shoulder-blades while lying down extending from behind forward; under the left scapula through to the heart and extending to the stoma ch. Pain with the chill ameliorated while wal ing. Pain when coughing, on motion, when turning, during menses, before chill, on exp osure to cold weather or from a change of warm to cold weather, or after eating. Red, smarting eruptions or rashes appear on the bac and on the sides of the nec . Biting, vesicular eruptions which are very itchy. However, when the
spinal cord is inflamed the eruption does not develop. The patient complains of a coldness in the bac in the mornings. Shivering in th e bac in the evening, extending down the bac . There is loss of sensation in the lumbar region and feelings of numbness in the cervical area.
Extremities Rheumatic and gouty pains in limbs, with tension, in the morning, at noon and be fore midnight; worse from motion and contact and brought on by becoming cold, after eating and on lying down. Rheumatic pain coming on after a cold or from t he first warm days of weather; acute rheumatic pains in the joints. Pain as if long bones were scraped. The patient experiences pain during fever, influenza, and on motion. All the lim bs seem bruised and paralyzed, as if the patient had lain upon a hard bed, and feel sore and painful when sitting. Soreness in the periosteum and the ligament s. Stiffness in the limbs after fright; with a dread of motion; stiffness of joi nts during chill. Uncovering aggravates the symptoms. Erysipelatous inflammation of joints. There are stitching pains in joints on motion and when touched. Perspiration of joints. Warmth aggravates pain in extremities but ameliorates th e pain in the joints; perspiration and pressure ameliorates extremities. Great wea ness after the least exertion. Riding ma es the extremities painful; the pain in the joints alternates with the pains in the limbs and the joints become painful after eating, ameliorated by pressure. Coldness of the extremities in the morning with numbness of the limbs on wa ing. Motion of extremities, with a waving motion of left arm and leg, accompanied by sighing. Dry, itchy or moist eruptions on the extremities. Upper limbs - The shoulders and upper arm feel tense and lame when being raised. Tearing pains in the upper arm in the morning; alternating with tearing pains in the hip. In the morning the patient has tearing pains in the upper limbs,
ameliorated when he gets up. The upper left limbs feel stiff. There is pain in the shoulder when holding anything firmly with the hand or when the patient coughs. Painful tension and pressure in the right shoulder, when at rest. Drawing pain in shoulder alternating with drawing pain in hips. Sensation as if cold water (also hot water) were running from clavicle down to t oes along a narrow line. Pain in upper limbs during chill, during the menses and on motion. They feel sor e and bruised whilst sitting. Burning pains and weariness in the arms with const ant trembling of the arms and fingers. Shuddering and sha ing in the upper limbs. T he limbs and joints become hot, red and swollen and have a shiny appearance or l oo pale and swollen. The wrist is painful on moving it and feels as though it were dislocated. If the hands become warm the patient then has fine stitching pains in the wrists which do not disappear on moving them. Stitching pain in the fingers when writing or on exer tion, with a sensation as if the finger-joints were swollen and puffed, ameliorated by warmth. The last joint of the little finger is hot, pale and swo llen, with stic ing in it, on attempting to move it or on pressing it.
Stiffness and rheumatic swelling in the elbow. Swelling on the elbow as far as m iddle of the upper arm and forearm; a feeling in the right elbow as if the arm were bro en. Heat and inflammation in the palms of the hands and heat in the forearm with col dness of the hands at night. Perspiration of upper limbs. Itchy and rash li e eruptions appear on the limbs. Eruption of scabies at the be nd of the elbow. Felon beginning in nail - deep-seated panaritium. Lower limbs - Painful, shiny swelling in the lower limbs with tension and stitch ing pains. Drawing pain in bones as from a thread. Cramps in the nee and in the sole of the foot at night, in bed and whilst sitti ng. Pain in the nee during coughing and from motion. Tensive, painful stiffness of the nees. Pain in the right nee, with a feeling as if the patella is bro en, so that in the evening the patient can scarcely wal , and is obliged to eep the leg very quiet. The patient has drawing pains in the nees which alternate from one nee to the other. Tearing pain in nee after eating. While wal ing in the morning the nees feel paralysed and ache and the nees totter and noc
together when wal ing.
Motion, going up stairs, wal ing or warm covering will cause stitching pains in the nees. The nees feel wea , rest ameliorates. Crac ing in the nees and joints while wal ing; the an les and nees feel disloc ated. A few large stitches, li e nife stitches, in the hips especially when wal ing b ent, when the pains go from the hip into the nee. Touch aggravates the pain. Th e hips are painful on going up steps. Pain in hip when wal ing with feeling as if hip were dislocated. Pressure on the hip ameliorates the drawing pains. Tearing pain in hip alternati ng with the right upper arm. Cramps in nates. Coldness of right hip, with coldness of the thighs in the evening. During the chill the right leg is cold. Great weariness and heaviness in all the limbs. The legs feel too wea to hold t he patient, particularly on beginning to wal and even when standing. Can hardly go up
the steps but are better going down. Cramps in lower limbs in the morning; in the calves whilst lying down, ameliorat ed by motion. Cold applications and motion aggravates the sciatica in the lower limbs, but the patient obtains relief from lying on painful side. The sciatica is wors e in the morning. Sore pain in leg while sitting; gouty pains in the legs. Tearing pain in calf aggravated after eating. The right thigh and the hollow of sole of foot become numb. Wal ing bent causes stitching pains in the thigh. Cramp-li e stiffness in the th igh, worse in the morning. Involuntary motion of leg. The lower limbs are painful in bed in the morning, are aggravated by motion, fee l worse on becoming cold, while standing upright and are painful to touch. Teari ng pains in the lower limbs on motion and during the menses. Drawing pain in thigh as if menses would appear. Chilliness of feet, the toes in particular while sitting, ameliorated by wal ing . Sudden pain in first toe, particularly in the ball of the toe, which feels as if it is frozen. The feet perspire in bed, in the morning.
Pain in the an le with a feeling as if it is dislocated, with tension on motion and made worse from motion. The feet are painful on rising in the morning, with great stiffness, especially when rising after sitting; stepping and touching aggravat es the pain. The feet become hot, red, tense and swollen in the evening. The sol es of the feet swell; hot swelling of the instep, with bruised pain on stretching out the foot; the foot seems tense on stepping on it, and on touch it pains, as if suppurating, li e an abscess. Pins and needles in the soles of the feet which p revent wal ing. Erysipelatous inflammation of the foot. The feet feel heavy in the morning, after eating and when rising after a meal. The feet, the first toes and the soles of the feet are discolored with red spots . Fetid ulcers on the lower limbs and on the toes. Dry or moist, itch-li e eruption on the lower limbs. Painful pimples appear on t he lower limbs; blotches brea out on the nates; rashes and pimples on the foot and the sole of the foot. Tic ling itching in lower limbs and in the foot. Mil -leg.
Sleep Great sleepiness and constant yawning all day even though the patient had slept well the previous night. Sleepiness with eyes half-closed and a feeling of great sleepiness during the day when alone or periodical sleepiness every other day. Sleepiness during delirium, during and after stool. He feels sleepy by day and semi-conscious by night. Yawning with thirst and in rheumatism. Restlessness and sleeplessness; he could scarcely sleep for half an hour, and du ring his slumbering was continually busy with what he had read the previous evening. Sleeplessness on account of a warmth and anxiety in the blood. The pat ient feels anxious, especially during the heat; sleeplessness from shivering; fr om visions; the bed feels too hard. Sleeplessness before midnight, with thirst, until 1 or 2 a.m. or until 4 a.m. He wa es with a bitter taste in the mouth. The patient is very restless at night with frequent wa ing and falling asleep ag ain. Sleep disturbed by frightful dreams; delirium and shuddering. He starts wit h fright
on going to sleep and during sleep. He dreams he is busy about his household affairs; anxious dreams about his busin ess; dreams of dispute and vexation; of battles; of pain and disease; of events of the previous day; of events read about; of tossing someone out of the window . Nightmares and somnambulism. Restless sleep in children. He cannot sleep before midnight on account of a frequent shivering sensation, wh ich creeps over one arm or foot, followed by some sweat. Wa ing in the evening soon after falling asleep; wa ing with hepatic symptoms; w ith numbness. Sudden wa ing at midnight or 3 a. m, or from desire for stool. Deep, comatose sleep after delirium. He sleeps on his bac ; curled up li e a dog or on the painful side, or it is imp ossible to sleep on his side.
Fever Chilliness yet warm to touch, more so in a warm room than in the open air. The p atient is predominately chilly but frequently with heat of the head, red chee s and is thirsty. Sha ing from chill with heat of face and head or sha ing with c hill from a draft of air. The chill is mainly in the morning and is right sided. Chill with external coldness of the body which begins and extends from the right side of the body; begins in and extends from the tips of the fingers and the toes; begins in and extends from the lips or the hands and feet. Chill after exposure to swamps in tropical countries or after exposure from beco ming wet. Violent chill with delirium; chill after anger; before urination, in t he evening during motion or on turning over in bed; at noon after sleep. Creeping chill after the afternoon siesta. The patient feels chilly and confused in the h ead after his midday nap; chilliness when washing. External chill at night after wa ing. Chill in stormy weather or in the hot weather of summer or between 4 to 5 a.m. Chilliness yet warm to touch when going into the open air. Chilliness mostly in the evening and often only on one side, the right side. Lying ameliorates the ch ill. Chilliness ameliorated in the open air and from drin ing warm drin s but aggrava ted from eating warm things and being in a warm room. Immediately after lying down in bed in the evening, there is a sensation of heat , with external heat over him, but without thirst, lasting the whole night; the patient turns from one side to the other but does not dare to uncover any part, because it immediately causes violent pain in the abdomen; a painful griping-stic ing o r a stic ing-griping, as if flatus moves spasmodically here and there. Fever in the afternoon while wal ing; in the evening after lying down. Fever at night with dry, burning heat and anxiety. The temperature is high and the blood seems to burn in the veins. The patient wants to be quiet in any stage of fever. Noise will bring on a fever . Warm rooms and warmth aggravates the fever. Nervous fever with pain in the limbs. Fever from 9 to 12 p.m. A feeling of heat in the face, with redness and thirst; heat in the head in the forenoon with a feeling as if the heat would come out of
the forehead. The patient has fever without chill and the fever is continued from 9 to 12 p.m. with the temperature running very high. Continued fever in affected parts: abdominal, pectoral; congestive fever; fever in the upper part of the body. Suc cession of stages of fever: heat alternating with chill, followed by sweat, then heat, and finally sweat or chill, but without heat or thirst. Cold perspiration appears in the open air. Paroxysms of fever increasing in severity or remittent fevers; infantile remitte nt fever or remittent fever prone to become typhoid. Septic fevers, one sided fe ver; fever after stool; autumnal or catarrhal fever; exanthematic fevers, measles; g astric fever; inflammatory fever.
Perspiration Perspiration at night at 10 p.m. during chilliness, and perspiration at night fr om 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Cold perspiration all over the body in the open air and on rising from the bed. Perspiration from anger; on closing the eyes or after convulsions. Critical and debilitating perspiration; on drin ing warm drin s; after eating or eating warm food; the sweat becomes profuse while wal ing. Perspiration on the slightest exertion , after which the patient feels better. The perspiration is oily and attracts fl ies.
It has a sour or burnt odor to it mostly in the morning or at night during slee p. The sweat may be right sided and only on single parts lain on, ameliorated on go ing to and during sleep. The symptoms are either aggravated while sweating or ameliorated.
S in The whole body, even the face is yellow. After anger or mortification the s in t urns yellow. The s in is discolored in small spots as if it were burnt; a red, r ound hot spot on the chee
on the malar bone.
The s in feels dry and burning especially after scratching or from mental excite ment. Slow development of rash in eruptive fevers; or, sudden receding of rash, with d ifficult respiration or inflammatory affection of the chest as in scarlatina. Eruptions after measles or ailments from the suppression of measles. Hard, dropsical swellings which sting. The last joint of the little finger is ho t, pale and swollen, with stic ing in it. Itching in the joints of the fingers. The whole body is covered with a red, elevated, rashli e eruption. Eruption of inflamed pimples, of white pimples after scratching; of blac pustul es and eruptions after scratching. Close white rash with burning and itching. Burning itching as from nettles. The s in itches and stings on excitement but tears after scratching. As long as the patient stays perfectly quiet there is no itching but with the le ast motion of body or emotions the itching starts and then becomes worse and wor se and is really intolerable. Urticaria from strawberries. Erysipelatous inflammations, especially of joints. Purpura senilis. Petechiae. Putrid ulcers which have a cold feeling in them; burrowing, fistulous ulcers or painless ulcers. Brownish or blac ish discharge from the ulcers. Ulcerated crac s in the s in and crac s after washing. Variola with dropsy; blac small pox; hard tubercles.
Vesicular eruptions which peel off, or fill with blood or crac ed, vesicular eru ptions.
Clinical Head - The headaches of Bryonia are all aggravated by motion, even of eyeballs. The pains either begin in the occiput or finally become seated in the occiput, frequently associated with dryness of the mouth, thirst and coated tongue; the headaches are rarely neuralgic, but are generally sympathetic with gastric disor ders or with inflammatory affections. Meningitis from suppressed eruptions. Eyes - Congestion and soreness of the eye. Inflammation of the eye, especially o f internal parts, iritis, choroiditis, glaucoma, etc., the eyeball very painful, full feeling, pains extending to bac of head.
Nose - Catarrh with dryness, sudden suppression of the discharge and headache. B leeding from suppressed menstruation, occurring regularly every day. Face - Neuralgia of one side of the face, cannot even spea or eat, because it i s so much aggravated by motion. Mouth - Dryness of lips, mouth and throat. Tongue dry, rough (in low fevers). To ngue heavily coated white (in gastric derangements). Chest - Laryngitis and bronchitis (the cough in these diseases is generally dry, hac ing, with soreness of abdominal muscles, worse night and motion, worse comi ng into a warm room, worse after eating or drin ing, better with heat). Pneumonia in the early stage; Bryonia follows immediately after Aconite, high fe ver, sharp pains, better lying on the affected side, thirst, profuse sweat, head ache, etc. In pleurisy it is most frequently required (the Bryonia patient sweats eas ily and freely), extremely sharp pain, better pressure and warmth, cannot tolera te the slightest motion. Sometimes useful in pleuritic exudation, when the sharp p ains continue. Pericarditis, endocarditis. Great oppression over the region of the heart. Stomach - An extremely valuable remedy for catarrhal inflammation of the stomach (dyspepsia), with thirst, white-coated tongue, nausea and vomiting, aggravated by warm drin s, which are vomited; feeling of a hard lump, which ma es the stomach sore. Gastric derangements, which recur often in persons who have been in the h abit of ta ing mercury, the attac s frequently preceded by great hunger and apparent ly caused by overeating; the patient becomes very irritable, tongue thic ly coat ed, etc. In all gastric derangements there are usually great sensitiveness of epiga strium to touch and vomiting of food. Abdomen - Symptoms of inflammation of the liver, which seems swollen, very sore to touch, pains sharp, greatly aggravated by motion, better with warmth and pressure, typhlitis, peritonitis, gastro-enteritis; a frequently indicated reme dy for these diseases, characterized by extreme soreness, thirst, fever, coated tongue, etc. Rectum - Diarrhea in summer, brought on by cold drin s or from vegetables or bei ng overheated, movements in the morning on moving around; diarrhea from suppress ed eruptions; during typhoid fever (of putrid odor), brown. Constipation, stool la rge and hard.
Genitalia - female - Suppression of menses, with the characteristic gastric dera ngements, or with periodical discharge of blood elsewhere, nose, throat, etc. In flamed ovaries. Puerperal fever is the early stage, with headache, pains in limbs, wea ness. Suppressed lochia. Pelvic peritonitis. Inflammation of mammary glands, br easts much swollen, hot, sharp pains. Bac - Severe muscular pains in bac , lumbago, etc. Extremities - Acute inflammation of numerous joints, especially of the large joi nts, characterized by swelling, heat, shiny redness, better with warm wraps, intolerance of slightest motion, etc. Sciatica worse lying on the affected side . Muscular rheumatism. In all forms of rheumatism, acute, chronic, muscular or articular, there is generally the additional indication of easy, profuse perspi ration. Fever - It is frequently indicated in scarlet fever, when the eruption does not develop well and the general symptoms of the drug are present; the same is true of measles. In typhoid fever it is very frequently indicated in the early stage wi th the occipital headache, furred tongue, thirst, abdominal soreness, etc. In a great variety of fevers not eruptive. For febrile states, which are the accompaniment of inflammatory processes in various organs and tissues, always with headache, thirst and intolerance of motion (closely allied to Iod.).
Causation Anger; fright; chagrin. Suppressed eruptions and discharges. Alcohol. Gluttony. Wounds. Cold winds. Heat of the sun. Drin ing cold drin s when heated. Ta ing co ld,
getting chilled.
Relationships Compare: Asclep-tub.; Kali mur.; Ptelia; Stellaria.. It is followed well by: Alumina, Abrotanum, Antimonium tartaricum, Arsenicum alb um, belladonna, Berberis, Cactus grandiflorus, Carbo vegetabilis, Dulcamara, Hyoscyamus, Kali carbonicum, Muriaticum acidum, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsati lla, Rhus toxicodendron, Sabadilla, Silica, Squilla, Sulphur. It follows well: Aconite, Antimonium crudum. It is complementary to: Alumina, Rhus toxicodendron, Sulphur. Alumina is the "ch ronic" of Bryonia; and Kali carbonicum and Natrum muriaticum hold a similar but less pronounced relation to it. Incompatible to: Calcarea carbonica.
Antidotes It is antidoted by: Aconitum napellus, Alumina, Camphor, Chamomilla, Chelidonium , Clematis, Coffea, Ferrum muriaticum [the best, considered so by Teste], Ignati a, Muriatic acid, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Rhus toxicodendron, Senega. It antidotes: Alumina, Chlorum, China, Fragaria vesca, Mercurius, Rhus toxicoden dron. Inimical to it: Wine, tobacco, warm food, green vegetables, turnips, spoiled sau sages, sauer raut, salad, rich food, raw food, peas, panca es, oysters, heavy fo od, flatulent food, fat, cold drin s in hot weather, frozen food, fruit, coffee, ol d cheese, cabbage, blac bread, bread, beer, beans and peas.
Dosage From the lowest to the highest but the usual potencies are from 200 upwards. 5
Bufo rana The Toad. (The common variety, proved by Mure). N.O. Bufonidae, Batrachidae. Solution in rectified spirit of the poison expressed from the cutaneous glands.
"In spite of modern scepticism regarding the poisonous properties of the toad, S ha spere, who seems to have nown everything, was absolutely correct in spea ing of the toad as having "sweltered venom". The poison is excreted by glands in the s in of the bac . "Quintessence of toads" figured largely in the therapy of Salmon's Doron Medicon (1583), where it is commended as a "Specific in the Dropsy." Homoeopathic experiments and poisonings have shown that this reputation is founded on fact. But the chief laurels of Bufo have been won in the treatment of epilepsy. Bojanu s has cured many cases; and no medicine has served me better in the treatment of this disease. Few people who have witnessed a characteristic epileptic seizure c an have failed to notice the curiously toad-li e aspect assumed by the subject. Th e epileptic seizure and the status-epilepticus give the clearest correspondence to the Bufo range of action. Again, epilepsy is often found among the effects of selfabuse in the young, and Bufo provo es the tendency to the practice, and even cau ses impotence. The Indian women of Brazil are aware of this last property, and admi nister the venom to their husbands in food or drin when they wish to free themselves from their marital attentions."
The essential features The main features of Bufo are the following: 1. The poison of this toad has a remar able action on the nervous system, sexual organs and s in. A suppressed s in eruption will bring about symptoms in the ce ntral or peripheral nervous system, usually ta ing the form of convulsions or epileps y. 2. Mental retardation, immaturity, childish behaviour, while the physical body i s overly well-developed. Bufo is a remedy that can be confused with Bar-car., as both feature mental reta rdation in their symptomatology; however, while both are immature intellectually , an important difference must be pointed out. The Bar-carb. mental retardation is u sually accompanied by physical underdevelopment, while the Bufo mental state is usually to be found in a well developed, strong muscular body that is almost ov erdeveloped. The Bar-carb. cases generally loo small and sometimes dwarfish, wh ile
the Bufo cases are large in the physical body and "small" in the mind. 3. Arousal of the lowest passions: the person becomes a slave to his sexual desi res, which are excessive and usually perverted. Excessive masturbation is practi ced with no limits. The person, usually a boy or man, see s solitude to practice ma sturbation. Bufo provo es the tendency to the practice, and sometimes causes impotence. It also causes a desire for intoxicating drin . The tendency of Bufo is to "bring down" the person to the most basic or primitiv e instincts -- to bring the whole being down to earth, or rather to muddy waters . As well as a low level of intellect, the Bufo individual exhibits the lowest type of passion, particularly in the sexual sphere. Here the patient shows no sign of refinement; on the contrary, a basic unstoppable sexual urge will drive him to see satisfaction under any circumstance. You may for instance be faced with a muscular boy who loo s large for his age, a nd who behaves strangely, as though his mind were far younger than his body; the only thing on his mind is how to satisfy his sexual appetite. The boy is not really interested in you or the environment, but in his inner drive which is ruled by h is hormones. In the text we read: "see s solitude to practice masturbation"; this is symbolic of Bufo, but you will never gather such information from the patient . Kent writes that this symptom "...alone throws a flood of light upon the nature of the remedy, the lac of government, the lac of control over the sexual long ing, and the low mindedness whereby he is willing to abandon himself to the lower th ings that are in the human race, to perverted practices and vices." This symptom has to be ta en as symbolising the patient's state, a state in whic h it is apparent that he is driven by his hormones. It may serve as a guide to t he ind of morality or intelligence you may expect to find in a person who is so driven by his sexual appetites. This behaviour has to be understood in the general con text of
the patient in order to guide you to the selection of Bufo. In conjunction with this description, it is interesting to observe the appearanc e of such a boy. His lips are thic , and usually half open. The tongue is visibl e through the half open mouth. As the inner pathology progresses and the mental wea ness becomes more and more apparent, the tongue also extends more and more, until you have the full blown picture of Bufo where the tongue actually protrudes from th e mouth. The tongue is peculiarly connected with, and appears to represent a lar ge portion of, the brain. The more the brain is paralyzed, the more the tongue goe s out of control and falls out of the mouth. That is why we have the typical pic ture of the buffoon in this remedy. Care should be ta en not to be confused by this picture and prescribe this remed y to any young boy who is interested in masturbating. The majority of young boys practice masturbation at one age or another, but of course not all of them need Bufo. The practice of masturbation in this remedy is really quite impressive. It is in dulged in frequently, without any reservations, be they moral or other. The Bufo individual is interested only in the pleasure to be derived from masturbation; nothing else matters. The frequency of the practice can be so excessive as to ex haust the vitality, causing states of epilepsy or even insanity. Bufo is similar to A nantherum in this respect. The Bufo patient cannot prevent himself from indulging in perverted practices of whatever ind. He does not recognise the importance of the perversion, and does not feel that he is doing anything wrong. Even if such a feeling should cross his m ind, or even if he admits his error, it is not enough to ma e him control himsel f. He is quite shameless, utters obscenities, and may suffer from erotic insanity due to masturbation. 4. Epileptic attac s that usually occur at night, and are followed by a deep sle ep li e a coma, with a headache on wa ing. Epilepsy as an after effect of self-a buse in the young. Since this is a remedy that covers a considerable area of the pathol ogy of epilepsy, the different modifications of this disease are dealt with in d etail below.
The characteristics of epilepsy in bufo Bufo is especially indicated in epilepsy when the attac s occur during sleep at night. The patient may or may not be awa ened by the attac ; if not, when he doe s awa en he will have violent headache. The patient falls to the ground unconscious, with a blood-curdling, wild cry, fo llowed by spasms in the limbs; distorted facial muscles, becomes red in the face , grinds his teeth and bites his tongue, foams at the mouth; there is an involunt ary discharge of urine; he suffers from vertigo. Severe spasms are followed by loud snoring sleep. External numbness before epilepsy or numbness of the parts lain on. Head drawn sideways before epilepsy. [Caust., Lycop., Stram.] Stiffness before epilepsy. Stiffness of upper limbs before epilepsy. Restlessness and shrie ing before convulsions; runs about everywhere; runs shrie ing through the house until he is unconscious. Foolish, nonsensical, unintelligible speech before convulsions. He wal s the floor and wrings his hand s. Up to the period of beginning the epileptic fit, the muscles are in a state of t onic contraction, and then jactitations or twitchings commence. Clenching of thumbs in epilepsy. Convulsions begin in abdomen or in the face; convulsions with cerebral softening .
Convulsion of limbs with repeated shoc s through the whole body. Twitching over the whole body increases rapidly in severity, until the entire mu scular system becomes violently agitated. Between the convulsions the patient sleeps.
Keynotes before the epileptic attac ; aura Aura with spar s before eyes, which are turned upwards to left. Pupils largely d ilated and unaffected by light before epileptic attac . Aura starts in genitals, in uterus, moves up to stomach; with jer
in nape.
Aura with mouth wide open, with pupils dilated. Aura starting from solar plexus. Numbness of brain before epilepsy. Anger before convulsion. Laughing before, during or after epilepsy. Restlessness before convulsions. Shrie ing and restlessness before convulsions. Speech unintelligible before epileptic convulsion. Spasmodic laughing in epileps y, before, during or after. Sighing before epileptic attac s.
The characteristics of convulsions in bufo Constant convulsive movement of eyeballs. Red face during convulsion. Involuntary urination during convulsions. Perspiration during convulsions. Prematurely senile. Epileptic symptoms. Convulsive seizures occur during sleep a t night. More or less connected with derangements of the sexual sphere, seem to come within the range of this remedy.
The mental symptoms
Bufo is one of the main remedies to cause mental retardation. The Bufo individua l will act very immaturely, almost idiotically, but the remedy never touches rea l idiocy. Typical behaviour includes causeless and childish laughter, laughter over serio us matters, idiotic and childish behaviour, tittering, giggling and ma ing gestu res. The senses seem to vanish and he becomes feeble-minded and absent-minded with gr eat wea ness of memory. He cannot remember what he has just done and he ma es mista es in spea ing, misplacing words or using the wrong words. In the morning , after eating the mind is confused as if he was intoxicated. The state of dulln ess
and sluggishness is ameliorated in the evening. The patient is sensitive to mus ic, sensitive to noise, is easily startled and will start from fright or from no ise. Stupefaction after dinner, after vertigo, between convulsions with an inability to spea . Unconsciousness after convulsions or epilepsy or transient unconscious ness with coma li e state. Anger is aroused before the manifestation of a convulsion crisis and also when h e says something and thin s that he is misunderstood. This is characteristic of the remedy and a eynote. Bufo has an irascible temperament and easily becomes angry, wanting to bite obje cts. The anger can go far and cause the patient to become enraged. Rage while he is alone. Bufo has a tendency to be destructive and malicious with fits of mania and a desire to stri e li e Hyosc. Irritability in the morning on wa ing, at night after retiring, after menses. Tal ing and moaning or weeping and tearful mood during sleep and then on wa ing he is weepy over trivial things. Complaining and lamenting, alternating with crying. He laughs and cries very eas ily and tends to cry a lot. Bufo has many fears and is easily frightened by little things. Fear of being alone, of animals, of a crowd, of death, of impending disease; fear that something will happen; fear of infection; fear of mirrors in a room, a nd fear of misfortune on wa ing. Aversion to the presence of strangers yet dreads being alone; desires company. I ndisposed to tal , desires to be silent, taciturn. Or he desires company but is afraid of people. Shining objects li e mirrors aggravate. Deceitful and sly. Indifference and indolence with aversion to wor . During fever the head is hot, there is delirium with delusions and illusions of fancy. This remedy is restless, especially before an attac Restlessness with sleepiness.
of convulsions or epilepsy.
The bufo child This remedy is of use in feeble-minded children. The child may have difficulties in expressing himself, or may appear to be dreaming. A mother may report: "My h usband and I have the impression that he is constantly living in another world. His th oughts are somewhere else. It is very difficult for him to sit still." This chil d li es to be outside, playing alone, or with his animals. He li es animals very much. He prefers to go without clothing, has a desire for and is ameliorated by the op en air, and wants to go outside, regardless of the weather. He is warm natured, te nding to get flushed, cran y, and almost acts sic in the heat. He is a real dre amer. You often have the impression that he doesn't listen. He often lapses into his own world. But if you as a question the child is interested and hears it. He li es music and will dance to it and enjoys reading, but also has aggressive fits. He is anxious for others, and easily excited and upset. The child may also be very aggressive, impolite and rude. She smashes everything to pieces. She is very impatient and will have angry outbursts if she cannot have what she wants immediately. The mother comments that she has been a little simple-minded since birth.
The child may sit and constantly toss his head. The head sha ing began after a f right and now continues all day. He is restless and impatient and cannot remain still; he is constantly moving and tosses the whole of his upper body. When sco lded the child tosses about at night, ma ing noises and sha ing his head and it is thought he bangs his head against the wall, although no bruises appear. When something goes wrong the child doesn't stop weeping. He can come home from school, throw away something and afterwards cry for it. The child may hold bac his temper, refusing to get into a rage, but may be obstinate and ta e hours to get over his mood. The Bufo child sleeps badly, because of the itching. Sleep is poor and he often lies awa e the whole night. He bites his nails and may have inflammation of the nail beds. The child plays with his penis, and bores his finger into his nose. This remedy is indicated for convulsions in children and infants. Convulsions in children may occur while the angered or frightened mother is nursing. The attac may start with the face turning very gray and the eyes rolling bac . The arms and legs move bac and forth. A child can have one seizure after another, sitting on the floor playing with a set of toy drums. During such play he may repeatedly go into a seizure and begin to fall bac wards, and then come out of the seizure before actually falling over, sitti ng up again and returning to his play, seemingly unaware of what has happened. M ost of the seizures are partial in their expression. They may start with a facial grim ace that loo s li e he is straining at stool or straining in the way that strong-willed young children sometimes do to assert themselves and demand their way. The right arm may frequently extend out to the side and bac and he may also ma e a fist.
Generalities Bufo causes low grades of inflammatory action, fetid exhalations and discharges. Removes the fetor in hopeless cases of cancer. Guernsey commends it in panaritium and also when the fingers have been injured a nd loo blac , with pains running in strea s up the arm. E. E. Case has reported a cure with Bufo cinereus of "epistaxis daily for severa l wee s with flushed face, heat and pain in forehead ameliorated by the bleeding; there was also easy perspiration in general, apt to be offensive, esp
ecially on the feet." Mar ed periodicity: quartan fevers. Uterine symptoms mar ed. Lymphangitis of septic origin. Symptoms of paralysis ag itans. Stri ing rheumatic symptoms. Dipsomania. Early senility with idiotic behaviour. It affects the circulation, causing ebullitions of heat, flushings and burnings in different places. Convulsions with tonic and clonic spasms. Convulsions at night during sleep, fro m sexual excesses, masturbation or from sexual excitement; from suppressed menses or before and during the menses. Convulsions after anger, or without con sciousness; in children and infants; from fright, during perspiration; or after tooth extraction. Spasms caused by or associated with suppuration of internal parts. Spasms from fright; during coition with cramps of the muscles. Dreadful paroxysm s several times a wee or fifty paroxysms occurring during fifteen hours, with complete unconsciousness. Attac s appear every fourteenth day or with the chang e of moon; at full moon or at the new moon. Putting the feet in hot water and drin ing something hot sometimes brea s up the attac . The body feels swollen and he has strange sensations; as if forced through a nar row opening or of a plug externally.
Paralysis and dropsy. There is wea ness during sleep and during painful menses. During the chorea he cannot wal . He must run or jump. The tendency to jump can be observed in several Bufo children. The bones are sensitive and brittle and he suffers jer ing in the joints. Ulcerative pain in the bones and pain from cancerous affections. Suppurating wou nds, carbuncles, buboes and fistulae of the bones. Lymphangitis due to injuries, when the pain runs up in strea s. Ulcers of the gl ands. Foetid discharges and exhalations. Passive, oozing hemorrhages from the nipples and the saliva is bloody. The perspiration is oily and offensive, especially on the feet. Hot swelling of the glands. Trembling during coldness or trembling with coldness. Capricious appetite, he doesn't now what he wants or he refuses things when the y are offered. Faintness after brea fast or before a meal. Faintness in gastric affections. Aversion to salt and a desire for sugared water and intoxicating drin s. Aggravations: becoming cold aggravates; aggravation by the new moon, sexual exci tement, masturbation, least movement, slight hemorrhage, on wa ing in the mornin g, and a warm room. Warm bathing ameliorates the symptoms and hemorrhage from the nose ameliorates t he pain in the forehead; also amelioration from rubbing the clothes.
Vertigo Vertigo in the morning after brea fast with wea ness as from loss of blood; then the face flushes, the heart feels compressed and the chest seems squeezed in a vise. The head feels as if it is carried along by the motion of waltzing. Movin g aggravates the symptoms. Vertigo after dinner. Epileptic vertigo. Objects seem inverted during vertigo.
Head Numbness of the brain before an attac rising to the top of the head.
or a sensation as if there was hot vapour
Before an attac there are motions of the head. It is drawn first to one side, e ither right or left, then bac wards. Lancinating pains in the occiput incline th e head to fall bac wards and resting the occiput on the pillow is painful and wil l bring on a headache in the occiput. Eruptions on the occiput. Headache and flushed face which is much worse in a warm room or near a stove but better from cold bathing or in cold air. The patient has a headache with the epilepsy; dull headache in the left side; vi olent orgasm in the head with a congestive headache and flushed face; the face i s bathed
in sweat; the pain in the forehead is ameliorated by epistaxis. Heat of head wi th coldness of body. Cold perspiration on scalp. The head feels heavy in the afternoon and evening. Sore headache in the afternoon at 5 p. m; headache from wor , in the vertex on w a ing in the morning; on wa ing at night, after midnight, after brea fast, from artificial light, and after stool. Ulcerative headache. Boring headache while wal ing; with pain in the temples li e two iron hands hold ing the temples or he has a distended feeling, especially in the right temple. Trembling sensations in the head or a feeling of water in the head. The pain is ameliorated at night, from cold air, and from spirituous liquors. Th e pain tends to increase and decrease gradually.
Eyes The eyes become highly injected; and as the attac s multiply they loo shrun en and lifeless. The eyes are sun en during a spasm. The right eye is open, the left nearly closed and the eyeballs roll upwards and to left before an attac . The patient has a frightful, squinting loo and finds it hard to eep the eyes open. The left lid is paralysed and hangs down. The lids feel hea vy in the evening. There are constant convulsive movements of eyeballs with nystagmus. The sight of brilliant objects is unbearable and the eyes are sensitive to bathi ng. Objects seem croo ed; and the vision is dim while eating. Foggy vision in the afternoon from 3 - 4 p.m. When the vision is more acute the eyes are less sensitive to the wind. Pulsation and coldness in the eyes. The margins of the lids become ulcerated, blistered and red with some crusts in the lashes. The eyelashes drop out and hair falls from the eyebrows. The canthi become inflamed and ulcerated. During heat and perspiration the pupils are dilated. Before an epileptic attac they are largely dilated and unaffected by light.
Ears
The least noise is unbearable and particularly music. The heart beat reverberates in the ears and the patient has noises in the ear sy nchronous with the pulse. Inflamed and ulcerated wart-li e growth behind the ear and on the ears with disc harges of blood, purulent material and pulsating pain in the ear. Itching and herpes behind the ears. History of eczema behind the ears as a baby. The earlobe is inflamed and discharges viscous moisture. Cold applications aggravate.
Nose
Epistaxis with congestion of the face and pain in the forehead. Epistaxis in the evening. The nose is sensitive and burns and smarts on inhaling cold air. Gnawing, stitching pain which extends to the forehead. He sneezes on going to bed in the evening and bores his fingers into his nose. T he head feels heavy and there is fluent discharge of coryza. Constant itching in nose before attac s. Coryza again in the morning with more sneezing and then crusts and scabs form inside the posterior nares. Ulcers develop in the nostrils. An offensive, fetid, putrid, yellow-green discharge then follows. Mucus descends f rom the nasal fossae into the throat.
Face His lips are thic and usually half open while you can see from the inside the t ongue which may not be protruding but is manifesting through the half open mouth . Tongue protruding from half open thic
lips.
Foolish, confused or besotted expression. Before an epileptic attac feels his face. He rubs his face in the morning.
the patient
Distortion and turgescence of face loo ing a greyish or red color; the mouth and the eyes convulse and the face is covered in profuse sweat during a spasm. Flushes of heat every now and then. The muscles begin to twitch in the face and then spread over the whole body. The bones of the face are sore and there are lancinating pains in the face. Greasy complexion with blac lips; pimples on the lips; pustules on the nose and painful swelling of the submaxillary glands. Phlegmonous erysipelas. Convulsions: begin in the face.
Mouth A ind of lapping motion of the tongue, feeling of the face and rubbing of the n ose with the mouth wide open before attac s. He gets angry when his incoherent, stuttering and stammering speech is not understood. During chorea the speech is not clear and motion of the tongue is difficult. There is a constant inclinatio n to
clinch the teeth together and grinding of the teeth during an attac . During vi olent agitation of the muscular system, there is ejection of frothy, bloody sali va from mouth. The teeth become loose and fall out and he suffers with digging toothach e. Tearing toothache in the cold air; pain as if the teeth were being pulled out ; stitching, stinging toothache in the evening and at night. Convulsions after ex tracting the teeth. Burning pain in the mouth aggravated by cold water. The palate aches and the gums have abscesses and burn. The tongue is pasty and the mouth clammy and crac ed. During the spasms he bites the tongue. The tongue is crac ed, bluish-blac in color and fissured down the centre. Blood oozes from excoriation in the mucous membrane; the mouth tastes b loody or sweetish in the morning. The breath is fetid and there is a desire for sweet drin s.
Throat Dryness of throat in the morning and of the esophagus with a sensation of stone in the throat. Painful swelling of the right submaxillary gland. The esophagus i s inflamed and inhaling cold air causes rawness in the throat. The throat feels s o sore that he cannot eat supper or brea fast. Cutting and lancinating pain with pulsations in the throat and eruptions in the pharynx li e spots on the s in.
Stomach Nausea in morning for a wee . Nausea before menses, on motion, with palpitation and after stool. Vomiting after drin ing cold water, on motion, or from smo ing. The vomit is acrid and bitter or sour after drin ing, with yellow fluid in it, l i e that from an eruption. Vomiting of blood and bile. An empty feeling and indigestion in the morning with pain before brea fast. Cram ping pain on motion. The aura is felt in the stomach. The appetite is irregular with an aversion to drin s, salt food and a desire for delicacies, sugar water and intoxicating drin s. Only feels thirsty while he is eating. Fetid eructations all day li e rotten eggs.
Abdomen The epileptic attac originates in abdomen and strange sensations are felt there ; coldness in abdomen as if cold water were running through. Convulsive movements in the abdomen after spasms. The suppression of gonorrhea causes suppurating buboes to form in the abdomen an d the groin. The abdomen rumbles in the morning and there is fetid flatus and eructations aft er eating. The liver, the spleen and the inguinal glands are inflamed; suppuration of the i nguinal glands. Gnawing pains in the liver at night and during the menses. The pains are pulsati ng and worse for motion. The liver becomes enlarged and incurably obstructed. Drin ing mil and smo ing causes cramping, griping pains in the abdomen. The hyp
ochondria is painful and the patient suffers with lancinating pains which nearly cause him to faint. Movement of any
ind aggravates the pain.
Contraction of hypochondria and stitching, lancinating pains in the spleen durin g the menses.
Rectum Dysentery, with delirium, headache and sleeplessness. Flatus in the morning. When straining at stool there is hemorrhage from the hemo rrhoids around the anus. The anus swells and smarts and the rectum itches and bu rns. The stool is thin, yellow and liquid and loo s curdled or is white and mil .
li e
Urinary organs Involuntary urination during convulsions. Before and after urination there are stitching pains in the bladder and stitchin g pains in the idneys after urination. Pulsating and burning pain in idneys with oppressed breathing and faintness. The urethra emits a profuse and greyish discharge. Copious and frequent urinatio n or scanty urination during constipation. The urine smells strong li e fish-bri ne or of ammonia and has a yellow or reddish-brown sediment which loo s li e flour. Bloody urine in children.
Genitalia - male Disposition to masturbate and will see solitude to do this. Ailments from masturbation; masturbation in epilepsy. Impotence. Seminal discharge fails during coition or is too quic ; sometimes the re is an involuntary discharge of semen. There is either violent sexual passion or he does not enjoy coition. Spasms during coition. Atrophy and constricting pains in the testes; buboes around the groin. Eruptions of tubercles on the scrotum. Swelling of the penis with burning on the prepuce.
Genitalia - female The menses are too early and two profuse, returning every three wee s or else ar e scanty in epilepsy. The attac s are worse at the time of the menses with spasms occurring just before each period. The flow is fluid but contains clots. Burning pains in the vagina before the menses; voluptuous itching and tingling in the vagina and itching before the menses. Menses with suppressed convulsions. Swelling and great sensitiveness of the ovarian region with violent cramps exten ding into the groin. Great heat in ovaries with burning and stitching pain, espe cially
during the menses. Cysts and tumors in the ovaries. Heat in the uterus with burning or cramping pains in the morning; before the men ses. Sharp, dagger-li e pains which are worse on wal ing or sitting too long. Th e pains extend down the thighs. Polyps and fibroid tumors in the uterus with ulcers on the cervix. Enormous blisters on a tumefied uterus, discharging a thin, serous, yellow fluid . Puerperal convulsions if suppuration is suspected. Discharge of offensive, purulent leucorrhea in the evening. The leucorrhea loo s cream or flesh colored, sometimes transparent or has a yellow fluid in it as if an
eruption had discharged. Epilepsy in children as a consequence of the mother having a fright or fit of an ger whilst nursing her baby The aura extends from the uterus. There is a disposition to masturbate. Increased desire during menses or sexual aversion at night. Hematuria in childbed. The breast mil
is bloody.
Cancer of the breast with violent pains in the breasts, worse at night. Cord-li e swelling from the groin to the nee (Mil leg).
Chest Larynx and Trachea - Fissures in larynx with rawness and burning during coughing and from coughing. A membrane forms in the larynx; the larynx ulcerates; stinging and stitching pains in the larynx. The air passages tic le and irritate at night and at 3 a.m. Laryngitis, hemoptysis, and phthisis pulmonalis. Respiration - Respiration impeded in the morning, ameliorated when sitting bent forward. Breathing is impossible when lying down and difficult at night after 3 a.m. "After convulsive movements became less rapid and violent, breathing became heav y and stertorous, with usual puffing of lips at every expiration, directly culmi nated in a deep-drawn sigh, and patient san ness and convulsions as before." **
into coma, soon followed by the restless
Cough - Nightly cough from a tic ling and stinging in the larynx which starts ar ound 3 or 4 a.m. and is only felt at this hour. Excitement and getting cold feet brings on the cough; the cough is dry and causes burning in the larynx and a sh arp pain and burning in the chest. The lungs burn li e fire. Violent cough, with vomiting or suffocative cough; asthma. Frequent stools or diarrhea ameliorate the cough. Inner and Outer Chest - The chest feels oppressed in the afternoon and evening a nd aches while wal ing or going upstairs. Pain in the heart every few hours with retching, cough and bloody expectoration. Gnawing pain and oppression in the heart after eating and from motion, ameliorat
ed by pressing the hand to the chest. The heart feels full or too large and has a sensation as if it were floating; th e chest feels as if it is full of water. There is constriction about the heart a nd numbness in the chest. The patient suffers with palpitations on wa ing, during the evening, during a he adache, during the menses, during the pains and from wal ing quic ly. Paralysis of heart or shoc s in the chest and in the region of the heart. The chest burns during coughing. The sputa which is raised mostly in the morning and evening is mucousy or bloody , sometimes formed of pure blood and accompanied with a sensation of cold in the chest which is then often succeeded by heat and congestion. The pulse becomes more and more rapid and threadli e as the paroxysms multiply. Abscess on axilla and the breast with bleeding nipples. The breasts are inflamed , have sensitive nodules and the mil is bloody or bad. The axillary glands beco me
indurated and painful. Cancer of the breast with burning, gnawing and cutting pains.
Bac Epileptic attac s preceded by a jer in the nape of the nec . Stiffness and twitching in the cervical region; in the morning. Curvature of the dorsal spine with caries of the dorsal vertebrae and a swelling of bone the size of a fist. The whole bac is painful particularly when straightening up. Aching in the lumb ar region in the morning or from motion; lancinating pains in the lumbar area as from a hot iron. The sacral region is painful while sitting and the bac pain is onl y ameliorated when lying on the bac .
Extremities The limbs become stiff and numb before an attac
of epilepsy.
Heat in extremities; numbness in the morning on wa ing or while lying on them. T he limbs go to sleep easily. Paralysis of extremities. Convulsion of the extremities during coition with restlessness before convulsion s and afterwards the limbs feel tired. Pain in middle of long bones and in the joints with a sensation as if a peg were driven in. Shooting pain in the extremities. Upper Limbs - The arms become stiffened before an attac following the lapping m otion of the tongue, with contractions of the fingers of the right hand, then th e left, with the thumbs drawn into the palms. The upper limbs go numb whilst lying on them, particularly the left arm and they feel heavy. Restlessness and sha ing of the upper limbs; the patient has a grea t desire to move the arms about. The upper arm feels tense; he suffers cramps in the upp er right limb and stitching, burning and lancinating pain in the bones. The fore arm is
wea . Erysipelatous inflammation of upper limbs; the arms and hands swell and loo blu ish and hot with burning pains and the lymphatics in the arm become inflamed. Pa in in the extensor muscles of the upper limbs on motion; the pain runs up the arm. Boring pains in the elbow. Burning eruptions appear on the palm of the hand, the hand and the wrist; yellow vesicular eruptions on the palms. The vesicles itch and urticaria brea s out on the hands. Blisters appear on the hand annually. Inflammation around the nail, panaritium. Injuries to the fingers with tearing pains, redness going up the whole arm and c ausing swelling and inflammation of the axillary lymph nodes. Burning and pulsating swelling of the finger joints; stitching pain in middle joint of four th finger. The hands tremble at night. Panaritium with a blue-blac swelling around the nail. The pain goes in strea s up the arm.
Warts on hand.
Ischias Lower limbs - Corrosive itching of lower limbs; itching around the patella and d own on the inner side of the foot. Eruption of vesicles and yellow fluid on the lower limbs with blisters on the so le of the foot. Erysipelatous inflammation of the leg. Lower limbs are more in motion than upper and before an attac ght and stiff. The thighs are wea while wal ing and he has to wal he gait becomes staggering and unsure.
they become strai
with stic s to get about. T
The legs tremble at night and in the morning. Cramps in the lower right leg in the morning from 4 - 5 a.m. , with discharge of semen. Aggravated by cold air. Stretching out the leg causes cramps in the calf; also cramps from motion. The lower limbs are cold during the menses; the feet are cold during fever and d uring a headache. The nees and feet feel dislocated. The legs are drawn bac wards. The s in is excoriated between the nates, the thighs and in the bends of the joi nts. Podagra with arthritic nodosities in the foot. Arthritic nodosities in the nee. The nees are very painful with shooting, stit ching and bruised pains. Boring pains in the nees, an le and foot, aggravated b y motion. Sciatica. Mil -leg; the legs swell in the evening. Varices of lower limbs. Felons which begin in the thumb nail and run around the nail. Offensive perspiration on the feet.
Sleep Very profound coma subsequent to the attac s; deep and comatose li e sleep betwe en and after convulsions from which it is very hard to wa e the patient. The patient wa es from sleep after midnight around 3 to 4 a.m. , sometimes wa in g with palpitations. All symptoms are worse on awa ening. He feels sleepy in the morning after smo ing, after meals and after being in the open air. Restlessnes s with sleepiness. He cannot sleep from the pains, from formication, from diarrhea or after 4 a.m. in the morning. Prefers to sleep on the left side and dreams of greatness, of business matters o r of projects.
Fever Chilliness during the menses, after stool or creeping chill in the cold air. The limbs get cold, the head and face increasingly hot, as the paroxysms multipl y. The body, especially the hands and arms, are bathed in a clammy perspiration. The head is hot, the body cold with delirium or apathy; quartan fever with intense heat and violent delirium. In the morning, in bed, the patient perspires quite profusely which ma es him fe el wea . The sweat is oily and cold. During convulsions he perspires.
S in Acne appearing on the bac , face and nec . Her s in is very greasy. Crac s in the corners of the eyes. He has eczema on his eyelids, on his ears. The s in loo s dirty, and greenish in color and has an oily appearance. He has a sensation that the s in is hanging loose. Phlyctenoid eruption, on the s in, discharging a thin, yellow fluid, similar to that appearing in the vomit and the leucorrhea. Eruption of large blue boils on the s in or vesicular, grape shaped eruptions. G angrenous, yellow eruptions which exude an ichorous fluid. Blisters which open and leave a raw surface on the palms and the soles. The stit ching pain prevents him from sleeping at night. Every little injury seems to suppurate and turn into pustules with corrosive pai ns. Red, or purplish strea s appear in the nec , the bac or other parts of the body under the s in. Bluish-blac swelling around the thumb nail, followed by suppur ation and pain trac ing up the arm. Pompholyx in hand returning every year. Ulcers and cancerous ulcers with burning pains. Eruptions of malignant and fetid pustules; carbuncles with the surrounding s in discolored blue. Chilblains.
Clinical Softening of brain. Buboes. Cancer. Carbuncles. Caries. Chorea. Dropsy. Epilepsy . Affections of heart. Impotence. Intermittents. Malignant pustule. Meningitis. Panaritium. Pemphigus. Phlegmasia alba dolens. Plague. Podagra. Self-abuse. Aff ections of s in. Stammering. Suppuration. Whitlow.
Relations Compare: Baryt-carb.; Asterias; Salamand.; Cicuta. In convulsions from low grade s of suppuration, Arsen.; Canthar.; Laches.; Tarent.; in epilepsy Artem.; Calc.; Nux vom.; Silica;; Hyosc.; Mercur.; Sulphur ; in bullae, panaritia, etc.; Hepar; La ches.; Phosph-ac.; Silica.
Complementary: Salamandra (epilepsy, cerebral softening)Heloderma, Amphisboena. Antidoted by: Laches.; Senega.
Dosage From 6c to the highest.
Butyricum acidum A volatile acid obtained chiefly from butter.
The essential features Butyric acid is a reliable medicine whose proving is quite sound, unli e some ot her provings about which I have great reservations. This remedy is indicated in cases of fatty infiltration or fatty degeneration of the liver, in cases of gastritis, spastic colitis, enteritis, or viral infectio ns of the guts. In all such cases, the main indication is the excessive accumulation and expulsion of gas from the abdomen or stomach. You may try this remedy in cases o f excessive gas formation or expulsion of gas instead of stool, where other remed ies such as Lycopodium, Arg-n., Raphanus, Gambogia or Podophyllum have failed. O ther indications for this remedy are lumbago, sciatica or arthritic conditions accom panying liver or gastric symptoms. Butyric acid cases suffer from restlessness, anxiety and apprehension. They live in a constant state of fear and nervousness. They may be sad and restless, with impulsive, suicidal thoughts, full of worries over trifles. They may also sin into an indifferent and apathetic mood.
Generalities Principally affects the gastro-enteric tract. Symptoms are worse at night, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Worse during menses. Chronic appendicitis. Going upstairs, rapid motion and fats aggravate. Infants are aggravated by fats.
Head Dull, hazy aching headache. Headaches which ma e him apprehensive about trivial matters.
Mouth Profuse salivation. The gums become sore and the breath is fetid. A little thic , blac blood oozes from the gums and lies on the teeth. The mouth has to be rinsed frequently.
Stomach Poor appetite or loss of appetite. The stomach is distended and has a sensation of fullness. Sour, bitter, rancid or tasteless eructations with much gas in the stomach. Cramping pains in the pit of the stomach, worse at night, followed by palpitations, worse after eating. Aversion to food. A feeling as though the stomach is overloaded.
Abdomen A sense of soreness and fullness over the region of the liver; a general sense o f fullness in the upper part of the abdomen with severe palpitation and painful breathing. Cramping, griping pain in the hypogastrium. Pains below the umbilicus which come and go suddenly and cause the patient to draw the nees upwards and are relieve d by passing large amounts of gas. Soreness and colic y pains over the region of the ileo-caecal valve which is tender on pressure. A tremendous amount of gas developed in the abdomen and large quantities of gas were passed through the rectum which gave temporary relief. Sharp cutting pains through the abdomen. Pains below the umbilicus.
Rectum Often the stools were preceded by much gas, thought he was going to have a stool and only great volumes of gas were passed. There were frequent and tense crampy pains in the bowels with desire for stool, but only gas passed. The bowe ls become irregular and there is pain and straining in the morning during stool.
Desire for stool but only large amounts of gas is passed. Constipation alternat ing with diarrhea. Stools vary in color from very dar brown, formed, and offensive, to light yellow. The dar stools are expelled with an enormous amoun t of gas, sometimes offensive. Soreness and colic y pains over the region of the ileocaecal valve. This was acc ompanied by tenderness on pressure. Stools vary in color from very dar w.
brown, formed, and offensive, to light yello
A great deal of straining and urging to stool.
Urinary organs Sudden urging in women to urinate immediately. Odor of urine as if the provers had eaten asparagus.
Genitalia - female Leucorrhea which is offensive li e horse's urine or yeasty. Thin, watery, scanty or albuminous leucorrhea.
Chest Palpitation of the heart after eating a full meal and accompanied by a sense of heaviness and fullness in the region of the liver.
Bac Tired, wea feeling in the low bac . Dull pain in lumbar region which goes down into the hips; aggravated by wal ing and standing. Severe bac ache at the lumbo-sacral junction.
Extremities
Profuse, offensive sweat on the feet. The feet swell and are cold. Pain in the e xtremities and in the an les extending upwards. The hands sweat and the finger n ails crumble and are crippled. Very tired aching feeling in the lower extremities; particularly down the calves . A feeling as though one had been sic for a long time and the limbs were wea
and tired.
Sleep Restless sleep from digestive troubles with dreams of a serious nature.
Fever Perspiration during slight exertion.
Dosage FROM "A COMPLETED PROVING OF BUTYRIC ACID WITH CLINICAL CONFIRMATION" (WILLIAM B. GRIGGS)
Cactus grandiflorus Cereus grandiflorus. Night-blooming Cereus. (Mexico and the West Indies.) N.O. Cactaceae. Tincture of youngest and tenderest stems and flowers collected in summer.
The essential features Cactus grandiflorus is a remedy that has a special relationship to heart conditi ons, whether functional or severely pathological, and in particular to cardiac infarction and angina pectoris. The reason for this is that Cactus poss esses in its pathogenesis the main characteristics of cardiac pathology. I have seen beneficial effects from the use of Cactus in cases of pulmonary oed ema, myocardial infarction, and pericarditis, though additional remedies were necessary to complete the cure. Although Cactus can cure the case on its own, this is rare. It, of course, only acts curatively, if the symptoms agree, and especially if they include the eynote 'constrictive sensat ion about heart,' discussed below. Indiscriminately prescribing Cactus 'for heart disease' without individualisation will usually lead to unsatisfacto ry results. Some examples from my experience, are: A woman in the initial stages of pulmonary oedema, with fever exhaustion, arrhyt hmia and dyspnoea, needed Veratrum album as her first remedy. After considerable improvement, severe constrictive pains developed. Cactus immediate ly relieved the symptoms, though Calcarea carbonica was still needed to complete the cure. In a case of endocarditis, after the initial remedy, Arsenicum, the symptoms cha nged to Cactus. The case needed another two remedies thereafter to complete the cure. In a case of cardiac infarction, Cactus was the first remedy needed. It was foll owed by Lycopodium and eventually Sulphur before the patient was out of danger.
Functional and pathological heart disorders Some physiological actions triggered by Cactus grandiflorus are: the blood clots easily the arteries and the heart contract excessively and painfully
the blood stream congests selectively on one organ or another (heart, vagina etc .) the heart palpitates violently In functional heart disorder the Cactus patient suffers from irregularities of t he heartbeat with strong, and many times, violent palpitations and constricting pains, especially, but not exclusively, in the heart or thorax. Ke nt provides us with a description of the constriction: 'Around the attachment of the diaphragm feeling as if a cord was tied tighter an d tighter; round the lower part of the chest. This is a strange symptom; it clutches him so tightly around the waist line that it ta es his breath away and he struggles for breath, and wants to do something. It clutches him tighter and tighter.' The patient experiences occasional attac s of palpitations, at times very severe . Any unusual physical or mental exertion can induce an attac . Palpitations might arise on rapid motion, upon stooping, turning around, etc. T he palpitations of the heart are aggravated when wal ing or when lying on the left side. They are also reported to come on in sleep, and are often con nected with fright or anxiety from dreams. There is also a fluttering sensation in the heart, li e a bird's wing. Concomitant symptoms can be an unco mfortable sensation in the pit of the stomach, a feeling as if fainting, or a suffocating constriction of the throat, with throbbing carotids. In the pathological picture Cactus displays much graver conditions li e valvular diseases of the heart, pulmonary oedema, myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis, etc., with all the attendant symptoms. In a typical Cactus heart case we observe the patient complaining of a constant sense of constriction in the region of the heart and epigastrium, as if the heart is gra sped and compressed by an iron hand. This is the most common description, but in practice the descriptions vary. We find a good many example s of patients describing the same symptom in different ways : as if the heart were 'bound down'; as if it 'had not room enough to beat'; 'as if bol ts were holding it'; 'as if it were constricted by an iron band that prevents its normal movement'; 'as if it were twisted in wires'; 'as if it were compressed, squeezed and released alternately by an iron hand'; 'as if compressed violently and violently struggling to burst its bands'; etc. This sensation is often accompanied by great soreness and aching, soreness to th e touch. An example quoted by Hering is: 'Great pressure at heart, going around under left axilla to left bac li e a belt of pain; li e a hand gr asping the heart, with soreness and aching, and soreness to touch in all
the affected region.' It is obvious from the symptoms mentioned so far that it is easy to confuse Cact us with Lachesis. In both remedies these sensations are very distressing, causing the patient to worry a lot. A condition resembling angina pectoris may be induced by sudden shoc s, such as a misstep in crossing the street or a jarring sensation when riding in a car. Physical exertion, such as stretching the arms above the head, may also ca use this condition, or it may come on from sitting down low without ta ing care. The constrictive sensations around the heart are much increased by muscular exertion, by shoc s, by jars, by reading aloud and by loud tal ing, by any emotion, any strong excitement, and also by lying on the left s ide at night. Cactus also exhibits the typical sore pain extending in the left arm down to the elbow that we see so frequently in Latrodectus mactans. The heart pains may be accompanied by numbness of the left arm and in particular by oedema of t he hands, or even only the left one. They are mainly of a
constrictive character (there are also stitches, etc.), as are all the pains in other regions of the body, and they are so violent as to force the patient to scream. With the pain there is dyspnoea and a death-li e feeling in the heart region. He ring states that in such cases the breath sometimes stops altogether for some moments, while the s in gets colder. Violent gasping and palpitation follo w. Kent describes that when a patient holds his breath, his heart beats so fast it feels as if it would fly to pieces. This condition is most often fou nd in conditions of toxic goitre with heart involvement. Clar e relates that a case of angina pectoris where Cactus acted had the following strange sensatio n: as though a swarm of hornets were going to the heart. During and after an attac of angina pectoris, great anxiety is also typically observed: a fear that there is some organic lesion of the heart that will cause sudden death. If the heart condition becomes a great deal worse, the patient may arrive at a s tate of acute pulmonary oedema. In really severe conditions there may be violent palpitation, distressing dyspnoea, disorder of the valves, mitral regur gitation, and congestion of the lungs. The breathing becomes very laboured, and it is impossible for the patient to lie down. Oedema occurs in th e extremities, especially in the hands, and the face is bloated and swollen. Eventually the whole body becomes oedematous. The urine is scanty and high coloured, breath is short, the heart labours very hard, and the patient is unable to ma e the slightest motion. During this progressed pathological state you may no longer see the constricting pains that are the main eynote of the remedy. We homeopaths do not frequently see full-fledged cases because the whole of such symptomatology is typically mas ed by allopathic drugging. Allopathic medicine has at its disposal a lot of drugs to suppress these sympto ms, while the real disease progresses and the patients condition worsens in spite of not feeling the pains. When allopathic suppression has ta en place, it is often difficult to recognise the symptoms. For example, it is possible, for the patient to exhibit a slow and feeble pulse instead of intense palpitations. In such cases the practitioner should go bac and study the initial pathology of the case to see if Cactus is appropriate. I have tried to separate the functional from the pathological states, but in rea lity they cannot be so clearly demarcated. The student should use his imagination to perceive how a patient under the influence of this remedy might feel, and to grasp the idea of the pattern behind the symptoms.
Constrictive pain and irregular congestion The first and most prevalent eynote of the remedy is the constrictive pain that is often so intense that the patient is forced to cry out. The sensation of tightness and constriction is not only to be found in the heart but is a genera l characteristic of the remedy. You may find it in various other places, li e the oesophagus, the bladder, the vagina, the uterus, the chest (sometimes mar ing the attachments of the diaphragm), all over the abdomen, etc. A spasmodic constriction of the vagina upon introduction of the penis (vaginismu s) is an indication of the remedy. The tightness is such that it not only prevents any movement, but inhibits the withdrawal of the penis. The sensation the woman has is as if an iron ring squeezes her vagina immediately after the intromission of the penis and gives her such severe pain that she can go into convulsions. Her partner feels as if a string were tightly drawn
around his penis. This trouble typically occurs only in the beginning of coitus . However, in severe cases, it can prevent it altogether, except for during menses and one or two days before, when the vagina does not exhibit this tendency to spasm. In a German Journal (Archiv für Homöopathic, 1993) there is a report about a mare that could not be covered by a stallion be cause she always got vaginal convulsions in this situation, whereas there was no problem with the veterinary vaginal examination. Cactus 30c helped immediately. The second characteristic of the remedy is its congestion which is totally irreg ular. It seems that the distribution of blood is capricious. There is, for instance, congestion in the head with coldness of the extremities. In a German proving conducted in the 1930's (Hans Ritter) the prover observed as the most prominent symptom 'a gradually increasing headache, very intense in th e final stage, increasing and decreasing, worse from sudden movements, with heat in the head, feeling of congestion, li e a pressure out of both ears, with stri ing redness of face'. Here the face was mentioned, but there may be congestion of blood in any organ, in the chest or t he heart, in the vagina, in the uterus. The circulation of blood is never equal throughout the body. The above two dominant symptoms can occur separately, as well as together. Const rictive pains and sensations in various parts of the body are very often accompanied by violent congestion of blood in the affected part. Kent describes this combination perfectly: 'Suppose you should tie a tape round a violently congested organ and tie it tighter and tighter. It seems to me that i s about the ind of suffering the patient has with that constriction of a congested organ.' For example, the most violent cramps are produced in the uterus. Painful constri ction is felt in the uterine region, as if the uterus were grasped and held tightly, li e a spasm. This ta es place in conjunction with a rush of blood to the part, with violent congestion and insupportable pulsating pain. The rush of blood comes on suddenly, and the spasms are so violent and intense that the woman screams from pain and fear. Therefore, the remedy is indicated in dysmenorrhoea with the most horrible pains where the characteristi cs of violent congestion and constrictive cramping pain are present. In the case of dysmenorrhoea, the flow of the menses ceases upon lying down. Of ten the dysmenorrhoea is complicated with heart symptoms, or is connected with rheumatism of the joints. Farrington describes a characteristic form that the constrictive feeling can ass ume: 'as if her whole body was in a wire cage, and that each wire was
being twisted tighter and tighter.' Lilienthal gives the following description from a clinical case: 'Pains everywhere - head, arms, legs, bac , chest, heart; darting, springing li e chain-lightning, terminating with a sharp, viceli e grip, only to commence again a moment afterward, with restlessness and groaning.' Constrictive spasms of this sort and congestion may also be encountered during l abour, where extremely strong pain or even suppression of labour may occur. Constriction is also to be seen at the nec of the bladder and can be so severe as to prevent the passage of urine. As apparent from the above, the combination of congestion and constriction is a very characteristic feature of Cactus. Its congestive violence resembles Belladonna or Aconitum. In both Cactus and Acon., the pains are unendurable and force the patient to scream. However, you cannot confuse Acon. with this remedy, because the tremendous agony and fear of death that Acon. exp eriences are lac ing in Cactus. Though Cactus people can be extremely anxious about their condition they do not show it that much and even try to hide it. The practitioner perceives their anxiety because of
frequent telephone calls and the detailed descriptions of all the pain and suff ering. He may perceive it as hypochondriacal anxiety, but it does not resemble the intense fear of death that the Aconite patient expresses. In addit ion, the Acon. pains are not as clearly constrictive as the Cactus pains. One might say that Acon. is indicated in 'pseudo' angina cases where the patien t experiences a real fear of death. Cactus can be differentiated from Belladonna in that it does not produce the amo unt of heat produced in Bell., nor will Bell. typically have a constrictive pain quality, but rather a throbbing one. In Cactus cases you often see a severely sic person whose heart is in a precari ous situation and whose valves are affected. There may be oedema of the extremities, no appetite, restless sleep, and emaciation. If this is discus sed with the patient, he confesses that he is despondent, has no hope, feels that he will not recover, and weeps copiously and easily. This might even ta e the form of a feeling that he is dying and will not live till the next morning. However, the patients despair is definitely not accompanied by an exce ssive fear of death. We see nothing violent in his suffering, as is the case with Aconite or Belladonna. Cactus also shares a certain similarity with Arsenicum. The Cactus patient may b e almost as full of fears and have the exact sensation of tightness around the chest as Ars., but it may occur without cyanosis, which is a mar ed distinguishing feature of Ars. The Cactus patient is also more silent and much less restless than Ars., as movement worsens his condition.
Additional pathology Some other forms of pathology that fit the remedy are: Complaints that recur with mar ed periodicity, such as: intermittent fever with a predominant chill that returns every day at 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. The fever may be accompanied by bleeding, especially from the bowel, and by convulsions. Paroxysms may be followed immediately by cold sweat, with terrible anguish; periodic neuralgia: headaches, especially right side and vertex, often provo ed by missing a meal. Chronic trigeminal neuralgia, right-sided, brought on by wine, music, strong light or missing a meal at the usual hour; worse with le ast exertion but cannot lie still in bed either. periodic attac s of suffocation, with fainting, cold perspiration on the face an
d a very wea , scarcely perceptible pulse. Rheumatic conditions that loo li e Rhus toxicodendron, but Rhus. does not hold and eventually the heart gets involved. A typical case (Journal of Homeopathic Clinics, 1870): 'Rheumatism affecting all the joints of the extremi ties with a great deal of pain, stiffness and swelling; worse in the evening and again in the morning on first rising; aggravation while at rest, on beginning to move, and from a change of weather, especially if the change be a cold, damp one. Amelioration from continued but gentle motion.' Ult imately the heart gets involved and the characteristic constrictive pains that require Cactus ensue. Such a case can loo li e Rhus-toxicodendron o r Tuberculinum, but the final involvement of the heart is the determining factor in favour of Cactus. When the organism is exhausted from a severe infectious disease and eventually t he heart shows symptoms of failing. A feeling as if the heart
will stop beating every time the head is raised from the pillow is characterist ic. Cardiac asthma, when the patient cannot lie down on account of the oppression an d the excessive secretion of mucus. The attention of the patient is focused on the heart symptoms, of which he constantly complains. He has rattlin g of mucus with dyspnoea, which causes him great anxiety. He has a raw feeling and a sensation of constriction in his chest as if it gets tighter and tighter until he cannot ta e a breath. There may be no cyanosis and no great restlessness. There is also a possibility of hypostatic congestion of the lungs due to cardiac wea ness. The patient is unable to lie down and must sit up in bed. 'Could only breathe with shoulders elevated and lying on th e bac .' (Hering) Cactus may congest the brain in such a way as to create a situation simulating a brain stro e, most probably brought on by a constriction of a vessel in the brain. While this is happening the patient loses the ability to move. A par tial blindness and difficulty in spea ing may ensue, and his wal ing becomes unsteady. His face becomes red simultaneously with a sensation of const riction about the heart. Cactus is also a haemorrhagic remedy. It has bleeding from vascular relaxation a ccompanying cardiac and vascular conditions and also from violent congestion of a part. The bleedings may come from the nose, the lungs, the rect um, the bladder or the stomach. However, as the blood flows it quic ly forms large clots which cause bloc ages in the organs.
The mental picture The mental symptoms produced correspond to those found when there are heart diso rders with sadness (Aurum iodatum). Patients are in a sad, anxious and weeping mood. They are melancholy, without being able to find any reason fo r it. There may be an irresistible inclination to cry. This is particularly strong in women before and during the menses. There is also hyster ical behaviour during the menses. The patient is taciturn, disinclined to spea or answer questions, and generally ill-humoured. He loves solitude and avoids those around him who wish to comfort him (Nat-m.). This depressive mood is coupled with feelings of selfreproach. The provings give us the following symptoms: 'Feeling of semi-remorse at having done something wrong.' 'Feeling of having done violence to myself.' Extraordinary irritability has been observed; the least
contrariety puts him into a passion. In Schoeler's proving, there was a tendenc y to develop a quarrelsome mood, sometimes over the most trivial things, and later the irritability increased even more, with the prover flying into fit s of rage. The Cactus person is sensitive to noise, the sound of tal ing and music, and also to strong light. In heart diseases li e angina pectoris, the patient becomes really hypochondriac al, calling the physician frequently and describing in detail how he feels. The intensity of the suffering causes him great distress. The patient is an easily frightened person who screams and shrie s with the pain and who may even lose consciousness. A fear of death may manifest, but the pati ent does not ma e a big point of this. He tries to hide it and accepts it as natural to thin this way because he has a heart problem. When the pains become severe he believes that he will not survive until the next day and that his condition is incurable, but all this is explained as a logical con clusion of the pains and suffering. The indescribable fear that something terrible will happen to him is a symptom t hat is also found in other remedies. In those cases where the patients
mind readily focuses on his heart, he can develop the fear that he has a severe heart disease. Cactus differs from these remedies in that while it is one of the main remedies for the fear of heart disease, the fears are grounded in reality. Night is a difficult time for Cactus patients, because in heart conditions lying down aggravates and in cardiac asthma they fear they will suffocate at night. The patient feels very anxious on wa ing up. Cactus has morning aggravation li e most heart conditions and remedies (Lach.), but in him it is mostly the anxiety that bothers him. The anxiety manifests in the morning. As the day prog resses it goes away, only to return in the evening. There are also delirious states that manifest at night and upon wa ing. Rubini's proving produ ced the symptom 'Tal ing nonsense while asleep at night; on awa ing, he tal s unconnectedly.' And Hering lists the symptom 'Felt much alarmed on wa ing, but could not tell cause of alarm.' Another peculiarity of this remedy are the impulses to do something facetious, e ven bordering on the grotesque. This 'irregularity' in the mental sphere may be compared with the unbalanced circulation system and its tendency to prod uce erratic congestion of blood. Concerning the intellect, we see a slowing of the mental processes, a certain du llness and stupidity. The slowness is especially exhibited when the patient tries to arrive at conclusions. He 'felt a considerable degree of diffi culty in fixing upon anything settled or fixed in what he was pursuing; when conclusions were arrived at, however, they were to the mind quite satisfac tory.' Hering also observed a 'difficulty in finding the right expression when writing symptoms down.'
Generalities Constriction, contraction, congestion and haemorrhage are the main points of Cac tus. In addition to the above mentioned symptoms, there may be low blood pressure fro m wea ness of the heart and high blood pressure from arteriosclerosis. We find general wea ness with sadness and bad humour. Wea ness and prostration w ith low blood pressure and coldness of the extremities. The constrictive sensations can also be induced by touching the affected part, w hich provo es a twitching of the muscles.
Kent comments on the constrictive pain sensations: 'When pains occur in the inte stines they are constricting, but when the pains are in the long muscles they are not the constricting pains, for it is not the circular fibres then but the long fibres that contract and we call them cramps. Cactus produces some spasmodic conditions in long muscles, but not to any great extent.' He also provides a description of the congestive states: 'Violent congestion and he grows stupid under it. Congestion of the brain, first with very red face, then dar er from the venous stasis and then stupor. He grows sluggish und er the cerebral congestion.' The Cactus patient can also experience sharp pains in the diaphragm and girdle p ain round its attachment together with indigestion. Causation: Symptoms are brought on by any emotion, excitement, irregularities of breathing, a disappointment in love, from exertion; or attac s may come on during sleep and are connected with fright or anxiety in the dreams. Ly ing down, especially on the left side, may also provo e symptoms.
Worse: Many symptoms are worse from lying down, lying on the left side, 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. , at night, from going upstairs, from the sun, from damp and from noise. Many of the complaints of Cactus are aggravated or induced by irreg ularities of breathing. Better: from continued but gentle motion; from the open air; vertex headache bet ter by pressure on the vertex.
Vertigo Vertigo from congestion: face red, bloated; pulsation in the brain; mental imbal ance, anxiety. Unsteadiness of gait, amounting almost to staggering, and a reeling sensation. Vertigo brought on by physical exertion, turning in bed, stooping, rising from a recumbent position or from deep inspiration.
Head The headaches often come on from congestion of the head or brain. They are, ther efore, violent and accompanied by intense heat in the head. Heat in the head from mental exertion is a strong symptom. The headaches often have a c onstricting or pressing quality. Heavy pain, li e a weight, on the vertex. This pain is diminished by pressure. I t is made worse by the sound of tal ing, by any noise, or by strong light. The sound of voices seems to go through the head, and the brain is so sensitive that the sound feels li e a material substance hurled at the brain, much li e in Theridion. The pressure may feel as if the top of the head will be crushed in, or li e a pressure that is pushing outward ('out of both ears', as expressed by the German prover Ritter). The pressive headaches in the vertex may develop as a result of menorrhagia or at the time of menopause in women ( Lippe). There can be a feeling as if the head were compressed in a vice and will burst o pen from the severity of the pain. We also find headaches in the form of a tightness across the vertex, as if the s calp is tightening upon the s ull. There is also a pulsating headache. Right-sided headache and neuralgia which are periodic, pulsating, throbbing, and of an extreme type. Spells of pain in the right temple, caused by drin ing a glass of wine, attendin
g the opera, or after eating evening meal at too late an hour; It begins in the morning, increases during the day, with vomiting; and a nose that is extrem ely dry; The patient must lie perfectly still; is worse from staying awa e, from noise, light, and exertion. Pulsating pain, with a sensation of heaviness in the right side of the head, con tinuing day and night, so severe as to ma e him cry out loudly. Sensation as if something is whirling up from the chest to the brain, and all th e arteries seem to throb; the patient feels as if he is dying. Kent describes: 'It has been recommended for threatened apoplexy, when the congestion is so viol ent and the face is flushed and purple, or very red and the pulsation is felt in the brain and all over. Feels as if the head would expand from the pres sure of blood in the head, but without any great rise of temperature. It has fever, but it has these without fever. Heat in the head from mental exertio n is a strong symptom of Cactus. This symptom is found in persons who
are trying to brea
off from coffee and Cactus is often the remedy. '
Eyes Dimness or wea ness of sight, recurring periodically; objects appear as if cloud ed or obscured; does not recognise a friend at a short distance. Momentary loss of sight; circles of red light appear before the eyes, which dim the sight. Sensitivity to light, especially during headache. Eyes bloodshot; cerebral congestion even to coma, when perspiration fails (in in termittent fever). Acute rheumatic ophthalmia; exophthalmic goitre.
Ears Pulsations in the ears, with buzzing, singing or ringing. Rheumatic otitis. Otitis from chec ed perspiration.
Nose Profuse epistaxis which ends after a short time. This haemorrhage is caused by t he violent rush of blood to the head mentioned above. Constant dry nose during headache. Dry coryza, must breathe during the night with his mouth open. Fluent and very acrid coryza, which ma es the nostrils sore.
Face The face loo s red and bloated, with a pulsating pain in the head. Flushes of heat in the face, with a feeling of suffocation. Alternately, there is a paleness of the face, coupled with emaciation.
During chill and with wea ness of the heart, we can see a blue face, with purpli sh or mottled lips.
Prosopalgia, right-sided, chronic, worse from the slightest exertion, tolerable only when lying still in bed. It is brought on by wine, music, strong light or the missing of a meal at the usual hour.
Mouth Loss of taste for food, with nausea. Foetid breath in the morning. Tongue purple, with thic , brown sordes on the teeth. Pric ling in the point of the tongue.
Throat Suffocative constriction at the throat, with full, throbbing carotids. Constriction of the oesophagus which prevents swallowing; must drin ntity of water to force anything down into the stomach.
a large qua
Cho ing, with a feeling as if there were a tight collar around the nec . Globus hystericus, li e a ball coming up into the throat, with constant swallowi ng and cho ing, even cramps and numbness of the left arm.
Respiration and cough Difficulty breathing; continued oppression and uneasiness as if the chest were c onstricted by an iron band and cannot expand for normal respiration. Breathing oppressed, as from a great weight on the chest. The breathing becomes more and more laboured, so that the patient cannot lie dow n flat and becomes acutely anxious. Breathing may only be possible by lying on the bac
with the shoulders elevated.
Suffocative attac s, with turbulent action of the heart; worse at 11 p.m. Chronic bronchitis, with rattling of mucus, which becomes acute after a cold and causes great anxiety and suffocation. Chronic bronchitis, with rattling of mucus which is continuous day and night; op pression of breathing on going upstairs, with an inability to lie flat in
bed. Bronchitis, with palpitation of the heart and bronchial catarrh, from overexerti on of the heart. Periodic attac s of suffocation, with fainting, cold sweat on the face and loss of pulse.
'Sometimes the breath stops altogether for half a minute, but without unconsciou sness, s in gets colder; afterwards gasping.' 'When breath stops, there is violent gasping and palpitation.' (Hering) Abnormal respiratory murmur and bronchial respiration. Frequent attac s of asthma, with a stricture around the chest, li e a band of ir on. During asthma attac s, every year, a sensation of a hoop around the throat, anot her around the heart, and another around the diaphragm. Inspiring fresh air is very reviving. Various inds of cough, due to cardiac disorders. Catarrhal cough, with much viscid expectoration. Haemoptysis, with mar ed arterial excitement and a convulsive cough. Cough, with thic expectoration, li e boiled starch, and very yellow. Excessive secretion of mucus, with oppression, when attempting to lie do; the he art feels as if it is clutched; the face and limbs become cold.
Chest Painful sensation of constriction in the lower portion of the chest, as if a cor d were tightly bound around the false ribs, along with obstruction of the breathing. Sensation of great constriction in the middle of the sternum, as if the parts we re compressed by iron pincers. Feeling of constriction in the chest, preventing free speech; when forced to spe a , voice is wea and hoarse. Sudden and violent congestion of blood to the chest with awful dyspnoea and cons triction of the heart; the patient is unable to lie down; the attac passes away without causing inflammation. The chest complaints often come on or are exaggerated at 11 a.m. or 11 p.m. Inflammation of the lungs; pneumonia with hepatisation of the lungs; the first s tage of pulmonary tuberculosis. Gripping pain behind the sternum. Pains from the lower part of chest through to the shoulder blades. Rheumatism of the chest muscles.
'Cactus is also a remedy for hypostatic congestion of the lungs. He cannot lie d own, must sit up in bed, and there is a dullness of the lower part of each lung, gradually growing higher from an effusion of serum into the lower portion of the lungs. This hypostatic congestion is due to a cardiac wea ness. Cactus will often relieve this a few times when it occurs in old bro en down ca ses towards the end of Bright's disease, and at the end of dropsical conditions and heart troubles. It will postpone death.' (Kent)
Heart Constant pain in the region of the heart, with a sensation as if the heart were 'bound down', or 'had not room enough to beat,' or 'as if bolts were holding it.' The heart feels as if it is compressed, squeezed and released alte rnately by an iron hand. Dull, heavy pain in the heart, aggravated by pressure; suffocating respiration; face blue; oedema, especially of the left hand and of the legs to the nees; feet icy cold; pulse intermittent. Heart disease, with oedema of the lef t hand only. Great pressure at the heart, going around under the left axilla to the left side of the bac , li e a belt of pain; li e a hand grasping the heart, with soreness and aching, and sore to the touch in all the affected region; also, so re aching in the left arm down to elbow; the cardiac pain ultimately causes dyspnoea. Very acute pain, and such painful stitches in the heart as to cause him to weep and to cry out loudly, with distressing palpitations, faintness and dyspnoea. Paroxysms of violent stitching pain in the heart, with icy coldness of the limbs . Lancinating pain in the heart when perspiration fails (in intermittent fever). Endocarditis with mitral insufficiency together with violent and rapid action of the heart, pressure and heaviness. Acute inflammatory disorder of the heart, idiopathic or from rheumatism. Mitral regurgitation; angina pectoris; valvular derangement and dilatation of th e right ventricle; insufficiency of the aortic valve; valvular diseases, with the second beat of the heart being replaced by a harsh murmur. Endocardial murm urs; excessive impulse; increased praecordial dullness. Aneurysm of the heart and the large arteries. Functional disorder of the heart, from emotions or mental excitement. The palpit ation of the heart consists of small, irregular beats, with the necessity for deep inspiration; slight excitement or a deep thought is sufficient to prod uce this condition. Nervous palpitation of the heart, augmented gradually on the occurrence of mense s. Irregular and intermittent action of the heart. Violent, turbulent action; it be ats violently for a short time, then ceases entirely.
Palpitation of long standing, caused by an unfortunate love affair. Palpitations continuing day and night which are brought on from slight excitemen t, from wal ing or at night when lying on the left side. Palpitations with vertigo, dyspnoea and flatulence. Strange sensations: as if the heart has turned over; as if it were grasped firml y by someone and whirled around. The pulse is feeble, intermittent, or entirely missing.
Stomach
Dyspepsia with heart symptoms, palpitation and constriction. Constriction, pulsation or heaviness in the stomach with an uncomfortable sensat ion in the pit of the stomach, as if falling. Continuous and annoying pulsation in the stomach; also violent burning. Very tro ublesome pulsation of the coeliac artery, after evening meal, corresponding with the pulsation of the right temporal artery. Rumbling in the stomach precedes the palpitations. Violent vomiting when perspiration fails (in intermittent fever). Copious vomiting of blood. Nausea in the morning which continues all day. The appetite is lost, or else the appetite is good, but the digestion is wea . N o desire for meat, which he previously used to enjoy. If he does eat, then there is weight and distress in the stomach. Acrid acid in the stomach, which rises into the throat and mouth, ma ing everyth ing he attempts to eat acid. Sharp neuralgic pains in the cardia, causing the patient to weep and cry loudly.
Abdomen Acute or chronic engorgement of the liver due to heart disease. In a case of rheumatism of the diaphragm, cured by Farrington with Cactus, he ob served a constriction around the lower portion of the chest as from a cord, the constriction mar ing the periphery of the diaphragm; jer ing breathin g; sharp pains shooting through the body, towards the bac and upwards into the chest, with the sensation of a rush of blood to the chest. Insupportable heat in the abdomen, as though something is burning him internally . The abdominal walls, when touched with the hand, impart a burning sensation, and are much hotter than the rest of the body. Beating of the abdomen, in connection with palpitations. Pain in the lower portion of the abdomen and a bearing-down sensation, at times quite severe. Peritonitis; severe gastro-enteritis; gastric fever.
Rectum Sensation of great weight in the anus and a strong desire to evacuate a great qu antity, but nothing passes. Pric ing pains in the anus, ceasing upon slight friction. Anal fistula with violent palpitation and oppression of the heart.
Swollen haemorrhoids that cause much pain. Bleeding piles, with heart symptoms. Copious haemorrhage from the anus; also in malarial fevers, with heart symptoms. Constipation, as if from haemorrhoidal congestion, very troublesome. Morning diarrhoea of very loose faeces, preceded by great pain; diarrhoea with h eart disorders. Stools scanty, resembling dirty water, occurring on the average as often as ever y hour (in a low fever).
Urinary organs Constriction of the nec of the bladder which prevents the passage of urine. The re is not only retention of urine but also suppression of urine, from congestion of blood in the idneys. Paralytic wea ness of the bladder, with retention of urine. We also find a strong inclination to haematuria, haemorrhagia from the bladder. The tendency of Cactus to rapidly coagulate the blood leads to the formation of clots that may bloc up the way of the urine: bleeding into the bl adder with retention of urine by clots; bleeding into the vagina, causing pressure on the urethra with an inability to pass urine. Suppression of urine and pains in the bladder during the onset of fever when per spiration fails (in intermittent fever) Frequent desire to urinate, with an abundant flow of urine each time, during the night. Very profuse urine of a straw colour or reddish and turbid. Alternately: Urine passed in drops, with much burning. Urine scanty, not very fr equent, yet burning and scalding. Insupportable irritation in the urethra as if he needs to urinate constantly.
Genitalia Prostatic disorders: weight in the anus; constriction of the bladder; desire to pass water, unable to pass it for a time, but finally succeeds; irritation as if he needs to pass water all the time. Menstruation with horrible pains, causing her to cry aloud and weep. 'Before the flow starts, or just at the beginning, there is a violent spasm. The
circular fibres clutch; and she describes it accurately as if a tape were tied around her sore and congested uterus. The uterus fills with blood clots an d the spasm to expel that blood is li e a labour-pain ma ing her scream again. It is some time before the flow becomes free enough to give relief.' (Ke nt, emphasis GV). The pains are often coupled with suffocative attac s and constriction of the hea rt; they are worse in the evening. Menses scanty, and ceasing when she remains lying down. Menses too soon; blac , pitchy blood; rather abundant.
Painful constriction around the pelvis, extending gradually towards the stomach, causing a sensation as of a great blow in the region of the idneys, ma ing her cry out. Pulsating pain in the uterus and ovarian region, li e an internal tumour suppura ting; pain extending down the thighs, returning at the same time each day. Constriction of the vagina preventing coitus (vaginismus). Spasmodic constrictio n in the uterus and vagina, often from the least touch, coming on suddenly and going off in a few minutes. Suppressed labour. Metritis. Inflammation of the mammae; sensation of fullness in the chest; oversensitive to cold air.
Nec and bac Exophthalmic goitre, with characteristic heart symptoms. Rheumatic pain in the region of the heart and small of the bac . Lumbar muscles tender on pressure and stiff, especially on first moving after re sting.
Extremities Oedema of the left hand in heart disease. Oedema of the legs up to the in shining, pits on pressure, impressions are long-lasting.
nees; s
Numbness of the left arm. Formication and weight in the arms, worse in the left. Pain in the apex of the heart shooting down the left arm to the ends of the fing ers. Rheumatic pains, in the shoulders, upper and lower arms, in the hips down to the feet; not better by rest, motion or assuming any position.
Sleep Insomnia on account of the pulsations in different parts of the body or from pai n.
Restless sleep with many dreams; frightful, lascivious or dreams of falling. Wa es up in a fright.
Fever Intermittent fever, with derangement of the stomach. Intermittent fever, with co ngestion to the head; flushes in the face; suppressed urine; pains in the bladder; lancinating in the heart; violent vomiting; sweat does not appear afte r exposure to sun. Intermittent fever where perspiration fails. Quotidian intermittent fever recurring every day at the same hour; at 11 a.m. , with great coldness for two hours, then burning heat, with great dyspnoea, violent pain in the head, coma, stupefaction, insensibility until midnight, the n unquenchable thirst and sweat. Fever with paroxysms of chill, regularly at 11 a.m. and/or 11 p.m. ; accompanied by bleeding, especially from the bowel; coldness predominates; followed by cold sweat and anguish. Fever from exposure to the sun's rays. Inflammatory fevers; simple rheumatic fevers. Coldness in the bac
and icy-cold hands.
General chill, so severe as to ma e his teeth chatter; not relieved by covering. Burning heat at night after a chill, with headache, shortness of breath and inab ility to remain lying in bed.
S in Dry, scaly herpes, without itching, at the outside of the elbows and at the insi de of the an les. Violent itching at the tibia and an les. Every evening very annoying itching, li e flea-bites, without eruption, on the c hest and abdomen, compelling the patient to rub the area; is relieved on going to bed and is not felt during the day.
Clinical Aneurysm. Angina pectoris. Apoplexy. Atheroma of Arteries. Asthma. Bladder, para lysis of. Congestion of Brain. Bronchitis. Rheumatism of Diaphragm. Dropsy. Inflammation of Ear. Fistula. Goitre, exophthalmic. . .
Haematuria. HaemorrhagesHeadache Disorders of the Heart and hypertrophy of the H eart. Indigestion. Intermittent fevers. Haemorrhage from Lungs. Melancholy. Menstruation painful. Miliaria. Neuralgia. Otitis. Ovaritis. Pneumo nia. Disorders of the Prostate. Rheumatism. Effects of the Sun. . Sunstro e Traumatic fever. Vaginismus.
Relations Compare: Dig.; Spig.; Conv.: Kalm.: Naja.: Magnol. Antidotes: Acon.; Camph.; Chin.
Cadmium sulphuratum Cadmium sulphide, CdS Trituration
The essential features
The physical picture This remedy is indicated mostly in cases that present symptoms of severe gastrit is or gastro-enteritis. Primarily, it is the mucus membranes of the stomach that are irritated and they react with forceful vomiting. The vomit may be brownish and even blac in colour, and may loo li e coffee grounds. This is because there is a slow oozing of blood from the mucosae of th e stomach and the blood stays there for some time before it is ejected. The intensity of the nausea, which is felt all over (in the chest, abdomen, mout h, etc.) and which is similar to Ipecacuanha or Tabacum, and the ind of vomiting (persistent, forceful and often blac ) suggest a severe ulceration wit h slow bleeding or, in chronic cases, a malignancy. The cases that need Cadmium sulphuratum give the impression that something reall y serious is going on, not only because of the intensity of the pains but primarily because of the type and effect of the vomiting. The patient is prostr ated from the exertion of vomiting, wants to lie down quietly and does not want any interference. He tries to stay the vomiting by remaining still, bu t the nausea persists and the forceful vomiting continues. The nausea is so excessive that vomiting is excited even by something merely touching the lip s. Such a severe reaction of the stomach may occur in acute gastro-enteritis, yellow fever, cholera, or in acute exacerbation of chronic ca ses of gastritis, duodenal ulcer, or cancer of the stomach. In cases of yellow fever or cholera, assuming the rest of the pathogenesis is si
milar, the blac
vomitus is the most important symptom initiating the choice
of Cadmium sulphuratum. The forceful and persistent vomiting that tends to be b lac is the main guiding symptom for this remedy. It is often accompanied by burning and cutting pain in the stomach, excessive salivation, a nd intense nausea accompanied by violent retching and gagging. Once the extreme prostration, the desire to lie down quietly and undisturbed, is add ed, the picture of yellow fever or cholera becomes complete. Indeed,
Hering relates the successful use of Cadmium sulphuratum in a murderous epidemi c of yellow fever. An additional stri ing symptom that usually occurs in Cadmium sulphuratum cases is general chill, which is so deep that it cannot be ameliorated even if the patient stands near a heater. Frequently the practitioner gets the idea of the indicated remedy simply by loo ing into the overall pathological history of the case. There are numerous examples where one problem disappears only to be replaced by another and the sp ecific pattern indicates the appropriate remedy. For example, if you see a case with a persistent s in eruption where eventually the eruption is 'cured', but then a duodenal ulcer sets in, thin of Graphites. If a s in eruption disappears and epileptic convulsions set in, then the first remedies t o thin of are Zincum and Causticum. If s in eruptions disappear and then a chorea manifests, thin of Staphysagria or Agaricus. If injuries are fol lowed by an epileptic attac , thin of Arnica. If mental problems, especially depression, follow injuries to the head, thin of Natrum sulphuricum . Every remedy has its own preferred steps for the development of its pathology. T he differences may be subtle, but this subtle differentiation can be learned through the study of the materia medica. What is important to understan d is that each organism has specific sensitivities in its different layers and what we are trying to do is to match these sensitivities with the pa thogenesis of the remedy as a whole. With regard to Cadmium sulphuratum the typical constitutional case is as follows : there, in your consulting room, sits an individual suffering from chronic stomach problems, who has also had a history of chronic eye troubles. H e has had recurrent inflammation of his eyes and has had to struggle with eye-drops practically all his life, especially with every change of weathe r and with every cold spell. He developed conjunctivitis and inflammation of the lids, and since then the conjunctiva have remained thic ene d. The inflammation corresponds to the picture that has been called 'scrofulous sore eyes.' One day such a patient finds himself free from his eye troubles or these problems are much better, but then in the course of a few months his stomach brea s down. For years after he has digestive troubles t hat are not manageable regardless of the remedy given. Such a case may eventually turn towards malignancy. It is this ind of history: - chronic eye problems that end up in irritation of the mucus membranes of the stomach - that hint at Cadmium sulphuratum.
The mental picture The main mental picture of this remedy is that of a person who has no energy, no vitality and, therefore, ta es no initiative, does not communicate, nor do anything demanding. This explains the above mentioned trait that any demands put on him are unbearable. He cannot bear anyone as ing him for anything, however small it may be. At the same time the Cadmium sulphuratum person wants company and does not li e to be alone, especially during the fever stage. However, as mentioned above, the one who is with him should not burden him with anything. This is the meaning of the symptoms from the proving: 'Horror of wor '; 'Apprehension at the approach of anybody', and Kent's statement: 'there is a dr ead of wor ; indolence; aversion to doing anything, mental and physical.' Such conditions can be encountered in progressed stages of cancer of the stomach , in acute exacerbation of duodenal ulcers, or in severe acute
diseases. The patient is excessively irritable or easily irritated and this irr itability has a repercussion on his stomach pains. The patient is aware, though, that being vexed or irritated aggravates all his symptoms and so tries to avoid any disturbance that might provo e these states of mind. Clar e states that Cadmium sulphuratum is a cross between Bryonia and Arsenicum: It has the desire to eep quiet and the complete aversion to motion of Bry., with the exhaustion and stomach irritability of Ars. In my perception the re is no way to confuse it with Ars. or Bry. as there are clear differential points. As opposed to Bry., there is usually no great thirst, only a desire for small, infrequent sips which the patient vomits immediately. Though the patient has a horror of solitude, cannot stay alone and wants somebo dy with him, he differs from Ars. in that he does not li e it if the doctor or someone else comes near him to 'burden him', i.e. , to demand somethi ng from him or to discuss with him. He is too tired and prostrated to communicate. The impression one gets of the patient is also distinguished from Ars. in that he stays quiet, does not want to be disturbed, and in that there is little or no fear of death, even if the patient is obviously going to die. In addition, in Cadmium sulphuratum, it is the idea of malignancy that prevails. This idea comes immediately to your attention: the blac vomit, the chill, the extreme prostration, the horror of solitude and the desire to be left quiet so as to be able to die in peace. All this shows that the patient is really going towards death. These symptoms unite to create a case that is unique and o ne that demands Cadmium sulphuratum.
Generalities The action of this remedy is primarily upon the mucus membranes of the stomach, and the digestive system in general; the eyes and especially the conjunctiva; the mucus membranes of the nose; and the nervous system. These sym ptoms were mentioned already in the previous sections. With regard to the nervous system Kent tells us that 'it has paralytic condition s li e Causticum; paralysis of one part or on one side of the body. After an apoplectic attac when the patient recovers, but wea ness of one arm and leg re mains, it competes with Phosphorus.' Petroz reports two cases of one-sided paralysis of the face with distortion of t he mouth and difficulty in spea ing, after exposure to cold wind. They were both cured by Cadmium sulphuratum.
Crawling sensations, numbness and pain in the paralysed parts are characteristic . There is numbness in particular parts of the body, e. g. the nose, the head, the thighs. The nasal symptoms are accentuated in Clar e's Dictionary. He says: 'No remedy h as served me better in cases of ozaena and polypus.' Margery Blac ie recommends the remedy for rheumatic pains at the top of the spin e. She says, 'I am always surprised how well it wor s, especially if they point to one particular point and they say that that is what hurts them.' Chill, amounting to icy coldness, which is not better when standing near a fire, is an important general symptom. Cadmium sulphuratum is useful when sweat is chec ed after exposure to a draught of air. Ailments come on from vexation, from a fit of passion, or from cold winds; on wa ing from sleep, in open air, in a draught, in cool weather; i n the sunshine; when climbing stairs. Symptoms are worse from cold air, open air, arising from bed in the morning, fro m the least motion, in the morning after sleep, from wal ing, after
grief, after vexation, after stimulants (alcohol, coffee etc.). In particular, the pains in the stomach and abdomen are aggravated as mentioned above, by wal ing and by carrying heavy things. The symptoms force the person to rest. There is a general amelioration from eati ng. Two more eynotes of the remedy are smiling and moaning in sleep and anxiety before stool.
Head Vertigo- the bed and room seem to spin around. Sensations of constriction, stitches and hammering in the head, pulsation in the temples. 'It is not so often called for in ordinary headaches, but in headaches occurring in the low forms of fever, with great rush of blood to the head.' (Kent) The headache may be accompanied by restlessness, anxiety, icy coldness of the bo dy, nosebleed, trembling of the jaw, constriction of the throat, thirst, nausea, and vomiting. Tightness at the root of the nose, pressure above the eyes. Herpes on the temples.
Eyes Opacity of the cornea connected with slow forms of eye affection, inflammations and blennorhoic disorders. Swelling of the conjunctiva that remains after blennorrhoic disorder. Maculae on the cornea, as a result of injuries to the eyes. Chronic conjunctivitis with discharge, the eyes become sore again with every col d spell or change of weather. Burning lachrymation. The lids may swell and become paralysed and drooping; there is an inability to c lose the eyes in one-sided paralysis of the face. One pupil is dilated and the other contracted. Is unable to read small type, night blindness.
Nose Ozaena; old nasal catarrh which slowly destroys the nasal bones.
Polypus. The nostrils are ulcerated. Tension in the nose. Swollen and obstructed nose. Numbness of the nose. Erysipelatous inflammation of the nose; boils on the nose.
Face Hollow eyes, surrounded by blue circles; greyish complexion of the face. Sensation of crawling in the face. One-sided paralysis of the face with an involvement especially of the lid which is drooping; with an inability to close the eyes; with distortion of the mouth and difficulty tal ing and swallowing; with painful drawing in the face. Cold air, especially cold wind, may bring on or aggravate this condition, which appears more often on the left side.
Mouth The tongue may show traces of vomit, which is dirty brown or blac . Sordes on th e teeth, a bleeding tongue, mouth very dry as in typhus, typhoid and yellow fever. The tongue may be difficult to move, and tal ing may be difficult. Disturbances in taste. There is a taste li e pitch in the mouth; food tastes sal ty; is felt mostly when swallowing.
Throat Constriction of the oesophagus: with paralysis of the muscles, which ma es swall owing very difficult; is accompanied by thirst, nausea and vomiting.
Chest and respiration Contraction or constriction of the chest e.g. in asthma.
Palpitation of the heart, with constriction of the chest. Dyspnoea and suffocation on dropping off to sleep and on wa ing. The chest symptoms are worse when assuming a squatting posture.
Stomach Gastric irritation. Intense retching and gagging. Blac vomit. Deadly nausea; he must lie quietly to ward off the blac vomit, which is already in the stomach and can be smelt. Patient craves small quantities of cold water that are immediately vomited. Instead of giving all the stomach symptoms of Cadmium sulphuratum, I shall quote some impressive passages of Kent's Lectures: 'Every time he ta es cold water, which he craves, goose-flesh comes out, a creep ing or horripilation li e Capsicum Ö The stomach quits business; no digestion. Everything sours and the simplest things ta en are changed and come up sour, mixed with blood and bile; rancid eructations; with great exhaustion. Nauseated all the way down to the abdomen li e Ipecacuanha, Antimon ium tartaricum, and Arsenicum, extensive nausea. Cold sweat. Vomiting of yellow-green mucus. Touching the lips brings on nausea. Loo ing ove r the symptoms narrated here an experienced practitioner would thin of gastritis-vomiting of the simplest things. Irritation of the stomach after t edious sic nesses, li e cerebro-spinal meningitis, typhoid, yellow fever. The stomach gives out; there is no digestion, and everything is vomited. ... ' Many of these patients die because they cannot eat, but this remedy will save some of them. When you have a case of cancer, with burning, prostration and vomiting, Cadmium sulphuratum relieves these symptoms for wee s. Ö It is a gr eat remedy in the gastric irritation of carcinoma, a great palliative; coffee ground vomiting. Burning and cutting pain in the stomach. Gastric sympto ms, such as occur in pregnancy, in old drun ards. Burning in the stomach extending up into the oesophagus; fluids burn all the way up into the m outh and throat; sour, acrid fluids. Cold sensation in the stomach.' Petroz tells us that the gastric symptoms are worse during pregnancy, in drun ar ds, after cramps in the stomach, after drin ing beer, and in the morning.
Abdomen
Lancination in the left hypochondrium. Pulsation, pressure, pain in the sides. Cutting pain in the bowel and idneys. Pain in the abdomen, with vomiting. Coldness in the stomach and abdomen. The abdomen is sore, tender and tympanitic; the region of the liver is sore.
Pains in the stomach and hypochondria are made worse by wal ing or carrying heav y weights. Inflammatory disorders of the liver, spleen, stomach and other abdominal viscera . A case of cancer of the liver benefited greatly from Cadmium sulphuratum, as rep orted by the journal 'Klassische Homeopathie', 1959, p. 282.
Rectum Alvine evacuations, almost gelatinous, of a yellowish-green semi-fluid character . Semi-fluid stools, with urinary suppression. Blac , offensive clots of blood from the bowel. The stools are blac , bloody and offensive. Cholera infantum.
Urinary organs The urine is mixed with pus and blood. Urethra feels raw and sore.
Sleep 'The breathing stops on going to sleep, he wa es up suffocating. Fears to go to sleep.' (Boeric e) Sleepiness in the morning, drowsiness while sitting; on falling asleep, has nigh tmares, subsultus tendinum, jer ing in the extremities. During sleep: Moaning, smiling, eyes open, lies with head low and hands under it ; interrupted breathing; feet agitated by shoc s and jer ing; thirst, heat, itching; want of breath when awa ening. 'Can hardly sleep; if at all, with open eyes.' (Hering)
Fever
Yellow fever. Useful in fever when sweat is chec ed after exposure to a draught of air. Icy coldness.
'Relapses in fever, with vomiting, diarrhoea, and great prostration. At times a case of yellow fever gets along fairly well, but a draft causes a slight cold and on comes sudden prostration, blac vomit, death. In that state it competes with Carbo vegetabilis which used to be the main remedy in the hands of good prescribers'. (Kent)
S in There is much itching of the s in: at night in bed; when touched; when cold; bet ter with scratching, which causes a voluptuous feeling. Blue, yellow or sallow complexion; scaly, crac ing, damp, suppurating herpes. Chloasma; yellowish stains on the nose and chee s aggravated by exposure to the sun and wind. Formication of the s in and also between the deeper tissues; a crawling sensatio n as of ants. Hyperaesthesia or anaesthesia; numbness of parts. Chilblains.
Clinical . Apoplexy. Boils. Chilblains. Cholera infantum. Corneal opacity. Eyes, disorders of. Facial paralysis. Indigestion. Meningitis. Nasal polypus. Ozaena Yellow fever.
Relations Compare: Cadmium oxide; Cad-brom. (pain and burning in stomach, and vomiting); C ad-iod. (Itching of anus and rectum felt during the day only; constipation, frequent desire, tenesmus, abdomen bloated); Zinc.; Ars.; Carbo; Verat.
Cainca
Chinococca racemosa. (Brazil.) N.O. Rubiaceae. Tincture of dried root bar .
The essential features This is a remedy that is needed in cases of chronic idney problems with mar ed urinary problems where the manifestations are: pain in the idneys in the morning upon wa ing that prevents the patient from moving; dropsy with dry s in; albuminuria; and dyspnoea on lying down at night. According to the abdominal symptoms, it is a remedy that clinically may loo e a Lycopodium or Podophyllum case, with: constant nausea and retching;
li
gurgling and rumbling in the abdomen; cutting and pinching pains; and liquid st ools mixed with air bubbles. The peculiarity of Cainca is that copious urine and a constant desire to urinate occur together with the above conditions . The abdomen is distended and tender to the touch, especially in the region under the umbilicus. There is copious vomiting of saliva, bile, chyme and even faecal matter. Another peculiar symptom is a pressure in the orbital bones that is accompanied by the inclination to vomit and pain in the abdomen. There is a definite aggravation of symptoms towards early evening, between 4 p.m . - 6 p.m. The patient can become very irritable and irascible, almost violent. He is angry without real cause, due to exhaustion. On the other hand, at night he is restless and cannot sleep. Little exertion is enough to exhaust him, and he is averse to mental wor . Headaches prevent him from any me ntal exertion, and if he does engage in mental activity, the pain worsens. He becomes disinterested and forgetful. The proving of Cainca brought out an additional symptom 'All his actions are mar ed by a certain haste'. Hering mentions 'weeping with cough' as a clinically confirmed symptom. There are feelings of anxiety and uneasiness in t he abdomen.
Generalities Cainca has not been used much, but has been given with success in cases of drops y, especially when associated with dry s in. Polla isuria may be an indication for Cainca, especially while travelling, as hi nted at in Hering's description: 'While travelling 18 miles in the cars, he had to urinate 18 times.' The remedy has also cured fatigue due to bumpy travelling, e.g. riding on horseb
ac . The abdomen is sensitive to touch. Motion and eating aggravate, while rest ameliorates. There is a general wea ness, especially after evening meal. In general, Apocynum cannabinum is remar ably analogous to Cainca.
Head Vertigo when climbing stairs, with nausea and an inclination to vomit. Severe headache, particularly in the occiput, forbidding reading or any mental e xertion. If he insists upon reading or studying the headache becomes more intense. Heaviness and pressure in the occiput and temples; fullness in the head and pres sure in the frontal region. Stitching and tearing pains in the forehead and temples.
Eyes Inflammation of the eyes with fluent coryza. Burning in the eyes. Increased sens itivity of the eyes. Oedema of the upper lids, especially the left one, with pain in the eyes and imp aired vision. The pain consists of a pressure in the eyeballs, from above downwards and then from below upwards, with a sensation as if the pupil were tu rned upward. There is also a burning and pressing-stitching pain in the eyes. Pressure in the orbital bones and pain in the abdomen with an inclination to vom it, as mentioned earlier.
Ear Intolerable hissing in the ears. Buzzing and roaring, as if from a swarm of insects.
Nose Violent catarrh of thin mucus, that excoriates the nose, especially in the dayti me.
Mouth
Irritation of the buccal membrane as far as the larynx, with increased salivatio n. Saliva is thic and abundant; tongue is coated with white mucus.
Pasty, pap-li e mucus on the teeth after evening meal. Breath is offensive upon wa ing.
Throat There is roughness, rawness, burning, grating, scraping, and dryness in the thro at, which causes hoarseness and stimulates the patient to cough or haw up mucous. Scraping sensation in the uvula, with pressure in the stomach which rises to the oesophagus and is not ameliorated by eructation. This is accompanied by a slight inclination to vomit; later on there is rumbling in the abdomen, as if diarrhoea were about to commence. Annoying dryness in the throat. Inflammation of the throat, foul-smelling saliva. Difficulty swallowing, coming from the upper part of the oesophagus. Cold feeling down the oesophagus. Ulcers in the Eustachian tube.
Respiration and chest Hoarse and hollow voice, with burning heat in the oesophagus; hoarseness with a constant inclination to vomit and colic y pains, ameliorated by diarrhoeic stool. Inclination to cough; tic ling cough awa ening the patient at 3 a.m. with tough, greenish-grey expectoration; attac s of rough coughing from 7 p.m. till 1 a.m. , with rattling of phlegm and short breath, and with an accumulation of wind in the abdomen. Cough with weeping. Constriction and oppression in the chest, with difficult respiration on climbing stairs. Shooting pains over the trun or isolated lancinating and bruised pains. Tension in the praecordia. The pulse is agitated.
Stomach Tasteless eructation, dry throat and loss of appetite.
Stomach upsets with diarrhoea where the patient continually tries to vomit, has borborygmi, and then several liquid stools follow. Inclination to vomit, with shivering. Copious vomiting of saliva, bile, chyme and faecal matter. Coldness in the stomach. Thirsty.
Abdomen Inflation and discomfort in the abdomen, with tenderness to touch, especially un der the umbilicus; later many much flatus. Fullness and discomfort are not improved by eructation. Much gurgling and rumbling with cutting and pinching, wandering pains and a desi re to produce stool. Diarrhoea mixed with air bubbles. Cutting pain after eating, and every time before stool. Anxiety and increased warmth felt in the abdomen. Pain in the area of the liver; prover went to bed, because of fear. After supper, while at rest, perceptible pulsation of the aorta abdominalis. Stitches in the region of the spleen. Ascites.
Rectum Frequent desire for stool but only wind is passed. Desire for stool with pressure at the anus. Burning, tic ling, or scraping sensations in the anus. Copious, soft, frequent stool; semi-fluid and yellow, invariably preceded by a s ensation of cutting in the abdomen.
Urinary organs Constant desire to urinate with frequent micturition, and urine may be increased
as well. A polyuria of six months' duration disappeared with Cainca.
Polla isuria while travelling. Burning in the urethra when urine is passed, especially in the portion that trav erses the glans; the urine may be dingy brown or acrid, with a strong animal smell. Pain in the idney region in the morning; cannot change his position.
Male genitalia In the evening, continual drawing in the testicles and spermatic cord, with flac cidity of the scrotum and a sensation as if it were enlarged, with pain. The pain increased during the passing of a pungent-smelling urine.
Bac and extremities Pain in the small of the bac , as if in the idneys, is ameliorated by lying ben t over bac wards. The bac feels generally fatigued. Pain in the left upper arm, as if bruised or bro en: pric ing pain in the left h and. Prostration of the lower extremities, with drawing in of the calf muscles and n ee joints, as well as rheumatic pains in the muscles of the right shoulder and bac . Heaviness of the lower limbs; stretching of the limbs. Wea ness of the nee joints, with the feeling as if the femur snapped over the p atella. Tearing sensation in the feet.
Sleep Yawning; with stretching of the limbs and cramp-li e feelings in the lower limbs . Sleepiness; somnolence; an inclination to sleep. Restless sleep; disturbed by frequent wa ing and heavy dreams, such as of fallin g. Awa es with screaming and starting from a heavy dream; awa ens from coughing. Lascivious dreams, with erections and restlessness, finally awa ened by a morning emission. Sleeplessness all night.
Fever Slight shivering, sha ing, then heaviness of the head, with heat in the face, th en buzzing and ringing in the ears.
Dry heat, no perspiration, worse towards evening, without thirst. The proving al so exhibited sweating in the evening, on the slightest motion and even though it was rather cold.
Clinical Bright's disease. Cough. Dropsy. fatigue. Pain in the Kidneys. Ophthalmia. Polyu ria. Pain in the Spleen. Effect of Travelling.
Relations Compare: Apoc.; Ars.; Coffea (similar botanically and in relieving effects of fa tigue).
Cajuputum Cajuput oil, distilled in water from leaves of Melaleuca leucadendron, M. cajupu te minor. (Moluccas.) N.O. Myrtaceae. Solution of the oil in rectified spirit.
The essential features Cajuputum is primarily a hysterical remedy characterised by fears and fixed idea s. It has two main eynotes: The feeling of enlargement- patients feel large all over, or parts of the body f eel enlarged, especially the head. On loo ing down, the nose seems large and appears to stic out from the face. The tongue may feel so swollen th at it seems to fill the whole mouth. A persistent, hysterical feeling that the patient will cho e and as a consequenc e will die, which brings on a state of panic. The provings relate a spasmodic constriction of the oesophagus which is worse on attempting to swallo w solid food. The Cajaputum hysteria is a mixture of hysterical dyspnoea and hysterical cho ing. The excessive swelling of the tongue together with the cho ing sensation ma e the patient feel that he will soon no
longer be able to breath. This Cajuputum state has been confirmed by cures of, as Hering calls it, 'nervous dyspnoea'. The anxiety about cho ing and breathing compels the patient to ta e a bottle of water with him everywhere he goes and to sip it from time to time. He has no thirst, but drin s in order to confirm that he can still swallow and bre ath. He feels great insecurity if the water is not in the car or with him at all times.
The hysteria about cho ing even extends to the point that if a Cajaputum person is caught in heavy traffic he suddenly feels as if he will suffocate, and soon enters into a panic state. He fears that he will not be able to get out of the traffic jam in time, and so reacts in a totally psychotic manner, e.g. , he simply leaves the car in the middle of the road. Such states may be accompan ied by a feeling of disorientation, as if the person cannot get himself together or as if he is scattered (Baptisia). Other hysterical phenomena exhibited by Cajaputum are: a constant tendency to sp it; a constant haw ing up of mucus from the throat; nervous or hysterical vomiting; nervous distension of the bowel; the rectum seems paralyse d; the arms feel heavy and useless, as if they were tied to the body, and especially the left one, which actually feels as if it were out of joint; a numb feeling in general, but particularly in the face. In the typical constitutional Cajuputum type you can see a peculiar over-stimula tion of the brain together with above normal intelligence. You perceive that they read your mind before you say anything. 'Can thin of a thousand thin gs in a minute' is an expression of this feature that was observed in the proving. They tell you that thoughts are coming in rapid succession, that a lot of ideas come to their minds, that their intellect is extremely clear. You wonder how it is possible that such an intelligent and fast-thin ing person is unable to control their fears or to alter their fixed ideas and instead slip so easily into states of panic. In Cajuputum, as in other remedies , there can also exist an opposite state: a stupefied, dull feeling, sometimes described as if the person is intoxicated, with slowness of ideas and an absolute inability to concentrate on any ind of study or wor . There is a ind of haughtiness in these patients. They do not associate easily w ith people whom they consider of lower status. For this symptom, the provings state: 'Wants to wal in a slow and very dignified manner, prefers to wal alone,' and 'I do not want anyone to spea to me; nevertheless I li e to be where I can see persons and hear their tal .'
Generalities Hale reports that Cajuputum has cured nervous vertigo, headache, nervous vomitin g, dysphagia, spasmodic stricture of oesophagus, hiccups, flatulent colic, suppressed menses, epilepsy, hysteria, paralysis (probably hysterical), and other nervous disorders. The remedy is almost a specific for hiccups that starts with the least provocati
on-hysterical hiccup. In addition to the main eynotes already mentioned, the sensations of enlargemen t and the cho ing, we find one more characteristic feature: a sudden redness of cartilaginous tissues, li e the lobes of the ears or the alae nasali s. Cajuputum causes copious perspiration. There may be feelings of confusion: feels as if his whole body has been poisoned ; as if he had drun too much beer; as if he cannot pull himself together. These states are ameliorated in the open air. Many symptoms are worse at night and in the early morning (particularly around 5 a.m. ). Symptoms appear and disappear suddenly; disappear suddenly upon eating.
Head The head feels enlarged, full, dull, and heavy. Feels as if drun , can hardly wal straight. Feels as if he would stumble over h is own legs. Nervous vertigo. Frontal headache, especially in the eyes, worse on bending forward. Severe heada che at 5 a.m. with neuralgic pains in the malar bones and a stiff dry feeling in the jaws, with prosopalgia, suddenly disappearing after brea fast.
Eyes and ears The eyes feel heavy, but without sleepiness; the upper lids feel as heavy and th ic as shoe leather. Lobules of the ears turn red.
Nose During the day, sudden redness of the alae of the nose, which disappears as quic ly as it came. On loo ing down, nose seems large and appears to stic out from the face.
Face Face feels all puffed up, feels rough. The s in of the face is not hurt by pinching it. Excessive prosopalgia with severe headache at 5 a.m.
Mouth The tongue feels as if it fills the whole mouth and ma es the patient lisp. The tongue is moist, feels as if it is scalded, loo s white and rough. Profuse salivation, with a desire to spit.
Speech becomes thic
and slow.
Throat Spasmodic constriction of the oesophagus which is worse on attempting to swallow solid food. The patient constantly feels as if he is cho ing. There is a constant inclination to spit and haw up large quantities of tough, w hite mucus, which he feels is drawn through the nares. Acrid taste and burning in the pharynx and oesophagus as if there was lye in it.
Respiratory organs Nervous dyspnoea; hoarseness. Constant feeling of slight warmth right down the trachea into the lungs. Coughing almost ma es him vomit. Sharp pains through the superior portions of one or both lungs; they seem to go right through the lungs from the front to the bac .
Stomach Hiccups on the slightest provocation from: tal ing, laughing, eating or any moti on. Burning from the throat down to the stomach, nausea. Nervous vomiting; vomiting when hysterical.
Abdomen Tympanitic abdomen in the typhoids. Flatulent colic, particularly after retroces sion of an inflammation.
Rectum
Rectum seems totally paralysed.
Nervous distension of the bowel. Watery, yellowish diarrhoea; worse at night. Choleraic diarrhoea from a sudden chec of perspiration.
Urinary organs and genitalia Urine decreased, mil y, smells li e cat's urine. Erections with great desire Long standing erections without the least desire; penis becomes shrivelled. Menses suspended or diminished and accompanied by pain, when caused by a cold or suppressed perspiration.
Nec , bac , and extremities All the muscles of the nec are very sensitive to pressure. Rheumatic symptoms in all the limbs. Joints feel enlarged, with some pain. A pain as if the joints are enlarged in bo th shoulders. The arms feel heavy and useless, as if they were tied to the body. There is a numb feeling, particularly in the left arm; the left arm feels as if out of joint. Wea ness and pain in both nees, can hardly wal . Stitching pains through both nees on rising from bed.
S in Intense itching, aggravated by scratching; measles-li e eruption.
Sleep Desire to sleep with his arms loc ed under the head.
Clinical Deafness. Diarrhoea (night). Dropsy. Epilepsy. Gout. Headache. Heartburn. Hiccup s. Hysteria. Menstruation, disorders of. Oesophagus, stricture of. Paralysis. Rheumatism. Tongue, affections of; swelling of. Toothache. Urinary d isorders. Vertigo.
Relations Compare: Bov.; Nux-m.; Asaf.; Ign.; Bapt.
Caladium seguinum Caladium seguinum. Arum seguinum. Dumb Cane. (South America.) N.O. Araceae. Tincture of the whole fresh plant.
The essential features Caladium has come down to us as a remedy mainly for disorders of the sexual sphe re and, more specifically, for impotence and the problems that arise from it. This is described very graphically by Kent who states: 'It is indicated in old debauches who are unable to perform the marital act. He has the most tantalising craving for the opposite sex with no ability to perform coitus. Lascivious ideas. Such men stand on the street corner and feast upon the forms of passing girls and their semen dribbles away; a state also found in Picricum acidum and Selenium.' My experience is that if you wait for a case to present itself whereby the patie nt tells you that his semen dribbles while loo ing at a woman, you will, rarely, if ever, have occasion to prescribe this remedy. Kent's description is solely of the advanced stage of the remedy, the idea of Caladium at this stage being one of sexual deterioration. He does not describe earlier stages or the development of the pathology. It would be a mista e, however, to expect to see this deteriorated state in all Caladium cases. I used to ma e thi s error myself, in the beginning of my wor , and, therefore, missed the
remedy for many years. There are a number of misunderstandings regarding Caladium. One of them, an etio logy emphasised by certain writers, is that the Caladium symptomatology is due to sexual excesses or to masturbation. This is only parti ally true. Exhaustion is prominent in the remedy, but this exhaustion need not derive solely from sexual excess. It can come from other causes as wel l: from suppression of sexual passion, from mental or physical
overwor , from suppressed eruptions, and/or from excessive tobacco smo ing. There is a further misunderstanding concerning tobacco and Caladium. Kent, along with other authors of our materia medica, tell us that Caladium can stop or temper the craving for tobacco. This is not true, or if it happens, it most probably is a suppression. Caladium does not affect the desire for tobacco. What it does is create a special sensitivity to tobacco smo ing. Smo ing cigars or cigarettes is disastrous for the organism and the organism is greatly aggravated by it. The organism reacts with a ind of tobacco poisoning - coughing, aggravation during sleep, palpitations, etc. If the perso n continues to smo e despite these warnings permanent damage will ensue, most probably in the lungs or elsewhere, affecting his memory, heart, an d circulatory system. A burning sensation may remain in the lungs for years after heavy smo ing. It feels as if the lungs were raw, exposed to the ai r inhaled almost without protection. Caladium can help in those cases where smo ing has brought about a deterioration in the smo er's health, i.e. , in his lungs, memory, vascular system and in his sexual ability. Actually, if the person starts to smo e again, after the administration of Caladium, he or she will not have as severe a reaction as before. Caladium should, therefore, not be prescribed for excessive desire, but rather for cases where there is an aggravation from smo ing. Another misunderstanding about the remedy is the impression that persons needing Caladium always have an psychotic craving for sex. This is true of the state described by Kent, which is a rather advanced state of deterioration of the patient's health on the mental, emotional, and physical levels. However, in earlier stages, though there may be a strong interest in sex, it is not this intense craving. In these early stages, young people can be very excitable in general, and in particular in sexual matters. Later stages follow, though, where we frequently see an indifference to sex, or infrequent desire. Even in this stage, though, when the desire is there, it can be very st rong. Ultimately, the Caladium patient continues to deteriorate until he reaches the state of craving portrayed above.
Development of the pathology Caladium suits individuals whose organism is of a wea hereditary disposition. A s stated above, the persons who are in the first stages of Caladium are so prone to sexual stimulation, even through casual contact, that an orgasm can occur quic ly. Young men may get so excited that they cannot hold
bac their orgasm. Semen dribbles out against, and in spite, of their efforts t o hold it bac , and thus runs out without much pleasure. This is similar to Lycopodium and Selenium, where premature ejaculation results after excesses in sexual contacts. In contrast, Caladium's response comes from their enormous excitability, and is not necessarily preceded by sexual excesses . There is over-excitability without potency. Caladium men, even when young, frequ ently do not have a strong erection that lasts and so they often resort to masturbation. When their desire is most mar ed they have no ability. They have intense sexual desire but the penis remains soft, or else they have strong and painful erections in the morning upon wa ing but no desire . What may also occur is that they have an erection in the morning and perform coitus, but then suddenly the pleasure ceases, and they don't if an ejaculation has actually ta en place or not. They can be
now
haunted by lascivious thoughts and ideas which eep them awa e the whole night. This latter sign may also be seen in women together with a
nymphomaniac tendency. This state can go on for years and will never reach the picture described by Ken t, unless they are the type of human beings who pursue sexual pleasures and thin s of nothing else. You won't often encounter the late stage of Caladiu m in our day, though you may meet some cases over years of practice. In this excitement stage, the Caladium person has a constant underlying feeling of being hurried, mingled with anxiety. It is particularly exacerbated when he feels excited. Everything has to be done in a hurry, but he has no ener gy to do so, or perhaps his lac of energy is the reason he feels he must quic ly finish everything he underta es.
Lac of enthusiasm Eventually, the over-excitability stage passes and a state develops that can bes t be described as a lac of enthusiasm. It resembles indifference or sadness, but this is not really an accurate description, as the person can stil l be stimulated - mentally, emotionally, or sexually - and then again reacts in an over-excitable manner. The problem is, however, that nothing excites thes e people that easily any more. They live for years in a state of joylessness and lac of enthusiasm, which worsens with time. Only occasionally do they leave it, i.e. when they are stimulated by the external environment, usually through intellectual discussion or emotional, erotic stimu lation. In contrast to Phosphoricum acidum or Aurum, it is not a very painful state; it is neutral. The feelings of joy and enthusiasm are missing, b ut the patient does substitute them with negative feelings. The state borders on depression, but is not as painful. Caladium people are often irritable and depressed. The depression may come on af ter masturbation or coitus, but may also be connected with impotence. A symptom that Hering observed in his proving is 'loud weeping about a mortific ation, li e a child.' At this stage, the emotions and thin ing processes of Caladium are almost shut d own, in the same way that the pathways to sexual pleasure are closed. The patient seems to be passing the time without interest, joy, or sexual pleas ure. He cannot fall in love, and if he enters a relationship, once the initial excitement is over, he is bored and disinterested. There seems to be no mental, emotional, or sexual energy to maintain a continuing, erotic relationship.
On the mental plane, an absent-minded state ta es over. There is an overall vagu e feeling. Everything around the Caladium person 'just happens', as though he is not in control. He may have the energy to initiate things, but not to follow through. There is a ind of mental disorientation and confusion.
Forgetfulness In the next stage, the joylessness (described above) and a deterioration of memo ry set in. Kent describes this particular ind of mental deterioration very graphically. Furthermore, I was able to confirm his description in my own practice, so I leave the words to him: 'An individual puts his mind to bear upon something which seems to have ta en pl ace during the day, but he is not quite sure whether it too place or not;
he thin s the matter over, and yet he cannot be really sure whether it too pla ce or not, until he actually goes and puts his hands upon the object thought about; proves to himself by actual contact and observation that his vag ue impression was so, that it was true, then he goes away and again he is undecided as to whether it was so or not. This relates to things that actual ly happened. 'Very forgetful, he cannot remember,' etc. This led to the use of Caladium for a good many different inds of mental affections, loss of m emory where there is that vague state of mind. It might be bordering upon imbecility, or might be the borderland of insanity. All day long he finds himself loo ing into the things that should have been done; they simply escaped his mind; he has forgotten them. 'So the mind is worn out in places. A state of absent-mindedness. It may come on in an acute state, with unconsciousness. There is a good deal of congestion of the brain, more or less excitement, but more important is prostra tion of the mind, wea ness of the mind; feeble-mindedness; inability to perform intellectual wor . It is impossible. He cannot thin ; the more thought he puts upon a thing the more fatigue he has and the further away that thing seems to be; the more he attempts it the less concentrated is the mind up on a subject. It is not strange, then, that the provers themselves were unable to put these ideas into speech so as to give us an intelligent idea of t he proving.' (Emphasis GV) This picture suggests that Caladium may be suitable for persons who have Alzheim er's disease after a life full of sexual pleasures and mental over-activity. The things that the patient forgets during the day, however, come to his mind wh ile he is half asleep, during a 'dizzy sleep' (as Hering describes it in the proving), or else when his sleep is interrupted and he lies awa e in the night. He suffers from insomnia, and cannot get enough sleep. He is extremely sensitive to noise, especially when he wants to sleep. He then becomes more and more irritable, and may even stay awa e the whole night. Sometimes he feels apprehensive before going to sleep, without nowing why. At o ther times he falls asleep very easily, sleeps for three or four hours till he awa ens, and then stays awa e for another two or three hours. Thi s may also be the time that he remembers all the things he has forgotten during the day. After this time he falls again into a deep, very heavy, yet unrefreshing sleep. When Caladium people do fall asleep, they generally sleep deeply for two or three hours, during which, nothing can awa en them. They snore tremendously and also moan and groan anxiously during sleep. It is an intensely
frightening sleep for those who sleep in the same room.
Caladium's fears During the earlier Caladium excitement state, where there is enthusiasm and enjo yment from the pleasures of life, especially sexual pleasures, the Cadmium patient's nervous excitement is such that he starts from the slightest noise, when a door is slammed or even a newspaper folded. He is very irascible, and anger may be stimulated by the slightest provocation. In this excitable phase, the Cadmium patient has many apprehensions and fears, w hich are worse in the evening or just before he goes to sleep. Caladium people at this stage are also afraid of the future and, more specifical ly, about their own health; 'Very apprehensive about his health, worried
and anxious about everything.' (Hering). It is a state of anxiety mixed with ex citement and a hurried feeling. Caladium men become anxious whilst shaving and fear they might cut themselves. They are very careful and meticulou s about everything connected to their health, worry a lot about any medicine they are given and as repeatedly what effect it will have on their or ganism. They also have a fear of catching a contagious disease. They wash their hands every time they touch a cat or a dog for fear of becoming infe cted with worms and contracting echinococcosis. In the later stage, when joylessness and lac of enthusiasm prevail, the Caladiu m person no longer cares about such things, and it seems as if the fears and apprehensions from before are deeply hidden inside. The patient no longer c ares about his health, does not care to fix it, cannot be bothered, and actually becomes careless about his well-being. There is no energy left to care about anything, not even his health. During this state of indifference or whatever he chooses to call it, he is also wholly incapable of appreciating danger. It is as if he has already died; what does it matter to him if he is in jeopardy? He goes into peril without thi n ing. Other people may consider it a foolish boldness. Actually, the reason he does this is not because he is brave; it is rather a ind of miscalcu lation. His mind is too lazy to thin about the possibilities of danger. Hazardous situations may often be a sort of stimulation for his dead feelings, and if others admire him for that courage or indifference to danger, he li es it.
Physical eynotes The nervous system of Caladium people is, at least in the earlier stages, in a o f extreme excitement. Nervous, fantastic things run throughout the remedy showing its relation to neurasthenic and hysterical patients.
S in Caladium has an intensely irritating effect on the mucous membranes and s in, an d produces many burning sensations. The special sensitivity of the Caladium patient ma es him feel as if there are c rawling and creeping sensations on the s in, such as the sensation of a fly crawling on the s in or the feeling as if spider-webs were stic ing here an
d there. These sensations are felt particularly on the face. There may also be a coldness of single parts of the body. A dry feeling, in parts of the body that would normally be moist, has also been observed.
Perspiration Caladium has a mar ed effect upon the perspiration which may ma e it sweetish. T he strange, rare and peculiar trait of Caladium perspiration is that it attracts flies. Margaret Tyler comments upon this: 'One has observed this with horror in some poor old almshouse people, where it was impossible to
eep the flies off the face!'
Male/female As already discussed as far as the male sex is concerned, Caladium has a special action on the genitalia. In women, the most stri ing action of Caladium in this region is to cause intense pruritus vulvae. It may be indicated in extr emely nervous women who suffer from pruritus vulvae, eeping them awa e at night.
Respiration In the respiratory organs, an important eynote is catarrhal asthma where the mu cus is not easily brought up, but when it does come up the patient feels better. Very characteristic is asthma alternating with an itching rash. Sometimes we als o find both conditions present, as if the organism does not have the strength to bring out to the surface all the disturbance.
Fever In fever, Caladium is especially indicated when the temperature is aggravated in the evening. The Caladium fever is actually aggravated when the Lycopodium fever is ameliorated, around 8 p.m. , or sometimes a little earlier, that is, around 6 p.m. Sleeping ma es the fever disappear, and a characteristic modality is: Falls asleep during evening fever, and wa es when i t stops.
Generalities The Caladium patient dreads motion, and perpetually wants to lie down -though he is strong enough to move when he ma es the effort. After writing, thin ing, when lying down or when rising after lying or sitting, he feels as if he is going to faint. In acute states, we also find delirium,
unconsciousness, and stupefaction. The patient experiences ill effects of smo ing, especially headaches and mental states. The patient, in general, is aggravated by warmth - warm room, warm air, in the w arm bed - and ameliorated by cool open air. On the other hand, he has an aversion to drin ing cold water, and only tolerates or wants warm drin s in the stomach.
Aggravation can also occur after sexual excesses, from sudden noises, and from l ying on the left side (stitches in right side of chest). Besides the relief from open air, particularly cool air, we see a general amelio ration from sweating and after a short sleep during the day. The worst time for Caladium is from 9 to 11 p.m. Another characteristic state that Caladium produces, and that is not mentioned i n any of our boo s, is a peculiar momentary relaxation-not to call it paralysis-of the sphincters of the body. The sphincter of the urethra is relaxe d and if there is urging the urine dribbles. The patient has the impression that the sphincter is very wea , is clearly not strong enough to hol d bac the urine. During the first sleep of the night, he regurgitates food as if there were no barrier and as if the oesophagus was an open pipe. In the same way stool can pass unnoticed, if there is some unusual pressure on the abdomen.
Vertigo Vertigo is experienced upon closing the eyes; roc ing, dizzy sensation after lyi ng down and closing eyes, which prevents falling asleep. Giddiness and nausea in the stomach, when he is sleepy, in the morning after ris ing; cannot eep his eyes, open while wal ing in the open air. Vertigo after some wal ing. Vertigo and nausea in the morning, with stitches in the pit of the stomach.
Head Dull, frontal headache and throbbing pains in the head, especially in smo ers. H eadache with nausea and a dazed feeling in the head; symptoms li e those of Tabacum. While smo ing tobacco, stupefying pressure in the eyes and fo rehead, with the face hot and restlessness. Pain in the shoulder accompanies the headache. Dull pressive or sharp cutting pains in the temples. Fullness in the head as if too much blood were present. Numbness in the right or left side of the head.
Eyes The eyes become violently inflamed and water; eyelids are red and inflamed, eyes smart and burn. Pressure in the eyeballs, with pain and sensitivity to touch or pressure.
Stitches in the eyes, together with pain in other parts of the body: stitches in the right eye and throbbing in the left nee; stitches in the left eye and in a corn on the little toe.
Ears Extremely sensitive to noise, especially if he wishes to sleep; slightest noise startles him. Feels as if something is placed over the ears, diminishing the hearing. Throbbing in the right ear, with a sensation as if warm water were flowing aroun d it in a circle.
Face Sensation as if spider-webs were stic ing here and there or of a fly crawling on the face; other crawling and creeping sensations. Heat in the face, flushed face, almost scarlet red.
Mouth Mucous membrane of the mouth very red; swelling of the lips, tongue, uvula, etc. Along with a swollen tongue, there may be an excess of saliva that resembles the white of eggs and which may run out in large quantities. Red, dry stripe down the centre of the tongue which widens towards the tip (Boge r, Synoptic Key). Mil tastes sour and is repugnant.
Throat Dryness and burning in the fauces, without any thirst, even with an aversion to cold water. Scratchy dry sensation in the throat which ma es him haw . After smo ing, haw ing up of mucus and vomiting of slimy matter.
Respiration and chest Larynx and trachea seem to be constricted, with wheezing sounds upon breathing d eeply and cough that seems to originate in the upper part of the air passages, above the larynx. Tic ling in the throat, causing cough, worse at night. Catarrhal asthma, sometimes with hard cough, mucus not readily raised, but givin g relief when it comes up. Asthma alternates with an itching, burning rash. An example that Hering observed in his proving: 'Rash at inner side of forearm, red and big pimples, violently itching and burning; when it disappears, immediately severe oppressio n of chest, that he cannot get his breath, as if mucus would suffocate him, without anxiety Ö' Breathing in sighing jer s. Dull stitching pains in the right side of the chest, which are better when lying on the right side and worse when lying on the left. Pulse hard and bounding, or rapid and scarcely perceptible.
Stomach Pulsating in the pit of the stomach after wal ing; he soon becomes tired. Sensation as if a bird were fluttering in the stomach and trying to escape, caus ing nausea. Nausea often comes on in the morning upon rising. It may be accompanied by a daz ed feeling in the head, by a certain giddiness, feels li e an empty sensation in the stomach, and by stitches in the pit of the stomach. Much belching; repeated eructation of small amounts of wind, as if the stomach w ere full of dry food. He drin s without real thirst, because of the sensation that the dry food lies i n his stomach; eats only because the stomach feels hollow, but without any appetite. Lac of thirst has often been observed: thirstless during a fever, thirstless fo r days. There is even an aversion to cold water; the patient often only tolerates or wants warm drin s. Alternately, there are Caladium patients who ar e thirsty all day. They drin tea, coffee, cold drin s, but not water. Hering also observed a desire for beer without real thirst in his proving; the patient said he actually couldn't get himself to drin water. This
symptom doesn't necessarily ta e the form of a strong aversion to water. It may just be a ind of indifference to it; the patient simply does not li e it. Burning in the stomach, which is not relieved by drin ing. 'Dull, internal burni ng in stomach and epigastrium; becomes a violent pressure and finally a gnawing at the cardia, which prevents from deep breathing.' (Hering)
Abdomen The abdomen is swollen and tender to the touch, and there are spasmodic cutting pains in both the stomach and abdomen. Twisting pains, and a sensation as if a long worm were writhing in the region of the transverse colon or duodenum. Burning in the hypogastric region.
Rectum Stools soft, yellow, pasty, mushy, as in typhoid; very scanty pasty stools. Past y, clay-coloured stools, which are passed with difficulty. There are also stools containing hard lumps. Passing of thin, red blood or of slime and a thin brown fluid from the anus afte r stool. Burning in the anus after stool. Stitches in the rectum after stool; as from
nives.
Relaxation of the sphincter of the anus.
Urinary organs There is a sensation of fullness in the bladder with pain, but no urge to urinat e. The region of the bladder is sensitive to pressure. Violent pain during urination. Stinging deep in the hypogastrium, behind and above the bladder. Stitches in the urethra, in the evening. Relaxation of the sphincter of the urethra. Urine either dribbles after urinatio n or the patient loses some drops before he reaches the toilet. Urine is offensive, with sediment, scanty and smells putrid.
Male genitalia Sexual desire with relaxed penis, or strong painful erections without desire. Impotence with mental depression.
Erections when half asleep in the morning, ceasing when fully awa e. Ejaculatio praecox, ejaculation and orgasm missing in coitus, or pleasure sudden ly ceases during coitus and the patient cannot tell if an ejaculation has ta en place or not.
Caladium is useful in gonorrhoeal disorders. Impotence after suppression of gono rrhoeal discharge (Thuja). Frequent nocturnal emissions; without dreams or from non-sexual dreams. After coitus the prepuce remains retracted and cannot be drawn bac over the gla ns; pain and swelling. Prepuce swollen and sore in the margin, with a biting sensation upon urination. Glans of the penis is red, dry and flabby; from masturbation or in impotence. Genitalia enlarged, as if bloated, relaxed and sweating. Feeling of coldness and cold perspiration in the region. Profuse sweat on the scrotum. Pruritus. Caladium gave prompt relief in a case of long standing, violent itchin g eruption on the scrotum, which was worse at night, dry and scaly (Lindsay, Journal of Homeopathic Clinics).
Female genitalia The most stri ing symptom of the female sexual organs is the pruritus vaginae an d vulvae. Two cases serve as examples: 'A girl, four years old; violent itching on external genitals, which compelled h er to scratch; severe punishment could not prevent her from doing so; the child was reduced in body and mind.' 'A girl, twenty years old, suddenly compla ins of frequently returning itching on the genitals, which is finally accompanied with voluptuousness; three months later, it was followed by a mucou s discharge and a very troublesome eruption of pimples around the genitals.' Both cases were cured by Caladium. (Source: Journal of Homeopathic C linics.) The pruritus may also be caused by worms that travel from the rectum into the ge nital region. Cramping pains in the uterus after midnight.
Bac The bac is stiff and full of rheumatic pains, e.g. between the shoulders, so th at he can hardly turn in bed.
Extremities Pain in the shoulder, with headache. The limbs feel so wea y, and ill-humoured.
that he cannot get out of bed; all morning fatigued, wear
Trembling of the limbs; rheumatic pains in the limbs. Numbness in the arms and hands. 'All the fingers felt very large, li e sausages, she could not use them well; they felt as if they were going to be
paralysed.' (Berridge). 'Arms asleep on wa ing in morning; can hardly move them .' 'Left thumb as if asleep; also little finger, with crawls.' (Hering)
Sleep Strange, crawling sensations eep him awa e. Sleeplessness from pruritus, especi ally in the genitals. Sleepiness in the morning and morning, with wea ness of the limbs, ill humour, d azed head. Sleepy in the morning after rising, cannot eep eyes open when wal ing in the open air, with nausea and giddiness felt in stomach. Sleepy during the daytime but cannot sleep because the itching is unbearable, es pecially in the genitals, or on account of shivering and feeling very giddy. When wants to sleep is very sensitive to any noise. Very loud snoring. Groans and moans anxiously in sleep. Restless sleep; violent starting in sleep. Vivid, anxious dreams which he remembers better than the activities of the day. Dreams of dead people and past events are so vivid that when, after wa ing, he immediately falls asleep again, he continues to dream of the same su bject where he left off. Awa es at night from thirst, with dry lips. 'It seemed uncertain whether she was always aroused by a noise, or whether she was not often aroused by thirst; each time she was aroused she as ed for water.' (Hering)
Fever Kent says that this remedy 'has a continued fever; it has no great amount of fev er in it, but it is a continued fever; we shall see that there is coma and stupor from fever; 'delirium, unintelligible murmuring;' mental prostration. Mu rmuring and muttering during the delirium; he does not recognise anyone. The speech is incoherent and prattling. This remedy is suitable in low, murmuring, exhaustive cases of typhoid fever, cases that run a very sluggish course; not a very active delirium; but muttering; a low form of semiconsciousness, very often coma or stupefaction li e Phosphoricum acidum, or a dazed mind.' This is true for febris continua, for the typhoid type of fevers. In other cases the fever has an exacerbation in the evening around 6 or 8 p.m. , and is
ameliorated by sleep. Falls asleep during evening fever, and wa es when it stops. Coldness of single parts of the body. Chilly, even in a warm room. Face, head and hands hot, legs and feet cold. Or: Before midnight head, face and surface of the abdomen hot, with cold feet; after midnight abdomen cold, but feet hot.
S in hot and dry during fever. Sweating in the evening with prostration, yawning and sleepiness. Sweetish smell ; sweat attracts flies.
S in Violent itching on various parts of the s in. Itching, burning rash that alternates with asthma. Frequently and suddenly a violent burning arises in small spots on the s in, on the chee s, nose, toes; compelling the patient to touch the parts. S in feels rough and dry. Strange sensations as if a fly is crawling on the s in or as if a spider web is on the face.
Clinical . Asthma. Dropsical swellings. Non-specific urethritis. Impotence. Irritation Nymp homania. Pruritus vaginae. Spermatorrhoea. Typhoid. Typhus. Worms.
Relations Compare: Caps.; Phos.; Caust.; Sel.; Lyc.; I shugandha (sexual wea ness, emissio ns, prostatic enlargement). Complementary: Nit-ac. Incompatible: Arum-t.
Calcarea carbonica Impure Calcium Carbonate. CaCO3. Includes symptoms of Calcarea acetica and Calcarea ostrearum, for which Hahneman n also made provings. Koch's provings were made from carbonate of lime precipitated from a solution of chal in hydrochloric acid.
Trituration of the middle layer of oyster shells.
The essential features The remedy picture of this great polychrest needs to be introduced with a few pr eliminary remar s. Calcarea carbonica is a remedy which covers all stages of life, from infancy to old age, and all stages of pathology: on the physical level from the common cold to malignant tumours, and on the emotional/mental levels from simpl e anxiety to manic depression and schizophrenia. One intriguing observation I have noted in the course of my clinical experience is that a disproportionately high percentage of babies, perhaps 40%, require Calcarea carbonica in the beginning of their lives, while this remedy i s indicated much less frequently in adults. Why then, may we as , do we not see more Calcarea adults? The explanation is not obvious, nor easy to perceive, and is a function of the d evelopmental process, from baby to adult. In babies and young children, the need for calcium is tremendous. It is the main element necessary for the de velopment of the s eleton and teeth and the quantities required at this young age are enormous. If there is even the smallest disturbance in the absorp tion of calcium it becomes apparent through a certain group of symptoms, which are identified as belonging to Calcarea carbonica. This explain s the applicability of this remedy to young children. As the child grows and the need for calcium decreases, one of the following ta e s place: The disturbance is automatically corrected and the person grows into health; The absorption problem is not corrected and is accompanied by new layers of dise ase disturbance; or The absorption problem is not corrected and no new layers are created. In (b) the absorption problem is not corrected and the patient slowly progresses along the road to chronic disease. As he encounters various stresses in the course of his life, his symptomatology changes in accordance with each new layer of disease disturbance that is superimposed upon the original layer of disease predisposition. For example, grief superimposes a layer of Ignatia and Natrum muriaticum on a co nstitutional Calcarea case. A vaccination further superimposes a Thuja (or Morbillinum) layer. Then influenza adds a layer of Influenzinum. In such a case you will not cure the patient unless you follow the exact reverse sequence in prescribing that is, in my example: first Influenzinum, then Thuja, then Natrum muriaticum, then Ignatia, and only finally Calcarea carbonica. The exact sequence and time frames are determined not by theoretical
speculations, but only from the symptomatology of the patient. This is the concept of 'layers of disturbance' referred to in my earlier writings, a nd this is also the idea underlying the theory of the miasms. In (c) the problem is not corrected, yet the stresses mentioned above do not cre ate new layers. They serve to only exacerbate the Calcarea symptoms and shift the pathology to a deeper level. The patient retains his Calcarea sym ptomatology and, in this case, remains a Calcarea case throughout his life. His case is not complicated; there is only the Calcarea layer and no othe rs. It is for this reason that I have said that if we find an older individual whose symptomatology calls for Calcarea carbonica, that person tends to have quite a strong constitution. In these instances it does not matter how severe or malignant the case may be; the possibility for a cure is g reat. The Calcarea state itself, according to my experience, is one which is seldom ad ded as a new layer, but is, rather, a more basic, 'ground-level' disturbance. These persons are usually relatively healthy and well balanced; th eir solidity and stability is not easily undermined. Finally though, when
their vitality is compromised through some stress, such as excessive allopathic drugging, the Calcarea state of pathology surfaces. For instance one often finds that elderly patients who have received Calcarea ca rbonica for lumbago again require Calcarea carbonica when they develop another pathology, e.g. bronchitis. This need not always be the case be cause, at other times, an acute remedy such as Belladonna, Rhus toxicodendron, etc. may be required without the subsequent necessity to return to Calcarea or to any other deeply acting remedy. In response to our question, in today's world only a small percentage of those w e see have constitutions strong enough to retain the Calcarea layer throughout their lives. Therefore, in our practices, the majority of cases fall into the second category. This means that even those adults who might have begun as Calcarea babies will usually have at least one additional layer t hat mas s this underlying one. This is why, relative to babies, we see so few cases of Calcarea carbonica in adults.
Some orientation points Calcarea carbonica is such a huge remedy with vast symptomatology, that the stud ent can get lost in it. He might thin that every case is a Calcarea case or that none of his cases have all of these symptoms. For the sa e of the novic e student and in order to provide clarification for those who are experienced, I will present my observations regarding the symptoms that usually point to this remedy. I have separated the indications into two categories: the eynotes of Calcarea d uring physical ailments and the eynotes during mental disturbances. Ninety percent of the cases of Calcarea have been recognised because they exhib ited all or some of the following symptoms. During physical pathology we usually observe: a general aggravation from cold and wet weather. The patients are chilly, cannot get warm, especially their feet which are cold and at the same time may have a slight clammy sweat. They need to wear soc s in bed and cannot go to sleep unless they feel that their feet are warm. a tendency to be overweight and obese, and to sluggishness; perspiration during sleep, around the nec ;
desire for sweets and soft-boiled eggs; vertigo in high places. During mental pathology we most often see: that patients have numerous fears, such as a fear of the dar , of ghosts, of thu nderstorm, of high places, of mice, of dogs, of infections, etc.; a prevailing fear of insanity; a particular fear that others will observe and perceive their mental confusion;
despair of recovery; an overwhelming anxiety about health, especially the fear of cancer. If the cause for the pathology is exhaustion after physical or mental exertion, then the case is further confirmed. The practitioner should not get lost in the vast array of symptoms but should lo o for these main eynotes of the remedy. Of the above ten symptoms, at least four or five should be found in a Calcarea case. The following observatio n regarding Calcarea is particularly important: The characteristic constellation of physical symptomatology may change and/or di minish as the mental pathology becomes more prominent. For example, during the stage of initial fears where the patient fears heights, the characteristic perspiration and aggravation from cold and wet weather and from dampness are present. However, when the case deepens in pathology to t he point where fears dominate his life - fear of cancer or heart disease, fear of insanity, etc. - the physical symptomatology and the earlier f ears often subside, and the prototypical picture of Calcarea is lost or becomes unclear. For example, in such cases it is possible to find that the per son is no longer chilly, or that the usually cold feet of the Calcarea subject are neither cold nor damp. Also, the desire for eggs might disappear. A t this stage, therefore, it becomes easy to confuse Calcarea carbonica with other remedies, such as Arsenicum or Phosphorus. In addition, the development of pathology in stages must always be considered wh en loo ing for 'guiding symptoms' in a case. For this reason, the practitioner must not refer to the above list of symptoms as an unvarying, ster eotypical guide. It is there to provide a guideline by which to identify the remedy which is valid for the majority of Calcarea cases. It is, for obviou s reasons, impossible to enumerate all the aspects and combinations of symptoms that a Calcarea case can assume.
Flabbiness and obstinacy Calcarea has a unique and characteristic type of polarity: the ideas of flabbine ss and obstinacy. This may relate to the physical body (flabbiness of muscles vs. hardness of tissues) and/or to the mind and emotions (which may als o be 'flabby' and/or 'hardened'). To simplify matters, we might say that the pathology in Calcarea patients develops from a calcium imbalance, eith er a lac of calcium or an excess. Cases that evolve from a lac of
calcium far outnumber those from excess. A caution, however, to remember is tha t this is merely a generalisation. Not all cases of Calcarea can be classified into such simplified patterns. In the cases of calcium deficiency, where the organism does not absorb or metabo lise enough calcium, the result is softness in places where the natural state is hardness. There is softness in the bones and teeth, and flabbi ness of the muscles, especially the muscles of the heart. On the other hand, wherever an excess of calcium develops, the result is excessi ve deposits of calcium in segments within individual bones, deformities of the bones, excessive hardness of the nails, scrofulous swelling of the muscl es and hard swelling of the lymphatic glands. In the realm of mind and emotions, this translates into an inflexibility in thin ing and into obstinacy There is also the possibility of uneven or irregular nutrition of bones: As Nash explains: 'One part of a bone, the vertebrae for instance, is nourished,
while the other is starved.' As stated above, it is typically the idea of softness and flabbiness that prevai ls in Calcarea carbonica. The word 'flabbiness' implies more than just 'wea ness': patients are wea and soft; the element that gives stamina, strengt h and support to their tissues is missing; their mental and muscle tone is deficient. The general flabbiness ultimately leads to disintegration where the organism feels that it will soon collapse, mentally and physically. In addition to nowledge of physiology the perceptive faculties must be at a ee n and functioning level in order to understand what occurs in a system that cannot absorb this element so basic to its existence. What you will observ e is how the lac of stamina and strength, which result from the malabsorption, affect all the levels: physical, mental and emotional. Any small exertion can trigger a state of exhaustion. The patient has a sensation of inner trembling; all inds of fears prevail. His mind can deal only with tri vial matters; it cannot address the more essential, important and useful things because this would require an effort, and call on reserves of power and stamina that he does not have. His mind does not have the power to overcome difficulties, to endure, nor to concentrate and so, ultimately, the Ca lcarea subject feels compelled to give up. He then either withdraws and stays homebound or gives himself over to medical care.
Little ideas This trait, the fixation on little ideas, is characteristic of the remedy, but t he degree to which it is evident may vary and depends upon the stage of the mental pathology. It is peculiar to see how, under the pathology of Calcarea, a mind that used to be sound and whole, becomes fixated on little things. In its mildest form this eynote may appear as a simple inflexibility of thin i ng. At a later stage it becomes a stri ing obstinacy in daily life, and ultimately, a preoccupation with trivial ideas that amounts almost to psychosis . By the time Calcarea has degraded to a relatively serious condition, his mind lo ses its perspective and gets obsessed with little ideas. It is not merely that the Calcarea patient pays attention to trivialities and details; these min or concerns prevail and actually dominate his life and mind. This ind of inflexibility of mind, the fixation on minor issues, ma es it impossible for hi m to thin about anything else. He does not even seem to realise that his focus is on small, insignificant things, and that he is overloo ing the essenti
al. Kent describes this state graphically: 'When the Calcarea patient begins to relate to his friends how he feels they all naturally say to him, 'Why don't you put that aside; that doesn't amount to anything,' but to him it is a big thing, and he cannot put it aside; all the se little things combine to convince him that he is going crazy.' While in this state, Calcarea patients may tal endlessly about these little thi ngs that are of no interest to anyone else. Kent as ed some of his Calcarea patients why they behaved this way, and he generally got an answer li e: 'I tri ed a good while to stop it, and when I could not I just ept right on at it, for it seemed to do me good.' This type of rigidity of thin ing may be coupled with a laxity of the mind, as t he underlying polarity of Calcarea suggests. As a result, the affected subject loses his ability to thin deeply and consistently. Kent relates that t here is also a particular inability to calculate: 'He cannot add and
subtract even in the simplest forms... He may have been a philosopher, and he h as lost his ability to thin out things in philosophy. He has lost his mental depth.' Obstinacy may combine with flabbiness of the intellect to form wishful thin ing, as Kent's lucid remar s concerning this trait illustrate: 'He forms conclusions out of his emotions rather than from his intelligence. He forms conclusions about things as he wants them to be. You would almost thin he wants to grow crazy, he eeps tal ing about it so much. He is unable t o accept any sort of argument, and this grows worse and worse. He is unable to accept the assurance of his physician, in whom he has always had conf idence. It is no use, it seems, to try to reason with him; yet he is not so far gone but he can reason about other things except his own mental state.' A Calcarea patient may say, 'I am restless on a mental level. I li e to be stimu lated intellectually, philosophically; this is, perhaps, where my restlessness lies', as was the case with one Calcarea patient I had. However, this ind of ' philosophical interest' does not represent an ability to thin deeply, nor does it at all resemble the genuine involvement with philosophical matters that we see in Sulphur patients. On the contrary, it arises from his fear of dying. This fear of death is at the core of what stimulates the patient to as questions such as 'Is there a God? What ind of God?' Worrying about salvation is a stri ing symptom in Calcarea persons. This point will be elabora ted upon further in the chapter on Calcarea children, where this ind of religious inquiry is most frequently seen. The fixation on little things is also the feature that is responsible for the we ll- nown obstinacy of Calcarea, especially in children. If their mind is stuc on an idea, they cannot set it aside. Their desire must be satisfied and this t a es on great importance for them. They must gratify their need in order to stay balanced and even seem to derive strength from it.
Over-exertion Calcarea people tend to be very attached to their wor . They are industrious, co nscientious and hard-wor ing, and they also have a fear of poverty. Their industriousness compels them to push themselves, which in turn contribute s to a growing sense of being over-exerted. They feel exhausted, but ignore this and push themselves further despite their exhaustion. In these cases of overexertion (which may, ultimately, result in a brea down) we
see different stages: In the first stage, they are easily irritated. They become irritable, even from trifles. The patient is easily riled, and a few words are enough to ma e him fly into a temper, especially if he feels that demands are being put on him . He feels fatigued after far less exertion than was previously required, and begins to complain about his wor load, etc. He is easily offended and tends to ta e everything negatively. He is easily excited and tends to brea out in a sweat when a situation seems too much for him. His emot ions are easily excited and as easily prostrated. Vertigo and confusion are often present, as Calcarea's circulation tends to be d isturbed. The patient has palpitations, quivering, inner trembling, and physical exhaustion. It is, in particular, in cases with nervous irritability a nd excitement that we see patients who tremble easily: from fear and anxiety, after coitus, when wa ing up at night, after frightful dreams, from an y mental or physical exertion. It is as if the muscles cannot
ta e any exertion. Their quivering creates the sensation of internal trembling. The Calcarea person is unable to apply himself to anything that requires an effo rt. Focusing his attention becomes increasingly difficult; his mind wanders when he attempts to concentrate. His brain becomes 'paralysed' when he ma es the effort to spea . Words get mixed up and confused; he tend to ma e mista es and slips of the tongue. He feels confused and is unable to remember the subject of the conversation. His memory is wea . His confusion while reading is such that he has to stop and try to remember where h e was. Due to the wea ness of mind and difficulty of thin ing, his self-confidence disappears; he is easily overwhelmed by his wor . This mental exhaustion predisposes the patient to have an apprehensive, anxious disposition with a tendency to worry about the future, about his health and about salvation (as mentioned before). He feels restless anxiety. He is easily frightened and his agitation prevents him from resting and may even bring on palpitations, ebullition of blood, and shoc s or jer s felt i n the pit of the stomach. His fear tends to rise up from the stomach. During this phase, in which Calcarea individuals begin to brea down and to deve lop anxiety, they are often troubled by sleeplessness, especially after 3 a.m. They may sleep well for hours, but then awa en around 3 a.m. , and cannot fall asleep again. In the next stage the patient enters a period where even the least responsibilit y looms over him as a tremendous responsibility, so large he no longer feels able to cope. He feels overwhelmed; situations and problems seem insurmou ntable. He becomes averse to his wor and in fact dreads it and the responsibilities and demands made on him by others. His indisposition to any nd of wor , aversion and loathing of wor , is accompanied by a
i
general mood of tremendous irritability and a heaviness in his lower limbs. Anx iety and the 'fear that something bad is going to happen' are evident. He feels a very great urge to leave his business, yet he stays on. If, at this stage, some additional stress is encountered (e.g. a grief or an acu te illness complicated by allopathic drugging), the patient will progress to a far deeper state of pathology. He will develop a tremendous anxiety about his h ealth and, consequently, a very pronounced fear of cancer or a fear of insanity. The intensity of these two fears - that of cancer and that of insa nity - tend to have an inverse relationship; that is, if the fear of cancer is quite strong, the fear of insanity is minimised and vice versa. The patient also has the disconcerting impression that other people can, simply by loo ing at him, perceive his insecurities and read his mind. These fears will b
e discussed further in the sections 'Fear of Insanity' and 'Despair of Recovery'. Calcarea persons are able to endure this state of overexertion for a long time. Eventually they arrive at a stage where they cannot continue with their business, and, therefore, quitting of business due to over-exhaustion is a eyn ote of this remedy. Kent describes this situation in the following way: 'A Calcarea patient sometimes ta es an aversion to wor , and quits wor . H e will quit a most thriving business, and go home and do nothing, after being fatigued in carrying on the business until it reaches a most thriving con dition. He says business is not good for him. He is tired of business, and when he goes to his business again it seems as if it would drive him crazy. He does not want to see it, he does not want to now anything about it. Of course, you can readily see that it is not so much in the Calcarea patient that he is driven to wea ness and fatigue from distress in business, although it has that, but that which I am spea ing about is that he has overwor ed until he has given out, and right in the midst of his success he quits his business and goes home, and leaves all-it loo s just as if he were lazy.'
And he adds an important differentiation: 'It is not such persons as were born t hat way, born lazy, never would wor ; but those that become lazy.' This is the symptomatology that has given Calcarea the reputation for curing cas es that are in a state of brea down, from prolonged overexertion and worry.
Fear of insanity This third stage, in which the mental condition is the main problem, is much mor e severe and disturbing than the previous one. The general condition of the patient is one in which he has the feeling that he is really brea ing down mentally and does not believe that he can function under the present circumstances. His mind is wea , and he forgets important things. His thoughts are occupied with a lot of small things, while the main and important issues remain unresolved. He is unable to concentrate, nor solve business probl ems. All the while the stress continues. He may or may not have left his business, yet the expenses eep accumulating and he has to pay the bills. As a consequence, he despairs. Against this bac ground the patient begins to develop a very pronounced fear of cancer, or to develop a fear of insanity. In this section we will focus on the latter. The Calcarea patient usually eeps to himself the secret that he feels he may be going insane. He conceals it for a long time, because he fears that were he to admit it, others might thin that he is really psychotic and commit him to a mental institution. He dwells upon his state of mind day and night and cannot sleep. This is a fear that, in time, becomes overwhelming, and the more he continues to endure stress, the more the fear develops. Eventually, the mind is constantly occupied with this fear. At this stage, the practitioner may experience clinical situations such as the f ollowing: A patient comes to your office and relates different ailments. While you are listening to them, paying close attention, a brea down suddenly o ccurs. He or she begins to cry; tears tric le down the face and despair becomes apparent. You as him or her why they are so desperate. After s ome hesitation they finally confess their fear of going crazy. If they do start telling their real problem, they will eventually confess everything th at is happening to them. Apart from the fear that they are going crazy, Calcarea also has a fear that oth ers can recognise their mental confusion. They feel they are being
observed suspiciously by the people in their environment, that they can be 'loo ed through' or 'seen' by them. As Kent puts it: 'He thin s people loo at him suspiciously, and he loo s at them suspiciously, and he wonders why they do not say something to him about it.' Similar to the above situation, this information is not volunteered by the patient, but if you suspect that the case is Calcarea carbonica and start inquiring, especially about these matters, he will confess his fear to you with some relief. This is a condition bordering on delusion, and it may truly be accompanied by de lusions, especially when closing the eyes, even during the daytime. They see horrible visions and must open their eyes immediately and try to persu ade themselves that they are not crazy, that what they are experiencing is only a tric of their mind. This is a far cry from a healthy mi nd, as we can easily perceive, but it is not yet real psychosis, as they are still able to control themselves in their dealings with others. However, at thi s stage, Calcarea people definitely feel that they are quic ly approaching
insanity. They also might confess to you at this time that they are tal ing to themselves. When in the presence of others they are able to maintain their self-control, but once they are alone in the house they start carrying on a con versation with themselves. This is particularly true in cases of prolonged grief. We can picture the case of a woman whose husband has not been faithful, and she has suppressed her anger and emotions against her husband for a long time. She then starts tal ing to herself, and says a lot in these 'c onversations' without a partner. It is a state of confusion, wea ness, and brea down of the intellect.
Psychosis Such a state eventually transforms into real psychosis. The Calcarea psychosis u sually assumes a passive form. Calcarea patients have numerous delusions which develop very quic ly, such as the person seeing horrid visions upon closing the eyes, grotesque faces, etc. We also find delusions such as the impression that clothing hanging over the bac of a chair is really a person sitting there or that someone is wal ing beside her (similar to Petroleum or Silica). In Hahnemann's proving, we find the example of an illusio n: 'she heard a rumbling and clattering over her bed, which made her shiver'. Concerning Calcarea's behaviour when in company, they mostly sit and do nothing, or else they do strange little things li e play with their fingers all the time, brea stic s or cut little pieces of paper. Margery Blac ie reports a cas e where the patient open and shut her handbag the entire time she was with her. The general idea in Calcarea psychosis is a passive state with delusions, couple d with the motif of fixation on little things, which was discussed earlier. The delusions may also come on quic ly in serious fever cases, as in c ases of pneumonia or pyelonephritis. Two examples from Hering's Guiding Symptoms are: 'Mania; sees many curs [dogs] crowding around him; fights them off', 'Sees and plays with cats and other animals in delirium.' In these more acute states, we see a greater degree of restlessness and activit y. Another example from Hering is: 'Feels as if she would li e to run up and down and scream.' Kent comments: 'Feels as if she could not help it, she must scream. That occurs in persons overwrought, dreadfully excited
from a loss in the household by death.' During an acute exacerbation of this chronic psychosis, a pronounced aggression might surface. Then conditions resembling the following description by Hering ensue: 'Throws herself forcibly about, rolls on ground, tries to catch h old of bystanders' clothing, which she puts into her mouth, bites and spits, ma es a loud bar ing noise, all with open, dull eyes.' This condition does not assume the extent and the intensity that occurs in Bella donna or Stramonium, whose delirium is much more characterised by activity, desire to bite, spit and so on. On the whole, Calcarea tends to passi vity in delirious and delusional states. I must note here that the differential diagnosis between remedies is often a fun ction based on the degree of severity of the symptoms, as the symptomatology, especially in acute states, is often quite similar.
Fear and phobia In 1976, during an international seminar in Athens, I heard Dr. Paschero, the re nowned homeopath, say that Calcarea has all the fears of the materia medica, and that unless the patient was full of such fears you could not prescr ibe this remedy, or that if the patient had a lot of fears then the remedy was most probably Calcarea. Though it is true that Calcarea has a lot of different fears it is equally true that not all Calcarea persons have fears. Some of them actually have none! (I shall discuss this point in the Calc area Child section, because it is especially in younger children that we often do not see any fear.) It is equally important to realise that the fears should be evaluated according to their intensity and severity. A fear in a mild form may accompany some physical ailments, while at other times, the same fear becomes overwhelming and the physical complaints disappear. There are certain fears in particular that point to the remedy when they prevail and totally overwhelm the patient. An overwhelming fear of thunderstorms, for example, would not lead one to conclu de that the remedy is Calcarea, though Calcarea has this fear. An overwhelming fear of insanity, without any other accompanying symptoms, indicat es Mancinella rather than Calcarea. However, when one of these fears is coupled with an overwhelming fear that others will observe their menta l state, it points exclusively to Calcarea. It is a strong enough eynote that, if the patient has this symptom, even without additional fears or physical ailments and modalities, Calcarea is the indicated remedy. One of the fears that in Calcarea can grow to tremendous intensity is the anxiet y about health and the fear of death (thanatophobia). When physical ailments prevail, this fear can be of mild intensity, and the Calcarea patient will not pay much attention to it. This anxiety, however, is capable of increasing to such a degree, and the fear of death can be so overwhe lming, that the patient lives in an inferno; his life is totally destroyed by it. In this case, the fear dominates and is the first thing of which the pat ient complains. The most common forms of this fear are: fear that he will die from cancer or heart disease, or that he will lose his reason. The fea r can become the main pathology. In contrast, the fear that he will catch or has caught some contagious disease, is often to be found in Calca rea persons, but I have never seen it as the main pathology in mental
cases. The symptom, anxiety about health, will be discussed in further detail i n the next section. Another tremendous source of anxiety is a guilty conscience. The patient develop s it to such a degree that neither reasoning nor logic can pacify him. The guilt develops over little things that would have been ignored by another p erson, but in Calcarea, due to the focus on 'little things' the problem is so exaggerated that it overwhelms the whole person and his life becomes intoler able. Fear of high places or vertigo in high places is one of the main ailments that a ccompanies most cases of Calcarea carbonica. They may really freeze with fear when they go up a ladder, even three steps above the ground. This fea r is so great that many times they dream that they are standing in a high place and feel vertigo. Calcarea cannot even tolerate somebody else standi ng close to the brin of a high place; they shout to the person not to go so close to the edge of the balcony for fear they will fall. They are also afra id to descend stairs, especially if they are stairs without a railing. Calcarea has a strong fear that a misfortune will happen to him or to others or that bad news will come. A fear of being alone is also often
evident. A special time for their fears is when evening draws near, as was conf irmed by Hahnemann. Other fears that appear often in Calcarea subjects are the fear of: thunderstorm s, supernatural things, ghosts, infection and microbes, poverty, mice, insects, spiders (arachnophobia), leaving the house, public places (agoraphobia ), narrow places (claustrophobia). There is also an anxiety or anguish that is excited by listening to cruel stories. In the early stages, these fears and anxieties aren't usually overwhelming and t ypically accompany physical ailments. Calcarea patients may have many of these fears, but sometimes they have only a few or even only one. If we compare Phosphorus with Calcarea carbonica during the stage of fear of thu nderstorms and of the dar , we see that Phos. is much more open than Calcarea, and that the Phos. fears are much more accentuated. The fear of thund erstorms is terrible in Phos.; they express a desire to hide under a table during a storm. Calcarea people would never communicate their fear in suc h a strong manner. Phos. persons also manifest their anxiety about health in earlier stages than does Calcarea. In Calcarea the anxiety about heal th develops in association with a pervasive anxiety about life and the future. Phos. could be called a thin Calcarea, with more accentuated fears and with a great desire for cold water. The perspiration in Phos. is less than Calcarea, while their vitality tends to be higher. Phos. is also more resp onsive than Calcarea.
Despair of recovery The anxiety about health can assume high intensity, even when there are no signs of physical illness. One proving illustrates: 'She thin s she is sic to death, hypochondriacally, but she couldn't complain about anything.' Calcarea p atients can have a fear of any type of disease-heart disease, liver or intestinal disease, etc.-but the fear of cancer is the most prominent. Their an xiety drives them to visit one doctor after another. Sometimes all it ta es is a slight colitis or a slight feeling of pain that originates in the ab domen, for the patient to become totally preoccupied with this little discomfort. It is a state of unbearable anxiety, coupled with inner trembling a nd palpitations that only serve to exacerbate the anxiety. They go to the specialist who can find nothing wrong with their colon, and this, instead o f pacifying them, only ma es things worse. They are now certain that they have cancer and that it will be discovered too late.
While engrossed in their suffering, Calcarea is quic to conclude that nothing c an be done in their case, nothing can save them. They become desperate and believe that no one can help them. They despair of their recovery. This tre mendous despair overwhelms them and they cannot be pacified. You see the despair in their expression, their utter hopelessness. In this symptom, despair that they will never recover, Calcarea, together with Arsenicum, leads the entire materia medica. This despair may not be revealed during the first homeopathic interview; the Cal carea patient may thin the practitioner is his last chance and, consequently, waits to see what can be achieved. If Calcarea isn't given after the initial visit, however, he will, during the second visit, express his despair. If the practitioner tries to persuade the patient that his case is not that serious and that, in all probability, something can be done for him, his words fall on deaf ears. The patient reiterates that there is no hope for h im and that he cannot be cured; he nows this for a fact.
These cases can be confused with those of Nitricum acidum. Both remedies possess great anxiety about health, and both have a desire for sweets and salt. Where they differ is that in Calcarea the desire for sweets is stronger t han that for salt, while in Nit-ac. the reverse is true.
Depression from grief Calcarea many times has a depression so severe that it recalls the Aurum state. However, the suicidal disposition is never as strong as in Aur. The Calcarea depression is accompanied by despair and physical fatigue; the patient is unable to do anything; there is no stamina, whether mental, emotional, or physical; and the world loo s altogether blac for them. They may just sit around and say absolutely nothing. People surround the Calcarea patient and tal , but he or she doesn't want to do anything, doesn't w ant to enter into a conversation and even refuses to spea . When Calcarea persons are alone in such a state, though, they may tal , as was mentioned earlier.
to themselves
These patients are tired of life; they do not want to continue living. They have suicidal thoughts, although, as previously mentioned, this symptom is not strong as, for example, in Aurum. A characteristic modality is that both anxiet y and the tendency to commit suicide are especially strong during perspiration. They thin of stabbing themselves as a means of finishing their l ives. The melancholy and despondency may be coupled with a ind of anguish. They feel dejected and moody and have a strong, irresistible tendency to weep. Weeping may be brought about by admonitions or by trifles, and they are i nclined to complain and grieve about offences long past. The patients moan and whine, weep and whimper. They feel forsa en and pity themselves and do not want to be consoled. Consolation even tends to aggravate their state. Many times, though not always, following an experience of grief, the Calcarea pa tient may enter a ind of hysterical state where weeping alternates with spells of wild laughter. Then they can enter into a peculiar state of such excitement that they want to scream and to shrie in order to get it out of their systems. Violent screaming spells may occur; they feel that if they do not scream they will go crazy; it is as if they have to compensate for the hysteria. They feel tremendous restlessness; they wal up and down in the room and feel as if they should do something.
Kent provides a vivid picture of this ind of excitement after grief: 'The mother loses her child, or husband; or a young girl loses her intended. She is bro en-hearted, and greatly excited. It is a hysterical state. And yet I have seen the same in men. I remember one. It came upon him from business cares . He had that same feeling; he would wal up and down the house, he said he felt as if he must fly or jump out of a window, or do something. That i s analogous to the mental state found in hysteria, or a great state of nervous excitement.'
Mental and emotional symptoms
Anxiety The anxiety is, as was said, often worse in the evening. Some modalities of the anxiety states from Hahnemann's proving are: 'anxious thoughts in the evening, coming and going, with delusions and fear of d ar , tries to loo into lighted areas; all disappearing after passage of flatus. Anxiety and oppression of chest after stool. Anxious wa ing at night, a fter midnight, often from anxious dreams. Great anxiety with palpitation of the heart. In his anxiety states, he may ma e a nuisance of hims elf, tormenting those around him day and night.' The provings also report, as a polarity to the aggravation of anxiety and fears in the evening, an amelioration of the mental state in the evening: 'Vexed and peevish in daytime, in the evening bright and inclined to conversation.' 'F irst part of day anxious, last part of day cheerful and satisfied with himself.' The abundance of thoughts and liveliness of mind in the evening, howe ver, may ma e it difficult to fall asleep; the patient cannot sleep before midnight. Lazy sitting around ma es him peevish and sleepy, and he becom es averse to everything. He feels better when occupied; mental occupation ameliorates a headache; he feels better when his attention is engage d. On the other hand, many symptoms, including nervousness, are aggravated by mental exertion and are better from lying down and closing the ey es. Exertion of the mind may bring on hyperaemia of head; chorea; or trembling spells.
Fright Calcarea has a special sensitivity to fright. These patients startle easily, inc luding from noise or shrill sounds. 'The day before the menses, disposed to fright; a trifle may give her a great fright.'
Excitement and irritability Emotional influences can also affect the menstrual cycle. Menses can disappear a fter a fright. Excitement brings on dysmenorrhoea; the least excitement endangers the return of catamenia, or causes metrorrhagia.
Anger and indifference Thoughts of offences or vexations long past can provo e anger, or can bring on g rief and complaint. Calcarea may develop an irritable mood and peevishness with anger, sometimes without any apparent cause; anger and vexatio n about trivia may bring on ailments li e vertigo and sleeplessness.
The anger can become really violent. They behave with excessive mischievousness, with obstinacy; they are intolerably bad tempered, especially in the morning when they are sleepy and have a headache. Calcarea can become peevish, morose, very cross and indifferent to most importan t matters, doing everything reluctantly and, as it were, under compulsion. They feel a wea ness of will, and yet have a feeling of power. Calc area is averse to everything and feels great annoyance. They are taciturn and indisposed to tal . They feel aversion, loathing and disgu st towards most other people. On the other hand, Calcarea can have the symptom: 'solitude is annoying, with coldness of face, hands, and feet.' (Hahne mann)
Obstinacy in children Obstinacy is found in children who are inclined to grow obese; they are fretful and stubborn. Calcarea children are sensitive; they become depressed and thin constantly about death and dying or about religious matters. They bec ome anxious upon closing their eyes at night because of night terrors; may be frightened of everything they see.
Appearance In Calcarea the muscles become very flabby. As an obvious consequence obesity an d flabbiness are the dominant characteristics of this remedy. We can, however, find a variety of appearances, especially in adults, where not al l of them are overweight. In fact, some Calcarea individuals are quite s inny. In these instances, the s in of these lean Calcarea individuals has a p eculiar texture, which is rather thic and coarse. Their faces may be very wrin led with fine but deep lines, which criss-cross the face dividing it into small squares. This wrin ling, together with the anxiety presented by Calcarea, may give these patients' faces a somewhat care-worn expression.
The calcarea child
We will follow the image of Calcarea carbonica as it is develops from infancy th rough adolescence. The typical picture of the Calcarea baby, is that of a white, overweight, flabby child with a prominent belly, the flabbiness being the principal feature. Their bones, lac sufficient calcium and are soft. The cranial fontanelles feel soft and many times are open (similar to Calcarea phosphorica). Calcarea babies may also be under-fed, as Calcarea can affect the absorption and assimilation of nutrients. If the child is undernourished, it tends to have a large head, big belly and emaciated body. These children are pale-s inne d, but flush easily. A further complementary symptom is the
development of hard, swollen cervical lymph nodes. A third option is possible. If there is an excess of calcium, rather than a defi ciency, the baby or child may have indurations and exostoses, hardening in the wrong places, and calcium deposits in single parts of the body. Retarded dentition is characteristic of Calcarea. Children become wea id during dentition, and have a sic ly complexion.
and langu
Later, at the age of twelve to seventeen months, the disturbance in the calcium balance becomes evident through bones that are soft, that brea easily and aren't firm, nor stable enough, to allow the infant to stand at the proper time. Therefore, there is a wea ness when wal ing or standing, and Calcarea children are late to wal . A stri ing characteristic of Calcarea babies is moaning and groaning, or whining as if something were wrong, often without any definite problem being apparent. For example, it can happen after vaccination, that the child begins t o develop these first signs of disturbance. For Calcarea to be indicated, though, additional accompanying symptoms must also be evident. Don't expect Calcarea babies to be cold. They are usually warm at this age, and have a tendency to become overheated. They become restless and ic off the covers during the night li e Sulphur or Pulsatilla. It is later, after the age of about seven, that these children begin to manifest the usual chill of Calcarea. In babies, perspiration of the scalp appears, often enough to soa the pillow; t his tendency to perspire is irrespective of the ambient temperature. Calcarea children perspire profusely and easily in the cervical and occipital r egions, especially when in bed and in the first part of their sleep. Their feet may be cold and clammy. The perspiration generally smells sou r, as does the stool. Calcarea babies may vomit mil , actually vomit, as opposed to simply spit up the mil . They may lose their appetite and refuse to feed well. Children's organisms have an amazing ability to select what they need by develop ing desires and aversions. Almost all Calcarea children have a definite desire for soft-boiled eggs, which Hering says may come on 'in sic ness or reco nvalescence, even before they are able to swallow' (!). It is important to emphasise soft-boiled eggs here because, should the child desire h ard-boiled eggs, the remedy, most li ely, is not Calcarea carbonica. It seems that the calcium or nutrients that the organism needs to extract from egg s is destroyed through over- boiling. It is due to paying attention to these
ind of small details that the experience
d homeopath has a higher percentage of success than the inexperienced one who always gives Calcarea when he hears the symptom 'desire for eggs'. As f ew as one out of every ten children is Calcarea if they desire hard-boiled eggs; the remainder of the children are remedies such as Pulsatilla , Causticum or others. These children also have a strong desire for sweets and especially for sugar. Th e desire for chocolate is not as strong as the desire for sugar in a concentrated form. Calcarea children, approximately seven to ten years of age, still display the wh ining, moaning, and whimpering of the earlier years. The anxiety states consistent with later phases of the Calcarea pathology are not yet apparent. Th e typical Calcarea obstinacy will most li ely be seen and physical pathology will predominate. There may be a tendency to contract frequent upper respiratory infections. Children who get frequent colds need this remedy almost as often as they need Tuberculinum.
On the whole, children with a Calcarea constitution tend to be wea and tire eas ily. When playing with a group of children, they will be the first to quit playing and to sit down to rest. They quic ly become breathless, flushed, and s weaty after only a little exertion. Calcarea carbonica's circulation is not optimal; this is why, as the pathology progresses a little further, these c hildren may suffer from very strong palpitations if they are forcefully wa ened during the night. Calcarea's being flabby, however, does not always imp ly that they are wea . In fact, they can be quite strong and can possess an agility which is surprising. Calcarea children at this age can also possess a number of fears. In particular, they disli e the dar and have a fear of the dar . They experience many nightmares, may awa en screaming and be unable to return to sleep. A comment th at is frequently heard is that one cannot give Calcarea unless the patient is fearful. This is a misconception. Fears tend to appear later in the course of development of the Calcarea pathology, but they are by no means necessary, at this age, in order to prescribe Calcarea. Calcarea children, from approximately seven to fourteen years of age, frequently display an intriguing mental characteristic: they develop a peculiar religious turn of mind. They inquire about God, angels, and the afterlife. They have a desire to learn all that they can about such matters. They may become very religious, bordering at times on fanaticism. As they age they p ass beyond this stage of religious preoccupation; but it is possible to see this ind of 'philosophical' questioning again in adulthood, as was describ ed in the section on 'Little Ideas'. Kent comments upon this condition in his 'Lectures': 'It is a strange thing to see a bright little girl of 8 or 9 years ta ing on sad ness, melancholy, and commencing to tal about the future world, and the angels, and that she wants to die and go there, and she is sad, and wants to re ad the Bible all day. That is a strange thing; and yet Calcarea has cured that. Ars. has cured that state, and also Lachesis. They are a little inclined to be precocious, and they have attended the Sunday-school and they have ta en too seriously the things they have learned.' Calcarea children usually have to be quite ill before they lose their ability to concentrate and their capacity for mental wor . They are generally quite brilliant and do well in school; their performance is typically above average. They tend to be quite determined in their studies, wor hard and are well organised. Their ambition and competitiveness causes them to push themselv es too hard, to overexert themselves to the point that their mental
stamina is lost and their capacity for concentration is undermined. At this poi nt they may become restless and want to leave school. Overwor is well nown to be one of the precipitating causes of Calcarea carbonica states of pat hology. After puberty, at the ages of 14, 15, or 16, Calcarea children begin to develop a fear of high places and vertigo from heights. They may not even be able to tolerate watching someone else on a height without feeling excited and fearf ul. This fear is so strong that they can have dreams and nightmares about high places. Prior to this age it is unusual to encounter this symptom, s o frequent in adults. Fear of heights is a strong eynote in both Calcarea and Sulphur. Pulsatilla children can often be confused with Calcarea children. Puls. may ente r a similar state of inquiry towards religion and the after life. Their constitutions possess similarities; the physiques can be the same, and Puls. ca n have a desire for soft-boiled eggs (It should be added to the Repertory for this desire.) Puls. children, however, are much softer emotionall y and more prone to cry easily. In contrast, Calcarea children are more
assertive, at times to the extent that they are obstinate. Their personalities are very strong, their desires are definite, and their determination to obtain their wants is pronounced.
Generalities Ailments from impaired nutrition: As Boeric e points out, impaired nutrition is the eynote that expresses Calcare a's chief action on the physical level of the organism. The pathology can involve any system of the body, but the musculos eletal system and the lymphati c system are two areas that are especially affected. Whenever the s eletal and lymphatic systems are involved simultaneously, Calcarea should be considered. Glands are often swollen, perspiration is increased, generally, as well as locally, and there is a tendency to tubercular and rachit ic conditions. The bones often suffer faulty development. The bony tissues develop slowly, and this is often coupled with lymphatic enlargements. The fontanelles remain open for an unusually long time. The bones are very soft and the extremi ties become croo ed and deformed. Curvature of the bones, especially of the spine and the long bones are prevalent. Deficiencies of calci um appear as: rachitis; caries of bones; necroses; osteomyelitis. On the other hand, there are also exostoses and swellings of bones. Injuries of bones are slow to repair. Injuries to the periosteum, e.g. when a ha mmer stri es it through the muscles, may be cured by Calcarea, as may boring, stinging or pulsating sensations in the bones. The joints are often affected: they crac le and crepitate, as if they were dry; there appear arthritic nodosities, accompanied by stiffness of the joints. Calcarea has joint affections li e hip-joint disease or rheumatic and gouty con ditions of the joints. . Calcarea suffers from complaints from difficult dentition In babies the teeth ar e slow to come through, while older patients have problems with wisdom teeth. Fragile fingernails are another characteristic of Calcarea; one can expect to se e this symptom in most Calcarea patients unless the case suffers deeply on the mental level. The nails can also have white spots. Kent describes the bone conditions of 'natural lime cases', i.e. Calcarea, in th
e following: 'Born with an inability to digest the lime that is in their natural food, and th ey grow fat and flabby, and produce deficient bones. There is a greater proportion of cartilaginous material in the bones than lime, and the bones bend , and ta e on diseases and destructive troubles. Deficient teeth, or no teeth at all. The bones simply stop growing, and the patient goes into marasmus .' He then gives an account of the wonderful curative effects that follow these cas es after a single dose of Calcarea: 'All at once the teeth begin to grow; the bones begin to grow, and the legs become stiff enough for him to begin to w al , and they will hold him upÖ You will see within months or six wee s after giving a solitary dose of the sufficiently potentised remedy the na ils that were corrugated and uneven and spotted and irregular will form a margin and will grow out smooth. You will see the ugly little crowns upo n the teeth, distorted, and blac things as they come up out of the
gums; but when they have been under the suitable homeopathic remedy you will se e them form a margin line, and from there on the teeth loo healthy, and from there on the little body of the tooth is smooth and round; just as if the child had had an impulse to grow better teeth.' Glands, tumours and exostoses that is, hardness where softness ought to be, resu lts from an excess of calcium, the complementary feature to the prevailing lac of calcium. Exostoses is a symptom for which Calcarea is wellnown. This excess may also lead to swollen cartilage or tumours, especially those of an encysted ind. Those suffering from these ailments are u sually the thin Calcarea patients. In contrast to the more prevalent Calcarea personality, these people can be quite active and can also have very p ositive temperaments. An especially mar ed feature of Calcarea carbonica is its tendency to attac gla nds. It affects particularly the lymphatic glands: the glands of the nec , of the groin, and those found in the abdomen. There is often atrophy or e maciation of the body along with glandular swelling, especially in tubercular subjects. The lymph nodes can become hard, inflamed, and painful; no dular swellings appear under the s in and are often large, the size of a hic ory nut. Ulcers may also be cured by Calcarea, especially when they are indurated. Kent r emar s: 'It is useful in indurations in ulcers, and the base of ulcers, and round about ulcers, hence its wonderful use in palliating and restraining t he growth of malignant ulcers, as malignant ulcers always have an indurated baseÖ In cancerous affections that would ill in sixteen months the pat ient will live five years with Calcarea, if Calcarea is indicated. That is something, and many times that is all that can be expected in a cancerous gr owth.' Another ind of growth that is often produced in Calcarea subjects is polypus. P olypi develop in the nose, in the ears, in the vagina, in the bladder, in the rectum and so on. Obesity and emaciation: An important polarity in Calcarea is that it can cause obesity and emaciation. T hese states are often coupled with anaemia. The patients of soft fibre, have a tendency to be obese and rather sluggish. The ir head and features are large, and their s in is pale and has a chal y appearance. The tendency to put on weight and to grow flabby and wea often one of Calcarea's first noticeable symptoms - the more weight, the more wea ness.
is
In the emaciated state, in children we see a big belly, an increase in glandular and fatty tissue, whereas the nec and limbs are emaciated. Kent says: 'Calcarea corresponds in a very high degree to the chlorotic and anaemic, pale and waxy; and in spite of this plump. It has both fat, flabby and pale patients, and it has emaciated states, too. Muscles emaciate. Emaciated ab out the nec ; emaciated about the nec and from there downwards. Anaemic conditions; pale, waxy, sic ly; pale lips; pale ears; pale fingers; pal e and yellowishÖ It produces most pernicious anaemia.' When these obese and anaemic patients have a flushed face, they loo much li e F errum cases. If such a patient exerts himself he will come down with a fever, or a headache. The difference between these two remedies lies in the fac t that Ferr. has a circumscribed flush in its chee s while Calcarea's entire face is red. In these cases differential diagnosis between Ferr., Bellad onna and Calcarea will be difficult. Wea ness: The wea ness and exhaustion of Calcarea is a major characteristic. The patient m oves slowly and aw wardly. The female Calcarea tends to fall
easily and is clumsy and aw ward, especially during pregnancy. The feature pecu liar to the wea ness is that Calcarea tires quic ly from every ind of bodily exertion. Calcarea ought to be one of the first remedies to come to mind when one is confronted with a patient who complains of dyspnea from the slightest exertion. The effort of climbing hills, stairs, etc. is a special obstacle for Calcarea. T hey may quic ly become breathless and fatigued from climbing. When a patient tells you that he can't go upstairs because he is so weary, his legs ar e tired and that he immediately gets out of breath, this points strongly to Calcarea carbonica. Wal ing in the open air may also bring on a great loss of p ower, especially in the lower limbs, along with an exhausting sweat. Hahnemann relates that the contrary also exists. There are the occasional state s of weariness that are ameliorated by continuous wal ing or by inspiring fresh open air. Tal ing wea ens the organism. The patient must stop tal ing because of exhaustio n. Coitus, too, can be very fatiguing. Many of these patients will be aggravated after coitus; they may experience fatigue for several days thereafte r. However, don't be misled by this statement into thin ing that all Calcarea patients are wea . Most of the time they are quite vital sexually and tend to be healthy in the sexual sphere. Weariness and exhaustion may be felt first thing in the morning, following a dee p sleep. This confused and sleepy condition may continue even after the patient has risen; fatigue, weariness, and sleepiness may even extend throughou t the whole day. Aggravation after every ind of exertion is very typical of Calcarea carbonica. Due to their lac of stamina, they are unable to endure any serious effort. Complaints from lifting are often seen in this remedy, as are complaint s from the sudden suppression of perspiration, similar to Belladonna. 'If he gets into a sweat, and stops long enough to be comfortable, the perspira tion will stop so suddenly that he will have a chill, or he will have a headache.' (Kent) Calcarea has spells of fainting in the street. They come on with a sensation of something rising from the stomach to the head. The person feels he is about to die. These attac s are then followed by bewilderment. The fainting may occur in the evening, with blac ness before the eyes; during the menses, there may be drawing, pressing pains with stitches, now here, now there , with restlessness severe enough to cause fainting, or in the morning, after rising, there is a dizziness along with the feeling that he will fall dow n unconscious. The fainting spells can be coupled with chill, indistinct
vision and large drops of sweat on the face. The ability to convalesce from illnesses is also impaired; Calcarea has easy rel apses, does not continue to convalesce. Muscular ailments: The muscles become lax and flabby and are easily injured and strained. Muscular atrophy can be found; muscles of the bac and limbs can be wasted. Children are late to wal due to muscular wea ness. Kent provides us with an in teresting differentiation here. The Calcarea child 'is not late learning to wal , but it is late wal ing. It nows how to wal , but it can't wa l . Natrum muriaticum has brain trouble, in which the child is late learning to do things.' Calcarea has a pyaemic state that results in abscesses in the deep muscles: in t he nec , in the thighs and in the abdomen. Another characteristic, which may be present in Calcarea cases from the ages of 35 to 40 years onward, is cramping in different parts of the body,
especially in the calves when they lie down at night. These cramps can draw on the limbs, and, in particular, contract and twist the fingers and toes. Rheumatic complaints: Calcarea is prone to many rheumatic complaints, musculos eletal aches and pains that are generally ameliorated by warmth and dryness; they are primarily aggravated by dampness and also by cold. Generally, Calcarea is aggra vated by cold bathing and ameliorated by hot baths. Many of the pains are aggravated by lying down, similar to Rhus toxicodendron. Calcarea suf fers from muscular rheumatism. With the rheumatic pains hard welts are to be felt in the muscles. One of the principal areas of wea ness in Calcarea carbonica is the lumbar regio n. The lumbar area feels very wea , with the peculiarity of this wea ness being that it prevents these persons from sitting up straight for long periods of time. The bac feels strained and wea , and they have a propensity to slump. Soon after sitting a Calcarea patient tends to slouch in h is chair and it is not unusual for him to end up in a half lying position. As his bac feels too wea to sustain the weight of his body while sitting, he ta es such a position to relieve the weight and pressure. Calcarea not only covers lumbago and sciatica, but also arthritis and gout. Even severe pathologi es li e rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are within the sphere of action of Calcarea. It is important to now that if severe or systematic diseases, such as rheumatis m, present a clear picture of Calcarea carbonica, they are most probably curable. In order for it to be a Calcarea case, you must expect to see the typi cal constitutional symptoms: the cold feet, the aggravation from cold and damp weather and especially when these two are combined in weather conditio ns, the sensitivity to cold air and to draughts, and a dread of cold winds. These people are sensitive to the coming of a storm and, in general, to weather changes, especially from warm to cold. When such a change occurs, it seems impossible for the patient to eep warm, though warmth amelior ates his symptoms a great deal. Calcarea suffers because their system has difficulty adapting to changes of weather. With regard to Calcarea pains we can add that they are most generally felt while lying in bed or while sitting. They are also felt in those parts upon which the body has been lying for a time. They express themselves as neuralgic pains in the limbs, which feel as if beaten, bruised, or sprained. Nervous Ailments:
Twitching, trembling, spasm, and convulsion are a prominent feature of Calcarea carbonica. We see muscular trembling, twitching and jer ing. Chorea, which sometimes is only one-sided, comes on from fright or in second dentition. There are convulsions in teething children, hysteric spasms, clonic spasms and epileptic paroxysms. Convulsions may come on after mortification, ve xation, fright, masturbation, suppression of a chronic eruption or from getting wet. Letting the legs swing may also provo e convulsions. After th e attac , a ravenous hunger can come on. Calcarea may be indicated in epilepsy. Hering relates a case of epilepsy of thre e years' standing with eight to ten fits daily, worse from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. , that was cured by this remedy. In his 'Chronic diseases', Hahnemann relates t hat epileptic fits at night, at the time of the full moon, with screaming may be an indication for Calcarea, and Hering adds that epilepsy is worse durin g solstice. Calcarea is one of the main remedies to cure epilepsy that is stimulated by children playing a lot with video games.
Calcarea carbonica patients may experience an epileptic aura in the solar plexus which is very promptly followed by convulsions. The aura spreads outward or upward from the solar plexus. This symptom is similar to Indigo and Lycopodium. In Lyc. the sensation was described by a child as if something evil were arising from his stomach and overta ing him. In Cicuta the origination of the aura is from lower in the abdomen. Another aural symptom in Calcarea is a feeling as if a mouse is running up the arm or down th e epigastrium to the uterus or lower limbs. An unusual symptom sometimes encountered in Calcarea carbonica patients, when th ey are fatigued, is the sensation of levitation. They feel as if they are floating or leaving their body. Some persons may experience this sense of l evitation spontaneously. Disturbances of the Circulatory System: Disturbances of the circulation often manifest in the form of congestion. Let us follow Kent's description here: 'Calcarea is full of congestions, determination of blood to the head; cold feet; hot head; congestion of the ches t. Ö The head is sometimes congested; and it is hot to the touch; but it often feels cold to him. His scalp feels as if it were cold. But the body is ne arly always cold to the touch and he feels cold, and he wants plenty of clothing.' This peculiar combination of congestion and coldness is a eynote of Calcarea. K ent puts it another way and says: 'the more mar ed the congestion of internal parts, the colder the surface becomes.' The flabbiness of Calcarea applies to all tissues of the body, but especially to the blood vessels where we see great relaxation. 'Great relaxation in the tissues everywhere; relaxation of muscles; relaxation of veins; relaxation of t he walls of blood-vessels to such a great extent, especially in the lower limbs and anus, that there are mar ed haemorrhoidal manifestations or mar ed va ricose veins in the legs. Distended veins, burning in these varicose veins. Burning and smarting. Bleeding and oozing.' (Kent) Heat Flushes: Congestion and ebullition of blood may also be accompanied by flushes of heat. C alcarea experiences a warm rush of blood from the pit of the stomach to the head, frequent flushes of heat, with anxiety and palpitation, or she feels as if hot water were being poured over her. There are also violent palpitations accompanying the anxiety states or a throbbing of the hear t and veins from a dry cough at night. These sensations typically coincide with the stage in which Calcarea weeps because of feelings of despair
and depression. Circulatory disturbances also ta e the form of a tremulous pulsation of the hear t, which is worse after eating and at night. There are also violent palpitations with the anxiety states, throbbing of the heart and veins from a d ry cough at night. A nocturnal ebullition of blood coincides with restless sleep, especially during menstruation. Sensitivity to Cold: On the whole, Calcarea is a chilly patient. He has an aversion to the open air a s the least cold air goes right through him. In spite of his sensitivity to cold, he cannot bear the sun. His hands and feet tend to be very cold. We have to mention here that the feet p rovide a valuable clue to Calcarea patients. Most patients complain of having cold feet; upon going to bed they often put on soc s. Later in the night their feet usually become warm, and so they remove their soc s.
Sometimes their feet can become so warm in bed (especially the soles) that they stic them out of the covers. In cases which suffer from very frequent colds Calcarea is one of the major reme dies to consider, along with Sulphur, Psorinum, and Tuberculinum. Calcarea can be aggravated by aspirin; the aggravation can be general or can pe rtain to the symptoms for which the aspirin was ta en. Perspiration, Discharges and Eruptions: Calcarea can be recognised by the type of perspiration they have. Patients sweat easily and profusely, after the slightest exertion of body or mind. The sweat is often cold and clammy. Perspiration may be general or partial, especia lly on the head, the nape of nec , the chest, the hands and the feet, and it increases during sleep. Perspiration on the palms renders the hands cold and clammy; the handsha e of many a Calcarea patient is unforgettable - flaccid and moist. The feet li ewise perspire, but not to the d egree of other remedies such as Silica, Nitric acid, Graphites, and Lycopodium. The perspiration tends not to be offensive. Sourness is characteristic of Calcarea. The discharges are sour: the sweat, the stool, the urine. The body smells sour. Calcarea has a sour taste in the mouth, or of food, has sour vomit (especially in children during dentition), al so has sour diarrhoea, which accompanies disorders of the mucous membranes. Eruptions appear behind the ears, especially in crac s that are located behind t he inferior aspect of the ear, level with the earlobe. This eruption is seen primarily in children. The other main remedy for an eruption in such a loc ation is Graphites; however, the Graph. eruption will ooze a stic y, honey-li e fluid. Sleep: The Calcarea sleep is restless and disturbed, with wa ing at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. , cannot return to sleep. Nocturnal anxiety states are frequent. Children have nightmares; they wa e at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. screaming and cannot be made to understand that it was merely a dream. In the morning, however, they remember nothing of it. A eynote is 'horrible visions upon closing the ey es'. The patient has anxiety before going to sleep or falling asleep; also 'when the evening draws near' (Hahnemann). Lachrymation: Lachrymation is a eynote for Calcarea. This lachrymation occurs typically in th e right eye and can be triggered both indoors and outdoors. It is
provo ed relatively easily by mere exposure to a small amount of open air. 'Lac hrymation of eyes, in the open air or in the morning.' (Hahnemann) Stomach and Desires: There is a peculiar empty sensation or 'sin ing feeling' in the stomach which ca n cause these people to eat despite an absence of appetite. It is a form of nervous eating. Other remedies experience a similar emptiness (Phosphorus, S ulphur, Sepia), but at specific hours. In Calcarea the emptiness is constant. Calcarea has a desire for sweets, salt and farinaceous food, especially pasta, a nd of course, a desire for eggs, especially soft-boiled eggs. This feature is a well- nown eynote of the remedy. Calcarea can also have an aversi on to eggs. However, were the patient to be aggravated by eggs, it would be a very strong contra-indication of Calcarea. An aversion to fat is als o characteristic, and patients frequently do not li e slimy foods.
Calcarea children, two to four years of age, may attempt to eat anything, diges tible or not. In infants Calcarea is the first remedy to consider for aphthous stomatitis. Constipation: Constipation frequently accompanies the picture of Calcarea. An interesting obse rvation about the constipation, when it appears in children, is that they often feel better while they are constipated. This characteristic is usually lo st by the time they reach adulthood. Relations: In chronic conditions, Calcarea carbonica and Bryonia are inimical. One should b e very circumspect about following Calcarea with Bry. To illustrate: a Calcarea patient, treated for a chronic condition, subsequently suffers a relap se. Upon examining the case it becomes apparent that the patient's state is no longer the same as it was previously. His thirst is increased, his mouth is dry, and he is not so chilly. It is decided that Bry. is indicated. Even though it appears to be the correct remedy, one should be very wary of giv ing Bry. in such a case, as it will more than li ely induce either a full relapse or a disruption. If, on the other hand, the new situation involves an a cute disorder, such as an influenza or a bronchitis, and the acute disorder clearly shows the symptomatology of Bry., then it can be prescribed wi th confidence. Belladonna and Rhus toxicodendron are complementary to Calcarea. Frequently when acute illnesses arise in the Calcarea carbonica patient, Bell. will be the indicated remedy. General Modalities: Calcarea suffers from the ill effects of: alcohol, loss of vital fluids, sexual excess, masturbation, strains, over-lifting, suppressed sweat, eruptions, menses, and fright. They have ailments from anger, grief, rudeness, fright, wor ry, egotism or bad news. Calcarea is pre-eminently a right-sided remedy, with the exception of problems w ith the cervical musculature and chest troubles; these exceptions tend to be more left-sided. Sciatica also tends to occur more on the left side. It has sensations as if parts of the body would burst, are pressed asunder, or a s if cold, damp stoc ings were on the feet. Calcarea is worse from: cold in every form (water, washing, damp air, wet weathe r), mental or physical exertion, during the full moon, in the evening and in the early morning, going upstairs, dentition, constriction and tightness of clothes, standing, mil , smo ed meats, and indigestible foods.
Calcarea is better from: a dry climate, sneezing (pain in the head and nape of t he nec ), lying down quietly in the dar . Calcarea has a great desire to be mesmerised, which may translate into a desire to be touched and stro ed g ently; this generally has an ameliorating effect on the patient. Calcarea usually prefers to lie on the left side.
Vertigo Calcarea is famous for the vertigo it produces, especially vertigo in high place s. Actually, 'high' does not have to mean a really high place; even climbing on a chair to fix a lamp can cause vertigo in Calcarea. These persons are not even able to go near a really high place, for example, a cliff.
When Calcarea people even just see someone near a cliff or the edge of a balcon y, they are attac ed by vertigo. They become hysterical and nothing can persuade them that the balcony is actually very safe. 'Vertigo on climbing upstairs; vertigo on climbing into high places, e.g. on a roof' (Hahnemann). The vertigo may also be stimulated by a dream of high places. A sy mptom from the proving is having a 'frightening dream of falling or being thrown downwards'. Kent points out that in Calcarea we see vertigo 'on almost all occasions, interm ingled with all sorts of symptoms.' He notes that vertigo results from every stirring up of the emotions or from mental exertion: 'If he becomes shoc ed, or has bad news, or has any mental excitement or chagrin, this vertigo will come out,' namely a vertigo with blood rushing to the head. One symptom fr om the proving is dizziness all evening long from vexation about trifles. Vertigo also comes on when quic ly turning the head, when wal ing in the open ai r(she feels as if she might tumble), after wal ing, while standing and loo ing around(she feels as if everything is turning around with her). The vertigo may be accompanied by headache, nausea, and vomiting. A special indi cation is 'chronic headache with vertigo, worse ascending stairs, in anaemic women with profuse menses' (T.F. Allen). The morning before brea fast is not a good time for Calcarea persons; then they can feel dizzy and trembling.
Head The headaches of Calcarea typically have their onset after exertion. Other causa tive factors are: rainy weather, exposure to the cold and damp, as well as draughts of all inds, catching a cold (especially when the nasal disch arge decreases), over-lifting and straining the bac , coitus, and emotions, such as grief. Great mental exertion ('over-studying') may stimulate hyperaemia and pain of the head and provo e a 'school children's headache'. Mental occupation, however, may also have an ameliorating effect. Wal ing, noise and tal ing will aggravate the headache. The pain is better from lying quietly in a dar room, especially on the left side (which is often the painful side), the side preferred by Calcarea people. Amelioration also com es from gentle pressure and rubbing. There is a drawing pain that appears in the occiput, on the side to which the head is tilted, that disappear
s from sneezing. Some important headache symptoms are: Stupefying, pressive pain in the forehead, with confusion of the senses and fogg iness of the whole head while reading; has to stop reading and doesn't now where he was. Extreme pressive aching in the forehead, as in vertigo, on all occasions, whethe r in motion or at rest. Head very sensitive to cold, which creates a headache that feels as if a board w ere lying on the head and pressing on it. The body feels chilly. A throbbing or hammering headache, especially in the occiput. Heaviness in the forehead, worse from reading or writing.
Stitches in the head, especially on the side of the head, above the temple. Tearing headache from above the eyes down to the nose, with nausea. Kent comment s that this headache sometimes feels as if a great wedge is lodged there. 'This headache continues to grow worse during the day until, in t he evening, it becomes so severe that it is attended with nausea and vomiting.' Brain feels as if it is squeezed and relaxed alternately. Headache begins in the occiput and spreads to the top of head. They are so sever e that she thin s her head will burst, and that she will go crazy. Concussive, stitching, pulsating pains in the head, as if it would split, with c ough. Frequent one-sided headache, always with a lot of empty eructation. Sic headache on the left side, with scanty menses; on the right side, with prof use menses. Headache every seven days, or headaches once in two wee s; periodic headaches. Congestion to the head is a strong feature. The head feels full, dull, confused or stupefied and this may be accompanied by heat in the head and face. The face may be red and puffy, or else the head is hot and heavy with a pale fa ce. The hands and feet are often very cold. On the other hand, icy coldness within and on the head is a eynote. The coldnes s may also be described as a feeling of numbness, a cold as if the head is made of wood. This feeling can occur together with congestion. Kent say s that the feature 'the more mar ed the congestion of internal parts, the colder the surface becomes' is so strong that it is almost a general condit ion. There is burning in the vertex with coldness of the forehead, or the whole head may feel cold except for a burning spot on vertex. The burning i n the vertex may come on after grief, as described by Hering. In children the bones of the head do not develop well, and a characteristic feat ure is a large head with open fontanelles; fontanelles do not close on time. Head sweats and enlarged lymph nodes often accompany this condition. Chro nic hydrocephalus may also be an indication of Calcarea. Head sweats are very characteristic, in both children and adults. There is copio us nocturnal sweating of the head in children, wetting the entire pillow. The sweat may roll down the face in large, bead-li e drops. The perspir ation tends to smell sour. Calcarea produces copious exhausting sweat, particularly at bac of the head and nape of the nec , even in cold air. 'You would naturally thin that
a person going into a cold room would stop his sweating, but sometimes the Calc area patient will brea out in a sweat, upon the head, and upon the feet, in a cold room' (Kent). There is perspiration of the head in the evening. On the scalp, there is a biting, burning and crawling itching, which spreads fro m the bac part of the head, and becomes worse in the evening from being warm in bed. Scratching the head creates lumps and a bloody eruption on t he head, which forms turns into scales. Eruptions on the scalp are frequently seen: eczema; tinea favosa, thic scabs co vered with thic pus. Crusta serpiginosa and herpes circinatus during dentition. Crusts on the head in nursing children. The hair is dry and loo s li e flax, with much dandruff, yellowish-white scales, on the scalp. It tends to fall out easily, sometimes leaving bald patches.
An interesting symptom that is emphasised by Hering is an impatient scratching o f head on awa ening or when roused from sleep; it was observed e.g. in cases where the chief complaint was coxalgia or paralysis.
Eyes The eye symptoms are generally aggravated by straining them during reading, writ ing, or by loo ing steadily at one thing, and also by bodily exertion. Bright sunlight also worsens eye conditions, and if the patients catc h a cold from exposure of the feet to water, from exposure to wind or from cold, damp weather, this easily settles in the eyes and causes eye troubles. Ophthalmia appears: in new-borns, as a result of ta ing cold, from a foreign bod y entering the eye. The lids are red, swollen, painful and itching. Corneitis and conjunctivitis. There is great photophobia, which is worse in the evening (in artificial light). A symptom that has repeatedly been produced and cured by Calcarea is agglutinati on of the lids in the morning. In Hahnemann's proving, we find the symptoms: 'The lids of the watery-loo ing eyes are agglutinated with gum in the morning, and the eyes pain when he loo s into the light', and: 'Swelling and redness of the lids, with nightly agglutination; during the day t hey are full of gum, with sensation of heat, smarting pain, and lachrymation.' Lachrymation in the open air or in the morning is also a eynote. Lachrymation a lso comes on from exertion of the eyes, for instance when writing. Obstruction of the lachrymal duct. Fistula lachrymalis; thic yellow pus in cant hus; itching, humid eruptions. The pupils are chronically dilated. While reading the movement of the eyes causes tension in the ocular muscles. The eye muscles become wea ; the eyeballs seem stiff and difficult to move; there is involuntary nystagmus. There are painful sensations in the eyes, as if a foreign body had entered them, or as if a grain of sand were under the upper eyelid. The pain may be pressing or stitching. In the inner canthi stitches and burning can be noticed; the stitching may alternate with pulsating. Pain is worse when reading by candlelight in the evening.
There is itching in the eyes; in the margins of eyelids; in the canthi. The lids can twitch, with a feeling as if the eye was moving by itself. Cataracts. Margery Blac ie reports: 'It is astonishing how often the old boo s c laim that cataracts can be cured by Calcarea carbonica. I am quite sure of that, when they are getting dim vision. I had two cases where the eye specia list and I were quite sure that both were beginning a cataract, and both reported that he could not find it after Calc. had acted.' Maculae and ulcers on the cornea. Fungus haematodes with opacity of the cornea. Pustules on the cornea. The eyesight becomes wea , especially for things near the patient; the patient h as dim vision, cannot thread a needle.
Hemiopia. From Hahnemann's proving: 'It seemed as though a shadow came before th e eyes, with very dilated pupils, so that objects seemed to her as if dar eye.'
and invisible from one side; she saw, for example, on persons only one
Sudden blindness after a meal. 'Sudden blindness, immediately after lunch; unabl e even to see the table by which he sat; with anxious sweat and nausea, and at the same time li e a bright shining before the eyes; after an ho ur of sleep it had disappeared.' (Hahnemann). Mist or smo e appears before the eyes when loo ing eenly at something or when r eading. Blac spots appear before the eyes; also when reading or on physical exertion. Glittering or bright luminous spots appear before the eyes, with severe vertigo. Dimness of vision along with the desire to close the eyes (but without sleepines s).
Ears In Calcarea many perversions of hearing occur: noises; a feeling as if something is lying in front of the membrana tympani, which may come on spontaneously or upon blowing the nose. There is a humming, roaring, thundering , and buzzing in the ear, which may be coupled with hearing loss; swallowing or chewing may excite noises li e crac ing, snapping, and 'squelchin g' (a noise li e a foot in a swamp); singing, followed by crac ling (as of paper) is also noted in the proving, as well as hissing noises near the ear. There is a strong sensitivity to noise in the evening upon going to sleep; loud sounds cause a sensitivity in the brain. Impaired hearing has often been cured by Calcarea: deafness from wor ing in wate r; hearing loss after abuse of quinine for suppression of intermittent fever; also from Eustachian catarrh. Cold and damp weather easily bring on ear troubles, very often together with headaches; the tremendous sensitivity to cold and draughts also pertains to the ears. Inflammation and swelling of the outer and inner ear. Otorrhoea, which is mucopurulent and affects principally the right ear, with enl arged glands. The parotis may also be affected, as is any gland in Calcarea persons; parotitis in scarlatina, with ichorous discharge; parotitis, more often on the right side. Polypi are also apt to occur in Calcarea subjects; ulceration, then granulation, then polypi, with a great stench is an
indication emphasised by Hering. Pulsating and throbbing in the ears. Stitches in the ears; in the ear and temple, disappearing while at rest with the eyes closed. A feeling of heat is also to be mentioned: Heat in the internal part of the ears , li e hot blood; heat that seems to stream out of the (left) ear; burning pain in the region around the ear. We also see, however, frequent chill externa lly, at the ears, as is consistent with the Calcarea congestion. Behind the ears, there are frequently moist eruptions and crac s in the s in, of ten level with the earlobe; these crac s often appear in new-born babies. There are boils and tumours in front of and below the ears. Hahnemann a lso mentions something li e an exostosis in his proving: li e a swelling of the bone behind the left ear, that itches and smarts as if it is ulcerated f rom touch.
Nose The nostrils are sore and ulcerated; sometimes ulcerated in spots, which are cov ered with crusts. The nostrils are sensitive to touch. The patients are extremely sensitive to colds, especially to cold and wet, catch ing a cold every time the weather changes. They often suffer with troublesome and chronic nasal catarrh which is changeable: sometimes there is a n annoying dryness of the nose, and then again it is plugged up with yellow, offensive pus. Thic or yellow nasal discharge irritates the upper lip and swells the nose. Red, itching pustules appear on the upper lip and chee . Fluent coryza is also to be seen, with profuse secretion, clear li e wat er, and which has a salty taste. 'Dry nose at night; moist in daytime' (Hahnemann). Alternatively, he breathes through his nose part of the night, and then it clogs up so he breathes through the mouth. 'In the morning he blows out enormous blac ish, bloody chun s' (Kent). The coryza can be accompani ed by headaches. According to Kent, nasal catarrhs can go on for such a long time and may be so deep-seated in Calcarea, that the bones and cart ilages of the nose are infiltrated and brea down. Coryza alternates with abdominal colic. This curious symptom has been observed i n the provings: 'Severe coryza that disappeared after two days and transformed into violent cutting in abdomen for several days.' (Hahnemann) Nasal polypi are an indication of Calcarea, and sometimes are with a loss of sme ll. Kent has experienced that some wee s after a correct prescription of the remedy, without nowing that there were polypi, patients came bac 'with a gelatinous loo ing tough thing in a hand erchief' and said: 'Doctor, loo
there at what came out of my nose.'
Swelling of the nose and upper lip, especially in children, is also a eynote. T his swelling of the nose, particularly at its root, can frequently disappear and recur. There is a snotty swelling on ridge of nose. Epistaxis occurs easily, frequently, and profusely, sometimes almost to the poin t of fainting. In obese children there is an inclination to nosebleed. Frequent sneezing, with or without coryza; in the morning. The patient has the sensation of a very offensive smell in the nose; stench in f ront of the nose as from putrid eggs or gunpowder.
Face
The face can have different appearances: In many cases it is pale, with blue rin gs under the eyes; a pale, lean face, with deep-set eyes; cathectic, sallow, cold and sic ly loo ing. The pale colour can also remain when there is congestion to the head and the head feels hot and heavy. Chill can also alternate with heat, and in the heat stage, with the rushing of b lood to the head, the chee s sometimes become hot and red. The face loo s old and wrin led, with many fine lines dividing it into squares. Especially in children, we see a puffed or bloated face, often with a swollen up per lip; in adults, the upper lip can also be swollen in the morning. Very characteristic, though, is the easy and very profuse perspiration of face, whic h is often cold. Sweat appears at the slightest exertion and perspiration on the forehead at night.
The lips are often chapped, crac ed, and bleeding, and the corners of the mouth may be ulcerated. Calcarea has baggy swellings in the face, which are in a constant state of infla mmation and frequently suppurate. The submaxillary glands tend to painful swelling with induration, painful tensio n on chewing and stitching pain on being touched. There is chronic prosopalgia, especially in obese people with cold, damp feet an d in women with profuse menses. Drawing and tearing pains in the face, which are worse in damp weather. Eruptions in the face with violent itching compelling the patient to scratch fre quently. Scurfy pimples at the margin of the red portion of lower lip. A crusty eruption on the right chee with itching and burning, which was worse af ter washing the face, was cured with Calcarea carbonica (Archiv für Homöopathische Heil unst, 17/2). Urticaria that disappears in cool air. A chewing motion of the jaws can be observed in sleep, and also before epileptic attac s.
Mouth There is a persistent sour taste, and food becomes sour in the mouth. Sour saliv a collects in the mouth and the patient constantly spits it out. A foul taste as from indigestion of the stomach, a bitter taste, or a metallic lead-li e taste have also been observed during the proving; these symptoms occurred mostly in the morning. 'Cold water is the only thing which has a good taste', Hering remar s. The tongue is often dry, especially at night and in the morning, and can be move d with difficulty, so that tal ing may be difficult and speech seems clumsy; he does not li e to tal . Rough strea s are to be found in middle of a dry tongue. An excess of saliva in the mouth is also prominent in the remedy picture. These two states can alternate. 'Catarrhal inflammation of mout h and fauces, when salivation alternates with dryness of mouth and lips.' The tongue may be coated white, or it can be red and raw, or dirty, with a nasty taste. The sublingual glands can be swollen; and there may be pain beneath the tongue o n left side, behind the hyoid bone, on swallowing. There is also a burning pain on the tip of the tongue, as if it were sore; the prover couldn't ta e anything warm into his mouth because of the pain.
Vesicles form on the tongue, also on the inside of the chee s, and they burn. Th ey open and form ulcers. The mucous membranes of the chee s swell, and ache with a drawing, tearing pain. Difficult and delayed dentition is a eynote of Calcarea carbonica. The teeth are very sensitive and cannot endure any draft of air or cold. 'Tootha che in all teeth (as from fine needle-li e stitches), aggravated by intrusion of cold air into mouth' (Hahnemann). There is a stitching, boring, tearing, or gnawing toothache that extends up into the head, to the nose, the ears, or the eyes. The teeth feel as if the roots were being torn out. The teeth are badly developed and crumbling from decay; ca ries are present at the edge of gums; the teeth have an offensive smell.
The teeth may feel loose when biting on them together or chewing. Swelling of the gums, with pulsation; bleeding of the gums, even at night. Bleed ing of the gums after suppressed menses. 'Inclination to chattering of teeth, as in chill' (Hahnemann).
Throat Inflammatory swelling of the tonsils, with elongation of the uvula and a feeling when swallowing as if the throat were too narrow. The tonsils and the whole pharynx and throat are extremely susceptible to colds; has hardly tim e to get over one before he catches another. Swelling and inflammation of the palate; uvula dar red and full of vesicles. There are red patches in the throat, extending up to the roof of the mouth, and a constant dry, cho ing feeling in the pharynx. The throat is greatly inflamed an d aphthae appear on the tonsils and roof of the mouth. Roughness of the pharynx, with painless hoarseness. The throat feels swollen, more so on lef t side, and the swelling extends up to the ears. There is much pain upon swallowing, especially stitching pain, and also upon spea ing. The stitche s extend to the ear. A spasmodic narrowing of the oesophagus is characteristic. It may be described a s a sensation of a lump in the throat or as though the food were stuc in the oesophagus and can't reach the stomach. The 'foreign body' feeling may i ncite an incessant urge to swallow, but may also impede swallowing. The throat can be rough and burning with a feeling as if the whole length of oes ophagus, down to the cardia, were raw and sore. There is much mucus in the pharynx or throat, sometimes tasting of iron or of sa lt, which has to be haw ed up. Goitre.
Respiratory organs Painless hoarseness so that can scarcely spea , especially in the morning, or a rough voice in the morning, which is improved by haw ing. Hoarseness with oppression of the chest can also appear after a wal
in the open air.
In general, tal ing debilitates greatly, and aggravates headache and cough. The larynx feels raw, especially in the morning, and there is pain on swallowing
. Chronic laryngitis. Ulceration of the larynx. The eynote in the field of respiration is: Shortness of breath after going up t he slightest ascent. Shortness of breath or pressure on the chest is also frequently experienced whil e wal ing or after a wal in the open air. In other words, it is aggravated by wal ing in the wind and then going indoors and ta ing even only a few steps; from stooping; at night while lying down, awa es after midnight, breathing heavily; after stool, with anxiety; during coryza. An xiety felt in the chest. The oppression and anxiety can be so severe that the patient almost suffocates.
On wal ing, difficult and loud breathing through the nose has been observed; thi s symptom has been emphasised especially by Hering, who observed it also in cases of tuberculosis that benefited from Calcarea. The difficult breathing may be relieved by bending the shoulders bac . Oppression of the chest as if it were too full and full of blood, often with pal pitation, restlessness, and thirst at night. Feeling of tightness and tension in the chest; sometimes relieved by raising the shoulders. There is a frequent desire to ta e deep breaths; the lungs seem unable to expand enough. With these deep inspirations, stitches in the chest occur, and also in the abdomen; stitches go through the abdomen to the bac the heart, with the catching of breath.
or through
Sobbing or snoring respiration in sleep. Constriction of the chest, with anxiety; alternating with pain in the abdomen. Wea ness in the chest after spea ing loudly. A raw or sore feeling in the chest occurs especially on inspiration, but also af ter much tal ing, after wal ing ('movement of feet', as Hahnemann puts it) or coughing. Stitches in the chest and the sides when moving; when lying on the side affected ; in the left side on bending to the left; ameliorated by rubbing the chest. There are also gnawing, cutting, and drawing pains. In pulmonary disorders, the upper and middle portions of the right lung tend to be the most affected. Abscesses in the lungs of children, especially on the left side; ulcers in the l ungs, with purulent expectoration; tuberculous consumption; pleuro-pneumonia in tuberculous types. Hering gives the indication: Threatened paralysis of lungs in scarlatina; loud r attling in windpipe, the breath is hot; praecordial anguish; no cough; rattling mostly during expiration. The chest is very sensitive to touch, percussion or pressure. Cramp in the (left) intercostal muscles, has to bend to the side quic ly to get relief.
Cough
Mucus in the chest, but often without a cough or, at least, without the need to expectorate the mucus. Rattling of mucus in the chest or in the trachea on expiration; worse when lying down and in the evening. Night cough during sleep. Evening cough in bed. Morning cough. The cough tends t o become worse in the morning on rising and in the early evening, i.e. at the start and end of the day. Tic ling irritation in the trachea, bringing on a hac ing cough; also, a tic lin g cough, as from feather-down. Constant tic ling under the middle of the sternum causing a hac ing cough; worse from tal ing and moving.
Cough from eating; from playing piano, 'every note she struc seemed to vibrate in her stomach'. Pric ling in the larynx, with severe night cough, concussive and fatiguing; ratt ling cough, with little expectoration; prevents sleep; irritated by cold drin s. Very violent cough, first dry, later with frequent, salty expectoration, with pa in as though something were being torn loose in the larynx. The cough often affects the head: 'From every attac of cough, the head receives a painfu l jar, as if it should burst.' A raw pain in the chest can also accompany the cough. The cough is often dry, especially at night. If there is expectoration, it is of ten yellow and offensive. It may also be sweetish, and sometimes blood is coughed up: after cho ing, on fast motion, or after drin ing. 'Cough dry before midnight, loose after; hurts chest; worse from wal ing; sputa yellow and thic (after variola)' (Hering). Or: 'Dry cough after midnight, that heart and veins were throbbing' (Hahnemann).'Cough with expectoration in daytime, but with none at night.' (Hahnemann). Cough may be accompanied by vomiting, with a sweetish taste to the vomit. Cough after measles and variola; whooping cough, attac s worse in the morning; d uring dentition. Habitual laryngeal diphtheria in tubercular children during dentition; sequelae of laryngeal diphtheria. Bronchial catarrh in teething children. In bronchial catarrh, there is copious m ucous secretion, which is wea ening and emaciating.
Heart Anxious sensation about the heart. Anxiety is often coupled with palpitations. F lushes of heat with palpitation and praecordial anxiety. Tremulous, anxious heart beat. Palpitation with arrhythmia; with fear that he has an organic heart disease; wit h tremendous anxiety and restlessness, oppression of the chest and pain in the bac ; after a meal, feels his heart beat without having to put his hand on his chest; before falling asleep, with anxiety; at night, with a cold feeling; after suppressed eruptions. Palpitation on going up a hill after lunch . Audible beating of the heart. Spasmodic contraction in the region of the heart, impeding respiration, followed
by some violent heart beats. Stitches in the heart so that the breath stops, leaving a pressing pain in the heart. Aneurysm, particularly of the aorta. Fatty degeneration and calcification of the blood vessels. Gouty heart and hypertrophy of the heart from overexertion.
Stomach
Calcarea patients feel their emotions in the stomach: fear, anxiety, apprehensio n, excitement. 'Anxiety as if from stomach, while sitting, with hot burning in abdomen; soon disappearing on wal ing or standing.' (Hahnemann). Pul sation and trembling in the region of the stomach. A strange feeling as if something were rising from the pit of the stomach to the head was also observed. This sensation may presage an epileptic attac . The appetite may be ravenous or else completely lost. Ravenous hunger, with a wea stomach is a eynote. Eats a great deal and yet los es flesh. Calcarea, in general, can eat a great deal yet stay emaciated or tends to obesity. The appetite may be increased in epilepsy, before an attac ; or there is ravenou s hunger in the morning. Giddiness and trembling before brea fast, and if the person does not have brea fast at the proper time, a headache will d evelop. A 'sin ing sensation' in the stomach may bring on a nervous appetite, e. g. immediately after he has eaten, without real hunger. Appetite increases spasmodically, alternating with the loss of appetite, or ther e is a loss of appetite, but when the meal comes, he relishes it. Loss of appetite with constant thirst, especially for cold drin s and particularly a t night. The list of Calcarea desires is led by the well- nown desire for eggs, which is essentially a desire for soft-boiled eggs, as I have pointed out above. 'Longing for eggs, particularly with children, in sic ness or during reconvales cence, even before they are able to swallow' (Hering). Other desires: for sweet things, ice cream, lemonade, even pure sugar; for salty things; for farinaceous foods, foods that contain starch, li e pasta; for indigestible things, chal , coal, etc. A general aversion to boiled food and to hot dishes has been observed by Hahnema nn. In particular, Calcarea patients don't li e meat and are averse to fat. There is also an aversion to slimy foods. Mil may be li ed or disli ed, but it often disagrees with the stomach and elici ts nausea, vomiting, water-brash, and sour eructation. There is a general tendency for food to become sour and taste sour. Drin ing water will ca use nausea, but not if the water is iced. The digestion is wea in general; eating tends to leave a feeling of tumefaction and fullness. After eating or drin ing, sweat may occur, and sometimes also an irresistible desire to sleep. Occasional acidity of the stomach.
Frequent eructation, generally sour, but sometimes also empty or tasting of the food eaten, with burning from the epigastrium upwards. This belching can continue throughout the whole day or come on at certain times: in the morni ng on wa ing; at night, after eating. 'Being scarcely half-satisfied at lunch, he becomes nauseated; the food he has eaten rises up to his mouth, with nauseous taste, and he suffers from continuous belching, for three hours' (Hahnemann). Rising of tasteless fluid, li e water, into the mouth. From suppressing eructation, uneasy movements in the entire body can ensue. Much empty belching often accompanies one-sided headaches. Frequent hiccups, sometimes throughout the whole day.
Burning from the epigastrium to the throat after every meal, especially after ha rd, dry food. Nausea comes on especially in the morning, often with giddiness and trembling. T here is also nausea after vertigo; after drin ing mil or water (with the exception of iced water); nausea with a feeling as if food were stuc e oesophagus.
in th
The vomiting is, of course, also frequently sour. Sour vomiting during dentition . Nausea with an inclination to vomit, with sour water running from the mouth, or vomiting of sour water at night. Blac vomiting; vomiting of a sweeti sh substance, of bitter slime. Vomiting after epileptic attac s. The stomach region tends to be swollen, bloated, full of gas, and tight clothing is intolerable in this region. The epigastrium is painful to the touch. A very characteristic symptom is 'pit of stomach swollen li e a saucer turned bot tom up; painful to pressure.' (Hering). A swelling of epigastric region which is situated more on left side has also been repeatedly caused and cured by Calcarea. Stomach cramps: from gases in the stomach; after eating, but also when fasting; with nausea, belching, and yawning, followed by sweat all over; cutting and compressing. Pressing pain in the stomach is frequently to be seen; it may continue throughou t the whole day and be felt even without the person having eaten anything. Pressure transversely across the stomach. The pressing pain may have a quality of a heavy load or lump in the stomach, even if the (evening) meal was only moderate; this will be worse from motion and better fro m lying quietly on the bac . If the pain occurs at night, the opposite modality can also be seen: 'Severe pressing in stomach, li e a cramp, for two h ours; could not remain lying in bed, but had to get up.' (Hahnemann) Pressing pain in the stomach on coughing has also been observed.
Abdomen The abdomen becomes hard and distended. There is incarcerated flatus, and tensio n in the abdomen with the bloating, and the surface is painful to any touch or pressure. Tight clothes about the hypochondria are unbearable. A s trange symptom is a visible distension of the abdomen on wal ing in the open air. Emotions may also bring on this symptom, e.g. a grief or mortification. There is a tendency to great increase in adipose tissue in the abdomen. Even if
patients are emaciated elsewhere, the abdomen loo s thic and bloated. Besides the fatty tissues, the glandular tissues are also inclined to swell, as is consistent with the Calcarea action upon the glands. Mesenteric glands in children are hard and swollen; the abdomen feels as if it were full of stones. The inguinal glands also suffer from painful swelling and induration. The flatulence is accompanied by continuous gurgling in the abdomen. Sometimes a rumbling on inspiration and expiration is to be heard. The abdominal pains of Calcarea are generally relieved by warmth. They are usual ly shooting, tensive or pressive. Colic in the intestinal canal. Hahnemann observed an important symptom here: 'Fr equently violent spasm in intestinal canal, particularly, however, in evening and at night, with coldness of the thighs.' A sensation of coldness in the abdomen may also accompany such spasms. There are frequent attac s of colic after the disappearance of coryza. Cutting and griping in the abdomen in the afternoon, with vomiting of the food eaten for
lunch. Cramp-li e, twisting feeling around the navel. Drawing in the abdomen, and uneasiness therein, in the morning on wa ing. Sensation of contraction in the abdomen, upward to the chest, first thing in the morning. Contractive pain in the abdomen, extending to the small of the bac ; in the epigastrium, forcing her to wal bent over, particularly excited b y deep breathing; in the hypogastrium, extending to the uterus, with the discharge of bloody slime along with the stool. Pinching pain in the abdomen, with or without diarrhoea; deep in the hypogastriu m, in the region of the bladder, with pain at every step, as if the internal parts were dragged down by a weight. Bodily exertion brings on a pressure in the hypogastrium; when sitting after exe rtion, a tension develops in the abdomen. Pressure in the abdomen, from the pit of the stomach downwards. The liver is often affected in Calcarea persons. It may be enlarged and indurate d, or else it is atrophied. Gallstone colic, with terrible darting pains, profuse sweat, and intolerance to garments around the waist, has been cured by this remedy. There are pressive and tensive pains in the hepatic region, as if a swelling were there and as if it might burst open; pressure is felt at every step. Hahnemann's main symptom in this region is 'Stitching in the hepatic region during or after stooping.' Hering emphasises, though, that the abdominal pains tend to prefer the left side in general, and that they are especially felt under the left hypochondrium; tearing, stitching pains from the left chest to the hypochondriu m. There is a tearing pain or a stitching from within outward, in the abdominal mus cles, which is worse on inspiration. The muscles may be tense when bending bac wards, with pain on touch, as if the s in were sore. Umbilical hernia. Soreness of the navel; a moist excrescence li e proud flesh from the navel of in fants.
Rectum Calcarea has both a peculiar diarrhoea and a stubborn constipation. Both disorde rs of digestion have a mar ed tendency to undigested, lienteric stools
in common, and the stool will often loo whitish or altogether white. Diarrhoea with sour smell in teething infants. Diarrhoea with undigested stools. Profuse diarrhoea, watery, slimy, with bits of coagulated mil , and a sour smell. Kent says: 'In infants living on mil , the mil passes through in a n undigested form; the stool is so sour that it is pungent. It excoriates the parts Ö' Diarrhoeic, clay-li e stools, smelling sour or foetid. An offensive smell as of putrid eggs has been noted. Whitish, watery diarrhoea.
Looseness of the bowel ma es her feel wea for a long time; the tendency to diar rhoea is worse in the evening. On the other hand, there is stubborn constipation, often with continuous, ineffe ctual urging. This urging can also come on during the menses. When there is stool, it is often large, hard, dry, notty, and difficult of passage. Hard, undigested stool of a light colour or chal y appearance. Stool hard, white, and egg-shaped, pass with great straining. A peculiarity of the Calcarea constipation is that the patient often feels fine when badly constipated, whereas he tends to be irritable before passing a stool. White stool strea ed with blood, with very ill humour and liver pain. A useful symptom that was observed in the proving and often has led to the succe ssful prescribing of Calcarea is: Frequent discharge of first hard, then pasty, then liquid stool. During a stool, the anus tends to prolapse. There may be a burning pain, or pain as if the rectum were torn open, even when the stool is not hard. Afterwards, there may appear a drawing and cutting sensation in the rectum, wit h a feeling of heat. Swelling of haemorrhoids, which protrude and ma e stool painful, even if not har d; painful when sitting, with bleeding; also painful on wal ing. When bleeding from haemorrhoids is chec ed, the head is affected. Discharge of blood (or bloody mucus) from the rectum. This can coincide with nas al catarrh; or with the determination of blood to the head. Moisture, smelling li e herring brine, drips from the anus. Worms tape worms, also in babies and children. One symptom from the proving is a crawling sensation in the rectum, as from worms. A long-continued spasm in the rectum, pinching and stitching, with great anxiety , could not remain sitting, hard to wal about. Burning in the anus, also during a nap; violent itching at the anus. An inflamed, burning, grape-li e eruption at the anus. Soreness at the anus, bet ween the thighs, and between the buttoc s.
Urinary organs Renal colic. Inflammation of the bladder; tumours and fungoid growths; polypi and varices of
the bladder. Frequent urination, particularly at night. Sometimes only a little urine is pass ed each time, but there is often polla isuria with profuse urination. Polyuria; abundant urine all day. The bladder might be called an 'irritable bladder'. When busily occupied, she ha s to run and pass a few drops of urine. Spasms of the bladder, both hysterical and hypochondriacal. During the menses, there may be an involun tary discharge of urine upon every movement. Bed wetting in obese children. Chronic strangury from standing on cold pavement.
The urine tends to smell sour. It may be very dar -coloured, without sediment; d ar brown and foetid, with white sediment; or clear and pale, but all the same with a pungent, foetid odour. Bloody urination and bleeding from the urethra. Albuminuria; also after variola. Diabetes. Burning in the urethra during urination. Stitches in the female urethra. Cutting stitches in the urethra, with an ineffec tual desire to urinate. Pain in the urinary passages after the feet became slightly wet.
Male genitalia Calcarea carbonica increases the sexual desire and provo es emissions, but unusu al wea ness follows indulgence. An impressive example from Hahnemann's proving: 'Violent sexual desire, arising only from sexual fantasies, wherewith the penis failed in erection, which he only succeeded to enforce by cuddling; scarcely had he penetrated when semen was emitted; this was followed by excessive wea ness and great excitability of nerves; he was discontented and angry, and the ed to brea from wea ness.'
nees seem
This wea ness after coitus or masturbation can even last for several days: 'Very wea and sic for several days after coitus.' Other ailments from sexual activity: pressing pain in head and bac ; wea ness and trembling of lowe r limbs, especially above and below the nees; easy sweating, debility and trembling of the hands; spasms, chorea, epilepsy; palpitations. Functional disturbances may consist of wea or incomplete erections; ejaculatio praecox; but also tardy emission, so that semen is not ejaculated at the moment of orgasm but 'just runs out afterwards, as it were', as Hahnemann p uts it. Emission may also fail completely, or there is a proper emission of semen, but no orgasm. Impotence has also been caused and cured by Calcarea carbonica. Frequent nocturnal, involuntary emissions; especially in tuberculosis. Coitus may be painful, with stinging and burning in the male parts during ejacul ation. Itching and burning of genitals is frequently seen.
Cutting pain in the tip of the penis. Aching of the testicles, with spasmodic retraction to abdomen; painful to the to uch. Induration of the testicles. Scrotal swelling, with scaly spots. Spermatic cords are painfully swollen; aching as if contracted. Hydrocele in children. Phimosis. Balanitis.
Inflammation of prepuce and frenum, and orifice of urethra, with a little yellow pus between the frenum and the glans penis. Chronic gonorrhoea, which has been suppressed. Fig warts, often smelling li e ol d cheese or herring brine. Dry and copper-coloured eruptions on the genitals of children.
Female genitalia The characteristics of increased sexual desire and great lassitude after coitus or masturbation also apply to the female Calcarea carbonica patient. Voluptuous sensation in female parts (in the afternoon, without provocation) wi th orgasm, afterwards great weariness. The menses are strongly influenced by Calcarea carbonica; in most cases they are too early, too profuse, too long. Hahnemann comments: 'If the menstruation usually sets in several days before four wee s are over, an d if the flow is then excessive, Calcarea carbonica is often indispensably useful, and the more so, the more blood is discharged. But if men struation always sets in at proper time or later, Calcarea will almost never benefit, even if the flow is not scanty.' The word 'almost' has to be noted. There are cases where the flow is late, scant y, or suppressed, where Calcarea acts curatively, as the materia medica shows (see below), but these are an exception. Profuse menses may be membranous and dar -coloured; too frequent, with consequen t anaemia. Menses last two wee s, with an interval of two wee s. The least excitement brings on a return of profuse catamenia, dysmenorrhoea, or metrorrhagia. Suppression of menses from wor ing in water; from fright; in plethoric women, or : Menses late, at times scanty, with bloating (observed in cases of goitre). Complaints as if menses would set in: pain in the lumbar region and in the ossib us iliacis. Voluptuous dream the night before the menses start. Before menses: headache; aching of the hips and bac ; breast pain and swelling; chills; leucorrhoea; feels very sic and is easily frightened, a trifle frightens her very much.
At the onset of menses, there is painful cramping; membranous dysmenorrhoea. Oth er complaints during menses: determination of blood to the head, with heat in the head; agglutination of the eyes in the morning, head feels hea vy, difficult thin ing; nausea and vomiting, with ineffectual urging for stool; drawing pressing pains, with stitches in the abdomen and here and th ere, and restlessness amounting to faintness; contracting, pinching abdominal pain when the flow stands still; involuntary urination on every movem ent. Metrorrhagia; profuse and bright red; with leucorrhoea, during climacterium. Pro ne to uterine haemorrhages; tendency to miscarry; Calcarea may be indicated in patients inclined to miscarriage, who have profuse menses. Sometim es the flow continues in the first month of pregnancy, with much pain. Mil -li e leucorrhoea, itching and burning. The fluor may come on before or afte r menses, but it sometimes also intermingles with the menstrual
flow; often it is mainly discharged during micturition. Frequent leucorrhoea be tween profuse and too early menses. Fluor in fits and starts; worse after exercise; very debilitating; with stinging in the os uteri and aching in the vagina; with burning in the cervical canal; with accumulation of mucus between the labia and thighs. Burning and itching of the genitals is a mar ed feature, as in the male patient. Terrible itching of parts toward evening, or after going to bed. Ovarian or uterine pains, right-sided, extending down the thighs; worse from rea ding or writing. Constant aching in the vagina. Sense of weight and soreness in the uterus. Prolapsus uteri with sensation of pressure on the uterus. Bearing down, as if pr olapsus would occur, and internal organs would pass out, hence difficulty in standing. Ulcers, or polypi, or cancer of the uterus. Warts on the os uteri. Vaginal polypi and fistula. Sterility, particularly when the menses are too early and profuse. Pregnant women who are clumsy, aw ward, and fall easily; tired from a short wal , from a general feeling of lameness in the pelvis. False labour pains, running upward. Lochia last too long, or have a mil y appearance. Lactation disturbances are prominent. Secretion of mil too abundant; galactorrh oea. Excessive lactation; also hectic and sweat; wea ness as a consequence. Or: Breasts distended, mil scanty; she is cold, feels cold air ve ry readily; want of vital activity to secrete mil . Or: Mil disappears in a nursing woman (observed in the proving). The mil is often disagreeable to the child, who refuses it, does not thrive on it, even when secretion is great. Mammae painful as if ulcerated, especially to the touch. Nipples crac ed, ulcera ted, and very tender. When nursing, severe internal stitching, as if arrows were forced through the br easts.
Bac Calcarea patients strain the bac quite easily, and there are numerous complaint s from over-lifting, including stiffness and rigidity of the nape of the nec , with head pain. This stiffness in the nec can also be felt on stoopi ng or as a result of catching a cold. Sacral pain, from over-lifting but also as if from over-lifting. The bac feels so wea that he slides down in his chair while sitting; cannot si t upright. Or there is pain in the small of the bac , so severe that he can hardly rise from his seat. Wea feeling in the bac , worse from mental anno yance.
Painful stiffness of the spine in the morning on wa ing and after rising, with w eariness and heaviness of the lower limbs; afterwards there is a rush of blood to the head and chest. A ind of bac pain as if sprained or wrenched is often experienced, particularl y in the sides of the bac . The spine is painful on bending bac wards. Swelling and incurvature of the vertebrae of the nec and bac . Tabes dorsalis. Spina bifida of the new-born. Inflammation of the spinal cord. Painful jer ing in the right side of the bac on breathing, with chill. Coldness and numbness on the side of the bac that is lain on. At the nec , the lymph nodes tend to be swollen and painful. This may be accompa nied by an eruption on the hairy portion of the scalp. On turning the head, there is a sudden pain at the nec as if sprained, or else a pain as if a tumour might protrude there. Burning pain from the nape of the nec n going to sleep.
to the occiput; all day; ceasing only upo
Perspiration at the nape of the nec in sleep is a eynote. Pain is often felt between the scapulae. Pressure between the scapulae, on motio n, with the catching of breath. Also cutting or drawing pain at this place, or a pinching contraction. 'Low bac pain' is very often seen. Lumbago. Sciatica. Pressing pain in the region of the
idneys.
Aching in the lumbar and idney region on riding in a car. Paralytic pain as if bruised in the small of the bac (and also in the long bone s of lower limbs) on motion; also when sitting or standing. Pain in the spine, in the idney region, from stretching. Griping in the small of the bac
during menses.
Pain in the small of the bac with incarcerated flatus. Continuous dragging from the small of the bac
to the rectum.
Rheumatism of the lumbar vertebrae, with violent boring, tearing, burning pain, extending downward, with the inclination to move. Drawing and tearing pinching in the coccyx. Heat around the coccyx.
Extremities Wea ness and fatigue in all limbs is a general feature of Calcarea carbonica. Mo stly, this comes on after any exertion be it ever so slight, in the evening before going to bed, in the morning after wa ing, or from catching a co ld. It is more mar ed in the lower limbs, especially in the feet. An
indication for Calcarea carbonica by Margery Blac ie is 'persistent wea ness in sprained or fractured limbs.' The joints are easily affected by rheumatism and rheumatic pains, which is often worse after a change in weather to damp and cold ('damp' being the most important modality). Cold bath aggravates, while warm bathing tends to ameliorate. Often, the pains are also made worse by lying down, in bed. There is stiffness in all the joints upon beginning to move. Gouty disorders of the joints, with enlargement and swelling of the joints; gout y conditions especially of the small joints, of the fingers and toes. Gouty nodes on the hand and finger joints. Rheumatoid arthritis. 'Shooting pains throughout the limbs, both upper and lower; he began to imagine that he was going to have rheumatic fever' (from Robinson's proving). Drawing pressure in the joints. Tearing in the joints of the arms and lower lim bs; also tearing-stic ing or drawing-stic ing pains. Exertion aggravates these joint pains. Curvature and deformation of the long bones is a pathology that often responds t o Calcarea, as is consistent with the general influence of Calcarea on the bony tissues. Paralytic disorders of the limbs, cannot be moved or movement is restrained, wit h 'paralytic pain', often as if bruised or beaten. When climbing stairs, a pain as if bruised in the middle of the long bones occurs (upper arms and thighs). Pain as if sprained in the joints with wea ness is also often seen. The limbs easily become numb and 'go to sleep', especially hands, fingers, and f eet, but also other parts: arms, hips, thighs, etc. Cramps in different muscles: forearms, hands, calves, toes; cramps that draw lim bs croo ed. Strange jer ing and trembling motions of the limbs are frequent: Single involunt ary motions and twitching in the right thigh, in the left shoulder and the left arm; painless twitching of single limbs; twitching pains in muscles of the arms; jer -li e drawings in the wrists and up the arms; stitching jer in the right leg, so that it suddenly jer s upward; choreatic trembling of the upp er and lower limbs in spells. Coldness and perspiration of the hands and feet, particularly at night. Nightly drawing and tearing in the arms. Nocturnal pains in the bac Sudden lassitude of the arms, as if paralysed.
and arms.
Sensation of a mouse running up the arm before an epileptic attac . Restlessness and anxiety in arm and hand joints. Stitches in the left shoulder joint, all day. Arthritic pains in the right shoul der. Shoulder joints become stiff at night, on beginning to sleep; has to put arms over head. Arms painful as if bruised or beaten, on motion or touch. Burning paralytic pain in the entire right arm, from the finger joints to the sh oulder. Cramp in the whole arm, left or right, for a quarter of an hour.
The arm he lies on goes numb, with pain. Wea ness and a ind of paralysis of the left arm; has difficulty moving or raisi ng it; the arm is then inclined to fall down again by itself. Cramp-li e tearing pain at the outside of the forearm, from the elbow to the car pus, as soon as he grasps something with his hand. Cramping pain at forearm, below the elbow joint. Pain as if luxated in the right wrist, or as if something was sprained or disloc ated. An example observed by Keller and published in Klassische Homeopathie 36 (1992) 5, Page 189: 'Tennis elbow for months. After extensive handicraft activity, pain and impeded mobility at the left outer epicondylus and the right wrist. Elbow pain impedes the lifting of objects with the arm stretched and pronated; the wrist is sometimes painful when he supports himself with the hand or when exerting the hand, with pain as from a dislocation or sprain. Three wee s after ta ing Calcarea carbonica, a catarrhal condition set in, and two days later, the arm pains disappeared completely. Swelling of radius and crusts on s in, smelling li e cheese. Cramp in the hands, at night, lasting till he rises in the morning. Trembling of the hands, for several hours, in the afternoon. Perspiration of the hands. Perspiration of the palms, on moderate movement of th e body. Cold, white hands; also from a slight fright. Painful swelling at the carpus, and itching when touched. Swelling of the hands. Eruption of vesicles on the bac of the hand, filled with clear fluid; turning i nto urticaria after scratching. Warts on the arms, hands and fingers. Psoriasis palmaris. The fingers go numb; index, middle, and ring finger going numb, white, and cold, which is preceded by a slight drawing in them. 'The finger joints became much swollen' (from Berridge's proving). Also: 'Pain o f finger joints, as if they were swollen, on wa ing from (evening) sleep, without visible swelling' (Hahnemann). Rheumatoid arthritis of the fingers. Cramp-li e contraction of the muscles and tendons of the fingers; when stretched , they feel as if they were tense and indrawn, as if they were glued together.
Brittle finger nails. Nails become distorted and produce deep-seated panaritia. Painful weariness of the lower limbs, especially the thighs, as from exertion wh ile wal ing. Lower limbs 'go to sleep', in the evening when sitting. Paralytic pain as if bruised or beaten in the long bones and joints of the lower limbs on motion; muscles are painful to the touch. Extreme lassitude of the lower limbs on wal ing; in the evening; after coitus; s o severe that they seem unable to support the body any longer, nees seem to give way. May be felt in the thighs, ere.
nees, an les, feet, everywh
Great restlessness in the lower limbs; in the evening, cannot eep them still; s ometimes with much belching.
Children are very slow to wal , or forget how to wal . Viscous night sweat only on the lower limbs. Drawing and shooting pains in the hips; coxalgia with drawing stitches, or teari ng, or cutting. A drawing pain as if luxated in the hip joint, on wal ing. Hip-joint disease, with contraction or dislocation. Sciatic pain caused by wor ing in cold water, which extends down into the limbs and eeps them in constant uneasiness. Numb feeling on the right hip and thigh, as if these parts were brittle and as i f they are short and small. Fatigue, li e a tension in anterior muscles of thighs, in the morning, on beginn ing to wal . Emaciation of the thighs and paralysis of the extensor muscles of the thighs. Itching on the thighs. Fistular openings and ulcers at the thighs. Gouty swelling of the nees. Stitching in the nee on standing and sitting; drawing on sitting and wal ing; s titches from the patella to the hip-joint on stepping, when beginning to wal . Leg pain in the calf on wal ing and stepping, also on touch or on bending of the foot. Violent cramps in the calf at night. Cramps in calves and hollows of nees when stretching leg, relieved by bending it, but returning on stretching it again. Varices painful and painless in the legs. Much itching of the legs and feet. Itching beneath both calves. Red stripe on the shin, consisting of miliary grains, with severe itching and bu rning after rubbing. Violently itching, biting eruptions on the lower limbs, compelling to scratch, bleeding on scratching, which at the margins merges into an urticarious eruption. Pain in an le as if bro en or luxated, especially on wal ing and stepping. Osteochondritis, with severe pain on the insides of both heels, legs chilly to t he touch and soa ing wet with sweat. Cramp in the sole of the foot. Sweating of the feet, especially in the evening and at night. Offensive sweat ma
ing soles raw. Cold damp feet. Sensation in the feet and legs as if she had cold damp stoc ings on. Coldness and numbness of the feet, especially in th e bed at night, but also burning in the soles of the feet, especially later in the night, when they get warm. Cramp in the toes. Big toe is very sensitive on wal ing; feels numb on bending; worse at night.
Sleep The sleep is often disturbed, which tends to contribute to the wea ness of the s ystem. Kent says, 'He can't sleep so that the body rests or the mind rests. He is disturbed in his sleep with horrible dreams. His sleep is a restle ss one.' Calcarea carbonica persons very often have difficulties falling asleep. They are sensitive to noise in the evening, on falling asleep. Vivacity of mind and a rush of thoughts that involuntarily come to their mind eep them from sle eping for a long time. These thoughts may be partly sexual and partly vexatious, and they simply cannot get rid of them; often they continue i n their dreams and even haunt them after they awa e in the morning. Or the same disagreeable idea constantly comes to their mind and arouses them as o ften as they fall into a light slumber. The effect of these disturbances is that they are often unable to fall asleep un til 2 or 3 a.m. Again, once they fall asleep, they tend to wa e up after a short time, or awa e frequently, and 2 or 3 a.m. is also a time when th ey often awa e from sleep and are unable to sleep any more. 'Sleep only from 11 p.m. to 2 or 3 a.m. ; then she cannot sleep any more and is wide awa e' (Hahnemann). Has frightful visions before falling asleep, immediately on closing the eyes, is a well- nown symptom of Calcarea carbonica. Horrible or anxious dreams frequently come on once the patients fall asleep, often continuing the w hole night. They start from sleep, screaming, anxious, and with difficult breathing. Children may awa e after midnight screaming and cannot be pacified. Dreams of sic persons and corpses bother them. Margery Blac ie reports, '...dre am the very constant Calcarea carbonica dream of seeing corpses. It quite worries me at times to hear a child say that she saw dead bodies lying al l round the room. Adults may also say they can smell the corpses. They do really have dreams bad enough to ma e them shrie out in the night.' They fr equently even cannot rid themselves of the dreams when they awa e. The characteristic fear of insanity also disturbs the Calcarea sleep. 'At night, fear as if she were or became psychotic; then sha ing chill for some minutes, followed by a sensation of annihilation in body, as if beaten all over ' (Hahnemann). No wonder, then, that the sleep of Calcarea persons is restless. The patients ar e troubled with cough all night; palpitations; frequent urination; cramps
of the calves and hands; tearing and drawing pains in the arms; cold clammy fee t; determination of blood to the head, with heat; and so on. Throw themselves about continuously. Respiration may be short, asthmatic, snoring and sobbing. Perspiration, especially of the head and nape of the nec , often accompanies the restless sleep. One symptom from the proving that s hows how wea ness and sleepiness can exist simultaneously with sleeplessness is: 'At night, stupefaction in head, which awa ens him and contin ues to aggravate almost to fainting, followed by trembling of limbs and prolonged lassitude, so that he cannot fall asleep again.' In the morning patients have difficulty becoming fully awa e. 'Very exhausted on wa ing from deep sleep in the morning, the drowsy condition continues even after rising.' On the other hand, we see a mar ed sleepiness during the day. All day very tired and sleepy; falls asleep several times during morning. Stretching and frequent yawning, sometimes followed by pulsations in the head, abdomen, and ch est, which sha e him, with severe heat in the face. An irresistible
urge to sleep after a meal, especially after supper, is also frequently seen.
Fever As previously mentioned, Calcarea people tend to be chilly people with a great p redisposition to ailments from exposure to cold and to catching a cold. A feeling of great internal chill is often seen, but even more characteristic is a coldness of the surface even when there is congestion of internal parts. Coldness of single parts: head, face, hands and feet; coldness of the bo dy and cold sweat during palpitations accompanied by anxiety; cold and white tongue, lips, and hands, cold forehead and face from a fright; coldne ss of the body with indistinct vision during an attac of faintness. Chill may come on in the evening, for several hours; after wal ing, with fatigue and thirst; on rising from bed; cold air or draught is not tolerated easily and ma es them shudder, with goose-flesh on the thighs and legs. The fee t grow numb, as if dead. Wor ing and washing in water aggravates all symptoms. Inward chill alternating with flushes of heat. Chill at 2 p.m. begins internally in the stomach region. Sudden flushes of heat are also often seen. Frequent attac s of sudden, universa l heat, as if hot water were poured over her, with despair of life and a most dreary mood. A warm stream of blood is felt from the pit of the stomach to the head. Flushes of heat and trembling. At night, an internal heat particularly in the feet and heads can come on, with a dry tongue and external heat in the head in the morning, without thirst. Burning of the soles of the feet, especially when they get warm later a t night, whereas they are frequently very cold in the first part of night. The well- nown profuse, cold and clammy sweat of Calcarea carbonica has been alr eady mentioned. Some characteristic perspiration symptoms are: Profuse perspiration, both during the day, on wal ing, and at night in bed. Sweat during the day from the slightest motion. Profuse perspiration during the day, with the air being cold. Night sweat with cold legs.
Profuse morning sweat, every morning. Night sweats particularly on the head and nape of the nec , in children so profu se that the pillow is wet all around. General sweat. Partial sweats of the head, chest, nape of nec , palms, feet, oft en with cold limbs and very cold feet. S in hot, then cold, clammy sweat. Repeated episodes of perspiration over and over after violent stomach cramps. Perspiration generally aggravates the patient's symptoms.
Hectic fever: with alternate chills and heat; frequent attac s of flushes of hea t, with anguish and palpitation of the heart, or constant shuddering in the evening, with red chee s. Evening fever, with burning heat in the belly and thi rst for water the whole night long. Paroxysmal fever at 11 a.m. every day. Intermittent fever after the abuse of quinine; with chill commencing in the stom ach and a sensation of agonising weight, increasing with chill and disappearing with it; in people who wor much in cold water.
S in The s in is generally unhealthy, and even small wounds tend to suppurate and do not heal well. It loo s pale and flabby or dry, shrivelled and yellow. A bloated appearance has also been noted. The s in often feels cold to the touc h. Rough and dry s in, with an appearance li e a miliary eruption; or a bran-li e c oating of the s in. Chapped or fissured s in, especially in those who wor in water. A visible quivering in the s in, from feet up to the head, followed by dizziness . Outbrea s of itching and burning eruptions on various parts of the body; the itc hing is worse in bed on becoming warm, and particularly towards morning. Itching vesicular eruption over the whole body, especially above the hips. Chronic form of urticaria, mostly disappearing in cool air. Erysipelas in repeated attac s. Mil -white spots on the s in, with dar borders. Eruptions of white spots and some scattered red patches, on the wrists, the bac of the hands, thighs, legs and an les, with violent irritation. Spots glistening through the s in. Petechial eruptions. Eczema, thin moist scabs upon the head, with swollen cervical glands; eczema beh ind the ears. Acne indurata or punctata. Blisters that leave raw spots, or are converted into ulcers, especially on the e
lbow, on the upper arm and forearm; accompanied by a bloated, florid and scaly appearance of the face, and a scabby condition of the feet. Old ulcers, deep, fistular, and carious, with throbbing pain and tearing around them, and a stench as from rotten eggs. Round swellings, which appear in different places on the joints of the upper lim bs, lower legs, feet and breasts. Needle-li e stitches in the s in. Encysted tumours.
Warts. They appear, itch, bleed, and disappear; or become inflamed, with stingin g, suppurate and form ulcers. Suppression of eruptions may bring on different inds of pathology, li e epileps y, localised migraine, nervous palpitation of the heart.
Clinical Abdomen, large. Acidity. Alcohol, effects of. Anaemia. An les. wea . Appetite, d epraved. Beard, sycosis of. Bone, disease of. Bronchial neuralgia. Breasts, painful. Bronchial glands, disorders of. Calculus. Caries. Cataract. Chilblains. Chorea. Cold. Consumption. Corpulence. Coryza. Cough. Coxalgia. Laryngeal diphtheria. Crusta lactea. Debility. Deliriu m tremens. Dentition. Diabetes. Diarrhoea. Dropsy. Dyspepsia. Ear, disorders of. Epilepsy. Epulis. Eyes, disorders of . Fever, intermittent. Fistu la. Gall-stones. Glandular swellings. Non-specific urethritis. Goitre. Gonorrhoea. Gouty swellings. Headache. Hernia. Herpes. Hydrocephalus. Hypochondr iasis. Hysteria. Impotence. Joints, disorders of. Lactation, defective. Leucocythoemia. Leucorrhoea. Lupus. Masturbation. Melancholia. Menst ruation, disorders of. Mil -fever. Miller's phthisis. Miscarriage. Molluscum contagiosum. Naevus. Nervous fever. Neuralgia. Night ter rors. Paralysis. Parotitis. Peritonitis. Perspiration. Plethora Polypus. Pregnancy. Prosopalgia. Psoriasis palmaris. Ranula. Renal colic. Rhaga des. Rheumatism. Ric ets. Ringworm. Sciatica. Scrofula. S in, disorders of. Sleep, disorders of. Sleeplessness. Smell, disorder of. Spinal di sorders. Stone-cutter's phthisis. Strains. Sycosis. Sycosis menti. Tabes mesenterica. Tapeworm. Taste, disordered. Teeth, carious. Toothache. Trachea, d isorders of. Tuberculosis. Tumours. Typhoid. Urticaria. Uterus, disorders of. Varices. Vertigo. Wal ing, late. Warts. Whitlow. Worms.
Relations Compare: Aqua calcar. (Lime-water); Calc-caust.; Calc-brom.; Calc. calcinata.; C alc. lactic; Calc. lacto-phosph.; Calc. mur.-Calcium chloratum; Lyc.; Sil.; Puls.; Cham. Complementary: Bell.; Rhus.; Lyc.; Sil. Calc. is useful after Sulph. where the pupils remain dilated. When Puls. failed in school girls.
Antidotes: Camph.; Ip.; Nit-ac.; Nux. Incompatible: Bry.; Sulph. should not be given after Calc.
Calcarea caustica Calcium Hydroxide CaH2O2.
Aqua Calcis. Quic lime is sla ed in distilled water; alcohol is added, and the clear liquid d ecanted.
The essential features Calcarea caustica, though currently not often used, is a powerful remedy that wi ll be needed in greater frequency to treat certain diseases that are a product of our modern society. These diseases include hypoglycaemia, rheumatic conditions and more importantly the illness nown as chronic fatigue syndrome. As we do not possess a full picture of this remedy, it is not yet possible to de fine the essence of Calcarea caustica. Our nowledge of the remedy is, therefore, primarily of physical symptomatology. Confirmation of the remedy may depend upon the identification of certain unique and peculiar symptoms that are listed at the end of this section. Cases that require Calcarea caustica, for the above, may have the following pres entation: a patient tells you that he has never fully recovered since his bout with the flu. He is exhausted, and his extremities remain wea . From time to time he feels really rotten, weary and without any drive. Getting up in the morning is an ordeal; he feels tired, peevish and confused, as though he had been drun the day before. The confusion and stupefaction of the head is, strangely enough, often felt only on one side, mostly the left. Th ough he is tired in the daytime, he is restless at night. He either sleeps or suffers from unpleasant dreams and even nightmares. It is not uncommon for Calcarea caustica patients to have a history of frequent common colds, many times with the localisation of an inflammation in the throat or with a chronic sub-inflammation of the throat with stitching pain. Th e patient suffers from hoarseness and feels a stic ing, stinging pain in the throat, li e that of a thorn, similar to Hepar sulphuris and Nitricum acidu m. There is a feeling of rawness in the trachea, and coughing can ensue. In addition to the symptoms of extreme weariness and confusion, Calcarea caustic a has many rheumatic pains. It may be indicated in rheumatic conditions, polyarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, particularly if the jaws an d their articulation are involved, and especially if Rhus toxicodendron or Thuja have failed. Calcarea caustica, however, is less sensiti ve to cold and wet than Rhus-t. or Calcarea carbonica.
The main quality of Calcarea caustica's rheumatic pains is most frequently one o f tearing. In rheumatic conditions, a confirmation for the remedy may be a rheumatic tearing in the heels and the existence of callosities on the sol es of the feet. Other related symptoms are stiffness, and tearing: in all regions of the nec and bac , also in the coccyx; in the extremities, particula rly in the left tendo Achillis and heel; tearing in either shoulder, down the arm; and tearing in the right chee bone. A case of rheumatic pain in the he ad and teeth, seated mainly in the right articulation of the jaws, was greatly improved by this remedy. Clar e mentions that Calcarea caustica has been able to rapidly dispel all infla mmatory action in cases of appendicitis; and that it is nown to have removed all suffering in an aggravated case of piles. Moreover, in the proving, passing of parts of a tape worm was observed. Without a full picture of this remedy we must use and rely on certain strange an d unique eynotes that were brought out in the proving to confirm the
remedy. These characteristic symptoms include: a peculiar confusion of the head, mentioned earlier, which is mostly left-sided, often with pain so severe that the person cannot attend to business, nor engage in any mental labour. The pain is oppressive and sometimes appears w ith periodic stitches. The patient may comment that he finds the suffering absolutely unbearable. It manifests in the morning, as though from al coholic excesses of the night before, or else in the evening after drin ing a small amount of beer. a fleeting sensation, as if the hair on the forepart of the head is being pulled up. a sensation as if a thorn were in the left eye, compelling him to rub it; he is unable to open the eye. a feeling in the throat as if there were a bone stic ing in it. the palate feels as if there were mucus on it, but none is expectorated. a thic ly coated tongue which loo s greenish-yellow. an aching in the shoulder joint which is felt when the arm hangs down. severe burning of the s in before falling asleep. toothache every night at 2 a.m. , with the feeling that the affected teeth are t oo large and numb. a numb feeling in both shoulder blades, in the evening. Generally, Calcarea caustica should be thought of in cases where remedies li e T huja, Rhus toxicodendron, Nitricum acidum, or Hepar sulphuris do not bring about results though they may be thought to have been indicated.
Generalities Calcarea caustica's weariness has already been mentioned. The patient finds hims elf tired and peevish on rising in the morning. It is difficult to thin . He has great prostration, along with a trembling of the limbs. The tremb ling may disappear after eating, even only a piece of bread. There are many rheumatic pains, and the most frequent pain quality is that of te aring; the neuralgic pains in different parts of body may also be stitching or throbbing. Most symptoms are aggravated in the evening, while a few symptoms come on in the morning on rising. Drin ing beer and smo ing also aggravate most
symptoms, and in particular exacerbate the confusion, oppressive headache and e ar pains. Clar e relates that while motion generally tends to aggravate, a particular pain in the small of the bac that is felt on rising in the morning, goes away when the patient begins to moves about.
Head
The patient experiences vertigo, as if the room were turning in a circle; she th in s she will fall off her chair. The symptoms of confusion and dullness of the head can lead to a diagnosis of ch ronic fatigue syndrome. Koch's provings describe some of the symptoms: 'In the morning, confusion of head, especially of left side, with per iodic stitches. The headache is of a pressive quality, so that mental labour can only be done with difficulty... After drin ing the usual beer in the evening, the head felt so confused that it was nearly unbearable... Head extraordinarily confused, a dull, pressive pain in forehead extending to occipu t so that he could hardly attend to his business... Unwell in the morning, as if he had been drun tremendously the day before (so-called hangove r).' After eating lunch, the patient develops a throbbing pain in the frontal sinus, which compels him to contract the s in of his forehead, thereby relieving the pain. The patient feels violent pain in the head on stooping, as if the bra in were following the force of gravitation. Pain in the forehead, especially above the eyes. Tearing pain in the left temple, upwards towards the left frontal eminence or te aring in the forehead, above the brows. Dull, rheumatic pain in the occiput. Stitches through the head from the front to the bac . The sensation as if the hair on the forepart of the head is being pulled up was already mentioned as a strange, rare, and peculiar symptom. There is also a tendency to falling out of hair. A patient who used this remedy again st phthisis lost all of the hair from his head, face, and body (Fran s Magazin, 1, p. 353).
Eyes Photophobia. Burning of the eyes from artificial light or candle light, especial ly while reading. Lachrymation in the open air; the tendency to water is more mar ed in the right eye. The right eye hurts as if a foreign object were under the upper lid; stitches ex tend from the eye to the forehead, and the conjunctiva of the lid is red. There is violent pain in both upper lids; they ache with every movement. There is severe heaviness in the lids. The pain in the eye feels as if the eyeball is being pressed out.
Neuralgic pains: A violent stitching pain is experienced between the right eye a nd the frontal eminence (nervus supraorbitalis), inducing tears in the eyes. Stitches are felt along the course of the nervi supraorbitales and suprat rochleares, on the left side; boring pain along the upper border of the orbit of the right eye, in fits. Feeling of a thorn in the left eye in the morning upon rising, compelling him to rub it ; he can't open the eye.
Ears
Violent tension and pressure in the inner ear. Dull, stitching pain in one or both ears simultaneously, as if there were a fore ign body in the ear. Violent stitching pain that presses outward in the inner part of the left ear an d is usually constant, but occasionally varies in strength. It is worse in the evening and is aggravated by drin ing and smo ing. Cramp-li e stitching pain in the left ear, extending from the opening of the Eus tachian tube to the pharynx. Tearing in the right mastoid process. Tearing pain through inner parts of both e ars. Ringing and roaring in the ears.
Nose The nose discharges a thic tenacious mucus. Coryza especially in the left nostril.
Face Transient tearing pain from the supraorbital border of the left orbit, down to t he inner canthus and wing of the nose. Tearing pain from the inner canthus of the right eye down to the upper lip, with a feeling that these parts are swollen. Stitches from the wing of the nose, extending upward to the inner canthus of the eye. Stiffness in the articulation of the jaws was observed several times in the prov ing. In one prover, a nervous and rheumatic pain in the teeth and head, that had been present for half a year, disappeared under the action of the reme dy. It returned, however, after a foot bath. The pain was very violent; it was located in the right articulation of the jaws; the joint was sw ollen and immobile. Repetition of Calcarea caustica relieved the pain and the patient finally was able to have a good night's sleep.
Mouth
Inner mucous membrane of the lips slightly reddened, with visible venulae. Tongue thic ly coated, loo ing greenish-yellow, with a bitter taste in the mouth . The palate feels as if mucus were upon it, but none is expectorated. Severe toothache every night at 2 a.m. , the teeth feel numb and as if they were enlarged; is accompanied by intense pain in the left ear which feels
as if something were stic ing in it.
Throat Mucus in the throat, difficult to raise, almost exciting vomiting. Sore throat in the morning upon rising, with difficulty swallowing, both when th e throat is empty or full, continuing all day long. Sensation in the throat as if a bone were stuc
in it.
Respiration Hoarseness, with pain in the throat. Haw s up granular, glutinous material li e coo ed rice, which collects in the la rynx and trachea. Dull stitches in the left half of the larynx. Feeling of rawness in the trachea. Cough with stitches in the thorax, with expectoration of mucus and blood. Pressure on the chest, with sacral pain, in the morning on rising, which ceases after half an hour; the pressure feels as if all the blood has stagnated in the abdomen, and the patient feels as if he had a nightmare. Pressure on the sternum. Pressing-stitching pain below the sternum, across the praecordia and hypochondri a. Stitching pain on respiration, with rheumatic pain between the scapulae, and opp ression towards the front extending to the sternum. Stitching pain in the region of the sixth and seventh ribs on the left side, whi ch increases with inspiration (but without cough) and changes to a tearing pain, its seat being in the intercostal muscles and pleura costalis. Biting pain at the nipples (in a female prover), without eruption.
Stomach No appetite, or canine hunger that appears three hours after a meal. The patient
is averse to his accustomed evening beer. Many empty eructations. Eructation of food together with a sour and bitter taste . After eating some bread, there is nausea along with the eructation of a frothy f luid and a general malaise for an hour. Nausea is followed by the
vomiting of sour fluid, half an hour after evening meal. Tense feeling in the stomach. Spasmodic contraction of the stomach.
Abdomen Oppression across the epigastric region and hypochondria. Constrictive, gripping and stitching pains, in the abdomen, as with from nives; gripping pain with flatulence at noon; constrictive pain extending to the uterus. Violent stitches in the small intestines, on bending forward. Pain in the left side, in the region of the spleen, as if a ball were turning on its axis. Rumbling in the abdomen.
Rectum Stic ing, tearing motions in the rectum towards the anus. Tingling in the rectum and anus. Cases of very annoying haemorrhoids, with a painful stool as if a nail were scra tching him from within. Variable production of stools, often no stool for several days. Several thin sto ols before and after brea fast; a thin, pasty stool with much mucus after brea fast. Parts of a tapeworm excreted with the stool.
Nec and bac Tearing pains all over the bac , particularly in the muscles of the nape of the nec , in the small of the bac and in the coccyx. Tension of the nec muscles on both sides; all nec arly at the nape of the nec .
muscles feel stiff, particul
While sitting, violent pain between the scapulae which extends to the small of t he bac . Rheumatic pain in both shoulder blades; between the scapulae, with stitching on inspiration and oppression, extending forward to the sternum. Tearing sensation in both scapulae, between the shoulders, that then
continues upward to the nape of the nec and occiput, as far as the forehead. Sensation of numbness in both shoulder blades in the evening. Stitching pain in the small of bac , or tearing-pressing pain, upon wa ing in th e morning, disappearing on moving about.
Extremities Trembling of the limbs, with prostration which inhibits the person from wor ing and is ameliorated by eating. It also occurs in the evening in bed. Rheumatic pains, that wander and alternate, in all the joints. Wandering pains i n the extremities. Many tearing pains. Drawing-tearing pain in any joint when exerting it, or when it is in an aw ward position. Tearing pains in the shoulders, arms, axillae, elbow joints, wrists, hands, and fingers. Drawing-tearing pain in the left shoulder joint, which extends over the whole up per arm and becomes so violent that it is difficult to raise the arm; it is seated chiefly in the deltoid muscle, in its fascia and in the shoulder joint; it lasts 3 hours. Continuous aching in the left shoulder joint when the arm hangs down. Drawing-te aring, dull pain in the left forearm, as if in the bones or in the interossal ligament. Right hand feels as if it is paralysed, unable to lift anything; the hand drops, under the weight of the object. Drawing-tearing pain in the first joint of the left index finger, which changes at 5 p.m. in the afternoon, after evening meal, to a pain that feels as if the finger were sprained. Tearing sensation in both thighs, but especially in the right one; in the nees, down through the feet; in the right side of the right tibia, down to the toes; in the calves; in the left Achilles tendon and heel. Annoying tension in the lower limbs. Stitches from the right hip joint down to the middle of the thigh; severe stitch es in the hip joint, at 5 p.m. , on ta ing a step; also in the morning, on stepping and in the open air. Violent stic ing pain in the right nee-joint on stepping, which continues when moving it in bed. Soreness of the first phalanx of the big toe, when moving the joint. A stic ing pain in a corn on the left third toe.
Sleep Much yawning. Great sleepiness in the evening, but a restless sleep follows, with much confusi on of the head and many dreams, often unpleasant ones, even nightmares. Frequently, provers were aware that they had had a restless night w ith a lot of dreams, but were unable to remember any of them.
Fever Violent chill of the whole body, on going to bed or before rising in the morning ; a violent sha ing chill with chattering teeth, followed by severe heat in the head. Chill for several wee s in the summer. Shivering going up the bac .
S in Severe burning sensation of the s in before falling asleep; troublesome tension of the s in which wa es him from sleep in the morning. Violent itching and stitching of the s in; small vesicles with a red areola whic h are filled with serous or purulent fluid. These appear on various parts of body - first on the nape of the nec and bac , then on the chest and nec , behi nd the ears, and at the occiput. A fine, rash-li e eruption that, without a biting feeling, brea s out on the for ehead. Six brownish-red, painless, isolated or partly confluent spots li e flea-bites, 10cm wide in total, appear on the lower part of the tibia; the s in is somewhat swollen.
Clinical Bac , pains in. Coccygodynia. Corns. Feet (pains in heels). Hoarseness. Jaw, affection of. Malar bones, pain in. Neuralgia. Paralysis. Rheum atism. Spleen, disorders of. Stiff-nec . Tapeworm. Toothache.
Relations Compare: Besides the Calcareas, Rhus (pain in joint of .jaw); Mez. and Mag.c. (p ain in malar bones); Valer. (pain in heel); Pic-ac. and Sep. (loins); Hep. and Nit-ac. (bone sensation in throat).
Calcarea fluorica Calcium Fluoride. Fluorspar. CaF2.
Trituration.
The essential features Calcarea fluorica is well- nown for its strong relationship to bony tissues and teeth. The bones are slow to develop and there is a tendency to generate exostoses, a eynote of the remedy. Dentition is slow and difficult, the enamel of the teeth is deficient, and there is a predisposition to caries. Nails are brittle and often brea . The remedy evo es a specific mental state. A very mar ed mental symptom of Calca rea fluorica is the sense that health is deteriorating, both physically and mentally. Just as their nails are brea ing, and teeth crac ing and crumblin g, so is their health. This awareness eventually leads to a great anxiety about health and a fear of de ath (compare Kali arsenicosum, Calcarea carbonica, Lycopodium, Nitricum acidum), which, in Calcarea fluorica, are of the passive type. Passive resignation represents a deeper state of pathology than one which is more active. While Calc-carb.'s intense anxiety stimulates the person to see ssistance, Calcarea fluorica's fear can exist for years without their
a
ever requesting professional help. They suffer from a sense of impending disast er regarding their health (compare Kali carbonicum). These individuals feel that something about their health just isn't quite right. They are sure that they cannot be helped, that they will die. They are not driven to find relief, but instead, fatalistically prepare themselves for death . Though Calcarea fluorica is currently not included in the repertory rubric 'anxiety about health', it ought to be added. Another fear, prevalent in this remedy, is the anxiety about money matters. Thes e people suffer from a baseless fear that they might become needy and poor, and that they will soon be 'running astern' financially. This fear of poverty may create miserly avaricious behaviour, a 'disposition to set a higher value on money than is natural to them.' This state is often coupled wit h indecision and depression. The pessimistic tendency, displayed so dramatically in the symptom 'anxiety about health', is observed here as well. In 1953, the German homeopath Mezger, did an extensive proving on Calcarea fluor ica that expanded the picture of the remedy. Several mental characteristics were added to the previously incomplete picture. One such eyno te is a stri ing polarity, i.e. , improved mental capabilities in some
provers vs. a decrease in concentration in others. On the one hand, provers exp erienced an increased ability to concentrate, greater mental capacity, and could perform mental tas s all day long until midnight without feeling tire d. There was a remar able initiative that even amounted to restlessness and haste. Mezger himself observed this symptom: 'Very impatient and irritable with others; his wor cannot proceed fast enough.' On the other hand, the provers often also experienced a severe decline of the ca pacity to concentrate and of any inclination to do wor . They would have to read a sentence several times, and still did not understand its m eaning. They felt a total loss of initiative and interest, with fear of the tas s of the day, amounting to a general depression of mind. A third possibility regarding the polarity the provers experienced was that the initiative and the interest to do things continues in spite of mental exhaustion, and that the intellectual efficiency increases in spite of severe d isturbances of sleep.
To give a quotation that shows this polarity in nuce: 'Euphoria with feeling of mental relaxedness, inclination to and pleasure in wor ; irritability, inner restlessness and haste, anxious-depressive mood, even fear of the tas s of the day.' On the other hand, some provers experienced a severe decline in their capacity t o concentrate and in their inclination to do wor . They would read a sentence several times and still could not understand its meaning. They felt a total loss of initiative and interest, were afraid to face the upcoming responsibilities of the day and were generally depressed. 'Irritabilit y, inner restlessness and haste, anxious-depressive mood, even fear of the tas s of the day.' A third possibility regarding the polarity the provers experienced was that init iative and interest in doing things continued despite mental exhaustion, and intellectual efficiency increased despite severe sleep disturbances. Calcarea fluorica's main mental picture is one of underlying anxiety along with a tendency to attach themselves to specific people. They feel the need to build a networ of people upon whom they can rely. Their attachment to others can be very strong, and is a source of disappointment if they have reason to believe that their feelings are not being reciprocated by the pe ople they care for. This can ma e them feel quite resentful. Calcarea fluorica's emotions are vivid, strong, and uninhibited. These people ar e not exactly manipulative, but, rather, they attempt to influence others to do what they want. Their method is not one of overt domination, but rather a more feminine form of subtle persuasion. For instance, they might, by hoo or by croo , try to convince their friends to move into their neighbourhoo d in order to have them living close by. This was the case with a woman who had strong anxiety about security issues and whom Morrison cured with Calca rea fluorica (Proceedings of the 1989 Professional Case Conference). Calcarea fluorica's sexual desire can range from low to high. When it is low, it is almost an aversion, and orgasm is difficult to attain, especially in women. On the high end, in contrast to Fluoricum acidum, however, it does not b ecome over-sexed. An important modality is eating ameliorates most mental and physical symptoms; t he person feels worse on an empty stomach. In Calcarea fluorica, flushing is usually accompanied by a sudden sensation of h eat. A common complaint that arises is palpitations with flushes of heat, which alternate with a sensitivity to cold. Arrhythmia can also occur alo ng with the flushes. Calcarea fluorica is intolerant to cold, wet
weather, but differs from Calcarea carbonica in that its constitution can be qu ite warm. A strong and well- nown eynote, which was already mentioned, is the tendency to exostoses. We also commonly see stiffness from rheumatic and arthritic complaints. Calcarea fluorica's pains are ameliorated by applications of heat and by motion, especially continuous motion, similar to Rhus toxicodendron. They differ in that Calcarea fluorica is warm while Rhus-t. is c old.
Generalities Calcarea fluorica is one of Schüssler's 'tissue remedies', and is called his 'bone salt.' It acts powerfully upon the bones, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues, especially the elastic fibres. We see a mar ed tendency to osseous growths. These occur generally, throughout the body, but
especially in the carpal and tarsal articulations and at the fingers. There are hard rough corrugated elevations on the surface of bones, exostoses after injuries, and bony infiltration in the periostium. The healing process ma y be protracted by a lac of vital reaction in cases with suppuration of the bones. Calcarea fluorica is also indicated for cases of fractured bones which are slow to heal, for suppuration of bones, similar to Silicea and Calcarea phosphorica, for caries of the bones and for inflammations of the periostium. T he healing process may be protracted by a lac of vital reaction. Not only are the bones often insufficiently nourished, but also the teeth. The enamel on teeth is deficient, while dentition proceeds slowly and is difficult. Nails tend to become hypertrophied, hardened, and brittle. The following are some noteworthy examples that demonstrate Calcarea fluorica's success with bone problems: Burnett used Calcarea fluorica to cure a woman who had a shiny, hard and painful swelling on her left index finger (enchondroma), about the size of a walnut, only flatter. After ta ing the remedy, the swelling lost its cartilagin ous nature, became smaller and softer, and by the end of three months entirely disappeared. Other homeopaths have used this remedy to greatly ameliorate osteosarcoma result ing from bone injury. Margery Blac ie has observed Calcarea fluorica's success in reducing a bony grow th in the nose. The growth resembles a septum, which bloc s the nose more on one side than the other and is usually accompanied by a thic tarrh.
yellow ca
Wesselhoeft cured two cases of periosteal swelling (one on the right radius, one on the left ulna) that were caused by syphilis. Farrington cured a case of necrosis of the left lower jaw. There was a continuou s discharge from the cavity an offensive, dar , and bloody fluid, mixed with fine pieces of decayed bone. Calcarea fluorica stopped this destructive pr ocess entirely, and granulation set in.
Induration and tumour Calcarea fluorica has a strong tendency to produce tumours, growths and swelling s, often of a stony hardness. Induration is an important action of the remedy and has often been a eynote for the selection of this remedy. Calcarea fluorica develops tumours that harden, ulcers where the base
indurates and indurations in the muscles. G.P. Hale used Calcarea fluorica to c ure indurations after typhlitis, and encysted tumours of the eyelids, and he regards 'induration threatening suppuration' as a prominent indication o f the remedy. An induration after mechanical injury in the epigastric region (caused by the
ic of a horse) also yielded to the remedy.
Indurated infiltrations are found particularly in the glands and lymph nodes, bu t also in the tonsils and other places. Mezger reports a swelling of the thyroid gland, with the sensation of tightness and pulsation and the need to lo osen garments. Struma Basedow; goitre with hard adenomata. As is suggested by the glandular swellings, the remedy has a strong relationship to the lymphatic system, similar to other remedies containing Fluorine. It affects the mucous membranes, the lymph nodes and the tonsils. Mezger himself w as able to relieve a severe chronic inflammation of the frontal sinus with Calcarea fluorica. The remedy might also be indicated in Hodg in's disease (lymphogranulomatosis). As Mezger points out, Calcarea fluorica is
most effective with chronic processes such as chronic inflammations of the muco us membranes, glands, and the bones, while related remedies which contain Iodine are better for more recent, active cases. Fluorine remedies ofte n follow Iodine remedies with great success because they complete the action. In tendons and ligaments, the formation of nodular tumours is also frequent. The joints may be inflamed; there may be chronic synovitis of the nee joint, and rice-li e bodies may be found in the articulations and synovial shea ths. There are chronic, recurrent abscesses, and abscesses that form around the joints. Kent found Calcarea fluorica to be 'a useful remedy in gout, with copious pale urine and diarrhoea' where 'the patient is sad and miserable.' The influence of this remedy on tumours is applicable to a variety of growths: m alignant and cancerous tumours, encysted tumours, fibroids, ganglia, naevi. Calcarea fluorica facilitates resorption of callosities and adhesions, a lso after surgical operations. Kent reports a case where a recurrent fibroid in the hollow of the nee was surgically removed. It then returned and grew to the size of a fist, such that the leg was drawn up to a forty-five degree angle and the nee immovable. Calcarea fluorica was prescribe d based on the symptoms of the case and the hardness of the tumour. The tumour gradually shran and the limb returned to normal. Another successful use of this remedy was in cephalohaematoma, a fluctuating tumour found on the cranium of an infant. O. A. Palmer relates two examples where hard nots in the female breast were cured by Calcarea fluorica. In one case they had existed for three or four years before they were treated; in the other, due to the severity of the situation, immediate surgical removal of the tumour was recommended by a leading surgeon. Calcarea fluorica e liminated it within six wee s of treatment. Due to the wea ness of the connective tissues, we see a tendency to looseness an d hypermobility of joints in children. The joints tend to wear out easily, resulting in arthritis. It is not surprising, therefore, that Calcarea fluorica is often indicated for injuries due to overexertion and strain. The relaxation of the elastic fibres may also lead to dilatation of the blood ve ssels, relaxation and displacements of the uterus, relaxation of the abdominal walls causing a 'hanging belly', haemorrhaging in the womb, etc. 'Abd ominal ptosis' is a mar ed indication for the remedy. As stated above, the remedy affects the walls of blood vessels. Mezger relates t hat it both causes and cures varicose and enlarged veins. Blue veins show through the s in. We see dilatation of veins of two types - phlebectasia,
and telangiectasia. Mezger's proving brought out a varicose vein on the thigh which protruded and was as thic as a quill. Additional ailments cured by the remedy are haemangioma, aneurysms, haemorrhoids, arteriosclerosis, and threatened apoplexy. The remedy affects blood circulation and manifests as swelling of the feet durin g hot weather and the need to sit with the legs elevated. There is soreness in the vena saphena. Congestion in the head is also often seen in conj unction with the flushes of heat mentioned earlier. In this case the symptoms are ameliorated by open air, a draft of air, and bathing in cold water . During sleep the patient is bothered by hot feet and stic s them out of the covers in order to cool them, but then they quic ly become cold and so h e retracts them. Clar e says that Calcarea fluorica has been used successfully in haemoptysis, apparently to bring about contraction of the blood -vessels. Calcarea fluorica has a special sensitivity of the sensory organs. Light or nois e (such as music from the radio) intensifies headaches; the olfactory sense is very acute; provers reported a dulling of the sense of taste. Eye dise ases with impaired vision, such as scintillating scotoma and cataracts,
have been successfully treated with this remedy. The remedy increases the s in's sensitivity. It becomes sore to the touch, and h as hyperaesthetic and/or anaesthetic areas. Parts lain on are painful, or feel as if the person is lying on crumbs. Mezger's proving established Calcarea fluorica's special affinity for the region of the throat and nec . Not only do the muscles and joints of the nec and the cervical vertebra exhibit a distinct reaction, but so too do the mucous membranes of the larynx and the thyroid gland. Concerning the digestive system, a ravenous hunger was observed. This hunger cou ld not be satiated and the provers became emaciated despite eating regularly. Calcarea fluorica patients tend to be lean, to feel wea and to beco me easily fatigued. They have a 'feeling of fatigue all day'. The amelioration from eating is a stri ing modality of Calcarea fluorica and gen eral to the organism. Not only does it pertain to the painful feeling of hunger in the stomach, but also to the mental functions, the headache, the nerv ous restlessness and irritability, and to the general tone and energy of the body. Calcarea fluorica shares this general and mar ed modality with other halogen compounds. A stri ing left-sidedness has been observed in Mezger's proving. For instance, a sore bruised feeling, joint pains, numbness and formication only affected the left side in several provers. A soreness on only the left side was also reported. Meltzer established the remedy's special influence upon the pancreas, which include greasy stools, and indigestion and diarrhoea from e ating fat and feels that the affinity for the pancreas may also be due to the left sided bias. Dr. Sarah Hogan gave Calcarea fluorica with complete success, to a pregnant woma n suffering from flatulence. The patient came through labour quite easily, whereas the previous labour had been difficult. Dr. Hogan found the rem edy to facilitate labour in numerous other cases, and found flatulence to be a mar ed indication for the remedy, even independent of pregna ncy. According to Mezger, there is a desire for salt, spicy foods, and sweets; howeve r, sweets do not agree well. There is an aversion to eggs, meat and fat, which, as mentioned earlier, causes diarrhoea. Phata mentions, as a general symptom, that discharges tend to turn grass-green. He also recommends Calcarea fluorica's use in burns from X-rays. As in all the Calcarea remedies there is an inclination to profuse sweating, but in Calcarea fluorica the sweat has an offensive odour, similar to Acidum
fluoricum.
Modalities Some important modalities that were already mentioned are the amelioration from eating and the aggravation of most symptoms (rheumatic pains etc.) by cold, wet weather. Heat and warm applications tend to ameliorate. The same i s true of warm drin s, whereas cold drin s aggravate. While resting and upon beginning to move, symptoms are worse, but continued motion ameliorate s. On the other hand, specific symptoms such as congestion of the head and heat in the lower limbs and feet are better from open air and cold water and worse from heat. An intolerance of hot and sultry weather and of exposure to th e sun is a characteristic feature which Calcarea fluorica has in
common with other halogens. Touch tends to worsen symptoms while tight pressure often ameliorates headaches, stomach-aches, and heart complaints. A stri ing modality regarding time is a mar ed aggravation at night between 3 5 a.m. At this time, a nervous restlessness comes over them, which interrupts their sleep and brings on headaches, vertigo, and listlessness. Thes e complaints frequently continue even after rising in the morning. After a siesta, the person feels irritable and ill humoured. These symptoms establish aggravation after sleep as a characteristic trait of Calcarea fluorica.
Head Provers report a sort of crea ing, straining and drawing pain in the head that i s similar to the noise made by a cornstal fiddle and greatly interferes with sleep. A dull headache accompanied with fainting, nausea in the stomach, affects the en tire head throughout the afternoon and is relieved in the evening. Pain is everywhere in the head, with confusion, or boring, stitching, or cutting pressure which feels as if the head is bursting; better from open air (even a draught of air), cold washing and pressure; worse from stooping, heat, exposu re to the sun, sultry weather, climbing stairs, descending the escalator, alcohol. There are, however, occasional cases where heat ameliorates . Headache is aggravated by light, noises such as radio music and is ameliorated b y eating. Headache, vertigo and listlessness between 3 - 5 a.m. and continues in the morni ng after rising. Exostoses. Cephalohaematoma of new-born infants. Hair is without lustre or greasy. Hair on the head, eyelashes and pubic area fal ls out.
Eyes Bell's proving provides the following symptom: 'After writing some time, was no longer able to see distinctly, because of a blur or mist before the eyes,
with some aching in the eyeball; ameliorated when closing the eyes and pressing lightly upon them.' The picture of something read remains before the eyes for some time. Floaters (muscae volitantes) appear after excessive use of tobacco. Phlyctenular
eratitis and conjunctivitis. Maculae corneae; opacities; cataract.
Recurrent tumours of the eyelids; cystic tumours; subcutaneous palpebral cysts. Recurrent styes.
Ears Acute hearing; sound of a radio in the next room is unbearable. Chronic suppuration of the middle ear. Calcarea fluorica are cases of calcareous deposits on the membrana tympani, with roaring in the ears, worse at night, with cold feet, wrists, and an les, . and a crawling sensation all over the s in (cf. Hayes, in: Boeric e and Dewey, Twelve Tissue Remedies) Sclerosis of the ossicula and petrous portion of the temporal bone, with deafnes s, ringing and roaring (Boeric e). Mastoiditis, where the periostium is most affected.
Nose Heightened olfactory sense. Illusions of smell. Blowing of much mucus from the nose, with an ineffectual desire to sneeze. Adenoid growths in the post-nasal space and pharynx. Thic , yellowish-green disc harge from the nose; offensive catarrh of long standing. Bony growths within the nose, bloc ing the nose, usually in conjunction with a t hic , yellow catarrh. Atrophic rhinitis, especially if the crusts are prominent. Stuffy colds; dry coryza; ozaena.
Face Hard swelling on the chee (gumboil), with pain or toothache. Hard swelling of t he jaw from toothache or injury. Swelling under the chin, with induration and an uneven surface. Necrosis of the lower jaw, on the left side. Small, hard herpetic sores on the lips from a cold. Sores in the corners of the mouth.
Mouth
Great dryness of the mouth. Sensation as if the lips and tongue were swelling. Dulled sense of taste.
Crac ed appearance of the tongue, with or without pain; hardening of the tongue, also after inflammation. Deficient enamel of the teeth, which is rough and uneven. The teeth decay, crumb le and produce caries. Dentition is slow and difficult; hollow teeth appear prematurely in children. The teeth feel loose or become loose in their soc ets. They ache if any food tou ches them; and also from the cold.
Throat, larynx and trachea Bell's proving brought out a pric ling, burning, suffocative sensation in the th roat, which grew worse at night; cold drin s seem to aggravate and warm drin s to palliate the sensation, but only for a short time. In the provin g the symptoms intensified a few days later, and the prover had such difficulty breathing that it seemed as if the epiglottis was nearly closed, or that he was breathing through some thic substance, which permitted but a slight ingress of air to the lungs. Tonsils rough and ragged. Follicular sore throat; plugs of mucus are continually forming in the crypts of the tonsils. Painful swelling of the tonsils, with a purulent coating. Chronic tonsillitis. Pain upon swallowing, with redness of the bac part of the pharyngeal wall, of t he lateral trunci lymphatici, and of the tonsillar ring. Soreness and rawness in the throat, extending down to the bifurcation, with coug hing and light clear expectoration, worse when lying down. Uvula relaxed, causing irritation, tic ling and coughing. Dryness and tic ling in the larynx, with the desire to clear it out. Tic ling it ching in the larynx, inducing a hac ing cough; worse from 3 - 4 p.m. Hac ing cough from tic ling in the larynx, as from a small foreign body, along with desire to swallow, but neither coughing nor swallowing relieve the tic ling. Very hoarse after laughing; also from reading aloud. Laryngeal diphtheria. Feeling of tightness in the region of the thyroid gland, with pulsating; has to loosen garments. Hard struma; toxic adenoma.
Heart Pressure on the heart with fear that the heart will fail. Sensation of heaviness on the heart, as of a stone, immediately disappearing if pressure is applied with both fists. Severe stitches of the heart when sitting leaning forward.
Stomach Increased appetite and sensation of hunger; sensation of satiety fails; can eat all day, but remains emaciated all the same. 'Hunger pains' two hours after a meal, ameliorated by eating. Becomes very angry if is hungry and has to wait for a meal; when the meal finall y arrives, loo s at it with disgust. Loss of appetite. Wea ness and daintiness of appetite, nausea and distress after eating, in young children who are overtaxed by studies. Desire for salt, spicy food, sweets (but sweets do not agree); aversion to meat, fat, and eggs. Fat does not agree and causes diarrhoea. Haw ing up of mucus in the morning causes an extended attac of hiccup, which de pletes the person, and recurs frequently throughout the day. Heartburn. Vomiting of undigested food; in infants, during dentition. Acute indigestion from fatigue and brain fag, much flatulence.
Abdomen Sensation of fullness with flatulence, better from discharging the flatus. Flatu lence during pregnancy. Flatulence, worse when horse riding and towards evening, better after lying down at night. About midnight, or soon thereafter, wa ened by a sharp pain in the right hypocho ndrium, under the eleventh rib, occurring in paroxysms of lancination accompanied by restlessness; worse when lying on the painful side, so much so a s to cause a feeling of bursting outward; better when lying on the painless side and when doubling over. Frequent attac s of the same lancinating pains in the liver region, worse when s itting, better when wal ing about. Stomach-ache and pain in the abdomen better by laying a hand on the affected reg ion; also by lying on the belly.
Rectum Piles, frequently with bac pain, generally far down in the sacrum, and with con stipation.
Fissures of the anus, or fistula ani. During the night awa ened by itching at the anus, as from ascarides. Burning and itching, stitching and splinter pain at the anus. Moisture at the anus; moist eruption; intertrigo. Slight diarrhoea; the first part of the stool is natural, the last part loose, w ith urging pain before stool.
Diarrhoea: pasty or gushing out; greasy, shiny; immediately after eating. Diarrh oea from fatty food. Constipation with dizziness and a dull headache. Stool is hard, li e sheep's dung or consisting of large, hard lumps. When hard s tool is discharged, the pain feels as if anus were torn apart. Sensation of receding stool when faeces are hard.
Urinary organs Increased secretion of pale urine. Gets up twice at night to pass profuse urine. Or: Urine scanty, high-coloured, turbid. Irritability of the bladder, frequent urging to urinate; urine causes smarting a long the urethra, particularly at its external orifice; emits a pungent odour.
Genitalia Induration of the testes. Orchitis. Hydrocele. Excessive catamenia with bearing-down pain. Dragging pain in the region of the u terus and thighs; bearing-down of the uterus. Before menses, pain in genitalia and mammae. Displacement of the uterus. Very profuse menstrual flow, with yellowish-mil y colour. After-pains due to wea contractions. Fibroid tumours in the uterus. Hard nodular tumours in the mammae.
Nec
and bac
Stony hard swelling of the cervical lymph nodes. Pain in the cervical spine. Caput obstipum.
Lumbago from strains; chronic lumbago, worse on beginning to move, better from c ontinued motion and warmth. Tired aching in the lower bac , with restlessness.
Haemorrhoids which accompany pain in the sacral region.
Extremities Crac ing in the joints, with easy dislocation, especially of the phalanges; hype rmobility of the joints. Spontaneous hip dislocation. Arthritic nodosities and exostoses form on the bones, especially on the fingers. Margery Blac ie reports that Calcarea fluorica greatly improved a sarcoma on the humerus and eliminated bony spurs on the heels. Ganglion at the wrist. Sudden occurrence of an anaesthetic zone on the right ulnar nerve. Numbness in the left ring finger and little finger, made worse by cold. Varices on the lower limbs. Lower limbs feel heavy and wea with the need to elevate the feet to relieve the pain. Pain along the vena saphena stimulated by touch. A stony hard, rachitic swelling of the entire thigh, in a 2-year-old child, yiel ded promptly to Calcarea fluorica (Ward, in: Twelve Tissue Remedies). Chronic synovitis of the
nee joint.
Fibroma in the hollow of the
nee.
Nocturnal cramps in the calves, better by uncovering or extending the leg. Doughy swelling of the feet on warm days. In bed at night, uncovers feet to cool them down, but soon draws them bac o their feeling cold.
due t
Sleep Sleep disturbed by constant dreams: vivid and distinct, of the death of a relati ve, with much grief and weeping; of unsuccessful efforts to do various things; of new scenes and places, not unpleasant, but with sensation of impendi ng danger. Interruption of sleep between 3 - 5 a.m. , with a vivid stream of thoughts. In the morning, feels unrefreshed, with headache, vertigo, palpitation, fatigue and listlessness.
Unable to ta e his usual midday nap. After a siesta, considerable irritability and 'hideous mood.'
Fever Flushes of heat with palpitation and sometimes arrhythmia, alternating with sens itivity to cold. Warm feeling over the entire body, with flushes of heat. Burning heat on the sol es of the feet; also on the hands. Chill, with trembling; cannot get warm after a cold shower. Attac s of fever, lasting a wee or more, with thirst and a dry, brown tongue. Inclination to sweat from the least exertion; perspiration tends to be offensive .
S in The s in loo s thin, transparent and mar edly white. It feels harsh and dry, and there is a tendency towards chapping, crac ing, rhagades, and fissures. Formation of hard cicatrices. Ecchymoses; naevi. Inflammatory appearances on the s in, li e acne, pustules, papulae, herpes. The surroundings of the body orifices are the preferred location for s in disorders (corners of the mouth, the margins of the eyelids, the nostrils, behi nd the ears, the glans penis, scrotum, anus). Troublesome itching of the s in with or without eruption, worse in a warm bed, m ade better by uncovering. Mezger comments: 'The s in is much more affected, as you would expect from the p ure lime. Formation of acne noduli, pustules, furuncles, and little abscesses of the s in; also of herpetic eruptions, which transform into flat ec zema of a moist character. This is connected with violent itching, which can also be found without eruptions.'
Clinical Adenoids. Aneurysm. Bone disorders. Breast, indurations of. Cataract. Catarrh. C old sores. Corneal opacities. Cough. Exostosis. Flatulence. Glands, indurated. Haemoptysis. Herpes. Hodg in's disease. Joints, crac ing of. Liver, disorders of. Lumbago. Nodes. Ozaena. Parturition. Postnasal catarrh.
Spavin (horses). Strains. Syphilis.
Relations Compare: Con.; Lapis; Bar-m.; Heela; Rhus; Cacodylate of Soda (Tumours).
Calcar. sulph-stibiata (acts as an haemostatic and absorptive in uterine myoma) Mangifera indica (varicose veins).
Calcarea phosphorica Calcium Phosphate. Phosphate of Lime. Tricalcic Phosphate. Ca3 2PO4 . A mixture of the basic and several complex calcium phosphates - produced by addi ng dilute phosphoric acid to lime water. Trituration.
The essential features Calcarea phosphorica is a deep-acting remedy with a wide range of symptomatology . Unfortunately, it is often confused with several of our polychrests, the most frequent of these being Calcarea carbonica, Chamomilla, Phosphoricum a cidum, Phosphorus and Tuberculinum. A more thorough understanding of this remedy will enable the practitioner to better distinguish it from the others mentioned above. There are three primary causative factors for the development of a Calcarea phos phorica case: bad nutrition bad news bad weather a) Deficient or poor nutrition is required to produce the classic Calcarea phosp horica picture, especially on the physical level. This picture encompasses the basic structural and developmental pathology described in earli er texts, whose symptoms include: rachitis; emaciation; bone diseases; the non-union of fractured bones; anaemic states; slow or difficult c onvalescence after acute diseases. Specifically in babies: the non-union of sutures, open fontanelles, late learning to wal , late learning to tal , late dentition and troubles incident to this period. Fifty or one hundred years ago, case descriptions of Calcarea phosphorica childr en treated by earlier homeopaths were abundant in our literature. Nowadays, in Western countries, the remedy is not indicated as often because nu trition has greatly improved. In developing countries, however, the
classic picture can still be frequently encountered. b) Similar to the effect of malnutrition, unexpectedly hearing bad news causes a n imbalance in the organism and ma es the individual sic . Apart from the predisposition that a child inherits from its parents, there are other caus es that trigger a Calcarea phosphorica state. These include psychological stresses experienced in everyday life, e.g. grief, anxieties, insecurities, ang er, contradiction, insults, etc., with the most devastating effect being wrought by the sudden hearing of bad news. This is one of the great eynotes of the remedy. This ind of shoc cannot be tolerated by the organism so predisposed and brings about a deep imbalance and disease.
For example, a Calcarea phosphorica individual receives a telephone call informi ng him of a car accident involving a close relative. He becomes overwhelmed and cannot cope. His organism reacts to the information by getting excited, by having palpitations and fainting spells. He perspires profusely, especially around the nec and head and wants to fan this area all t he time. What began as a temporary imbalance then turns into a chronic condition. He is afraid of hearing anything bad and becomes distraught from any ind of unpleasant news. Even the mere idea that he may encounter something unpleasant is unbearable. The pathological consequences of such a shoc can affect the mental, emotional, or physical level, or all simultaneously. An individual that was previously patient and balanced now becomes fearful, fretful, afraid of the dar , and afra id to be alone. These people become oversensitive; they cannot stand to see others suffer, a feeling that assumes pathological proportions. Irritability and anger develop. This remedy rages and swears almost as much as N ux vomica. The provings describe symptoms such as: 'Grows very violent if his opinion is differed from, or if contradicted, so that he is vexe d afterwards not to have been able to control himself.' Or: 'Violent, irritable, and snappish; it affects him most to hear that someone has done wron g; indignation rises in him, and he would li e to avoid conversation.' There is a tendency to become very critical of oneself and others, which may in duce these violent and irritable states. Coffee has an aggravating influence. Not only may it cause nausea, heartburn, confusion of the head, and headache, but it may also produce or increase intense ill-humour and irritability. The possible consequences of hearing bad news in a Calcarea phosphorica individu al are described in the provings in this fashion: 'Unpleasant news ma e him beside himself; he cannot thin of any serious thing, cannot collect h is thoughts, and gets into a general sweat about it.' Phata also says that numbness and a crawling sensation can come on after bad news. This in dication probably has its basis in the following proving report: 'Very much out of humour, does not want to tal a word, prefers not to be as ed and t o be left alone, after disagreeable news. - Very restless sleep, tosses about much. - In the morning after wa ing, the extremities are 'asleep', especi ally hands and feet (the day after disagreeable news).' The vexation that comes from bad news may also produce depression, a feeling as if lame, an inability to wor or even to wal , and diarrhoea. It is interesting to note that Calcarea phosphorica is seldom indicated for roma ntic disappointments. In these situations people usually have some sort of
warning, either spo en or implied, of the impending separation. This opportunit y for preparation mitigates the suddenness of the shoc that otherwise might have provo ed a Calcarea phosphorica condition. Calcarea phosphorica is often indicated for ailments caused by grief, especially when the grief is profound and is precipitated suddenly. A sudden insult that is left unanswered can bring about a state of Calcarea phosphorica. In this case one may mista e the patient for Staphysagria. c) Changes of weather, especially to cold and to wet, often cause severe symptom s. Calcarea phosphorica develops rheumatic pains that are worse in the winter (due to the cold weather), disappear in the spring and return in the autumn. Another modality of rheumatism observed in Calcarea phosphorica is that special times for aggravation are in the autumn and when th e snow is melting, i.e. in the spring. This is a valuable and well-confirmed symptom. Getting wet in the rain often brings on rheumatic pains in the shoulders, chest and extremities; the pain moves about all over the limbs and rump. A ind
of dull pain from damp, rainy, cold weather has been observed in the lower limb s, as well as a feeling as if lame and beaten in the buttoc s and other parts.
Discontent and restlessness A psychological theme central to Calcarea phosphorica is that of discontent. The se people never seem to be satisfied with themselves. Their inner discontent renders them aggressive and extremely peevish, causes them to compla in and more specifically, to moan and groan. This characteristic is most readily witnessed in children. They may suffer disco ntent for a number of reasons (bone pains, teething difficulties, etc.) and moan and whine constantly and for extended periods of time. Parents typical ly complain that the moaning grates on their nerves. Mothers of Calcarea phosphorica children typically describe their child as a 'moaning chil d', thus summarising the whole situation in one word and providing the practitioner with the true essence of the case. Calcarea phosphorica should be the first remedy considered for children who moan in their sleep; in adults, the main remedy is Aurum. I recall the case of a four-year-old boy. He had fallen and sustained a head inj ury. For no ascertainable reason, he moaned, groaned, and shrie ed for seventy-two hours straight. His father carried him about and too him for wal s around the bloc , but with little effect. Chamomilla did nothing for this child, while Calcarea phosphorica immediately put him into a restful sleep from which he awo e with no residual problems. We can compare Calcarea phosphorica's dissatisfaction to that of Tuberculinum. B oth experience discontent and the resulting desire to travel. Tub.'s dissatisfaction, however, is active and pertains to his locale. These people ar e unhappy with their surroundings and consequently develop an urge to travel, hoping to alter their environment and situation. They search for anothe r set of conditions or circumstance that will excite them and provide them with strong mental stimulation. In comparison, Calcarea phosphorica has an indefinable inner and passive discont ent. At its core, is a discontent with themselves more than with others, although they may exhibit great irritability, anger, and censorious beh aviour toward others. As Calcarea phosphorica is a realist and not one to engage in flights of fancy, his inner discontent constantly brings him bac to reality and to his organism that wor s at a slow pace, to his inability
to thin , to his feelings of dullness and to his lac of joy. This even further intensifies his suffering, as Calcarea phosphorica's symptoms are definitely aggravated by thin ing about them. It is not surprising, then, that the desire to travel while listed in our repert ories along with Tuberculinum, has an entirely different meaning. Calcarea phosphorica does not have the desire to travel per se, nor the excitement of se eing new places that Tub. has. Calcarea phosphorica just wants to be 'off somewhere', to change the place where the person is at the moment just for the sa e of changing it'. The act of travelling, the altering of impressions, focus and goals distracts him from his inner discontent and restle ssness, and thereby ameliorates him. For example, if he leaves his home, not for any major reason, but even just in order to visit a friend in another t own, he feels better while travelling. Once he's arrived, however, his discontent returns and he wants to go home again. Calcarea phosphorica and Igna tia share a feeling of being better while travelling.
At this point, I feel it necessary to insert a warning. It is unfortunate and co nfusing that several authors, based on my description of essences, describe in their teachings or writings the personality traits of their clients, instead of their psychopathology. Only the mental/emotional pathology, not the personality need be ta en into consideration when prescribing a remedy. That wh ich has changed in the mental/emotional sphere after the appearance of the disease is of interest to the homeopath. If, for instance, in our case, there is a curious person who li es to meet people from other countries and is as ed the question whether he li es to travel, he may answer yes-but thi s is not pathology! Although Calcarea phosphorica and Tuberculinum children have superficial similar ities, especially the strong desire for smo ed meats, bacon and sausage and the desire to travel, it is important to discriminate between the w ay they express their dissatisfaction. This is done by noting whether the expression of dissatisfaction is active or passive. The Calcarea phosphorica ch ild, when hurt or displeased, withdraws and begins to complain and moan from morning until night. Nothing satisfies the child; it seems to be unaw are of what it wants. The Tub. child, on the other hand, is more prone to act out its dissatisfaction by ta ing action - by becoming malicious or by tryi ng to hurt others. Were a mother to say, "My child is very nasty," one would not consider Calcarea phosphorica. Indignation is another eynote of this remedy. When insulted, Calcarea phosphori ca does not stay in order to fight bac , but rather leaves with a sense of indignation. It is interesting that they can even become indignant at unplea sant dreams. This is another point where they resemble Staphysagria. Staph., however, is sweet and mild and accepting, while Calcarea phosphorica is vehement, angry, censorious and displeased with others and themselves. Though the symptom is the same, the context is different.
Sluggishness Without nowing what exactly is wrong or why, Calcarea phosphorica patients real ise that something is awry with their system. They may be functioning at their optimum when they suddenly find themselves becoming tired more easily. They feel sluggish. They start to lose interest in pursuing their daily activities, whether it be wor or play. Their minds are duller, less vital. In order to mobilise their minds, they need stimulation, either mental, i.e. , a good conversation, or physical, such as a good strong coffee. They are unable t
o explain the reason for their vague discontent. They only perceive that they are no longer easily excited nor enthusiastic about life, and that th ey are tired and do not comprehend things as readily as before. The sluggishness on the mental level can be termed a 'mental flabbiness', and pa rallels the physical flabbiness that characterises this remedy-similar to what was written in my description of Calcarea carbonica. In Calcarea phosphori ca people, the ability to reflect is very compromised. (This is exactly the opposite of Chamomilla, where the ability to reflect is quite activ e.) Mental tas s require far more time to complete than they did previously. Mental exertion becomes very difficult and may even provo e a heada che. Indeed, Calcarea phosphorica is one of the major remedies for headaches in school children (compare Natrum carbonicum). Calcarea carbonica is the major remedy for headaches from physical rather than mental exertion. The increasing deficiency in the area of the intellect assumes various forms, am ong them are the following: the memory begins to lac precision (a prover
reported that he was unable 'to remember common symptoms of common remedies'), or is lost so that one does not remember at all what one has done, or what one should do. The operations of the intellect begin to lac the accust omed acuity. Ordinary intellectual operations are performed only with difficulty. Words get confused (a prover found himself writing throat for tonsi ls, red for swollen etc.) or are written twice. It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish among things and notions under consideration. Mental ' stamina' begins to suffer; the individual is unable to sustain prolonged mental efforts.
Exertion-exhaustion As a result of their mind being sluggish, Calcarea phosphorica people disli e me ntal exertion. In fact, these people disli e performing wor of any ind; if they do not wor at all, however, they feel they have been neglectful and su ffer even more discontent. If they are successful in stimulating themselves to wor or are roused by somebody else, they feel better for having made the mental effort. They briefly experience a sense of satisfaction for having done some useful labour. The sluggishness, however, eve ntually reasserts itself and the discontent and nagging sense that something is wrong return, and progressively worsen. If these people direct the ir attention to their symptoms-to the difficulty they have concentrating, to their loss of memory, etc.-they feel much worse and their dis satisfaction increases. Similar to Oxalic acid, and as mentioned earlier, Calcarea phosphorica patients are worse from thin ing about their symptoms and complaints. At a more advanced stage, their inability to comprehend can progress to the poin t where they begin to do silly things. They ma e silly jo es or say silly things that are inappropriate to the situation. Their comments might be underst ood were they presented as jo es, but they are often made in all seriousness and with little awareness of the impression created by them. Calcarea phosphorica's emotions suffer from sluggishness as well. Their emotions move with difficulty; they are indifferent. The emotional indifference, while somewhat similar to that of Phosphoric acid, is not nearly as profound.
Sighing Sighing is a well- nown eynote of Calcarea phosphorica. One might mista e a Cal carea phosphorica case for Ignatia because both remedies sigh frequently. Calcarea phosphorica's sighing, however, is primarily of a physical origin as opposed to Ign.'s psychological etiology and seems to be a consequence of physical pathology rather than psychology. Calcarea phosphorica cases have a wea ness of the respiratory apparatus such that there is a need to ta e a deep breath. The deep involuntary inspiration that ensues s ounds li e sighing. The sighing does not commence after an experience of grief, though such an episo de may aggravate it, and usually appears for no apparent reason and much earlier in the case than Calcarea phosphorica's emotional symptoms. A psyc hological shoc , li e a grief, may produce other symptoms, such as those previously mentioned under the heading 'bad news'. This is different from Ign.'s sighing, which results directly from an incident of grief, and
can be traced bac to that experience.
Sympathetic and fearful Calcarea phosphorica individuals are typically sensitive people. Before they rea ch the state of inner discontent, they are quite open and outgoing. Though they are shyer than Phosphorus, the phosphoric element contributes to their soc iability. Their feelings can be rather easily hurt, and when this happens they tend to develop an aversion to company; they become sul y and angr y. Both the qualities of desire for, and aversion to, company are observed, but at different stages of the pathology. The sympathetic moment can ta e a pathological form, but it is seen at an earlier stage of pathology than the inn er discontent that is so stri ing in the more progressed stages. Calcarea phosphorica is also very sympathetic toward other people's suffering an d many times can become considerably anxious about others (again displaying their phosphoric nature). These ailments, together with some fears l i e the fear of thunderstorms, of the dar , of dogs, of cats, of being alone that are all eynotes of both Phos. and Calcarea carbonica, are enc ountered frequently in the Calcarea phosphorica child. In the sexual sphere, we have a polarity. On the one hand, Calcarea phosphorica' s general wea ness may ma e them less prone to see out sex. On the other hand, some Calcarea phosphorica individuals, especially women, possess a very strong sexual drive, some to the point that they suffer from the intensity of the drive. This 'nymphomania' is most intense before menses. Also, having an orgasm sometimes gives Calcarea phosphorica extra energy, resulting in a feeling of general well being, a good appetite, and a desire for wor after coitus.
The calcarea phosphorica child The general ma eup of the Calcarea phosphorica child has frequently been describ ed in homeopathic literature, especially cases where the cause is malnutrition. A good example of such a case is a child who is pale, thin, scraw ny, very underweight, mentally and physically underdeveloped, slow at learning to wal (or has lost the ability), hardly able to tal , has tottery le gs, a head that is inclined to wobble, a belly that is flabby and prominent
or flabby and sun en, is subject to bronchitis and tonsillitis, has a very unst able nervous system, and is very restless. Remedies that should be compared are Baryta carbonica, Borax, Calcarea carbonica, Magnesia carbonica, M edorrhinum, Natrum muriaticum and Phosphoricum acidum. Problems with the formation of bones and/or an inclination to bone diseases and bone pains, often indicate Calcarea phosphorica,. The remedy should be considered when the head bones are slow in forming or do not growth of the child, when the fontanelles don't close early
eep pace with the
enough, or even reopen. Clar e differentiates: 'Calcarea carbonica has an open anterior fontanelle; Calcarea phosphorica has both open, especially the posterior.' The s ull is often thin and soft, gives way under the pressure of a finger or seems to crac le li e paper. There are pains in the s ull bones, especially in the region of the sutures. Another indication of the remedy is the so-called 'growing pains' (due to delaye d closure of the epiphyses) in fast growing children, which appear
especially at night. These children grow very quic ly, but the assimilation of nutrients to support such rapid growth is deficient; thus we see s eletal and dental problems. A number of pathologies that have been cured or favourably influenced by this remedy are: lateral curvatures of the spine (scoliosis); hydrocephalus, acute or chronic; ric ets, frequently with diarrhoe a (cholera infantum), in emaciated children; caries, easy decay of the teeth, especially of the first teeth; late or slow dentition, in connection wit h a host of teething complaints which include cough, diarrhoea and spasms, especially without fever. Even spina bifida is reported to be favourably influe nced by Calcarea phosphorica. Enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths are often seen and have also responded well. An important symptom, though not to the same degree as in Calcarea carbonica, is a profuse night sweat around the head. Great sensitivity is also exhibited to cold and to jarring. Hering describes: 'A child of fifteen months, with a big head and open fontanelles... violent screaming, grasping with hands in great agony towards his mother; cold sweat, most in face, whole body c old.' Concerning the mental ma eup, some important traits have been described before. The discontent, with the typical moaning (especially during sleep) and the restlessness, is the core of the mental and emotional pathology. Patients t end to be peevish, fretful, and ill-humoured. Boeric e describes them as follows: 'Anaemic children who are peevish, flabby, have cold extremities an d feeble digestion.' Babies turn over all the time, cry a lot, are restless, constantly ic and move their extremities. Trying to console them by pic ing them up does not wor ; on the contrary, it ma es them feel worse and may cause a suffocative attac with a cyanotic face and extreme restl essness. This aggravation from lifting the child from its bed is just the opposite of Borax, where downward motion brings on symptoms. Anxieties and fears are also frequent. They are often related to bodily symptoms (i.e. abdominal pains, chest and respiration symptoms, teething problems). Calcarea phosphorica children tend to be timid and shy; they tend to start or to develop convulsions from fright or other external influences. On the intellectual level, the growth process of these children is also frequent ly disturbed. Their memory is poor, and mental exertion is often dreaded; prolonged mental efforts are difficult to sustain and often bring on symptoms ( li e the headaches in school children mentioned earlier, or a ind of dull sluggishness with the desire to be alone). Mental retardation with bodily hyperactivity is an indication that has been confirmed more than once
by many homeopaths including Stiegele, who saw favourable results even in more advanced stages of this syndrome (after cerebral polio). The food desires are very unusual and strong. 'Craving for fat bacon', or, as Ma rgaret Tyler puts it, for 'ham rind', is a symptom that has been well-verified in children; however an aversion to ham has also been observed. S mo ed meat is frequently the favourite food. We also see desire for sausages, for potatoes and farinaceous foods, and for indigestible things, whic h refers to things that the little patient cannot, such as fat bacon in cases of cholera infantum, or to slate pencils, clay or such things. An aversio n to ham, however, has also been observed. Children's appetites frequently increase, and the child wants to eat (or nurse) all the time; this o ften occurs in emaciated children, who despite this do not 'put on flesh'. We also see nursing children who refuse their mother's mil ; this, however, is due to the mil being spoiled and tasting salty, not to any problem with the child.
Generalities Musculos eletal system: The musculos eletal system, especially the bones, but also other related structu res (e.g. the teeth) are a main sphere of action in Calcarea phosphorica. Some of the bones' pathological conditions have already been described in the f irst part of this remedy picture. As mentioned, the bones are undernourished, soft, thin and brittle. Places where bony structures meet are e specially affected: sutures, symphyses, joints etc. Effects on the s eletal system are common. In older populations Calcarea phospho rica covers many cases of arthritis, especially when the ligaments are affected and when stiffness is a prominent symptom. Many cases may resemble Rhu s toxicodendron; the stiffness can be so intense that it verges on a constriction that almost defies movement. Patients suffering from such stiffnes s have to wal about to achieve some relief. It can be a very debilitating and uncomfortable state. Limping can appear suddenly after hearing bad news. Stiffness of the cervical region, especially at the borders of the trapezius mus cles, is a strong characteristic of this remedy. This stiffness is greatly aggravated by a draft of air. These people are worse from draughts in g eneral, but the cervical area suffers from an exaggerated sensitivity. Calcarea phosphorica, Rhus toxicodendron, and Cimicifuga are the main remedies f or stiffness and pain in the cervical region that is aggravated by draughts. In Cimicifuga the stiffness in the cervical region can become so seve re that the brain feels as if it is enclosed within a cloud. With Rhus-t. the accompanying feeling is one of irritability. Their stiffness ma es them irr itable and restlessness. They want to move about and are unable to stop or sit quietly for even five minutes. Rhus-t. patients are also inclined to rub their nec a great deal. Calcarea phosphorica does not demonstrate such restlessness; they sit quietly, and their mind grows more and more dull. The Ca lcarea phosphorica aggravation usually consists of a stiff nec coupled with a dull and sluggish the mind; it is as if the circulation to the brain has been compromised. Both Rhus-t. and Calc-p. have the inclination to move the nec and crac e.
it, and the noise that comes from such crac ing is impressiv
It is interesting to observe that nowadays, for most people, there exists a vuln erability to stress in the cervical region. It seems that almost everyone experiences stiffness of the nec , especially when fatigued. Most particularly, however, this stiffness arises when an individual perceives that the
extent of his responsibilities exceeds his capacity to fulfil them. It is also quite liable to arise when a person's desire to perform in accordance with the expectations of others is frustrated. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments are lame, wea , and sore, often from straini ng them or due to cold weather. Interestingly, the extensors tend to be more affected than the flexors. Glands and Swellings: The glands and lymph nodes also suffer from malnutrition. They are often swollen and sore. The tonsils and adenoids are particularly affected; enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths are symptoms that are well verified. We al so see swellings of the cervical, inguinal, or mesenteric lymph nodes. Calcarea phosphorica li e Calcarea carbonica is useful in polypi of the nose, ut erus and rectum. Modalities:
We mentioned three causes for the development or the aggravation of a Calcarea p hosphorica case: causation or aggravation due to bad nutrition, bad news, or bad weather, i.e. , cold and wet. The special aggravation from mel ting snow is a stri ing sign, especially in cases of rheumatism and arthritis. Draughts of air can very easily provo e complaints, and any chan ge of weather definitely aggravates symptoms. Whenever the patient goes without a hat, wal s on the floor with bare feet or gets his feet wet, he catches a cold. He can have chills running up his bac . While the occasional patient may, due to the phosphoric element, be warm-blooded, he stil l experiences the aggravation of his localised complaints in cold, wet weather. The aggravation from cold extends to food as well; ice-cream, frozen f oods and drin s tend to cause colic or diarrhoea. Other foods and drin s that may have a similar aggravating influence are fruit and cider. Another strong modality is that exertion, especially mental exertion, may bring on complaints. Physical strain, such as lifting, also has negative consequences (bac pain, etc.). Calcarea phosphorica is aggravated by thin ing of complaints and by consolation. Dentition and puberty are critical points in the development of young Calcarea p hosphorica individuals. Heat generally ameliorates, as does warm, dry weather; the same is frequently tr ue of lying down. Some complaints are also ameliorated by washing with cold water. Appearance: Calcarea phosphorica individuals tend to be tall and lean, even scrawny, and hav e an appearance different from the 'pasty' appearance of Calcarea carbonica people. Both have a flabby abdomen, which is often large, but which i n Calcarea phosphorica may also be sun en. Calcarea phosphorica's complexion is less chal y-white and tending more to dirty-white or brownish tha n Calc. Wea ness and Fatigue: Wea ness and fatigue on all levels is a mar ed characteristic of Calcarea phosph orica. The weariness is worse from going upstairs. The individual wants to sit down and not get up again. There is a predisposition of the lower limbs, abdomen and sacrum to 'go to sleep' and thus the individual is unable to rise from his seat. Wea ness and languor may occur during menses or pregnancy, with leucorrhoea, wit h diarrhoea, in dentition, and after acute diseases. Exertion,
especially mental, ma es these people feel wea , but so does physical exertion, even just the act of tal ing. Vexation may also induce states of wea ness. On the physical plane, muscular flabbiness is characteristic of Calcarea phospho rica, and quite often flabbiness of the lower abdomen is a prominent feature. As the Calcarea phosphorica state develops, an individual who may have been muscular and energetic loses his stamina, often rather precipitously; his muscles lose their firmness and strength, and he begins to p ut on weight. Flabbiness begins to pervade the whole organism. Some further general qualities of Calcarea phosphorica are: Sensations of crawling or tingling, numbness and coldness are characteristic, as the protagonist of the 'tissue remedies', Schüssler, perceived; they often accompany pains and convulsions due to anaemic states. There is a tendenc y for the sensations to occur in small spots.
Trembling, especially of the arms and hands, is also a symptom that frequently a ccompanies other ailments, such as uterine complaints, headaches and bellyaches. The discharges of Calcarea phosphorica persons generally tend to be albuminous; they contain albumen and loo li e the white of an egg. The tendency to perspire, especially around the head in sleep, as mentioned in t he section on the Calcarea Child. Calcarea phosphorica may also be indicated for convulsions. Schüssler gave as a sp ecial indication 'Convulsions without fever in teething children.' In children, we may see convulsive starts when they lie on their bac s, which ceas e when they lie on their sides. In convulsions of children, however, to secure the best effect, the remedy must not be given when the child is in the t hroes of the convulsion. In young persons whose bodies are developing, the remedy brings on epileptic spa sms after suppressed menses due to bathing. Attac s of spasms go through the body li e an electric shoc , so that she falls down, last about a m inute and occur up to thirty times a day. Calcarea phosphorica has a tendency to produce very strong aggravations that may last for 10-20 days, which is considerably longer than for most other remedies. It is very important to differentiate an aggravation that is due to t he healing process from an aggravation that comes from an involuntary proving! (from Esalen)
Vertigo Vertigo when wal ing in the open air in windy weather, with drawing in the nape of nec and also with confusion of the head. Vertigo when getting up or rising from sitting, particularly in old people; they stagger when getting up from bed. Vertigo in old people has also been cured when it occurs in connection with cons tipation and hard, bloody stools, and which is accompanied by mental depression and headache. Vertigo and loss of memory occur during lunch; vertigo with leucorrhoea, before the menses. Generally, physical or mental exertion may provo e vertigo.
Head Crawling sensations run over top of head, with a freezing cold feeling, as if ic e were lying on the upper part of the occiput. The head may be hot, with smarting at the roots of the hair. Heat in the head; burning on top, running down to the toes. Headaches with fullness, as if the brain were pressing against the s ull, most s evere on the top of the head. This symptom from Hering's proving first occurred every ten seconds, then became almost continuous. This ind of headach e is aggravated by motion, on stooping, on sitting up after lying down, on rising after sitting; also by external pressure (from a hat). It is be tter while lying still; the patient often wants only to be left alone.
Throbbing or beating headaches, through either or both sides, worse from a jar ( stepping) and especially from quic motion. Headaches from mental exertion are a well- nown indication of Calcarea phosphori ca, especially in school children, and accompanied by diarrhoea. Headaches in children from watching TV is also an indication. They may be ameli orated by going out into the open air. Occasionally mental wor may also relieve headaches, probably because it diverts the mind from thin ing of the pain. In the provings, we can find the following symptom: 'Headache, in the morning, on wa ing, a heavy painful confusion, as if close to the bone, from within and without, worse on the vertex and aggravated by bodily exertion; it seems to disappear on mental exertion, and re turn on bodily exertion; relieved by washing with cold water.' Other remar able modalities: The urge to stool may be attended by pain in the he ad; gastric or uterine symptoms are often accompanied by headaches. Hering's proving produced the following strange observation: 'Great desire for tobacco-smo ing; headache relieved.' Changes of weather will often aggravate or bring about a headache, which extends downward: from the forehead to the nose, or the from temples to the jaw. It may be connected with rheumatic pain and tearing in other parts, e. g. from the clavicles to the wrists. As discussed above, there are very often problems with the bones of the s ull: h ydrocephalus (often with diarrhoea and vomiting), delayed closure of the fontanelles, soft, thin s ull bones are pathologies which Calcarea phosphor ica affects. Sometimes we see a tottering, large head in a child, the nec being too wea to hold it properly. The bone pains prefer the region of th e sutures and have a drawing, tearing, rending quality. The scalp tends to be itchy and sore, which has led to the cure of impetigo or e czema of the scalp. Falling of the hair (alopecia areata) or the hair being of poor quality can frequently be observed.
Eyes There is a sensation in the eye as if there is something in it, which is renewed if others tal about it. This very annoying sensation sometimes seems to wander about in the eye, but is often felt in the region of the inner canthus. It may be followed by discharge of matter from the inner canthus in the morning and a swelling and redness of the upper part of the canthus. The eye hurts as if it had been beaten; gentle pressure eliminates the pain.
Hot feeling in the eyes, especially in the lids, along with sweating of the brow s and lids. A cool feeling toward the front of or behind the eyes has also been mentioned. The (left) eye is inflamed, the cornea hazy and traversed by red vessels, with p hotophobia. The capillary vessels may be visible in strea s from the canthi to the cornea. Opacities of the cornea after an abscess. Photophobia. Light tends to hurt the eyes, particularly artificial light (includ ing candle light). A dimness of vision has been observed in the provings, with an increase of myopi a; the field of vision seems composed of small, round, greyish spots. Letters tend to change into little blac spots, or patients report that they se e something li e a little bird flying from left to right.
Phenomena li e shimmering, glittering, fiery circles before the eyes have also b een reported. Calcarea phosphorica has been useful in spasmodic disorders of the eyelids, wher e Magnesia phosphorica has failed. A valuable hint, mentioned by Margery Blac ie: 'They often have long lashes and rather dar blue eyes.' Of course, this is only a hint and never a sufficient basis for prescription!
Ears Cold feeling or coldness of the ears, followed by throbbing, heat and a loss of hearing; or: Burning itching of outer ears when in a warm room, after riding in the open air (which was not cold), with redness, but not warm t o the touch, continuing all day when indoors. Rheumatic tearing in the ears when the weather changes to cold. Soreness and aching in and around the ears and also in the bones around them; al so in the region of parotid glands. Severe burning pain in a small spot above the ear, with the spot being exceeding ly sensitive to touch. Earache from right to left, following a drawing over os the pubis from right to left. Excoriating otorrhoea. Hearing loss, amounting almost to deafness, from hypertrophy of the tonsils or f rom adenoid growths.
Nose Tip of nose icy cold. Sensation as if something were in the nose (li e a crumb, when eating), which ca nnot be removed. There is a tendency to violent sneezing and coryza, often with soreness of the n ostrils and inside the nose. The discharge may be so abundant that 'three hand erchiefs are hardly enough for a day' (from Schréter's proving). The same prover also observed that in a cool room (after having ridden in the open air) he had fluent coryza, while outdoors, in the hot air, his nose was bloc ed.
Coryza that develops into sinusitis. Large pedunculated nasal polypi that bleed easily. A small ulcer forms at the septum and is very painful, especially on blowing the nose.
Face
The face tends to be pale and waxy, of a sallow colour, and sometimes with a yel lowish hue. It may be full of pimples and pustules, as in acne, and is most often found in girls. Coppery discoloration of the face or dar blotches o n the face have also been cured by Calcarea phosphorica. The face may be hot, and the rest of the body is cold; we also see cold sweat on the face while the body is cold. Facial ache that may be neuralgic or rheumatic in origin and which worsens at ni ght. The pain in the face affects in particular the upper maxilla and has a tendency to spread or wander in a distinct pattern: it goes from right to lef t, or it begins in other parts of the body and extends to the face, or else it starts in the face and extends to other parts. Some modalities of the facial ache: aggravated by wet weather, by draughts, by physical or mental exertion, by noise, ameliorated while lying down. Swollen upper lip which is painful, hard, and burns.
Mouth Bitter taste in the mouth: in the morning, with headache; at the beginning of me nses; bread and even water taste bitter. The bad taste in the morning upon wa ing may also be insipid and offensive. In conjunction with this taste, a white coating of the tongue can be observed. I n the provings, we find: 'In the morning, tongue coated whitish, with furrows, as if split, and an insipid, sweetish taste after the ice-cream eaten the day before.' The tongue may be swollen, numb and stiff, with pimples on it. The tip of the tongue burns, as if sore or burnt; sometimes little burning blist ers are found there. Sore spots on the mucous membrane of the chee s developed in two provers. Children tend to put their fingers into their mouths. The teeth and the teething periods are often a source of ailments. Slow and diff icult teething, with a variety of complaints (cough, diarrhoea, vomiting, cold tremors, convulsions without fever, emaciation, and so on). Cari es are very common and often comes very early in children. The teeth crumble and decay rapidly. The teeth are sensitive and cannot bear the touch and pressure of chewing. Fresh air, especially a cold draft is also intolerable and aggravates
toothache, as well as warm and cold things.
Throat Calcarea phosphorica has a mar ed action upon the tonsils and adenoids. There is a chronic enlargement of the tonsils, with an aversion to opening the mouth. If it is opened all the same, e.g. for yawning, there is a sore pain felt in the tonsils. The remedy is also indicated in adenoid growths which can entirely obstruct the nasopharynx.
Every cold tends to settle in the throat. It is sore, feels raw on swallowing, a nd there is much mucus in it. Has to haw frequently, and can only tal clearly after haw ing. Haw ing is also necessary in the evening to get the slim e out, it even continues after falling asleep. The sore throat is often caused by exposure to cold air. Two descriptions from t he provings: 'Yesterday, soreness of the throat; today, tonsils, uvula, and pharynx red and swollen, with pain increased by swallowing' (Cate). And: 'S ore throat in the morning, on wa ing, worse in the right side, low down in fauces, more towards the bac ; worse when swallowing; disappears after rising and at brea fast; warm drin causes no pain' (Hering). Swallowing may also cause a lot of other pains: in the tongue, in the chest, and in the pit of stomach. Also a strange sensation of emptiness or faintness in the pharynx has been noted .
Stomach The most stri ing desires have been reported in the chapter on Children, and inc lude the desires for fat bacon, ham, 'ham rind', salted or smo ed meat, sausage, potatoes, farinaceous foods, and indigestible things. In additio n, there are cravings for cheese, fish and strongly seasoned foods, especially pepper. Eggs might be an object of desire or aversion, the aversion to soft-boiled eggs being sometimes quite strong (the opposite of Calcarea carbonica). Mil (mother's mil or cows' mil ) may also be craved or strongly rejected. In spite of emaciation, there may be quite ravenous hunger. Infants want to nurs e all the time, but vomit easily. A special time for a sudden feeling of great hunger is in the afternoon at 4 p.m. Before and during the menses, the appetite may be completely lost. Hering also observed the following interesting symptom: 'No appetite from noon t o noon; but thin ing about it, she wants to eat.' The stomach is easily disordered. Drin ing cold water, eating ice-cream or fruit will cause colic and vomiting or diarrhoea. Clar e relates that a special sort of dyspepsia has been cured by Calcarea phosphorica: 'Pain better for a short time by raising wind, when fasting the pain goes to the spine, feeling as if one ought to raise wind and cannot. Dyspepsia with indescr ibable distress in region of stomach, only temporarily better by eating.'
Violent pain in the stomach, with great debility, headache and diarrhoea; pain i s excited by introducing the least morsel of food into the stomach. Nausea comes on after drin ing coffee, with incipient heartburn and an exceeding ly unpleasant sensation, together with a confusion in the head, headache and great ill-humour. Heartburn after lunch, lasting for some time, ha s several times been observed in the provings. Nausea when moving, rising from the pit of stomach; better at rest and is follow ed by a headache and lassitude. Generally, there is much flatulence in the stomach and abdomen, which provo es l oud eructation. This may relieve the flatulent colic temporarily, but not the belching which continues to leave a burning sensation in the epigastriu m. An inclination to vomit is often excited by mucus in the throat. An indescribable uneasy feeling in the region of the stomach is described by pro vers. It comes in the form of an empty, sin ing feeling or a sensation of
the stomach being distended by food. The stomach-ache is often burning, with water-brash or as a consequence of eruct ation.
Abdomen Flatulence and flatulent colic are frequent from eating or from certain foods (s ee Stomach), and the pain, which often has a cutting, sharp quality, tends to localise around the navel. 'Pain in the middle of the abdomen, while a nd after eating, lasting half an hour; this pain abated after a copious emission of foetid flatus' (from Cate's proving). The winds do not always bring such relief, sometimes the pain will be only slightly better or even not at all; they are often difficult to expel. Sharp pains around the navel may als o be accompanied by a feeling of soreness. The flatulence can be really violent, with severe pain and also with confusion of the head, increasing to a dull headache that is worse on stooping; a thin evacuation may follow, after which the pain ceases. Motion in the belly as if something were alive. There are also burning pains: all over the abdomen, around navel, in the epigast rium, and rising up into the chest and throat. There is an empty sin ing sensation around the navel, or in the whole abdomen. The liver region is also a locality of some ailments: In the right hypochondrium , throbbing that is ameliorated by belching or passing wind. There is a stic ing sensation in the region of the liver during a long inspiration, as if from flatus and also from sudden motion. Pain in the liver with soreness may be caused by becoming chilled and will be aggravated after eating and by mo tion; the patient wants to eep quiet. Pain in the hypochondria from sitting for too long. Aching soreness, cutting, drawing pains in the left groin, then later in the rig ht. A very unpleasant formication over the whole abdomen, which lasts for a consider able time, has been reported; also a ind of quivering of the (outer) abdominal wall. Oozing of serous-bloody fluid from the navel of infants. Abdominal hernias, in anaemic patients.
Rectum Itching of the rectum and anus is characteristic, and is present primarily in th e evening. An example from Schréter's proving: 'Itching, tic ling, pric ling in the rectum, with a desire to draw it in very much, without having had a stool all day, evening, in bed.' There are also cutting pains and stitches in the rectum, or a sore feeling in th e anus, which may be felt in the evening, especially when wal ing, or when getting up in the morning.
Piles became much worse during the provings. They protruded and were very painfu l, the pains were characterised as being smarting, cutting, digging, and itching; also sore, aching and throbbing; with a discharge of blood, especi ally after stool, or oozing out of a yellow fluid. Kent describes that the pain may be so intense as to eep the patient in bed for wee s; aggravated by s tanding, wal ing, from touch; ameliorated by heat; and brought on by every cold change of weather. Small furuncle near the anus to the right, with much pain; cannot sit; has to st and or to lie on the left side; discharges blood or pus, and leaves a painless fistula (observed in two provers). Fistula in ano, alternating with chest symptoms, e.g. a cough with soreness and dryness in the throat and dull aching in the chest in persons who have pain in all the joints from any change of weather. Flatus is passed in abundance and is often foetid. A tendency towards intestinal worms in anaemic or sic ly patients might be cured by Calcarea phosphorica. Violent diarrhoea comes on from eating juicy fruits or ice-cream, or from drin i ng cider or cold water. Vexation may also provo e diarrhoea. Diarrhoeic evacuations with much wind are frequent, during first dentition or i n connection with headaches in school children. There are loose stools which contain many small white points and appear as fla e s. Green and loose stools in children which are sometimes slimy, or watery and very hot, or white and mushy. Loose stools are often very offensive. Diarrhoea alternating with s in eruptions. Copious soft stool in the mornings; renewed urgency directly on wiping, after wh ich a little more is evacuated. Constipation is also found, especially in old people: costive, hard stool with b lood, associated with mental depression, vertigo and headache. After evening meal pressure in the rectum, with stool; the first hard, the last thin.
Urinary organs The bladder is wea and irritable. There is a frequent and urgent desire to urin ate. Must frequently discharge small quantities of bright and pale urine. This is by accompanied by much pain and discomfort. Exposure to cold and
wet will cause or aggravate such states. Frequent, copious discharge of urine, with wea ness and fatigue. Calcarea phosph orica may be indicated in bed-wetting with general debility; also in glycosuria from diabetes mellitus where the lungs are implicated. In men, a rel axation and wea ness of the genital organs after urinating has been observed. Dar urine, warmer than usual and of a penetrating odour; dar -coloured, hot, an d smelling li e strong tea. One prover had to retain the urine for a couple of hours, having no opportunity to pass water. He experienced an increasing pain in the bladder and in the prostate gland. When he finally urinated, the water passed only in a feeble stream, ta ing a considerable time. After all had passed, there was considerable soreness of the bladder, followed again by frequent micturition.
Painful sensation in the nec of the bladder, such as when the stream of urine i s suddenly stopped. In women, a drawing upwards occurs in the bladder while urinating, and after uri nating a pressing and cutting sensation in the bladder has been noted. A pressing pain in the bladder, on one side (right or left); also cutting in the bladder before urinating. Cuttings and stitches in the urethra have frequently been noted in the provings. This can occur while urinating, but occurs especially when not urinating. A stri ing symptom in a male prover (Schréter) that occurred several times is: 'Th e urethra expands much on urinating, it swells and becomes hard, with burning; towards evening.' The indication 'chronic induration of urethra' and Hering's symptom 'Erection painful, with burning in urethra, and a tension in penis, in evening' have been derived from this proving symptom. The same prover experienced an agglutination of the meatus, with the consequence that a quantity of urine spurted out after urinating. In the region of the idneys, pain when lifting, digging, blowing the nose, whic h is frequently so violent as to ma e the person cry out loud.
Male genitalia The sexual drive is often increased, but the desire to perform sex may also be d iminished due to the wea ness of the Calcarea phosphorica organism. Desire for coitus may be especially strong in the morning, 'together with very u nusual orgasm', as Hering's proving relates. Coitus results in a general feeling of well being, together with a good appetite for brea fast and a strong er desire for wor than before. On the other hand, wea ness in the feet after coitus is reported, similar to Calcarea carbonica. At 1 a.m. , has a strong seminal emission with a voluptuous dream of having coit us with his wife. Strong erections while riding in a carriage for some time, but without voluptuou s feeling. After emission of urine or faeces, the genitals are relaxed and wea . Calcarea phosphorica has, as Kent says, cured many cases of chronic gonorrhoea w hen the discharge is gleety and there are sharp pains in the urethra and prostatic gland. White discharge from the urethra in anaemic subjects. Shooting through the perineum into the penis. Shooting in the root of the penis
and bladder. Swelling of the testicles. Scrotum sore, and oozing of a fluid; moist, sweaty; i tching, producing pimples.
Female genitalia The sexual desire is often increased, even insatiable so that it causes sufferin g to the patient, especially before the menses. Erection of the clitoris with sexual desire also occurs after urination. A proving symptom is a 'voluptu ous feeling as if all female parts were filling up with blood; she feels pulse in all the parts, with increased sexual desire.'
The menses have often been observed to come too early in girls, with profuse, br ight red blood; in women, they tend to start too late (sometimes for wee s), with dar blood. We also see cases where the flow is first bright red, then dar . A dar flow is especially seen in rheumatic patients. Dysmenorrhoea can often be helped with this remedy, especially in young girls, a nd this is the main reason why Kent says that 'the woman has no better friend than Calcarea phosphorica.' Excessive, labour-li e pains often accompany the menses, and they frequently set in before the flow starts. 'Violent cramping in the uterus and groin several hours before the flow starts, relieved after the flow has been fully established' (Kent). The pain is so extreme that it ma es her cry out, and she is so severely affected t hat she has to stay in bed. A painful bearing down of the uterus, as if it would protrude, is also a common symptom before and during the menses. The p ainful menses can have their origin in having ta en a cold at the first menstrual period, and then the dysmenorrhoea continues during all her men strual life, unless the remedy is used. Other symptoms related to the menses: Headache three to seven days before menses; griping and rumbling in the bowel; s titching pains in the left side of the head; fluor, and sleepiness during the day. Calcarea phosphorica has been used with success in cases of Premenstru al Syndrome, with extreme irritability, puffy eyelids, bloated abdomen, sore breasts, heavy feeling of the uterus, low bac n the rectum and a host of other symptoms.
pain, sharp pain i
During menses: vertigo and throbbing in the forehead, blood rushes to head, thro bbing headache, pressure over the os pubis, want of appetite, belly-ache and diarrhoea, shooting bac ache, fatigue of the lower limbs, over-f atigued, feels stiff all over on going upstairs, burning in the vagina and uterus. Leucorrhoea li e the white of eggs, day and night, worse in morning after rising , of a sweetish odour; increases with stool, and is white and of a bad odour. Fluor for two wee s after menses, or from one term to another. During pregnancy, fatigue in all limbs; mammae painful: pinching, shooting, burn ing, sore to touch; nipples aching, sore. Menstrual flow during lactation. The breast mil is watery and thin, or it has a salty taste so that the child re fuses to nurse. There is a tendency uterine displacement, which is often combined with rheumatic
pains. Wea ness and distress in the uterine region with an inclination to prolapsus, worse during the passage of stool, urine, or menstrual blood. Pressing, drawing and sore feeling as if the menses will appear, soreness, achin g, pressure in the uterus and vagina, flushes of heat in the loins, fatigued from going upstairs with pain from right groin into left hip. Throbbin g, stinging, tic ling, sore aching or pressing in the genitals, drawing upward into the symphysis and downward in the thighs. Pressure upward, throbbin g and similar sensations over mons veneris. Aching in the uterus in the morning; uterine pains in cold, wet weather. The cer vix and os uteri are swollen, red and painful. Burning in the vagina, with pain on both sides of the bladder and uterus; burnin g li e fire up into the chest. Aching in the vagina after nosebleed. Pains from the abdomen, especially the navel, draw towards the vagina.
Respiration Hoarseness of the voice is frequent, especially in the morning and on wal ing in the open air; must clear throat before he can tal or sing. Catarrhal disorders of the air passages. Breathing difficult, with constriction of the chest; better when lying down, wor se again when rising in the morning, with great pain in the chest when breathing. Suffocative attac s upon the slightest exertion, or upon climbing st airs; in children when lifted from the cradle. Respiration is more difficult, frequent, and short. The prover is frequently obl iged to ta e a deep sighing breath, which leads to the well- nown eynote of involuntary sighing. Deep breathing may, though, induce or increase pains: sharp pain in the left che st and to the left of the left mammae, followed by a dull pain; sharp pain in the region of the heart; stic ing in the region of the liver.
Cough Dry, hac ing cough in thin, pale, sic ly people, which is worse in cold, damp we ather. Dry cough with hoarseness and soreness, and dryness in the throat. Hac ing cough and fluent coryza with a chill. Cough with yellow expectoration, more in the morning; with fever, dryness and th irst; during difficult dentition, also with rattling of phlegm in the chest which is difficult to expectorate. Cough in the sunny half of the day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chronic cough of consumptives, who suffer with cold extremities. Whooping cough of teething children, and in obstinate cases, with emaciation.
Chest and heart A sharp pain in the left chest in the region of the heart, sometimes of a cuttin g or stitching nature, has been observed by several provers. It is most felt on deep inspiration and sometimes so severe as to cut off the breath. One
prover experienced this symptom most in the morning before rising, and another throughout the day. At times this pain may alternate with a similar pain in the right chest. Burning sensation in the chest, from below up into the throat; sometimes downwar d. A sharp pain as though some sharp instrument was pushing out the lower end of th e sternum. Tearing, pressing, shooting in the sternum.
Dull aching in the chest, which is sore to touch. Pain in the chest on swallowing. Pain where the cartilage and the ribs meet. A sore pain of and over the clavicle s, which may extend down the arm to the wrist. Draughts of cold air cause chest pains. Ulcer over sternum or clavicle. Hard tumour, li e a walnut, in the left male breast. Sweaty, emaciated chest; profuse sweat and cold extremities in phthisis. Palpitation with anxiety, followed by a trembling wea ness, particularly of the calves.
Nec and bac One of the most sensitive areas in Calcarea phosphorica and one of the first to be affected is the cervical region. The nec tends to be wea and thin, so that head is inclined to bob about. From the slightest draft of air, violent, rheumatic-drawing pains and stiffness in the nape of the nec with a ind of confusion of the head. The stiffness is often accompanied by a desire to 'crac ' the nec gives only momentary relief.
which, however,
Cramp-li e pain in the nape of the nec , first on one side, then on the other. Pain in the cervical region extending to the larynx, which is very painful to to uch. While sitting, feels beating of the pulse in the nape of the nec and the left c hest. Pains and aches in and near, between and mostly below the shoulder-blades, which throb and jer . Pain as if from a bruise on each side of the dorsal and lumbar spine, during the latter part of the night and in the morning, which disappears after exercise. Violent pain in the small of the bac , when ma ing the least bodily effort; some times obliging him to scream; also from a jar (blowing the nose, etc.), especially in the idney region. Sharp pain in the region of the lumbar vertebrae and at the top of the sacrum, f ollowed by soreness.
Numbness of the sacrum and lower limbs. In sacro-iliac symphysis, there is soreness as if separated. Sore, pressive, tearing and shooting pain in the os coccygis; particularly from touch or pressure. Drawing in the bac and limbs, with gaping, stretching, bending bac wards; aggra vated in the evening and in the morning. Bac ache when there is a loss of muscular power in young, growing girls; with de viation of the spine; curvature of the dorsal spine to the left. Bac ache with uterine pains; bac ache as if the menses will appear.
Sensation as if an electric shoc went along the spine.
Extremities Rheumatic pains in all the limbs from cold and wet weather, particularly after g etting wet in rain or when the snow melts; usually worse from motion. They tend to fly about all parts of the rump and limbs. The joints are most affected; pain in all the joints, most on the left side. Gouty fingers and toes become painful in cold weather. Aching and extreme fatigue of all the limbs. Stiffness after resting, also in th e morning. Aching in the bones, li e growing pains. Soreness about the sheaths of tendons, on extending as well as on flexing. The rheumatic pains and paralytic symptoms tend to affect the extensors more tha n the flexors. Feeling of lameness of the flexors; sudden aching of the extensors of all the limbs. Rheumatic pain in the upper arm near the shoulder joint; cannot lift the arm. Rh eumatic pains in the shoulder and arm, also with swelling of the diseased part and febrile heat. All bones of the arms ache, especially the thumbs. Paralysis of the whole left arm was observed in Bute's proving. Hard bluish lumps under the arm, oozing and scabbing, after a suppressed itch. Dull pains in the arms, first the left, then the right; from the shoulder to the fingers, from the clavicle to the wrist; worse from a change of weather. The condyles of the elbows tend to be swollen. Shooting sensation through elbows, usually first left, then right. Pain that feels li e the bones of the forearms are brea ing. Calcarea phosphorica is one of the main remedies for carpal tunnel syndrome. It may affect both hands, which is rare for that syndrome. The hands become wea and drop things. Pain in the wrist, with lameness as if bruised; cr amp-li e pains when moving or using it; numbness spreading upward; burning pain. In thumbs, all joints as if luxated or sprained. Pain in the fingers of the right hand when writing, in the evening; writers' cra mp. Spasmodic motion of the thumbs.
Ulcerative pains in the roots of the finger nails, especially the middle finger. Finger tips sore. The lower limbs are the most to suffer, with tearing, shooting, rheumatic pains etc. Kent states that the reason is probably that the lower limbs are always cold to the nees and that in this remedy the cold parts are always the parts that suffer. Heaviness, fatigue and stiffness also refer to the lower limbs to a greater extent than the upper, especially during the me nses or during pregnancy.
Numbness, 'going to sleep', and tingling of several parts, especially the buttoc s. This feeling extends upward to the sacrum or down to the soles of the feet. It can come on from sitting, after rising from a seat, or from riding in a car. It can be accompanied by a peculiar restlessness of the legs. Schréter's proving provo ed the following symptom: 'Muscles of the nates [buttoc s] fall asleep, with restlessness in lower legs, h as to move them all the time, change position, with an anxious feeling, he wants to jump out of the carriage; if he turns to the right side, the nervus is chiadicus aches as if pressed upon, and he has to sit straight (on riding in a car for some time, at night).' In the buttoc s a lameness as if beaten; after a storm all inds of pain with so reness, most from right to left, but alternating, mostly on the right side. There are also stinging, burning, itching sensations on small spots in the s in of the buttoc s. Oozing pimples develop that form scurfs and continue to itch after scratching. Calcarea phosphorica may be useful in hip-joint disease, coxarthrosis. Aching and soreness of the thighs as if beaten, with aching in the sacral bones. Sharp pain in the tendons on the inside of the thighs, more when wal ing. Tensiv e drawing in the hollow of the nee when standing up and stretching the leg, as if the tendons were too short; better from continued wal ing. Pain in the nees: as if sprained, sore, boring; worse when wal ing or stretchin g. Chronic swelling of the nees; hygroma patellae. The pain in bones is most felt in the tibiae. Bone pains in the left lower leg, as if it were brea ing or beaten. Cramp in the calves, drawing, rending, shooting pain; cramp on a small spot insi de the calves when wal ing. Contraction around the left calf as if it is tied over there. An le joints as if dislocated; they tend to be wea
and easily injured.
Ulcers at the an le; fistular openings. Hering's proving gives 'old gouty pain in big toe, with inclination to crac joints, which, however, he did not do.'
the
Pains in the big toe, li e a cramp, or aching in the region of the root of the n ail, first the right toe, then the left.
Sleep Very tired all day; irresistible drowsiness, especially in the morning, constant gaping and stretching, also with sweat in the face; gaping with tears in the eyes and confusion of the head. Sleepiness before the menses. Cannot get awa e in the early morning. One symptom from the proving: 'Awa es ear ly in the morning, with erections without voluptuous feeling, then falls in slumber, in which he hears everything, but cannot get fully awa e and dreams of journeys with many obstacles.' At night, the sleep is often disturbed. Cannot fall asleep, has to turn from one side to the other, his body itches, does not sleep before 2 a.m. Very vivid dreams: of journeys, of meeting old friends, of events of the day, of robbers or an army of cats, of dangers (though without fear), of fire
(though without many flames). Frightful dreams cause him to wa e with a start. Children cry out in sleep.
Fever Calcarea phosphorica patients are generally chilly; easily chilled and often hav e ailments from becoming cold or wet. Frequent creeping shivering; coldness, tingling, and numbness with pains. Chills run up or down the bac ; but there might also be heat in the head that runs down to the toes. The lower part of the body is nearly always cold, but th e face may be hot. Chill in the morning after dressing; sha ing chills on going outside. Copious night sweats; partial sweats (head and nec ) wa en him. Profuse sweat du ring phthisis. Cold sweats, with cold body. Bad news and emotions such as sadness, may provo e outbrea s of sweat.
S in The colour of the s in tends to be dirty-white or dar er (brown), sometimes also yellowish. Dry s in, with dry, crusty affections; eczema with anaemia. In ulceration Calcarea phosphorica may be helpful: exulceration of old scars, e. g. after an amputation; ulcers that develop from furuncles; ulceration from long-continued external applications (e.g. from a mustard poultice); fistu lar ulcers at the an le joints. S in eruptions often appear on injured parts. Acne is common in adolescents, especially young girls. Itching and burning over the whole s in. From Schréter's proving: 'After a cold ri ver-bath, red as a lobster over whole body, with biting and pric ling as from nettles.'
Clinical Anaemia. An les, wea . Bac , wea ness of. Bones, disorders of. Brain-fag. Bright 's disease. Cholera infantum. Chorea. Consumption. Cretinism.
Debility. Dentition. Diabetes. Dyspepsia. Emissions. Enuresis. Epilepsy. Erotom ania. Face, boils on. Fistula. Fracture. Non-specific urethritis. Gonorrhoea. Headaches. Hernia. Hydrocele. Hyg roma. Joints, disorders of. Leucorrhoea. Lumbago. Nymphomania. Phosphaturia. Rheumatism. Ric ets. Masturbation. Spermatorrhoea. Spina bifida. Stiff-nec . Strabismus. Testicles, swollen. Throat, sore. Tobacco habit. Tonsils, enlarged. Uterus, prolapsus of; polypus of. Yawning.
Relations Compare: Calcar. hypophosporosa Complementary: Ruta; Hepar.
Relations Compare: Calcar. hypophosporosa Complementary: Ruta; Hepar.
Calcarea silicata Calcium Silicate, CaSi2O5. Trituration.
The essential features Calcarea Silicata is recommended for cases that resemble Calcarea carbonica or S ilica, but where these remedies fail to act. It is a very deep-acting remedy and exerts a profound influence upon the s in, mucous membranes, joints and glands. I have found Calcarea silicata to be indicated in cases of severe acne, severe c onstipation, arthritic conditions, gout and anxiety neurosis. According to Kent it has also cured cases of epithelioma and lupus, and is reputed to stimul ate the absorption of corneal exudate. Atrophy in children may indicate this remedy. Children who need it are typically malnourished, emaciated, chilly , tubercular and sweat profusely. The type of pathology seen in this remedy includes ulcers and abscesses with rai sed edges that discharge thic , greenish-yellow pus, catarrhal disorders with greenish-yellow expectoration, recurrent bronchitis and chronic sinusitis. An important symptom is ailments from suppressed perspiration. Though these people tend to perspire profusely, perspiration ceases with exposure to a slight draft or cold air. This suppression aggravates symptoms in
general and can even cause the patient to become lame. The most stri ing features of the remedy are deep exhaustion and wea ness experi enced throughout the day. The patient is completely lac s energy; any exertion aggravates the symptoms and fatigue. It is no wonder, then, that there is a mar ed aversion to exertion of any ind, especially physical
exertion. The depletion and lassitude compel him to lie down frequently; lying down ameliorates the general state, the wea ness and many other symptoms (Manganum). After lying down for a while, the patient feels fine, but as soon as he starts to wal about all the fatigue returns, such that he must lie down again. Calcarea silicata is a tubercular remedy li e Mang. and St annum; the exhaustion, however, is less than in Stann. cases. The general picture of the Calcarea silicata constitutional type is someone who is frail, timid, cowardly and easily frightened, completely lac ing in self-confidence, and who has many fears and anxieties. His mind is constantly d istracted by trivial thoughts and worries. He has fears about family matters, anxiety about their health or about financial problems. The only part of the body that seems to be relatively hard are the nails, and they, in fact, are not really strong; they tend to be brittle and to brea grow very slowly (compare Silica).
easily or to
Calcarea silicata's anxiety about health combines the anxieties of Calcarea carb onica and Silica, with its own peculiar symptom of fears that come on mostly in bed at night. The patient may, for example, lie awa e all night worry ing that he has an incurable disease or that he has a brain tumour which can never be cured. During the night, even while asleep, the whole organism see ms to be extremely sensitive to anxieties, fears, fright and sadness. Calcarea silicata individuals shrie , weep and start in their sleep. They have a lot of nightmares, frightful, horrible dreams, dreams of death, disease, murder, etc. Upon wa ing up in the morning, they are frequently anxious and somewhat frighten ed without even nowing why. When awa e, they conjure up fears and worry, and sit and weep for hours. They often find it impossible to ursting into sobs.
eep from b
Calcarea silicata has two interesting modalities: The fear and anxiety are worse at night in bed, while the lac of mental energy is worse in the daytime and better in the evening hours. In the daytime the patient experiences inertia and may even dread or fear wor and any ind of exertion. His mind is sluggish. In the evening the energy level rises, the dullness of mind is reliev ed, and he can more readily thin and concentrate. His mind is crowded with ideas in the evening and at night, similar to Sepia, Medorrhinum and Aurum . Exertion of any ind triggers many symptoms. Mental exertion frequently brings o n symptoms or aggravates them, and yet there is, at the same time, a mar ed amelioration from being occupied. Calcarea silicata can experience imagi nary fears and vexations after mental exertion.
Sadness is a strong mental feature of Calcarea silicata. In some cases the patie nt feels sad and depressed most of the time, especially during the day, without apparent cause or nowing why. The mental depression can become so inte nse that the patient even becomes suicidal and has the impulse to jump when he finds himself in front of the window or in a high place. These sym ptoms, along with the modalities 'better in the evening' and 'better with occupation', are characteristic of Aurum as well and are the reason Aur. i s often prescribed instead of Calcarea silicata. Calcarea silicata patients feel a deep sense of dissatisfaction. Nothing pleases them. They desire the unobtainable, li e Tuberculinum. They try to find pleasure through new things but soon tire of them and become critical. The vexa tion and irritability they experience is often a result of mental exertion; this exertion can also ma e them angry. (Margery Blac ie remar s that these patients are often too wea to get really angry, but if they do, they can get angry 'over nothing'.) Coitus and other sexual activity may also t rigger irritability and aggravate the mental symptoms. In general, these people do not li e communication, do not li e to converse with others and prefer to be alone with their dullness. Kent reports of one patient: 'She sits for a long time in one place, loo s into space and does not answer when spo en to.' They do not want to be bothered, do not want to
answer questions, shun consolation and all these things irritate them. In their state of worry and exhaustion, they just want to lie down. They are oversensitive to reproach, even to a mild rebu e from a friend. Remedies that m ay be confused with this one are Sepia and Natrum muriaticum. Calcarea silicata's intellect is totally disorganised and may even reach a state of Alzheimer's disease. In the initial stages their memory is very wea , and their mind deficient of ideas in the daytime. They are absent-minded, have difficulty concentrating, especially conducting a conversation, and tend to ma e mista es in speech and to misuse words. Then, when the prostration of mind reaches a more advanced stage, it is characte rised by a total inability to concentrate on what is being listened to or read. The mind is confused, especially upon wa ing in the morning, and when the individual attempts to thin . Such a patient may be so forgetful that he cannot recall the sentence just spo en. Eventually the mind brea s down and a state of delirium and psychosis sets in. T he patient begins to tal with imaginary people who have long been dead. He sees them, hears their voices, and answers them. An example of this is a wom an who thought that her husband long dead was in the next room, and she grieved because she was not allowed to go to him; she wanted to get evening meal for him and imagined that he would starve if she couldn't reach him. She called her living son by the name of one long dead. Calcarea silicata may also have other delusions and horrible visions; for example, she sees dead people and corpses, dogs at night, disagreeable persons when she is half-a wa e. She mutters foolish things, experiences restless delirium and wanders all night in her room without sleep.
Generalities The patient is wea , tired, emaciated, cold and chilly, and extremely sensitive to cold. He has great wea ness of the nervous system. He must lie down all the time and f eels most comfortable when lying on the bac in bed. This general state of wea ness has been described very vividly: 'He is always so weary' (Kent); 'l ac of vitality, says she never feels quite well, had a miserable life because always being dead beat' (Blac ie). The patient feels wea from the leas t exertion, whether it be physical or mental, for example, from wal ing in the open air. Climbing stairs not only brings on wea ness but, simil ar to Calcarea carbonica, causes the patient to be out of breath.
The patient is extremely sensitive to draughts and to cold in general - to cold air, to cold and wet weather, to uncovering. He is constantly catching a cold and seems hardly able to get through the winter; in summer, however, he is much improved. Chill induces much trembling all over his body. He develops ailments from sudden suppression of perspiration due to the exposure t o a draft or cold air. Cold food, cold mil , cold drin s aggravate many complaints. Aversion to and aggravation from bathing, especially cold bath ing is a eynote of this remedy. (Kent observed this in a prover who always used to enjoy cold bathing, prior to the aggravation from the remedy.) Concurrent with the desire for warmth and general lac of vital heat, there is a definite aggravation from being overheated. The head tends to get congested and blood rushes from the body to the head, causing great flushes of heat. Pahud's experience is that prolonged suppuration of rhinopharynx in chilly peopl e with feet that sweat points to Calcarea silicata (Klassische
Homöopathie, 1959) The function of organs and glands is slow and often much impaired. There is swel ling of the glands with hardness and a tendency to varicose veins. Touch aggravates many parts of the body; the patient dreads being touched; his b ones are sore to the touch. He is sensitive all over, sensitive to pain, and all the internal organs feel extremely sensitive when the body is jarred. Much numbness is felt, especially in parts that are lain on or are painful. Mucous membranes bleed easily - in the throat, nose, lungs. There is a convulsive tendency, which is displayed through a contraction of body orifices. The muscles twitch and exhibit chronic jer ing. There is pulsation all over the body, both internal and external. Additional modalities: many symptoms are worse before, during or after the menst rual flow; worse after brea fast; all symptoms are worse from motion. Periodicity is mar ed in many symptoms.
Vertigo A ind of 'swimmy feeling in head' has been reported after perspiration has been suppressed by going into a cool room (Margery Blac ie). Swimming feeling in the head, as if unable to wal straight, after the least amount of a lcohol. Vertigo appears especially in the morning on and after rising; also from mental exertion or while wal ing in the open air.
Head Coldness of the head, especially of the occiput and on the vertex. Heat in the whole head, worse in the forehead, in the evening. Congestion of the head, especially at night, and when coughing. Mar ed sensation of fullness in the head; head is inclined to fall forward. Periodic headaches (every day or once a wee ). Headaches are severe and all over the head, with the pain coming in paroxysms. T hey may become so violent that the patient feels stunned. Touch, eye strain, wal ing, writing, or drin ing wine triggers headaches. The pa
in is worse from: cold air and draughts, cold damp weather, and alternately, from becoming overheated, from the binding up of hair, noise, ligh t, a jar, physical (climbing stairs) or mental exertion. Must lie down. Hard pain in the forehead in the morning; the pain is steady, dull, and heavy; b etter: after eating, from being occupied, from perfect rest; worse from mental exertion. Pressing pains in the occiput, temples, and vertex. Tearing in the forehead and occiput.
Aching deep in the brain, with pulsation upon motion. Strange sha ing or undulat ing sensations in the brain. Twitching of the muscles of the head. Crusty, eczematous, or pustular eruptions on the scalp; much itching on the scal p. Bristling of the hair; tendency for hair to fall out. Perspiration of the forehead, of the face and the scalp.
Eyes Inflammation of the conjunctiva and the lids, with thic discharges. Eyelids agg lutinated with pus. Very severe pain in the eyes, worse from light, before and during a storm, with redness. Mar ed redness in the eyes - the inner canthi, the lids, the veins. Calcarea silicata has proved useful in opacity, spots, and ulceration of the cor nea. Itching of the eyes. Heaviness of the lids; twitching of the lids. Paralysis of the optic nerve; photophobia; pulsation in the eyes, with contracte d pupils. Flic ering or colours appear before the eyes. Exertion of vision causes headaches and many nervous symptoms.
Ears Otorrhoea offensive, purulent, thic , yellow or greenish-yellow; also watery and bloody. Hot ears. Itching deep in the ears. Fluttering or flapping sensation in the ears. Hears many noises: humming, ringin g, roaring, whizzing, crac ing when chewing. Violent drawing, jer ing, stitching, tearing pain in the ears. There is a pulsation in the ears with and without pain; a sensation of swelling
inside and a bloc ed feeling; increased wax in the ears. Inflammation, suppuration, swelling of the parotid gland. Hearing, at first, is acute, later impaired.
Nose Great tendency to catch colds. The remedy may be indicated in chronic rhinitis, hay-fever, sinusitis, often accompanied by bronchitis and cough. Profuse, thic , yellow or greenish catarrh from the nose and posterior nares. T he discharge may also form hard crusts. Discharge becomes fluid in open air and ma es the patient feel better. Epistaxis with bright red blood occurs on blowing the nose. Much pain high up in the nose, in the root of the nose. Sense of smell at first acute; later diminished and finally lost.
Face Very pale, anaemic; lips bluish, crac ed, dry. The face may also be hot and red, with circumscribed red chee s; especially duri ng a headache. Pain in the face from cold, better by warmth. Calcarea silicata is a great acne remedy and heals: acne with comedones, boils, eczema, herpes, pimples, scurfy eruptions, and other eruptions everywhere in face.
Mouth Leucopla ia. Mucous membranes of the mouth covered with aphthae. Ulceration of the buccal mucous membranes, painful, spreading, with inflamed edg es. The tongue is coated white, very sore, with copious saliva and swollen, accompan ied by swollen gums; speech is difficult. Offensive, even putrid, odour from the mouth. The mouth has a taste in it that is bad, metallic, putrid or sour; sometimes tas te is entirely wanting. Teeth become loose and feel too long. Caries of the teeth. Toothache is worse from cold air and from anything cold in the mouth; better fro m external warmth or warm things in the mouth.
Throat
Inflammation of the throat, pharynx, and tonsils, with dryness and redness. Tonsils and uvula swollen; ulceration in the throat. Tenacious mucus in the throat, li e a lump; greenish mucus from the posterior na res which stic s to the throat. Constantly ma es an effort to clear the throat. Much pain in the throat, frequently sore and burning: on becoming cold; on cough ing. Splinter-li e pain on swallowing, which is difficult.
Respiration, chest, and heart Calcarea silicata has a powerful action upon the air passages and has a well-con firmed reputation for curing chronic bronchitis with cough. Kent reports: 'It has cured desperate cases of catarrh of the bronchial tubes... Chronic infl ammation of bronchial tubes and lungs.' The patients tend to be emaciated, wea , and chilly. Chronic irritation of air passages, with copious, thic yellowish-green expector ation. Haemoptysis is also frequent. Short, asthmatic respiration, rattling, suffocative. Respiration is difficult wh en coughing and while lying down. Calcarea silicata's cough often comes during evenings in bed, at night, and in t he morning after rising; it may be excited by cold damp air, cold drin s, anything cold, and is aggravated by tal ing. Spasmodic cough, especially in the evening, rac ing the whole body. Palpitation of the heart at night, after eating, from exertion, even from the sl ightest motion.
Stomach Great thirst, especially at night; but an aversion to mil . There may also be a desire for mil (which, according to Kent, occurred in some provers). Appetite first increased, then ravenous, finally wanting, with an aversion to fo od, especially to meat. The digestive organs are generally slow to function, as is true for most organs in this remedy. Water-brash, heartburn, hiccup, and sour eructation.
Nausea in the morning, while and after eating, better after empty eructation. Vomiting in the morning and at night, on coughing, after drin ing mil . Vomiting of blac blood. A feeling of anxiety in the stomach. Sensation of coldness in the stomach especially when empty. Sensations in the stomach: empty feeling in the stomach, which is not relieved b y eating; fullness, distension, and flatulence after eating; sensation of a stone in stomach; a mar ed sensation of tension.
Stomach-ache after cold drin s, on coughing and after eating. Pulsation in the stomach.
Abdomen Distension of the abdomen after eating. Flatulence with much rumbling and fullne ss with a sensation of movements in the abdomen. Mar ed tension; even a tympanitic abdomen. Abdomen very hard, liver enlarged, hard. Cramping, pressing pains, morning and night, before menses. Inflammation of the peritoneum.
Rectum Extreme constipation, with inactivity of the rectum, feeling as if paralysed. Ha s to strain very much. With the constipation, the stool is dry, hard, notty and large, but may also be soft and light-coloured. Calcarea silicata cured a stricture of the rectum that allowed the passing of on ly a 'pencil stool'. Painless diarrhoea, with copious stools, offensive, even putrid, sour, lienteric . Dysentery, with bloody, scanty stools. Copious, offensive flatus. Mar ed soreness of the anus, moisture about the anus, itching, burning during an d after stool. Pressing, stitching and tearing pains. Haemorrhoids which protrude during stool, sore to the touch, worse when wal ing. Bleeding from the rectum and anus with the stool. Fistula ani have been cured with this remedy.
Urinary organs Tenesmus of the bladder, retention of urine, pressing pain in the bladder. Urging to urinate at night, worse moving about, better lying, frequent nocturnal
urination, also involuntary. Unsatisfactory urination. Urine often containing blood or mucus; catarrh of the bladder.
Urination cutting and burning. Purulent, greenish, yellow discharge from the urethra. Calcarea silicata has been used successfully in stricture of the urethra, but al so in diabetes mellitus.
Male genitalia Increased sexual desire without erections. Erection at night without erotic thoughts or dreams. Seminal emissions. Testes swollen. Calcarea silicata has cured hydrocele, and induration of the tes tes. Sweat on the genitals which is offensive. Prostate gland is enlarged and tender: prostatic fluid is emitted when straining to pass stool.
Female genitalia Sexual desire is increased. Menstrual flow acrid, bright red, copious, early and protracted. Menses may also be absent or suppressed, or are irregular and painful. Metrorrhagia. Fluor may be mil y-white or yellowish-green. Heaviness of the uterus, prolapsus. Eruption on the vulva with much itching. Soreness in the genitals, ulceration of the labia, vagina, os uteri. Malignant ulceration in the mammary glands may be restrained by Calcarea silicat a.
Bac Cold feeling of the bac , in the bac of the nec and in the sacrum. Spine sore to the touch in many places. The bac
is wea , especially in the lumbar region.
Stiff nec , with tension in the cervical region; a stiff bac . Much pain in the bac , especially at night, during menses, which is worse while sitting, on rising from sitting, and on motion.
Pain in the scapulae and in the spine which lies between them, in the coccyx. Eruptions: acne, comedones, pimples, pustules, especially in cervical region. Perspiration on the bac , worse on the bac of the nec .
Extremities Wea ness of all the limbs, especially of the joints. Limbs are easily strained a nd sprained, an les twist easily. Stiffness, aw wardness, heaviness, especially of the legs and feet. Joints tend to become inflamed. Stitching or tearing pains in all the joints, bu t especially in the big toe. Aching in all limbs, with stiffness in cold, damp weather. Swelling of the hands, legs, an les, feet. Coldness of all the limbs, cold sweat; alternately, burning of the feet and sole s. Intense itching of all the limbs, especially of the legs and feet. Nails hard and brittle, cease to grow or grow very slowly. Pain in the upper limbs at night, worse from cold, motion, and from the act of t a ing hold of anything. Blac ie reports a case of a pain in the muscles of the arm after moderate exerti on (carrying a heavy suitcase) that continued no less than 10 days. Calcarea silicata cured the pain within 24 hours. The arms and hands feel paralysed A lot of crac s in the s in of the hands and fingers. Contraction of the tendons in the hands and fingers. Warts on the hands, on the dorsum or ball of the thumb; large hard seed warts. Gouty nodosities of the fingers may be an indication. Tingling in the fingers. Paralysis in the lower limbs. Violent pains in the hip-joint; pain as if an abscess were forming. The remedy i s useful in coxarthrosis. Apt to get pains in the legs which regularly go numb. Cramps, especially in the calves, feet, soles, toes.
Ulcus cruris, cannot get rid of it; feels miserable; thic , greenish-yellow plug in it. Easy perspiration of the feet, often cold and offensive. Many corns, painful, sore and stinging.
Sleep Restless sleep, disturbed by vivid dreams. Sleeplessness from over-abundant thou ghts; cannot fall asleep again after awa ening. Unrefreshing sleep, wa ing frequently and early. Exhausted and sleepy in the daytime, especially after eating. Many dreams of: dead people, death, murder; disease, sic people and caring for sic people; anger. Has anxious, confused, amorous, frightful dreams and nightmares.
Fever, chill, and perspiration Chill predominates in this remedy. Chill in the open or cold air, but also in be d; sha ing chills, chill with trembling after uncovering oneself. Desires warmth, which, however, does not relieve; becomes chilled during stool. Mar ed fever in the evening at night; fever alternates with chills. External hea t with chill, flushes of heat. There is profuse perspiration, which may be hot or cold. Cold sweat mostly on th e extremities (especially on the feet). Sweat comes on from any ind of exertion, physical as well as mental. Perspiration with great anxiety. The swea t may be sour or offensive. Concerning the ailments from suppressed perspiration mentioned above, an example from Margery Blac ie shows the peculiarities of this feature very graphically: 'She said: I don't really sweat, but I can get what I call moist. But if I go into a cool room or into a draft of air or out into the open air, it stops at once. If I do that I feel thoroughly mussy and a bit sort of swimmy in the head afterwards.'
S in A good description of one possible state of the s in in Calcarea silicata is fou nd in Boeric e: 'Itching, burning, cold and blue, very sensitive. Pimples, comedones, wens [sebaceous cysts]. Psoric eruptions.' A severe acne case was cu red by Springer where the bluish discoloration, the cool s in, and
the comedones were important hints for the prescription of Calcarea silicata. Tendency to chaps, crac s, desquamation, sore, raw places, indurations, boils, w arts, epithelioma, lupus. Has all inds of eruptions, eczema, herpes, pimples, pustules, urticaria. Eruptions discharge pus or a white, pus-li e subs tance, which bites, burns, or itches. Itching also occurs without eruption; scratching generally aggravates. Radiant h eat ameliorates the itching. Ulcers are also frequent, do not heal, have raised edges, greenish-yellow discha rge, burning and stinging pain.
Clinical Atrophy. Cornea, ulcer of. Lymphatic tuberculosis. Ulcers.
Relations Compare: Ars.; Tub.; Bar-c.; Iod.
Calcarea sulphurica Calcium Sulphate, CaSO4. Gypsum. Plaster of Paris. Trituration.
The essential features The general idea that runs through this remedy is of an organism which tends to produce tumours and abscesses that not only do not heal easily, but that suppurate profusely and for long periods of time. The characteristic trait of t he remedy is not its tendency to the formation of abscesses themselves, rather the fact that an abscess opened is very slow to heal and has a continuous discharge of yellow pus. In cases of inflammation, this organism quic ly reaches a state of suppuration, which tends to continue. The presence of pus with a vent is common. I have found this remedy effective in cases of malignant acne in young people an d also in hidradenitis suppurativa with cicatrices forming during the healing process. I must however point out here that some severe cases of this t ype of chronic condition will need more than one remedy to complete the cure. In cases of acne both chee s present a crusty, ugly, uneven surface o f dried pus mixed with blood and serum. The suppuration is so profuse that the patient cannot clear it up fast enough, and it forms again immediately after cleaning. Calcarea sulphurica can be useful in malignant growths after ulceration has set
in, where a lot of pus forms. As Kent says, 'if given early enough it will prevent a malignant growth terminating in its usual way,' and in later stages i t may be 'an excellent palliative.' Abscesses of the teeth and gums (granuloma apicale, gumboils) with discharges of pus are easily managed with this remedy, even if very obstinate. Sometimes we have effected deep cures by prescribing on a superficial level li e this on the teeth; the Calcarea sulphurica patient generally has a
strong tendency to recurrent tooth and gum abscesses. If you ta e a long-term view of a case where a patient is suffering with an inte rnal disease, and you find recurrent abscesses or severe acne or even hidradenitis suppressed by antibiotics in the patient's history, then there is a definite possibility that this is a case of Calcarea sulphurica. Fistulae are also a pathological condition that is often found in this remedy, e specially perianal fistulae with painful abscesses. This has been repeatedly confirmed in recent times, by Wolfgang Springer who cured a case of multiple perianal fistulae formation of several years' standing with Calcarea sulphurica, and Vogt (Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung, 1963) who repor ts several cases of suppurating fistulae due to injection or drainage wounds that promptly gave way to this remedy. The remedy may help in cases of glomerulonephritis, where there are tube casts a nd albumen in the urine, where the heart is involved and when this is a complication after an epidemic disease in children (e.g. scarlatina). It is als o useful in advanced cases of diabetes where there is ulceration on the s in without the ability to heal itself. There are many other pathological conditions that respond to Calcarea sulphurica , mostly lin ed to the general idea of suppuration. Suppuration in any organ or part of the body points to this remedy: from the ear, e.g. in otitis m edia, purulent nasal catarrh, tuberculosis of the lung with a lot of slimy and purulent expectoration, abscess of tonsils, suppurating glands, purul ent exudation in serous sacs, deep suppurating ulcers on cornea, etc. Recurrent abscesses, of the s in or elsewhere, are a strong feature of the reme dy. It is also indicated in burns or scalds or chilblains, if and when suppuration sets in. In short, 'all ailments in which the process of suppuration continues too long a nd the suppuration affects the epithelial tissues' (Boeric e and Dewey) should ma e you consider Calcarea sulphurica. Generally, the pus discharged ten ds to be yellow or else bloody and often thic and lumpy. The same qualities usually apply to all the discharges from mucous membranes, as in cough, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, coryza, and so on; they are often also purulent or pus-li e. Glands and lymph nodes are inclined to swell and ulc erate. Upon the s in we see pathologies such as: mil crust or 'scald-head' of children ; crusty eczemata, often connected with glandular swellings; s in infections with yellowish, greenish, or brownish scabs; thic , yellow, purulent exudation; lupus vulgaris and lupus erythematoides; acne vulgaris;
pemphigus foliaceus. In addition, there is an inclination to form fibrous polyp i of mucous membranes and various inds of tumours: cystic tumours; fibromata and fibroids; also malignant tumours li e scirrhus. The connective tissues are also included in the sphere of action of Calcarea sul phurica. They are wea , and due to this wea ness they tend to easy inflammation and suppuration. Moreover, the musculo-s eletal system is often affected. Calcarea sulphurica may be useful in complaints from straining muscles and tendons, from over-lifting, etc., when the pain stays for a long time and apparently indicate d remedies fail to act. The remedy is also useful in bone infections, including caries of bone. Epilepsy, epileptiform and hysteric convulsions with twitching of muscles all over the body come under the action of Calcarea sulphurica as well.
Malice, irritability and jealousy The constitutional Calcarea sulphurica patient is not an easy case to deal with. The remedy is not easily recognisable by its mental-emotional characteristics. This patient does not now how sic he is, and will hide his m ental state because he does not realise that he has a problem. He will not tal about it, but the information will come rather from relatives. The main feature I have found in the mental-emotional pathology is an exaggerate d sense of self-importance. There is a mar ed hidden egotism and we frequently see the traumatic effects of false modesty. Such patients go along i n life expecting everybody to appreciate what nice and clever people they are, and therefore are deeply hurt by people not paying attention to them or not duly appreciating them. They moan and complain and hold grudges if they feel that others do not appreciate them. This idea is central t o the remedy. Imagine a patient who has an internal wound that cannot heal, cannot close, and it oozes and suppurates, and you wonder where all this pus is coming from day after day, wee after wee , or even year after year. The same idea may be applied to the soul which has been wounded and which oozes not blood but pus. There is something rotten inside the patient, a process of d ecomposition is ta ing place. The ego has been hurt and the soul weeps, but not in a healthy way. A general discontent is shown, with morose and obstinate mood. The patient loath es life and becomes malicious with others. He has a quarrelsome nature, and, expecting others to do as he says, he feels insulted or offended i f this is not the case, and hatred or contempt overta es him just because people do not agree with him. He does not want to be tal ed to, and he has an aversion to answering questions and to company. The alternate reaction is to complain because they don't feel duly appreciated. These individuals are easily irritated and roused to anger. A highly impatient a nd impetuous manner is often found, and they seem to be always in a hurry. Great irritability has been noted in the late afternoon, and in the even ing as well, and 'irritable after coitus' is also a symptom that has been observed. Once the irritation and the anger have been expressed the patient bec omes totally exhausted and very wea . Jealousy is one of the strong aspects of this remedy. In this respect it is simi lar to Lachesis and Salicylicum acidum, there is a malicious jealousy in all three of them. Irritability and jealousy can grow to an almost pathological deg
ree.
Other mental characteristics Changeable moods are frequently noted in this remedy, especially in the afternoo n and evening. Some of the mental states are aggravated in the morning, with sadness on wa ing, but in the evening the patients become mirthfu l, even jo ing and laughing out loud. This symptom was successfully used as a ey-note in the fistula case of Springer mentioned above , and thus confirmed. But there are also other time modalities as to the changeable mood: 'Good spirit s, best about 6 p.m. ' 'Excessive gaiety of spirits in the afternoon.' 'Very low-spirited in early evening, then more cheerful, then 'blue' again.' Ev en the reverse order has been noted in the proving: 'Great restlessness
in afternoon and evening, with sadness, disli e to tal ; petulant; desire to we ep and to be miserable, alone, and unhappy; moderately cheerful in the morning; change not sudden, but between 2 and 3 p.m. ' This ind of tearful mood, which is common in this remedy, is often coupled with a gloomy melancholy, from which he can however easily be aroused to ta e part in conversation. Or he may sit and brood, absorbed with imaginary mis fortunes and refuse to answer; apathetic, indifferent, not wanting any disturbance. There may be a desire to do something but it does not last long, as Hering's sym ptom shows: 'Sometimes desire to wal , to attend something; as soon as she sets out to do it the desire is gone.' The Calcarea sulphurica individual is constantly in a state of apprehension. He may be timid, bashful and apprehensive all the time, which renders his conversation extremely wearisome; also many little delusions, whimsies and stra nge fancies. He has fits of excessive, bitter melancholy with distressing apprehensions of evil to loved ones. There are many fears and anxie ties: anxiety about the future; about his heart and his health in general; about salvation; fear of death; that some evil will befall him; of ins anity and of misfortune. Anxiety and fear especially come on in bed: in the evening or during the night, but also in the morning on wa ing. Sees fright ful images at night when trying to sleep. In the fever heat, the fear and anxiety is also aggravated. Then the patients will suffer from great despai r of recovery. But in the open air, the apprehensions will be ameliorated, li e many other complaints with this remedy. The intellect becomes sluggish. Especially on wa ing in the morning and again in the evening, there is a dazed, confused state of mind, which is also provo ed by mental exertion. A sudden loss of memory may occur in these people, they can scarcely remember what they were going to do. 'Old issues, which have been long decided, are presented to mind, and I can't recall my decision' is a symptom a prover experienced suddenly after lunch. While busily engaged thin ing, suddenly the thoughts may vanish altogether. Stu mbles in spea ing and misplaces words. This ind of confusion of mind, li e other symptoms, is also ameliorated in the open air. The states of mental wea ness may also be accompanied by an indifference as to t he surroundings, with dullness of the senses, an incapability to ma e decisions, a condition of irresolution and a great deal of timidity. Averse to any mental wor , lazy and weary, sometimes coupled with restlessness.
Generalities The patients tend to be cold in general, and they easily catch colds, especially from exposure to a draught, to cold, wet weather, etc. But at the same time, they are remar ably sensitive to heat as well. In laryngeal diphtheria or similar conditions they have a strong desire to uncover, and open air actually relieves their condition (contrary to Hepar). However, heat does relie ve in certain complaints: the pains of the body are often relieved by local heat. This is true for the pains from fistulae, and also from acute and c hronic rheumatism. Standing ma es the pains in the joints worse. Violent rushes of blood, flushes of heat, pulsations throughout chest and head, sometimes extending into limbs. Laziness, languor, wea ness and fatigue are frequently to be seen. Very weary an d dull all day, could easily fall asleep. Fatigue and restlessness, with
sadness. They feel tremulous wea ness and crave stimulants to overcome it. The fatigue may be coupled with a certain stiffness and painful rigidity, especially in muscles of limbs. Excessive fatigue between 10-12 a.m. ; intolerable lassitude in the afternoon, a fter a nap, feeling perfectly miserable, wea and languid. Great exhaustion after wa ing from a frightful dream. Calcarea sulphurica patients often loo very pale and have a tendency to obesity . Tending to have many s in infections, they may have, according to Margery Blac ie, the red rough s in of Sulphur. Candegabe says that they are in clined to a doughy obesity, frequently have a stooped body posture and broad hands with long fingers. This remedy is especially useful in constitutions bro en down by alcoholism. Lac of reaction to well-selected remedies is a general feature. Calcarea sulphu rica may be indicated when well-selected remedies act for only a short time, as with Sulphur, Tuberculinum and Psorinum. Springer recommends to thin of Calcarea sulphurica in cases of glandular swelli ngs that are unusually soft. Worse from draught; touch (but, according to Clar e, without the excessive sensi tivity to touch seen in Hepar); cold and wet, but also warmth in many forms: warm rooms, warm wraps, warmth of the bed, getting warm or overheated. A t night; also on wa ing and from exertion (physical or mental). Strong desire to be in the open air, and feels better there. Ameliorated by unco vering, bathing, eating, local heat (for body pains).
Vertigo Vertigo on getting up in the morning, or again in the evening; ameliorated in th e open air. Vertigo with deadly nausea; on moving head quic ly. While wal ing, dizzy in head and wea ness and oppression from head down to stoma ch. Vertigo with a tendency to fall over. Epileptic vertigo.
Head Flushes of heat in head: morning and evening; forehead and vertex. Congestion of brain is frequent, especially evening and night; in a warm room; after stimulants; on coughing; during menses or with suppressed menses. This is, once again, better in the open air. But also: coldness of head, especially vertex. The head feels constricted, particularly the forehead and the occiput. Sensation around head as though he had his hat on; tries to grasp it to ta e it off, but discovers there is no hat.
Pain around the head, several times before going to bed. Tearing around whole he ad, with nausea, when rising from lying; ameliorated while lying. Rising from lying causes pulsation and increases the pain. Many inveterate chronic and periodic headaches have been cured with this remedy. The periodic headaches often come on in morning (on wa ing) or in evening (after evening meal) and are frequently centred in the forehead. They a re in most cases ameliorated by open air. Periodic sic headaches with nausea and vomiting. Other causes: headaches from concussion; from becoming cold, but made better by cool air; from becoming heated, aggravated by jarring. There is pulsating with nearly all the headaches. Spasmodic throbbing headache, mostly in frontal region, in morning. Many headaches are of a pressing character and aggravated by mental exertion (re ading, etc.). Some more modalities: headaches worse from loo ing upwards, moving head, noise, standing, stooping, heat of sun, tal ing, washing, cold weather; better from pressure. Crusta lactea with purulent discharge or yellow, purulent crusts. Pimples, pustules, hard swelling, eczema etc. appear on the scalp, often with su ppuration and scabs or crusts, but sometimes also dry eczema. The affected places may be sore and sometimes burning or itching. There is much dandruff and the hair tends to fall out.
Eyes Inflammation of eyes, with discharge of thic , yellow matter; worse evening and night; canthi are particularly affected. Eyes red and hot; red li e raw beef; bleared, red, with colic. Phlyctenular eratitis and conjunctivitis, with enlarged cervical glands. Purulent discharge in ophthalmia neonatorum. Has been very useful in cases of injury to the eye by a foreign body, if much ma tter was discharged and the organism was unable to absorb it. In one case a splinter of wood had caused inflammation of conjunctiva and lids and a loss of vision on the affected eye. The cornea was dim, the anterior chamber between cornea and iris exhibited a smo y appearance, and some matter could be seen floating quite distinctly. Hepar failed, but
Calcarea sulphurica led to complete resorption of the pus, the eyesight was res tored, and the inflammation disappeared (Köc ). Deep ulcers on the cornea. Fissures of canthi. Smarting of eyes in inner corners. Cutting pain in eyeball, with some soreness, as though eyes were sun en in head, with headache. Pain in right eye from loo ing at a piece of paper.
Lids stic
together in morning.
Twitching of eyes and eyelids, sometimes with occasional blindness. Dim or foggy vision. Sees only half an object, late in evening. Flic ering before the eyes. Falling of eyelashes.
Ear Suppuration from middle ear, pus thic , mixed with blood, sometimes offensive. T his may be accompanied by diminished hearing and subjective noises, such as singing or ringing. Such cases often date bac to a scarlet fev er. The meatus may be filled with pus; abscesses in the meatus are an important indication. The otorrhoea may or may not be accompanied by pain. Catarrh of Eustachian tube. Mastoiditis. Dar -brown wax in ear; earache relieved by removing it. Right parotid sore; better when wal ing in open air. Pimples around or on top of ear; sensitive swellings behind ears with tendency t o suppuration.
Nose Easily and frequently catches colds, especially from draught (open windows). Cor yza with thic , yellow, lumpy discharge; often purulent and blood-strea ed. Kent remar s that even most inveterate cases of nasal catarrh h ave been cured by the remedy, and that, clinically, the one-sided cases responded best. For example: yellowish mucus from left nostril, with tear s from left eye. There are two important modalities concerning coryza and sneezing. First, open a ir very often ameliorates. The provings give symptoms such as: 'Tendency to influenza and sneezing, disappearing in the open air.' 'Very littl e expectoration but considerable influenza, disappearing in open air, and worse in right nostril.'
Second, bathing or washing, especially with cold water, exerts a powerful influe nce. It may cause or aggravate the nasal discharge, but also ameliorate: 'Always blows yellowish or greenish mucus from nose in morning afte r bath', but also: 'Excoriating coryza in open air, soon disappearing in the house and after washing face in cold water.' The last symptom shows that also open air may aggravate as well. During the day, dry coryza in left nostril, while right nostril discharges white watery mucus in small quantities; at night reversed: right nostril dry, left
nostril discharging. Watery coryza from anterior nares; posterior nares closed tight, has to breathe through mouth. Bloody coryza in infants. Epistaxis during sleep and daily on washing face. Loss of sense of smell. Caries of nasal bones. Quivering or crawling sensation on root of nose, extending to chee .
Face Pale and sic ly complexion, but a lot of eruptions and also of flushing in the f ace. Acne vulgaris forms crusts from pus and serum. Pimples and sores, with dry yello w scabs, itching. Pustules; herpetic eruptions; boils on forehead; eczema; lupus erythematoides. Many pimples under beard, discharging blood after scratching, or discharging an oily transparent matter. The lips may be crac ed, and yellow blister-li e sores that burn and smart on to uch appear. Sensation of great heat in face and eyes, but parts are really cool; great desir e for and relief in open air. Darting, neuralgic pains in right side of face.
Mouth Dry, hot mouth. Ulcers and vesicles in mouth. Inflammation and swelling of mucous membranes. Soreness inside lips, raw and burning and on the roof of mouth, as though burnt, during lunch. Tongue yellow coated at bac part, li e a layer of half-ba ed clay. Swelling and inflammation of tongue; when suppuration sets in. The swollen, stif f tongue renders speech difficult. Mouth has a soapy, sour, acrid or bitter taste. An important remedy in gumboils and abscesses. Swollen, sore gums; bleeding on brushing teeth. Toothache greatly aggravated by gently stro ing gums.
The teeth are sensitive to cold air and water.
Throat
On this subject, I would li e to quote Margery Blac ie's lucid remar s: 'A great throat remedy. It has the characteristic that it is apt to push out infection. The whole mouth is dry. As a rule, the front of the mouth loo s quit e clear and clean. But if you ma e them open their mouth a bit wider, the whole of the bac of it is coated yellow, with a lot of secretion they cannot g et rid of. They get pain on swallowing and a tendency to ulceration of the tonsils, and a rapid involvement of the glands of the nec . Feeling of full ness and cho ing, quite often a sort of air hunger, thirst for cold drin s or fruit. They are all worse for hot things to the throat ...' (Emphasis G.V. ) Some additions: fauces and throat swollen, red, sore; suppurating sore throat. Thic , yellow mucus is drawn from the posterior nares. Sensation of a plug in throat. Tonsillitis, when peritonsillar abscess is discharging.
Respiratory tract, chest and heart Obstinate hoarseness, ameliorated in open air. Sensation of dust in larynx. Cho ing is characteristic of this remedy, as it is of Hepar. Laryngeal diphtheri a with much cho ing, patient throws off the covers and wants the air, which ameliorates him definitely; while Hepar will be worse from uncoverin g and slightest draught. Much mucus in air passages, catarrh with thic , yellow or whitish, lumpy dischar ge, or pus-li e secretion. Profuse expectoration. Expectoration of transparent mucus early in day, yellowish from about 12-3 p.m. , transparent ag ain towards night. Difficult respiration: rattling and short; with wheezing and suffocative attac s , may hence be indicated in asthma cases. Asthma or cough with hectic fever; purulent, sanious sputa. Asthmatic cough, croupy in morning on wa ing an d after siesta. There is much mucus in the air passages and they feel raw and painful; catarrh t hat is thic , lumpy, white-yellow or pus-li e. Tight, short cough leaving rasped feeling in throat and strained sensation of ch est and head. Coughing after bathing; cough often ameliorated in cold or open air.
Bronchitis with yellow, yellowish-green, or blood-tinged expectoration. Oppression and rawness of the chest; burning and wea ness of chest. Chest lame a nd raw behind sternum, with nausea in morning, reaching a climax at about half past one in a small, close, crowded room, (while witnessing an opera tion), then deadly nausea and vertigo; could hardly get into the street where in about 15 minutes felt better. Empyema, pus forming in pleural cavities. Anxiety in region of heart. Anxious palpitation; at night.
Stomach Increased, even ravenous appetite and thirst; or appetite completely lac ing. Ea ting generally ameliorates his condition. Desires: green, sour fruit and vegetables; tea and wine; refreshing things, salt y things. Aversion to meat, mil
and coffee.
Bitter or sour eructation; at night. Nausea: with vertigo; with headache; with pain in pelvis. Easily subject to indigestion, particularly after brea fast. Sensation of weight in stomach and chest in the morning, relieved after lunch. Pain in and at stomach: cramps, spasms; single spasm of cutting colic in stomach precedes stool; soreness; wandering pains in stomach and abdomen; pain from stomach to liver; colic, relieved temporarily by drin ing cold water, with sensation of constriction in stomach, followed by stool, afterwards much flatulence and eructation.
Abdomen Violent pain in liver region. Cramps and colic in hypochondria; all day, or late in evening; at night after re tiring, with great restlessness. Flatulence, with distension and colic from incarcerated flatus. Putrid-smelling flatus. Flatulence and eructation after bath. Great coldness in the abdomen, with distension. Sharp, cutting, darting colic; after ice-water (which was very unusual to the pr over); with rumbling; with bleared eyes. Appendicitis. Feeling in lower part of abdomen as if s in were too tight, with pain. Pain in right side of pelvis, followed by fatigue, nausea and pain in stomach. Extravasation of pus within pelvic tissues unconfined by any pyogenic membrane, or when a pus-bag is formed by the rupture of an abscess wall without finding an outlet into the pelvic viscera.
Rectum Calcarea sulphurica is very frequently indicated in painful or painless abscesse s about anus where there is constant discharge of pus. Anal fistulae
also form a very well-confirmed indication. Anal prolapsus. Itching and formication of rectum. Moisture about anus, causing smarting and itc hing. Pressure on bowel, as if to stool, and constriction of anus after brea fast. Stools may be preceded by spasms of cutting colic in stomach or abdomen. Stools with great tenesmus, with excoriating, biting and burning sensation at an us, and hard pieces at night. Large, hard stool, tenesmus at close of stool, with convulsive shuddering during passage, leaving smarting-burning at anus. Inveterate constipation; difficult, insufficient stools. Diarrhoea: morning or evening diarrhoea; from change of weather or after eating maple sugar; with discharge of pus, or bloody pus; very useful in diarrhoea of children, worse after eating ever so little, painless, involuntary . Diarrhoea of long standing, stools of a mushy consistence, coated tongue. Dysentery, if stools consist of pus-li e slime; also mixed with blood. Urging for stool, morning on wa ing; first part hard, last part thin. Light-coloured stools; undigested.
Urinary organs Chronic nephritis, with great pain in idney region day and night, and great, we a ening discharge of pus in the urine. Nephritis subsequent to scarlatina. A valuable remedy for catarrh of the bladder where there is copious yellow pus. Urethral discharges: yellow, bloody, often gleety. Purulent, sanious discharge i n gonorrhoea. Burning in the urethra during urination. Bright's disease, if symptoms correspond. Red urine during hectic fever.
Male genitalia Abscess in prostate gland.
Spermatorrhoea with impotence. Uneasy feeling of genital organs; bruised pain in testes as if crushed or injure d; drawing sensation in spermatic cord and testicle, with almost irresistible amorous fancies and desires.
Hydrocele in boys.
Female genitalia Menses came later and lasted longer; usual symptoms, headache, twitching, crampi ng pains, wea ness, were aggravated. Dragging down in pelvis during menses, as if there were prolapsus. Itching after menses, in vagina, with swelling of labia; itching of genitals dur ing menses or fluor. Labia excoriated, inflamed, suppurating. Fluor which is thic , yellow or white, lumpy; bloody; burning; excoriating. Fibroid tumours of uterus. Ulceration of genitals; of os uteri. Mastitis when pus begins to form or during suppuration; also when pus is dischar ging after prolonged nursing.
Bac Painful rigidity in side or bac
of nec .
Wea ness of bac , especially in the lumbar region. Kent says that Calcarea sulph urica has been a valuable remedy in the treatment of curvature of spine in the lumbar region, ma ing it difficult to sit up. Small of bac wea , only noticed while lying on the bac . Wea ness of bac with stiffness of hands and puffiness of fingers. Bac ache in evening after retiring, causing great restlessness and discomfort. Ischialgia.
Extremities Gouty joints; rheumatic joint pains. Itching, often burning itching of s in of extremities; pimples and vesicles appe ar. Growing painful rigidity of arms, shoulders, and bac , from morning till late in
afternoon. Especially the shoulders are extremely stiff and rigid, painful to touch; painful to put off or on a coat; worse morning and evening; b etter in open air and wal ing. Neuralgic pains in shoulder, extending to wrist and bac of hand.
Numbness of hands, with stic y sensation. Painful cramps in right hand, with stiffness and numbness of little finger. Fingers puffy, swollen, stiff, rigid, especially in the morning; also in afterno on, more on right hand; aw ward and clumsy. Phalanges of fingers swollen. Little finger inflamed and swollen. After injuries to fingers with continuous suppuration. Whitlow, when suppuration begins. Inflammation of hip-joint; in suppurative stages of coxarthrosis. Painful rigidity of thighs, worst in early evening. Fatigue of
nees after wal ing, usually felt in the calves.
Inner side of left nee very lame, when stooping or wal ing fast. Legs stiff, wea , tender to touch; feet swollen and tender. Deep ulcers. Margery Blac ie says that Calcarea sulphurica people nearly always have very col d feet, with heat everywhere else. Cold, offensive foot sweat. But hot, burning feet have also been observed, with great burning and itching in soles. (Compare the constituents of the compound remedy Calcarea sulphurica, Calcarea and Sulphur.) Painful corns; stitching, burning.
Sleep Sleepy during day; wa eful at night. Sleeplessness from persistent thoughts and restlessness. Frightful dreams, followed by convulsions. Dreamed she had a convulsion from fri ght; awo e screaming, much exhausted. Dreamed of trying to catch and hold an eel, and was unable to do it because of s tiffness of fingers.
Fever Flushes, pulsations, throbbing of heat; as if about to burst into a sweat, or el se with sweat. Flushes of heat during evening meal.
The remedy has cured many cases of chronic intermittent fever with evening chill . Evening fever with chill. Hectic fever: caused by formation of pus; with asthma and cough; with burning in soles of feet. Profuse perspiration, brought on by slightest exertion; cold and offensive on fe et.
S in There are numerous s in symptoms, as Kent remar s, as might be expected from a s tudy of Calcarea carbonica and Sulphur. The s in is generally unhealthy, and wounds (cuts, bruises, etc.) do not heal re adily and tend to discharge pus. The s in tends to crac after washing in winter, especially in the hands. Most s in complaints are characterised by burning, itching, and very often suppu ration. Many s in infections have been described above. To give a brief enumeration: her petic eruptions all over, psoriasis, lichen (papular lesions); pemphigus foliaceus; suppurating pimples and pustules, acne; eczemata in children, crusty , crusta lactea; furuncles, carbuncles; suppurating burns, scalds, chilblains; ulcers discharging thic yellow matter or blood-tinged pus; abscess es; suppurating fistulae; hidradenitis suppurativa, sudoriparous abscesses, especially in axillae; cellulitis, phlegmon; urticaria; and so on. Margery Blac ie considers Calcarea sulphurica the 'best of all acne remedies, un less strong indications for something else.' The lesions are slow to heal. The complexion may be pale, greyish, lead-coloured; but all the same, the s in m ay give a rough, red appearance as in Sulphur.
Clinical Abscess. Anus, abscess near. Boils, Buboes. Burns, Carbuncles. Chilblains. Corne a, ulceration of. Cough. Crusta lactea. Cysts. Dropsy. Dysentery. Eczema. Fistula. Glandular swellings. Gonorrhoea. Haemorrhages. Injuries, effects of. P neumonia. Polypi. Scarlatina. Spermatorrhoea. Syphilis. Tonsillitis. Tumours. Ulcers.
Relationship Compare: Hepar; Silica.
Calendula officinalis
Calendula officinalis. The Marigold. N.O. Compositae. Tincture of leaves and flowers.
The essential features Calendula is to lacerated wounds what Arnica is to bruises. Both are considered specifics for injuries (as are Ledum, Bellis perennis and some other remedies). When the s in or an organ is not torn and the external trauma only p roduces an extravasation of blood, then Arn. will be indicated. However, when there is laceration of the s in or of an organ and inflammation s ets in, then the correct choice is Calendula; yet this is not always the case, as the injuries have to have additional Calendula characteristics if we w ant our remedies to be effective. An important characteristic of Calendula is that, once there is an injury, infla mmation or ulceration, the pain experienced may be very violent, often out of all proportion to the extent of the injury. Also the effect on the gener al condition of the patient is quite distressing: general wea ness which, again, may be much more debilitating than could be expected given the se verity of the wound or the ulcer. Exhaustion may also come from profuse loss of blood from the injured part, or fr om inflammation with exhausting suppuration and threatening sepsis; but wea ness and pain will also be excessive if the wound is not so severe. Dur ing these states of intense pain and wea ness, the patient may feel nauseous, as well as suffer other consequences from physical trauma. Chill is a mar ed feature, and many symptoms occur during chill, as the proving showed; fever and headache may also follow the injury. Calendula is indicated in cases of (where usually Bryonia and Rhus toxicodendron are given) and where there is intense inflammation and the symptoms loo li e Bry., but Bry. does not help. The pain will be worse on moving the pa rt and relieved by lying perfectly still. The injured part is sensitive to touch and the wound is painful even after being dressed. However, in Calendu la we may also see an amelioration from wal ing about, and moreover an aggravation from wet weather (li e Rhus-t.) with pains coming on in paroxysms as in Lachesis. The constitutional state of Calendula shows an individual with lowered defences, who catches colds frequently, gets tired easily - mentally, emotionally and physically - feels extremely nervous, irritable, fretful, is easily frighte ned, is very sensitive to noises, and starts from them. The patient gives you the impression of being wea and frightened individual. Every difficult sit uation and every stress brings about a state of panic. A fear that
something bad is going to happen (as in Causticum or Phosphorus) prevails, a 'f eeling as if some overwhelming calamity was hovering over me as to be almost unbearable', as one prover put it, and this fear ma es him very restl ess. These people are very touchy individuals who react with irritability and fretful ness if they are criticized or insulted. A morose and fretful mood may be coupled with anxiety and apprehension, especially during a chill, but also w ith a sleepy, dream-li e state. The mental pain of anguish and despair is so acute that it may become totally intolerable, such that the indiv idual may eventually reach a state of indifference and may even seem callous. (It is interesting to note here that Calendula has been used successfu lly in cases where the s in of the hands and/or soles of the feet were thic ened, hard, and calloused.) In an involuntary proving on a baby, Calendula caused screaming, twitching of th e hands and face, with colic y pains (seemingly from flatulence). There were even convulsions with fixed eyes, a dar round mouth and vomiting of mil with slime. This was accompanied by extreme nervousness and
sensitivity to noise, as mentioned above. Another symptom was a decidedly yello w tint of the s in and also of the stools ('the colour of marigold'). Clar e, who relates this involuntary proving, reports that cases of jaundice ha ve been successfully treated with Calendula. Great irritability that is, li e many symptoms in this remedy, aggravated during a chill may be a eynote i n these cases. In injuries, Calendula (in external application, but also per os) promotes healt hy granulation and rapid healing by, with favourable cicatrization and without disfiguring scars. This tendency to produce granulation tissue has led to its use in cases of excessive 'proud flesh', cicatricial eloids and true eloids. This is especially true when cicatricial tissue is found on the t ympanum and impedes the hearing. Cooper has shown that Calendula is one of the best remedies in loss of hearing or deafness from 'proud flesh' or cicat ricial tissue on the tympanum, even if there is no actual injury to this part, but only a concussion of the head or some such causation. He also us ed it with success in cases where there was a history of suppressed s in eruptions. His main modalities were: deafness worse in damp weather and fr om drin ing.
Generalities Calendula is well- nown as a vulnerary, i.e. to be applied externally, especiall y for lacerated wounds with loss of tissue, in suppurating wounds and ulcers, in fractures, especially if compound and if repair is slow, and for con sequences of a blow, shoc or fall. Jahr, who was in Paris in the bloody year of 1849, used the remedy for several victims who had fragmented bones from gun-shot wounds; limbs that would otherwise have been amputated were saved by means of Calendula. This remedy is useful for inflammations due to mechanical trauma (ophthalmia, et c.), neuritis as a result of lacerated wounds and also after surgical operations, or after the rupture of the perineum in childbirth. Clar e remar s that 'the application of a sponge saturated with a hot solution of Calendula after delivery gives the greatest comfort to the patient.' It can be used when wounds from dental operations (extraction of teeth etc.) do not heal readily and continue to haemorrhage. Its remar able power to prevent s uppuration, sepsis and gangrene has been confirmed often.
Boeric e praises its 'remar able power to produce local exudation' and says that
it 'helps to ma e acrid discharge healthy and free.' Bloody and serous infiltration of cellular tissues in open wounds and ulcers (su gillations, suffusions) is also considered as an important indication. It also acts very promptly in some cases of carbuncles, subduing pain and fever. This remedy has also cured bad or excessive cicatrization, eloids, superfluous 'proud flesh', wea ness and other consequences from badly healed injuries or ulcers Calendula is most commonly applied externally as a solution, but it has also bee n used orally (in tincture or potency), either without external application or in order to support its external application. Other indications on which Calendula was given with good results include: paraly sis after apoplexy; rheumatism which is worse from motion; chronic vomiting; disturbances of menses, especially suppressed menses and ailments fro m it; and more. 'Applied externally and as a fomentation, particularly
the flowers are said to...relieve headaches and toothache' (Hahnemann's Dispens ary Dictionary). A general feature is a strong tendency to catch colds, especially in damp weathe r, and a tendency towards catarrhal conditions.
Head Lacerated scalp wounds. Compound s ull fractures. Dullness in the head, as if he had a hangover. Heaviness of the head in the morning, as after prolonged illness. Dull, pressing sensation, especially in the occiput. Frontal headache after eating, with a sensation of heat in the forehead. Flushes of heat in the forehead, in the evenings.
Eyes Traumatic ophthalmia with suppuration (e.g. from foreign body in eye); conjuncti vitis, iritis, eratitis. Lacerated or incised wounds of the eyes. After operations on the eyes or lids where undue inflammation and suppuration is to b e avoided. Wounds of the lids and brows which have not been correctly treated and where suppuration has ta en place. Franz's proving elicited this symptom: 'White of eyes inflamed, with pressive he adaches now in forehead, now in temple when lying, but not when sitting or standing.' Discharge from the lachrymal sac. Dryness and biting of the margins of the lids, as though from smo e. Yellowish vision.
Ears Loss of hearing or deafness, with cicatricial tissue on the tympanum. There may be a history of otorrhoea and suppressed eczema. In one case, a thic ening of the epidermis of the bac of the hands had remained after suppres
sion of an eczema, and this was the deciding factor for choosing Calendula. Hearing may be better when there is noise around, also when riding on a train or a bus. Distant sounds are heard better. Worse in damp, heavy
air; from drin ing. Worse when having a cold or when tired. Bathing can trigger the appearance of deafness. Difficulty in distinguishing speech when two or more people spea together; ther e is an inability to distinguish from where the sound is coming.
Nose Coryza in one nostril; with much green discharge. Severe sneezing.
Face 'Blac and blue' eyes, from extravasation of the blood after injury. Face puffy and swollen, particularly under the eyes. After ta ing a tablespoon of the tincture, Price experienced the following: 'Imm ediately, sensation as if lips were swollen; from the lips it spread to sides of nose, and increased rapidly in intensity. After one hour, lids were mu ch swollen and pupils dilated ...'
Mouth and throat After extraction of teeth, or dental operations resulting in laceration of the g ums. Burns on the lips, the tongue, scalding of buccal mucous membranes; tongue dry, red and crac ed. Submaxillary glands swollen and painful to the touch, as if ulcerated, at the sa me time axillary glands painful to the touch. Or: Submaxillary glands painful to the touch as if swollen, but also without being touched there is a t ensive pain which becomes a pressure in the throat, especially on swallowing. Or: Drawing tensive pain in the glands behind the left ramus of the lower jaw, when moving the head. A case of violent toothache, diagnosed as acute pericoronitis, was treated succe ssfully by a single dose of Calendula C 200 (per os). The symptoms exhibited were: Severe pain in the muscles and bone of left lower jaw; worse at night; pain radiating to the left ear; tired, wea and nauseous;
general aggravation from heat. The reason for prescribing Calendula was due to the advice from a wor shop the practitioner had attended that the remedy was to be considered for any septic condition when another remedy was no t indicated. (Cf. Gregory Pais, Simillimum, Winter 1991, p. 82). Bitter-slimy taste in the throat before eating, but food tastes natural.
Stomach Heartburn with horripilation (hair stands up) is a peculiar symptom of this reme dy. Sin ing sensation; attac s of nausea or nauseous feeling. Nausea felt in the che st. Chronic vomiting: after catching a cold; with cardialgia, hectic fever and emaci ation; with pain in the uterine region; preceded by diarrhoea. Epigastric distension.
Abdomen On wal ing, a boring and digging pain in the umbilical region. Dull, coarse stitches in the middle of the right side of the abdomen upon motion , ceasing during rest. Enteritis caused by a foreign body. Constant soreness of the abdomen and tendern ess in the left iliac region, with frequent, almost entirely mucous stools.
Rectum Stool preceded by pinching and anxiety in the hypogastrium, with a chill. Constipation: with flatulence, strains, but passes no stool; from retroversion o f the uterus. Diarrhoea: with flatulence; excoriating anus; with vomiting.
Urinary organs Injury to the bladder after an operation. Tearing in the urethra during a chill. Frequent urination with emission of pale, clear urine, which is very hot and bur ns, or dar , offensive urine. Clar e mentions that difficulty in passing water such as is commonly encountered in old men was entirely removed for some days after the person had chewed a leaf of Calendula for some minutes.
Genitalia - male Mechanical excoriation of the mucous surface of the prepuce, after coitus; cured in two days by a lotion of Calendula 200, a few globules dissolved in water (cf. Journal of Homoeopathic Clinics, vol. 4, p. 116).
Genitalia - female Swelling and induration of the uterus; with stretching and dragging in the groin ; sense of fullness and weight in the pelvis; menorrhagia; constipation from occasional retroversion; pain on sudden movement. Prolapsus. Ulceration of os uteri; with offensive leucorrhoea. Condylomata at os externum. Calendula has even been used in uterine and breast cancer. It helps when there is a rupture of the cervix uteri and perineum during childbi rth, or for a lacerated womb after a Caesarean section. Inflammation of the genitals, with a lacerated hymen, from coitus or other cause s. Inflammation of the vulva resulting from cutting or tearing the parts. Profuse, offensive watery discharge from the vagina, with great exhaustion, afte r instrumental delivery. Excoriated and crac ed nipples. Nodosities in the breast. Menses suppressed; with cough.
Chest Cough with hoarseness and green expectoration; with distension of the inguinal r ing. Drawing pressure in the left side of the chest and on the sternum, with stitches in the right side. Pressure and oppression on the left side of the chest, during the evening in bed .
Nec and bac Pressing-tearing pain between the scapulae.
Pressive pain with sensation as if ulcerated and bruised under angle of the righ t scapula. Rheumatic drawing pain in the right side of the nec , increased when bending the nec to the right side and when lifting the right arm, extending to the shoulder.
Extremities Drawing-pressive tension in the hands and an le joints, during rest. Pain as if beaten at the outer side of the
nees when sitting.
Burning tearing pain on top of the calf, when sitting. Drawing, cramp-li e pain at the inner margin of the sole of the foot, when sitti ng. Tired weary feeling in the lower extremities; hands and feet cold. Ulcus cruris varicosum. Deep, ragged ulcers with frequent intense pain, profuse suppuration, and a discharge with an offensive stench (compare Calc-sulph.). Erysipelas and gangrene after crushing the foot.
Sleep Restless sleep, finds rest in no position, frequent wa ing, frequent urge to uri nate, drin s much. Feels as if he would fall from a height, when falling asleep.
Fever The chill and fever symptoms from Franz's proving are remar able, strong and num erous. Chilly all morning, with great sensitivity to the open air. Almost all the symptoms ma e their appearance during a chill. Anxious, morose, a pprehensive mood during chill. Chill in the hands and the feet all morning, without thirst; with drawing-pressi ve pains throughout the whole body; the ribs ache as if compressed and beaten, after having sat for some time. Shivering and goose-flesh, though the s in is warm to the touch. Shivering on the bac , with pressure on the last true rib of the left side and m ovements in the pit of the stomach and abdomen which ma e him feel as if he would faint.
Heat in the afternoon, intermingled with shivering, and frequent thirst, but dri n ing always causes shivering and a sha ing chill. Sensation of heat in the afternoon in the hands (which are otherwise cold) and t he whole head, intermingled with shivering, thirstlessness, almost an aversion to drin ing.
Great heat in the evening in bed, begins to perspire, the feet, in particular, b urn intensely and sweat. Great heat all morning, with profuse sweat, a nauseous feeling in the chest, and the shoulders are very hot.
S in A yellow tint to the s in; jaundice. Traumatic erysipelas. Old, neglected wounds which become offensive. Dermic thic enings, callous, especially on the bac s of the hands or the soles o f the feet. Keloids. Ailments from bad or excessive cicatrization. Some cases show that Calendula can exert a favourable influence upon cutaneous c ancers (malignant epithelioma, etc.).
Clinical Abscess. Balanitis. Breast, suppurating; nodosities in. Bubo. Burns. Carbuncle. Chilblains. Deafness. Eyes, inflamed. Fever. Fistula. Glandular swellings. Jaundice. Labour. Nails, pulp of, inflamed. Nipples, sore. Suppuration. Tetanus . Ulcers. Uterus, inflammation of: cancer of; offensive discharge from. Varicosis. Whitlow. Wounds.
Relations Calendula contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphoric acid. Antidoted by: Arn. Incompatible: Camph. Complementary: Hep. Compatible: Arn., Ars., Bry., Nit-ac., Phos., Rhus-t. Follows well: Ars. Is followed well by: Arn., Hep.
Compare: Arn., Ars., Bry., Calc-s., Carb-an., Carb-v., Ham., Hep., Hyper., Led., Nit-ac., Phos., Rhus-t., Ruta, Sal-ac., Sul-ac., Symph.
Camphora officinalis Camphor. C10H16O. A gum obtained from Laurus camphora. N.O. Lauraceae. Solution in rectified spirit.
The essential features Camphora is so powerful that it antidotes most of our remedies. It should not be ept in the home where you are stoc ing homeopathic remedies or during homeopathic treatment. This disruptive quality is not accidental as Camphora so deeply affects the vita l processes of the body. It prevents the blood from reaching the periphery: the head, the extremities, or the penis. It will cause collapse (due to the shortage of blood to the brain), Raynaud phenomenon (ischemia of hands and feet due to blood being prevented from reaching the periphery, by spasms of the vessels), or impotence (due to the blood supply being interrupted), in the form that coitus proceeds normally for a while but the ere ction is suddenly lost. The results of provings and clinical experiences with Camphora can be summed up in these three symptoms: extreme cold, collapse, and convulsions (especially tonic convulsions). It is by this very quality that Camphora will a ct so promptly in the well- nown conditions of fainting or collapse. The appearance of a Camphora case will be a person who is cold on the external s urface of his body, face and nose; the face is pale and pinched or collapsed, and maybe bluish (cyanotic). The tongue is cold, as is the mouth, an d the breath is so cold it seems to be coming from a cellar. In spite of this coldness there is a desire for icy cold water, and the thirst can be so tr emendous, as to be virtually unquenchable. The peculiar symptom that indicates this remedy is a state of sudden collapse wh ere the body is icy cold and yet the patient is averse to being covered. If he is covered all the same, he often suffers from the heat and swea ts copiously. Kent describes this for cases of menopausal heat waves: 'The limbs and abdomen are very cold and she suffers from cold when uncovered a nd sweats copiously when covered. She cannot endure covering to
warm her limbs though she suffers from cold.' On the other hand, there may be a state of internal burning heat with great anxiety and sweat, and then the patient is averse to being uncovered. He feels either too warm or too cold: if inside, the patient wants the windows open, wants to feel something cold; if outside, he feels too cold. The circulation seems to have go ne haywire. It is as if the natural contraction and relaxation of the arteries during temperature changes cannot ta e place. Kent gives a most impressive description how this unique characteristic may loo : 'The patient is a most troublesome patient to nurse; nobody and nothing suits. If an inflammation of the bladder comes on, there is intense pain and te nderness, and from the shoc of the suffering the mind is in a state of frenzy. Coldness then comes on and the patient wants to be uncovered, wants col d air, wants the windows open, but before all this can be done, a
flash of heat comes on and then he wants the covers on, and the register turned on, and wants a hot iron and hot bottles; but this stage now passes off, and while the nurse is bringing the hot irons he wants her to open the win dows and have everything cool. You will see at once that these are serious cases...' We can imagine that Camphora allows the arterioles to relax suddenly, allowing s urplus of blood to reach the periphery, and then they suddenly contract and almost totally cut off the blood supply, causing collapse and coldness. Secale cornutum is a remedy that is in some way similar to Camphora, because it also has a desire to uncover when cold, but in Camphora the states of coldness, heat, frenzy and pain very often intermingle. Unbearable internal hea t, for instance, may be there at the same time with extreme coldness of the surface to the touch. The Camphora state is one of opposites, not only in the field of heat regulation . An analogous situation also ta es place on the emotional plane. With the least provocation, with the least inflammation or pain, there is extreme excita bility, then irritability which soon goes into a ind of frenzy. The patients cannot control themselves, and do not now what they want. Patients ca n show frenzied states, extreme irritability or even violent behaviour at one moment; and after that phase the patient will not pass smoothly to a nor mal state but will go to the opposite extreme, loo ing totally exhausted, to the verge of collapse and cold all over. No reaction can be elicited from th em. They seem to feel nothing, and register no sensations. Even the sense of touch may be lost, the s in is cold and insensitive li e marble. Convulsions are also an important ey-note of this remedy. They may be accompani ed by hysterical excitement, shrie ing and screaming and shouting for help. There may be vomiting and a frequent urge to urinate, with convulsive contractions of the limbs and a loss of consciousness. Tonic and even tetanus-li e convulsions and epileptic fits where the patient falls down uncons cious, have often bee described and are important actions of the remedy. We also see clonic convulsions of the face and limbs. To complete this picture of weird and peculiar symptoms and modalities, there is yet another ey-note of Camphora (a strange modality which was first observed in Hahnemann's provings) must be mentioned. Thin ing about the existin g complaints has a great influence upon the patient's state, which is not unusual in other remedies, but in most other cases this will aggravate wher eas in Camphora the patient usually feels better when thin ing of his complaints,
The intensity and the suddenness of the suffering in this remedy might be unders tood by appreciating that Camphor is well nown for curing cholera when the symptoms agree. Sudden sin ing of strength, deathly coldness all over very soon after the infection, hopeless despondency and anxiety is to be seen in all gestures, cramps and convulsions in the muscles, e specially in the calves, later intense exhausting diarrhoea and vomiting, finally collapse within only a short time, 24 to 48 hours. According to Hahnemann and many other authors, Camphora was indicated where coldness and tonic spasms prevailed, while the stage of intense and profu se discharges often called for other remedies, as Cuprum. Camphora will be indicated in different diseases and pathologies, mostly acute b ut also chronic. For instance, it is one of the remedies that we will use in common colds when the patient is very sensitive to cold air, the coldness of the whole body is very intense, objectively as well as subjectively, with chill and sneezing, but with an aversion to be covered.
The remedy is also used in all inds of serious inflammations: of the brain, of the urinary tract, intestines and liver, of the eyes, etc. In cystitis the case is so intense that it loo s li e Cantharis, with hot burning in the urethra, st rangury, tenesmus of nec of bladder, with bloody urine that comes only in drops; but the coldness of the body will differentiate it from Canth. C amphora may be indicated in congestion of the brain, or when the organism is in shoc from a violent inflammation of an organ or from an injury. It is one of the main remedies in shoc where the patient goes quic ly towards coldness and collapse. For example, in a perforated ulcer with violent epigastric pain and with extreme coldness of the s in, pulse very wea , blood pressure very low, with violent thirst for icy cold water, the remedy will not be Carbo vegetabilis or Phosphorus but Camphora. Convulsions will also be an important indication. They may be accompanied by hys terical excitement, shrie ing and screaming, shouting for help. There may be a state of vomiting and frequent urge to urinate, with convulsive contra ctions of the limbs and loss of consciousness. Tonic and even tetanus-li e convulsions, epileptic fits where the patient falls down unconscio us are actions of the remedy that have often been described, but we also see clonic convulsions of face and limbs. In most of the acute complaints, there is a state of extreme nervous arousal, al most frenzy, with tremendous anxiety and restlessness, spasms and convulsions, distension and throbbing of veins, followed by a rapid and sudden sin ing of strength and total exhaustion.
Fear and anxiety The stri ing symptoms on the mental and emotional levels are the anxieties and f ears that loo li e a mixture of Phosphorus, Calcarea, and Lycopodium, but Camphora has a combination of fears and anxieties that belong to its own. T here is an expression of great anxiety on the face. The anxiety reaches states of anguish, even psychosis. All external objects may provo e a repulsive fretfulness in the person affected. The thoughts are not controlled, they seem to run on by themselves, also against the resistance of the will, and produce a terrible state of anguis h; becomes afraid of his own thoughts but there is no way to stop them. There is not only a dread of death but also a sensation of death which is quite a different condition. Death is there, is imminent and is felt as such.
For instance, a person poisoned by Camphora felt that all the external world ha d vanished, and he was compelled to scream out loud: "So I am really dead, the hell that I was thin ing about is no fiction, I am doomed to hell for ever!" During the initial stage of excitation there is tremendous restlessness mixed wi th the fears, with the patient tossing about in bed with great anxiety. Any noise that can be heard in the room will startle him. His imagination fills the dar with ghosts, spectres and supernatural phenomena. He dare not get out of bed in the dar , bores his head deep in the pillow to shut out the hideo us sights, won't uncover the head any more. Everything that moves seems to be a spectre, and the inanimate things of the room become alive and terrify him, just as in Phosphorus. These states mostly come on when alone in the dar , and thus, an excessive fear of solitude and dar ness is experienced. One prover would not go into the cellar alone at night but always too his little daughter with him, a girl of only 8 or 9 years of age. A tremendous fear of mirrors, 'lest he should
see himself in them,' has been observed; 'so excessive was this fear at times i n the night that he would have got up and bro en the mirrors, only that he was still more afraid to get up alone in the dar .' Another fear is that of a murderer standing at the bedside. Terrible fear of nuclear war, of a general catastrophe (Natrum muriaticum). But all these fears and delusions have to be understood together with the whole picture of anguish, frenzy, coldness and convulsions in order to prescribe this remedy. When this stage of excitement passes, however, he become s insensible, exhausted, collapsed and cold. There is no reaction to external stimuli, does not feel anything, all the senses seem to be lost. The p atient lies there with closed eyes, as if asleep, cannot be aroused, doesn't answer any questions, doesn't want to be touched.
Irritability and depression In its chronic condition, Camphora is irritable and short-tempered within the fa mily system. These people are easily offended, they tend to ta e everything in bad part and feel insulted and scolded even if there is no appare nt reason. They are quarrelsome and exhibit a dogmatic, ' now-it-all' attitude, with an inclination to contradict everybody. They become dictatorial (but not to outsiders). There is a tendency to rule over others; women will be attracted to men who need their help. On the other hand, they tend to b e indecisive and even timorous. Often they are affected with inferiority complexes, thin ing that everyone considers them as failures, which ma es them feel wretched. When the irritable mood passes, they may go into a self-destructive mood, becomi ng depressed, sad and despondent. There is a sensation of indescribable wretchedness, discomfort and loathing, bodily as well as emotiona lly. Feels li e weeping but the eyes stay dry. In these stages, a suicidal disposition will be exhibited, with an urge to throw oneself out of th e window which may exert a dangerous attraction to the patient. The depression may also be coupled with a feeling of unusual lassitude and with fre quent yawning and stretching, which gradually increases, soon becoming very disturbing and annoying. Even severe cases of agitated depression may be cured with this remedy, as a cas e of Müller shows (Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung, 1992). Overall, Camphora people are closed persons. It is characteristic that when they will try to say something that has a direct connection with their
emotions the hands freeze, as if the blood were cut out.
Loss of memory and confusion The intellectual faculties are strongly impaired by Camphora. A sluggishness and dullness of the mind comes on, with confusion and aversion to all mental wor , especially during the chilly stage. There is a great difficulty to concen trate; when reading, the patient is unable to follow the train of thought of the author, to get a clear notion of what the author wants to say. 'Inabilit y to thin , to feel, to remember' (Hahnemann). Loss of memory is an important trait. After mental or sensorial disturbances as described above or below, the memory of everything he did during that
time is often totally lost, cannot remember what he did. Forgetfulness can also be accompanied by flight of ideas. When there is Alzheimer's disease and at the same time Raynaud phenomenon in a c ase, this should bring this remedy to mind.
Delirium and hallucination In delirious states, as from meningitis, it will be difficult for this remedy to be differentiated from Belladonna or Hyoscyamus. There may be busy delirium with wild tal ing, constantly repeating the same sentence. Camphora ha s proved curative in some manic states with excessive excitability: vehement and abusive, also obscene tal ing; violent, raging gestures; stri es, scratches, spits (Bell.) and bites; tears their own clothes (Tarentula); foams at the mouth. Throws himself bac tear everything within his reach.
with dreadful shrie s and endeavours to
The delirium often has a sexual component: women bare their breasts or strip na ed (Hyos.), clinging to their husbands; men strip na ed and dance wildly about, sometimes attempting to jump out of the window. In one case where Camphora acted successfully, a young man wallowed in his own faeces, without showing the slightest sensitivity or shame. He did not want to lie down except on the bare floor. There may be laughing, weeping, tal ing and shouting by turns, or an alternation between loud laughter and deep depression with fear of dying. These raving states will often be accompanied by violent convulsive fits. There is also another ind of delirious psychosis in Camphora which is equally i ntense but not so noisy and violent. A good example of this is found in the report of a poisoning case: 'Li e in a fr enzy, I am seized by the thought: I am dead, no, I am not, yes, I am ... The external world had disappeared around me, my thoughts had vanished, with only o ne dreadful idea remaining: I felt that I had been transferred to another world, everything else had vanished for me. ... I was alone in space, I alone had remained of everything. ... There was no sensation in me but the feeling of my infinite and eternal damnation. Prostrated on my bed, I belie ved that I was the Demon of Evil in a world without God. ...' This resembles Hyoscyamus or Mancinella. A feeling of lightness may accompany su ch states, a sensation as if flying, as if gliding over the floor without touching it, or as if being carried away through the air in spite of all opposi tion.
Trance-li e states: stands motionless and unconscious, with the eyes fixed in a stare, doesn't react to questions. The delusions will mostly come on at night when alone. There are spells of great anxiety because absurd figures are floating before his eyes, everything seems alive and moving, spectres everywhere in the room. There is a great desire for company, with screaming for help.
Generalities There is such a deep coldness that the body becomes blue and cold to touch. A st range sensation has been observed as if a cold wind were blowing on the body or parts of it or else as if a cold liquid ran over it. The 'cold wind ' sensation is even felt on covered parts, yet at the same time the patient sweats profusely when covered.
The decision for giving this remedy will, however, not be because the patient is chilly since many of our remedies are extremely chilly, but because of the fact that the more intensely they suffer, the sooner they become very cold, and when they are cold, they must uncover. The whole body becomes insensible to touch, dry and insensible li e marble, no v ital heat can be felt any more. Not only the sense of touch will be vanished, but also the sense of differentiation between hot and cold. Boiling h ot tea seems cold, and there may also be objective coldness of tongue, mouth, and throat even when swallowing hot liquids. The sudden and complete sin ing of strength, a general feature of the remedy, ca n ta e the form of fainting spells that follow each other in rapid succession. Sudden fainting with falling unconsciously to the ground, sometimes announced by a feeling of sultry heat in head and body. Breathing and pulse become very wea , often scarcely perceptible. There may be cold persp iration over the body, especially on the forehead. On recovery, there may be one-sided paralysis or blindness. The tendency for convulsions and spasms is well- nown though this remedy is ofte n neglected in cases of epilepsy or convulsions from an inflammation and high fever. Trismus and other tetanus symptoms. Subsultus tendinum (twistin g movements of the muscles and tendons) with excitability, jer ing, twitching and trembling. The arms may spasmodically move in circles (rotation). The head is often spasmodically drawn bac ward or to one side. The eyes are convulsively turned upward. Epileptic seizures followed by a state of extreme exhaustion. An important indication is: spasms in children when an exanthema does not come o ut (in measles, in scarlatina). They can also occur after suppression of a cold or in new-born children (trismus). Asphyxia neonatorum, with cyanosis and spasms as a consequence. Some other remar able general symptoms: Hasty in action and speech. After eating, chill and drawing through whole body, with cold arms, hands, and f eet. Feeling of dryness in and at body, most in head and bronchi. A feeling of indescribable discomfort in the whole body. Pains run from the head to the tips of the fingers, with trembling and uneasines s. Finds pleasure in drin ing, but without thirst.
Disgust for tobacco. Camphora can be indicated in ill effects from shoc (from an injury or from infl ammation), vexation, sunstro e, or exposure to extreme cold. Ill effects of suppression: headache or other symptoms from suppression of sexual desire; s pasms from suppression of exanthema, eruptions, or discharges. There is a great sensitivity to and an aggravation from cold air and draughts (b ut coldness may be better by cold air and worse from covering!). Sudden weather changes may cause catarrhal infection with headache. Motion tend s to aggravate, as most pains of Camphora come on during motion. Profuse sweating will mostly (but not always) ameliorate. Amelioration is also c aused by warm air and from drin ing cold water as well as from cold water showers.
Vertigo Vertigo is a frequent symptom in Camphora. It often comes on in frequent, short attac s that can be rather violent; sometimes induced by excessive mental exertion. Giddiness after nausea and retching, with spar s before eyes, dim sight, ringing in ears, heat and tremor; tends to fall forward. Heaviness of head with vertigo, head sin s bac wards; especially on stooping. Camphora often produces a drun en feeling in head, with confusion; staggers whil e wal ing as if falling down, uncertain gait. While reading the boo seems to go round with the sun, can hardly eep his seat, feels as if falling to the right and as if going into sleep or unconsciousness. Vertigo when loo ing from a window; everything in the street seems to be in grea t tumult and confusion, feels as if he was involved in it; feels in danger to lose balance.
Head Congestion to head, to the brain; beating of temples, distension of jugular vein s. Heat in head and sensation as if perspiration would brea out, with shivering over limbs and abdomen. Heaviness and heat in forehead, worse when wal ing. Cold perspiration, especially on forehead; with anxiety. Throbbing headaches are prominent. They are especially felt in the cerebellum, l i e beats of a hammer isochronous with the pulse. Throbbing in bac of nec and occiput as if it should crac ; better from sitting or standing up (raising head), worse from bending head forward. Throbbing, stitching pain in forehead all night, with general dry heat, but with out thirst. Transient headache as if head were compressed from both sides; only felt when he does not pay attention to his body; as soon as he becomes conscious of his pain and thin s of it, the headache instantly vanishes. This m odality has proved a general ey-note of Camphora. Constrictive pain at base of brain, particularly in occiput and over root of nos e, head is leaned to one side; worse deep stooping, lying down, or external
pressure. Cutting shoc s from forehead and temples to centre of brain, returning after a s hort time, after lying down. Cutting pressure from left side of occiput to forehead. Boring headache in right temple, ending in a stitch that goes into eye and a too th, in short attac s. Dull headache over frontal bone, with nausea, inclination to vomit. Dull headache, with transient stitches in both temporal regions and orbits.
Frontal headache which presses outward. Pressive headache over left eye in eveni ng. Headache as if brain were bruised or sore. Meningitis; after sunstro e; especially with beating pain in cerebellum. Hydrocephalus: great coldness of s in, yet the child cannot be covered. Head is spasmodically drawn sideways to shoulder.
Eyes Staring, wild loo ; eyes convulsively turned upwards (or to the side); sometimes with eye-lids half closed and in constant agitation. Extremely contracted pupils; sometimes alternating with dilatation of pupils. Photophobia. Sensation as if all objects were too bright and shining. Sees spar s and wheels of fire; small blac spots float before the eyes. When reading, the letters run together, ma ing reading very difficult; when he s tops reading, bright circles appear before the eyes. Obscuration of sight, objects seem to vanish in a fog. Camphora was useful in some cases of dim vision. As through a fog, often double vision; when loo ing at an object it seemed to move as if receiving a jer to the side, which made vision still more indistinct; vision better in mor ning, much worse in evening. After ta ing the remedy, slight attac s of vertigo occurred, and while the vertigo increased, the vision became better. Soreness, or tense, stiff feeling in eyes and eyelids all day. Many red spots on eyelids. Pressure upon right eyebrow muscle. Chronic, obstinate inflammation of eyes.
Ears Congestion to ears; hot, red, earlobes. Buzzing or ringing in the ears; with vertigo. Stitches into ear from draught of air or wind.
Dar red abscess, more than pea-sized, in the external meatus, with stinging pre ssure on touch.
Nose Easily catches cold, with fluent or dry coryza, sneezing, chill; often indicated in old people. Camphora has been used successfully in the first stages. Discharge of thin mucus, without sneezing and coryza, in morning on rising. Nose cold and pointed. Even the air of the room, breathed through the nose, seem s cooler. Persistent epistaxis; especially with goose-flesh state of s in. Drawing in left side of nose. In s in of root of nose, some pric ing or crawling from dorsum to tip, has to ru b it; this ameliorates but the sensation soon returns. Stitching pain in anterior angle of nostrils, as if ulcerated and sore.
Face The face is often pale, even bluish with blue lips, and pinched, haggard, sun en , with hollow eyes and blue rings around them, with an anxious loo expressing despair; but this state may alternate with a dar red, glowing colou r. The features may loo collapsed, paralytically relaxed, expressionless; or violently distorted, with incessant spasmodic movements and grimaces, staring, wild loo , foam before mouth. The lips are often everted or drawn in, with exposure of teeth, especially the u pper lip; this symptom may accompany fits of unconsciousness, with tetanic spasm and coldness all over; but it is also seen in gastralgia, with co ld sweat standing in drops on face. Loc jaw. Erysipelas, with yellow blisters around ear; with redness of ear-lobes and chee s. Erysipelatous appearance of face. Boring in right zygoma.
Mouth The whole mouth is cold, also the tongue is cold and trembles, even the breath i s cold. The coldness may even be felt when swallowing hot liquids. But a burning sensation and unpleasant heat in mouth and pharynx has also been observed.
Whole mouth interior, with tongue, gums and palate, feels as if it is swollen. Scraping, dry sensation at palate. Increased taste to all food; food tastes bitter, especially meat; tobacco tastes bitter and offensive. Bad taste, nausea, vomiting, especially in the morning. Offensive odour from mou th in the morning, which prover noted himself. Collection of saliva in the mouth, which is sometimes slimy and viscid.
The tongue is thic , spongy, fissured, covered with much tough yellowish mucus. Sensation of dryness on bac part of tongue, a scraping feeling, with much saliva. Toothache worse from coffee and spirituous liquors, from touch of any food, amel iorated for some moments by drin ing cold water, but holding cold water in mouth aggravates the pain tremendously; strange enough, drin ing of be er ameliorates the pain, as well as smo ing tobacco. Coitus ma es the toothache disappear. On exposure to cold or windy air, a stinging pai n goes from a tooth to the eye. Gums painful, loosened, teeth feel too long and become loose.
Throat Heat in mouth, pharynx, stomach. Violent burning at palate all the way down the oesophagus which ma es him drin , but drin ing gives no relief. Sore throat, more on swallowing, as if it were excoriated, with a sensation as i f he had eaten rancid food. Impossible to swallow in typhus.
Respiration Voice hus y and deep; feeble, bro en, hoarse; uncertain; whispering; even aphoni a. Great difficulty of speech, hardly able to articulate. Mucus in trachea which ma es the voice impure and is not cleared by haw ing. Pain in trachea and bronchi, most on coughing, but also when haw ing. Cutting, cold sensation in trachea, which seems to cause stitches in chest and h ac ing cough. The bronchi feel dry. Throat feels constricted, as if from sulphur fumes; with feeling of suffocation; spasmodic contraction of circular fibres of trachea. Breathing oppressed, anxious, wheezing; with bronchophonia and rattling. Respira tion may be irregular and hurried or almost completely arrested. Suffocative dyspnoea; as if from a pressure in pit of stomach; asthmatic attac s , with great suffocation; asphyxia neonatorum, with spasms as a
consequence. Constant sensation of coldness beginning in pit of stomach, extending over whole sternum, exhaled as a cold breath. Very fatiguing cough, without bringing up anything. Cough, with pain in throat, chest, stomach, and abdomen.
Chest and heart Congestion to chest. Pleura-pneumonia with collapse. Contraction and suffocating oppression of chest. Stitches on, in and through the chest, frequently extending to vertebral column. Cramp-li e stitches in region of heart with oppression when lying on left side; ceasing when turning to right side. Internal trembling of left side of chest and left arm when lying on left side; c easing when turning to right side. Feels and hears throbbing of heart against ribs after eating. Trembling of heart. Much praecordial anxiety and distress, with sensation of severe coldness and irr esistible sleepiness. Pulse small, hard, slower and slower; wea , scarcely perceptible. Cold sweat on upper part of chest.
Stomach Neither appetite nor thirst; or eats voraciously and has frequent thirst; or: In satiable thirst, not quenched by large quantities of cold water. Frequent empty eructation after eating. Belching and gulping up contents of stomach. Deadly nausea with inclination to vomit, with cold sweat on face. Nausea and vomiting in the morning; chronic, of sour mucus; of watery, slimy sub stance. Vomiting followed by coldness over body; by short attac s of vertigo. There is an intense feeling of coldness in the stomach or the pit of stomach (so metimes extending over whole chest). This may, however, alternate with a sensation of burning heat in stomach that may reach a terrible degree, with t remendous anguish, driving to despair. The pit of stomach is very sensitive and exceedingly painful to touch. Unpleasant feeling in pit of stomach, with slight, transient vertigo. Pressive pain in pit of stomach or anterior part of liver.
Abdomen
There is a sensation of coldness in upper and lower abdomen, which may alternate with violent burning heat. When the cold feeling prevails, it may spread all over the chest. Or there may be internal burning in abdomen, with ex ternal coldness. When there are pains in abdomen he covers up, but after they have passed, the s in becomes cold and he uncovers. Much colic pain in abdomen; cutting pain at night or from catching a cold. Very intense pain in epigastrium, radiating all over belly and into limbs. Drawing pain as if bruised in whole right side of abdomen, up to liver and chest , more internal than external, particularly on inspiration. Heaviness, with stitching and drawing, in right side of hypogastrium, worse on p ressure. Sensation of hardness and heaviness over umbilicus. Contractive pain below short ribs, extending to lumbar vertebrae. Burning stitching on an area size of a hand, below the anterior iliac crest.
Rectum The successful use of Camphora in cholera was introduced by Hahnemann. In a rece nt epidemic cholera in Peru, the French group 'Homéopaths sans Frontières' was able to confirm once more the favourable action of this remedy. H ahnemann recommended Camphora especially in the first stage of the disease, where symptoms such as icy coldness all over the body and tonic sp asms prevail and the exhaustive diarrhoeic discharges have not yet set in. Kent describes a cholera state where Camphora is indicated: 'At times the choler a patient, with the coldness and blueness, is stretching and straining to vomit and suffering with horrible tenesmus to get rid of a little stool and has convulsions here and there. These bowel symptoms gradually increase until there is no ability to strain at stool, a paralytic condition. The rectum seems contracted and painful.' The paralytic state of the anus is an important symptom of Camphora; it resemble s a tonic spasm. The rectum feels as if narrowed, swollen, painful, even when passing flatus. Flatus sometimes is as difficult to expel as the hard est stool. This may also be true in summer diarrhoea with rice-water stools which are prece ded by passage of much wind and are only discharged with much
difficulty. Mezger says that diarrhoea is not found in the pathogenesis of Camphora, but thi s is not correct, as the following symptom from Hahnemann's proving shows: 'Easily catches cold, and then either a sha ing chill comes on, or a cut ting pain in abdomen, with diarrhoeic discharge of blac ish-brown or blac stool, li e coffee-grounds.' This symptom has led to the cure of diarr hoea with colic y pain after cold, especially when there was a sensation present as if cold air blew even through the covered parts of the bod y. Sudden attac of diarrhoea with sudden and great sin ing of strength, icy coldne ss of body and cold sweat.
Urinary organs Strangury, tenesmus of nec of bladder, painful, burning urination is a very mar ed symptom of Camphora in this area, which leads to its use in cystitis (compare Cantharis which, however, has not the coldness of surface tha t is so typical of Camphora). Retention of urine, with full bladder; with constant pressure in bladder and urg ing, but nothing is discharged; with very slow urination, the bladder seems to be paralysed; with dribbling urination; with painful micturition, scal ding, burning, stinging; with bloody urine. Retention or suppression of urine in cholera; from suppression of gonorrhoeal discharge; from suppressed er uptions (especially measles); in new-born infants; in women during pregnancy. After violent urging, involuntary urination. Violent burning-cutting pain in nec of bladder, extending to fops navicularis, especially before and after urination. Almost involuntary urination, and pain in urethra after urination feeling li e a contraction from the front bac wards. Biting pain in posterior part of urethra on urination, followed by pressure in r egion of bladder feeling li e renewed urging. Yellowish-green, turbid urine with a mouldy odour.
Sexuality Camphora has a strong relationship to the sexual functions and organs. It causes an increase in sexual desire (both in men and women) but also a total absence of the sexual drive.
Genitalia - male Suffers with attac s of violent priapism, especially at night. Experiences unusu al sexual ardour, with continued delusions respecting the object of embrace. Violent priapism with a somnambular state, similar to trance. Absence of sexual desire and impotence. Or: totally impotent, no erection even a fter external stimulation, in spite of constant sexual desire.
Incomplete erections with wea dden laxness of penis.
desire, which soon vanishes. Or: stultified by su
Nightly emissions, with or without erotic dreams. Scrotum relaxed; cold. Contracting feeling in testes. Dragging sensation in course of spermatic cord to testes. Effects of sudden suppression of gonorrhoeal discharge: strangury, due to strict ure of urethra; retention of urine with restlessness, pain in hypogastric
region, wea , but rapid pulse, delirium.
Genitalia - female Increased desire. Manic states in child bed with excessive sexual desire where s he constantly bares her breast, with pale face and staring eyes; cool dry s in. Fearful of having sex; afraid she will be overwhelmed. Camphora also acts upon the menstrual functions. It has produced a more profuse flow, but may also ma e it cease entirely. Os uteri enlarged and hot. Camphora may be indicated in threatening abortion, particularly in seasons of ep idemic influenza when women abort almost as generally as the influenza prevails; especially when they have pale, loose, cold s in with gener al disposition to catarrhal discharges. When labour pains are wea or entirely ceasing, with cold, dry, shrun en s in, b ut aversion to be covered, and restlessness. Flushes of heat and sweat, abdomen and limbs very cold, during the menopause. Suppuration of mammae; fine stinging in nipples.
Nec
and bac
Stiffness in nape of nec . Tensive pain in the nec motion or turning of head.
muscles, increased by every
Tearing pain in nape of nec from bending head forward. Painful drawing and sensation of stiffness at side of nec ownwards, on wal ing in the open air. Perspiration in nape of nec
and in nape of nec d
when wal ing.
Violent pain in bac , all day. Severe pain in spine, ma ing it difficult to eep erect. Pain as if beaten in bac . Frequent chill in bac ; as if a cold air blew on it. Internal chill between scap ulae; in region of loins and small of bac , worse on wal ing even a few steps. Sense of heat and internal qua ing, proceeding from nape of nec and between sca pulae, extending as a pressure in the limbs.
Alternate chill and heat in small of bac when wal ing. Drawing stitches through and between shoulder blades which extend into chest, wh en moving arms. Tearing pressure at anterior margin of scapula, impeding motion of arm. Frequent chill in bac ; between scapulae. Sensation as if cold air blew on bac . Pressure in small of bac , with limbs heavy as lead.
Extremities The limbs are difficult to move. Spasms and convulsions of limbs: spasmodic cont ractions; tetanic spasms, shoulders bent bac , arms first slightly bent, then extended and rigid, fingers stiff and open; thumb clenched or drawn bac at nearly right angle with its metacarpal; toes drawn up or spread; convulsive rotation of arms; convulsions generally more in upper limbs. Cold extremities, often with a sense of numbness and tingling, or with clammy sw eat and great prostration. In spite of the coldness, covering seems unendurable. Hands and feet icy cold. Tearing stitching in joints, now here, now there. Crac ing and crea ing in joints of loins, hands, and feet. Pain in periosteum of all bones. Drawing in muscles of left upper arm when wal ing. Pressure and drawing on inner side of both arms, during rest of parts, ceasing w hile moving them. Tired feeling from shoulder to wrist, relieved by motion as well. Tearing on inside of left arm, extending downwards to thumb and index finger. Painful pressure in right elbow joint, worse when leaning on it, whereby pain ex tends into hand. Hands pale, bluish; become cold on wal ing; trembling. Itching on bac of hand and scratching.
nuc les of fingers, with stitching pain, ceasing on
In lower thumb joint, on moving it, pain as if sprained. Great lassitude of lower limbs on wal ing; thighs as if bruised and tense. Lower limbs trembling, tired, heavy. Knees as if bruised, seem to give way. Internal coldness through right thigh as if cold air blew on it; also in right l eg to toes, li e a stream of cold air going down through calf to foot. When sitting and bending
nee, thigh falls asleep, with sensation of coldness.
Stitches in patella while sitting. Knees painful; pressive drawing at inner side of
nee.
Heaviness in leg, as if a weight was hanging in nee joint and drawing it down.
Cramps in calves. Pain in an le as if sprained, in the morning on stepping and wal ing. Tearing cramp pain on bac of foot, extending along outer calf to thighs. Drawing cramp pain on bac of foot, especially on motion. Trembling of feet, tremulous sha ing of legs. Icy cold feet. They may behave as in Calcarea carbonica: goes to bed with freezing feet, but soon
they get hot, burning, and red, has to uncover them. Sore pain on
nuc les of feet and in corns.
Tearing in tips of toes and under nails, on wal ing.
Sleep Sleepiness and drowsiness. Yawning and sleepiness through the day, and then cannot sleep at night (Staphisa gria), with restlessness and cold limbs. Afraid to go to bed; when he thin s he will fall asleep, suddenly all sleep is g one, the eyes open by themselves, the thoughts are driven to eerie objects. When he does sleep, he has many dreams, often very confused: jealous dreams, anx ious dreams of theft, dreams of what was tal ed about the previous day; nightmares, screaming for help because a murderer seems to stand at the be dside; dreams of projects to be carried out; amorous dreams. Murmuring, sighing, snoring in sleep; tal s all night in a low voice. Sleep disturbed by starting; even while wa ing frequently starting in a fright, with palpitations.
Fever The icy coldness over the whole body, including tongue and breath, is a guiding symptom of Camphora, especially in connection with an aversion to covering. Coldness objective as well as subjective. Rigor, chattering of teeth. Congestive chill; congestion to head and chest. The s in is cold and, as a rule, dry, or covered by a cold, clammy sweat. Chills easily, great aversion to cold air, on exposure to it he is chilly throug h the whole body. But external coldness may be coupled with internal burning heat, or coldness and heat alternate. Great heat of whole body with distended veins. Heat over whole body, increasing to a maximum when wal ing. Increased warmth of whole body, with red face. On wa ing in the morning, peculiar sensation of heat over whole s in, as if goin
g to sweat. Covers up when fever is present, but after passing of fever s in becomes cold, a nd he uncovers. Much sweat during sleep. Profuse sweat generally ameliorates, but may also be ex hausting, as in this symptom: 'Next morning awo e miserably wea , the sweat having penetrated to the lower side of the feather bed, and shirt and bed -clothes drenched.' Camphor odour of sweat.
S in Painfully sensitive s in of whole body, slight touch hurts. But also: loss of all tactile sensations, even hot and cold cannot be differenti ated. S in wilted, cool, flabby, often very cold. But during heat, it may also be tens e, hot and dry, li e parchment. Ill effects of suppressed or receded eruptions or exanthema (spasms, retention o f urine, etc.). Erysipelatous inflammation, with coldness, paleness, sin ing, and aversion to be ing covered. Erysipelas of infants, with spasms. One example: a child, five wee s old, becomes very restless, screams incessantly and gets red spots a t right thigh and in pubic region, quic ly magnifying and confluent; after three days got hard, the redness extended upward to the navel, which beca me sensitive to touch. In the evening, slight but continuous twitching came on, increased when child left dorsal position. Camphora caused all symptom s to disappear, and instead a general red rash appeared, but with it also sleep, perspiration, appetite, and general well-being.
Clinical Angina pectoris. Bed sores. Cholera Asiatica. Chordee. Cold. Convulsions. Epilep sy. Eruptions, suppressed. Erysipelas. Gonorrhoea. Heart affections. Hyperpyrexia. Influenza. Measles. Memory, loss of. Priapism. Rheumatism. Sexual mania. Shivering. Sleeplessness. Sna e-bites. Spasms. Strangury. Sunstro e. Taste, disordered. Tetanus. Tobacco habit. Twitching. Urethra, spasm odic stricture of. Urine, suppression of.
Relations Antidoted by: Op., Nit-s-d., Dulc., and Phos. It antidotes: Am-c., Canth., Carb-v., Cupr., Lyc., Squil., Nat-m., so-called wor m medicines, tobacco, bitter almonds, and other fruits containing prussic acid; also the secondary affections remaining after poisoning with acids, salts , metals, poisonous mushrooms. Incompatible: Tea, coffee, and lemonade, as a rule do not interfere, but sometim
es with coffee it is worse. Compare: Aloe.; Carb-v. (coldness from undeveloped exanthema, collapse; epistaxi s, dar , persistent; low haemorrhages generally); Lyc. (head drawn to one side - Lyc. to the left, Plb. and Stram. to the right, Bufo to either); Op. , (narcotism, heart affections); Phos. (anguish and burning in cholera). Nit-s-d.,, Squil., Verat. Teste puts Camph. in his Belladonna group, with Agar. , Lach., Cedr., Stram., Tab., and others. He notes that it acts much more powerfully on carnivorous animals than on herbivores.
Cannabis indica East Indian Cannabis sativa Hashish. Bhang. Ganja. Marijuana. Indian Hemp N.O. Cannabinaceae. Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa It is hardly possible to differentiate between Cannabis indica and Cannabis sati va. There are several reasons for this: the two plants not only belong to the same species (Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica are botanically identical ; the difference in their properties is due solely to the differences in the soil and climate in which they are grown), but the provings also brought ab out very similar symptoms (and it is not clear in all the proving reports which plant was ta en as the raw substance). Still more important is the fact t hat clinical experience has given evidence for the possibility to substitute one remedy for each other and to effect a cure. This was tested as e arly as 1870 when Berridge deliberately prescribed Cannabis sativa in a case that, from its symptoms, seemed to call for Cannabis indica, and coul d report a complete success in curing the condition (Journal of Homeopathic Clinics, 4, 26). In this way, many Cannabis sativa symptoms have be en confirmed as yielding to Cannabis indica, too. I have, for this reason, included some symptoms first observed in Cannabis sativa in my remedy p icture of Cannabis indica. For the sa e of precision, the symptoms first observed in Cannabis sativa are mar ed with an asteris (*). An asteris after a full stop refers to the whole sentence; in all other cases, it refers to the part after the last semicolon or colon.
The essential features Cannabis indica is a remedy which is required with increasing frequency today, l argely because of the widespread abuse of hashish and marijuana. The injudicious consumption of hashish can, in many instances, provo e a chronic Ca nnabis state. The idea that cannabis is an innocuous, harmless herb or 'grass' is a myth, as we have seen hundreds of cases that are still suffering f rom its side-effects years after ta ing it. In those cases where the symptoms correspond to Cannabis, the confirmation that such symptomatology orig inated with ta ing the drug is the fact that these people become
well after ta ing the remedy in high potency. This does not mean, however, that Cannabis is indicated for all people who suffe r from the consequences of hashish abuse. The reaction of the organism to the consumption of hashish can also assume other forms and display the sympt omatology of other remedies. Moreover, it is not necessary to have a history of exposure to Cannabis for a Cannabis state to develop; Cannabis state s can also appear spontaneously as a result of an individual's predisposition or as a specific reaction to external influences or internal dis turbances. It should be noted, however, that an anamnesis of hashish or marijuana abuse should ma e you consider Cannabis as a remedy. When we tal about a Cannabis state we always mean a certain degree of mental co nfusion, which may range from slight confusion (similar to that in a
mild state of intoxication) to total psychosis, in which delusions of all predominate. Trying to summarize the central elements of this important
inds
remedy in nuce, we could say that Cannabis cases prominently present the follow ing symptoms: confusion, excessive theorising, ethereal 'floating' sensations, fear of insanity or of 'losing control', and an extreme anxiety abo ut health. In order to better understand this remedy's essential features, we must recogniz e that Cannabis has two main types of mental pathology. In type one, confusion dominates the picture, but the patient does not have actual delusions . He theorizes endlessly and his thoughts are disconnected, but still not totally incoherent. His intellectual faculties are wea , but have not yet yield ed to illusions. He has a fear of losing control, a fear of insanity, but does not have the actual insanity that prevails in type two. The first type of mental pathology is definitely a more agonized and tormented s tate than the second type because the patient is conscious of the deterioration of his mind. His mind is confused, disorganized and diffused, and out of this condition emerges an overwhelming anxiety about sanity; the patient actually feels that insanity is imminent. Despite all of the above, this type of pathology is still infinitely better than type two, which appears mostly in acute conditions, such as fever or acute mental derangement, and in chronic states, including chronic cases of mental di sturbance and disease. The mind is completely bro en down - in total confusion and out of touch with reality - and delusions of different types and in varying degrees prevail.
Delusions Cannabis can be called the remedy for delusions. There is no other remedy that h as produced and cured such a great variety of delusions, although I do believe that if other hallucinogenic drugs were properly proved, they too would elicit a similar number and diversity of delusions. With regard to Cannabis, we can say that there is virtually no delusion that cannot be experie nced in a case caused by this drug or demanding this remedy.* Let us loo at the impressive array of delusions that are listed in the provings, many of them elicited by substantial doses of the drug: The prover often has experiences of unreality: seems to be in a dream, as if thi ngs were not real; familiar objects appear strange and unreal, also people, even his own family; his voice sounds strange, as if not his own, alien
and unreal, as if it is someone else who spo e; sometimes does not now where he is; thin s he is someone else; doubts his own existence, is preoc cupied with the idea that he doesn't now if he himself exists, if human beings even exist at all, and for what purpose he exists. Cannabis creates a variety of illusions that affect the senses, hallucinations o f great diversity, which often change rapidly and are sometimes synaesthetic: hears the noise of colours; swims in an ocean of sounds; feels a cloud of music and perfume around himself; sees stars in his plate and the firmament in his soup dish; his vomit loo s to him li e the head of a hippo potamus, then li e a bunch of worms; sees a silent army marching by, which is identified as the army of ages going by into eternity; has hallucinati ons of riding on horsebac , of seeing blue water; thin s he is swimming or that he is captain of a vessel; water seems to be delicious nectar, to the t aste as well as to sight, gleaming with spiritual fire. He has sublime visions of beautiful landscapes, of magnificent architecture, visions that equa l paradise.
He hears voices, someone calling him, hears himself shouting and singing even wh en he doesn't do so in reality. His voice seems so loud that it reverberates from every recess of the building li e thunder. He hears noise fro m a waterfall, which turns into the sounds of shouts of men shouting and the rumbling of vehicles, and then into the booming of a cannon. Wind sighi ng in the chimney transforms into the steady hum of a vast wheel in accelerating motion and then into the reverberating peal of a grand organ. He h ears music, music of the spheres, the most sublime melodies and harmonies. Not only the sublime, but often, at the same time, also the absurd, grotesque an d ludicrous elements are strong in the delusions, sometimes ma ing the patient burst out in fits of laughter. Some examples of delusions with these co mponents are: the illusion that he is a pump, through which a stream of hot water is pouring out and threatening his friend with a wetting; his head seems to be an inverted pendulum that has to be ept down because it is attracted to the ceiling. Everything he sees is perceived as ridiculous; all the objects around him assume such a whimsical expression and become in themselves so comical and absurd that he is provo ed into a long fit of laughte r. The patient has delusions of greatness, often manifesting as mania of grandeur. He imagines that he possesses all the wealth in the world and with a benevolence equal to his wealth, showers riches on all those who are needy arou nd him. His powers are superhuman, his nowledge encompasses the universe, his range of vision is infinite; he believes there is creative power in his word, and that he has only to spea and it will be done. He thin s he is Christ come to restore the world to peace. He is an emperor or the commander of an army. Often this is accompanied by an impressive eloquence (sometimes considered brilliant only by the patient himself), and the ability o f many Cannabis persons to argue eloquently in the midst of confusion is really astounding. Delusions relating to the size of the body, the expansion of space, and the ampl ification of time to infinity appear very frequently and will be dealt with in detail in a separate section. He has hallucinations or delusions of being transported in space, in most cases into a huge and sublime environment, e.g. he believes he is transported into heaven; he thin s he is in eternity; he thin s he is being conveyed from a plain to a mountain, then to a steep ascent, then to a na ed roc and eventually to the ridge of a mounta in with a tremendous abyss before him. He has the sensation the he is flying from an enormous roc into a fearful and dar
abyss. He believes he has
journeyed to another world whose objects he cannot recognize and whose paths he does not now. It seems to him that he is wal ing in a vast arena, encircled by tremendous walls. The delusions are often delightful, but they can change into horrifying experien ces. Not only can he feel as if he has been transported to heaven, but also to hell, where, for example, he sees devils thrusting a pitchfor of white -hot iron into his side and hurling him into a fiery cradle. He feels as if he were nothing, sits there awaiting extinction. He is firmly convinced that he is about to die and will presently be dissected, so much so that he says good-bye to the people around him. He can also feel that he has already died. The walls of the room seem to glide together; th e ceiling comes down; the floor ascends. Finally, he feels that he is being crushed and that all of his senses are being blotted out in the ensuing d ar ness. In one proving a crisis of some catastrophe by water appeared at the end of every vision, with the regularly recurring feeling of drowning or being in imminent peril of doing so. Suspicious imaginings, resembling paranoid states, are also frequent: he thin s some men have been bribed to ill him; the sound of people whispering in
a room ma es him thin
that they are plotting something.
Sometimes sensations of immobility and stony hardness come over the patient. He suddenly feels as if he were a marble statue, cold all over and, unable to move. His brain seems to have been changed into marble, as have his eyes. Mo re frequent, however, is the sense of levitation. He thin s he is weightless, that his body is transparent and the light can shine through it, th at he can loo inside his body. He has the sensation that the body or some part of it is elevated in the air and that he is starting to float or fly; that he can fly li e a bird. He loses the sense of existence of his own body; he feels as if he were suspended in the air; he believes he is transf ormed into a cylinder or a sphere. He has the sensation of leaving the body, often accompanied by a 'double consciousness'. It is as if the soul is se parate from the body and loo ing down upon it, as if the body is too small for the soul and has to be expanded to suitable proportions, or as if he is split in two from head to foot and has become two people. The out-of-body experiences of Cannabis may be pleasant, especially in the begin ning stages of the condition (the notion of 'beginning stages' used here and later on should not be confused with the two types of mental pathology mentioned earlier; it refers to the development of the condition and the drug's stages of action rather than the fundamental types of mental patholo gy). The drug produces a state of euphoria, often along with the sublime visions mentioned above and is accompanied by great delight and mirth. A strange feeling of ecstasy may pervade the body and senses, a thrill of delight flows through the limbs, and the limbs may even tremble from it. The se sensual and mental distortions and the experiences of diffusion and lightness reflect a deeper dissociation ta ing place between the ethereal and t he physical body. A dream-li e state results. The person becomes conscious of another level of existence, perhaps a in to what has been termed t he ethereal level or astral level. This disconnected state, however, must be understood for what it is; the beginning of psychosis. The ecstatic state that Cannabis can produce is the reason that a whole generati on of hashish users were misled into believing that 'grass' or 'dope' could provide them with a new dimension of understanding, more openness of the mind, an expanded awareness, and more spirituality. However, what it really created was a 'spaced-out' condition of the mind that could no longer discern the real from the unreal. The drug seems to promise its users that it would open them up to more freedom, but in reality it imprisons them in their own subconscious minds. It seemed to promise to speed up the evolution of the mind, but it actually bro e the mind down and left it prey to
its subconscious fears and incidental impressions from the environment, all mixed up in a confusing manner. Even many years after an individual has sto pped ta ing the drug, it is still evident to us homeopaths how deeply this 'wonderful' drug continues to affect their health. I remember a dramatic case that I encountered in Gstaad, Switzerland. An Italian camera man had thrown a party during which he and his friends consumed huge doses of cannabis and, in addition, engaged in a lot of sexual in tercourse, in an uninhibited orgy. The next day he came out of the orgy a total wrec . His eyes could not focus on the camera. His mind was totall y confused. He could not retain his urine, which was dribbling all the time. He had lost his willpower and sexual energy. He felt unbelievably wea ; i n short, he had become a zombie. The moment he tried to loo through his camera he would become dizzy and was absolutely incapable of continuing. He lost his job. I saw him one year after this incident, and all these symptoms were still present. It is interesting that the remedy prescribed was n ot Cannabis but Phosphoricum acidum, proving once again that the organism does not always produce the symptomatology of the intoxicating substan ce but can ta e on other symptoms and remedy states.
The consequences of hashish abuse are, of course, not always so dramatic, but a constitutional wea ness which renders the organism vulnerable to the action of the drug or to the parta ing of too large a dose, possibly combined w ith other influences, can actually lead to a disturbance as severe as in the above case. This is especially true for chronic conditions, such as those d escribed in the following section.
Fear of insanity and losing control In the early stages of development of the Cannabis state, in addition to the out -of-body or ethereal experiences, more localized and dissociated symptoms can be observed. Sensations as if any or all of the limbs are floating or rising upwards are common. They lie on their bed, and suddenly an arm or a leg seems to 'float' up into the air. The extremity feels as if it pos sesses no finger, no bone; it is not really 'here', not solid. Beat Spring reports that one of his Cannabis patients had to grab onto to her chair in such states, because she felt she might otherwise fly away. Such sensations are often experienced in a decidedly unpleasant way and can eventually become q uite frightening. They are the reason for the development of a great fear of insanity and also of death. This fear of insanity is listed prominently for Cannabis, but seldom is it descr ibed by a patient in these terms. It is more readily called a fear of losing control. The levitation and floating sensations ma e the patients feel that the ir whole being is becoming diffused and that they are losing control over themselves. As stated above, this terrifying state is the origin of the overwhe lming fear of insanity, which is experienced as the fear of losing control.
The patients are reluctant to reveal their intense fear. They often won't admit that they even experience 'floating' sensations and may often be afraid that the physician will refer to them using the word 'insanity'. There is a mar ed desire for control, emerging from their feeling of diffusion; they employ all their strength to hold themselves together, which is very difficult and requires constant effort. They may feel that they should control everything. For example, if you give them a lift in your car they might feel th e urge to tell you how to drive: "Please stop, please go on, don't drive so fast," etc.
One doesn't see the same anxiety and panic in the Pulsatilla fear of insanity; i t is altogether different from that of Cannabis. Puls. patients will say amidst much weeping, "I'm going crazy,"; they cry interminably. Cannabis patien ts don't ma e such an emotional display; instead they exhibit a great intensity behind which resides tremendous anxiety. Their questions are as ed wi th great intensity: "Am I crazy? What remedy will you give me? Will it be the right one?" This fear of insanity, in the form of fear of losing control, is so overwhelming and disturbing that the person feels as if they're living permanently in hell (instead of the paradise which the drug seems to promise). Other symptoms, such as indifference, confusion of the mind, endless theorising, confusion with regard to time, and so on are nothing in comparison to the turmo il that is brought about by the fear of insanity. We have been treating cases of hashish abuse dating bac ten or fifteen years, who are still sufferin g from the consequences.
An overwhelming general anxiety about health is often connected with this fear o f insanity, but it also won't be admitted. Further on, we shall see the ways in which this anxiety is usually displayed by patients. Various other fears can also be present, along with the fear of insanity, especi ally a horror of dar ness. The student homeopath must be aware, however, that the more prominent the fear of insanity the less intense the othe r fears. Other examples noted in the provings are: fear of fainting; 'dread of congestion, apoplexy, haemorrhage and a multiplicity of deaths'; wa e s before midnight overcome with the dreadful sensation of cho ing (compare Lachesis); fear that he will have a fit; fear of spectres, of anyone a pproaching, of bright objects and water (hydrophobia), of drowning.
Dilation of time, space and body A very characteristic feature of the Cannabis state is the experience of a disto rted and confused sense of time. Time is expanded in this state; it is almost as if time has stopped altogether. 'Time passes too slowly' is the way t he repertory expresses this peculiar trait, with Cannabis in the highest degree. This dilation of time may assume very impressive, even tremendous propo rtions: five minutes may have passed, yet it seems to the individual as if hours, days, years, or ages have elapsed. As is stated in the provings: 'A s eeming extraordinary slowness of time, which struc the observers in so singular a manner, and made them so impatient of delay that they were continual ly recurring to their watches and observing, with a ind of awe, how minutes were transformed into epochs.' This sense of expansion is most mar ed in time, but it also applies to space. 'E xtreme exaggerations of the duration of time and extent of space - a few seconds seem ages - the utterance of a word seems as long as a drama, and a few rods are a distance which can never be passed.' [1 rod = 5 metres] A wal in the street seems to be an infinite journey. The room seems to expand, with ceiling and walls running upward with a gliding motion, as if vivified by a sudden force of irresistible growth. External objects loo enlarged and vivid. When these impressions become even more intense and dramatic, the delusion comes on that he has been transported through space, transferred to another world, and so on. Then the drug may ma e its user exist alternately in different places and various states of being: now he is a gondolier in Venice, now the Alps are towering before him; this prover called hashish the 'drug of travel.' These exaggerations of time and spa
ce can ta e on a sublime and solemn character- it may seem as if 'the soul's own time' has been revealed by such experiences - but they can also be t errifying and frightening. In fact, the theme of 'expansion' reflects much of this Cannabis state in genera l but it also refers to the body of the patient. The whole body or parts of it seem to swell, to expand, sometimes to infinite dimensions: he feels that he covers the whole earth. The head seems to swell to giant dimensions; the lower lip feels as if it were so thic that it reaches the nose ; the eyelashes seem to be prolonged; all the limbs feel enlarged, or just the hands assume a monstrous size; one leg seems to extend in length so that he has to hop on it, or one side of the body seems so enlarged that he feels he must bend over to the other side if it continues to grow; finger-nails may assume the size and form of plates... these sensations of 'inflation' and greatness are often accompanied by the levitation and out-of-the-body exper iences described above. All expansion illusions and delusions can be experienced as passing fancies together with the fear of insanity (type one), o r they may be constant delusions in a real psychotic case where the
agonising fear of insanity is no longer felt (type two). Their extent, duration , and intensity is thus a matter of the degree of mental disturbance. If the sensations and delusions experienced are joyous and pleasant, spells of n ervous laughter can come on. This is in eeping with the propensity to the absurd, grotesque, and ludicrous experienced in the provings: laughs immode rately at serious remar s; laughs indiscriminately at everything said to him, or at the merest trifle, or without any apparent reason. There may be spasmodic fits of absolutely uncontrollable laughter, till the face becomes purple and the bac and loins ache. Mirthful jesting about himself and others is observed, as are foolish behaviour li e shouting, leaping in the air, clasping hands for joy. There may be, however, a part inside the consc iousness that tries to control this behaviour and to prevent the individual from 'doing something foolish'. The mirthful behaviour may alternate with depressive states and weeping without cause. Sighing, moaning, laughing and weeping may occur in turn. In the states of depression and fear, a feeling of isolation from all those around the m can come on, a great sense of loneliness (even while in the midst of all their friends), a sensation of being forsa en (compare Pulsatilla). The int ensity of the states of fear may also be expressed by a restless and nervous sensation and behaviour and by moaning, a symptom under which Cannabis is listed in the third degree. The symptoms of the type two mental pathology, especially the delusions but also the capricious mood, have led to the use of Cannabis in some delirious states: delirium tremens with hallucinations, with trembling and, especially, w ith misapprehension of time and space. Sometimes erotic delirium. Puerperal mania has also been given as an indication of the remedy. While most of the delirium states are of a rather passive character, occasionally raging and destructive delirium has been observed.
Dual consciousness It is interesting to see in this remedy's provings that the symptomatology that develops in each case is quite different, according to the disposition of the individual who too the remedy. The state that develops corresponds especially to the subconscious loading of the person. If the subconscious of the individual is full of fears, the prominent symptomatology that emerges is centr ed on fear, but if guilt dominates the subconscious, the symptomatology ta es another form, for instance that of dual consciousness (compare the delusi
ons of this ind described above). As Boeric e describes the state: 'Subconscious or dual nature state. Apparently under the control of the second self, but the original self prevents the performance of acts which are under the domination of the second self. Apparent ly the two natures cannot act independently, one acting as a chec upon the other.' This ind of duality can exist in various manifestations: seems to have two exis tences, or to be conscious of two states, or to exist in two spheres. In the provings we find symptoms such as: 'Had a feeling of duality. One of his minds would be thin ing of something,while the other would laugh about it.' Or: 'My will or spiritual existence was separate from my bodily existence, and spurring it onward, pushing it forward and using it as much as an artificer uses a tool.' Or: 'One part of me awo e, while the other continued in perfect hallucination. The awa ened portion felt the necessity of eeping in side streets on my way home, lest some untimely burst of ecstasy sho uld startle more frequented thoroughfares.'
This is similar to a schizophrenic state, which is the consequence of such a dis sociation between the physical and etheric bodies. In the schizophrenic, the vital or etheric body is not able to fully integrate with the physical body , and consequently, the consciousness wanders uncontrollably about the astral plane, a realm of mental projections. Of course, at times an awareness o f this level of being can lead to valid insights; thus, one can actually detect clairvoyance and prophetic dreams in the Cannabis patient. Vivid, ecstat ic dreams occur, but also very impressive nightmares. This dissociation may also be responsible for a dream state the Cannabis patient may experience in which he feels as if he is falling into a dar abyss, into empty space. We might explain it li e this: As the etheric body re-enters the physical, this falling sensation occurs and is concluded by a sudden shoc as the two bodies coalesce. An expression of this idea is seen in some pr oving symptoms: 'On regaining consciousness, violent shoc s pass through his brain.' Or: 'I was troubled by a crisping sensation in the brain, j ust when I fell asleep or awo e from sleep.' It may even be a noise li e a crash or explosion and the sensation may pass through the whole body. The student of homeopathy, on confronting these conditions, should try to unders tand and evaluate them correctly. What may loo li e a schizophrenic state may be but a passing dissociation of the physical with the etheric bodies . It is in the nature of this remedy to produce such symptoms and states easily, but they are often temporary and self-correcting, though they might be repeated in another situation. There is also the possibility, of course, that such states remain permanent, in which case we have a serious mental condi tion.
Excessive theorising A general characteristic of this remedy, in all its stages, is the tendency of t he patient to go in for theoretical discussions and explanations. The mind produces thoughts and ideas with great speed and the patient seems to have no c ontrol over the process. Having abundant ideas and theorising are ey-notes of this remedy. To illustrate this characteristic feature: you meet an individual who loo s perf ectly normal and sane, who can hold a job in the ban ; yet the moment a discussion touches upon a philosophical issue, the man produces so many argumen ts and with such speed that you cannot really follow his thin ing. The same thing happens to him if his emotions are touched when flirting with a woma
n. He starts with all inds of theoretical arguments, of course with the aim of impressing her, but then constantly brings new ideas into the discus sion, so that the woman is soon confused as to the purpose or meaning of the discussion. This 'discussion' or theorising is continuous and even thoug h he nows that he is tal ing inappropriately or even tal ing nonsense, he cannot help nor stop it. This is the ind of mental behaviour that justifies the repertorial description of Cannabis indica as 'theorising'. It is a restless activity of the mind that cannot be controlled. The mind wor s so fast that speech cannot follow it. As K ent remar s 'Wonderful theories constantly form in the mind', one idea arising after the other. They drive him on but these ideas also crowd upon each other and bring on confusion. Often they have an improbable, unbelievable character to them, being far from rational reasoning. He passes ba c and forth from the rational to the irrational in rapid succession. As Kent puts it: 'Any effort to reason is interrupted by flights of wild imaginati on and theory.' These persons engage in discussions, drifting from one
subject to another, continually spinning new theories as they go. Or else there are persistent thoughts, fixed ideas that the patient simply cannot let go. The ideas of Cannabis cases are wea , not clear or strong enough to be followed or executed. Great plans are made, but the patients lac the strength of mind and mental discipline to organize their concepts and to act upon them. They never leave the realm of discussion. When a Cannabis patient is before you, you may be momentarily impressed by the wonderful ideas he expresse s, the velocity of his thin ing and his theorising, but you soon realise that there is something wrong with the patient, as he has no limits and stops at nothing. Excessive loquacity, as if he is constantly being urged on by his mind, is the c onsequence (it has also been called 'logorrhoea' in literature). It is a loquacity that is quite different from that of Lachesis. A Lach. patient tal s to you with great passion about things or situations that touch upon his or her emotions. Lach. is all about passion and jealousy. It is about human emotio ns and how these people relate to others. In contrast, Cannabis cases tal theory; these patients tal about abstract ideas rather than personal emot ions; it is the mind that is stimulated, not the emotions or the erotic or sexual passions. To summarize their condition in a word: they are mentalised. When this happens, the mind becomes hazy, vague, scattered. These people become inefficient in their tas s. They cannot focus on reality for any length of time, cannot control the mind enough to reason rationally on any subject. Ty pically, these people drift from one job to another due to dissatisfaction. They leave a job simply because they have lost interest; they prefer to do something else. They do not feel any bitterness about this. Indeed, they are, in general, mild, sweet people and are very easy-going. In many cases the fact that Cannabis speeds up the mind stimulates it, but in ot her cases this brea s it down. Where the mental faculties of young people are not very strong, they sometimes cannot support such speed and the mind brea s down with devastating experiences. This is the point where the tremendous fear of losing control and of insanity develops in its chronic state , as described above.
Dullness of mind and wea ness of memory Just as the mind can be speeded up, so can it be slowed down and develop a wea n ess of memory. Examples of this are: forgets what he just said in
conversation; answers questions incoherently and immediately forgets what they were about and what he has answered; forgets proper names; has a constant succession of new ideas, but almost instantly forgets each of them; fo rgets what he has just read, what he has just written. Often, we observe that the patient forgets what he is about to do. In one of Berridge's c ases we find the description: 'Memory bad; forgets when spea ing what she is going to say; forgets what she has to do if she does not ma e a not e of it.' Especially in spea ing or writing, there is this tendency to forget what one intended to spea or write, which not only leads to incoherent speech, but also to the strange symptom that patients are unable to finish a sentence. From this proving symptom Nash derived a successful prescription in the case of a woman with dropsy resulting from valvular heart disease, who, after being relieved of the bloating, suddenly became unable to spea . To quote Nash: 'In answer to a question she could begin a sentence, but could not
finish it, because she could not remember what she intended to say. She was ver y impatient about it and would cry, but could not finish the sentence, but could signify her assent if it was finished by someone else for her.' Canna bis helped her rapidly recover the power to express herself. Another description of the serious deterioration of memory is: 'Absolute forgetf ulness of the thought, or speech, or act of the previous moment. I would, for example, be startled by hearing, as it were, the echo of the last words of a sentence I had spo en without nowing what it was about...'. According to Clar e, spea ing may also be 'embarrassed': 'At one time the words are wanting, at another the voice fails.' Similar problems may come on while reading: 'Could not read, partly on account of dreamy spells, and part ly because he had not full power of vision' (Hering). Concentration may become difficult; the patient cannot focus his thoughts. An ex cessive sensitivity to noises may be present; he can even hear a whisper in an adjoining room and be irritated thereby. These people become unable to fo llow what is said to them for long; they are confused as if in a dream; they ma e mista es in writing, such as repeating or omitting words. Thei r thoughts suddenly begin to wander, especially when performing mental activities such as reading or writing. A disinclination to mental wor revails.
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States of absent-mindedness and dreaminess frequently occur: 'is absorbed in his own thoughts and fantasies, wants to remain perfectly quiet, without spea ing, even without moving'. In this state there is also a mar ed ta citurn tendency, exactly the opposite of the logorrhoea described above. Eventually it is also possible that the thoughts seem to stand still.* I s able to remember one thing or another, but the ideas remain stationary, as if standing still, while loo ing for a long time at the object he was going to wor upon.* The powers of reflection and imagination seem lost.* The patient is spiritless, apathetic and indifferent.
Overwhelming anxiety about health The Cannabis patients that belong to type one, those who have not totally lost c ontact with reality, eventually develop a tremendous anxiety about health. It is not related as such, and the patients may not even recognise that they are suffering with from such an anxiety. In fact, they tell the practitioner that they have no anxiety whatsoever about their health. However, the manner in which they present their symptoms and tal to the
physician readily convey the impression of substantial anxiety. I recall a Nitricum acidum case that vividly illustrates the anxiety about healt h that these two remedies have in common. A man wrote to me from France complaining of lumbago. He had seen a chiropractor whose adjustments had only w orsened the pain. He had seen many doctors and subsequently a homeopath whose prescriptions had had no effect. The man was bedridden and coul d not wor . The letter he sent to me consisted of twelve pages twelve pages! - I read and read, noting one symptom after another. He wrote tha t he was surely going to die or retire to a monastery, that his life was no longer worthwhile. It became apparent from reading his letter that he was su ffering from a profound anxiety about health - the only symptom he failed to mention! I sent him a dose of Nitricum acidum 10M, and he made a full recovery within a wee . Similar states can be seen in Cannabis. In Cannabis patients, the mar ed desire for control described in the section on 'fear of insanity' utilizes a great deal of effort. With any little stress, they feel that they are brea ing down; they feel exhausted and ta e to their be d. When they visit the homeopath, they complain of a vast number of
symptoms - exhaustion, constipation, headaches, pains, etc. The litany of sympt oms and sufferings can be fantastic. If they have not read a materia medica, the list of complaints is lengthy and difficult enough to deal with; bu t should they have studied homeopathy, the list will be exhaustive. They can produce twenty pages of symptoms - there is no symptom they do not have - a nd they will tell the physician to be certain to underline one symptom twice and another three times because it is very important, and so on. In addit ion, they admit to having whatever symptoms the physician suggests. If their symptoms alone are focused upon, the case will be hopelessly confusing; o ne blind alley after another will be followed. A frequent observation in Cannabis cases is that when on the telephone to their physician, they will, because of their anxiety, complain of their multiple problems in a panic y way and with great intensity. They call their physician f requently, even daily. Other remedies, such as Agaricus, Arsenicum, and Nitricum acidum manifest similar behaviour. Cannabis patients eep the physicia n on the telephone for a long time complaining; their anxiety cannot be explained away easily despite the physician's strenuous efforts to do so. They demand explanations, but are not readily reassured. Phosphorus patients, on the other hand, also frequently telephone their physician with anx iety about health, but they can be easily reassured within a few minutes and their concern evaporates. Cannabis patients may chec up on their doctor by visiting another physician to see if he gives them the same answers as the first; a behaviour that exhibits also the suspicious element of the remedy. (Cannabis is in the third d egree in this rubric.) The desire for control is also seen in their inquiries about the treatment plan. They continuously as , "What are you giving me?" and want to now far in advance what is going to happen in the course of the treatment. The theoretical mentalisation of Cannabis is also strong with regard to the anxi ety about health. They abound with theories and have a strong urge to explain things (themselves, their condition, the conditions of others, of the s ociety, of the planet, etc.) in detail. The doctor must listen to the patient so as to ensure that they feel satisfied with having said all they have to say. Quite often, though, they may send or telephone in an extra two pages of symptoms that they forgot to relay; this pattern is quite typical. Another important feature should also trigger thin ing of Cannabis: they always feel that their remedy has been antidoted. They provide several reasons, many theories, as to why they have antidoted their remedy. This characteristic is another manifestation of the panic that aggravates any crisis they
have; their symptoms are magnified several times over by this panic. For exampl e, a patient may feel a little dizzy, but the panic magnifies the complaint to the degree that he feels that his head is floating or that his arm s are dissociated from his body (floating away). These panic states are terrible.
Evasion This characteristic can be seen in Cannabis patients and reminds one of Thuja. I t might present itself as follows: you wish to confirm a symptom, let's say, by as ing, "Are you really thirsty?" and the initial reply may be "Yes". Y ou inquire again "Very thirsty?" - "Yes," is the answer. Then you say that you are going to base your prescription on this thirst. The moment you ma e suc h a statement, the patient becomes anxious that you will ma e a
mista e by using that symptom, and he develops a theory to discredit it. "But y esterday I too a lot of salt, and the day before I ate sardines. Perhaps my thirst is only a result of that!" "But aren't you thirsty all the time?" you as . "Yes. Yes, but it is only so strong recently; that is why I stressed it. I don't now. Do I really have thirst?" Should you then choose another symptom, t he same hedging will occur. The extent of the explanations can be truly fantastic. Of course, there are other patients, who are not Cannabis, who also try to explain their symptoms away. In Cannabis' case the important thing to remember is the intensity with which the symptoms are given, the underlying anxiety about health, and the exaggerated degree to which they attempt to sabotage symptom validity by providing discrediting th eories. In addition, in follow-up visits they find it difficult to report whether or not they are better, which is partly due to the confusion that prevails in their minds. Consequently, the evaluating physician must be very circumspect in analy zing the patient's response. An interesting case might help to illustrate the way that the Cannabis anxiety a bout health manifests. There was a patient at our clinic who over a period of time had been treated with no success. Though he had been given Arsenicum an d Nitricum acidum, etc. without effect, he continued to come bac for treatment because he had studied some homeopathy and felt there was somethi ng to it. As he helped us with our public relations, in the course of this wor he would come to discuss matters with me. He could tal and tal to t he point where I would grow tired of the discussions. Between his discourses he would, of course, bring up the subject of his health and could be quite nagging about his health care. In his primary job he also was nown to tal and tal and speculate considerably. All the while, several doctors at the clinic were trying to treat him. He would go from one doctor to another complaining, "He did not pay the right attention to my case." I would be given the case reports and would prescribe on the basis of the symptomatology without result. Finally I saw the disconnection in his thin ing and the anxiety about his health. At that point I thought, 'Oh, my God, this is a case of Cannabis indica.' I as ed him if he had ever used cannabis as a drug. After several denials he admitted that he had ta en it once. Perhaps his symptomatology wasn't connected to this drug experience, or perhaps he had a special predisposition to the drug, being severely affected by one single exposure, or maybe he had lied to me and had ta en it more often; at any rate, his mind was running out of control.
Emotional diffusion and yielding The emotions of Cannabis patients can suffer from the same tendencies as the men tal state: both can be scattered and diffused. Actually the emotions are explained away, they are not experienced as real feelings but rather as sta tes of the mind states of mind. Often these patients recognise their 'wea point' in the emotional sphere and attempt, for that reason, to avoid emo tional entanglements. If they do get involved emotionally, they are prone to express themselves in silly, foolish ways. For example, a man goes out with a woman for the first time. As they tal he get s increasingly emotional and excited. He wants to say, "Would you li e to go to bed with me?" but cannot. Consequently he says irrelevant things. He wand ers from one subject to another. He starts to realise that he is flustered and confused and becomes afraid. In the midst of this emotional uphea val he suddenly loses control and hysterically grabs the woman while
saying, "I love you!" Subsequently, when he recalls the event, he may feel humi liated at the way he acted. The Cannabis state can be constituted by many loving feelings, but these are unc ontrolled. There is no power or discipline behind the love to permit it to manifest itself in action. The love exists in the imaginative realm; it seems m ore fanciful than real. These people can appear quite soft, much li e the 'flower children' of times past, and in most cases they are very nice to others . I have observed a trait in Cannabis users that is interesting (it is a strong im pression of mine though I am not sure if the observation is entirely correct): the individuals who have ta en this drug repeatedly seem to become softer, more gullible, easily persuaded, especially on spiritual matters. They easily follow gurus who are obviously false, but these persons find nothing wro ng with them and explain away any of the guru's strange behaviour. It seems as if the mind has become more receptive, more compassionate, in a word: more human. It has lost its selfish driving force and can become easily obedient, subdued - in general, a follower. If these people ma e a revol ution it is always with an avoidance of violence; they are followers of the ecological movements and whatever is mild and non-violent. It is not accide ntal that the generation of the sixties who smo ed a lot of hashish was called the 'flower children', that they sought out peace and a nice life full o f pleasures. They ought to have been called the 'grass children'. I therefore believe that paradoxically, Cannabis has done a great deal of good fo r the planet (as it tames the hardness inside us which is a defence mechanism), but has perpetrated a great deal of evil for the individuals that u sed it by wea ening their logical capacities, their faculties of judgment, and by diminishing their sanity. As their driving forces are diminished, these individuals are disinclined to wor , feeling incapable of performing their duties. Their pattern is to do a little wor , perhaps potter about the house, then to go and lie in bed for a wh ile, then to get up and do a little more, and so on. They are reluctant to go out, but, if coerced, they feel better in the open air.
Sexuality Cannabis also produces an excess of sexual passion (however, with all of the pro blems of 'realisation' mentioned above), but it can also have the opposite effect, creating indifference and even aversion. In the mentalised or
'type one' Cannabis patients we usually see a very strong desire for sex. In maintaining control it seems that their energy shifts and becomes conce ntrated in the sexual sphere. The desire is so strong that if they do not have a partner available at the time, they resort to masturbation. They are not particularly choosy about their partners; they just want quic satisfaction. Consequently, they are quite susceptible to gonorrhoea. Cannabis is one of the remedies that has been used in acute gonorrhoea, although its discharge which is yellow or yellowish-white and slimy, sometimes thic , sometimes watery*, is of no value in the prescription, because it is com mon in gonorrhoea. To prescribe Cannabis, the characteristic mental picture would have to be present. I thin that it will seldom be effective in a cute cases, but might be of greater use in complaints after contracting gonorrhoea. A frequent symptom in men is painful erections at night (Cantharis, Staphysagria ); in Cannabis these erections are of a mechanical type, without an
urge to masturbate or to perform coitus, a sort of erection without arousal.
Concluding remar s The two types of Cannabis state can overlap to varying degrees. For instance, th e first type of patient who is more 'mentalised' and controlling may experience quite joyful ethereal states, somewhat similar to states of heighten ed spiritual awareness. He may actually feel transported into another sphere, a little world of his own, surrounded by an ethereal flux that seems le ss dense than water but not as thin as air, which resists movement and passage and has to be overcome by willpower. This sort of sensation frequently occurs when the person is in a hypnagogic state, very close to falling asleep, and it is experienced in a pleasant way and readily tolerated. However, when this tendency becomes truly pathological, disturbing visions begin to occur. Unwanted clairvoyant visions occur as the person closes his eye s to sleep; they may even come on by day with the eyes open. Then states of excitement occur which precipitate nervous and immoderate laughter. S uch states are seen in deeply mentally ill adults and children. As these people increasingly lose touch with actuality, with reality, and everyt hing seems stri ingly unreal to them, they are drifting into the second type of mental pathology. A similar sense of unreality also appears in Alumina and M edorrhinum. It is also interesting to note the similarities in the mental state between Cannabis and Med. They share a disorientation of the time sense w ith time seeming to 'pass too slowly'. As alluded to earlier, the chronic Cannabis state may be induced by excessive us e of recreational drugs including, but not limited to, hashish and marijuana. There is also a special type of person with a history of Cannabis ab use who, after having indulged in much hashish, becomes extremely sensitive to it, to the point of being almost allergic. The least amount ta en will produce a state much li e a wa ing nightmare; they cannot touch it any more. In addition, these persons show chronic symptoms of Cannabis, great depre ssion and anguish coupled with the fear and anxiety dealt with above. Cannabis is a specific for such situations. In summary, in a Cannabis case one's attention should be primarily focused upon the mental level and the diffusion and confusion so characteristic of that level.
Generalities Sometimes Cannabis has induced spasms and convulsions, in a couple of cases of a clonic nature with violent muscular action, but mostly tonic spasms, even cataleptic states or flexibilitas cerea. It has been prescribed for epilep sy when all powers of body and mind were exalted before a fit. Excitement, especially from something ludicrous or mental exertion, may trigger or intensify spasms of different inds. Trembling is frequent; there can be: trembling motions of hands and feet, unplea sant shuddering through all the limbs, with a painful feeling of weight in occiput, and a tetanic intermittent contraction of the muscles at the nape o f the nec . There can be strange sensations of thrills or jer ing moving through the body; sudden and violent shoc s shoot through the entire frame, pie rcing the brain; shoc s, jer s, and quivering in different parts of the
body. There is insensibility or anaesthesia of the whole body, or of one side. The pat ient is paralysed, unable to move the affected parts. They seem petrified and have a sensation of marble-li e hardness, e.g. in the brain or eyes; with t ingling or pric ing in the affected parts, sometimes transforming into involuntary twitching. Cannabis is also indicated in certain early neurolo gical cases characterised by wea ness and numbness of the extremities, prior to the stage of true paralysis or precise clinical diagnosis Alternately, a peculiar sensation of airiness and lightness of movements has also been observed. A characteristic sensation is a cold feeling li e a tric ling, as if drops of co ld water were falling onto the s in or from a part or several parts of the body, especially on the head, on the heart region and in the region of the anus.* There is also a sensation as if hot water were repeatedly poured over the patient*, or else as if warm water were flowing up the bac . Dreamy attac s, returning periodically in the daytime. Every few moments he lose s himself, and then wa es up, as it were, to the others. He has sudden, transient attac s of unconsciousness, which may be triggered by impress ions li e candle-light or hearing music. He awa es before midnight in a state of semi-consciousness, is unable to move, has palpitations, slow, de ep and laboured breathing and a feeling as if he were dying. Fainting feelings may recur every day, or he may sometimes suddenly faint.* There are not only visual and auditory hallucinations, but also an increased sen sitivity to light and noise, sometimes amounting to states of clairvoyance and clairaudience. 'Visual clairvoyance' has frequently been experienced in the provings. Two descriptions: 'Apparent clairvoyance, that is, I saw or fancied I saw, articles in another room, but the sensation was of short duratio n.' 'At midnight precisely, awo e suddenly and fully; the room was dar , still the location of every article around him seemed perfectly plain; he could read the titles of boo s upon a table 12 or 15 feet [4 or 5 metres] off.' Or concerning clairaudience: 'His sense of hearing had become extremely a cute; he very distinctly heard what was said far off and in a low voice.' Such experiences may be quite disturbing. Characteristically, Cannabis patients are extremely thirsty, especially in acute situations. This, coupled with the fear of death, can lead to confusion with Arsenicum. However, there is one important differential point: Cannabis pa tients always want to rest and tell you they feel better from it, but from what I have observed, this is really an intellectualised symptom. Though t
hey have a great desire to lie down in the daytime, they arrive at the conclusion in their minds that they are better from lying down, and so this is what they do. Actually, if you force them to ta e a bris wal , especially in fresh air, they feel better. Mental symptoms (for example a feeli ng of anguish, which is accompanied by great oppression) are especially better in the open air. You must be careful, however, not to overexert them as over-exertion ma es all C annabis symptoms worse. The provings also give the symptoms: 'Thoroughly exhausted from a short wal '; and 'Great weariness after moderate m ovement'*, as, for example, climbing stairs. Thirst may be accompanied by a dread of drin ing. The individual may be unable t o swallow a single draught in spite of the intense thirst. The pulse is unusually slow, and it may be feeble, sometimes hardly perceptible, and irregularly intermittent, but this may alternate with a rapid pulse, bounding, fluttering, full, etc. Kent aptly calls it 'a nervous pulse.' Sometim es stentorian breathing is observed (Cheyne-Sto es).
Aside from the mind, the head and the urinary organs are the most affected. Some modalities: worse from urinating (pain in urinary passages), dar ness, over exertion, liquor, tobacco, tight clothing. Better from fresh air, deep breathing, washing with cold water, rest, coffee (ve rtigo and headaches). Lying down may ameliorate or aggravate, as well as moderate exertion. With regard to time, aggravation in the morning and morning are most frequently observed.
Vertigo Chronic vertigo as if floating off, as if elevated. Vertigo on rising, with a stunning pain in the bac part of the head and he fall s. Giddiness when wal ing, with a sensation of falling or actually falling forward, at the same time feeling as if losing his senses.* Violent vertigo; Clar e reports a case where the patient felt as if the house we re falling in ruins about her and Cannabis removed it. The peculiar sensation of giddiness produced by this remedy is increased by wal ing about, and subsides during rest. Strong coffee may also relieve it.
Head A peculiar symptom is an opening and shutting sensation of the s ull. It seems t o expand as if parting at the sutures, with a feeling that cold air blows into the brain, and then collapse again with a shuffling sound. Or there is a s ensation as if the brain were boiling over and lifting the cranial arch li e the lid of a tea- ettle. Headache with an opening and shutting sensation in the right temple and vertex; begins on wa ing and lasts all day, off and on; worse from noise; the head feels as if it would fall in any direction. There is a violent congestion in the head with a feeling as if the blood was wer e boiling. Fullness in the forehead as if it would burst. Or: congestion in the head with agreeable warmth in the brain, but pressive pain in the temples.* Heat of the head with coldness of the extremities.
Tension first in the occiput, then also in the sinciput, lastly in the temples.* Strange feelings in the head: violent shoc s through the brain on regaining cons ciousness; noise li e a crash or explosion during sleep; crisping or crac ling sensation, especially on falling asleep and wa ing; pendulum-li e osc illations. Feeling of something surging up from the posterior part of the head toward the forehead. Jer ing in the right side of the forehead and tow ards the interior and bac part of the head. Great constriction in the head, as if from an iron s ull-cap. The sinciput is compressed from the borders of the orbits to the temples; not re lieved by stooping.*
Dull, heavy, throbbing pain through the head, with the sensation of a heavy blow on the bac of the head and nec . Throbbing of the occiput. Throbbing, aching pain in the forehead. Heavy weight at the bac of the head. It may be experienced as a crushing weight on the cerebellum, nec and shoulders, with a thumping in the head, ma ing him unable to rise from a stooping position. (This was observed du ring a sha ing chill.) The heavy feeling at the occiput can also be accompanied by pains shooting from it up the sides of head to the temples and v ertex, the pain being so intense that it ma es the patient cry. Heavy insurmountable pressure on the brain, forcing him to stoop. Pain in the entire right side of the head. Cannabis has helped hemicrania states , e.g. with the opening and shutting sensation of the s ull or when the attac was preceded by unusual excitement with loquacity. Dull drawing pain in the forehead, especially over the eyes. Pressive headache with excessive sensitivity to light.* Violent headache with hallucinations. Headache with flatulence, continuing until he can pass wind upward or downward; with throbbing in the occiput. Coffee may almost instantly relieve headaches. A frequent involuntary sha ing of the head is a characteristic symptom. Head feels as if floating in the air; as if separated from the body. The scalp is sore to the touch, and it may be felt may feel tightly stretched ov er the s ull, 'as a bladder is stretched over a jar'. Crawling in the scalp on top of the head. On a small spot of the os parietalis (later also on other parts of the head) a c old feeling as if a drop of cold water had fallen upon it.*
Eyes Eyes become red and small. Blood vessels of the conjunctivae are often seen. Fixed gaze; eyes brilliant, very bright and shiny; sometimes also stri ingly dul l. Feeling of distension in the eyeballs, as if starting out of the head; they ache when he tries to read. Pupils dilate and contract alternately in the same light.*
Sensation of spasmodic drawing in the eyes.* Outward pressure at the bac of the eyes.* Jer ing in the external canthus and lid. Inflammation of the caruncula lachrymalis of both eyes. Wea feeling of the eyes and poor vision*; objects seem indistinct and, dim, haz y sight. After loo ing for a long time, he cannot see well; he sees mist
before his eyes. While reading, the letters run together. Vision is confused. H e experiences transient blindness, with the exception of a small point on which he is fixing his gaze (experienced during a sha ing chill). Photopsia. Twin ling, trembling, and glimmering before the eyes. Distortions of sight, objects enlarged or more distant; visual hallucinations; s ensitivity to light; visual clairvoyance.
Ears Throbbing and fullness in both ears. Boring pain immediately above and in the bac of the right ear. Stuffed feeling in the right ear. Noises in the ears: buzzing; ringing; li e boiling water. Periodical singing dur ing dreamy spells, or during dozing while lying down; always ceasing when he came to himself or gets up, but are renewed with the next dreamy spell. All sounds, especially voices (including his own), seem far off, as if obscured by a veil or gauze; even his own voice seems distant. Great sensitivity to noise, easily irritated by it; acoustic hallucinations; cla iraudience.
Nose Dryness in the nose, objectively as well as subjectively; with heat inside.* Fullness and aching at the root of the nose. Coryza after eating.
Face Expression wearied weary, exhausted, dejected, careworn, drowsy and stupid, anxi ous and pale. Face pale, as in fainting, ameliorated by fresh air. But also: heat only of the face*. Slight palpitation at on many parts of the face, especially in the muscles of th
e left chee .* S in of the face, especially the forehead and chin, feels as if it were drawn ti ght. Sensation as though the muscles of the face were drawn tightly about jaw. Lower jaw very stiff and immovable before falling asleep. Tetanic spasms about the jaws. Or: the lower lip hangs down when asleep.
Lips are glued together; very dry. Trembling of the lips.
Mouth and throat Mouth, throat, and lips are extremely dry, parched, with intense thirst for cold water, or else without any thirst. The saliva is white, thic , frothy and stic y. Every article of food is extremely palatable; simple bread is declared to be del icious and is eaten in huge quantities. Nasty taste in the mouth in the morning on upon wa ing, which disappears after c leaning the teeth, but returns after meals.* Gritting and grinding the teeth while sleeping. Also when awa e, it seems to him as if he must forcibly compress the jaws. Toothache tends to move downwards. Sensation of a plug rising in the throat, causing him to cho e. Pressure in the tonsils.
Voice, respiration, chest and heart Cannot control voice; spea s uncontrollably loudly and then corrects himself, or in a low tone with a thic voice, or the pitch of the voice is much higher than usual. Sudden failiure of voice. Stammering and stuttering. Burning in the throat on inspiring air. It requires great effort to ta e a deep inspiration. Oppression of the breath with palpitation; with anxiety in the throat.* Asthma with dyspnoea and extreme agitation; suffocating spells; can only breathe when sitting or standing up, especially when standing at an open window and leaning forward.* Oppression of the chest, with deep, laboured breathing; he feels as if he is suf focating, and wants to be fanned. Oppression with great anguish, better in the open air. Oppression especially upon wa ing at night, before midn ight; dread of cho ing with the feeling as if dying, or slow, deep, laboured, intermittent breathing. Pressing pain in the heart, with dyspnoea the
entire night. Stitches in the heart, accompanied by great oppression; the latter relieved by d eep breathing. Rough cough, scratching the breast immediately under the sternum. Sharp, cutting pain behind the sternum, aggravated by swallowing. Stitches extending from both nipples to the whole chest.
Palpitation, wa ing him from sleep. Stitches in the heart when lying on the left side. Sensation as if drops were falling from the heart.*
Stomach In most cases the appetite is increased, often to an enormous degree. 'Ravenous hunger, which is not decreased by eating enormously; ceases eating only from fear of injuring himself.' Sweets are especially desired; everything seems to taste delicious, and also seems to be well digested. Bulimia is also mentioned in the provings. Sometimes, however, there may be a poor appetit e, with a disli e of meat of which the patient used to be fond.* Extreme thirst is frequent, but it may be combined with a dread of liquids (li e hydrophobia). Thirst also at night in bed, all night, or on wa ing around midnight. Eructations: when moving; of nothing but air*; of tasteless fluid which rises in to the trachea, causing cho ing*; of a bitter-sour fluid, scraping the throat*. Nausea and efforts to vomit after eating. Vomiting of slimy fluid, tasting somew hat bitter, or of a tenacious, sour mucus.* Coffee may cause vomiting but may also ameliorate the nausea.* Pain in the cardiac orifice, relieved by pressure. Sensation of warmth in the pit of the stomach. Pyloric spasms; pyloric syndrome with ulcus duodeni (pain better by eating); pai n attac s go along with perspiration and fainting. While eating, stomach feels so swollen and chest so oppressed that he feels he w ill suffocate, has to loosen clothes.
Abdomen Sensation of extreme tension in the abdominal vessels; they feel distended to bu rsting. Throbbing here and there. Painful jer ings in the abdomen moving from one spot to another, as if something alive was in it.* Sha ing in the abdomen on vehement motion of the arms, as if the intestines were loose.* Or: a bearing-down sensation as if all
the intestines were going to be pushed out, felt in the rectum and the small of the bac .* Stitches in the right hypochondrium, when breathing. Flatulence upon rising in the morning, swollen feeling of the abdomen, relieved by belching a considerable quantity of wind. Disagreeable rumbling, with flatulence, or feels as if diarrhoea were coming on, immediately on lying down, or at night when lying down.
Rectum Sensation in the anus as if he were sitting on a ball; as if the anus and part o f the urethra were filled up by a hard round body. Sensation in the anus as if something cold tric led out and onto the s in.* During a hard evacuation, at night, excessive discharge of prostatic fluid.
Urinary organs Cannabis has a variety of urinary symptoms, and is often indicated in infections of the bladder, urethra, and idneys. Urination is often difficult, as if from paralysis of the bladder, from sphincte r spasms, or from an urethral stricture. Has to wait some time before the urine flows, but even then it remains incomplete; has to apply much straining, has to force the last drops out with his hands. The urine dribbles out after the stream ceases. There is much and obstinate urging to urinate, which often continues after voidi ng urine, and may be coupled with much straining; great strangury on passing water; sometimes hardly able to retain urine, sometimes unable to pass a drop in spite of violent urging. Frequent micturition, especially in the evening and at night, but usually only i n small quantities. Frequent urination, with burning pain, in the evening. There may also be an alternation between copious passing of clear, light-colour ed urine and frequent voiding of small quantities with pain. It may also be loaded with much mucus, especially after exposure to damp cold, or else as a consequence of gonorrhoea. Scanty urine, passed drop by drop with burning, sometimes mixed with blood, with continuous, unbearable urging.* Stinging, biting and burning in the urethra before, during, and especially after urination is a characteristic and well-confirmed symptom. The pain often goes bac ward towards the bladder.* Uneasiness, with a burning sensation in the penis and urethra and frequent calls to urinate. Examples of pathological conditions that could be cured by Cannabis: urethritis with bur ning biting or scalding pain extending bac wards to the bladder when urinating, but worse after, with frequent urging to urinate (every 15 or 20 min utes); very painful spasmodic closure of the sphincter of the bladder, at the same time severe stricture and drawing up of the anus with the urging fo
r stool, but the inability to pass it.* A peculiar symptom is sharp pric ing, li e needles, in the urethra, so severe as to send a thrill to the chee s and hands. Kidney pains are also frequent. Aching in the idneys, eeping him awa e at nigh t. Pain in idneys when laughing (or soreness from other jarring influences). Burning idney pains. Nephritic colic.* Nephritis with constant du ll pain in the region of the idneys, with violent colic-li e pains along the ureters; also dull pain in the glans penis. Drawing pain from the idneys t o the inguinal glands, with an anxious, nauseous sensation in the pit of the stomach.*
Genitalia and sexuality As mentioned above, Cannabis may be indicated in gonorrhoea, though rather quite seldom. It has been used successfully in acute states of gonorrhoea where the urethra was is very sensitive to touch and pressure and the patient w as is forced to wal with legs apart.* The discharge was is white-yellow, slimy and profuse, or thin and watery; watery and often painless often painless.* In men, an important indication was is an extensive swelling of prepuce.* More often Cannabis might be useful in complaints from contracting gonorrhoea, a s Cannabis people are quite inclined to catch gonorrhoea and often suffer for a long time from the consequences. Sexual desire is often increased in both sexes, sometimes excessively, with nymp homania or satyriasis; but we also find aversion or indifference toward sex.
Male genitalia Painful erections at night, mostly 'mechanical', without desire for the sex act. Erections while riding, wal ing, also while sitting still, not caused by amorous thoughts. Swelling of the penis but no actual erection.* Chordee. There are, however, also erections with erotic sensations and desires; with volu ptuous dreams and profuse seminal emissions; with priapism. Excessive desire with frequent erections during the day. Potency may be increased; as the provings say: 'The sexual thrill is very much prolonged, with more than a dozen ejaculations of semen.' The erection may continue long after ejacu lation and be so painful that cold water has to be applied to the penis. Besides this annoying problem, there may be other disturbances of sexual functio n and sensation occurring in Cannabis men: no ejaculation of semen, though orgasm is present, but it consists merely of an intense burning. Or: lit tle or no sensation during coition, but soon after a rather acute pain in the loins or in the bac . The penis may also be unusually relaxed and even shru n en. Nocturnal emissions mixed with blood.* Great swelling of the prepuce, approaching phimosis.* Stic ing, burning soreness in the glans penis. Itching (agreeable or disagreeabl e) of the glans penis, of or under the prepuce, at the frenulum*; itching
and burning of the scrotum. On squeezing the glans penis, a white glairy mucus oozes out. The prostate may be affected: with emission of transparent fluid, sometimes duri ng stool; the 'ball feeling' (described under 'Rectum') may also occur in connection with prostate trouble.
Female genitalia Cannabis is said to have brought about sterility, and it has been used for this condition, especially when the sterility coincides with an increase in sexual desire. Dysmenorrhoea is also an indication. According to Hale, it 'appears to control t he neuralgic and spasmodic varieties, but is more particularly indicated when...the menses are preceded, attended, or followed by unusual sexual desires .' In dysmenorrhoea the menses are generally very profuse, dar , but without clots; the flow may be prolonged (Hering relates a case where it la sted 18 days). Menorrhagia with violent spasmodic uterine colic; pains returning li e labour-pains; great agitation and sleeplessness. The profuse men ses may also be attended by dysuria and a sensation of soreness in the whole urethral tract.* The remedy has also been used in scanty but too frequent menstruation (every two wee s), with aggravation of bac ache during menses. Threatened miscarriage with haemorrhage from the vagina as late as the eighth mo nth of pregnancy; in gonorrhoeic patients, with burning during urination and purulent discharge. Metrorrhagia and post-partum haemorrhage have been helped with Cannabis; when ac companied by violent uterine colic, with cramps in the extremities. Fluor in young girls, with dysuria and soreness to touch of the vulva.* The remedy causes an inflammation and swelling of the vagina, as if sore, with b iting fluor.*
Bac Tetanic intermittent contraction of the muscles of at the nape of the nec ; cata leptic spasms. Drawing from the nape of the nec to the ear, rather spasmodic and felt externally.* Chin suddenly drawn down to the sternum, lasting several days until it relaxes. Peculiar feeling as if a stream of warm water is gradually stealing up the bac and ma ing its way up to the brain. Pain across the shoulders and spine, forcing the person to stoop and preventing him from wal ing erect; or crushing weight on the cerebellum, nec and shoulders, cannot rise from a stooping position. Cold feeling in the small of the bac and between the shoulders.
Pressure on the coccyx, as if from a blunt point.* Bac ache: may be caused by coition in men; aggravated from laughing; bac ache ag gravated during menses, which come every 14 days. Bac ache may be coupled with extraordinary anxiety and anguish, ma ing the voice rise or arresting the breath.* Reflex movements of the spinal column in a wave-li e motion.
Extremities As previously mentioned, Cannabis may be indicated in states of extreme wea ness and weariness of the limbs, even amounting to paralysis, often with numbness and tingling of the affected parts. The tired feeling in the limb s may be coupled with aching in the joints, sometimes with a sha ing chill. One-sided paralysis. The provings also give partial paralytic symptoms such as: paralysis of the lower extremities and the right arm; entire paralysis of the lower extremities. Leaden feeling in the limbs, as though he could not move them, for some time. Spasmodic motions of the limbs have also been observed; there may be a ind of g esticulatory convulsions in the arms and legs, or an automaton-li e and rapid movement of the hands, one hand being pressed on the chest and rubbed act ively with the palm of the other hand; noc ing together of the nees; choreatic movements. Tonic spasms, rigidity of the limbs. Unpleasant shu ddering through all the limbs. Contractions of muscles and tendons are also seen: violent pain with contraction in the tendo Achillis and left foot*; contraction of fingers after a sprain*. Thrilling sensations: agreeable thrilling through arms and hands; agreeable thri lling in both lower limbs from the nees down, with a sensation as if a bird's claws were clasping the nees. An interesting modality reported by Boger in his Synoptic Key: 'Pain in limbs wo rse from a deep breath'. Pain as from fatigue in the bend of the right elbow. Heaviness of the forearm, as if a weight was upon it; is unable to raise his han ds. Cold hands (objectively as well as subjectively). Aching in the finger joints. Weariness of the lower limbs; nees give way, and feel as if there were a dull a ching in them.* Unable to wal upstairs, legs nearly paralyzed, with stiffness and tired aching in both nees. The legs hardly seem able to support the body, the person may even actually fall. Great heaviness of the feet. Cramps in the calves may also have a paralyzing effect. Dislocation of the patella on ascending stairs.* On attempting to wal , he experiences intensely violent pain, as if he trod on a number of spi es, which penetrated the soles and ran upward through his
limbs to the hips; worse in the right side, and accompanied by drawing pain in both calves; is forced to limp and to cry out. Numb feeling of the left sole, then of the foot, increasing to a numbness of the whole limb. Shooting pains in the joints of toes, worse in the big toe; aching and stitching pain in the ball of the left big toe.
Sleep Sleepiness in the day, but often disturbed sleep at night, from pain or sexual e xcitement.
Excessive, irresistible sleepiness; especially in the afternoon, with alternate dozing and wa ing; the wa ing time can also be described as a 'dreamy state.' Dreamy attac s in the daytime, which recur periodically. Sometimes the desire for sleep may be extremely prolonged, can sleep three days straight through. Sleepiness, but cannot sleep. Great agitation and sleeplessness with painful men orrhagia. Fear of going to bed (lectophobia).* During sleep: starting of the limbs, which awa es him; tal ing; grinding teeth. Nightmares every night immediately after falling asleep. Vexatious dreams; dream s of danger, and of perils encountered; of dead bodies; voluptuous dreams with erections and profuse emissions; prophetic dreams; melancholy dream s.
Chill, fever, perspiration Has a lac of vital heat and feels a general chilliness. Much shivering and shuddering or experiences creeping chills all over. Experienc es a strong sha ing chill with accompanied by the earnest belief that he is dying. Coldness of the hands, feet, and especially of the nose after dinner, with shive ring, sha ing, and the inability to get warm. Coldness and shivering, with external heat. Profuse stic y sweat, standing out in drops on his forehead.
S in Anaesthesia of the s in has often been impressively described in the provings. N umbness and pric ing over the whole body or parts of it, often pleasurable; sometimes alternating with twitching. Formication and itching on v arious parts, or all over the body. The s in feels as if it were drawn tight, especially over the head and face.
Clinical
Catalepsy. Chordee. Clairvoyance. Delirium tremens. Delusions. Epilepsy. Gonorrh oea. Headache. Mania. Menorrhagia. Paralysis. Prostatitis. Satyriasis. Stammering. Uraemia. Urinary disorders.
Relations Cann-s. In extreme sensitiveness to noise: Nit-ac. (to jarring and rumbling of c ars in the street); Coff. (to all sounds); Bor. (slightest noise, fall of the door latch, rumpling of paper, rustling of sil ); Asar. (to the scratching of l inen or sil , or even the thought of it). Levitation (Asar., Calc., Cocc., Ph-ac., Sil., Stict., Sulph., Thuj.). As if in a dream (Ambr., Anac., Calc., Con., Cupr., Med., Rheum., Stram., Valer., Verat., Zinc.; the sensation of time being interminable distinguishes Cann-i. from the others). Horror of dar ness (Am-m., Bar-c., Calc., Carb-an., Phos., Stram., Valer.). Noise li e a crash or explosion in the head (Aloe.).
Cantharis vesicatoria Cantharis vesicator, Lytta vesicator. Blister-beetle, 'Spanish fly'. N.O. Insecta, Coleoptera. Tincture or trituration of live insects.
The essential features As is well nown from our materia medica, remedies generally prefer a specific s ystem, organ or area of the body and express their action there, although their action is by no means restricted to this location. Cantharis' pr eference is definitely the urogenital system, and it usually involves in its action both the urinary and the sexual spheres simultaneously. In Cantharis cas es, when we have an inflammation of the urinary system, especially of the urethra and bladder, we see, at the same time, an excitation of the sexual drive. The more the inflammation of the urinary tract the more the sexual excitation, which can reach such a degree that it almost assumes the for m of sexual frenzy. The first ey-note of this remedy is a sensation of excessive burning, a burning pain which runs through all of the picture. It has been shown by external applications of Cantharis as well as by provings where the remedy was orally ta en, that the remedy produces such burning of the mucous membranes and also on the s in. Consequently, it has been of great use in the t
reatment of burns and scalds, even when they are very severe. We should, therefore, consider this remedy in all cases where excessive burning pain before, during and after micturition is the prominent characteristic and it is more disturbing and agonising to the patient than any other symptom. This is especially the case for inflammations of the urinary tract but also when other pathological conditions are accompanied by th is type of painful urination. Moreover, whenever a patient complains of a feeling of excessive burning in whatever part of the body, Cantharis might also be indicated. This is especially true when such burning is coupled with an over-excitement of the sexual sphere.
A second characteristic of the remedy is that it produces very intense and viole nt inflammations that develop extremely quic ly. In urinary conditions the state proceeds with such speed that within minutes the irritatio n and burning become so intense, that the patient screams from pain when urinating. In Kent's words: 'When ta en internally it proceeds almost immediately to attac the urinary tract and establish a uraemic state... The local inflammatory condition comes on with great rapidity, and this brings the patient down violen tly sic in a great hurry... The parts become gangrenous at an early state.' And he goes on: 'The bladder and the genitals are inflamed and the exci tement and congestion of the parts often arouse the sexual instinct, so that there are sexual thoughts and sexual frenzy. Violent, amorous frenzy, an e xcitement such as accompanies inflammation attended with thoughts that correspond. The sexual instinct has gone mad. The erections in the male ar e painful and violent. The penis is inflamed and sore and it would be painful to have coitus, yet there is this frenzy.' This description corresponds to a state of violent acute cystitis. In addition t o the features mentioned above there may also be a veritably manic delirium of the sexual type, with tremendous restlessness and outbursts of wild rage. You will not always see all of this extreme state that Kent describes, but rather a picture going towards it.
Sexuality In its chronic state, the Cantharis picture is an individual who is restless in body and mind, irritable to the extreme and with a sexual appetite that seems to be insatiable. In the chronic state, however, we don't see the deliriu m and the extreme conditions of sexual frenzy. The patients can be described as lean, wiry, nervous individuals who tend to use obscene and aggres sive language at every opportunity. This is an urge that they seem unable to control. Their behaviour to the opposite sex is rude. Sexual desire is tremendously increased; a restless sexuality drives them on. It seems that the sexual drive ta es possession of the whole individual. The patients cannot thin about anything but sex. A Cantharis man or woman has no i nhibition about suggesting that another person go to bed with them at once, and the desire is not satisfied by only one orgasm; it immediately rises anew. The obscene language is another way to express the sexual urge,
and therefore such words are often also used during sexual intercourse. Cantharis is more demanding for sex than even Platina, though, in cases of women with such an excessive sex drive, it is almost always Plat. that is prescribed, sometimes erroneously. In addition to the constant demand for sexua l intercourse with their partner, these people are li ely to have extramarital affairs to satisfy their sexual urges. It is interesting that such individuals do not easily resort to masturbation as they need 'the real thing' and mainly the contact with the other person. Let us be aware, however, that an increased sexual drive is only a symptom when it is pathological, an urge that ma es the patients suffer and restricts their freedo m to live out their human potential. In chronic Cantharis people, and especially in women, there is often a long hist ory of repeated cystitis, which has not been treated correctly, or of gonorrhoea. The recurrent urinary infections may be the same cystitis reappeari ng again and again or may be new infections which are connected to
their numerous affairs; this is difficult to determine. You often find Canthari s states in prostitutes and men who visit them, as the possibility of infection in these people is great. Regardless of what triggered the infection, it is actually the constitution that breeds the infection. This is why a little girl who is exposed to a draught or to sea water can also get a violent cystitis with the excessive burning mentioned above. In cases of constitutional Cantharis adults, the history of repeated infections is usually present. A ey-note in this remedy that sometimes occurs during sexual activity is that p ressure on the throat is unbearable. If by chance during sexual intercourse the hand of her husband presses her throat even slightly, a Canthar is woman, will become angry and will immediately push his hand away, as if frightened. There are also other symptoms that seem to be related to hydr ophobia, such as a fear of water and of shining surfaces similar to Stramonium, but without the real aggression of Stram. Another differentiation m ay become important with regard to the obscene language. Here Cantharis resembles Hyoscyamus, but in Hyos. the desire for sex does not occur nearly as frequently as in Cantharis.
The mental picture A tremendous restlessness prevails in the mental sphere of Cantharis, but it is a unproductive restlessness, a hurried feeling that ma es the patient run about and constantly attempt to do something, without accomplishing anything. T he provings give the symptoms: 'Does not find rest, always loo ing for another place, with internal heat of head.' And: 'Extreme restlessness when sit ting or lying; she has to move constantly, up and down, to and fro; day and night.' This is both a physical restlessness and a restlessness of the mind . Too many thoughts intrude upon his mind, and the patient cannot get rid of them (this is seen especially in the morning). This mental unrest does not a llow for the peace of mind necessary to finish a job. In the midst of it a new thought imposes itself upon him, and he starts another job, without finishi ng the original or that one either. Anxiety and apprehension often accompany this restlessness, sometimes along with a feeling of guilt as if one had committed a crime. The anxious feeling is localized mostly in the stomach (Kali carbonicum, Mezereum, Arsenicu m) or begins there and extends to other parts of the body. It can be connected to a sensation of fullness in the stomach and sometimes comes on a fter eating. There is a general disposition to being anxious and easily
frightened, with restlessness, but also with depression and despondency. Some s ymptoms from the provings are: increasing anxiety with trembling over the entire body; the trembling continues while wal ing in the open air; an xiety in the morning, as if something important is about to happen; inner anxiety with a lac of self-confidence, distrust of himself in the afternoon; e xtreme despondency and faint-heartedness; says she is going to die. The inner tension that is expressed by restlessness and anxiety finds genuine re lease only in sexual intercourse, but there are also defensive and aggressive ways to bring it to the surface. The proving symptom 'Defiant and co ntradictory mood in the afternoon' is one manifestation of it, which has been confirmed by clinical evidence. Others are insolent, easily offe nded and become very irritable from what he considers an insult. Alternately, there is an inclination to be dissatisfied with everything and any thing; morose, fretful, angry, boisterous, feels that no one can do anything right. Anger and rage also easily come on, sometimes with really malic ious behaviour. The emotional state may undergo changes from a cheerful and tal ative mood to discontent, great depression and despondency wit h incessant moaning, or to an introverted, pensive, sluggish and
indifferent state of mind. A tearful mood together with fretfulness and anger h as also been observed several times. The intellectual faculties may become impaired with states of abstraction of min d. The individual has difficulty concentrating, and experiences a wea ness and prostration of the intellect. An example from the provings is: 'As soon as he wants to reflect upon something, his thoughts instantly vanish; his gaze remains fixed in silence on one object (which he hardly seems to notice, however), and he has trouble to collect himself in order to express a few words coherently.' This may be connected with a heaviness, confus ion, or a foggy feeling in the head. 'Heaviness in occiput, with drowsiness and incapacity to thin ' (Hering). At other times, there is a rush o f ideas, which crowd upon each other, leaving the person no peace. The patients are literally overwhelmed with strange ideas which 'run riot', as Kent says, which seem to have a life of their own and cannot be stopped or controlled. Actually, the feeling of the patients is that an outside force poss esses them and drives them to do things. These mental states can amount to total confusion and finally reach the verge of psychosis. Then an acute deli rious state may come on.
Delirium, delusions, states of unconsciousness To get a notion of the Cantharis delirium, let us first follow Kent who often ha s very graphic descriptions of acute states: 'Restlessness ending in rage. Restlessness causing him to move constantly, a rage and delirium intermingled w ith amorous frenzy. ... In some instances, he deliriously sings lewd songs and prattles on the subject of human genitals, urine and faeces, a wild r aving about subjects not tal ed about in health except among the depraved. But in disease, chaste and modest persons, virgins, will spea so tha t it is surprising where they have pic ed up such language. ...I have seen a dear old mother weep and wring her hands and say: Where did my daughter learn such language?' Besides the erotic quality, the furious character of the delirium is remar able. The delirium, which may have its cause in mental disease but also in acute states of fever and excessive pain comes on mostly in the evening or at night a nd is often coupled with or followed by clonic convulsions, ending in sudden unconsciousness. The convulsive attac s often closely resemble hydrophob ic attac s, and indeed Cantharis has been prescribed in olden times for hydrophobia, even as a prophylactic. Great excitement and rage, convulsive paroxysms renewed by touching the larynx, by pressure on the
abdomen where it is painful, by trying to drin water or even by hearing the so und of falling water, by the sight of water, or bright or dazzling objects. Great fear of water or bright objects is exhibited; also great fear of death. Frothy saliva may come out of the mouth during the raging attac s, with alternat ing trismus and opening of the mouth. Here again a differential diagnosis to Stramonium and also Hydrophobinum becomes important. In Cantharis, during th e attac s an excessive desire for sexual intercourse may be expressed. The patient howls frightfully, li e the bar ing of a dog, or screams , laments, moans, whines or weeps. Destructive behaviour can come on in acute delirious states, e.g. : stri es the wall and tries to scrape the stuc co from it with excessive pain; grasps an iron stic from a curtain and brea s it, screaming fearfully. These attac s may be immediately followed by ge neral convulsions, fainting and profound stupor. Cantharis may quic ly reach a state of loss of consciousness (with or without de lirium), with a red face, and often with the body having a cold surface, the patient loo ing li e Opium. The idea is that he goes suddenly into a stupor . 'Lies in a stupor, with cold surface and occasional jer s' (Hering). The
patients may lie down unconscious with arms stretched along the body, but from time to time start and stri e out with shrie ing, tossing about and even falling into clonic convulsions. These states can come from a suppuration of an internal organ, as for instance the intestinal canal, or from an inflammatory irritation of the meninges. Some other delirious symptoms are: fancies she hears something wal quietly abou t the room, then it noc s under the bed and seems to elevate it; something seems to grasp her hand and bend it several times up and down, then h er throat is grasped by two icy-cold hands; tal s much and incoherently about business and about people long dead. Cantharis may be indicated in manic depressive states where the raging attac s a lternate with conditions of great depression, dejection, and despondency, with incessant moaning or with weeping without apparent cause.
Generalities Cantharis should be considered in: rapidly destructive inflammation in the serou s and mucous membranes which moves quic ly towards gangrene; suppuration of internal organs or meningitis, causing unconscious states and co nvulsive attac s; inflammations of the urinary and genital organs. Cantharis should be considered in any condition where the urine is scanty, cutt ing and burning, with intolerable, constant urging to urinate. Pain is generally burning in any part of the body. All body cavities burn as if raw and sore. The body feels raw and sore pain all over, both internally and externally. There is a crushed feeling all over the body, with sensitivity of every part, both internally and externally, and great wea ness, such that he has to lie down. The pain is generally accompanied by great excitement and irritability. Cantharis is also a valuable remedy for burns and scalds. There are convulsions from dysuria and bladder or idney calculi, with the above -named hydrophobic symptoms; very mar ed is the aversion to being touched on the throat. The convulsions may be very violent, with alternating em prosthotonus and opisthotonus; with convulsive tremors of all the limbs, with cold sweat on the forehead and chest. The patient cannot get a moment's re st on account of immediate recurrences. The patient has great thirst, but often aversion to drin and a horror of liquid s. This may be due to his mental state, but also to the throat feeling as if it
were strangulated or to a burning pain in the throat upon swallowing, which is most mar ed on swallowing liquids. There are sudden attac s of unconsciousness, loss of strength, extreme wea ness, prostration, great emaciation, fainting and collapse and general coldness. An interesting modality that has been observed in a proving is that a progressive languor was relieved by drin ing freely of alcoholic liquors, which produced no symptoms of intoxication. Cantharis cured a hemiplegia of the right side, apparently without sensation in the affected side, where the speech was affected and very indistinct, hardly understandable. The individual has an aggravation from drin ing, especially cold drin s and from water, even if only seen or heard, from coffee (gastric, abdominal and hepatic complaints) and from urinating. Some mental symptoms are worse in t he morning or afternoon; delirium mostly in the evening and at night.
Amelioration comes from lying down and rest (but some symptoms are better from p hysical exertion) and warmth.
Vertigo On wal ing in the open air, vertigo with quic ly subsiding attac s of unconsciou sness, with foggy vision, returning several times within half an hour. Vertigo and fainting. Giddiness and wea
feeling in the head.
Head Congestion in the head with feelings of heaviness and burning heat of the head a nd especially burning in the brain is frequent. Boeric e describes a characteristic sensation as if boiling water were in the brain. Burning in the sides of the head, ascending from the nec , with soreness and giddiness; worse in the morning and afternoon; when standing or sitting; better while wal ing or lying down. Aching deep in the brain, of a dull, sore, or stitching quality. Violent lancina ting pain deep in the brain, especially in the occiput. Violent sore pain inside the head. Heaviness and a stupid feeling in the forehead, deep in the br ain, with the sensation as if someone pressed her head forward. This latter sensation is characteristic and may be coupled with an outward press ure in the forehead. For instance: Tearing and dragging pain, only on motion; when stooping and turning the head, it is as if something came up from nape of nec and pressed the head forwards, and as if everything would come out of the forehead. Or: pressing outward from within the forehead, wa ing him at night; ceases when sitting up in bed. Headache that interrupts sleep at night, may also have a stitching quality: Cutt ing stitches in the head, wa ing her from sleep. Generally, stitching headaches are frequent, especially in the sides of the head ; stitching in the left os parietale while spea ing. Painful tearing on the vertex with the sensation as if a loc of hair were being pulled upwards. Twitching and jer ing is felt in the muscles and bones. A strange symptom is: 'I ntermittent painful twitching, now at the right os occipitale, now at the outer side of the left nee.'
Headache from washing or bathing. Cantharis has been successfully prescribed in neuralgia of the head and face fro m exposure to the cold, with loud screams and jer ing of the muscles; also in cases of meningitis or irritation of the meninges with lancinating pain or with unconsciousness and convulsions. Falling of hair on combing, during confinement or lactation. Scalp very scaly; a lot of dandruff.
Eyes Eyes protruding, very bright, even loo ing fiery or spar ling, with a fixed, sta ring gaze; pupils widely dilated. Or they are restlessly in motion, frightfully rolling, alternating with fixed staring; pupils contracted. These f eatures are found especially in acute delirious or manic states. In other conditions they may loo sun en and bleary, surrounded by blue rings. Burning in the eyes, glowing heat as if from coals; biting sensations as from ha ving salt in them. Biting in the eyes after closing them. Aching in the eyes from exerting them, especially from writing, which ma es them water and causes cutting pain. In the open air the eyes water; he has to close them; when he opens them again t he margins of the lids ache as if sore, li e raw flesh. Acute or chronic inflammation of the eyes, with biting and smarting; particularl y when caused by a burn. Retinal haemorrhages; watery discharge mixed with blood. Everything appears yellow; letters on a page loo
green and yellow.
Ears Burning, glowing heat of the ears; otitis. Sensation of hot vapour coming out of the ears in intervals. Stitching and tearing pain in the region of the ears, especially in the right ma stoid process, where it may be so severe that it feels as if the bone would will be torn out, ma ing the prover scream. Pimples at on the mastoid process, burning on touch. Ringing, humming, buzzing ear noises buzzing noises in the ear; buzzing in the e ars after supper.
Nose Secretion of much tenacious mucus from the nose, without sneezing; the tough dis charge is drawn from the posterior nares into the mouth. Red, swollen nose, with a feeling as if it were going to suppurate, mostly felt mostly internally; pain worse on touch and tal ing. Inflammation at the margin of the right wing of the nose, red and shiny. Red, ho
t nose, with suppurating pimples. Erysipelatous inflammation of the nose, preceded by a pain on the dorsum of the nose as if pressed or pinched. Strong disagreeable odour, foetid and sic ly, is smelled in the nostrils; with s trangury.
Face The expression is extremely sic ly and miserable, showing fear, terror, despair. Congestion in the face with sudden glowing heat and redness. On stooping, the fa ce instantly becomes very red, with a violent rush of blood to the head, and even while sitting the face becomes hot (but not while wal ing). Red face during sudden fits of unconsciousness. The face is often very swollen and puffy but a sun en, pale, sallow, even death-li e loo has also fre quently been observed, especially during and after severe pain; it may also be discoloured yellow, with yellow-loo ing eyes. Or the right side of the face glows, while the left side is waxy yellow. Right side of the face is swollen, with tension but without redness and heat. Burning in the face, even if it is no warmer than usual on to the touch. Erysipelas, beginning on the dorsum of the nose, spreading to both chee s, but m ore to the right; with burning, biting heat; with urinary symptoms. Vesicular erysipelas in the face with burning pain and great restlessness. Pimples appear on various parts of the face and burn when touched.
Mouth Painful burning of the whole buccal cavity and oesophagus, extending down to the stomach. Burning on the tongue and palate; hot feeling at on the palate as if something spicy had been eaten. All mucous membranes of the mouth are inflamed, excoriated, red and covered with small blisters. White vesicles, up to the size of a pea, in all parts of the buccal cavity, at on the palate, gums, and tongue. Mouth dry; tongue dry in the morning, covered with mucus. Tongue swollen; thic ly coated, white or yellow, and red at the edges, or bleach ed at the tip and sides, with a blac ish-brown centre. Trembling of the tongue. Taste is bitter, accompanied by disgust for everything; offensive. The sense of taste may be totally lost for a time, or food tastes as though it were unsalted. Copious and frequent salivation; accumulation of tasteless saliva in the mouth, or it is disgustingly sweet, forcing him to spit.
During manic or convulsive fits, grinding of teeth, frothy salivation, loc jaw. Sublingual glands swollen and red. Gums spongy and swollen; inflamed spots, with swelling. Dental fistula, with suppuration.
Throat Burning sensation and soreness in the throat, literally feels on fire. The burni ng is worse on swallowing anything The burning is made worse by swallowing any substance, but even more so on drin ing water, which ma es the p ain intolerable. Inflamed throat, sore, burning, feeling as if scraped; covered with plastic lymp h; swollen internally. Inflammation and suppuration of the tonsils. Throat blistered and ulcerated. Aphthous ulcers, covered with a whitish adheren t crust, at the bac part of the fauces and on the tonsils. A spasmodic contraction of the throat, or a feeling of constriction amounting al most to strangulation; to swallow a single drop of fluid is an agonising experience. Swallowing is very difficult, sometimes impossible, especially of fluids; on acc ount of the pain, a feeling of strangulation or a dread and horror of liquids. Water drun regurgitates through the nose. All the throat symptoms are worse from drin ing and are ameliorated while lying down.
Voice, respiration, chest and heart Speech is very feeble and timorous, because of a sensation of wea ness of the re spiratory organs. Hoarseness, with painful rattling of viscid mucus coming from the chest, and with incisive shootings in the trachea. Voice almost or totally lost during attac s of wea ness; or in laryngeal diphtheria. Acute inflammation of the larynx, with extreme heat and burning. Burning and stinging in the larynx, especially when attempting to haw up a toug h to haw up tough, tenacious mucus from the chest. Dry, cutting stitches along the trachea at night. An important indication of Cantharis is bronchitis where the mucus is profuse, t enacious, and ropy (compare Kali-bichromium) and burning up on urination is present at the same time. Mezger found the remedy useful in influe nza-related bronchitis with cystitic irritation, albuminous urine, and spurting of urine during coughing. Hering mentions: 'Catarrh in larger bronchia , with profuse, yellow expectoration.' Frequent dry hac ing cough. Bloody expectoration.
Difficult respiration, sometimes with oppression, on account of a spasmodic cont raction of the throat or chest. Stitching and shooting pain in the chest, worse on inspiration, or impeding or a rresting respiration. The stitches may go from one side to the other, from the front right through to the bac , or they extend to the axillae. 'A pain in chest li e a shot, from the front towards the bac , with arrest of breathing.' Cannot lie on the left side because of stitching on inspiration, at midnight. Extreme heat and burning in the chest, as if from fire. Pleuritis exsudativa. Pericarditis, with effusion.
Violent palpitation. Drawing pain in the region of the heart. Stitch in the hear t, followed by a crawling sensation. Praecordial anxiety; sensation of anxiety in the heart, in the afternoon. The pulse is very variable: mostly hard, full and frequent, at times intermitten t; frequent and wea or slow, feeble, and scarcely perceptible; more full and rapid in the morning.
Stomach The person's appetite is usually diminished and often he is easily disgusted by food, drin and tobacco. If his appetite begins to return, coffee will ma e him lose it.. He gets nausea, as if from a wea ness in the stomach, after coffee. Constant great thirst, often excessive, with burning pain in the throat and stom ach; but at the same time we often see an intense aversion to all fluids; if someone hands him a glass of water, he pushes it away. Or: water can not be swallowed in spite of the thirst on account of the burning pain, or because of a spasmodic contraction of the throat. Or: dry lips without thirs t. Heartburn and heat rising, without thirst; drin ing water increases the burning pain. Nightly regurgitation of food. Eructation of sour frothy mucus, tinged bright-red; sour belching after drin ing . Nausea and frequent vomiting, first of food, then of bilious mucus. Vomiting of tenacious mucus in lumps. Vomiting with violent retching and severe colic; in pregnancy. Haemorrhages from the stomach, with the vomiting of blood. Violent burning pain in the stomach; also stitching and griping pain. Extremely violent gastritis. Tremendous sensation of fullness in the region of the stomach, accompanied by an xiety and restlessness.
Abdomen Cantharis produces extremely violent inflammation of the gastro-intestinal canal
, especially in the lower intestines. Peritonitis, with burning, cutting pain, urinary tenesmus, and spasms of the bladder. Cantharis may be indicated i n different gastric, hepatic, and abdominal complaints that are aggravated by coffee. The provings report a feeling of fullness in the chest, s tomach and abdomen after coffee. The whole intestinal tract feels very hot and burns. Great distension and tenderness of the belly; tympanitic. The whole abdomen is e xcessively tender to touch and pressure. Incarceration of flatus under the short ribs (flatus is very offensive). Audible rumbling while sitting. Colic-li e pain, causing the patient to double over.
The abdominal pain is very violent and mostly cutting, burning, and lancinating. Frightful cutting pain from 5 p.m. until the next morning, compelling the patient to 'roll around.' Tremendous cutting pain in the hypogastrium, constant ly moving to and fro, stopping only for a short time. Cutting pain during stool toward evening; or after each evacuation of stool. Burning pain around the umbilicus and in the hypogastrium. Burning pain above th e navel on coughing, sneezing, and blowing the nose, with a rather hot feeling in the hypogastrium; around the area of pain some yellow spots on s in, which ache on touch (more stitching than burning). Acute pain in the region of the stomach and bladder, with such extreme sensitivi ty that the slightest pressure produces convulsions. The pain is ameliorated on lying down and from warmth. Hepatitis. Right side of the abdomen and liver painful and sensitive, with urina ry symptoms. Cutting, stitching, and burning in the groin, with violent cutting on urination.
Rectum Constant, violent urging for both stool and urine, with extreme tenesmus. Consta nt ineffectual urging; returns soon after stool; when urinating, an ineffectual urging for stool comes on. Retention of stool and urine. Kent says: 'The patient will sit on the commode with violent tenesmus to pass urine and stool, feels that if he could only pass a few more drops of urine or a little more bloody stool he would get relief, but no relief comes.' Violent diarrhoea with unbearable burning in the anus, which continues for a lon g time; watery stool excoriates the anus. Diarrhoea consisting of blood and mucus; or pure blood is discharged after viole nt straining. Dysentery. Evacuation of white, solid mucus, as if from scrapings of intestines, with strea s of blood. Stools slimy and red or green. Copious stools. Shivering after stool, with the feeling as if icy-cold water were poured over he r.
Urinary organs This region is, as said before, Cantharis's main area of action, and the remedy should always be ta en into consideration when any condition is accompanied by its characteristic symptoms in the urinary region. Cystitis and urethritis are the pathological states where Cantharis is most often prescribed, especially when they are accompanied by increased sexual desire, bu t it will only act successfully where the symptoms agree. Mercurius corrosivus, Nux vomica, Sarsaparilla and Apis are remedies that have to be diff erentiated in cystitis cases. The main symptoms are constant urging to urinate with violent tenesmus and strangury and burning and cutting pain bef ore, during and after urination. The pains usually extend downwards, from the bladder through the urethra (compare Cannabis, where the pa ins often extend bac wards to the bladder). Scanty
micturition and painful retention of urine are often present, and the urine is frequently bloody. Due to the rapid development of the inflammatory states of the bladder, urethra and idneys, blood will appear appears quite ear ly in the course of the inflammation. A selection of symptoms from the provings and from clinical experience: Pain in the loins, idneys and entire abdomen, with such pain on urinating that he cannot pass a single drop without crying and screaming. Pain in the loins with the incessant desire to urinate, however, only a small qu antity is passed. Violent paroxysmal cutting and burning pain in both idneys; the region is very sensitive to touch; alternating with equally severe pain and burning in the tip of the penis, urging to urinate, and extremely painful evacuation, b y drops, of bloody urine; at times pure blood is passed, with some clots. Constant dull aching in the region of the idneys, late in the evening. The idney pain spreads downwards along the whole course of the ureters to the b ladder. Cutting and constricting pain from the ureters to the penis; pressure upon the g lans penis brings slight relief. Heaviness in the region of the bladder, on the slightest motion is transformed i nto a sore pain. Pressive stitching pain in the nec of the bladder before urination, and constan t urging, but only a few drops pass. Violent burning-cutting pain in the nec of the bladder, extending to the fors n avicularis, mostly occurring before and after urination. Intense vesicular spasms. Violent pains in the bladder that are increased by drin ing even minute quantiti es. Retention of urine from too full a bladder. Ischuria. But a more copious and fre quent urination than usual has also been observed in the provings. A ind of paralysis of the nec of the bladder; urine is passed without any urgi ng and can hardly be retained. Ischuria paradoxa; constant involuntary dribbling of urine. Peculiar pain on urinating as if the urine cannot get out, with disagreeable pre ssure in the region of the bladder; along with this sensation, a pressive pain in the meatus has also been observed. Painful discharge of a few drops of bloody urine, causing very severe sharp pain , as if a red-hot iron were passed along the urethra; most acutely felt at the membranous portion of the canal, and in the meatus urinarius.
Constant burning sensation in the urethra, even when not urinating. Frightful pain in the urethra before, during, and after urination; the prover (f emale) had to bend over double and screamed with pain. Very frequent urging, intolerable tenesmus. The urinary organs are so highly irr itated that he can hardly bear more than a spoonful of urine in the bladder without having the urge to urinate. Sudden urge to urinate on seeing or hearing running water. Urging which awa es h im from sleep, with very scanty micturition, leaving intolerable burning. There is much more urging while standing, and still more during wal ing, than wh ile sitting. Violent urging to urinate every few minutes, but no more than a spoonful is pass ed, and at the end of this scanty urination the unbearable burning
cutting pains in the urethra arise. Violent urging without any evacuation. Frequent painful urination, constantly preceded by violent pain in the glans pen is. Urine is only discharged drop by drop; it scalds and burns. Constant painful urg ing with dribbling discharge of scanty reddish urine, sometimes intermingled with blood. Urine is passed in a thin and parted stream, which is difficult to discharge. Blood is passed with agonising burning cutting pain through the urethra and with violent tenesmus; bright red blood or clots of coagulated blood appear. Urine albuminous; cloudy immediately on passing; containing mucus, pus, blood an d casts. Discharges from the urethra such as non-specific urethritis, white and watery, a ccompanied by a constant desire to urinate. Some more pathological states of the urinary tract where Cantharis might be indi cated: Acute parenchymatous inflammation of the
idneys.
Cystitis after scarlatina; post-scarlatinal nephritis. Ulceration of the bladder and urinary passages. Painful retention of urine from suppressed gonorrhoea. Spasmodic stricture of the urethra. Inflammation of the orifice of the urethra.
Genitalia Cantharis has been prescribed in acute gonorrhoea with the most intense sufferin g, with constant distress in the bladder, bloody discharge, and sexual arousal; in men with chordee (painful erection with downward curvature of the p enis). The most characteristic feature of Cantharis in the sexual area is an intensely increased sex drive of both sexes which cannot be satisfied by coitus; satyriasis or nymphomania.
Genitalia - male Strong sexual desire which disturbs sleep at night; sometimes with an annoying t ingling and voluptuous heat in the urethra and constant erection. Violent, painful priapism; prolonged erections with excessive pain along the ure thra. Strong erections at night, with pain in the entire urethra as if contracting and sore. But we also see strong and persistent erections without pain and without any voluptuous sensation.
Burning at excretory ducts of the seminal vesicles in the urethra, during and af ter coitus. Spermatorrhoea. Sperm is discharged in the morning in bed with a relaxed penis a nd almost without erotic sensation. Emission of blood instead of sperm, or emission mixed with blood. Cutting pain from the idneys along the spermatic cords to the penis, with retra ction of the testes. Drawing pain in the spermatic cord during urination. Violent pain in the glans c onstantly precedes micturition. Swelling of the glans penis which is very painful to external pressure which is very painful if external pressure is applied. Dropsical swelling of the penis and scrotum. Heat and sweat at the genitalia. If little boys frequently pull at their penis, this is a
ey-note of Cantharis.
Genitalia - female Extreme pruritus vaginae, often with greatly increased and constant sexual desir e. Unbearable pruritus during menopause, sometimes continuing for years. Swelling and irritation of the vulva. Sexual arousal may be increase d during menses, and is often attended by burning and scalding during urination, with the urine being discharged by drops. Sensation in the hypogastrium as if menses would appear, after midnight. Menses: too early; too profuse or too scanty; often blac blood; attended by gre at soreness of the breasts. Uterine haemorrhages with great irritation in the nec
of the bladder.
Cantharis has been used successfully in cases of abortion where a constant desir e to urinate was present. The remedy is said to promote fecundity, and it helps to expel moles, dead foetu ses and the afterbirth. Retained placenta or membranes, usually with painful urination, is a well-confirmed indication for the remedy. Puerperal metritis, especially with mania of a sexual character; convulsions, re newed by sight, sound or drin ing of water and by touching the larynx. Bearing-down pain from the abdomen to the genitalia. Inflammation of the ovaries, with burning pain, especially worse during menstrua tion, ovaries extremely sensitive. Stitches in the ovarian region, so bad
that are so painful/intense as to arrest breathing. Cysts at ovaries; hydatides.
Bac Swollen cervical lymph nodes, sore to the touch.
Nape of the nec
stiff, painful tension when bending forward.
Tearing in the cervical muscles; on wal ing. Tearing pain in the bac , especially in the morning. Chills and shivering that move up or down the bac . A strange symptom from a pro ving is a repeated feeling of coldness in a region, the size of a hand, at the left side of the lumbar vertebrae; it is a sensation of goose-flesh with vi olent and annoying formication, restricted to that area. This sensation was most felt when sitting down in the evening. Pain in the region of the loins and idneys, stitching, cutting, or tearing, wit h urinary symptoms. Dull heavy pain in the lumbar region, increased by pressure; sometimes extending to the perineum. Cutting pain in both loins, extending up to the axillae, where it transforms int o stitching. Stitching in the small of the bac
after rising from a seat, when wal ing.
Stitching and gnawing pain at the sacrum, especially in the evening. Lancination and tearing sensations in the coccyx, causing him to start.
Extremities Great lassitude, especially of the lower limbs, can hardly ascend stairs; trembl ing of the limbs with restlessness; trembling of the lower limbs during motion. Dryness in the joints. Dropsical swelling of the hands and feet. Cold extremities; cold hands and feet, or burning soles with icy-cold hands. But also: palms burn li e fire. Cold sweat on the hands and feet. Tearing and stitching pain in the arms. Tearing in the right humerus, ceasing on pressure. Gnawing pain in the middle of the right upper arm. Tearing in the bend of the right elbow. Stitches from the right wrist up towards the elbow, each stitch is accompanied b y a shoc . Pain and tension in the little finger.
Eczematous eruption on the dorsum of the hand and between the fingers; burning, pric ing, shallow vesicles, filling with fluid and soon drying into thin crusts, which peel off, leaving denuded spots; worse from cool water, bett er by warmth. Fearfully itching and burning vesicles between the fingers. The vesicles burn on touch. Coxalgia with spasmodic pain in the bladder and strangury. Tearing from the right, and later, the left hip bone, down to the nees.
Violent, sometimes boring pain in the nees, causing the patient to scream; warm , dry applications relieve the pain somewhat. The nees must not touch each other because of the great pain and sensitivity. Painful feeling of extreme fatigue in the nees and legs; tottering of the nees when descending stairs. Painful intermittent twitching in the outer side of the left ith the same twitching at the right side of the occiput.
nee, alternating w
Violent tearing in the calves, as if the flesh was torn away. Tearing and stitching from the right instep up towards the middle of the thigh, alternating with a tearing in the left side of the head. Darting pain from the right foot to the right side of the head in paroxysms. Fearful pain in the soles, as if ulcerated, cannot step for several days.
Sleep Sleepy during the day, especially after the evening meal. Restless nights with agitated feelings and frequent wa ing; often only light sle ep before midnight, resembling a state of 'half-sleep'. Sleeplessness from sexual causes or from anxious thoughts, or from no apparent c ause. Very anxious dreams, all night, especially before the menses; dreams of falling ma e the patient start in a fright. Voluptuous dreams. Other dream themes from the provings: of stags and wal ing in the wood; of parties and coo ing.
Fever As most complaints in this remedy, fever heat or chill have a sudden and violent onset and develop rapidly. External or internal burning heat is frequent, especially of the suffering parts . Burning heat of the s in, which the patient himself does not feel; at night. Nocturnal heat all over, especially in the anus and genitalia. Heat a nd redness all over, with furious or loquacious delirium. Long-lasting sha ing chills, from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Chill at night which returns instantly when rising from bed, even when putting a limb out from the covers. Violent evening chill that is not relieved by the heat of the stove
or covers. Sweat that smells of urine. Profuse perspiration on wa ing at night or in the mo rning; also from every movement. Sweat especially on the genitals; also cold sweat on the hands and feet or on the chest.
S in
Cantharis has a strong action on the s in. If applied locally (undiluted), it pr oduces inflammation leading rapidly to painful blisters. Blisters may turn into large bullae, filled with fluid, causing the parts to loo burnt or scalde d. This has led to its use in burns and scalds, before blisters form but also when they have already formed. It has been given internally and also has b een applied externally. Dorothy Shepherd ('Magic of the Minimum Dose') has treated the most severe burns during World War II in London. She say s that especially in those cases where an infection of the idneys is present, with dysuria, pain on passing water and passage of blood from the blad der, Cantharis dealt with the condition effectively. 'Cantharis will heal up the local burn in a much shorter time than orthodox treatment can accom plish, and the renal and bladder infection will be cured in a short time.' Another condition where Cantharis will be useful is erysipelas of a vesicular ty pe, especially with great restlessness and burning pain. Nash gives an interesting differentiation between Cantharis and Apis: 'In erysipelas it is so metimes the best remedy, and choice has to be made between it and Apis, which also sometimes has great urinary irritation in such cases. In the A pis cases there is apt to be more oedema, in Cantharis more blistering. In Cantharis the burning is more intense than under the Apis, while in the latter there is more stinging. The urinary symptoms, if present, are very much more intense under Cantharis. Again, the mind symptoms of the two remedies are quite different. In the Apis cases, aside from the stinging pains which ma e the patient cry out sharply at times, especially if the eruption is li ely to 'go in' and attac the membranes of the brain, the patient may not be so very restless and complaining; but in the Cantharis case the patient is uneasy, restless, dissatisfied, distressed, sometimes moaning or violently crying; wants to be moved about constantly.' Margaret Tyler recommends the remedy in gnat bites. Cantharis C 30, ta en intern ally, stopped the intolerable itching with unbelievable rapidity. Some other s in conditions: Pustular or vesicular eruptions that itch terribly and burn on touch. Eczematous vesicular eruptions on the bac of the hand and between the fingers ( see 'Extremities' section); vesicles all over the body, worse between the toes, which are all sore and suppurating. Dermatitis venenata with bleb formation. Secondary eczema about scrotum and genitals, following excessive perspiration.
Erythema from exposure to the rays of the sun. Acute drawing pain in the ulcers, with increased suppuration. There is a gangrenous tendency to this remedy, and Cantharis may help in burns d eveloping quic ly and going towards gangrene. A characteristic sensation is: ulcerative pain of the s in when touched.
Clinical Bladder affections. Burns. Chordee. Diphtheria. Dysentery. Eczema. Emissions. Er otomania. Erysipelas. Eyes, inflammation of. Gastritis. Gonorrhoea.
Herpes Zoster. Hydrophobia. Kidney affections. Mania. Neuralgia. Nymphomania. O varies, affections of. Peritonitis. Pleurisy. Pregnancy, disorders of. Retained placenta. Satyriasis. Scarlatina. Spermatorrhoea. Strangury. Thirst. T hroat, sore. Tongue, inflammation of. Urine, abnormal. Vesication of s in.
Relations Antidotes: Camph. antidotes the strangury and retention of urine of Canth., Apis the cystitis, Kali-n. the renal symptoms. For its throat symptom it is nearest to Caps. Other antidotes: Acon., Laur., Puls. Canth. is antidote to: Camph., Alco. Compatible: Bell., Merc., Phos., Puls., Sep., Sulph. Incompatible: Coffea. Compare: Dory., Coc-c., Cocc-s, Apis, Bell., Bry., Cann-s. (more burning and sma rting; Canth. more tenesmus); Petros. (sudden urging); Caps; Puls. (retained placenta); Ars. (delayed urination after parturition); Thuj. (erections; those of Canth. prevent urination; those of Thuj. do not); Merc. (semen mixed with blood); Sars. (urine burns li e fire, shred-li e particles and blood in it ); Arum, Arn., Rhus-t., Ran-s. (Teste classes Canth. with Seneg. and Ph-ac. in his Conium group).
Capsicum annuum Capsicum annuum Cayenne Pepper (South America and West Indies) N. O. Solanaceae Tincture of the dried pods.
The essential features
The constitutional Capsicum individual is usually obese, flabby with a red face (especially a red nose) and has varicose vein conditions. On close examination, it becomes clear that this red appearance of the face is due to a fine interlacing of dilated capillaries such as may be seen in drun ards. The end of the nose is red, as are the eyes and chee s.
This remedy appears more frequently in males than females. The Capsicum individu al is plump and round and lac ing stamina; he is in a sluggish and tired state and has a lazy constitution. The whole organism is sluggish, flabby and s low. This low vitality is due to faulty assimilation. Capsicum's abdomen feels li e a flabby sac with heavy intestines that drag him down. The Capsicum flabbiness is rather unique, though it may be confused with that of Kali bichromicum, Calcarea carbonica or Ferrum. Ferr. differs from Capsicum in that the redness of the chee s is circumscribed and the face pale. When Calc. is given to Capsicum patients, it tends to ma e them even more obese . The Capsicum pathology develops in stages li e most of our remedies, each stage possessing some common and some opposing characteristics. In the beginning stages, Capsicum patients are extremely sensitive. Psychologically, t hey tend to be so sensitive that they are easily insulted. They are quite insecure about social relationships, but are not withdrawn. They ma e an effort to be more gregarious than they actually are in order to hide their insecurity; consequently, it is often difficult to correctly determine their in ner psychological state. It is interesting to note that their insecurity and feeling of guilt (Mercurius, Natrum carbonicum) can produce a fear of the polic e.
Homesic ness They have strong emotions. However, what is truly strange about Capsicum is that their emotional attachments focuses on the past. Thus they frequently experience profound nostalgia. These feelings of nostalgia may be so strong as to overwhelm them; they may suffer so much from their sense of separation from the past that they believe they will die from the sorr ow and nostalgia. Nostalgia can actually bring about fever. Such feelings represent an archetypal 'homesic ness', a ey-note of Capsicum. If you encounter intense homesic ness with red chee s, sleeplessness and a burning feeling in the throat you must not hesitate to prescribe this rem edy. Sleeplessness due to homesic ness is a strong characteristic of Capsicum. They seem to live totally in the past. Their childhood and other pleasant past e xperiences are overwhelming. I recall one case of a man whose powerful nostalgia had such a grasp on his subconscious mind that he experienced very vi vid, repeated nostalgic dreams of his earlier years. Capsicum does
not experience his homesic ness only when he is away from home, but at any time he remembers the past. At some point these people are so overwhelmed with remembrances that they feel they will die, will burn out from the memories. The memories and consequent emotions are so strong and consuming that they may become intolerable. At this point the individual en ters the second stage of Capsicum. During this stage they bury all the memories and experience almost no feelings. They want to be left in peace; they are apathetic and often depressed. They can no longer be easily excited. One observes a lac of reaction in these obese patients. They are averse to doing anything outside of their customary routine. As a matter of fact, they love routine and hate anything une xpected. They seem to be happy with a boring, routine life. The organism seems too heavy, too slow to move on short notice. They hate all ex ercise and all effort, whether physical or mental. They feel heavy in body and mind. They are not fond of cleanliness. During this second stage Capsi cum can also become physically aw ward, as in Apis, Agaricus and Bovista. Though they do not li e physical exercise, if they do engage in it the y feel better.
. This second stage is not one of actual indifference, such as with Phosphoric aci d, nor is it the deathly void of Carbo vegetabilis. Instead, as this state progresses, Capsicum people develop tremendous anxiety and the feeling that the y are incapable of accomplishing much. They are ambitious, yet their ambition contains an element of paradox because they are also lazy and do not w ant to depart from their usual routine. They hope to accomplish a great deal while expending minimal energy. However, by this stage, their mental functioning has slowed down and they are duller than before. Realising their limitation, they fear that they cannot achi eve their goals. This fear leads to insomnia. After having felt fatigued all day, at night they only manage to sleep for only three or four hours before the y awa en feeling overwhelmed by anxiety. Their anxiety focuses mostly around their social insecurity. They have a great fear of being criticis ed. After about two hours of wa efulness they go bac to sleep. In the morning they wa e feeling very tired and unrefreshed. As they become anxious and depressed, they lose their joi de vivre. They become absorbed in themselves and feel thoroughly discontented. They suffer from sadness and mental depression, but I have yet to personally confirm the sy mptom reported by Kent of overwhelming thoughts of suicide. In my experience, they possess no fear of death, nor anxiety about health. They also tend not to reflect deeply on important issues in life, due to their indifference and laziness. Routine is all that they love. During this second stage there is a desire for stimulants. Capsicum has an overw or ed intellect. It is always in need of stimulants and tonics. When faced with a tas , they procrastinate; then, as the deadline draws near they re sort to stimulants to help them finish their wor . After ta ing stimulants they feel terrible. They become taciturn, sullen and obstinate, even to an extreme. They desire coffee, beer, whis y, and peppery food. They also greatly enjoy salt , though not to the extent of a craving. Everything they consume turns to fat. They often sleep in the following peculiar position: on their bac one hip partially flexed and abducted about ninety degrees, the nee of
with
the same side flexed, and the foot resting near the opposite nee. They find th at this particular posture helps them sleep.
Capriciousness
Capsicum is capricious. Mirth and hilarity alternate with bursts of indignation. One moment he is jocular, laughing and singing and the next angry from the slightest cause and weeping. He ta es offence at trifles, finds fault with others and is malicious. If someone offers him something, he will refuse it even though he may have wanted it earlier. He gets angry from coughin g. He utters jo es and witticisms, but has a tendency to ta e everything badly and easily flies into a rage. He is very clumsy and aw ward. He has ailments of emotional excitement; during a chill he becomes excited and irritable, with an acute sensitivity to noise. He gets very confused and is unable to thin clearly. He gets feverish a fter emotions; tearful during the heat. During both the chill and the heat he is easily startled; restless, nervous, and anxious. He feels confused, unrefreshed and frightened on wa ing in the morning, screams, and the fright remains all day. He is indifferent to everything and
disinclined to wor or thin ; the intellect is dull and sluggish, especially on wa ing in the morning and during a chill. He displays idiocy and imbecility, he goes around issing everyone; experiences delirium. In cases of sleep disturbance, if the patient goes to bed around 11 p.m. and wa es up (after three or four hours) around 2 a.m. , remaining awa e until approximately 5 a.m. , it will be all the easier to confuse such cases with Kal i bichromicum. Generally, Capsicum is worse from cold and ameliorated by warmth. Also, motion provides a general amelioration.
The capsicum child Overweight children with red faces, born to alcoholic parents, is a strong indic ation for Capsicum. These children are clumsy and aw ward, angry, irritable. They lose their temper very easily and frequently. The remedy is ind icated in schoolgirls who become very homesic and cannot study or wor ; they just want to go home. These children are headstrong, really obstinate and capricious. Capsicum childre n can be as capricious as Chamomilla and Cina. They can cry for days without any apparent reason (Antimonium crudum). They can refuse something just because you proposed it, though they may want it. If someone tells them to do a certain thing, they will do quite the opposite. They are frightened on wa ing in the morning; he awa ens with fright, screams, a nd the rest of the day he remains with the fear. They shrie during sleep (with dreams of ghosts and monsters) and wa e up in a fright (Stramonium) .
Generalities Usually these patients see consultation for varying complaints, peptic ulcers, palpitations, haemorrhoids, etc. You will try different remedies with them (Calcarea, Ferrum, Nux vomica, etc.), yet find the organism difficult to arouse until you find out about the extraordinary nostalgia for home and then Capsicum becomes apparent. Capsicum haemorrhoid cases can be difficult to diffe rentiate from Aesculus; the combination of haemorrhoids and a red face suggests both remedies. There are a number of physical symptoms very characteristic of Capsicum of which
two peculiar symptoms relate to chills: the hearing becomes very acute during a chill rendering the patient very sensitive to noise. Also, there is thirst before a chill, but drin ing aggravates. Both of these symptoms are ey-notes of the remedy. Thirsty after stool is another strange sy mptom. There is pain in the facial bones and particularly in the mastoid bone. Cases of severe mastoiditis with pronounced burning pain are almost exclusively Capsicum. There is a mar ed tendency to suppuration in every inflam matory process. There is ulceration in the mouth. These are chilly patients, sensitive to air, who hate draughts and want to be in a warm room. Even in normal weather the open air causes a chill. They are
sensitive to cold and to bathing. Capsicum dysentery or diarrhoea cases are associated with a pronounced burning s ensation in the rectum or a sensation of coldness in the rectum or scrotum. There can be coldness of the genitalia in the morning on wa ing. Eye inflammations with burning pains are typical. Smo ers and drin ers who suffe r from sore throat and pains that go to the ears, with foetid breath, can be Capsicum.. These patients are chilly. They cannot bear the slightest draught of either warm or cold air and, as such, are averse to going outside into the cold. The patient is better for heat and worse for cold. The body tends towards obesi ty and the stomach and abdomen become flabby. There is lac of reactive force, especially with overweight people; they can be older people who have become debilitated by disease or who have exhausted their vitality, especially by mental wor . Wea ness with a great desi re to lie down and sleep is manifest. He does not want to exert himself in the least. He shuns all motion and the vital force seems depleted. The muscl es are weary and painful; they burn and the pain is often accompanied by chill. The remedy acts with great intensity on the mucous membranes, produci ng a sensation of constriction. Myalgia, aching and jer ing of muscles are common. There are constricting sensations in the throat, chest, bladder and rectum; tear ing and stitching pains that move downwards. The mucous membranes become are dar , spongy or ooze bloody mucous; the circulation is sluggish. Very characteristic is a cough with foetid breath, or with a bad taste. The Caps icum cough is noteworthy for the offensive odour of the air expelled during the cough. Ailments appear from over-stimulation of the digesti ve system due to eating too many spices, especially peppers. Symptoms are usually left-sided. The patient desires coffee, which nauseates; alcohol, liquid food, spices and st imulants. These patients have the same prostration and feeble digestion as alcoholics. He is thirsty, but drin ing cold water causes him to shudder. Local burning comb ined with a general chill are indicative of this remedy. He experiences vertigo during chills, yawning and stretching before and during t he chills; violent thirst during the chills, but worse after drin ing; no thirst during fever or heat. There is trembling during fever; trembling from sexual arousal, while being care
ssed. The patient has one-sided paralysis in his joints; a sensation as if parts of th e body are about to go to sleep. He is aggravated by uncovering, bathing, drin ing, empty swallowing, lying with the head low down, at the beginning of motion. Continued motion ameliorates or ameliorates the part affected, or, on the contra ry, causes pain in the head as if it would split; going upstairs brings on asthma. He feels better while eating. Rest aggravates some headaches and ameliorates others. Capsicum exhibits general uncleanness of the body. 'All the senses are more acute. He shuns all movement He tends to start. His tem perament is contented; he is jocular and sings and yet on
the slightest cause he is disposed to get angry'. (Hahnemann). Capsicum is useful in gouty constitutions in which the joints crac and have gou ty deposits in them or in cases of stiff joints and joints which are clumsy and wea and soon give out.
Vertigo Vertigo in the morning on wa ing; during chill. He reels from side to side with giddiness. The senses are obtuse and the digestion torpid.
Head There can be an enlarged sensation of the head and pain in the head (burning, pe ppery) during cough. The brain feels as if it is too full or the head is too large. Confusion in the head. When moving the head and when wal ing, headache, as if the s ull would burst. Th robbing, beating headache, in one of the temples. Beating headache in the forehead. Pressive pain in the forehead. Drawing tearing pain in the left side of the head . A headache more shooting than tearing, which is worse when at rest, but mitigated by movement. A headache which stretches from within outwards, or one that feels as if the brain were too full. Drawing tearing pain in the frontal bone, more on the right side. He has attac s of a one-sided headache; d rawing, tearing and jer ing pain in the left side of the forehead with nausea and vomiting. Stitching pain in the vertex extending to the forehea d. Moving the head or eyes aggravates. He has darting, stitching pains which are worse during rest; better on motion. There is an aching above t he root of the nose, with stitches through the ear and over the eye. Wal ing in the cold air, draughts and cold bathing also cause a headache, but he at ameliorates the pain. Headache during chill. Pressing headache in the forehead, as though pressure from the occiput would for ce the brain out through the forehead, accompanied by a cutting pain coming forward from the occiput. The cutting pain is aggravated by rest and bet ter by wal ing. Loo ing up or stooping causes pressing and
stitching pain in the sides of the head. Megrim and hysterical cephalalgia. Swelling on the mastoid process behind the ear which is painful to touch. Periostitis and caries of the mastoid process. Eruption of herpes; corrosive, burning itching of the scalp ameliorated by scrat ching. Sensation as if the hair is being pulled out.
Eyes The eyes protrude from the soc ets and there is a sensation of enlargement, with burning and lachrymation. An aching pain in the eyes, as if from a foreign body. The eyes burn and are red in the morning and he has difficulty in opening them. They itch during coryza. Vision is poor in the morning and he sees blac
objects before the eyes.
Rubbing the eyes ameliorates the dim vision. During a chill the pupils are contracted.
Ears Tearing in the concha of the ear. An itching pain quite deep in the ear. An achi ng pain quite deep in the ear. The hearing is extremely sensitive during a chill and he cannot bear noise. Hearing is impaired from catarrh in the ears, also during pregnancy. Abscesses erupt behind the ear. Threatened caries of the mastoid process. Tearing pain behind the left ear. The mastoid bone and the petrous portion of the temporal bone become extremely painful and inflamed. The middle ear suppurates, the ear becom es very hot and the tympanum perforates; the cavity fills with thic , yellow pus. Pressive pain very deep in the ear when coughing. Stitching in the ear with the headache.
Nose Epistaxis. Creeping and tic ling in the nose as in stuffed coryza. Hoarseness. The nose is red but, though cold, but the tip is hot, in the evening. The nose bleeds, especially in bed in the mornings, and when he coughs there is a bloody mucous discharge from the nose. Thic mucus collects in the nose and throat and there is a viscid, tough dischar ge from the posterior nares. The nose gets stopped up and there is
crawling and tic ling inside. The left nostril and the tip burn and there is a constricting pain in the left nostril extending to above the left eye. Sneezing from tic ling in the trachea. Painful pimples erupt under the nostrils.
Face The face is red and cold and often alternates with paleness or has a dirty disco loration and the expression is haggard. Circumscribed redness of the chee with pain. Dilated veins give the typical red appearance to the face and are more pronounce d in the zygomatic areas. Facial neuralgia begins above the right temple, goes downwards over the face, es pecially to below the eye, and on the right side of the nose. Sensitive to touch which causes pain. Slight pressure brings on the pain. Crawling, tic ling burning li e fire, sensation as if there were hot needles run ning through the face, and fine threads drawn tightly through the face. Pain in the face, partly resembling bone pain, excited by external touch; partly li e fine pains, piercing the nerves, which are agonizingly painful when falling asleep. The pain burns li e needles, is worse in the evening and worse from touch. Redness of the face with asthma and with homesic ness is typical in a Capsicum c ase. There is red discoloration in spots. The face can be hot, but the hands and feet are cold. Pimples appear on the left side and below the nose and itching eruptions brea ut on the forehead.
o
Chaps on the lips; fissured lips. Acne on the lips; rosacea. The lips are swollen, crac ed and peeling; they smart and burn. Fissures appear on the lips or ulcers erupt, which ma e the lips very painful on motion.
Mouth Viscid mucus in the mouth. Watery insipid taste in the mouth, then heartburn. Bu rning, painful vesicles in the mouth. Foul, putrid taste in the mouth, followed by heartburn; food tastes sour. When coughing, the air from the lungs causes a strange, offensive taste in the m outh and the air expelled is unbearably foul and carrion-li e. The tongue is dry and discoloured green, but he is not thirsty; or there is copi ous saliva, which is viscid and offensive. He salivates during a chill.
Small, burning vesicles erupt on the tongue; the inside of the lips are full of flat, sensitive, spreading ulcers with a lardaceous centre. Pimples in the inner chee s. Ulcerative stomatitis. The palate is discoloured red and swallowing brings on a pinching pain. The teet h loo dirty and are painful; the pain extends upwards. The gums are hot, burning, swollen and sensitive. They become spongy and retract from the teeth.
Throat Tough congealed mucus in the posterior nares, on rising in the morning, requirin g much haw ing to dislodge. The throat burns and feels very sore with ulcers on the fauces. Burning and othe r pains in the throat, worse between acts of deglutition. Pain and dryness in the throat. The throat is inflamed, dar red, burning and pressing. There is painful pressure in the hard and soft palate while swallowing and the uvula elongates and feels as if it is pressing on something hard. There is spasmodic contraction of the throat with a convulsive, constricting cho ing feeling; paralysis of the throat. Continuous stitches in the throat, exciting trigger a dry, convulsive cough. Pressive pain in the throat, as if an abscess would burst, during a paroxysm of coughing. Burning ulcers in the fauces and throat. Tonsillitis with burning, smarting pain . In scarlatinal angina with redness of the face, small red spots on the face, bur ning vesicles in the mouth and on the tongue. Twitching tearing pain in the right cervical glands. Pain when swallowing, teari ng and jer ing pain in the external throat. Sore throat of smo ers and drin ers. Hoarse voice of public spea ers (Argentum nitricum).
Respiration The nose feels bloc ed, the throat rough and the voice becomes hoarse. Hoarseness from straining the voice, from singing or from tal ing. Excessive tingling and tic ling in the larynx, which is worse after lying down, in the evening. He develops a dry, hac ing cough, and the exhalation from the lungs causes a str ong offensive taste in the mouth. Inspiration causes a pain in the trachea. The breathing is deep, almost li e sig hing, and he feels as if he cannot get air deep enough into his lungs. Dyspnoea, which seems to rise from the stomach, or from fullness of the chest, a meliorated on sitting upright. Pain and stitches in the chest which impede respiration. Impeded respiration from flatulence.
Asthma with redness of the face and eructation. The chest feels distended and th e breathing is wheezy, worse when he is moving about, going upstairs or wal ing.
Cough
The cough is noteworthy for the offensive odour of the air expelled during the c ough. There may be bladder pain during a cough. With every explosive cough (and at no other time) there escapes a volume of pungent, foeti d air. When coughing he develops a headache, as if his s ull would burst. He frequently has a dry, paroxysmal, hac ing cough. The sudden paroxysms convuls e his whole body. Nervous, spasmodic cough; spasmodic autumn cough. As soon as his head touches the pillow at night he begins to cough. Coughing is painful and causes pain in distant places in his body; bladder, legs , ears. When he coughs he feels as if his head would fly to pieces; cough with a feeling of pulling upward from the stomach, up the chest to the th roat pit. Coughing with stitching in the epiglottis; in the pharynx. The cough is aggravated after anger, after warm drin s, worse in the afternoon, 5 to 9 p.m. , when lying down, after sharp winds, dry, cold weather, any draught, either warm or cold. Coffee aggravates the cough, but cold drin s ameliorate. Motion ameliorates the cough. The expectoration is a dirty brown and has an earthy taste. It is difficult to r aise and he is too wea to cough it out.
Chest Tightness of the chest, which appears to come from the stomach. Pain as if the c hest were constricted, which oppresses the breath, and increases on very slight movement. Throbbing pain in the chest; in the sternum during res piration. Pain and a sensation of constriction which arrests breathing and is worse even on slight motion and when sitting. The ribs seem di slocated. Lying down is also painful, and the sides of the chest ache. Raising the arm causes a sore, bruised pain in the region of the axilla. Coughing causes drawing pain in one or both sides of the chest, up to the nec . Drawing in the clavicle extending to the tips of the fingers. With the cough, there is a feeling of pulling upwards from the stomach, up throu gh the chest to the throat-pit. Pressing and stitching pain; worse with deep breathing. After eating there is a feeling of fullness and anxiety in the chest. The chest is very cold during a chill. The pulse is either irregular, intermitte nt and slow or full and strong and most frequent in the evening.
Stomach Appetite increased, alternating with aversion to food and complete anorexia. He desires stimulating foods and pungent flavours or strange, indigestible foods. He desires coffee but it ma es him feel nauseous. After drin ing it he will retc h or even vomit. There is much thirst, especially when the a chill begins but drin ing causes shu ddering.
Food tastes sour and after eating he suffers with chronic dyspepsia and eructati on. Pungent eructation on coughing. Dyspepsia from torpor, particularly in old people. Mucus and acids accumulate in the stomach, and there is much burning in the stom ach after eating. which extends to the mouth. The stomach either feels icy cold or burning. Vegetables cause flatulence. Flushes of heat extending that extend to the fauces. Dipsomania with morning vomiting and sin ing in the stomach. Nausea and vomiting, with headache, with a chill; nervous and spasmodic vomiting . Tension in the stomach that is aggravated by motion. Gnawing and cramping pain aggravated by sitting bent; stitching pain between bre aths and while tal ing; during the menses. The Capsicum stomach resembles a sac
that lac s strength.
Abdomen An aching tension in the abdomen, especially in the epigastric region, between t he scrobiculus cordis and navel, which is particularly increased by movement, at the same time with an aching tension in the lower part of the bac . A drawing and turning over in the abdomen. The abdomen is distended almost to bursting with the suspension of respiration, and he cannot bear tight clothing. He has a pressive tension, especially in the epigastric region, between the pit of the stomach and the navel. A tensi ve pain from the abdomen to the chest, as from distension of the abdomen. Sensation as if the abdomen was distended almost to bursting, whereby the breathing is impeded to the point of suffocation, and there are dragging movements and strong pulsation in the abdomen. Burning or cutting pain in the abdomen, such that he has to bend over double. Cu tting pain in the region of the umbilicus during motion, that is aggravated on stooping. The pain comes and goes slowly before a stool. Cramping and griping after eating and during fever. Pain in the hypogastrium from flatus. Stitching pain in the hypochondria during eructation and from motion; stitching pain in small spots in the iliac region. Coughing is painful and with each cough there is a catching pain in the area of
the liver or in the lower portion of the right lung. Drawing and twisting in the abdomen, with or without diarrhoea. The loins and inguinal glands are sore and there is a tendency towards strangulated inguinal hernia. The spleen enlarges and becomes hard and painful, especially during a chill. Colic, with cutting-twisting pain about the navel, and passage of tough mucus, r esembling diarrhoea, at times mixed with blac blood.
Rectum
Burning pain in the anus. Small frequent passages, consisting of mucus, at times mingled with blood and causing tenesmus, preceded by flatulent colic in the hypogastrium. Stools are frequent, small, greasy, hot or tough with much tenesmus and burning in the rectum and bladder. One may see great thirst after a stool. Dysentery with tenesmus and strangury; the pain is worse from a current of air, even if it is warm. The anus and rectum smart and burn; burning during pregnancy, or there is a sensation of coldness in the anus. Nocturnal diarrhoea with burning and smarting pain in the anus. Simultaneous ten esmus of the rectum and bladder. Afterwards there is tenesmus and thirst, but drin ing causes shuddering and seve re drawing pain in the bac . Constipation is ameliorated by drin ing but drin ing cold things can also bring on diarrhoea. Urging to defecate after drin ing. Diarrhoea in overweight people. Diarrhoea from currents of cold air on the abdomen. Swollen, itching haemorrhoids, which burn as if pepper was sprin led on them. Sc ratching aggravates the itching. They throb and are either blind or bleeding. The anus is sore and has a mucous d ischarge. Haemorrhoids during pregnancy. Suppression of the haemorrhoidal flow causes melancholy.
Urinary organs Frequent ineffectual urging to urinate, especially while sitting down. Scalding of urine. Painful urging to urinate with urging to stool. Dysuria during apyrexia. Frequent micturition with scalding, smarting and stic ing pain in the urethra. T he urine comes first in spurts and then in drops. Chordee; extreme sensitivity of the urethra. Cutting and biting pains which exte nd bac wards when not urinating and after urination. Stitching and needle-li e pain in the urethra, especially in the morning. Everted meatus; the meatus burns before urination. He passes pure blood from the urethra and it is very painful to the touch.
Strangury, tenesmus of the nec of the bladder; it becomes constricted, particul arly in the morning, and exertion causes the bladder to become paralysed with painful retention of urine. Stitching, stinging pain in the nec ches and burns.
of the bladder when coughing. The bladder a
Chronic, purulent discharge from the urethra, which is cream-li e and acrid, or bloody, yellow, slimy and thin. Renal pain, with or without calculi. Pain in the prostate gland after coitus; during gonorrhoea.
Genitalia - male Increased attac s of sexual passion with continued painful erections and extreme sensitivity in the urethra. The urethra is painful to the touch and oozes a white or cream-li e discharge; t he patient has chordee; cold water eases the discomfort. Protracted non-specific urethritis. The scrotum is cold, sexual desire disappears and he becomes impotent. The testi cles dwindle and the spermatic cords shrivel up. Coldness in the genitalia in the morning on wa ing. The testes become numb. Cramp-li e, testicular pain during and after emissions. Pain in the prostate gland; drawing pain in the spermatic cords during and after urination; pinching pain in the testes in the afternoon and while urinating.
Genitalia - female Disordered menstruation, with a pushing or stic ing sensation in the left ovaria n region. She feels nauseous during menstruation and there is pressure in the epigastrium. Metrorrhagia during menopause. During pregnancy a lot of problems: infection of the ears; heartburn, vomiting; mucous diarrhoea; haemorrhoids and burning in the anus.
Nec and bac The glands of the nec are swollen and painful and there is jer ing and tearing in the right cervical glands. The nec is stiff, but is ameliorated from motion. Pain in the cervical region with chill on coughing. Coughing causes pain all the way down the bac . Drawing-tearing pains in the bac and near the spine which are so bad that they force him to double up; stitching pain between the s capulae when breathing; drawing pain on motion.
Pain in the sacral region with dysentery. Drawing pain in the bac on standing a nd after stool; pulsating in the bac after stool; drawing downward pain in the lumbar region. The bac
is tense and stiff.
Coldness extends up and down the bac , and he has a sensation as if cold water w ere dropping down his bac . Shivering in the bac in the evening.
Extremities Cutting and shooting pain in the extremities on coughing or sneezing. Wea ness of the extremities is ameliorated on motion.
Upper limbs The hands and fingertips are cold; cold after eating, and the fingertips are col d, especially when the weather is hot. The finger joints crac , and the muscles and tendons of the first finger contrac t. Drawing and burning pain in the hands from motion or from washing in cold water. Stitching in the ball of the fourth finger. The palm of the hand twitches and there is a sensation of vibration in the hand. Pustules erupt between the fingers. The upper limbs itch and there is a sensation of formication. The upper limbs, especially the hands, feel heavy and wea while writing; the sh oulder feels as though it is dislocated; tearing pains in the elbow extend downwards to the fingers. Letting the arms hang down ameliorates. The upper limbs are stiff and extension is impossible.
Lower limbs Sciatica worse on bending bac ward and from coughing; also on stretching the leg and from touch, but motion ameliorates the pain. Caries of the right hip; the left leg becomes atrophied and painful. Drawing pain in the hip joint, which is worse from touch and on bending the trun bac wards. Pain shoots through the hip when he coughs, and the stitching pain extends down to the nee and to the foot. Outward stitching in the tips of the toes; the pain in the first toe is ameliorated by stamping. Trembling wea ness of the foot. There is a sore, bruised paroxysmal pain in the heel, which feels better if he e
xercises. The thighs ache, feel sore and bruised, and the pain travels downwards to the nee when he coughs or during an effort to urinate. Drawing pa in in the posterior part of the thigh, which is ameliorated on motion. Tensive pain in the
nee.
Cold sweat brea s out on the thighs in certain locations. He sweats on the legs when wal ing in the open air.
The lower limbs become aw ward and he noc s against things and stumbles when wa l ing. The nees and an les are lame; the an les are stiff and lame in the morning when he gets up. Paralytic stiffness of the joints when ris ing from sleep and on beginning to move, especially in the morning. The joints, especially the nees, crac , and the joints are sore and bruised and fe el as if they are dislocated. He has a sensation of paralysis. The extremities are painful on beginning to mov e and the feet are cold even though the face is hot. The limbs feel heavy and tired, but motion ameliorates the fatigue. The lower limbs tingle on getting up from sitting. They feel tremulous and wea . Rheumatic pain in the limbs with redness about the painful joint. The muscles and tendons of the calf contract and the extremities are drawn upwar ds during chill. Formication in the lower limbs, in the foot, which extends over the body.
Sleep Sleep full of dreams. Yawning. Sleeplessness from emotions, from homesic ness, o r from coughing. Sleeplessness from pain in the face. He yawns constantly, after eating, when he is chilly and especially during diarrhoea. The sleepiness he feels after eating is ameliorated by motion. He constantly wants to lie down and slee p. When he does go to bed he frequently wa es after midnight and then cannot sleep again. Comatose sleep with eyes open. His sleep is restless and full of dreams: dreams of fright, of falling from a he ight, of worries and difficulties.
Fever The chill begins in and extends out from between the scapulae to the whole body, accompanied by great thirst and ill humour. He gets chilled from the least draught of air and drin ing increases the chill and causes shivering and shuddering. Chills run up his bac and he feels thirst at the same time. He feels chilly externally but inwardly there is great burning. The chill occurs at 10:30 a.m. , beginning between the shoulders and running down the bac . Symptoms are worse during the evening, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Delirium tremens. Chill as if water is tric ling down the bac and he only feels better if he can sleep with something hot against his bac . He sweats with the chill. Chill in warm weather; during the fever; during diarrhoea; on moving. The chill begins in the morning or in the evening around 6 p.m. and he sha es an d shivers with it. Wal ing in the open air ameliorates the chill and the fever. The chill is followed by heat, by heat with sweat, or by sweat but without the i ntervening heat. Hectic fever from excitement, after emotions, and when he feels nostalgic, with violent burning and headache. There is an absence of thirst
during the heat, but the heat is followed by chill and then he is thirsty. The ears become hot towards the evening and the tip of the nose gets red and hot. Fever with intense heat during sleep. He sweats copiously all night an d the acrid perspiration is only ameliorated by motion. The perspiration is cold on the upper part of the legs. The fever goes in a succession of stages: heat, then cold sweat, followed by the chill. He shudders with the heat. Internal heat with external chill.
S in The s in loo s bloated and flabby and is burning. It itches in spots and is wors e from scratching, particularly when going out into the cold open air. Scarlet eruptions appear on the nec and breast and the face is bright red or it alternates between red and a mottled appearance. Eruptions of carbuncles or stinging pimples. Pseudo-herpetic eruptions appear on the forehea d; on the face they itch and burn. Corrosive, discharging eruptions; with ulcerative pain. Coldness of the affected parts. Cold gangrene from burns or gangrenous sores. Withered warts.
Clinical Amaurosis. Asthma. Brain, irritation of. Delirium tremens. Cough. Diarrhoea. Dip htheria. Dysentery. Ear affections. Glandular swellings. Haemorrhoids. Headache. Heartburn. Hernia. Homesic ness. Intermittents. Lungs, affections of. Measles. Mouth, ulcers in. Neuralgia. Nose, affections of. Obesity. Oesophagus, stricture of. Paralysis. Pleuro-pneumonia. Pregnancy, disorders of. Rectum, diseases of. Rheumatic gout. Rheumatism. Sciatica. Scrofula. Seasic ness. Stomatitis. Throat, sore. Tongue, paralysis of. Trachea, tic ling in. Urine, disorders of. Whooping-cough. Yellow fever.
Relations
Compare: Arn., Bell. (headache), Bry. (headache from cough); Canth. (burning pai ns, throat symptoms, dysentery, urinary symptoms); Pso. (lac of reaction; despair of recovery; Caps. in persons of lax fibre); Lach. (thirst be fore chill; continues into chill; drin ing worse; also Elaps); Nat-m., Carb-v. and Meny. (intermittents; Nat-m. is the 'chronic' of Caps.); Carb-an. a nd Nit-ac. (inflammation behind ears, Aur. and Nit-ac. preferable in abscess; Sil. in chronic suppuration); Ph-ac. (homesic ness; Caps. has red face ); Ars., Alum., Carb-v., Lyc. have burning pains worse by heat. Merc.,
Nit-ac., Sul. have passage of blood from bowels. Crot-t. (after drin ing urging to stool); Hell. (colic with spasm of bladder); Plat. (burning, pungent pain in face, worse slightest draught of air, warm or cold). Compare also Solanaceae. Antidoted by: Calad., Camph., Cina, Chin., Sul-ac. , or vapour of burning sulphu r. It antidotes: effects of Alcohol, Coffee, Opium, Quinine. Compatible: Bell., Lyc., Puls., Sil.
Carbo animalis Animal Charcoal. Made from charred ox-hide. C (impure). Contains Calc. phos. Trituration.
The essential features The Carbo animalis patient is a burnt-out individual lac ing self-confidence, wi thout stamina, and with a lot of fears, anxieties and delusions. He has almost all of the characteristics of someone who has lost the ability to fend f or himself, and so is burning himself out fast and furiously. Anybody can as him for whatever they want and ta e it from him; Carbo animalis has no power to resist, to say, "No, I am very tired now; I cannot do that." He no longer notices the needs of his own body, but only pays attention to the demands of others and feels obliged to fulfill them even at the cost of his own further exhaustion. He does not perceive the danger signals his body is sending him. A Carbo animalis person feels wea and prostrated. He simultaneously feels that he does not count, is nothing at all, is a non-entity, lac s an ego. He believes that others do not ta e him seriously, though others actually feel tha t he is a very sweet person, very ind, very giving, and one who will give in to their demands In my experience, the Carbo animalis symptomatology has two main different stage s. In the initial stage we have an individual who is always mentally
tired and desires to be alone - a sad and reflective person who avoids any conv ersation. He feels so tired, and at the same time has so many feelings of inferiority and incompetence, that he does not want to meet anybody or confr ont any challenges. He does, however, complete his wor and duties with efficiency. At this stage there are many feelings, fears and anxieties tha t disappear in the second stage. They feel their whole organism is vulnerable and they feel so incompetent, that many times the remedy is often confused with Baryta carbonica. Carbo animalis, though, presents other symptoms to differentiate it from both Anacard ium and Bar-c. who also lac self-confidence.
The feeling of homesic ness is particularly prominent in this remedy. In the rep ertory we find it in bold letters, and rightly so. Very characteristic of Carbo animalis is a strong emotional attachment to the family, which is the onl y place he feels secure, and he always returns to this safe place, his home. In Carbo animalis people there is such a yearning for the childhood love of their parents that was experienced while at home and eventually lost in the challenges of life, that they return again and again to these feeli ngs with an almost irresistible desire to return home. The homesic ness of Carbo animalis is so acute that it is painful. They return again and again to t he original family home where they first felt secure and loved; they return, li e wounded birds, from the atrocities and hardness of life. It is not so much these atrocities as the peculiar unhealthy state of the Carbo animalis mind that is responsible for this home-sic ness. The feeling they have when they want to go home is an unhealthy one, a painful y earning, and though they now it is detrimental and brings them pain, they cannot resist it. The Carbo animalis patient, more than any of the other r emedies, has real home-sic ness, the real desire to go bac home. This feeling will usually be at its worst in the morning and ameliorate in the eveni ng. 'Feels as though abandoned and full of homesic ness in the morning' (Hahnemann). Other remedies li e Capsicum will return bac to their past and re live with great vivacity their experiences - so strongly that they feel they may die - but they do not yearn specifically for their home. In order to comprehend the action of the remedy we must ta e several other eleme nts into consideration: Carbo animalis affects the mind deeply, and ma es it sluggish, slow and passive, a mind that refuses to move, is unable to ta e decisions. The mind is confused and can only function in a minimal way. The patient feels as if his mind has stopped functioning; had stopped refl ecting at a certain point in his life, and since then wor s at only a tenth of its capacity. Carbo animalis patients complain about this stoppage of the mind, that within one month can ma e them feel that they have grown old and intellectually impotent. They often identify the specific point in time when they began to notice the deterioration. The mind under stress, grief, drugging, etc. has stopped functioning. Before, they had great ideas and a lot of vivacity, and suddenly they lost everything: their energy, their clarity of mind, their capacity for reflection. A job that would ta e a h ealthy individual an hour will ta e Carbo animalis three hours to accomplish. This is due not only to confusion but also to the fact that they la c self-confidence, and cannot be certain if they have done something correctly.
The confused feeling in the head is often most prominent in the morning: the pat ient might not even now if he is asleep or awa e; he may constantly feel as if in a wa ing dream. It may be coupled with a mournful feeling of isolation , of being forsa en, with a great tendency to weep. 'Discouraged and sad; everything seems so sad and lonely that she wants to weep.' Aside from fee ling homesic , there may also be a grievous or vexatious 'dwelling' on the past. 'Grievous thoughts that he cannot get rid of, and vexed by present as well as past things, even to weeping.' A strange symptom might be added here, viz., a sensation as if objects have been 'altered.' 'The objects i n the street seem altered to him, for instance farther apart and brighter than usual, as in an empty, abandoned town.' We not only see melancholy in Carb o animalis, but also angry and irritable moods: 'Angry immediately on wa ing.' 'Ta es everything in bad part.' He does not want to tal or to do anyt hing; the one thing he wants to do is to 'go home.' Such moods are accompanied by great lassitude, so much so that he is hardly able to tal , and by much yawning and stretching. (In women, this state comes on easily after the menses have set in.)
There are many fears and anxieties; Carbo animalis patients are easily frightene d and feel very apprehensive. In the evening, especially in the dar , they may experience a ghastly dread, even to the point of shuddering and weepin g; and before sleep horrible faces crowd around them in their imagination. Closing the eyes ma es everything worse and the patient is often t oo scared to do so. A proving symptom says, for example: 'Before falling asleep, fear of suffocation, when lying, on closing the eyes, which onl y disappears on sitting up and opening the eyes, thus preventing sleep all night ...' It is stri ing that states of fear and anxiety most often occur at night: a stro ng fear of the dar is characteristic. Such states ma e the patient extremely restless and nervous; he will toss about and finally be driven out of bed. Sitting up or standing up often brings some relief. The anxiety states may be coupled with flushes of heat or ebullition of blood. 'At night, a nxiety and ebullition of blood, so severe that she has to sit up.' 'Heat in head with anxiety, evening in bed; has to stand up which relieves.' Another fear is of impending evil. It may appear after a very exhausting ejacula tion that depletes the patient mentally as well as physically. The patient can have a fear of suddenly falling off the chair, a fear of fainting or of 'ha ving a fit' (as the Repertory puts it). Other fears are: of impending disease; of crowds; of insanity. In the second stage, the original fears and anxieties disappear and are replaced by a deep state of indifference and fatigue. In this state, the Carbo animalis patient does not care whether he lives or dies, yet he continues with his everyday duties as if nothing were wrong; he doesn't want others to now. The patient feels a deep-seated indescribable anxiety, as if he were guilty of s omething. This wa es him up after only three or four hours of sleep, and he cannot go bac to sleep for another two or three. He is, however, so tired t hat he cannot get up or do any wor , even though he nows that he'll be awa e for a while. If he stays in bed, he eventually falls asleep, for another half-hour up to an hour, and then wa es in the morning feeling very tired. He remains fatigued the whole day and then goes to bed early due to exha ustion. He then falls asleep immediately, but after two or three hours, occasionally four, he once again wa es up, feels very tired and yet is u nable to go bac to sleep. They are easily irritated due to exhaustion and can brea out in shouting at tho se close to them for trivial reasons. An obstinate trait shows up; their
opinions become unchangeable and they are impossible to please, yet they tolera te utter nonsense from strangers and try to accommodate others. Regardless of what is requested, they cannot refuse to help others, regardless of what their body is telling them. For instance, they won't go to rest or to sleep when their body 'claims its righ ts'. The reason for this is that they do not believe that lying down will provide them with rest. They actually drive themselves on by mustering extra en ergy from reserves all the time. Their fatigue, exhaustion and indifference are such that their natural inclination would be to sit down and d o nothing, but their conscience does not allow them to do so. Carbo animalis people, therefore, avoid people and parties. What others experience as great enjoyment, such as going to a bar or a disco, is torture for them. They behave li e old people who just want to be left alone and quiet; who feel better that way. Whether they live or die is immaterial to them, as life is such an effort. They have a strong desire to weep, yet at this stage they often can no longer do so. On occasion their mood may improve a little in the evening.
In this second stage, due to their exhaustion, they accomplish very little, whic h is why they are constantly in a hurry. They feel they can never do or accomplish all the wor that they should be doing. If they feel sad or tired th ey prefer not to show it, and do not want to be comforted or consoled; they feel that others may be doing it out of pity or duty, and do not li e it. One has to approach them with sincere love and interest; only then might they be able to accept consolation. Hopelessness and thoughts of death are freq uently present, yet these people no longer fear death. The mental capacities are very much affected. Concentration and reflection are d ifficult and only managed due to an effort of will, once again depleting their reserves. The confusion and dullness of the mind in the morning is more pronounced than ever. Sometimes a nosebleed follows such confused states, and after that the patient feels a little better. There are ev en sudden feelings of stupefaction in the head, when sitting or when moving the head or wal ing. The senses of sight and hearing and all thin ing ac tivity cease for a period of time, or, alternately, the occiput feels mar edly dull. Motion in cold damp air aggravates these states, but resting in a warm room relieves them. The memory is disturbed, and Carbo animalis forgets words while spea ing, includ ing the word he just said. He lac s the ability to express his thoughts; feels incapable of writing a letter. The general lassitude and wea ness can be heard in his speech, which has become laborious, slow, and very soft. The patient sounds as if he were drun .
Generalities The disease processes of Carbo animalis usually develop slowly and deeply, 'insi diously', as Kent calls it. This is very close to the other carbon, Carbo vegetabilis, which also has the great wea ness and prostration that result even from small vital losses and from exhausting diseases. However, a special feature of Carbo animalis is its tendency to infiltration and induratio n. 'Just as sure as an organ in the Carbo animalis patient becomes congested it becomes hard and purple from infiltration, and has a tendency to r emain so.' (Kent). Hard, frequently purple-red swellings of the lymph nodes in the axillae and nec , or of the glands, especially the mammae, h ave often been helped with this remedy, as have other infiltrated hypertrophic processes, especially of the abdominal glands and in t he genital region. These are 'indolent' processes, in which the tendency
to suppurate is almost nil. This is completely different from other remedies su ch as Hepar sulphuris, Mercurius, and Sulphur in which the inflammatory process is speeded up. As far as the remedy action is concerned, the 'sluggish' quality of the mind has already been discussed above. This quality manifests itself on all levels of the organism. Carbo animalis is overall a passive remedy. 'The Carbo animali s inflammation comes on slowly, its progress is slow, and there is no tendency to repair' (Kent). There is a lac of reaction. Along with this, we ha ve extreme prostration: 'Wea ness with want of energy of the body, with confusion of the head.' The circulation is also sluggish: the veins tend t o be distended, the s in can become cyanotic, especially the hands and feet. Every ind of strain, stress or drain on the system can easily produce gr eat debility, generally or locally - small losses of fluid, over-lifting, cold air or draught, etc. The joints are wea and easily dislocated. The digest ion is wea and sluggish, everything eaten may cause complaints, especially flatulence. In gaseous distension of the abdomen, following a surgic al operation, the remedy competes with its closest relative, Carbo
vegetabilis, and Tyler values it even higher than the latter: 'Nothing could be more stri ing than its prompt relief of flatulent distension after operations on the abdomen. One has seen that more than once.' The pains that Carbo animalis causes and cures are frequently intensely burning in character. In an 'involuntary proving' related by Mezger, where a man was exposed to the smo e of the charring hooves of cattle, on the third day a violent burning came on in the mucous membranes, first in the ears, then the eyes, the pleura region and the idney region, and also in an old scar from a burn. Interestingly, on the s in, above the left inguinal ligament, an 'eruption' as large as a dove's egg appeared. It was purple or livid coloure d, too a long time to heal and itched and burned very much. We can also refer to Kent who reports: 'The woman has so much burning in the vagina th at she persuades the physician to ma e a more careful examination . than he has done. He will probably find the whole cervix inflamed; purple and s omewhat enlarged. She says it burns li e coals of fire' Another feature is a tendency to ulceration and decomposition, along with a foul, acrid discharge. As Noac /Trin s put it, 'Carbo animalis corresponds to the process of putrefaction.' Regarding all the above general characteristics, Kent's indication 'in ulcers and fistular openings, where the walls become hard and burn, and the discharge becomes acrid' is easily seen. Small wonder, then, that Carbo animalis has been used in tumours and other infec tions that are suspected to be malignant, if the characteristic local and general symptoms agree. Kent reports favourable experiences with Carbo animalis in certain cancer cases with hard, infiltrating tumours, dar -coloured, purple surface, burning pain, acrid discharge, much bleeding and night-sweats, though with an important qualification: 'It has relieved in incurable cases, and has apparently removed the cancerous co ndition for years, even though it comes bac afterward and ills. This remedy is often a great palliative for the pains that occur in cancer, the indu rations and the stinging, burning pains. Of course we do not want to teach, nor do we wish to have you infer, that a patient with a well-advanced ca ncerous affection, such as scirrhus, may be restored to perfect health and the cancerous affection removed. We may comfort that patient, and restore o rder at least temporarily, so that there is freedom from suffering in these malignant affections. Most patients that have cancer are really in such a state of disorder that only a temporary cessation of 'hostilities' can be expected; and anyone who goes around boasting of the cancer cases he has cured ought to be regarded with suspicion. Do not dwell upon the cancer,
for it is not the cancer but the patient that you are treating.' Mezger describes his experience with Carbo animalis in a recent case of malignan t disease. Dr. Berndt describes a patient who came to him after X-ray treatment of a chronic lymphatic leu aemia. He loo ed as if he were about to di e, with lymph nodes swollen to the size of a fist at the nec , the axillae and the groin; a waxy complexion; listless, apathetic; unbearable pain; extreme meteorism; a cold, purple-coloured nose, icy cold hands and so on. Berndt wanted to give him an analgesic injection to help him die without th e excruciating pain, but then found out that although the patient said his feet were warm, they seemed to be even colder to the touch than his hands. This symptom 'feet icy cold, but doesn't feel it', together with the general picture, the glandular swellings, the gaseous abdominal distension and the apathy, made him thin of Carbo animalis, which he gave intending to palliate, fearing that the patient would die the same night. The next day, h owever, the patient was much better, the pain had ceased, the lymphatic swellings receded and three months later an examination at the hospital showed that the blood data had much improved! The report said: 'For the time being, further treatment not necessary.' This is certainly not a 'cancer cure', but what ind of treatment could have helped the patient better than
homeopathy? Geu ens's Homoeopathic Practice also reports several cases where (as it turned o ut) non-malignant mammary tumours, which were also recurrent, were treated. The doctors, following Kent's advice, treated the patient, rather than the cancer. The symptom of great homesic ness, together with burning pain (not necessarily at the site of the tumour, but, for example, in the or heels), decided the case in favor of Carbo animalis, and again the
nees
results were favourable. The 'disorderly distribution of material' in the hypertrophic states has its ana logy in the circulation system, as pointed out by Kent. There is beating in the blood vessels, 'throbbing and pulsating in the whole body, worse in the eve ning' (Hahnemann). There are also flushes of heat and ebullition of the blood or local congestion without heat. 'A rushing of heat as though the body w as full of steam. Awful sensation through the chest and in the head, li e some great earthqua e ta ing place' (Kent). A useful indication: 'In pleurisy where everything is cured but 'the stitch', an d that remains' (Guernsey). Some additional modalities: Worse: especially while eating, but often also afterwards, especially from eatin g fatty food; during and after menses; from shaving; from lying on the side. Worse from cold air and draught, from becoming cold, sometimes from damp cold air, but more frequently from dry cold (Aconitum). Dr. Gaublomme (Small Remedies) observed an aggravation in a Carbo animalis case fro m a change in weather from wet to dry, an interesting modality, which requires further confirmation. Relief of pain comes from laying a hand on the affected part.
Vertigo Vertigo especially in the morning, often followed by epistaxis. Vertigo with nausea, especially on rising after stooping, compelling the patient to sit bent, or to lie down. For instance: 'On stooping, heaviness in forehead as if the brain should fall forward; on rising again, vertigo so stron g that she almost fell to the ground.' Or: 'As soon as she raised her head, everything turned with her; urging to sit bent, with staggering on standi ng up; with dullness in head, and as though all objects were moving;
entirely ceasing when lying down; but recurring in the morning on rising.' When sitting, she experiences vertigo as if she is about to fall bac wards off t he chair, with dullness of the head. A strange symptom is: 'Vertigo after shaving' (Hering).
Head Heaviness of the head: in the morning, with dim vision and watery eyes; or at ni ght, with lassitude of the lower limbs, is hardly able to lift them.
Sensation in the forehead as if something lay above the eyes, which prevents loo ing up. It has also been described as a feeling 'as from a weight' or 'as from a board before the forehead'; Hahnemann explains: 'a sensation li e the one felt when immediately approaching, after exposure to severe cold, the hot stove.' The heaviness in the forehead is most felt on stooping 'a s though the brain should fall forward. There is a sensation of heat in the forehead along with the heaviness, but which is cold to the touch. Painful sensation of looseness in the head during motion, also from coughing; wo rse in cold air; better from warmth, from lying in bed. These 'feelings of looseness' may be very intense, even amounting to a sensation 'as of a tornado in head' (Hering).Or else: 'Splashing sensation in left half of brain when wal ing fast.' The aggravation from cool or cold air is character istic of a lot of head symptoms. For instance: 'Boring drawing pains, intermingled with tearings, aggravated when the head becomes cool, especially t owards the ear.' There is a rush of blood to the head, with a dull, confused, heavy feeling, espe cially in the occiput; also a pressive feeling in the head followed by epistaxis. The patient experiences nervous, congestive headaches: pressure in t he occiput arising soon after eating, with sensitivity of the scalp; often in connection with digestive disturbances, flatulence. Heat in the head, with anxiety, in bed, ameliorated by getting up. Stitches and painful throbbing in the occiput or in the vertex, even with a burs ting sensation, which come on easily when wal ing. Or: there are tearings and throbbing in the entire head and face, orbitae, ears, side of face, chee one, and lower jaw, which are somewhat relieved by pressure of the
b
hand. Pain in the vertex, which feels as if the s ull is being split or torn apart. Th e patient must hold his head with his hands (even for many hours) for fear it will fall apart. The pain may move forward, into the forehead. Tearing pain in the right side of the head. The scalp is often extremely sensitive to cold air, especially if dry, and to an y pressure or touch, with or without the headaches. Tension of the s in at the forehead and vertex; it seems to be involuntarily 'drawn up'. Eruptions of the scalp, especially if forming crusts, have been cured with the t his remedy. There may be intense itching, an urge to scratch to the point of bleeding, but without relief of the itching.
Eyes In the eyes there is also a feeling of looseness, as if they were lying loose in their soc ets; he feels he does not have the power to exert them to see clearly. Nets seem to swim before the eyes, or many small blac in regular lines, by candle-light.
and yellow spots are seen
Dim, foggy sight, eyes are wea , cannot do anything which requires exertion of t he eyes. There is a tendency to far-sightedness (Carbo vegetabilis: to near-sightedness). Pressive pain in the eyes in the evening, with artificial light.
Ears The most important symptom here is a special ind of wea and 'confused' hearing : the sounds are commingled, and he cannot tell from which direction they come. 'It seems to him as though they came from another world.' This may manifest, for example, in his inability to understand what someone is saying to him if the television is on at the same time. He hears ringing or whistling noises in the ears all night; or else on wal ing o r blowing nose. The periosteum behind the right ear is swollen, with stitches in it. Swelling an d induration of the parotis, with lancinating pain. Otorrhoea is ichorous, offensive, acrid. Pain from the ear down the Eustachian t ube to the pharynx, ma es swallowing difficult.
Nose The tip of the nose is red and painful when touched; it is often crac ed, with b urning and tensive aching; also swollen. This feature may come on or be aggravated during the menses. The nose is purple-colored; there are hard bluish tumours on the tip. An internal soreness may accompany the external swelling. There are vesicular er uptions around the nostrils, often with ulceration, and they tend not to heal. Nosebleed: regularly in the morning, preceded by vertigo, or by pressure and con fusion of the head; also in the morning when sitting. There is fluent coryza with loss of smell, yawning and much sneezing. Or dry cor yza, such that the patient is unable to breath through the nose, especially in the morning on wa ing, disappearing on rising or else continuing for some time after wa ing. Carbo animalis may be useful in common colds with coryza and a sore throat, with a scraping pain in the throat that is worse in the evening and at night and particularly felt on swallowing. Sometimes tough mucous discharges from the choanae hang down into the pharynx i n strings. There are offensive discharges; ozaena.
Face The face is pale or earthy, has an emaciated appearance, the eyes are deep set; or there is a bluish tinge to the chee s and lips. A brownish-yellow saddle over the bridge of the nose can be a
ey-note.
There are many facial eruptions of different inds: indolent pimples, red macula e, brown or pin spots, copper-coloured eruption as in rosacea; acne. Carbo animalis has cured erysipelas of the face.
There is heat in the head and face in the afternoon; during lunch, with much fac ial perspiration; also at night. The s in is sensitive, for instance, to shaving, with aching at the chee s and c hin and around the mouth. Both lips are burning and swollen; forming blisters; dry, crac ed, even bleeding . Swelling of the submaxillary glands, hard and purple-coloured. An indication by Hahnemann: 'Stitches in chee bones, lower jaw and teeth.' C Mouth The mucous membranes of the buccal cavity are raw and often painful, with format ion of blisters that may ulcerate and provo e a burning pain. Blisters or vesicles on the tongue (tip and edges) appear and feel painful, as if burnt; the tip of the tongue burns. Red, swollen, very painful gums, easily forming boils or pustules; also bleeding ; and drawing pain in gums. Knotty indurations in the substance of the tongue, which can be as large as a ch erry. The teeth are very loose and, he is unable to chew even the softest food without pain. The teeth are also sensitive to cold and to salty food; toothache is most violent in the evening in bed. There is a bitter taste in the mouth, every morning; also a putrid taste. The jaws are quic ly and easily fatigued from eating. The mouth and tongue feel as though they are immovable, so as to produce laborious, drawling and very low speech. The tongue is red, with a yellow coat in the centre, or with a slimy coating. The tongue and palate are dry. Salty water or much increased thin saliva, tasteless but of sweet and putrid sme ll, runs from the mouth, sometimes with a strange and disagreeable sensation of coldness in the mouth, apparently rising from the abdomen. These s ymptoms have been especially observed in severe diseases of the digestive tract (ulcers or cancer of stomach, pancreatic infection, etc.).
Throat There is a raw sensation all over the pharynx and oesophagus down to the pit of the stomach, which is not increased by swallowing.
Roughness of the throat, which appears every morning, and disappears after brea fast. A sore throat with burning pain li e heartburn, down to the stomach, is slightl y relieved after eating and drin ing; worse in the evening, at night, and in the morning, but better after rising. Pressure in the throat, only when swallowing. Much mucus in the throat, and much haw ing as well as blowing of the nose.
Respiration Hoarseness with rough throat, in the morning, but even worse in the evening. Or hoarseness by day and complete loss of voice during the night; awa es with severe coughing, anxiety and perspiration, and cannot get enough air. Irritated by coughing with constriction of the larynx and spasm of the chest. Cough from a tic ling sensation in the trachea, relieved after eating. Pain in the trachea as from coughing for a long time. Severe dry cough in the morning on rising and nearly all day, sha ing the hypoga strium as if everything would fall out; has to sit down and hold her belly with the hands; loose rattling in the chest before she loosens mucus by coughing. Suffocating, hoarse cough, excited from rawness and dryness in the larynx and tr achea; without expectoration by night, but with grey or greenish sputa by day, sometimes purulent and tasting putrid and sour. One prover report ed that the cough seemed to be 'excited only in a small spot, size of an inch [2.5 cm], in the right chest.' Dry cough at night, only when lying on the right side. Coughing excites a sore pain in the hypogastrium; or a sensation of looseness of the brain. Dyspnoea and oppression of the chest, especially in the morning and after eating ; with gasping or a wheezing inspiration. Violent constriction or compression of the chest, as if he were about to suffocate. The dyspnoea is oft en accompanied by anxiety and a discouraged, low-spirited mood that may amount to 'whining desperation.' Rattling or when breathing when lying in bed in the evening. Fear of suffocation on closing the eyes when lying in bed in the evening; reliev ed by sitting up and opening the eyes. Burning in the chest, with pressive pain; or sharp burning stitches. Violent pain in the whole chest as if it might burst, with an internal, sore pai n. Sensation of coldness in the chest; in the praecordia; from the front right thro ugh to the bac . The remedy is suitable in 'lingering' pleurisy and other respiratory infections with slow and sluggish development and lac of reaction; or else in the ensuing convalescence where only the stitching pain is left.
Heart The patient experiences violent palpitations: in the morning on wa ing, compelli ng him to lie completely still with his eyes closed and without tal ing; when singing in church. Each heart beat is felt in the head. Stitches in the heart from tal ing and a sensation as if chest and heart were to rn when moving the arms; with constriction of the chest and a sensation
of suffocation.
Stomach Complete loss of appetite; nothing tastes good. Sometimes there is an empty, fai nt, 'all gone' feeling in the stomach, but without any hunger and appetite, and which is not at all improved by eating. This symptom may come on after breast-feeding her child. 'So wea that she cannot eat' (Hering). The patient may also feel ravenous hunger. Aversion to fat is prominent, especially to fat meat which causes complaints: lo ng-continued nausea, vomiturition, much empty eructation. Desire for vegetables, especially for raw sauer raut, with aversion to meat is characteris tic. There is a desire for sour and refreshing things. Averse to tobacco smo e which causes nausea; sometimes to cold drin ing. Digestion is generally poor and sluggish, and almost everything eaten causes com plaints of one sort or another. Eating causes a lot of complaints, in the digestive system as well as in general: tires the patient, creates fatigue in t he jaws and chest and causes heat and sweat in the face; triggers a burning pain in the stomach, and especially inflation of the abdomen (whereas s ome other symptoms, such as rawness or roughness in the throat, are relieved). There is much belching, tasting of the food eaten a long time before; it is also putrid and fishy tasting, or sour; ineffectual eructation with pain. He experiences hiccup and hiccup-li e eructations during and after meals, which have a sudden onset. Nausea at night; after eating meat. Heartburn and water brash. 'Attac of water brash, salty water running from the mouth, with retching and cramp-li e feeling in jaws, followed by violent empty eructation with cold feet; afterwards hiccup for half an hour.' T his symptom has led to the use of Carbo animalis in ulcers and even cancer of the stomach. Clawing and griping stomach pain; or pressure as if from a load, especially seve re when lying in bed in the evening, and ameliorated by laying the hands on the stomach; spasmodic, constricting pain; and particularly burning. Or ther e is an annoying sensation of coldness around the stomach, which is ameliorated by pressure and rubbing; often in wea
nursing women.
Gurgling or audible rumbling in the stomach, especially in the morning on wa ing .
Abdomen Excessive gaseous distension of the abdomen, after eating, after surgery, but al so constantly. Eructation and discharge of flatus usually ameliorates (the opposite of China). Motions in the distended abdomen, with discharge of fo etid flatus. Incarcerated flatus, with audible rumbling.
Stitch-li e, pinching pain in the morning in bed, as from accumulated flatus; am eliorated by the discharge of flatus, stool, or urine. A feeling in the left flan , on sitting down, as if a large heavy body were lyin g there; after pressing upon it, relief by passing flatus. Burning or constrictive, pinching pain. A heavy lump seems to lie in the abdomen, for days, also felt when fasting. Liver pain: severe pressive pain, almost a cutting pain, also externally sore to the touch; pressure in the liver, even when lying down. Burning and stitches in the spleen. Infection of the pancreas. The hypogastric and inguinal regions are much affected. A special sensation is ' a pain in the hypogastrium, right side, as if something would squeeze through there.' 'Tearing transversely across the os pubis, extending to the pudenda and anus.' 'Stitches in the groin, also at night, disturbing sleep and wa ing her.' The remedy has been used in inguinal hernia. 'Distension here and there at the b elly, li e hernia.' Carbo animalis has a strong affinity to the mesenteric, and especially inguinal lymph nodes. It exhibits hard, purple-coloured swellings with no tendency to heal. In olden times, it was much used in buboes with callous edges and ichorous, offensive discharge.
Rectum and stool There is severe burning in the rectum and anus. Very swollen haemorrhoids, with burning pain on wal ing. The anus is often sore, with moisture exuding from it. Stic y, odourless moistur e exudes from the rectum or from the perineum, behind the scrotum. Stitches at the anus with the soreness. Easy chafing between the buttoc s with the formation of blisters. When not defecating, there is a cutting drawing sensation from the anus through the coccyx. Or else: tearing transversely across the os pubis, and then through the pudenda, as far as the anus. Carbo animalis may be indicated in enteritis and tumours of the rectum with acri d, burning, and offensive discharges. Constipation: stools scanty, delayed; hard and crumbling, only discharged with g reat exertion, as though the abdominal muscles were inactive; very
hard, preceded by a shivering over the head as if icy cold water had been poure d over her; with passage of blood; with pain in the small of the bac and inflation of the whole abdomen, up to the chest. Pressure on the rectum as though for stool, but only flatus is discharged and th e pressure comes bac again at once. Soft stool, preceded by dragging at the os pubis; with mucus loo ing li e the co agulated white of egg. Drawing sensation from the anus through the pudenda, before stool. Tearing upwar ds from the pudenda into the abdomen, during stool.
Urinary organs Renal colic, sometimes very violent. Stitching pain in the idney region; idney pain on wal ing, relieved while sitting. Cutting pain in the ureters. Increased urging and an increased amount of urine at night, with frequent urinat ion. Urging to urinate after defecation. Burning and sore pain in the urethra while urinating. The stream of urine may be intermittent. Foetid urine; reddish coloured; or turbid, of an orange colouring; or yellow, wi th a loose with loose sediment soon after micturition. The sediment has a yellowish-white colour.
Genitalia - male Absence of sexual desire, even when a stimulus is present. The male sexual organ s can be completely relaxed, with a feeling of wea ness in them. A prover reported that the usual morning erection was missing after ta ing the re medy. Strong ejaculation that one is not accustomed to: several nights in succession, even in the afternoon; without erection; followed by a spasmodic pain along the urethra, especially in its posterior part; followed by extreme mental and bodily exhaustion, with great apprehension as if something bad were going to happen. Hard, also malignant, swellings of the glands in the genital region. In olden ti mes, Carbo animalis has been used in syphilitic buboes with foetid ichorous discharge. It is reported to have a favourable influence upon cancer o f the scrotum (as it relatively often develops in chimney sweeps, from contact with soot).
Genitalia - female Menses a few days too early; increased, especially from the second day on, with dar blood that is often clotted and may smell putrid. A remedy in menorrhagia from indurated tumours at the cervix uteri. Or else: menstrual flow not profuse, but prolonged, and only in the morning. The menses may be preceded by headaches. During menses: pain in the small of the bac and groin; great lameness of the thighs; violent pressure in
the groin, in the small of the bac , in the thighs, with an inclination to belc hing which, however, is not effected, with chill and yawning. The menstrual flow often wea ens the patient very much: after its onset, she is so weary that she can hardly spea , with yawning and stretching. Leucorrhoea: watery, while standing and wal ing; burning and biting; colouring t he linen yellow; causing a wea feeling in the stomach. Many disorders of the internal genitalia, generally with burning ('li e coals of fire', Kent), sometimes with tearing pain, and with a sensation of heaviness and pressure. They are usually accompanied by induration of some part and may go along with bleeding or bloody discharges that are
acrid and offensive. Burning pain in the hypogastrium, below the navel, extendi ng into the thighs or to the small of the bac ; labour-li e . bearing-down pains. 'Induration of the right ovary which feels li e a heavy bal l' Chronic metritis or other inflammatory diseases involving induration of the cervix. Ulcers of the os uteri, or erectile tumours with burn ing pain. Pelvic bones feel painful, especially on sitting,; has to bend double to get rel ief. Nausea during pregnancy, with the peculiar modality that it occurs mainly at nig ht. Lochia prolonged, thin, offensive, excoriating; with numbness of the limbs. Carbo animalis has a special affinity to the mammae. Painful nodules in the mamm ae, very hard, often purple-coloured; even the whole mamma can be hard as stone and painful. The pain is violently burning, or tearing and sti nging, extending to the axillae and down the arms; the axillary lymph nodes are frequently also affected, swollen and hard. The tumours may be malign ant or not (compare Kent's remar about cancer, under 'Generalities'). Carbo animalis has been helpful in recurrent mammary tumours, if the symptoms agree, especially if the characteristic homesic ness is present. A proving symptom: 'Stinging pain in lower part of right mamma; aggravated on sl ight pressure, arresting her breath on stronger pressure.'
Nec and bac Swelling and induration of the glands and lymph nodes of the nec , with stinging pain and purple discoloration; sometimes very severe. Swelling of the thyroid gland, with much sensitivity to touch and too tight clothing aro und the nec . Burning pain in the bac . Left-sided pain of the bac , unable to lie on this sid e. Tensive or pressive pain between the scapulae, as from over-lifting, more on mot ion of the arms; better from rubbing. Drawing pain in the small of the bac , with a feeling as if it were bro en, when wal ing, standing, and lying. Sharp drawing transversely across the small of the bac , which is very sensitive to every step. Pressive pain in the small of the bac ; stiffness.
Sacral pain during stool, with inflation of the abdomen. Carbo animalis is sometimes indicated in coccygeal pain, either from injuries or neuralgic in character. Its affinity to the os coccygis manifests in the following proving symptoms: 'Dragging bruised pain in coccyx.' Coccygeal pain t hat becomes burning on touch.' 'Pain as from a subcutaneous ulcer at the lowest end of the spine, usually only when sitting and lying.'
Extremities All limbs feel bruised, especially on motion. The joints are generally wea , fee l bruised and as if bro en or separated, with easy dislocation; they tend
to produce crac ing noises on motion. The limb pain is prominently burning; Geu ens describes a case where burning pai n in the extremities alternated with the appearance of recurrent mammary tumours, the pain always being present when the tumour had receded. Icy coldness of the hands and feet. Extremely cold feet, during the day or at ni ght, even long after going to bed. 'Feet icy cold, but doesn't feel it.' ; or herpetic eruptions in the axillae. Swelling and induration of the axillary lymph nodes; or herpetic eruptions in th e axillae. Wrists painful as if dislocated. The hands tend to go numb easily; the numbness begins in the fingers and spreads over the entire hand. Violent trembling of the hands in the morning at brea fast, they feel paralysed; on grasping anything the fingers become stiff as though from lac of muscular power. Gouty stiffness of the finger joints; osseous swellings, indurations of the tend ons, etc. Annoying feeling of tension in the s in of the lower limbs, with a sensation of burning or of icy coldness. Stitches in the left hip, when sitting, or violent drawing pain there. Hip pain that causes limping. Burning pain in the nee-joints. On wal ing, cramp in the forepart of the leg, near the tibia; or painful tension in the calves. Drawing and stinging pain in the legs. Painful contraction of the tendo Achillis, repeated several times, in the evenin g. Numbness of the legs, as far as the calves, during the day. Wea ness of the an les; they turn over when wal ing; also in children who try to wal . Pain in the heels: burning; ulcerative; drawing and tearing, felt in the tendons in this region. Chilblains, frost-bitten toes. 'Swelling of ball of great toe, in the morning, w ith much heat in it and a pain as though from frostbite or ulceration.' Corns, painful to the touch.
Sleep Sleepiness with frequent yawning all morning; with 'stupidity,' even worse after lunch. Confused, as though in wa ing slumber all day, with sluggishness, diminished hearing, dim vision, fretful mood, and a tendency to d ull brooding. Many sleep disturbances: heat, ebullition of blood, restlessness, and anxiety pr event falling asleep or cause frequent wa ing. Tossing and turning in bed; the patient is eventually driven to get up. Sometimes the patient cannot fall asleep, even until 5 a.m. ; but more character istic is wa ing after two, three, or four hours of sleep, with great
fatigue but unable to fall asleep again. Even when the sleep is good, in the mo rning fatigue, lassitude, and sadness prevail. 'Sleep full of vivid fancies.' Visions of horrible faces before falling asleep, or starting as if about to fall. Severe anxiety and fear in the dar ; of suffocation when closing the eyes, thus preventing sleep all night. Groaning, loud tal ing, weeping during sleep.
Fever, chill, perspiration Carbo animalis is pre-eminently a chilly remedy. Very sensitive to open air, cat ches cold easily, etc.; the hands and feet are often icy cold and bluish. Great chill during the day. Shivering all over the bac , which seems to begin i n the chest, in the afternoon. Febrile chill at night which wa ens him from sleep; but at night there are often feelings of heat, pulsation, ebullition of blood, frequently with great anxiety. Another well-confirmed symptom is heat and sweat during eating, though long-lasting chill after lunch has also been observed and confirmed. Carbo animalis patients are much inclined to profuse sweating, particularly at n ight, but also during the day, for example when wal ing in the open air and when eating warm food; or in the morning after wa ing. The nocturnal perspiration has peculiar characteristics: it is profuse, foetid, very debilitating, and tends to stain the linen yellow. Debilitating sweats, especially on the thighs. A strange perspiration symptom is 'Excessive perspiration as soon as he closes h is eyes' (compare Conium).
S in Carbo animalis has a strong action upon the s in. There are many inds of erupti ons: acne rosacea, boils, carbuncles, maculae, and so on, especially in the face. 'Bright red, smooth spots, "thic ish" to the touch, in face' (Bonning hausen). Induration and bluish-red discoloration are often present. Offensive, ichorous, acrid discharges exude from ulcers and other s in defects; there is a tendency to ulceration, gangrene, putrefaction. The remedy may also be indicated in erysipelatous swellings with burning pain an
d indurations of the affected part. It is beneficial in cicatrices that sting and brea open, which are much worse w hen the weather changes. Unsightly scars from s in eruptions. The general ma eup of the s in is dry and flabby, sometimes literally hanging in folds, and there is often paleness and a bluish hue of the body surface, due to the circulatory problems. Itching that spreads all over the s in, especially in the evening in bed.
Clinical Acne rosacea. Aneurysm. Appetite, disordered. Breast, cancer of. Bubo. Cancer. C ataract. Constipation. Coccygodynia. Cough. Empyema. Eructations. Face, eruption on. Gangrene. Glandular indurations. Haemorrhoids. Headache. Hom e-sic ness. Hypertrophy. Lactation, effects of. Legs, pains in. Leucorrhoea. Lumbago. Nose, affections of. Otorrhoea. Pancreas, indurated. Pers piration, altered. Pleurisy. Polypus. Scrofula. Strabismus. Syphilis. Tongue, affections of. Trachea, affections of. Ulceration. Uterus, cancer of. V ision, disorders of.
Relations Compare: Calc-p. (nearest analogue: Carb-an. contains Calc-p.); in indurations, suppurations; Bad., Bro.; loss of fluids, Chi., Graph.; nostrils adhere to septum, Phos.; gone feeling, loss of fluids, induration of cervix, pressure on bac , groins, and thighs during menses, Sep. (Sep. does not have the venosity, the copper-coloured face, flatulent gastric disturbances, or offensiv e ichorous discharges, or throbbing headache after menses of Carb-an.; Carb-v. does not have the indurations of Carb-an. or Sep.); Cocc., ha s the same wea ness and prostration as Carb-an., but in the case of the latter the wea ness is in consequence of the loss of fluid, whilst with Cocc., it is part of the general effect of the remedy. Puls., Sil.; in vertigo with epistaxis, Sul.; aversion to dar ness, Am-m., Bar-c., Calc., Stram.; hunger in early morning, Ant-c., Asar., Calc., Sabad.; swelling behind ear, Caps., Aur.; burning pains, caps.; wea ness of nursing women, Olnd. (See also 'Relatio ns' in Carb-v. for other differentiations). Antidoted by: Ars., Camph., Nux-v., Vinegar. Antidote to; effects of quinine. Complementary: Calc-p.
Carbo vegetabilis Vegetable Charcoal C (impure).
Trituration.
The essential features If there is a one word that characterizes the pathology of this remedy, the word is emptiness. It is a feeling as if life has gone and left an empty
space, a shell without life, an empty sac . Such are the feelings of the typica l Carbo vegetabilis patient: totally devoid of energy and he will feel this way in both acute and chronic conditions. If we want to generalise grossly about such pathology we can say that it is the result of imperfect oxygenation of the blood and sluggish circulation. The oxygen that eeps life going cannot reach the brain cells in sufficient qua ntity any more, so even death may seem to be imminent. It is a remedy we must thin of in cases where the patient confirms that the present state has originated after a specific stress, be it a common cold, or a more severe acute disease, after a fall, an accident, any sort of loss of blood, a n ight of overeating and consequent indigestion, or due to drin ing too much; in general it appears wherever the organism, under a particular stress, h as fallen into a chronic state that has disturbed him for years without ever recovering. Strong allopathic drugging, childbirth, surgical operations, etc. may also trigg er such Carbo vegetabilis states of emptiness, apathy, exhaustion, wea ness, acute as well as chronic. Carbo vegetabilis is a remedy that should b e used very frequently - with tremendously beneficial results - after operations in order to bring bac hesia state.
the patient more quic ly from his long anaest
It is interesting that this remedy has a reputation as a 'corpse reviver.' Peopl e who are almost dead, almost lifeless, come bac to life with surprising ease under this remedy. Carbo vegetabilis will revive those patients, and if th e pathology is such that it allows for a cure, the remedy will eep them alive for a long time. It will immediately help the circulation and allow the o rganism to transfer oxygen to the blood, thus preventing fainting or cutting it short; it will prevent severe complications or even death in certain cases; at least, this is the feeling that you have in watching such cases. There are many reports of such cures, as for example the following impressive ca se of Margaret Tyler: 'A small girl with heart disease, and an acute exacerbation supervening that was abruptly ending her young life. She had a pne umonia with pleural effusion, an endocarditis with pericardial effusion, and one morning, when the Physician was going his round accompanied b y several other doctors, she was found lying forward on the supports that had to be provided, because she could not rest otherwise, cold, w hite, unconscious; just alive, because she was still giving the infrequent sharp gasps of the dying. Carbo vegetabilis (I thin 200) was quic l y administered, while one of the doctors of wide experience exclaimed, "I'll eat my hat if that child lives!" But before the ward round was
finished she had regained warmth and consciousness; death had passed on!' This is the way the emptiness and lac of vital power is experienced on the body level, but the Carbo vegetabilis emptiness is felt on all three levels. Emotionally the patient feels so empty of feelings that it causes him to be ind ifferent to anything and everything that happens around him, to all external impressions. It is one of the best remedies for this ind of depressio n that reaches that state of total indifference. Actually, it is not so much a true depression but a ind of apathy caused by deep pathology, which pri marily affects the circulation. The patient does not care whether he lives or dies, whether his house is on fire, whether his loved ones are in dang er. He simply does not have the energy to care. This state is reflected in Hahnemann's proving symptom: 'Indifference; he heard everything without pleasur e or displeasure, and without thin ing anything about it.' If the patients previously loved music, it will not move or touch them any more wh en they are in a Carbo vegetabilis state. The affections are 'practically blotted out', as Kent says, nothing seems capabl e to arouse or disturb the patient any more. Both horrible and pleasant
things do not reach such a person, he seems little or not at all affected by th em. 'He cannot bring himself to realise whether a thing be so or not, or whether he loves his family or not, or whether he hates his enemies or not' (Ke nt). Patients may describe this state as a sensation as if 'totally gone', of resignation and giving up, as in a case of Beat Spring (cf. 'The Mental Aspe ct in Remedy Choice', Case 3), a woman with wea ness and fainting states after parturition. She felt no anxiety, no restlessness, no irritability , which was an important differentiation point with Arsenicum. On the mental level the emptiness ta es the form of dullness and sluggishness. I f the patient listens to a discussion, his mind does not grasp the ideas that are discussed; he seems stupid and too lazy to be moved into activity. Eve rything we do needs first the desire to do it, needs the feelings that will initiate it, but in Carbo vegetabilis we do not see such initiatives, such activity. The patient does not have the energy for the desire to arise, the initiative does not come, he only wants to lie down and sleep. The patient cannot concentrate, cannot do his usual wor . Because the mind is no t functioning properly, indecision and irresolution result. And again, this mental condition seems to result from inadequate oxygenation of the brain, a consequence of sluggish cerebral circulation. As Kent puts it, 'Inability to thin or meditate, all of which is due to the turgescence.' It is interesting that there are spells of loss of memory in Carbo vegetabilis. The patient suddenly loses his memory for a while, will not remember what he ta l ed about a moment ago; later it returns just as suddenly. This seems to point to a circulation which is temporarily compromised. Carbo vegetabilis may also be subject to fixed ideas; 'arteriosclerotic' ideas, as if there was not enough vitality in the brain to entertain a different point of view. 'Ideas flow slowly; they constantly turn about one object, with a sensation as if the head were tightly bound' (Hahnemann). In delirious states, this may be expressed by a repetition of the same words for h ours. Of course, you will not find these extreme states in all cases. Before such deep pathology you will see irritable moods with outbursts of anger, which will mostly occur in the morning. These moods come on because of a fatigue of t he organism, ma ing it difficult for the patient to ta e up stresses; much li e the Nux vomica patient. There may be an irritability after eating, as if the food did not give the required energy, but instead produces a lot of gas, with flatulent distension, and brings on exhaustion in the mental spher e. Sometimes the exhaustion results in a certain aversion to company; the patient may feel better alone when depressed. In the state of irritable moo
ds, we may also see a certain amount of general restlessness and nervousness, especially about health. Another feature that is found in some patients is an indescribable, awful anxiet y which mostly comes on in the dar and while they are in bed, especially in feverish states. 'In the evening, anxiety, increasing for several hours, with heat in face' (Hahnemann). The nocturnal anxiety can be coupled with restlessness and, in some cases, reach horrid dimensions. Even del irious states occur while the patients lie in the dar ness, with visions of horrible figures. They cannot remain lying in bed after going to sle ep from sheer anxiety. They wa e at night with delusions and anxiety. Kent writes: 'There is anxiety, suffering, jer ing, twitching, and he has the h orrors. Everything is horrible... A peculiar sluggish, death-li e sleep, with visions. The Carbo vegetabilis patient wa ens in anxiety and covered with cold sweat.' Interestingly, a typical feature is not a fear of the dar , but an aggravation from dar ness. Fear, which needs an object that is feared, is not so typical of this ind of Ca rbo vegetabilis state, but is rather an indefinite and general anxiousness
coupled with wea ness of mind and body. These patients are easily frightened or startled, with a discouraged and dejected mood. Tremulous anxiousness and restlessness, sometimes with weeping, even in the presence of s trangers in the street. Eating may also trigger such anxiety states. Or we see a sort of anticipation anxiety: 'If she is bound to spea in the presenc e of people, she feels her pulse throbbing everywhere, and her face, usually pale, becomes puffed and bluish red' (Hahnemann). A fear of accidents h as, however, been observed with this apprehensive mood. This fear has to be understood under the idea that the organism cannot support sudden cha nges, his circulation is too lazy to move suddenly and rescue the patient from a sudden shoc . This lac of adequate ability to react can also be seen in some other symptoms: he feels unhappy with every little pain; weepy, everything appeared horrible to him, he was as if desperate. Nevertheles s, Carbo vegetabilis is a remedy that you will need most frequently with physical complaints. In my experience, it is rather rare to encounter a Ca rbo vegetabilis patient who is seriously mentally ill.
The carbo vegetabilis child An excellent description by Dr. Gounard of a Carbo vegetabilis case in a child ( mentioned in 'A Study on Materia Medica' by N. M. Choudhuri, p. 177) will serve best to give a picture. 'The patient presented a Hippocratic countenance, the eyes half open, nose pinch ed and cold, lips blue, pupils insensible; no complaint or crying from the child. The pulse I found small and quic , difficult to count, but beyond 13 0; the body thin, lean and marbled; feet and hands blue and cold, although constant application of hot cloths is made; abdomen distended with gas ; respiration frequent, but not full. Auscultation revealed only tracheal sounds, and no vesicular murmur. The breath is cold. The previous hist ory of the case, although not very clear, was not more encouraging. The child had, during the last two months, three nurses; since three or four da ys she had fever and a cough, and since noon has ceased to cough and to nurse; no stool or urine. Although preparing the parents for the speedy deat h of the child, I ordered a more frequent application of warm cloths, and in the meantime dissolved four globules of Carbo vegetabilis 30, in seven o r eight tea-spoonfuls of water. A few doses of this were given every ten minutes. The child improved from this time.' In severe diseases such as typhoid you may find the child lying almost semiconsc
ious, losing urine and stool which is diarrhoeic; the abdomen is distended; the tongue dry, crac ed and dar red; and complete exhaustion. Sometimes Carbo vegetabilis children will also have a desire to 'vent themselves ' in rage, with stri ing, ic ing, and biting.
Important general conditions As mentioned before, the action of Carbo vegetabilis centres on the circulation and more especially on the venous side of it. The blood seems to stagnate in the veins, especially in the capillaries of lips and limbs, and thu s blueness and coldness of the body comes on. Ecchymoses are frequent; also varicose veins on different parts of the body: legs, genitals, nose, phary nx, etc. Or there may be a state where everything about the organism is
turgid, distended and swollen. In these cases, there is a dull feeling in the l imbs that ma es the patient want to elevate the feet to let the blood run out, and this ameliorates his condition. As Boeric e says, 'bacteria find a rich soil in the nearly lifeless blood stream ', and septic conditions arise. There is a general tendency to decomposition, necrosis, gangrene, with a mar ed putridity of discharges, ulcer ation, breath, sweat, etc. Boger resumes in his 'Synoptic Key': 'Blueness and decomposition' as a typical combination of features of Carbo vege tabilis. The discharges are also frequently acrid, corrosive, excoriating. A lowered vital power, with lac of reaction of the organism, is very characteri stic of the remedy (Carbo vegetabilis should be thought of in AIDS cases.) This wea ness of the organism often dates from specific stresses, some of which were mentioned above. Very typical is a state of 'never well since': never well since an acute disease, such as measles, never fully recover ed from the effects of some previous illness. Margaret Tyler relates, however, that she had no good results in such cases when the symptoms didn't ag ree; but if they did, the action could be miraculous. The state after surgical operations where Carbo vegetabilis is indicated is li e that: paleness, hardly signs of life; exhausted, cold, with a fine cold sweat, but a desire to be fanned all the same, especially in the head. In these conditions the remedy will help the patient recover much faster and without complication. Another indication is excessive flatulence after abdomina l operations (where Carbo animalis may also be indicated). The acute collapse states of Carbo vegetabilis are virtually unmista able. Deadl y coldness, cold body, cold tongue, cold nose, cold breath, cold sweat, but in some cases the head remains hot in spite of the bodily coldness; air hunger, desire for fresh air, desire to have the windows open and to be vigorously fanned, notwithstanding the coldness; feeble, imperceptible pu lse; oppressed and quic ened respiration. The wea , sic and exhausted feeling may become chronic and persistent, but it m ay also come on suddenly, in a moment. 'Very frequent fainting fits, only momentary, even to sin ing down...' (Hahnemann) or 'Sudden attac s of fain t-li e wea ness' (ibid.) are symptoms caused and cured by this remedy. Carbo vegetabilis will also be indicated in haemorrhages that are passive, oozin g all the time. This ind of bleeding runs all through the remedy picture. Kent describes the Carbo vegetabilis haemorrhages: 'On account of the feeble circulation a capillary oozing will start up and continue. The
remedy hardly ever has what may be called an active gushing flow, such as belon gs to Belladonna, Ipecacuanha, Aconitum, Secale, and such remedies where the flow comes with violence, but it is a passive capillary oozing... Bla c venous oozing.' There are often blac ish, putrid, slowly oozing exudation. The remedy has been u sed in severe diseases such as typhoid and yellow fever by the old homeopaths. An indication for the 'haemorrhagic' stage of yellow fever (with th e characteristic blac vomiting), which illustrates the concomitant symptoms of the Carbo vegetabilis bleeding very well, also in other diseased co nditions: 'Haemorrhages with great paleness of the face, violent headache, great heaviness in the limbs and trembling of the body.' In digestive disorders, Carbo vegetabilis will often be the remedy of choice, es pecially when there is excessive flatulent distension. The food seems to be decomposed and to turn to gas before it can be digested. This will be accomp anied by frequent eructations that relieve, at least for some time. Both symptoms, the flatulence as well as the amelioration from eructation, may be seen as general symptoms. For instance, asthma cases which are
aggravated or accompanied by flatulent bloating are usually relieved by this re medy. The bloating causes the diaphragm to press upward and causes periodic dyspnoea or collapse states. And the eructation will not only r elieve the distension of stomach or abdomen, but also symptoms such as headaches are better by belching. Peptic ulcers, gastritis and colitis may also require Carbo vegetabilis. The dig estive symptoms are generally worse from overeating, but specifically aggravated by eating fatty food; butter especially aggravates. In addition to t his intolerance of fat, we see an intolerance of alcohol. There may not necessarily be a strong reaction, but enough for the patient to notice. Eve n after just a sip of alcohol, the face will flush to the roots of the hair; or else wea ness and paleness ensues. The diseases of the respiratory tract tend to settle in the lower parts, in the chest, even when they began with a coryza or 'common cold'. Fairly advanced stages of lung conditions will require this remedy, e.g. a sudden decl ine of the vital powers from pneumonia. There is also a specific ind of asthma which is aggravated by lying down and relieved, again, by vigorous fa nning. The modality 'worse lying down' is easily to understand; it is as if there were too little tonus of the venous system, ma ing it impossi ble to balance the circulation. Periodic asthma attac s, coming on over the wee -ends. Hay-fever. Carbo vegetabilis is one of the big remedies in whooping-cough, especially in th e onset of the disease. In ulcers, especially ulcus cruris varicosum, Carbo vegetabilis has a good reput ation. Burning pain, more so at night; offensive, putrid discharge; mottled or livid discoloration of the surroundings. The ulcers tend to bleed ea sily. There is a mar ed tendency to gangrene and necrosis in these cases. Burning is generally a sensation that runs through the remedy. Burning in the li mbs, in bones and ulcers; burning in the blood vessels; burning in various parts of the s in. Often an internal burning is attended by external coldness. Some other general sensations: Feelings of heaviness or weight everywhere; rheumatic drawing pains through the whole body, with coldness of th e hands and feet. Some more modalities: Warmth and overheating will very often bring on complaints. But on the other han d, there is a tendency to catch colds from any draught of air, and this sensitivity is most mar ed after having been heated. 'In a warm room he te
nds to sweat at the upper part of the body, and he then catches cold as easily' (Hahnemann). This is a general combination of modalities. As Kent puts it: 'He suffers from the heat and is chilled by the cold; every draught chills him; and a warm room ma es him sweat, and thus he suffers from both.' Bu t one should eep in mind that air hunger is also a mar ed symptom of the remedy and that fanning and fresh cold air will ameliorate in cases of coll apse, fainting, wea ness, asthma, and so on; in spite of the coldness and chill. Damp weather or surroundings also cause the pathology, particularly warm sultry weather, but also wet and cold air (as in hoarseness, cough).
Vertigo
Vertigo with frequent momentary attac s of fainting. Vertigo with fainting, afte r sleep, when sitting or standing up, also before getting up in the morning, when still in bed. Vertigo from turning in bed, with perspiration over the entire body. 'Whirling in head, all day' (Hahnemann). Wal ing and sitting may bring on vertig o; also vertigo on stooping, with the sensation as if the head is reeling to and fro. Vertigo such that he has to hold on to something to prevent himself fr om falling. Vertigo from flatulence; vertigo from venous stasis, especially after excesses o f eating or drin ing. The vertigo attac s may be preceded by some drops of blood from a nosebleed. Som etimes with the fit there is a pressive pain in the forehead.
Head Carbo vegetabilis headaches centre in the occiput. They often extend upwards fro m the nape of the nec or from the spine. Dull headache in the occiput. Sometimes these headaches commence after eating. 'After each meal, pai ns extend up the spine, until a dull occipital headache ensues about one hour after eating' (Klassische Homöopathie 2/89). 'Pressure in the occiput, e specially after supper' (Hahnemann). Or there are violent pressive pains at and in the occiput, near the nape of the nec . These dull or pressive occipital headaches may reach a formidable intensity; the patient can no longer move, cannot turn over, cannot lie on his side, cannot be jarred, for if he tries to do so, his head seems to burst. Sometimes such pain expands over the whole head and to the eyes. With such pain, a strange confusio n in the head may come over the patient. He cannot thin properly, has to ma e an effort to collect his senses. Pressive frontal headache, particularly immediately above the eyes; the eyes ach e when they are moved. Pressive pain in both temples. Burning in the head; hot head, cold body and breath; a 'hot spot' the size of a hand during continuous headache; burning and violent pressive headache in the evenings in bed. Rushes of blood to the head, sometimes followed by nosebleed; the head feels tur gid and distended. A feeling of weight or heaviness li e lead is very characteristic. Pulsating headaches, especially in the evening in bed, with dif ficult breathing; throbbing in the temples and a sensation of fullness in the brain after sleep, on wa ing from a midday nap; or painful throbbing in the
head on ta ing a breath. Headaches are brought on by overheating, especially if exposed to a draught whil e in a heated state; as Hahnemann puts it, 'from fast alternation between warm and cold'. Also, any over-indulgence (in wine, in food, especially from eating fatty food) might bring on a headache, and an interesting modality is headaches relieved by eructation. The scalp is very sensitive to pressure. A characteristic symptom is: 'The hat p resses upon the head li e a heavy weight, and even after removing it the sensation continues as if the head was bound up with a cloth.' Headache as if the scalp and membranes were too tight and contracted. This constriction is better from uncovering the head; also from fresh cold air and being fanned. With the pressive pain, even touching the hair causes a sore pain. The hair falling out is a strong indication, especially if it occurs after sever e stress, such as an acute disease, after parturition, etc., which is
consistent with the general causation of a Carbo vegetabilis state. Sweat on the forehead, very often cold sweat, is also typical.
Eyes Something li e a heavy weight on the eyes, must exert them very much when readin g or writing to distinguish between the letters. Pressure in the eyes, with heat. Burning in the eyes. With the pressive headaches, there may be lachrymation and an urge to close or c ontract the eyes; also a pain in the eye as if it were being pulled out. Pain in the orbits and eyeballs passing to the bac r on wal ing in the open air, worse on lying down.
of the head, which is bette
Exertion, such as overwor , fine wor , and staring, ma es them wea and may cause myopia (whereas farsightedness is more typical of
and aching,
Carbo animalis). The eye muscles ache when loo ing upwards. Agglutination of eyelids at night. Unable to open the eyes at night, when she ca nnot fall asleep. Itching about the eyes and the margins of the lids, especially in the morning. Blac floating spots before the eyes, or sees circles with a brighter field insi de, or there is flic ering vision in the morning on rising. In states of wea ness or exhaustive diseases, the eyes are dull, without lustre, deep-set; the pupils do not react to light. Haemorrhages in the eyes, with burning and congestion to the head.
Ears 'Something heavy seems to lie in and before the ears; they seem stopped, but the hearing is not diminished' (Hahnemann). There can also be deafness, particularly after acute exanthemata. Ears dry, lac of cerumen; or it has an offensive odour. Otorrhoea: discharge of a thic ish, flesh-coloured, offensive moisture; especially after exanthematous diseases, such as measles or scarlet fever. Pain from the right ear down the nec , on turning the head; after itch-li e erup tions. Heat and redness of the left ear, every evening. Tearing-burning pain in the ear
lobe. Itching in the ears, along with an inclination to swallow in order to relieve it . Or: feels compelled to bore his finger into his ear to relieve the irritation, but it always returns. Ringing in the ear, especially in connection with vertigo; or roaring noises, e. g. after coitus. Hearing is very acute: sensitive to loud tal ing; or when wa ing at night with a rush of blood to the head, the slightest sound seems to reverberate in the ear.
Tearing pain in the depression behind the right ear. Parotitis, mumps; swelling of parotids, with metastasis to the testes.
Nose Nosebleeds. A very typical ind of nosebleed is described in this proving sympto m: severe nosebleed, several times daily for two wee s, with very pale face before and after each attac . Or the nosebleed comes at night, with an par oxysm of blood. Epitaxis every time he stoops or strains at stool, or as a prodrome of a fainting attac , also from emotional excitement or jarrin g of the body. The Carbo vegetabilis coryza is apt to travel downwards, finally settling in the chest and severe chest colds, in turn, frequently begin in the nose, with coryza. In the course of its movement downwards, the mucous discharge, at first thin, becomes thic , yellowish-green and bad tasting. Always suffering from coryza, especially when he is overheated (which happens very eas ily), sweating, and then being exposed to the slightest draught. Some characteristic coryza symptoms: Irritation but ineffectual sneezing from the left nostril, which becomes moist; after blowing the nose the right nostril becomes obstructed, with a crawling sensation and biting pain as in coryza Frequent sneezing with constant and violent crawling, tic ling, and catarrhal ra wness in the nose and chest, at night in bed. Violent sneezing, followed by a biting pain in and above the nose, with lachrymation; has the sam e pain on blowing the nose. These symptoms may indicate Carbo vegetabilis in hay fever. Constant sneezing at night. Sneezing may cause stitches in the abdomen, or burni ng over a large portion of it. Continuous copious mucus from the posterior nares. Drawing in the root of the nose. Or: pressure in the nasal root and bones. Violent coryza with hoarseness and rawness in the chest; with cough; especially inclined to catch a cold in moist warm weather. Fresh open air may actually ameliorate the coryza. The discharge may be fluid or dry, with obs truction of the nares. Very often the coryza is attended by digestive disorders with flatulence.
Tip of nose red, sore, scabby.
Face There is an expression of intense exhaustion in the face. It is very pale, greyi sh-yellow, pinched, corpse-li e, and often cold, covered with a cold sweat. Or it is dus y, dar red, bluish red, with a fine networ of capillaries as if marbled. Sometimes, when the head is congested, the chee s are
flushed and at the same time cold clammy sweat appears on them. Exciting influences can ma e the usually pale and pinched face bloated and red, hot: face becomes hot when anxious; flushing to the roots of the hair even with a sip of wine; purplish, bloated face when she has to spea ront of others, with pulsation over the entire body.
in f
In the facial bones, there are many acute pains, especially drawing and tearing ones. Drawing pain in the jaws on both sides, with drawing in the head and a confused feeling. Jer ing tearing in the upper maxilla, right side. One-s ided tearings in the zygomata. Or: drawing and aching pain in the nervus facialis. A
ey-note is twitching in the upper lip.
The lips tend to swell and crac ; sometimes they are discoloured brown or even b lac ish. Pimples, pustules, and herpes are found in the face, often around the lips and i n the corners of the mouth. Acne and especially acne rosacea is a condition where Carbo vegetabilis may be indicated, especially in young people.
Mouth Carbo vegetabilis has been prescribed in stomatitis or scurvy-li e states, becau se there are many symptoms pointing to these conditions: Gums receding from the teeth, particularly the incisors, with ulceration, loosen ess of the teeth and easy bleeding. Bleeding of gums when brushing the teeth, or when suc ing at the gums. Sore pain in the gums, by day. They are painfully sensitive when chewing. Pustules on the gums. Aphthae, small ulcers scattered throughout the mouth; greyish colour, burning l i e live coals. Putrid odour and taste. The bleeding can be of a blac ish, oozing, decomposed, putrid quality, described in the 'Generalities' section, ma ing gums and tongue appear blac . The teeth are very sensitive to cold or warm things ta en into the mouth; also t o air that is inspired. Inspiration may cause a painful throbbing. Salty foods cause pain in the teeth, especially in the gums. Generally, the teeth tend to decay easily, but also sound teeth will often ache. 'Drawing and tearing pain in all molars.' 'Tearing in incisor teeth.' Coldness of breath, and of the mouth, teeth, tongue, throat is an important feat ure in the collapse-li e states noted above; but there may also be
heat in the mouth, with rawness and dryness of the tip of the tongue. Tongue se nsitive, with a raw feeling. The mouth is either dry (but without thirst) or there is an increased collection of saliva, which often becomes stringy and tough and may taste foul. Taste: bitter, particularly before and after eating; salty, especially after eat ing. The tongue can have a white coat, or yellow-brown mucus covers it. Heavy feeling of the tongue, can hardly be moved, spea ing is very difficult. Pains often locate in the root of the tongue; they are cramp-li e, or are felt a s a pressive tearing. Pressing pain on the palate, the posterior part.
Throat The characteristic symptom here is a sensation as if tight or contracted in the pharynx. It may be sore and inflamed, with a feeling as if something were lodged in it. Food can hardly be swallowed because of a spasmodic constric tion, which, however, may not be attended by any pain. There is inflammation and swelling of the uvula. Scraping, smarting, biting and burning pain in the throat, palate, fauces, with a feeling of rawness. Sensation of extreme dryness, as if all moisture is absorbed by blotting paper. A feeling of something hot and acrid ri sing in the oesophagus, as in heartburn. Sore pain in the fauces and choanae on swallowing, coughing or blowing the nose. Much tough mucus in the throat, which compels the patient to haw it up and it i s easily ejected; it is sometimes foul, bloody, blac ish. Varicose veins in the pharynx.
Air passages Hoarseness, even aphonia, is an indication for Carbo vegetabilis. It may come on in the morning, but the remedy will particularly be required in evening when there is evening hoarseness, caused by the cold, damp evening air. 'Severe roughness of larynx, with a deep roughness of the voice; the voice is lost when he exerts it.' Much scraping, tingling, tic ling in the larynx, also much rawness and roughness in the throat and chest. Has to clear his throat so often in the evening that the larynx becomes raw and sore. Pain as if sore and ulcerated in the larynx and trachea. Severe ulcerative pain in the larynx and region of the thyroid cartilage, on coughing. Unusual feeling of dryness in the trachea, haw ing does not relieve it. Frequent recurrent irritation to cough, in the posterior part of the throat, whi ch stimulates a short cough Such tic ling and itching irritations are especially worse in the evening after lying down. Bronchial catarrh, hoarse, mucous rales; chest and ribs feel as if bruised; nail s are blue and extremities cold; especially in old people or after diseases such as measles.
Mucus in large quantities lodges in the air passages, felt particularly at night , cho ing the patient when he coughs, sometimes accompanied by vomiting of mucus; better when sitting up or moving.
Respiration and cough
Laborious, quic and short respiration, with cold hands and feet. Even Cheyne-St o es breathing, especially in organic heart diseases. In dyspnoea, oppression of the chest, and asthmatic respiration Carbo vegetabili s may be indicated, especially when these conditions are caused or attended by flatulent distension pressing upwards and relieved by eructation. Difficult respiration with fullness of the chest and palpitation, even on slight motion, most severe in the evening. Rattling or whistling respiration, with air hunger, especially at night in bed; cannot remain in bed because of air hunger. The strong craving for fresh air is a general symptom of the remedy: asthma is worse in warm rooms, wa nts the windows open in spite of feeling cold and chilly, wants to be fanned. 'The remedy cures asthma. We will see the patient propped up in a chair by an open window, or some member of the family may be fanning him as fast as possible. The face is cold, the nose pinched, the extremities co ld and he is as pale as death. Put the hand in front of the mouth, and the breath feels cold. The breath is offensive; putrid' (Kent). Asthma of the elderly and of those in poor, exhausted conditions; wea ness, trem bling; loo s as if he is dying; full of wind, but cannot release it. Cyanotic, bluish s in in asthmatic conditions. Asthma as a sequel to measles or other acute diseases; winter attac s of asthma; attac s during the wee ends; chronic asthma once or twice monthly. In some cases the attac s alway s come on during sleep. Loses breath on turning in bed, or on falling asleep; or attac s of chest constr iction which prevent breathing. An urge to ta e a deep breath, with moaning, frequently recurring Painful throbbing in the head and teeth during inspiration. Carbo vegetabilis is an important remedy in whooping-cough, especially in the be ginning stages of the disease. Bonninghausen describes the cough li e this: 'Spasmodic, hollow whooping-cough in short attac s, which are relatively rare (4-5 per day); as of sulphur vapours, or excited by a tingling irritation in larynx and throat; without expectoration in the evening, in the m orning with yellow, greenish or pus-li e expectoration, sometimes brownish-bloody, less frequently tough, white and mucous or watery; expectorati on has a putrid, sour or salty taste and a bad odour.' The cough is especially worse in the evening, until midnight; after lying down; also in damp cold weather or on going from a warm to a cold place. It is especially accompanied by severe burning in the chest, or else or by a 'ra w pain' there (as if the flesh were raw); also with flatulent disorders.
Coughs every time after eating to satiety. Eating or drin ing generally aggravat es, but especially cold drin s. Violent tic ling cough, with whitish sputum, in the morning after wa ing. Itching in the larynx causes cough with tough, salty sputa, in the evening on go ing to sleep and in the morning, one hour after rising. Cough with sneezing or ending in sneezing (Agaricus). With each coughing spell, painful shootings through the head. Dry cough after each expiration, with a flush of heat and sweat. Paroxysmal hard spells of coughing, very laborious, not ceasing until masses of offensive sputa are coughed up. The cough is frequently accompanied by cho ing, retching, and gagging, and ends in vomiting of mucus.
Chest and heart 'Severe burning in the chest, as from glowing coals, almost uninterruptedly' (Ha hnemann) is a ey-note of the remedy. It is seen in many chest infections, regardless of their pathological name. The chest feels wea and fatigued, especially on wa ing. This wea ness is often attended by a continuous sensation of weight upon the chest. Pain in the chest and in the region of the heart, due to obstructed flatulence; also a warm ebullition or orgasm of blood in the chest from the same cause, with anxiety. It may be seen in extremely progressed and severe cases of pneumonia, with threa tened paralysis of the lungs, foetid sputa, cold breath, cold sweat, threatened gangrene. Emphysema. Pressive tearing on or in the left side of the chest. Pressive pain superiorly in the right side of the chest, through to the right sh oulder-blade. 'Brown spots on the chest' is an indication given by Hahnemann. Burning pain is also found in the heart region, with congestion in the chest and violent palpitation. Palpitation occurs mostly while sitting and after a meal. It may continue for days, sometimes so violent as to sha e the whole body . Deep respiration and eructation ameliorate. Carbo vegetabilis is useful as a heart remedy, especially in old people with hea rt problems. The chief indications are exhaustion, shortness of breath, coldness of breath, blueness from venous and capillary congestion toget her with easy flushing and all these symptoms become worse from ta ing alcohol. The pathological diagnoses may include such severe states as endocarditis with effusion, hydrothorax, etc.; also aneurysma cordis. The pulse may be intermittent and irregular, and is often very feeble, can hardl y be felt.
Stomach The digestive system is a very important sphere of action in Carbo vegetabilis. Digestion is generally slow and sluggish, and all food that is ta en seems to cause complaints, even the simplest and most easily digestible. Specia
lly strong aggravations are found after all inds of rich and fatty food, especially after butter; after mil , which causes flatulence; after por and poultry; after overeating of any ind; after cold drin s, especially iced ones; after all
inds of flatulent foods.
Kent says that a Carbo vegetabilis state can be reached by 'stuffing' the patien t: 'I would feed him with fats, with sweets, puddings, pies and sauce, and all such indigestible trash, and give him plenty of wine - then I would hav e the Carbo vegetabilis patient.' The stomach complaints include, in particular, an excessive painful flatulence, mostly in the stomach region and t he upper abdomen, with much sensitivity in this region to touch and a sensation as if the stomach were about to burst, which often comes on one hou r after a meal and may last for hours. Lying down aggravates the
pain and the distension. Frequent empty eructations occur, which can last for h ours and be very annoying, but they definitely tend to ameliorate the distension. The same modality applies to 'eructation downward' (flatus). There are desires for sweet and salty foods, also for sour things and coffee, bu t all these foods tend to cause complaints if eaten. On the other hand, aversion to meat, especially to fatty meat, and to mil and butter are often se en as being very strong. 'Aversion to the most digestible and the best of food' (Kent). In a Carbo vegetabilis state there may be a loathing even of the thought of food. Violent, almost continuous eructation. Frequent empty eructation, preceded by a short pinching in the abdomen. Often the eructations are hot and offensive, tasting rancid or sour, and are attended by gagging almost to th e point of vomiting. Sour eructation after drin ing mil , or in the evening on wal ing in the open air. Eructation following eating or drin ing any thing. Heartburn, especially at night; hot and acrid rising. Water brash. 'Feels acridi ty in stomach when lying on the bac and on wal ing in the open air' (Hahnemann). Nausea is felt especially in the morning. 'Nausea in the morning one hour after wa ing, with squalmishness in the stomach' (Hahnemann). It may also appear at night and before or after a meal, attended by gagging and retching; t he heat of the sun causes a nauseous feeling. Vomiting of blood; of bile; of mucus. After every meal there is a sense of general heaviness and fullness, and much sl eepiness. The stomach aches and feels as if it is heavy and hanging down on standing and wal ing. Burning in the stomach, almost continuous; sometimes spreading to the small of t he bac (compare Bismuthum) and even to the shoulders. The burning and bursting pains predominate, but there also other characteristic pai ns. For instance: Contractive spasm of the stomach, even at night, rising to the chest, with distension of the belly; has to bend double, cannot l ie down because it aggravates; pain comes on in spells and ta es away the breath. Or: burning and lancinating in the epigastrium and deep in the abdomen, with anguish, flatulence and diarrhoea. The stomach cramps can come on in nursing women, after nursing their baby (as an example of aggravation from loss of fluids); also from emotions such as fright, vexation, disappointment etc. Thus, Carbo vegetabilis may be in dicated in peptic ulcers.
Abdomen The most mar ed symptom of the abdomen is the excessive flatulence and distensio n already described under 'Stomach'. Two symptoms from 'Chronic Diseases' to illustrate the nature of this bloating: 'Obstructed flatulence in the left upper abdomen, more towards the bac , with squeezing pain.' And: 'Flatulence collects here and there in the abdomen, under the short ribs, or in the region of the bladder; it produces squeezing and pressing pain and gradually passes through the rectum, with a feeling of heat there.' Bu rning, squeezing, pressing and pinching pains are characteristic. Any tight clothing around the waist is unbearable. Sometimes the flatulence pro duces a violent 'paralytic' drawing pain that goes down into the left thigh. There is also some active movement in the abdomen, often with a udible rumbling.
Discharge of flatus generally ameliorates, and the flatus are profuse, hot, mois t, and very offensive, with a putrid odour. Carbo vegetabilis is indicated in excessive flatulence from atony of the bowel; after surgical operations; has even been used successfully in paralytic ileus with a tendency to distension of the belly. Dragging or squeezing pain in the abdomen after stool. Dragging and bearing down pain, even labour-li e. Colic from riding in a car. Stitching pain in the region of the liver and epigastrium, also in the spleen, a nd thence to both sides, increased by deep inspiration. Pinching in the abdomen, under the navel, starting in the left side and moving t o the right. Heaviness in the abdomen. Sensation as if it was hanging down heavily; forces th e prover to wal bent over. Pain in the abdomen as from over-lifting or a sprain; comes on as soon as she li es on the side; felt mostly in the left side. Hypochondria feel bruised and sore to the touch. The liver region, in particular , is very sensitive, with a bruised pain or a constant dull heavy feeling. Stitches in the spleen.
Rectum and stool With the discharge of flatus (see under 'Abdomen'), faeces may involuntarily esc ape; or there is an ineffectual urging for stool, with only wind passing, attended by a painful pressure in the rectum. Carbo vegetabilis may have constipation or diarrhoea. In constipation, the stool may be tough, hard, scanty, not properly cohering; but also soft stool is voided only with great exertion. A well-confirmed indication in diarrhoea is pa inful diarrhoea in the elderly. Involuntary diarrhoea with simultaneous voiding of urine has also been cured by the remedy. Carbo vegetabilis may be indicated in cases that resemble cholera or typhoid, wh en the general symptoms of wea ness, exhaustion, putridity, etc. agree. The stools often cause burning in the rectum. They are very foetid and putrid. ' Putrid stools with cold breath' is a good indication. Thin, pale stool; light-coloured mucous stools. Discharge of slime along with th e urging for stool. Yellow, stringy mucus is wound around the stool, the last part of which is all b loody.
Much bleeding from the anus; during and after each stool. Before stool: much pressure, with pressure on the bladder and in the bac (frequ ently in women). After stool: feeling of total emptiness in the abdomen; wea ness; anxiety, tremb ling debility. Discharge of an acrid, corrosive, excoriating moisture, or of a musty-smelling f luid from the anus; excoriating moisture also on the perineum. Burning at the anus, with an annoying sensation of dryness in it. Itching at the anus, also great soreness and burning. 'Itching at anus in the mo rning in bed, increased by scratching, afterwards burning.' Soreness of the perineum, with a painful itching when it is touched. Rawness and chafing of children in hot weather. Crawling sensation in the rectum, with complaints of ascarides; has also caused the passage of a tapeworm.
Griping or gnawing pain in the rectum when not at stool. Haemorrhoids: protruding; painful, or tingling itching, but especially with burn ing pain; thic , swollen, blue; suppurating and offensive.
Urinary organs The urine may be diminished in amount, with a dar colour, or thic and with a v ery stale odour; or it is copious and clear yellow. There can be some thic and mil y urine at the end of urination. Varices of the bladder. Dar red urine, as if mixed with blood; red sediment. Frequent anxious urging to urinate, day and night; may be awa ened early in the morning by urging. Pressure on the bladder, must rise several times at night to urinate. Nocturnal enuresis in children. Spasmodic narrowing of the urethra, every morning. Tearing in the urethra during urination; the last drops consist of mucus and cau se pain when discharged. Smarting pain during urination. After urinating, tearing and drawing in the urethra.
Sexual organs Carbo vegetabilis may be indicated in complaints after sexual excesses (e.g. wea ness, exhaustion). There may be an annoying abundance of lascivious thoughts, but also a total lac
of sexual desire in the morning.
Genitalia - male Ejaculatio praecox, followed by roaring of blood in the head. Continued erections at night, without voluptuous sensation or fantasy. Violent ejaculation, painfully exciting the nerves, with violent burning in the forepart of the urethra and severe cutting and burning during urination. Smooth, red, moist spots on the glans penis. Itching, soreness, excoriation at the preputium. Itching at the thigh near the s crotum, with moisture at this place.
Crawling in the testes and scrotum. Swelling of the testes from metastasis of mumps.
Genitalia - female Soreness, itching, burning and swelling of the pudenda is a frequent condition. Sometimes these symptoms are excited by a corroding leucorrhoea, or they are worse during the menses. 'Heat and redness of vulva.' 'The menstrual b lood, coming six days later than usually, was as if corrosive and excoriated the parts.' Itching of the vulva and anus at the same time; especially during the menses. Varices of the female genitals, with dysuria, have been cured by this remedy. Ap hthae or red sore places that loo li e ulcers on the external genitalia, with itching and fluor. Tumours in the genitals; bluish, hard, with shooting and pric ing pain. Vaginal fistula, with burning pain; often attended by much eructation of wind th at relieves for only a short time. Menses too early; too profuse, but sometimes also scanty. Protracted menstruatio n has also been cured by this remedy: a dar , putrid passive oozing, continuing almost until the next menstrual period. Thic and strong smelling bl ood, acrid, excoriating; or else pale. Menorrhagia with burning across the sacrum; passive flow. Metrorrhagia from uter ine atony, patient is cold and deathly pale, constantly wants to be fanned. The menses can be preceded by spasmodic abdominal pain and leucorrhoea, by itchi ng eruptions, e.g. on nape of nec , also by burning in the genitalia; during the menses colic in the hypogastrium, headache contracting the eyes, vom iting, burning in the palms and soles, and toothache may occur. 'During diminished menstrual flow, much cutting in abdomen, aching in bac and bruised pain in all bones.' Greenish fluor, or thic and yellow. Profuse, very thin leucorrhoea only in the morning on rising, but no discharge all day. Intermittent fluor, comes and goes suddenly. Corroding, excoriating fluor, with swelling of the vulva, it ching and burning; preceding or following the menses. Tendency to abortion from inertia of uterus. Labour pains wea or ceasing, with great general debility; especially after seve re disease or great loss of fluids. Brown, foul smelling lochia. States of exhaustion from nursing, with stomach pain. Has been used in lumps in the mammae, with induration of the axillary glands and burning pains; also in uterine cancer where the pain was burning and
came on in paroxysmal spells.
Nec and bac Swelling and aching of the cervical glands, especially the dorsal ones (near the nape). Stiffness of the nape of the nec . Tearing pain in the muscles of the nec and n ape of the nec . Drawing pain in the nape, rising into the head, with nausea and a flow of water from the mouth. Scattered red spots on the nec , with itching and stinging.
Heaviness and painful stiffness of the bac , especially on rising in the morning . Rheumatic drawing pain throughout the bac , worse while sitting or stooping, especially on the left side; also burning pain in different parts, es pecially in the scapular region and about hips, with aching along the spine; or the whole bac is sore, as if bruised. Severe sacral pain, cannot sit, feels li e a plug in the bac ; has to lie on a p illow. Great tension and stiffness in the small of the bac , sometimes with a cold feeling and numbness in that location. Near the lowest part of the spine, a cramp-li e pressive pain. Pressive, sore pa in below the coccyx.
Extremities Lassitude (more in the lower limbs), heaviness (sometimes only left-sided) and e ven numbness in the extremities. Heaviness and stiffness in the limbs when standing up after sitting for some time, ceasing after wal ing. The limbs on which he is lying are apt to go numb. Pain in the limbs as from over-lifting or sprain; bruised and drawing pain of al l the limbs; burning in the limbs and bones. Boring pain, as if in the marrow, in all the bones of the extremities before a fever attac . Tearing pain in the limbs that seems to extend up to the head and end there. Cold extremities; very cold hands and feet, particularly in the evening; cold n ees, or icy cold legs down from the nees; unilateral coldness, mostly left-sided. Involuntary twitching and trembling of the limbs, sometimes preventing the patie nt from falling asleep. Gangraena senilis beginning in the toes. Ulcers at the tips of the fingers and t oes. Drawing pain at night in the arm he lies on. Paralytic lassitude in the arms and hands, especially on writing which is diffic ult and slow for him. Paralytic feeling and wea ness of the fingers of the right hand or in the right wrist when grasping anything, with tearing pain. Burning on the right shoulder. Pain as if beaten, in the elbow joints of both arms. Drawing tearing in the forearm, from the elbow to the hands and even into the fi ngers, aggravated on moving the part.
Tearing in the right or left wrist; also in the fingers. Fine, itching eruption on the hands. Sensation of stiffness in the lower limbs after a nap in the evening, ma ing his gait uncertain, ceasing after some motion. Tension in the joints of the hips,
nees, and feet, especially in the morning on rising.
Severe paralytic drawing pain from the abdomen into the left thigh; with flatule nce. Tearing in the lower limbs, which seems to increase from accumulation of flatus in the abdomen. Drawing pain in the hip joint, down the thigh, which increases on wal ing. Teari ng drawing pain below and at the side of the hip, extending to the bac ,
frequently recurring. Drawing pain in the thighs. Paralytic feeling in the left leg. Ulcers on the legs; ulcus cruris varicosum, indolent; pain better by elevating t he leg (compare the section 'Important general conditions' where more symptoms of ulcers are listed). Varices, especially in pregnant women. Cramp in the soles of the feet, in the evening after lying down; the toes are dr awn croo ed. Feet feel as though dipped in cold water. Foot sweat, excoriating toes; often with a putrid odour; cold.
Sleep Much sleepiness, sometimes irresistible, during the daytime, especially after lu nch; has to ta e a nap before and after noon. Sleepiness in the morning when sitting and reading, disappearing on movement. Falls asleep late, not before 1 a.m. Uneasiness in the body, headache, oppressio n of the chest, starting and pain in the limbs, coldness in the hands and feet, pain in the eyes etc. prevent the patient from falling asleep with ease. Frequent wa ing from cold limbs, especially cold nees. The sleep is disturbed b y delusions; by feelings of heat and pulsation in the head, with fear of apoplexy; by anxious dreams that ma e him start. In the morning he feels wea ry and unrefreshed; all the limbs feel bruised. Many vivid dreams, which are often forgotten; sleep full of fantastic dreams. Much yawning and stretching, which tends to ease the symptoms.
Fever, chill, perspiration Coldness and chill predominant (compare the description in the 'Generalities' se ction). Characteristic is chill with great thirst, particularly for cold drin s, whereas during heat the thirst may be wanting altogether. 'Chill, with a mar ed degree of thirst; no thirst, or but slight during fever, but patient wishes to be fanned all the time, as if to compensate for the lac of thirst.'
Feeling of heat internally while the body feels cold to the touch. Sha ing chill with blue finger nails. Clar e describes 'a typical case of Carbo vegetabilis intermittent: Headache for one or two hours before the chill. Chill always from 9 to 10 a.m. , beginning in feet and hands, spreading over bo dy; nails very blue.' Shivering in the evening, with fatigue, and before going to sleep a flush of hea t ensues. Frequent flushes of heat; also after drin ing wine, or combined with anxiety and pain.
Strong tendency to sweat, especially about the head and face, also generally at the upper part of the body; inclined to catch a cold from it. Profuse perspiration at night, worse before midnight, and in the morning. Sweat during and after eating. The perspiration may exhaust the patient, and it tends to have a putrid or sour odour and is often cold.
S in Blue and cold surface, often with ecchymoses. 'Blue colour of body, with terribl e cardiac anxiety and icy coldness of whole surface' (Noac /Trin s). Carbo vegetabilis has a good reputation in ulcers, especially indolent ulcers, e ven those with a tendency to necrosis and gangrene (see 'Generalities'). The provings elicited this symptom: 'An ulcer which had already healed brea s u p again and discharges serum mixed with blood instead of pus; the place is hard and pains on touch.' Wounds become gangrenous. Decubitus; senile gangrene beginning in the toes. Mezger reports a case of a suppurating phlegmone of the whole left leg in a diab etic woman. After incision the wounds only healed partially, and sequestra were discharged. Three long fistulae remained from the incision wound s, with bloody and purulent secretion, and the whole leg was cyanotic. Carbo vegetabilis produced a homeopathic aggravation of the pain and secretion, then an amelioration, and in three wee s the wounds had healed. General tendency to varicose veins, often with ulceration. Telangiectasis in children; elevated, round, flat, soft, elastic, red tumours, f ormed by a net of dilated capillary vessels, with violent haemorrhaging after slight injuries. Folds of the s in become raw and ulcerated. Fine, moist rash, with burning at spots where there is no eruption. Burning at various places on the s in, especially at night in bed. Itching all over the body, especially in the warmth of bed; cannot fall asleep. Itching stic ing on the side on which he lies. Moist herpetic eruptions, especially in the face. Acne rosacea.
Summary The principal symptoms of Carbo vegetabilis are the following: Ailments after the shoc of an accident or acute illness (often pneumonia): lowe red vitality, indifference, coldness. Sluggishness affecting physical and emotional levels. Apathy, mental dullness, lapses in memory, fixed ideas. Lung conditions; e.g. , pneumonia, asthma. Respiration aggravated by lying down, ameliorated by vigorous fanning.
Generally worse lying down (headache, intestinal discomfort, asthma etc.). Desires air. The desire to be fanned is of central importance. Great coldness of the breath, extremities, tongue, nose, etc. but sometimes with a hot head. Desires salt (also sweets and coffee). Collapse or fainting with coldness, blueness, desire for air. Extreme gastrointestinal bloating, with frequent eructation, which relieves. Aggravation from fat and butter. Intolerance of alcohol. Elderly patients with indolent s in ulcers, with heart diseases, wea , fainting.
Clinical Acidity. Acne. Angina pectoris. aortitis. Aphonia. Asthenopia. Asthma. Breasts, erysipelas of. Bronchitis. Burns. Carbuncle. Catarrh. Chilblains. Cholera. Constipation. Cough. Deafness. Debility. Diarrhoea. Distension. Dysentery. Dysp epsia. Emphysema. Erysipelas. Eructations. Feet, cold. Flatulence. Gangrene. Haemorrhages. Haemorrhoids. Hair, falling out. Headache. Heart, disea ses of. Influenza.. Intertrigo. Irritation. Laryngitis. Lungs, congested. Measles. Mumps. Nose, bleeding of. Oesophagitis, Orchitis. Otorrhoea . Pregnancy, disorders of. Purpura. Scabies. Scurvy. Shivering. Sleep, disorders of. Starting. Stomach, disordered. Stomatitis. Trachea, dryness of. T ympanitis. Typhus. Ulcers. Yellow fever.
Relations Antidoted by: Ars., Camph., Coff., Lach., Nit-s-d., Ferr. (Teste). It antidotes: Effects of putrid meats or fish, rancid fats, salt or salt meats; Chin., Lach., Merc. Complementary: Chin.; Dros.; Kali-c. (stitches in heart - Carb-v. contains potas h). Carb-an. has more pronounced induration of glands and is suited to cases which have been opened too soon; is more appropriate to cancer and syphil is than Carb-v. Carb-v. has wea digestion in nursing women; every particle of food disagres; Carb-an. has coldness at the stomach, better by hard
rubbing or hard pressure; piles, with oozing of inodorous fluid. Carb-v. is near-sighted; Carb-an. far-sighted. In ear affections Carb-an. has s welling behind the ear. Carb-v. is more suited to sequelae of exanthemata. Many of the effects of Carb-v. are li e those in Lyc., and an occa sional dose of Carb-v. assists the action of Lyc. Compare also Raph. in flatulence. Compatible: Ars., Chi., Dros., Kali-c., Ph-ac., Bell., Bry., Nux-v., Sep., Sulph . Compare: Graph. and all the carbons. Caust., Lach., Eup-per., Phos. and Rumex. i n hoarseness (Rumex. is worse at 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. Caust. worse in the
morning; from dry cold. Carb-v. worse in the evening; from damp evening air). C amph.; Chin. in haemorrhages, intermittents, hectic, affections of drun ards; Ip. in haemorrhages and intermittents; Meny. in intermittents with c oldness of legs; Op., Sulph. and Pso. in deficient reaction; Sul-ac. in dyspepsia of drun ards (Carb-v. has more putridity; Sul-ac. more sourness); Pho s. in easily bleeding ulcers; Puls., bad effect from fatty food and pastry; Sulph. in acrid-smelling menses; erysipelas of breasts; Ars. and Bell-p . in effects of ice-cream and ice-water in hot weather. Nux-v. in dyspepsia, easily angered; effects of debauchery (Nux-v is thin, spare, yellow, wiry; Carb-v. sluggish, stout, lazy); Sec. in haemorrhages, cold breath; coldness worse by warmth. Calc., Carb-an., and Stram. in aversion to dar ness; Lach. in wea digestion (Lach. craves mil ; Carb-v. has aversion to it), intolerance of clothing round waist; intermittent fever, flashes of burning hea t without thirst. Sep. in bearing-down in the rectum and vagina (Carb-v. has the strong odour of menses which Sep. has not). Rhus-t. in strains; in typh us; Colch. in cholera; Cupr. in cold breath, prostration.
Carcinosinum Cancerinum A nosode from Carcinoma
Historical bac ground The first to mention and use Carcinosin, the cancer nosode, was James Tyler Kent . He called it 'Carcinoma', and this is how he prepared the remedy: 'The preparation of Carcinoma which I have used, for years, was ta en from a ma mmary cancer. The patient had continual seeping of clear, colourless, watery discharge from the open cancer. A small quantity of this flu id was saved and potentised, and has served satisfactorily, in many cases of advanced carcinoma.' He used it as a palliative in cancer cases: 'Carc inoma relieves the sharp, burning tearing pains. With this remedy (nosode), patients have been ept comfortable, for many years, when cure was im possible and the cancerous development continued. The malignant process was delayed, and sufferings usually accompanying the condition were avo ided' (Kent, New Remedies, Lesser Writings, Clinical Cases, Aphorisms and Precepts, p. 523f).
The English homeopath James Compton Burnett and his well- nown colleague J.H. Cl ar e were the next to do research and practice in the field of cancer nosodes. They used Scirrhinum primarily, which is said to have been ta e n from a hard cancer (scirrhus), and Carcinosinum (according to Clar e's account, in his boo 'The Cure of Tumours', this nosode is derived fro m a hard cancer). They began to use these remedies for conditions other than cancer (e.g. threadworms and certain mental cases). Clar e relates t hat Burnett also did a fragmentary proving of Scirrhinum upon himself. Following this wor , cancer nosodes are seldom mentioned, the exceptions being a few lines in Boeric e's Poc et Manual and some other authors,
including Nebel (who wor ed in Davos, and LeHunt Cooper and Burford) who publis hed some cases that were successfully treated by Carcinosin. Donald Foubister is the one to whom the homeopathic community owes the rediscove ry of these remedies. In 1952 he noted that children whose mothers had had cancer during pregnancy exhibited a certain appearance, consisting main ly of blue sclerotics, a cafe-au-lait complexion and numerous blac circular moles. This made him wonder whether this appearance had its orig in in the mothers' cancer. He began to collect similar cases and to prescribe Carcinosin for those of his patients who had these characteristics al ong with a family history of cancer, with considerable success. Subsequently Lees Templeton directed a veritable proving of the remedy. (Unfortu nately, the origin of the Carcinosinum preparation which was obtained from Nelson is now un nown. It is possible that it dates bac to Burnett's, Cla r e's, Nebel's, or Cooper's efforts.) This was the beginning of the rapid development of homeopathic nowledge about the cancer nosodes, a developm ent in which many authors too part. New preparations have been made and used, including Carcinosinum Adeno-Stom. (from cancer of the glandular epithelium of the stomach), Carcinosinum Lungs, Carcinosinum Mammae, Carcinosinum Intest Ca. (from cancer of the bowel), Carcinosinum Uterus , Carcinosinum Adeno-Vesica (from malignant papilloma of the bladder).
The essential features Carcinosin can be considered the nosode of a miasm: the cancerinic miasm. By can cerinic miasm we mean the inherited predisposition of an organism to develop malignant infection at a certain period of its life. It's li ely that s cientists wor ing in this field will soon find out the genetic code producing this predisposition, and that such a discovery may help us in more effectively prescribing this remedy. For the last thirty years I have been stating that the development of cancer in an organism is a matter of predisposition that can be inherited. In the past, this idea was not fully accepted, but today it seems to be meeting growin g acceptance due to the observed fact that Carcinosin acts in cases where there has been pervasive cancer in the ancestry of the patient. Caution s hould be exercised, however, as not all cases with a family history of cancer will definitely develop cancer. Cancer is not really a disease per se, but a universal disturbance of the organi
sm; there is no system, no organ, no place that cancer cannot afflict. The way it manifests and the specific location of the disturbance depends on the in herent sensitivities of the organism that have been inherited or developed during its lifetime. Influences from a disturbed environment also bel ong to the causative factors. Generally, cancer can be described as the outcome of a fundamental imbalance, which has developed from different dise ases through the ages that have been suppressed or modified by wrong medication. We must understand that global pathology is a continuum, as I have explained in my boo 'A New Model for Health and Disease.' Disease processes are evolving in the same or a similar way to the social or spiritual evolution of h uman beings (or at least what we call an evolution). We say, for example, generally one nationality or race is more polite than another. What we may actu ally be implying un nowingly is that this evolved nation has undergone a series of degenerative processes through several generations of diseases that have transformed the primitive instincts into more acceptable forms
of social behaviour; but not necessarily into more health. Evolution may be goi ng hand in hand with degeneration, tempering or restraining some basic instincts of life that give pleasure or happiness on the physical level. When l osing the pleasure on the physical level, the human being tries to find happiness through spiritual awareness. So disease is the discipline of the huma n being in its upward march for spiritual evolution. The healer must be aware of these truths or realities, if he is to advise correc tly on a case of deep suffering and ta e the individual from the unhappiness of the disease to the happiness of real health (see my definition o f health in my boo 'The Science of Homeopathy,' with the creativity of the human being as a criterion). Carcinosin is a remedy with a wide range of applications and covers a lot of dif ferent pathologies. However, I thin that today we do not yet now the exact, unique symptomatology that it produces and cures. This remedy - or some of its strains - is going to be an almost universal remedy, as more and more generations of cancer cases are appearing and leaving their mar upon thei r offspring. It is becoming increasingly applicable to today's patients, as was Tuberculinum and Medorrhinum in earlier times. I believe that several strains of cancer, however, should be developed as separate remedies to cover the different types of cancerinic influence. Carcinosin can be indicated either as a constitutional remedy, where it acts dee ply and repeatedly if there is a relapse, or it may act as a remedy to uncover a certain layer of disturbance and to open up a case, whereby it will a ct only once and repetition will provide no results at all. Carcinosin may also be a useful remedy in manifest cancer cases, as in a lot of other pathologies, but, disappointingly, it does not act in a deep or curative manner in most of the active cases of cancer. This is because in order to benefit from its action the patient must have the rare and peculiar symptoms that belong to this remedy. This is in eeping with Kent's st atement that also in cancer cases 'the aim of the physician, first, last, and always, must be to find the remedy which most closely corresponds to the pa tient, and prescribe for the patient, whatever manifestation that patient may suffer, when the prescription is selected' (op. cit., 'Cancer Cures ', p. 522f). It is therefore important to understand the essence and individuality of the pathogenesis of Carcinosin, as far as it is currently n.
now
The remedy should be definitely thought of in cases where there is a strong tend ency to cancer in the family, i.e. , even if the parents of the patient have not been affected by the disease but, rather, the grandparents or uncles o
r aunts. (Bear in mind that, if one person of the family has had cancer at a very late age, this cannot be called a 'strong tendency.') There may also be other diseases in the family or individual history of Carcinos in cases, diseases that may have ta en part in the development process of the cancerinic miasm, as explained above. These, however, may be ta en as impor tant hints towards the remedy, but no more than that. For example, we may see in the family anamnesis diseases such as diabetes, tuberculosis and other chest problems (including asthma), pernicious anaemia, leu aemia, problems of the alimentary tract (e.g. ulcers of the stomach). A sev ere reaction to vaccination (or a vaccination that, seemingly, did not 'ta e') in the family or individual history of the patient may also be found in Carcinosin cases, as well as an unusually early and prolonged occurrence of whooping cough or pneumonia or a delayed occurrence of childhood diseases (a fter puberty). You should not, however, ta e these pathologies in the family or individual history of the patient as a reliable substantiation fo r the prescription of Carcinosin. It is only a family history of cancer that can be considered a guiding symptom to the prescription of Carcinosin.
Boeric e says, quoting Clar e: 'It is claimed the Carcinosin acts favourably and modifies all cases in which either a history of carcinoma can be elicited, or symptoms of the disease itself exist.' I disagree with the use of the word ' all', but definitely Carcinosin is a remedy that should be considered in such cases. In order to understand the peculiarities of the remedy, we must bear in mind the main characteristics of cancer cases: that there are excruciatingly painful experiences; that there is a disorder in the defence system of the organism, a disorganisatio n that tends towards total deterioration due to the multiplication of diseased cells, a tendency the defence mechanisms desperately try to put bac n order;
i
that it is a horrifying experience for the individual to have the ugliness of th e cancer tumour in his body. The main characteristics of the remedy are the following: Easily offended, cannot stand any ind of reprimand; see s order and control, becomes fastidious; sympathetic, compassionate, feels acutely the pain of others; horrible things affect them profoundly; lac of self-confidence, wants to please everybody, guilty feelings for somethin g they have not done; lac of reaction, e.g. , absence of fever etc.; precocity. We shall now try to find the inner thread of this remedy picture along the lines of some of these characteristics.
Vulnerability and oversensitivity Carcinosin people are generally very easily hurt. They are very vulnerable emoti onally but try to conceal it. There are, however, different inds of manifestations and reactions with this remedy. According to my understanding, t wo main types of Carcinosin patients can be differentiated, though there certainly exist others as well. In the first type of people who need Carcinosin, the vulnerability manifests in an extreme sensitivity to mental, emotional or physical pain and, as a
consequence, they cannot stand any reprimand. A strong fear of humiliation is p resent. The sensitivity to censure is so mar ed that they experience any ind of criticism as a shoc . If rebu ed they can go into a veritable hyste ric state. They may weep and sob and get so upset that they stop breathing and turn purple. The least remar seems to offend them greatly; they are offended by any comment that might cause some ind of pain because they feel this pain so acutely. Even if there is no intention on the part of the other person to cause them pain or attac them, even if the remar seems to be insignificant and unimportant to other people, they feel this way. They tend to ta e anything that happens poorly. A mother of a boy who needed Carcinosin said
that she '...couldn't tell him anything because any slightest hint of reproach made him go into spasmodic weeping.' In addition, if something upsets them they often thin about it for days on end; they simply cannot forget. They tend to brood a lot. In some cases they have to tal about it later on; after every incident of reprimand they come bac to as what, why, how and so on. It is an obstinate inability to let go. Obstinacy in general is a symptom which has also been observed in Carcinosin ca ses. This ind of sensitivity ma es them live in a state of constant unhappiness. Gri ef and sorrow come easily into their lives, as they are so easily affected by hurt. Grief in Carcinosin does not necessarily come from great and substanti al calamities, but from the everyday events of life that may constitute a mildly difficult situation for other people; these cause them tremendous pain . After a number of years these patients develop severe symptomatology due to such compounded grief. It is the ind of grief that they will not discuss. They will not complain, will not show it. It can be said to be a silent grief. In this state Carcinosin appears to be similar to Natrum muriaticum, a remedy with which it shares some other symptoms as well. There is, however, a different origin and a different quality concerning the 'si lent grief' of Carcinosin. The Carcinosin grief has its source in a sense of wea ness of the will - not wanting to confront others, not demanding, not as ing for things - in a propensity to accept rather than demand. The grief of Nat-m. or Ignatia, on the other hand, is often a deep feeling that com es from a grave loss of a loved one, a grief that constricts the emotions and does not allow the patients to express any feelings. Carcinosin people will also become resigned more easily and eep quiet because they are afraid to disturb others by their complaining. Actually, it is a state somewhat between Staphysagria and Nat-m. in this respect. Repression of emotions is something quite common in this type of Carcinosin case.
Submissive and repressed Fear of the rudeness of others is also frequent in these Carcinosin patients of the first type. As their defences are compromised, they feel unable to face the aggressiveness of the world from the time they were a child. Children of this type are submissive, well behaved, easy to handle, over-adaptive. They appear to be very
ind, very obedient, very helpful. These
are the children that please their parents, though intelligent and sensitive parents will see the wea points in them and will worry and report th is to the doctor, because they understand that this ind of submissiveness is 'not normal.' Carcinosin children of this type cannot express their own demands toward others, they cannot 'hold their own' at school with other children. They also are unable to express what they need and want from their parents, and therefore they may also appear suppressed by them. This behaviour is reinforced if the parents are actually no t aware of the particular sensitivities of the child. These children have never been able to express their own individuality. They can not 'be themselves' for fear that they will not be accepted, they will not be appreciated, they will not be loved, and thus they are in a state o f constant insecurity. This is the prime underlying causation for their behaviour. When they grow older they still feel that they have wea wills, cannot say no, w ant to please others. They appear as accepting, submissive or even
repressed persons, but they do not understand or feel this as pathology, rather as a conviction that this is the best way to get along.
Lac of self confidence, and depression It is easy to understand that a lac of self-confidence is also present in these people. They do not believe in themselves enough to be able to pursue what they really want. Any emotional stress or conflict situation ma es them fe el almost sic . They avoid situations that might entail an argument; to avoid conflict children may, for instance, tolerate other children ta ing their toys away. Quarreling between the parents is something they are very sensitive to and can easily lead to their weeping and feeling full of despair. They desire harmony and perfection. However, underneath all this behaviour there is a craving for affection. Childre n and grown-ups who need Carcinosin are all craving affection. They never tire of being hugged and being shown affection and protection. From feeli ng not loved, they can develop different ailments: fever, stomach pain, asthma and so on. When patients of this type become depressed they often want to be by themselves; so that others do not feel sorry for them. In such a state, they do not li e to tal , don't want consolation, prefer to be alone and silent. There is a n aversion to conversation (which also showed up in the proving), and conversation ma es them feel worse. An interesting feature that has been observ ed in several Carcinosin cases is 'sadness but cannot weep', even in cases of severe grief (e.g. death of the mother). So this outlet for the emotio ns is also bloc ed. A constant feeling of unhappiness, of discontent, of being unfortunate comes on, and they eventually become apathetic and indifferen t, even to their family, or even enter a state of veritable depression with a disposition to suicide. The second type of Carcinosin is a very small percent of the Carcinosin cases, w hich expresses aggression, anger and destructiveness. Although individuals of the second type of Carcinosin cannot tolerate reprimands, critic ism, etc. either, they react in exactly the opposite way to the first. If there is any provocation from their parents or relatives, say some remar might be understood as reproach, they feel tremendously offended and
that
hurt and react with aggression and even violence, verbal or even physical. They swear and stri e, and when angered, tend to bully others. They terrify everyone around. They are easily angered and very irritable, with a ten
dency to destructive outbursts and to destroy things. They become li e bulldogs in their anger. The tendency to destructive outbursts is also found in the first type, but in th e second type of Carcinosin people it has a special quality: they are totally inconsiderate of the feelings of others. Often they will be brutal and rude in their behaviour towards their relatives or friends, but ind toward strangers. The underlying problem is, again, that these children feel unappreci ated and unloved. In children of this type, a vicious circle is set in motion. In general, these children defend themselves against control and suppre ssion by becoming abusive and aggressive; this is due to their imbalances. Because of this behaviour they fail to get acceptance from their pa rents, who are li ely to exhibit a different attitude towards a brother or sister (who is better behaved). The parents tend to ta e the things the Carc inosin child says badly, and the child notices this and feels all the more hurt by any comment. They then react in an aggressive manner, which is absolute ly unacceptable, at least to the parents. As can be seen, the factors
from within and from without wor together to aggravate the entire situation. T he feature of obstinacy and headstrong behaviour, which has already been mentioned in type one, is again to be noted, but in type two it is much mo re direct. They also react strongly to rejection. Sometimes they eat tremendous amounts of food, indiscriminately wolfing it down, everything mixed up together. They put on a lot of weight and become obese, and though they are disgusted wit h themselves they cannot resist. It seems that food replaces the lac of affection.
Horrible things and the supernatural Both types of Carcinosin have a special sensitivity to horrible things, to every thing that loo s horrible. This is expressed by the insertion of this remedy in the rubric 'Horrible things, sad stories affect her profoundly.' Even the se cond type has, in spite of his bullying behaviour, a fear of anything that loo s horrible to him. If he sees an animal that is wounded he will not lo o at it. It horrifies him; he is terrified by the idea. (The reader may compare this feature with the horrifying idea of a tumour growing in the body, mentioned above.) This also connects with the sympathetic trait of Carcinosin that will be dealt with below. Together with the fear of horrible things, there is in both types of Carcinosin a special sensitivity to the supernatural. The patients of the second type will, for all their aggression, have a fear of the beyond, of the supernatural, of ghosts, etc. At the same time, they can be attracted to stories about ghosts! And when Carcinosin patients proceed from their destructive outbursts t o a state of real psychosis, the element of exaggeration, of the huge, the supernatural is again prominent. In their state of irrationality, they express this exaggeration in different way s. They may often feel that they can do supernatural things, such as affect people distant from them, on another planet, can materialize things, can ma e flying saucers appear, can travel to other galaxies, can communicate with aliens, can change the weather, can manipulate the forces of n ature according to their commands. Powerful natural phenomena, in particular thunderstorms, may also exert a strong influence upon these patients. They can experience fear but can also enjoy thunderstorms in the same way as Sepia does.
Orderly-perfectionistic-fastidious Another strong characteristic that is found only in the first type is an inheren t need to establish order, to remove the disorder around them (or so they feel) and in response to this need they can become fastidious. It is as if they feel the threat from the oncoming internal disorder. The strong sense of order they possess compels them to become very tidy. Childre n may clear up their rooms meticulously, lining up their toys neatly. Grown-ups do their wor very exactly, with over-attention to detail. They are c onscientious about trifles and feel the urge to strive for perfection in everything they do. They very easily develop a guilty conscience, a feeling as if they had done something wrong, even when it is clear to an
observer that there is nothing to worry about. They may feel the need to be bus y all the time, which is expressed in the Repertory rubric 'Industrious'. Often being busy, especially in a physical sense, ameliorates th e general condition, whereas ta ing a rest aggravates it. The strong sense of order is actually a feature that is more accentuated in Carc inosin cases than in Arsenicum cases, for whom the notion of fastidiousness is more characteristic or nown. There are also cases where tidi ness in most things goes along with untidiness in things considered unimportant by the patient. On the other hand, if we have the second type of Carcinosin patient, we can see total disorder and uncleanness, absolute indifference to notions of order and discipline. These people might also expect order from others but do n ot and cannot apply it to themselves.
Anxiety and fears All Carcinosin patients tend to be anxious and fears are an integral part of the picture. There is often a great deal of anticipation anxiety with a fear of failure, especially during examinations, but also in other situations. This is closely related to the fear of humiliation and reproach mentioned above and it can also assume the form of anxiety about the future. Fear of losi ng control appears, for instance, in the form that the patient says, "I thin
it is terrible when I'm overstrained. Everything is too much for me."
Phobias of different inds have also been observed in Carcinosin cases and have been cured by the remedy. Fear of heights may be very strong in some cases. There is also a fear of narrow places (claustrophobia); fear of busy str eets (in a crowd); and many others. Fear of animals is frequent: of dogs, of cats, of birds; of 'disgusting' animals, a disgust mixed with fear of frogs, of sna es, of spiders, of all sorts of insects: bees, wasps, and so on. However, similar to what occurred with regard to the supernatural or huge n atural phenomena discussed above (fear of ghosts but also attracted to hear stories of ghosts; fear of thunderstorms but also enjoyment watching a thunderstorm), there may also be an attraction to animals, and Carcinosin people may be great lovers of animals, though not to the degree that Aethusa patients are. Other anxieties and fears are: anxiety while riding in a car, especially while r iding fast; anxiety in the dar and fear of the dar ; fear of earthqua es.
Carcinosin people also experience an inexplicable anxiety, for which they canno t determine the source, coupled with nervousness. There is a great anxiety about health, especially a fear of getting cancer. In t his remedy, though, anxiety about health often also refers to the health of others, especially to members of the family and to loved ones. The Carcinosin a nxiety about others may be as strong as in Arsenicum, Phosphorus, and Sulphur, and this is true for both types. This is really a strange feature for persons of the second type who appear so inconsiderate of others during their anger spells. The second type of Carcinosin may, alternatively, ex hibit a total indifference towards their family and loved ones and may even appear to be totally oblivious to the pain of others, not ta ing any notic e of it (or so it seems).
Sympathetic and highly responsible The first type of Carcinosin patients are very sympathetic and compassionate peo ple. If you ta e into consideration the fact that they cannot demand anything for themselves and also that they feel pain and suffering so intensely , it is easy to see why they dwell as much as they do on other peoples' problems. They are so sensitive to the sufferings of others that they feel exha usted by the involvement with their problems. They actually feel the pain of others in their body. These type of Carcinosin patients are the ones wh o sacrifice their comfort for others, who feel they owe everything to others while others do not owe them anything. They are often very capable and i ntelligent people who do not, however, stand up for their own rights, even if it is obvious that they are right. They are the people who see ify others, but do not react if others are unjust to them.
to just
In this context a high sense of responsibility is to be noted. Children feel ove rly responsible from an early age on, ta ing on responsibility for the whole family. They are very reliable in loo ing after their pets, ta ing care o f the household, and so on. Their exaggerated sense of responsibility for the well-being of their relations and loved ones may lead to feelings of gu ilt, anxiety fits and eventually depressive states. The empathic and sympathetic quality, which in some cases amounts to a sense of clairvoyance, may be so mar ed that they can cry for days after they have witnessed a sad incident, for example, when someone is hurt. They may also be deeply affected by violent incidents they see on the television news or in a film. This ind of sympathy and openness, together with the anxiet y they feel for others, ma es them similar to Phosphorus people in this respect. In contrast, the second type of Carcinosin is totally inconsiderate, egocentric, irresponsible and selfish. These people only demand from others, give bac nothing in return, and if you do them what they perceive to be an injustic e, you will never hear the end of it.
Intellect Carcinosin patients may be people with strong intellectual powers, often literar y people or scholars who li e to learn, to read and to stimulate their brain. Severe disturbances of the intellectual faculties, however, are also to be found, especially concerning memory. When these persons stress themselves with a lot of responsibilities, their minds
become easily exhausted, start to give way and the memory is the first to fail. Poor memory is a symptom, which is prominent in the proving. The patient forgets normal everyday things (Templeton reports that one of his provers had to return three times for his spectacles), has to thin deliberatel y, has to ma e an effort in order to remember. His forgetfulness ma es him irritable. The poor memory may accompany a general dullness of the mind. There is difficult y concentrating and thin ing, mental inertia, a slow intellect; having to thin is an effort. The brain seems constricted. A wea , tired feeling in th e mind and body may come on. The individual becomes foggy, disinterested, absent-minded,; it may be described as a sense of being intoxica ted or spaced out. The individual can't absorb anything; in a conversation he is aware of hearing something, but the words do not actually re gister, and so he does not respond. An aversion to conversation is not surprising, then, and has actually shown up in the proving as a prominent sympt om.
The wea , tired feeling passes after a short sleep, but it can also be 'wor ed o ff'. As one prover put it: 'If I fight that tiredness and do not have a short sleep I can after a short period settle down at my boo s with the same de gree of energy.' clinical evidence also shows that mental exertion as well as physical exercise often ameliorates the general and mental state.
The carcinosin child Precocity is a characteristic of Carcinosin that is seen frequently in children. One sees extremely early and rapid development on the physical and mental levels (including the exaggerated sense of responsibility I described ab ove). These children may learn to wal very early and may be toilet trained at a very young age. They may have a een intellect and learn very quic ly. One could call them 'early developers'. Their ability to tal is particularly stri ing. You feel you are tal ing with an adult; a three-and-a-ha lf-year-old Carcinosin boy was described as 'tal ing li e a lawyer' by his mother. This particularity of being able to spea a very early age is a useful characteristic.
in a very refined way at
Sexual development may also set in very early and proceed quic ly. Carcinosin ch ildren become sexually excitable unusually young, which may lead them into early and frequent masturbation. On the other hand, Carcinosin children may be very slow in their development (es pecially mental). Problems of 'holding their own' at school are very frequent in Carcinosin children of different types, but in these slow-developin g children the problems are also on the mental-intellectual level. They have childish behaviour and no inclination for learning. All the proving sympto ms mentioned above may be found in these children: mental dullness, disinterest, difficult concentration. Carcinosin has also been used with favour able results in mentally bac ward or underdeveloped children. Even in children suffering from Down's Syndrome, Carcinosin should be considered as a c onstitutional remedy (as well as Medorrhinum) because its action may greatly benefit them. Even though the basic chromosomal defect cannot be co rrected, Foubister observed good results from such treatment. An important characteristic of Carcinosin children is their sleeplessness, which is sometimes present from their very first days onward and may be a very persistent and extreme symptom. They simply cannot fall asleep in the even ing and cannot sleep until late in the night. Often they are very excited and lively in the evening. They do not want to miss what is happening a
round them and so do not want to go to bed. Also, in order to be able to fall asleep they frequently need the mother's company. The child wants to sleep in its parents' bed, or cannot sleep through the night. If the child wa es and doesn't see its parents, he or she calls for them or goes to their be d. Being roc ed may ma e it much easier for them to fall asleep. There will be frequent wa ing, sometimes with a sudden jer as if from a fright (similar to Sulphur children). The Carsinosin child is easily startled and wa es up trembling with anxiety. During sleep frequent involuntary jer ing and twitching can come on, which might also wa e them; in more advanced cases we see chronic convulsions at night. Frequent nocturnal urination may als eep them awa e for a long time. Some children need to be carried
o
around time and time again. They are unable to sleep for more than one hour at a time and become deeply exhausted and over-tired, or they awa e after midnight and cannot fall asleep again for two or three hours. Night terro rs have also been noted, as in one of Foubister's cases: 'She screams while still asleep, when wa ened she answers correctly and forgets about the ep isode in the morning' (This was a condition of five years' standing. A
relapse two years later also yielded to Carcinosin). The position during sleep for children is often on the abdomen and, more specifi cally, on the elbows and nees as in Medorrhinum. According to Foubister, this is a valuable symptom if the child is more than one year old, b ecause in their first year many children adopt this position and abandon it later on. Another pathology that we frequently see in children, and that we have to be awa re of, is their tendency to develop asthmatic conditions. Many times children's asthma will require this remedy before it clears up. It is interesti ng to see how the lac of affection they so acutely feel leads to a pathology that is very much connected with the deprivation of love and affectio n.
Appearance, sexuality, and other important traits The classic triad of Carcinosin appearance has been mentioned in the introductio n: a brownish cafe-au-lait complexion, blue sclerotics and numerous blac circular moles. There are some variations: the s in may be pale and trans parent, giving the patient a refined and delicate appearance which is matched by his corresponding behaviour; and there may also be brown spots on th e s in (lentigines). The head may be disproportionately large, particularly the forehead, which may be huge, and there may be a tendency to un usual hair growth on the face or spine. The patient's appearance is, of course, never a mandatory component for the prescribing of a remedy and shou ld not be expected in any particular individual case. There is a tendency to the formation of eloids, and Paschero found that Carcinosin reduce d the number of eloid scars caused by plastic surgery. In matters of sex, Carcinosin patients often have a strong passionate nature and women, especially, are attached in a passionate way to their partners. They so greatly feel the need for love and affection that they may exhibit almo st a compulsion to get as much sex as they can. Sex is always more easy for them to give themselves as their shy and undemanding nature from as ing for affection on an emotional level. The fact that they
eeps them
feel wea and defenceless and cannot express their demands ma es them feel even more dependent upon their partner. They are not promiscuous, but are easily sexually aroused. Even if they feel the other person is not that int erested in them, they may be strongly attached to him or her and they become very depressed after having given so much of themselves.
Carcinosin patients tend to be artistic people. They are sensitive to music, lov e dancing and have a mar ed sense of rhythm. They often love to read; even young children are fond of reading literature. Everything that cannot hurt the emotions and, at the same time, can stimulate the mind and imagination affects them deeply. Therefore, beautiful music or intensely sad st ories can ma e them cry and when they read a story they 'live it'. A similar trait is their love for nature. Of course we can say that 'everybody lo ves nature' and that this is neither pathology nor a symptom, but Carcinosin patients have a special craving for nature; they feel most comfortab le in nature as it will never hurt or offend their emotions. The love of nature shields them against their great wea ness, which is their vulnerability. They also li e to travel, not so much in order to meet people, but rather in order to live 'close to nature'. A strong food desire is the desire for chocolate. They often exhibit a strong de sire or aversion to fruit and the fat of meat. A craving for spices is
also frequently encountered. (The food desires and aversions will be dealt with in detail in the 'Stomach' section). Two important modalities: frequently there is a strong aggravation or an amelior ation from sea air. A strong amelioration in the evening is also characteristic; their energy level is good at that time. 'Tired in the sun, bet ter in the evening' and 'tired in the morning, better in the evening' are modalities that have often been observed in Carcinosin cases. (The proving brou ght out a wea ness and fatigue that was worse in the late evening and a general aggravation time from 6 to7 p.m. was also elicited.)
A selection of symptoms Contradictory and alternating states. Foubister mentions that Carcinosin has sym ptoms that alternate from side to side. The proving brought out some sensations that occur in several parts of the organ ism: feelings of tightness and constriction, throbbing, and a twitching of various muscle groups, especially in the face (eyelids). Hui bon Hoa has confir med that nervous tics, often of a bizarre nature, are part of the Carcinosin picture. He gives the following examples: 'One of my patients consta ntly tapped his brothers' s ulls with his finger tips; another used to gently bite the tips of children's fingers, one after the other; he had not los t this habit at the age of 40. Sometimes Cancerinum tears at the s in round the nails.' Some modalities that have not been mentioned in the 'Essential Features' section : heat and cold may both aggravate, although heat in general aggravates. Carcinosin people tend to be warm-blooded, and warm, stuffy rooms will often ag gravate. 'Less tal ative, worse stuffy room, better open air' (from the proving). 'Worse from undressing' is also an interesting modality that applies to cough an d s in symptoms. There is a general amelioration from a short sleep. Usually Carcinosin patients possess great appetites and are voracious eaters. Th ey can become very obese, really huge. Food allergies have been noted: allergic to eggs, intolerant to the smell of egg s. They have profuse, offensive axillary perspiration. Some pathologies where Carcinosin has acted favourably are: mononucleosis infect
iosa ('glandular fever' where it may be, according to Foubister, a near specific in epidemic cases); recurrent infections in children (also recurr ent tonsillitis); cyclical vomiting; neurodermatitis. It may be indicated in complaints of an annual periodicity, e.g. hay-fever. Carcinosin patients can also suffer from travel sic ness. Women have flushes of heat during climaxis.
Vertigo and head
Vertigo and fear of high places. Tight, constricting feeling of the brain which may also induce or aggravate an a version to conversation. A sensation of thumping, mostly on the right side of the head. Thumping headache behind the eyebrows from 1-6 p.m. Throbbing pain deep inside the head, the depth being very mar ed. Heaviness behind the right eye; between the temples. Dull heavy frontal ache; he aviness in the frontal region over the eyes, with a dazed and dizzy feeling; better in the open air. Pain in the right temple as if someone were pressing there. Frontal headaches extending into the eyes. These head symptoms from the proving led to the use of Carcinosin in migraines, which may be accompanied by blindness and vomiting. Migraines may be followed by asthmatic complaints or may alternate with them. Headaches in the occiput, especially in the late afternoon, lasting from 5 p.m. until bed time. Severe pressing occipital pain, radiating to the base of the brain and nape of the nec . Headache before thunderstorms. A history of an injury to the head (even at birth or in childhood) or a concussi on of the head may point to Carcinosin, according to Foubister.
Eyes Blue sclerotics. Twitching of the eyes, eyelids, brows; of the left lower lid; repeated blin ing, tics. Aching behind the right eye; it is tender to pressure. Lid margins sore and dry. Stinging in the upper lids. Styes that produce discharge. Eyes feel strained and wea .
Ears Sensation as if the ear was bloc ed; inflamed meatal wall. Inflammation of the right earlobe. Formation of boils in the ears, alternating from one ear to the other. 'Patient had no freedom from boils for more than a wee or two at a time'
(Foubister).
Nose Chronic, long-continued coryza, or constantly recurrent colds, since childhood. Excoriating discharge, or stuffy nose with thic arynx.
discharge, li e a lump in the l
Hay fever.
Face Tics; all sorts of grimaces; twitching with a sensation of tingling. Brownish colour; smooth cafe-au-lait s in. Numerous eruptions: acne (came out in the proving), vesicular acne; eczema with scratching till it bleeds; herpes on the upper lip and nose. Eczema on the face, at the sides; she scratches until it bleeds Stiffness of the lower jaw.
Mouth Mouth ulcers at the upper gum and the side of the tongue; ulcers with foul taste . Aphthae in children. Leu opla ia spots on the gum and palate. Papillae absent on the tip of the tongue. Tongue constantly moving bac and forth, touching the teeth; tongue becomes sore , with severe pain. Tender gums, painful on pressure, with a stiff lower jaw. Aching at the roots of the teeth. Early caries of the teeth.
Throat Sore throat, worse from warmth and better from cold. The soreness has a special
localisation: at the palate, as if there were a lump there. Sore throat on swallowing saliva (empty swallowing), worse in the morning, bette r as the day goes on, comes again at night; sore throat when not
swallowing. Recurrent tonsillitis.
Air passages, respiration and cough Keeps on clearing throat; has to do so before being able to spea . Stammering; unable to say certain words, e.g. the number 'eight'. Lump sensation in the larynx. Recurrent infections or catarrh of the respiratory tract. Asthma: in children; dating bac from a severe fright; better or worse at the se aside; worse in wet or windy weather, better cool, dry days. Shortness of breath on running. The proving brought out a lot of cough symptoms: cough, from a tic ling in the t hroat, which hurts the stomach; tic ling cough at night, eeps on clearing throat; worse tal ing, singing, laughing, being in a warm room; worse in the mo rning when dressing, washing or shaving; worse undressing; worse when 'stretching the throat' as in yawning. 'Stomach cough' worse in a stuffy room; irritation in the pharynx, larynx, and t hyroid aggravated on leaving an area of cold air. Stomach cough while tal ing; throat clogs up then is cleared by coughing. Cough may be worse from cold air or worse indoors, but especially on the change from cold to warm or warm to cold. Prolonged whooping cough or chronic pneumonia; in infants; history of such condi tions in early childhood. Stabbing pain behind the sternum. Sensation as if heart tight and constricted, as if one wants to sigh. Palpitation from 2 to 6 p.m. , 'can feel the heart and hear it when lying down'. Stitching heart pain on standing.
Stomach The appetite may be voracious. The patient eats everything indiscriminately and mixed together. More often, however, there are very mar ed food
desires and aversions, with the peculiarity that one ind of food is desired at one time, and at another time there is a definite aversion to the same ind of food ('contradictory and alternating states'). Mar ed desires may be for: chocolate and other sweets, including ice-cream, and even pure sugar (Paschero reports that children only wanted to eat sugar); fat and fat of meat, ham, smo ed bacon, butter, sausage; raw potatoes; spicy foods, salt; soup; sweet and sour; fruit, sour apples; cocoa;
cold drin s, especially mil ; eggs. Mar ed aversions: to fruit; to eggs, even to the smell of eggs; meat, fat, butte r; potatoes; mil ; salts; sweets. Intolerance for honey, for mil , for onions; allergy to eggs; the odour of musta rd disgusts. Very thirsty, for large quantities, or very little thirst. Nausea from traveling by bus or car; travel sic ness. Eructation tasting of vomit. When anxiety or anticipation are felt in the pit of the stomach or epigastrium, Carcinosin may be indicated, especially (according to Foubister) Cancerinum Adeno-Stom. Stomach pain from coughing. Peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers; in the individual or family history.
Abdomen and rectum The provings elicited a constant feeling as if one were constricted, in the stom ach, abdomen and rectum. This constricting pain was relieved by pressure, bending and hot drin s. Indigestion, accumulation of gas in the stomach and bowel. Pain low down in the abdomen with flatus. Obstinate constipation. Constipation with heavy pain above the umbilicus; the pa in comes slowly and goes slowly, worse from 4 to 6 p.m. Constipation with very little desire to pass stool (but much flatus). Stool very hard and dry, difficult and painful to pass. Stool remains for a long time in the rectum. Much flatulence in new-born babies; nappy rash (dermatitis). Prolapsus; from mental stress through being treated unfairly at wor ; in childre n. Fistula ani; fissures and painful crac s of the anal-rectal area.
Urinary organs
Chronic or recurrent infections. Cystitis; nephritis; pyelonephritis. Urine cont aining granular casts. Involuntary urination. Constant lea ing of small amounts of urine. Or: enuresis nocturna which is still present at an age of 12 or 14 years (Ko elenberg).
Female genitalia Dysmenorrhoea. First day of menses extremely painful, she has to bend over doubl e and sweats from the pain. Extreme pressure in the lower bac with menses, resembling labour, sometimes eeping her awa e at night. Cramping and d ragging-down pain extending down the thighs. Nausea and vomiting at the beginning of menses. Swelling and pain in the mammae before menses, beginning in mid-cycle. Premenstrual Syndrome. Bloating, anxious, fearful. Recurrent ovarian cysts, right-sided, causing numbing pain down the thigh. Forma tion of ovarian cysts in connection with acne and furuncles discharging thic matter li e butter. Right-sided ovarian pain. Fibroid tumours in uterus; endometriosis. Flatus from the vagina. Herpes genitalis. Recurrent pseudo-pregnancy with enlarged abdomen and mil in the breasts. Chronic mastitis.
Nec and bac Pain on the right side of the nec on turning the head to the right. Pain at the inner angle of the left scapula. Twitches in the bac ; with tingling. Sciatica.
Extremities Coldness of the extremities, worse from a draught of air. Aching arms and legs, acute coldness of the hands and feet; aching worse from co ld and sitting still. The hands may go white and blue. Twitching in the muscles of the thighs and arms. Aching at the bac of the thighs, with numbness and tingling of the arms and leg s if he crosses or bends them.
Aching 'li e a toothache' (from the proving) in shoulder muscles, ameliorated by warmth and movement. Pain in the hips, right and left, worse for motion, worse if weight is off the l egs.
General wea tired feeling, mostly in the legs, in late evening; better if ept active and does not rest; better also after a short sleep. Rheumatic pain in the legs, ameliorated by warmth and gentle movement, whereas q uic movement aggravates. Wea ness of the an les. Hangnails; tears or chews at the cuticles.
Sleep Obstinate sleeplessness, especially in children. Ta es a long time to fall aslee p. Tired, but mind much too active to fall asleep, lies awa e for a long time, often for most of the night. Sleep restless, disturbed; light sleep, frequent wa ing. Wa ing at 4 a.m. and ca nnot fall asleep again. General twitching of muscles during sleep; wa es up twitching; wa es up with a j er , as from fright. Tired when he wa es up in the morning, even if his sleep was good; unrefreshing sleep. Aside from the nee-elbow position with his head pressed into the pillow (compar e Medorrhinum), other sleep positions have also been observed: he sleeps on his bac , hands above his head, or he can only sleep on his left side . Dreams: of loo ing for someone and failing to find them; of wor ing; of travelin g; of drifting; of murder; anxious dreams (e.g. worried about having done something incorrectly at wor ); nightmares; of vampires; exhausting dreams ; exciting dreams.
S in Many pigmented naevi, blac and circular or brown (moles, lentigines). The proving brought on a return of an old eczema (not present since childhood), apparently a seborrhoeal irritation between the shoulders and on the sternum, which was aggravated on undressing. Eczema with itching; must scratch until it bleeds; eczema worse after mil ; neur odermatitis with rough and dry s in. Wounds and ulcers are slow to heal.
Tendency to the formation of boils. Warts have repeatedly been cured by Carcinosin: on the lips; on the abdominal s in; on the bac of the hand; on the fingers; adjacent to the finger nails; on the soles of the feet.
Relations Carcinosin may precede or follow any remedy. Foubister has compiled a list of co mplementary remedies: Alum., Ars. and Ars-i., Bell-p., Calc. and Phos., Graph., Lach., Lyc., Med., Nat-m. and Nat-s., Nit-ac., Op., Psor., Puls., Sep., Staph., Sulph., Syph., Thuj., and Tub. He says that 'Candidates for Carcinosin in other respects had frequently been helped by one or more of these remedies', and he suggests considering Carcinosin if a patient doesn't respond to a well-selected remedy if the remedy is included in his list , or if two or more of them are strongly partially indicated, but neither of them adequately covers the case. I suspect that this idea has not been sufficiently confirmed, yet I have observe d that sometimes Carcinosin will act to 'open up' a case (without curing the condition) so that the next indicated remedy can be recognised and prescrib ed and will be able to act, even though it is possible that such a remedy was given before and did not act.
