Homoeopathic prescribing: Remedies for home and surgery 0722503431

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Remedies for Home and Surgery

Homoeopathic

~ Prescribing

Adolf

TEMD

Translated from the German 37 | ee aFein SY mene

Qay Sera

LSorrer]

3.6.77

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

‚Slug.

+2 I

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING Remedies for Home and

Surgery by

Adolf Voegeli, M.D. Translated from the German by: Geoffrey Dudley, B.A.

THORSONS PUBLISHERS LIMITED Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

Published in Germany as Die korrecte homöopathische Behandlung in der täglichen Praxis

© Karl F. Haug Verlag, Ulm/Donau, 1964 First published in England 1976 x

© THORSONS PUBLISHERS LIMITED

1976

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in

any form of binding or cover other than that in which it 1s published and without a sumilartondition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 0 7225 0343 1 Filmset by Specialised Offset Services Ltd., Liverpool Printed in Great Britain by Whitstable Litho Ltd., Whitstable, Kent

CONTENTS Chapter Introduction

i

Remedies for acute febrile conditions (influenza, fevers, etc.) 1. and 2. Aconite and Belladonna 3. Ferrum phos.

4. Gelsemium sempervirens 5. Eupatorium perfoliatum II.

Remedies for acute rhinitis (head colds) 1. Nux vomica

2. Allium cepa 3. Euphrasia 4. Mercurius vivus 5. Arsenicum album 6. Pulsatilla

III.

Children’s illnesses and teething troubles 1. Chamomilla

EV.

Remedies for sore throat 1. Aconite 2. Belladonna

3. Phytolacca 4. Apis 5. Hepar sulphuris 6. Lachesis

7. Lycopodium 8. Mercurius Remedies for gastric complaints 1. Nux vomica 2. Pulsatilla nigricans 3. Antimonium crudum 4. Acidum sulph. 5. Abies nigra. 6. Bryonia alba. VI.

Some remedies for travel sickness 1. Cocculus indicus 2. Tabacum 3. Petroleum

VIL.

Remedies for rheumatic complaints 1. Aconite 2. Antimonium crudum

3. Bryonia alba 4. Rhus toxicodendron 5. Apis 6. Benzoicum acidum

VIII.

List of remedies

IX.

Dosage

INTRODUCTION More and more doctors have acknowledged the problematic nature of today’s orthodox therapy (treatment with antibiotics), particularly in everyday infectious illnesses such as influenza, colds in the head, sore throat, etc. This treatment

is said to deal with causes, but in reality it doesn’t, although it attacks the microbes which release the above-mentioned diseases: there is no dispute about this. The problem,

however, is not so simple as it appears. These microbes and viruses are there most or all of the time, but, so that they can invade a living organism, its defensive strength must be

reduced. In a completely healthy person, in possession of all his powers of defence, their effect is nil. So some people are infected, while resistant ones remain well in spite of the presence of the microbes. Our well-being, therefore, depends almost exclusively upon our power of resistance, for, as we are surrounded by hostile forces, this is our only guarantee of health. Antibiotics, which are supposed to destroy microbes, do

not, however, promote the power of defence in the slightest.

Rather they weaken it by making the struggle too easy, for no ability can be acquired or sustained without constant effort. So we can often observe that at first acute diseases are quickly cured by antibiotics, but that afterwards relapses frequently occur;

finally the illness tends to become

chronic,

for the

organism, which has become inert, no longer reacts. It is

8

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

therefore not surprising that nowadays diseases spread on a scale hitherto unknown. The time when nearly everybody enjoyed the best of health is past; today the majority of our population suffers continually from some disease or other. Even children are very often under medical treatment. It cannot,

of course,

be otherwise

so

long as

we

consider

microbes as the only noxious agents, while disregarding the individual power of resistance. Nevertheless, there are a great many doctors who have done some serious thinking about the problem. This idea has also been discussed at congresses of orthodox medicine and in its journals, in which antibiotics have been recommended to be used with care and only in serious cases where life is in danger. Moreover, there are very many doctors who renounce this ‘panacea’ on the basis of their own experiences. What, then, can the modern doctor do in the many cases

where he ought to give up antibiotics? Therapy with antibiotics is so simple and calls for so little effort. Besides, he has learned nothing else. Where is the therapy which guarantees him good results and satisfies his patients, without producing the defects of the method under criticism? This is where the value of homoeopathy must be especially emphasized. From the outset it gives up combating the releasing factor of a disease and applies itself only to the power of resistance of each individual, who develops it to a surprising extent. Experience teaches that not only are diseases very

quickly cured in this way, but relapses only seldom occur. However,

to be understood, homoeopathy must be put to a

practical test. That

is not always easy, especially for the

doctor who is used to selecting his medicine only on the basis of the clinical diagnosis, i.e. according to the site of the illness, its anatomical and pathological aspects, and perhaps even according to the causative microbes if they can be identified — which is often not possible at all (e.g. almost never in head colds, sore throats, gastric upsets, etc.). A point which cannot be stressed enough is that in homoeopathy the clinical diagnosis does not permit selection

INTRODUCTION

y

of the remedy. That often surprises the novice, but it is so. The organism’s vital reactions are decisive, for they show us the kind of defects that are present. The clinical diagnosis, on the other hand, is generally linked to the type of microbes and their affinity for the tissues. As we in homoeopathy raise and strengthen the weakened power of defence, we naturally have to give particular attention to the symptoms arising from this weakness. The resemblance between the symptoms of the remedy and those of the patient has to play the leading part in the foregoing aim so as to make the remedy effective. For this reason diseased conditions cannot be grouped according to the official classification, for that helps us only very little in the choice of remedy. On the other hand, our contemporaries have got so used to relying on anatomical and pathological diagnosis that the beginner in homoeopathy cannot find his way about if introduced to our method in its classic form as known to the experienced homoeopath. My description is, therefore, a compromise, as is inevitable in a work of this kind. But we have to work hard to arrive gradually at a more exact understanding of homoeopathy. This understanding comes automatically in time if one works conscientiously and observes thoroughly. The description of the remedies will put the reader on the right path. However, it needs years of experience with this method to grasp in its entirety the problem of illness and its adequate and lasting cure. Anyone who perseveres will be richly rewarded, for he will not only gain insights inconceivable to a beginner of the old school, but also find a hitherto unknown satisfaction with

the cures achieved through homoeopathy — and this for reasons hard to explain but easy to prove by experience. Apart from doctors who want to be initiated into homoeopathy, this book will prove useful in the home. Above all, it should serve those who wish to protect themselves against antibiotics and the arsenal of modern poisons, especially if a homoeopathic doctor is not available to them.

~~

CHAPTER

ONE

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS (Influenza, Fevers, etc.)

1.and 2. Aconite and Belladonna

The homoeopathic remedy can never be prescribed from the name of the illness which it is desired to cure; that is the first

principle in homoeopathy. This principle is the fruit of long experience. Many famous

have doctors, particularly Hahnemann, homoeopathic who those all warned and stressed this truth again and again the on only prescribing against wish to practise homoeopathy clinical the to according i.e., basis of the name of the illness, diagnosis.! The remedies have been grouped according to the clinical

conditions, in order to ease the therapist’s task, for it needs a

considerable knowledge of the remedies and their peculiarities to treat a patient without establishing any relation with his clinical illness. As a beginner may not find his way about otherwise this kind of introduction has been chosen. Everyone, | The disease indications of orthodox medicine are based on ascertained structural changes. These changes are always a result of various aetiological

factors. To be able to treat the causes, we must know the factors which have

led to the immediate structural changes, and we get them from the symptoms. Nevertheless, a clinical diagnosis is necessary, but really more for orienting the doctor, while allowing him to continue the course of treatment and to screen out those cases for which homoeopathy is not suitable. For selecting a remedy, however, this diagnosis is totally inadequate: there are even frequent regrettable errors in the selection as a consequence.

12 HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING however, must take pains to seek in his patient the characteristics of remedies and not the clinical indications of diseases. For the characteristics of remedies, i.e. their typical signs which provide us with their possible uses, are very different from the pathognomonic? signs by which we recognize illnesses. The most characteristic symptom of Aconite and Belladonna is the severity or suddenness with which the illness develops. Regardless of what the illness is called, where it has its site, or

what its pathognomonic signs are, if it suddenly attacks a person who previously enjoyed the best of health, or spreads with unusual speed, you have to consider Aconite or Belladonna as the first remedy — and sometimes Ferrum phos. Suddenness of onset is the most characteristic symptom of these three remedies. As flu and many serious fevers often start and develop quite suddenly, these three remedies are often used for illnesses of this type. However, there are other ills which can come on suddenly, e.g. headaches, stomach pains, diarrhoea, laryngitis, pneumonia, scarlet fever. Whenever one of these illnesses is characterized by its suddenness, we must always think of one of the three remedies in question. For each of these illnesses, however, only one of the remedies is effective; we cannot, as in allopathy, prescribe one or the other at discretion. The homoeopathic remedy does not work from symptoms: it works from causes or not at all. That is why only the genuinely suitable remedy, i.e. the ‘likeminded’ in every respect — hence ‘homoeopathic’ — develops a powerful healing effect. To be able to select the right homoeopathic remedy, it is necessary to investigate the patient’s other symptoms, especially those by which the remedies differ from each other. For example, the influence of Aconite on the mental state is depressive; under it the patient becomes timid and afraid; he may have unaccountable anxiety states; a condition of general * Pathognomonic symptoms clinical illness or caused by it.

are those which are characteristic of the

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

13

oppression is very common. This often goes with a certain physical restlessness. The patient doesn’t feel at ease in any position; he keeps thrashing about and throws off his clothes. Sometimes this oppression intensifies to the point of fearing death. It may become so severe that the patient is sure that he is going to die; he even goes so far as to predict the exact hour of his approaching demise; and this is an almost sure sign that Aconite should be tried. For Belladonna, on the other hand, we have a nearly opposite mental state: the patient is violent, quarrelsome, inclined to strike out and to bite, and suffers from wild hallucinations.

The Ferrum phos. patient, however, exhibits no specially typical mental condition. Now if these mental symptoms are present, we can very often make our choice from among the three specified remedies. If anxiety predominates, we think first of Aconite; if violence prevails, of Belladonna. These symptoms are also of importance if they are not particularly strong during the illness but were there before it. An anxious patient will often bring to light the acute Aconite condition, a violent one the Belladonna condition. In many cases, however, the patient’s mental state is not characteristic; we must, therefore, search for other important

characteristic symptoms. The absence of positive symptoms does not mean much; it is only a sign that the diseased condition is not yet fully developed. The cause which has triggered off an illness is of importance

too. If we are told that the patient caught his illness on a cold day in a north wind or that he has been in a draught, we think first of Aconite. For the Aconite condition is aided and abetted by bitter cold, north winds and draughts. The fever must, however, come on with typical suddenness shortly after these influences, at the latest a day after. The Belladonna condition is also encouraged by cold draughts; this sign is therefore common to both remedies and is so permits us no distinction. The Belladonna condition t, dayligh ne, sunshi of effect aggravated, however, by the

14

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

shock, concussion. Hence in an acute illness, which comes on,

for example, after braving icy conditions in otherwise fine weather, after an excursion under the same conditions, after a

car journey on poor roads, or after sun-bathing for too long, we think first of Belladonna, not Aconite. 2 We also look at the patient’s face. In the Aconite type we mostly find pallor, particularly if the patient exerts himself or tries to sit up. But his ears are often red and burning. The expression on his face matches his psychological condition: he frequently looks anxious. Of course, very high fever can also make the Aconite patient’s face red. That does not exclude this remedy, but it is not characteristic of it. By contrast, the Belladonna patient’s face is nearly always shiny and bloated, and feels warm to the touch; he has a wild look. The facial expression alone doesn’t always permit us to distinguish between the two remedies, but at least it gives a further pointer and contributes to our choice.

Both remedies evoke a feeling of warmth; with Aconite we find a dry warmth, with Belladonna an excessive warmth with throbbing of the blood-vessels. Further signs which we must note are: Aconite

Belladonna

(a) Excessive shivering, with thirst.

(a) Shivering convulses the patient, with or without

(b) Absence of sweating. (c) Violent headaches, which feel as if the head

thirst. (b) The patient is bathed in sweat during or after the

is going to burst. (d) Strong, quickened pulse,

tense.

high temperature. (c) Throbbing

headaches,

_with congestion and red eyes. (d) Pulse hammering, irregular.

often

Each remedy has further aggravating circumstances. Aconite

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

15

symptoms, for instance, are aggravated by dry cold, in the evening, at night, in a warm room, by warm bed-clothes, or by noises. These modalities must, of course, be precisely observed and interpreted. The Aconite patient usually gets worse towards evening. He sees a very disturbed night ahead; the warm room and the bed-clothes don’t suit him; he throws the covers back

and asks for the window to be opened. He can’t stand any noises. These latter symptoms have many remedies in common.

They ‘are not very often decisive but, related to other circumstances, they may settle the matter in favour of one or the other remedy. Thus, for example, a patient who is feverish

in the morning or early afternoon, but sleeps well at night, is not an Aconite patient. The same applies to a patient who likes

the room warm and wants to be tucked up very warm. Belladonna has other modalities: there is worsening in daylight, in sunshine, from being touched, from being moved, at about 3 p.m., and after midnight. Although these modalities, too, are not decisive, they are seen to be rather

different from those of Aconite. In certain cases they may tip the scales. Belladonna has one especially conspicuous symptom: scarlet redness of the skin. That is why Belladonna is the typical remedy for scarlet fever (never for measles). These explanations show how you should proceed in principle: the homoeopathic remedy is selected on the basis of elimination. First you look for the patient’s characteristic symptoms and

the corresponding remedies. Then you compare his other symptoms with the disease symptoms of the remedies under consideration. And finally the remedy which best corresponds to the patient’s symptomatology is prescribed in accordance with its characteristic pathogenetic signs. This procedure cannot be handled mechanically, for it is not the number of symptoms which decides, but only their value. This value depends on their anomalous, specific and

16

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

extraordinary character. A single sympton, like premonition of death with Aconite, is worth as much as a dozen or more

commonplace symptoms and can be decisive. Yet the symptoms which are found in nearly every case of febrile illness and which include numerous remedies in their symptom picture have little value. Twenty such symptoms do not point to the remedy of choice if the characteristic, specific and extraordinary symptoms are not there. Of course, the homoeopath can grasp the value of symptoms only with time and experience. The more experience he gains, the better his eye recognizes the important and decisive symptoms, while the beginner notices them only incompletely or often not at all. It is remarkable that the symptoms which are usually ignored in orthodox medical textbooks are precisely the most important ones, while those which they deal with in detail are very often not decisive. Fever in itself does not help very much with the choice of remedy. More important is the type and time of its onset, whether or not it is followed by thirst, whether or not there is shivering, whether the patient complains of being too hot or too cold, whether his face is flushed or pale, whether

shooting or throbbing pains go with the fever, whether a skin eruption is scarlet red, bright red or dark red, whether the state of mind is anxious or violent or even angry. Those are the decisive symptoms which make the choice of remedy possible. At this point it should be mentioned that the pathognomonic symptoms, i.e. those on which reliance is placed in diagnosing the illness, are for the most part of little value. That also applies to all the secondary symptoms which arise from the pathognomonic ones. For example, a feeling of tightness in the chest can be of very great importance. This is a symptom with Lachesis, Apis, and so on. If, however, this difficulty in breathing is caused by a sore throat with pronounced swelling of the tonsils, it is mechanically caused, and the symptom is therefore of no further significance in determining the remedy. So there is no value in any symptoms which can be explained mechanically.

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

7

I should just like to clarify this with an example. A patient whose characteristic is the sudden onset of a high fever, who has a sense of oppression and anticipates his approaching death at a specific time, is thirsty but doesn’t perspire, is very

active, throws back his bed-clothes, calls for the windows to be

opened, and whose illness is worse at night, etc., is an Aconite case. This remedy will cure him, regardless of what the illness is called and what the orthodox doctor’s diagnosis is. He would be cured even if he were suffering from cancer — but it must of course be said at once that Aconite will never cure a cancer. No cancer patient will ever characteristically present the above symptoms as his morbid condition, for cancer develops slowly, breaks out almost unnoticed, produces no fever; in short, its

onset is the opposite of sudden. One may object that sometimes even a patient suffering from cancer exhibits symptoms of this kind, e.g. if he has an intestinal obstruction. Then the symptoms can appear violently and suddenly, and resemble those of Aconite. However, if we remember that we must always carefully separate the clinical symptoms and the symptoms which arise from the clinical changes, we can see how homoeopathy vindicates itself in practice. For, in this case, all the symptoms resembling those of Aconite turn out to be purely mechanical symptoms, which arise from the intestinal obstruction and not from the cancer itself. That is why these symptoms have no value and the homoeopath does not then prescribe Aconite, as he knows right away that, because this remedy does not correspond to his patient’s morbid condition, it cannot cure his case. The resemblance is purely external. The experienced and conscientious homoeopath can distinguish misleading symptoms from genuine ones and so avoid disappointments.

3. Ferrum phos. This remedy should-be considered above all for children who show certain peculiarities during or before their acute illness. Paleness of face and mucous membranes is such a symptom. These patients blush at the least provocation. The

18

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

capillaries are very sensitive; they readily enlarge and then well-defined patches of red appear on the cheeks, neck and chest. Sometimes the reddening is. even more widespread. Another marked characteristic in these persons is the tendency towards gastric disorders. These are accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, sickness and vomiting, which come on straight after eating, and often leave a taste like rotten eggs. Moreover, the patient has a distinct aversion to eggs, which he just cannot face. In addition, Ferrum phos. patients often suffer from pounding and throbbing in the arteries, mainly those of the head and neck.

Further,

there

are

frequent

headaches;

the head

is

flushed while the feet are cold. We also find a flushed head and icy feet with Stramonium. However, with Ferrum phos. the head is not warm, but only reddened. These reddenings come on intermittently. The Ferrum phos. patient suffers from tightness of the chest, but other remedies also yield tightness, so care must be taken here. Do not prescribe it on just this one symptom. With Ferrum phos. the tightness arises from a congestion in the lungs; it is aggravated both by exertion and inactivity. If such a sense of constriction comes on during rest, the patient is inclined to moderate movement. This brings him relief, for the blood then flows into the extremities, so taking the load off the lungs. With Lachests — another remedy which exhibits constriction — the latter arises from a change in the blood itself, which is lacking in oxygen. For this reason the Lachesis patient has blue lips, an ashen complexion, and a need to undo his collar, loosen his clothing, and take deep breaths. In the latter case, therefore, quite a different phenomenon is involved; the accompanying symptoms will immediately put the acute observer on the right track. In allopathy Ferrum phos. has earned a good reputation for itself in cases of anaemia. The Ferrum phos. patient is actually often anaemic,

but it is the true causal remedy for anaemia

only in those cases which exhibit the symptoms indicated here. In all other cases it acts only as a palliative, as a

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

19

stimulant and fillip for the bone marrow. It then has to be given, of course,

in massive

doses and, as it does not act

causally, it does not definitely cure. Menstrual periods are different with Ferrum phos. — they can be profuse, interrupted in the middle, or missed. Be that as it

may, they are generally pallid, corresponding to the recognized anaemia of these patients. It is interesting to note that the menses can exhibit two quite opposite characteristics. The newcomer must thoroughly acquaint himself with the fact that certain symptoms are very different depending on, whether they appear as a result of a hyperfunction, or of a hypofunction. This is a matter of complex symptoms which depend on several factors; they are correspondingly less important for the choice of remedy. Nevertheless, both forms of menstrual irregularity can be cured with Ferrum phos. but only, of course, if the case is one which falls under Ferrum phos. This is something the other characteristic symptoms permit one to decide. Ferrum phos. covers daytime incontinence of urine, where the patient stays dry at night. The Ferrum phos. patient often suffers from rheumatic pains in the shoulders and has a scalp so sensitive that combing his hair can draw cries and tears. He is not a robust person, but is sensitive and irritable. It is true that he is not angry like other irritable people, for his irritation arises from his weakness and lack of power of resistance. He does not like cold air and loses body heat easily. Changes for the worse: Ferrum phos. symptoms are aggravated by exertion, meat, eggs, eating generally, coffee, tea, fresh air, and during the night.

Changes

for the better

are

brought

about

by slow

movement, warmth (except headaches and toothaches, which are made worse by warmth). Likes and dislikes: Preferences are generally of overriding importance because they reveal to us a person’s instincts, which are particularly characteristic of his inner make-up. The Ferrum phos. patient usually has a great fondness for raw

and acid foods (lettuce, vinegar, lemons, sour apples), while

20

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

he has a certain aversion to meat. Behaviour during the fever: The patient who displays the above-mentioned signs generally gets the Ferrum phos. fever whenever he catches an infectious illness. The acute cases mostly begin with shivering, which is preceded or accompanied by an intensified thirst; occasionally headaches and toothaches (chiefly of the lower molars) occur. The patient has feelings of tightness in the chest. Sometimes he also feels a weight in the stomach and suffers from vomiting. With every exertion he experiences increasing shortness of breath (e.g. whenever he tries to sit up in bed, etc.). The blood-vessels are enlarged, mainly in the head, and the

throbbing of the arteries can be seen; this the patient feels as hammering of his pulse. The pulse is strong but easy to suppress. In the Ferrum phos. picture we often find bleeding from the nose and gums; the sputum is often flecked with blood and of a red, shiny colour. During the high temperature

which follows the shivering the patient does not have a thirst, or the thirst diminishes considerably. This symptom is extremely characteristic, for it is a very striking exception in febrile conditions. The patient does not sweat either; in this respect he resembles the Aconite type. When must we prescribe Ferrum phos.? A homoeopath once wrote that in acute fevers Ferrum phos. is more effective than Aconite. We cannot, however, look at the problem in this light,

for Aconite cures the Aconite case and Ferrum phos. cures the Ferrum phos. case. There are no connections between the two remedies; one cannot be substituted for the other.

It is often not easy to diagnose a Ferrum phos. case solely from the acute symptoms. We then have to supplement the symptomatology, i.e. the patient’s acute symptomatology, with his chronic symptoms. Whenever we are concerned with a genuine Ferrum phos. case, we shall always find previous indications which are characteristic of this remedy, most commonly aversion to eggs, shortness of breath on exertion, a

feeling of constriction, paleness of the face and of the mucous membranes alternating with non-persistent red blotches,

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

21

hypersensitiveness, and irritable weakness. It must be added that every Ferrum phos. patient exhibits some symptoms of the remedy, but not very often all of them. Identifying them with certainty is a matter of experience and skill. A practised observer easily recognizes a Ferrum phos. case, even if it shows only a limited number of symptoms, whereas a casual one finds no trace even where there are very many symptoms. Medicine is an art and not a systematic technique.

4. Gelsemium sempervirens This

remedy,

too,

is often

indicated

for

so-called

flu

conditions. Here, however, the accompanying symptons are

completely different from those of the three other remedies, Aconite, Belladonna and Ferrum phos. The acute development of

the

illness

is characteristic

of the

latter,

whereas

with

Gelsemium we observe a slow development with moderate fever,

which may hardly exceed 38.8°C (102°F.); the illness is one which drags on. The patient’s appearance is characteristic: he is drowsy; as soon as he begins to read, he lets the book drop and falls

asleep. His face is congested, crimson red, and warm to the touch, as with Belladonna. The eyelids tend to droop; this is an

important sign. Of course, one or other of these symptoms may be absent. The frequent absence of certain symptoms creates more or less considerable difficulties in choosing a remedy. Yet nature is

quite various and the course of illnesses does not always follow the pattern which man has laid down. That is why one ought not to be surprised at the ‘ignorance’ of nature, who hasn’t taken any medical courses and does as she pleases. The homoeopathic physician has the advantage of being able to observe objectively and without prejudice all the signs which nature produces. The Gelsemium fever develops slowly; it generally stays at 38.4°C (101°F.) for some days. Aconite, Belladonna or Ferrum phos. cases mostly recover after between twelve and forty-eight hours, but the Gelsemium case needs three to eight days. This

22

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

prognosis canbe made right at the start of the illness, as soon as the fact that it is a Gelsemium case has been established. The correct prognosis, which is borne out by the course that the illness takes, increases the doctor’s authority. Gelsemium symptoms get worse at about 3 or 4 p.m., and from this daily peak the fever usually drops during the late afternoon. That shows a considerable difference from Aconzte cases, in whom the peak of the fever occurs at about 7 p.m. or even later. The medical student is normally taught that fevers reach their high point between 5 and 6 p.m. Usually the temperature is taken at this time. But that proves right only in certain fever cases — a large proportion, admittedly; however, a minority of cases culminate at other times: on waking up in the morning, at about 10 a.m., after lunch, at about 3 p.m.,

etc. These modalities of less frequent occurrence are important because they give us certain pointers to the remedy to be chosen.

With Gelsemium there is shivering, which begins in the hands and moves up to the shoulders; another attack of shivering creeps up or down the back. A particularly characteristic symptom is trembling. The Gelsemium patient suffers from heaviness and a sense of physical weakness in the extremities; this feeling, however, is not very pronounced but resembles fatigue or painful lassitude. This patient doesn’t have a thirst. The absence of thirst during a febrile condition is always an important symptom, for a feverish patient who isn’t thirsty is an exception. As we have seen, the more abnormal a sympton is in relation to the patient’s condition, the more important it is. But there are other remedies which don’t have thirst during feverishness either, e.g. Apis and Ferrum phos., while Belladonna may or may not have thirst. Where there is no thirst during fever, you must think primarily of Gelsemium, Apis, Ferrum phos., and Belladonna. You then decide the question of the choice of remedy on the basis of the other symptoms. Always try to single out the most abnormal symptom and then choose the remedy which corresponds to this symptom, i.e. proceed on

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

23

the principle of elimination while relying on the other symptoms. From the slow development of the symptoms with Gelsemium we derive certain other therapeutic principles, e.g. a case which has been treated with Aconite and which does not improve considerably within twelve hours is very probably not an Aconite case at all. The symptoms must then be reassessed

to find a better-indicated remedy. If, on the other hand, the

remedy acts slowly in a Gelsemium case, that is quite normal and there is then no reason to get concerned or to-change the remedy; the slow development of the Gelsemium case also leads to a slow recovery. In every case one or two days will elapse before any noticeable result can be seen. As Gelsemium cases in general don’t follow any dramatic course and complications are rare, we should remain confident even if the fever persists for some days. The fever itself need not worry us because this reaction shows us that the body is putting up a good self-defence. In general, all diseases accompanied by fever are easily cured, and the higher the fever is, the quicker they are cured. Most non-pyrexial illnesses, by contrast, are much more difficult to cure. The organism defends itself badly and the diseases tend to become chronic. So there is nothing more absurd than to suppress the fever with antipyretics without a compelling reason, for that hinders the organism’s defence and leads to complications. In all cases such a therapy prolongs the duration of the illness. It should be banned unless the temperature is so high.as to pose a threat to life. The external factor which most frequently sets off Gelsemium

In the cases is a chill, as it is with Aconite and Belladonna cases. chill, the after hours few a out breaks latter, however, the fever

whereas with Gelsemium it appears only after three or four the days; hence the time interval between the chill and to r pointe a also is illness of oms sympt appearance of the first the remedy.

Chronic symptoms:

Usually well before the illness, the

24

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

Gelsemium patient, like the Ferrum phos. patient, shows certain characteristic symptoms, e.g. ‘examination nerves’ or something of this kind. Often he gets diarrhoea as a result of excitement. Whenever he has to go to the doctor or dentist or attend an employment interview, a Gelsemium type, no matter how badly constipated, will have a violent bowel movement. Of course, this symptom, like all others, depends on various factors. Thus a Gelsemium type may display it during his youth, while he is still particularly sensitive to emotional stimuli, whereas the symptom may disappear later if life has toughened the patient. He is also very sensitive to certain climatic influences, especially to warm south winds and muggy weather. With Gelsemium we find headaches, particularly at the back of the head; the pains extend to the neck and shoulders. The patient very often suffers from disturbance of vision and a dull, painful feeling in the eyeball which goes with such disturbance. These symptoms may already be present in his normal life or appear only in the course of an acute illness. Vision may be disturbed to,the point of genuine paralysis of the eye muscle with inhibition of movement, a squint and accommodation problems. Drooping of the eyelids has already been mentioned. The tongue may be partially paralysed and this has the effect of making speech difficult. The legs are weak, often as though paralysed; in fact, they feel ‘like jelly’. In serious cases this condition can develop into an actual paralysis, which can then be cured with Gelsemium if the other symptoms conform. It must once again be stressed that this remedy can only cure a Gelsemium case suffering from paralysis. Gelsemium is not acure for any paralysis, for every case has its own remedy in accordance with its own inner structure. The Gelsemium patient often suffers, too, from difficulty in

swallowing;

swallowing

hot

drinks

gives him

particular

trouble.

Modalities: Change for the worse in muggy weather, between 3 and 5 p.m., through movement (except the heart),

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

25

from emotional stimuli (summonses, telegrams, bad news, etc.), in a warm, southerly wind, and whenever the patient

walks downhill. Change for the better on excreting large quantities of palecoloured urine, on sweating, wine, etc.).

Example:

on taking stimulants

(coffee,

A patient who suffers from headaches which

invariably get better after excretion of large quantities of palecoloured urine is a Gelsemium patient. This is especially so if these headaches get worse in a warm, southerly wind, in muggy weather, or under emotional stimuli, if the pains spread from the head to the neck and shoulders and are accompanied by disturbances of vision and drooping of the eyelids. A single high dynamization? of Gelsemium (200 or mote) can then definitely cure this patient of his headaches and his sensitivity to muggy weather as well as of all other symptoms that are characteristic of this remedy. Of course, this high potency must then also be allowed long enough to act, i.e. at least four to eight weeks, without any other remedy being given in between.

5, Eupatorium perfoliatum

Eupatorium is the last of the remedies specified for influenza fevers. It is easy to identify for it has a very characteristic symptom: general physical weakness of the limbs as well as soreness of muscles and bones, chiefly in the extremities and the back. This single sympton is sometimes enough to determine the remedy, but the condition must also be at least a slightly febrile one which has come on more or less suddenly. For chronic rheumatic complaints, however, the remedy is indicated only in exceptional cases. For the most part its effect as is only weak in such cases, for it does not act like a narcotic,

an analogous allopathic remedy would, but it restores in toto the patient’s disturbed vital equilibrium, provided he is power 3 Dynamization: the homoeopathic term for increasing the — Trans. medicines by reducing them to a fine powder or by shaking.

of

26

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

actually suffering from a Eupatorium condition. From this it follows that other characteristics are essential in identifying the Zupatorium condition. Fever I have already mentioned, and in general it is not very high. For the most part it comes on suddenly, but the suddenness is not so pronounced as with*Aconite, Belladonna, and Ferrum phos. cases. The fever has, however, a special

characteristic: it frequently appears in the morning between 7 and 9 o’clock. On subsequent days, too, it culminates at around

this time. It is true that it is not absolutely necessary for worsening to set in then, yet whenever this modality is

present, the remedy is all the more effective. Some other symptoms are: 1. Great sensitivity to cold, which frequently precipitates ~ trouble. Sensitivity to pain in the eye sockets. > Head colds accompanied by bronchial catarrh; the occurrence of these two localized complaints together is extremely characteristic. Headaches with sensitiveness of the scalp. Morning sickness, often accompanied by liver pains. Thirst for cold water. Vomiting improves the general condition. N A periodicity the rhythm of which oscillates between three and seven days. The remedy may, therefore, be applied with success in cases

of flu accompanied by cold in the head and bronchitis as well as in acute and subacute rheumatism, vomiting of bile, congestion of the liver, and sometimes, too, in cases of thrush

provided one or two key symptoms are present (general physical weakness, periodicity, fever which gets worse in the morning, etc.). Among the remedies which I have already described, Gelsemium is most like Eupatorium, for it, too, has the feeling of physical weakness. The remedy is distinguished by its

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

27

divergent modalities (drowsiness, slow onset of the symptoms, trembling, emotional hypersensitiveness, heaviness of the eyelids, depressive state, change for the worse in muggy ). weather, heightening of the fever during the afternoon, etc.

With the five remedies described here we are well armed against flu conditions, i.e. against all febrile conditions with various general disorders which attack now this organ, now that one, but usually several at the same time. What is characteristic of these conditions is that the disorders do not confine themselves to a single organ, but that reactions develop in the most diverse organs.* There are also, of course, flu states in which other remedies

may be indicated. That applies particularly to exceptional cases, which do not fall within the scope of a manual of homoeopathy. Only the experienced homoeopathic physician, who knows the materia medica from top to bottom, can decide the homoeopathic remedy in the more difficult cases. Thanks to the foregoing remedies, however, we can promise to be able to cure at least ninety per cent of flu cases rationally, speedily and completely, provided we have taken the correct steps. Whenever we begin treatment, we must establish the general character of the febrile illness. If the suddenness of the onset strikes us, we think of Aconite, Belladonna, or Ferrum phos. On the other hand, if the illness has developed more slowly, either Gelsemium or Eupatorium is considered. In addition, we try to determine the reasons for the attack: bitter cold, an icy draught, etc., argue for Acontte; sunstroke or concussion for Belladonna; muggy weather for Gelsemium, and so on. Then we have to examine the patient more closely. A red face, which turns pale on exertion, directs us to Aconite or Ferrum phos.; a

shiny, red face to Belladonna; a deep-red one to Gelsemium. Furthermore, we consider the patient’s mental condition;

such "4 The word ‘Au’, which is commonly used in medicine to denote of s diagnosi a only is it ; conditions, signifies nothing with certainty health. ill of states ar dissimil quite s numerou convenience for

28

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

anxiety or fear of dying indicates Aconite; a violent character sends us to Belladonna; a hypersensitivity to mental influences (bad news, etc.) makes us think of Gelsemium, and so forth.

Anxious Belladonna;

agitation drowsy

points

to

Aconite;

depression

to

wild

turbulence

Gelsemium;

to

nervous

irritability with lack of purpose to Ferrum phos., etc. We also have to take food fads into account; for instance, aversion to

eggs directs us to Ferrum phos., etc. When the fever reaches its peak, too, is of importance. If it is towards evening, we think of Aconite or Belladonna;

if it comes

on in the afternoon,

that

brings us to Gelsemium; worsening of fever in the morning makes us think of Eupatorium. When we have completed the examination, we have before

us the symptoms of various remedies, and our task now is to pick out from them the most homoeopathically effective one. The number of symptoms is not important, but rather their qualitative value. If we have a symptom which is highly characteristic of one remedy, e.g. general physical weakness, the choice is usually made for us. In this case it is Zupatorıum even if various other symptoms, which are less typical, argue in favour of Aconite. So the former, not the latter, is given. If you think that you have found the indicated remedy, you have to take stock of all the symptoms with the aid of the materia medica. This is done so as to know whether a high degree of similarity exists or whether it is only approximate. In the former case the remedy will generally take full effect. This is also possible in the latter case, but often it will have only a partial effect, and while it certainly improves the patient, it does not cure him completely. We should then take note of the effect and look carefully for additional symptoms, which have perhaps escaped us at the first examination or were not there at all. As soon as we have established these new, important symptoms, we should change the treatment, i.e. we choose the next remedy, which is bound to be more homoeopathically suitable than the first one. This remedy will then complete the cure. If we proceed like this, flu illnesses are as a rule cured very

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE FEBRILE CONDITIONS

29

effectively. The patient himself is made aware of the profound curative effect of the homoeopathic remedy, for no treatment can better acquaint anyone interested in homoeopathy with the quality of the remedies than the experiences which he undergoes in his own body. After an illness which has been conscientiously treated by homoeopathy, the patient nearly always achieves the fullest recovery at once; there is homoeopathic Besides, convalescence. no practically treatment develops the greatest possible immunity to the illness the patient has just had so that recurrences, otherwise frequent, are rarely seen. In this respect homoeopathy is vastly superior to antibiotics, for the latter impede the process of immunization and make the patient more and more susceptible. In these circumstances

set-backs are, of course,

shown to be a common experience.’ For homoeopaths this swing of opinion in the camp of orthodox medicine is a great source of satisfaction. But we ask ourselves: what will the orthodox physician now prescribe for such cases in future if he is no longer to use antibiotics? What

specific remedy is there for flu and other conditions apart from homoeopathic ones? This is why we repeat with Cato: ‘Ceterum censeo.” Every doctor who wants to cure rationally and specifically must get to know homoeopathy. Only on this hypothesis will he be able to carry out with success his task on his patients’ behalf. A true physician should not be satisfied

5 Various papers, which have appeared in journals of academic medicine, have dealt with this question, and it has also been widely discussed at the latest medical conferences in all countries of the world. Delegates from all these countries have subscribed to our understanding of the problematic action of antibiotics. These generally lead to suppression of the immediate disease, yet, from a long-term point of view, they make the patient more susceptible. They thus cause many ills which appear more frequently and more dangerously than the mild flu that they were originally prescribed for. The greatest possible restraint should be used by doctors in the use of sulphonamides and penicillin, etc. Indeed, in certain cases (scarlet fever, for instance) they should be cautioned against administering them at all. ‘But I think’, i.e. raise a persistent objection such as Cato might have done. — Trans.

30

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

with suppressing an acute illness without regard for the unfavourable consequences which appear sooner or later, but throughout life he must help his patient by making him more and more resistant to diseases.

CHAPTER

TWO

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE RHINITIS (Head Colds) Here we have the advantage of being able to act according toa shortened procedure, for it would need too much work if we wanted to take into account all the patient’s symptoms, including mental ones. For the usual acute cold in the head one simply relies upon the most striking features that are peculiar to the patient. As far as possible the clinical symptoms are ignored.

1. Nux vomica This produces three types of rhinitis: (a) Dry, but blocked

nose,

with a sore throat.

This nasal

blockage gets worse at night and in the fresh air. The cold often begins in this way. Hence Nux vomica is most often indicated at the start of a cold.

(b) A bit later the nose starts to run, mainly in the morning.

The secretion is clear; the nose doesn’t run at night but is dry and stuffed up. The discharge has an opposite modality to the blockage; it is worse in the morning, as it is in a warm room, and it eases during the night. Nux vomica acts best in the initial stage of a head cold, so if the patient does not show any characteristics at the start of a head cold, you can with advantage prescribe Nux vomica for him until distinct modalities point to another remedy. (c) Nux vomica is, however, particularly effective for the type

that corresponds to this remedy — the choleric and irritable

32

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

stay-at-home, the person who lives under extreme pressure of business and who can’t stand cold, which only makes

him worse. In these cases Nux vomica often cures the cold completely and even prevents the frequent recurrences from which these patients suffer. If the patient feels better in cool weather and less well during the warm season, Nux vomica is generally less effective.

2. Allium cepa Allium cepa like Euphrasia, is one of the remedies very often indicated for colds. Its characteristics are: Cold in the head with clear, profuse, and irritating discharge. As a result of this irritating discharge the nostrils and the lower lip are frequently inflamed. Irritation and tickling in the larynx, accompanied by a cough with a feeling as if the patient had a troublesome bone stuck in his throat. Conjunctivitis with mild, non-irritant watering of the eyes. The head cold gets worse in a warm room and in the evening, and improves in a cold room, in the fresh air, and on

moving about.

3. Euphrasia As we have already said, Euphrasia is a major remedy for head colds. It has the same modalities as Allium cepa. The two remedies can, however, be distinguished by the fact that with Euphrasia the nasal discharge is non-irritant, while the accompanying conjunctivitis is more pronounced and causes a burning flow of tears, so that the patient keeps rubbing his eyes or wiping them with a handkerchief. The cold gets worse, too, in the evening,

in a warm

room,

and

in sunlight;

it

improves in the fresh air. 4. Mercurius vivus

This is particularly indicated in cases of rhinitis which come on before or after a sore throat, hence is recommended

for

REMEDIES FOR ACUTE RHINITIS

33

people in whom every cold spreads to the throat or every sore throat ends with a cold. One must, therefore, be guided by the

patient’s history. In addition, the discharge smarts. The cold gets worse on exposure to cold air. We often observe increase salivation and bad breath as accompanying symptoms.

5. Arsenicum album This chilly head taken

remedy is specially suitable for thin people who feel and lack energy. It is one of the few remedies where a cold improves in a warm room. This modality must be into account as soon as it is well defined.

6. Pulsatilla This remedy is often indicated at the end of a head cold, especially if the discharge becomes thick and yellowish and gets worse in a warm room and in the evening (in contrast with Nux vomıca.) Pulsatilla is also good for long-standing cases of nasal catarrh if they show the above-mentioned discharge and the characteristic modalities. It acts best on people of a delicate temperament, who are sensitive to remarks and even have tears in their eyes as soon as anyone offers them the slightest reproach. They are the ‘shrinking violet’ type! One should not, however, be taken in by appearances. There are many adults who, tempered in life’s furnace, appear energetic and in whom one cannot discover the smallest trace of sentimentality. Yet if one questions them about their childhood, one often learns that, apart from a few explosive

outbursts of anger, they tended to be sensitive, devoted and

impressionable. They are people who appear hard but are

easily disarmed by kindness or a conciliatory word; in short, they are ambivalent characters. In such cases Pulsatilla is also

often very suitable, mainly if the dislike of and change for the worse in a warm room are marked features of their modalities.

CHAPTER

THREE

CHILDREN’S ILLNESSES AND TEETHING TROUBLES Chamomilla Chamomilla is the greatest remedy for fractious and irritable children who are very sensitive to pain, chiefly if their disorders

(fever,

skin

eruptions,

stomach

troubles,

or

diarrhoea) are connected with teething. The

Chamomilla

child,

moreover,

is inclined

to

have

diarrhoea with green-coloured stools and is unable to tolerate milk. He wants to be picked up, nursed and cuddled, and that

brings about an obvious improvement. This latter modality, combined with the bad-tempered character, sensitiveness to pain, and worsening when teething, is very often enough to diagnose Chamomilla. If diarrhoea and worsening with milk are present into the bargain, the picture is complete and

Chamomilla will be very effective. However, we must distinguish whether the patient has a Chamomilla constitution or whether he only tends to produce the disorders of this remedy. In the former case, the patient invariably presents the characteristics of Chamomilla even if he is not ill. In addition, he mostly suffers at intervals from the illnesses typical of this remedy. Under medication with Chamomilla, he can definitely be transformed, his choleric nature will be cooled off, and he will cease to get the abovementioned complaints. Other patients, on the contrary, show no Chamomilla signs whatever if they are not ill; the Chamomilla

HOMOEOPATHIC

36

PRESCRIBING

symptoms appear only if they do fall ill, especially if the illness is due to one of the aetiological factors listed at the end of this chapter. In these latter patients, Chamomilla only cures the acute illness but does not reshape the consitutional background. Later the same disease symptoms may again appear. If these illnesses appear repeatedly, we must look for the constitutional remedy corresponding to them in order to eradicate the patient’s constitional defect. This remedy will then often be found to be Magnesia carb. We must thoroughly study the individual’s reactions v75-avis his environment. The Chamomilla type loves to establish contact with other people, but these relations have to be intimate and open, as is the case with embracing and backslapping another adult or picking up and nursing a child. On the other hand, the Chamomilla patient cannot stand it if

anyone gate-crashes too violently into his individual world. These reactions show us the unique quality of the sensory and mental organization of the human spirit, and this is something which only homoeopathy knows how to use with success in its therapy. There are many people who seem to react in the same way; the subtlest nuances, however, do not escape the practised eye of the experienced observer. In the following cases, for example, he will not prescribe Chamomilla: If the child does not want to be touched or if he cries as soon | as he is touched. That is characteristic of Antimonıum crudum. This type violently resists all handling, especially being held. Nor does this type want people to intrude upon his inner life, but the nuance is different again. If it does not matter to the child whether he is touched or carried, but he resists or cries if he is patted or cuddled, then one must think of Cina. But if the child cries as soon as anyone looks at him without touching him, Watrum mur. is considered.

With

Chamomilla

and

Antimon.

crud. the sensitive

pre-

paredness expresses itself in the physical sphere (touching, nursing). With Cina it expresses itself simultaneously in the physical sphere and in the emotional life (indifference to

CHILDREN’S ILLNESSES AND TEETHING TROUBLES = 37

caresses). With Natrum mur. it is subtler still; a single glance from a distance is enough to trigger off the readiness for defence or mental reaction. These nuances are often difficult to distinguish, especially for the novice. Someone who is constipated but can take milk may be only partly a Chamomilla patient; Chamomilla will not be his basic remedy. Howeyer, a Chamomilla condition may arise temporarily in such a person if gather symptoms point to it. The action of Chamomilla is then effective only in the acute condition; it does not go deeper, i.e. it does not, for instance, affect

the character,

as

is the case

with

a constitutional

Chamomilla patient. The character of the pains is very typical with Chamomilla. They are most intense, indeed unbearable; the child screams and howls; nursing calms the screaming only for the time being. This exaggerated kind of pain is conditioned by the extreme sensitivity of the nervous system. The child experiences average pains as very violent. Another characteristic of Chamomilla is that, when feverish

or in pain, the patient often has one cheek red and one pale. They are, however,

the cheeks and not the ears, as I once

heard at a homoeopathic lecture. In homoeopathy you have to be very precise; this fact about the cheeks is probably related to the vital differences of tension which generate other fields of energy in these cases, as, for example, in the Graphites type. The latter may have a red and burning left ear while the right ear is normal. With Kali carb. it is just the opposite. So accurate observation is a must in homoeopathy. The acute Chamomilla condition is often precipitated by anger; in any case, Chamomilla symptoms are always made worse by temper. Disorders like jaundice, stomach troubles, diarrhoea, etc., which come on after a violent fit of anger, often

vanish after a dose of Chamomilla even if the patient displays only some indications for this remedy.

Mental state of the Chamomilla type: He is primarily

choleric, also sensitive (in fact, hypersensitive), often badtempered, argumentative, rude, and impatient, an irritable

38

HOMOEOPATHIC

and

unsociable

person.

PRESCRIBING

However,

these

psychological

symptoms are not enough in themselves, for many remedies have similar indications. You always need some other characteristics to have a good reason for assuming a Chamomilla case. ie

Facial appearance:

One cheek is red, the other white;

warm perspiration on the forehead and scalp (breaks out mostly during fever and after eating or drinking).

Likes and dislikes: Craving for cold water and acid drinks;

aversion to hot drinks.

Changes for the worse: On application of direct warmth

to acute pains (toothache is mostly aggravated by warmth, yet improved by cold compresses); on the other hand, cold winds

make the patient worse and precipitate acute conditions. Change for the worse in the evening, at night, from coffee, drugs, milk, from teethirig, and from temper.

Changes for the better: In muggy weather, in mild weather, on an empty stomach, after sweating; if the child is nursed and hugged. Clinical conditions for which Chamomilla ıs effective, so far

as any Chamomilla symptoms are present: Toothache,

all types of fever, stomach

and

liver pains,

jaundice due to anger, green diarrhoea, diarrhoea after taking milk; head colds; rheumatic pains, principally of the lower limbs, which compel the patient to get up in the night and walk about; sleeplessness in children, crying at night; period pains. Causes which lead to acute Chamomilla conditions in persons predisposed to them (which the symptoms indicate): Anger, reprimands, teething, suppression of sweating and rashes (by ointments).

Sir John Weir, until 1969 personal physician to the Royal Family, was once called out at night when one of the Princes was afflicted with violent toothache, which had started as a

tooth was about toscome through. His crying had roused all the occupants of the Palace. A single dose of Chamomilla 200 quietened him in a few minutes. The King remarked on it to

CHILDREN’S ILLNESSES AND TEETHING TROUBLES = 39

Sir John: ‘If you never did another useful thing in your life,

this one deed would be enough to justify your existence.’ Chamomilla (every other homoeopathic remedy too) can act as rapidly as this if it is selected with care.

CHAPTER

FOUR

REMEDIES FOR SORE THROAT 1. Aconite This remedy must be considered at the start of definite sore throats if they are part of an acute flu condition which displays the characteristics of Aconite. The tonsils may be severely inflamed. Yet this inflammation is superficial; it is more an inflammatory reddening without marked — swelling. Suddenness of onset, shivers, high fever, thirst, the changes for the worse, and the mental state which is characteristic of

Aconite must be present, at least in part. 2. Belladonna This type is characterized byascarlet throat and tonsils which are generally swollen. In addition, the patient must display other Belladonna symptoms. This remedy has a preference for the right side and asaresult the sore throat generally starts on the right and spreads to the left. The neck glands are

frequently painful and swollen. Spasms of the throat often appear in the wake of the Belladonna sore throat, and so food often comes back again into the nose. The tonsils exude a serum which leaves clear droplets behind on the mucous membrane. Belladonna and Aconite are most often indicated at the start of a sore throat. If there are no remaining symptoms which are characteristics of other remedies, we choose that one of the

two which best corresponds to the general and _ local symptomatology. Suddenness of onset is, however, essential.

42

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

3. Phytolacca

This remedy is very often indicated for a sore throat. The throat is red or deep red. For the most part the soreness is localized in the soft palate. It is often accompanied by shivers, muscular pains and physical weakness. The person with whom Phytolacca is in keeping is frequently‘a chronic sufferer from rheumatism. One would use Phytolacca for the types of sore throat which do not present any characteristics of Aconite or Belladonna. This will occur mainly if the development is not so acute as to justify the above remedies, and if no pus has formed or there are no other symptoms which point to one of the remedies specified below. 4. Apis Een

typical of Apis is oedema. This type of sore

throat, therefore,

shows

considerable

swelling; the mucous

membrane of the throat is swollen and often even looks like gelatine. The uvula resembles a water-filled sac. The colour of the throat is bright red. Another leading symptom of Apis is stabbing pains, which are very violent and unbearable like the sting of a bee. This symptom does not, however, always appear with sore throats. The tongue is bright red; the temperature may be very much raised, but in spite of it the patient is not thirsty. The feeling of constriction is also typical of Apis. The patient imagines he is certain to choke. His clothes feel tight on him; as a result he is apt to strip off. This condition is made very much worse by warmth (warm drinks, a warm room, a warm temperature). On the other hand, iced drinks and cold relieve the patient. Another symptom which frequently goes with the Apis condition is that less urine is passed; this may amount to an almost complete stoppage.

5. Hepar sulphuris This type of sore throat is characterized by the formation of

pus. It is a pitted sore throat, in which the pits are filled with

REMEDIES FOR SORE THROAT

43

white plugs consisting of pus and detritus. It is accompanied by stabbing pains and pricking sensations as though a splinter of bone had got stuck in the tonsils. The pricks may radiate to the ears; they are often violent and sometimes accompanied by throbbing or a tight feeling in the nearby tissues. The Hepar sulph. patient’s character is violent, choleric and quarrelsome, though it is not absolutely necessary that these mental symptoms should be present in the acute condition. The same applies to shivering, which is an important symptom of the Hepar sulph. constitution. The symptoms of Hepar sulph. are improved by warmth and humidity; they are made worse by dry cold, mainly dry, cold wintry weather. As a result Hepar sulph. is very often the remedy for sore throats which appear during a long period of fine weather in winter, or for people who have to live in very dry localities (with central heating). Hepar sulph. prevents the formation of abscesses, so this remedy is particularly appropriate in cases where an abscess is beginning to develop, if there is no further symptom which is typical of another remedy. The remedy also very often speeds up the cure of cases in which Belladonna or Phytolacca has been indicated but has yielded only a partial cure.

6. Lachesis In Lachesis cases you have to base yourself on the general condition and not on the sore throat. The general condition is serious right from the start. The patient is weak, pale or sallow (physically prostrated); in his weakness he moans, and you see at once that you are dealing with a severe case of deepseated infection by microbial toxins or an incipient sepsis. Typical of Lachesis symptoms are the onset on the left side and progress towards the right as well as the bluish or livid colour of the tissues, which are prone to gangrene. In addition, as with Apis, the patient has a marked asthma.

He is short of breath, and he tries to make up for it by rapid or deep breathing, which relieves him. The pressure of his

+4

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

clothes impedes him; he likes to have the neck of his shirt open because a tight collar seems intolerable to him. This symptom is, however, of importance only when there is neither an abscess nor too severe a swelling of the tonsils, for then the feeling of suffocation is caused by obstruction of the respiratory organs, i.e. by a clinical symptom (mechanically), which is of no value from a homoeopathic point of view. The constriction with Lachesis is of a biological nature and not of a mechanistic origin; the blood cannot take up enough oxygen and the constriction originates from this lack of oxygen in the blood and not from the obstruction of the respiratory organs. The Lachesis sore throat does not generally show any great swelling of the tonsils; such a swelling would be a contraindication for Lachesis. The same is true for Apıs. Lachesis is made worse by warmth, chiefly by a muggy atmosphere (especially in spring), by swallowing warm liquids, by swallowing air, and by sunshine. The Lachesis patient always gets worse during sleep. He wakes up with a feeling of suffocation and feels particularly unwell in the morning. On the other hand, improvement sets in with fresh air (in contrast with Hepar sulph.), with swallowing solid foods, and towards evening.

7. Lycopodium > Lycopodium is a liver remedy. As a rule its medicinal picture shows disorders of digestion and liver function. The Lycopodium patient’s complexion is often yellowish, as are the whites of his

eyes. Typical of Lycopodium are the onset on the right side and the change for the worse in the late afternoon and evening (from 4 to 8p.m.). The Lycopodium patient is generally irritable, and often sensitive and sentimental. (He weeps with emotion whenever he meets an old friend or whenever anyone shows him gratitude.) In addition, he loves being on his own. But he doesn’t manage to put up with solitude; he likes to have

REMEDIES FOR SORE THROAT

45

someone nearby, e.g. in the next room. The Lycopodium sore throat is not always easy to diagnose; you have to know the patient’s history and character and reconcile these with the right-handed localization and the change for the worse from 4 to 8 p.m. These factors facilitate the choice of remedy.

8. Mercurius We use various salts of Mercurius. It is true that Mercurtus cures almost all sore throats, yet it should be used only for genuine ‘Mercury sore throats’; otherwise this remedy acts allopathically, almost like antibiotics. Nearly every sore throat is quickly suppressed by Mercurius; however, if it is not a Mercurius sore throat, patients often suffer relapses. For the true Mercurius sore throat, however, this remedy is a specific: it not only cures the existing sore throat, but also prevents further ones in the future. A sore throat is a genuine Mercurius one if the following symptoms are found: bad breath, a profuse flow of saliva or a marked dryness of the throat, moist skin, moderate sweating without relief. The gums are frequently inflamed; sometimes they bleed. The tonsils are generally very swollen and often have ‘plugs’ in the indentations; sometimes initially there is an abscess behind the tonsils. The character of the Mercurius patient is difficult and absent-minded; the patient loves travel, changes of residence and new acquaintances all the time. The Mercurius type is sensitive to atmospheric changes; he is made worse by localized pressure, by night, by a warm bed, by lying on his right side, by cold air, by eating cold food. If these symptoms are present, we are dealing with a Mercurius case. All we have to do then is to find out which salt is specifically indicated. If only the above symptoms are present, Mercurius vivus is prescribed. If, on the other hand, the sore throat starts on the

right and spreads to the left, then Mercurius todatus flavus 1s

recommended. If it starts on the left and develops to the right,

46

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

Mercurius

bi-iodatus

should

be used.

Mercurius

cyanatus is

indicated if whitish membranes (diphtheria) are present. We must, however, note that a diagnosis of diphtheria does not in itself point to Mercurius cyanatus. The characteristic symptoms of Mercurius must also be present, otherwise we may be dealng with a case which requires some other remedy. This must then be decided in accordance with the typical symptoms. Mercurius is best used in the 6th LM.! A granule of this potency is dissolved in a glass of water and a tablespoonful of this solution is given three or four times daily. The number of doses is cut down as soon as an improvement is seen. If you employ such a high dilution, you do not risk treating a nonMercurial sore throat in the wrong way. For in such cases Mercurius in so high a dilution would be ineffective, and you would immediately notice that you were dealing with a sore throat that did not call for this remedy. In addition, it is worth noting that Mercurius should not be used after Phytolacca; these two remedies do not tolerate each other. If Phytolacca has been given in error and it later becomes known

that a Mercurius sore throat is involved,

an interim

remedy must first be given, e.g. Sulphur C30 or then Lycopodium (for right-lateral sore throats) or Lachesis (for leftlateral ones). After this interim remedy has been allowed to act for eight to ten hours, the Mercurius remedy actually indicated is prescribed. In sore throats with suppuration I have frequently had excellent results from the following prescription: On the first day Mercurius solubilis 6th LM, two granules dissolved in a glass of water, one tablespoonful every three hours. Towards evening dissolve three granules of Hepar sulph. 30c (or better still 1M) in half a glass of water and give one half of it in the evening two hours after the last dose of. Mercurius, the other half the following morning. The result is often as quick as lightning — the sore throat is cured as though by a stroke of ' 6th LM = sixth potency diluted in accordance with the 50,000 scale. See Hahnemann’s Organon, 6th ed.

REMEDIES FOR SORE THROAT

47

magic. A homoeopathic colleague once told me that these two remedies were incompatible together. Yet I can confirm that this procedure has stood the test whenever each of the remedies is indicated by precise symptoms. It is imperative, however, to keep off Mercurius as soon as the first dose of Hepar sulph. has been given.

CHAPTER

FIVE

REMEDIES FOR GASTRIC COMPLAINTS 1. Nux vomica Typology: The typical’ Nux vomica patient is the overburdened, nervous, choleric, irritable, hypersensitive business man. He leads a sedentary life and is fond of good living, coffee and alcohol, which he consumes to excess as he needs to turn himself on to feel better. He generally suffers

from stomach troubles turbulent times.

and piles. He is the man

of our

Physiology: The Nux vomica patient suffers from: (a) a general oversensitiveness, especially to pain; (b)a tendency to spasms, principally of the

bowels

(tenesmus);

(c)a general hyperexcitability of reflexes. His reaction threshold is very low and he reacts excessively to all outside influences (psychic, climatic and dietary); (d) an irritation of the mucous membranes with recurring attacks of catarrh (nose, throat, stomach, bowels);

(e) a stoppage of the portal venous system accompanied by piles; and (f) the effect

of Mux

vomica

extends

particularly

to the

nervous system as well as to the gastric, hepatic, and intestinal systems. Character:

Irritable,

nervous,

mentally overworked,

the

50

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

tired business-man type, choleric, intolerant of the least blocking of his plans. By turns there also set in anxiety states, fear of death, fear of poverty, and exhaustion. The patient is very touchy. Soma: A hypersensitive and shivery person; his face is pale or sallow; he blushes easily, is thin or suffers from a fullness of the blood-vessels without an increase in the red corpuscles. Females have heavy and dark-red periods, which come on too often and last too long.

Changes

for the worse:

(sleepiness, tummy

In the morning,

after meals

upsets), with cold (if this modality is

absent, it is hardly a Nux vomica case, but rather a Lachesis or Selenium one), mostly in cold, dry weather, with noises, with

coffee and alcohol, with mental exertions, and with anger.

Changes for the better: In the evening, with hot drinks, damp weather, rest, breaks from work, when lying down, with uninterrupted sleep. The Nux vomica condition can be initiated or encouraged by abuse of medicines, drugs, coffee, high living, stimulants, a

sedentary way of life, and by mental over-exertion. Sensations: Shooting pains, a sense of physical weakness and of bruising, attacks of cramp. Likes:

Stimulating

food,

alcohol,

coffee,

liqueurs,

seasonings, a fatty diet. Dislikes: Bread, often also meat.

Lateral reference: Right. Illnesses which come under Nux vomica are: 1. Gastric disorders of the type described above, accompanied by distension, a coated tongue, belching, heartburn,

nausea, even vomiting, which comes on an

hour or two after eating; in fact, the bigger the meal, the worse the vomiting. 2. Liver disorders, which progress with the modalities. 3. Spastic constipation with tenesmus. 4. Piles and disorders after removal of the piles.

same

~

REMEDIES FOR GASTRIC COMPLAINTS

>

5. Cold in the head with stuffed-up nose during the night and discharge from morning onwards, gets worse in the morning, after meals, and ina warm room.

6. Lumbago, sense of physical weakness in the back and in the region of the kidneys, gets worse in bed at night. The patient cannot turn over in bed without sitting up. 7. Insomnia: caused by a crowd of thoughts, characterized by waking between 3 and 5 a.m.; then the patient goes back to sleep; on reawakening he is more tired than when he went to sleep the night before. 8. Dreams: of anger, of disputes (the patient dictates letters of protest

to his rivals,

to the authorities,

etc.), of

mutilation. 9. Drowsiness: mainly after meals and in the evening while attending meetings or at the theatre. It is obvious that Nux vomica is effective only when these disorders appear in a patient who displays the characteristics of this remedy. Above all, he must be choleric, nervous, and

easily tired, with a change for the worse from brain work and sensitiveness to cold, dry weather, and a change for the better from an open-air life in the country as well as rest. If one of these characteristics is missing, Nux vomica is indicated to a lesser degree and is in the main only of limited value.

2. Pulsatilla nigricans This is claimed to be mainly a women’s remedy. The Pulsatilla type is devotedly and sincerely loyal, sentimental, extremely susceptible and sensitive as well as shy. Tears come readily whenever anyone passes a slightly offhand or even just unpopular remark. But the patient smiles again as soon as you are nice to her and console her. The Pulsatilla patient can laugh and cry over nothing; she is very dependent on the company she is in. Sympathy carries her to the seventh heaven; antipathy, blame, and harshness depress her to an unusual extent and always, of course, emotionally. A moral crisis can ensue for trifling reasons. Her mood is, therefore,

52

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

changeable depending on the behaviour of people around her. However,

there

are

men

who

also

are

very

sensitive,

impressionable, and quickly disarmed as soon as you are kind to them. Pulsatilla is indicated for such men too. We should not forget that many people have an ambivalent character; they appear extremely energetic and self-willed, but beneath this apparent masculinity lurks a mild and sensitive soul. This type is placed only partly under Pulsatilla; the remedy is suitable for them at certain times or for certain disorders. Another aspect of Pulsatilla is seen in the often very marked constraint towards the opposite sex. The female Pulsatilla patient is very embarrassed whenever she meets men; she is excessively shy and despondent. Such women are loving and devoted but not always comfortable owing to their sensitiveness and vacillating moods. With Pulsatilla types whose balance is seriously disturbed, the mental state may suffer severely. They become distrustful, jealous, capricious, full of imaginings, altogether too susceptible,

irresolute,

and

inclined

to fits of depression.

Changes for the worse, however, must always be caused by psychological influence on the part of the environment. They

are, therefore, not endogenous but the result of an exaggerated sensitivity in a female patient who has been constantly misunderstood or exposed to curt behaviour. With Pulsatilla the whole mental state is an environmental reflex. The female Pulsatılla patient has scanty periods; the flow is

only by day and they are often irregular or late. Sometimes these disorders lead to complete amenorrhoea. She has a great need of fresh air. She does not like a warm and closed room, but likes to open the window and delights in going for walks. This is conditioned by her poor circulation. — Her legs are cold, heavy and bluish. Other parts of the body, e.g. face and hands, display the same signs, especially the bluish tinge. The female Pudsatilla patient prefers fresh food, juicy fruits, ice-cream, and lemonade; she is averse to hot food, fats, pork, milk, and butter. Pulsatilla is, therefore, the remedy for all

REMEDIES FOR GASTRIC COMPLAINTS

Sr,

those who suffer from attacks of indigestion after eating such foods, provided that the Pulsatilla character and some other signs of the remedy are present. Sensations: The female Pulsatilla patient feels cold, mainly up her spine, down which run shivers; sometimes it even feels as though water is trickling down her back. Pains move about the body; those in the joints jump unexpectedly from one joint to another: that corresponds to the changing Pulsatilla character. Pulsating pains and throbbing headaches also occur. In the main they come on suddenly and are slow to pass off. Secretions: These are typical, thick, profuse, yellow, creamy, and non-irritant, e.g. in a head cold and in leucorrhoea.

Localization: the upper bowels,

Pulsatilla disorders are localized mainly in

respiratory organs

(nose), in the stomach

and

in the liver, in the joints, in the head, and in the

genitals. They change their site and skip from one organ to another. The unilateral nature is typical. Headaches and sweats frequently attack only one side of the body. Causes which contribute to the development of Pulsatilla disorders are: measles, suppression of the menses, lactation, and wet feet. Whenever such a cause is responsible for disorders,

we

must

think of Pulsatilla, particularly if other

symptoms also favour it. Thirst: The female Pulsatilla patient does not normally have a thirst; that is typical. She may, however, be thirsty after lunch at about 2 p.m. Sleep: The patient sleeps with her arms stretched out above her head so as not to be too warm in bed. Though the Pulsatilla type feels chilly, she does not like warmth, which she finds irksome. Changes for the worse:

Warmth, closed rooms, rain; in

the evening, at puberty, during pregnancy, before and during menstruation, under complete rest; with fats, particularly ork.

; Changes for the better with fresh air, shedding clothes,

54

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

cold meals, moderate activity, sympathy, being cheered up, afterrelieving her feelings by crying. Illnesses for which Pulsatilla is considered are: . 1. Head cold with generous, yellowish and thick discharge; gets worse in a warm room and better in the fresh air. Persistent head colds with these signs. 2. Stomach

3. 4. 5. 6.

troubles caused by pork, fat, ice-cream, rich

pastry, varied menus; accompanied by a bitter taste in the morning, without thirst, with acid and smelly belching; gets worse two hours after meals; often accompanied by a feeling as if there is a heavy weightiin the stomach. Diarrhoea after eating fruit, ice-cream, pork, during periods; of varying appearance. Constipation (if other Pulsatilla symptoms are present). Disorders at puberty: amenorrhoea, too scanty periods, leucorrhoea. Cystitis with frequent need to pass water; a mild burning sensation

on

urinating;

incontinence

of urine

(not in

acute cystitis, which frequently requires Cantharis). 7. Circulatory disorders: heaviness and pains in the legs, varicose veins, bluish legs (found in people who work standing up). 8. Measles: Pulsatilla is practically a specific for measles.

3. Antimonium crudum Psychological symptoms: the Antimon. crud. patient is very often a cross and sulky child, who likes to contradict, is sensitive, stubborn,

and unfriendly.

He cannot

stand being

held and cries at the slightest contact. He often refuses to speak, is easily excitable, bursts out screaming for no apparent reason, but is also sentimental. He is the untidy child, indifferent to cleanliness and soiled clothing. On the other hand, he is sentimental and tearful. He is the

adult who likes to go for a moonlight stroll. The moon awakens in him either a trivial sentimentality, especially a

REMEDIES FOR GASTRIC COMPLAINTS

55

tendency to recite poetry, or an exaggerated affection. In more

serious cases, mainly in adults, the patient tends to be weary

of life; he even has suicidal intentions

(to drown or shoot

himself). Frequently the demands that life makes lead to the above eccentricity begin given up. However, for every patient who has shown this tendency during his youth Antimon. crud. will to a certain extent be the constitutional remedy. Thus it should be given once or twice in a high potency, for it then relays the groundwork. Tendencies: Ravenous appetite, predisposition to put on weight, mainly in children; sweating on exertion; digestive disorders, which often alternate with rheumatic disorders; hornlike warts, skin eruptions (impetigo), mainly on the face.

Constitution: Stocky, down at heel, untidy; creases at the

corners of the mouth, in the corners of the eyes, on the cheeks;

painful, horny formations on the feet, skin eruptions around the mouth, particularly impetigo. Other characteristics: Most important is his milk-white tongue, which is thickly furred. Digestive disorders alternate with rheumatic ones, and he is in a very bad mood whenever he is ill. He cannot stand being touched. Skin eruptions behind the ears. Cannot stand bread, acid foods, vinegar, dry white wine, pork, and fats. Feeling of fullness in the stomach. Distended abdomen and flatulence. Belching with the taste of food coming back. Vomiting. Constipation or diarrhoea. Mucous, discharging piles. Hoarseness after getting angry. Painful, horny skin on the soles of the feet. Misshapen and poor nail growth. Hornlike warts, chiefly on the hands.

Changes for the worse with taking cold baths, getting the

head wet, cold and damp weather; but equally with being out

in the sun, overheated rooms, warmth caused by movement (he then strips off and tries to get cool), acid foods, wine,

overeating.

Changes for the better with moderate applications of cold

(compresses), lukewarm baths.

Causes: The symptoms of Antimon. crud. are developed and fostered by disappointed love, wine and acid foods.

56

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING Craving for acid foods and pickles, which, however, make

the patient worse. Localization: Lower left side, upper right side; often the other way round in recurring cases. Illnesses for which Antzmon. crud. is indicated are: Digestive disorders, gastritis, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, discharging piles, gout and rheumatism, impetigo, horny warts, excessive sweating by day, mucous catarrh of the chest, hoarseness.

4. Acidum sulphuricum Acidum sulph. is a remedy for heartburn and chronic gastritis, mainly if the burning comes on after taking alcoholic drinks and in people who are inclined to have hot flushes. These patients are often very hasty; they do everything in a rush. Another characteristic is the feeling of inward trembling, chiefly in bed, without the trembling being outwardly noticeable. Preferred side: right. Patients often suffer from thrush or mouth ulcers; their mucous membranes quickly become inflamed and readily bleed. The same is also true of the skin, which is apt to show patches of discoloration due to blood escaping into the subcutaneous tissues (ecchymoses). People with fair hair generally react better than dark-haired ones. In all cases Acidum sulph. is often the main remedy for heartburn.

5. Abies nigra This remedy is frequently indicated for indigestion which comes on after meals, more particularly after abuse of tea and

tobacco. If there are no precise indications, it is often a good idea to start with this remedy, which generally improves the patient’s condition. The patient often feels as though he has something solid blocking the opening to his stomach.

6. Bryonia alba This remedy, too, is frequently indicated for stomach upsets. The characteristics are: Pressure as though from a lump in the

REMEDIES FOR GASTRIC COMPLAINTS

57

stomach and sharp, pricking pains, perhaps twinges and pricking sensations in the stomach and liver. The disorders are always made worse by movement, by walking, by slipping, also by a vegetarian diet, especially beans, peas, and pickled cabbage. The patient’s character is irritable and choleric. This remedy is dealt with in detail in the chapter on rheumatism.

CHAPTER

SIX

SOME REMEDIES FOR TRAVEL SICKNESS There are people who are very susceptible to the swaying motion ofa car, train, ship, or aircraft, etc. Homoeopathy has available numerous remedies which not only have a remarkable effect on this, but with correct application entirely eliminate the hypersensitivity. To achieve a prophylactic effect, the remedy is given the evening before the journey; it can also be taken again during the journey. In this case low potencies

(6th

or

12th)

are

preferable.

To

cure

this

predisposition, however, one must have recourse to high potencies (200c or 1M) and then give the remedy at intervals of five or six weeks and, in fact, in increasing potencies. In the latter case, however, the remedy must be carefully chosen.

1. Cocculus indicus

This is the remedy which is best indicated if no characteristic symptoms can be detected. Moreover, the medicine is

indicated especially for people who feel very downcast if they have not slept very well and for women with too heavy and too frequent periods.

2. Tabacum Tabacum is also often indicated, mainly for pale people who tend towards intestinal pains, sickness or diarrhoea which is set off by the most trivial disorder. Both remedies can also very well be given alternately.

60

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

3. Petroleum Petroleum is very good for skin irritations, so the indications are also complicated. It suits seasickness better in persons who fall under this remedy, also train sickness. Typical of Petroleum are a change for the worse in winter, a tendency to chilblains and skin eruptigns, mainly behind the ears, and a tendency to skin eruptions resembling shingles. The skin is dry, rough, and shows cracks, chiefly on the hands and fingers. Mentally, the Petroleum patient is quarrelsome and irritable; his memory is poor and his thoughts are confused; he loses his way about the streets, is irresolute, anxious and depressed.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

REMEDIES FOR RHEUMATIC COMPLAINTS 1. Aconite This remedy is frequently very effective in cases of acute rheumatism which come on after exposure to cold air or which follow a chill. Suddenness of onset and other symptoms of Aconite guide the doctor in his choice. One must, however, add that Aconite can also be of great service in chronic rheumatism, provided, of course, that the disease has begun in an acute form and after a chill. Several cases have already been reported in which Aconite has even cured chronic rheumatism but, of course, only if these modalities and causes had been

present at the start.

2. Antimonium crudum

This remedy is indicated for a great number of rheumatic illnesses, mainly if joint or muscular pains alternate with gastric troubles or if a period of rheumatic pains appears after a period of gastric troubles. Of course, certain typical signs of Antimon. crud. must also be present, mainly a turn for the worse in sunshine, on over-exposure to heat, with sweating after activity, and the tendency to seek a cool spot and to strip off at the least exertion, as well as some typical character traits of Antimon. crud. These character traits are of importance even if they only appeared during childhood to make room later for a more sociable nature.

62

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

3. Bryonia alba Bryonia is a principal remedy for rheumatic diseases, primarily in the acute and subacute phase. The major symptom is a change for the worse with the slightest movement. The patient is anxiously concerned about avoiding every movement; he lies motionless in bed. This symptom is, of course, valueless if it has a mechanical cause such as stiff joints; you must never lose sight of the general rule that pathognomonic and mechanistic symptoms are of no value. Shooting pains, pleural or gastric ‘twinges’ or the ones which are located in the heart region or elsewhere and which get worse at the least movement are a second though no less important symptom. Bryona affects the mucous membranes of the digestive system, the serous membranes, the connective tissue (synovial membranes, ligaments, joints), and the muscles. It causes

patches of inflammation with exudation at the places mentioned. The Bryona character is extremely bad-tempered, calculating, choleric, intolerant of opposition, offensive. He uses coarse expressions. In addition he is touchy. If the Bryonia temperament is very marked, we have a bad-tempered miser, who never stops talking about his affairs. One must, of course, distinguish between the patient who temporarily experiences a Bryoma condition and the constitutional Bryonia patient. In the former it is more a case of only the functional symptoms being present; the Bryonia character is not yet fully developed although a certain tendency to flare up in anger may be there. In the latter, however, the mental state described above is fully developed. In this case Bryonia can become a constitutional remedy, which must then be given in increasing potencies over a longer period (three to six months). The Bryonia patient also has fears: fear of the future, fear of poverty, fear of death. He is

a big eater, mostly of meat.

Moreover, he also.often has delusions: he thinks he is not at home and would like to return home for good. This condition

appears as a rule only during high fever.

REMEDIES FOR RHEUMATIC COMPLAINTS

63

Bryonia inflammations are characterized in certain cases by dryness of the mucous membranes; in other cases by exudates, particularly at the joints, pleura and peritoneum. In the mouth the inflammation is nearly always dry. Just this very dryness is an important symptom. If secretion of the mucous membranes is present, this is scanty, glutinous and sticky. The sensations are very characteristic: all kinds of stabbing pains. The preferred side is the right. Changes for the worse: The Bryonia patient’s condition worsens with the least movement (the more the patient moves, the worse he feels); with a warm atmosphere; after getting hot; with cold, dry conditions, cold east winds; with anger and

sulking; about 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Changes

for the

better:

With

rest,

immobility,

local

pressure (except joints), lying on the ailing or painful site

(which is thereby rested), cool weather and a cool room, sweating. Causes: Bryonia conditions may develop after anger, from suppression of sweat and of discharges (lochia,' menses, rashes). Craving for meat, wine, coffee, concentrated foods.

Thirst: Very marked in acute conditions; desire for lots of cold drinks but at longer intervals. Conditions and illnesses which require Bryonia if the remaining symptoms conform are:

muscular and articular subacute and 1. Acute rheumatism. Acute lumbago. WN Pressure headaches, principally across the forehead with pains in the eyeballs.

4. Flu, typhoid fever with prostration and apathy.

5. Gastritis with a feeling like a weight on the stomach,

| Lochia: the discharge which occurs after childbirth. — Trans.

64

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

made worse by eating fresh or pickled cabbage, beans, and peas. Constipation with faeces as though burnt hard. oeCongestion of the liver. 8. Peritonitis; perhaps to be tried in the first stage of appendicitis if the symptoms are typical. 9. Pleurisy, pneumonia; pleuritic twinges if it hurts to breathe in or make the least movement and the patient lies perfectly still. 10. Coughs, tracheitis with pleuritic twinges. 11. Pericarditis. 12. Lacteal fever, breast abscess.

In rheumatic fever, pericarditis, and pleurisy Bryonia generally prevents complications if it has been given from the start. The presence of the characteristic symptoms must, of course, always synchronize.

4. Rhus toxicodendron Rhus tox. is regarded as the counterpart of Bryonia, i.e. also as a kind of specific for rheumatic complaints but with other modalities. The main difference between the two remedies is that the Bryonia patient’s condition gets worse with the slightest movement, whereas that of the Rhus tox. patient is improved by movement and made worse by its absence. It must, however, be definitely established that movements in the initial stages can also harm the Rhus tox. patient, but the more he moves, the less ‘rusty’ his joints become, and that is why constant movement improves his condition. Hence the Rhus tox. patient cannot keep still; he tosses and turns in bed to get relief for his joints. In spite of these opposite modalities, Bryonia and Rhus tox. are not incompatible; rather they often succeed by complementing each other. The Bryonia patient may need Rhus tox. in the more advanced stage of his rheumatism if the characteristic modality changes. The points of attack of Rhus tox., too, are sited primarily in

REMEDIES FOR RHEUMATIC COMPLAINTS

65

the connective tissue, the aponeuroses,? and the muscles. It also has a very marked effect on the skin, where severe, red,

vesicular blotches and patches of eczema occur. Another special effect extends to the cervical lymph nodes, which show signs of acute inflammation. The action of Rhus tox. on the nervous system is also very marked; it causes derangement and, in the advanced stage, utter exhaustion.

Sensations: Pulling, bruising, spraining, stiffness, chiefly in the legs. Burning sensation on the skin. Mind: Anxiety and restlessness, mostly towards evening; fear of the dark; exhaustion in acute conditions.

Changes for the worse:

With damp cold, contact with

humidity and rain, catching a chill while getting hot or sweating; also with cold drinks; at night; with inactivity and in the initial stages of movement. Changes for the better: With warmth, hot baths, hot drinks, change of position, regular exercise, embrocations,

and sweating. Causes: After sweating, from excessive and unduly prolonged exertions, following a chill caught while sweating. Conditions and illnesses which may require Rhos tox. are: 1. Rheumatic pains, mainly localized in the muscles, aponeuroses, ligaments, and periarticular tissues, if the modalities correspond. Distortions and dislocations, but not contusions (Arnica).

Acute eczema and shingles. wh _ After-effects of extreme and too prolonged exertions (athlete’s heart, physical weakness, stiffness, traumatic afflictions, and partly-torn muscles).

4. Various forms of neuralgia. illnesses infectious 5. Serious exhaustion,

septic conditions,

delirium

and

flu, inflammation

of the

with

2‘Aponeurosis is the term applied to the white fibrous membrane which serves as an investment for the muscles and which covers the skull beneath the scalp’ (Black’s Medical Dictionary). — Trans.

66

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

cervical and submaxillary glands. 6. Acute, diarrhoea, enterocolitis.

7. Hoarseness which improves after a time with speaking.

5. Apis Apis, too, is a remedy which is frequently used for rheumatism, mainly if there is an inflamed swelling of the painful tissue. Apıs patients are made worse by warmth, but improved by fresh air just as they are by local cold compresses. The sensations in Apis are: violent pains, twinges, a burning itch, a feeling of physical weakness and of stiffness in the tissues. The patient has a sense of oppression, chiefly in a heated room. Moreover, he is frequently very clumsy and drops things. Apis is very often indicated for arthritis in the fingers, mainly in women who are suffering from menstrual disorders or are approaching the menopause.

6. Benzoicum acidum This remedy is also frequently suitable for rheumatic complaints, mainly those of the finger joints but also in other places. The Benzotcum acidum patient has as a typical symptom dark-coloured urine, which has a very strong smell, sometimes like horse urine. The patient gets worse with a change of temperature, cold air, movement, but better with warmth.

CHAPTER

EIGHT

LIST OF REMEDIES If you want to give medical assistance to a sick person, use the list of remedies in the following way: 1. First record the most important symptoms, i.e., those which characterize the diseased condition and show

precisely the difference between the patient’s normal state and his temporary anomalous or pathological one. The morbid symptoms must be accurately noted, 1.e. all abnormalities

which

we

can

ascertain

in

mental,

sensory, functional, and organic respects as well as the modalities. 2. After that, look up the remedies step by step. These will be found under the heading of the symptoms investigated, but above all consider those remedies which cover the oddest and rarest symptoms. 3. If you think that you have found the remedy with the closest resemblance, hence the best homoeopathically, compare the picture of the patient’s symptoms with the. symptoms of the remedy. Look’ up the disease picture of the remedy in question either in one of the usual pharmacologies or in the preceding chapters. Read up what is said about the remedies. 4. The remedies which display to a high or very high degree the symptom in question appear in this chapter. The more high-value symptoms that are covered, the more

HOMOEOPATHIC

68

PRESCRIBING

striking is a remedy’s effectiveness. If a remedy has a symptom which is individual, odd and rare in the extreme, this single symptom, when found in the patient,

can be enough to indicate that remedy. It will then very often prove quite surprisingly effective, even if other common symptoms are not there. It‘is as well, however, to look up whether the remedy in question doesn’t

display any opposite modalities, for in this case its effect would be less certain. The number of like symptoms, on the other hand, is not important. A single, characteristic,

rare, or noteworthy symptom together with a single, ‘typical modality of the remedy is worth more than a score of commonplace symptoms. In the former case the effect of the remedy which has been thus selected is practically certain; in the second

case, however,

it is

doubtful. . The modalities are of greatest importance. If a remedy is dispensed which has one or two modalities opposite to the patient’s, the effect is nearly always unsatisfactory, even if the other symptoms are well matched. Therefore,

always carefully compare the modalities of the patient and of the remedy which is being considered.

Flu and other febrile conditions without specific localization (The symptomatology mentioned below is valid for all other illnesses accompanied by fever.) Type of fever: Very high: Aconite, Belladonna, Ferrum phos., Chamomilla.

Patient’s mental state: (a) Frightened: Acontte, Arsenicum, Ferrum phos. (b) Thinks heis going to die and predicts his certain death, specifying the exact hour: Aconite. (c) Agitated, violent, wild-looking Belladonna, Stramonium.

facial

expression:

LIST OF REMEDIES

69

(d)Worked up, exhausted, irritable: Ferrum phos., Nux vomica. (e) Becomes violent if provoked: Chamomilla, Nux vomica;

becomes sentimental if provoked: Lycopodium. (f) No reaction, drowsy: Gelsemium. Causes: (a) Comes on suddenly after a chill: Aconite, Belladonna. (b) Some days after: Gelsemium. (c) After getting sunstroke: Belladonna. (d) After violent shaking in the car, concussion from an explosion, from an earth tremor: Belladonna, Arnica, Rhus tox.

(e) After a bad fright: Opium. (f) After staying in a cold, damp atmosphere: Dulcamara. (g) After intense grief, anger, etc.: Chamomilla, Nux vomica;

after grief endured in silence: [gnatza. (h) After indignation: Colocynthis, Staphisagrıa.

The above remedies must also be considered whenever the cause mentioned has not been present but the patient nevertheless displays a marked trend in that direction. For instance, for a patient who is inclined to anger Nux vomica or Chamomilla is considered, even if this aetiological factor was not present before the outbreak of the temporary disorder. Related fever, thirst, shivering, and sweating temperature

(a)High

with

thirst:

Bryona. (b) High

temperature .without

thirst:

Aconite,

Belladonna,

Belladonna, Ignatıa,

Gelsemium, Calcarea carb., Hepar sulph., Pulsatilla, Petroleum,

Apis.

(c) High temperature with dry skin: Aconite. Belladonna, sweating: with temperature (d)High Chamomilla. If sweating does not improve the patient’s condition: Mercurius solubilis.

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

(e) High temperature but dry at first, followed by sweating: Aconite. Modalities of the fever: (a)Change for the worse

towards

Belladonna.

evening:

Aconite,

a

(b) Change for the worse during the afternoon: Gelsemium. (c) Change for the worse from 9 to 11 a.m.: Eupatorium. (d) Change for the worse while asleep: Aconite, Caladium, Sambucus. (e) Change for the worse in the night: Aconite, Calcarea carb., Hepar sulph., Pulsatilla, Gelsemium, Arsenicum, Belladonna.

Characteristics of the perspiration: (a) Acid:

Bryonia,

Calcarea carb., Chamomilla,

Hepar sulph.,

Magnesia carb., Mercurius solubtilis, Sulphur. (b) Sweetish: Caladium, Thuja.

(c) Smelling offensively:

Carboneum

animalis, Hepar sulph.,

Lycopodium, Mercurius, Nitricum acidum, Petroleum, Thuja.

Modalities of the sweating: (a) Followed

by -improvement:

Aconite,

Arsenicum,

Chamomilla, Rhus tox., Veratrum alb.

(b) No improvement: Mercurtus solubilts. (c) Weakens the patient: Carboneum vegetabilis, China, Opium,

Phosphoricum acidum, Sambucus.

Symptoms which appear with the fever: (a) General feeling of physical weakness, aching bones, muscular pains: Eupatorium. (b) Constipation: Bryonia, Nux vomica, Opium. (c) Delirium: Belladonna (violent), Hyoscyamus, Stramonium. (d)Ecchymoses (blue, subcutaneous haemorrhages): Arnica, Arsenicum, Carboneum vegetabilis, Muriaticum acidum. (e) Headaches: Belladonna, Bryonia, Gelsemium, Nux vomica,

Rhus tox. (f) Insomnia: Belladonna, Coffea, Opium, Rhus tox.

LIST OF REMEDIES

m

(g) Multiple abscesses: Arsenicum, Hepar sulph., Silicea. (h) Utter

exhaustion,

physical

and

nervous

prostration

(adynamia): Arsenicum, Belladonna, Bryoma, Hyoscyamus, Ignatia, Lachesis Muriaticum acidum, Phosphoricum acıdum, Rhus tox., Stramonium.

(i) Collapse: Camphora, Arsenicum, Carboneum vegetabilts. (j) Peritonitis: Belladonna, Mercurius corrosivus, Rhus tox. (k) Bronchitis or bronchopneumonia: Antimon. tart., Arsent-

cum, Belladonna, Bryonia, Chelidonium, Ipecacuanha, Lycopodium, Phosophorus, Rhus tox., Sanguinaria, Sulphur. (1) Tympanitic distension of the abdomen: Asafoetida, Arsenicum, Carboneum vegetabalis, China, Nux moschata, Phos. acid., Terebinthina.

(m) Large quantities of water passed: Gelsemium, Mur. acid., Phos. acid. (n) Passing of water greatly reduced: Apis, Arsenicum and Cantharis (if passing water is painful). (0) Marked drowsiness: Gelsemium. (p) Toothache: Chamomilla.

Type of fever: (a) Very high, sudden hos. alee

(c) High

onset:

Aconite, Chamomilla,

Ferrum

fever, gradual onset: Gelsemium, Arsenicum.

temperature

in

successive

waves:

Arsenicum,

Digitalis, Kali carb., Phosphorus, Sanguinaria, Sepia, Sulphur, Sulphuricum acidum

(d) Face pale when sitting up in bed: Aconite.

(e) Out of breath at the least exertion: Ferrum phos. (f) Head burning hot, but hands and feet icy-cold: Stramonum.

(g) High temperature with dryness, no perspiration: Aconite, Alumina, Nux moschata. (h) With one red and one white cheek: Chamomilla. (i) Developing slowly, poor condition of the dizziness: Cocculus.

patient,

(j) With a tendency to throw off the clothes during the high

12

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

temperature: /gnatıa, Nux vomica, Sambucus. (k) Worse after throwing off the clothes:

Mercurius

sulphuricus, Nux vomica, Sambucus.

Head colds (Rhinitis)

Modalities: Change for the worse in a warm room; better in the fresh air: Allium cepa, Euphrasia, Nux vomica.

Change for the worse towards evening: Allium cepa, Euphrasia, Pulsatilla. Change for the worse in cold, fresh air: Calcarea phos., Dulcamara, Mercurius, Arsenicum.

Secretion: (a) Thick:

Pulsatilla

Aurum,

Hepar sulph., Kali bichromicum

(yellow,

creamy),

Sticta pulmonaria

(stringy),

(if the

catarrh descends into the bronchia).

(b) Watery, alternating with dryness of the nose: Arsenicum (tickling), Lac caninum (changes from one side to the other), Lachests, Nux vomica (dry at night, begins to run thickly in the morning), Sinapis. (c) Watery:

Aesculus,

Ailanthus,

Aralia

racemosa,

Arsenicum

(tickling), Lac caninum (changes from one side to the todatum, Sabadilla, Sanguinaria mit. (dry nose and congested nasal mucous membranes at night, stuffed-up nose).

(d) Tickling: Allium cepa, Arsenicum, Mercurius. (e) Purulent: Calcarea carb., Kali bichrom., Lycopodium, Natrum carb.

Symptoms accompanying the head cold: (a) Flow of tears: Allium cepa (non-irritant), Euphrasia (irritant). (b) Inflamed nostrils: Mercurius, Arsenicum, Allium cepa. (c) Running nose in children: Ammonium carb., Chamomilla,

LIST OF REMEDIES

i)

Hepar sulph., Nux vomica, Sambucus (babies), Stzcta.

(d) Tendency

to descend to the bronchia:

Antemon. tart.,

Sticta.

(e) Coughing:

Belladonna,

Allium

cepa,

Sticta,

Euphrasia,

Drosera, Lycopodium, Nux vomica, Sanguinaria. (f) Headaches: Aconite, Belladonna, Bryonia, Allium cepa, Gelsemium, Kali todatum, Nux vomica, Sanguinaria. (g) Hoarseness: Arsenicum, Causticum, Allium cepa, Hepar sulph., Phosphorus, Tellurium, Verbascum.

Sore throats, painful neck, tonsillitis, etc.

1. Acute inflammation: Aconite, Apis (with considerable swelling), Belladonna; Capsicum (burning sensation, hoarse throat, mainly in stout people with small red

cheeks

and

persons

who

suffer from homesickness);

Hepar sulph. (in chilly, aggressive, quarrelsome patients who tend towards ulcers or boils), Kali bichrom. (with sticky, stringy mucus or firmly-seated scabs), Mercurius (worse at night, bad breath, the patient sweats a little or has a moist skin, which, however,

does not alleviate),

Phytolacca (the soft palate in particular is attacked, often

with pains affecting the ears). 2. Follicular tonsillitis (plugs or white spots): Aesculus (for those subject to piles and lumbar rheumatism), Ferrum

phos.; Kalium mur. (the patient can no longer breathe properly because of the swollen tonsils, accompanied by inflammation of the Eustachian tubes, greyish-white coating on the tonsils and in the pockets in the pharynx, expectoration of thick phlegm), Mercurius; Phytolacca

(with pains extending to the ears). 3. Peritonsillar abscess: Hepar sulph., Mercurius; Calcarea sulph.

4. Changes for the worse:

(a) On taking hot drinks: Lachesis, Phytolacca, Apis. (b) On swallowing air: Baryta carb., Hepar sulph., Lachesıs,

74

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

Mercurius, Phytolacca, Sabadılla.

(c) On gulping drinks: Belladonna, Bryonia, Ignatıa, Lachesis. (d) On bolting solid food: Baptista, Mercurius sulph., Morphinum. (e) At night: Mercurius iodat. flav., Mercurius. (f) Fromexternal cold: Cistus, Hepar sulph., Lycopodium. (g) From external warmth:

Coccus cacti, Iodum, Lachesis,

Mercurius.

5. Changes for the better from gulping down hot drinks: Alumina, Arsenicum, Calcarea fluorata, Lycopodium, Sabadilla.

6. Localizations: (a) On

the

left

side:

Lachesis,

Mercurius

61-i0datus,

Sabadılla. (b) On the right side: Baryta carb., Belladonna, Lycopodium, Mercurius todat. flav., Mercurius, Sanguinaria, Sulphur. (c) At first on the right, then moving to the left: Mercurius todat. flav. (d) Moving from left to right: Mercurius bi-iodatus, Sabadılla.

Lac caninum,

Lachesvs,

Coughs The remedies for coughs have not been presented exhaustively in this small introduction, for their homoeopathic treatment is often difficult. However, it is an advantage if the homoeopathic physician tries to treat this complaint, too, by homoeopathic means. In that way one avoids the use of toxic medicines, such as codeine, which in any case are only palliatives for the condition and never get to the deeper causes of the cough, whereas homoeopathic treatment of a cough does remove its deeper causes and really cures it. It sometimes acts instantly — and all without any toxic effect. The novice, however, can treat only certain types of cough which display characteristic modalities. Apart from these he must turn to a homoeopath with more experience or have recourse to simple sedatives prescribed by orthodox medicine.

LIST OF REMEDIES

75

Type of Cough: (a) Barking:

Aconite

(during or after a chill), Belladonna

(during or after a chill), Drosera, Kali bichrom., Spongia,

Veratrum album. (b)Croupy:

Aconite,

Bromium,

Hepar sulph., Kali bichrom.,

Spongia. (c) Dry,

hard,

hacking:

Aconite,

Alumina,

Belladonna,

Bromium, Causticum (worse in the morning, better after drinking cold water); Cina (if worms are present; worse

in the morning); Allium cepa (after an earlier head); Chamomilla (in children of this type), (coming on in the evening, spasmodic, worse down, better on sitting up); Jodum (worse room,

the

throat

convulsed

cold in the Hyoscyamus when lying in a warm

when _ coughing,

accompanied by pains in the larynx and laryngitis); Kal: bichrom. (tickling, with spitting out of a great deal of

thick, yellowish and mucous phlegm); Lachesis (intense

sensitiveness of the larynx, the slightest touch starts off the cough, a choking sensation, has to breathe in deeply, worse during and after sleep); Hepar sulph. (a dry cough in the evening, a loose one in the morning, worse in the fresh air, with a cold wind, when walking, if anything cold has been eaten, in the morning; frequent fits of choking, has to sit down to get his breath; frequently accompanied by croup; better in a damp atmosphere) ; Nux vomica (has to keep blowing his nose, spasmodic, worse in the morning after breakfast, sense of oppression); Phosphorus (hoarseness, unbearable tickling in the lower part of the larynx and in the trachea, change for the worse when exposed to cold air, in the evening, when speaking, on going from a warm room into the cold fresh air, on lying down); Rumex (change

for the worse from inhaling cold air, which is felt as very unpleasant); Sanguinaria mt. (with spitting out of thick, yellow, sweetish phlegm, feeling of pressure behind the breastbone,

tickling, hoarse voice); Sticta (with mucus

76

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

which runs down the throat, change for the worse at night, when drawing breath, mucous cough in the morning). (d) Hollow, deep, metallic: Aconite, Arsenicum, Cina; Drosera

(coming on after midnight, feeling of strangulation, spasmodic, in frequent attacks succeeding one another abruptly, not at all during the day), Hepar sulph., Kali bichrom., Phosphorus, Spongia. (e) Moist:

Antimonium

tart.

(with

rattling

and

slight

expectoration and a white tongue); Calcarea carb. (dry without expectoration at night, slight expectoration in the morning, change for the worse when playing the piano, when eating); Ipecacuanha (with a feeling of contraction in the throat and sneezing; constant, violent

coughing with every breath; the chest seems full of mucus, but there is no expectoration; choking fits, the child becomes blue; frequently accompanied by nosebleeding as well as haemorrhages from the mouth, tongue clean); Hepar sulph. (dry at night, moist in the

morning,

and

the

other

characteristics);

Stannum

(change for the worse when laughing, singing, speaking, when lying on the right side; expectoration only by day: profuse, greenish, sweetish; sense of weakness in the chest, better when speaking). (f) Spasmodic: Belladonna, Bromium, Carbo vegetabilis, Cina, Corallium rubrum, Cuprum, Drosera, Hepar sulph.,

Hyoscyamus, Ipecacuanha, Kali carb., Lachesis, Magnesia phos., Rumex, Scilla, Spongia, Stannum, Sulphur (look up the modalities and other characteristics materia medica).

in a textbook on

Changes for the worse: (a) When going to sleep: Aconite, Aralia racemosa, Chamomilla. (b) While asleep or after waking up: Bromium, Lachesis, Spongia. (c) In the afternoon: Ammonium mur., Lycopodium, Thuja. (d) When climbing stairs: Ammonium carb. (stout people).

LIST OF REMEDIES

77

(e) With bronchitis: /pecacuanha, Creosote, Scılla (wets himself when coughing), Sticta, Antimonium tart. (with a white tongue). (f) Cold air: Aconite, Arsenicum, Carbo. veg., Allium cepa, Hepar

sulph., Phosphorus, Rumex. (g) On going from a cold into a warm room: Antimonium crud., Bryonia, Inpecacuanha, Natrum carb., Scilla; and vice versa: Phosphorus. (h)In damp weather and in the wet: Antimonium tart., Calcarea

carb.,

Dulcamara,

Natrum

sulph., Nux

moschata

-(with distended abdomen).

(i) Only by day: Euphrasia, Ferrum met., Natrum mur., Stannum (weakness in the chest), Viola odorata.

(j) With cold drinks: Carbo veg., Hepar sulph., Mercurtus, Rhus tox., Scilla, Spongia. (k) On eating: Bryonia, Calcarea carb., Carbo veg., China, Nux vomica, Phosphorus. (1) In the evening and at night: Aconite, Belladonna, Bryona, Carbo veg., Causticum, Drosera, Hepar sulph., Hyoscyamus, Mercurius, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox., Rumex, Silicea,

Spongia, Stannum, Sticta, Sulphur. Before midnight: Aralia racemosa, Belladonna, Spongia.

After midnight: Acomnzte, Arsenicum, Cuprum met., Drosera,

Hepar sulph., Kali. carb., Nux vomica.

(m) When

breathing

in: Belladonna,

Bromium,

Ipecacuanha,

Phosphorus, Rumex (cold), Spongia, Sticta. lying down: Aralia racemosa, Belladonna, Causticum, When (n) Conium,

Hyoscyamus,

Phosphorus,

Pulsatilla,

Rumex,

Sanguinarıa, Silicea. On the back: ux vomica, Phosphorus. On the left side: Phosphorus, Rumex, Stannum.

On the right side: Ammonium mur., Mercurtus. With the head down: Spongıa. Eupatorium, (0)In the wake of measles:

Euphrasia,

Ipecacuanha, Kali bichrom., Pulsatılla, Sticta. (with (p) In the morning: Allium sativum, Alumina, Coccus cactı Hepar m), stringy, sticky, persistent, and clear phleg

78

HOMOEOPATHIC

sulph.,

lodum,

Kali.

PRESCRIBING

bichrom.,

Lycopodium, Nit.

Acıd.,

Pulsatılla. Between

3 and 6 a.m.: Ammonium

bromatum, Ammonium

carb. (in stout people who feel the cold and get out of breath when they climb), Arsenicum, Cuprum met., Hepar sulph., Ralı carb., Nux vomica, Sulphur. = _ On waking up: Alumina, Bryonia, Cina, Lachesis, Iodum, Ipecacuanha.

Hepar sulph.,

(q)In the elderly: Antzmon. tart., Baryta carb., Carbo veg. (people with a livid complexion who feel cold but cannot stand a warm room and need fresh air, with feet and legs icy cold to the knees; distended abdomen and flatulence),

Hyoscyamus,

Creosote,

Senega

(feeling

of

constriction in the thorax, wheezing, very painful chest walls, phlegm comes up with difficulty, fits of coughing end with sneezing, pains in the back on coughing). (r) After whooping-cough, a cough which is reluctant to go and comes back again after every slight chill: Causticum, Sanguinaria. (s) On reading aloud, on speaking, singing, etc.: Ambra grisea, Argentum metallicum (phlegm like boiled starch; weak memory), Argentum (shrunken, thin, craving for sweets, passion for fresh air, aversion to warm rooms and closed spaces, suffers from diarrhoea after emotional

Drosera,

excitement),

Hepar

sulph.,

Carbo

veg.,

Hyoscyamas,

Causticum,

Conium,

Manganum

Phosphorus, Rumex, Stannum, Sulphur.

(t) With tickling: In the larynx:

|

acet.,

x

Argentum met., Belladonna,

Calcarea carb.,

Carbo veg., Causticum, Conium (weak persons with weak legs; awful, persistent tickling sensation at localized spot in the larynx), Allium cepa (as though a small hook were

‘stuck in the throat), Coccus cacti, Drosera, Lachesis (at the

slightest

touching

of the larynx),

Phosphorus,

Rumex

(tickling sensation on inhaling fresh air), Stlicea, Sulphur.

Where

(change

the windpipe

for the worse

divides:

Antimon.

with

movement),

crud., Bryonia Carbo

veg.,

—

LIST OF REMEDIES

79

Causticum (with a burning sensation or sore place in the windpipe), Conium, Lachesıs, Phosphorus, Rumex. In the throat: Aralia racemosa, Argentum nit., Calcarea carb., Capsicum (throat irritated, rough and burning), Conium, Drosera, Hepar sulph., Hyoscyamus, Ignatia, lodum, Lobelia

inflata, Phosphorus. (u) On uncovering oneself or on getting undressed: Baryta carb., Hepar sulph., Kali bichrom., Rhus tox., Rumex. (v) In children who have worms: Cina, Terebinthina.

Expectoration:

(a) Like the white of an egg or boiled starch: Argentum met., Selenium. (b) With - flecks Belladonna,

of

Bryonia,

blood:

Aconite,

Arnica,

Arsenicum,

Hepar sulph., Kalı nıt., Laurocerasus,

Millefolium, Phosphorus (in the evening in persons whose slight cuts bleed profusely and who are afraid of thunderstorms), Pulsatilla (blood appearing in the morning), Rhus tox., Trillium pendulum (bright-red

blood). ndrıum, (c) Foul-smelling: Calcarea carb., Capsicum, Phella Sanguinaria, Silicea, Stannum, Sulphur vodatum.

Antumon. (d) In small shreds or clots: Agaricus, Argentum met., and noon tart., Badiaga (change for the worse in the after of lots in the cold, change for the better in a warm room, veg., Carbo mucus running from mouth and nose), and Chelidonium (in liver patients with cold extremities , lade) der-b pains in the lower angle of the. right shoul ult diffic stout, Kali carb. (craving for sugar, chilly, change for character, suffering from stomach troubles, shreds of small the worse with cold; on blowing the nose mucus

come

unintentionally

from the mouth),

Szlicea

warmly, (extremely cold, has to wrap up the head overmeat, d and smoke craving for sausages conscientious, timid in company).

five drops 3x, (e) Profuse: Balsam peruv. (purulent, give Dulcamara, cacti, s three times daily), Carbo veg., Coccu

80

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

Hepar sulph., Kali bichrom. (stringy), Kali phos., Creosote (smells bad), Lycopodium, Silicea, Stannum, Sulphur, Sulphur todatum (putrid-smelling). (f) Purulent mucus: Balsam. peruv., Calcarea carb., Carbo veg., Hepar sulph., Hydrastis, Kali bichrom., Kali phos., Creosote, Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Silicea, Sulphur. (g) Salty: Kali todatum, Lycopodium, Magnesia carb., Phosphorus,

Sepia. (h) Not very profuse: Antimon. tart., Arsenicum, Causticum, Nux vormca, Phosphorus. (i) Watery, clear, liquid: Acontte, Antimonium arsenicum, Kali todatum.

(j) Slips back and has to be swallowed: Arnica, Causticum, Kali carb., Lachesis, Nux moschata, Spongia. (k) Acid: Calcarea carb., Lachesis, Nux vomica, Stannum.

(1) Sweetish: Phosphorus, Sanguinaria nit., Stannum, Sulphur. (m) Viscous, clinging, offensive to spit out: Alumina, Ammon. carb.,

Ammon.

mur.

(sensation

of cold

between

the

' shoulder-blades; woman have heavy, premature periods with a bad smell and with diarrhoea in their wake), Antimon. tart. (much wheezing, chronic bronchitis), Arsencum,

Bryonia,

Carbo

veg.,

Causticum,

Coccus

cacti,

Hydrastis (very profuse secretion), Ipecacuanha, Kali bichrom., Lachesis, Paris quadrifolia, Sanguinaria, Senega, Sepia, Silicea, Stannum.

Common Stomach Troubles

Causes: (a) Misuse of medicines: Nux vomica. (b) Acid food, acid fruits, unripe fruits, vinegar, dry white wine: Antimon. crud., Arsenicum, Cinchonium sulphuricum.

(c) Coffee: Chamomilla, Nux vomica. (d) After a cold bath: Antimon. crud. (e) Too heavy meals: Antimon. tart., Carbo veg., Pulsatılla, China, Natrum sulph., Nux vomica.

LIST OF REMEDIES

(f) Fats;

too

much

and

too

81

fatty food:

Antimon.

crud.,

Calcarea carb., Carbo veg., Cyclamen (if the patient feels better in a warm room and worse with cold), Jpecacuanha

(clean tongue in spite of indigestion), Pudsatilla (does not like a warm room, opens the windows; gets worse mainly with pork). (g) Food poisoning from fish or tainted meat: Arsenicum, Carbo veg., Ptelea. (h) Food poisoning from eggs: Nux vomica. (i) In acute fever: China, Quassia.

(j) From

foods

which

usually

cause

flatulence:

China,

Lycopodium (beans, peas, cabbage, onions), Pulsatzla. (k) Fruits: Arsenicum, China, Pulsatilla, Veratrum album (with cold sweat, attacks of weakness, and _ ice-cold extremities).

(1) Anacidity: Alumina, Lycopodium. (m) After eating too quickly: Anacardium, Coffea, Oleander. (n)Iced

drinks,

ice-cream,

etc.:

Arsenicum,

Carbo

veg.,

Ipecacuanha (with a clean tongue), Kalz carb. (feeling of

fullness in the stomach,

butterflies in the stomach, a

sensation as though water were swishing about in the

stomach), Natrum carb. (suffers from the heat in summer, cannot stand music or take milk), Pulsatılla. (0) Meat: Causticum, Ipecacuanha, Pulsatılla, Stlicea. (p) Milk: Aethusa (babies; vomiting straight after drinking

or an hour after a meal, nausea at the sight of food, colic), Calcarea carb. (small children who cannot take milk; constitutional obesity), Carbo veg. (generally cannot stand fatty foods), Magnesia carb. (nervous children who suffer from acid sweat; bloatedness) Magnesia mur. (constipated with liver disorders), Sulph. acid (suffers from heartburn and hot flushes, always ina

hurry, cannot drink white wine), Sulphur. (q) After fits of temper and displays of emotion: Chamomilla (tends

to

react

with

anger),

Nux

moschata

(with

a

tendency to bloatedness and very susceptible to a damp

HOMOEOPATHIC

82

atmosphere),

PRESCRIBING

JVux vomica

(fond of good eating and

drinking; bad-tempered, nervous, irritable, cannot stand cold). (r) Pastry: Antimon. crud., Carbo veg. (food fried in lard and

cream cakes), [pecacuanha, Lycopodium, Pulsatılla. (s) From misuse of salt: Phosphorus.

(t) Sweets: Antimon. crud., Argentum nit., Ipecacuanha, Zincum met.

(u) Tobacco: Abies nigra, Nux vomica, Sepia. (v) Vegetables: Arsenicum, Natrum carb., Nux vomica, Sepra. (w) Cold water: Arsenicum.

(x) Wine and liqueurs: Antimon. crud. (dry wine), Carbo veg., Natrum sulph., Nux vomica (spirits), Sulphur, Sulph. acid (white wine), Zincum met. (wines).

Type of stomach upset: Atonic, nervous, acid: Anacardium (change for the better with

eating, tendency to swear and use vulgar expressions), Argentum nit. (a lot of gas in the stomach, constant belching of wind and mucus, gnawing pains in the pit of the stomach, craving for sweets, considerable abdominal tension)

Calcarea

carb.,

Carbo

veg.,

China

(considerable

tension, sensitive to the touch; but better with strong pressure), /gnatia (dyspepsia on a diet, but often better after an ample meal in cheerful company.; after silent grief), Kali phos. (nervous, exhausted, overworked), Lycopodium (sentimental, irritable, cannot eat cabbage or onions;

craving for hot drinks and hot food; aggravated by pressure of clothes), Natrum carb. (worse with bread and milk), Nux vomica, Pulsatilla (worse with fats, pork, fruit, and icecream), Phosphorus (worse with salt; craving for cold drinks; sensitive, afraid of thunderstorms), Ptelea (suffers from liver

or gall-bladder disorders; change for the worse at night, when lying on the left side, from cheese; sense of pressure on the stomach), Sulph. acid (acidity, in-a hurry, worse with white wine).

Gastritis: Abves nigra (change for the worse after meals, sense

83

LIST OF REMEDIES

of pressure on the cardia, loss of appetite in the morning, but ravenously keen appetite in the afternoon and at night), Antimon. crud. (after eating acid food; big glutton, irregular character, egoist, refuses to wash), Argentum nit., Calcarea carb. (change for the worse from milk, acidity, etc.), Carbo

veg., China, Hydrastis (constant feeling of pain on the stomach, poor digestion, bitter taste, throbbing in the pit of the stomach, change for the worse with bread and vegetables), [pecacuanha, Kali bichrom. (change for the worse from beer, sense of heaviness after eating, feeling as though digestion had stopped, distension of the stomach, gastric and rheumatic disorders alternate), Lycopodium, Nux vomica,

Oxalicum acidum (stomach pains as soon as he thinks of them, pains above the navel and in the pit of the stomach,

relieved by belching; increasing heartburn, bitter or acid belching, aggravated by spinach, strawberries), Pulsatilla, Kar Sulphur.

Acidity (heartburn)

Argentum nit., Calcarea carb., Carbo veg., Ignatia, Magnesia carb., Natrum carb. (as if the stomach were swollen, worse with with heat, with music, summer with cold water,

thunderstorms, a change in the weather, draughts; ravenous appetite at 5 a.m., belching of watery fluid, very weak digestion, change for the worse from the slightest dietary mistake, aversion to and worsening from milk, depressed after eating, bitter taste, frequently accompanied by rheumatism in the knee), Nux vomica, Pulsatilla, Robinia for acidity; frontal headaches, (often unsurpassable

belching and acid motions, swelling of the stomach), Sulph. acid (also very good, mainly if there is a tendency to hot flushes;

change

for the

worse

with

white

wine;

hasty

temperament).

Flatulence (distention of the stomach): Abies Canadensis (big appetite for meat, anything highly than seasoned, radishes, seasonings; tendency to eat more

84

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

he can tolerate; heart troubles resulting from gassy distension), Argentum nit., Asafoetida (throbbing in the abdominal cavity, nervous, hysterical, violent gastric pains, a lump felt in the gullet, belching of a good deal of wind or fluid or stomach rumbling with a lot of wind, mainly heavily-built types with a red face), Calcarea carb., Carbo veg., China (craving for sweets, etc.), Dioscorea (better on bending

backwards), Graphites (aversion to fish and anything sweet;

chilly, stout patients; better after eating), Jgnatia, Kali carb., Lachesis (serious worsening with the pressure of clothes; pit of the stomach sensitive to touch; starving hungry, cannot wait for food; gnawing pains, better on eating, but coming back again shortly afterwards; swallowing air more painful than swallowing food; craving Lycopodium, Nux moschata, Nux

for alcohol, for lobster), vomica, Pulsatilla, Silicea,

Sulphur.

Vomiting: (a) After anger: Chamomilla, Colocynthis (accompanied by indignation, better with doubling up, with warmth and pressure), Staphisagrıa (change for the worse on brooding over injustices suffered). (b) After beer: Kali bichrom.

(c) In inoperable cancer patients: Carbolic acid, Creosote. (d)In children:

Creosote. (e) In alcoholics

Cuprum arsenicosum, Aethusa, Antimon. crud.,

in the morning:

Carbolic acid, Cuprum

arsenicosum, Nux vomica.

(f) After eating: Antimon. crud. (acidity), Arsenicum, Bryonia,

Ferrum met. (relief immediately after vomiting, unable to eat eggs), [pecacuanha (with a clean tongue), Lycopodium, Nux vomica, Phosphorus (preference for cold drinks, but vomits just as soon as they have warmed up in the stomach), Pulsatilla, Veratrum album (accompanied by fainting fits, cold sweat, diarrhoea; change for the worse

with vegetables and fruits). (g) After skin eruptions which have been suppressed by

LIST OF REMEDIES

85

ointments, cold baths, etc.: Cuprum met. (h) Caused by gastritis: Antimon. crud., Arsenicum, Bismuth, Ferrum met., Ipecacuanha, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla,

Veratrum album. (i) Hysterical, purely nervous: Aguilegia (lump-in-thethroat feeling; worse in the morning; insomnia, nervous trembling, sensitive to light and noise; dysmenorrhoea, mostly in young girls). (j) Caused by milk: Aethusa, Arsenicum, Calcarea carb., Ferrum met., Creosote, Magnesia carb., Magnesia mur. (liver patients with constipation), Mercurius dulcis. (k) Change for the worse with movement, on running, etc.:

Bryonia, Cocculus (change for the worse in the car; heavy periods; made worse by lack of sleep), Colchicum (nausea from the smell of food, e.g. roast meat, etc.), Digitalis (liver patients with cardiac and circulatory disorders;

colourless motions; bluish complexion), Nux vomica, Tabacum (change for the worse in the car, pale

complexion, trembling), Theridion (change for the worse with noises which reverberate in the head; nervously : sensitive), Veratrum album. nied by (accompa Bismuth Aethusa, : (1) After an operation water any vomits pains; c spasmodi and stomach pains stomach; the reaches it as soon as d that is swallowe heartburn and sense of heaviness in the stomach; slow

digestion with the stench of foul-smelling belching; instant improvement with cold drinks, but immediate vomiting afterwards), Allium cepa (accompanied by a

cold in the head, cough, and bronchitis; thirst; pains in

the area of the pylorus, belching, nausea), Mux vomica, Phosphorus (craving for cold drinks; sensitive; transitory hot flushes; feet and palms of the hands hot; after an anaesthetic; afraid of thunderstorms), Staphisagria,

by sharp pains in the Strychnine (accompanied abdominal muscles; shooting pains in the bowels, spasms, exaggerated reflexes, increased irritability, stiffness of the muscles).

‚86

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING

(m) Pregnancy: Apomorphinum (dizziness, enlargement of the pupils, sickness, feeling of warmth over the whole body, especially the head, belching of wind with headaches, travel sickness), Bismuth (vomiting alternating with headaches),

Carbolic

acid

(craving

for

stimulants,

persistent belching, burning spots in the mouth and stomach, tension and gassy distension of the stomach, intense fatigue and weakness), Cuprum acet. (allergic type,

painful

stomach-ache,

stubborn mucous

tenesmus,

tendency

to

diarrhoea, tight feeling in the chest;

ageravated by excitement and contact; improved by strong pressure, at night, lying on the painful side, applications of heat), [pecacuanha, Creosote (cold sensation

in the stomach, vomits some hours after meals, morning vomiting of a sweetish fluid, stomach pains; improved by eating; often vomits blood; bitter taste after drinking water; has to make water in a hurry whenever the need comes on; can urinate better lying down; throbbing sensation in the entire body, haemorrhages everywhere, — foul-smelling discharge from varicose ulcers, from the vagina, etc.), Magnesia carb. (heavy periods, black or very dark, occurring only at night; acid gastritis; sensitive to touch and to cold winds; craving for fruit, acid food, vegetables, or strong desire for meat; acid

belching or vomiting of bitter fluid; change for the worse in a warm bed, with changes of temperature and cold winds, periodically every three weeks, with rest; change

for the better with warm air, on walking in the open air; tendency to constipation), Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Medorrhinum (still ravenously hungry even after eating, metallic taste, very thirsty, craving for a liqueur, for salt, for sweets, for hot drinks; pains in the liver and spleen, better when lying on the stomach; tip of the nose cold, also the breasts; change for the worse from sunrise to sunset, with heat; change for the better at the seaside,

when lying on the stomach, and in damp weather), Sepia (empty feeling and weakness in the stomach, improved

LIST OF REMEDIES

87

by eating; nausea at the sight or smell of food; food tastes salty; nausea in the morning before breakfast, acid belching, craving for vinegar, acid and highlyseasoned food; made worse by milk, better if the milk is

boiled; sinking feeling in the genitals; menstrual disorders and greenish-white discharge, light periods; violent stabbing pains in the vagina and rectum travelling upwards, made worse by doing the laundry, by cold air; better by physical exertion, a warm bed, applications of heat, cool baths; indifferent character;

doesn’t like housework; no hang-ups about members of

the family), Tabacum. (n) Travel sickness: Cocculus, Creosote, Ipecacuanha, Nux vomica, Petroleum. (0) Seasickness: Apomorphinum, Cocculus, Creosote, Nux vomica, Petroleum, Sepia, Staphisagria, Tabacum, Theridion.

Rheumatism Only acute attacks can be taken into account here. If they recur or become chronic or break out periodically, it is a sign of deeper disturbance of the organism, and only an experienced homoeopathic results in these cases.

physician

1. Lumbago: Sharp acute attack, the patient pains: Bryonia (this must first be potency, then wait for two days, day.) If the effect is not enough:

can

achieve

lasting

cannot move without violent given for two days in the 30th and then give a 200th for one Antimon. tart. (feeling of great

Rhus heaviness in the small of the back, muscular tremors),

fox.

(if initial movement

is very painful but there is an

made improvement with continued movement; rusty joints;

acute worse by cold and damp, better by warmth; for one 30th, es: potenci ing increas ter adminis attack after another pains 200th, 1M, 10M every third day), Aesculus (weak spine,

from the lumbosacral region to the hips; change for the worse in the on walking, on bending down; piles, shooting pains

88

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

rectum), Aloe (change for the worse with movement; lumbago

pains alternate with painful piles and headaches; sharp shooting pains in the sacrum, dragging in the other joints; bowels move involuntarily; if this major symptom is present, the action of this remedy is particularly impressive), Cimicifuga (pains from left to right, crosswise through the pelvis; the heavier the monthly period is, the worse the patient feels), Eupatorium perfolatum (every bone and muscle aches, feel as though beaten black and blue or crushed), Ginseng (hiccups; stiff

and

cracking

joints;

abdominal

complaints;

pains,

rumbling stomach, especially in the ileocaecal region; rheumatic pains aggravated by ejaculation; skin eruptions), Nux vomica (the patient cannot turn over in bed without sitting up), Sulphur.

2. Articular rheumatism: Aconite (after catching cold, etc.), Bryonia (swollen, hot, painful Joints; change for the worse with the smallest movement), Apis (oedematous swelling of the joints; change for the worse with warmth,

hot baths, towards

the end of the afternoon,

in a

closed and warm room; sense of constriction and choking; particularly suitable when the disease affects the hands and fingers) Calcarea carb. (thickset, stiff, corpulent people, change for the worse with cold and damp; elderly gardeners, forestry workers, farmers with stiff joints), Chamomilla (in this type the

pains get worse at night and compel the patient to get up and walk about), Benzoicum acidum (crossed localization: left arm

and right leg or vice versa; the pains constantly change their site; cracking; lumps; hands, feet, knees, and back cold; urine

very dark and smelly), Cimicifuga (particularly the muscles), Colchicum (muscles, periosteum, synovia, and joints; weakness;

the patient suffers from nausea, caused by the smell of food; change for the worse: at night, with movement, mental effort, in warm weather the pains get worse and change their site), Eupatorium perfolatum, Ginseng, Guaiacum (B.O., pains merging into twinges; craving for apples or other fruit, aversion to milk, heartburn, a lot of wind; specially involved: shoulders, arms,

LIST OF REMEDIES

89

and hands; change for the worse: movement, warmth, cold and damp, contacts, from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.), Kali bichrom. (narrowly circumscribed pains localized in minor places, change their site; change for the worse in the cold; pains in the back and joints; cracking, creaking joints; alternating stomach pains and rheumatic pains), Ledum (rheumatism starts in the legs and moves upwards; skin eruptions; chillinéss, but warmth cannot be borne and makes the patient worse; particular susceptibility of the small joints, which are swollen, hot, and pale; painful soles of the feet; can hardly walk; the patient is worse when warm in bed, he gets relief if he plunges his joints into ice-cold water), Lycopodium (right side

specially

favoured;

depressed,

irritable,

sentimental,

seeks solitude, but does not like being completely alone; paralysis of the extremities; dragging, worse at night; one leg warm, the other cold; gouty concretions, sweaty feet, pains in the heel, painful horny skin on the soles of the feet; finger and toe contractures, sciatica, change for the worse when lying on the right side or on the painful side; cramp in calves and toes during the night, convulsions during the night; the pains go from right to left; craving for anything sweetened; change for the worse from pressure of clothing, a warm room, bed, from 5 to 7 p.m.; change for the better, however, from moderately warm applications, from fresh air, from the patient’s uncovering himself), Mercurius (weakness in the legs, periosteal and joint pains; sensitive to cold; trembling, chiefly of the hands; sweating; cold, moist skin, especially on the legs, slowly, weak will, answers at night; poor memory,

disappointed with life, suspicious; metallic taste in the mouth; swollen, bleeding gums; yellow coated tongue with tooth

imprints; bad breath; severe thirst; change for the worse at

night, with dampness, with lying on the right side, in a warm room, and in bed; sweating does not bring relief), Nux vomica

(mainly trunk muscles and psoas magnus’), Petroleum (cracks

at the finger-tips; travel sickness; hunger just after a bowel ' One of two hip muscles. — Trans.

90

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

movement, cracking in the joints), Pulsatilla (shifting pains; (affected by Rhododendron the knees), affinity with thunderstorms and changes in the weather), Rhus tox. (made worse by rest, better by movement, worse by dampness; does

not sweat; restless especially during the night), Strychnine tetanoid movements, jerky muscles, hard (swollen,

contractions, over-excitability of reflexes, cramp; change for the worse in the morning, when touched, with noises, after a

meal; change for the better when lying on the back) Sulphur (hot, sweaty hands; burning sensation on the soles and palms, especially during the night; seeks cool spot in bed; desire for sweets; very thirsty during meals, drinks a lot and eats little; poor posture; pains in the joints, mainly the lumbar region, buttocks, knees and ankles; dragging in arms and hands; eczema; does not like getting washed, is untidy, dirty; dresses negligently but thinks he is well dressed; inclination to philosophize, the ‘threadbare philosopher’; tendency to speculations without rational basis; hot flushes; change for the

worse: warm room, standing, warm bed, when getting washed and having a bath, at night, from alcohol, periodically; ravenous hunger at 11 a.m., clamouring for food; change for the better: dry, warm, weather, with lying on the right side, with flexing the affected joints), Syphilinum (change for the worse at night; despairs of the state of his health; change for the better from daybreak onwards; pains localized in the shoulders, in the point of the deltoid muscle, in the long cylindrical bones; there are hard lumps in the muscles; keeps on washing his hands; weak in mathematics), Thuja (if hereditary taint of gonorrhoea exists or relevant previous history is forthcoming; rheumatism after innoculations; tendency to varicose eczema, to pigmented moles; stream of urine divided; fixed ideas, imagines he is made of glass, thinks body and soil are separated or there is something alive in his abdomen; music brings on weeping and trembling; tip of the tongue painful; finger-tips swollen, red, numb; muscular twitches, cracking in the joints, pains in the heels and in the

LIST OF REMEDIES

9

Achilles tendon; soft nails, furrowed and breaking easily; ingrowing nails; change for the worse at night, from a warm bed, at 3 a.m. and 3 p.m.; sweats only where uncovered, or

everywhere except the head while asleep; sweating of the upper lip; profuse sweating, acid, often smelling of honey, hot flushes towards evening; change for the worse from cold to damp, after breakfast, from fat, coffee, innoculation; change

for the better from lying on the left side, from stretching and bending the limbs). Localization: Neck: Aconite, Aesculus, Belladonna, Cimex, Gelsemium, Lachesis,

Lachnanthes (in 3x, 5 drops three times daily), Oleum animale (change for the worse when looking up), Paris quadrifolia (feeling as if the eyes had been drawn backwards on a thread;

numbness

in the fingers; sense of weight on the

back, radiating to the shoulders), Stlicea. Back: Aesculus, Agaricus, Antimon, tart., Argentum mt., Berberis vulg., Calcarea carb., Calcarea phos., Calcarea fluor., Cimex, Cobalt, Cocculus, Dulcamara, Kali carb., Lachesis, Lycopodium, Natrum mur., Nux vomica, Oxalicum acid, Phytolacca, Pulsatilla,

Rhus tox., Sepia, Staphisagria, Terebinthina, Viburnum opulus. Arms: Aconite, Apis, Arnica, Bryonia, Calcarea phos., Colchicum, Kali carb., Kalmia, Mercurius, Rhododendron, Rhus tox. Wrists and hands: Caulophyllum, Causticum, Guaiacum, Ledum, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox., Ruta.

Fingers: Benz. acid, Apis, Bryonia, Lycopodium, Natrum phos.,

Rhus tox.

Buttocks: Straphisagria (pains in the ileosacrum, radiating to the buttocks), Su/phur (ditto). Hips: Aconite, Aesculus, Bryonia, Calcarea carb., Chelidonium . (right), Colchicum, Colocynthis, Gelsemium, Hypericum, Kali t0d., Kali sulph., Natrum sulph., Pulsatilla, Stramonium, Tuberculinum. Knees: Aconite, Apis, Bryonia, Hepar sulph., Natrum carb., Kali iod., Pulsatilla, Rhus tox., Silicea. Ankles: Actea spicata, Caulophyll, Colchicum, Guaiacum, Ledum,

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

Pulsatilla, Rhododendron, Ruta, Sulphur. Toes: Ammonium carb., Benz. acid, Carbo veg., Colchicum, Ledum,

Lycopodium, Rhododendron.

Changes for the worse: (a) At night: Acontte, Cimex, Colchicum, ‘Kali 10od., Mercurtus, Phytolacca, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox., Sulphur. (b) Before a thunderstorm: Pulsatilla, Rhododendron, Rhus tox. (c) Damp and cold weather: Calcarea carb., Calcarea phos., Colchicum, Dulcamara, Mercurius, Natrum sulph., Phytolacca, Rhododendron, Rhus tox., Tuberculinum. (d) Cold, dry, and fine weather: Aconite, Causticum, Hepar

sulph., Nux vomica. (e) Fall of snow: Calcarea phos. (f) Movement: Bryonia, Calcarea carb., China, Kali Kalma, Mercurius, Nux vomica, Stellaria. (g) Rest: Euphorbium, Pulsatilla, Rhododendron, Rhus tox. (h) Warmth: Kali mur., Ledum, Mercurtus, Pulsatilla.

mur.,

Changes for the better: (a) Movement: Chamomilla, Dulcamara, Ferrum met., Pulsatilla, Rhododendron, Rhus tox.

(b) Pressure: Bryonia, Formica rufa.

(c) Rest: Bryoma. (d) Warmth: Arsenicum, Rhus tox., Silicea. (e) Cold: Ledum, Secale.

(f) Damp weather: Causticum, Hepar sulph.

CHAPTER NINE DOSAGE Dosage for acute illnesses is relatively simple: all potencies from the lowest to the highest can be used. However, it is not advisable to use too high potencies because they may provoke undesirable reactions. We recommend the novice to start with low dilutions, e.g. with 5x. You can get them either as granules or as. solutions in homoeopathic dispensaries. ‘I'wo granules are given three or four times a day or five drops three or four times a day, and the intervals are lengthened as soon as an improvement or a reaction sets in. If the illness seems to be overcome, the medication is stopped. Mercury and its salts should not be dispensed in low potencies. Anyone who has already gained a certain amount of experience and knows how to prescribe with any degree of accuracy can then go further and use 30c. These potencies no longer contain any traces at all of the substance; it is all the more interesting to observe the exact therapeutic effects achieved with these non-substantial medications.’ You dissolve between three and five granules of the 30c medication in a glass of water and let the patient drink from it at intervals, i.e. in tablespoonfuls or mouthfuls to start with (perhaps a

spoonful every half hour). After the third spoonful allow an hour’s interval, and after the fifth spoonful the medicine is 1 Observations

which show, moreover,

that the action of Hahnemann

potencies is not an action of any substance but a phenomenon of energy.

94

HOMOEOPATHIC

PRESCRIBING

given only three times a day. You carry on in this way for one day, or, if necessary, for a second day if the effect has not yet been clearly indicated. You then stop giving the medicine, and the other then follows of its own accord. If you note after two or three days that the treatment is not progressing satisfactorily, you can repeat the prescription as on the first occasion or, better, give the same remedy at 200c. In this case you simply give three granules on the tongue, where the patient should allow them to dissolve. In general you don’t repeat a 200c for that would only weaken the effect. All medications can be given in this way. I recommend that the Mercury salts be given in the 6th LM.2 You dissolve a granule in a glass of water and proceed as described above. You can, however, also use 30c.

With a homoeopathic prescription you can never do any harm, for:

1. If the remedy is badly chosen, it doesn’t work. 2. If a reaction sets in, it proves that the remedy has been well chosen. All you have to do then is just to stop the administration and you can be practically certain that the effect will be excellent. 3. All remedies are always absolutely non-toxic.

2 LM: Dilution on the fifty-thousand scale. See Hahnemann’s 6th ed.

Organon,

7

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a

ah. am} ine bay A ry oe

i .r

ayo”

.

:

Homoeopathic Prescribing Adolf Voegeli, M.D. About this book. . .

HOMOEOPATHIC PRESCRIBING has been written both . for doctors wishing to learn something about this form of treatment, and for the layman who wants to use the remedies in the home. The book deals with various common

illnesses such as influenza, head colds, sore

throats, gastric complaints and so on, and describes the remedies suitable for each, matching them to the characteristics of different types of patient. The list of remedies at the end of the book introduces a comprehensive selection of treatments, with pointers for matching them to individual cases. Other books about Homoeopathy

. .

HOMOEOPATHY An Introductory Guide by A.C. Gordon

Ross, M.B., Ch.B., M.F. Hom.

u

A complete introduction to homoeopathy from its beginnings, when Samuel Hahnemann first began experimenting with the technique of individual treatment with single drugs in the eighteenth century, to its place in the modern medical world. The author, a retired homoeopathic practitione cases he encountered during his thirty years of practice examples of the types of remedies used. In detailing t methods, he draws some comparison with allop explains the methods of diluting and calculating 1 the minimum dose.

BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES by Donova T.W. Hyne Jones This guide, written exclusively for home use, tells you and all you need to know to deal with minor domestic illné obtain relief in the case of simple accidents, the homd way. It contains an alphabetical list of ailments, toget appropriate semedies. .

cover design by Bill Yenne