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Sore Throats
Sore throats can occur during any season of the year, and frequently herald the start of a cold, or in other cases, tonsillitis or strep throat, which is a particularly nasty strain of bacterial infection that can spread quickly through a classroom of students.
Difference between a bacterial and viral sore throat. (Image: lymeinside.wordpress.com)
The following steps can be taken to alleviate the problem, but please consult a medical doctor if the sore throat persists beyond three days or sooner, especially if you have a small child. These few self-help strategies may be applied if your child is old enough to clearly articulate how painful the throat is. Take a peek inside the oral cavity to assess how red the throat is, and if the tonsils are swollen you can give the child a dose of Phytolacca, a remedy I have found useful for my son who often suffered from painful sore throats. Then take the child to the doctor!
Phytolacca Decandra has emotional/mind symptoms of wanting to bite, refusing to eat, irritability, unbearable pain and chilliness. The throat itself would feel dry and the tonsils swollen. The uvula is enlarged and swollen, the soft palate, likewise will be swollen and may have thick white mucus about the fauces, see image below:
Puss in the Fauces (Image: http://www.mucusfreelife.com)
There is a sensation of a lump in the throat, and the patient will have shooting pains into the ears with every attempt to swallow.
Belladonna is a tried and tested remedy for sore throats especially if they are accompanied by anger, fright, a desire to bite in children, especially during delirium. It may be accompanied by a headache and an over-sensitivity to noise and light. The patient is very restless and they may weepy and angry.
The throat will be very red, and may have a glazed appearance, the eyes are red and the ears will be very painful. The patient may have a sensation as if there is a plug in the throat and he will be unable to even drink liquids. A complete loss of appetite is not surprising, but there is an increased thirst which may not be alleviated due to the painfully sore throat. (Liquids may pass out through the nose instead of being swallowed.)
The throat. (Image: http://www.gutenberg.org)
Aconite Napellus is the remedy of choice after a patient has been exposed to a cold North wind (or South wind, in the Southern Hemisphere). The sore throat comes on suddenly and will persist if it is not treated promptly. The main mental characteristic of this remedy is a fear of death. The throat will burn and there may be an accompanying pain in the back of the neck and behind the jaws. The parotid glands may be swollen.
Red hot throat, as if there is a coal in it, try Aconite! (Image b-lee.deviantart.com)
Hepar Sulphuris Calcareum is often regarded as the “antibiotic” of homeopathy. It is a remedy that has the sensation of a fish bone or a splinter stuck in the throat. It is also characterized by great anger or vehemence. There is a great sensitivity to dry cold air, even more so than Aconite. The pain of the sore throat extends into the ears. Hepar Sulph is a remedy to use after Aconite. I recommend it in a 200 C potency and if the patient is not better after three doses, consult a doctor.
I have great faith in Olbas Oil, a eucalyptus based embrocation that I apply externally to the throat at night. I have found it really stops that sore throat in its tracks, especially if I have been outside and gotten chilled because of an icy wind blowing.
Another strategy would be to massage around the base of the big toe of both feet as well as the ears on the outside of the feet. It may be painful but persevere. You can even apply some Olbas to the area while massaging. Consult the chart below:
Foot reflexology chart. (Image: http://www.landramps.com)
Disclaimer: This is article is meant for self-help and is not meant to cure, heal or prescribe. Please consult a doctor if you feel sick.
Drosera Rotundifolia, a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This article is mostly a visual tool to remember the remedy by.
Known commonly as the Sundew plant, this carnivorous species lives in bogs and marshes. Wet conditions suit is best, it likes to be waterlogged. Think of this picture, all the water, and the lungs filling up with mucus. You get the picture?
(Image from :http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/science/14obpeat.html?_r=0)
Since they tend to grow in areas where the soil is poor, they have to supplement their mineral intake by ingesting insects. It is found in Northern Europe, Siberia, Korea, Japan, the United States and New Guinea.
Image from http://www.growsundews.com/sundews/rotundifolia_charles_darwin.html
The homeopathic doctrine of signatures makes this remedy easy to remember when faced with a situation of a cough with very sticky mucus. It is a prime remedy for whooping cough, and the cough that comes on after a bout of measles.
The taste in the mouth is sweet, almost putrid, and the mucus, which is expelled with great difficulty is sticky, and yellow or green. Think of the plant, with its delicate little tentacles like tiny alveoli in the lungs, holding onto that sticky mucus, trapping it in the lungs and releasing it with great difficulty.
(Image from: www.medillsb.com)
Yes, keep this picture in mind when you have that cough that makes you want to vomit the mucus because you are unable to swallow it. The cough is a difficult, choking experience. The face will be red, the eyes bloodshot, the head bathed in perspiration.
Sore throat, red face, headache, hoarseness, becoming overheated and fetid perspiration, that is very much a Drosera picture. The throat is so painful, the patient cannot swallow, so there may be rapid emaciation. In children this can be a very dangerous situation, especially if they are too young to verbalize “what hurts”. Please consult a doctor immediately if your child displays difficulty breathing.
A potency of 30C one dose every hour for four hours followed by a dose every four hours. In really acute situations, 200C is suggested, twice a day for three days.
For a more detailed Materia Medica of this remedy, see http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/d/dros.htm
Please note that this information is not intended to cure, diagnose or heal, it is merely informational. If you are sick please consult a doctor.
Baryta: The Shy, Timid Child
Baryta Carbonica is often touted as being helpful for children who may have developmental problems, those who do not follow the norm or average in learning to walk, talk and who lack self-confidence. They are very shy and want to hide behind their mothers’ skirts.
It is also an important remedy in old age, the forgetfulness of the elderly, who cannot remember names, or words, or what they wanted to say. Many of the symptoms will sound familiar to those who have had to care for elderly parents with senile dementia.
The remedy is made from Carbonate of Barium and has been found useful to those who have had to ingest barium sulfate prior to CT scans. If the patient suddenly develops memory problems following such a procedure, a dose of Baryta is said to bring back the intellectual faculties. (1)
Baryta types are very timid, shy and bashful. They have a strong aversion to strangers because their physical and mental functions are diminished, so they are apt to think more slowly than other people, and react slowly. They are not that backward that they are not aware of this difficulty, so they fear that they are being made fun of, or being laughed at by other people. They also think that they are ugly. They prefer to stay at home where they feel secure because they lack self-confidence. They also find it difficult to make up their minds so they come across as being irresolute. They compensate for this by forming rigid routines and habits in order to avoid having to make decisions.
They fear strangers or being placed in a strange social setting because they are stifled by their fear of strangers and this may make them seem stiff and uncomfortable. In children one sees the Baryta child hiding behind her mother’s skirts in the presence of strangers, and in the elderly this aversion stems from memory loss and they may start to act foolishly.
Chitkara (2) lists the following Mental and Emotional Rubrics:
- Absent-minded, when spoken to
- Anxiety, trifles about
- Awkward, drops things
- Cares, worries, full of
- Childish behavior, old age, in
- Concentration difficult
- Delusions: criticized, that he is; people are looking at him; watched, she is being
- Dementia, senilis, talking, with foolish
- Dullness, sluggishness, difficulty of thinking and comprehending
- Fear, apprehension, dread; men, dread, fear of; people of; anthopophobia; strangers of
- Forgetfulness (especially of old people, words; word hunting)
- Frightened easily
- Hide: child thinks all visitors laugh at it and hides behind the furniture
- Imbecility
- Infantile behavior
- Indecision
- Play, aversion to play in children
- Prostration of mind, mental exhaustion, brain fag
- Rudeness
- Sadness, despondency, dejection, mental depression, gloom, melancholy
- Senile dementia
- Sensitive, oversensitive, mental impressions to
- Serious, earnest
- Sit, inclination to
- Slowness
- Stranger’s presence aggravates
- Society, shuns
- Suspicious, mistrustful
- Timidity, bashful
- Uncouth
- Violent rage
- weeping, tearful
The physical symptoms are many, but the signature symptom for this remedy are hard, knotty stools; pulsation and stiffness in the back. (3) Others include:
- take colds easily
- vertigo
- fetid foot sweat
- baldness in young people
- scalp sensitive to touch
- illusion of smoke smelling like pine
- nose bleed prior to menses
- weak digestion
- anus sore and humid
- piles and hemorrhoids
- impotence
- hoarseness, loss of voice from coughing
- mucus in the larynx and trachea
- violent prolonged palpitation
- cold feet
- enlarged prostate
The causation is suppressed foot sweat. They typically have clammy, cold feet and are worse for cold, damp weather.Worse after eating and mental emotion.
Baryta has cured tumors, especially those in the neck and induration in the breast.
It is a left-sided remedy.
Dosage: In acute physical situations, a 200 C, for ongoing problems I would recommend 30 C.
This is merely an annotated version of the full picture, but it should give one an indication as to the most prominent symptoms, and help to identify the remedy required in the situation as needed. For a comprehensive write-up of the remedy, please see George Vithoulkas’ information by clicking here:
http://www.vithoulkas.com/en/books-study/online-materia-medica/2877-baryta-carbonica.html
Please remember not to keep taking a remedy once improvement sets in!
Disclaimer: This information is not meant as advice to diagnose or to prescribe; if you have a serious medical condition please consult your physician.
References
1. Grandgeorge, D. The Spirit of Homeopathic Remedies, Berkeley, California, 1998)
2. Chitkara, H.L. New Comprehensive Homoepathic Materia Medica of the Mind. Jain. New Delhi, 1998
3. Clarke, J.H. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol I. Jain, New Delhi. 1999.
Ferrum
FERRUM METALLICUM
Praise 
“Mars for bravery in struggling for success…”
(Patricia Villiers-Stuart)
Ferrum has to battle the elements, it is easily corroded and turns to rust. The Ferrum type dreams of battles, falling into water and of war.
Word Association Game
IRON?
Blacksmith, Hephaestus, Vulcan. Tools, horseshoes, arms. Ares, Mars. Primitive warfare. Conquest. With iron and bread. Iron bars, handcuffs, chains, prison, violence. Will discipline, strictness. Iron Chancellor, Iron Lady. Railways. Heavy industry, conquest of the Earth. Swords and plows.
(By Tamas Revbiro: The Metaphysics of Silicon. www.revbiro.hu/esilicon. html)
Alchemy
Until the mid-eighteenth century, only seven metals were known and recognized to exist. They included copper, lead, iron, tin, gold, silver and mercury. Brass was manufactured from copper, but people did not understand that it was an alloy which included zinc. In 1752 the so-called eighth metal was discovered: platinum, from the gold mines of Columbia.
“Belief in a linkage of the seven metals with the ‘seven planets’ reaches back into pre-history: there was no age in which silver was not associated with the Moon, nor gold with the Sun. These links defined the identities of the metals. Iron, used always for instruments of was associated with Mars…. Then, around the beginning of the 18th century these old, cosmic imaginations were swept away by the emerging science of chemistry. The characters of the metals were no longer explained in terms of their cosmic origins but instead in terms of an underlying atomic structure.” (Kollerstrom; www.koller.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk, p.1)
In the 20th century Rudolf Steiner, Rudolf Haushcka and Wilhelm Pelikan wrote about the seven traditional metals as expressing most fully the seven planetary characters. “The seven fundamental metals represent something like the seven notes of a scale. As there exists a great variety of intermediate tones within the scale, so one can recognize intermediate tones between the metals.” (Ibid.)
It has recently been found that the orbital motion of the planets correlates in sequence with its metal’s conductivity, that is, the slower a planet moves, the less able its corresponding metal is to conduct electricity. (Ibid, p2) Iron has the lowest atomic weight of the seven classical metals
Ferrum lies in the 4th period of the Periodic Table along with the metals Manganese, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper and Zinc. These metals are concerned with performance and defense. (Sankaran, p.81) It’s astrological houses are Aries and Scorpio.
History
The word “Ferrum” derives from Latin, meaning “Iron”. It is the fourth most commonly found element found on the planet and it is the basis of all forms of steel. Although it is found only sparingly in its free state, there is an abundance of ores from which it is readily obtained. It is referred to in many ancient texts, and there is evidence that it was known more than 7,000 years ago. In China its usage dates back to 2,550 B.C. Some Vedic poets wrote that their prehistoric ancestors already knew how to transform iron into utensils using a number of different methods to extract the metal.
It is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 4:22:
“ And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron…”
According to information gleaned from various Roman and Greek texts, metals such as iron, tin, copper and brass were imported from India, as sheets, so it must presumably have been smelted and cast before being exported. Sanskrit literature supports these claims. (www.Vanderkrogt.net) During the reign of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Ferrum Indicum appears in the list of dutiable articles. There also exists an ancient Greek treatise dealing with the chemistry involved in tempering Indian Steel. The Arab geographer Al-Adrisi (1099-1166) noted that the Hindus excel in the manufacture of iron (Ibid.)
Ferrum is the metal of the planet Mars, and not surprisingly, it is used extensively in the manufacture of weapons, as well as tools, since the Iron Age. The keywords to the remedy Ferrum are based upon the uses that iron has been put to, viz., fighting and “performing your task” (Scholten, p.400).
There is a remarkable Indian pillar of steel dating back to A.D. 400, which has remained standing at the center of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the first Moslem mosque in Delhi, India. According to Vanderkrogt, the pillar is a classical example of massive production of high quality Iron and is the biggest hand-forged block of iron from ancient times.
(www.worldmysteries.com)
(www.hitxp.com)
Other, possibly later sources of Iron for the Greeks were the Chalybes, who inhabited the sought coast of the black Sea, and for the Romans.
Besides importing iron from the Chalybes, it was also imported from Spain, Elba and the province of Noricum.
The alchemy of Iron is associated with Mars and Mars rules Scorpio and Aries.
Physical Factors
The planet Mars is red because of the quantity of iron in the soil there. The color red is symbolic of blood, and anemia is one of the problems associated with Ferrums. They also tend to get red cheeks from drinking wine. They may desire or have an aversion to tomatoes. The liver too is featured prominently in Ferrums. Eczema, a reddish rash is also a Ferrum ailment.
Iron is one of the premier constituents of the body, and it is also present in many of the foods we eat. When it is digested in excess, it increases the amount of iron in the blood, and it will stimulate the appetite. (Clarke, p.753) It also augments the number of heartbeats and increases physical vigor. However, an excessive intake of iron may lead to a person proving the metal, so that the individual becomes more and more exhausted, becoming almost paralyzed with fatigue. The person will also develop pains in the limbs as well as abdominal affections.
The type of anemia caused by iron causes the cheeks to look flushed, as if the patient were in blooming good health, but in spite of this the lips and mucus membranes are pale, and it will be accompanied by exhaustion and breathlessness.. Other symptoms include restlessness, tremor, and vertigo on sudden rising neuralgia. The worst time is at night.
Tension of Opposites
| Parts of body red, face red during a chill | Body parts become white |
| Obesity, Canine hunger | Emaciation, complete loss of appetite |
| Diarrhea | Constipation |
| Flushes of heat | CHILLY |
| Quarrelsome, scolding; rudeness | Tranquility, serenity; calmness |
| Dictatorial | Weeping, tearful mood |
| Fear: of apoplexy, death, people | Positiveness |
| Restlessness; driving out of bed | Ennui
|
| Sadness, despondency, gloomy | Cheerful, mirthful, gay; laughing immoderately |
| Confusion of mind
|
Conscientious about trifles
|
The weakness of Ferrum is seen in rubrics such as:
- Ailments from anger
- Concentration, difficult
- Death, thoughts of
- Ennui, tedium
- Discontented, displeased, dissatisfied
- Company, aversion to
- Confusion of mind, forgetful
- Indolence, aversion to work
- Memory, weakness of
- Morose, fretful, ill-humor, peevish
- Prostration of mind, mental exhaustion, brain-fag
- Sit, inclination to
- Talk, indisposed to, desire to be silent; taciturn
- Talking agg. All complaints
- Unconsciousness, stupor
- Work, aversion to mental
Having too much iron in the diet often causes this Ferrum state, and it can lead to a number of digestive problems, which in turn weaken the body even further. The other, most often diagnosed problem is anemia. The homeopathic preparation of Ferrum in “its highest potencies” will cure anemia (Clark, p.754). Another peculiar tension of opposites is found in the fact that Ferrum is a remedy for weak, delicate girls, as well as for someone who is dictatorial!
Vermeulen comments that a central theme of Ferrum is MOTION. There is a strong aversion to activity and an inclination to sit, a desire to remain in bed, there is irresolution and indolence. Yet the patient is forced to move because of pain, ailments or restlessness, and occupations and diversion ameliorate. (p.165)
They are also VERY SENSITIVE TO NOISE, yet they can be laughing immoderately, be quarrelsome, abusive and insulting.
Modalities
Worse: At night, midnight; emotions; violent exertion; eating; drinking; vital losses; perspiration; Quinine; EGGS; heat and cold; raising arms; rest, especially sitting still; overheating; during menses.
Better: GENTLE MOTION; slight bleeding; leaning head on something; summer; pressure; after rising; after stool; solitude
Discharges
Epistaxis
Diarrhea
Vomiting (after eggs, especially)
Involuntary urination
Copious menstruation; profuse perspiration, morning, in bed.
Organs and Tissues most Affected
The blood, spleen, digestion, nerves; left side. Mucus membranes abnormally pale. Left deltoid. Goiter from suppressed menses. Muscles flabby and relaxed.
Sensations
Vertigo on descending
Head feels hot but extremities are cold.
Sensation of heat when eating warm food
Causations
Iron is present in much of the food that we eat, and if the diet is incorrectly supplemented with additional iron, it leads to the Ferrum state. Tyler: “In pernicious anemia there is a deficiency of normal gastric secretions…”. This means that food is inadequately assimilated, leading to the anemia.
Appearance
Ferrum children, according to Grandgeorge, are “authoritarian, strong willed, red-faced at times, then suddenly pale and exhausted.” They tend to be overweight and are likely to suffer from nosebleeds. Their appetites are changeable and they refuse to eat big bites or chunks of food. They prefer their food mashed or pureed, like Lyc., Merc. and Staph. They also have an intolerance to eggs.
Physical Symptoms
Head: Vertigo, on descending; when walking too rapidly; on crossing running water. Head pulsates from sudden motion, and is better for pressure. Painful confusion in the head above the root of the nose, esp. in the evening; pressive pain, especially in fresh air; periodic hammering and pulsative headache, which oblige the patient to lie down every tow or three weeks; head sensitive to touch; profuse falling off of the hair with pain where touched.
Eye: Lachrymation from pain in other parts of the body; eyes cloudy, dull, blue rings around eyes; eyes red with burning pain; swelling and redness of eyelid with sty, suppurating on the upper lid.
Vision: Acute in hysterical persons at night
Ear: Ringing noises before an during menses; haring impaired prior to menses
Nose: Epistaxis, from one nostril, in the evening. Accumulation of clots of blood in the nose.
Throat: Sensation of lump on empty swallowing, also when not swallowing; spitting of blood
External throat: Exopthalmic goiter, from suppressed menses
Stomach: Eructation after beer, fats; bitter eructation after fat food; smelling like spoiled eggs. Sensation of fullness after eating only a little. Indigestion from eggs and met. Vomiting after acids, beer and eggs.
Abdomen: Inflation and hardness of abdomen; liver enlarged and sensitive; spleen large and sore, cramps in spleen region; violent rumbling flatulence in the evening; painful weight of the abdominal viscera in walking as if they would fall down; bowels feel sore and bruised.
Stool and Anus: Diarrhea after cold drinks; while eating; after exertion, fruit, meat and worse for motion. Watery, corrosive diarrhea, sometimes with cramps in the abdomen, the back and the anus; watery diarrhea burning the anus; discharge of blood and mucus at every stool; slimy feces; stools hard and difficult; contractive spasm in the rectum
Bladder: Involuntary urination, during motion, from sudden movements, while standing; constant urge to urinate with pains in the bladder.; hot urine; albuminuria; urine blood red, contains blood corpuscles.
Male: Coition: Enjoyment absent; increased desire with frequent erections and pollutions; impotence; flow of mucus from the urethra.
Female: Coition, enjoyment absent; painful. Insensibility of vagina during coition. Menses: dark clots; copious from motion. Pain in vagina during coition.; face fiery red with copious flow of blood, at one time liquid, at other black and coagulated; abortion; sterility
Respiration: Difficult, wants to be fanned; better for motion and walking slowly about. Hot breath; oppressed short breathing; tickling in the trachea which excites coughing. Purulent expectoration from the cough
Chest: Palpitations, compelled to move, better for slow motion
Back: Pain in lumbar region, before a snowstorm
Sleep: Position: can only sleep on back; impossible to lie on side
Dreams: Battles, falling into water; of war.
Generals: Orgasms of blood from nervousness.
Compare:
- Ferrum compares well to other metals as well as Graphites. It is antidoted by Ars, Chi, Hep, Ip, Puls. Bora: Vertigo when descending; Mang: cough worse after eating; Ars and Chi: intermittent fever; Selen and Thuj: bad effects of tea; Graph: flushes of heat; Rhus > from
- motion; Caust: paralysis
Praise
Jupiter for Splendor in worldly success
Mars for bravery in struggling for success
Venus for success in Love
Mercury for the Magic Touch
Saturn for a sense of Destiny
Sun and Moon as alternating
Heavenly Bodies
Parents of our life
On Earth
And earth
Oh for God
Sake
Let’s praise
EARTH
By Patricia Villiers-Stuart, Anthem for 2000 ( from http://www.levity.com/alchemy/kollerstrom_sevenfold.html)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bailey, Philip M. 1995. Homeopathic Psychology: Personality profiles of the Major Constitutional Remedies. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.
Clarke, John Henry. 1999. A dictionary of Practical Materia Medica in three Volumes. B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi
Chitkara, H.L. 1998. New Comprehensive Homeopathic Materia Medica of the Mind. B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
Gibson, Douglas. 2000. Studies of Homeopathic Remedies. Beaconsfield Publishers, Bucks, England.
Grandgeorge, Didier. 1998. The Spirit of Homeopathic Medicines. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.
Kent, J.T. 1998. Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica and a Word Index. B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
Kent, J.T. 1997. Lectures on Materia Medica. B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
Nash, E.B. 1998. Leaders in Homeopathic Therapuetics. Jain, New Delhi.
Newton, Michael, 1994. Journey of Souls. Llewellen Publications, St. Paul, MN.
Newton, Michael, 2000. Destiny of Souls. Llewellen Publications, St. Paul, MN.
Phatak, S.R. 1993. Materia Medica of Homeopathic Remedies. B. Jain Publ., New Delhi.
Sankaran, R. 1999. The Spirit of Homeopathy, B. Jain Publ, New Delhi
Scholten, J. 2007. Homeopathy and the Elements. Homeopathic Educational Services. California.
Schroyens, Frederick. 1998. Synthesis. B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi.
Villiers-Stuart, P. Anthem for 2000: http://www.levity.com/alchemy/kollerstrom_sevenfold.html
Vermeulen, Frans. 2002. Prisma; The Arcana of Materia Medica. Emryss Publ.
Research, Research, Research…!
My new novel entails a lot of research, something I actually love to do, as I hate reading a book and realizing the author has made a factual error!
My previous books, Genghis Khan, my Brother: The story of Temulin, and Van der Bijl required hours and hours of searching for information. I had background knowledge to some of the South African history, the flora, fauna and geography since I grew up there, but the novel about Genghis Khan required endless searches to provide the correct information. It is essential to get one’s facts straight, even if the characters are fictitious.
James Michener, the author of huge blockbuster novels such as Chesapeake, Hawaii, Centennial and his many other novels were meticulously researched by a team of people. His novels were incredibly informative as well as being entertaining, great reads. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Michener for further information.)
My current book, as I have mentioned in my previous blog, is set in Russia and has turned up some fascinating facts which will make their way into the novel. I don’t want to spoil anything by telling you about them now, since my discovery will be an integral part of the story itself!
As for the protagonist, I have drawn upon my experience of working with special ed. students to create what I believe to be a believable, but flawed character. Life experience is a great source for characters, and quite frequently I have created an amalgam of several different people to create them. I would hate for anyone I know to think I am writing about him or her specifically, I could never do that, so rest assured, your quirks and idiosyncrasies won’t be laid bare for the world to see! I do however try and create believable characters, ones with whom we can identify, and when we are able to do that, it means that we can examine our mistakes through the eyes of a fictitious character and hopefully learn to correct them.
Well, m’dearies, adios for now, it’s back to the grindstone for me!
Allium Sativum, Garlic as a Remedy
The healing properties of garlic have been known for millenia. We add it to our food to enhance the flavor, and if we believe in vampires we supposed to hang a bunch of it around our necks to ward off evil.
Jokes are made about garlic breath, and I once heard it said that the first breath an Indian baby exhales, smells of garlic. Good stuff, I am a BIG fan of the bulbous little roots. I add it to food and chop it up to add to salads and veggies.
To obtain the best results from garlic from a medicinal point of view is to crush it or chop it very finely. When it is crushed, it releases alliin and this reacts with the enzyme alliinase. Alliinase is a catalyst that transforms alliin into allicin also known as diallyl thiosulfinate. The compound contains so called healing properties that are antibacterial and antifungal.
Garlic is reputed to lower cholesterol and in its homeopathic potentized form it has many other benefits.
The person who benefits most from Allium Sativum is usually overweight, likes to eat meat and has a great desire for butter. The tongue is often pale, furry or white. Emotionally they do not like to be alone and may become depressed, anxious and restless. They begin to worry about their health and may become hypochondriacal.
Observe the doctrine of signatures: the shape of the bulb, the lumpiness of it: yes, there you are, the likeness of a lumpy breast!
I recently experienced breast tenderness and discovered a small lump on the outside of my left breast. I had been doing some strenuous yard work, raking and picking up leaves and dragging branches around the yard to burn them. Both sides hurt, but only the left breast had a lump. I was not terribly concerned and decided not to rush off to the doctor.
I remembered that I had been eating a lot of garlic in the previous two weeks, almost craving the potent flavor. I realized my body had been trying to tell me that I needed to pay attention to it, but as usual, I had been too busy doing other things!
I took a 30C potency dose that evening, and another dose the following day and that was it. By the third day the size of the lump had diminished, and by the fourth day it was pretty much gone. I will continue to monitor it and perhaps take another, stronger dose if it returns.
Homeopathy is not quackery: there is more and more evidence that herbs, vegetables and other things we ingest vibrate to a certain level, measurable in Herz. A healthy body vibrates in the 62 to 68 MHz. When disease or infection occurs, the rate of vibration decreases. Hahnemann was way before his time. He believed that we have to choose the remedy that best resonates with the symptoms of the person and if he had been able to measure they frequencies e would not be having this debate over whether or not homeopathy works or not.
Be healthy, stay safe!
Disclaimer: Please be advised that I am not a medical doctor and that this has been anecdotal information and not at all scientific. If you have breast lumps please schedule a check up with your doctor.
Chicken and Egg Situation
I have noticed, over the years, that when I crave chocolate and sugary sweet things -something I don’t usually indulge in for I don’t have a sweet tooth – my body is trying to tell me something. We have all heard the saying that “your body knows what it needs”, but I doubt this somehow.
Was my body’s immune system already compromised? Did the chocolate make it worse? Was it trying to make it better? Which came first?
I had been exposed to very cold air which tends to bring on colds in my experience. I usually take Aconite which helps tremendously, usually stopping an oncoming cold right in its tracks.
However, I had been taking the wrong remedy, for a few days prior to being exposed to the cold air, I had suffered a fall and a minor blow to the head. I should have taken Belladonna, a remedy for people who are usually full of vitality, and this fall occurred in cold, snowy, not dry air.
I craved bread and lots of butter, was thirsty for cold water, and wanted sour things, like very bitter unsugared juice…I found some cranberry juice, which was just horrible, but drank some of that. This should have alerted me that I was taking the wrong remedy! I needed Belladonna!
Belladonna is also a great remedy for those of you who go outside in the cold with wet hair, or get your heads wet in the rain and then become ill.
So, yes, my body was trying to tell me something, but I was too busy to listen.
What do you crave when you get sick? I would love to hear your responses!
Sulphur and the Itch
Sulphur is a substance which occurs naturally as a result of volcanic activity, and it also occurs as an essential chemical constituent in all living tissue. It has been used for at least 2 000 years to treat skin disorders. It occurs in nature as a crystalline solid from which the remedy is prepared. When sulphur is left on the skin it causes redness and itching, and it is one of the great polycrest remedies in homeopathy, able to cure on a very deep level a number of symptoms.
Sulphur is one of the most important remedies for
- boils
- extreme itching
- itching that is relieved by scratching and then causes a burning sensation
- dry, rough, scaly skin
- skin disposed to breaking out and not healing
- pustular eruptions
It is useful in all types of burning sensations, in the lips, tongue, nostrils, anus, throat, fingers and palms; the knees and feet (especially at night). A characteristic sensation is the feeling of a band around the head, and pressure in the vertex, as if the brain would burst.
It causes redness in all affected areas, such as the eyes, borders of the eyelids, ears, nose (nosebleeds ) and is a great remedy for herpes, hives and if the mental symptoms agree and the patient fits the picture, eczema.
Sulphur is a remedy which causes the body to “throw out” all illness to the surface, mainly the skin of the body.
Grandgeorge writes that Sulphur touches the depths of the ego, and helps the individual to open up to the external. These individuals are characteristically self-centered, impatient, irritable and very critical. They are academics who have lots of ideas but cannot put them into practice themselves, but will have theories on how to do it better. They are untidy, and may look unwashed, they are also lazy, preferring to lean on something when the are standing. They would prefer not to work if they can help it. This does not come from a feeling of debility or a weakness, but rather from an innate drive to be as comfortable as possible.
They are extremely sensitive to odors which is contrary to their own unkempt and often dirty appearance, they will wear clothes that are not clean, and tend to dislike bathing. They often feel worse for bathing, and they hate cold, wet weather. (Think of the volcanic “fire” of sulphur, of course it would not like to be extinguished by water!!!)
The skin eruptions that are cured by Sulphur are often found to alternate with asthma, and it is not unusual to find that the suppression of the itch, such as eczema will later be internalized and become internalised, throwing off the symptoms of asthma. Modern day suppressions through conventional allopathic medicine has created a situation where this found more and more often.
There is so much that can be written about Sulphur and there are many excellent reference books detailing the hundreds of complaints and symptoms for which this remedy may be used. The psychological profile of the Sulphur individual is fascinating and if you are interested in finding a good detailed description of the type, consult Philip Bailey’s excellent book, Homeopathic Psychology: Personality Profiles of the Major Constitutional Remedies.
References:
Bailey, P.M. Homeopathic Psychology: Personality Profiles of the Major Constitutional Remedies.North Atlantic Books, California. 1995
Clark, J.H. A dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. Vol III. Jain Publishers. Delhi. 1999.
Grandgeorge, D. The Spirit of Homeopathic Medicines. North Atlantic Books, California. 1998
Tyler, M.L.Homeopathic Drug Pictures. Jain Publishers, Delhi. 1997
Sex and Shame: Lilium Tigrinum
I do believe Lil-t to be a very effective remedy for women who suffer from the polarities of being very sexual, yet feeling intense shame about it. It may be argued that modern life has removed many of the restrictions women faced about their sexuality and the notion that they ought to feel shameful, but there are still many who are uncomfortable with being who and what they are, and feel they ought to be more pure, especially when religious beliefs play a prominent role in their lives.
The image of the tiger lily, so beautiful, exotic and so open to being fertilized by any passing bee, butterfly or bug, is a doctrine of signatures that is ascribed to this beautiful flower by many homeopaths who have written extensively about the bloom.
The following is a summary of the Lil-t type:
- Bad temper, uses foul language
- Disposed to curse and strike
- Fears that she may have an incurable disease
- Hunts for something to grieve about; self-torture
- Bearing down sensation as if uterus would fall out
- Must support vulva with hand or cross legs
- Aversion to sympathy
- Craves meat
- Thirst may be excessive, desires frequent drinks of large quantities
- Hurried, must be active constantly
- Despair of religious salvation
- Intense sexual desire, suppressed by activity
- Disposition to weep
- Pressure in rectum with constant desire to stool
- Constant desire to urinate with constant pressure
- If desire is not attended to, constriction in chest
- Sensation as if heart were being squeezed in a vice, feels she must bend double
- Sharp pains in ovarian region extending down to he thighs
- Brownish, acrid leucorrhoea
Lil-t belongs to the Plant kingdom, and is a Sycotic miasm.
Origins
This beautiful plant originated in the wild, hilly countrysides of China and Japan. Its deep orange petals are spotted with black. The petals curl up when the blooms open, revealing the stamens and pistil of the flower. This reminds me of one of the key symptoms of Lil-t; namely the feeling that the uterus is falling out, and the bearing down pain in the pelvis. The flowers hang down (see illustration) with the “sexual organs” hanging out. Another thing to mention here is that Lil-t is known for its intense sexual urges and on the opposite pole, its sense of religious despair and need for salvation. If you look at the plant you notice its prominent sexual parts, and the fact that the flower head is hanging down, as if in shame.
The name too, Lilium Tigrinum, suggests both animal and plant qualities inherent within the remedy. Sankaran (Soul of Remedies, p.115) writes:
‘While the plant part of the remedy has to do with chastity, purity and religiousness, the animal part has to do with sexuality, with passion”. This creates a strongly polarized tension of opposites, which the Lil-t type tries to sublimate and control through being extremely busy and active.
Characteristic modalities:
- Worse: warmth of room; motion; miscarriages; walking; standing; consolation; evening; night; after menses; lying on the right side; crowded places; inaction
- Better for: cool, fresh air; being busy; lying on the left side; sunset; pressing hand to affected part; crossing the legs; sitting down
Discharges:
- Diarrhea;
- Leucorrhoea, which is brown, thin and acrid
- Menses cease when lying down;
- Cold sweats with severe symptoms;
- Marked lachrymation;
- Menses dark, clotted and offensive
- Urine is milky, scanty, hot
The venous circulation; the heart and the female organs, the ovaries and the uterus are most affected. Also the bladder and rectum on the right side. Phatak writes that it is often indicated in unmarried women. (p.357)
Sensations
- Full, heavy forced out feeling in uterus and ovaries
- As if heart was grasped or squeezed in a vice
- Pains are reversed, e.g. from breast to the scapula
- Wild feeling in the head as if she is crazy
- Eyes feel sprained
- Constant desire to urinate, with sensation of ball in rectum
- Feeling of oppressive load on the chest
- As if there is a lump in the center of the chest moving up and down on empty swallowing.
- As if there is a cool wind blowing on the legs
- Joints feel dry
- Skin of the abdomen feel stiff and stretched
- Feeling of congestion in the chest is desire is no attended to.
Causations
Sankaran writes that they are unable to integrate the two opposing sides of their natures, and their intense sexual desire is repressed by activity. There is a great fear about their salvation, and they believe that it is wrong to feel sensual or sexual, and they begin to fear that they may become afflicted with some or other dreadful disease or disaster. (p.115)
Appearance
The patient may appear listless and inert, yet they may be unable to sit still. They may have a wild look in the eyes. In his experience the patients have often been “portly and plethoric” (Gibson, p.311)
Kent writes that they are extremely nervous, hysterical and over-sensitive (p.701)
Physical Symptoms
- General: All symptoms are acute, intense and pains are described as wandering, flying, shooting or alternately constricting or relaxing, or opening or shutting. (Very active just like the patient!) Symptoms tend to be left-sided
- Head: Headache with fullness and outward pressure, likely to develop in a hot or crowded room; heat rising up from the chest; blinding pain in the forehead above the eyes; pain in the occiput which extends to the neck, feels like a cap pressing on the head
- Eyes: feeling of heat in eyes; photophobia and lachrymation; vision is dim; twitching in eyelids
- Respiratory system: throat feels sore and dry; tendency to sigh frequently; sense of constriction in the chest; sharp pain may penetrate right lung; pains in or below the left breast extending laterally and to the scapula, these are worse when lying down and by lying on the left side.
- Ears: rushing sounds in ears after going to bed
- Throat: hawking of mucus, accompanied by constant nausea
- Stomach: they crave meat, sour and sweet things, aversion to coffee and bread; thirsty before severe symptoms; as if a hard body were rolling around in the stomach during the day.
- Abdomen: sore and distended, cannot bear the weight of covers after menses; weak, tremulous feeling which extends to the anus; heavy, dragging down sensation of abdominal contents extending even to the organs of the chest, feel she must support her abdomen; pressure on rectum with a constant desire to stool; early morning diarrhea after rising, so urgent she cannot wait
- Urinary: constant desire to urinate, with constant pressure on the bladder. Urine is milky, scanty and hot
- Female organs: violent desire, with involuntary orgasms; enlarged ovaries on the left; brown leucorrhoea; copious menses, aggravated by walking; pain in the ovaries extend down the legs into the thighs. Menses too early; flow occurs only in daytime, dark clots and offensive odor. Uterine displacement and prolapse, accompanied by great downward and outward pressure or bearing down sensation in pelvic area, involves rectum and bladder as well, not relived by lying down; vaginismus; pruritis; on the left side the pain may be associated with pain in the left breast
- Male genitalia: complaints from suppression of desire (Vermeulen, p.234)
- Chest: sensation as if heart has ceased; congestion with desire to urinate; constricted feeling in the heart, has a grasping sensation; pain in the heart agg by bending forward; pain extending to the scapula; palpitations amel. while lying in her back and worse lying on her right side; palpitations during pregnancy.
- Extremities: tearing pains or cramps in the limbs; burning sensation in palms and soles; legs ache, has to keep moving them for relief.
Related remedies:
Lachesis: worse for rest and inaction, sleep and warmth; symptoms left-sided, may spread to the right; intense photophobia
Lycopodium: biting sarcasm and unkind speech, can be “pigheaded” (Gibson, p.315), over conscientious about their tasks or work; cannot bear to be corrected or opposed; worse for crowds; temper with sudden explosions of anger; hurried but the focus of the remedy is on the alimentary system rather than the reproductive one.
Sepia: bearing down sensation; must cross legs to prevent protrusion of parts; intolerant of sympathy BUT sepia feels the cold more (Lil-t is affected by the heat); Sepia is indifferent whereas Lil-t is hurried and worried about performing her tasks; biggest difference is that Sepia has an aversion to meat whereas Lil-t craves it. The Sepia condition is more chronic, and her bearing down sensation is more passive. (Tyler, p.510)
(Images courtesy of http://all-free-download.com/free-photos/tiger-lily-images.html)
References:
Clarke, J.H. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol II. Jain, New Delhi. 1999.
Gibson. D. Studies of Homeopathic Remedies. Beaconsfield Publishers, England. 1987
Kent. J. Lectures on Materia Medica. Jain. New Delhi. 1997
Phatak: Materia Medica of Homeopathic Remedies. Narayana Publishers. India. 1999.
Sankaran, Rajan. The Soul of Remedies. 1997. Homeopathic Medical Publishers, Bombay.
Tyler. M.L. Homeopathic Drug Pictures.Jain. New Delhi. 1997
Vithoulkas, George. The Science of Homeopathy. 1999. Grove Press, New York.
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