Homeopathy is a medical system that uses infinitesimal doses of
natural substances to stimulate a person's immune system and body's natural
defenses. Homeopathic remedies are named for the plant or animal
ingredients they are made from. Homeopathy not only offers relief from
temporary disorders but, can provide long term healing of a person due
to its individual and "wholistic" approach. This often leads to a
complete recovery from the dis-ease, as well as, providing an improved understanding
of the patient's situation. This type of healing makes it easier and possible
to avoid recurrence or relapses in the future and, homeopathy stimulates the
body's natural defense system by reestablishing normal immune system and
cell functioning.
Homeopathics are created by taking the remedy: a plant, mineral,
chemical, or animal substance, diluting it in water and shaking it vigorously.
The more it is sequentially diluted and shaken, the more potent the medicine.
This is why minuscule doses are used.
"Like
cures Like". Here are some
perfect examples:
*
A full strength dose of Ipeca will cause vomiting.
In
a very diluted dose, it becomes a remedy to control nausea and vomiting.
*
Coffee before bed will generally cause a sleepless night.
In
an infinitesimal dose, it is used to treat insomnia.
*A
large dose of sodium sulfate will characteristically provoke diarrhea.
An
infinitesimal or homeopathic dose can cure that same type of diarrhea.
In
general, the first session with a homeopath is for him/her to get to
know your genetic heritage, lifelong health history, body type, psychological
type, and present symptoms. The homeopath will ask many questions which seem
out of the norm from a conventional doctor, but you must remember, his job is to
consider your "whole" person.
He
will ask questions like:
1.
What time of day is your energy highest and lowest?
2.
What type of weather or temperature do you love, hate?
3.
How are you affected by being in the mountains, seashore?
4.
What foods do you crave, are averse to, irritated by?
5.
What position do you sleep in?
6.
What dreams do you remember?
7.
How does motion or lying down affect you?
There
are hundreds of remedies with homeopathy as well as other modalities
that employ the same theory called the Doctrine of Signatures. Start by
looking at Avoiding the Antidotes. These are the contraindications when taking
homeopathic remedies. Check Determining Dosage to understand how to take
homeopathic remedies. Match Signs and Symptoms in order to choose the Best
Homeopathic Remedy. Homeopathy is a profound and great integrative therapy that
can be used in conjunction with many other forms of health care.
Homeopathic
remedies can complement conventional drugs. There are no contraindications and
no known side effects.
Avoiding the Antidotes
Homeopathic
remedies are powerful remedies but they work in such small doses that they can
easily be compromised! According to Classic Homeopathy, the following
antidotes should be avoided:
Avoid
heat, light, moisture.
Keep
homeopathic remedies tightly sealed in a cool, dark place. The steam in your
bathroom may not be a safe place for them. Consider an area outside of the
medicine chest.
Refrain
from mint.
Mint
or peppermint toothpaste, mint in your ice tea or mint chocolate chip ice cream
should all be avoided during the time you are using homeopathic remedies.
Avoid
Aromatics.
Menthol,
camphor, tiger balm and perfume can neutralize homeopathic remedies.
Don't
touch.
Pour
the remedy pills from the bottle into the cap. Then pour them under your
tongue. The oil from your hands can affect them.
Not
with meals.
Take
one half hour before eating or one to two hours after.
Don't
chew or swallow.
Dissolve
homeopathic pellets under the tongue. They absorb quickly into the bloodstream
this way. Homeopathic drops can be taken the same way or in a glass of water.
Avoid
stimulants.
Avoid
smoking, coffee and caffeine especially within 30 minutes of taking homeopathic
remedies.
Determining
Dosage and Dilution
Whenever
possible, take a remedy at bedtime, as the body is at rest. During the
day try to take the remedy away from meals, at least 1/2 hour before eating,
and at least one hour after eating because while the body is busy
digesting food there can be a digestive upset with certain remedies. In an acute
case, such as an injury, take the remedy immediately no matter when you
have eaten. The mouth should also be free of any strong tastes. You may
drink liquids shortly before and after taking a remedy. If you are taking a
remedy several times a day, try to schedule some of the doses before bed,
upon waking and during the day.
Select
the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms. In conditions where
self-treatment is appropriate, unless otherwise directed by a physician, a
lower potency (6X, 6C, 12X, 12C, 30X, or 30C) should be used. In addition,
instructions for use are usually printed on the label.
Many
homeopathic physicians suggest that remedies be used as follows: Take one
dose and wait for a response. If improvement is seen, continue to wait and
let the remedy work. If improvement lags significantly or has clearly stopped, another
dose may be taken. The frequency of dosage varies with the condition and
the individual. Sometimes a dose may be required several times an hour; other
times a dose may be indicated several times a day; and in some situations, one
dose per day (or less) can be sufficient.
If
no response is seen within a reasonable
amount of time, select a different remedy.
Read
the recommended dosage for each remedy,
which usually is to be taken before meals unless indicated otherwise.
Homeopathic remedies are comprised of natural ingredients and will cause no
harm if you take too much.
Purposely
taking more than the prescribed
dosage will not result in an enhanced effect. If you take too little, or miss a
dose, just continue on as normal with your next scheduled dose. Missing dosages
will only result in the remedy being less effective.
Homeopathic
drops should be placed onto the tongue
so that they are directly absorbed by the mucous membranes. Should the taste be
too strong, a few drops of water may be added.
What
is a dilution?
A
homeopathic medicine is obtained by using
the process of successive dilutions of a mother tincture in order to achieve
the maximum benefit for a particular symptom. The mother tincture is created by
breaking a substance down and then dissolving it in alcohol or water, depending
on the substance.
Homeopathic
dilutions are made by dissolving 1
part of an active ingredient, for example Apis, with 9 parts of an inactive
ingredient such as water or alcohol. This 1:9 ratio is referred to as a
"D" dilution. Each time the mixture is diluted, called a succession,
it has to be shaken by hand in a certain way to achieve the desired effect.
By
combining one part mother tincture
with 9 parts alcohol/water, we reach D1 dilution (expressed as 1x in the
product description). Each dilution factor has different properties and affects
different symptoms. Homeopathic medicines may have different dilutions of the
same mother tincture depending on the desired effects. If you read 'Apis 4x' on
our label, it means one part Apis was mixed with 9 parts of alcohol/water,
resulting in Apis 1x. One part Apis 1x was then added to 9 parts alcohol/water
in order to get Apis 2x (D2) which combined with 9 parts alcohol/water gives us
Apis 3x (D3). One more succession brings us to Apis 4x (D4).
Signs
and Symptoms
Modalities are the modifying influences and circumstances which
either ameliorate (influences, which make the symptoms feel better), or
aggravate (influences, which make the symptoms worse). Modalities
include many factors and stimuli as perceived by the patient. Modalities
may have to do with temperature, weather, climate, movement, activity, time,
right and left side, sensations, physical contact, foods, drinks, etc. They
are the sensory manner and mode of how the symptoms are felt by the
individual, and they are a most important criterion in choosing the right
remedy.
Best
Homeopathic Remedies
*Disclaimer:
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical
advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health
problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.
Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may
have regarding your condition. The information provided is for educational
purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of
any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole
responsibility of the reader.
ABSENTMINDEDNESS
Absentmindedness,
poor memory, fatigue and a feeling of being "spaced out " can occur
with prolonged stress or overwork. Taking homeopathic Nux Moschata 30X
(derived from the common nutmeg) twice a day can sharpen your memory and have
you feeling like yourself again.
ANXIETY
AFTER UPSETTING EVENTS
Anxiety
after an upsetting event may be expected, but we can still seek relief with
homeopathy. Anxiety, apprehension and worry can often be relieved by
homeopathic Kali Phosphoricum.
ANXIETY
DURING LABOR
Feelings
of anxiety during labor and delivery can occur with both new and experienced moms.
Aconite 30C taken every 30 minutes can have a profoundly calming effect
and help to promote a healthy delivery.
ARTHRITIS
Kali
Carbonicum is often considered for
symptoms of arthritis; pain in the lower back, shoulder blades or knees;
wakefulness between 2 and 4 a.m.; sensitivity to cold weather and feelings of
anxiety felt in the stomach or solar plexus. Someone needing this remedy may
have a conservative nature.
BLISTERS
Blister
formation can be caused from heat or repetitive irritation to the skin. Soak
the area in Calendula, let it air dry, and take homeopathic Cantharis
every few hours.
BREAST
FEEDING (Painful)
Arnica
will relieve breast pain during nursing, especially if Arnica was not
given directly after childbirth. The homeopathic remedy Conium will be
helpful, especially if the breast pain goes from left side to right side. Take
the 30C potency twice a day as needed.
BRITTLE
NAILS
Nails
which break or split easily should be protected from harsh detergents and from
over washing. Use a good pair of rubber gloves while washing dishes, and take
Homeopathic Alumina 30x as the label directs.
BRUISES
A
lack of vitamin C or K can make us more prone to easy bruising. Consider Ledum
30c four times a day for bruised areas that feel cold to the touch, or for
bruises that seem to last quite a long time. Ledum also speeds the healing of a
black eye.
CHEMOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
Chemotherapy
for cancer. This medical treatment can result in a variety of side effects, the
least of which is fatigue and hair loss. Homeopathic Cadmium Sulphuricum
6C, twice a day, can help to minimize the side effects of potent chemotherapy
drugs and so ease the burden on the body.
CHILDREN'S
ANXIETY
Children
can be excited and anxious for the holiday break from school. Often this makes
it hard to keep their minds on homework and exams. Giving Homeopathic Anacardium
30x twice a day will help them stay focused and make the wait a little easier.
COLD
SORES
The
herpes simplex virus is the infectious cause of cold sores, sometimes called
fever blisters, so do not touch the eyes or genitals after touching a cold
sore. Symptoms may last from three to seven days. To help quickly destroy the
virus, use Rhus Tox 12c four times a day for five days. Also helpful is
a cream made from the amino acid L-lysine, and the avoidance of peanuts and
chocolate.
CONSTIPATION
In
homeopathy, longstanding constipation is seen as a continual problem requiring
treatment by a homeopathic physician. For temporary or mild symptoms, Nux
Vomica 30x taken every few hours can relieve the unproductive urging that
can include chilliness, irritability or impatience.
CRAVING
SALT
A
small amount of salt can be part of a healthy diet, but too much has negative
health consequences. Homeopathic Natrum Muriaticum, taken once a day for
7 days, can moderate a strong desire for salt.
DANDRUFF
The
flaking and itching of the scalp can be due to eczema, psoriasis or a simple
fungal infection. Sulphur
30x twice a day can relieve these symptoms. Use a gentle shampoo without mint,
menthol, eucalyptus or tea tree oil.
DENTAL
'DRY SOCKET'
A
'dry socket' is an occasional complication from a tooth extraction. Often
painful, this condition is worse for touch or pressure and better for warmth.
Homeopathic Hypericum 30C and a liquid tincture of Salvia Officinalis
as a mouth rinse can speed healing. If you are having a tooth pulled, be
careful about rinsing the mouth too vigorously or sucking too hard on a straw
as these things can contribute to the development of dry socket.
DETOXIFICATION
Nux
Vomica is a useful homeopathic remedy
for the side effects of prescription drugs, and for vomiting, diarrhea,
constipation and nausea. It can ease the withdrawal effects from alcohol,
tobacco and even sugar.
ERECTILE
DISFUNCTION
When
considering natural treatment for erectile dysfunction, consider Homeopathic Avena
Sativa which can offer help for this condition. In one study, 90% of men in
the trial showed evidence of enhanced libido and increased sexual performance.
EXCESSIVE
PERSPIRATION
Moderate,
odorless perspiration is quite normal, but excessive perspiration can be a
nuisance. This condition can occur even in winter, perhaps in extreme quantity,
mild odor and/or staining of clothing. Homeopathic Mercurius 30C, taken
once a day, can alleviate this problem.
EYE
STRAIN
Too
much reading, studying or computer work can result in eyes that ache or burn.
Difficulty in focusing or headaches can also be present with eye strain. Use
Homeopathic Pilocarpus 30c at the first sign of irritation.
FATIGUE
AND DOUBLE DUTY
College
students work hard. Mental fatigue during studies and then putting in a double
shift at work. Homeopathic Carbo Vegetabilis can have a reviving effect
on mental and physical energy after long hours of work and study.
FEAR
OF NEEDLES
A
fear of receiving an injection at a doctor's office is common in children. When
this fear is present in an adult, and includes a fear or hyper-awareness of
other sharp objects such as acupuncture needles, pins and knives, we can look
to homeopathy for assistance. Take homeopathic Silicea as the label
indicates.
FEVERS
(Periodic)
For
weakness and fevers that go up and down with regularity, give Cina 30C
every 4 hours. This is also a great remedy for flu symptoms accompanied by cyclic
fevers.
FLEA
BITES
Whether
your a pet owner who may have pets with flea problems or are dealing with a
flea problem from another source, you can take Pulex Irritans 30X three
times a day for 3 to 5 days.
GRINDING
THE TEETH
Grinding
the teeth, known as bruxism, may require a dental visit for an adjustment of
the bite or even for a bite guard to protect the teeth. Homeopathic Arsenicum
Album 30x is used for this condition that occurs during sleep. Give one
dose at bedtime for five nights.
HAY
FEVER
Hay
fever in many areas of the country makes its appearance in late summer and can
continue until mid autumn. Sabadilla 30x suits symptoms including
burning or red eyelids, spasmodic sneezing and runny nose, watery eyes on going
out of doors, and itching or tickling sensation in the ears.
IMPOTENCE/HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS
Impotence
can occur as a side effect of medication taken for high blood pressure. Instead
of taking yet another drug with potentially dangerous side effects, take
Homeopathic Lycopodium 30C once each day. This will help in treating
impotence problems.
INDENTED
TONGUE
Early
mornings before breakfast are a good time to examine the tongue for general
signs of health. If you notice imprints from the teeth on the sides of the
tongue, this is a sign often observed in someone who would benefit from the
homeopathic remedy Mercurious Solubis.
INTESTINAL
FLU
When
intestinal flu spreads, we experiences weakness, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Take
normal precautions (wash the hands constantly) to prevent the spread to family
members, and take Homeopathic Veratrum Album 30X three to four times a
day to relieve the symptoms.
IRRITABILITY
AND OLDER CHILDREN
We
utilize Chamomilla for irritable young children, but what about older
children and teenagers? Look for symptoms such as restlessness, wanting to be
left alone and feeling worse for comfort. Homeopathic Cina 30X can calm
these storms and help older children and teens to feel much better.
KIDNEY
STONES
Kidney
stones can be made of calcium and other minerals and should be checked by your
medical practitioner to prevent future occurrence of this very painful
condition. For emergency use, Homeopathic Berberis 12c every 20 minutes
can offer relief.
LEG
CRAMPS
Sometimes
these cramps, or "charley horses," can be caused by a calcium or
magnesium deficiency, or may be related to poor circulation. Homeopathic Magnesium
Phosphoricum 30x, or Mag Phos for short, can bring quick relief with
a few doses taken five or ten minutes apart.
LOWER
BACK PAIN
Lower
back pain can be caused by a variety of situations such as too much or improper
lifting, bending, sports activities and misalignments of the vertebrae of the
spine. Homeopathic Bellis Perennis 30X is thought of as "Arnica for
the lower back" and can bring relief when taken as the label directs. If
relief is only temporary, or if lower back pain keeps recurring, see your
chiropractor, osteopath or physical medicine specialist.
MENSTRUAL
PAIN
There
are many types of menstrual pain. If menses pain extends down into the legs,
the most common treatments for pain may not be helpful. Homeopathic Sabina is
specific for this type of pain and will also be effective for lower back pain
experienced during menses.
MENTAL
CONFUSION
Mental
confusion can occur along with illness, stress, and advanced age. In early
stages, homeopathic Alumina can help reverse this process and restore
mental clarity.
NASAL
POLYPS
People
who suffer with chronic sinus conditions often have nasal polyps as well. These
polyps may exacerbate the sinus condition and may or may not lead to bleeding.
Homeopathic Phosphorous can be an effective treatment.
NAUSEA
DURING PREGNANCY
Morning
sickness is most common during the second and third months of pregnancy, and
not just in the morning. Homeopathic Ipecac 30x suits symptoms that are
worse when lying down, includes watering of the mouth and may include diarrhea
or vomiting. Take Ipecac every hour until relief is obtained.
PUFFY
EYES
Swelling
of the eyelids on waking can occur from a variety of causes - allergy, illness
or tearfulness from the night before. Apis Melifica 30X taken every half
hour for three to five doses can quickly relieve the swelling.
SENSITIVE
SCALP
A
sore or sensitive scalp is sometimes a problem for small children. Even combing
the hair can be painful for sufferers of sensitive scalps. Homeopathtic Cinchona
Officinalis will relieve the sensitivity and discomfort, making it easier
to care for your child's hair.
SINUSITIS
Sinusitis
with pain that feels worse on the left side may best respond to homeopathic Spigilia.
This remedy can relieve pain that may be sharp, that worsens with warmth or
with bending the head forward, and that's alleviated with a cold application.
SLEEPWALKING
Sleepwalking
is more common in children between the ages of five and ten, and yet can occur
in adults and older children. Homeopathic Kali Bromatum 30c can quickly
solve this problem when given once before bed for seven consecutive nights.If
someone is sleepwalking, gently guide him or her back to bed without attempting
to wake him. A gate at the top of stairs can give a parent peace of mind
regarding a sleepwalking child.
SPINAL
INJURIES
A
spinal injury can occur very quickly, for example after a fall on the ice onto
the tailbone, or a whiplash injury from a car accident. If you are experiencing
sharp pain after a fall, or numbness and tingling after any injury, Homeopathic
Hypericum 30X taken twice a day will soothe irritated nerve tissue. In
addition, Arnica 30X can be taken for general trauma.
SPLINTERS
If
a splinter can't easily be removed with tweezers, or if a small amount is left
behind after removal, Silica (Silicea) 30x four times a day for 3-7 days
will help. The homeopathic Silicea helps to promote expulsion of foreign bodies
through the skin. This remedy should not be given, except by a homeopathic
physician, to a person with a pacemaker or other implanted medical device.
STOMACH
CRAMPS
Podophyllum 30X taken every 2 hours as needed can relieve
cramping abdominal pain that's accompanied by rumbling sounds in the abdomen
and feelings of weakness.
SWOLLEN
ANKLES
A
reader with a heart condition asked what she could take for swollen ankles.
Homeopathic Lycopodium 30X, twice a day, can relieve the pain and
tightness from this condition.
THRUSH
The
same organism that causes vaginal infections is responsible for thrush
infection in infants. White patches can be present on the throat or tongue and
you might notice drooling or an offensive odor. Homeopathic Borax 30c
given twice a day for up to seven days can clear this condition. See your
healthcare practitioner if this infection persists or occurs repeatedly.
TOOTHACHE
Tooth
pain that radiates to the ears may be relieved by homeopathic Mercurius.
This type of pain is often aggravated by cold air, night air, and biting. A
great deal of salivation will accompany a Mercurius toothache.
VOMITING
AND DIARRHEA
Vomiting
along with diarrhea can occur together in cases of abdominal flu or food
poisoning. Homeopathic Veratrum Album taken as the label directs will
relieve these symptoms and hasten recovery from the cause.
WHIPLASH
Most
of us think of taking homeopathic Arnica at any sign of injury. If you should
suffer a whiplash injury as a result of a car accident, consider taking Hypericum
following your dose of Arnica. Hypericum will assist the healing of
nerve tissue that has been damaged and will help to reduce pain and
inflammation.
A Lesson on Homeopathic “Medicine” and Why the Remedies Aren’t Harmless
Written by Dr. Clay Jones
In the late 18th century, German physician Samuel
Hahnemann faced a complex problem. He was dissatisfied with the conventional
medicine of his day, which was reasonable considering that pre-scientific
medicine was more likely to cause illness and injury than to cure it. He began
a search for a better way to treat his patients and eventually had a great
idea. That great idea was clear, simple, and also completely wrong. That idea
was homeopathy.
What is homeopathy?
Trying to explain what homeopathy was when first
invented, versus what we know it to be today through its two centuries of
evolution is a bit challenging.
As originally conceived, homeopathy consisted of one
basic principle: the Law of Similars. Based on personal observation, and an
emotional bias that sprung from his dedication to uncovering the grand
mysteries of the human condition, Hahnemann believed that the effects of a
substance on a healthy patient were a clue to the condition that
substance could cure. That’s right – the side effects that a substance had on a
healthy person were equated to the substance’s ability to cure
symptoms of the same kind in an illness.
So if ingesting cinchona bark makes you feel like you
have fever, chills, and achy joints, as it did one fateful day when Hahnemann
consumed some, it would therefore cure the same symptoms if you had malaria.
Confused? Don’t worry, so is everyone else. It’s the exact opposite of
sound logic.
Hahnemann recruited healthy friends and family members
to help him “prove” what symptoms a substance might cure by having them log
each and every mental or physical change they experienced after taking a
variety of them. There were no controls for bias or outliers, there were no medical
backgrounds for these individuals, and it was under no circumstances the
equivalent of what would be considered peer-review in today’s modern
scientific environment. Using this substance-trying process with people he
knew, Hahnemann pieced together a compendium of substances and side
effects which to this day help practitioners of homeopathy decide what
remedy best fits the complaints of their patient.
Why is this pediatrician practicing newborn
medicine in the year 2015 writing about it?
The answer to this question is easy, though
mind-boggling. Hahnemann’s idea was eventually revealed to be impossible by our
advanced scientific understanding of the universe, and considerable negative research has showed beyond a
reasonable doubt that it is ineffective for any human ailment. Yet we
hear about it today because it still remains one of the most popular approaches
to health in countries around the world.
Consider an example with your own child, who might
have a viral infection known as hand, foot, and mouth
disease. According to the CDC, this infection is characterized by:
- Fever
- Poor appetite
- Lack of desire to do anything/malaise
- Sore throat
- Mouth ulcers/blisters
- Skin rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; it may also appear on the knees, elbows, buttocks or genital area
- Dehydration if unable to swallow enough liquids
A homeopath might, after an hour of asking a variety
of questions about your child’s symptoms, behavior, and personality, prescribe a remedy like borax. Borax, or sodium
tetraborate is a naturally occurring substance produced by evaporation,
and most of us know it as a gentle but common household chemical used for home
cleaning, laundry washing, and as an insecticide. When ingested, it’s
considered harmful, and according to the NIH it can
produce symptoms including, but not limited to (you may be able to guess this):
- Fever
- Lack of desire to do anything/malaise
- Ulcers/blisters
- Skin rash
- Less urine output (via dehydration)
Borax might be preferred by a homeopathic specialist
over another potential remedy for this condition because of the child’s refusal
to speak due to their sore throat and mouth blisters, and their dry mouth from
dehydration. But as referenced above, it causes the very symptoms it’s
purported to treat.
What is the difference between homeopathy and taking
an herbal remedy?
One might reasonably point out that they’ve understood
homeopathy to be no different than taking an herbal supplement. And aren’t
herbs the same as pharmaceutical drugs in that they can change the physiology
of our bodies, and thus might ameliorate a symptom or even cure a disease?
Using the Borax example, since it’s a naturally occurring alkaline compound,
isn’t it supposed to promote health when used in extremely small doses, as a
range of herbal/homeopathic sites purport? Could proponents of homeopathy have
stumbled onto a successful remedy every now and then even if their rationale is
pre-scientific nonsense?
There is a nugget of truth to this. The key
difference, however, is that prescription and over-the-counter drugs consist of
isolated active chemicals that have been tested and regulated for safety and
efficacy in specific doses, rather than the less precise and unsupervised use
of whole plants or plant parts. In the case of many so-called herbal remedies,
the potential active ingredient is unknown and often unproven.*
To be clear, homeopathy at its origin was no
different than herbal medicine. But it is very different in its current state,
today. What would come to be known as the second law of homeopathy renders
arguments connecting the two moot. And why that is, might surprise you.
Why homeopathy is not the same as medical treatment,
or herbal medicine
After his invention of homeopathy, Hahnemann
“discovered” what would come to be known as the Law of Infinitesimal Doses.
Worried about the side effects of his remedies when taken in large amounts, he
experimented with increasingly diluted doses. He noticed that dilution reduced
the side effects and that the patients seemed to get better more quickly, This
is a perfectly plausible outcome considering the substances were causing
symptoms, and likely because a lack of those adverse symptoms allowed for more
significant placebo effects to occur.
Hahnemann took this to ridiculous extremes, and many
homeopathic remedies are so diluted that all of the molecules of the original
substance have been removed. Often, when you are taking a homeopathic remedy
from a homeopathic specialist, you are literally taking nothing at all.
It can be quite comical to apply this to the real
world. The commonly prescribed 30C dilution is so diluted for example,
that a suffering patient would have to ingest all of the atoms in the solar
system in order to be certain that they get even one full molecule of the
original substance! In response, proponents have resorted to claiming things
involving “water memory” and quantum mechanics. Hahnemann, who practiced before
we could figure such things out with actual science, is off the hook for the
lack of sense of this practice, but modern practitioners have been forced to
hide behind blatant pseudoscience to support their practices.
It’s no wonder that homeopathy isn’t effective because
its two core principles violate fundamental laws of physics and chemistry! Even
without the piles of negative studies (too numerous to list here), which have
wasted millions of dollars of taxpayer money, the plausibility of homeopathy is
as close to zero as is allowed in science. Homeopathy is, when you think about
it, belief in magic.
How has homeopathy evolved over the years?
Depending on where you live, you can still schedule a
visit with a practicing homeopath and go through their lengthy process of
figuring out what remedy best matches your complaints. In the United States,
the vast majority of homeopathy happens in the form of over-the-counter
products bought at the local pharmacy. Instead of an intense session where the
ideal concoction is prescribed, parents can simply self-diagnose their child
and pick up a corresponding treatment by just reading a package label.
There are hundreds of these products available for
stressed out parents. They focus on common, and usually self-limited, concerns
such as infant colic, teething, and cold symptoms to name just a few. All are
equally unhelpful beyond placebo effects but are allowed to be labeled as
effective because of a legal loophole protecting homeopathic remedies from
regulation since the 1930s. Some may be safe if they’re made along the diluted
framework mentioned above, and some may not be, depending on if a parent takes
them into their own hands and attempts to concoct a remedy themselves. Above
all, they’re not harmless, however. Anything that might lead to a delay in the
appropriate evaluation of an ill child can result in a bad outcome.
*Editor disclaimer: natural supplements and cures such
as using peppermint for stomach upsets, or eating more vitamin-rich foods for
certain types of anemia, as recommended by your M.D. or D.O. is not the same as
“herbal remedies” purporting to cure ailments that require medical supervision,
attention, or intervention.
Clay Jones, M.D. is a pediatric hospitalist practicing
at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton,
MA. He primarily cares for
healthy newborns and hospitalized children, and devotes his full time to
educating pediatric residents and medical students.
Dr. Jones first became aware of and interested in the
incursion of pseudoscience into his chosen profession while completing his
pediatric residency at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. He has since focused his
efforts on teaching the application of critical thinking skills and scientific
skepticism to the practice of pediatric medicine.
Dr. Jones is a contributor to Science-Based Medicine, a collection of healthcare
professionals devoted to the exploration of issues and controversies in science
and medicine. He can also be found on Twitter as @skepticpedi.
Dr. Jones has no conflicts of interest to disclose and
no ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Now
as the condition of the organism and its healthy state depend solely on the
state of the life which animates it, in like manner it follows that the altered
state, which we term disease, consists in a condition altered originally only
in its vital sensibility and functions, irrespective of all chemical or
mechanical principles; in short it must consist in an altered dynamical
condition, a changed mode of being, whereby a change in the properties of the material
component parts of the body is afterwards effected, which is a necessary
consequence of the morbidly altered condition of the living whole in every
individual case… These active substances and powers (medicines) which we have
at our service, effect the cure of diseases by means of the same dynamic power
of altering the actual state of health, by means of the same power of deranging
the vital character of our organism in respect of its sensations and functions,
by which they are able to effect also the healthy individual, to produce in him
dynamic changes and certain morbid symptoms, the knowledge of which, as we
shall see, affords us the most trustworthy information concerning the morbid
states that can be most certainly cured by each medicine.
In much contemporary literature we find the emergence of a more complete understanding of what a potentised remedy actually is. In my understanding this is brilliantly given in the work of Dr Rajan Sankaran. As all homoeopaths true to the discoveries of Samuel Hahnemann have done Dr Sankaran recognises the importance of the mental/emotional aspects of both the person and also the state of suffering a remedy produces in a person. It is in his work we find the idea of a remedy as being a feeling, as producing a feeling or very particular set of feelings. For him, to give a remedy that is homoeopathic is to give a remedy that produces the same feeling to that which is observed to be, in the suffering person. Therefore somehow suffering is related to feelings. Concerning this Dr Sankaran observes that in suffering people are living the experience of feelings that seem to have little to do with their present circumstances. He calls this the delusion of the person and he very much considers delusions as being something which are experienced as feelings. To be in delusion is to have feelings about oneself, other people around, and situations, that have nothing very much to do with what is actually going on in the present. His work is full of descriptions of states of suffering and the underlying feelings, and they are the basis of everything written here.
To more fully understand what Rajan Sankaran has discovered and to realise what is happening in the homoeopathic process of cure we need to understand what is taking place in sickness and suffering, and what feelings have to do with this.
Underlying all sickness and suffering are feelings and it may be said of these feelings that they are healthy. They are part of the person’s self. What is taking place in suffering is the process of suppression and non-integration of certain feelings. In chronic suffering these feelings find their origin somewhere in the past and it is due to their being suppressed that they continue to assert their influence on the present.
The attempt to distance oneself from the feelings of self is what creates stress and is the most significant origin for all pathology. Whether someone is suffering from an acute ailment, an infectious disease or a chronic illness, it is the feelings that have emerged before or with the affliction, which give the person the true information within the core of their being. When an ill person goes to the depths of themselves and accepts what is underneath they can integrate the information of the feeling and in this the expression of sickness has to a lessening extent no weakening of the integrity of self to remain manifest. What Samuel Hahnemann calls "our Vital Force" includes the process of our very being wanting to heal and it needs us to not resist our feelings as an enemy and rather to accept them as a friend. This is exactly what the homoeopathic process of cure helps brings about. Homoeopathy is the giving of a minute dose of the medicinal energy of the feeling that is being suppressed by the person in suffering. The state of suffering of each remedy in the materia medica is the description of the non-integration of certain feelings, which can take a particular form of an illness.
In much contemporary literature we find the emergence of a more complete understanding of what a potentised remedy actually is. In my understanding this is brilliantly given in the work of Dr Rajan Sankaran. As all homoeopaths true to the discoveries of Samuel Hahnemann have done Dr Sankaran recognises the importance of the mental/emotional aspects of both the person and also the state of suffering a remedy produces in a person. It is in his work we find the idea of a remedy as being a feeling, as producing a feeling or very particular set of feelings. For him, to give a remedy that is homoeopathic is to give a remedy that produces the same feeling to that which is observed to be, in the suffering person. Therefore somehow suffering is related to feelings. Concerning this Dr Sankaran observes that in suffering people are living the experience of feelings that seem to have little to do with their present circumstances. He calls this the delusion of the person and he very much considers delusions as being something which are experienced as feelings. To be in delusion is to have feelings about oneself, other people around, and situations, that have nothing very much to do with what is actually going on in the present. His work is full of descriptions of states of suffering and the underlying feelings, and they are the basis of everything written here.
To more fully understand what Rajan Sankaran has discovered and to realise what is happening in the homoeopathic process of cure we need to understand what is taking place in sickness and suffering, and what feelings have to do with this.
Underlying all sickness and suffering are feelings and it may be said of these feelings that they are healthy. They are part of the person’s self. What is taking place in suffering is the process of suppression and non-integration of certain feelings. In chronic suffering these feelings find their origin somewhere in the past and it is due to their being suppressed that they continue to assert their influence on the present.
The attempt to distance oneself from the feelings of self is what creates stress and is the most significant origin for all pathology. Whether someone is suffering from an acute ailment, an infectious disease or a chronic illness, it is the feelings that have emerged before or with the affliction, which give the person the true information within the core of their being. When an ill person goes to the depths of themselves and accepts what is underneath they can integrate the information of the feeling and in this the expression of sickness has to a lessening extent no weakening of the integrity of self to remain manifest. What Samuel Hahnemann calls "our Vital Force" includes the process of our very being wanting to heal and it needs us to not resist our feelings as an enemy and rather to accept them as a friend. This is exactly what the homoeopathic process of cure helps brings about. Homoeopathy is the giving of a minute dose of the medicinal energy of the feeling that is being suppressed by the person in suffering. The state of suffering of each remedy in the materia medica is the description of the non-integration of certain feelings, which can take a particular form of an illness.
Because
the medicinal properties of a remedy can be realised by their ability to produce
suffering upon being proved Dr. Hahnemann named this medical art Homoeopathy
which means ‘similar suffering’. It is acknowledged that Samuel
Hahnemann also considered a potentised remedy to be something inherently morbid
in nature. This was a natural conclusion following on from all his experiences
with substances in their crude form and then what he observed during the
proving of a potentised remedy. Samuel Hahnemann began experimenting with
smaller and smaller sized doses because he needed to better apply the
homoeopathic method. What is produced through the process of dilution and
succussion is that the energy of the feeling of the original substance is
translated from that substance to the water or alcohol. This energy when
utilised homoeopathically brings about an integration of the feeling that is
suppressed in the suffering person. The biggest obstacle to realising this has
perhaps been through not understanding what is taking place when a person
proves a potentised remedy. The prover rather than being effected by something
that is inherently harmful is instead going through a very similar process to
someone in more normal suffering. During the proving of a potentised remedy the
person is not integrating the energy of the feeling that has temporarily become
a part of their self, and as such they begin to suffer and exhibit symptoms
just like when the feeling emerges in normal circumstances.
Throughout his writing’s Samuel Hahnemann frequently revisits the subject of what is taking place within the Homoeopathic process of cure and in his later years we find him even more wanting to know and explain what is happening. He discusses the matter in aphorism 28 to aphorism 46 of the 6th edition of the Organon of Medicine. In his preface to the 4th edition of The Chronic Diseases he writes “It is, therefore, quite natural, that in presenting the Homoeopathic Therapeutics I did not venture to explain how the cure of diseases is effected by operating on the patient with substances possessing the power to excite very similar morbid symptoms in healthy persons. I furnished, indeed, a conjecture about it, but I did not desire to call it an explanation, i.e., a definite explanation of the modus operandi" and further on "I write the present lines, not in order to satisfy those critics, but in order that I may present to myself and to my successors, the genuine practical Homoeopaths, another and more probable attempt of this kind toward an explanation. This I present, because the human mind feels within it the irresistible, harmless and praiseworthy impulse, to give some account to itself as to the mode in which man accomplishes good by his actions". For someone who is so forthright and clear in expressing his thoughts of what he knows to be right it is clear Dr Hahnemann is not satisfied with his own speculations. There was something about Homoeopathy Samuel Hahnemann knew he didn’t understand and he did not like his own explanation as to how Homoeopathy cures, this is what he is telling us.
At the same time the conception of ‘like for like’ as helping the person return to the place of self being suppressed is not in any way an original idea. We find Homoeopathy described as such throughout the literature. In his essay titled Spirit of the Homoeopathic Doctrine of Medicine, published in 1813 by Dr Hahnemann.
"But as the human organism even in health is more capable of being affected by medicine than by disease, as I have shown above, so when it is diseased, it is beyond comparison more affectable by homoeopathic medicine than any other (whether allopathic or enantiopathic), and indeed it is affectable in the highest degree, since, as it is already disposed and excited by the disease to certain symptoms, it must now be more liable to be deranged to similar symptoms (the homoeopathic medicine) - just as similar mental affections render the mind much more sensitive to similar emotions" -; (Lesser Writings).
The last phrase here describes Homoeopathy as integration exactly and is perhaps the first expression of the principle underlying healing in medical literature.
Near the end of his introduction to the 6th edition of the Organon of Medicine Dr. Hahnemann discusses the ‘physical powers’ of beneficial action in relation to the beneficial nature of ‘dynamic action’ of homoeopathic medicines. In a passage on Isopathy and Homoeopathy he writes “In like manner, a hand scalded with boiling water would not be cured isopathically by the application of boiling water, but only by a somewhat lower temperature, as, for example, by holding it in a vessel containing a fluid heated to 160 (degrees) which becomes every minute less hot, and finally descends to the temperature of the room, where-upon the scalded part is restored by Homoeopathy.” What Dr. Hahnemann is describing here is a process to do with feeling. When someone scalds their hand they experience the feeling of extreme heat which makes them pull their hand away. In applying quite hot water to the scalded hand, as hot as helpfully possible, keeps the hand close to the feeling of the injury, that of extreme heat, and in so doing keeps the person close to the feeling of the injury.
Throughout his writing’s Samuel Hahnemann frequently revisits the subject of what is taking place within the Homoeopathic process of cure and in his later years we find him even more wanting to know and explain what is happening. He discusses the matter in aphorism 28 to aphorism 46 of the 6th edition of the Organon of Medicine. In his preface to the 4th edition of The Chronic Diseases he writes “It is, therefore, quite natural, that in presenting the Homoeopathic Therapeutics I did not venture to explain how the cure of diseases is effected by operating on the patient with substances possessing the power to excite very similar morbid symptoms in healthy persons. I furnished, indeed, a conjecture about it, but I did not desire to call it an explanation, i.e., a definite explanation of the modus operandi" and further on "I write the present lines, not in order to satisfy those critics, but in order that I may present to myself and to my successors, the genuine practical Homoeopaths, another and more probable attempt of this kind toward an explanation. This I present, because the human mind feels within it the irresistible, harmless and praiseworthy impulse, to give some account to itself as to the mode in which man accomplishes good by his actions". For someone who is so forthright and clear in expressing his thoughts of what he knows to be right it is clear Dr Hahnemann is not satisfied with his own speculations. There was something about Homoeopathy Samuel Hahnemann knew he didn’t understand and he did not like his own explanation as to how Homoeopathy cures, this is what he is telling us.
At the same time the conception of ‘like for like’ as helping the person return to the place of self being suppressed is not in any way an original idea. We find Homoeopathy described as such throughout the literature. In his essay titled Spirit of the Homoeopathic Doctrine of Medicine, published in 1813 by Dr Hahnemann.
"But as the human organism even in health is more capable of being affected by medicine than by disease, as I have shown above, so when it is diseased, it is beyond comparison more affectable by homoeopathic medicine than any other (whether allopathic or enantiopathic), and indeed it is affectable in the highest degree, since, as it is already disposed and excited by the disease to certain symptoms, it must now be more liable to be deranged to similar symptoms (the homoeopathic medicine) - just as similar mental affections render the mind much more sensitive to similar emotions" -; (Lesser Writings).
The last phrase here describes Homoeopathy as integration exactly and is perhaps the first expression of the principle underlying healing in medical literature.
Near the end of his introduction to the 6th edition of the Organon of Medicine Dr. Hahnemann discusses the ‘physical powers’ of beneficial action in relation to the beneficial nature of ‘dynamic action’ of homoeopathic medicines. In a passage on Isopathy and Homoeopathy he writes “In like manner, a hand scalded with boiling water would not be cured isopathically by the application of boiling water, but only by a somewhat lower temperature, as, for example, by holding it in a vessel containing a fluid heated to 160 (degrees) which becomes every minute less hot, and finally descends to the temperature of the room, where-upon the scalded part is restored by Homoeopathy.” What Dr. Hahnemann is describing here is a process to do with feeling. When someone scalds their hand they experience the feeling of extreme heat which makes them pull their hand away. In applying quite hot water to the scalded hand, as hot as helpfully possible, keeps the hand close to the feeling of the injury, that of extreme heat, and in so doing keeps the person close to the feeling of the injury.
In
the writings of other Homoeopathic physicians there are many descriptions of
this same idea. On page 268 of his Clinical Materia Medica Earnest
Farrington when referring to Opium writes a sentence, finishing it in bold
letters “Now gentlemen, let me ask, is it rational practice to assuage pain
with a substance which paralyses and so relieves by taking away, not the
disease, BUT THE ABILITY TO FEEL THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SUFFERING?”. Dr.
James Kent was always heading towards this understanding of Homoeopathy.
Catherine Coulter throughout her 3 volumed work Portraits of Homoeopathic
Medicines frequently equates the action of remedies with integration. She
writes in her essay on Sulphur
"the Homoeopath repeatedly finds how by 'unblocking' one member with a
constitutional remedy, the dynamism of the whole family is affected for the
better". And George Vithoulkas in the books Talks on Classical
Homoeopathy sums up a passage on health and disease by saying "I
believe that if we could make all of our emotions positive, we would go away
from this world immediately. At that stage we will fly to the angels".
Jan Scholten in his book Homoeopathy and Minerals describes a main
characteristic of the single element remedies to be ‘no integration’.
I will now attempt to illustrate this idea with examples of remedies and what is written of them in the Materia Medica. If we begin with the remedy of Arnica. The feeling of Arnica is perhaps like the hurt of shock and fright in being injured. If we imagine someone having been in some kind of accident and is feeling just like this, like what Arnica produces. To the extent they feel this kind of hurt they will not enter any suffering in the dynamic sense. If the person however cannot or does not take such good care of themselves and resists being hurt they could begin to develop symptoms of distress corresponding to Arnica. That is, symptoms that are also produced during provings of Arnica. James Kent explains the non-integration of the hurt of Arnica like this, "He is full of dreadful anguish, but finally he comes to himself, lies down and goes off into a sleep of terror, jumps up again with the fear of sudden death and says: 'Send for a doctor at once'. This is repeated night after night in persons who are fairly well in the daytime, who have no sympathy because there seems to be no reality in their sickness, only a mental state. It is also seen in persons who have gone through a railroad accident, or through some shock, who are sore and bruised, with an expression of terror: the horrors they really went through are repeated” (Lectures).
In suppressing the feeling the person becomes separated from the process of healing and the suppression becomes a suffering of its own.
Some characteristic processes of suffering
One very outstanding feature of suffering is the desire to get as far away from the feelings being suppressed as possible. With the state of Cuprum Metallicum for instance the person instead of feeling insecure (the universal feeling of row 4 of the periodic table) and unvalued (the common feeing of column 11 of the periodic table) very much tends towards wanting or needing to become someone who is secure and valued. As Rajan Sankaran writes of Cuprum in his book The Substance of Homoeopathy “At the same time we also have in Cuprum the need to perform, for example, we have the rubrics “Delusion he is an officer; Delusion he is a great person; Del he is a person of rank” and “Del he is a general”. On the other hand we have single symptoms of Cuprum like “Delusion he is selling green vegetables” “Delusion he is repairing old chairs”…Then I understood that selling green vegetables and repairing old chairs indicate very ordinary occupations and the Cuprum needs to be much more than that…”
This wanting or needing to be different to that which is suppressed leads to the process where the person alternates between two very opposite poles. These being on the one hand a distorted expression of the underlying feeling itself (distorted due to its not being accepted) and an expression of the very opposite of the feeling. With Silicea for example, in not integrating the feelings of being unconnected to another person, or others (row 3) together with feeling unsure about what to do (column 14) the person is instead needing or wanting to be someone who is connected with others and who is very sure about what they are doing. Thus in Silicea the person is yielding to be connected and obstinate to prove they are sure about what they are doing. Catherine Coulter captures the not-connectedness of Silicea (and of the whole row of Silicea) where she says ‘Patients may complain of a feeling of “disconnectedness” of being divided from, and not quite belonging to the human brotherhood…’, and in a footnote to the same discussion she quotes as a very Silicea like attitude, "Most persons whom I see in my own house, I see across a gulf! I cannot go to them nor they to me" (Portraits).
With the state of Calcarea Carbonica the suppression of feeling insecure (row 4) that they don’t belong (column 2) (Calcarea), together with feeling unseen (row 2) and unsure what to do (column 14) (Carbonate) all comes together in the proving symptom ‘she is afraid people may notice the confusion in her head’ (The Chronic Diseases). Earnest Farrington writes that Constantine Hering knew Calcarea-carbonicum to also contain Phosphorus. The feeling of the Phosphorus column which includes Nitrogen and Arsenic is like that of being treated like you are inferior, like less than no-one, hence the expression recorded by Samuel Hahnemann in The Chronic Diseases, ‘Exaltation of the sense of common brotherhood’. Magnesium Carbonicum in feeling unconnected, and that they don’t belong, (Magnesium), together with feeling unseen and unsure what to do (Carbonicum) comes together in the expression ‘Dazed feeling, packs and unpacks her clothes, without consciousness of having done so’ (S R Phatak). Jan Scholten very much describes one expression of feeling unseen in the Fluorine remedies where he says, ’One could describe the world of Fluor in short as one of ’glamour and glitter’…people who want to take part in the bright life. What is important is the shiny, glittery’ (Homoeopathy and minerals). This feeling of being ‘unseen’ by others around them, the central feeling common to all the elements of row 2 is directly related to the most outstanding expression this feeling becomes, which is the impression of being in danger. All the Carbonicums Calcarea-carbonicum, Natrum-carbonicum, and Argentum-nitricum, Nitric acid, Borax, Fluoric Acid etc all have this sensation of being in danger.
In suffering the person is temporarily ameliorated (mentally) when they are far away from that which is now suppressed and they are aggravated (mentally) the closer they return. In describing the mineral states as being ‘performers’ Dr. Sankaran is very much observing the means through which the person attempts to be someone different externally (the exact opposite) to what is suppressed. In suffering, rather than to feel unvalued the person instead wants to become someone who is valued. Rather than to feel insecure they want to become someone who is secure. It is this overcoming externally what is denied internally that makes the suffering corresponding to the mineral states seem more considered to what we find in the plant states.
Underlying the state of Cuprum Metallicum is the feeling of insecurity and of being treated without any value. In the non-integration of this feeling is created the need or wanting to become someone who is secure and of value. And yet there is also always present the desire for the expression and integration of what is being experienced. George Vithoulkas describes the dilemma of this in the following description of the state of Cuprum.
"In these people you will notice that an idea comes suddenly to their minds and it is so forceful. It comes right out of the blue. It is so forceful that it might create a kind of spasm in the body. A thought which is not agreeable will not be handled by the intellect. It seems that the intellect has lost its power and it cannot be processed. It will think, “Oh, I didn’t do this right!,” and nobody can understand. But in a Cupr. Patient, if that idea comes in, you will see a kind of cramping in his body and you may see spasm.
Question: Do you mean a self-critical idea?
George: Yes. Mostly self-critical. For instance, there was someone yesterday whom I did not greet, and I said, “Oh, my God.”
This “Oh my God” does not stay in the mind, but it goes through the nervous system and produces a convulsion - a jerk… This is a stimulus that instead of being processed here goes through to the spinal cord. They feel that their mind is not made to work. It is in a kind of spasm or cramping situation. They let loose, and say, “Oh, nobody minds, so forget about it.” And then the idea which they have goes through to their physical body. As long as they can process the ideas, they are forcing of the mind to process the ideas, they do not allow the stimulus to go to the nervous system. How this condition is produced? We have the preparation of a Cupr. Patient… They imagine themselves expressing what they feel. The moment they get terrified there is a cramp. You may get a child with all these vivid sentimentalities, and emotionalities who will be cramping within one day after a shock…So, with these intense emotions you can understand that there is a feeling of fright and guilt inside them. They feel that what they are thinking and feeling is bad. There is a great sense of guilt in this Cupr… I told you how cramped they are and they look terrible. Sometimes the look is frightening. Behind the look there is great guilt, without reason. They are nice people. They have done nothing at all. They thought that at a moment in their life that what was inside them was not right or moral. That is what is wrong. That is what they have done wrong. And they go into spasm. It is listed under anxiety of conscience as a one" (Talks on Classical Homoeopathy).
In the suffering corresponding to the remedies derived from plants the dynamic is seemingly slightly more straightforward. Here the person wants to be someone who doesn’t have certain feelings and therefore they are very sensitive to being reminded of them. In Arnica, the person is wanting the feeling of hurt to go away, to not be there. With Stamonium the person is resisting feelings of being very alone lost and frightened. In Arnica the person alternates between feelings of frightening hurt of injury and its opposite, that of being courageous and ‘not hurt’.
With the remedies of the Liliflorae family the suffering seems to correspond with the desire to be included. To be included is the opposite to the feeling of being left out and excluded, the primary sensation for the remedies here. With this, the person can tend toward wanting the right job, the right friends etc. They have the desire to be important because they maybe instinctively think to be important means you are more likely to be included. Verat-album even has the delusion of being in communication with God (person’s with whom they perceive as being central and important).
The main feeling of the Labitae family is sadness. The suffering that corresponds with remedies of this family finds its origin in the suppression of various kinds of sadness. In the provings of these remedies is the very prominent sensation of excitement. This is the desired and exact opposite feeling created due to the suppression of feeling sad. The excitement here although it is desired also ends up being aggravating and contributes to pathology because ultimately it is not a true excitement, it is a reaction to not feeling sad.
The main feeling of the Ranunculaceae family is that of mortification, like being humiliated, or somewhere between these feelings. In the provings and descriptions of the remedies here we find repeated the person having the sensation of themselves being great, having the sensation of greatness. In Helleborous this has been proved ‘Delusion as if he could do great deeds’ (Dr Chawla), while Staphysagria has ‘Delusion humility of others while he is great’ (Dr Chawla). Didier Grangeorge describes one expression of this where he writes about Aconite, ‘an insufferable know it all. They must plan everything in advance, know everything there is to know’. Alfred Pulford also writes of the Aconite state ‘Thinks much of fine clothes…’ (Key to the Materia Medica). This might be like a desire to be grand. Pulsatilla has the underlined rubric 'Boaster squander through ostentation' (Dr Chawla). To be great is the opposite of humiliated, mortified.
It is interesting to note that the substances we know of as narcotics produce an effect that is the opposite alternating state to the primary state of that substance when proved as a potentised remedy. Rajan Sankaran shows this dynamic in his schema where he gives the primary sensations of Cannabis as being ‘compressed, heavy, pressing, load, limited, dragging, fixed and confined, closed, shut in’, and he gives the ‘opposite is’ as ‘lightness, flying, expanding, free, enlarged, floating’. The effect of cannabis when taken in its substance form is to take the person into the ‘opposite’ state to the actual feeling inherent within the plant, it produces the secondary opposite state. We find the same phenomenon throughout all the remedies also known for their effect as narcotics. The main feeling of the Papavaraceae family for instance, is that of shame. The suffering for which the remedies of the Papavaraceae correspond is in the non-integration of the feeling of shame. With Opium the narcotic effects at the two levels of feeling and sensation are those of shamelessness (feeling) and painlessness (sensation), which is how the effect of Opium is described when proved as a crude substance. This also means that the remedies of Papavaraceae are indicated for the state of shame, the state of suppressed shame and the corresponding sensations of torturous pain. Opium it seems is very much like the feeling of frightening shame.
Another remedy significant in this regard is Coffea. The primary emotional state common to all remedies of the Rubiaceae family is something close to the feeling of apathy. A kind of not wanting to do anything. Dr. Sankaran gives the outstanding sensation of the remedies here to be that of stimulation or ‘overstimulated’. This is similar to George Vithoulkas when referring to China as a ‘nervous erethism’. This over-stimulation or nervous erethism is the opposite to apathy. Coffea of course is known for its effects as a stimulant. I think what this means is that the suppression of feelings we have leads us into an opposite state to the primary feeling, which is comparable to the artificially induced effects of taking substances for their secondary reaction, an effect that is also the opposite to the actual main feeling of the substance.
By
David Quinn
davidquinn@paradise.net.nz
I will now attempt to illustrate this idea with examples of remedies and what is written of them in the Materia Medica. If we begin with the remedy of Arnica. The feeling of Arnica is perhaps like the hurt of shock and fright in being injured. If we imagine someone having been in some kind of accident and is feeling just like this, like what Arnica produces. To the extent they feel this kind of hurt they will not enter any suffering in the dynamic sense. If the person however cannot or does not take such good care of themselves and resists being hurt they could begin to develop symptoms of distress corresponding to Arnica. That is, symptoms that are also produced during provings of Arnica. James Kent explains the non-integration of the hurt of Arnica like this, "He is full of dreadful anguish, but finally he comes to himself, lies down and goes off into a sleep of terror, jumps up again with the fear of sudden death and says: 'Send for a doctor at once'. This is repeated night after night in persons who are fairly well in the daytime, who have no sympathy because there seems to be no reality in their sickness, only a mental state. It is also seen in persons who have gone through a railroad accident, or through some shock, who are sore and bruised, with an expression of terror: the horrors they really went through are repeated” (Lectures).
In suppressing the feeling the person becomes separated from the process of healing and the suppression becomes a suffering of its own.
Some characteristic processes of suffering
One very outstanding feature of suffering is the desire to get as far away from the feelings being suppressed as possible. With the state of Cuprum Metallicum for instance the person instead of feeling insecure (the universal feeling of row 4 of the periodic table) and unvalued (the common feeing of column 11 of the periodic table) very much tends towards wanting or needing to become someone who is secure and valued. As Rajan Sankaran writes of Cuprum in his book The Substance of Homoeopathy “At the same time we also have in Cuprum the need to perform, for example, we have the rubrics “Delusion he is an officer; Delusion he is a great person; Del he is a person of rank” and “Del he is a general”. On the other hand we have single symptoms of Cuprum like “Delusion he is selling green vegetables” “Delusion he is repairing old chairs”…Then I understood that selling green vegetables and repairing old chairs indicate very ordinary occupations and the Cuprum needs to be much more than that…”
This wanting or needing to be different to that which is suppressed leads to the process where the person alternates between two very opposite poles. These being on the one hand a distorted expression of the underlying feeling itself (distorted due to its not being accepted) and an expression of the very opposite of the feeling. With Silicea for example, in not integrating the feelings of being unconnected to another person, or others (row 3) together with feeling unsure about what to do (column 14) the person is instead needing or wanting to be someone who is connected with others and who is very sure about what they are doing. Thus in Silicea the person is yielding to be connected and obstinate to prove they are sure about what they are doing. Catherine Coulter captures the not-connectedness of Silicea (and of the whole row of Silicea) where she says ‘Patients may complain of a feeling of “disconnectedness” of being divided from, and not quite belonging to the human brotherhood…’, and in a footnote to the same discussion she quotes as a very Silicea like attitude, "Most persons whom I see in my own house, I see across a gulf! I cannot go to them nor they to me" (Portraits).
With the state of Calcarea Carbonica the suppression of feeling insecure (row 4) that they don’t belong (column 2) (Calcarea), together with feeling unseen (row 2) and unsure what to do (column 14) (Carbonate) all comes together in the proving symptom ‘she is afraid people may notice the confusion in her head’ (The Chronic Diseases). Earnest Farrington writes that Constantine Hering knew Calcarea-carbonicum to also contain Phosphorus. The feeling of the Phosphorus column which includes Nitrogen and Arsenic is like that of being treated like you are inferior, like less than no-one, hence the expression recorded by Samuel Hahnemann in The Chronic Diseases, ‘Exaltation of the sense of common brotherhood’. Magnesium Carbonicum in feeling unconnected, and that they don’t belong, (Magnesium), together with feeling unseen and unsure what to do (Carbonicum) comes together in the expression ‘Dazed feeling, packs and unpacks her clothes, without consciousness of having done so’ (S R Phatak). Jan Scholten very much describes one expression of feeling unseen in the Fluorine remedies where he says, ’One could describe the world of Fluor in short as one of ’glamour and glitter’…people who want to take part in the bright life. What is important is the shiny, glittery’ (Homoeopathy and minerals). This feeling of being ‘unseen’ by others around them, the central feeling common to all the elements of row 2 is directly related to the most outstanding expression this feeling becomes, which is the impression of being in danger. All the Carbonicums Calcarea-carbonicum, Natrum-carbonicum, and Argentum-nitricum, Nitric acid, Borax, Fluoric Acid etc all have this sensation of being in danger.
In suffering the person is temporarily ameliorated (mentally) when they are far away from that which is now suppressed and they are aggravated (mentally) the closer they return. In describing the mineral states as being ‘performers’ Dr. Sankaran is very much observing the means through which the person attempts to be someone different externally (the exact opposite) to what is suppressed. In suffering, rather than to feel unvalued the person instead wants to become someone who is valued. Rather than to feel insecure they want to become someone who is secure. It is this overcoming externally what is denied internally that makes the suffering corresponding to the mineral states seem more considered to what we find in the plant states.
Underlying the state of Cuprum Metallicum is the feeling of insecurity and of being treated without any value. In the non-integration of this feeling is created the need or wanting to become someone who is secure and of value. And yet there is also always present the desire for the expression and integration of what is being experienced. George Vithoulkas describes the dilemma of this in the following description of the state of Cuprum.
"In these people you will notice that an idea comes suddenly to their minds and it is so forceful. It comes right out of the blue. It is so forceful that it might create a kind of spasm in the body. A thought which is not agreeable will not be handled by the intellect. It seems that the intellect has lost its power and it cannot be processed. It will think, “Oh, I didn’t do this right!,” and nobody can understand. But in a Cupr. Patient, if that idea comes in, you will see a kind of cramping in his body and you may see spasm.
Question: Do you mean a self-critical idea?
George: Yes. Mostly self-critical. For instance, there was someone yesterday whom I did not greet, and I said, “Oh, my God.”
This “Oh my God” does not stay in the mind, but it goes through the nervous system and produces a convulsion - a jerk… This is a stimulus that instead of being processed here goes through to the spinal cord. They feel that their mind is not made to work. It is in a kind of spasm or cramping situation. They let loose, and say, “Oh, nobody minds, so forget about it.” And then the idea which they have goes through to their physical body. As long as they can process the ideas, they are forcing of the mind to process the ideas, they do not allow the stimulus to go to the nervous system. How this condition is produced? We have the preparation of a Cupr. Patient… They imagine themselves expressing what they feel. The moment they get terrified there is a cramp. You may get a child with all these vivid sentimentalities, and emotionalities who will be cramping within one day after a shock…So, with these intense emotions you can understand that there is a feeling of fright and guilt inside them. They feel that what they are thinking and feeling is bad. There is a great sense of guilt in this Cupr… I told you how cramped they are and they look terrible. Sometimes the look is frightening. Behind the look there is great guilt, without reason. They are nice people. They have done nothing at all. They thought that at a moment in their life that what was inside them was not right or moral. That is what is wrong. That is what they have done wrong. And they go into spasm. It is listed under anxiety of conscience as a one" (Talks on Classical Homoeopathy).
In the suffering corresponding to the remedies derived from plants the dynamic is seemingly slightly more straightforward. Here the person wants to be someone who doesn’t have certain feelings and therefore they are very sensitive to being reminded of them. In Arnica, the person is wanting the feeling of hurt to go away, to not be there. With Stamonium the person is resisting feelings of being very alone lost and frightened. In Arnica the person alternates between feelings of frightening hurt of injury and its opposite, that of being courageous and ‘not hurt’.
With the remedies of the Liliflorae family the suffering seems to correspond with the desire to be included. To be included is the opposite to the feeling of being left out and excluded, the primary sensation for the remedies here. With this, the person can tend toward wanting the right job, the right friends etc. They have the desire to be important because they maybe instinctively think to be important means you are more likely to be included. Verat-album even has the delusion of being in communication with God (person’s with whom they perceive as being central and important).
The main feeling of the Labitae family is sadness. The suffering that corresponds with remedies of this family finds its origin in the suppression of various kinds of sadness. In the provings of these remedies is the very prominent sensation of excitement. This is the desired and exact opposite feeling created due to the suppression of feeling sad. The excitement here although it is desired also ends up being aggravating and contributes to pathology because ultimately it is not a true excitement, it is a reaction to not feeling sad.
The main feeling of the Ranunculaceae family is that of mortification, like being humiliated, or somewhere between these feelings. In the provings and descriptions of the remedies here we find repeated the person having the sensation of themselves being great, having the sensation of greatness. In Helleborous this has been proved ‘Delusion as if he could do great deeds’ (Dr Chawla), while Staphysagria has ‘Delusion humility of others while he is great’ (Dr Chawla). Didier Grangeorge describes one expression of this where he writes about Aconite, ‘an insufferable know it all. They must plan everything in advance, know everything there is to know’. Alfred Pulford also writes of the Aconite state ‘Thinks much of fine clothes…’ (Key to the Materia Medica). This might be like a desire to be grand. Pulsatilla has the underlined rubric 'Boaster squander through ostentation' (Dr Chawla). To be great is the opposite of humiliated, mortified.
It is interesting to note that the substances we know of as narcotics produce an effect that is the opposite alternating state to the primary state of that substance when proved as a potentised remedy. Rajan Sankaran shows this dynamic in his schema where he gives the primary sensations of Cannabis as being ‘compressed, heavy, pressing, load, limited, dragging, fixed and confined, closed, shut in’, and he gives the ‘opposite is’ as ‘lightness, flying, expanding, free, enlarged, floating’. The effect of cannabis when taken in its substance form is to take the person into the ‘opposite’ state to the actual feeling inherent within the plant, it produces the secondary opposite state. We find the same phenomenon throughout all the remedies also known for their effect as narcotics. The main feeling of the Papavaraceae family for instance, is that of shame. The suffering for which the remedies of the Papavaraceae correspond is in the non-integration of the feeling of shame. With Opium the narcotic effects at the two levels of feeling and sensation are those of shamelessness (feeling) and painlessness (sensation), which is how the effect of Opium is described when proved as a crude substance. This also means that the remedies of Papavaraceae are indicated for the state of shame, the state of suppressed shame and the corresponding sensations of torturous pain. Opium it seems is very much like the feeling of frightening shame.
Another remedy significant in this regard is Coffea. The primary emotional state common to all remedies of the Rubiaceae family is something close to the feeling of apathy. A kind of not wanting to do anything. Dr. Sankaran gives the outstanding sensation of the remedies here to be that of stimulation or ‘overstimulated’. This is similar to George Vithoulkas when referring to China as a ‘nervous erethism’. This over-stimulation or nervous erethism is the opposite to apathy. Coffea of course is known for its effects as a stimulant. I think what this means is that the suppression of feelings we have leads us into an opposite state to the primary feeling, which is comparable to the artificially induced effects of taking substances for their secondary reaction, an effect that is also the opposite to the actual main feeling of the substance.
By
David Quinn
davidquinn@paradise.net.nz
Categories:
Theory
Keywords: homoeopathy, medicinal healing principle, disease, Rajan Sankaran, delusion, our Vital Force, Earnest Farrington, Samuel Hahnemann, Catherine Coulter, George Vithoulkas, Jan Scholten, arnica, labitae, coffea, cuprum, liliflorae, verat-album, ranunculaceae, Chawla, Didier Grangeorge, Alfred Pulford, aconite, cannabis, papavaraceae, rubiaceae, china, silicea, calcaraea, Constantine Hering, cuprum metallicum, calcarea carbonica, Phatak, stamonium
Remedies:
Keywords: homoeopathy, medicinal healing principle, disease, Rajan Sankaran, delusion, our Vital Force, Earnest Farrington, Samuel Hahnemann, Catherine Coulter, George Vithoulkas, Jan Scholten, arnica, labitae, coffea, cuprum, liliflorae, verat-album, ranunculaceae, Chawla, Didier Grangeorge, Alfred Pulford, aconite, cannabis, papavaraceae, rubiaceae, china, silicea, calcaraea, Constantine Hering, cuprum metallicum, calcarea carbonica, Phatak, stamonium
Remedies:
 |
| Gazi Saiful Islam, at Hatirjill, dated 31-12-2015 |
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন