Importance of the Liver for Healing

By: Karl Maret, M.D.

The liver is so basic to health that unless its function can be improved, many patients will not experience significant and lasting
improvement on a nutritional or holistic healing program. The liver is important because a persons nutritional level is not only
determined by what he or she eats, but by what the liver processes. The liver is the central organ of general anabolic metabolism, in fact
is !the archetypal organ of life that lives entirely in anabolism.! "
#et it is extremely difficult to detect early warning symptoms specific to liver metabolic imbalances since it is $uite a !forgiving! organ
that can withstand a myriad of abuse before capitulating and giving%up the fight. &udolf 'teiner pointed this out in lectures early in this
century, when he stated, !(t is $uite difficult to diagnose when the liver is not in order, and fre$uently one is unaware of it because the
liver is the single organ that doesnt hurt when something is wrong with it. )eople can suffer for a long time from a liver ailment
without *nowing of it.! +
The liver holds a central position in embryological life ma*ing up ",- of the volume of the embryo as compared to being only +- of
the volume of an adult. (t produces the blood for the fetus up to the seventh month of embryonic life, and thereby, steers the whole
incarnational process of the fetus. (t doesnt re$uire much thin*ing to recogni.e that if the liver is not formed properly during the intra%
uterine period due to metabolic or environmental stresses in the mother or even an existing subclinical genetic wea*ness, then the
incarnation process of the child will be partially compromised. This may later express itself as imbalances in the !will impulses! in the
child or adult, and appears to me to be increasingly prevalent in my clients.
&udolf 'teiner mentions this in his lectures in Anthroposophical Medicine, !(f the liver is not properly formed, then a will%defect
develops that is expressed in a persons wanting to do something, however, this desire does not pass over into carrying out of the will
impulse but remains stuc* in thin*ing.! &eading 'teiner, one recogni.es the stri*ing similarities in his discussion of the liver to the
Traditional /hinese Medicine approach. (n the boo* The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, we read: !The liver is li*e an armys
general from whom the strategy is derived. The liver imparts to us the capacity to plan our life smoothly and wisely. (n disease, a liver
disharmony can manifest with an inability to plan our life and a lac* of direction.!
'ince rhythm, is the *ey to all healing, we must loo* at what rhythms operate so powerfully in the liver. The liver is most active in
rebuilding the body during the night. 0ithin the context of the daily circadian rhythm, we note that the liver has a biphasic rhythm,
with the assimilatory phase beginning at 1 )M in the afternoon and reaching its maximum at 1 2M, whereupon the liver begins to enter
its secretory phase for the next "+ hours. This is further confirmed in the /hinese medical system where the liver meridian is most
active between " % 1 2M. That is one of the reasons why it is unhealthy to eat our main meal or very large meals, late at night, for this
is the time when the liver wants to be active in healing us and cleansing the body of accumulated metabolites and toxins. 2dditionally,
much of the food eaten late in the day is simply stored as fat and tends to predispose us to obesity. 34ust picture a generation of T5%
watching couch potatoes suffering from late night calorie%loading and ponder the effects on their collective livers67
Many people who wa*e up in the middle of the night actually have an underlying wea* liver and would do well to underta*e a liver
cleansing program. (n 0estern medicine, we are taught that early morning awa*ening is often a sign of depression. The 8ree*s *new
about this already +,,, years ago when they called depression by the name !melancholia!, which literally translated means !blac* bile!
3melanos 9 blac*, choler 9 bile7. (f the liver becomes sluggish and metabolically underactive, then the bile flow produced by the liver
becomes stagnant 3symbolically turns !blac*!7. Depression is often a symptom of bad liver function.
:ther symptoms of liver imbalance include anxiety and anger, especially suppressed anger. These symptoms are so commonplace
today in the general population that one wonders if we are not seeing an epidemic of liver stress, and metabolic imbalance brought on
by the onslaught of the stresses of modern life, and the deadening effects of our technological civili.ation. #et we must never forget
that the !;(5<&! ta*es its name from life, and not from the death processes in the body, otherwise, it would have been named
!Deather!6
The liver is the central organ of detoxification in the body. If it becomes sluggish then the toxins in the body will begin to
congest the lymphatics and a greater strain will eventually be imposed on the four major organs of elimination: the colon which
removes our solid wastes (arth element!" the #idneys which remove our li$uid wastes (%ater element!" the lungs which
remove our gaseous wastes (&ir element! and our s#in which also excretes our wastes when we heat up and sweat ('ire
element!.
)age " of "=>
The body follows a system of priorities when it eliminates wastes and poisons. 2ll boo*s of natural healing stress that health begins in
the digestive system and colon. ?or example, it a person eats a detrimental diet, the stomach fails to digest it properly. Most people call
this stage !indigestion!. This, then, becomes a problem for the colon as fermentation and putrifaction occur. This is called flatulence or
!colic!.
The poisonous wastes in the colon then affect the liver as they pass into the portal blood circulation from the colon. The liver must then
ta*e time from its other important functions to detoxify these gases and toxic metabolites and then pass these along to the *idneys 3also
lungs and s*in7 for elimination. 2ll this because the pecan pie with ice%cream went down on top of a piece of stea* or fish6
(t sounds li*e @ust a small thing, but here lies the ma@or root of all chronic diseases. &emember it was the father of medicine, the 8ree*
physician Aippocrates, who said +,,, years ago: ;et food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food6
The thousands of en.yme systems that are responsible for virtually every body activity are constructed in the liver. The proper
functioning of the eyes, the heart, the brain, the gonads, the @oints, and the *idneys, are all dependent on good liver activity. (f the liver
is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of en.yme systems the body re$uires, there is an impairment in overall body
function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual.
By supporting the stomach and small intestines 3digestion, en.ymes7, the colon 3elimination7 and the liver 3bodys chief metabolic
organ7 we can brea* the cycle of toxic stress that often afflicts our body, at help to build a new foundation for optimum health. (y
giving a liver stimulating herb or homeopathic formula in the morning and a liver rebuilding formula at night" we properly
assist the body)s natural healing rhythms. 2s health 3and not disease%care7 practitioners, if we neglect to improve the liver functions
of our patients, we often fail to achieve the goal of their optimum health and well%being.
The toxic by%products of bowel fermentation and putrifaction are actually carcinogens and dangerous gases that severely tax the livers
neutrali.ing efforts.
(f we add to this the vast number of pesticides, environmental pollutants, food chemicals and additives, heavy metals, drugs and water%
borne chemicals, not to mention the growing number of mutating bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, we can readily see why our liver
is rapidly losing the battle. Bever before in human history have we faced such an internal environmental catastrophe. (t is no wonder
that the incidence of cancer is three times higher in the current generation of baby boomers than in their parents6
By enhancing the livers function, it will be possible for the liver to detoxify both itself and the body within the daily rhythms of body
function and thus avoid the need for drastic therapies and excessive cleansing reactions. 2s the liver function increases, the livers own
inherent cleansing mechanisms wor* more effectively.
0hat do we need to cleanse our body most effectivelyC The answer is pure water. This brings us to a final point to ponder. 0hat is the
lin* between the liver and waterC This $uestion is seldom as*ed. 2gain we owe it to the genius of 'teiners spiritual vision to find a hint
worthy of further investigation. (n Spiritual Science and Medicine he states, *There is a dependence of the liver)s health and activity
on the special $uality of the water in a given locality. In order to comprehend the exact state of liver health of any local group of
persons" the composition of the local water ought to be studied.* 1 :ur destruction of the subtle $ualities carried within water has
been the most extreme in this century and we are now paying a terrible price for this abuse.
%ater is the carrier of the formative (etheric! forces and the liver is one of the most watery organs in the body being only
slightly more dense than blood itself. The technological attac# upon our drin#ing water will in the future be seen to have had
the most dire conse$uences for the public health of humanity and deserves immediate study and remediation. But to understand
the issues at sta*e here, one needs to study water with the eyes of a spiritual scientist and strive to fathom the mysteries of the world of
formative forces. That is the challenge of the coming 2ge of 2$uarius, the 2ge of the !0aterbearer!, that we are increasingly
approaching.
Dr. Maret received his Master of Engineering degree in 197 and his !edical degree in 1977, "oth fro! the #niversit$ of Toronto in
Canada. %e &or's as a nutritional consultant and preventive !edicine practitioner striving to integrate the principles of
Anthroposophical Medicine into his curative &or'.
Dr. Maret,
()* Carroll Can$on +oad, Suite )1,,
San Diego, CA 9)1)1,
Tel- ./190 ,(*19(,, FA1- ./190 )7(2)11).

". Ausemann D 0olff. The Anthroposophical Approach to Medicine, 5olume ((, ).+,"
+. &. 'teiner, %ealth and 3llness, 5olume ((
1. &. 'teiner, Spiritual Science and Medicine, ;ecture "1
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+leep and the Liver" Interview

By: 'teven 4ohnson, D.:. and Barbara Mitchell, M.D.
SpSc: Please introduce yourselves.
S: I am medical director of the Foxhollow Clinic in Louisville, KY. My original training was as co-chief resident in Internal Medicine
(UMass) and as an osteopathic physician. After working extensively with cancer patients, chronic illnesses and special-needs children I
came to Foxhollow to form an inpatient-based clinic. I hope in this setting to create, together with Barbara and other colleagues, a
medical and cultural center where the physical, soul and spiritual needs of patients can be supported along an individual path of
healing.

B: I have been working in anthroposophical medicine since 1995, coming from a traditional medical background (UofAZ) with
specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology (Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC). I am interested in health and nutrition rather than
disease. My path has made it clear to me that gaining/maintaining health is not a material problem alone, but requires work with
energy, soul and spirit, and best in the context of a supportive social milieu. One cannot heal alone. For me working at Foxhollow and
with Steven in this way is like a dream come true.
SpSc: What is the connection between sleep and the liver?
B: A lot of children and adults are overloaded in their senses and metabolic systems. This can overwhelm the liver and one of the
first symptoms of this stress is sleep disruption.
S: Healthy sleep is a time of regeneration. The liver is our great "alchemist always directing our bodies into life-giving activity. The
Prometheus myth (his liver is eaten by an eagle by day only to regenerate at night) is a wonderful archetypal image of the rhythmical
healing that occurs during sleep.
SpSc: What can be done to support the liver and thus sleep?
B: The first thing parents can do is bring rhythm into their familys life. This is often difficult for parents who are also suffering the
stresses of modern life.

S: I often tell parents to work "homeopathically. Making one consistent change has a radiating effect which leads to healthy habits.
Inner change is always more effective than outer change. The true answer to the problem of stress is "present-mindedness or
"meditative consciousness. If we truly meet the day and "digest it then stress can become a positive force in life.
SpSc: What effect does nutrition have on the liver and on sleep?
S: I am distressed at the mineral imbalances in young children. High sodium and low potassium dynamics are occurring in relation to
the large amounts of refined, processed foods children eat. Potassium is a carrier of "etheric or "life processes. These imbalances
lead to food sensitivities, behavior and sleep distur-bances, and more. Food quality, prepara-tion, presentation and good digestive
habits are very important. The nervous system and sleep are very affected by this.
Sp.Sc: What is your procedure when a parent brings in a child?
B: It is always a very individualized approach. I look at many things: the constitution of the child, the pattern of their day and week,
what are the emotional tones in the home life, what are the cultural supports, i.e., is there a CSA? A Waldorf School? I find often the
child can be helped most by relieving some of the stresses on the mother, particularly in setting meaningful priorities, often in regard
to rhythm and diet.
S: I listen carefully to the story of the parent and child, observing features and gestures , then try to build an inner picture of the
child, including habits and social environment. My exam and any testing or diagnosis follows from this picture. A physicians
intuitiveness proceeds from his/her reverence.
SpSc: How do we keep our children from harm?
B: We live in a society where I believe the dangers to our children are greater than the cobra or lion that could come into a village.
Everywhere we turn there are dangers-food additives, media, pollution, violence, etc. And yet healthy children must participate in
their society. As a parent one must navigate in a way that instills confidence and trust in the child, not an easy task.
SpSc: Are we moving forward?

B: I have tremendous hope and dont feel the future is dim. Todays unusual children need special circumstances. They have not come
to save us; we must rear them and give them a healthy childhood.
S: We are always moving forward! For many people healing has become a process of initiation. Physicians need to become healers,
educators and spiritual counselors in one and the healing encounter will become more and more a process of community building.
SpSc: What practical advice would you have for bedtime?
S: Bring a feeling of ritual and reverence to bedtime. A candle procession, an imaginative story, a warm sweet tea like peppermint or
lemon verbena can also help. Say good-bye to the day, review it simply and put a thought of hope and confidence for what is coming
tomorrow. A foot massage alone or with Arnica Massage Oil, a little lavender always calms the busy head and encourages sleep.
Valerian, oat straw or passion flower teas and drops can be helpful in some cases.
B: Another tea is linden, just a few flowers, or chamomile which is very balancing. Sometimes hugging a hot water bottle is helpful.
An anxious child might benefit from falling backwards onto the bed (not just before sleep) as this can release fears of `letting go. Just
before bed try a quiet walk backwards into bed. A pentatonic harp played in the dark is soothing. And never forget the fairy tales,
wonderful, rich and nourishing. Just not everything at once!
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Paracelsus Foxhollow Clinic is a new initiative bridging anthroposophically extended medicine, biological and integrative medicine. For
information call 502-241-4304 and ask for Norma, or write Dr. Johnson at DrJ@foxhollow.com
The Liver , +ensing the -uality of 'oods

By: )hilip (ncao, M.D.
2nthroposophical medicine teaches that, interwoven with the chemical and metabolic processes of the liver which modern science has
discovered, is a sensing function.
The constitution of our liver expresses itself in our food preferences, tastes, and cravings. (f our liver is healthy then we prefer food and
drin* of high $uality. :ne all%important function of the liver is to perceive the forces, or energies, in everything we ta*e into our bodies.
(s our food full of energy from sun, stars, earth, moon and planetsC :r, has it more of the energies of chemical fertili.ers and
pesticidesC Aow food is grown, processed, preserved and coo*ed surely also affects its balance of forces. ?ood even bears the stamp of
the soul energies of the farmer or gardener and, of course, of the coo*.
The healthy liver is able to mediate our spirit's intention into inner and outer activity and, as a sense organ, it selects food
substances which leave us free rather than substances which influence our soul with their own nature.
2 healthy animal, foraging for its food, will use its liver%sense organ to choose wisely. (t instinctively selects foods containing the
forces the animal needs. The newborn baby has this sense but less acutely, and the sense is soon overshadowed by the growing childs
individual food li*es and disli*es. These seem to express themselves very strongly in children today, no doubt because they are such
individuali4ed souls.
2nimals dont become anorexic, nor obese, nor addicted by themselves. These are specifically human problems which relate to
individual soul development and destiny. The problem of substance abuse is recogni.ed by some today as a soul problem. 0hat is the
particular $uality of a substance which ma*es it liable to be abusedC Euite simply, it is its ability to impart a feeling to us when we
consume that substance. :ur soul ta*es on a mood, which comes from the substance ingested and not from our own individual spirit.
2 healthy soul loves to be active, and a healthy soul will see* the motive for its activity from its own guiding spirit. 'uch activity
creates a good feeling in the soul as its by%product, so to spea*. Thus we could characteri.e the great numbers of substance abuse and
addiction problems today as a yearning for inner activity that ta*es the wrong direction, that has lost the spirits guidance. The healthy
liver is able to mediate our spirits intention into inner and outer activity and, as a sense organ, it selects food substances which leave us
free rather than substances which influence our soul with their own nature.
That addictions like alcoholism affect the liver and may destroy it, is well known. Less known is the fact that it is the defective
sensing function of the liver in the first place, which leads to alcoholism or to other substance abuse problems. This defective
sensing of the liver is a destiny problem, and the !wrong! substances chosen by such a defective liver lead to a worsening state of
health until a crisis point is reached. 2t such a crisis point, we painfully confront our illness and have an opportunity to choose healing.
Aealing entails the well%*nown !detox! in which the liver is cleansed of the physical poisons which clouded its sensing ability. But
such a detox leads to healing only when the soul detoxes itself of the moral and spiritual poison which befogged it. <very genuine
healing entails a change, a growth in consciousness. This is in full agreement with the philosophy of the "+%'tep )rogram, which has
become the most common and most effective healing path for the many substance abuse problems of our time. (n all of these problems,
the liver in its function as bridge between spirit and deed, and between satisfaction and need, craves healing.
Dr. 3ncao is a general practitioner in %arle!ville, 56.
.ractical &dvice for a Healthy Liver

By: /harles &idley, D./.
/leansing Herb Teas:
Dandelion leaves, parsley leaf . horsetail plant.
:ne teaspoon of the herb per flounce cup of waterF may be ta*en morning and evenings,
/leansing 0uice:
;emon: Ta*e one fresh lemon, @uiced in one cup warm water. Drin* in the evening.
+elf,/are:
't. 4ohns wort :il: 8ently massage the liver area @ust over the lower front right rib cage for one to two minutes. Try to use figure eight
patterns in your massaging.
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/ompress:
#arrow: Ma*e a strong tea of yarrow, and let it warm down to ",+ degrees. Ta*e a cotton cloth and soa* it in the tea. 0ring out the
cloth and place it folded over the liver area for up to +, minutes.
'ood That Helps /leanse the Liver:
<ndive, garlic, cucumbers, articho*es, beets with the greens, papaya,
xercise to Help 1ently 2econgest the Liver:
Bend at the waist and gently rotate from the waist in a cloc*wise direction for twelve revolutions, twice a day.
+oul xercises:
:bservation: practice observing an ob@ect for five minutes in every detail. Mentally describe the si.e, shape, color, texture, and so on,
@ust as it appears to your ga.e. Do this, every morning,
3eaningful %or#:
Ta*e on a tas* that you are unfamiliar with that is both difficult and meaningful, for instance learn how to do carpentry, gardening,
sewing, coo*ing, or mechanical wor*.
Charles +idle$ has a practice in Santa +osa, CA and also practices in Fair oa's, CA. %e can "e reached at 7*72(,(21/).
4arrow Liver /ompress and 5utritive (ath

By: <ileen Bristol
7hat are so!e supportive therapies &e can offer to others or do for ourselves at ho!e8 9ne si!ple suggestion is to esta"lish a
strong rh$th!ic ele!ent in the da$:s activities- regular &a'ing, sleeping and !eal ti!es support the re"uilding of health.
+egular and fre;uent applications of si!pl$ e<t/rnal co!presses such as a $arro& co!press over the liver area or the giving of
a nutritive "ath can also provide support over ti!e.
4arrow Liver /ompress
This compress is useful for supporting liver function. (t should be applied regularly over a period of time. #ou may want to begin with
daily applications for one wee* and then continue for a few more wee*s, 1 times per wee* for a month or more. (n serious chronic
conditions, you can continue one to three times per wee* for the duration of your treatment. 2t anthroposophical clinics in <urope,
many patients will receive a daily yarrow compress over the liver during the rest period after lunch throughout their entire hospital stay.
These directions offer a simplified version which anyone should be able to do at home, for themselves or another.
8ather together the following:
". hot water bottle
+. dried or fresh yarrow 3whole plant or whatever is available7
1. a piece of cotton cloth 3from an old sheet or T%shirt is fine7 large enough to fold and cover the liver area 3on the right side,
below the breast, extending a little below the rib cage, above the navel and extending around the side closest to the bed with the
patient lying7.
=. (f you have nothing else, use a soft, clean washcloth.
G. another piece of non%synthetic cloth for a wrap, not too thic* 3so it will be comfortable underneath the patient7 and large
enough to cover the area of the compress and wrap around the entire torso "%"D+ times, overlapping enough to tuc* snugly or pin
together comfortably with diaper pins.
>. diaper pins % if wanted 3available at many drugstores or convenience stores7.
8ather together your supplies in advance. )ic* a time which is either bedtime or a time when the patient can lie down for about an
hour. :pen the long wrap and spread on the bed, correctly placed so it will wrap around the torso and cover the liver area. (f you are
doing this for someone else, have them lie down and wait. Be sure the room is comfortably warm and there is no draft.
?ill a hot water bottle "D+ full with hot, but not boiling water. 'crew in the cap partway. /arefully s$uee.e out the air until the water
rises to the top. 32void burning yourself with the hot water7 and screw in the cap. (f you leave the air in it will swell up li*e a balloon as
the air heats up. 0rap the hot water bottle in a towel and set aside.
)age G of "=>
Boil a $uart of water and steep + to 1 tablespoons of the dried herb 3more if fresh7. 0rap the herb in a small hand*erchief or piece of
cheesecloth and tie with a string or twist%tie to create a sort of teabag. 2fter G%"G minutes, remove the yarrow and then dip the compress
3small7 cloth into the tea and $uic*ly wring out, as dry as possible. #ou may want to wrap a towel around the compress cloth or wear
very thic*, lined rubber gloves as you wring it to avoid burning your hands. ?lap it $uic*ly against the patients s*in so that they can
ad@ust to the heat and then apply directly on the s*in over the liver area with the patient lying on the wrap cloth. (mmediately bring the
wrap around to cover the compress and tuc* or pin snugly, but not too tightly.
(f you have placed the long wrap on the bed with the ends that extend beyond the sides of the patient rolled up li*e a scroll, it is
possible to unroll it $uic*ly and smoothly when the compress is in place. )lace the hot water bottle, wrapped in a small towel, over the
liver area. )ull the covers up over the patient and have them rest. 2fter +, minutes remove the hot water bottle. /ontinue to rest another
=, minutes, or go to sleep for the night. 0hen you remove the compress it should be dry or nearly dry. The bodys heat will have dried
it out providing you have wrung it out sufficiently.
(f you are doing this for someone else, it is a wonderful help to experience it once yourself so you will better understand the process.
2lways be calm, but cheerful and gentle in your wor*. &emember, a rhythmical fre$uency of application will increase the benefits. The
procedure may seem complicated at first, but once you have done it a few times it becomes very simple.
5utritive (ath
This bath can be a help in restoring someone who is in an exhausted or wea*ened condition. (t can be repeated daily for 1 %H days and
then once or twice a wee* until the patient is feeling stronger.
'upplies needed:
I" lemon and a *nife to cut it
I" cup best $uality mil* available 3raw organic if possible, otherwise the best you can obtain7
I" best $uality egg available 3from free ranging chic*ens if possible7
Ia cloc* or minute timer
Aave the bathroom at a warm temperature, free of drafts. ?ill the tub with warm 3baby bottle temperature7 water %not too cool, but not
hot. Mix the raw egg into the cup of mil*. )our this into the tub of water and stir in briefly. )lace the whole lemon under water and
slice the s*in in a number of places to release the oils. '$uee.e it to release the @uices. Aold the lemon in one hand under water or set
temporarily on the side of the tub. 0ith large, slow movements, bring the water into motion in a lemniscate 3figure J7 form. (t should
not slosh about. (f it does, slow down. /ontinue this movement no more than a few minutes, only until the water begins to feel softer.
Try and bring a helpful, positive mood to your preparations. Aelping thoughts and feelings are real and do support the effectiveness of
the therapy. )lace the lemon in the water. Aave the patient enter the water, submerging as much as possible. :nly stay in the bath H
minutes maximum. This should be a peaceful, $uiet time without other stimulation than the bath itself. This allows the patient to fully
experience the $ualities of the therapeutic bath. 2 young child, of course, should be allowed what is needed to en@oy the bath, such as a
tub toy. (t will feel good and the patient may wish to stay in longer, but it can have a tiring effect to stay in too long.
Aave the patient dry off without rinsing. )at and dont rub. The sil*y $uality of the bath water leaves the s*in soft to the touch and is not
stic*y as one might imagine. Aave the patient go to bed to sleep immediately, being sure that they have sufficient covers to feel snug
and co.y. #ou do not, however, want the patient to sweat. 2lways be sure and to maintain a patient and positive mood. (f you are doing
this for someone else, it is helpful for you to experience it once for yourself. (t is wonderul6
The Liver , 6rgan of 2eath and 7esurrection

By: 2nna ;ups, M.D.
The ;iver % :rgan of Death and &esurrection
2nna ;ups, M.D.
I?rom a lecture given on !The 'earch for a Auman )sychosophy! at /amphill 'oltane, )ennsylvania, ?ebruary "H,"KKJ
;udwig Beethoven was born in Bonn, 8ermany, December ">, "HH,. Ae was the second child. The first died in birth two years earlier.
Ais father was a court musician, as was his grandfather. The family was exceedingly poor and dysfunctional because of the fathers
addiction to alcohol. The grandmother on the fathers side had a similar affliction, but Beethoven himself was not addicted and had no
history of excesses.
2s a child there were early signs of musical genius. Both his grandfather aid father instructed him in piano forte. Being poor, he had
little schooling except for rudimentary reading and writing. 2s a boy, he was shy and taciturn, leading a life apart, observing and
pondering the world around him. Ae started giving concerts as early as the age of J and at the age of eleven became noted for rendering
)age > of "=>
improvisations.
Ais mild%mannered mother was burdened with a husband who provided poorly for her and her family, and as the well%being of the
family deteriorated she had to witness daily physical and psychological abuse that was inflicted on her beloved ;udwig.
2t the age of "G, he too* over the role of family provider completely. Ais father died, and ;udwig became a musician to the court. Ae
made a favorable impression on /ount 0aldstein, an aristocratic beneficiary, who recogni.ed Beethovens potential. Ais first visit to
5ienna at the age of seventeen was used for lessons with Mo.art until the death of his mother called him home. Ae was devoted to her,
and this loss around his first moon node must have made a lasting impression on his soul life.
Ae then too* over the care of his two younger brothers and the house%hold as well as his musical assignment at the court. Ais musical
acumen continued to grow, and he too* lessons from those masters who could help him learn all aspects of harmony and composition.
2t twenty%one, he had earned the respect of many intellectual and aristocratic audiences and had become stereotyped by them for
!eccentricities in a fashionable genius.! Ais choleric temperament came to the fore in outbursts of volatile, flaring temperament, rough
manner, and often uncouth behaviorF his withdrawal into himself and his stubborn nature, his strong will and determination drove many
of his friends away.
Lnderneath all of this was an exceptional individuality whose life story reveals a nobility of character, an unswerving devotion to the
highest moral ideals throughout every distress and temptation to which a passionate temperament could be exposed. (f we could
imagine meeting ;udwig 5an Beethoven on the street, we would see a man of short stature, compact, short nec*, s$uare shoulders,
large lion head, long wild hairF coarse facial features, except the eyes M full of fire, somewhat upturned showing the white corneaF
wal*ing, hands on his bac*, defying the world, daring all: !TA<&< (' :B;# :B< B<<TA:5<B.! This man was fully incarnated. Ae
was on earth and would use his body to do his tas*, but his body did not serve him well.
2t the age of twenty%four he moved to 5ienna and studied under Aaydn. Aaydn, who was profoundly shoc*ed by the early death of his
beloved Mo.art, could not appreciate the audacity of this gifted pupil, whom he labeled as too difficult a character to ever produce a
great wor*.
2t twenty%seven the shadow of his deafness touched him, and despite multiple medical consultations his misfortune grew deeper and
became his constant companion for the next thirty years. Beethoven recogni.ed his own imminent death as shown in a communication
to his brothers, called !The Aeiglndstadt Document!, written on :ctober >, "J,+ when he was 1+:
9h, $e !en, &ho thin' or sa$ that 3 a! !alevolent, stu""orn or !isanthropic, ho& greatl$ do $e &rong !e, $ou do not 'no& the secret
causes of !$ see!ing, fro! childhood !$ heart and !ind &ere disposed to the gentle feeling of good &ill, 3 &as even ever eager to
acco!plish great deeds, "ut reflect no& that for si< $ears 3 have "een in a hopeless case, aggravated "$ senseless ph$sicians, cheated
$ear after $ear in the hope of i!prove!ent, finall$ co!pelled to face the prospect of a lasting !alad$, "orn &ith an ardent and livel$
te!pera!ent, even suscepti"le to diversions of societ$, 3 &as co!pelled earl$ to isolate !$self, to live in loneliness, &hen 3 at ti!es
tried to forget all this, oh, ho& harshl$ &as 3 repulsed "$ the dou"l$ sad e<perience of !$ "ad hearing... for 3 a! deaf, Ah ho& could 3
possi"l$ ad!it an infir!it$ in the one sense that should have "een !ore perfect in !e than in others, a sense &hich 3 once possessed in
highest perfection, a perfection such as fe& surel$ in !$ profession en=o$ or ever have en=o$ed > oh 3 cannot do it, therefore forgive !e
&hen 3 dra& "ac' &hen 3 &ould gladl$ !ingle &ith $ou, !$ !isfortune is dou"l$ painful "ecause it !ust lead to !$ "eing
!isunderstood, for !e there can "e no recreation in societ$ of !$ fello&s, refined intercourse, !utual e<change of thought... 3 !ust
live li'e an e<ile, if 3 approach near to people a hot terror sei4es upon !e, a fear that 3 !a$ "e su"=ected to the danger of letting !$
condition "e o"served . . .
9h, Divine ?eing, Thou &ho loo'est do&n into !$ in!ost soul, Thou understandest@ Thou 'no&est that love for !an'ind and the desire
to do good d&ell therein. 9h, !$ fello& !en, &hen one da$ $ou read this, re!e!"er that $ou &ere un=ust to !e, and let the unfortunate
one console hi!self if he can find one li'e hi!self, &ho in spite of all o"stacles &hich nature has thro&n in his &a$, has still done
ever$thing in his po&er to "e received into the ran's of &orth$ artists and !en.
Beethoven stated that in spite of his sic*ness he would be recogni.ed as a great artist. ( would li*e to prove that because of his
pathology he became one of the greatest composers. Ae re$uests of his brothers: !2s soon as ( am dead... describe my malady and
annex this written account to that of my illness, so that at least the world as far as is possible may become reconciled to me after my
death.!
(t is in 5ienna that his intellectual acumen and his passionately affectionate nature towards women unfold. Aowever, his becomes a life
of deprivation. 2lthough his attachments were mostly unattainable, all were honorable and respected by a revering society, showing the
truthfulness and self%control of a great man. Ais steadily worsening hearing impairment led to an increasing sense of social isolation.
Ais forty%second year was notable for a heart%rending love affair which was only discovered after his death in a letter to an !(mmortal
Beloved.!
Aood !orning on Bul$ 7th. Though still in "ed, !$ thoughts go out to $ou, !$ 3!!ortal ?eloved, no& and then =o$full$, then sadl$,
&aiting to learn &hether or not fate &ill hear us. 3 can live onl$ &holl$ &ith $ou or not at all > $es, 3 a! resolved to &ander so long
a&a$ fro! $ou until 3 can fl$ to $our ar!s and sa$ that 3 a! reall$ at ho!e, send !$ soul en&rapped in $ou into the land of spirits. >
6es, unhappil$ it !ust "e so > $ou &ill "e the !ore resolved since $ou 'no& !$ fidelit$ > to $ou, no one can ever again possess !$
heart > none > never > oh Aod, &h$ is it necessar$ to part fro! one &ho! one so loves and $et !$ life in 7 .Cienna0 is no& a &retched
)age H of "=>
life, $our love !a'es !e at once the happiest and the unhappiest of !en 2 at at !$ age 3 need a stead$, ;uiet life > can that "e under
our conditions8... ?e cal!, onl$ "$ a cal! consideration of our e<istence can &e achieve our purpose to live together > "e cal! > love
!e > toda$ > $esterda$ > &hat tearful longings for $ou > $ou > $ou > !$ life > !$ all > fare&ell > oh continue to love !e > never
!is=udge the !ost faithful heart of $our "eloved D.
Ever thine
Ever !ine
Ever for each other
2s with all previous ones, this love affair did not come to fruition. Beethoven was never married. 'hortly after his return to 5ienna he
too* over guardianship of his nephew, possibly in an attempt to fight off his own increasing loneliness. ?or the last twelve years of
Beethovens life, this boy and his surviving brother contributed to the misery of his life. The boy, a misfit, and his brother abused
Beethoven and were instrumental in sending him away from home in an open carriage in the beginning of March, two wee*s before his
death. Ais health was poor with constant digestive problems, diarrhea, and intolerance to many foods. Ae developed @aundice during
the last ten years of his life and finally succumbed to liver failure and pneumonia in "J+H. :n the +>th of March, while a fierce
thunderstorm raged outside, this individuality departed from us, leaving humanity a treasure of musical compositions so profound that
hundreds of years later they would continue to bring healing to man*ind.
The life of ;udwig van Beethoven can be ta*en as a study in astrosophy in connection with the art of medicine. ?ollowing suggestions
of 0. :. 'ucher, the gestational chart from conception to birth imprints cosmic physiological aspects on the developing embryo. 2
spiritual reality is pictorially represented. The movements of the planets between conception and birth become symbolic representations
that express possible pathophysiological responses in the individuality. (t has to be understood that many human beings born at the
same time have similar charts, therefore a certain configuration of personality can be deduced. Aowever, the ego uses these cosmic
ingredients depending upon the individuals *arma and ma*es choices out of freedom for the unfolding life tas*. The embryological
chart can be used by the practitioner of anthroposophical medicine in the way an electrocardiogram is used by the clinician. The
embryological chart could be called the !electrocardiogram of the soul.!
The curves inside the circle of the Nodiac indicate the gestures 3including retrograde movements7 of the planets in the course of ;udwig
van Beethovens gestation. The embryo is considered. geocentric. Aence, where the sun stands at the time of conception is the head,
whereas the birth%sun position is at the feet.
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The physiological imprints of the planets as well as their position to each other is a study in itself and can be found in 0. :. 'uchers
wor*, !Man and the 'tars, (sis 'ophia 'eries.!
0or*ing with astrosophy and mindful of the *armically%derived spiritual ingredients that build the embryo, the following insights
unveil themselves to us as they pertain to this individuality. The travels of the 4upiter and Mars during his fetal growth are telling. The
metamorphosis of 4upiter forces on the earth produce the organ of the liver in the body. ;i*ewise is Mars connected to the gallbladder.
The tension of these planets at birth is a foreshadowing of a patho%physiological response, especially if we can observe the aggressive
gesture of Mars during the later fetal month, traveling into the constellation of Taurus but also over the embryological placement of the
otic development. 0e also find 4upiter under the foot, traveling from 'corpio into 'agittarius.
0hen these insights are applied diagnostically to Beethovens pathology, the correlations become even more compelling. Ais cirrhosis
was not due to a fatty liver caused by alcohol abuse or as a se$uella of a viral hepatitis infection. (n the autopsy report, it was described
that his shriveled, hardened liver was caused by a chronic fibrosis rising up from the bile ducts, a so%called biliary cirrhosis.
Aow perfect is this chart fitted to Beethovens life. :verwhelming Mars forces: destruction of the organ for hearing. 4upiter underfoot:
deep incarnation of the individual in his body, attac* of the gall bladder destroying his liver in a cirrhotic process. Bot the harmony of
life this rhythm between anabolic forces of liver and the catabolic forces of gall bladder.
(s this individuality predestined for his earthly tas* so that the gods send him in that window of time so that his physical misfortunes
may be his blessings, or the blessing for humanityC 0hat *ind of man is he that he becomes the martyr of his own independenceC Ae is
the human creator, enemy of the gods, wise, unselfish, eternally progressing and suffering O a truly )romethean figure. The
)romethean myth must be interpreted on the religiousDhistorical and physical level. 0e must study our own emancipation in relation to
god, earth and man.
)rometheus was a god, a Titan, son of Neus, who opposed him. Ae dared to bring individuali.ing culture to man*ind, he was the friend
of humanity, bringing them aids for their individual emancipation from the gods. Ae is the god that brought the fire out of heaven. The
punishment from his father was swift and severe. Bound to the roc* for thirty years, chained in iron shac*les with no possibility of
escape, and day after day the red eagle descends from the s*y, eating his liver. By night, the earth heals the wound. 0e can recogni.e
this rhythm in the physiological interaction between the liver and the gall bladder.
'piritual science encourages and enables us to examine the modern titans in light of these three dimensions: the heavenly, the earthly,
and the human tas*. There is a spiritual, psychological and physiological aspect to Beethovens incarnation that can be studied in order
to open up the possibilities for a new psychosophy full of potential.
Beethoven suffered from cirrhosis. Aow can we interpret the phenomenon of this pathologyC Ais autopsy report states that a biliary
cirrhosis had affected his whole liver, displacing the normal liver cells, obstructing the flow of bile and subse$uently causing a
paralysis of the normal liver processes. This inner tendency of the liver to harden possibly arose out of his childhood !nourished as an
infant with the wrong mil*,! as suggested by &udolf 'teiner, but also the fact that he united more intensely with his earthly
corporeality. (n a metaphorical way, the god 4upiter deserted him. 4upiter and Neus are the same.
The liver is the organ of the will.
0ill is experienced as an eternal creative source of energy for the limbs, but also for the brain.
Through exercising our will we pay attention. 0ill is mans power of deliberate and purposeful activity in relation to the rest of the
universe.
The origin of the energy is a cascade of biochemical reactions from glycogen to glucose with the release of an energy phosphor bond as
an imponderable element.
2s a soul component, our will is asleep, but can certainly be awa*ened through soul exercises of attention and intention.
Through concentration exercises we can become conscious of warmth, light and tone experiences, thereby replacing random thought
processes.
(n Beethoven, we ac*nowledge a severe pathology of the liver, but we are ta*en abac* by his response to the disease. ?irst, we
)age K of "=>
experience that in most liver patients the will forces are severely affected. This manifests physically as chronic fatigue, tiredness in the
limbs, and lac* of strength. :n the psychological level, we find indecisiveness, depression, moodiness and lac* of concentration.
Throughout his biography we find incidents where such behavior is illustrated: his housing, his relation with women, and his
tempestuous outbursts toward his loyal and patient friends. :n the other hand, we cannot forget that his deafness started at the age of
+J, and his dar*, morose, withdrawn nature must have had its origin in profound frustration due to this impediment.
(t is clear this individuality had extraordinary will forces. Ais pathology resulted in ma*ing the will forces available. Ais pathology can
be described as a death process. 0ith a deep incarnation such as Beethovens, the hardening cold processes tend to dominate in the sic*
organF warmth and light processes are pushed bac*. The interpenetration of the ether processes of warmth and light and chemical or
tone and form are out of balance. 0e can also say that between the inflammatory and the sclerotising tendencies, the sclerotic tendency
becomes an expression of the pathology.
The bile flow is dammed up through the hardening pathology. Bile is recirculated in the blood and becomes a waste product in the
blood. (t contaminates the blood. ( also understand the blood to be the organ of the ego. Bile formation originates out of the brea*down
of the red blood cell O the liberation of the hemoglobin and the splitting of heme with the release of iron. The blood is therefore
confronted again and again with its own mummy, the dead heme product.
Both the liver parenchyma and the circulating blood are affected. Through the death process in the liver tissue and in the blood, both
forces of will and ego are liberated to form a new basis. This indeed becomes a mighty combinationF this mythical )romethean spirit
can now ta*e hold of these forces and pour them with conscious intention and ex$uisite concentration to an inner listening process.
The third pathology had to do with his hearing. The conduction of sound proceeds first through the element of air up to a membrane in
the inner ear, the fenestra ovalis. Behind this membrane a complex snail%shaped, li$uid%filled tube, called the cochlea, winds two and
three%$uarter times around the cochlear nerve. The actual organ of hearing can be found in the middle chamber of this tube. This is the
organ of /orti. The cochlear nerve transmits the stimulus to the cortex of the brain. :nly on this level can ego%conscious listening ta*e
place. (t is complex that the hearing apparatus can never be dissected out of the densest bone in the s*ull. The fluid wave, starting at the
fenestra ovalis, excites the organ of /orti throughout the whole cochlea. Different portions of the organ vibrate with different
fre$uencies. (t can also be described that the cochlea is a biological transducer, converting mechanical stimuli to electrical impulses
through the ionic polari.ation of cells. The dense bone around this soft, colloidal cell structure functions as an amplifier.
The bombardment of auditory stimuli is constant.
The process of perceiving through the ear is passive and indiscriminate.
<ven throughout sleep we are still hearing.
The hearing becomes a soul experience, or a conscious experience when it is ta*en up out of the domain of the senses into the realm of
the ego.
0hat one listens to belongs to the domain of the ego.
Through the ear we can delve deep into the substantiality of the outer world.
2ll substances in nature reverberate.
There is sound in all of nature.
0hat one listens to resonates throughout the entire body.
There is also sound in our own body.
;istening, as different from hearing, is an active process.
(t re$uires motivated attention, a selective focusing on the sound.
Through sound the bodys particular inner nature, its individual aspect, steps forward and communicates itself to our perceptions.
This is, in fact, a supersensible hearing that originates out of the function of the etheric ear. Through the organ of hearing the ego is
challenged to listen. 0hile we listen, inner images well up out of the unconscious into the conscious. This is an ego activity supported
by the ether body.
Beethovens hearing loss involved both ears and most li*ely was caused by nerve deafness. That means that no stimuli were transmitted
to the cortex. Aowever, the $uestion arises, does the etheric ear still functionC ;usseyran describes his loss of sight, with subse$uent
capacity to develop supersensible seeing. This new, supersensible sight pivots on the function of his etheric eye still seeing the etheric
process of light 2re we dealing here with a death processC ?rom the detailed description of 4ac$ues ;usseyrans experience as
described in his boo*, !2nd There 0as ;ight!, ( feel free to ma*e this next step O a step wherein the deaf ear is used for supersensible
hearing O for inner listening. 2nd what was this individuality listening toC The essence of his healing % composing % is contained
within himself through the listening. (s he listening to his own death processC
;udwig van Beethoven is a modern )rometheus.
0hat can we learn out of his biographyC
0hat can we *now about the perception of willC
0hat can we experience in his creativity as a spirit fireC
Aow did those ex$uisite compositions well up out of his inner beingC
The ego of ;udwig van Beethoven was able to create sublime music even after he was completely deaf and incapable of hearing any
sound, not even his own music. The musical compositions gave expression to an all%embracing view of ideali.ed humanity. ?rom
where did these themes arise % how did they come into his soulC
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Ae was able to totally submerge himself without fear in his soul mood, experiencing death and resurrection in his music. Through this
submersion his ego was able to con$uer the effect of his diseased organ.
(n depression we see the future as the past.
Through liver pathology the future ga.e is destroyed.
Bot so with Beethoven.
:vercoming his sic*ness focusing only on the death process, the flood gates opened to him. (n his compositions we witness the music
of the spheres clashing with the *armic destiny of this individuality. Bot only can one experience the suffering of this human being in
his last wor*, the 'tring Euartet, :pus "1+, but he intentionally dedicates this piece to the future.
(s it not remar*able that the :de to 4oy in the Kth 'ymphony, originally commissioned by ;ondon to the <nglish%spea*ing population,
was directed by 'ei@i :sawa involving several choirs throughout the world via 'atellite technology during the :lympics in "KKJC
Through his wor*, his life ta*es on mythical proportions. (n light of his artistic creativity we li*en him to a bearer of fire O a new
enthusiasm. Ae gives man*ind a new myth O a myth in which the human remonstrates with the gods. Bot a myth where fire is brought
down from the heavens, but a myth in which man*ind is shown the way for individuali.ed ego consciousness battling and overcoming
the death process.
'uch is the profundity of art.
Through death a resurrection.
Anna Dups, M.D.
).:. Box GH
Audson, B# "+G1=
/leansing and 2etoxification: The 7ole of 3ercury

By: &obert Nieve, M.D.
The fundamental principle behind detoxification is to restore your innate capacity of self%regulation on all levels, to help your organism
wa*e up and remember how to react in order to help itself and to re%establish healthy boundaries on all levels.
2t this time of year, many of us begin to focus on becoming more healthy. 0e may begin to exercise more and improve our diet. This
is a good start.
:ur capacity to thin* clearly and become fully individuali.ed human beings is being threatened today from many directions. Toxins
from many contemporary sources accumulate in our bodies to such a level that basic life processes become more difficult to maintain.
This can lead to premature degeneration and death. Many modern illnesses are actually the bodys attempt at detoxification and healing.
Detoxification is increasingly accepted as a necessary ingredient to healthy living. 0hy is detoxification so importantC Modern social
and economic practices that are accepted as normal consistently violate our boundaries. This occurs on many levels such as damaged
intestinal mucus membranes due to poor foods early in life, overuse of antibiotics, damaged nerves from mercury in thimerosol present
in infant vaccines and damaged psyches from abuse to name a few.
Lnfortunately, detoxification is too often either a vague holistic bu..word we do not understand, or it is limited to physical habits li*e
doing enemas and saunas. The process of detoxification involves an ongoing commitment on all levels: physical, energetic, emotional,
mental, and spiritual. Most of us are familiar with detoxifying physically. ?or example, we may improve bowel function, ta*e herbs and
remedies to help the liver, do infrared saunas, or have our mercury amalgam fillings removed. The process of detoxification should also
involve efforts on energetic levels, where we protect ourselves from cell phone fre$uencies, move our beds so we are not sleeping near
active electrical outlets, or use magnets therapeutically. <motionally, we may focus on healing stored anger, resentment or grief.
Mentally, we can focus on cleansing ourselves of illusions and rigid over%intellectual thin*ing.
2nd spiritually, we might observe our lac* of faith and strive to improve our deep *nowingness, or what )aul called an !unsha*able
inner certainty.! <ach of these levels of detoxification impacts and interacts with the others. 2nd effective efforts in the more subtle
areas will enhance physical detoxification.
3ercury detoxification often plays an important role in healing.
Mercury is the second most common toxic metal in the human body 3lead is first7. Mercury began to be used in dental material in the
late "J,,s, when a more materialistic worldview was ta*ing hold of medicine and dentistry.
Mercury *ills nerve cells. The number one source of mercury is vapors from mercuryDsilver fillings. The second most important source
is contaminated fish. :ther sources, li*e mercury accumulation from multiple vaccinations, especially affects children, and is a ma@or
contributing cause of autism. (nfants do not produce bile, which is necessary to excrete the heavy metals that they are exposed to in
vaccinations. 2 video called %o& Mercur$ Causes ?rain 5euron Degeneration is available at www.iaomt.org.
)age "" of "=>
Mercury binds to all of our cells and changes their configuration, so that the body does not thin* it has ever seen it before. :ur immune
cells then attac* these so%called !foreign cells.! This leads to autoimmune diseases.
(n other words, through the toxic effects of mercury, we lose the organic capacity to distinguish between self and not%self. This
wea*ens us at all levels.
Bot everyone has the same susceptibility to mercury toxicity. There are blood tests that can determine the genetic factors which affect
our susceptibility. (n addition, how strong we are in other ways will also affect the degree to which we are susceptible to mercury
toxicity. Aowever, people with symptoms or illnesses involving the nervous system or immune system, which accounts for millions of
people, ought to address the issue of mercury toxicity.
0hen you decide to have your mercury amalgam fillings replaced, wor* with a dentist who is trained in how to do this correctly, so
that you do not become more toxic when the mercury is removed. 2gain, chec* the web site of www.iaomt.org.
Many people do not want to *now about mercury. There are several reasons for this: the cost and discomfort of replacing mercury
fillings with much less toxic fillings and the fact that many dentists tell their patients that mercury is not toxic.
:ur oral cavities are very important sources of chronic infections and disease that occur throughout the body. 0hen we have more than
one metal, li*e mercury fillings and gold crowns, an electrical current is generated that will dissolve mercury. This combination of
metals generates a battery%li*e effect with an electric current that is hundreds to thousands of times larger than the healthy brain
electricity.
The process of mercury detoxification is complex, and often re$uires a well%thought%out program, and not uncommonly, practitioner
guidance. Many people have the image that we @ust ta*e some remedies and the mercury comes out. The reality is that the mercury is
mobili.ed from inside the cells to outside the cells 3this is called the extracellular matrix7, then into the blood, and from there to the
organs of elimination, and is then excreted. There are supportive nutrients for each level. Aere are only some examples. This is by no
means near a complete list of nutrients.
P 8ood minerals: <nable mercury detox to occur.
P 8lutathione, ;ipoic acid: Mobili.e mercury from nervous system.
P /helating agents: Move mercury from tissues into blood.
P Bile salts, /helidonium, /ircumin: <nhance mercury excretion from bile.
P /hlorella: Binds mercury in intestines, for excretion.
P 'elenium: )rotects nerves until mercury is removed.
P 8arlic, )rotein: )rotect during mercury detoxification.
2 chelating agent is given by a physician. (t binds the mercury and carries it to organs of elimination.
<ven when the appropriate agent is used for a given patient, mercury may not be released in significant amounts. /ertain biochemical,
structural, emotional, electromagnetic and psychologicalDspiritual problems will !loc* up! the mercury into the tissues. There are
genetic mar*ers that indicate who is more susceptible to mercury toxicity. (n addition, poor lymphatic function 3which affects many
people today7, dental occlusive problems, dysfunctional liver function, and intestinal problems can all decrease our capacity to detoxify
our mercury.
(n the process of mercury detoxification, which may ta*e months to years, hidden infections and emotional issues may surface. 2t each
level, these re$uire our attention.
2lways remember that mercury or any other toxin or infection does not exist separate from our cells, tissues, lifestyles, and spirituality.
To effectively detoxify, so that the mercury is not @ust displaced from one area of the body to another, re$uires s*ill, persistence and
comprehensive thin*ing. 0e need to be able to combine linear thin*ing when re$uired, as in monitoring the phases of mercury
detoxification, with a healthy rhythm to life.
(n conclusion, mercury toxicity is an important factor in many contemporary illnesses and imbalances. (t needs to be addressed in a
comprehensive manner under the supervision of a $ualified practitioner.
+o"ert Eieve, M.D. has a !edical practice in Frescott Ari4ona. %is ne& "oo' its titled Aealthy Medicine: The <mergence of 'ensible,
/omprehensive /are .Dlu!ina Fress0. &&&.pinetreeclinic.co!.
)age "+ of "=>
'ymbol courtesy of 2nne Aelmenstine, )h.D.
<d. noteOMercury is one of the few elements that also has an alchemical symbol.
Digestion

QQ bac*
By: :tto 0olff, M.D.
0e need food to live, food that once contained life itself. :ur food plants ate while they were growingOabsorbing light and
transforming it into life.
But why bother eatingC 0hy cant we @ust li$uefy our nourishment and in@ect it directly into our bloodC Because life doesnt simply
give life. ;ife is different in each plant, animal or human. /at protein is different to dog protein. 2nd for us the differences are far
greater than those in animals, because of our highly individuali.ed nature. :ur complex digestive systems are made to prevent the
potentially dangerous passage of foreign protein 3for instance animal life7 in an unchanged state.
Three #inds of digestion
<very living organism needs three *inds of food: protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Bo living thing can survive on @ust one or two of
these. 2ccordingly, there are also three different *inds of digestion.
". )rotein digestion is the most intense. (t ta*es place in the stomach with its special @uices. Aydrochloric acid and pepsin denature
protein which, through curdling, becomes accessible to a further, finer destruction in the intestine through the pancreatic @uices. The
importance of this dissolving is that it eliminates the individual state of the protein. (t is no longer Rchic*enS or RbeefS. :nly now can
this mass be carried from the intestine, into the inner system.
(f this step%by%step denaturing process is wea*ened through lac* of hydrochloric acid, natural bacteria in the colon attac* the protein.
This can cause putrefaction, however, sometimes forming highly poisonous substances which must be detoxified by the liverOa bur%
den to the liver. The body reacts to this incompletely bro*en down protein with repulsion, sometimes striving to excrete it through the
s*in in the form of a red rash.
(n the twentieth century more and more people have developed such wea*nesses or !allergies! to food. 'ome nutritionists recommend
not drin*ing during meals to *eep the hydrochloric acid as concentrated as possible. <liminating animal protein from the diet will also
often reduce allergic reactions. But restricting the diet is not enough. (t is better to stimulate the organism and its digestive activity.
+. ?at needs less digestive activity, but its droplet form must be bro*en down so it can be absorbed by the intestine. Bile, formed by the
liver and stored in the gall bladder, meets the food mass in the duodenum and emulsifies the fat after which it is split into fatty acids
and glycerin.
?at digestion is sensitive to the rhythm of the day. The evening is not a good time for french fries or mayonnaise because the gall
bladder rests at night and is not disposed to wor* then. The organism will try with all its might to s$uee.e out the last drops of bile,
often the cause of gall bladder colic. The same meal, eaten at lunch would not be a problem because there is plenty of bile at ones
disposal then.
1. /arbohydrates are easiest to digest. Their digestion begins with an en.yme contained in saliva which transforms carbohydrate into
glucose. 0e all *now that potatoes or bread become sweet after chewing for a few minutes. 2stonishingly, most vegetables and fruits
are built on a sugar resin base which, as it densifies, becomes indigestible cellulose.
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2ny foreign substance, including food, in the body is a !poison! until
bro*en down by digestive activity. (t re$uires an intense inner activity to
arrive at the life in our food.
2 common manifestation for the lac* of such activity is losing ones
appetite. During fever, when the body is busy brea*ing down and
discarding illness factors, it often eliminates old, foreign or sic* protein so
that new can be formed. The feverish person will assist in this process by a
natural antipathy towards protein. ?ollowing a fever, appetite is often
stronger. ;ac* of appetite can also have its source in problems of the soul.
During times of sorrow or pain inner activity will be missing % we are !fed
up! and want to ta*e in nothing of the world. /hildren lose their appetite
as a healthy reaction if they are overfed.
Tips to stimulate and strengthen a wea# digestion
?ood preparation is still an art in which taste is combined with digestibil%
ity. Aerbs and spices are extraordinarily suited to that. Traditionally,
mustard and horseradish has been valued as a help in digesting meat, and
curry 3a mixture of ten different spices7 as a stimulant for liver and gall bladder. &ed pepper, especially chili, is more general, caraway
seed, fennel and anise are especially good in preventing gas. <ven the aroma of a meal stimulates digestion 3our mouths start watering67
The best meals nourish not only the body but also the soul.
1 Dr 9laf Goo" reco!!ends a salt$ soup, no s&eets, in the !orning and s&eet food at night to support "oth the gall "ladder .active in
the !orning0, and the liver .active at nightH0
<xploring Digestion

QQ bac*
By: (ra /antor, M.D.
Digestion is a parallel process to inflammation. 0ith an inflammatory process the organism confronts something foreign: a virus, bac%
teria, or splinter, and reacts, saying !Bothing foreign is allowed to come inside my special domain. ( will remove the foreignness from
whatever it is ( am confronting, brea* it down 3digest it7 and then find a way to assimilate it.! Both processes, digestion and
inflammation, can range from very subtle to gross. ?or example, as you read this article you will try to digest the thoughts, ta*ing some
and re@ecting others. <ventually you might assimilate their essenceF then they become a part of who you are. This is an example of
digestion on a subtle, spiritualDmental realm.
)robably the most material level of digestion is digestion itself, which comes in contact with a foreign substanceOfood. The mystery
of the digestive tract is that it is not really usOit is part of the outside world, as though invaginated in our center. 2n indigestible ob@ect
could pass right through us from mouth to anus and never affect our organism at all. The digestive tract is also filled with things that
are not us, other organisms, yeasts, sometimes even parasites. (n a healthy state we live in symbiosis or balance between this inner
foreignness and ourselves. (n unhealthy states there is reaction, often producing clinical problems.
The purpose of our digestive tract is to meet food and to brea* it down until it attains a somewhat neutral $uality. /ertain foods must
brea* down vastly more than others. (t is most important to brea* down proteins and peptides, since incomplete transformation of these
substances is often the basis of allergic reactions. ?ats dont have to be bro*en down as much at all.
Bext, these digested substances pass through the barrier of the intestinal wall into the blood stream, and a large proportion enters the
liver via the portal vein. Much can go wrong along this whole process, and does go wrong because of the way we live. ?or example,
everyone *nows that antibiotics can cause diarrhea or have a disordering effect on our digestion. 2nd we *now everyone gets
antibiotics, because they are contained in many foods. :ther disordering aspects that can affect the digestion are stress and the speed of
life.
The mystery of the digestive tract is that
it is not really usit is part of the outside world
The allergic diseases ( see in my practice such as chronic inflammatory illnesses, childhood ec.emas or dermatitis often have their root
causes in something that is foreign to us. (t has been documented that 1,- of children with chronic severe dermatitis have food
allergies. (f we can find the food causing the reaction, the ec.ema clears up dramatically, although not many dermatologists wor* along
)age "= of "=>
that route. 2 food foreign to a child can cause an inflammatory reaction, which in turn affects intestinal permeability. Then the abnor%
mal particle of food reaches the portal vein and, still as a foreign body, enters the blood stream, causing a reaction, which is exactly
what the organism is meant to do. The external manifestation of this reaction, or attempt at expulsion, is ec.ema or chronic dermatitis.
Many upper respiratory allergies are reactions to something within the digestive tract. (f we can identify the food, we find that the nasal
symptoms improve.
The way ( understand the process of digestion anthroposophically is that when we first ta*e food into our digestive system, there is an
inflammatory process directed at the food, brea*ing it down, digesting it. This involves the higher members of the human being,
specifically the ego and astral body. The organs such as pancreas and spleen are manifestations of these higher members at wor*.
Beyond the intestinal wall ties the etheric, or upbuilding, inner realm. Many things can damage this intestinal barrier, starting with anti%
inflammatory medicines.
Bow the food enters the liver which has two main functions among its many tas*s. :ne is continuing digestion not completed before,
and the other is upbuilding processes. (f there are too many substances that must be ta*en into the process we call detoxification 3a *ind
of digestion, but basically still dealing with the foreign irritative nature of what was ingested7, the liver is overtaxed. (n fact, a great
percentage of our bodys energy and liver function goes towards detoxification. (f we are constantly bombarded by toxic substances we
experience fatigue, because the liver is forced to wor* at garbage removal rather than using its energy for the upbuilding process. Thus
it is a *ind of sensitive switch%point, connected with etheric upbuilding, energy producing processes. 2 !liver problem! is often not that
at all, but a bombardment from elsewhere, and at a certain point it cant do its wor* ade$uately. 0hen ( treat a patient that fits into a
typical liver constitutional picture, ( have to loo* at the entire digestive system to see why the liver is stressed. ;ab tests are often
helpful. ?re$uently ( will prescribe an elimination diet.
0hat ( often tell my patients, though, is finding food allergens is @ust a first step. The goal is not @ust to avoid wheat or dairy for the rest
of our lives, it is to find out what disorder we contain in our constitution. :nce we investigate, we can begin to correct and heal
abnormalities, and then people are again able to tolerate foods they could not deal with before.
3ra Cantor, M.D. is !edical director of Steiner Medical Center in Fhoeni<ville, FA. %e is also associate clinical director at the ne&
Befferson Center.or 3ntegrative Medicine, &hich is affiliated &ith Tho!as Befferson #niversit$ Medical School and %ospital in
Fhiladelphia. The center has clinical, educational and research progra!s. 3t is at the forefront of evaluating the clinical efficac$ and
validit$ of holistic and anthroposophical !edical approaches.
How to 5utritionally +trengthen our 5erves and +ense 6rgans

QQ bac*
By: &oss &entea, 2ndrea &entea, Mar* Kamsler
:ne of the most ama.ing insights of &udolf 'teinerSs research is the discovery of the correspondence between the human and the plant
organs. )laced one next to the other it turns out that the human body exactly mirrors an inverted plant:
Brain - Roots
Heart Lungs - Leaves
Reproductive organs - Flowers, Seeds
A detailed explanation would lead too far, but just think how in their middle realm, in the leaves, the plants
do exactly the opposite of what the human physiology does: instead of inhaling oxygen, O2, and expelling
carbon dioxide, CO2, the plant takes in CO2 and releases O2. Similarly the connecting function of the
human nerve sense organization to its environment is mirrored by the root physiology which has to
carefully note what is happening in the surrounding soil. To repeat, this is only very cursory but the
implications are significant.
In a discussion with teachers, Steiner points out:
We can have a beneficial effect on the nerve sense system by adding the proper amount of salt to
the foods that children eat. !hus" if we notice that a child tends to be inattentive" to be flighty and
turn away from what you present" that the child is what we might call too sanguine or too
phlegmatic# $we can strengthen its nerve constitution% . . . by providing the child with more salt.&'
Of course, Steiner emphasizes on many occasions that the salt will be best supplied in the form of roots
which are plant organs that specialize in the subtle handling of minerals.
)age "G of "=>
!he root is rich in salts" the flower rich in oils. !he result is that when we eat the root we introduce
much salt into our intestines. !hese salts find their way to the brain and stimulate it. (f someone has
headaches" not migraines" but headaches that fill the whole head it is )uite good for them to eat
roots. *ou can notice that there is a certain sharpness to many roots.& +
In fact, Steiner specifically mentions that eating roots introduces powers of increased thinking, reasoning
and meditation into the brain. However, if we want to develop a more independent spiritual activity,
we might want to avoid roots so that a more independent faculty of thinking can be developed
that is not so much dependent on external food factors. If this method of avoidance is employed
prematurely, fogginess and confusion can result. 3
Preparing Roots as a Meal
Building on Steiners findings, both doctors and nutritionists alike over many decades have found that roots
really do strengthen both the physical and the spiritual function of the nerve sense organization.
Over the years we have recommended root-rich diets to many of our patients: kohlrabi, celery, yams,
radishes, beets and carrots. A favorite dish is a simple fennel root recipe that Andrea Rentea prepares. She
lightly boils the fennel roots, then seasons them and bakes them with a copious sprinkling of Feta cheese.
(Eating the roots must be helping her, considering all the energy she has to do all her studies, chores, the
medical office and cook delicious root meals, too.)
Root Supplementation
Going beyond the food as such, the root effect can be strengthened by ingesting concentrated root extracts
in the form of capsules served as nutritional supplements. Some of the more common ones are curcumin,
gingko, rhodiola, withania (also known as ashwagandha), barberry, and nettles. The only issue here is that
the products have to be of reasonably good quality in terms of purity and freedom from pesticides, among
other factors. It helps if the label disclosure points to a standardization of the main ingredients.
Of course, all the roots mentioned below have more areas of health-usefulness than mentioned here, but
we are concentrating in this article only on how they can help the "brain functions.
Probably our favorite "king (or queen) of all roots, in the sense of versatility, is the barberry $,erberis
vulgaris% root. When the concentration of the most active ingredient, called berberine, is 90 percent or
better, studies have shown that it is a significant help to the nerves as an anti-depressant, even an anti-
psychotic remedy.
Curcumin $-urcuma longa% root, also known as turmeric, the main spice of curry, is perhaps no less
important. Steiner calls it a "magnet for removing illness. When offered with a purity of over 95 percent
curcuminoids it has been shown to counteract the pathological changes leading to Alzheimers disease.
Withania $Withania somnifera% root, also known as ashwagandha, is a strong tonic with calming effects;
helps to overcome the exhaustion of chronic stress; and improves short- and long-term memory.
Also, lets look at the Rhodiola $.hodiola rosea% root, which ideally should be standardized to four percent
rosavins and two percent salidrosides. It typifies the root effects on the nerve functions. Rhodiola is a
powerful healing plant growing in high mountainous areas. The roots give off a rose-like fragrance when
cut. When students, physicians and scientists were asked to take 300 mg daily for several days, before
they engaged in intense intellectual work or final exams, their mental abilities vastly improved and loss of
work capacity due to fatigue was prevented. In another study, proofreaders taking rhodiola had a
significantly lower number of errors over their non-treated counterparts, even after eight work hours.
Increase in physical fitness, mental sharpness, hand-eye coordination, and resistance to cold and noise
were noted in careful studies. Rhodiola was found to resolve depressive states, significantly improve
retention and attention span.
There is yet a third way to enhance the effectiveness of the root preparations. We have looked at the
nutritional value of food as such, then at the concentrated root extracts. Additionally one can burn the root
material and then extract from the ashes the fine trace minerals that are so abundant in the root system.
Combining all three, the whole root, the extract of the most active root ingredient, and the root ashes or
their minerals, one can deliver the most significant results, not just from a physical but also from a spiritual
point of view.
)age "> of "=>
Incidentally, since roots grow particularly well and influence the plants more at the time of the full moon,
we feel that a root-rich meal, or root supplementation, is especially important at the time of the full moon:
several days before, including and again a few days after that moon phase.
Finally and unfortunately, we need to stress that our current scientific understanding of the nerve and
sense functions is very limited. The nervous system does a lot more than support a "mental life.
Anthroposophical science makes it clear that nerves play a role on many other levels, for example
enhancing the optimal growth of the internal organs. No wonder that the embryonic development begins
with head and proceeds down toward the limbs. Nevertheless, for a lot of these functions, conventional
scientific underpinnings are still to come.
Consequently, roots may help us more then this small scratching of the surface has let us intimate. Until
we understand much more, partaking of the roots will only help and we can rest assured that we increase
both our mental and physical health. Roots are truly miracles of nature!
$All the information given in this article is for educational purposes only. /o not start any supplementation
or e0ercise program without consulting a )ualified health care professional.%
References
1. R. Steiner, 1aculty 2eetings with .. Steiner" 3ol. +, 1922-1924, page 532, Anthroposophic Press, 1998
2. R. Steiner, 4utrition and Stimulants, pages 55-56, Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1991
3. R. Steiner, 4utrition and Stimulants, pages 153, Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1991
Health &lert: &malgam 2ental 'illings

QQ bac*
By: Dr. med. Klaus 0ilde
(n "J+> the )arisian Taveau developed a dental filling made of a mercury%amalgamate. This amalgam was outlawed as too toxic in the
Lnited 'tates in "J=,. #et, no later than "JGG 2merica reintroduced amalgam. :ne of the reasons: a profitable way to utili.e industrial
metal wastes.
2malgams are made of e$ual parts mercury and a carrier powder which contains at least =,- silver, and at most 1+- tin, 1,- copper,
1- mercury, +- .inc and lesser amounts of nic*el and cadmium. These percentages can vary considerably. :bviously the physical
$uantity in each filling is small, yet a danger to the life processes of the organs exists if enough of the metals are dissolved in saliva and
carried into the intermediate and intracellular metabolism.
The greatest barrier to recogni.ing amalgam poisoning is our belief that substances in rarefied form 3trace elements7 dont a have
physiological effect. :f course, the term trace element does not really apply, since we dont yet *now how to measure metal content in
the body. By all that is *nown we estimate that the metals contained in amalgam add up to about ",D %"+ to ",D%++. This is e$uivalent to
a homeopathic potency of "+%++T.
0e might argue that such minute $uantities cannot harm the healthy organism. Aowever, anyone who has ever experienced what effect
a dose of 'tannum praep +,T has on a morphine addicted patient 3it induces forceful and copious fluid excretion, and similar bowel
activity7 will understand the pronounced and forceful effect of metals in homeopathic doses on the body. 0hile science is familiar with
the effects of substances in measurable form, it understands next to nothing about metals in intangible, homeopathic form. Aowever
there is an energetic, dynamic, and functional effect.
The rule for metals in the human organism is: the more rarefied in substance, the greater their functional dynamics and energy.
The second great barrier to understanding amalgam poisoning is the complexity: the four main metals contained in amalgam have a
compounded effect with such an intimidating array of symptoms that most doctors simply cannot deal with it.
This problem becomes easier to understand if the disease symptoms are separated out according to each metal. 0e then begin to
recogni.e which metal has caused which ailment. :nly after this has been done can the more refined $uestion of interactions be dealt
with. :ne example is the Ubattery%effect, or electro%magnetic currents caused by dentures containing a variety of metals when they are
submerged in the acidic medium of the saliva. This electro%magnetically charged circumstance is the cause of a variety of complaints.
)age "H of "=>
(n the course of treating patients ( have found the problem of amalgam poisoning to be extremely far%reaching, and G,- of my time is
spent in treating chronic ailments caused by it. /uriously, ( have found silver poisoning to be at least as problematic as mercury
poisoning. (n my personal experience an amalgam detoxification is only possible with the use of homeopathic silver in various forms
3argentum.7 ?ollowing are tables showing which metals can cause which symptoms:
+ymptoms of +ilver .oisoning
+ilver .rocess" .hysiological: ?latulence, stomach cramps, painful stomach cramps, cold legs, chronic or acute prostatitis, impotence,
rhythmic disturbances, infertility, chronic urethritis, spastic bronchitis, sleep disturbances, sterility, disturbed regulation of blood
warmth, decreased resistance, increased saliva flow, lac* of ability to run a fever.
+ilver .rocess" psychological: ;ac* of creative thin*ing, wea* fantasy, unable to impress, cannot hold bac*, cannot relin$uish,
repetitiveness, unclear religiosity to clear atheism, depression 3especially in older age7, lac* of imagination and memory, addictiveness,
clumsiness because of wea*ened bridge to the experiences of former lives.
+ymptoms of 3ercury .oisoning
3ercury .rocess" physiological: Mercury causes flowF as a poison it arrests flow and causes stagnation. )oor absorption, chronic
enterocolitis, allergies especially for solid foods, nausea, stomach pains, feeling of not being able to digest, wea*ness of limbs so that
one hardly can manage a tas*, ec.ema, colitis ulcerosa, travel sic*ness, infections, headache, di..iness, tiredness, dulling of senses,
gingivitis.
3ercury .rocess" psychological:
?ear, wea*ness of combinative thought, depression 3caused by liver7, irrational behavior.
+ymptoms of /opper .oisoning
/opper .rocess" physiological: 8out pains, inflammation of lower thumb and big toe @oints, diarrhea, watery stools, intestinal
carcinoma , premature birth, motor restlessness, accelerated or slow metabolism, pasty cold edema, *idney bloc*age, hyper% or hy%
pothyroidism, sinusitis frontalis, lac* of hearing, eye, tongue or limb spasms.
/opper .rocess" psychological:
?everish attention, lovelessness, egocentric behavior, insensitivity or hypersensitivity, @ealousy and envy, unable to forget, uncreative
or frenetic behavior, cannot listen.
+ymptoms of Tin .oisoning
Tin .rocess" physiological:
&heumatic @oints, pains in limbs, pains in index finger and second toe, sensitive outer calves, liver and spleen wea*ness, disturbance of
*idneys, metabolic disturbances, especially fat metabolism, lac* of vitality, rhythmic disturbances, dry tongue, dry mouth when
spea*ing, dry bronchi, wea* nerves, dry nerves, inflammation of sinuses, pain in lower @aw, ulceration in lower @aw, fatigue in temples,
thic*ened bac* of head.
Tin .rocess" psychological: 5iolence, unreasonableness, lac* of boundaries, unthin*ing behavior, wea*ened consciousness,
inappropriate or splenic behavior.
/oncluding 5ote:
The reason why a metal may sometimes cause polaric symptoms 3i.e. copper poisoning may cause hyper% as well as hypothyroidism7 is
because there is a difference whether, at a certain time, the metal affects the upbuilding processes 3metabolism7 or the processes of
brea*ing down 3catabolism7.. More research should be done in the future to clarify these seeming contradictions.

Dr. 7ilde is a practicing dentist and noted lecturer in Aer!an$
Beurological Disorders: The 8rowing <pidemic of the +"st /entury

QQ bac*
By: &obert Nieve, M.D.
)age "J of "=>
Aow many of us today can sleep for eight hours and feel rested in the morningC Aow many of us can thin* clearly and do not feel in a
fog a lot of the timeC :r remember the names of events and people we meetC Aow many of our children are not neurologically
impaired in some wayC (f you have any of these issues in your daily life, it is li*ely your nervous system is stressed and toxic, and may
be on the way to developing a chronic neurological illness.
2lthough cancer and cardiovascular disease garner much of the news today as the two biggest *illers and the two biggest cash cows of
medical research funding, chronic neurological diseases are fast becoming the most debilitating epidemic of our time. These illnesses,
which do not ta*e many lives and therefore do not grab headlines li*e the big *illers, are nevertheless ravaging the daily lives of
millions of 2mericans and ma*ing it much more difficult to be a conscious and self%aware participant in life. This article explores why
this is happening, and what you can do to both prevent and treat these illnesses.
Aaving a healthy brain and nervous system is vital to being able to thin* clearly, without which our active will lac*s intelligent
guidance and is wea*ened.
Beurological illnesses 3chronic inflammatory and toxic%induced brea*down of healthy nerve tissue7 occur across the entire life span.
They manifest as autism and attention deficit problems in children, multiple sclerosis and insomnia and sei.ures in adults, and
2l.heimers and )ar*insons disease in the aging population.
0hereas we are often not aware of the disturbances in our metabolism that precede the appearance of the signs and symptoms that
occur with cancer or high blood pressure, in neurological disorders we become aware $uite early that something is not right. 0e may
observe that our child is delayed in developing speech or stops spea*ingF we may notice one of our legs is not moving rightF or we may
find that our parent is having serious memory impairments.
0hy are these events and illnesses happening with increasing fre$uency todayC There are a number of *ey reasons.
:ne reason is that we live in a toxic world. The great ma@ority of chemicals we now ta*e in daily were not on the planet 1, years ago.
Many of these accumulate, especially in our fatty tissue, and slowly incapacitate our nerves. These toxins become neurotoxins,
damaging the nervous system. The brain is essentially composed of fats in its structure. (ts healthy function depends on an inta*e of
good fatsOeggs, coconut oil, and othersOto function optimally. This high fat content enables our brains to float in the cerebrospinal
fluid that bathes it, similar to the way oils float on water. (t is this $uality that enables us to thin* clearly, reflect on life, develop insight
and intent, and plan for the future.
The accumulation of environmental toxins impairs these functions. (t is important to limit your exposure to these chemicals as much as
possible, and ta*e steps to eliminate them from your body. #ou can do this by eating good fats 3olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, fish
oil, are good examples7, by sitting in infrared saunas, and by properly disposing of the commercial home and yard products you have
on hand and purchasing nontoxic replacements at health food or other !green! stores. 3Bote that it isnt only the pesticides to watch out
forF common household cleaning and laundry supplies are filled with chemical toxins.7
The toxins you are exposed to also include heavy metals, especially mercury, which destroys nervous tissues. The sources of mercury
today are dental metal amalgam fillings, many fish, coal burning, and most vaccines. The mercury in vaccines is strongly implicated in
our autism epidemic. 0hat can you doC Thoughtfully consider the pros and cons of vaccinating your children and yourselves, eat
northern ocean fish, and consult a dentist who is aware of the dangers of mercury fillings.
There is an old saying in natural healing: all disease begins in the gut. There is truth in this. Due in large part to the epidemic of fear of
illness, and our adversarial relationship with nature, we go to great lengths to *ill any microorganism that we blame for our illnesses.
This has led us to the overuse of antibiotics, which leads to immune impairment and severely disrupts the balance of healthy microflora
in the intestines. Lse of antibiotics permits overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria and other microorganisms, damage to the intestinal walls,
and subse$uent absorption of the toxic microbes into the body. The intestines are our second brain. :ver K,- of all detectable
neurotransmitters in the body are produced in the small intestine. 0e need healthy bile flow to excrete many of these neurotoxins.
Therefore, care for your gut: eat slowly, ta*e en.ymes or apple cider vinegar in water before eating to prime the pump, limit your use of
antibiotics to only the most serious conditions, ta*e probiotics 3beneficial bacteria7, learn healthy breathing, ta*e green clay orally in
water, and use topical castor oil pac*s to improve liver, lymphatic and intestinal function.
/hronic infections also play a huge role in the development of neurological illnesses today. These include ;yme disease, viral
conditions, fungal infections 3which have increased exponentially due to overuse of antibiotics7, mercury toxicity, and disorders related
to mold exposure. (n addition to dampness in homes, wireless technology and the impaired wiring in old and new homesF all these
factors can lead to a thousand times the overgrowth of mold.
0hen absorbed into the body, most of the toxins discussed in this article damage what is called the blood%brain barrier. This is a very
thin layer of protective cells that *eep toxins from seeping into the brain and doing harm. (n most people today, this barrier is damaged.
Most of the chronic neurological disorders of today originate physiologically in this damage.
)age "K of "=>
2nother area of toxic exposure, and one that is increasing at an alarming rate today, is electromagnetic radiation to the head. The
number one source of this radiation is cell phones and cordless phones, the use of which we nowaccept as normal. 0e live in a culture
of convenience, and we are paying the price for this. (t is time to change. +tudies in 1ermany have demonstrated that children who
live within 899 meters of a cell phone tower have abnormal 1s. 5ew research in +weden indicates that children and
teenagers are five times more li#ely to get brain cancer if they use cell phones. In addition" the way many homes are wired
today increases the electrical currents that go through our brains while we are in buildings. This is more damaging when we
are asleep.
0hat can you doC ;imit cell phone use to emergencies and essentials. Lse corded phones rather than cordless phones. 2void
microwaving foods. 2void wireless technologies, especially Blue Tooth. Lse high speed internet that can be unplugged at night. Turn
off the electricity to the bedroom at night if you can. /lean up hidden mold in the house.
Beyond the accumulation of toxins that we have deluded ourselves into believing is a normal part of life in this excessively
materialistic and comfort culture, there are deeper reasons for our epidemic of chronic neurological disorders.
The psychological conflicts in previous generations become the biological conflicts in children. 2nd we are all children. (t can be that a
child with autism is not spea*ing because someone in the family tree from an earlier generation is not spo*en about. The autistic child
is li*e a blac* holeF he attracts everything to himself but cannot emit a single word. The same family tree issues can hold true in other
neurological illnesses of today, or it may be a present lifetime issue. 'omeone who develops multiple sclerosis, for example, has often
experienced a deep devaluing of self. These problems often originate in the preverbal times of life, especially between conception and
one year old, and even before conception, in what we inherit from our ancestors. 0e can access and heal these unconscious memories
in many ways.
2s you can surmise, the healing of our neurological impairments and illnesses will re$uire a concerted effort by all of us in many areas
of life. Though this includes addressing the specific contributing causes mentioned in this article, healing also includes widening our
fields of perception and actions to include homeopathic and anthroposophical treatmentsOoral and topical remedies, color and sound,
and movement therapies li*e eurythmyOto activate more subtle forces in healing.
(n addition, let us be mindful that sometimes our healing re$uires us to learn to live with an illness rather than to cure it. ( recall a
patient with multiple sclerosis who transformed from a cold businessman to a warm loving man as his illness progressed to become
more debilitating.
(t is time to wa*e up6 The economic events of our time sha*e up our complacency and assumptions. 0e need healthy brains and a
change of perception toward our illnesses in order to have the necessary mental clarity, the receptivity to the whispers of higher
suggestions, and the will to ma*e constructive therapeutic movements toward healing our neurological illnesses of today.

+9?E+T B. E3ECE, MD is the director of Fine Tree Clinic for Co!prehensive Medicine in Frescott, AE, and is a participating
ph$sician in the Scottsdale Co!ple!entar$ Medicine Clinic in Scottsdale, AE. %e is a practicing ph$sician, author, and national
spea'er. %is practice includes ho!eopath$, European "iological !edicine, nutrition, her"al !edicine, and anthroposophical !edicine,
as &ell as conventional allopathic !edicine. Dr. Eieve is the author of the )**( "oo', Aealthy Medicine: 2 8uide to the <mergence of
'ensible /omprehensive /are, as &ell as the )**/ "oo' Beyond the Medical Meltdown: 0or*ing Together for 'ustainable Aealth /are
.?ell Fond Fress.0. %e can "e reached at &&&.pinetreeclinic.co! or &&&.health$!edicine.org
Bew 'piritual 2wareness in Beurosciences

QQ bac*
By: 4ames Dyson, MD, interviewed by 0alter 2lexander
Ba!es D$son, MD, a practicing ph$sician for over thirt$ $ears, co2founded the Far' Att&ood Clinic in 197I. Far' Att&ood Clinic is an
in2 and out2patient #G facilit$ offering a &ide range of conventional, co!ple!entar$ and anthroposophical therapies .e.g., rh$th!ical
!assage, h$drotherap$, art therap$, eur$th!$, !istletoe therap$ and counseling0. %e is currentl$ co!pleting a Master:s degree
progra! in Fs$chos$nthesis .founded "$ +o"erto Assagioli, 1III2197,0. 7hile continuing to see patients, his !ain activities are no&
in adult education. This intervie& &as conducted in earl$ March )**I, follo&ing a &or'shop &ith 7illia! ?ento, FhD, at the Toronto
7aldorf School JDifting the Ceil- Fh$siologic and Fs$cho2Spiritual Aspects of DepressionJ and a tal' in 5e& 6or' at Anthroposoph$
56C on JThe %eart as an 9rgan of Ferception.J
;(;():A: ;ets tal* about the way you are thin*ing about the organs in medicine.
4D: The cutting edge of current research is in the neurosciences. 2ll the modern scanning techni$ues, the M&(, )<T scans and blood
perfusion studies, have revolutioni.ed the trac*ing of correlates of both conscious and unconscious psychological function.
)age +, of "=>
;(;():A: /orrelatesC
4D: #es, the trac*ing of physiological, biochemical and neuroelectrical aspects of brain function has been revolutioni.ed in the last ",
years. 0hile its still in its infancy, some remar*able and unexpected findings have already emerged. ?or example, biochemical and
electrical changes that accompany conscious decisions seem to precede the actual conscious awareness of whats happened by fractions
of microseconds. 0hile one would have presumed that the consciousness preceded the biochemistry, its turning out to be the other way
around. (n a similar way, the idea that time is linear is brea*ing down. Blood flow studies show that before a part of the brain opens
up and starts to become active, the blood flow to that part of the brain increases. Aow that is induced is probably still not clear in most
cases, but it does raise the $uestion as to whether or not the nerve activity precedes the blood. The findings in neurocardiology are
especially stri*ing. &esearch by the people at AeartMath " suggests that neurological and biochemical and hormonal activity in the
heart can actually influence correlates of activity in the brain. Bow, it always used to be assumed that the brain was the conductor of
the orchestra, and that it sent the messages down to the heart. But this finding says that there is, at the very least, a two way feedbac*
loop between cardioneurological activity and cerebral neurobiochemical activity.
;(;():A: 'uggesting that the heart is the bossC
4D: 0ithin this feedbac* loop it becomes increasingly difficult and probably ultimately impossible to separate cause and effect, to
separate the sensory aspect from the motor aspect, to separate what is inducing and what is responding to the induction. Thats a shoc*
to our cause and effect linear thin*ing, the thin*ing which inspired classical neurology in the "Kth century and which led to this rigid
division in the idea of the motor nerve and the sensory nerve. 2ll these thoughts are now brea*ing down at the neurobiological level,
much in the same way that Bewtonian concepts of mechanics bro*e down in the "K+,s, 1,s and =,s in respect to atomic theory with the
$uantum revolution.
;(;():A: 'o what happened in the nuclear sciences is now being reenacted in the biological sciences.
4D: )recisely. 2nd more recently, we have the ideas of chaos theory + to bring towards this. 2nd the moment we start ta*ing chaos
theory seriously, cause and effectOnot only do they brea* downObut boundaries between observer and observed brea* down. /haos
theory tells us that were all part of a much, much greater system and that what we perceive as chaos is simply the signature of what, at
another level, is embodying purpose, meaning and value.
;(;():A: /an you say more about purpose, meaning and valueC
4D: 0e are not living in a universe that is a vacuum in terms of what we, with our limited vocabulary, have to call "eing and higher
intention and !eaning. These words are not ade$uate, but they imply that behind the ecology of which we are all a part there is
something higher at wor* which, for want of a better word, we may callOintentionality.
;(;():A: (ts been my experience even with the most !cutting edge! and progressively thin*ing conventional scientists, those fully
conversant with $uantum concepts and chaos theory, that when you cross over the line and say "eing or !eaningOthey turn instantly
pale. These are simply ta"oo terms.
4D: 2nd ( thin* that will probably always be the case. Bot @ust in the atomic sciences or the neurosciencesF its also the case in
conventional psychology. #ou can only tal* about "eing with someone who has already signed up to a real
psychospiritualtyDpsychological approach. <ven if you ta*e the most developed and refined aspects of, say, psychodynamic psychology
Oeven the Self Fs$cholog$ that Aein. Kohut developedOyoure not going to find that their proponents have necessarily accepted the
idea of "eing. (ncidentally this premise distinguishes )sychosynthesis )sychology from most other transpersonal psychological
disciplines.
;(;():A: 'o how does one ma*e that stepC
4D: ( thin* that the step to "eing, irrespective of the field youre in, can only be made as an inner decision, as an act of willF being can
never be proved. The reason is that in meeting that step, we actually confront the boundary of that which is sub@ect to proof. 2t that
point you either create your own reality in which what you experience as "eing is given its existence, or you deny that element and
create a different realityOand thats free choice. 2nd in the overall scheme of things, ( suppose some of us will ta*e one road and
others will ta*e the other.
;(;():A: 2nd humanity will be deeply divided in this respect.
4D: Auman beings may well create and end up living in these two widely divergent realities. 2lso, it will be completely illusory for
anyone to imagineOwhatever field or specialty youre wor*ing inOthat this issue will be solved through yet more research. This will
only serve to push the boundary further down the line.
;(;():A: But isnt it possible and worthwhile, by really being rigorous as a spiritual researcher and not being fu..y%headed when you
tal* about "eing, to ma*e that bridge or step to the inner decision as short as possibleC
)age +" of "=>
4D: #es. (ts perfectly possible that by being every bit as conversant and up%to%date with the data as the next guy, you can bring this
issue into clear focus. But ( would never attempt to try to convince someone of a different worldview on the basis of the data. (t wont
wor*. Auman beings dont operate that way. #ou have to bring to the data a willingness to create a hypothesis that says !here is "eing.!
;(;():A: 2nd where does that willingness come fromC
4D: (ts one of the mysteries of the 'elf, isnt itC #ou need to seriously $uestion the habit of assuming that on the material plane of
measurables, the real causes must also be found. To contemplate the idea of an immaterial plane interpenetrating the material planeO
indeed coexisting with itOto create this thought, in itself, is to cross a boundary or a threshold in oneself. 2nd you meet this boundary
in every single field. #ou meet it for instance both in immunology and in genetics. ?or example, the more is *nown about how genes
operate, how they are turned on and off, the more we must $uestion what or who is turning what on and what off. ?inding an ultimate
answer will never be possible because the real universe is not dualistic, not split into cause and effect.
0ere actually living in a universe that is a unity through and through, from top to bottom, right to left, bac* to frontObecause there is
no top, bottom, bac* to front, right to left in this universe. (t actually transcends space, functions as a coherent entity. 2nd weve come
bac* to the original point again. By nature of the very meaning of the word entity, "eing has to be present because what is an entity if
it doesnt existC
;(;():A: 2nd if you try to explain away "eing as an epiphenomenonOa figment of purely physical causesC
4D: 2nd who then is explaining all this to whomC 2nd whyC
;(;():A: (m with you on that. (ts useful if you can simply point out the circularity of the thin*ing. #ou *now, you can thin*, !There
is no such thing as thin*ing.!
4D: Thats the pointOand thats the very freedom that thin*ing gives us. (t is also what 'teiner was demonstrating in his boo*
Fhilosoph$ of Freedo!, trying to get around this tendency of putting the problem outside of yourselfOby actually including the
observer within the observed. By doing this, thin*ing, in itself, becomes, at least in principle, the ob@ect of observation. Then the doer
and the thin*ing are part of the creation of the concept.
;(;():A: 2nd still, those who dont want to go there, wont.
4D: They will simply defend themselves by hiding behind smo*escreens of more and more facts.
;(;():A: 'o wed better get bac* to the organs.
4D: #es, we moved off the trac* through considering the important issue of cause and effect in physiology. ( wanted to highlight the
fact that there is now a basis for tal*ing about neurophysiological feedbac* loops between the heart and
brain. BowOis it too much of a @ump to suggest that when our investigations go a little further, we will recogni.e that there are also
neurohormonal physiological feedbac* loops between the heart and *idney, heart and liver, heart and lungC The moment we embrace
that idea as a possible hypothesis, it becomes evident that these loops between these organs and the brain are @ust as important as the
loops between the heart and the brain. 0e cant ever again loo* at the brain as an organ in isolation. 0e cant loo* at the brain as a one%
way system of informing or instructing the metabolic organs. The latest research, ( thin*, is finally pointing to this interrelationship
and, in so doing, it is confirming and validating 'teiners picture that mental function is indeed related to organ physiology. :f course,
the details of the metabolic connections still need to be wor*ed out, and this could ta*e a long time.
;(;():A: (s it too much of a stretch to thin* that future research will ma*e a further lin* between the organs and the cosmosC ?or
example, between organ function and the planetary movementsC
4D: ( dont thin* it is too much of a stretch at all, but research will need motivated people and funding. This particular piece could
possibly still be a very long way ahead. Aowever, a remar*able start has been made. 'everal years ago, AeartMath researchers were
suggesting connections between the electromagnetic field of the heart and the electromagnetic activity of the sun. 2nd remember, the
moment you identify such a lin* with one organ, if you *now how to investigate, you could, in principle, find it with other organs.
'teiner encouraged research on this sub@ect in the early "K+,s, loo*ing first at how the planets were influencing the germination of
seeds and the life of plants. ;illy Kolis*o built up most of the original sensitive crystalli.ation wor*, but her research has proved
difficult to reproduce systematically. This raises the $uestion of whether her methodology was fundamentally flawed or whether the
difficulty in obtaining reproducible results suggests that in this area of subtle dynamics the researcher cant be entirely separated from
the field under investigation. The &ho may always have an influence...
;(;():A: That ma*es confirmatory statistical analyses problematic.
)age ++ of "=>
4D: Lnfortunately this could well be the case. The clinical experience of homeopathic practitioners has sometimes been hard to confirm
in double%blind, randomi.ed clinical trials. The results theyve been experiencing in daily practice seem to elude this mode of
investigation. (ts almost as though the research tools of ob@ective science themselves violate the very field that is operative in the
efficacy of the medicine. 0hile research methodologies can be designed that ta*e this into account, they will never yield the form of
statistical hard data that is currently the gold standard of a materialistic and reductionist science.
/onsider cancer treatment for example. ( believe that if sufficient numbers of people were being treated in an ideal anthroposophical
oncology institute, in which Ciscu! 3mistletoe7 was being used to optimal effect as an ad@uvant treatment along with supportive
therapiesOand the outcomes for this group were analy.ed, ( would be very surprised if the statistics did not reveal a significantly
positive difference in favor of those being treated in accordance with an anthroposophic paradigm. :f course to do this would
presuppose a comparative study with patients with e$uivalent tumor staging. 2t the same time, ( am not naive enough to imagine that
you could necessarily interpret these statistics in a linear way to prove the efficacy of the Ciscu!. ( believe you could only attribute the
success to the system as a whole, not to any of its components in isolation. Bevertheless, ( have personally witnessed some remar*able
regressions and remissions in patients receiving Ciscu! that would be difficult to attribute to other agents. (n this case, ( believe that a
body of evidence must rely on thoroughly substantiated individual case histories.
;(;():A: 'howing a statistically significant advantage for a therapeutic system or strategy does carry some weight.
4D: #es, ( believe it would, or at least it could. But to appreciate the value of this approach re$uires an openness to the concept of
interacting systems. There is certainly great interest and enthusiasm from many people in investigating systems%theory in a biological
context, but its going to ta*e a long time before this understanding translates into a robust form of medical research methodology. 2nd
its going to be very difficult, because by definition, the moment you introduce a research methodology into a system, youre
influencing the very system youre trying to loo* at. :f course this thought could be ta*en to absurd extremes, but its understandable
that researchers say, !;ets @ust stic* with the traditional methodology because its the only way to produce $uantifiable and
reproducible resultsOand thats after all where the money is.! 'o, experimental science finds itself loc*ed into this reductionist
framewor*. /onversely it is also understandable that so many practitioners bac* away from this field.
;(;():A: But wont showing connections that stand up to statistical analyses between the organs and the planets be convincing for
many peopleC
4D: 'howing connections of the organs, and indeed of any organic life on earth, to planetary processes may well prove to be a future
line of fruitful research, at least among those who are open to it. Those who arent will still loo* for ways to discredit it, ( suspect.
;(;():A: Aow do you see *nowledge of those connections being put to good useC
4D: ( certainly thin* there could be an astrosophy of epidemiological medicine showing particular times when susceptibility to
contracting a particular ailment is higher or lower for a given organ or organ system. 2nd (m inclined to thin* that this
*ind of study might even ultimately lend itself to statistical verification. Aow far it could go in terms of predictions, ( dont *now, but
its a real possibility. (ts definitely futuristic stuff. But, who *nows, by the time we get there, human consciousness will probably have
evolved to the point that the need for this *ind of research will no longer be felt6
;(;():A: ( thin* people have to be won overOas many as possibleOand there will be many people who need to see the data to get
them past a tipping point.
4D: 0ith respect to the organs, weve established that it is@ust as reasonable to start loo*ing at organ function in relation to
psychological function as it is to loo* at brain functionOeven if we, as yet, cant $uite be precise as to the exact physiological
mechanism, the approach appears to have promise. 2nd the moment you establish the legitimacy of loo*ing $ualitatively at the activity
of the organs, as we were doing in Toronto with case histories, you begin to be able to wor* therapeutically from what you see.
;(;():A: /an you elaborate on that ideaC
4D: ( can try6 #ou can infer the *ind of organ activity thats going on from the $ualitative aspects of how a human being presents him or
herself. 'o we could say in one instance of depression that the liver is drying out and in another case that the liver is definitely
congested and too moist. These are of course !soft! observationsObut (m $uite certain that if we had the tools available, we could
validate them biochemically. (m not certain as to which parameters wed have to investigate, but (m sure they are present and
traceable.
;(;():A: 2nd that such observations can inform treatmentC
4D: #es. #ou can already translate that simple observation into a meaningful axis of therapy. (t can inform your approach as a
physician, counselor or therapist. 2nd if that ends up helping, it is self validating. :f course one could advocate abandoning this
approach until we have researched all the data to @ustify it. But then we wont get the data until we have enough people inspired to wor*
this way. (ts a /atch%++, isnt itC
)age +1 of "=>
;(;():A: Lltimately, could astrosophy tell you the most opportune moment to treat that organOsay, to wor* on the congestion in the
liverC
4D: ( believe it could perhaps be of some help in this respect. 0e would, of course, need to obtain the permission of the patient to wor*
in this way, to loo* behind the scenes to the cosmic picture and dynamics with that person. But with the individuals permission, (
believe we could optimi.e treatment interventions accordingly. 2nd indeed, 'teiner was encouraging his medical co%wor*ers to ta*e
account of cosmic constellations in diagnosis more than eighty years ago.
;(;():A: (s there any other evidence to support...
4D: (n a very small way perhaps, for example in cancer treatment, ( gather that theres a substantial body of evidence to suggest that
surgery and chemotherapy are more effective when carried out in relation to a particular point in the menstrual cycle. 0e *now that the
menstrual rhythms are connected to the lunar rhythmsOso these bridges are not as far%fetched as people might have us believe. (
certainly thin* this line of thought cannot be dismissed out of hand.
;(;():A: 2re you aware of Dennis Kloce*s wor* with meteorologyC Ae traces the influence of changes in solar radiation and
planetary movements on the @et streams which steer the ma@or storm paths and air masses.
4D: (t is beautiful to see the same connections coming from another direction6 2nd what are the solar radiationsC #ou *now, one of
'teiners most seemingly outrageous statements is in the Bridge ;ectures 3The ?ridge ?et&een #niversal Spiritualit$ and the Fh$sical
Constitution of Man, &udolf 'teiner 2rchive, www.rsarchive.org7 where he says, in effect, that it is only what is going on in the moral
enthusiasm of the warmth ether that *eeps the sun shining6 'o the solar radiations could perhaps be the sum total of what is going on in
the collective hearts of humanity. 2lso, anthroposophic medicine relates the heart to the warmth ether. 0ell, you *now, you read this as
a young medical student and you say to yourself, !0hat nextC! !Tell me another one.! But when you actually thin* the whole picture
through over years or decades, you may end up feeling theres no other way of imagining it. 2nd then putting this together with the
solar cosmicDmeteorological connections you @ust mentioned, you suddenly recogni.eOMy 8od, we are part of this cosmic loop, too.
There is no ob@ective universe out there. (t is us.
;(;():A: This is a huge step, even for those who have entertained these thoughts over timeObut it seems thats where this is pointing.
4D: #ou turn everything inside out. 2nd ( suppose this is why spiritual science is difficult for many people to embrace. (t is worth
remembering, however, that 'teiner was convinced that eventually there would be no conflict between spiritual science and natural
science.
;(;():A: Ae said also that there will be different streams of humanity, some going this way and others who will refuse to.
4D: 0e will each create our own reality, and in the course of time this will imprint itself on different streams, maybe even on a genetic
level. Aow they will or wont interact is an interesting $uestion, but not one we can pursue further here, ( guess6
;(;():A: 'o, to pose a final $uestion, one that other physicians have found difficult to answerOyou meet with a new patient todayO
what are you loo*ing at differently than when you finished your conventional trainingC 0hat has changed in the way your senses wor*,
your processes wor*C
4D: )erhaps ( loo* more ecologically at the patient. ( see the patient as an expression of a number of interacting systemsOthe physical,
the life, the consciousness, the self and the spirit. ( dont confine any of these systems to what is contained within the s*inOthey are a
part of systems that lin* the person to the social environment and the cosmos. The organ systems of the patient give access to the
different layers. 'o the lung organ system spea*s more of the earthly $uality, the liver more of the fluid, or etheric, the *idney more of
the air or astral, the heart more of the fire or the warmth, which relates to the ( or self. Therefore my whole approach to diagnosis and
treatment has inevitably become broader, wider and more $ualitative, more pictorial. Aowever, this can only supplementOnot replace
Othe standard scientific rigors of diagnostic methodology. 2lso, ( suspect that ( may have a greater confidence than ( did then, in my
intuitive ability to bring forward a therapeutic interventionOsuch that in the moment ( conceive it, ( may not be able to thoroughly
understand or even @ustify it. Bow ( have more confidence in the notion that &ill precedes consciousness. (ncidentally, this axiom is
found both in 2nthroposophy and )sychosynthesis psychology.
;(;():A: (n Toronto ( heard you spea* about the crisis precipitated at the very moment a diagnosis forms for you about a patient.
4D: #es. Diagnoses always run the ris* of reducing the patient to an abstractionOwhich at worst may be felt by as a painful re@ection or
even annihilation. To avoid this calls for both presence of mind and a shift of inner identification from ob@ectification to sub@ective
identification. ?or the physician this is li*e going through the eye of the needle, surrendering your identity as the *nower and thereby
becoming a mediator of 0ill. (f you can manage to do this, the ecology of the systems that youre addressing will change at some level.
Aowever, at the end of a tiring day, this may be challenging since it assumes an availability of "eing.
;(;():A: 2nd, whatever guiding beings are around the person youre treating.
)age += of "=>
4D: #es. That re$uires that ( recogni.e that its not up to me to create the fixOrather its my @ob to reintegrate the system bac* into such
a state that it can fix itself. 'teiner advised us, ( thin* in Spiritual Science and Medicine, to loo* for the interventions which produce
small but sustainable results, rather than the massive interventions which produce $uic* resultsObecause the latter will more easily fall
bac*, but the former youll be able to build upon. This axiom applies e$ually to psychological interventions. Bow, as a young
practitioner, its difficult to adopt that approach, because you may well feel the need to produce big results. 2nd this is indeed
sometimes possible even within the realm of complementary medicines. #ou can practice any system of complementary medicine in
such a way that it may induce $uic* and stri*ing effects both on a physical and psychological levels. This is often seen, for example, in
acupuncture and in some forms of hypnotic interventions. But its not necessarily the wisest way in the long run.
;(;():A: 2nd why is thatC
4D: The body is an ecological system and a large intervention may disrupt the systems coherence. Moreover, !smaller! interventions
may help patients to ta*e responsibility for their own path of healing. Both as a doctor and as a mentor to my patients, (ve generally
wor*ed with small interventions that ( wouldnt necessarily have imagined would have made a significant differenceObut as it turned
out, they usually did. 8aining this experience has increased my confidence in the inner wisdom of the body and of the psyche when
exposed to the right therapeutic attitude and conditions. )erhaps this is a good point to conclude.
;(;():A: Than* you very much6

". (nstitute of AeartMath 3(AM7, founded "KK", conducts research on emotional physiology and heart%brain interactions, along with
basic in$uiries into the human biofield and energetic system. (AM also develops clinical applications to improve health, performance,
and $uality of life.
+. /haos theory was defined first by <dward ;oren. in "K>,, subse$uent to his computer modeling of weather systems. !The butterfly
effect,! an aspect of chaos theory, shows that
a minute change in the initial conditions can drastically change the long%term behavior of a vast system.
7aw 3il#

QQ bac*
By: Thomas /owan, M.D.
2s many might agree, there re very few sub@ects as emotionally charged as the choice of ones diet. 'exual relations, marriage and
finances come to mind as similarly intense sub@ects and, li*e diet, each of us is sure we *now all we need to *now about each of these
areas. The sub@ect of mil*, as ( have discovered in the past four years when properly viewed, will challenge every notion you currently
have about what is good food and what isnt.
The story of mil* is complex and its history goes something li*e this: Bac* in the pre%processed food era 3i.e., before about "K1, in the
L.'.7 mil* was considered a highly pri.ed food, especially for children. Bot only was there an entire segment of our economy built up
around mil*, but as ( remember, each house had its own direct mil* chute for the delivery of fresh mil*. (t was un$uestioned that mil*
was good for us and that a safe, plentiful mil* supply was actually vital to our national health and well%being. (t was also a time 3now
(m referring to the early part of the century7 when many of the illnesses which we currently suffer from were rare. 2s an example, fam%
ily doctors would often go their whole careers without ever seeing a patient with significant coronary artery disease, breast or prostate
cancer. This is something current doctors can hardly go one month before they encounter such a patient. ?urthermore, as scientists such
as 0estern )rice, D.D.'., had discovered, there were poc*ets of extremely healthy, long%lived people scattered
about the earth who used dairy products in various forms as the staple of their diets O further evidence that mil* and its products were
amongst the most healthful foods human beings have ever encountered.
(f we fast forward to the "KJ,s we now find an entirely different picture. ?or one, there have been numerous boo*s written in the past
decade about the dangers of dairy products O the most influential being a boo* called Don:t Drin' 6our Mil' " by ?ran* :s*i, M.D.
Ae is the current chairman of )ediatrics at 4ohns Aop*ins Lniversity and perhaps the most influential pediatrician in this country. (n his
boo*, he pins @ust about each health problem in children to the consumption of mil*, including everything from acute and chronic ear
infections to constipation, asthma, ec.ema, etc. 'econdly, @ust about all patients, on their initial visit, proudly announce that they have a
good diet and that, specifically, they dont eat dairy 3which they pronounce with such disdain7. :ne might well as* here where is the
truth in this pictureC
)erhaps the experiments of Dr. ?rances )ottenger + in the "K=,s can help to solve this mystery. (n these experiments Dr. )ottenger fed
similar groups of animals 3usually cats7 a diet of exclusively mil*. Aalf ate coo*ed mil* 3i.e., pasteuri.ed7, the other ate uncoo*ed 3i.e.,
!raw! mil*7. The results were conclusive and astounding. Those that ate raw mil* did well, lived long, happy, active lives free of any
)age +G of "=>
signs of degenerative disease. Those that ate pasteuri.ed mil* suffered from acute illnesses 3vomiting, diarrhea7 and succumbed to
every degenerative disease now flourishing in our population. By the third generation, a vast ma@ority of the cats were infertile and
exhibited !anti%social! behavior. (n short, medically spea*ing, they were li*e many modern 2mericans.
'ince the =,s, the !$ualities! of mil* have been extensively studied to try to find an explanation for these dramatic changes. 0e have
heard discussed that before heating, mil* is a living food rich in colloidal minerals, rich in en.ymes which are necessary for the
absorption and utili.ation of the sugars and fats in the mil*. 0e have also heard that mil* has a cortisone%li*e factor which is heat
sensitive 3i.e. destroyed by heat7 in the creamF that mil* has an en.yme phosphatase which allows the body to absorb the calcium from
the mil*F that mil* has lactase O an en.yme which allows for the digestion of lactoseF and that mil* has beneficial bacteria and lactic
acids which allow these beneficial bacteria to implant in the intestines.
2ll of these $ualities are lost in the heating of mil*. (t then becomes rotten, with precipitated minerals which cant be absorbed 3hence
osteoporosis7, with sugars that cant be digested and with fats which are toxic. 0ith this in mind, we can $uic*ly see what has happened
in the past sixty years.
&aw mil* has been used in therapy, in fol* medicine and even in the Mayo /linic for centuries. (t has been used in the pre%insulin days
to treat diabetes 3(ve tried itOit wor*s7, ec.ema, intestinal worms, allergies, arthritis, and other afflictions, all for reasons which can be
understood when we examine @ust what is in mil* 3e.g., the cortisone%li*e factor for allergies and ec.ema7. &arely is anyone truly
allergic to grass%fed cows mil* 3feeding high protein feeds to the cows changes the mil*, ma*ing it more allergenic7.
#et apart from all these explanations is perhaps the real *ey: fresh raw mil* is a living, unprocessed, whole food. /ompare this to the
supposedly !healthy! soy mil* which has been washed in acids, al*ali, ultra%pasteuri.ed, then allowed to sit in a box for some months.
The lessons of studying mil* and )ottengers cats are profound for the 2merican health scene. :ne of them is also simple: processed,
dead foods dont support life or a happy, well%functioning society. This can only happen if people return to eating pure, wholesome,
unprocessed foods.
(n my practice ( always start there. ( encourage, insist and even beg people to eat real foods, no matter what the problem. :ften with
@ust this intervention the results are gratifying. 'o, find a cow, find a farmer, ma*e sure the cow 3goat, llama, or whichever other mil*
source7 is healthy and start your return to good health.
7eferences:
". Don:t Drin' 6our Mil', ?ran* :s*i, M.D., )ar* /ity )ress 3published date not supplied7.
+. Dr. ?rances )ottinger was a pathologist wor*ing in the =,s who tested the theories of Dr. )rice on catsO that is that fresh raw foods
are the healthiest for animal growth and development. Ais boo* is FottengerKs Cats, A Case Stud$ in 5utrition by ?rancis M. )ottenger,
4r., M.D., "KJ1. 2vailable from )rice%)ottenger ?oundation or 8erson (nstitute 3phone "%JJJ%=%8<&':B7,
Tho!as Co&an, M.D., graduated fro! Michigan State Medical School in 19I,. %e is no& a fa!il$ practitioner &ith special interests
in nutritional and anthroposophical !edicine.
The ?our Temperaments in Aealing

QQ bac*
By: 2nne /readic*%Kennedy, &.B.
0hat does it mean to hear someone say !'he has cancer6! Aow does it feel when you hear !#ou are A(5%positive6! (n each case, the
dominant emotion can be, and often is, fear. Lnfortunately, fear is one of the most significant barriers to healing. 'ome people ( have
wor*ed with choose to tell no one of their diagnosis, not because they are in denial, but because of the debilitating nature of the fearful
and negative thoughts of others. Bernie 'iegel, MD, who introduced healing imagery twenty years ago, reports of patients who dont
use terms of war and aggression when imaging the healing of their bodies. 0ar and aggression are fear%based, reactive behaviors,
rather than proactive.
2re there differences in reactions to a serious diagnosis whether or not the patient is male or femaleC )erhaps. ( thin* it is even more
interesting to explore reactions based on the four temperaments, which transcend gender.
The four temperaments were proposed by )aracelsus, and based on the medieval concept of the four humors 3contained in heart, lungs,
liver, spleen7.
They are a familiar point of view for parents and teachers in 0aldorf schools, and are explained most lovingly by 2./. Aarwood
in his boo* The 7a$ of the Child 32nthroposophic )ress, Audson, B#7.
)age +> of "=>
The choleric te!pera!ent, related to the color red and the planet Mars, is definitive, and tends to ta*e an aggressive course in the fight
against illness. The predominantly choleric person profits greatly from veil painting after being given an opportunity to ventilate rage
and grief with perhaps more *inetic activities.
The !elancholic person tends to react with a statement such as, !( *new it.! 2 patient of mine confided, !(ve wanted to die my whole
life.! Aere the tas* is to en*indle hope. There is an ex$uisite painting exercise from Dr. Margarethe Aausch*a which does @ust that.
Sanguine persons need help not to exhaust themselves flying all over the world see*ing the next !miracle cure.! (ve never discouraged
a patient from exploring anything they believe might be helpfulF in fact, ( encourage them to try anything resonant with their nature and
their 3not my7 intuition. BLT, a significant nursing 3or physician7 tas* is to help the patient conserve their forces and *eep up their
strength. Many anthroposophical therapies call on the etheric body, the life forces, to be strong enough to enable healing to occur.
?rantically exhausting oneself isnt supportive of these life forces.
The phleg!atic person ta*es a reasoned approach, carefully exploring possibilities. The problem here is motivation to activity, and not
contemplation alone. This !liver! type benefits greatly from the oft%prescribed ?ragaria 5itis /omp, but also may be encouraged to
wal* daily and faithfully underta*e the curative eurythmy exercises prescribed. The usual art therapy for this patient is clayF however
beeswax modeling may be substituted for a cancer patient.
The human being who has a life%threatening illness has an enormous challenge ahead. ?or this reason it is important to develop a
!team! around the patient optimally consisting of oncologistDspecialist, anthroposophically%extended medical doctor, rhythmical
massage practitioner,I art therapist, counselor 3or spiritual counselor7, curative eurythmist, an &.B. *nowledgeable in anthroposophic
hydrotherapy, a peer support group, and the patient, its Team ;eader.
(deally, the group surrounding the patient consists of colleagues who trust one another and communicate on a regular basis.
Besides treating the physical body, in anthroposophically%extended medicine we have had success in healing from the direction of the
life% or etheric bodyF and the direction of the ego, the higher, or eternal 'elf. 2 brief loo* at some therapies prescribed may be seen in
light of the fourfold nature of the human being.
Fh$sical therapies can include compresses, oral% and in@ectable medications. Etheric or life2"od$ therapies would include wal*ing,
painting, rhythmic massage. Music and counseling address issues of the Soul or Astral ?od$. 2 direct approach is made to the Ego or
%igher Self via fever%baths and mistletoe preparations, therapeutic eurythmy and meditations.
?ortunately, research has finally produced data supporting this approach. ?riends who have gone to the ;u*as /linic in 'wit.erland, or
)ar* 2twood /linic in <ngland consistently report a profound sense of healing in these hospitals where all the therapies and !teams!
are in place.

Iother types of massage are contraindicated for cancer patients.

Anne Creadic'2Genned$, +.5. is currentl$ practicing in Fortland, 9regon, and &or'ing &ith the Ta'acs !edical group.
The 'even ;ife )rocesses

QQ bac*
By: &oss &entea, M.D.
(nterview with &oss &entea, M.D.
L- Can &e loo' at hu!an ph$siolog$ in such a &a$ that &e can have an anthroposophical overvie&8
A- #es. &udolf 'teiner gave us a *ey to this by identifying the seven physiological functions that shed light on our basic life processes.
:nce you understand these you will *now which disease is connected to which process.
L- Can $ou outline each of these8
A- 'urely. They are: breathing, warming, nutrition, circulation, maintenance, growth and maturation, and reproduction. Aowever
you should *now that 'teiner connects soul $ualities as well as physical principles to these life processes.
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L. Can &e loo' at each of these processes in turn, and characteri4e the!8
A- (reathing is the first life process. 'teiner emphasi.es that this is an occult term, which signifies
!inta*e! from the outside worldF the beginning of digestion. (t encompasses ta*ing in something as spiri%
tual as thought, light, or oxygen through the lungsF or as physical as ta*ing in food.
2ll these must be transformed as they are accepted by the body. (f too much enters that cannot be
processed, it will cause damage or illness. 2 first step is to control ;uantit$ and &hat comes in. (f you
ta*e%in too much untransformed warmth, you will get burnt, as in radiation illness. Lncontrolled inta*e
of substances that overwhelm you can lead to addiction or, physically as in smo*ing, can lead to cancer.
;astly, if the body constantly fights overabundance, it gets used upF the typical process of aging.
L. Can all these life processes "e associated &ith planetar$ ;ualities8
A- #es. )lanets, everchanging in the s*y, govern all moveable, interchanging functions in the body.
Breathing is associated with the planet 'aturn, the most peripheral planet from a spiritual point of view.
'teiner called the second process warming 3ruled by the planet 4upiter7. This directs our attention to
whatever increases body temperature. :ne such process is the influence of the thyroid gland. 0e all
*now that people who suffer from an under%secretion of the thyroid feel cold and are slow.
L- 3s there a progression "et&een this process and the first one8
A- #es. The real function of the thyroid hormone, besides ta*ing up oxygen li*e the first process, is to
increase the use of oxygen throughout the body. <very time oxygen is used, it is a form of burning, and
its fire results in warmth. 'o you can see how the warming is an intensification of breathing.
There is however another significant aspect to warming. 'ubstances ta*en in by breathing need to be
absorbed more deeply. This happens when food is ta*en across the gut wall and into the inner organism,
or when substances cross through the membranes into the cells. 2ll of these passings, or ferryings,
across walls re$uire warmth, and create warmth. :ne of these ferrying processes is the ionic pump 3such
as the sodium potassium pump7. 'urprisingly >,- of the bodys metabolic energy is generated @ust to
*eep these pumps going. 'odium and potassium are substances that ma*e electricity flow. They also
ma*e our nervous system function, which ultimately allows us to thin*. Thin*ing is connected to the
planet 4upiter.
(n conclusion, illnesses of this physiological stage either have to do with burning too fastF using too
much oxygen 3the problem of free radicals and antioxidants7, or too little warmth production as in hy%
pothyroidism.
5utrition is the third process. (t is also connected with Mars. Mars is an aggressive )lanet, related to
destruction. Butrition has this same $uality.'ubstances brought in with breathing, then warming, now
must be bro*en down within the body. Butrition has to do with brea*ing down of proteins, and building
up new ones. 2ctually, the whole world of biochemical changes belongs to this life process.
L- This see!s to follo& the path of food. Can &e follo& the thin'ing process along the sa!e route8
A- 0e can receive a thought from another personF ta*ing it in. 0e can warm it up, becoming enthusiastic. Then we can digest and
transform it, until we perceive it as our own. (f a substance cannot be transformed, illnesses of deposit ensue, such as fat cholesterol,
xanthomas, deposits of water 3edema7, uric acid crystals, 3gout7, sugar deposits 3diabetes7 etc. These illnesses are a wea*ened Mars.
0ith the fourth process, circulation, we have arrived at the center of the body. (t relates to the beat of the heart and the rhythm of the
lungs. The transformed substances must now be transported to the organs that use them. This is done through the cardiovascular sys%
tem, governed by the 'un and the <go. <verything to do with flow is a manifestation of circulation, for example the white protein in the
blood called albumen. (t even loo*s li*e the sun, or li*e an egg, intense at the core, with a white mantle around it. 2ny disturbance,
where circulation suddenly gets out of rhythm, belongs to this pathology. (f substances accumulate instead of going where they belong,
you have illness. 2lbuminous processes circulating in the wrong place can cause diarrhea or various forms of allergies 3sudden nasal
discharges7.
L. 3t see!s that the first three processes &ere a unit of sorts, &ith the fourth at the center. Are the ne<t three processes a unit as &ell8
A- /ertainly. Maintenance, growth and reproduction are oriented in the opposite direction, more from the inside of the body towards
the outside.
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The fifth process, maintenance, relates to tissue and cell connections. (t is the sum total of ma*ing substance into the bodys own cells,
each one round li*e little mercury droplets. This process belongs to Mercury. Mercury also controls the intercellular messenger activity
between each cell. 2ll repair, scarring and healing belong to Mercury. Too little produces wea*ness or hypermobility of tendonsF too
much can cause uterine fibroids or cysts. (n congestive heart failure the heart muscle is not maintained enough.
'ixth, growth and maturation belong to the same process that forms tissue or actual organs li*e liver, lung, *idney, etc. (t ta*es a new
impulse, that comes from 5enus, to individuali.e tissues and transform them into organs. 0hen growth comes to an end, and the body
as a whole presents itself to our eyes, we have a truly harmonious whole in front of us. 0here do we see the 5enus forcesC They
become obvious in the beauty that the human form, in its entirety, has. 2ll maturing has as its crowning point the formation of beauty.
L- %o& &ere the last t&o life processes opposite to the second and third processes8
A- The second and third process had very much to do with ta'ing in substance. Lnder the governance of Mercury and 5enus,
substances are e<creted. (f the processes dont come to an end, when they *eep on going, there is pathology. ( have the feeling that this
is where all leu*emias and lymphomas come from, not $uite the same as solid tumors, which are under 'aturn. :rgans under the
influence of 5enus secrete hormones. 2ll disturbances of hormonal life, specifically male and female, are related to this domain.
The last process, reproduction is the total opposite of the 'aturn forces. (t is governed by the Moon. &eproductive forces result in the
formation of an embryo that grows and is ultimately a totalityF a new world, excreted to the outside at birth. 'aturn forces bring the
outer world in, the Moon forces ta*e the inner world out. )athology in the reproductive realm includes genetic diseases.
This picture of classifying all physiological processes in a group of seven consecutive categories is completely novelF a first time pre%
sentation in the scientific world of human physiology from an evolutionary point of view. More on this topic can be found in &.
'teiners basic boo*let, Anthroposoph$2A Frag!ent.
+oss +entea received his !edical degree at the #niversit$ of Chicago@ then did his residenc$ in 5e& 6or' Cit$. Su"se;uentl$, for si<
$ears, he &or'ed at clinics in Europe to stud$ anthroposophical !edicine. Since 19I he has "een practicing in Chicago, together &ith
his &ife Andrea +entea, MD.
Butrition: 'ummary of ;ectures by :tto 0olff

QQ bac*
By: Ln*nown 2uthor
Summary Report on the Sixth Annual conference of Doctors, Medical Students and Therapists in Wilton, New Hampshire
- une, !"#$
The theme of this years conference was Butrition. The conference was dedicated to Karl <. 'chaefer, M.D., who was the motivating and focal personality who brought
together doctors, medical students, therapists and teachers in ma@or yearly conferences and numerous regional conferences on 2nthroposophical Medicine over the past
decade. Dr. 'chaefer died @ust after /hristmas, "KJ". Though his physical presence was sorely missed, his spiritual presence was felt by many whose lives he had
touched, weaving a remar*able harmony and strength into our wor* this year.
Mornings began with hygienic speech led by Brad Riley, a speech therapist and artist. The morning core content of lectures was given
by Dr. Otto Wolff of Arlesheim, Switzerland. Dr. Wolff covered aspects of nutrition, including the reasons for eating, the role of
proteins, fats and carbohydrates in our diet and their correspondence to the members of man's being, the way certain substances are
handled by the human organization (such as steroids and endogenous hormones like vitamin D), thereby creating unique substances
suitable for the entry of higher soul and spirit activities. Discussions of specific foods and diets -- meat and pork, milk, vegetables, the
grains, the differences among plant and animal oils, butter and margarine -- were developed in the context of their roles in healthy
and diseased constitutions. The role of sugar in relation to the forces of the ego was stressed. Finally, the proper preparation of foods
and the function of vitamins were discussed. In the afternoon sessions for doctors and therapists. Dr. Wolff spoke about dietary
therapies for a variety of clinical disorders, including obesity, rheumatic fever, kidney diseases, the cancers, liver disease, sugar
craving, arteriosclerosis and the diseases of aging, and diabetes. For those familiar with Dr. Wolff's extraordinary style, this "taste" of
his comprehensive knowledge served to whet our collective appetite for the menu of next year's conference (see announcement at
end of this Bulletin)!
There were curative eurythmy and therapeutic speech sessions with Ruth Finser and Brad Riley each afternoon. These wonderful
artists poured themselves into the healing stream of the conference.
Evening lectures by attending physicians and guests brought a flood of information unknown before this year. Included were
presentations by Charles Davisson, M.D., on "The Gerson Cancer Diet as Adjunct Therapy," and by Warren Metzler, M.D. on
"Homeopathy and the Use of High Potency Remedies." There were case presentations by Dr. Kaisy Lawrence, and Dr. Richard Fried
from Camphill Village at Beaver Run, PA. spoke on the "Attaining of the Therapeutic Moment" when working with children in need of
special care. Mark Eisen, M.D. gave a "Review of the Pathophysiology and Rationale for the Treatment vs. Non-Treatment of Fever."
Dr. Michael Evans, a guest from the Park-Atwood Clinic in England, spoke on the "State of Anthroposophical Medicine in Great
Britain." Professor Maria Linder, a biochemist from the University of California, gave several presentations on the "Role of Cholesterol-
like Substances in Human Biochemistry." We were fortunate to have Herr W. Junge, the developer of oil dispersion baths, give a talk
on recent experiments documenting the efficacy of the baths.
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There were 64 people present at the conference this year, including 27 doctors and medical students, nearly as many nurses,
therapists, and teachers, and other interested persons. It is our desire to enhance the scope of these conferences with broad
participation by the helping professions.
Summary of Monday, June 21, 1982
There are many controversial theories on nutrition and there are many kinds of therapeutic diets. In practice, they all have success
rates. How is this possible? With a closer look we realize that the cure of a patient has come about not only through a change in diet,
but also through a change of consciousness, a different attitude towards the food, different ways of preparing the food, etc. If we
understand the nature of the food we eat, we can make informed choices without becoming diet fanatics. Carbohydrate, fat and
protein (and vitamins and minerals) are the bearers or lire. They also contain a certain number of calories, but to live, we need food
which still contains life ("vivum e vivo," Francesco Redi).
What is the essence of protein? The nitrogen (N) which is characteristic of protein, accepts the forces of the astral world. Nitrogen is
the main component of air, and for the ancient Greeks "pneuma" meant both "air" and "soul." For astral forces to manifest
themselves in a living substance (animals, humans), nitrogen (N) is necessary. Living substance becomes feeling substance by
ensoulment through the activity of nitrogen.
Protein consists of four elements, C, N, H, and 0. One could also say the four elements are neutralized here in a unit; they form a
compound, not a mixture. The integrating element is sulfur (S) which works as a catalyst. Sulfur (S) represents cosmic warmth and is
needed to bring the four elements in protein together. Human protein is specific and each individual has its own characteristic protein,
which becomes more individualized with age.
The astral forces work in two different ways:
1. During sleep they give a direction to the etheric body through anabolic processes (upbuilding).
2. During waking they give a direction to catabolic processes and thereby we become conscious.
How can this be followed down into the biochemistry? During the breakdown of proteins the astral forces are freed. This breakdown
can happen in two ways. The basic N - elimination occurs via oxydative deamination , where oxygen is added and the corresponding
alpha-keto-acid is formed. This is now a deastralized substance belonging to the carboydrate and fat types of metabolism.
(GRAPHIC PG. 9)
Ammonia is then synthesized to urea and excreted via the kidneys. The astralic forces which are freed can work either via the nerve-
sense system (that is, catabolic processes downwards, resulting in consciousness) or via "kidney radiations," or anabolic processes
upwards.
The other type of protein breakdown is decarboxylation: C02 is removed.
(GRAPHIC PG. 9) In this substance oxygen is lacking and the C - N bond suggests that this substance is on the way to the cyanides,
highly toxic substances that block any oxidation. This is a challenge for the organism, and in the process of detoxifying these
substances, we become conscious. A typical reaction of this sort is the decarboxylation of histadine to form the potently vasoactive
substance, histamine.
Summary of Tuesday, June 22, 1982
Fats are substances that are poor in oxygen (a substance which leads materials into the earthly state). Fats contain light and heat in
abundance; 9.3 Kcal/gm vs. 4.1 Kcal/gm for carbohydrates and protein. All light and life originate from the cosmic light of the sun. As
such, fats are bearers of higher life (Zoe) which will not readily mix with water, the bearer of lower life (Bios). Emulsification is
necessary to Join the two -- bile, a complex fat derivative, serves this function in humans.
Cholesterol is a lipoid, or fat-like substance. It is present in abundance in cell membranes, the brain, the skin, and the adrenal gland;
these latter are all of ectodermal origin. In the adrenal gland we see the medulla, which makes biogenic amines (epinephrine, etc.).
These substances promote catabolism, which has to do with forces of awakeness. The medulla is surrounded by the cortex which
elaborates steroids and other hormones which promote anabolism. The multipotential quality of cholesterol allows it to serve as an
"emulsifier" for the lower, biologic life and the higher soul life. Cholesterol is a substance which represents a combination of forces. Its
very bulkiness and emphasis on the C-H bond reflects its relationship to anabolic (etheric) forces. Its transformational ability allows it
to receive higher, organizing and modeling (astralic) impulses and to carry them right into the life activities, giving the latter
direction. The body produces 8-10 gms of cholesterol daily.
In bile, cholic acid is the predominant substance, having a greater affinity for the watery environment of the enterohepatic circulation.
If there is inadequate transformation of the cholesterol on the one hand into bile salts and acids, and on the other into steroid and sex
hormones (the former to help emulsify the substances man ingests, the latter to "ensoul" the substance man has built as his own), we
see the effect in two ways. Locally, we see formation of stones; systemically there is atherosclerosis. The issues is not to reduce
cholesterol intake so much as to provide man with the forces which will enable him to enhance the processing of cholesterol!
As mentioned, fats lack oxygen. What is the being, the impulse, or defining characteristic of oxygen? The oxidation process brings
substances into relation with the earth (Fe + O2 Fe2O3 <rust>). Oxygen is found bound into the rocks and minerals of the earth,
indeed, in all earthly substances. Fats are cosmic substances, standing neutrally between life and soul. They bear light and warmth
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within and release them to the organism. In ancient times, fats were annointing agents -- they connected kings with the cosmic
aspects of their rule, and, used in the last sacrament, prepared one for re-entry into the spirit worlds.
Some fats have double bonds (are unsaturated) and this indicates a more "sulfuric" quality. Seven-dehydrocholesterol, acted on by
sunlight, yields vitamin Di, the substance which directs bone mineralization. As magnesium leads light into life (through chlorophyll),
so does vitamin D3 lead the light of our higher life more deeply into matter -- to the skeleton!
Examining other hormones elaborated from the cholesterol base, we generally find those with more oxygen (especially at the C3
position) to be related to the male polarity, and those with less oxygen to the female (-OH) at C3 position). It was stressed that it is
the soul that determines sexuality, not hormones. The latter are instruments that work for the being who inhabits the body.
Cholesterol provides an "emulsifying basis" for ensoulment, to be expressed as sexual differentiation. This is food for deep reflection
over the problem of gender identity seen so frequently these days.
Summary of Wednesday, June 22, 1982
Protein bears astralic/cosmic forces on the one hand, and life and individuality on the other. A meat diet may help a person incarnate
more fully, but nowadays most people are already too deeply incarnated. If the astral body becomes too strong it can no longer be
ruled by the ego. This happens when too much meat is eaten.
Seen biochemically, meatless diets can lead to amino acid deficiencies (in an extreme physical sense, cannabalism would be an ideal
diet for humans). From the viewpoint of Anthroposophy it is the forces we take in, not substances that are important. Pork is similar
to human substance in many ways, and its forces also bear a resemblance to those of humans. Pigs have hair, not fur; they have
molars and incisors like man (cows are all "molar," rodents all "incisor," and carnivores have hypertrophy of the canines); their liver
and other tissues are histologically similar to humans, which allows the use of pork insulin, porcine heart values, etc.; pig manure
even smells like human waste. Kosher law recognized these "forces" in certain animals and forbade eating of them. More dissimilar
foods are "overcome" in the digestive process. We accept pork unchanged, thereby accepting an animal astrality that is not a bearer
of ego forces.
What of milk? What is its being? It is made only by mammals and only to feed their babies. In utero, the baby is fed by blood - why
should we not continue to do so? Milk is a protein substance that has had all the astrality "squeezed out," leaving it full of life forces.
It is remarkable that human milk is very low in iron, protein, and calcium when compared to milk of most animals. Iron is the bearer
of activity -- children need to be protected from this until puberty. The more protein in an animal's milk, the faster the animal
matures. Calcium helps bring a child more intensely into the earth sphere. In contrast, human milk is unusually high in a unique
sugar, lactose. More will be said in later lectures about this.
The human being is appropriately physiologically and developmentally retarded. Ais sexual development is li*ewise held bac*. 2ny acceleration in development is a
process of animali.ation.
What are fats? They are "typical cosmic substances" according to Dr. Wolff. They are astralized but not like protein. They are similar
to milk in that fats are full of life but have no nitrogen. They solidify but never become crystals (that is, earthly substance). Fatty
acids range from being liquid or volatile to being waxlike (stearin).
We notice a pattern in the distribution of fatty plant substances from the poles to the tropics. In high latitudes are found oils with
decreased saturation, a decreased tendency to solidify, and a decreased melting point (compare with solid palm oil at the equator).
Plants which give the oils are physically smaller at the higher latitudes. The "activity," an expression of the unsaturation, is high. The
opposite is true near the equator. Too many unsaturated bonds inclines the oil towards instability, oxidizability, and carcinogenicity.
Saturated fats are inert, like stones. Alchemically, unsaturated fats are said to contain more warmth, that is, more "sulfuric"
substance. Some highly unsaturated fats actually contain sulfur. Hence, unsaturated fats must be stored away from light, heat, and
oxygen. Of course, nowadays these more active oils are extracted and clarified with heat, stored in clear glass in the light, and used
for frying -- all destructive processes to the oils.
Where "sulfuric" warmth is needed (in the higher latitudes) it is provided by the very active, indigenous oils. In the tropics, where
there is already an abundance of heat, the oils are more saturated and inert. Olive oil (from the middle latitudes) was extolled as the
ideal general purpose oil -- all others should be thought of as for special diets only. Sunflower oil is similar to olive oil. For frying, the
least active oils should be used. They are biologically poor, but safer to use. Formerly, lard was used for cooking. Nowadays,
shortenings are prepared by nickel-catalyzed hydrogenation to a mostly trans-state, whereas most naturally occurring double bonds
are cis-compounds. These shortenings are very dense and hard.
The historical role of margarine (Greek = pearl) was discussed. It was developed at the request of the French king by Marais. A
cheap, non deteriorating fat source was wanted for use in wartime. One of the ingredients, rapeseed oil (a poison in the unsaturated
state) is hydrogenated artificially. Early margarine use led to cases of xerophthalmia and blindness due to vit. A deficiency. Margarine
is now made with a starch marker (to change color with iodine), and vitamins A and D are added. The hydrogenated vegetable oils
used are so hard that nitrogen is blown through and the margarine is whipped.
In contrast, butter is a naturally occurring substance, composed of a broad spectrum of fatty acids, long-and-short-chain, saturated
and unsaturated. It is harmonious and balanced -- really the prototype of a versatile substance. It contains its own vitamins A and D.
Unfortunately, all butter these days is pasteurized, further destroying its life forces.
Summary of Thursday, June 2, 1982
Dr. Wolff pointed out that man comes to physiological maturity more slowly than any animal, and that the slowness of an animal's
maturational process is correlated with the smallness of the amount of salt and protein in that animal's milk. High-protein food is thus
inappropriate for human babies. Human milk has the smallest amount of salt and protein found in any milk.
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Human fat has the lowest melting point of any animal's (70 degrees F); humans have oil rather than fat, actually, and thus contain
more warmth and light than any animal. Saturation of fats gives a hardened, animalic quality. This suggests why the ingestion of
hydrogenated fats (e.g. margarine) is nutritionally a poor idea.
Ingestion of meat protein leads to a strong quality of astral selfishness, ingestion of dairy products decreases this quality. In the past,
people who aspired to be healers abstained from meat.
Human milk has more sugar (specifically lactose, which is found uniquely in milk) than that of other animals. Glucose is the basis of
most carbohydrates (e.g. 2 glucoses = maltose). Lactose, or milk sugar, = glucose + galactose (milk in greek). Galactose is found in
cerebrosides (and thus in the brain and the nervous system). It is found wherever there is consciousness interacting with the
environment: the brain, roots of plants, nuclei of cells. In plants, one finds galactose in the roots, glucose throughout the plant and
fructose in the blossom and fruit. In man, galactose is found in the brain, glucose throughout the body, and fructose in the testes.
This is consistent with Rudolf Steiner's description of the correspondence between the threefold plant and threefold man. 3erusalem
artichokes have fructose in their roots, an exception that indicates this plant's potential as a remedy.
Sugar is a mineralic substance that is also organic; it requires no preservatives. It gives "energy but not life." The ego organization is
the instrument of the ego but not the ego itself. Sugar expresses the forces of the ego-organization, it is not an alive but a
crystallized substance and thus fosters the ability to think. One can use sugar as a reducing agent chemically; this demonstrates
sugar's acceptance of light. It is crystallized light and brings light into death, Just as the ego-organization does into the body. The
ego-organization is a product of the activity of the Elohim (a plural used in the singular in Hebrew); the six-as-a-unit Elohim. The unit
in sugars is also six: C6H12O6.
When hypoglycemic, one feels not oneself, not in control of oneself. Sugar gives the feeling of having a strong ego but it does not give
a strong ego -- rather, it gives the illusion of one. In fact, it weakens the ego. "One envoys sugar until disaster," says Dr. Wolff: it
gives only energy.
One can give sugar intravenously -- and the GI absorption of sugar is so quick -- because it is a dead substance, with no "foreign-
ness" to overcome. "Sugar is like a mortgage," says Dr. Wolff, "the energy isn't your energy. The damage is not immediate."
Cleave's The Saccarine Disease describes the problems with bone and tooth formation in animals fed sugar.
Children who have eaten sugar show its effects immediately: the illusion of ego strength, e.g. pushiness.
The liver metabolizes sugar, but the liver, as as etheric organ, needs life, and sugar is dead.
Summary of !riday, June 2", 1982
Why does one eat at all? Not, as one might think, in order to obtain energy - in that case drinking a cup of gasoline would suffice. We
need life. In Lemurian times, when the process of nutrition began, man really began to be separated from life. He then needed to take
in life from outside, from substances containing it. Substance is a vessel for life -- life can't be stored. Generally one does not eat
carnivores -- carnivores don't eat carnivores either. Pigs and man (rarely) are the exception. Lobsters and crabs eat decaying meat;
their own meat is poor in vitality, destructive of the human metabolism, full of awful astrality. (Ask people how they sleep after eating
lobster.)
The plant, not the animal, is the basis for life; it brings life down to earth. The plant creates new life from light. "Light and life are on
the same level." All life comes from the plant (via carbohydrates) and thus from the sun. Animal food is life "second-hand"; some of
the life is gone, to give space for the astrality. One should eat fresh food, the more life the better, but one needs to be able to break it
down (carbohydrate into glucose, but not farther, i.e., into the products of fermentation).
(GRAPHIC PG 14)
Note that food breakdown in the intestine proceeds only as far as the "building blocks," not farther; less or more is wrong. These
"blocks" we absorb. We need to build up our own protein, to protect ourselves against any foreign life, to transform the otherness into
self. These building blocks contain a "certain force" but not the force of another specific (foreign) astrality.
"Only the brain," said Rudolf Steiner, "is made from the substances we eat." ("This statement is a nuisance," says Dr. Wolff.) What's
created is a unit, a compound; thus, protein is a unit, too, not really a mixture of amino acids. (The uniting of two amino acids results
in a change of structure -- a peptide bond -- anyway). "The origin of protein is protein, not amino acids."
It is difficult to understand what Rudolf Steiner meant by food going through the "zero point"; in all but the food destined for the
brain, the food is destroyed in the process of digestion, and all human substance (except the brain) comes from somewhere else.
"The material is the end of the way of God." When the spirit is broken, the material emerges.
One cause of obesity is that not enough substance is transformed into warmth; parasitic centers of warmth are created. Eating too
much is not necessarily the problem. R. Steiner saw the laws of conservation of mass and energy as real hindrances to knowledge:
They are true only in a closed system. In the physical sense only, the human being is such a closed system. Matter more or less
precipitates from the spirit: creation of substance is the end product of spiritual processes. To "rederive" these processes is the way of
homeopathy (potentizing). To accept these forces is to recreate substance in us. (Angelus Silesius: "Das Brot ernahrt uns nicht
wohl.") R. Steiner: "We accept substance through eyes and ears" (our substance is created from cosmic forces). The nerve-sense
system accepts earthly substance and cosmic forces (the sense organs); the metabolic-limb system accepts earthly forces and cosmic
substances. Only in the brain are there C24 fatty acids (very hardened) -- nervonic and oxynervonic acid -- the only oxidized fatty
acids in the body. "The brain is a store" -- it needs to be transparent to thought, as the eye is to light. The brain is a dead substance.
Logical thinking is unique to man. "The brain is on its way to bone" (R. Steiner). A blind person's metabolism is different from that of
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a sighted person; light affects all aspects of metabolism. Cataracts lead to metabolic disturbances that are not found in cortical
blindness.
Summary of Saturday, June 2#, 1982
Dr. Wolff began by interpreting the Cain and Abel myth from the point of view of the nutritional aspect of the childhood of humanity
and of the individual. A newborn eats dairy products (Abel) but should not start meat and vegetables too early or he will be too bound
to the earth (Cain's sacrifice was not accepted). In these matters the wisdom of right timing is all-important. Dr. Wolff suggests that
we are now so bound to the earth that we should be increasingly turning to plant sources for food (and Steiner suggested that in the
distant future we will largely be eating more mineral food).
Most healthy diets include recommendations to decrease meat and fat (which includes dairy products) and to decrease the amount of
processed food. Processing raises the issue of cooking, i.e., of killing the food a little. Prometheus brought fire to the earth (man's
body has precise temperature regulation), and using fire for cooking or heating is a kind of pre-digestion for man (Gk: "pepsis" -
cooking; digestion), so that man does not, like the animal, spend most of his effort finding and digesting his food (with the
correspondingly dull animal consciousness). One can use this knowledge when someone lives too much in his nerve-sense system: a
raw food diet could help to bring him more into his metabolism. Also, in cases where there is formation of pus, raw food again draws
the person more into the metabolism. Cooking releases forces from the metabolic system for a higher life (from Bios to Zoe), but
cooking must be an art, on the analogy of the ripening of an apple in the sun. In the apple's ripening there is a change of color, smell
and taste, i.e., the astrality of the world working from within the apple after growth has stopped. Ripening leads to a decrease of fruit
weight during this partial breakdown of carbohydrates to ketones, aldehydes and softer sugars. Cereals (grains) need to be cooked
(except oats) in order to bring about these changes for man.
Bread-baking is also a pre-digestion, using fermentation by the yeasts (found on the skin of any sweet fruit) or lactobacilli. A
sourdough is made by letting the dough stand for a day or so then having the dough refreshed by new flour and water; otherwise the
lactobacilli produce a bread that is too sour. About 150 years ago yeast was introduced (and wheat began to be used instead of rye)
for bread-baking, which makes bread much less nutritious. Dr. Wolff stresses that much home baking, by adding sweetening and oil,
makes the nutritive value even worse, and he considers the yeast diseases a consequence of excessive yeast use.
On the subject of vitamins (whose name came from the prevalent search for substances as the source of life; as this search inevitably
fails, the name is bound to disappear), Dr. Wolff considers A, D, B, and C to be fundamental. A and D are usually bound together in
animals but sometimes separate in plants (e.g., D2 in mushrooms). Vitamin A is found in the livers of animals who live at the earth's
poles and who must produce much more life to combat the crystallizing forces. Vitamin A helps to produce life; symptoms of its
deficiency are xerophthalmia, keratitis -- drying and hardening -- and night blindness -- lack of regeneration of pigment at night.
Hypervitaminosis A can lead to too much organized water, e.g., brain swelling and headaches. Vitamin A, in allowing in the forces of
new life, acts like silver. It is useful in squamous cell cancers (hardening of the surface). Vitamin E (similar to vitamin A) works like
selenium ("moon metal" in Greek), which acts at a level Just below that of life (which explains the homeopathic use of selenium). The
forces of vitamin D are polar to those of A, bringing light forces (D3) into bone formation; large quantities of D are found in deepsea
fish. Vitamin D works like lead; it should never have been added without vitamin A to milk, especially since the real "vitamin" people
need, as Dr. Wolff put it, is light to stimulate their endogenous vitamin D production.
Vitamin C is found in fruits. It is like life transformed from light. Its C6; structure, the number 6, relates it to light in the sense of the
relation of many natural Six-sided forms having close relations to light (e.g., honeycombs, quartz crystals). Vitamin C seems to
stimulate the immune system to fight disease and acts like the iron forces. The blood level of iron is related to the higher life (Zoe).
The level rises during the day. In infections, the serum level goes down as iron enters the cells, and it has been Dr. Wolff's clinical
experience that one should not be intellectually active during a fever.
The B vitamins have affinities with the nervous system. They are like the copper forces which take up the forces of light. Copper
prepares us to accept forces of iron. Dr. Wolff has given copper or B vitamins for cramps. As there are varied copper forces, there are
also many B vitamins; he suggests that B17 prepares a cancer patient for iron forces to fight his disease. B1 works in the nervous
system, B6 in the kidney, and B15 supports the higher functions of the nervous system. Vitamins B and C work more on the level of
the higher life (Zoe), and many B vitamins contain nitrogen, whereas A and D seem to work more on the level of the lower life (Bios).
Taurine % 2 Bew 2ctive )rinciple in 'oft Drin*s

QQ bac*
By: :tto 0olff, M.D.
(Original title: Taurin - ein neuer Wirkstoff in Erfrischungsgetraenken. Merkurstab 1994; 47:588-94. English by A.R. Meuss, FIL, MTA)
It seems that people have been looking for refreshment to overcome tiredness through the ages. Vegetable stimulants were used for
the purpose. It is remarkable that people in all parts of the world knew which local plants had that effect. Much later, all of those
plants were found to contain caffeine as the stimulant principle. Appreciable amounts are only found in the plants that are still used
for the purpose today. Chemical analysis has revealed no other plants that contain sufficient caffeine to have a stimulant effect,
though about 77 plants are now known to produce the compound, generally in very small quantities. It is also important 10 note that
all caffeine-producing plants grow in hot climates.
"First-generation" stimulant drinks are coffee (1-2%), tea (4.3%), mate (1.25%), guarana (4.2% and cola (1-2%). The caffeine
content of the part of the plant used is given in parentheses. The tea shrub originated in the area between India and China; mate
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comes from the region of the Parana River in South America. Guarana grows near the Orinoco River and is sold as guarana paste.
Coffee is said to have originated in the Abyssynian highlands. The cola tree conies from tropical Africa; the "nuts" are used. These five
plants are used to produce stimulants for world-wide human consumption. About 75,000 tons of pure caffeine are used each year.(1)
Animals do not use these plants for their stimulant effect, and it must be a typically human desire to be wholly awake and in full
conscious awareness. Not only were the plants and the parts to be used discovered but special methods of preparation have been
developed (roasting of coffee beans, fermentation of tea leaves, etc.), in all probability not on the basis of "trial and error."
The "second generation" of stimulant drinks was produced on the industrial scale. Combinations such as caffeine and coca leaf extract
were used. The coca shrub - not to be confused with the coca tree - is a native of tropical South America. The locals chew the leaves
which are said to "satisfy the hungry, give new energy to the tired, and make people forget their misery."(1) Originally they were in
ritual use in Peru, with serious penalties exacted for profane use. The main active principle is cocaine, which is chemically similar to
the atropine found in Solanaceae, but with totally different effects. The drug is addictive, with trade and consumption illegal in almost
all countries.
The cola drinks sold all over the world do not carry a full declaration of ingredients but are said not to contain cocaine today. The term
"vegetable extracts" tells us very little. Active principles are stated to be caffeine, sugar and phosphoric add. The last of these gives
the drinks a highly refreshing flavor.
Phosphates also have other, deep-reaching effects, as discussed in my article on the hyperkinetic syndrome.(2) Colas are hot
favorites - though drunk cold - throughout the civilized world today, indicating a general desire to overcome physiological tiredness
and be wide awake and high-level performers.
"Third generation" drinks have now appeared which contain taurine as a new active principle. Red Bull was the first to be marketed in
Europe. The declared composition is practically the same for all these drinks. Again, sugar (c. 10%) and caffeine are the basis, though
compared to cola drinks the caffeine concentration is much higher at 320 mg/liter (according to a Coca Cola distribution center, the
concentration in Coca Cola is between 65 and 250 mg/liter, which is the highest concentration permitted in Germany).
The idea and composition of these energy drinks come from Japan where a variety know as Lipovitan, marketed prior to 1980, made
great profits for the manufacturers. The success of the venture encouraged an Austrian firm to follow suit, again at great profit. The
recipe is probably the same as in Japan or at least a close copy. The name Red Bull actually relates to the new active principle taurine
(see below).
As with any success story, imitators were quickly on the scene. So far, Flying Horse, Power Horse and Ritual have appeared. The last
of these has the same concentrations of caffeine and taurine, but the sugar has been replaced with four artificial sweeteners.
(Guarana, which also contains caffeine, has been available for centuries in Brazil but does not contain taurine, which makes it part of
the "second generation.") The flavor of these products is not considered attractive by consumers and, therefore, plays no real role in
their meteoric rise.
The new drinks are all set for success. The manufacturers have found a way of going above the legal limit for caffeine in lemonades,
using 320 mg/liter, and to introduce taurine, though this is not officially permitted (licensing would have been a protracted process).
Red Bull is thus currently produced and marketed in Austria, Germany, Hungary and - thanks to EU legislation - also in Britain.
The new ingredient is taurine, and propaganda is made with this in the declaration. The drinks are obtainable from specialty shops
selling drinks and from gas stations but not (yet) from food stores, or at least only some. They have become known within a short
time, initially without advertising (!), and consumption is obviously high.
Physiology of taurine Why is taurine added? The compound results from decarboxylation of cysteine, a degradation product of the
disulfide cystine. This is a sulfur-containing amino acid of vital importance not only for anabolism but above all in detoxification
processes.
Decarboxylation is the general route by which biogenic amines are produced from amino adds.(3) The amines are instruments of
astral activity and connected with processes of conscious awareness. However, due to the sulfur component and a chemical
constitution that is very simple compared to other biogenic amines, this activity is at a low level. The powerful oxidation involved in
conversion of cysteine to taurine is worth noting, however. It is characteristic of humans and animals, that is, life at the level of spirit
and soul. Oxidation connects substances with the earth, also a function of the iron-bile impulse which is the physiological basis of
mental and spiritual activity.
Taurine thus relates mainly to a biliary process, which is also evident from its industrial role: it is synthesized mainly for the
manufacture of detergents. The compound acts as an emulsifier, which is also a characteristic of bile.
In the organism, taurine is bound to bile acids and excreted as taurocholic add. The add was first found in ox bile, hence its name
(tauros = bull). It appears the manufacturers used this fact in creating the name Red Bull; the trademark shows two red bulls head to
head. Later, it was found that humans excrete about three times more glycocholates than taurocho- lates. Some carnivores -
especially dogs - excrete only taurocholates, which also predominate in other predators. "According to the German Federal
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Department of Health, low concentrations of the amino add (sic) taurine, which promotes numerous metabolic processes in human
metabolism, have been added to baby foods for years."(4) Clearly, neither the author passing on the information nor the Department
knew that taurine is not an amino add and had no idea which metabolic processes in infants are involved; otherwise they would
probably not have encouraged these in infancy considering the modern problem of hyperactive children.
$ature and actions of %ile acids All bile acids derive from degradation of cholesterol, a slightly soluble compound. In a number of
steps, two primary bile acids are produced in the liver - cholic add and chenodeoxycholic acid (highest proportion. In the process, the
double bond is hydrogenated, the OH group at position 3 isomerized (alpha instead of beta), an alpha-OH added at position 7, the
side chain reduced and oxidized to the add (COOH). The resulting chenodeoxycholic acid (cheno add in short) is found mainly in the
bile of geese (chen" chenos = goose), but also in human bile. It is freely soluble and also dissolves gallstones, having been used for
this purpose since 1975. Its emulsifying power is greater than that of other bile acids (proprietary product Chenofalk). Healthy bile
will dissolve gallstones because it contains the relevant bile adds. Thus human gallstones dissolved sometime after in vivo
implantation of a dog's gall bladder(5). The above-mentioned cholic add has a third OH group at position 12.
Ursodeoxycholic acid is much the same. As the name indicates it was found in the bile of bears and has been used for centuries in
Chinese medicine. The search for the active principle probably started with this. Ursodeoxycholic acid differs from chenodeoxycholic
add by having the OH group at 7 in the isometric beta rather than alpha position. Its cholagogue properties make it particularly useful
in treating cholestasis, e.g. in cases of cirrhosis (proprietary product Urofalk).
Lithocholic add (lithos = stone; 3-monohydroxycholanic acid), which is only slightly soluble, is the product of microbial reduction of
the two OH groups at 7 and 12 of cholic add or the 7-OH of cheno acid (secondary bile acids) in the intestine.
This indicates the role of the intestinal flora in gallstone development. Bacterial metabolism is always reductive, whereas the biliary
process is oxidative. If unphysiological and perhaps even aggressive bacterial activity predominates over bile production, degradation
of primary bile acids increases and lithocholic acid is produced. This is withdrawn from the enterohepatic circulation of bile adds,
resulting in reduced activity.
The many other bile acids differ mainly in their degree of oxidation. They combine with glycocoll or taurine to form different
conjugated bile acids. Thus glycocholic acid is a conjugate of glycocoll (= glydne, aminoethanoic add, NH2-CH2-COOH), the simplest
amino add and one of the bile acids. Taurocholic acid is a conjugate of taurine and cholic acid (generally) or deoxycholic acid.
Taurine and glycine are eliminated in conjugated form via the liver and bile and resorbed, thus stimulating bile formation. In view of
the above, it should be clear, however, that this is a matter of quality rather than quantity, reflected in the different nature of
individual bile acids and the choice of taurine or glycine.
The function of the hepatobiliary system is to "make idea into reality,"(6) with bile formation providing the necessary activity by
transforming the stream of substances produced in me liver. The significance of bile formation, and especially bile acid production,
thus lies not only in the physiological function of fat emulsification to facilitate absorption but in providing a physical basis for activity
at the level of spirit and soul. The enterohepatic circulation of bile acids plays a major, constitution-determining role in this.(6) This is
essentially the origin of the choleric temperament, with cholerics clearly bile-determined, active individuals.
The bile-stimulating activity of bile acids also has a qualitative aspect. Activities of spirit and soul can intervene powerfully yet gently,
with due regard for existing conditions, or they may be uncontrolled and aggressive. Much can be learned from the fact that different
animals have greatly different biliary products, with taurocholic acid predominant in carnivores, esp. dogs, i.e. in predators.
Aggressiveness is a dominant characteristic of these animals. As shown above, taurocholic acids should be in a lower proportion than
glycholic acids in humans.
In other words, taurine stimulates bile formation, leading to increased activity, but qualitatively speaking this is more animal-like and
aggressive. The extent to which such massive stimulation is still controllable and, indeed, in accord with human nature remains to be
seen.
Earlier investigations have shown that human, porcine and bovine bile, including Fel tauri depuratum, which appears in some
pharmacopoeias, have marked hypotensive properties. The action is less powerful in canine bile. Even me sodium salts in isolated
glychocholic and taurocholic acid still have hypotensive activity, though the duration and intensity of action were much greater in
purified dried ox bile.(7) Cholic add is listed as a choleretic in the 1993 drugs list published by the German Federal Association of
Pharmaceutical Concerns (.ote 5isle), with products mentioned including NovoMandrogallan (contains Fel tauri and cholic acid) and
the tonic Glutergen +H3, but the superior activity of dried bile (Fel tauri) with its hypotensive action is no longer utilized (The same
applies to 2artifidale 60tra Pharmacopoeia- Translator.) Not one of the many antihyper- tensives listed indudes Fel tauri. m spite of
the physiological data available goose bile, for instance, has never been used to dissolve bile stones. The isolated prindple is given
preference.
It would be well worthwhile doing a Goethean study to determine the quality of bile produced by different animals. This may also
provide a basis for differentiated clinical use. The relevant analyses have been done.(8)
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&nositol, 'itamins Another declared ingredient of the new drinks is inositol, C6H6 (OH)6,. This is glucose-like, sweet-tasting, and
found practically everywhere in the biological sphere, above all in muscle tissue (myo-inositol), brain, liver, lung, milk, etc., and in
cereal grains mostly in combination with phosphoric acid as phytin.(9) The inositol phosphatide is found mainly in soy and in brain
tissue. Inositol has a specific relationship to phosphorus and phosphoric acid. As previously shown,(2) phosphorus stimulates ego
activity in metabolism, especially in conjunction with sugar and sugar-like compounds such as inositol, which may result in
hyperkinetic syndrome.
Apart from caffeine, taurine and myo-inositol, glucurolactone is specifically mentioned as an ingredient of the drinks. This is an
intermediate product between glucose and vitamin C. It is now known that humans are not able to produce vitamin C from glucose
themselves. Glucoronic acid does, however, have an important detoxification function. It forms water- soluble glucuronides that are
eliminated mainly in the bile, ultimately again stimulating biliary function.
Most of the B groups of vitamins have been added, which makes sense as they are especially needed for energy-consuming activities
(vitamin B1 = "nerve vitamin"). This actually makes it possible to abuse the ether body by increasing external activity, temporarily
compensating it to permit further "activity." Yet even the coca leaf chewing Indians knew that in the long run this depletes the body.
Excessive caffeine consumption - whether in "natural form" as coffee, tea, etc. or added to soft drinks - leads to exhaustion at least of
the nervous system with sleeplessness, as is well known. People who have extremely good livers, especially young people, are able to
compensate for a long time, which is part of the nature of the thing but does not change the principle.
The question is, why do young people in particular have such a need for stimulant effects? As already stated, powerful conscious
awareness is part of human nature. It is generally known and "proven" that this can be stimulated by caffeine. This, however, is
where taurine appears on the scene, effecting choleresis. The resulting need to be active is exactly what we see in many young
people. This is the "switched-off" generation which feels life offers little that is of interest and needs its "kicks" which are gained
through exciting situations such as a football game, a thriller or, in the present case, a medicinal impulse given to biliary function.
With the "brilliant" combination of stimuli given to the conscious mind and the will, people feel strong - in fact, very strong. This
results in enhanced self awareness of the kind also achieved with drugs such as heroin. It is not real strength but an illusion, but
those concerned are unable to realize this. The same applies even to sugar consumption, which has been fully discussed elsewhere.
(10)
In reality, all external stimuli are liable to make people unfree and, indeed, weak; they are then dependent and may ultimately
become addicts - the foundations for this are certainly laid. Genuine strength develops only through inner activity and work.
It needs a true science of me human being to realize that the (desired) stimulation of conscious awareness (more than wide awake)
and will (hyperactivity), which then go directly hand in hand, eliminates or at least neglects the middle element of feeling and,
therefore, the truly human aspect. Real feeling coming from the heart that may also engender enthusiasm is generally looked down
upon. We are "cool" today, not showing - or indeed developing - emotions. This allows a logical, intellectual thought that is not
controlled by any moral quality to enter directly into a will impulse and action. Daily life provides sufficient examples of this.
Although problems arise with these stimulant effects, we certainly do not have to do without them if they are used for particular
occasions (a cup of coffee or tea in the mornings or at conferences) and within limits; but repeatedly consuming them in excess can
lead to dependence which ultimately means physical or mental and spiritual weakening of the individual.
References 1 Hess E. Rausch-, Schlaf und Genussgifte Stuttgart 1971.
2 Wolff 0. The hyperkinetic syndrome. English by M. Gardner. Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine 1993; 3:7-16.
3 Husemann/Wolff. Anthrvposophical Approach to Medicine. English by P. Luborski. New York: Anthroposophic Press 1982.
4 Hoeher K. "Red Bull" - gesundheitsgefaehidend? Aerztl Praxis 73; 10 Sept 1994, S. 7.
5 Johnstonetal.il957;73:336.
6 Husemaim/VifoUf.AnthivposophiwI Approach Chapter on the liber.
7 Daniel. Verhandl. d. dt Ges. f. inn. Med. 44. Kongr. Wiesbaden 1932, S. 413.
8 E.g.Hepatoiogyl993;18No.4.
9 Koslowsky & Wolff. Emaehrung, Entwicklung, Rachitis. Merkwstab 1990; 43:232 ff.
10 Merkblatfc Das Zuckerproblem; Die suesse Suchfc In preparation. Soziale Hygiene- Vereinerweitertes Heilwesen.
A general discussion has been published under the title "Red Bull" and "Hying Horse," Erfirischungsgetraenke der 3. Generation" in
Eraehungskunst Heft 9, Sept 1994 Stuttgart.
Massage % The 2nthroposophic 2pproach

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By: 2nders Bawroth
3:riginal title: Massage aus anthroposophischer 'icht. Mer*urstab "KKGF =J: HH%J1. <nglish by Llri*e :S/allaghan7
3assage and The &stral (ody
The capacity to experience massage is given by the astral body. 2s it is the feel of a massage which brings the most interesting results it is of prime importance for the
massage therapist to *now about the astral body. 2n attempt will be made to outline the basic phenomena in this area.
1) Three layers
The astral body can react in three different ways depending on the $uality and position of a massage movement. (t is possible for
the massage therapist to touch three different layers of the astral body with his massage movements: first a layer very close to the
astral body, then the astral body itself and thirdly a layer which is closer to the (%organi.ation.
Ether "od$
2 massage movement without or with only slight pressure will engage the astral body to a limited extent. /onse$uently the
intention of the massage movement transposes directly into the ether body and unfolds from there. (t is the unfolding of a massage
movement which is described by &udolf 'teiner in connection with !mild massage in the region of the spleen.!3"7 (n order to
reach the spleen and its activity, local massage is applied in the region of this organ.
Astral "od$
Massage movements with increased pressure will engage the astral body more strongly, as will massage movements using the
$ualities of the planetary sphere. This means that the astral body transforms the massage movement before it ta*es effect on the
etheric and physical level. Bow the pure astral appears, the astral lemniscate. &udolf 'teiner put it li*e this: .!..the further down we
go from the center in massage of the trun* the greater the effect on the upper organs.!3+7 (t is therefore not a local effect.
The 32organi4ation
0ith massage movements connected to the planetary sphere we can, as it were, stri*e the chords of the astral body. But the
decision to what extent the connection of the astral body should be tightened or loosened at different points lies with the (%
organi.ation, though this is not addressed directly. (t can be addressed with massage movements connected with the .odiac,
engaging the layer of the astral body that is close to the (%organi.ation. /onse$uently the massage movement is transformed twice:
partly in accord with the astral body and partly in accord with the (%organi.ation. The result is a much more complex current than
when we address the purely astral.
)0 9vervie&
The massage therapist has to be completely aware of these layers and the different $ualities of massage movement. :nly then can
)er Aenri* ;ings vision be reali.ed: to give massage a scientific basis.
((! 3assage and The 5ature of 3uscles
1) The dorsal muscles upper and lower back
(n &udolf 'teiners first medical lecture course we read the following on massage:
3f $ou investigate rationall$, $ou &ill indeed find that ever$ part of the "od$ has a certain connection &ith other parts and that the efficac$ of !assage depends
on ade;uate insight into these inter2relationships. Massage of the a"do!en &ill al&a$s "e of "enefit also to the "reathing function, a circu!stance of special
interest. And, in fact, the further &e go fro! a"ove do&n&ards, !assaging i!!ediatel$ "elo& the heart region, respiration &ill "e influenced !ore strongl$,
and further do&n the effect &ill "e !ore on the throat organs. Massage and its effect go in opposite directions- the further do&n &e go fro! the center, the
greater the effect on the upper organs.317
Aere &udolf 'teiner clearly demonstrates the lemniscate principle of the astral body in connection with massage. 3(f ( spea* of massage in the following paragraphs (
refer to massage wor*ing through the astral lemniscate7. The following $uotation complements the one above:
And in ;uite a !agnificent sense the astral "od$ is the &hole hu!an "eing. 9nl$ this astral "od$ is ver$ re!ar'a"l$ constituted@ one !ight sa$ the astral "od$ do&n to
the diaphrag! is so!ething ;uite different fro! the astral "od$ "elo& the diaphrag!. Astral "od$ activit$ directed to&ards the head, the organi4ation of nerves and
senses, is the polar opposite of its activit$ in !eta"olis! and li!"s.3=7
This twofold nature of the astral body is also reflected in the spine, an organ of great importance in massage. The spine consists of two smaller spines !stac*ed! one on
top of the other. 2bove is the highly mobile cervical spine with lordosis. Below this lie the less mobile thoracic vertebrae which show *yphosis. ?urther down is the
highly mobile lumbar spine with lordosis. 0alter Aolt.apfel says: !2 *ind of second nec* develops in the lumbar region.!3G7
The bottom of the spine is almost completely immobile with *yphosis 3'igure :7. (t is very important to be aware of this two%foldness manifesting twice, within the
upper and lower bac*, in the spine. 32n observation from my practice: in patients with much body hair, hair growth seen on the legs often stops at the line between the
upper and lower bac* as described above7.
Astral "od$ and !uscular s$ste!
:ur muscles are closely related to our astral body. This shows itself in various ways, one of which is that practically every muscle has its antagonist. This reflects the
tendency of the astral body to wor* in polarities. 2 further connection is pointed out by &udolf 'teiner: !The whole planetary system lives is our muscles.!3>7 8etting to
*now the muscles of a human being we discover the influence of the seven planets. Knowledge of these facts provides us with an actual ruler % !an astral ruler! which
allows us to put into practice what &udolf 'teiner explains in the first $uote given in this section.
The upper "ac'
<ven the outer appearance of a human being can indicate the influence of different planetary processes on the muscles. The nec* presents a *ind of summary with its
seven short vertebrae % a 'aturn aspect. 4upiter shapes the shoulders and the region between them. Mars exercises his influence in the region of the shoulder blades. 2nd
so we might continue downwards with 'un, 5enus, Mercury and Moon. )erceptive patients can experience the same massage grip differently in each of these regions.
0e might say that the astral body connects in different ways with various parts of the bac*. 2n interesting observation ( was able to ma*e in several cases: if a patient
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had been at the dentist and amalgam fillings were removed, the muscles would tense up considerably with pain especially in the upper bac* in the Mercury region 3in the
proximity of the ",th and ""th thoracic vertebrae7.
The lo&er "ac'
(n the lower bac* we can recogni.e a sevenfold form principle that is in opposition to the upper bac*. ;oo*ing at the abdominal organs we can see they are, to some
extent, arranged from center to periphery. Bladder % Moon at the center, *idneys % 5enus further out, gallbladder % Mars, liver % 4upiter and finally spleen % 'aturn very
close to the periphery. 2 massage correctly applied in the region of the lower counterpart to the shoulder blades % the hip bone % is an effective treatment for tense
muscles between the shoulder blades.
!) The muscular system of the e"tremities
#pper and lo&er e<tre!ities
(n his second medical lecture course, &udolf 'teiner uses different terms from the first course in relation to massage.3H7 Ae now spo*e about the inner connection of the
arms and hands with anabolism and of the legs and feet with catabolism.
Thigh and calf
The head is the center of the catabolic metabolism in a human beingF but !lung development is a less intense form of head development.!3J7 The lung is another focal
point for catabolism but not as important as the head. This duality is reflected by thigh and calf in the legs. (t is *nown that massaging the calf muscles mainly affects the
head and nec*, whereas massaging the thighs is beneficial in the region of the lungs including the thoracic spine.
(f we ta*e this a step further, we find points in the leg muscles which are connected to the seven planets. 2t the top of the bac* of the thigh is an area under the influence
of the Moon. 0e move downward into regions connected with Mercury, 5enus, 'un and, finally, Mars. 4upiter and 'aturn are reflected in the calf muscles. ?or the
perceptive massage therapist it is not difficult to locate these points.
;et us continue with the practical example of Mars. (t is advantageous to complement massage of the hip bone with massage of the lower part of the thigh to release
tension between the shoulder blades. The $uality of the massage movement is of far greater importance here than in the case of a bac* massage. Massage movements
incorrectly applied can have a disastrous effect. 2nother practical example: a massage correctly applied to the upper part of the calf muscles 3connected with 4upiter7 can
relieve tension in the shoulder and nec* region. /loser examination of the part of the calf connected with 'aturn shows a further subdivision into seven smaller parts,
each of which has an inner relationship to one of the seven cervical vertebrae. (t is therefore possible to treat the different cervical vertebrae from this location.
Do&er and upper ar!
0hat has been said about thigh and calf muscles applies also to the upper and lower parts of the arm but in reverse order. Massage of the upper part of the arm influences
mainly the heart and blood vessels, whereas massaging the lower arm reaches, among other things, the intestines. 0e get a similar division as for the legs, so that
massage of the upper arm relates to centrally% positioned organs and massage of the lower arm to organs positioned closer to the periphery. Massage of the lower arm
after a careful preparatory upper bac* massage directly benefits the intestinesF the patient often experiences a !rumbling! in the stomach. Massage of the upper arm can
also strengthen a wea* connection between the will and the other soul activities.
#) $onclusion
&udolf 'teiner said in a lecture given in 5ienna: !(n reality they 3the muscles7 are crystalli.ed *arma. Their composition, right down to the subtlest chemical level, is
such that we carry our crystalli.ed *arma in our muscular system.!3K7 0e can gain orientation by reading the destiny script in our muscles. This will deepen both
diagnosis and treatment.
The fourfold nature of the body is characteri.ed as: head, lung, heart and intestine. (n a medical lecture &udolf 'teiner said:
This inverse relationship is such that &e !a$ sa$ - respirator$ function is in an inverse relationship to sensor$ function, =ust as the "lood circulation is the
inverse of digestive function. The digestion, to put it crudel$, is li'e a condensed "lood circulation, or conversel$- The "lood circulation is a refined digestive
process. And the sensor$ process is a refined respirator$ process. 3 !ight also sa$- the respirator$ process is a less refined for! of sensor$ perception. These
t&o processes differ ;uantitativel$ not ;ualitativel$.3",7
The form used to describe these phenomena actually underlines the tendency of the astral body to wor* in polarities. (t is also important to note that &udolf 'teiner
spea*s of functions and processes. 0e need to remember that the four regions extend over the whole human organism, though they have their emphasis in specific areas.
2nother fourfold aspect is due to an anatomical fact that is part of a massage therapists everyday experience. The upper bac* % nec* and thoracic region % is large in
comparison to the lower bac* % dorsal and lumbar region. The upper extremities, the arms, are small in comparison to the lower extremities, the legs. Aere we can see
how the spirit and soul aspect of the human being harmoni.es human anatomy by creating this twofoldness: small arms % large upper bac*, large legs % small lower bac*.
(/! The Hand
Margarethe Aausch*a writes about the hand:
3n another &a$ the &hole hu!an "eing in his functional threefoldness is depicted in the hand. The finger ra$s &ith the sensitive ends are the part in &hich the
soul2astral ele!ent e<presses itself. The point2li'e action "elongs to the astral "od$ and produces consciousness. The nerve2sense pole is reflected in it.
The palm which we can open and close, which permits us to produce systole and diastole, is related to the rhythmical system. Massage movements made with
the palm can be given a special !breathing! $uality. 0ith the thumb we enter the field of the will, when we put it in opposition the hand becomes space. Thumb
gestures are will gestures, they may have a rough, indeed, almost brutal effect.3""7
(t is this threefoldness within the hand and its meaning for massage which, is of special interest. <very massage movement is a gesture. (t derives its basic direction from
the part of the hand applying it. 2 massage movement applied with the fingers will draw its effect from the form%giving dynamic of the nerve%sense pole. (f the massage
is carried out by the thumb, the effect emanates from the releasing dynamic of the metabolic pole. Massaging with the palm of the hand brings the benefit of the
balancing dynamic of the rhythmical system.
The next step is to see how the effect of the form%giving dynamic influences the human organism. This will lead us to the correct way of massaging with the fingers. (n
order to find the right massage movement for the thumbs we have to investigate how the releasing, mobile $uality acts on the various parts of the human organism. The
same applies to the balancing processes and massage movements using the palms of the hand.
Different regions
Lnder the heading !Massage and the nature of muscles! is discussed the different regions of the body and the connections between head and calves, lungs and thighs and
)age 1J of "=>
so on. (n massage it can be especially fruitful to get to *now the relationship these parts of the human organism have with the four elements. Ta*e, for example, the
alchemist terms 'al, Mercury and 'ulfur. The 'al process relates to the elements water and earth, the Mercury process to air and water and the 'ulfur process to air and
fire. This offers a perspective where, for example, the head belongs to the earth element, whereas the intestines at the opposite pole belong to the fire element.
This means that for a massage of the calf muscles acting through the astral lemniscate the massage therapist needs to derive the $uality of the movement from the earth
element. This can be further elaborated by using the three parts of the hand to wor* in different directions. The same applies for thighs and the water element, upper arm
and the air element, lower arm and the fire element.
Developing the $uality of each element in three directions we arrive at the twelvefold nature of the .odiac. 8etting to *now the .odiac we can put the above into practice.
Anders 5a&roth, Massage Therapist
Moosvaegen +1
'%"G1 1H 4aema
'weden
7eferences
" 'teiner &. 'piritual 'cience and Medicine 382 1 " +7. ;ecture of G 2pr. "K+=. Tr. not *nown. ;ondon: &udolf 'teiner )ress "KHG.
+ (bid.
1 (bid.
= 'teiner &. Three ;ectures to Doctors 3in 82 1"=7. ;ecture of 1" Dec. "K+1. Tr. &. Mansell. ;ong Beach /2: &udolf 'teiner &esearch ?oundation "KK,.
G Aolt.apfel 0. (m Kraftfeld der :rgane 3in the force field of the organs7. /h. =: Die Biere 3the *idney7 p.H1. Domach "KK,.
> 'teiner &. The (nner Bature of Man and the ;ife Between Death and &ebirth 382 "G17. ;ecture given in 5ienna on K 2pr. "K"=, p. H1. Tr. D. :smond, /. Davy. &ev.
2. &. Meuss. Bristol: &udolf 'teiner )ress "KK=.
H 'teiner &. )hysiology and Therapeutics 3in 82 1 "=7. ;ecture of K :ct. "K+,. Tr. 2. 0ulsin, 8. Kamow. 'pring 5alley B#: Mercury "KJ>.
J 'teiner &. The 'piritual%'cientific 2spect of Therapy 382 1"17. ;ecture of "> 2pr. "K+". Tr. &. Mansell. ;ong Beach /2: &udolf 'teiner &esearch ?oundation "KK,.
K 'teiner &. 82 "G1 loc. cit. p. H,.
", 'teiner &. 2nthroposophische Menschener*enntnis und Medi.in 3in 82 1"K7. Den Aaag, "> Bov. "K+1. Bot tr.
"" Aausch*a M. &hythmical Massage ). "GH. Tr. ;. D. Monges. ;ondon: &udolf 'teiner )ress "KHK.
Bach ?lower &emedies in &elation to 2nthroposophic Medicine

QQ bac*
By: ?riedwart Ausemann, M.D.
(Original title: Bachs Bluetentherapie im Verhaeltnis zur anthroposophischen Medizin. Merkurstab 1994; 47:497-506. English by A. R.
Meuss, FIL, MTA.)
(ach)s Medical System
Even as a boy, Edward Bach (24 September 1886 - 27 November 1936) hoped to discover the principle that could be used to cure all
diseases. As a medical student he was conscious of the strong bias in school medicine. When he first came in contact with patients he
felt that their psychological and personal symptoms were much more important than the physical symptoms. He trained as a
bacteriologist and produced vaccines (nosodes) from the intestinal microorganisms, injecting patients with their own nosodes. He
achieved remarkable results with this method, later modifying it and giving the nosodes only by mouth. He then found in
Hahnemann's 7rganon much of what he himself had discovered in working with his nosodes.
In July, 1917 Bach had a severe pulmonary hemorrhage requiring surgery. He was in a coma for some time.
He developed his nosode therapy further at the London Homeopathic Hospital, believing that he had found the therapeutic principle to
treat the condition called psora by Hahnemann. He differentiated between seven groups of bacteria, calling them 1) Proteus, 2)
Dysentery, 3) Morgan, 4) Fecalis, 5) Coli mutabile, 6) Gaertner, and 7) No. 7. In clinical use, the mental symptoms and temperament
of the patient became the most important indications. He thus arrived at seven clearly-defined personality types, with the seven
nosodes corresponding to these. His approach was based on the bacteriologic, pharmaceutic and clinical investigations he was
involved in more or less night and day. The lights would always be on in his laboratory, and the light shining from his laboratory
windows was called "the light that never goes out" by the hospital staff.
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The successes achieved with the nosodes failed to satisfy Bach, however. He had quite a large laboratory by then with a number of
assistants and was much sought after as a London physician. Yet he suddenly gave it all up. In 1928, at the age of 42, came a turning
point in his life. He was looking for plants to replace his nosodes for purer remedies. He went to the world of nature, gathering plants,
potentizing them or their active principles, but found again and again that nothing equaled the power of his nosodes.
One night he was attending a dinner in a large banquet hall. He had attended somewhat unwillingly and was not really enjoying
himself. To pass the time he was watching the people sitting at the table. Suddenly he realized that the whole of humanity consisted
of groups of clearly definable types and that every one of the people present in the large hall belonged to one of these groups.(1) He
realized that there had to be more than seven types. He perceived that it was not the case that particular diseases were characteristic
of a group, but that the members of a particular group would show similar or the same reactions to various diseases. Initially he
established twelve personality types, indicating twelve flowers for their treatment. One of his booklets was therefore entitled !he
!welve Healers. He realized that he was on the threshold of discovering a completely new system of clinical medicine. He also had a
feeling that he would find a new method of preparation that differed from existing techniques in being extremely simple. He left
London at this point, burned all earlier lectures and essays, and started a migrant kind of life in Wales, where he discovered one
medicinal plant after the other.
Bach's primary intuition - using the term in his sense - had been that there are twelve personality types which he distinguished
according to mental and characterological aspects:
1) fear
2) terror
3) mental torture or worry
4) indecision
5) indifference, boredom
6) doubt or discouragement
7) over-concern
8) weakness
9) self-distrust
10) impatience
11) over-enthusiasm
12) pride or aloofness
Bach found a natural remedy for each of these, perceiving the connection directly when encountering the plant:
"7 fear
+7 terror
17 mental torture or worry
=7 indecision
G7 indifference, boredom
>7 doubt or discouragement
H7 over%concern
J7 wea*ness
K7 self%distrust
",7 impatience
""7 over%enthusiasm
"+7 pride or aloofness
Mimulus
&oc* &ose
2grimony
'cleranthus
/lematis
2utumn 8entian
/hicory
/entaury
/erato
(mpatiens
5ervain
0ater 5iolet
The results achieved with these remedies, used according to the mental typology, satisfied Bach greatly. They were much better than
those he had known with his nosodes. Most of the readers of this journal will be familiar with Cichorium intybus, a plant Rudolf Steiner
investigated in spiritual science.(2) The story of a patient treated with Cichorium intybus by E. Bach will, therefore, be of interest.
According to Bach, Chicory is indicated for people who are over-concerned and like to interfere in other people's affairs:
A lady" aged seventy" had severe indigestion with pain over the heart. She had had attacks for some years but worse of late" the
cardiac pain and fluttering necessitating rest in bed for one or two weeks at a time.
She was an energetic type" over8concerned about the welfare of her family and household" continually worrying aver trifles and never
happy unless her children were near her" full of self8pity if they did not come and see her fre)uently.
)age =, of "=>
She was given -hicory regularly for two months. (mprovement began at once and the trouble entirely disappeared at the end of the
second month" and when last seen" one year later" she had had no return. She also became calmer and less worried about her family"
giving them more freedom and so increasing not only their happiness but her own.$3)
According to Bach, the physical disease had been caused by lack of harmony between soul and spirit, personality and higher self.
Disease as such is beneficial and serves us well: it is a corrective, pointing to a lesson to be learned. Essentially there are twelve
faults to be recognized. The disease will be cured if we develop the virtue that balances the fault. In support, or even on its own, the
appropriate flower therapy is indicated for each fault. Bach's writings thus contain lists such as the following:(4)
This establishes a kind of pastoral medical and phytotherapeutic connection.
Continuing his researches. Bach found seven more medicinal plants and published !he !welve Healers and Seven Helpers. He now
had a range of 19 medicines. In the last two years of his life he discovered a another 19 medicines using a different method of
research. Bach himself would develop a certain negative mental state or a physical illness, and he always knew that he would recover
as soon as he found the appropriate medicine. This method of pharmacognosy through self treatment required great courage of his
convictions and an unshakeable faith in his mission. The additional 19 medicines were largely taken from trees (oak, elm, larch,
hornbeam, etc.) and prepared not by the sun method, which will be described below, but - with the exception of White Chestnut - by
decoction. Bach mainly used this second series of remedies for patients who did not respond too well to the first series.
Bach's system of medicine thus involves 2 x 19 = 38 remedies. The famous Rescue Remedy (Bach emergency drops and ointment) is
a combination of Rock Rose, Impatiens, Clematis, Star of Bethlehem and Cherry Plum.
The first book published by Bach following the discovery of his flower remedies was Heal !hyself. Physical illnesses are psychological
in origin. If we deal with our psychological problems we shall be well, contented and happy. The function of the new remedies was to
help patients to overcome the negative states of soul that caused the illness.
And so come out" my brothers and sisters" into the glorious sunshine of the knowledge of your /ivinity" and earnestly and steadfastly
set to work to 9oin in happiness and communicating happiness ...(5)
Bach rejected poisonous plants and metals as medicinal agents. He would only use the flowers, for the flower, containing the potential
seed, concentrates the vital powers of the plant.
Walking through the fields on a May morning and seeing the glittering dew drops all around. Bach thought that a dew drop must
contain some of the properties of the plant on which it rested. The heat of the sun, he felt, extracted the active principles of the plant,
so that the dew drop would be fully charged with its powers. He had the sensitivity to differentiate between sun-irradiated dew drops
and those that were in the shade, and found that sun-irradiated dew drops were the more effective. Gathering dew being very time-
consuming. Bach chose a method by which the freshly gathered flowers were placed in a dish of clear water and exposed to direct
sunlight. He described his sun method in a paper published in Homeopathic World.(6)
A glass bowl, as thin-walled as possible, was filled almost to the brim with pure water, preferably from a spring. Sufficient flower
heads were placed in the bowl to cover the surface completely. A cloudless day would be chosen, and the flowers were picked after
they had been in the sunlight for about two hours. The bowl was then placed in the sun, changing its position from time to time so
that the light of the sun was fully on the surface, with the whole bowl bathed in light. A quarter of the liquid was poured off after
three, four and seven hours respectively, adding about 20 percent of pure alcohol to the drawn-off liquid, which would represent the
third, fourth and seventh potencies respectively.
It is evident from the above that Bach - in the initial stages of developing the method - equated the period of exposure to the sun
with different potencies. It also shows that Bach would originally pick the flowers two hours after sunrise at the earliest and that some
of the tinctures were not ready until nine hours after sunrise, in the afternoon. Later (!he !welve Healers, 1933) he said the flowers
should be exposed to the sun until the petals just started to fade. Ultimately the instruction was to expose to the sun for four hours,
and that is the method used today. Even today, the four-hour period may well extend beyond noon.(7)
The method was, therefore, to take the place of potentization for Bach's researches had shown that this was the best way of ensuring
medicinal powers. Bach wrote in 1930 that people should not reject the method on account of its simplicity; the further scientific
research advanced, the greater would be recognition of the principle of simplicity in the whole of creation.(6)
)age =" of "=>
In his view, the system could be used to cure all diseases:
Whatever the disease" the result of this disharmony" we may be )uite sure that the cure is well within our powers of accomplishment"
for our souls never ask of us more than we can very easily do.(4)
Any disease" however serious" however long8standing" will be cured by restoring to the patient happiness and desire to carry on.
Examples he gave were "arthritis, cancer, asthma, etc." and also "measles." A few weeks before his death he spoke of "all diseases
normally known in this country."
!here is no need to tell you of the :reat Healing Properties of these .emedies" more than to say that hundreds and thousands of
people have been brought back to health.
He compared his cures to the melting of snow:
!hey ;the ,ach 1lowers< cure not by attacking disease but by flooding our bodies with the beautiful vibrations of our Higher 4ature" in
the presence of which disease melts as snow in the sunshine.(9)
He also stated that his method was very simple, requiring "no medical knowledge whatsoever."(8) "The whole principle of Healing by
this method is so simple as can be understood by almost everyone."(8)
*nthroposophic Point of +ie,
A comparison between Bach's method and anthroposophic medicine will not only throw a light on the Bach Flowers but, if we look at
anthroposophic medicine in the mirror of another system, some of the principles of anthroposophic medicine emerge more clearly.
What are the origins of disease?
Bach saw the origin of physical illnesses in the human psyche. The mental symptoms were much more important to him than physical
symptoms. Edward Bach (1886-1936) and Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) were of one mind regarding the psychic origin of physical
illnesses. "The disease is merely an abnormality in the individual's life of feeling,"(10) said Rudolf Steiner, and Edward Bach had
clearly developed the "perceptive eye for the inner life"(10) that Rudolf Steiner hoped physicians would develop. In anthroposophic
medicine this concept of disease is, however, only one among many, and it is immediately reversed when it comes to "mental"
diseases, the syndromes known in the field of psychiatry. Depression and mania, compulsive neuroses or delusional states have their
origin in the patient's physical body. Other concepts arise, for instance, if we consider the human being from the point of view of the
four aspects, its threefold nature, or the polarity between the upper and lower human being.
If a physical illness has its origin in the patient's soul life, does this permit us to give low value to physical symptoms? Let us imagine
two patients who, in Bach's terms, are both over-concerned. Let us say one has a heart condition and the other a liver disease. Heart
and liver are different worlds, and so it cannot be one and the same. Here we see that it really matters if we are able to distinguish
between body, soul and spirit. Anthroposophy considers not only the psyche, which may affect the individual's vital processes, but
also the spiritual nature of a person which is embodied and active in the organs. Seen in this light, disease is "the physical
Imagination of spiritual life,"(11) and I differentiate between two different spiritual realities when making the distinction between
hemolytic and hepatocellular icterus. The soul is undoubtedly more spiritual than the body, but the latter is more perfect in its kind. If
we compare the marvelous structure of the heart or the brain and their finely attuned functions with the uncertainties and instability
of our feelings, it is evident that the physical body, of its kind, is the most perfect aspect of the human being. Any approach to
medicine must, therefore, base itself on a study of the physical body; otherwise it can have no solid foundation.
7ne8sided or all8round methods?
Bach used only flowers for his medicines, the only exception being Rock Water, water from medicinal springs.
Anthroposophically speaking, flowers act on the metabolic pole, i.e. the area where Bach had collected his nosodes at an earlier stage.
The fact that he used plants to influence the soul is understandable from the anthroposophic point of view. Mineral medicines act on
the human ego, plants on the soul (astral) body, animal substances on the life body, and human substances (e.g. blood preparations)
on the physical body.(12) The flower actually has a soul aspect, showing nature's changing facial expressions in a poetic way.
Bach, therefore, had the right ideas concerning both disease and his Flower Remedies, but he made them the sole and exclusive
principle to the point where there are no limits, and one loses one's bearings.
Some dietary advice given by Rudolf Steiner may demonstrate this. The metabolic/sulphur pole is dominant in fair-haired children, the
nerve/sense pole in dark-haired children.(13) To correct such a bias, Steiner advised that fair-haired children should be given root
vegetables, dark-haired children aromatic fruits. The effect of such a diet given to children also influences the soul,(13) and we really
ought to demonstrate this empirically by conducting long-term trials. But we can understand the principle even without this. A fair-
haired child, with the emphasis on metabolism, would thus be given root vegetables and a dark-haired child, with the emphasis on
nerves and senses, fruit to correct the bias. Anthroposophic medical treatment is also based on the principle that human beings have
an upside-down plant inside them. The Flower Remedies deal with one aspect of this. The other, polar root aspect and the third,
mediating leaf aspect are missing. People using the Flower Remedies, therefore, have no clear understanding of what they are doing.
For what do I really know about an effective medicine if I do not also know the medicine which acts in the opposite way?
)age =+ of "=>
Many mothers today give Bach Flower Remedies to their children as a form of prophylactic psychological medicine. In view of the
above, one would expect the Flower Remedies to increase the bias in a fair-haired child, in whom the flowering/sulphur is already
dominant, while they may be expected to have a balancing effect in dark-haired children.
2edicines free from poison?
Bach rejected poisonous plants such as Belladonna and Aconite, even in potentized form. Steiner would occasionally prescribe
substances in doses that came close to the toxic range (e.g. Mercurius vivus nat., in Thuja comp.).
Here again, the physical body can teach us how to find the right way. It produces numerous toxic substances, e.g. CO2, phosphorus,
iron, bilirubin, etc., all of which are also detoxified. Classic exogenous toxins such as morphine and strophanthin have been known for
years to be endogenous as well, with small amounts produced in the body. Everything normal and healthy in one organ is unhealthy
or a toxin for the next organ. Consider the way the brain floats calmly in the cerebrospinal fluid, like an iceberg; in the heart the same
macroscopic calm would signify cardiac arrest and, therefore, death. The inner life, which proved of such interest to Bach, can only
exist in the body by slightly poisoning it all the time; the state of unconsciousness we enter in sleep will then correct this again. If a
disease develops in which vegetative, regenerative, sleep-like metabolic forces dominate, e.g. a febrile inflammation, toxic substances
are indicated that will strengthen the waking- up pole, which has become too weak, and thus counteract the overweening metabolic,
going-to-sleep pole. Belladonna 3x or 4x may be indicated in such a case, not as a homeopathic simile, but for the above reasons.
Belladonna 30x would be contraindicated, for if the origin is perceived to be in the metabolic pole, we have to intervene there, and
this is successfully done by using low, material potencies.
To be able to cope with the widest possible range of situations - and Edward Bach clearly wanted this - we have to understand that it
is "a nonsense to dream of non-poisonous medicine".(14)
Self8treatment or self8education?
One of Bach's most important social impulses is that of self-treatment. Apart from the simplicity of his method, this is probably one of
the main reasons why the system is so widespread, having become highly popular in recent years.
As already mentioned. Bach's first publication was Heal !hyself. Steiner asked young doctors to make it part of their medical ethics
not to treat themselves and not to lay claim to the benefits of the medicines for themselves.(15) This was clearly said with reference
to medical treatment.
In terms of general hygiene it is, of course, justifiable and indeed highly necessary to strive for health. "Striving for health" is the first
condition for entering on the spiritual path (=nowledge of the Higher Worlds). Tried and proven aids are eurythmy(16) and the
exercises connected with the lectures on 7vercoming 4ervousness and Practical !raining in !hought.(17) At this psychological level,
self-treatment - if we may call it such - is far from simple, requiring a great deal of effort and will power. It is, in fact, a matter of
self-education. The "heal yourself" impulse should not take the place of self-education. We are well on the way to this, however, when
we read in the prospectuses of the Bach Center in England that Bach Flower therapy is "preventive medicine for the psyche", serving
to "build character" and that the long-term goal of Bach Flower therapy is to achieve "purity of soul and, therefore, maximum
personal development and stability".
Under the pretext of treatment something entirely different is offered here: the self-education impulse is obscured. Purity of soul is a
goal that in anthroposophic terms can only be achieved through numerous incarnations and, in Christian terms, only on the Day of
Judgment. In selling their products the manufacturers of Bach Flower Remedies want to provide something to be acquired passively
which, in fact, can never be provided from outside: self- knowledge, self-education, character improvement, purity of soul.
As far as I can see, this impulse was not of primary concern to Bach himself; he truly wanted to heal physical diseases by treating the
soul. Bach was convinced that his system would cure every disease.
Sun method or powers of morning and evening?
Rudolf Steiner introduced new, complicated manufacturing methods for a whole range of anthroposophic medicines. Examples are the
machine used to produce mistletoe preparations and the method of producing Kalium acet. comp. c. Stibio. His suggestions were
based on certain insights, e.g. that mistletoe as it occurs in nature, is a "decadent process"(18) It is often necessary to complete the
work of nature, using the art of pharmacy.
Edward Bach's main concern, on the other hand, was to find a simple method on which human beings have minimum influence. His
sun method exposes the medicinal substances to direct sunlight, and initially he would start two hours after sunrise at the earliest,
with exposure times of three to seven hours, depending on the "potency" required. The method was developed further, and today a
standard exposure time of four hours is used, often until noon or later. Originally, noontide was always part of the process.
Steiner, on the other hand, advised against using the noon or midnight powers of the sun, recommending utilization of the powers of
morning and evening, with direct sunlight playing no role in this, the aim being, among other things, to avoid the use of alcohol as a
preservative. Bach was unable to manage without alcohol for his remedies. Steiner spoke of the different nature of the powers of
noon and midnight, predicting their future effects in the East and West.(19) A time will come when "those who have knowledge in the
cosmos will fight one another.(19) It will be an American secret how the powers of noon can be made to serve the ahrimanic double,
(19) to paralyze the powers of morning and evening. And the powers of midnight will be used in Eastern occultism to bypass the
Christ impulse.
Readers may judge for themselves if Bach's sun method may be seen in connection with the above-mentioned American secret or not.
The fact is that Edward Bach, coming after Samuel Hahnemann and after Rudolf Steiner, discovered a method of preparing medicines
that uses the noontide powers of direct sunlight.
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Questions we have to ask in relation to that method are: what happens when the flowers are thus exposed to the sun? Which physical
substances and non-physical creative powers are transferred to the water? Is this the equivalent of potentization, as Bach believed it
to be?
Should we use medicines for which the principle of action is unknown?
!welve and seven
Bach discovered 7 nosodes, 12 human types, 12 healers and 7 helpers, and then another 12 + 7 = 19 remedies, after which he
declared the system to be complete. He himself never spoke of the meaning of those figures. Without going into speculation, let us
recall, however, that the major turning point in Edward Bach's life came when he realized that the whole of humanity is made up of
12 types. In Anthroposophy we speak of the individual human being, and initially only of the physical body which consists of 12
senses or has embryologically evolved through the forces that come from the 12 regions of the zodiac. The individual human being,
and initially only the life (ether) body, differentiates into 7 stages of life, a 7-fold metal or planetary process. Numerous further
differentiations and aspects make the individual person a being of body, soul and spirit, a marvelous, artistically metamorphosed,
highly complex mirror of the cosmos. We feel growing admiration and profound reverence as we learn to perceive this human being.
For Edward Bach, it seems, the whole of humanity was simply and easily divided into 12 types, his system being so simple that even
38 types are easy to understand. This has resulted in a simple, practical method that requires "no medical knowledge whatever" and
"can be understood by almost everyone."(8)
Simple or -omple./
In Nora Week's book the terms "simple" and "simplicity" are used dozens of times.
!he keynote of 6dward ,ach>s life was simplicity and it was also the keynote of his final work 8 the new system of herbal medicine.(1)
Tempting words - "the genius of simplicity" - but there is also a certain arrogance which should not be overlooked.
Since Edward Bach's days, a vast number of harmful effects on the environment have become known, among them thalidomide, the
Chenobyl disaster, the natural catastrophe of the Aral Sea, the plague of toads in Australia, the ozone hole in the stratosphere, ozone
pollution near ground level, the hothouse effect, mad cow disease (BSE) due to meat being fed to herbivores, etc. All of these were
caused by human beings, sometimes on expert advice. The common denominator is a biased, simplistic approach, and failure to think
of all possible consequences. Simplicity of thinking is the banner headline when we consider the causes of today's natural disasters.
The longing for simple ways of thinking arises from the desire to avoid effort. Life, the world and the human being are many-layered
and complex, and in using methods that are too simple and one-sided we destroy them.
Bach's Flower therapy is as one-sided as it is simple. The original claims for universality have no doubt been found to be relative in
practice. Bach's successors now want to offer "inner development in the form of drops", and the tremendous spread of Bach's Flower
Remedies is a product of our age, a product of avoidance of effort.
1riedwart Husemann" 2/ Maria-Eich-Str. 57A D-82166 Graefelfing bei Muenchen, Germany
References
1 Weeks N. The Medical Discoveries of Edward each, Physician. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd 1940.
2 Steiner R. Spiritual Science and Medicine (GA 312). Lecture of 30 Mar 1920. Tr. not known. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1975.
3 WeeksN.Loc.dt. p. 73.
4 Bach E. Free Thyself. In The Original Writings of Edward Bach by J. Howard and J. Ramsell. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd
1990.
5 Bach E. Heal Thyself. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd 1933.
6 Bach E. New Remedies and New Uses. Homeopathic World 1930.
7 Information kindly given to J. B. Williamson, Graefelfing, Germany, who telephoned John Ramsell at the Bach Center of 13 June
1994.
8 Bach E. Masonic Lecture 1936. In The Original Writings of Edward Bach by J. Howard and J. Ramsell. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel
Co. Ltd 1990.
9 Bach E. Ye Suffer from Yourselves. Address given at Southport, Feb 1931. In The Original Writings of Edward Bach by J. Howard
and J. Ramsell. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd 1990.
10 Steiner R. Eight Lectures to Doctors (in GA 316). Domach, 3 Jan 1924. Tr. not known. MS translation R % at Rudolf Steiner House
Library, London.
11 Ibid. 8 Jan 1924.
)age == of "=>
12 Steiner R. An Outline ofAnthroposophical Medical Research (in GA 319). Lecture given in London on 28 August 1924. Tr. not
known. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1939.
13 Steiner R. Curative Education (GA 317). Lecture of 30 Jun 1924. Tr. M. Adams. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1972.
14 Steiner R. Fundamentals of Anthroposophical Medicine (in GA 314). Stuttgart, 28 Oct 1922. Tr. A. Wulsin. Spring Valley MY:
Mercury 1986.
15 Steiner R. Eight Lectures to Doctors. 7 & 8 Jan 1924.
16 Steiner R. Curative Eurythmy (GA 315). Tr. K. Krohn. Lecture of 16 Apr 1921. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1983.
17 Steiner R. Overcoming Nervousness (in GA 143). Lecture given in Munich on January 1912. Tr. R. Querido & G. Church. New York:
Anthroposophic Press 1973; Practical Training in Thought (in GA 108). Lecture given in Karlsruhe on
18 January 1909. Tr. H. Monges, rev. G. Church. New York: Anthroposophic Press 1974. 18 Steiner R. Anthr. Therapy, Lectures to
Doctors (in GA 319). London, 3 Sept. 1923. Tr. R. Mansell. Long Beach, CA.: Rudolf Steiner Research Foundation 1984.
19 Steiner R. The Wrong and Right Use of Esoteric Knowledge (in GA 178). Lecture of 25 November 1923. Tr. D. Davy. London:
Rudolf Steiner Press 1966. On the subject of the ahrimanic double see also Steiner R. Geographic Medicine and the Mystery of the
Double (in GA 178). Lecture of 16 November 1917. Tr. A. Wulsin. Spring Valley: Mercury Press 1986.
The 'pastic /olon

QQ bac*
By: 2art van der 'tel
(Translated from the Dutch Anthroposophic Physician's Newsletter. English by A.C. Barnes) Aart van der Stel JAM Vol. 12, Nr. 3
&ntroduction
When someone says that he has problems expressing himself properly, one seldom thinks of his bowel function being the part having
difficulty expressing what he is inwardly concerned with. Yet it makes sense to take what the speaker says literally [translator's note:
the Dutch word for "express" means also "have a bowel movement"] and, as his physician, to enquire about his metabolism. Not
infrequently the patient proves to be afflicted, to a greater or lesser extent, with a spastic colon problem. In the course of this account
it will become clear what the connection is between the large intestine and someone's ability to put his ideas across.
Pathology
There follows a description of the clinical picture as it is usually presented.(1)
The spastic colon (irritable bowel syndrome, colitis mucosa, emotional diarrhea) is a chronic or irregularly occurring familial illness due
to changes in the motility of the large intestine. According to the literature we are confronted with this affliction in approximately 30%
to 60% of all gastrointestinal troubles. The colic pains of the nursing infant and constipation in the young child also belong here
though we are more familiar with the problem in young adults. It occurs more frequently in women than in men.
The diagnosis, for which the history is most important, is based on the following symptoms:
(1) Pain mostly on the left side and sometimes on the right side low in the abdomen, of a character ranging from gnawing to nagging,
radiating out to the back or chest. There are pain-free periods.
(2) Frequent production of small quantities of feces that are of variable consistency; large quantities of gas. After defecation and
release of flatulence the pain decreases or even ceases. The pain increases again in consequence of a meal or emotional stress.
(3) Little or no feeling of illness or loss of weight, etc.
(4) Often occurs with another psychosomatic symptom such as premenstrual complaints, tension headaches or hypoglycemia.
(5) Mood usually depressive.
Physical investigation reveals the patient to be in remarkably good condition. The abdomen is sometimes diffusely swollen; percussion
gives a tympanitic tone. In the painful region the bowel is swollen in a sausage-like shape, mobile relative to the under layer. The
abdominal wall often feels cold to the touch above the spastic section of the bowel.
!eces
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This problem demands a thorough investigation be made into the quality of the stools.(2) The indigestible fiber proves to play an
important part in this.
The proportion of fiber in food has fallen drastically in this century. Over a hundred years ago about 600gm of bread was consumed
per head of population; at the present day it is barely 200gm. In addition to this it must be pointed out that nowadays we are dealing
with highly refined flour, i.e. flour with the fiber removed, as a result of which the fat and sugar content of our food has risen from
15-20% in earlier times to 55-60%. Hence the modern diet contains very little fiber.
This fiber is important. The more fiber present in the food, the faster the chyme is passed through the intestine. With an increase in
fiber, the quantity of feces also increases. It has been found that primitive peoples produce three times as much stools as Europeans.
It has also been found, connected with this, that problems such as constipation, diverticulosis of the colon, cancer of the rectum,
hypercholesterolemia, appendicitis and gall-bladder troubles are significantly less frequent among these peoples or even do not occur
at all.
In summary, there seems to be a connection between our culture (or diet) and a number of bowel disorders, including spastic colon.
The advice in a case of spastic colon is to increase the proportion of fiber in the diet. The question remains whether this will entirely
solve the problem.
The 0rgan
The colon is a large, hollow organ that garlands the rest of the digestive tract (stomach, duodenum, small intestine). It is about 1.5
meters long. Its wall contains (as does that of the small intestine) longitudinal and circular muscles, but those of the colon (in
contrast to those of the small intestine) are arranged in three bands (taeniae coli).
The colon is divided into three parts - the ascending, the transverse and descending in that order - going from the end of the small
intestine (the ileum) to the sigmoid, situated before the anus.
It is striking that in its journey through the abdomen the colon closely approaches almost all the organs of importance for metabolism
in the following order: right ovary, liver and gall-bladder, right kidney, pancreas, stomach, spleen, left kidney, left ovary.
The colon ends in the anus, which can be consciously relaxed and contracted. In the whole digestive tract this is only found elsewhere
in the mouth: we can affect the digestive flow by conscious effort only at the beginning and the end.
-olonic Mo'ement
The large intestine has no peristalsis, unlike the small intestine.(3) The are two kinds of contractions:
(1) Mass contractions/ where a large section of the bowel contracts, and the portion situated distally from this relaxes. These
contractions shift slowly (1cm per second). They occur a few times a day.
(2) Haustrating contractions, which have a mixing and kneading effect but only extend over a small area and can last several tens of
seconds.
The colon is an easily-irritated organ that reacts to all kinds of substances such as gastrin and cholecystokinin, which are responsible
for the gastrocolic reflex, to substance P and enkephalins, which increase motility, and to glucagon and secretin, which act to reduce
motility. Apart from this it is interesting that very little is known about the movements of the large intestine, especially in connection
with the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which are present in such abundance in the bowel wall, and the
relationship between the feces and the movements of the bowel.
-omparati'e *natomy
Steiner(4) points out that a relationship exists between the development of the colon in successive kinds of animals, in terms of their
stage of development, and the development of the forebrain. The study of the various metabolisms reveals that it is only with the
coming of warm-blooded animals that such a thing as a colon comes into existence; that the more highly developed the animal is the
longer the colon; and that particularly the ruminants develop an enormous cecum, which in man finally achieves "normal" proportions
- the appendix is, in fact, a shrunken cecum. It is further of interest that the colon "grows into" the body from its distal end (the anus)
towards its dorsal end. Finally, let us remember that in the course of development the place where the ileum connects with the colon
has become displaced: in the most highly developed creatures the ileum empties into the colon from the side through the ileocecal
valve (valvulae Bauhini).
When one looks at the large intestines of the various creatures side by side, then the human colon looks the most harmonious. It is as
though the organ has found its ultimate destination in man.
Significance
The colon has no peristalsis, which indicates a lesser influence from the etheric body than one observes in the small intestine. The
continuous firming up of the faecal flow also tells us this. What we have here is a hollow organ that is very sensitive to stimuli. The
bowel wall contains a great deal of vegetative nerve tissue, and the bowel itself can be consciously closed at its end. These are
features that suggest a powerful influence from the astral body and ego-organization respectively. Just think, for example, of the
significance in child development of the child's learning to hold back its stools. The child could not be prouder (more aware of its
growing ego)! The relationship with warm-bloodedness (where is the body temperature most accurately measured?), the occurrence
)age => of "=>
of intensified movements of the colon associated with emotions or biographical problems, and the dependence on cultural influences
with regard to the product, reinforce the feeling that what we have here is a sense organ rather than a constructive metabolic organ.
Life can continue normally without a colon. A number of years ago there were over 70,000 stoma-patients without a colon in West
Germany. The more highly developed an organ is, i.e. the more spiritual its function in the body, the more easily one can do without
it in whole or in part. Compare Steiner's observations on the spleen.(5)
In summary, the colon is an organ that, although it belongs to the metabolism, shows a high level of ego and astral activity and
above all seems to have an observing function. So what does it observe? m order to answer this question it is necessary to
understand something of the metabolism as such.
Meta%olism
Rudolf Steiner's 7ccult Physiology, however difficult and inscrutable, is a good key to understanding the metabolism. The central
theme in this work is the "preparation" of the blood as ultimate bearer and instrument of the ego. All organs contribute something to
it, and this whole process of preparation may be called "metabolism".
Food undergoes a long journey of digestion from outside to inside, which is marked by a number of confrontations. Steiner speaks of
"aussere .egsamkeiten" and uses the example of stubbing a toe on a table leg, which gives rise to two processes, one directed
outwards and the other directed inwards. Outwardly the table leg (and the same would be true of a portion of food or a sense
impression) is pushed away, overridden, excreted (Absonderung). Inwardly consciousness arises of the pushed-away object (the
external world and all it embraces) and of one's own person: my toe hurts, and I have only become aware of it by stubbing it. Steiner
speaks in this connection of the "6mahrungsstrom" (nutritional flow). The pushing away is not complete because then the pushed-
away object could not have been noticed and remembered; the table leg as it were comes a little into us. One develops one's inner
world in response to the world outside. After stubbing one's toe a few times one learns that one must be careful in the dark because
one has built up an internal notion of table legs. It is the same with food: one digests sugars in order to construct sugars inwardly. In
this the organs play an important role. The organs are little bits of internalized external world and can be seen as the serving-hatches
of cosmic, planetary forces. Thus the kidneys are linked with Venus, the spleen with Saturn, etc.
This is how man with his blood-in-the-making figures between two external worlds: the physical, visible world which has become
earth and which man confronts with matter or substances (what the matter looks like, what form it has), and the invisible world of the
planets that enables him to see which formative forces the substances originate from. The former world comes to us through food,
breathing and the senses; the latter world through the organs, the access-gates of the world of the planets.
$utrition
If the blood (the human being, the ego) is to be formed in the right way, a concept must be formed of the best way to achieve that.
This can be compared to making a cupboard: what kind of wood, what methods of joining the components, what hinges and
fastenings, what shape shall I give it? Substance (Latin for "what stands underneath") and form are the elements which, brought into
an individual combination by the ego, make the blood into our own personal blood as the center of our personality. Every foodstuff
contains, for example, carbohydrates (material aspect), but in different foodstuffs these carbohydrates take on a different
appearance.(6)
In the process of breaking down, of observing, the ego, astral body and etheric body take control of this in such a way that in the
external world, viz. the bowel cavity, the material and formal aspects of the foodstuff disappear, and its physical remains are removed
(Absonderung), while at the same time an inward awareness of the material and formal aspects of a carbohydrate comes into being,
which must contribute to the building up of one's own (blood-)sugar (6maehrung). The ego continues to play a mediating, regulating
and identifying role throughout.
The process which takes place in the vicinity of the bowel wall could be described as transsubstantiation. This process continues from
the mouth to approximately the ileocecal valve, during which time the contents of the alimentary tract undergo a constantly
increasing process of breaking down or destruction. Into the cecum comes an amorphous mass of material, which in many animals
then leaves the body since there is nothing more to be got from it. In the human body and that of other highly developed animals it
then goes on to receive its maximal form before the exhausted material finally leaves the body as feces.
T,o 1estures
In order to understand the function of the colon one may think in terms of two gestures in the intestinal tract. The first gesture is
visible in the descending flow of ingested food, which gradually (and, for the ego, productively) loses its outward form and turns into
lifeless matter. This is the observing gesture. The other gesture, directed more towards construction, is expressed in the acquisition of
form by the fecal mass, which is maximally observable in the sigmoid and is less and less apparent as one looks higher and higher up
in the bowel cavity. This form belongs not to the material but to ourselves as the originators of this form. In this way two formative
processes flow contrary to one another: from above the external formative process belonging to the external world and fading away
as it moves lower, and from below the formative process that comes outwards from within and is caused by what: the ego or the
organs?
That we have two gestures is apparent from, among other things, the two movements of the colon described above: a steady, more
or less peristaltic movement which conveys the exhausted matter to the exit, and an antiperistaltic, haustrating gesture that brings
the material flow to a halt and, as it were, kneads it and so gives it a definite form.
In this way the colon makes visible what sort of formative processes are taking place in the body, how the body offers resistance to
formative processes from the outside, and how it can express itself in matter.
)age =H of "=>
But does one need such a long colon for this purpose? It is interesting to look again at the location of the colon and to realize that
there are three parts to be distinguished: the ascending, transverse and descending portions. One could, in a somewhat associative
way, say that the ascending portion, in which the fecal flow is upward (towards the liver) corresponds to the effective area of the
etheric body, that the transverse portion, extending between the kidneys, has to do with the astral body (think also of all the other
organs that the colon passes here), and that the descending portion from the spleen onwards, in which the feces assume their final
form and are "shown" to the external world, lies in the effective area of the ego. In this way the formative capacity of the human
being at the levels of etheric body, astral body and ego-organization would become visible and hence observable in the corresponding
parts of the colon respectively.
!eces
When we look at the feces we can also distinguish a material aspect and a formal aspect: (a) how well can we break down
(catabolize) and (b) how well can we build up (anabolize)?
In (a) the occurrence of a lot of gas in the intestines and/or the finding of undigested remains of food in the stools indicates an
inadequate breaking down or observation of the external world. Gas in particular indicates an excess of uncommitted astrality not
brought under the control of the ego.
In (b) cramps, diarrhea and constipation indicate disturbed forming pro-cesses. "=raempfe ?eigen die @nmoeglichkeit dass (ch8
7rganisation und Astralldb in physischen und Aetherleib hineinfahren"(7) (Cramps are a sign that the ego- organization and astral
body cannot penetrate the physical and etheric bodies).
It can be seen from the feces how well the human being is able to manage earthly reality in such a way that it leads to the building up
of one's own inner reality. Always valid: the better the destruction the better the construction.
What is here described for the ego vis-a-vis the physical would also be valid for the astral vis-a-vis the etheric. In this connection
Steiner mentions colon and bladder in the same breath.(4)
That there is "a lot of ego" in the feces is also expressed in the reply that Steiner gives to a question about the wisdom of using
human manure in agriculture.(8) Steiner advises that no more should be used than what the farmer and his family produce. There is
too much "ego" in the feces for one to be able to make excessive use of it; this applies not at all, or much less, to animal dung which
bears an imprint not so much of the earthly and individual as of the cosmic and astral.
It would seem that the large intestine is a sense organ that is intended for the observation of how far the human ego is capable of
manifesting itself in the metabolism, which shows an interplay of construction and destruction that must lead to the blood formation
which is the ultimate expression of the ego in the physical. With this we can make a transition to the pathology, where the question
arises as to why someone cannot express himself in keeping with his potentialities, his biographical mainsprings, etc.
Pathology
On the basis of the above we can now understand what is the matter with a person with a spastic colon. There are three possibilities,
which may occur separately or in combination in one and the same person:
(1) There is something wrong with the destruction flow
(2) There is something wrong with the construction flow
(3) There is something wrong with both
The correct form is not being produced due to too much or too little observation, or ditto construction, or (as an expression of a
general ego- weakness) an inability to synthesize. The relationship to the external world is experienced too emotionally; the astral
body is stronger than the ego- organization in observing and constructing. The person who cannot manifest himself fully feels himself
over-addressed or rushed off his feet by the external world. His body, his psychic circumstances or the social climate do not allow him
enough space to manifest himself in his full individuality. As a reaction to this, the person gets trapped either in too much
construction, a desperate need to do everything without enough substance or careful thought (diarrhea) or else in too much
destruction, endlessly analyzing and working things out analytically before he finally gets down to actually doing something
(constipation).
-auses
The situation described - not being able to achieve one's own form for one's own existence - can have various causes:
(1) -onstitutional. Here, the organs come into the picture. It is interesting to look into the question of which constitutions are most
associated with spastic colon. An important role is probably played by the spleen, the liver, the lungs and the kidneys.
(2) /iet. The importance of fiber has already been mentioned. Note that fibers are polysaccharides, which underlines once again the
role played in the spastic colon problem by the ego "Wo Aucker ist" ist 6go8organisation..." (Where there is sugar there is ego
organization...). Fiber forms an "aussere .egsamkeit" of the first order.
)age =J of "=>
(3) ,iographical. This involves mainly young adults where it is, of course, a matter of ego birth. But later situations in life where a
powerful manifestation of the personality is required can also give rise to a spastic colon. The relationship with other psychosomatic
illnesses is also seen here.
Therapy
It is remarkable how little advice on therapy for problems of the large intestine is to be found in anthroposophical medical literature.
It would seem that in the period when Steiner saw patients with Ita Wegman there was nobody walking around with a spastic colon.
There are a few patients whose problems are not far removed from this one,(9) although these are mainly in connection with
Carpellum mali (see below). Nor has much been written on the subject subsequently. Husemann suggests only a few remedies,
having first specifically mentioned "psychiscne 1uehrung" (psychological guidance).(10)
During therapy it is important first and foremost to build a picture of the problem with the patient and to check whether he recognizes
anything of his own situation in it. Our account of the problem as given above is based on numerous occasions when we have
discussed the formation problem with patients. It is essential to help these always rather tense people to begin to see things in
perspective. If the tenseness, the feeling - for whatever reason - that they cannot assert their individuality is deeply entrenched,
some form of psychotherapy is always necessary.
It is a matter of learning to see things in perspective ("I'm actually only an ordinary person") and to be objective ("What can I do?"
instead of "What is expected of me?"). I often advise the patient to take a kind of retrospective look at the end of each day on the
theme, "When have I really been myself today?"
A supportive role in this growth process of the ego in the face of massive astrality is offered by artistic therapy, especially clay-
modeling and curative eurythmy. Sounds such as R, M, N, B, I and A and above all the "seelische @ebungen" (spiritual exercises) are
very effective.
Regarding medication, there are all kinds of possibilities. Directly working antispasmodics are Nicotiana, Chamomilla, Carbo and
Cuprum. Mercurius in one form or another is often effective. When one has clear ideas about which organs are having a disruptive
effect, one naturally directs one's medicinal therapy in that direction, supplementing what one is already doing with the above-
mentioned Cuprum. Apis, Aurum and Stibium are particularly ego-strengthening, as is the prescription of a fiber-rich vegetarian diet.
It will sometimes happen that a too sudden and rigorous change of diet brings on a depression. This can then be used as a point of
departure for subsequent therapy.
Excessively cerebral types must be made to take up something physical such as walking, cycling or swimming, though without feeling
that they have to achieve great things.
The Remedy 2 -arpellum mali
A remedy with which I have recently been working on the advice of Machteld Huber (personal communication) is Carpellum mali, viz.
applecore. Steiner advises this for a hypochondriac, melancholy woman of 37 who is afraid of becoming pregnant again and complains
of "dauemden /ruck der sie allesfalsch anfassen lasst" (a constant pressure which always makes her go about things in the wrong
way).(9) Here we can recognize much of the patient with a spastic colon. She has in the past suffered from constipation. Steiner says
that the bowel and especially the colon is too narrow (haustration, ileus?). Carpellum mali is "?usammengeflickt" (patched together)
with Juglans regia, the walnut. These are imitations of the astral body of the large intestine and the lungs respectively. Steiner relates
depression and bowel problems, which may at the same time have been responsible for the (earlier?) difficult pregnancy.
In cases described elsewhere,(11) Carpellum mali is used in the treatment of patients with sub-ileus accompanied by diarrhea or
constipation and a tendency to depression or melancholy. These case-studies also involve diverticulosis coli.
It would seem worthwhile to gain experience of the remedy (Carpellum mali comp. Weleda) in a wider context. My initial experiences
are encouraging, to say the least. It is certainly necessary to formulate a clear list of indications.
Aart van der Stel" 2./."
Rotterdam, Netherlands
References
1 Bartelink A. (1977) NTVG 121(38):1462 ff.
2 Burkitt P. et al. (1972) Lancet, 30 Dec., p.1408 ff.
3 Smout A.J.P.M. et al. Bewgingen van het maagdarmkanaal. (1991) Tilburg
4 Steiner R. Geisteswissenschaft und Medizin. (1961) Domach, p.93 ff.
5 Ditto. Eine okkulte Physiologic. (1971) Domach.
6 Hauschka R. Emahrungslehre. (1970) Frankfurt am Main.
7 Steiner R. Heilpedagogische Kurs, Domach.
8 Steiner R. Landbouwcursus.
9 Degenaar A.G. Krankheitsfaelle, Stuttgart.
10 Husemann et al. DBS Bild des Menschen als Grundlage der Heilkunst. (1978) Stuttgart. Vol.11, pt.2.
11 Beitraege zu einer Erweiterung der Heilkunst. (1961). 4:162 ff.
/hildhood (mmuni.ation )rograms Euestions from the 2nthroposophic )oint of 5iew, )art "

QQ bac*
)age =K of "=>
By: Karl%&einhard Kummer
Childhood Immunization Programs Questions from the Anthroposophic Point of View Part I (Original title: Impfungen im Kindesalter.
Fragen aus anthroposophischer Sicht. Merkurstab 1995; 48:313-22. English by A. R. Meuss, FIL, MTA.) Vol. 12, Nr. 4
Karl-Reinhard Kummer
*%stract
In view of the large number of immunizations recommended and the publicity-driven pressure on critics of mass immunization, it will
be necessary to take a fundamental approach to the whole process. Immunization cannot be said to be an attenuated form of the
disease. It is a specific memory process in which the child's powers of antipathy are enhanced. Immunizations are thus similar to
what happens at a more advanced age. Boosters correspond in principle to allergic processes. Immunizations enforce peripheral
digestive activity that may demand too much of the organism. This may pave the way for allergies.
Long-term effects on health cannot be adequately assessed, despite mass programs. Apart from immediate side effects there may be
changes in infection spectrum. The actual goal of immunization, which is to reduce the number of injections, may not be reached.
Gaps in the program may cause the immune status of whole population sections to be reduced rather than enhanced.
Lack of information on fundamental aspects of immunization is considerable. This concerns schedules, the number of immunizations
required or the problem of failures. Information is also needed on the epidemiological effect of major campaigns. Studies on the
individual rather than collective statistical methods are demanded.
Global mass immunization programs do not meet individual requirements. The individual or the parents must be allowed to make an
individual decision for every immunization procedure.
-urrent situation
The Staendige Impfkommission (STIKO, Permanent Commission on Immunization) in Germany made major changes to its
recommendations in 1994. Diphtheria immunization is recommended more strongly, HIB vaccine to be used up to four times for all
infants and young children, MMR vaccine during the 15th month and at age 5 for all children, pertussis vaccine in combination with
diphtheria and tetanus (DPT) three times in infancy and a fourth time in the second year of life.
Little emphasis is put on the risks of cellular pertussis vaccines, with pertussis immunization recommended for children with
neurologic disease, though the final responsibility is left to the physician. Some "children with progressive neurologic disease,
seizures, neurologic conditions that frequently involve seizures"... are stated to be "greatly at risk." "The physician must therefore
weigh the risks carefully." Acellular pertussis vaccines still have to prove their value in practice.
Twenty-nine routine immunizations against eight diseases are recommended up to the age of 15, about twice the number
recommended by Stickl.
* loo3 at some 'accines
Immunizations and vaccines differ, and distinction must be made especially between immunizations against virus and bacterial
infections and those against toxins. Vaccines against viruses are often called "live" vaccines. Quast et al. write: "Use of live vaccines
means injection of live attenuated pathogens, i.e. their virulence has been reduced ...." This is incorrect. Virus substance does have
some of the properties of life forms but not the properties of life. It can induce specific reactions in the living organism. These are,
however, different in quality, e.g. with BCG vaccine, than those seen with measles immunization. Considering them to be equal, as
done by Quast et al. (p. 20f.) or Fenyves and Kurth, ignores the differences that exist for vital processes in the organism.
3accines against bacterial antigens
Rook distinguishes between toxins, capsular polysaccharides, a mixture of toxins in ,ordetella pertussis, lipopolysaccharides in
4eisseria gonorrhea and unknown antigens in BCG vaccine (see also Paswell). In his view, problems increase in the given sequence.
According to Steiner, bacteria are "animal plants." They may flourish where there is an excessive "tendency to become animal."
Bacterial processes belong to the anabolic aspect of the organism. It is therefore understandable why bacterial vaccines have poor
immunizing effects (BCG or live typhoid vaccines). Apart from the toxins, they are not well tolerated, which also applies to cellular
pertussis vaccine. Excessive reactions such as BCG abscesses may occur. The antigens to BCG vaccination are not yet known.
Natural immunization against bacterial capsular antigens such as Haemophilus influen?ae , starts only at 18 months, with a reliable
level of immunity reached only at age 3. Present-day vaccines provoke an immune response even in infants, because bacterial
antigens that are not very immunogenic before the third year are conjugated with another antigen - diphtheria, tetanus or
meningococcus toxoids. Conjugation of Haemophilus vaccines may be said to be "toxification." The toxoids raise the process to a level
where astral antipathies are active. The possible consequences of this are not yet known.
Bacterial infections are a puzzle to this day. Heininger showed that while there were pertussis symptoms with whooping cough and
parapertussis, no pertussis toxin had been found.9 In the case of HIB immunization, information on the role of antibody affinity is
limited, .... reflecting physio- chemical bonding or accurate antibody-to-antigen fit; ... antibody affinity does not necessarily have to
correlate with the antibody concentration.
3accines against viral antigens
)age G, of "=>
Virus infections indicate a marked tendency towards mineralization and decomposition processes. The organism is forced to produce
and replicate the foreign virus substance until it recovers. Healing will only begin if inflammatory reactions are possible. Zur Linden
therefore postulated that viruses related to the destructive pole in the organism, i.e. the nervous system. The trend is evident in
breakdown of the mucosa with aphthous stomatitis, for instance, or chickenpox. T cells perish in vitro after measles infection,
resulting in a form of immunosuppression about which little is known. Cellular immunity, e.g. the tuberculin reaction, is reduced
during measles infections.
The inflammatory changes seen with virus infections represent the second, reconstructive healing phase. Measles exanthem actually
indicates that (artificial) immunity is beginning to develop. The exanthema subitum of infants, which only develops when the process
has finished, is a typical instance.
Because of the mineralizing tendency, it is easy to see why complications seen with immunization against virus diseases such as
measles, mumps and rubella affect the nervous system. Degeller ascribed this to the effect mineral substances have on the Ego. The
fact that pregnant women have good immunity against virus infections is also explained by increased catabolic activity. Compared to
bacterial infections such as tuberculosis or pertussis, where this type of immunity is poor, the cellular component of immunity is less
important.
Remarkably little is known about the role of the host. A number of measles virus subtypes are known, but no conclusions can be
drawn from this. The polio vaccine virus clearly changes considerably in its passage through the gastrointestinal tract. For combined
immunization against types 1, 2 and 3, parts of type 2 are incorporated in attenuated type 3 virus. Numerous other dramatic
mutations develop during the weeks following vaccination. Elimination of the vaccine virus takes longer than assumed. In spite of so
many facts being known, many questions remain open with reference to the oral polio vaccine.
3accines against to0ins
Greater certainty exists with regard to vaccination against bacterial toxins. Vaccination with toxoids may be seen as addressing the
astral body directly. This is able to react adequately by producing antitoxins. Digestion in the metabolic system is necessary but
requires relatively little effort. Immunostimulation is at a high level, and tolerance relatively good.
With immunity limited to toxin activity, transmission of the bacteria is possible despite protection against developing diphtheria.
Tetanus shows relatively little metabolic activity, at least compared to diphtheria, which may, among other things, lead to
enlargement of lymph nodes. This explains why immunization against tetanus is possible at the intrauterine stage but immunization
against diphtheria, which is more metabolic by nature, only at about 3 months.
+accination and disease
The aim of immunization is to develop antibodies. Many physicians consider vaccination to be an attenuated form of the disease which
has a positive effect on the child's developing immune status. Early vaccinations done by the ancient Chinese or Jenner were intended
to avoid serious illness by giving a mild one. The current view is that apart from antibody production, vaccination and disease have
little in common.
This limitation to antibody induction was Behring's aim more than 100 years ago. He was only interested in the antitoxic effects.
Initially he tried to treat sepsis with iodoform, "like preserving a ham against putrefaction by smoking it," and came to the following
conclusion: "Let us assume the morbific effect of virulent pus depends on the presence not only of pus bacteria but also of their
chemical products; let us also assume that those chemical products are influenced by iodoform, rather like cadaverin. This explains
why iodoform can have a medicinal effect in virulent disease without causing appreciable direct damage to the microorganisms." He
suspected that "laws can be demonstrated according to which a relationship exists between an animal's immunity to a bacterial
disease and the antibacterial activity of its serum." In 1899 he wrote: "Nothing in the world is influenced by tetanus antitoxin, except
tetanus toxin."
In 1901, he started his attempts, together with Katashima, to immunize monkeys with diphtheria toxin, "transferring genuine
diphtheria bacilli, the virulence of which has been attenuated, to the human throat organs for the purpose of auto-immunization." He
felt the body had to be forced to produce a species-specific antitoxin "that, unlike a foreign antitoxin, remains in the blood for a long
time and therefore confers protection against diphtheria for a year and a day.
Vaccination and disease are almost completely dissociated today. Febrile reactions to vaccination are rare in healthy subjects. This
means that vaccination has essentially become a process to which there is no inflammatory reaction, a process of coldness. The
specific immunization process, vaccination and the general reaction, a respiratory tract infection, may actually run side by side. Mild
disease is not considered a contraindication for vaccination. Dennehy et al. found that seroconversion against measles, mumps and
rubella was the same in children with and without respiratory tract infection. Like Peter, they concluded that respiratory tract infection
is not a contraindication. Long-term side effects were not investigated.
It is, in fact, contraindicated to induce disease by vaccination. With this in mind, many physicians give prophylactic antipyretics when
doing a vaccination, even if there is no medical reason for this. Suppression of symptoms is the general principle with vaccination and
disease, m the case of vaccination they are usually referred to as "reactions" rather than "complications." The distinction depends on
whether it is felt that side effects should be presented as serious or made to look harmless.
Quast et al.s reference to "vaccination disease" is inconsistent. The virus count does increase with "vaccination measles," but the
symptoms are not those of the wild disease. Above all the characteristic psychic changes do not develop. BCG vaccination will result in
enlargement of regional lymph nodes or tuberculous skin abscesses. The process shifts to the skin. With tuberculosis it takes place in
the internal organism ("hysteria taking place directly in the ether body").
Time form of diseases
)age G" of "=>
A disease is a process in time. Weckenmann investigated tonsillitis and myocardial infarction and found alternation between general
and local symptoms following definite laws. This was especially apparent with childhood diseases, but also nephritis, pneumonia and
myocardial infarction. Girke found this also applied to sclerotic symptoms. Sclerotic substance is produced during the local phases. A
disease goes through numerous rhythmic intermediary processes before recovery is achieved. The recovery process may on occasion
be painful but is a necessary part. "Silent" measles immunization is also a process. Here, it is open to the individual to gain immunity
with or without manifest disease. The different incubation periods of many infectious diseases suggest that some room exists for
individual variation. Evolution is, in fact, always individual, even with the same disease. Vaccination does not take this course in time.
It may go against the normal time schedule and prevent the disease in the case of rabies or measles. The building up and breaking
down processes normally seen with the disease do not develop/ and particularly also the process of ultimate recovery. Instead of the
organism being restructured once the infection is overcome, there is only the development of immune memory, with no healing
process.
Vaccination comes from outside, with the organism exposed to it. Behring actually spoke of "forcing" the organism. Vaccination is not
intended to be individual but predictable, planned, uniform. An individual process also becomes impossible with regard to onset. With
contagious diseases such as measles or chickenpox, some children will not contract the disease on contact but only at a later date or
never. They have their own special place in the biography, as does pneumonia. Vaccination makes such individual evolution
impossible. The situation becomes even more serious when booster shots are given (v.i.). 4ntry port into the organism The normal
port of entry into the organism, such as the mucosa or lymphatic system of the gastrointestinal tract, is not used as a rule. Behring
still went in that direction in his attempts to "vaccinate" the tonsils with diphtheria bacilli. Vaccination by injection or scarification
circumvents the digestive process, creating a minor wound and enforcing "parenteral digestion," without addressing the lymphatic
system directly. From the anthroposophic point of view we must ask whether injections of any kind do not harm the "rhythmic
system," unless the medicament is specially prepared. By its very nature such a medicament is not designed for digestive processes.
The organism is mainly protected against foreign matter, "poisoning" by foreign foods, in the gastrointestinal tract, with a limit set to
destructive digestive processes.
In the process of digestion, food and organism enter into a close relationship between inner and outer. Weckenmann referred to this
as a gesture of sympathy. At the same time a pause is created for the organism, a kind of buffer zone between inner and outer,
before the food substances reach the inner organism by the lymphatic route. As a result, contact between foreign matter that is not
yet fully degraded and the lymph or blood which is wholly one's own can be delayed a little. It is different with vaccination. Here the
foreign substance, generally given by the parenteral route, demands instant reaction, which puts it close to a forced reflex.
Weckenmann states that digestion outside the intestinal tract occurs only under pathological conditions, as with inflammation. Thus,
"parenteral digestion" demands sacrifices from the organism that take the form of abscesses. Any injection calls for "parenteral
digestion." The negative effect an injection has on the organism is not purely academic. Strebel et al. found that in 87% of cases of
paralytic vaccination polio in Rumania one or several intramuscular injections had been given during the 30 days preceding onset of
paralysis.
Pro%lem of elimination
Typical childhood diseases have accompanying eliminatory processes. This may take the form of exanthem, diarrhea or vomiting, with
the incidence remarkably high, as shown in a retrospective study by the author. This corrects the variable imbalances between the
upper and lower human being as the disease evolves. Exanthema may be seen as peripheral "digestion," and equated with healing.
Vaccination does not offer this potential, apart from so-called side effects. This may result in premature sclerotic changes.
With suppression of symptoms, immunizations have become memory and neurosensory processes. Reading Behring's writings we
realize that metabolic activity is to be as far as possible excluded. This has two consequences. First, there is no possibility for creating
a counterbalance to this neurosensory activity in the metabolic sphere. Secondly, this sense-related function is in the sphere of
metabolism. The only kind of counter process the metabolism can find is a metabolic reaction in the sphere of the nerves and senses.
The relationship between the upper and the lower human being is thus put under a strain.
Immunizations therefore increase a tendency to higher sensitivity in the nervous system, as described by Wolff. With a strain put on
the memory and sensory functions of the organism, it is easy to see why side effects frequently involve the nerves or the senses, e.g.
as encephalophathy with pertussis or diphtheria immunization or meningitic changes with measles immunization. The memory
functions of the metabolic system are challenged by foreign substances. At the same time the actual metabolic processes,
manufacture of the vaccine, take place outside the organism. Steiner referred to the effect of excessive demands made on the
organism through external processes in the lower human being as hysteria.
&mmuni5ation and memory
A child is a creature of the senses; powers of growth with their sympathy dominate the picture. Sensory processes, tasting processes
are active all the way to the body periphery. In the first 7 years of life the physical foundation for the individuality is created. In no
other period of life is the tension between "inner" and "outer" as great as in childhood when body substance is created and infectious
aspects of the environment have to be overcome.
During its first 7 years a child should only receive easily digestible quantities of new impressions. We know that infants may react with
colic to mother's milk and with shyness to strangers. Mothers' milk is the least foreign substance. Its constituents, e.g. iron, are easily
taken up. Having high physical surface activity and a high concentration of immunoglobulins it protects the child's sensitive organism.
Memory is only possible if there is conscious awareness. This requires powers of antipathy to the environment which infants and
young children do not have. A cold persists for a long time in infants. Virus infections do not cause general febrile reactions followed
by rapid recovery. Immunization is only good from birth, and even in utero, in the case of toxoids. Before mass measles immunization
was so widespread, immunity conferred by the mothers was so good that measles immunizations did not prove successful before the
15th month. For a full discussion see Johnson et al., though they, too, reported only 74% or 53% success rates with early vaccination
in 1994, depending on the method of investigation.
)age G+ of "=>
A child's early ability to remember is situation-bound. It will enter afresh into the same situation full of sympathy, perhaps taking the
same route again in memory. Isolated facts are not remembered, and no note is taken of them. Only processes are remembered.
Vaccination is not a process but a single event, with only the antipathetic aspect experienced. The absence of a process may be one
reason why the immunity conferred by vaccination is limited in time, compared to that given by the wild disease (e.g. measles) which
is life- long.
Booster shots confer the desired long-term immunity. This, however, is enforced memory and unphysiological in young children.
Young children, especially if under 3 years of age, experience every situation as something new, even if they have known it before.
This is the age when forgetting is "practiced." Regular habits have an educative effect on the child. Isolated events, on the other
hand, especially if enforced, with no opportunity to take them up in play, can prove harmful.
Immunizations, thus, represent one-sided emphasis on memory and "head" processes. The rhythmic functions that facilitate digestion
are impeded if not made impossible.
&mmuni5ation and immune system
Little reliable information is available on the effect on immune status, though it has been said that "postvaccinal immune weakness"
after MMR immunization is possible, at least in theory. Acellular pertussis immunization, currently introduced with considerable
publicity, also raises many questions.
Immunization essentially addresses the specialized T cell functions of the immune system, and the antigen specific B cell response.
The response to polysaccharide antigens begins in the 2nd or 3rd year and is only fully developed in the 9th year. From the
anthroposophic point of view, this is the time when the "Ego" begins to intervene in metabolism. Children are then able to relate fully
to their environment both physically and psychologically.
Little is known about immunization effects on nonspecific immune mechanisms. These are highly similar to digestive processes, e.g.
complement receptors binding viruses or bacteria, opsonization of these complexes in macrophages and their elimination in the
reticuloendothelial system of spleen and liver. Induction of special antibody development may result in nonspecific immune responses
being neglected. This may apply especially if vaccination is given in spite of respiratory tract infection. It enhances the dissociation
between specific and nonspecific immune processes. There are children with poor resistance to infection, for instance, who have had a
large number of immunizations. This reminds of people with allergies who have extremely high IgE levels.
Wa3ing and sleeping, allergy and immuni5ation
The level of consciousness in the upper human being is reduced during illness. People are febrile, experience malaise and feel less
bright. On the other hand, they are awake and active in metabolism. The phase of quiescence which follows is necessary to restore
full performance capacity. In the case of vaccination, the senses and nervous system are awake, perhaps even excessively so due to
the pain of the injection. Just as going to sleep can be difficult after one-sided intellectual work, so can the "going-to-sleep processes"
after vaccination present problems because the calming metabolic component is largely absent.
Nothing appears to be known concerning excessive strain on the immune system. We know, however, from everyday life that it needs
some degree of health to cope with both physical and nerve stress. Following vaccination, a foreign substance has to be "digested."
There is a risk that the astral body is put under strain by this and withdraws, becoming less mobile. As a result the metabolism is not
able to digest certain products properly. This leads to conditions which Steiner referred to as childhood hysteria, with the upper
aspects of the human being involved outside the organism; the organism is injured by foreign processes.
Unlike digestion, vaccination entails sudden contact with foreign matter. In digestion, food is broken down and assimilated in
numerous stages. The foreign matter, intestinal mucosa and flora are in close contact. This involves both sympathetic and
antipathetic elements. Sympathetic aspects predominate in the absorption stage. Antipathy only gains the upper hand in the region of
the large intestine. The child is actively involved in the process of digestion. The same can be said of childhood play, when the doing
is more important than the outcome. With vaccination, the organism is not asked to "digest," and the assimilation process occurs
outside the organism in the form of attenuation, production of toxoids, etc.
Weckenmann sees immunity as a process and not a stable state. A disease process alternates between local and general symptoms.
Someone who is immune, he says, does not continue in the immune state but is particularly responsive. In his view, the third step in
disease is that "it is a form of further development if it helps the individual to develop 'immunity' or encounters an immune
individual." For a cure, the right level of reaction has to be found, and for this Weckenmann suggests the term "euergy" rather than
immunity. A cure thus represents restoration of the normal conditions under which the organism is able to digest, with losses
minimized (economically).
People liable to develop allergies clearly have a general digestive weakness. This is known from the fact that cow's milk proteins taken
as food by the mother remain essentially unchanged, passing through numerous barriers, and can be demonstrated in the child's
blood. It should also be remembered that the nonspecific immune system is mainly associated with the intestinal tract. An allergic
subject thus has the double handicap of primary digestive weakness and primary nonspecific immune deficiency.
Another aspect is the time of first contact. Early contact increases the risk of allergization. Thus it is possible for individuals to be
allergic to pollen grains that were seasonal at the time of their birth. This reveals the importance of setting limits. With vaccinations
given to very young infants it is possible that the good tolerance shown is merely apparent, and that vaccination only had minor side
effects because reactivity had not yet developed. No connection has so far been established, however, between vaccination and
subsequent immune capacities.
Problems often arise with the third DPT immunization. Booster shots intentionally interrupt the normal forgetting process. The
individual is forced to deal with the foreign substance and unable to avoid it. It is therefore not only the second vaccination which
presents problems but also revaccination using the same antigen.
)age G1 of "=>
An important aspect is who is in control of forgetting and remembering. Reduced antibody levels after immunization indicate that the
organism tends to forget the immunization. Booster immunizations make this impossible. With the disease, the Ego is involved in
maintaining immunity for life. With immunization this has to happen from outside. This could be a further explanation of the allergy
potential, of being unable to forget, due to immunization.
Even the minor shocks infants show in reaction to injections have significance. The pain of an injection drives the Ego and the astral
body out of the rest of the body. This is all the more so once children are older when revaccinated and experience the event more
strongly. Physiologic memory processes in childhood take a very different course (v.s.).
Many of the processes involved in vaccination therefore correspond to those seen with allergies. An allergic individual does not forget
but is wounded all over again on contact with the allergen, retaining the pathological memory. Renewed contact does not result in a
better, but in a worse, reaction. The allergic compulsion of having to react again and again to a foreign substance is applied on
purpose with booster shots. The Ego is coerced from outside. This will above all make processes of rest impossible, which the human
being chooses in sleeping and waking, for instance. Boostering enforces wakefulness in the immune system.
The allergic phenomena have to be seen as an attempt at elimination, e.g. the powerful secretion of mucus in allergic conjunctivitis,
rhinitis or bronchitis. Aggravation of allergic symptoms after vaccination may be seen as an attempt on the part of the organism to
forget the vaccination in order to heal itself.
Standard works on pediatric immunology do refer to the problems that arise with immunization of allergic subjects but say little about
the allergy potential of immunization. Stueck, too, merely mentions short-term aggravation of neurodermatitis with MMR
immunization. Quast et al. do, however, admit: "It has been stated that skin diseases may be exacerbated by immunization. An effect
on endogenous eczema (often positive, occasionally negative) due to measles immunization is certainly possible.. .." Bauer states that
no work has been done to find an answer to this question. In the author's experience, onset of neurodermatitis was frequently
preceded by immunization.
Quast et al. list a number of local and general reactions that are clearly allergic by nature (pp. 162-194). Their assumption is, though
there is nothing as yet to prove it: "Reactions of this kind, representing allergy to vaccine constituents, are, however, extremely
rare..." (p. 176). On the other hand, they accept "general intolerance of hen's eggs, though anaphylactic and other allergic symptoms
have not been clinically confirmed."
Peter accepts only extremely severe hypersensitive reactions as a contraindication to revaccination. Nowadays MMR immunization is
actually recommended for children allergic to egg-white. Reinhardt says:
"There is nothing to indicate that the usual immunizations pave the way for food or inhalation allergies. This applies both to the
normal population and to individuals with a high risk of developing an allergy (positive family history and raised umbilical cord IgE)."
According to Reinhardt, allergic reactions to vaccines may be due to auxiliary agents, but with today's highly purified vaccines such
reactions are extremely rare. Again, no empirical data are given to support these statements.
&mmuni5ation 2 a process relating to old age
Childhood diseases have to do with the head pole coming to terms with metabolism. In most instances, metabolic processes go up
into the sphere of the nervous system. These diseases are acute and febrile. Warmth processes and anabolism predominate,
especially in morbidity. If there were no excess of febrile and anabolic processes, degenerative processes would develop. It is only in
older children that the middle, rhythmic function establishes a balance.
Later in life, growth and regeneration become less active. Catabolic processes predominate. Sensory functions are also different in old
people. Reticence takes the place of sympathetic reaction. With immunization, this is, in fact, desirable: recognition of the antigen
with minimal systemic reaction and maximum efficiency in antibody production. Yet this process, which belongs to a more advanced
age, is generally applied in childhood and youth. The antipathetic reaction pattern of immunizations may result in premature aging
and catabolic processes.
Vaccine production involves death processes. Zur Linden drew attention to this in 1962. Polio vaccine is cultivated on monkey kidneys,
chick embryos or human diploid cells taken out of their vital context. To avoid direct toxic reactions substances have to be added to
attenuate and inactivate the pathogen. Other potentially harmful additives are disinfectants, solvents, emulsifiers, etc. These may also
cause side effects.
Cell cultures used to grow the pathogen are artificially kept alive; it is worth noting that they are largely cultures based on tumor
cells, i.e. a pathological life process is cultivated for the sake of the vaccine and not to serve the human organism. We thus have a
reversal of goals, for it is not the human being who is vitalized in the process but the vaccine.
=arl8.einhard =ummer" 2./.
Jaegerstr. 19
D-076227 Karlsruhe
Germany
)age G= of "=>
2 )atients Biography 2s 2n 2id to Diagnosis and Therapy

QQ bac*
By: Aans Broder von ;aue, MD
* Patients (iography *s *n *id to 6iagnosis and Therapy7 Research at Klinik Oeschelbronn (Original title: Die
Krankenbiographie als diagnostisches und therapeutisches Element. Merkurstab 1995; 48:177-92. English by J. Collis, MIL.)
Hans Werner, Elke E. von Laue, Hans Broder von Laue
&ntroduction
Cancer is a disease of the present time. It creates an atmosphere of fear that makes specific demands on patients, their environment
and care providers. Physically it causes chaos in the morphology. As far as vitality is concerned it manifests as unchecked cell growth.
Psychologically it opens the door to fears and feelings of hatred. Spiritually it can be a consequence of lacking self-development and
failure to shape one's biography. The latter does not apply to childhood malignancies. Although cancer follows certain patterns, the
course it takes is as individual as any human biography.
Physicians have to regard cure as the goal of treatment even when the stage the disease has reached takes them to the limit of their
courage. The more they feel that their courage and will to heal can be effective even beyond death, the more will they be able to
help. To assess the efficacy of treatment as a whole it can be useful to make a prognosis based on the patient's clinical condition and
state of mind before treatment begins. During treatment the prognosis and actual progress of the patient are regularly compared.
A number of organism- and tumor-specific parameters have to be considered for assessment of results. For the purposes of this paper
the patient's general health and temperature will be the organism-specific parameter, and the growth rate of pulmonary metastases
the tumor-specific parameter. We are aware a more differentiated approach may be used but have limited ourselves to these two for
the purposes of this paper. The diagnostic and clinical value of eurythmy therapy given at intervals during the whole course of the
illness is also considered.
A biography takes shape in time as it unfolds between birth and death. The resulting shape is not an object to be discerned with the
senses. It develops over time and arises from the qualities of time - past, present and future. A biography can only be seen inwardly
as the panorama of a life if we concentrate on crystallizing out the sequence of experiences and events. From prenatal obscurity every
individual brings gifts that may hinder or help. Through a series of metamorphoses governed by specific laws, physical organs as well
as mental and spiritual faculties are developed as these gifts interact with external circumstances and events. Capabilities can be used
to shape one's sphere of life and to realize ideals and aims. Every human biography is unique since the variety of given and added
inner and outer possibilities is so enormous that no life is the same. Yet every biography is founded on a generally valid human
blueprint that is modified by personal and suprapersonal influences.
An attitude of reverent reserve and the greatest tact are prerequisites for working with the biography of a sick individual. With
practice we can develop faculties that allow us to discern more and more clearly the many and varied interconnections and
developments in a life. Understanding what has led to the present life situation of the individual we may be able to draw conclusions
as to what might "turn the situation round" in the future. Below, an attempt is made to demonstrate the possibilities that arise out of
working with a patient's medical biography. The patient gave her consent.
The (iography 2 8P9 R9:
Stooping slightly, the slender 60-year-old woman came into my consulting room, moving more slowly than normal. Skin pigmentation
was increased so that the pallor was reduced. She had rings round her eyes. Her expression alternated between quiet sadness and
moderate vivacity. Initially she didn't find it easy to talk about her life, but her confidence gradually increased over several talks, and
as time went on the periods she had left blank began to fill in.
18 months earlier, Mrs. R. had noted changes in her right breast. Having taken early retirement, she was working as a supply teacher
in schools and had used this as an excuse to put off going to the doctor. The changes became more marked after 18 months, and she
finally decided to see a doctor. On operation it was evident that the cancer had spread to the regional lymph nodes and established
multiple lung metastases.
1st to 21st ;ear
1irst B8year period. The family was middle-class. The birth was 10 days late and required forceps delivery. Her mother had sufficient
milk and breast-fed her until the family doctor, noticing she was becoming exhausted, advised that the baby be weaned rapidly. Her
mother was dutiful by nature and permanently over-burdened because, apart from her own household, she helped out in her parents'
bakery in a rural district. She was unable to give her child the necessary warmth. The patient's father was a customs official. He was
stem, proud and domineering. Obedience was his chief requirement, and the daughter obeyed without resisting. Remaining within the
bounds he imposed she experienced her father's caring love in a special way. No siblings
)age GG of "=>
were born. At 5 she had measles that did not manifest properly and were said to have weakened her eyesight. She started school at
6. Shortly before the end of her 7th year she had an experience that affected her deeply. This was at Christmas. Entering the room
where the Christmas tree stood she saw a dolls' pram under the tree. She had longed passionately for this pram and ran towards it
with cries of delight. In doing so she forgot her father's stem commandments and had to be punished for upsetting the customary
Christmas evening procedure. The pram disappeared and was never given to her.
Second B8year period began with another profound experience. Her father died of a heart attack when she was 9. Loneliness now
crept into her life. She felt as if she had been deserted, and an immense sadness grew in her. She had diphtheria in the same year.
She found her mother a generous person, but unapproachable and hard. She described herself as having been a quiet child who
spoke little and lacked cheerfulness and gaiety. She sensed her mother's disappointment. At 12 she began to keep a diary which she
filled with her longings, hopes and poems. She sought recognition and praise at school because she couldn't expect them from her
mother. Apart from this she felt disadvantaged and stupid. She only did well with teachers who recognized her worth. She developed
mumps at age 12. This was also when she began to have digestive problems that accompanied her throughout most of her life, and a
postural weakness of the spine. Her periods began at age 13 but remained very irregular until she was 15.
Her melancholic mood and retiring nature increased her sense of isolation during the first half of her third B8year period. She passed
her school- leaving exams at 18. This was followed by compulsory community service when she consciously experienced
companionship for the first time. She wanted to study biology, but this was not possible towards the end of the war, and she took a
one-year training at a teacher training college. In the chaos of the final war months she worked first as a teacher and then as
forewoman in an aircraft factory. At 21, she experienced the terrible consequences of a heavy bombing raid on her home town.
21st to 2nd ;ear
Separation from her mother came at the beginning of her fourth B8year period. The parting was not easy, and she developed a
serious attack of hepatitis at the time. Commuting daily to her new job she met a teacher who knew a great deal about science,
languages and music. Life grew very intense and she became engaged to him. However, she was unable to cope with the high degree
of mental stimulation he gave her, and contracted recurrent bilateral pyelonephritis at age 24. She became increasingly exhausted
and finally had a complete breakdown at 27. She parted from her fiance.
At the beginning of her fifth B8year period she was called to join the staff of a teacher training college. This was the beginning of a
hard, difficult, busy and successful time. She met a woman who became a life-long friend, in the middle of her 32nd year she had a
profound, never-to-be-forgotten friendship with a man.
Her si0th B8year period began with the abrupt ending of this relationship. A year later, against the advice of friends, she decided to
marry a widower with 3 children. She got on well with her step-children and experienced the joys of motherhood at 39 when her only
daughter was born, a forceps birth. She gave all her love to this child, endeavoring to give her all the things she had lacked in her
own childhood. Her husband was an officer, and the marriage was difficult. The partners had widely differing interests. Her mother-in-
law's behavior and a powerful bond between her husband and his mother brought discord into their life. Hostilities increased and led
to tensions that burdened the couple's relationship. Having kept her full professional life going in addition to running the home she
became totally over-burdened. She took refuge in her professional work.
She didn't want to talk about the next two 7-year periods leading up to her CDth year. A drawing she made showed a long succession
of high points and successes in her school work in contrast to repeated psychological disasters in her marriage. Parallel with these
psychological difficulties, after her 42nd year she suffered increasingly from cardiovascular disease and gastrotntestinal problems that
undermined her strength more and more. From her 51st year onwards the psychological tensions increased. In connection with the
menopause she repeatedly suffered from exhaustion and started to have sciatica and migraine attacks. For this reason she took early
retirement at the age of 56.
She got on well with her daughter until she turned 16, when difficulties began. The daughter criticized her, and she realized from talks
with her that she had brought her up with too much "love", having lacked love in her own childhood and youth. She awoke from an
illusion and felt a return of the inner emptiness and sense of desertion that had accompanied her youth. Similarities between daughter
and husband also opened her eyes to the various actions and reactions of the latter.
When she was 59 she discovered the changes in her right breast.
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Roots of the &llness
If we can succeed in forming a picture of a biography and then compare this individual life with the general course of human
biography and the underlying laws of metamorphosis, we can begin to understand how illnesses arise or become tendencies. People
today find it difficult to understand the language of inner destiny (gifts and dispositions brought into life by the individual) and outer
destiny (events and encounters). One of the physician's tasks needing great tact and sensitivity is to help a patient decipher this
language.
The child was born with the aid of forceps, and 10 days late. The rigid up-bringing by a stem and domineering father combined with
the mother's dutiful attitude and lack of warmth were not likely to encourage the approaching ego's will to incarnate. The weakness in
incarnating was most probably also further enhanced by that deeply-felt, painful experience at Christmas. Childhood diseases are an
expression of the ego's efforts to mold the inherited model body. An attack of measles that did not fully develop and the relatively late
attack of mumps are probably signs of a weakened ego-constitution. During this period of life the growing individual is a creature of
movement living in imitation, with the organs developed and brought to maturity by factors coming from outside. Is it not possible to
imagine that the limits set to manifestations and enjoyment of life by the stern up-bringing and lack of maternal warmth might have
affected the quality of the developing body? Conversely, the body is an instrument spirit and soul use in coping with life and shaping
its course. Thus the developmental goal of the first 7 years was not quite reached, resulting in some degree of retardation.
During her second B8year period the patient was withdrawn and quiet, lacking the gaiety and capacity for sympathy of this age-group.
She blossomed and was able to express herself, however, if treated with understanding and appreciation. Her mental disposition was
reinforced by the death of her father, whom she loved despite his sternness. She missed the authority of which she had stood in awe,
and there was no longer any compensation for her cool mother's lack of understanding. She inevitably succumbed to melancholic
states, withdrew into herself and wasn't able to gain sufficient experience of, or practice in, the breathing of the soul that is so
important as life proceeds. The result was an asthenic constitution and the onset of digestive problems and postural weakness, also
the expression of the ego's failure to take a firm hold of the body at this age, when it approaches via the metabolic system and the
limbs. Menstruation began at 13 but her periods remained highly irregular for 2 years, with full earthly maturity not attained until 16.
Earthly maturity, the achievement of one's own rhythms, the adoption of the body by the ego, and gender-specific development are
all prerequisites for breaking the ties of heredity. This opens the way to development of one's own life of feeling and will, and thus to
I-You relationships. The patient had developed a feeling life of her own from the age of 12, which is rather early. However, this
remained entirely inward, and she had little contact with others. Symptoms in her physical development point to forces being held
back that ought to be available for inner development during the third B8year period, but she remained withdrawn and friendless
during this period. She related only to teachers who showed understanding and appreciation. The final third of this period was marked
by school-leaving exams, her first experience of companionship during community service, frustrated choice of profession, the chaos
at the end of the war, emergency training at the teachers' college, being overtaxed by immediate full responsibility as a teacher,
fleeing the approaching enemy troops and experiencing the catastrophic destruction of her home town. The war situation had
temporarily removed her from dependence on her mother.
Did she achieve the aim of this period - responsibility in forming her own judgments and carrying out her own actions? We find the
answer in her fourth B8year period. She described it as a time when she had profound encounters and had difficulty in becoming
independent of her mother. She became at home in her profession. Her first serious encounter with a member of the opposite sex led
to illness, exhaustion and finally a breakdown because it overtaxed her mentally. She broke off her engagement at the age of 27.
The kidneys are the main organs for developing the sentient soul during this period. But the sentient soul was not entirely able to
cope with the many different phenomena and human encounters. The patient "mastered" her profession but not the I-You
relationship. Did soul forces not transformed by the ego have a pathological effect on her kidneys? She did not quite manage to
achieve the developmental goal of the fourth B8year period that is typical for the human being in general.
The fifth B8year period is the middle of life and in her case brought the most important human encounters. In her 30th year she got to
know a female colleague with whom she shared interests and holidays. They parted only for professional reasons at the time when
she married. Inwardly they remained connected for life. Between 32 and 36 she had the indelible experience with a man. This ended
abruptly and left her with a permanent sense of longing.
As though under a compulsion and almost without thinking things through she decided to marry in her si0th B8year period at the age
of 37. She did not want to miss out on the joy of being a mother and found it in the motherly care she lavished on her 3 step-children
and the affection that came to her from them. Her own motherhood came as a climax in an otherwise not very happy private life.
Tensions and conflict had already begun in her marriage and were not to end until her death.
!he subse)uent B8year periods until she became ill show how her ego failed to master life's problems. The aging process started early
and showed in cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and sciatica. She had to give up her profession, which was her
elixir of life, at 56. Her profession had always been the mainstay of her life, enabling her to maintain her self-esteem through the
recognition it brought her. Within the family she had drawn self- esteem solely from the intimate relationship with her own child. But
this illusory support was taken away from her. Just as had happened after her father's sudden death, emptiness, despair and inner
loneliness once more took hold of her inner life. Then the tumor made its appearance.
Like a thread running through the first half of her life we have the impression that the metamorphoses of the 7-year periods were not
entirely successful but generally somewhat delayed. Her physical body was born late and only with mechanical help. The birth of her
life body was somewhat delayed, which meant she was not quite ready for school. Earthly maturity was also delayed. The birth of her
ego was not entirely successful, as is shown particularly in the failed I-You relationship in her fourth B8year period and by the
hepatitis she suffered in her 22nd year. Did the ego fail to develop a sufficiently healthy bodily constitution and to transform the
formative forces of the soul as they became free in the 7-year stages so they could work on shaping her life? Had her body, soul and
ego been too weak to cope sufficiently with the demands made in the second half of her life?
The second half of her life shows how the tendency to be retarded in the first half of life changed into an accelerating process in the
second half. The aging processes entered too early and too deeply into the physiology. They forced the ego-organization away from
its task of restricting disorderly growth, giving shape to the body and preserving it. The cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal
)age GH of "=>
problems, sciatica and states of exhaustion were reflections of this in body and soul. The ego failed to master the family problems,
and the unused soul forces turned on her body instead. In this sense the physical and psychological illnesses that had been
developing since her 42nd year were an expression of functional carcinosis, indicating a general disposition to cancer.
-hoice of 0rgan
Experience has shown the risk factors for breast cancer to be heredity, late first pregnancy, failure to breast-feed or stopping too
soon, oversized breasts and alcohol consumption. Our biographical research has also shown that chronic or acute mental disturbance
of the I-You relationship can be a factor in disposing a patient for breast cancer. Prior to puberty such disturbances relate mainly to
breaks in close relationships, after puberty to profound disappointments in physical and psychological heterosexual relationships. This
is not surprising when you consider the breast as the organ of a mother's natural loving devotion in body and soul to the child which
is still entirely within her sphere. Later, this experience, still entirely unconscious in the small child, can be transformed into a healthy
I-You relationship if the processes of metamorphosis are not disturbed.
Our patient gave birth late and breast-fed for only a few weeks as she wanted to return to work as soon as possible. The early death
of her beloved father, the loveless relationship with her mother, the failure of her first deep friendship, the sudden end of a deeply
fulfilling relationship in middle life, and the tensions with her husband, which lasted until her death, were all acute and chronic hurts
in this sphere. They followed an almost regular 7- year rhythm, starting with her 9th year and continuing until the appearance of the
tumor and finally her death. It therefore appears that symptoms in both body and soul might be responsible for the choice of organ.
Treatment
Anthroposophically-extended treatment is directed on the one hand towards the illness itself and on the other towards the levels of
life, soul and spirit (ego), and thus the patient's general condition.
Medical Treatment
From May 1984, immediately after her operation when she was 58, the patient was given virtually uninterrupted mistletoe therapy
with Abnoba viscum. The following medication relevant to the tumor was also given:
Tamoxifen V/84-VI/85 (discontinued owing to progression)
Orimeten (aminoglutethimide) VI/85-V/86 (discontinued owing to progression)
FEC-Chemo, twice IV/89 (discontinued owing to progression)
The patient's temperature was not taken prior to commencement of treatment. At commencement of treatment the daily differential
was low, 0.42 degrees C. It improved rapidly to > 0.7 degrees C during the early weeks. The temperature chart thus confirms the
observation that mistletoe therapy improves the chronobiologically relevant diurnal temperature range, establishing rhythm.
The reduction in amplitude in calendar weeks 32-35/85 correlates with the patient having twice weekly hyperthermic baths during this
period. Maximum body temperature while in the bath is shown above the curve. Afternoon temperatures on bath days were not
included in the evaluation. In the period immediately following this, the range rapidly increased to > 0.7 degrees C, despite changes
in dosage, m treatment stages I, K, L, M, S and X, Abnoba viscum infusions were given once a week, in phase V twice a week. The
temperature did not change on infusion days nor did the averages or standard deviations. The worsening of the daily differential in
weeks 5/87 and 21/87 was due to intercurrent infections.
From calendar week 31/89 the diurnal temperature differential worsened noticeably and did not return to normal despite varying
doses of Viscum and a 14-day interruption of the injections. This coincided with the appearance of the liver metastases, which became
manifest 3 months after the
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appearance of the liver metastases, which became manifest 3 months after the attempt to reopen a bronchostenosis with extensive
atelectasis. Temperature measurement was discontinued 10 weeks before the patient died. The various changes in Abnoba viscum
dosage mirror efforts to halt the gradual progression. It also shows the physicians' uncertainty owing to the lack of sure criteria on
which to base assessment of Viscum dosage. The following criteria were used to determine dosages for this patient: - The patient's
statement as to how she was feeling, the temperature chart
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and the Merieux score. The question as to the significance of eosinophils for the progress of the disease had not been asked at the
time. Subsequent consultation of the notes shows > 360/mcl, determined in calendar week 20/85 and during infusion treatment in
calendar week 3/89 as well as for a time after chemotherapy. - The Merieux Multitest was carried out from calendar weeks 22/85 to
3/89. The score ranged from hyperergic at the beginning to normergic later on. It therefore showed no correlation to the various
dosages nor to the patient's
)age >, of "=>
taken by the disease.
Retrospectively it becomes obvious that the patient's progress was exceptional, given that the life expectancy had been up to one
year, based on statistical averages in 1984. Her condition was relatively good for the first 4 years. From 1988, this deteriorated owing
to dyspnea on exertion and atelec- tasis. For the final 3 months she was almost entirely bedridden. She herself was convinced that
the mistletoe therapy had given her very considerable
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was convinced that the mistletoe therapy had given her very considerable help. In retrospect, it has to be admitted that the question
of optimum dosage cannot be answered on the basis of the available data.
4urythmy Therapy
The patient first had eurythmy therapy, both individually and in a group, during a 3-week stay in hospital in May 1984. Movement
diagnosis showed the following:
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!he chart shows the following data" from the top: '% !reatment phases showing Abnoba viscum dosages. +% 'E8day mean values and
standard deviations of morning and evening temperature. F% /iurnal differential E% -alendar week and year. C. 2erieu0 2ultitest
score $G 8 8 8 G%. D. Absolute lymphocyte" monocyte and eosinophil counts.
' -ontraction and e0pansion
Her first movement was jerky, striking the breastbone with her fists. She remained in this position, and the gesture was more one of
collapsing inwards than of making a controlled movement. It took her a week to gain sufficient strength to make the polar gestures of
contraction and expansion smoothly.
+ !hreefold walking
The patient had her own way of achieving a flowing transition between lifting, carrying and placing. She kept her eyes on the ground
and the lifting gesture of the foot had the "character" of N. (Exaggerated lift of the heel towards the buttocks.) With the big toe
stretched upwards during the carrying phase, the foot went into the third, "placing" phase. During all 3 phases the pelvis was thrust
forward and the chest region drawn back. Carrying and placing soon came under control when practiced, but she had difficulty with
lifting for over a year.
F ( A 7
The I gesture (bringing uprightness to the whole body) was done from the feet upwards to the level of the stomach. Only one leg
formed the A angle, which meant a shift from the vertical position of I. The patient entirely failed to notice the rounded 0 to be made
by the arms. Having watched the whole sequence for a second time, I and A were done in the same way over again. To do the 0 she
opened her arms and then angled them, bringing her fingers, bent over, to rest on her chest. Initially the patient was unable to
remember or imitate the sequence in which she had performed the gestures. An alert "I look into the world" was not possible. The
flow of movement was hesitant and searching and went too abruptly into the final stage. There was no sign of feeling impulses. The
whole middle sphere appeared to be hollow and rigid.
After a considerable time and much effort the patient succeeded in doing the IAO exercise very harmoniously. She then drew strength
from it and used to say: "My IAO has helped me."
The aim of the therapy was to achieve the sequence O E M L E I B D, which Rudolf Steiner had indicated for a patient with breast
cancer:
Initially, the patient practiced out of a sense of duty. The L gesture was made without any awareness of the movement. After we had
alternated practicing it with the arms and experiencing it inwardly as a movement picture, the patient managed to put some life into
the sound. After observing the laws of the L in circulating water and plant growth, she said: "The L is teaching me to understand and
love nature in a new way."
)age >1 of "=>
Next, the patient had to take hold of 0 and E. We began with the large 0 and E exercise. The patient noticed that she became
increasingly good at remembering the movements;parallel with this went an increase in self-confidence. When praised she smiled and
breathed deeply. Alternating 0 (reaching outwards and embracing lovingly) and E (finding oneself and standing firm) had the effect of
quickening the patient inwardly and giving her a sense of being protected. "It stops me from getting deeply sad."
The patient continued as an outpatient from September 1985 to April 1986. It was noted that once she had left the hospital the
vowels immediately lost their inner force, becoming no more than posturings on some occasions. With practice at home more flow
was gradually brought back into them. "Feeling" and "character" of the sound showed clearly that the patient was succeeding in
taking hold of space and bringing the flow of movement into the muscle tone and thus into quietness. Although her 0 gestures were
timid in "movement" and "character" and almost non-existent in "feeling", many protective B layers were formed around the 0, so
that the "feeling" content of the vowel entered into a proper relationship with "movement" and "character."
The leg exercises for both vowels and consonants had to be done mostly while seated. Consonant jumps were not possible. The lung
metastases caused dyspnea. The patient's chest, initially feeling almost like a suit of armor, became more mobile and permeable as a
result of forming the M gesture, which was done in all three directions of space. M performed with the feet while seated was most
effective at bringing about relief in proper breathing.
Family commitments and a holiday meant a 4-month break in eurythmy therapy. In August and September 1986 she had to be
readmitted as an inpatient. Potential for movement was limited, with contractive tendencies uppermost. The movement diagnosis was
much the same as in 1985. Inner restlessness, a freezing posture and hasty movements were paramount. Several pauses were
necessary between exercises in order to practice letting go and to activate exhalation. Treatment began with rhythmical exercises
with the ball and foot roller. After this the patient's breathing was deeper and quieter. She slept better at night and did not wake at 2
a.m. as often as before. She was taking part in group and individual therapy. We noted that this time she observed her fellow patients
and at the end of her stay also asked questions about further therapy.
She now became an outpatient for just under 2-1/2 years. Her domestic situation became increasingly difficult. She had been
accustomed to success in her professional life, where her orders had been carried out. Now her only tasks lay within the family circle
where she wanted to create order. But she always met with resistance and rejection. This made her put up barriers between herself
and all those around her. By contrast, her own inner world, though small and delicate, had now come alive: "My 0 and E give me the
strength to breathe. My D now overcomes my constipation." When the protective B layer was particularly feeble she was shown P.
She made the gesture spontaneously many times, began to laugh and said: "That makes me feel so well, like on the beach on
Rhodes." She made a wide P gesture, bringing it in from the space around her and up close to her body. I then asked her to follow me
in doing T. She lifted her arms as though to make a large gesture, but it became as though held back by the chest region and ended
small, with a very hard knock on the top of her head. She listened within herself to what had happened and then stretched upwards in
the I gesture. She made this with her whole body!
We frequently brought the sequence O E M L E I B D to life, cultivating the individual sounds or groups of them, and the polarities.
The patient had great difficulty doing the exercises with her legs, as her ego had trouble taking hold of the lower limbs. She practiced
alone for a considerable time. When she returned to the therapy sessions she had become much older inwardly, despite the care
taken with her outer appearance. She was weaker both mentally and physically and could only do the exercises with the help of the
therapist.
The main problem was dyspnea. Propped up on her lower arms she fought for breath. For a considerable time only major and minor
chords reached her, and she was able to expand and contract her fingers to the music. The regular swing between chords turned into
the iambic rhythm: minor-major, minor-major. We ended the exercise when she managed a long, deep breath. Then she looked at
the instrument and lovingly stroked the strings. I offered to let her take the small lyre home with her. She hesitated, but then said in
a hard voice: "Something so beautiful can only happen here."
The patient was unable to come for treatment for some time but returned after I rang her. Her first words were: "My L protects me
from all sides, like a sphere." She never spoke about the difficulties she had at home, but the effect of the constant attacks on her
showed in the whole way she behaved.
In February 1989, the patient spent 20 days in the hospital. We had to make long pauses between exercises. Once again the main
problem was dyspnea. We practiced the asthma sequence very slowly. Her great enthusiasm for the eurythmy sound gestures burned
brightly once more. Previously we had succeeded in warming her cold limbs with eurythmy, but now we only managed to warm her
arms for short periods, while her feet remained cold. On the day she left I witnessed her meeting with her husband. His spiteful
remarks brought everything we had achieved with such difficulty crashing to the ground.
Her admissions to hospital became more frequent. In July 1989, she no longer had the strength to do the exercises herself. Her eyes
shone when the gestures were made for her. At Christmas 1989, her family let her put up a print of the Sistine Madonna in her cold
home. She reported briefly that a suffocating attack had resulted in an emergency admission to the local hospital. While there she had
constantly thought of the I gesture, and now she was being helped by the I gesture of the Sistine Madonna.
-onclusion
The patient's withdrawal from the world and her anxiety brought about strongly contracting movements. She was caught up inside
herself and scarcely able to notice what was going on around her. The therapy gradually helped her reestablish some connection with
those around her. Self-confidence and self-assurance grew as she became better at performing the exercises. Her movements, small
and stiff at first, began to breathe. Tensions at home in the intervals between therapy sessions always brought set-backs. As life drew
to a close her gestures for the speech sounds were light and wide. She had already extricated herself somewhat from her body.
Throughout the treatment the patient had always made great efforts to create a balance of "movement", "feeling" and "character" for
the separate sounds.
Mental 4.ercises as Therapy
Inner or mental exercises are an effective therapeutic tool. The life organization can be strengthened and brought into a new
relationship with both body and soul. An exercise in observation that strengthens purposeful acceptance of the world through the
)age >= of "=>
senses can help turn a person's attention outwards. As a polarity to this, an exercise in writing with the left hand helps to bring the
will into a person's actions. The patient did these exercises faithfully for a long period though later on they had to be modified.
Therapeutic Tal3s
Inherent in the talks about her biography was the concept that both internal and external destiny has its roots in prenatal events. This
can lead away from blaming others and help the patient begin to look for the meaning of her own life and illness. Towards the end she
acknowledged the wish to find a new relationship with her mother, who had meanwhile died, and to discover what she could do to
change her relationship with her husband and daughter. She made an effort to bring rhythm into her daily routine and to cultivate the
cultural interests she had neglected for so long.
Summary
The patient was treated by us for 6 years. After surgical treatment of her advanced cancer, her statistical life expectancy was
approximately 1 year. Two years after the operation she was so much stronger that she felt better than she had for many years. She
made every effort to overcome sensitivities within the family and to smooth over the divisions that had arisen. She succeeded in small
ways. During the 6 years following discovery of the disease the lung metastases grew slowly. A year before she died she suffered an
acute bronchostenosis that required emergency hospitalization. As she fought against dying of suffocation her husband bent over her
and asked her to forgive him. Later she spoke of this as the high moment of her life, but to her immense sadness the open door was
closed once more. Five months before her death she began to experience pain in the upper abdomen as a result of massive liver
metastases. She was dignified and fully aware throughout the final days of her life.
We have shown how the development of functional carcinosis, i.e. a disposition to cancer, can be deduced from the biography of a
breast cancer patient, m the first half of life various events and the way they were dealt with led to a retarding tendency that brought
delay in transforming the forces of youth during the various developmental stages. In the latter half of life premature aging
tendencies showed that bodily development had now accelerated. The ego organization was not able to suppress the tendency of cells
to proliferate in an organic region that had become particularly susceptible as a result of the quality of the experiences described and
the inability to overcome them. The overall effect of medical treatment, eurythmy therapy, mental exercises, and growing awareness
of her particular life's problems meant that the patient experienced a length and quality of life far in excess of the original prognosis.
Hans Werner" 2./
Hans ,roder van 5aue" 2./.
6lke 6. van 5aue" curative eurythmist
Klinik Oeschelbronn
D-75223
Niefem-Oeschelbronn
Germany
The Digestive Tract (n &elation To The Threefold Bature of the Auman :rganism

QQ bac*
By: Aein.%Aartmut 5ogel
(Original title: Der Verdauungstrakt in seiner Beziehung zur Dreigliederung des menschlichen Organismus. Merkurstab 1995; 48:396-
404. English by A. R. Meuss, HL, MTA.)
Dr. Vogel crossed the threshold on 2 August 1995. This essay, revised for print by Dr. Vogel himself, is published in gratitude for all
the work he has done and the impulses he has given the field of anthroposophic medicine.
The symbol of Asclepius' staff, the golden rod of Hermes with the two serpents twining around it, one up and one down, provides a
background which may help us to understand the function of the digestive tract as it is presented in this essay. If we consider the
organism in its polarity between head, senses and nerves at one extreme and metabolism and limbs at the other, the digestive tract
may be seen as taking up the processes connected with senses and nerves and accompanying them all the way down to the rectum.
Conversely, the digestive tract takes the metabolic processes upward, connecting them with the sensory process which is active in the
region of head, throat and mouth.
In the language of Paracelsus, the pole of senses and nerves and, hence, the beginning of the digestive tract is subject to a Sal
process, the metabolic pole of the digestive tract to the Sulfur principle. Sal process was the term for degradation and elimination of
matter, coupled with the emanation of vital energies as the basis for sensory perception. The term Sulfur covered the synthesis and
incretion of matter and the development of organs. The vital organization moves into the synthesis of matter. We thus have two polar
opposites - the neurosensory Sal pole with secretion and excretion, and the metabolic Sulfur pole with incretion and synthesis.
Between these poles we have the actual process of conversion of matter as a middle process, m Paracelsian terms this middle process
is the Mercury principle. Sal, Mercury and Sulfur are thus the vital principles on which the whole digestive tract is based.
Except for its very first part (oral region) and its end (anal region), the digestive tract has developed from endoblast (endoderm). The
essential parts thus belong to the substance pole in the organism, embryologically deriving from the yolk sac.
The anterior part of the oral cavity and the anal part of the rectum derive from the ectoblast, the bearer of the sensory organization.
Relatively speaking, this gives the beginning and end of the digestive tract "sense organ character."
Morphologically, sense organ development (arising from the mesenchymal system) includes the evolution of a plexus of veins. Thus,
the eyeball is surrounded by the vorticose veins, the base of the brain by the mighty transverse and cavernous sinuses, the spinal
marrow by the internal vertebral plexuses.
The beginning and end of the intestinal tract are similarly surrounded by dense venous plexuses - the pharyngeal and esophageal-
pharyngeal venous plexuses in the region of mouth and pharynx, and the pterigoid plexus in the anterior buccal cavity, with the
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internal nasal, deep temporal and meningeal veins draining into it, the latter intensely related to the cavernous sinus. This establishes
the developmental and topographic relationship to the ectoblast and, later, the anterior buccal cavity.
At the opposite pole, in the rectal region, the ectodermal sensory organs of the outer skin extend into the rectum for a distance of
about 2 cm. This is, above all, the site of the rectal venous plexus, which has an internal and an external part. The internal plexus
essentially drains into the portal vein, the external part into the lower vena cava. The rectal muscles also show this dual aspect, with
an inner layer of smooth involuntary muscle and an outer one of striated muscle under voluntary control. The rectal venous plexus
communicates with the important pelvic plexus, the vesical venous plexus and, above all, the uterine and vaginal plexuses, a situation
similar to that seen in the buccal cavity. Equivalent venous sinuses exist for the male pelvic organs.
The rest of the gastrointestinal tract has no comparable venous plexuses nor the kind of giant capillaries seen in the papillary layer of
the skin or the parietal pleura in the lung.
Passing reference may be made to venous nature taken to the point of stasis in the area surrounding a sense organ and to the
significance this has in the physiology of the senses. Exhalation of live carbon dioxide in the area around a sense organ goes hand in
hand with a process of "liberation", mainly of light and warmth ether forces that prove the basis for sensory activity. Wherever this
process is found we are able to speak of sense organ-type "perception". Here, an organic function may be mentioned that is
connected with the generation of live carbon dioxide in the sphere of renal function. Incomplete vitalization of carbons in connection
with internal renal function causes adequate amounts of live energy to be liberated as carbon dioxide is given off at the periphery of
sense organs. We thus have a double exhalation in the sphere of the sense organs - carbon dioxide in the process of becoming
physical on one hand, and living etherization on the other.
Beyond the oronasopharyngeal space comes the "actual" digestive tract -esophagus, gastric cardia, pyloric and duodenal region,
jejunum, ileum and large intestine.
Let us now consider glandular functions. The salivary glands are still part of the head and senses pole of the digestive tract. In the
same way we have sweat and sebaceous glands in the ectodermal part of the rectum, and mucus-producing glands deep down in the
folds of the mucosa. These may give rise to anal fistulas, which may be seen as a degenerative form of "sense organ development"
(Silica treatment of anal fistulas).
The salivary glands in the oral vestibule, in the early stages of development extending to the base of the skull as the primordium of
the inner ear or tympanic cavity develops (the oral aperture runs from primordial ear to primordial ear and to the angles of the
mandibles at the early embryonic stage) develop from the ectodermal part of the buccal cave - submandibular, parotid and major
sublingual glands. The epithelium grows inward from outside. Because of this, efferent ducts are sometimes well away from the main
gland, as in the parotid. In the present context, it is important that nerve supply, gustatory and salivary gland nerves, above all the
chorda tympani and the intermediate nerve, run with the facial nerve through the tympanic cavity. The "gustatory nerves" (facial and
vestibulocochlear nerves) above all supply the sublingual and palatine glands and also the tear glands. The chorda tympani (sensitive
sensory and secretory) owes its name to the course it takes and to immediate vicinity to the medial wall of the ear drum. Sense of
taste and sense of hearing thus come close functionally and in sensory terms. Rudolf Steiner spoke of the "chemical" or "sound"
ether. From this point of view, the soul principle and the conscious mind intervene into the chemistry of substances via the salivary
glands when we taste things. The sound ether is released in the ear.
Saliva (1 or 2 liters produced daily) has a high concentration of bicarbonate which makes it alkaline up to pH 10, especially if the
vagus or the chorda tympani is stimulated. Saliva production is thus closely bound up with the emotional life. Greater alkalinity results
in "parasympathetic", thin saliva, sympathetic tone in mucous saliva. The pH may show daily variation from 5 to 8.5 (muscarine,
pilocarpine, physostigmine, choline and tobacco cause increased secretion).
Taste sensations cover mainly sweet and salty. The range seems typical for ego activity in the sense of taste. A spontaneously-
occurring bitter taste is already pathologic. Dryness and increased salivation point to psychosomatic swings of the pendulum with a
bias to either sympathetic tone or parasympathetic tone.
Let us now turn to the colon at the opposite pole of the digestive tract. The pH of normal stools in adults is between 7 and 8.7.
Secretion of fluids is reduced (100 ml/day). Absorption of fluids is dominant, with the intestinal contents driven in the physical,
mineral direction. Apart from undigested food particles (above all cellulose) stools contain 30% of bacteria (up to 42% of the dry
matter). In healthy breast-fed infants, the large intestine still shows the same conditions as the small intestine, with a slight lactic
acid milieu due to dominance of bifidus flora which plays a part in symbiotic production of vitamin B (e.g. aneurine) (betalactose
encourages the bifidus flora). We may say, therefore, that the whole of the large intestine and - as we have seen - above all the
rectum take the intestinal contents into a physical, mineral state, and it would be reasonable to say that the vital processes of the
chemical and life ethers are dominant. Secretion gives way completely to "incretion". This reflects the suction exerted by the chemical
ether deriving from the liver. The whole of the large intestine is thus subject to the distant action of the liver process. Extremes such
as loss of fluids from the large intestine and its opposite, extreme drying up of its contents, indicate disorders of the liver process.
Chemical processes, which in the sphere of the salivary glands provide the basis for the secretion of large volumes of fluids, have the
opposite effect in the large intestine, with the as yet fluid intestinal contents taken into the liver via the portal vein system. This
reflects the interiorizing function of the liver. As a "vitamin B producer" (chemical ether) the liver is the etheric basis of nerve
development and processes of consciousness. Early emphasis on, and challenge of, powers of conscious awareness in early childhood
can increase the forces of the chemical and life ethers in the organism and hence hepatic function so such an extent that the vital
processes taking place in the fluid sphere are withdrawn from the organism (liver-based drying out of the organism; homeopathic
drug pictures of Lycopodium and Alumina).
The esophagus - The length of the esophagus from the pharynx, the narrowest part, to the cardia is 22-25 cm in adults (mouth to
stomach 37-41 cm). The opening (os) is reminiscent of sensory function in so far as there is a particularly dense venous plexus
beneath the mucosa at this point. Mucous glands continue the salivary gland function in the upper part of the esophagus, though now
without taste sensation, Innervation: glossopharyngeal nerve forming a plexus with vagus and sympathetic nerve.
Similarly to the small intestine, the esophagus is in constant motion at its commencement. The rhythmic peristaltic movement,
running through the esophagus like a contractile wave on deglutition, reveals the interplay of contraction and expansion, of the soul
principle coming in more strongly (contraction) and emphasis on the etheric (expansion).
This dual process also predominates in gastric function and, above all, the whole of the small intestine. The large intestine finally
stabilizes the rhythm even to the point of haustration. This gives expression to the physical space and form principle taking effect in
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the large intestine.
The stomach - In the region of the mouth and oral glands, the etheric, fluid principle and, therefore, weak alkalinity predominate, In
the gastric region, the sentient organization intervenes more strongly in the fluid process and acids are produced. Gastric activity
consists primarily in partial digestion of proteins with pepsin in an environment of pH 1.5. Secretion is mainly from the chief cells of
the glands in the fundus. Cathepsin activity at pH 2.0 - 5.0. Mucus production at pH 5.0 - 7.0. Calcium, magnesium, sodium and
potassium secretion is subject to similar conditions as in the blood. Characteristically gastric acid production in the stomach increases
with the changes that occur in the soul at puberty and decreases with old age. Dependence of gastric acid production on the
psychological state is characteristic of the stomach.
Psychosomatics of the stomach
It is known that gastric function, gastric juice production as a whole and acid production in particular depend on the emotional state.
The question is whether the stomach is an independent organ or if its development and function are governed by a principal metabolic
organ. Considering the whole symptomatology of gastric function, we note the characteristic influence of the sentient organization.
Emotions and psychological stresses result in characteristic gastric symptoms. The stomach becomes an organ for the perception of
the whole sentient organism. This, in turn, is closely bound up with, and has organizing functions in, the arterial blood processes and,
beyond this, in the sphere of the kidney organization. The whole respiratory human being - both external respiration and internal
tissue respiration - is closely connected with kidney function. Acid production is an expression of this, rather like footprints left by the
soul principle. Gastric acid production and acid production connected with minor changes in tissue pH are, thus, polar to each other,
going in opposite directions (muscular rheumatism frequently goes hand in hand with gastric sub- or even anacidity).
Hyperacidity must, therefore, be seen in conjunction with kidney function. Extreme ultrafiltrate production in the kidneys and
resorption of this into the blood can lead to secretion, above all in the gastric region, in the sense of Volhard's "pronephros function".
This is connected with continuous loss of connective tissue fluid from the blood. The symptom goes hand in hand with loss of tone in
the sphere of the blood, with extremely low blood pressure, sometimes vertigo, peripheral cardiovascular disorders, and extreme
thirst. The stomach may be said to be an organ that reacts to renal function. Whereas the walls of the stomach lie loosely against
each other in a healthy subject, a bladder form develops in this case, and corresponding symptoms of a gastrocardiac syndrome. Air
in the stomach - and in the intestinal tract - with increased eructation and singultus are kidney symptoms. Treatment: if these
symptoms go hand in hand with general pallor and cyanosis, especially of the lips, treatment of the kidneys with Carbo vegetabilis
and/or Veratrum album is indicated. The connection between excessive gastric juice production and ultrafiltrate, in some cases 8,10
or even 15 liters a day, also derives from the above-mentioned electrolyte content which, in the renal ultrafiltrate, too, is equivalent
to that of blood serum.
Duodenum - In a rhythm, the laws of which become apparent in successive sections of the digestive tract, the acid stomach
environment is followed by the relative alkalinity of the duodenal contents. This is largely due to the 1 or 2 liters of pancreatic juice
produced daily. The optimum pH of the pancreatic enzymes is lipase pH7, amylase pH6, proteins pH 8 -11 (!)
The thin pancreatic juice contains proteins, its overall pH is 8-9, the taste salty. The average daily 500 ml of bile produced contributes
to the duodenal alkalinity in spite of the 1-2 g of bile acids it contains (produced from 20-70 mg/100 ml of cholesterol, the mean pH
being 8 (biliary fistula).(1)
A physiologic polarity exists between bile and pancreatic enzymes. With the pancreatic enzymes, active chemistry goes out into the
duodenal region, with the bile, substances that have dropped out of life in erythrocyte degradation are eliminated into the intestine.
According to Rudolf Steiner both processes, fourfold pancreatic secretion and biliary secretion to the outside, reflect primary "ego
activity". The destruction of red cells and liberation of, above all, heat energy in the internal and external bile ducts is a physiologic
warmth-ego process (temperature in the gallbladder distinctly above that of the blood). The fourfold pancreatic secretion and the high
bicarbonate concentration (salts), on the other hand, reflect comprehensive, immanent activity of the whole vital life organization
governed by ego activity.
Let me add at this point that embryologically the hepatic and biliary system, on one hand, and internal secretory and excretory
pancreatic system on the other each derive from two endodermal structures. This is a process of organogenesis which also applies to
the rest of the organism. One principle here produces an excretory and an incretory organ development. In the case of the pancreas,
this is clearly reflected in the development of the acinous head and part of the body, on one hand, and the incretory activity located
mainly in the tail on the other. In the case of the liver and gallbladder, an excretory organ develops that begins with the hepatic
parenchyma and extends to the gallbladder, whereas the liver itself becomes the largest "incretory" organ in the organism.
"Incretion" here means synthesis and anabolism; "excretion", in this case into the intestine, the degradation and destruction of
matter.
The duodenum is, thus, the mid-region of the whole digestive tract, governed by the ego organization in two respects.
Jejunum and ileum - As the digestive process passes into the jejunum and ileum, we reach the actual Mercurial part of the digestive
system as a whole. This is also apparent from the motility and contractility or capacity for expansion in the whole of the small
intestine. Another characteristic of the small intestine is the very slightly acid environment created by the Acidophilus flora.
Acidophilus bifidus predominates in breast-fed infants, which gives the stools a pleasant, slightly acidic, yoghurt-like odor (anaerobic
lactobacilli play a role in aneurine (vitamin B) production.) A healthy intestinal flora is, therefore, physiologic in the small intestine.
Comparing lengths: duodenum c. 30 cm, adult jejunum and ileum 5 meters on average. We shall not go into the specific glandular
situation at this point - Brunner's glands, glands of Lieberkuehn.
Jejunum and ileum are the Mercurial region of the whole digestive process in the small intestine. The fluid principle is dominant, with
some emphasis on the "sulfuric" character of this intestinal region. This covers the production of chyme, liquefaction of intestinal
contents and first stage of absorption into and through the villi which considerably enlarge the surface area of the intestinal wall. The
sulfuric character is also evident from the fact that the number of white cells - "sign of inflammation" - increases in the intestinal walls
and villi as digestion proceeds. The daily volume of intestinal fluid is estimated to be three liters. Appearance: turbid, milky, because
of the presence of white cells, epithelial cells and mucus. The fluid is approximately isotonic with blood. The high sodium bicarbonate
concentration makes the environment slightly alkaline in the ileum. In breast-fed infants, the bifidus flora makes the contents slightly
lactic. In adults, the contents of the small intestine should give a neutral reaction. A move to the alkaline range suggests infiltration
by coli bacteria. The pH is thus distinctly acid (6.2-6.7) in the region of the jejunum and neutral or just slightly alkaline at the
transition from ileum to large intestine. The intestinal motility throughout the small intestine is characteristic of Mercurial activity. It is
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a rhythmic pendulum swing within the individual segments. In purely external terms this leads to intense mixing of chyme and
digestive juices. The movements of the villi are also rhythmic. The mixing movements are said to be up to 10 a minute, continuing for
up to 6 hours. The filling of the intestine is governed by the parasympathetic, emptying and immobilization by the sympathetic
system. The term autorhythmia is used. After a period of c. 6 hours (see above) the small intestine empties through the ileocecal
valve into the large intestine, which happens in portions. The underlying dynamics of the whole digestive process may be seen as
follows.
Upper part of mouth, esophagus and stomach: gradually decreasing sensory perception as regards both glandular function and
neuropsychologic dependence.
Duodenum: polar function of ego activity, giving impulses to the whole of etheric activity (extreme degradation via the biliary system,
with mineralization of live matter; on the other hand ego activity entering into the whole of pancreatic glandular activity). The day
and night rhythms in both bile production and pancreatic islet function have significance as ego rhythms. Chyme production in the
jejunum and ileum is dominated by Sulfuric activity, which is metabolic in the true sense, but in terms of a Mercurial physiologic
function relating a) to pendulum swings and b) to dissolving, absorptive vital activity. The influence of absorptive hepatoportal activity
and a dominant lymph organization govern digestion in the small intestine. Starting from the lacteals in the intestinal villi and
continuing with large chyle vessels and intestinal lymph glands as far as the thoracic duct, the lymphatic system comes to the fore in
the region of the small intestine. It, and the production of chyme and chyle, may thus be seen as the Mercurial principle in small
intestinal digestion. The increase in white cells also relates to this.
Generally speaking, small intestinal digestion has its "head" in the duodenal region and its "end" in the region of the ileocecal valve,
between the opposite poles of the stomach with its highly acid environment and the large intestine with its on-the-whole distinctly
alkaline character.
The Mercurial character of the whole small intestine - duodenum, jejunum and ileum - bases on interaction and Mercurial blending of
the chemical, fluid and psychological, airy elements. The etheric and sentient organizations interpenetrate, similar to the process seen
with saponins in nature, and emulsify the chyme. Separation of fluid and airy principles indicates Mercurial weakness. Mercury has the
dual quality of droplet formation and sublimation, i.e. transition into the gaseous state at normal temperatures. This range in physical
properties seen in the element mercury is reflected by the emulsication of small intestinal contents - between "droplet formation"
(aqueous phase) and generation of gases. Taking an overall view, the small intestinal processes lie between the concentrative fluid
phase connected with the liver process and the breathing psychological phase dominating the small intestine, too, from the kidneys.
Pathologic generation of gases, weak/pathologic kidney function and pathological production of fluids indicate failure of the
emulsifying process which is governed by the ego organization. Inactivity of the sentient organization in the gastrointestinal region
signifies excessive perceptive activity and consciousness of the organization in the sphere of senses and nerves.
Apart from the main symptom of increased generation of gases and a tendency to thin, liquid stools there must therefore also be
corresponding signs of excitation in the sphere of senses and nerves: restlessness, hyper-sensitivity to sense impressions,
neurasthenic symptoms. Treatment must be in accord with this. Generally speaking, medicines relating to both kidneys and nerves
should induce the sentient organization to become involved in the fluid process, above all in the intestinal region. Two examples are
Khus toxicodendron and Chamomilla. The function of the ego organization, above all in the duodenal region as described above, needs
to be strengthened. This can be done by stimulating both biliary and pancreatic functions. Example: Cichorium/Pancreas/Stibium
comp.(2)
The colon
The colon is 1-1.4 meters long (cecum c. 7 cm) and marks the beginning of the part of the intestine which, unlike stomach and small
intestine, is no longer involved in the actual process of digestion. Secretory process do, however, occur here (mucous glands
secreting dense mucilage with the relatively high, alkaline pH 8.4). The thickening of the intestinal contents is essentially with
reference to water and salts. Almost the whole (500 ml) of 600 ml water is absorbed.
Characteristic structures in the colon are the longitudinal bands known as taeniae coli, the haustra, the vermiform appendix and the
epiploic appendices (tabs of fat). We have already referred to haustration in conjunction with the nature of peristalsis in the
esophageal region where every bite swallowed is pushed along by itself, as it were. The situation is similar in the large intestine, but
more in the direction of spatial development, with the haustra presenting as a kind of static, tied-off element. Rapid peristalsis causes
folds to develop in the inner large intestine that, from outside, appear as haustra. They divide the intestinal contents into portions.
Together with re-absorption of water (v. s.) and the increasingly physical nature of the intestinal contents, the process in the large
intestine is, functionally speaking, a Sal process. As already stated, this comes to a culmination in the tendency to develop sense
organs in the rectum. The stomach may be seen as an organ reacting to the kidneys; the whole small intestine as interaction between
fluid, etheric (lymph) and psychological, breathing organization (emulsincation) and, therefore. Mercurial; and the whole large
intestine as a distant organ of the hepatic and portal system. The motility, i.e. movements of the large intestine showing extreme
partial contractions (haustration), shows interaction between expansion and contraction, like all peristaltic movements, emphasis on
etheric and sentient organism activity, though in the large intestine this reaches the borderline of physical organ development. The
fluid content or, conversely, the drying out of large intestinal contents is connected with the portal and hepatic system's power of
interiorization (incretion). Raccidity, especially of the large intestine, may go as far as atony or poor rectal development (megacolon)
and indicate weakness of shape and form even in the liver region. Because of this it is possible to treat atony in particular with a "liver
medicine" such as Stannum. The uniform liver process within a highly fluid principle is then subject to imposition of form (see also
cirrhosis). The three taeniae coli and the haustration express the process of becoming physical anatomically and physiologically.
Compared to inadequate ensoulment and breathing-through of the small intestine (v. s.), the choice of medicaments must take
account of the connection with the liver. We have already mentioned two characteristic liver medicines connected with drying out of
large intestinal contents - Lycopodium and Alumina.
In differential therapeutic terms, a very different pathologic situation has to be considered if there is a tendency to diarrhea. This is
because the small intestine, with its emphasis on etheric, fluid, lymph-related function, is particularly liable to develop "nerve
development in the wrong place". A specific such as Arsenicum album needs to be considered in that case.
Summary
The whole digestive tract has been considered against the background polarity of neurosensory and metabolic organization. The
interaction of etheric and astral organization thus comes to expression in the different sections of the digestive tract. The whole
digestive tract is framed, as it were, in polar fashion by a tendency to develop sense organs in the region of mouth and pharynx, on
one hand, and in that of the rectum on the other. Different pH levels in the sections also reflect intervention of soul principles (acidity)
or etheric principles (alkalinity). The warmth organization of the ego is involved in this interaction, starting from the duodenum at the
)age >J of "=>
center of the digestive tract where we have the functional polarity of biliary and pancreatic activity. The "actual" digestive principle is
active in the small intestine, where the Mercurial character of the whole digestive process is dominant -emulsification of intestinal
contents (chyme) through interaction between fluid, etheric and psychological, airy principles. Digestive disorders essentially reflect
the organic function of the section concerned:
Duodenum: polarity between biliary and pancreatic function.
Jejunum and ileum: lymphatic system relating to portal and hepatic function on one hand and respiration in conjunction with renal
function on the other.
The large intestine has been presented to show resorption of water and salts to be under the distant influence of the liver, so that
one-sided developments in large intestinal function may initially be treated via the liver.
Heinz-Hartmut Vogel, M.D.
Notes
1 Vogel HH. Die Bauchspeicheldruese. Die Leber. Wala publications.
2 Cichorium/Pancreas comp. (Wala). See Wege der Heilmittelfindung. Eckwaelden: Natur Mensch Medizin.
The Transformation of 'ubstance to /onsciousness

QQ bac*
By: /hrista van Tellingen%van Aee*, M.D.
(From a lecture given at the Medical Section Meeting Feb. 15,1996, Copake, NY.)
Abstract
As energy is released out of matter - whether in physical, chemical or nuclear processes in nature or processes in the human body
that become the basis of consciousness - the process always entails waste products. Until recently these waste products were brought
back into the cycle of life through the natural processes in the ecological system, both in nature itself as well as in the human body.
These natural processes are based on the substances of formic acid and oxalic acid. A similar process takes place with regard to the
human conscious experience, especially thoughts, in the universe. This process was seen and described by Rudolf Steiner as the
Midnight Sun experience. Attention is drawn to our responsibility for the waste products we produce - in nature, in the human body,
as well as in the processes related to our consciousness - that do not directly fit into the ecological system. In an ecological system
the parts always relate to the whole in a lawful harmonious manner according to the so-called Golden Mean. This is also true in social
life.
Method
An in-depth study of Fundamentals of Therapy by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman, especially Chapter 17, together with work on
specific meditations regarding the Midnight Sun revealed the inner relationship of processes in nature and the human body with the
Midnight Sun experience of the ancient initiates also described by Steiner.
Introduction
Scientific research of the last thirty years has increasingly made us aware of the relationship between substance and consciousness.
This research postulates that states of consciousness are but the result of a relative mixture of certain substances in the brain. In
anthroposophical medicine we can follow this postulation to the point where we question the origin or cause of the mixture of
substances.(9)
Of course, the effect of substances on consciousness has been known for thousands of years. In the ancient Mysteries, substances
were used to bring adepts to a certain state of consciousness in the initiation process; now, this has become decadent to the point of
the drag dependency problem of our time (including alcohol, tobacco and coffee).
How substances relate to consciousness was the core of the Rosicrucian teachings, the last of the Mystery teachings in the Middle
Ages. The alchemists' work with substance was aimed at transforming consciousness. Rather than ingesting it, they brought it into
different states and mixtures with specific processes.
Transformation of waste products in nature, in the human body and in the universe
We see in the human body a constant transformation of substance to consciousness. We eat, and through digestion and metabolism
substance is brought to an ever higher level of being - from mineral to plant-like to animal-like to, finally, human substance
(Fundamentals of Therapy, Chapter 3-6).(1)' It is at this point that food can be the basis for human consciousness. There are certain
substances (hallucinogenic drugs, prescription and entertainment drugs) which only allow certain states of consciousness; these
usually also create some form of dependence.
In nature, substance is brought into different energy states through physical, chemical, or nuclear processes. The Rosicrucians
transformed it to consciousness through observation and contemplation. The thoughts, feelings and will impulses that resulted from
observation and investigation were their field of study, and they sought to purify and heighten their state of consciousness through
their alchemical work.
These two aspects of transformation of substance to consciousness - in the human body through metabolism and in nature through
observation and participation of the human being - have been investigated to some extent in anthroposophical medicine. If we look at
these two processes more closely, we become aware that a universal principle prevails where these processes take place in the
human body or in nature.
The process of building up substance in the human body can be observed in the metabolism; however, a break-down process sets in
when substance becomes the bearer of ordinary consciousness. We can experience the effect through our tiredness in the evening.
The investigation of nature by ordinary science is also based on this principle of breaking down - taking the subject apart and
breaking it down into its smallest possible parts. Consciousness is always accompanied by a break-down process in the natural world.
)age >K of "=>
In the first lecture to curative educators,(10) Rudolf Steiner makes clear that our ordinary consciousness is a reflection of a higher
consciousness that we carried before we were born. The reflective mirror is our physical body. Our soul-spiritual being from our life
between death and rebirth is reflected as our earthly thinking, feeling, and willing. Thus, our ordinary consciousness which has
thinking/ feeling, and willing as a content is a reflection of a cosmic process.
We can investigate the transformation of substance on three different levels:
(GRAPHIC, PG 11)
Transformation of substance in nature and the human body
For investigational purposes, another universal principle becomes visible in the break down process of substance in nature: when one
part of a whole rises, another part has to descend. Wherever humanity uses nature it has to learn to deal with "waste products". This
is a global problem. There are similar consequences for the process of consciousness in the human body. Rudolf Steiner describes
that: as we think, a fine precipitation of calcium salts takes place, and the functioning of the ego organization is dependent on
processes in the body that go toward the lifeless salt processes. Here, too, "waste products" are created that have to be dealt with.
(Interestingly, calcium carbonate precipitates in hot water and dissolves in cold water.)
Before the technical developments of the last 150 years, dealing with waste products was an unconscious process, one that was taken
care of for us by the gods through ecological cycles, in nature as in the human body. When plants die in the Fall, when trees die and
fall over, a substance becomes free that was stored in the plant's cells during its life - the plant could not do anything with it during
its lifetime. It is increted in crystallized form as a waste product into vacuoles in the cells; this substance is oxalic acid." We know it
by the sour taste, for instance, of wood sorrel. It is an end-product of the breathing out process of the plant at night, the process
opposite to building up in photosynthesis. It becomes free when the plant dies, and then the ants can break this substance down
further into formic acid. According to Steiner, formic acid can penetrate lifeless substance and bring it back into the life cycle making
it permeable to new life forces from the universe. This is the basis of the formation of compost. He also mentions that if it weren't for
a fine amount of formica in the atmosphere, we could not have telegraphic communication. Thus, in Nature dead material is brought
back into the sphere of life as compost so that the earth does not become a heap of dead matter as life dies away. We see this
process in our woods and gardens.
In the human body, the substance that has to become dead in order that we can think and the ego organization can function in our
body undergoes a similar process. Organic forms of oxalic acid are formed in the metabolism of sugar between the stomach and liver
processes in the etheric body. The lung/breathing processes break this down further into organic forms of formic acid in an oxidative,
burning process in the astral body (Krebs cycle). Rudolf Steiner sees a fine rain of formica drops dripping down from the lungs. These
processes bring the matter that was on the way to death - to becoming waste product - back into the cycle of life in our body
(Fundamentals of Therapy, Chapter 17).(1)
In modern waste products, however, we have to face this process consciously, and we are not yet doing a very good job of
transforming the waste we create to become part of the ecological cycle.
The Midnight Sun - Transformation of substance in the universe
In the universe, an equivalent process takes place. Today, our ordinary consciousness produces dead thoughts. They have to be dead
in order that we have a place of freedom where no spiritual beings will influence our thoughts. Over eons the cosmic intelligence (the
order of mutual relationships of the Hierarchies) has descended from the state of being to revelation of beings, to just living thoughts
(in Greek times), to now dead thoughts since the advent of the consciousness soul. In the Fifteenth Century, the First Hierarchy
implanted the thoughts into our head. How these dead thoughts do not become waste products in the cosmos is described by Rudolf
Steiner in a few lectures from Christmas 1906 to June 1924.(2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
At Christmas 1906,(2) Rudolf Steiner described this process as it was experienced in all of the old Mysteries - in the so-called "small"
mystery process. On Christmas Eve at mid-Winter, when the life forces have most drawn back from the earth, the adepts were
brought into a cave and had the following experience:
The pupils gathered in the early evening. In quiet contemplation they had to make clear to themselves what this most important
event signified. In deep silence they sat together in the darkness. By the time midnight drew near, they had been sitting in the dark
room for hours. Thoughts of eternity pervaded their souls. Then, toward midnight, mysterious tones arose, resounding through the
room, rising and diminishing. The pupils who heard these tones knew that this was the music of the spheres. Then the room became
dimly lit, the only light emanating from a dimly-lighted disc. Those who saw this knew that this disc represented the earth. The
illumined disc became darker and darker, until finally it was quite black. Simultaneously, the surrounding space grew brighter. Those
who saw this knew that the black sphere represented the earth. The sun, however, which ordinarily irradiates the earth, was
concealed; the earth could no longer see the sun. Then around the earth-disc, at the outer edge, rainbow colors formed, ring upon
ring. Those who saw it knew that this was the radiant Iris or Rainbow. At midnight a violet-reddish circle gradually arose in place of
the black earth sphere. On it a Word was written. This Word varied according to the peoples whose members were permitted to
experience this Mystery. In our language, the Word would be Christos. Those who saw it knew that this was the sun, which appeared
to them at the midnight hour, when the world around rests in deepest darkness. The pupils were now told that what they had
experienced was called, "Seeing the sun at the midnight hour."(2)
In 1912-1913, during the tune of the founding of the Anthroposophical Society out of the Theosophical Society, several
lectures(3,4,5,6) were given in which the experience of the Sun at Midnight was mentioned, always indicating that this was one of the
highest, most impressive and magnificent of experiences for the initiates. For the old initiates, it is clear that this experience is related
to a process that humanity and the earth have to go through in the future, a complete darkening of consciousness for humanity and
an isolation of the earth in relation to the universe. This is followed by a new state symbolized by the darkness of matter becoming
enlightened with a violet-reddish glow or by the earth becoming sun. The Christ being plays a central role in this transformation as is
signified also by the moment of birth of the Jesus and by the words of John the Baptist: He must increase. I must decrease.
)age H, of "=>
The Threefold Sun
We can see three stages in this process. The first one is the lighting up of the disc, the earth, which then becomes dark. The second
stage is the lighting up of the surroundings in rainbow colors - this can also be seen as the "halo" phenomenon around a shadow on
the clouds at midday. The third phase is the lighting up of the disc with the name Christos on it. The earth has become sun.
Walter Buehler(13) describes a threefold light organism of the earth - related to the northern lights at midnight, the rainbow at
sunrise and sunset and the lightning at midday. These can be related to this phenomenon.
On 6 November 1921, Rudolf Steiner speaks about the knowledge of the Threefold Sun - the Light, the Life and the Love of the Sun.
(14)
In the sixth lecture on this subject, given in 1921,(7) this threefold process of transformation of the earth is related to the Rosicrucian
sayings: Ex Deo Nascimur, In Christo Morimur, Per Spiritum Sanctum Reviviscimus. Rudolf Steiner points to an experience of the
Midnight Sun for the human being of today, which can be felt as a warning but also as a hope-bringing experience:
Behold the Sun/ At the midnight hour./
Build with stones/ In lifeless ground.
So find in destruction/ And in death's dark night/
Creation's new beginning,/ Living morning light.
The Powers on high make known The eternal Word Divine;/
The Depths must guard their own/ Peace, in their sacred shrine.
In darkness living -/Create anew a Sun.
In matter weaving/ Know joy of Spirit won.(2,7)
The midnight sun experience in the "great" Mysteries and in our time
Finally, at St. John's in mid-Summer 1924(8) in the series of karma lectures, Rudolf Steiner describes how this was experienced in the
"great" Mysteries. He relates how, through this, the initiate knew of the work of the Hierarchies within him all the time forming his
karma. He became aware of the direct and immediate interrelation of the universe, the earth and the human being. An initiate would
have said the following to himself regarding this experience:
When I stand in the open fields in the daytime, when I direct my gaze upwards and give myself up to the impressions of the senses,
then I behold the sun; I see it in its dazzling strength at noontide, and behind the dazzling strength of the noontide sun I behold the
working of the spiritual beings of the Second Hierarchy in the substance of the sun. Before my initiation the substance of the sun
vanished from me at the moment of its setting. The shining radiance of the sun vanished in the purples of sunset. Before my initiation
I went through the dark path of night; and in the morning, when the dawn came, I remembered this darkness. Out of the dawn the
sun shone forth again and took its course onward towards the dazzling brightness of noon. But now, having attained to initiation,
when I experience the dawn and behold the sun as it passes from dawn onward through its daily course, a memory of my life during
the night-time awakens within me. I know what I have experienced in this night life; I remember clearly how I beheld a blue,
glimmering light arise from the evening twilight and gradually spread, traveling from West to East. I remember how I beheld the sun
at the midnight hour, at the opposite point in the firmament to where it had stood in its noontide, dazzling strength. I saw it gleaming
there behind the earth, full of deep and solemn meaning. I beheld the Midnight Sun.(8)
Again, it is mentioned that this is a deeply moving experience for the one who has it. In our time, we can become conscious of this
experience of the night. Rudolf Steiner says we have to be awake and look at the blue-red glow of the Midnight Sun more exactly.
Then we begin to see the forms of the beings of the Second Hierarchy, Exusiai, Dynamis, and Kyriotetes. We can observe that the
beings of the Third Hierarchy are also working in this image in a light yellow color. We direct our attention to the earth's surface,
where
human beings are asleep and leave behind in bed their etheric and physical bodies, where the thoughts and sense impressions from
that day have been imprinted. In these traces of the thoughts and ideas the beings of the Third Hierarchy experience what we have
experienced during the day; they pick them like fruits and carry them out into the universe to make them part of universal working.
We actually can see the Third Hierarchy soar out of the beings of the Second Hierarchy, through the earth to the sleeping human
being and back again to carry the dead thoughts up as fruits to the Second Hierarchy. Behind the Second Hierarchy we see playing in
red-like lightning the beings of the First Hierarchy. The lightning strikes from behind the Second Hierarchy through the earth to that
part of the human being that is outside the etheric and physical bodies - the astral body and the ego.
Conclusion
Of course, this deeply moral experience only becomes conscious after meditative preparation. We become aware that the Hierarchies
are at work in and with us all the time and that this is how they form our karma. Usually, the human being only experiences this after
death; but it is possible to experience the Iris, the Rainbow, at midnight after sufficient preparation. Then, we realize that our
thoughts and ideas are realities and that we will meet them again in the world around us through the deeds of the Hierarchies. The
Third Hierarchy brings traces of their imprints up to the Second Hierarchy; the First Hierarchy can bring them back into physical-
material reality around us. This is the experience of the Midnight Sun. So we see how the effects of our deeds, be it in nature or in the
human body through our consciousness or in the universe, were taken care of by the gods. They healed what we (unconsciously)
destroyed so that we and the earth could continue. Rudolf Steiner tells us how we have to atone for our deeds through our karma but
that the effects of our deeds on the world are taken on by Christ. In other words: when I hit someone, I will have to experience his
pain and amend it with him or her through my karma; but the effect of my negative deed on the earth and the universe is not
removed by my karmic amendment, it is taken on by Christ.
In time to come, we will have to become aware of our moral responsibilities more and more when we experience the radiance of the
rainbow at the midnight hour, the Sun at Midnight. That makes us stand actively within the question of the waste products we
produce as humanity, both on the earth and in our body as well as in the universe. We will have to work towards a thinking that is not
just filled with ideas but that is warmed with ideals and that stands actively within the world.
The third part of the Midnight Sun experience - that was seen as the lighting up of the name Christos out of the darkness in the
"small" mysteries or as the work of the beings of the First Hierarchy into our astral body and ego in the "great" mysteries - brings this
universal process back to the earth, it points to finding our responsibility on the earth. This can be seen in relation to substance when
we go back to Chapter 17 of Fundamentals of Therapy in which Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman explain the role of formica and oxalis.
)age H" of "=>
We can see the oxalic acid that becomes freed when the plant dies to be related to the dead thoughts of the human being taken up by
the Third Hierarchy. The activity of the ants producing formic acid corresponds to the radiance of the Second Hierarchy.
This chapter ends with thoughts on calcium, the substance that carries in itself the sounding of the Logos, the Cosmic Word as it is
made visible in the physical material world by the First Hierarchy in order that we develop ego consciousness. It is discussed in
relation to its healing properties in bleeding processes, when the ego-organization needs strengthening.
The Rosicrucians were aware of the effect of their deeds in the universe and sought to purify themselves in order that their thoughts,
feelings and will impulses would not bring destructive elements into their surroundings. They strove to give their souls an upbuilding
quality as described in the sixth day of the Chymical Wedding.(15) They wanted to deepen their knowledge of nature through the
insights of spiritual science so that they could discover the laws of social life, says Steiner. The experience of the Midnight Sun gave
them such insight and the Chymical Wedding was actually an address to the heads of state, the political leaders of that time.(16)
Walter Buehler makes this visible in his discovery of the mathematical geometric relationship of the rainbow to the measure of the
Golden Mean. In the Golden Mean the newly-created parts always relate to the whole in a lawful, harmonious manner.(13)
We can experience this threefold harmonious lawfulness in the life of the Anthroposophical Society as well as in society at large.
Rudolf Steiner speaks to the importance of the recognition of the threefoldness of society at the end of this century so that chaos does
not rule social life.(17) We can strive toward this ecology of social life as we relate within our family or work situation, as our work or
institution finds its place within the Anthroposophical Society and as the Anthroposophical Society finds a harmonious and lawful
relationship to society at large.
Christa van Tellingen-van Heek, M.D.
7953 California Avenue
Fair Oaks, CA 95628
References:
1 Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman, Fundamentals of Therapy, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1983. (GA 27)
2 Rudolf Steiner, Signs and Symbols of the Christmas Festival, lecture report 12/17/1906, p. 52. Anthroposophical Press, New York,
1969. (GA 96)
3 Rudolf Steiner, Spiritual Beings in the Heavenly Bodies and in the Kingdoms of Nature, 04/04/1912, Anthroposophical Press, New
York, 1988. (GA 136)
4 Rudolf Steiner, Spiritual Beings in the Heavenly Bodies and in the Kingdoms of Nature, 04/11/1912, Anthroposophical Press, New
York, 1988. (GA 136)
5 Rudolf Sterner, Man in the Light of Occultism, Theosophy and Philosophy, 06/09/1912, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1964. (GA
137)
6 Rudolf Steiner, The Mysteries of the East and of Christianity, 02/04/1913, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1972. (GA 144)
7 Rudolf Steiner, The Christmas Festival and the Cosmic Conception of Christ, 12/26/1921, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1967. (GA
209)
8 Rudolf Steiner, Karmic Relationships, Vol. u, 06/27/1924, Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1972. (GA 236)
9 Siegwart M. Elsas, Toxin Production And Protein Degradation In The Nervous System, JAM Vol. 11 No. 2, Summer 1994.
10 Rudolf Steiner, Curative Education, 06/25/1924.
11 Christa van Tellingen, Oxalis acetosella. Circular Letter #4 page 83, Medical Section of the School for Spiritual Science, Easter,
1994.
12 Christa van Tellingen, Introduction to the following article, JAM Vol. 9 No. 2, Summer 1992, page 31.
13 Walter Buehler, Der Funkelnde Tropfen (The Sparkling Drop), Merkurstab, Special Edition for Gisbert Husemann's 80th Birthday,
1987.
14 Rudolf Steiner, The Sun Mystery in the Course of Human History, November 6, 1921, Rudolf Steiner Press, London 1978. (GA 208)
15 Johann Valentin Andrae, The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz, anno 1459, in Paul M. Alien with Carlo Pietzner, A
Christian Rosenkreuz Anthology, Rudolf Steiner Publications, New York, 1968.
16 Rudolf Steiner, Die spirituellen Hintergruende der aeusseren Welt, lectures of 9/30/17,10/8/17 & 10/12/17, Rudolf Steiner Verlag,
Domach. (GA 177)
17 Rudolf Steiner, The Festivals and their Meaning, lecture of 4/2/23 Rudolf Steiner Press, London, 1981. (GA 223)
The /hallenge of Diagnosis

QQ bac*
By: (ra /antor, M.D.
(t is )uite conceivable that someone might think it useless to adopt the methods of empirical thought in physiology or biology. What
need is there for any speciali?ed branch of science" he might ask. 7ne develops spiritual sight" looks into the spiritual world" arrives at
a conception of man 8 of the being of man in health and disease 8 and then it is possible to found a kind of spirituali?ed medicine. As a
matter of fact" that is 9ust the kind of thing many people do" but it leads nowhere. !hey abuse empirical medicine# but they are" after
all" abusing something which they do not understand in the very least. !here can be no )uestion of writing off empirical science as
worthless and taking refuge in a spirituali?ed science brought down from the clouds. !hat is )uite the wrong attitude to adopt.
4ow" it must be remembered that spiritual8scientific investigation does not lead to the same things that can be e0amined under the
microscope. (f anyone tries to pretend that" with the methods of Spiritual Science" he has found e0actly the same things as he finds
under a microscope" he may safely be summed up as a charlatan. !he results of modem empirical investigation are there and must
be reckoned with. !hose who seriously pursue Spiritual Science must concern themselves with the phenomena of the world in the
sense of ordinary empiricism. 1rom Spiritual Science we discover certain guiding lines for empirical research" certain ruling principles.
-- Anthroposophical Approach to 2edicine, Rudolf Steiner Lecture I (26 October 1922)
Anthroposophical medicine offers an abundance of new perspectives on the sick human being and how we, as physicians, can deepen
the traditional diagnosis. We find, however, that the tools we need to refine and make our diagnoses more exact are often lacking.
The initial and most important tool that we possess is the patient's history and physical exam, as expanded by anthroposophical
insight. Cramps can be the manifestation of an exaggerated activity of the astral body, for example. Certain physiognomic qualities
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can point us to specific organ diagnoses. An excessively sculptured and rigid quality or a continually-changeable, sanguine
physiognomy suggests a lung or kidney typology respectively. Experienced anthroposophical physicians and therapists can expand
these examples considerably viz how to recognize the four members, how to recognize planetary types, etc. Despite these insights,
certain dilemmas in the diagnostic process are frequently met, and we find ourselves coming up against a wall which we need to go
beyond in order to help our patients.
The first dilemma is the hypothetical nature of our diagnoses. When we diagnose a "liver" problem, how do we know we are correct?
From an epistemological perspective, we stand on very shaky ground. Our process is that, through a Goethean approach, we describe
certain qualities of an organ. In the case of the liver, we speak especially of its fluid qualities, of its central role in the metabolic
system, of its enormous regenerative and "plant-like" attributes. When we see problems with a patient, such as an excessive
phlegmatic constitution, a "watery" constitution, or a difficulty of the astral body and ego to incarnate because of a stagnant, watery
physiology that isn't enlivened, we diagnose a "liver" problem. But this is circular reasoning. It is scientifically and philosophically
untenable. We need to ground our ideas about the liver in verifiable facts in order to step out of this circle of reasoning. If our "liver"
treatment doesn't work, we can then figure out why.
A second dilemma follows directly from the first. Let's say that it is, indeed, true that our diagnosis is correct, that this is a "liver"
problem. The liver is an organ with many functions - carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification, protein synthesis, and warmth
production are only some examples. To say that the liver is the central organ of metabolism, of the fluid organism, of the etheric, is
not specific enough. How do we further differentiate and make more exact the specific kind of liver problem that the patient has? This
is important, particularly in how it affects our therapy. What makes us choose between Fragaria/Vitis, Taraxacum, Carduus Marianus
or Magnesium7 All are liver treatments, but each is directed at a different aspect of the liver's function. Could it be that Carduus
Marianus is more specifically indicated in problems related to detoxification, while Fragaria/Vitis directs its activity more to the
sugar/glycogen metabolism which underlies the liver's functional/etheric capacities?
The dilemma of further differentiation also appears when we make a diagnosis of exaggerated astral body activity in, for instance,
dysmennorrhea or spastic colon. Is the problem with the astral body itself, or is it because the ego can't control it, or is the protective
cushion that the etheric body provides lacking? These examples highlight some of the dilemmas facing us in our daily clinical
practices. In my opinion, they have even greater significance than this, and unless we cross these barriers, our ability to develop
anthroposophical medicine further is hindered. We remain in the realm of vague generalizations and unverified hypotheses (as helpful
and interesting as these may be). How do we cross these barriers and how do we make our diagnosis more exact? How do we verify
that our Goethean and anthroposophical approaches are true?
One obvious, but very difficult, method lies in developing our higher organs of perception where we perceive directly the
supersensible bodies. Another method, more indirect, is what some physicians are developing in connection with specific eurythmy
movements around parts of the patient's body, noting the changes in muscle tension, etc. Working with massage therapists or
recognizing 'reflexology' patterns can also be helpful in this regard. A third area concerns the exponential growth and knowledge of
the physiology of living organisms - what is known in some circles as "functional medicine," contrasting it with "static" or "anatomical"
medicine. Steiner repeatedly spoke about how we must know things in their living and changing physiological context. What is
different today is that we have developed methods to describe this living environment. From an anthroposophical perspective, these
descriptions are like footprints of the etheric, the astral, the ego.
Recently, there was an article by Witsenberg and Laceulle in the Hournal of Anthroposophical 2edicine (Vol. 10, No. 3, 1993) entitled,
"Hypertension." They describe two types of hypertensive patient: a pale type and a ruddy type. These types are described as
attributable to excessive nerve sense system influence and excessive metabolic system influence respectively. The authors describe
various signs and symptoms whereby these types can be differentiated. They caution, however, that: "since not everyone belongs to
a clearly-defined type, it can be very difficult in practice to classify a patient along these lines."
Soon after reading this article, I came across a discussion wherein a prominent specialist in hypertension, John Laragh, differentiates
hypertensive patients by the level of their renin: high, medium and low (Kidney International Vol. 44 1993). Renin is a hormone
produced by the kidneys which has the eventual physiological result of causing vasoconstriction. When it is produced in excessive
amounts, its clinical picture correlates very closely with the "pale, nerve sense system" hypertension. The other extreme is the low-
renin state, which is basically a high-volume physiological condition. In a general way, this correlates with the "ruddy" or excessive
metabolic limb system type. Both the Witsenberg/Laceulle and Laragh approaches have valuable contributions to make.
An advancement and refinement in anthroposophical diagnosis would occur by bringing these two approaches together. This would
help us see if our phenomenological observations were correct. It would also help us in evaluating our therapy. Laragh, for instance,
notes that high-renin states are associated with a great increase in ischemic events, which can be seen as related to an increasing
sclerotic process. If, with our anthroposophical treatment, we note a decrease in plasma renin, even as the blood pressure only slowly
changes, we would know we were being successful. As an aside, Laragh has noted that low-renin hypertension has a much lower
incidence of ischemic events - even with identical blood pressure levels - than those patients with high-renin hypertension.
This correlates with the anthroposophical view that the latter illnesses are due to a preponderance of nerve sense, catabolic, sclerotic
influences. In selected patients, I have tried to clinically predict what their renin levels would be. The matching of the
phenomenological clinical picture with the laboratory parameters has often been wrong but has helped deepen and refine my
understanding of both aspects, m anthroposophical science, we need to make an hypothesis and then, with future observations, refine
the original hypothesis.
Another area where help can be gathered is in gastrointestinal and liver physiology. The GI tract and liver are intimately related (from
embryological, anatomical and physiological perspectives). In clinical practice, we see many patients with problems in these areas.
Examples of such problems include chronic fatigue syndrome, food sensitivities, and autoimmune disorders. The GI tract forms our
greatest interface with the outside world. If our ability to deal adequately with this world of food and GI flora is compromised,
numerous clinical consequences result, all with the common denominator of dealing with a foreign substance (food) or organism
(bacterial, fungal or protozoal) within our body. This provokes a wide range of inflammatory, allergic and toxic reactions and can lead
to a spectrum of symptoms including fatigue, myalgias, rashes, confusion, diarrhea, etc.
When confronted with these patients, my experience has been that they often present the anthroposophical picture of a "liver"
patient. Some patients will respond remarkably well to liver treatment with medicines such as Taraxacum, Fragaria/Vitis, etc. There
are others who respond only partially or not at all. Why?
The GI tract and liver function as a unified physiological system when looked at from a particular perspective. If our intestinal system
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is completely healthy, including its digestive and absorptive functions and maintains a proper symbiotic balance of flora, then it
presents the liver with no added burdens regarding detoxification and further metabolism. However, if there is a disturbance of any of
these functions in the GI tract, the liver is presented with an excessive burden which can compromise its healthy function.
Therefore, we must pinpoint where the problem lies. Tools to accomplish this include the intestinal permeability tests, small bowel
overgrowth breath tests, comprehensive digestive stool analysis, and the liver detoxification tests - all available from, among other
places. Great Smokies Laboratory in North Carolina.
The stool analysis evaluates the digestive functions, the overgrowth of various organisms such as yeast, various protozoa, and the
"balance" between normal bacterial inhabitants of the intestine such as . Coli, Lactobacilli, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas. It gives the
picture of the "living environment" of the gut and often portrays a picture of dysbiosis, "disordered living ecology."
In the intestine, we have a true physiological/functional situation which contains an enormous foreign "etheric" vitality.
The permeability test measures if our barrier function between self and non-self is intact.
Liver detoxification tests evaluate the liver's ability to process and detoxify substances. It is a window on the liver's functional state.
This is in stark contrast to the so-called liver function tests, which don't measure function at all but, rather, the results of an
anatomical disruption of the liver cell which then spills various enzymes into the blood stream.
A final example is the refined biochemistry of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, and minerals that is now becoming widely
available. One example is in the realm of cardiovascular disease prevention. Two areas have recently become widely know in this
regard. The first involves free radical/ antioxidant biochemistry. Steiner spoke of the differentiation of anabolic and catabolic forces.
Oxygen, while intimately related to life, is actually more involved with energy production and, ultimately, a breakdown (catabolism) of
substances. It is a very toxic substance. This is reflected in the free radicals generated by oxidation. These free radicals are a footprint
of this catabolic activity. Numerous antioxidant substances (including vitamins E and C, beta carotene, and the wealth of bioflavanoids
found in the plant kingdom) protect us against these toxic products. A second area involves amino acid metabolism which can lead to
an accumulation of a substance called homo-cysteine. Adequate intake and usage of vitamins B6 and B12, as well as Folk acid,
prevents this accumulation. From a pharmacotherapeutic perspective, numerous natural medicines such as Cratageus, Primula and
Cardiodoron, as well as biodynamic foods, could be looked at from this angle. Levels could be measured and, equally important to the
quantitative aspect, their ability to work together in protecting against the catabolic processes could be investigated.
Anthroposophical medicine presents us with an unfinished picture. Steiner himself remarked that he could only give indications and
that the details needed to be worked out. Some of the details are now becoming known. They must be developed further and
enriched through understanding their importance and place, which Anthroposophy can do. Any science progresses by testing its
hypotheses, by proving or disproving them, and moving orr to a further stage of understanding. As anthroposophical physicians, we
must have the courage and insight to test further our collective and individual approaches. We must discover what we mean when we
say "liver type," when we speak of an "hysterical constitution," when we talk about a "weak etheric." Two cases are presented to
illustrate some of the issues that have been raised:
-ase &7
Mr. K.E. is a 47-year old, white male with a long history of asthma since childhood. Although allergy testing revealed atopy, allergy
shots were not helpful. When the patient was first seen, he was using bronchodilators 4-12 times daily, with occasional oral steroid
use. Upper respiratory infections were a common exacerbating factor. He noted that antibiotics led to a fungal groin rash.
Review of systems was important regarding irregular bowel movements and epigastric distress. He also had acne, which showed
questionable improvement with acidophilus supplements. His sleep pattern revealed frequent waking and excessive snoring.
Psychologically, he discussed a tendency to repress feelings of anger. His family history was significant for a brother with both
psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.
On examination, the patient appeared very anxious with an exaggerated chest (versus abdominal) breathing pattern. His face was
red, his skin warm, but he had cold feet. Lungs revealed mild wheezing.
The initial anthroposophical member diagnosis showed exaggerated astral activity (asthma, anxiety, frequent waking, chest
breathing) as well as a disordered warmth/metabolic organism (acne, red face, irregular warmth). His history suggested a digestive
component, a propensity to fungal infections, and wide-ranging sensitivities.
When someone has increased astral activity, it means that their sensitivity and overall reactivity are exaggerated. The questions to
ask are: (1) what is the person reacting to and (2) why is he reacting in an extreme manner? We have various borders where we
meet the outside world: nerve sense system, skin, respiratory system, digestive system. By far the greatest meeting with foreign
substances occurs in the digestive system. We also react most strongly in the sense of inflammation in our GI tract. Digestion can
actually be understood as a modified, controlled inflammatory process.
After initial treatment stabilization with both conventional (Serevent and Aerobid) and anthroposophical (Chamomilla Cupro Culto and
Pneumonium LA) medication, certain investigations aimed particularly at the GI tract were performed.
He had a comprehensive digestive stool analysis, which revealed some mildly abnormal metabolic markers (increased pH and
disordered short-chain fatty acid pattern) as well as a greatly increased amount of Candida Albicans (4+). He also had an intestinal
permeability test, which revealed greatly increased permeability to both Lactulose and Mannitol (2-3x the upper limit of normal).
These two tests revealed that the GI border between self and non-self was greatly disturbed and that there was a great abundance of
foreign life (etheric) in the guise of Candida Albicans within his GI tract. The abnormal intestinal permeability allows the entry of this
foreign life into the bloodstream, into the area where only "self" should be. His organism naturally reacts, with his higher members, in
inflammation directed against this foreign presence. This contributes greatly to his symptoms.
Treatment was, therefore, directed at the GI dysbiosis with various bitters, including Gentian Stomach Tonic and Grapefruit Seed
Extract. Bitters enables the higher members to incarnate more strongly within the GI tract in order to overcome the abnormal foreign
etheric. Various other treatments followed with continuing, substantial improvement. These treatments included regular intravenous
injections with Magnesium, B vitamins and Lobelia comp. He also received antifungal treatment with Nystatin. A repeated intestinal
permeability test showed the Lactulose and Mannitol absorption to be within the normal range, indicating that this border had been
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strengthened.
-ase &&7
Mrs. K.F. is a 35-year old, white female with a past history of bulimia, alcoholism, and cigarette abuse. Her bulimia and substance
abuse stopped three years before being seen by myself. Two years before being seen, she began having digestive problems and
developed secondary amenorrhea. She noted increased gas, indigestion, and alternating diarrhea with constipation. She noted a great
amount of undigested food in her stool. Her conventional workup was unremarkable.
On her own, she did an elimination diet and found allergic GI reactions to soy, wheat, dairy, peanuts, and tomatoes. She noted a 50%
improvement with elimination of these foods. Of importance in her history, she had not been on antibiotics since she was a child.
She went to a local gastroenterologist whom she persuaded to order a comprehensive digestive stool analysis. This was mildly
abnormal, showing evidence of mild malabsorption. She had a very low amount of E. Coli, normally a beneficial bowel commensal.
There were no parasites nor yeast noted. The gastroenterologist suggested pancreatic enzymes, which actually worsened her
situation. The diagnosis by this physician was irritable bowel syndrome.
When examined by myself, her appearance and exam were unremarkable.
Her story suggested longstanding nutritional problems and substance abuse in the past (weak nutritional/etheric processes), which
might have a relationship to an inability to digest and assimilate numerous foods (amenorrhea, bowel malabsorption), as well as an
over-reactivity (astral) to numerous food substances. In the spiritual/psychological realm, she had made enormous progress in
overcoming her previous problems and appeared relatively normal.
Workup included B12/folate levels, a chem screen as well as a mineral/ trace element study (from Doctors Data in Illinois). The
routine tests were normal; however, the trace element study showed all the minerals and trace elements to be 1-2 standard
deviations below the mean (though most still in the low normal range). This suggested a general pattern of malabsorption.
She began treatment with Gentian Tonic, Carbo betulae Comp, and Digestodoron. She was also restarted on a more complete
elimination diet. These measures led to a significant improvement.
Meanwhile, the patient had a 24-hour urine amino acid profile done. A few words should be said about this test. Amino acids are
central in almost all metabolic processes in the body. In addition, their metabolism involves many trace elements, minerals, and
vitamins. Therefore, a broad and often specific picture of metabolism can be obtained. This often gives indications of various problems
in areas such as GI neuroendocrine, allergic, and assimilative physiology. Though the correction of these abnormalities with
supplementation can be important, equally important is the clarification of the physiological and metabolic situation.
The patient's amino acid profile was remarkable in the following ways:
the group of sulfur-containing amino acids is very important regarding allergic/toxic reactions. These include methionine, cysteine,
and cystine and are necessary for the formation of the antioxidant enzyme, Glutathione.
From an anfhroposophical perspective, it is interesting in its relationship to sulfur and selenium. Sulfur is a classic toxic substance, as
we know so well from the pollution produced in the industrial world. Anthroposophically seen, it is intimately related to the metabolic
system and is used in situations of sluggish metabolism, of smoldering, chronic inflammatory digestive states. The sulfur amino acids
are directly connected to these clinical situations and are critical to detoxification, especially in the liver. She showed a gross
deficiency of these amino acids. This suggested that the liver's detoxification processes had been overwhelmed in the past and were
no longer adequate. Also of interest on her amino acid results was a difficulty in properly metabolizing foods containing methionine.
These include many protein foods, but especially sulfur-containing foods such as onion, cabbage and mustard families.
An additional test performed was a breath test evaluation for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. If the small intestine, which is
normally sterile, has an excessive content of microorganisms (foreign efheric) and the patient is given Lactulose, these organisms
ferment the sugar and produce excessive gases, especially hydrogen and methane. These are then measured in breath samples. The
patient's breath test showed a very severe overgrowth.
With the above-mentioned treatment, supplementation of the various mineral and acid deficiencies, as well as a decreased intake of
sulfur-contain-ing foods, the patient unproved dramatically and was able to tolerate many more foods. Her small bowel overgrowth
was being treated with Bismuth.
-onclusion
The above cases illustrate the struggle to find ways to help patients who have very complicated medical problems. It also reflects my
personal interest in integrating various creative medical streams and my belief and practice that anthroposophical medicine is an
inclusive, not alternative, medical approach. For many decades, the conventional (allopathic) approach was, indeed, antithetical to the
anthroposophical approach. In many ways, it still remains so. However, I find that there's a growing and exciting area of medical
science that is substantiating and clarifying many of the basic ideas that anthroposophical medical science has been speaking about
for years. Some people might find what has been presented here to be too materialistic. My reply is that the manifestations of illness
usually show themselves in the physical and etheric bodies. It is the physician's task, challenge and burden to delve into these
realms. The danger is that he will be entangled by Ahrimanic influences. An equal danger is that we may not really penetrate these
realms. Unpenetrated matter cannot be redeemed, cannot be resurrected.
It's a universal experience of physicians that they wish to help the patients but often do not possess the knowledge to do so. Their
"will to heal" is paralyzed. Knowledge and will go hand in hand.
Ma*ing a Medical Diagnosis ?rom the 2nthroposophical )oint of 5iew

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By: Manfred 0ec*enmann, M.D.
Making a Medical Diagnosis From the Anthroposophical Point of View -- One Way Which Takes Account of Rudolf Steiner's Medical
History Questions (Original title: Wie kann eine medizinische Diagnose nach anthroposophischen Gesichts-punkten zustandekommen?
)age HG of "=>
Ein Weg unter Beruecksichtigung der Anamnesefragen Rudolf Steiners. Der Merkurstab 1996; 49: 207-13. English by A. R. Meuss,
FIL, MTA. Based on a lecture given at the Ottersberg Independent Art Study Center on 6 February 1996.)
Abstract
One approach to diagnosis based on anthroposophical science of the spirit is based on Rudolf Steiner's Medical History Questions (key
questions). The answers allow us to draw conclusions as to how powerfully or weakly the higher aspects of the human being are
acting. To date, the questions have been validated for 450 patients. It was found that answer patterns indicated powerful or weak
activity with more than random frequency. The polarities at the astral (pulse/respiration quotient [P/R Q] of 4) and the I levels
(warmth organization) are largely independent of this. An attempt to gain access to the level of the etheric polarity failed.
Introduction
M. Girke had asked me to write a practical summary of our "Pilot Study on R. Steiner's Medical History Questions in Relation to
Clinical Syndromes",(13) presenting it under the above title to emphasize the practical aspect.
Why do we need a diagnosis and how far does it go?
In clinical medicine, the purpose of making a diagnosis is to find the treatment. Seeking to find our way to the natural medicine (in its
deepest sense) we have to take diagnosis as far as the "door" that opens, or is able to open, the connection between human being
and natural process.
Example:
- the astral separates so much from the etheric in a particular syndrome that the etheric goes beyond the astral in the periphery, e.g.
with "hayfever". The same process normally happens in Spring in the natural world so we may compare the morbid process with the
normal Spring process. The polar opposite to this is seen to be Fall, and natural products of the Fall can stimulate the counter process
to a Spring process that has "penetrated too much".(15)
Ideally, the diagnosis goes so deep that it comes to what man and nature originally had in common, out of which the healthy human
being developed in one direction and the natural process in the other.
Example:
- in Spring, the vegetative goes beyond the astral in the natural world (the open, light-filled Winter woods grows leafy and full of dark
life). A healthy individual maintains his selfhood against this, and the soul awakens (jubilation and joys of Spring). If the process is
depolarized, the human being becomes "natural" (Spring tiredness, hayfever).(15) The common origin for man and nature is the
"point in evolution" at which man entered into a healthy human respiratory organization on one hand, and plant growth in Spring
became the opposite pole. When diagnosis is taken to the "base", we inevitably face the question of how the aspects of the human
being relate.
What dangers lurk on this road to spiritual scientific diagnosis?
Not having the spiritual scientific schooling to make a diagnosis in the above-mentioned way, I looked for anything that might aid me.
Steiner provided aids, which suggests that he did not expect physicians to be clairvoyant on principle. Steiner frequently said that the
path of higher knowledge is not necessarily error-free.
Example:
- if a scientist, able to gather external data, finds some that go against the discoveries made in the science of the spirit, he can and
may "rap" the spiritual scientist "over the knuckles".(9) However, the momentary physical condition cannot be established even on
the basis of a confirmed spiritual scientific diagnosis. Diagnosis must be on both levels.
There are signatures in the sense-perceptible world that suggest realities
which lie beyond that world, but Steiner only accepts them if confirmed
by supersensible science. Conversely "taking supersensible facts further in one's thoughts" has its dangers.
Example:
- in neurasthenia, the upper forces take hold too strongly of the upper organization before they can mediate themselves to the lower
human being. In hysteria, Steiner said, the lower organization was only weakly taken hold of by the upper.(8a) A "thought-out"
conclusion: neurasthenia and hysteria are the same in the lower sphere. This is wrong.
Another danger is that of transferring a signature.
Example:
- as the P/R Q is a measure of polarity in the astral body, we may think it is also a signature of polarity in the ether body
(hysteria/neurasthenia). This wrong conclusion caused me to go astray until quite recently. Problems also arise with the terms
powerful/weak intervention from the higher aspects.
Examples:
- powerful intervention may be thought to relate always to intervention in terms of the upper organization;
- powerful intervention is healthy, weak intervention morbid;
- powerful intervention indicates strength on the part of the higher aspect (in the case of a tumor the powerful intervention of the I
splinter shows weakness of the I organization;(8c
- weak intervention is a sign of a below-par organization.(8b)
Symptoms do not tell if they arise directly from the pathology or are part of the polar medicinal illness, like the cough with a
tubercular disposition;(8a) nor do they tell if they relate to the primary disease process or are simply a sequel, the nuance varying
according to personal disposition or constitution.
Examples:
- trophotropism or ergotropism with orthostatic instability;
- catarrhal symptoms of either the upper respiratory tract or of the gastro-intestinal canal in the same influenza epidemic.
What reliable routes can lead to anthroposophical medical diagnosis?
The surest way to diagnosis is unbiased, comprehensive phenomenology and conscious spiritual scientific insight that may go as deep
as intuition. If the latter is not given to us, we still have the former - homeopathy as an honest, modest "protestantism".
If one still wants to go beyond this - not because one finds it unbearable but because one wants to - the following are available:
- one takes the Goethean route;
- one follows one's intuition insofar as one is able to achieve it at one's present stage of development, which generally means more at
an unconscious level (great physicians have achieved remarkable results with it);
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- one practices typical situations described in the science of the spirit (typical medicines) and asks oneself if such a situation may
pertain in the individual case, e.g. migraine;
- one feels one's way into the signatures presented in the science of the spirit seeking to gain confidence in them and leam their
limits; in the final instance, we are enabled to practice our own powers of judgment and gain supersensible access.
We sought to take a first step in this direction in our pilot study.(13) Confidence is gained through validation, limits by the possibility
to make distinctions. The first question to ask is: which relationships in an organism would be important for diagnosis.
What would be important in spiritual scientific diagnosis?
We took our lead from Steiner,(8b,11) considering the relationship between higher and lower aspects and the question of the polar
relationships on the separate levels of the etheric, astral and I organizations. A second step consisted in determining if the polar order
on one level permits conclusions to be drawn concerning that on another. Not having direct supersensible access, we used certain
signatures. A third step was to look for further valid signatures. The basis of our results is given in earlier papers,(13) and they have
since been tested further.(4,14)
Choice of signatures
The relationships between the higher (I, astral body) and lower (ether body, physical body) aspects may be established from the
patients' answers. We used Steiner's Medical History Questions for this, in this case called "key" questions.(8b, 11,13a) Depending on
the answer, the intervention of the higher aspects in the lower would be either powerful or weak.
At the time, we could not gain true insight into polar relationships on the etheric level. We thought the pulse/respiration quotient
might provide this, but this proved to be wrong. Having tested the P/R Q, we can see these results to be the signature for the polarity
in the astral body, its decompensation > or < 4 at rest,(10) (for method, see(13a)).
As the I organization comes to expression in the temperature distribution,(6) which is the indicating sign for the day-night rhythm,(2)
an I-rhythm(5) that presents in the polarity of ergotropism and trophotropism, we chose ergotropic and trophotropic temperature
distribution as an indicator. A good indication is obtained with the question concerning warm or cold extremities.(13a) This
temperature distribution shows a relatively dose relationship to the body form,(13,13b)so that warmth is seen to be a force in
creating the human form.
Our investigations were made with inpatients at the medical unit of the Carl Unger Clinic. The first study included 166 patients (for
method, see13a), the second, not yet published, 176 patients.(14) The scaled raw data were analyzed using the Pearson Product
Correlation, with the results statistically assessed.(13a) The first step was to test the signatures for their validity.
Are signatures certain to be true indicators?
This is something we cannot assess in a supersensible context. Steiner did, however, give a number of key questions that relate in a
similar way to the same factor: higher aspects intervening powerfully or weakly in the lower aspects of the human being. It was to be
expected, therefore, that the totality of answers given by individual patients would reflect weak or powerful intervention at more than
a random level.
We were able to confirm this in principle by two different methods,(13a) the exception being the key symptom, vertigo. Steiner saw
vertigo due to external mechanical movement as a key sign of powerful intervention, but what kind of mechanics?
First, we assessed vertigo in a differentiated way for rotating/dancing, bending down, coming upright, and looking down into depths.
All these types of vertigo showed positive correlation with one another (r = +0.24 -+0.52 sig-h-sig.). All of them might be used as
key symptoms. Contrary to Steiner's statement, these correlated with key answers for weak intervention, except that in 36% of cases
correlation was with answers for powerful intervention.(13a) We therefore took courage and converted the signature for all four types
of vertigo together into weak intervention.
Steiner emphasized that elimination disorders were also keys,(8b) though he did not say which disorders related to powerful or weak
intervention. We examined the relationship to the other key answers and found a marked relationship to weak intervention for chronic
constipation.(13d) Finally it was also possible to establish some relationship to some key answers for sweating in general, indicating
weak intervention.(14) We have not so far looked at relationship to urinary and sexual eliminations.
Kroez(4,13a) was able to confirm the above in principle in a study including 108 patients with and without breast cancer.
To date, therefore, the following signatures have been established with 450 patients:
Key questions
Intervention of higher aspects in lower aspects: weak/powerful
sleeping badly: yes/occasionally/no
dreaming: yes/very rarely/no
need to taste: sweet/salty
effort to do things (indolence): yes/no
sightedness: shortsighted/longsighted
vertigo: yes/no
bowel movements: chronic constipation/normal
tendency to sweat: yes/no
With equal levels of significance (p = 0.000), we found(13,14) that individuals produce many mixed answer patterns, but less so than
one would expect at random; patterns tended to show a bias for powerful or weak intervention.(13a)
Questions still to be considered are: if individual questions have specific significance and if an individual answer pattern therefore
permits differential diagnosis. For the moment, only trends can be derived from individual answer patterns.
Validation of the P/R Q as an indicator for dominance of a radiant astral pole intervening more powerfully in the blood (P/R Q > 4) or
a rounding-off astral pole relating more to the nerves (P/R Q < 4) was by means of the signature: increased anxiety (P/R Q elevated)
v. not knowing what one wants (P/R Q reduced),1311 for which Stich obtained empirical data.(12)
The relationship between day/night rhythm and warmth organization is general medical knowledge,(1,2,3b) as is its extreme
development in ergo-tropism and trophotropism.(15) The signature "extremities tending to be cold or warm" proves to be a necessary
one; it has proved its value in my practice. In addition, ergotropic patients tend to be slender, trophotropic patients more full-bodied,
)age HH of "=>
which is significant.(3'13b). A second step was to use this repertoire of signatures to determine correlative relationships between
individual levels interindividually.
What relationships between functional levels can be determined using the signatures?
Powerful/weak intervention only showed consistent correlation with the ergotropism/trophotropism pole in the vertigo symptom.
Patients tending to vertigo were more ergotropic, those without vertigo more trophotropic.(13a) This had been confirmed on further
investigation but required further study.
The P/R Q criterion was remarkably unrelated to all other levels examined. We therefore do not see it as a measure for
ergrotrophism/tropho-tropism.(1) It appears, therefore, that the three levels examined are relatively independent of each other. It is
not possible to draw conclusions as to the situation on one level by considering another. The levels require separate assessment and
differentiated reference in diagnoses based on the science of the spirit.
Further investigations will be needed in this area.
Examples:
- what does weak/powerful intervention mean for differentiation between astral body and I?
- what does weak/powerful intervention mean when ergotropism is dominant, and when trophotropism is dominant?
We now have to consider the third of the above questions, which concerns further signatures.
Can other reliable signatures be found?
One of the most consistent signatures proved to be the polarity between "depressed" and "calm" basic mood. A depressed mood
associated strongly with weak intervention, a calm mood with powerful intervention. This has been checked and confirmed(13c,14)
Women are more likely to show weak intervention and a higher P/R Q, men the opposite.136 Generally speaking the degree of
intervention did not show age relation.1311 However, patients with metabolic diseases (type II diabetes, adiposity, degenerative
skeletal disease, chronic liver/gallbladder/kidney disease) tended to show powerful intervention; patients with more asthenic
conditions (exhaustion, autonomic instability, uncomplicated unstable hypertension, dyspepsia) more weak intervention.(13b) The
inclusion of unstable hypertension among asthenic conditions may seem strange, yet it was found that patients with primary unstable
hypertension without complications tended to show weak intervention, which became powerful when complications developed
(transversal examination).
What measures should be taken?
To establish the spiritual scientific diagnosis for chronic conditions, I have made it a habit to determine the following:
- the eight key answers
- the question of cold or warm extremities
- the P/R Q with the patient lying down.
The questions are perfectly sound psychologically, yet they permit a profound spiritual scientific diagnosis. Determination of P/R Q in
the office is relatively simple. When the patient has been lying down for a short time it is often sufficient to determine pulse and
respiration rates - counted by palpation and visually at the same time - over a period of 1 or 2 minutes. If in doubt, repeat at the
next visit. It is sufficient to establish if the P/R Q is in median range (3.5-5) or above or below. Translating this into treatment
requires a further step, which it is not yet possible to discuss here.
Conclusion
The whole procedure may seem mechanical to some or smack of spiritualism (neo-Kantian). It is strictly phenomenological (not even
involving depth psychology); it does not postulate supersensible mechanisms, nor does it offer analogies of sense-perceptible or
supersensible images to provide illumination.
The relationship between sense-perceptible and supersensible was "investigated" in spiritual science by Rudolf Steiner and "checked"
indicatively as regards sensory perception. The method does not dispense with the need for personal effort to gain spiritual-scientific
insight, but I can test the probability of first, tentative results by comparing the intuitive observations on the patient with my
phenomenological observations and gain certainty in forming an opinion. Steiner outlined this route for us," as also shown in the
paper on his Medical History Questions.(13f)
Access to the level where the polarity between hysteria and neurasthenia is to be found still needs to be worked out.
The method is still not error free for phenomena do not always allow us to draw absolutely certain conclusions to a particular spiritual
state of affairs. Phenomena are "multiple in origin". It therefore needs supersensible confirmation in the individual case as to where
the origin lies. Respect for the "multiple origin" will help us not to abuse such a method for the laws of the spiritual world are hidden
from us for the time being.(7)
References
1 Hildebrandt G. Therapeutische Physiologie - Grundlagen der Kurortbehandlung. In Ame-lung W, Hildebrandt G (ed.) Balneohgie und
medizinische Klimatohgie Band I. Berlin: Springer 1985.
2 Hildebrandt G. Chronobiologische Aspekte der Thermoregulation des Menschen. Ans dem Institut flier Kurmedizinische Forschung,
Bad Wildungen 1985; 3:131-49.
3 Hildebrandt G. Ishag George B. Untersuchungen ueber die Bedeutung anainnestischer Fra-gen fuer die Bestimmung vegetativer
Reaktionstypen. Z angew Bieder- und Klimaheilk 1973; 20:
237-73,365-85.
4 Kroez M. Praemorbider Koerpermassindex, Vegetativum und konstitutionelle Aspekte sowie
PerscenlichkeitsmerkmalebeiMamrnacarcmom-Patientmnen. Inaug. Diss. vorbereitet.
5 Steiner R. Anthroposophical Knowledge of Man (in GA 107) lecture of 21 December 1908. Manuscript translation C:A at Rudolf
Steiner House Library, London.
6 Steiner R. The Bridge Between Universal Spirituality and the Physical Constitution of Man (in GA 202) lecture of 17 Dec. 1920. Tr. D.
Osmond. New York: Anthroposophic Press 1958.
7 Steiner R. Wonders of the World (GA 129) lecture of 22 Aug. 1911. Trs. D. Lenn and 0. Barfield. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1988.
8 Steiner R. Spiritual Science and Medicine (GA 312). Tr. not known. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1975.
a) Lecture of 22 March 1920.
b) Lecture of 25 March 1920.
c) Lecture of 3 Apr. 1920.
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9 Steiner R. Naturbeobachtung, Mathematik, wissenschaftliches Experiment und Erkenntnisergebnisse vom Gesichtspunkte der
Anthroposaphie (GA 324) Vortrag vom 23. 3. 1921. Not translated into English.
10 Steiner R. Health and Illness vols. I and H (GA 348) lecture of 13 Jan. 1923. Tr. M. St. Goar. New York: Anthroposophic Press
1981 & 1983.
11 Steiner R, Wegman I. Fundamentals of Therapy (GA 27) ch. 19, 1st case. Tr. E. Frommer, J.Josephson. London: Rudolf Steiner
Press 1983.
12 Stich P. Pulsfrequenz, Atemfrequenz sowie Puls-Atem-Quotent und Persoenlichkeitsmerk-male. Inaug.-Diss. Marburg/L. 1986.
13 Weckenmann M, et al. Pilotstudie ueber die Anamnesefragen R. Steiners und ihre Bezie-hungen zu klinischen Bildem. Der
Merkurstab 1995; a) 48: Teil n 161-76 [English translation:
"Pilot Study on R. Steiner's Medical History Questions in Relation to Clinical Syndromes". JAM 1995; 12(4)4-23; tr. C. v. Amim]; b)
Teil m 236-50; c) Teil IV 323-34; d) Teil V 417-424; e) Teil VI 515-23; 1996 49: Teil Vu 23-28.
14 Weckenmann M. Die Anamnesefragen R. Steiners in Beziehung zu weiteren klinischen Merk-malen. Veroeffentlichung vorbereitet
(due for publication).
15 Weckenmann M. Ueber die Behandlung von Heuschnupfen und
;ife )rocesses: 2n 2ttempt to Lnderstand a /hild with 'pecial Beeds

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By: Marga Aogenboom, M.D.
&ntroduction
Anthroposophical doctors are specially trained to work with the diagnosis of four-foldness: physical body, ether body, astral body and
ego. This article reflects my struggle to understand the life processes better and to see how this knowledge could be helpful when
treating a child with special needs.
Rudolf Steiner gave some indications about the life processes, but Dr. Konig was one of the doctors who took it up again in relation to
curative education. Dr. Lotte Sahlman also worked on the life processes, and I quote from one of her lectures: "Man had a different
relationship to his environment on the Old Moon and, to a certain extent, in Lemuria and Atlantis."
Sensory experience had the character of the present life processes, meaning that sense impressions caused actual organic changes
and aroused in early mankind greed or disgust of a deep, instinctive nature. She describes how the second pre-earthly deed of Christ,
by which the Christ made it possi- ble for human beings to speak, changed the life processes, confining them to their organic task and
thus relieving the strong tendencies to egotism and greed which ruled developing mankind. This event made it possible to transform
the purely emotional outcries and ejaculations into the beginnings of human speech.
In the description of how the life processes were before they were confined to their organic task we can recognize some of our
children with special needs. For example, we have children with no speech who are able to show only sympathy or antipathy and are
ruled by instinctive qualities.
The development of a child reflects the development of mankind. As a baby, a child goes through this phase again and is totally
dependent for his well-being on feeling warm, fed and secure. Every strong sense impression can disturb this well-being.
The twelve senses help us relate to the outside world. Within the bound- ary thus created, our life processes weave unconsciously.
The life processes reflect the interplay between ether body and astral body.
On the Old Moon our present sense organs were still organs of life; they worked as life organs. We had 7 senses, not yet the senses
of touch and life because we were not a separate human being and had not acquired the sense of word, thought or ego.
In the diagram is shown how the senses relate to the life processes.
Sense of Ego
Sense of Thought
Sense of Word
Sense of Hearing - breathing
Sense of Warmth - warming
Sense of Sight - nourishment
Sense of Taste - secreting
Sense of Smell - maintaining
Sense of Balance - growing
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Sense of Movement - maturing
Sense of Life
Sense of Touch
What happens to a person in whom the life processes become too conscious, in whom the astral body works too consciously? If the
astral body works too deeply in the etheric, the life processes become over-ensouled.
In artistic work, Steiner describes how a certain ensoulment of life processes takes place and is healthy; when listening to music and
seeing art this also happens. If this ensoulment is too strong, there arises almost a "second" person who "pseudo" thinks, "pseudo"
feels and "pseudo" wills.
Konig points out that we can recognize this in many of our children with special needs: "it" thinks in them. Steiner describes how a
sort of thinking, feeling and willing then appear within us, but these have a different quality, a more life-filled quality; the thinking,
feeling and willing have a more dream-like quality not guided by the ego.
We can again recognize many special needs children in this description: something "wills" in them or "thinks" through them.
Here follows a diagram with the life processes. It identifies the effect of each on the healthy soul and points to the effect each
produces if too over- ensouled.
-ase study
Amanda is a 12-year old girl from a healthy family. There are 3 healthy, older siblings. Her father is in the R.A.F., which involves
frequent moves.
History: Normal pregnancy; mother felt happy and well. A rapid, uneventful delivery. She was a fit, happy baby, contented and slept
well. She was breast-fed till 4 months. She sat at 8 months. She had baby babble, but this gradually dried up at 9 months. She was
diagnosed as being late in development at 9 months with poor limb control and hearing problems. She went into hospital to have
grommets inserted at the age of 13 months, and her parents described how she changed overnight.
From that time, she became increasingly demanding, frustrated and overactive with a disturbed sleep pattern. She became obsessed
with doors being shut and flushing toilets. She would mouth most objects. She had to be fed by mum.
It was difficult to take care of her at home, and her mother became desperate. She was admitted to the Camphill Schools at age
seven and a half.
Amanda is a tall, well-built girl. She is muscular, has dark hair, a pale face and often has circles around her eyes. She has no eye
contact (maybe sometimes at night) and no speech. She will often make a low humming sound when well or can have penetrating
screams and howling when in distress. This has become less over the years. She is always tense, making small movements non stop
with her head and upper body.
Since we found that she is left handed, she has been able to feed herself. She can be very fast and will grab any food that she sees
and stuff it into her mouth before one can prevent it, grabbing bowls, etc. from the table. If it is too noisy, she can stop eating and
need an especially quiet place for her meal.
She cannot play; she just does some obsessional handling of blocks, etc. She is a good walker, and this calms her down. She is not
toilet trained and seems to resist any attempt. Sleeping can be very difficult at home, and in the respite center she hardly sleeps at
all. With us, she sleeps well with a light restraint. She can indulge in self-stimulation and throws herself on the bench or floor to do
so. Lately, she has been more settled, hardly screams and is becoming more interested in her environment. She can even give her
mother a spontaneous hug. The other side is that she now finds it amusing to hit people and to play with her saliva. She loves music
and responds well to it.
<er life processes
In order to understand Amanda better, we tried to look at her life processes. We recognized that her life processes are still not
confined to their organic task but determine her well-being and her relationship to the world.
)age J, of "=>
,reathing: Her breathing rhythm is not established; it is very dependent on her mood and the environment. There is a lot of out-
breathing with sudden in-breathing. She can hold her breath. How does she breathe with her sense impressions? She perceives
everything around her without any filter and is overwhelmed by sense impressions. Maybe this explains why she withdrew after the
grommets were inserted: the noise was too much for her. Her perceptions are too enlivened; they don't give her security.
Warming: She can be warm if properly dressed but easily loses her warmth. Her warming is not independent from the outer world.
With her inner warming, she should transform her perceptions into concepts, but this is very difficult for her, and she has a limited
ability to form concepts although has some basic concepts such as juice, bathroom, curtain.
4ourishing: She is normally a keen eater except when in an oversensitive state. She seems to be nourished by her environment if it is
a healthy environment. She transforms this process into a very basic memory which is place-orientated. This is the first normal
memory which develops.
It seems that her first three life processes are so enlivened that she could not develop her sense impressions, concepts and memory
in a healthy way. Being helped to develop an even rudimentary "pseudo" thinking through experiencing art, she does feel better.
Secreting: If we look at her secreting process, we see that she spits and dribbles; her face is wet, and she is in nappies.
The instinctive quality is a strong feature in her life. If the secreting process flows out, then one experiences outer things as part of
one's own body; this is clearly a feature with her.
2aintaining: On one hand, she has a tendency to become too hardened here, too muscular. She is often tense, her arms flexed. This
process of maintaining is also too much enlivened and is visible in her compulsions and obsessions: she will grab food, she wants
everything to be the same.
:rowing: Her physical growth is normal. Her inner growth, her possibility to develop her own identity is very limited and dependent
on her surroundings. If the will quality, which is connected with the astral body or desire is over-ensouled, than destructive, negative
tendencies can occur. This is visible if she is upset; her screaming and behavior can destroy any positive atmosphere.
.eproducing: She is not into puberty yet, but her ability to mature, to create her own life and to be motivated is limited. This process
can turn into self-destruction, and in difficult times Amanda can start banging her head in despair and screaming loudly.
Her four lower life processes are not penetrated by her individuality. If we create boundaries for her where her secreting, maintaining,
growing and reproducing can be contained, then she is able to relax and to shine. She can be a very dignified, normal-looking,
attractive young lady when her needs are met. However, it is quite demanding to look after her non-stop.
Therapeutic approach
How to translate this into our therapeutic attitude? We will have to focus on giving her the feeling of well-being through the
harmonization of her life processes. She is not ready to perceive the objective world through the senses. Every sense impression
directly affects her life processes, so she will stop eating if there are too many sense impressions.
The life processes tell something about the interplay between astral body and ether body. Through the senses we relate with our ego
to the physical world. With this girl, whose ego is far away, it is clear that she does not relate to the world in that sense.
To approach this, we tried to harmonize her breathing by a rhythmical lifestyle. She reacted very well to that. More specifically, we
gave her color light therapy, where the very gentle interplay of colors, with music played behind the child, allows the astral body to
relax; it works specifically on the light ether part of the ether body and engages that. This allows the ether body not to be too
attached to the physical body so the astral body can connect more harmoniously to the ether body. The direct observation is that her
breathing comes to peace, just a soft tooth grinding remains.
We work on her warming by dressing her warmly, by surrounding her with impressions which she can relate to. Oil baths with Melissa
oil also helped her to warm herself.
We work on the nourishing process by giving her healthy food, healthy sense impressions. Again, color light therapy can be seen as a
nourishing process, directly related to the light ether.
The four lower life processes - secreting, maintaining, growing and reproducing - were addressed through artistic work, music therapy
and especially live music. She has been fortunate to have had musical co-workers around her who wrapped her in music. Artistic work
can be seen as the way to reach those over-ensouled, lower-life processes. Amanda clearly responded to this.
The anthroposophical medication she received was directed to help her ego to incarnate. PlumbumAurum D15 at lunch and Argentum
D6 in the evening in blocks of 6 weeks. Other medication used during different times: 2yrrh comp D20 to address her individuality.
-uprum Aceticum D4:/Aincum 3alerianicum D4 to help her relax. Argentiet D6 to nourish the ether body. 1erri cinis per urticum D3 to
address her obsessional nature. D30 in the morning,
It goes without saying that the ongoing love and commitment of the co- workers are an integral part of the treatment, but this alone
is not sufficient as her mother is a very warm, loving and committed person. It is gratifying to see her awakening awareness and to
see how she can slowly be more part of our earthly life.
*c3no,ledgements7
)age J" of "=>
Dr. Theresa McCaffery, Dr. Nicolas Blitz, Mr. Henning Hansmann
(i%liography7
Kari Koenig - !he Seven 5ife Processes. Newton Dee 3rd, 10th ,17th March 1996
Lotte Sahlman - !he Seven 5ife Processes May 1989
Rudolf Steiner - !he Sense87rgans and Aesthetic 60perience. Domach 15 August 1916
Rudolf Steiner - !he !welve Senses and Seven 5ife Processes in 2an. 12 August 1916 - :olden ,lade 1975
Rudolf Steiner - !he Pre8earthly /eeds of -hrist
;odiac and 0oints

QQ bac*
By: Aermfried Kun.e
The joints are located in different zones of the body that relate to specific zodiacal aspects. We must turn to these if we want to
achieve regeneration in the treatment of joints. A joint is also a site where two bones meet, enveloped in a capsule, a small organism
of its own, that may become inflamed (effusion) and degenerate (dry joint, sclerotic changes in cartilage). The joints are peripheral
hearts, we might say. Two blood streams meet in the heart, two bones in a joint. They are subject to gold.
Having a synovial membrane and hood-like cartilage and having to produce the synovial fluid, joints belong to the liver's sphere of
activity which includes the regulation of body fluids. In this they are subject to tin. According to Rudolf Hauschka, particular chemical
elements also relate to different parts of the zodiac.
These basic ideas have proved very helpful to me in more than 15 years' practice. The treatment of joints may be approached by
using the three sub- stances gold, tin and the zodiacal element. The three will need to be comple- mented with "medicines for
rheumatism" which are often also medicines for the liver. Here, one may think of ,ryonia" ,ryoniaIStannum (Wala), Stannum
iodatum" 2andragora" 2andragora comp. (Weleda), .hus to0." .hus to0 comp.2eniscus" =alium acet. comp. (Weleda), -olchicum"
5edum" .hodo8 dendron" Spiraea ulm." /nicamara" Apis" 1ormica and, if indicated, the relevant Wala joint preparations; the latter
influence the etheric aspect of joints and hence ultimately the liver sphere, a major site for the etheric in the organism. (Wala),
Gem therapy of the joints, utilizing zodiacal qualities, may also be men- tioned, and last but not least oil dispersion baths with
!erebinthina" Petra cruda" and Arnica" 6)uisetum or Aesculus.
The armamentarium is extensive, therefore.
In the individual case, treatment may be as follows.
0steoarthritis of the hip =oint
Aurum prep. because the hip is a joint. lOx because it is part of the metabolic aspect of the leg, even if the hip has rhythmic
functions, like any joint.
Stannum prep. because the cartilage has been affected and needs to be regenerated, 15x because cartilage as such is a mercurial
element between chondritis (effusion) and chondrosis.
-alc. carb. because the joint is in the Libra region, = -onchae, 6x because the hip is part of the metabolic region of the leg and in
physical terms the Libra region belongs to the most earthy part of the body.
.p.Aurum prep. DIO/-onchae 6{7)x/Stannum prep. 15x aa trit. Weleda, or also by local s.c. injection, which in this case is in the
Libra region. Anti- rheumatic medication if indicated, esp. .hus to0. or .hus to0. comp. Wala s.c. or pillules if temporarily better from
movement.
0steoarthritis of the 3nee
Aurum prep. lOx v.s., Stannum prep. 15x v.s.,
Alumen romamim because the knee joint is in the Capricorn region, 15x because it is still a rhythmic element, in a completely
different way, and really already part of the leg's rhythmic system.
.p.Aurum prep. 1-x/Aesculus cort. 15x - Alumen 'C x aa/ Stannum prep. D15 aa s.c. locally and also per os, esp. for follow-up.
)age J+ of "=>
It will do no harm to include Aesculus cort.; quite the contrary, for chronic processes are determined by or concomitant with venous
stasis. This is especially the case with the knee joint and clearly in evidence, for instance, in many women.
0steoarthritis of the el%o,
This is a rare condition but may be treated using the same basic principles as Osteoarthritis of the knee, including prodromal stages
and distortion, the elbow also being in the Capricorn region.
0steoarthritis of the shoulder =oint
Aurum prep. 12-15x v.s., slightly higher potency since the arm and therefore the shoulder belong to the rhythmic part of the whole
human being.
Stannum prep. 15x v.s.
Pyrites = Fe sulfide because the shoulder is in the Gemini region, which relates to sulfur; as the whole is part of the arm, iron sulfide.
R. Steiner on 24 Apr. 1920 (GA 201): "the meeting point for the upper limbs in the region of the larynx relates to Mars".
15x v.s., locally in Gemini region or also as mixed trit. by Weleda.
Humeroscapular periarthritis needs to be treated differently as it involves the articular capsule. I use Arnica ,etula comp.2andragora
comp. Weleda may be used in addition; if it will not work at all, also add @rticaferro culta 2x. Weleda, injecting it directly close to the
capsule.
*n3les and ,rists
These are in the Pisces region, which relates to the halogens. The zodiacal preparation I use is:
1errum iod. because the arm is governed by Mars, 12-20x because the wrist is part of the neurosensory part of the arm, quite apart
from the fact that the arm function is rhythmic.
Aurum prep. 10-15x v.s.
Stannum prep. 15x v.s.
If this does not work, one may consider 1errum sesc9uichlor., in the same potency as for 1errnm iod. above.
In my 79th year, I had a painful osteoarthritic condition in the thumb (both joints) and metacarpal bone of the 1st and 2nd rays, with
radiological evidence, with the thumb and ball of thumb about twice the size that they were on the other side. This regressed
completely with Aurum prep. lOx + Stannum prep. 15x + 1errum iod. 12x. Weleda do not offer 1errum iod., but it may be obtained
from reputable homeopathic pharmaceutical firms (e.g. DHU or Stauffen Pharma Goppingen).
To treat an ankle, one would have to use silver (R. Steiner, GA 201, 25 Apr. 1920: "the point of origin for the lower limbs relates to
the Moon"), but the salts are not easy to obtain. Argentum iod. is, however, available from Stauffen Pharma Goppingen. Other
medicines as above.
Interestingly enough, the temporomandibular joint is a double one. The fossa of the temporal bone as the functional end point of the
upper jaw (arm in previous incarnation) articulates with the head of the lower jaw (= leg in previous incarnation) in such a way that
between them lies cartilage firmly fused with the articular capsule shaped like a head in its superior aspect and an acetabulum below.
The temporomandibular joint thus combines the shoulder and hip joints of the previous incarnation in itself, as it were. One has to see
how one manages with -onchae" Pyrites and Aurum. It may also be necessary to use Corallium rubrum instead of -onchae Pyrites
and indicated anti-rheumatic preparations. It is unlikely to be osteoarthritis in this joint, but certainly there is pain connected with old
age or recurrent dislocation.
Hermfried Kunze, MD Meisenweg 24 D-24558 Henstedt-Ulzburg Germany
(i%liography
Hauschka R. The Nature of Substance.
Steiner R. Man in the Light of Occultism, Theosophy and Philosophy (GA 137). 10 lectures. Christiania (Oslo) 1912. Tr. not known.
2nd ed. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1964.
Steiner R. Man, Hieroglyph of the Universe (GA 201). Tr. G. & M. Adams. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1972.
)age J1 of "=>
/holesterol as the .olar 6pposite of Triglycerides

By: Martin <rrenst, M.D.
:. Introduction:
/holesterol, or to be more accurate, its concentration in the blood and in foods, is a recurrent topic in both the scientific and the popular press. The image presented is
that of a harmful substance that causes disease and shortens life. #et others will say that the cholesterol discussion is the invention of an industrial lobby to boost the sale
of cholesterol%free margarine and plasma cholesterol level%reducing agents. /holesterol thus is at the heart of the egotistical interests of industrialists on the one hand and
consumers on the other.
/holesterol also holds a central position in the evolution of chemistry and the physiology that has developed from it since the "Jth century. Ta*ing this as our starting
point, an attempt will be made to show an image of cholesterol that does not have egotistical interest at the heart of it but lets the situation spea* for itself. 2 helpful
method is to loo* for polarities, since comparison of opposite but related ob@ects lets them throw light on one another. There is no need then to draw on external criteria
that have nothing to do with the matter. To do this here, cholesterol is considered in relation to fats as polar opposites among the lipids 3i.e. fat%soluble substances7. ?ats
and cholesterol are related not only because they have lipid character but also because of many physiological relationshipsF some of this will be considered below. :n the
other hand it will be shown that they are also polar opposites.
<veryone *nows about fats, especially vegetable fats and oils, and we may therefore begin by characteri.ing them. /holesterol, a substance generally *nown only as a
slogan, can then be described in its polarity to the properties of fats.
<. Triglycerides
Fig. 1. Fatt$ acid co!position of vegeta"le oils in relation to e<ternal te!peratures
<veryone *nows fats and oils, for instance in the *itchen, where vegetable fats play a ma@or role. 2 vast variety of fats and oils with different $ualities may be described.
<ven the widely used sunflower oil, olive oil and palm oil offer a broad spectrum of $ualities. )alm oil is solid at room temperature,insensitive to heat and therefore used
for frying and deep frying. :live oil has its own taste and odorF it is li$uid at room temperature but solidifies in the refrigerator or when the room temperature is lower in
winter. 'unflower oil also has its own aroma and only solidifies at temperatures below ,V/. ;inseed oil may be added to the range. (t only solidifies if the temperature is
mar*edly below ,V/ and is sensitive, easily going rancid and needing protection from heat and light.
These fatty oils, as they are called, have to be distinguished from the volatile oils which pharmacists identify by the fact that drops applied to filter paper evaporate
completely, whilst fatty oils leave a fat stain. 5olatile oils are thus more inclined to evaporate, intensely addressing themselves to the sense of smell. /ombustibility, a
characteristic also of fatty oils, has here reached explosive and spontaneous combustion level. 5olatile oils are not nutrients,li*e fats, but have pharmaceutical actions. 2t
the other end of the scale,waxes, also not nutrients, are solid lipids that only melt at temperatures higher than fats do and are chemically more inert. 0hilst volatile oils
thust end towards the gaseous and waxes to the solid state, natural vegetable fats are generally fluid. Both waxes and fats do not melt or solidify at a sharply defined
temperature but in a fusion interval. (n the case of fats this covers a range from %"G to =,V/, which is the temperature range in which higher organisms are able to live.
'ome of the many different $ualities of fatty oils are evident in the different fatty acids that can be liberated and isolated from fats by saponification. <very natural fat
contains a large number of different fatty acids. :ne is usually dominant and this usually owes its name to the fat concerned % oleic acid from olive oil, linolic and
linolenic acid from linseed oil. 'aponification also liberates hygroscopic sweet%tasting glycerin, a constituent found in all fats, which chemically distinguishes them from
waxes.
The fatty acid composition of fats is primarily determined by the plant species that has produced them. 2part from this, environmental conditions,especially temperature,
have a mar*ed effect on the fatty acid composition 3?ig. "7. 5egetable fatty oils are an important part of our diet, which means that we are all the time ta*ing in this rich
variety of substance $ualities with natural foods. Two fatty acids % linolic and linolenic acid % are only produced by plants and essential to humans, for whilst the human
organism is unable to produce them it does need them. ?ats of animal origin are clearly also important for nutrition. Mil* fats in particular offer a great variety of fatty
acids. 3H7 2part from carbohydrates fats are the main basis of energy metabolism. They go through physiological !combustion! in the organism, so that their substance
$uality is destroyed.
?atty oils are thus characteri.ed as substances available in great variety in nature that offer differentiated $ualities perceptible to the senses. 0e have distinguished them
from the volatile oils and waxes, identifying them as nutrient lipids that are nonvolatile, with their melting point in the %"G to =,V/ range.
)age J= of "=>
8. /holesterol
?ats have been *nown to man from early times. ?ats and flour 3cereal grains7 are the staple foods of settled people and part of their culture and religion.The whole of the
Mediterranean landscape is given its character by the olive tree which was sacred to the 8ree*s. The founding of 2thens involved the goddess 2thena giving the people
an olive tree. /holesterol on the other hand had to be discovered by scientific means in more recent times. The history of its discovery begins in the second half of the
"Jth century 3"H>K%"HJK7 when ?rench chemists investigated and described the waxy consistency of gall stones. This history of cholesterol is essentially based on the
paper by Beuhausen. 3+K7 2t the beginning of the "Kth century 3"J"G%">7 /hevreui described the cholesterol he had isolated from gall stones as a substance in its own
right. Ae distinguished it from waxes and fats because of its high melting point 3"=H.GV/7 and because it could not be saponified by boiling in lye to produce soap, a fatty
acid salt 3v. s.7. /hevreui gave cholesterol its name from 8ree* chole 9 bile and stereos 9 solid.
(t was not until "K1+, a century later, that 0indaus finally established the molecular structureF 0oodward then synthesi.ed it in "KG". /holesterol thus followed the
whole evolution of our modern chemistry in which matter is weighed, a chemistry given its original foundation by ;avoisier at the end of the "Jth century, exactly at the
time, therefore, when cholesterol was first discovered. The names of many renowned scientists are connected with it,and few substances have seen so much eager effort
as cholesterol. M. Brown and 4. 8oldstein who received the Bobel )ri.e for physiological studies connected with the substance in "KJG, referred to the role of cholesterol
in the history of science in their Bobel lecture, saying that cholesterol was the most distinguished small molecule. Thirteen Bobel )ri.es were given to scientists who had
devoted a great part of their lifes wor* to cholesterol. 31H7 The physiology of cholesterol began to be studied in the mid%"Kth century, when simple color reactions had
been developed to detect it. (t then proved possible to detect cholesterol in practically all human tissues and secretions and in pathological growths. Two opposing views
soon emerged. :n the one hand young, developing tissue was found to be rich in cholesterol, the conclusion being that cholesterol was important for !formative!
processes.3G7 :n the other hand Borth 2merican scientists in particular draw a picture of cholesterol where the emphasis is on its occurrence in con@unction with
pathological phenomena such as gall stones. ?lint referred to cholesterol as a !sinful!substance as early as "J>+. 3"H7
(n the early +,th century these opposing views became more acute. :n the one hand it was found that cholesterol counteracted hemolysis, i.e. the dissolution of
erythrocytes, caused by saponins and the venom of bees,spiders or sna*es, thus being medicinal. 31", ==7 :n the other hand a connection was found between cholesterol
and tumor growth. /holesterol promoted tumor growth in animals experiments, 31+7 and the fatty tissue of cancer patients was found to have elevated cholesterol levels.
3=+7 <xperiments were also done from which it was wrongly concluded that cholesterol cannot be produced inhuman or animal organisms but has to be ta*en in with the
food. 3"1, "=7
The idea of cholesterol as a harmful substance had thus been born. :n the basis of it, attempts were made to explore the connection between food cholesterol and
atherosclerotic changes. (t had been *nown for some time that atherosclerotic changes relate to high cholesterol levels. &abbits were thus given cholesterol suspended in
oil in addition to their vegetable diet which, of course, contained practically no cholesterol. 2fter =%J wee*s all tissues had been infiltrated with cholesterol. 3+7 &abbits,
being completely herbivorous, are not used to foods containing cholesterol. The same experiment gave negative results with rats, naturally carnivorous and therefore used
to foods containing cholesterol. 3+K7 This also raises the $uestion how far the experiment done with rabbits applies to humans who are accustomed to a mixed diet. (n
spite of this, the concept of cholesterol in foods being harmful dominated the discussion for a long time. (t was only in the "KH,s that experiments on human sub@ects
showed that the cholesterol level of foods has only a limited effect on cholesterol levels. 3+K, +",=1,+17
:n the other hand cholesterol was also considered and used medicinal lyas a general roborant, for anemia and infectious diseases. These uses never gained real
significance, however. 3+K7
(t is remar*able how long it too* for the idea that cholesterol is produced in the human organism to be accepted. 'ystematic investigations of the cholesterol balance in
"K+,%"K+1 showed that the body eliminates more cholesterol than it ta*es in with the food, 3+K7 so that cholesterol is not really a food. 0ith a purely vegetarian and
therefore practically cholesterol%free diet,the organism is able to produce all the cholesterol it needs. :n the other hand cholesterol is continually eliminated as the
organism is not able to brea* it down. (f the diet contains high levels of cholesterol % high proportion of foods of animal origin % the bodys own synthesis is reduced,
though it never ceases completely. 3+J7 The cholesterol balance thus varies depending on the diet. The following figures given in an article on cholesterol give an
approximate idea of the situation. Daily dietary inta*e is G,, mg, but only +,,mg are actually absorbed, since only =,%G,- of food cholesterol are absorbed,compared to
more than KG- of fats. H,,%K,, mg are produced in the body,and in accord with this about ",,,, mg 9 " g is eliminated as cholesterol or bile salt in a ratio of approx. ":"
and as steroid hormone 3about G, mg7. 3+J,+,7
/holesterol is thus the complete opposite of the fats as characteri.ed above. The latter are needed as foods. They are ta*en up from the outside world and metaboli.ed in
the organism. 0ith cholesterol, the opposite is the case. (t is mainly produced in the organism itself and eliminated. (n human metabolism, fats and cholesterol are polar
opposites in one ma@or aspect.
=. .olarity of cholesterol and dietary fats
?ats have been described as substances human beings have used as foods ta*en from the natural world around them from early times. 5egetable fats have ripened in the
light and in the heat of the sunF they have numerous $ualities that relate to the particular plant and reflect the conditions under which the fat was produced in the plant.
They go through a physiological combustion process in the human organism that destroys their substance $ualities.
/holesterol on the other hand is produced in the organism and does not immediately show itself. (t needed to be discovered. /ompared to the $ualitative variety of fats
which is reflected in the wide variety of fatty acids,cholesterol is a single substance 3'ee also section G7. (t does not go through combustion in the organism but is
excreted into the outside world, into the light.
?ats and cholesterol also differ in their $ualities as substances. Both are completely insoluble in water, but fats are saponifiable and may thus be converted to fatty acids
and glycerin, whereas cholesterol is not saponifiable.The melting temperatures of fats have been considered aboveF cholesterol does not melt at temperatures in the range
of life, as they do, but only at a high temperature, having a clearly defined melting point. The substances also differ in density. ?ats are, of course, lighter than water % !fat
floats on top! % whereas cholesterol has a density of ".,=> gDml 3Beilstein7, which ma*es it heavier than water. /ompared to the wide variety of fats that are produced in
the light and show a wide range of $ualities, cholesterol is thus a heavy, monotonous substance produced in the dar* 3?ig. +7
)age JG of "=>
/holesterol became the sub@ect of research as a substance that has dropped out of life. This determined its image for a long time, although it was noted that cholesterol
was a necessary part of many organisms and was produced especially in the course of growth processes. (n the above%mentioned feeding experiments cholesterol was
added artificially, thus teaching us nothing about the substance in a healthy organism. )eople were blinded by the material substance, failing to see where the activity
really lay, in this case in themselves. (n a living context, the organism itself is active. 5iews on cholesterol are now turning in this direction, and people now concentrate
less on influencing plasma cholesterol levels by the amount of cholesterol in the diet, which is only possible to a limited extent. (nstead, attention focuses on the way the
diet influences plasma cholesterol levels, $uite apart from the cholesterol it contains, and the effects of peoples behavior and life style. 3"J,",,>,+"7 /holesterol is seen as
a substance that is really passive in itself.
7hat are fats, and &hat is cholesterol to the hu!an "eing8
0hen the human organism is given nourishment in form of fats, $ualities from the outside world enter into the human being. These $ualities are !burned! to destroy
them. This generates heat and the potential for movement in the human being, i.e. he brings his will impulses into the world.(t is thus immediately apparent that dietary
fats relate to the human will pole. /ompared to this, what is the significance of a substance the human being produces himself, and which he then ma*es into something
alien and eliminatesC
(n E<tending Fractical Medicine, 31>7 &udolf 'teiner and (ta 0egman describe substances that are eliminated to the inside or the outside and provide the material basis
for conscious human experience in contrast to substances ta*en into the body which are connected with unconscious processes. The examples given are uric acid for
elimination and protein as a substance ta*en in. Does something li*e this also apply to cholesterol and dietary fats in the sphere of lipidsC
(n 'ection >, an attempt will be made to describe the physiology of cholesterol and examine this possibility of a connection with conscious awareness processes. Before
that, however, a description will be given of cholesterol in the natural world outside man and as a starting material for substances with hormone%type actions.
>. /holesterol in the natural world outside man and as the starting
material for substances with hormone,type actions
Cholesterol in plants and ani!als .,10
/holesterol is found in the membranes of all eu*aryotic 3nucleated7 cells, and not only in humans. But whereas in humans only a few per cent of other sterols occur
associated with cholesterol, 3+J7 a large number of these occur with cholesterol, with the cholesterol itself going more into the bac*ground. Thus one substance is
replaced by many. Terrestrial vertebrates have almost only cholesterol, li*e humans, marine fish on the other hand up to a third of sterols other than cholesterol. )lants
may also synthesi.e cholesterol and usually contain small amounts of it, but they mostly produce special phytosterols. (n evolutional terms, sterol production is thus
progressively simplified both as regards variety and method of synthesis.
Bacterial membranes hold a special position, being sterol free. 3J7 The anthropods, including the insects, are unable to synthesi.e new sterols themselves, though these
are found in their membranes. They ta*e in sterols with their food or from symbiotic micro%organisms and modify them. 'terols are thus essential food constituents for
arthropods, @ust as fatty acids 3e.g.linolic acid7 are for us, with the organism able to modify but not produce them. (nsects thus relate in the opposite way to cholesterol or
to the sterols that ta*e the place of cholesterol than humans do.
/onversion of cholesterol to substances with homone%li*e actions. 2s already mentioned, part of cholesterol is eliminated in form of bile salt,calciferol 3vitamin D7 or
steroid hormones. 2bout ,.G g of bile salts and G, mg of steroid hormones on average are produced daily and eliminated by the human organism. 31J, +",+J7 Bile salts
emulsify cholesterol in the bile fluids and play an important role in brea*ing down dietary fats. This, then, is the point where the cholesterol and the fat aspects come
together.
/alciferol production from cholesterol is remar*able if one considers the character of cholesterol as it has been presented so far. H%dehydrocholesterol is converted to
cholecalciferol under the influence of light in the s*in. 3"K7 /alling cholecalciferol vitamin D is therefore misleading. (t is not an essential vitaminF light is essential.
Deficiency of this can be corrected by giving cholecalciferol as !vitamin D!. The substances needed above all to regulate bone development and hence the human form
are produced from cholecalciferol in the liver and *idneys. Thus cholesterol, produced in the dar*ness of the organism, is under the influence of light converted to a
substance with hormone%li*e action.
'teroid hormones are produced from cholesterol in certain organs of the adrenal cortex and gonads and have regulatory functions in growth and metabolic processes. The
effect is always on the whole organism. The steroid hormones produced in the adrenal cortex or gonadal cells are distributed throughout the organism by the blood.
These processes ta*e hours at their shortest, more often days 3reproductive cycle7 and even longer in growth processes. :n the other hand the arachidonic acid cascade
results in active compounds such as prostaglandins being produced from essential fatty acids. Lnli*e the steroid hormones, these compounds, collectively called
eicosanoids, act within very short time spans, seconds, and only locally. The mode and direction of their action depends on the site in which they occur and may even be
the opposite for one and the same substance in another site.0e note that substances with hormone%li*e actions are produced from both fatty acids and cholesterol. The
steroid hormones produced from cholesterol act for relatively long periods and within the whole organismF the eicosanoids produced from fatty acids act locally and in
the short term.
(t is also worth loo*ing at the sulfuric acid compound of cholesterol which is cholesterol sulfate, a substance found mainly in the epidermis. The two play a role in
regulating comification and the des$uamation of corneal cells. 2 most illustrative example is the horses hoof. (ts lipid part contains +H- of cholesterol and +,- of
cholesterol sulfate. (n this extreme case the character of cholesterol emerges as a substance that shows up where firmness, structure and external pressure are found. Bo
up%to%date literature could be found on cholesterol sulfate in human cornified matter.
)age J> of "=>
?. .hysiology of cholesterol
Describing the human physiology of cholesterol we have to consider three aspects, depending on the direction our in$uiry ta*es.
". (n$uiring into the genesis of cholesterol we are ta*en into the metabolic sphere, to the liver and intestine. /holesterol is, of course, produced by all nucleate cells, but
the liver and intestine produce an excess to serve other organs.
+. (f on the other hand we as* where cholesterol occurs in greater concentration % as a substance, we have to thin* of the head region, the brain. 2 $uarter of the total
cholesterol in the body, which is about "=, mg, is found in the brain, where it represents up to ",- of the dry matter. 31J7
1. ?rom the point of view of health and sic*ness, attention focuses on blood plasma cholesterol levels, as the body is particularly sensitive to cholesterol % in this area, so
that there is considerable potential for pathology.
The three aspects % cholesterol in the metabolic sphere, in the nervous
system and in the blood circulation % will be considered below.
1. Meta"olis!
The $uestion as to cholesterol synthesis initially ta*es us to the liver and intestine. /holesterol is produced in all tissues in the organism, i.e. in all nucleate cells, so that
this metabolic aspect may be found throughout the organism. The liver and intestine produce the largest amounts of cholesterol,however, passing it on to other organs via
the blood. :n the other hand the elimination of cholesterol via the bile and intestine also starts from the liver./holesterol % emulsified by phospholipids and bile salts
produced from cholesterol % gets into the intestine in the bile and there encounters food substances, above all fats. )art of this cholesterol is eliminated through the
intestine, another part is absorbed together with the dietary lipids and reaches the liver via the blood circulationF it is therefore involved in the biliary cycle.
0e thus have three processes connected with cholesterol in the liver and intestinal tract % synthesis, elimination and biliary cycle. The metabolic processes relating to fats
go in the opposite direction. /holesterol synthesis has its opposite in fat degradation 3?atty adds and therefore fats may also be synthesi.ed in the liver. 0ith a balanced
diet the amounts involved are negligible7. 0hat both have in common is that substance % cholesterol or fat % is moved and transformed.3(n the sphere of the metabolic
organs, bile acids and cholecalciferol are also produced in the liver and steroid hormones in the adrenal cortex and gonads, see section G.7
). ?rain and nerves
The $uestion as to the site of ma@or cholesterol synthesis and conversion too* us to the metabolic sphere of intestine and liver. (f we then as* where the highest
concentrations of cholesterol may be found, we have to go to the brain 3v. s.7. (f we consider that cholesterol goes through the biliary cycle several times a day, whilst its
half life in the central nervous system is much longer, up to several years, we can appreciate the opposite nature of the situation in the latter. (n the brain, cholesterol is
found above all in the myelin sheaths, extreme forms of cell membranes with the emphasis on the insulating, separating function. /ell membranes in the metabolic
sphere, in liver cells, for instance, have the emphasis on a mediating as well as a limiting function, permitting the catalysis of processes and exchange of substances.The
functional difference correlates with the higher protein levels in liver cell membranes and higher lipid levels in myelin sheaths. 3++7 Myelin sheaths with their high lipids
and cholesterol levels form an insulating layer around nerve cellsF they are persistent structures with closed%off surfaces.
The lipids in all cell membranes in the human and mammalian organism are made up of cholesterol on the one hand and polar lipids that give mediation towards the
watery element on the other 3e.g. phospholipids orsphingolipids7. These derive from triglycerides in so far as they are saponifiable and fatty acids are liberated in the
process. The polar lipid and cholesterol composition results in the li$uid%crystalline state of the membranes as anew $uality that cannot be derived in a linear way from
the properties of the individual components. Thus the melting point of the membrane is not a mean of the high melting point of cholesterol 3"=H.GV/7 and the low melting
point of the lipids. (nstead the li$uid%crystalline state is a synthesis of the properties of li$uid and solid bodies. 2 higher proportion of cholesterol gives the membrane
greater solidity and impermeability, a property seen above allin myelin sheaths. Triglycerides are of no significance in the sphere of the brain and nerves,not as a
substrate for energy metabolism nor as a structuring agent. :nly the polar membrane lipids derived from them play a role 3v. s.7. /ompared to the fat stored in fatty
tissues, where the composition of fats reflects that of the diet to a remar*able degree, 31=7 the fatty acid composition of these polar membrane lipids is largely controlled
by the organism. Brain lipids do, however, have particularly high essential fatty acid levels. 2gain cholesterol is the polar opposite. /holesterol supply to the brain is
independent and does not depend on plasma cholesterol, 3+= 7whereas cholesterol synthesis in the liver balances the organisms needs against the dietary supply in a
flexible way 3v.s.7. 0e thus see a tendency in the brain for processes to be determined by the organism and not be open to the triglycerides, which are greatly influenced
by the environmentF here the character of the organisms own cholesterol production emerges clearly.
/holesterol is tied in with opposing functional complexes in the neurosensory and metabolic spheres. The two spheres interpenetrate in space, with cholesterol synthesis
ta*ing place throughout the organism and cholesterol a membrane constituent in all tissues. ;iver and intestine are nevertheless ma@or sites for cholesterol synthesisF
cholesterol elimination is via the bile only, and the role cholesterol plays in the membranes is at its highest level in the myelin sheaths with their high lipid levels.
.Circulation
The dynamics in the metabolic sphere and the static state of matter in the neural sphere are balanced out in the blood circulation. The movement of lipids in the blood
mediates between the two. ;ipophilic, i.e. water%insoluble substances are *ept in the li$uid, watery state in the blood by lipoproteins. Aow are these processes, where
changes of a high order are continually occurring, approached in experimental researchC
The first observations were made on dogs in ">++. Their lymph vessels contain a mil*y white fluid after feeding. 317 Blood samples ta*en after a fatty meal are also
mil*y and turbid. This points to the presence of lipoproteins as vehicles for lipophilic substances in the blood. They appear as spherical or drop%shaped structures under
the microscope, certainly comparable to fat droplets in mil*, but should not be thought of as static but in continuous motion and transformation.
2 first experimental differentiation of lipoprotein according to density gives the generally used terms 5;D; 3very low density lipoprotein7, ;D;3low density lipoprotein,
and AD; 3high density lipoprotein7. These tell us nothing of their physiological significance. /hemical analysis of the selipoproteins according to fat, cholesterol and
protein content shows that 5;D; have the highest fat content 3which correlates with their low density,fat being light7, ;D; the highest cholesterol and AD; the highest
protein content 3see Table "7.
)age JH of "=>
0hat is their physiological roleC ;ipoproteins with high fat content have nutrient function, supplying organs % except for the brain % with triglycerides. /onsidering the
site of synthesis, distinction must be made between 5;D; that are largely produced in the liver and !chylomicrons! which are produced in the intestinal wall. Dietary
fats digested in the intestine and absorbed into the intestinal wall are incorporated in the organism as chylomicrons. This is the reason for the mil*y, turbid lymph. The
chemical composition of chylomicrons shows that they are nutrients by nature. The fat composition is the same as in the food, and compared to 5;D;, chylomicrons
contain retinol 3vitamin 2, as its essential nutrient element7 and compared to the dietary cholesterol level less of the non%nutrient cholesterol 3see Table"7. /hylomicrons
convey the lipids ta*en in from outside via the intestine into the organismF 5;D; convey lipids produced or transformed by the liver within the organism.
(n the organs, triglycerides are released from the lipoproteins whilst still within the blood capillaries. /holesterol%rich residues remain. (f one considers that the fats of
lipoproteins also go through a physiological form of combustion, the high%cholesterol residues may also be called !ashes! to give us a picture. The !ashes! of
chylomicrons are ta*en up into the liver and digestedFthose of 5;D; partly remain in the blood and are converted into high%cholesterol ;D;s. These may be ta*en up
both into the liver and into other cells in the organism, thus complementing tissue cholesterol metabolism. 3;D;s are ta*en up entire into the cell 3endocytosis7 and
digested within it. Triglycerideson the other hand are released from lipoproteins with high fat concentrations in the plasma and only then absorbed into the cells.7
/ompared to the rest of the organism, cholesterol exists largely % about H>- % as a fatty acid ester combined with essential linolic acid in the blood. 3+J7 Aere, in the
middle, rhythmic sphere of human physiology, the two sides which we have been considering as polar opposites in this paper % essential fatty acid ta*en in with the food
and cholesterol % combine in a *ind of neutrali.ed storage form of cholesterol. 3:nly a small proportion of cholesterol in cells is fatty acid ester, and in that case mainly
esterified with oleic acidF in the brain it exists only as non%esterified cholesterol.7 Binding of fatty acid to cholesterol is possible because cholesterol has an !alcohol
function!. This reveals a side of cholesterol that is not immediately obvious. Though practically water%insoluble, it has an affinity to the watery element. (t therefore
crystalli.es with water of crystalli.ation and is used as an emulsifier in ointments. The olending relates to this aspect, whilst the term cholesterin, which was chosen by
/hevreui, puts the emphasis on the waxy appearance 3as in paraffin, stearin7.
)rotein%rich lipoproteins 3AD;7 play a ma@or role in cholesterol esterification in the blood plasma, for they contain the en.yme which cataly.es the esterification 3;/2T
9 lecithin%cholesteryl%acyl%transferase7. 3">7
These high%protein lipoproteins are not uniform but changing. <ven the appearance under the microscope of lipoproteins newly produced by the liver or the interstitium
differs from that of others. They do not yet have the spherical form shown by the others but are said to be discoidal. 3">7
They change in the plasma, assuming the spherical form, growing larger,with a lower specific weight, and have higher lipid and above all cholesterol levels. They ta*e up
cholesterol from the organs and combine it with linolic acid, thus withdrawing it from the organism, for this esterified cholesterol is above all eliminated via the liver and
bile, with the lipoproteins ta*en up into the liver and digested. /holesterol esterification in the blood plasma is thus an important stage in !reverse cholesterol transport!,
i.e. its transport bac* to the liver for elimination. 3">7
Distinction is therefore made today between ;D; and AD; cholesterol,and high AD; cholesterol levels are rated positive, unli*e high ;D; cholesterol levels.
;ipoproteins with their nutrient function support metabolic and limb activityF the eliminatory function, !reverse cholesterol transport!, relieves the organism of
cholesterol. )athological changes threaten if the right balance is not maintained.
The cholesterol discussion shows that the potential for disease is particularly great in the circulation. (n the region of the brain and nerves, the composition of the
membranes, cholesterol levels, etc. are largely sub@ect to laws and not greatly variable. 2s a rule they cannot be changed to any ma@or extent by nutrition 3except in cases
of extreme malnutrition7 nor by behavior, moods or stress situations. This is different in the metabolic sphere. Digestive functions,the secretion of digestive @uices,
production and composition of bile depend to a considerable degree on psychological factors, though the deviations are tolerable to a relatively high degree. Thus
intestinal cholesterol absorption differs mar*edly between individuals. 3+"7 (n the sphere of the circulation, the influence of the psyche on physiological processes is
again considerable, but the limits are narrower and too great a deviation may lead to disease. 2 common example is a high plasma triglyceride level, usually in
con@unction with a high ;D; cholesterol level. (n that case nutrient processes are too powerful compared to activity in limbs and metabolism, and there is a danger that
processes which can only be healthily dominant in the head region become too powerful here, resulting in lipid and cell substance deposition 3atheroslerotic pla$ues7.
'uggested preventive measures in that case are physical movement and a diet rich in ballast and fats with high oleic acid content 3olive oil7.3>7 This will increase
metabolic and limb activity.
;ittle well%founded *nowledge is available today on the significance of the reverse situation, i.e. a low cholesterol plasma level. /orrelation between this and with
neoplasia, 3+>7 hemorrhagic cerebral accident 31,7 and increased death rate involving violence is controversial. 3","",117 <xtremely low plasma cholesterol levels are
seen in patients with advanced 2(D' and in cases where the immune system is reduced to an extreme degree 3personal communication7. (n that case the low cholesterol
level reflects a wea*ness in the powers to maintain oneself against the outside world, with the organism flooded by that outside world.
0e have characteri.ed three functional spheres in the human organism that interpenetrate in space but may be clearly differentiated by their functions. (n so far as food
upta*e is dominant in the intestine, the food must be bro*en down, mixed up, made chaotic. 2t the other pole we have the neuro%sensory sphere which is connected with
the development of conscious awareness and powers of memory. ?or this, we need stable structures in the brain where substances come to rest. This only applies to
substances that give structure, the brain itself having a very high energy metabolism, of course.The opposite pole to the homogeni.ing, chaos%creating, form%dissolving
processes in the intestine is the structure at rest and the generation of surfaces in the brain. The circulation holds a middle position. There we have the spherical droplet
form of lipoproteins continually changing and in motion in a highly ordered fashion.
The function of cholesterol may be seen most clearly in the neurosensory system, in the brains myelin sheaths with their high lipid and hence cholesterol content,
persistence, with the brain always creating its own cholesterols and triglycerides of no significance. (n the middle sphere of the circulation there can be no persistenceF
the processes that are dominant in the head have to be overcome here, with cholesterol brought to elimination in the intestine.There it meets the nutrient stream,
especially dietary fats 3?ig. 17.
)age JJ of "=>
@. /onnection between processes relating to substance and those relating
to the psyche
/holesterol research is simply vast. (n so far as it is not merely descriptive,defining substance properties, molecular structures, occurrence in the organism and
biosynthesis, it has initially concentrated on the connection between plasma cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease as well as the factors that influence plasma
cholesterol levels. The focus has been on cholesterol in relation to pathological changes. &elatively little is *nown,however, about the actual significance of cholesterol in
the organism. 2part from the role it plays as a precursor in steroid hormone, cholecalciferol and bile acid synthesis, research has for a long time concentrated mainly on
physical membrane properties in relation to their cholesterol levels. To date,the influence of membrane cholesterol on a number of biochemical parameters has been
investigated. 3+G,=7 ?rom the above we may deduce cholesterol to have a function which is the opposite of that of lipophilic anesthetics. 3=7 0ith the latter one sees
increased fluidityD with cholesterol increased solidity and impenetrability of membranes. This is in accord with the image we have evolved from total cholesterol
metabolism of a substance that shows its character in the neurosensory sphere. 2 connection exists between the substance character of lipids in particular in the central
nervous system and the potential for conscious awareness. (n the past, the power of anesthetics was estimated by determining their solubility in olive oil. Today more
detailed insight into the connection is the sub@ect of intense research. 3=,,"7
The phenomenon of human conscious awareness cannot be explained from substance processes li*e these, nor the human will in terms of energy released in the
combustion of fats. )hysiological processes do, however, go hand in hand with every act of will, and the creation and condensation of matter in some form is the
precondition for human wa*ing consciousness.The way the balance between solidification and dissolution is found in the circulation ultimately depends on how the
human being relates to the world in his inner experience, thus reflecting his feelings.
2 similar $uality of gesture was described by &udolf 'teiner in his lectures on occult physiology in "K"". 31G7 Ae spo*e of processes originating in the blood that
accompany thin*ing, feeling and acts of will with crystalli.ation, flocculation and warmth processes, and of processes in the development of the human body where bone
development, gelatin and physiological combustion provide the physical basis for human thin*ing, feeling and doing.
2s we have seen, cholesterol has significance in all spheres of the human organism. /onsidering the characteristic role it plays in the physiology one sees it to be the
polar opposite to fats in every sphere. (t is possible to establish, even at substance level, that the synthesis and function of cholesterol is above all under the influence of
forces dominant in the neurosensory sphere.
2 signature may also be seen at the social level if one considers the scientific and cultural role of cholesterol. 0ith pathological changes it drops out of the organism as a
whole, becomes a single substance, and is then easily detectable using color reactions. Aere it ma*es us aware of it as substance,becoming the ob@ect of egotism and
anxieties. The changing views on cholesterol reflect a turning away from focusing mainly on the substance.8radual reali.ation that the organism is responsible for the
control of matter,under the influence of soul and spirit, is putting an end to fixation on matter,with growing awareness of personal responsibility for the way one lives
ones life. 2 stage in the evolution of conscious awareness thus crystalli.es out from the cultural history of cholesterol.
The idea to ta*e up this theme arose within the 2nthroposophical )harmaceutics 8roup, and the wor* would not have been possible without the many opportunities for
discussion at the /arl 8ustav /ams (nstitute. ?or this ( am most grateful.
Martin <rrenst, MD
/arl 8ustav /ams (nstitut
2m <ichhof
D%HG++1 Biefem%:eschelbronn, 8ermany
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=,. Trudell 4&. 2 Lnitary Theory of 2nesthesia Based on ;ateral )hase 'eparations in Berve
Membranes. 2nesthesiology "KHHF =>:G%",.
=". Llrich K. 5ergleichende Biochemie der Tiere. 'tuttgart "KK,.
=+. 0ac*er ;. Das /holesterin und seine Begleitsubstan.en im menschlichen Depotfett beim
/arcinom. Nsc4ir physio6 /hem K"+F J,:1'1%=,JF $uoted from Beuhauseir!.
=1. 0echsler 48. 2*tuelle 2spe*te der Ayperlipoproteinaemien. Aeil*unst "KK1F "":+,%GH.
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==. 0indaus 2. Leber die <ntgiftung der 'aponine durch /holesterin. Ber Dtsdi chem 8es "K,KF =+: +1J%=>F $uoted from Beuhauseir.
Intestinal 3ycosis , &n &ttempt at /larification

By: Karl%&einhard Kummer
&ntestinal Mycosis 2 *n *ttempt at -larification
(Original title: Zur intestinalen Mykose - Versuch einer Klaerung. Der Merkurstab 1998; 51: 65-73. English by A. R. Meuss, FTL, MTA)
*%stract
The multifarious symptomatology of intestinal mycosis is given consideration in natural medicine, though it is not yet possible to say if
it is a primary or secondary disorder. There are indications that the presence of Candida albicans in the intestinal flora may play a
central role in atopic diseases, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. Many authors militate against calling it pathogenic in this situation,
but critics of the syndrome still lack important basic information. Further investigations, especially of the human intestinal flora, will
be required.
Fungi show tremendous variety in growth and biological characteristics. By nature they and the diseases associated with them reside
in a cool and humid environment. Retarded life forms, they cause retardation in human metabolism and above all in the human
warmth organism. They exist where the human being is unable to give his I-organization and above all his warmth and light organism
adequate structure in the lower human being. Treatment should therefore aim to strengthen I-activity in the organism and especially
in the intestines. Different approaches to the treatment of fungal disease are considered in the light of anthroposophical physiology.
The topical de%ate
In recent years, a number of authors have referred to intestinal Candida mycosis as a distinct syndrome. Hauss and Hauss, Dumrese
and Ehrhardt-Schmelzer, Nolting (5,10,29) and other authors list a whole range of symptoms - alternating diarrhea, flatus, lowered
resistance to infection, asthma, eczema, neurodermatitis and psychological symptoms such as lack of drive, depres- sion. Generally
speaking Candida albicans is said to be the main culprit.
-an -andida in the intestinal flora %e ignored/
Many authors hold the view that the presence of Candida in the intestines of healthy subjects proves that Candida is part of the
physiologic intestinal flora.(11, 22, 35, 54) A basic problem is that they do not define "health or indeed consider its nature. Dumrese
and Ehrhardt-Schmelzer did at least establish that more than 50% of subjects shown to have Candida albicans in their stools did not
feel well. The number of organisms in the stool correlated with the IgG titer for Candida albicans. It will clearly be necessary to give
more thought to the definition of health.
Others consider the presence of Candida albicans in the intestines to be a secondary phenomenon when the intestinal milieu is
abnormal, e.g. in a case of food intolerance. Many authors refer to the role of intestinal candidiasis in neurodermatitis and urticaria.
(3, 24, 25, 26, 36, 37) Others only accept infection with a confirmed physiologic correlate as pathological candidiasis. The absence of
confirmed infection parameters does not, however, permit the conclusion that Candida in the intestinal flora is of no significance. Low-
grade infections may exist, especially as intestinal mycosis is often symptomless.(14) Some patients actually only realize that they
had not been well before once they have been treated. Some authors assume that the absence of inflammatory changes is actually a
characteristic of the syndrome. We thus also have to ask how "healthy" individuals with Candida in their flora will feel in a few years'
time.
&s -andida al%icans a physiologic part of the intestinal flora/
Some authors maintain that Candida albicans is part of the physiologic intestinal flora. Male(24) disputes this, despite the fact that he
takes a critical view of the so-called "Candida syndrome" or of it being taken to extremes. In his view, intestinal fungi were much
more uncommon before antibiotics came in, and also in primitive peoples. He also speaks of the role played by excess nutrition,
especially for infants given formulas instead of mother's milk. Candida is not part of the primary flora developing in the intestines of
the newborn.(52)

Most authors who consider intestinal Candida mycosis to be patholog- ical believe there to be a connection with a
disorder of intestinal homeostasis. Only yeasts and Bifidum bacteria remain when antibiotics reduce the normal bacterial flora.(18)
Proliferation of yeasts in the intestine may cause vitamins to be withdrawn.(33) No evidence has thus been brought that Candida
albicans is physiologic in the intestine.
The pathogenic Candida factors causing infection are well known - adherence, development of mycelia which may be invasive,
enzyme produc- tion.(16, 29, 20) It is not clear, however, when and why saprophytic growth be- comes pathologic. The secretory
activity of immunoglobulin A, acting as a mediator between mucosal cells and the inner intestine, is inhibited. It has now been shown
that Saccharomyces boulardii yeast can be taken up into the intestine like particles derived from lifeless nature.(6) The situation may
be ex- pected to be similar with pathogenic yeasts. Authors agree that fungal infec- tions indicate an area of least resistance in the
host. It is also known that small amounts of alcohols are produced in cases of intestinal Candida mycosis. Treatment of intestinal
Candida reduces the blood alcohol levels, which are low in any case.(2)
<o, relia%le is current 3no,ledge/
)age K" of "=>
Investigation of the intestinal micro ecology presents considerable methodo- logical problems.(17, 23, 35) This especially applies also
to the anaerobic organisms that make up the greater part of the intestinal flora. According to Sonnenbom and Greinwald,(42) a
complete analysis of a single individual's intestinal flora done at a specialist institute would take a year! Positive tests for Candida in
serum, stools or biopsy material do not correlate with identifiable pathologic conditions,(28) which makes it difficult to evaluate the
results. It is also difficult to establish in which part of the intestine the yeasts are growing.(35)
Not much is known about possible symbiosis of yeasts and the human intestinal mucosa.(8) More data are available on therapeutic
exhibition of Saccharomyces boulardii.(31) Gibson, Savage, Sonnenbom and Greinwald report on treatment with probiotics.(13, 35,
42)

The clinical relevance of a shift in intestinal organisms is discussed by Chapoy and by Sonnenbom and Greinwald, for example.(7, 42)
Abnormalities in the intestinal flora may even induce premature births.(17) This does, how- ever, require fuller investigation. Lack of
knowledg is confirmed by Gibson, Stremmel and by Wedding et al.(13, 51) Stremmel(51) does refer to the many in- vestigations
stored under "Candida" in databanks, but not on intestinal my- cosis. The Medline Databank has no record of work on mycotoxins and
on alcohol production by Candida or yeasts in humans for the years 1991-1996. Thus the effect of yeasts on the mucosal surfaces of
the intestine or of en- zymes secreted into the intestinal lumen is not yet known.
There appears to be particular ignorance in the German-speaking areas. Barnert and Wienbeck(4) make no reference to the possibility
of dysbac- terial conditions in their review, though its effect appears to have been established.(34, 27)
When is treatment re>uired/
Basically, evidence of yeasts in the intestine or stools does not call for treat- ment. In children in particular this may be a passing
phenomenon. Minor infections may quite often be followed by short-term fungal growth in the intestine and this is spontaneously
reversible. With food allergies an elimina- tion diet often reduces even massive yeast levels.
In the view of those who consider intestinal mycosis to be a definite syndrome, it involves chronic changes that are difficult to detect.
One thus gets a varied picture of absent or mild symptoms and is not sure whether to treat them or not. As fungi tend to be parasitic
or saprophytic, their existence goes largely unnoticed. In this respect, too, they behave differently from pathogenic bacteria which as
a rule evoke inflammatory defense reactions. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is thus the exception, lack of symptoms with intestinal
mycosis the rule.
Many people say after successful treatment that they feel a great deal better. Unidentifiable abdominal problems with fungi found in
stool cultures may be an indication for e0 iuvantibus treatment. It has to be considered that the detection of fungi in stool smears
may also give falsely negative results.
Unless we have a concept of "health", with criteria for "well" or "ill", we can only have opinions. The essential nature of the human
being has to be considered as a whole, including soul and spirit, to know if one is dealing with states of health or illness.
The nature of fungi
Simonis(40, 41) has giving a loving botanical description of the fungi as seen by a physician. He calls them retarded life forms that
still have an echo of the ancient Saturn period of human and earth evolution and have been unable to relate to the more recent
development of the Sun period. In terms of earth evolution they may be considered to belong to the Moon period of earth evolution
known as Lemuria. Schoeffler(38) on the other hand considers above all the points of view and way of thinking that have led to the
use of antibiotics.
+ariety and adapta%ility
The systematics of fungi cover many categories. Those that play a role in medicine are epidermophytes (Microsporum, Trichophyton),
molds (Mucor, Fusarium, cephalospores, Aspergillus, penicillin, cladospores and alternaria), yeasts (blastomycetes) such as Candida,
Cryptococcus, Saccharomyces, Trichosporum, Geotrichum, dimorph fungi (Blastomyces, Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Sporothrix), etc.
About 180 species have been found to be potentially pathogenic to humans.
Steiner(49) and Simonis(40) referred to fungi as life forms living in the Moon region of the earth. They originate in the element of
warmth, like pollen, but then go into the sphere of decay as saprophytes. Their fruiting bodies face the soil and not the light as in
higher plants. Rudolf Steiner spoke of the way algae and fungi strongly absorb the astrality of an environment.
Fungi may really be considered to be unicellular. They are eukaryotic and without chlorophyll and therefore have to depend on
nutrients in organic matter as a source of energy. On the other hand they are also capable of living under exclusion of light. Fungi can
specialize and elongate, sprout and produce hyphae. These may form networks called mycelia. Deriving from a single cell these are
called thalli, and if loosely structured colonies. Fungi are able to bud or grow spores to produce conidia, some of them mobile. The
spores may be sexual or asexual. Some produce hyphae which then produce mushrooms, as they are commonly called (boletus, fly
agaric). The spores are shed in autumn, similar to the pollen of flowering plants.
Fungal spore allergy in autumn is the counter image in time of the seasonal pollen allergy in spring.
Fungi do not produce fruit in the proper sense. Their fruiting element are the asexual spores, as in Aspergillus. Sexual reproduction of
spores involves reproduction from the thallus itself with the aid of sexual mechanisms and heterosexual reproduction from different
kinds of genetic material. There are fungi where such structures are not known, and also parasexual exchanges between different
fungi.
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Like fly agaric, many fungi produce surface pigments to face the light. Their actual growth sphere is colorless, however. In this they
differ funda- mentally from many higher plants, especially those producing pigments in the root. We might go so far as to say that
fungi do the opposite of higher plants when it comes to color. A rose producing red in its leaves seeks to fend off astralization.(43) In
pigment-producing fungi, however, the color is part of the astrality they seek to absorb, especially in the
case of toadstools and mushrooms. Steiner referred to diphtheria as fungus-like and suggested treating it
with cinnabar red,(43) saying that this would tie up the astral body more closely with the ether body. The same applies to
medicines made from fly agaric.
In many respects fungi hold a half-way position in nature. Their skeletal matter is the chitin of insects (not in the case of yeasts,
however). In their great variety, the alternation of spore, resting stage and shoot form they are close to the algae. Steiner stressed
this: "... and so everything that is fungal by nature has a close relationship with the lower animal world, bacteria and similar
creatures, and particularly with harmful parasites."(49) Fungi may thus be said to be a kind of chameleon in lower nature, adapting to
any given situation.
!ungi and temperatures
Fungi grow at widely differing temperatures. In the human body they thrive at 37 degrees C but especially also at lower
temperatures. They are at home in a cool, dark space. But they do not shun humid warmth either. Some specialists among them
thrive at quite high environmental temperatures. Spores in particular may be extremely heat resistant whilst they also tolerate very
cold temperatures, retaining their germinative power for a long time.
Fungi live in a sphere of warmth that is as yet undifferentiated and in an excess of organic matter. Harking back to earlier stages of
earth evolution they have a relationship to the ancient nitrogen and cyanide atmosphere. They do not as a rule generate heat energy
in their quite considerable metabolic processes but consume it. They will thus often maintain coolth. Bacterial pro- cesses on the other
hand tend to generate heat, as in the spontaneous ignition of hay. Fungi often produce gases and relate more to the watery and airy
rather than the heat element. This preference for the watery and airy elements may be the reason why they preferably attack the
lungs and intestines in human infections.
Symbiotic union of fungi and the roots of plants produce mycorrhiza, a borderline region between organically structured plant matter
and the completely lifeless mineral soil. Such mediation between plant and soil prefigures life, providing excess nitrogen is present.
Substances produced in the mycorrhiza have a deadening effect on the surrounding area. Substances from bacteria inhibit fungal
growth and vice versa (e.g. griseofulvin from penicillin). Most modern antibiotics derive largely from fungi, or were originally derived
from their substances. Rimpler et al.(32) thus also refer to tumor-active substances in fungi. Steiner's above- mentioned
comments(49) may be taken as a spiritual scientific pointer to possible antibiotic actions; which is what Simonis thought.(40, 41)
Nystatin has however been isolated from Streptomyces strains capable of producing both antibacterial and antimycotic substances.
Toxin production thus seems to be a characteristic of the whole group of fungi, and this no doubt also includes Candida. Nothing of
any account has however been published on Candida toxins in recent years.
Relationship to light
Whilst bacteria relate more to warmth, algae differ from fungi in that they show a definite orientation towards light. With their
chlorophyll they draw the light down into the water, using it to produce matter in photosynthesis. Binding of iodine by algae also
relates to the light.
Fungi do not have these important faculties, being unable to open up to light. They actually prefer the lightless sphere of humus and
the roots of higher plants and thrive best under light exclusion. It is only occasionally that they send the fruiting bodies we know as
mushrooms and toadstools up into the air from the damp rotting soil. This would seem to be to seek the air, however, rather than the
light, so that their spores may spread.
The basic shape of fungi, the spore, is spherical.(40) We thus have a plant in the plant world that consists entirely in a kind of head.
Fungi do not develop the leaf sphere which is so much the essence of plant nature. They therefore also do not relate to the rhythmic
processes connected with leaf development. Instead they produce a "flower" at ground level, as Steiner put it, also saying that their
development is peculiarly astralized.(43) This would explain why they do not relate to the human intestinal system, which is based on
plant leaf-type principles, but may become pathogenic in it, similar to the lung.
Steiner also spoke of the soil itself being the basis for fungal life, with fungi not rising above its sphere.
48
It is different with trees. The
powers of the earth make them grow beyond the soil, taking them up into the light. Fungal metabolism thus also relates little to light,
unlike that of intestinal bacteria.
Putrefactive bacteria convert matter into bound heat and light energy in their high-energy metabolism. Their heat and light processes
integrate in the organism. This is not the case with parasitic fungi. They generally use only partial stages of metabolism, leaving the
rest to putrefaction. Their metabo- lism thus does not submit to the principles that guide the human organism, which relates strongly
to light.
Relationship to matter
Fungi play an important role in dealing with dying matter in the soil. They show a preference for residues from living organisms that
contain nitrogen, and thus facilitate nitrogen metabolism for plants. Fungi also contribute a great deal to carbon conversion in the
world.(5)
Their capacity for converting large amounts of substrate makes them an ideal means of conducting metabolic processes in an
industrial context. They also have the advantage that they do not on the whole bring about complete lysis but perform only part
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stages. Another important advantage is that they finally yield the original substance again, either as a substrate or as a gas such as
CO2. Bacterial metabolism on the other hand not only converts matter to heat energy, as mentioned above, but this energy is often
converted to high energy matter and stored in the bacterium. Fungi thus are selfless in their metabolism, releasing the substance
they have been processing. On the other hand they are also toxic, releasing their metabolic products unprotected into the
environment.
Large scale industrial utilization of fungi started in the late 1920s. Citric acid is almost exclusively produced with the aid of fungi,
annual production being more than 100,000 tons.(5) There is unlikely to be any field in the food and chemical industries where fungi
do not play a major role. The numerous enzymatic processes used in the food industry also imitate fungal metabolism.
Rudolf Steiner characterized their growth, with degradation, decomposi- tion and excess of matter as dying life.(49) Compared to
bacteria, fungi appear to take the degradation of matter only to a certain level. Thus fermentation, a self-limiting process with a
relatively low energy yield, is one of their charac- teristics. They limit their activity in the conversion of matter, letting others take the
process to completion. Constructive metabolism is taken care of by plants in the soil and by intestinal bacteria in the human intestine,
in either case with the aid of light processes. It may be assumed that the attachment to dying processes seen in fungi means that
humans suffering from mycosis are confronted with increased levels of toxic decomposition products.
This behavior towards matter, with retardation of a whole digestive pro- cess in favor of part processes, concerns an aspect of fungal
pathology that has so far been given little attention. Fungi prevent the complete digestion necessary for the human organism.
Humans need to convert all matter into a form that is their own. "Anything taken in from outside (into the human organism, author)
must either merely be something that enables it to develop its own activity; or it has to act in such a way in the body that the foreign
acti- vity does not differ from one of the body's own inner activities once it has en- tered into the body."(46) Fungi not only remain
parasitic foreign bodies in man but also provide their host with a parasitic metabolism, at least in the intestine.
It has long been known that fungi grow more actively in sugar solutions. Vaginal mycosis thus develops quite often during pregnancy
with its tendency towards pre-diabetes. This still calls for more large-scale studies. It seems that one-sided excess of matter with
high-level sugar consumption favors fungal growth.
Ways of gaining insight into intestinal fungal gro,th in the light of the anthroposophical 'ie, of man
,ehavior of (8organi?ation and astral body
As one would expect, medical nomenclature tends to obscure the situation rather than clarify it. It is difficult to know if a fungus is
"just there" (com- mensal), on the borderline to being pathogenic ("mutualist"), takes away important nutrients ("parasite") or is
directly pathogenic by producing toxins or by means of invasive infection.
The basic process we find in humans with intestinal mycosis has to do with conditions Steiner described under the heading of
neurasthenia. Patho- logical processes may develop if the upper and lower activities in the human organization are not sufficiently in
accord with each other, with the upper not intervening adequately in the lower, and head processes staying among themselves.(48)
The digestion is weak as a result, unable to assimilate foreign food matter adequately. The individual's attention is too much on the
outside world, allowing foreign processes to enter to excess and meeting this with an excessive secondary reaction. These processes,
which one also sees with allergies, were described by Rudolf Steiner.(47)

Weakness of definition may also be due to the opposite condition, which is the kind of hypersensitivity one sees with hysteria.
48

Metabolism makes itself independent, and wounds may be caused. An example of the overweening metabolic activity described by
Steiner(48) would be candidal diaper rash of short duration when infants are teething. It generally ends when the teeth erupt.
.elationship to allergy
Allergies arise because foreign processes are not properly perceived. One often sees food allergies in conjunction with intestinal
mycosis. The intoler- ance often only shows itself with a careful elimination and re-exposition diet. The human being is not able to
register the foreign nature of the food nor the foreign fungal flora. In the author's experience people allergic to milk protein, hen's egg
white, almond and soya tend to attract Candida rather than other yeasts. These are often people with an overweening metabolism
who are more inclined towards hysterical disorders. People in whose stools Aspergillus has been detected will often show a
neurasthenic component and have cereal grain allergies.
Fungal infection might be seen as a barometer indicating that the I- organization is not intervening adequately in the organism.
Humans differ from animals in that foods must be thoroughly killed off and then built up again in a completely individual way.(50)
With both allergy and intestinal my- cosis we may assume that the origin lies in a neurasthenic constitution. Meta- bolic predominance
and hysterical wounding are then secondary phenom- ena. It seems likely that such foreign processes also appear temporarily in the
course of acute diseases that weaken the constitution as a whole.
It is possible that fungi with their foreign substance are in themselves an allergen. It may also be possible that their presence
"triggers" the actions of other allergens.
16
Some patients with neurodermatitis do not improve with diet and constitutional treatment
but only when their intestinal mycosis has been dealt with.
Fungal growth in the intestine has its own dynamics. The I or the I- organization cannot integrate them into its own growth principles.
The result is that an area in the organism which is not under control is occupied by other life forms with foreign activity. In connection
with the "bacillus theory", Steiner repeatedly said that it was the soil which mattered and not the bacillus. Fungi also work against the
I-organization in another respect. They produce alcohols from higher fatty acids. These not only cause destruc- tion and toxic effects
but also make people sleepy, weakening the human I- organization.
The activities of the I depend on warmth and light. Abnormal fat absorp- tion may cause too much or too little fat to enter the
organism. In the first case one gets pathological heat foci, in the second, malnutrition.(46) Post's thermog- raphy shows intestinal
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areas subject to mycotic changes to be colder, possibly because the fungi act against the warmth organization. This would be another
possible explanation of their negative effect on immune defenses.
Aspects relating to the treatment of intestinal mycosis
The main aim of treatment based on the anthroposophical view of the human being must be to give the I or I-organization and the
astral body better access to the lower human being and intestine. Actual treatment of the mycosis is of secondary importance. The
suggestions made below can, in the author's view, only be general. Treatment has to be individual to each patient. An attempt will
also be made to consider the treatments suggested in the literature and find the rationale for their actions in the light of
anthroposophical physiology.
6urythmy therapy
The main aim of this is to support the I-organization in its actions in the body. This calls for general treatment to promote health in
soul and spirit, to support the human being in his activity. Steiner had a great deal to say about the digestion, devoting the whole of
the 4th lecture in the eurythmy therapy course to it.(45) Eurythmy therapy is therefore the method that does most to strengthen the
I-organization, for it directly addresses the activity of the human individual.
4utrition
Many authors refer to the importance of the diet. The negative effect of refined sugar is stressed by all. This is understandable, for the
preparation of sugar is one of the central functions of the I-organization. Taking too much refined and processed sugar, one relieves
the I-organization of its function and thus weakens it. (55)
A special diet always addresses a person's will. Steiner thus also spoke of the helpfulness of a diet chosen of one's own free will and of
the way activity is reduced by a diet taken in a purely passive way.(48) Many of the diets sug- gested in the lay press unfortunately
ask people to follow the advice of others blindly. One also suspects that some have no proper foundation. Thus it is difficult to see
how a fungus can be "starved out". The opposite view, that a low-sugar diet to "starve it out" would give the fungus an extra appetite
for the intestinal wall, is equally difficult to understand. Many of the measures recommended in the literature weaken patients rather
than strengthening them. Special diets are always "asocial" and egotistical by nature, as Steiner made very clear.(48)
They should therefore only be of limited duration.
A sudden change to a wholegrain diet which is difficult to digest may also prove harmful. High proportions of roughage containing
cellulose may induce fermentation with negative consequences.
The foods we eat relate to some degree to our organs. Foods that influence the liver, such as artichoke, are therefore recommended.
A root diet with its mineral content strengthens the astral head powers in the upper human being, with the result that he no longer
has to be active in metabolism. Lactic fermentation products such as sauerkraut or yogurt strengthen the astral body.
Strengthening the (8organi?ation medically
Medicines based on quartz or silica serve this purpose. According to Steiner, "silica is the external correlate, outward directed activity
for the I-organi- zation" (47) or "the physical basis for the I-organization."(46) Treatment with Cichorium also comes under this
heading, for instance as Cichorium/ Pancreas comp. pilules (Wala).
Stibium supports delimiting processes in the intestine, also if the basic problem is an allergy, Antimonite 6x trit. (Weleda) being an
example. Kalium aceticum compositum dil. (Weleda) or Plumbum Ix/Stannum 14x trit. (Weleda) facilitates I-organization intervention
or its delimiting function. Finally all mercury preparations help the mercurial process in which the I- organization is active in the small
intestine. Respiratory function in the lower human being can be encouraged with an iron silicate preparation, e.g. nontronite 12x trit.
(Weleda). Treatment with roots containing pigments or extracts of these would also go in this direction - carrot juice, beetroot, aloes.
Phosphorus and sulfur based medicines to strengthen the lower abdomen
The relationship between phosphorous flowering processes and the lower abdominal organs was shown by Steiner. (48) All medicines
based on flowering plants have this effect, wormwood for example, with the flowering green part of the plant used (Absinthium Ix dil.,
Weleda). Treatment with Aloe (Ix dil., Weleda), Resina Laricis Ix dil. (Weleda), propolis extract, evening prim- rose oil (Epogam(R),
Gammocur

or similar), borage oil, garlic (Allium sativum Ix dil., Weleda) or onion (Allium cepa Ix dil., Weleda) or Myrrhinil intest, a
preparation based on chamomile flowers, birch charcoal and myrrh. Fern and bracken spores, e.g. in Digestodoron (Weleda) or
Aquilinum comp. pilules (Wala), have the sulfurous character of the spores as their active prin- ciple. Steiner referred to their action
as strengthening the catabolic principles in the digestive tract.(47)
The effect pigments have on the astral body is also an important aspect of diet - beetroot, carrots, roots, leaf vegetables. The
common aspect to this treatment is that the powers of light are enhanced in the intestine.(49)
Suggested treatments for intestinal mycosis thus resemble those for warts or worms, where the weakness of the astral body towards
external influences is increased. Thuja is also used for this.(48)
The phosphorus process exists also in the antimycotics used in conven- tional medicine. These contain either pigments such as
gentian violet with its surface action, or they may be regarded as pigments, azoles, for instance (micononazole, ketokonazole,
fluconazole), or may be chemically converted to pigments. Tonoftal is not a pigment but a high-energy substance. As their action is
purely physical, the effect often lasts only for as long as they are given. Etheric activity has to take over. If this does not happen, or
we do not aim to make it happen with treatment, the danger of resistance developing is great also with fungi,(9) though this was not
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considered possible in the past. Instead of giving chemical antimycotics one may also try relatively high vitamin C doses, 1/2 tsp
t.i.d., starting low and gradually going up to this. Sandthom77 (sea buckthorn) original or "low sugar" elixir (Weleda) have a similar
effect.
Insufflation of ozone into the intestine is another sulfurous type of treatment. About 200 ml are produced using a generator and
insufflated into the rectum using a syringe and catheter. The ozone is bound to break down pretty quickly at body temperature, and
its effect as a substance probably does not go beyond the sigmoid, yet convincing results have been seen in treating severe
neurodermatitis with Candida confirmed in the stools.
Sugars" bitters" tannins
Roots with their sugars, bitter principles and tannins directly stimulate I, astral body and physical body activity (GA 319). This
strengthens the totality of the upper human being's activity in the digestion. Instead of a pathological head-development in the lower
human beings, as in the case of malnutrition, one has penetration of the digestive functions. Examples are Gentiana lutea (Gentiana
lutea Rh 5% dil., Weleda, or Gentiana comp. pilules, Wala) or Geum urbanum Rh D3 dil. (Weleda).
In the author's experience there is a point to focusing on particular organs in treating different forms of intestinal mycosis. In his
experience, treatment with the emphasis on the liver is effective with Candida mycosis, giving Hepatodoron, Chelidonium, Taraxacum
or Cichorium, for example. Aspergillus mycosis appears to be more of a kidney problem, and Carbo Betulae or Equisetum may be
considered, possibly in form of Equisetum cum sulfure tostum 6x trit. (Weleda).
Pancreatic extracts or bitters to encourage secretion are also helpful, Pancreas Ix trit. (Weleda), for instance. Cichorium/Pancreas
comp. pilules (Wala) or Cichorium Rh 3x dil. (Weleda) may also be considered. Treatment with pancreatic enzymes may sometimes
serve the purpose, possibly in combination with bile acids, or also gastric acid substitution.
Antagonism between bacteria and fungi
Another approach to treatment involves substitution and promotion of the physiologic intestinal flora. Steiner spoke of antagonism
between bacteria and fungi in 1924.(49) A wide range of preparations is now available that con- tain Bifidum bacteria, lactobacilli,
Bacteroides or Bacterium subtilis. Though widely used, data are not really adequate in this field. Many preparations contain lactose or
milk protein, which has to be taken into account if there are allergies in this direction. Treatment has to be long-term, which means it
is more costly. If the choice of substitution is right, the method does, however, frequently prove effective.
Guided symbiosis is said to influence immune functions. Again it has to be continued for some time. One often starts with a
preliminary phase using metabolic products of E. coli (e.g. Pro Symbioflor, Colibiogen, Rephalysin or Hylak). The next phase is with
lactobacilli or coccal preparations (Symbioflor 1, Acidophilus, Eugalan, Paidoflor) to stimulate the acid-producing flora.
Thirdly one would try substitution with Coli bacteria to restore the milieu, e.g. with Symbioflor 2 or Mutaflor. Others recommend Coli
substitution only, to match the development of the first flora in the newbom. Some laboratories specialize in producing individual
symbiont preparations based on an analysis of the intestinal flora. These methods, too, are often effective but costly.
A principle Steiner mentioned in the Agriculture course(49) probably has not yet been systematically applied to clinical treatment for
humans. He suggested river or wetland meadows among the fields. "For if we manage to have not only woodlands (birds live above
all in softwood trees, mammals in shrubs and bushes, author) but also river or wetland meadows suitably close to the farm, these
meadows will prove particularly helpful to farming in that they provide a good soil for fungi. And one should see to it that the soil of
those meadows contains fungi. You will then make the strange discovery that where you have wetland meadows, meadows rich in
fungi... close to a farm, these fungi will because of their relationship to bacteria and other parasitic creatures keep such creatures
away from others. ... The right balance and placing of woodland, orchards, shrubs and bushes and wetland meadows with a certain
natural fungal culture is so much the essence of a good farming situation that one may even have to reduce the area utilizable for
agricultural purposes to some extent...".
/isplacement treatment using apathogenic yeasts
This has been used in a particular section of natural medicine in recent times. The yeast referred to as apathogenic which is generally
used is Saccharo- myces boulardii.(6, 13)

4osodes 8 out with the old
Finally nosodes or similar preparations are used to influence the retarded development aspect. As fungi are connected with the
ancient Moon stage of earth evolution,.(41) man must let go of that aspect and take his evolution forward. This may be the rationale
of Monilia albicans 30x pilules (Staufen) or Albicansan 5x dil./ Nigersan 5x dil. (Sanum Kehlbeck), for example.
Prospects
Candida infections are on the increase, above all in patients with immune deficits, in premature infants, and indeed with epiglottitis.
Fungi are also getting resistant to antimycotics, probably by selection of resistant strains after antimycotic treatment. (9)
Unfortunately the issue of an abnormal intestinal flora, e.g. "dysbacteria" or "overgrowth syndrome,(42) is mainly discussed by
physicians working with natural medicine. This should not be a matter for division between conventional and natural medicine but for
more intensive basic research. Koletzko and Baumler-Meri(22) are right in asking that the discussion should be more objective and
not emotive. This would also mean that patients' feelings of being unwell must be taken seriously.
)age K> of "=>
It may be justifiable to refer to psychopathologic phenomena in many instances.(11) But these only apply to a small proportion of
patients. If both physician and patient are realistic in their expectations, the risk of aggravat- ing any hysterical and depressive desire
to be sick, with "fungi in the intes- tines," is low. On the other hand there is no reason to put on airs and declare that this disorder
does not rank as a disease at all.
Modern medicine clearly is still only beginning to get somewhere with fungus research. The literature relating to industrial uses is
vast. But the last investigation of fungal infections in German swimming baths is more than 10 years old.(12) The simple treatment of
oral candidiasis is also less effective than is often thought.(19) Nor are people in the habit of giving much thought to the matter of
intestinal homeostasis, as may be seen from a paper by B. Koletzko, who denies the existence of problems due to the wrong bacterial
flora. Patients experience a lack of understanding, with the result that attempts at lay treatment are common. The modern school of
medicine must be challenged to pay attention to these syndromes and not deny their existence.
To date, then, Candida mycosis is not an accepted disease entity, and work has not gone beyond the description of individual cases.
The uncer- tainties that exist in relation to diagnosis and treatment have to be accepted. They make it possible for practitioners to
refuse to accept intestinal mycosis as a syndrome or to include it in their own critical review of potential treatments. Until firmer data
are available, the positive results of a treatment must be accepted "ex iuvantibus". It would not be the first time that new
perspectives have arisen in medicine by humbly taking note of existing uncertainties.
Karl-Reinhard Kummer, MD Posselstr. 7 D-76227 Karlsruhe Germany
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34. Ruppin H. Wechselwirkung von Motilitaet und Bakterien im Magen-Darm-Trakt. Zeitz M, Caspary WF, Bockemuehl J, Lyx G (eds)
Oekosystem Darm. Berlin: Springer 1993.
35. Savage DC. The Normal Human Microflora-Compsition. Grubb R, Midtvedt T, Norm E (eds) The Regulatory and Protective Role of
the Normal Microflora. New York: Stockton Press 1989.
36. Savolainen J, Lammintausta K, Kalimos K, Viander M. Candida albicans and atopic dermatitis, din 6- Exp Allergy 1993; 23: 332-9.
37. Schade C, Westphal HJ, Kaben U. Die Bedeutung des Sprosspiizvorkommens bei Patienten mit chronischer Urtikaria. Derm Mschr
1976; 162:156-8.
38. Schoeffler HH. Zur medizinischcn Menschenkunde Rudolf Steiners. Stuttgart: Freies Geistesleben 1981 (Original 1956).
39. Senf H, Bothe C, Busacker J, Reinel D. Studies on the Yeast Flora in Patients Suffering from Psoriasis Capitillii or Seborrhoeic
Dermatitis of the Scalp, mx/coses 1990; 33: 29-32.
40. Simonis WC. Heilpflanzen Bd 1. Schaffhausen: Novalis 1981.
41. Simonis WC. Die Niederen Heilpflanzen 2. Aufl. Stuttgart: Freies Geistesleben 1981.
42. Sonnenbom U, Greinwald R. Bezieliungen zwisclien Wirtsorganismen und Darmflora. 2. Aufol. Stuttgart: Schattauer 1991.
43. Steiner R. Anthroposophical Spiritual Science and Medical Therapy (GA 313). Rev. G. Karnow. Spring Valley: Mercury 1991.
44. Steiner R. Hygiene - A Social Problem. Domach 7 April 1920 (in GA 314). Tr. not known. In Anthroposophical Quarterly No. 3,
1927. Fundamentals of Anthroposopfiical Medicine (in GA 314). Stuttgart, 26, 27 (2 lectures) and 28 Oct. 1922. Tr. A. Wulsin. Spring
Valley NY: Mercury 1986. Three Lectures to Doctors (in GA 314). Domach, 31 Dec. 1923, 1 & 2 Jan. 1924. Tr. R. Mansell. Long Beach
CA: Rudolf Steiner Research Foundation 1990. Physiology and Therapeutics (in GA 314). Domach, 7,8 and 9 (2 lectures) Oct. 1920.
Tr. A. Wulsin, G. Karnow. Spring Valley NY: Mercury 1986. Steiner R. Medical Discussions (in GA 314). Domach, 21-23 April 1924. Tr.
not known. MS translation R92 in Rudolf Steiner House Library, London.
45. Steiner R. Curative Eurythmy (GA 315). Tr. K. Krohn. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1983.
46. Steiner R, Wegman I. Extending Practical Medicine (GA 27). Tr. A. Meuss. London: Rudolf Steiner Press 1996.
47. Steiner R. Principles of the Methods of Healing in Anthroposophical Therapy (in GA 319). Penmaenmawr, 28 Aug. 1923. Tr.
unknown. MS translation R 98, Rudolf Steiner House Library, London. Anthroposophische Menschenerkenntnis und Medizin (in GA
319). Den Haag, 15 & 16 Nov. 1923. Not tr. What can the Art of Healing Gain through Spiritual Science? (in GA 319). Amhem, 17, 21
& 24 July 1924. Tr. G. Kamow. Spring Valley: Mercury 1986.
)age KJ of "=>
48. Steiner R. Spiritual Science and Medicine (GA 312). Tr. not known. London: Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co. 1948.
49. Steiner R. Agriculture (GA 327). Tr. C.E. Creeger & M. Gardner. Kimberton PA:Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
1993.
50. Asref.47.
51. Stremmel W. Schlusswort zur Diskussion zu Wedding und Mirarb. Dt Aerztebl 1996; 93/19: 122 f.
52. Tannock GW. The Acquisition of the Normal Microflora of the Gastrointestinal Tract. In Gibson, 3-16.
53. Valdepena GH, Wald ER, Rose E, Ungkanont K, Casselbrant ML. Epiglottitis and Haemophilus influenzae immunization: the
Pittsburgh experience - a. Wedding U, Geiss HK, Theimann L, Stremmel W. Candia-Besidelung und Befall des Gastrointestinaltraktes.
Dt Aerztebl 1995; A 3470-8.
54. Wolff 0. Fundamentals of a biochemistry and a pathophysiology. Husemann F, Wolff 0 The Anthroposophical Approach to
Medicine. Tr. P. Luborsky, L, Davisson ed.. Spring Valley: Anthroposophic Press 1982.
l am grateful to G. Soldner and H. Kienefor their suggestions.
/onnections (etween +#in 2iseases and 6rgan 2ysfunctions

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By: Dr. med. 2lla 'elawry
!his paper first appeared in ,eitr." Heft JI'K"'JC+. !ranslated by H. Hurgen. A discussion of copper chloride crystalli?ation as an aid in diagnosis appears
in 2ercury8'K" available from 2ercury Press.
One of our projects in blood crystallization research in recent years has been the study of skin diseases. We set ourselves the task of investigating the
connection of skin diseases with organ dysfunctions through blood crystallization pictures. The impulse for this came from a number of medical
indications given in the anthroposophical literature. Work with these could begin after I discovered the forms corresponding to inner organs in
collaboration with Hans Kruger. These organ-characteristic forms enabled us to see organ-function disorders in the blood crystallization pictures. Most of
these are still unpublished.
Indications for the treatment of a large number of skin diseases would result if one could discover the organ-function disorders which cause individual
skin diseases or groups of diseases.
Over the last few years, about 200 patients with skin diseases were examined. Most of them had eczema and/or furunculosis. The phenomenological
pictures were extended by a case history, which placed the clinical picture in a time frame. A crystal picture complemented this with organi-characteristic
forms, and endocrinal gland forms, etc. An attempt was made to develop a therapy on the basis of this increasingly clear pathogenic picture.
Thus, a series of clinical pictures was put together in an attempt to work out a rationale for skin therapy. Some of our work will be described here to
stimulate and invite an exchange of experiences.
A large number of individual symptoms can appear in the protein structure of the skin. Some of them are ascribed to disorders in the ovary function,
others to thyroid dysfunctions, etc. But the causes of most skin diseases are unknown. An indication from anthroposophical medicine can help us to get
closer to a general understanding of the formation and disorders of protein from a new viewpoint. "The kidney-bladder system, liver system, lung
system, and heart system are the creators of the structure of human protein. Protein is the direct result of the cooperation of these four organic
systems."1 If these four organic systems are the creators of man's protein structure, their functional disorders will bring about disorders in protein
formation which can appear as various kinds of symptoms, and also as skin diseases. If we take this indication as a working hypothesis, we can study the
connections between particular skin diseases and the four protein-forming organs mentioned.
Such connections were found in a number of individual cases. They were observed in large numbers for the kidneys and the liver, and in fewer cases for
the lungs and heart.
Functional disorders in protein anabolism can arise through the four organic systems, but also if the foreign characteristics of ingested protein are not
stripped off sufficiently, by pancreatic digestion in particular, so that foreign effects are carried over into man's organism and lead to skin diseases, etc. 2
In the following we will mainly be talking about the connection of skin disease to disorders in the liver, kidney and pancreatic functions.
&9 ?i'er function disorders in s3in disease
A large number of skin diseases show marked liver function disorders in the blood-crystallization pictures. These diseases could be ameliorated or healed
through an appropriate liver therapy which was adapted to the overall condition of the patient. Several case histories are given as representative
examples of certain types of illness.
1. 2ycotic ec?ema of the fingers
May 18, 1947. Mrs. Lina B., aged 52, has been suffering for many years from a mycotic eczema between the fingers which is reminiscent of duck webs.
It gets visibly worse when she rinses or washes her hands:
)age KK of "=>
She is also depressed, indecisive, and restless. She is under the delusion that all the objects around her are wet, and that there is a lot of water
everywhere.
Therapy was begun with Phosphorus D6, 5 drops morning and noon. Hepatodoron was given for the general support of the liver action.4 This preliminary
treatment was carried out for four weeks, and it produced a slight improvement in her soul mood.
Alternate injections of Oxalis D6 and Meteoric iron D20 were then given. Oxalis was used to stimulate the fluidic organism of the liver.3 Meteoric iron was
given to activate the iron activity in the periphery, to counteract the protein activity.
This resulted in a general improvement. The water delusion and the depression disappeared. The hands also healed to a large extent.
Occasional relapses on washdays, etc., could be avoided with Quartz D30 injections: On January 5, 1949, Mrs. B. reported that her hands had been
smooth and free of eczema for six months.
+. Pyoderma and dry ec?ema
July 24, 1948. Ilse F., aged 45, has been suffering from a recurrent pyoderma for 17 years, especially on the calves. She was scrofulous as a child. And,
for the last 15 years, there have also been eczematous eruptions after excitement, especially around the eyes and ears, and these heal very slowly.
A crystallization test on August 30, 1948, indicated functional disorders in the liver and pancreas.
Treatment was begun with Stannum D8 trit. for the liver, and Pancreas D3 trit. to stimulate the pancreatic juices into divesting the ingested food of
foreign residual activities, as per 1undamentals of !herapy, chap. 9. Calendula essence compresses were applied at night, and Ungt. Stibii 0.1 % during
the day. The pyoderma disappeared completely after six weeks treatment. The stannum therapy was continued for a year, or rather for six weeks, and
then a 3-month pause, etc.
The patient had to come back to be treated for heart and circulatory disorders, but she could report that she was completely free of pyoderma and
eczema from January 1949 to March 1952.
F. -hronic" cracking ec?ema
On March 22, 1948, 67-year old Mrs. Vanny M. comes for treatment for an acute attack of chronic eczema, and rheumatic trouble and varicose veins.
Her arms are particularly affected.
A crystallization picture of March 1948, showed water-permeated crystal structures, which indicated existing metabolic disorders. The characteristic
forms of a disordered liver function were also present.
Quartz D30 injections produced a considerable improvement after the fourth injection, and further injections healed the eczema completely. Stibium
ointment 0.1 % was applied externally.
Further treatment with Dermatodoron for a number of months kept the eczema away, except for occasional slight cracks on the hands. These could be
eliminated with Quartz D30. The acute attacks of eczema, which had otherwise proceeded from the hands and spread over the entire body every few
months, were no longer observed.
The patient returned because of heart trouble but she had had no more eczema up to December, 1949.
We refer you to 1undamentals of !herapy, chap. 15, for the quartz indication. "If one has inflammatory conditions in the skin, the astral body and ego-
organization are unfolding an abnormal activity there. They no longer exert the influences which they ought to bring to bear on organs situated more
internally. They decrease the sensitivity of inner organs. Because of their reduced sensitiveness, the latter no longer carry out their proper functions. For
instance, abnormal conditions may arise in the liver function.
And, the digestion may be affected adversely. If we introduce silica into the body, the activities of the astral body and ego-organizations are set free
again, and a healing process begins."
The following indications explain the use of stibium.
1undamentals, chap. 20: "Antimony follows the formative forces in the human organism ... Antimony can ... carry the body's formative forces over into
the blood if a path is prepared for this by combination with sulfur . .. The antimonizing forces oppose the albumenizing forces which are working in from
outside and are continuously hindering coagulation ... One should keep in mind that the effect of antimony is quite different, depending on whether one
uses it internally or externally. Applied externally, it weakens the centrifugal forces of the astral body, which become manifest in eczema, for example.
Used internally, it counteracts the excessive centripetal forces which become manifest in typhoid fever, for example." -(bid., chap.16: "Since antimony
readily combines with sulfur, it can easily participate in protein's connection with etheric effects. It is therefore easy to bring into the activity in the
human body and it will assist the latter's etheric action if the body, through some pathological condition, is unable to transform a protein substance
brought in from outside, and make it a part of its own activity." -Degenaar: "If one completely covers eczema with antimony salve or bismuth salve, the
effect only lasts as long as the antimony or bismuth is there. Therefore, one has to leave it on until the reaction is so strong that the organism can take
care of further developments itself. Air should be completely excluded. Antimony has a radiating effect."
Stibium should be used therapeutically if one wants to support the inner structure of proteins. Stibium therapy has a wide range of application in skin
disease, internally, externally, and in injections.
Stibium treatment is effectively reinforced through combinations with sulfur, since this retards protein catabolism in the body (e.g., antimonite salve,
antimonite trit.).

!urunculosis and li'er function disorders
)age ",, of "=>
E. 1urunculosis and dry ec?ema
July 15, 1947. Rosa Sch., aged 46, has been suffering from a very itchy, dry eczema of the back, upper legs, and genitals for the last 2 years. It
becomes especially severe in the fall. Sometimes she has fever when large boils break out in the neck, and they harden and take extremely long to heal.
She has had chronic cholecystitis for years with occasional biliary colics.
Treatment of the liver with Hepatodoron, Stannum D8 trit. and Stannum D8 injections was begun. This cured the eczema in three weeks. These anti-
eczema medications continued to be given for some time. The patient remained free of eczema from February to August.
When a boil appeared again in August, it was obviously superficial and it healed relatively quickly.
A blood-crystal picture of November 2, 1949, still showed liver forms, indicating persisting liver function disorders. The liver treatment was continued.
The patient continued to remain free of eczema and boils by December, 1951.
C. 1urunculosis on the back and legs
Gertrud R., aged 13, comes for treatment in May, 1947. She has been suffering from furunculosis on the back and both legs for the last two years. Pre-
viously she had a cold in the lung apex.
The crystal picture showed a functional disorder in the pancreas and liver. Local treatment with Mercurialis ointment was given. Hepatodoron was given
for the liver. After three weeks, Pancreas D3 trit. was added. The boils thinned out and became pin-head sized and disappeared completely after about
six weeks treatment. The therapy was continued. Only a few pimples were observed around menses during the next four years.
D. 4eck boils
July 6, 1948. Irmgard K., aged 40, had icterus four years ago. Since then, she has been suffering from recurrent furunculosis, and liver-gallbladder
trouble. She has had a very red, walnut-sized boil on the neck below the ear for three days, and temperatures of 100 to 102F.
The crystal picture of July 9, 1948, showed coarse-rayed, water-permeated structures which can be observed in gallbladder function disorders.
Characteristic liver forms also appear regularly. The double clusters of pancreatic disorder forms could also be seen.
Treatment for the liver with hepatodoron, and of the boils with Erysidoron 2 internally, and Calendula essence and Mercurialis ointment externally, healed
everything in a few days. Treatment of the liver was continued for several months. During the time that I was in communication with the patient (until
May 1949), no further boils appeared, and the liver and gallbladder trouble had also stopped.
The following indications from 1undamentals" chaps 7 and 13, will help to explain the use of sulfur therapy in the form of Erysidoron 2. "Sulfur goes out
along metabolic paths to the periphery of the organism. It proves to be a substance which has an important part in the reception of protein substances
into the region of the human etheric body ... When used as a medicament, sulfur makes the physical activities of the organism more inclined to receive
etheric influences than they are in a pathological condition . . . . Sulfur has the characteristic of helping to stop the disintegration of protein. It holds the
organizing forces in the proteinaceous substance together."

&&9 S3in diseases ,ith 3idney function disorders
A number of skin diseases showed kidney function disorders in the blood-crystallization pictures. An appropriate therapy which was adapted to the
clinical picture had a beneficial effect, and some of the illnesses could be cured. The following cases give some typical examples:
B. -hronic furunculosis and ec?ema
On November 19, 1951, Dr. K. from S. reported that "Mrs. B, aged 25, from S., has had furunculosis her whole life long, and sometimes also eczema.
Because of the continuous eruptions of furunculosis, she has been unable to get a job anywhere. She had had x-rays, penicillin, chemotherapy and
everything else which is available in school medicine, but without success. The patient's hands look strikingly old and wrinkled. I feel sure that she has
severe organ function disorders." On November 22, 1951, the set of crystallization pictures No. 2998 "showed clear kidney forms on all four control
plates as a sign of functional disorder in the kidneys. Stomach, intestinal and pancreas forms were also visible. This is a general metabolic disorder which
is centered in the kidneys."
The epicrisis of April 25, 1952, states that "After one injection each of Equisetum D6 and Carbo betulae D30 per week for three weeks, there were only a
few small boils left, which were fairly harmless, compared with the previous ones. When dabbed with Calendula essence, most of these receded quickly.
But the most striking thing about the patient is that her wrinkled, senile hands now look considerably younger. Therefore, you were quite right when you
said that the kidney disorder was the most important factor."
Equisetum therapy stimulates both the excretory and the shaping functions for the kidneys, as indicated in Steiner's medical courses.5
The effect of Carbo bet. on the kidney system can be seen from lecture 11 of the 1920 medical course. "If we consider the part of us which is involved in
the catabolism of carbon substances, we arrive at the kidneys and excretory organs and other related organs above the kidneys. So that we approach
the renal process in the human being when we consider the process which is associated with carbon in extra-human nature ... If you succeed in
promoting and attenuating the entire renal process by administering higher potencies of carbo vegetabilis in cases where you have symptoms which can
otherwise be produced artificially through large doses of Carbo veg., you counteract the pathological process which is similar to the effects of Carbo veg.
Thus, it would be important to discover how the entire renal process reacts to potentized carbo veg. The renal process can work in such a way that it
gives a counter-image to the digestive process."
L. 2ultiple warts with a dysfunction in the liver and kidneys
)age "," of "=>
On November 4, 1951, Dr. W. in D. reports that "Mr. J. B., aged 20, student, has been suffering from large warts on both hands, arms, elbows, neck and
lips for three years. A dermatologist advises X-rays, but I would like to prevent this. I think that a crystallization picture might show a connection with
some organ."
The No. 3203 crystal pictures of April 16, 1951 show the characteristic, hollow, asymmetric, liver forms. These indicate the existence of liver function
disorders. One can also see forms which indicate kidney function disorders.
The epicrisis of the physician in charge on August 8, 1951, states: "Regarding the crystallization test of April 16 on JB 3203, I can report that after
several months of Hepatodoron pills and alternate Equisetum D3 and D6, there is only one wart left on the middle of the left hand. That is quite an
improvement from several hundred warts on the arms, neck, and face, some of which were very large."
J. :enerali?ed weeping ec?ema
October 15, 1964. Theresia K., aged 54, has had a severe case of itchy eczema over the whole body for several months. The skin is rough, cracked,
swollen, and very red, with patches of weeping eczema.
At present, she has digestive trouble and gastritis, with occasional vomiting.
The crystallization picture indicates kidney function disorders and gastro-intestinal dysfunctions.
Cuprum sulf. D4 trit., equisetum baths and equisetum tea were prescribed to stimulate the renal action. Oleum stibii D3 was applied externally. The
eruption receded noticeably.
The eczema was completely healed in three months, and the stomach and intestinal action were back to normal. No relapses were observed over the
next year.
'K. Weeping ec?ema on the arms and a general purulent tendency
December 19, 1947. Frieda St., aged 16, had never been sick. But for the last year, she has noticed that every little injury suppurates for a long time
and is difficult to heal. She has had weeping eczema on the arms and hands, and especially on the palms for about six months, which has resisted
medical treatment. The girl is large and stocky, and definitely a metabolic type.
The crystal picture indicates kidney function disorders.
Argentum D6 praep. was given as therapy. Argentum oint. 0.1% was applied externally. The eczema receded after a month. A few new eruptions
appeared later, but they disappeared through the use of Argentum D6 trit. and equisetum tea.
Everything was healed by January 28, 1948, and she remained completely healthy for the next six months. All wounds healed rapidly, and no more
suppurations appeared.
The indication for silver therapy came from the 8th lecture of Spiritual Science and 2edicine.6 "We might also be dealing with the actual radiation
process which is present in the human organism in many ways. It is present in everything which is radiating in an outward direction through the skins.
This process is also present in everything in man which is active in a urine-creating and evacuating way. Just as the outside turns inwards in gastrulation,
so in this radiation we have to do with something which can work in an outer direction through the skin or in an inner direction just as well. Here we have
to do with something which is a polar opposite, and is similar at the same time. And one has to counteract this by calling forth the opposite radiation,
which works in silver, for example. One should realize that silver should be used as a salve to meet the radiation which becomes manifest through the
skin, and that it should be injected when it is a question of the other activity which follows the direction which voiding activities go in."
Prospects and re>uest for an e.change of e.periences
This study was intended to be a beginning for a mutual exchange of experiences in the field of skin disease, which has already been going on privately
with a few colleagues for some time: A number of case histories which could lead one further therapeutically have already been collected. The present
study only discusses some of these.
The questions which have been raised about the connection between organ function disorders and skin disease have already led to fruitful results. A
number of patients with chronic skin disease could be helped or healed through the appropriate organ therapy after the existing organ function disorders
were diagnosed. It will require much work by many colleagues to arrive at greater precision in correlating organ function disorders with particular skin
diseases, and also to work out suitable therapies.
We will list a number of points here in hopes of stimulating further study.
1. If a skin disease begins at a particular time, such as in infancy, puberty, or at the climacteric, it sometimes indicates a dysfunction in particular
organs. The same may apply if the skin disease begins after inoculations, recuperations from other diseases and emotional problems, or after eating
certain foods, or taking certain medications.
2. There may be a connection between the preferred time of year for the beginning or intensification of skin disease and the anabolic or catabolic action
of the corresponding organs.
3. The fact that the illness is acute or chronic, or rhythmically recurrent, may indicate a connection with cosmic events.
4. The fact that the eczema is dry, flaky, hardened, or wet and purulent can give an indication of the kind of metabolic disorder that is present, like those
of the liver or kidneys.
5. One should pay attention to the specific spots where the skin is affected. For example, one could investigate whether liver eczemas prefer different
places from kidney eczemas. Observations made in individual cases make us suspect that certain regions of the skin surface have a connection with
particular inner organ regions (over and above Head's zones) and that diseases which appear in these regions indicate particular organ disorders.
)age ",+ of "=>
The field of skin disease gives one a good opportunity to criticize one's own diagnoses and therapies because every change and every improvement
appears right before one's eyes. This should be reason enough to use this field as a training for intimate observation and creative therapy. My profes-
sional colleagues in this field must have had many experiences which could be used to elaborate and clarify the points mentioned. Further collaboration
on these diseases should eventually lead to the development of a rational therapy of skin disorders.
(i%liography7
1. Rudolf Steiner, Spiritual Science and 2edicine, 20 lectures, 1920.
2. Rudolf Steiner/Ita Wegman, 1undamentals of !herapy, 1924, Rudolf Steiner Press.
3. Ibid.
4. Wilhelm Pelikan, @ber das Hepatodoron.
5. Rudolf Steiner, 1undamentals of Anthroposophical 2edicine, 1922, Mercury Press.
6. Rudolf Steiner, !herapeutics ,ased on Anthroposophical Spiritual Science, 9 lectures, 1921, Mercury Press, in preparation.
/oncerning 5ew *+ynthetic* 3ineral 7emedies" &ccording to Indications by 7udolf +teiner

QQ bac*
By: 0alther /loos
Rudolf Steiner indicated a new way of preparing medications at the end of a medical conference in Stuttgart in October 1922 which, in our opinion, is of
fundamental importance. At the end of the fourth lecture he said: "If, for instance, we prepare the leaf of urtica dioica, the ordinary stinging nettle, in the
right way, we have a remedy composed of sulfur, iron, and certain salts. But we must really know how to relate the devitalizing force that is present in
the plant to the vitalizing force that is present in the human organism. In the root of urtica dioica the whole sulfur process is tending gradually to the
inorganic. The human organism takes the opposite course and transforms the sulfur by way of the protein in such a way that it gradually brings the
digestion into order. The iron in urtica dioica works from the leaves in such a way that in the seed (and thereby in next year's leaves) this plant shatters
the very thing that brings together the rhythmic process in the human organism-the process in the stinging nettle is the opposite. In fact, the stinging
power of the nettle leaves is this destructive process that must be overcome if the rhythmic process of the human organism is to be regulated. Again, the
alkaline salt content of the plant is least of all transformed into inorganic matter. Therefore it has the longest way to go, going right up to the nerve-
sense organization; it goes up quite easily because, with the complex of symptoms we are now considering, we know that the kidney activity is asleep, is
suppressed. In the human organism we actually have the opposite of what is expressing itself outwardly in the formation of the plants.
But there is no need to confine ourselves merely to plant remedies; synthetic remedies may also be prepared and cures affected by combining in a
suitable dosage the substances I have characterized. . ." (1undamentals of Anthroposophical 2edicine, p. 81-82, Mercury Press 1986, in German in GA
314.) On p. 85, he goes on to say: "Let me assure you once again that there is no question here of a wasteful and amateurish abuse of modern scientific
methods. Instead we are giving guidelines that will lead to more tangible results than pure experimentation. I am not by any means saying that such
pure experimentation cannot also be fruitful. It does indeed lead to certain goals, but with this method a great deal passes us by completely, especially
many things we can learn by observing nature. Although it is fine to produce synthetically a preparation composed of iron, sulfur, and alkali, it is good to
know how. In a particular plant, all these substances are synthetically brought together in a certain way by nature herself. Even in the production of
synthetic remedies we can learn a great deal by understanding what is going on outside in nature ......
About a year later he discussed this idea at greater length in his first lecture to doctors at The Hague on November 15, 1923 (GA 319): "We direct our
gaze away from man and onto outer nature. We decide to study the particular nature of e)uisetum arvense. If we study this equisetum so that we attach
less importance to the substances it consists of and more to the process which lives in it, then we arrive at the following. Because materialistically-
oriented thinking has taken hold of everything today, it is customary to say of anything organic that it consists of so and so much protein, fats, and car-
bohydrates, etc. We look at what external chemistry has to say about the individual constituents of a substance and in this way we arrive at the so-called
elements, although things have changed somewhat in this respect. But, that is not the important thing in what we are looking at here. What interests us
with equisetum is that when we analyze it and separate its functions, silica is the main component in what is left over. That has to be in there so strongly
that it predominates; that is, it should still assert its silica function in equisetum. One does not identify the substance itself in the analyzing process, but
one discovers the significance which the substance has, and one has to know this.
Equisetum is a plant, so we do not find an astral body in it, but it has a physical body and an etheric body. When we study e)uisetum arvense we see
that silica plays a special role in it, although, of course, there are other plants which contain silica. We also discover that certain sulfur salts or sulfates
are important, and in the end we see that the most important components in equisetum which still assert their nature and essence are silica,-not the
substance, but the silica function-and the sulfur function. And now we discover something very strange. If we are in the position of being able to
perceive with spiritually developed forces the special kind of connection which sulfate salts have with silica, or SiO2, we discover that a process or a
functional connection exists which we now bring into the human organism internally-although for other processes one does not need the oral route-
through baths, or by injection. We will have to consider the significance of these individual methods later. We can bring equisetum into the human or-
ganism in a certain way, but it is better not to use equisetum itself, and this is the important thing about our preparation of remedies, because visible ef-
fects are there with the plant but they are not as lasting. If we study the functional connection between silica and sulfur and then try to imitate it in a
preparation, then by translating what can be studied in equisetum into the more-or-less inorganic preparation, we can produce stronger effects on the
human organism than the ones obtained when one uses the mere plant as a tea or the like. This is the important thing in the preparation of our
remedies.
If I now bring the functional connection between sulfur and silica into the human organism in the right way, then simply through the particular quality of
this functional connection the following occurs, namely, the human astral body in the kidney is relieved of a process which it has to carry out during the
illness. If I bring the functioning of sulfur and silica in e)uisetum arvense into the kidney, I relieve it of doing what the human astral body otherwise has
to do on the deformed kidney-using 'deformed' in the widest sense. I let the pathological process be carried out by something I have brought into the
body."
)age ",1 of "=>
A little later in the same lecture, he suggests that a similar preparation can be made on the model of pimpinella anisum: "In this way pathology and
therapy, which otherwise stand completely apart from each other and which can only be brought together purely empirically, are transformed into an
absolute unity. After one recognizes the nature of the pathological process, one turns to outer nature and finds that, for example, a particular kidney
process is imitated in e)uisetum arvense; or if in certain forms of illness one discovers that the bile-secreting process in the liver is such that we can find
this pathological form of the bile-secreting process in cichorium intybus, for example, then through the way in which cichorium intybus functions, we are
in a position to relieve the astral body and the liver of what it otherwise has to do in the bile-secreting process. Thus, we make progress in healing in the
sense that pathology really becomes the same thing as therapy. Thereby, therapy becomes a really rational science. If, for example, one knows about
the wonderful connection which exists between iron and certain mucilage-components and the salts in pimpinella anisum, one realizes that there is
something functioning in anise seeds which is identical with certain hyper-inflammatory pathological processes in the blood. We can relieve the blood of
this pathological process if we use a preparation which imitates the connection between certain plant mucilage substances and the iron in anise. Then we
not only liberate the astral body, but also the I-organization which is involved wherever blood diseases are present."
So much for R. Steiner's fundamental remarks about these new possibilities.
It would be easy here to object that it is useless to imitate the actual substances of a plant artificially since such a preparation will never be able to
replace the effects of natural substances and their proportions. However, the preceding shows that R. Steiner was not interested in replacing the
compositions of natural substances but in displacing the process of plant-substance formation into the inorganic realm with the aim of achieving stronger
and longer-lasting effects.
We know that we appeal to the I-organization with the use of mineral, inorganic substances and to the astral organization with the use of plant
substances, and to the etheric organization with the use of animal substances.
Therefore, if we succeed in imitating the mineral composition of the substances in a plant in a more or less mineral preparation, we have a possibility of
bringing effects which otherwise only reach up to the astral organization up to the activity of the I-organization. These are the effects which R. Steiner
called stronger and longer-lasting.
In this connection one should also remember that elsewhere R. Steiner points out that the use of mineral substances is something significant, and
something which honors man in a way, since it places greater demands on the counter-forces which the human organization has to bring forth in order to
process and assimilate the foreign mineral substances.
Through this way of looking at things, the concept of synthesis acquires a completely new content. Synthesis becomes rational again, since it does not
just orient itself by the properties of dead substances, but it gets its guidelines from what goes on in the living plant.
It should be noted here that preparations like Scleron" ,idor and =alium aceticum cum Stibio" among others, should definitely be looked upon as syn-
thetic preparations. However, the guidelines for their preparation do not come from the plant world but are obtained from the human organization. Since
the human being with his I-organization towers above the three nature kingdoms, and since he modifies these three kingdoms in himself with his I-
organization, it must be possible for the human being to get diseases which have no equivalent in the three nature kingdoms. There must be diseases for
which we can find no remedies in the kingdoms of nature. We have to prepare synthetic remedies for these from different substances in the nature
kingdoms and get our guidelines for this from man himself.
As an example of these methods inaugurated by R. Steiner for the production of synthetic, mineral remedies based on plant models, we would like to
describe our procedure with e)uisetum arvense.
Analogous preparations have been made for urtica dioica under the name of Solutio ferri comp., and for chamomilla e rad. under the name of Solutio
sacchari comp.
Since 1940 we have been following up the suggestion of R. Steiner-mentioned at the beginning-to imitate the existing functional connection between
silica and sulfate salts in equisetum in an inorganic preparation.
We first tried to find this functional connection between the two substances.
The deliberations and studies which led to an understanding of the functional connection, and at the same time gave the foundation for its experimental
realization in an inorganic preparation, will be discussed in the following:
First of all, it was necessary to make a very exact analysis of the normal equisetum plant in order to acquire a real basis for gaining a correct picture.
These analyses were not done by examining the ash but by systematically dismantling the plant materials. First, we extracted with ether and acetone,
then with alcohol, and finally with water. We found that about half of all the plant's mineral substances go into solution in the aqueous extraction. These
are almost entirely sulfate salts and also magnesium oxide and alumina as organic salts, and about 10% of the total silica as soluble, colloidal silica.
Only remnants of insoluble silica and traces of sulfates-which were obviously held fast by the silica-were found in the extracted residues after
destruction of the organic substance by chemical means or by burning.
It was assumed that the soluble mineral substances which the analysis brought to light were connected with the plant's living streams of substance.
These are the only ones which can be of importance in the preparation and use of equisetum, and also in its synthetic imitation.
The ratio of silica to sulfates is about 1:10. The sulfur occurs mainly as potassium, sodium, and calcium sulfates.
The discovery that part of the silica in the equisetum occurs as soluble, colloidal silica was an important clue for understanding the so-called functional
connection.
Horsetail is a flowerless plant and the fructification process is restricted to completely separate spore-bearing stalks in the spring.
The plant is really nothing but stem in all of its parts, and as such it could keep on growing more sections all the way up to the sky, since there is no
retarding flower impulse to hold back the purely vegetative growth.
So why is it that the little horsetail tree does not grow up into the heavens? It is because the flowering principle is present, but it slides completely into
the plant-forming process without producing flowers.
It becomes manifest in two different ways, namely, in the plant's tendency to form stars, and in the formation of metal sulfates. Whereas the flowering
impulse dipping into plants like cruciferae, mints, and umbelliferae forms sulfurous, ethereal oils, the horsetail condenses the sulfurial element into metal
sulfate salts.
)age ",= of "=>
And the question is: how does the horsetail do this? For this, one has to look at its other important component: silica. The plant is completely encrusted
with silica inside and out. If one carefully burns an equisetum plant to white ash, some of its parts retain their shape, and one can extract these parts
with acid to remove the carbonates. And even after this, the original structure of the horsetail can still be clearly seen. This is a phenomenon which we
usually only see in the carbon of other plants. Thus, unlike other plants, the horsetail's skeleton not only consists of carbon, but its shape is determined
by insoluble, mineral silica deposits.
The soluble silica which we found through the analysis can be looked upon as a remnant of the silica stream which runs through the plant from top to
bottom. Analyses revealed that this soluble silica is also combined with alkali in the living plant.
This stream of soluble silicates, which runs through the plant from bottom to top, continually runs into the sulfurous flowering process which dives down
into the plant from above.
In the meeting of these two streams of substances, we have the living functional connection between silica and sulfate salts.
The sulfurous flowering impulse which takes hold of the plant from above is gradually condensed to the sulfate stage, and this breaks down the silicates
which the plant absorbs from its root region. Sulfate salts form and become concentrated in the plant's stream of juices or deposit as gypsum (hydrous
calcium sulfate), and at the same time, free silica forms and is exuded and becomes an incrustation on the outside.
After the investigation of the medicinal, leafy form of the equisetum plant was complete, and we had an idea of how to make an imitation, we had an
opportunity to also make an exact analysis of the spore-bearing, leafless, spring shoots.
The result of this analysis confirmed our deliberations about the functional connection between silica and sulfates in the standard equisetum medication.
We discovered that the total silica content of the spore-bearing stem is 0.5-0.7% lower than for the medication, whereas the content of soluble silica is
three times as high as in the medication. The content of sulfate salts is 0.8-1.2% lower than in the leafy horsetail.
The vernal spore-bearing shoot has no star-shaped branches. It is a greenish-brown stalk which grows almost as fast as a mushroom, and it is encrusted
with much less silica substance. It bears the spore capsules at its tip.
The sulfurous flowering process intervenes much less in the overall growing process. For this reason the silica stream, which is the supporter of the rapid
growth of the spore-bearing shoot, is "salted out" much less than is the case for the leafy equisetum shoots.
The sulfurous flowering process exhausts itself in the spore formation and is not able to salt out the silica stream to the same extent. That is why the
content of soluble silica is considerably higher and the sulfate content is lower in the horsetail's spore-bearing shoot.
The results of our investigations led to an experimental procedure which enabled us to introduce the intervention of the sulfur process in the silica
stream, the salting-out process, and the formation of soluble silica and sulfates in a step-by-step manner so that one can speak of an imitation of organic
processes in an inorganic process.
None of the usual trade-name chemicals were used in the manufacture of this and other synthetic preparations, but only raw materials which were either
taken directly from nature or were modified by our own methods.
The result of the experiment is a solution which contains colloidally dissolved silica and the characteristic sulfates of horsetail in approximately the right
natural proportions.
Through a very exact harmonization of the processes, and by carefully watching the neutralization points and temperatures, etc., it is possible to produce
an equilibrium between sulfate salts and colloidal silica so that the former do not precipitate the latter.
The finished preparation shows a sensitivity to temperature which is reminiscent of the behavior of fresh plant juices, because heating it over 80C.
precipitates out all of the silica.
The preparation gained in this way bears the name Solutio siliceae comp.
As we already mentioned, other preparations of this kind have also been made, namely, Solutio ferri comp. (for urtica dioica) and Solutio sacchari comp.
(for chamomile root).
Solutio siliceae comp. and Solutio ferri comp. have already been used in medicine for about ten years (in 1951), although they were not too well known
during the war years and for some time thereafter.
My doctor friends have reported that the new preparations have proven to be successful in the direction of R. Steiner's indications, and they have a
stronger and longer-lasting effect than plant preparations, and they also emphasized that there were distinct and positive psychological effects as well.
We would also like to mention that no ethanol was used in making the preparations, and that ampules for injection are completely free of alcohol,
although dilute ethanol is used to preserve dilutions for oral use.
$!ranslated by Harold Hurgens from 2itteilungen der Weleda A.:." 4o.F" Sept 'JC'.%
&nthroposophic 3edicineAs Ta#e on &22B&2H2: &n Interview with &dam (lanning" 32

QQ bac*
By: Tracy 'tevens interviews 2dam Blanning, MD
)age ",G of "=>
The childKs "od$ is "uilt, refined and i!proved "$ e<perienceMnot "$ &atching e<periences, "ut "$ doing e<periences. Cirtual realities
do not count.
+efined sugars and flours are li'e e<periencing things through &atching the! on TCMthe$ are ;uic' and donKt ta'e !uch actual
initiative on $our part, "ut the$ are not good ph$sical nutrition, =ust li'e virtual realities are not good develop!ental nutrition.
%r. &lanning, first, please e"plain what is anthroposophic medicine.
2nthroposophic medicine is a holistic and human%centered approach to medicine. (t is practiced by physicians who have done a
conventional medical training, but expand conventional scientific views by incorporating an understanding of the laws of the living
organism, and the emotional and spiritual aspects of the human being. (nstead of trying to define illness into particular categories and to
standardi.e treatment for a given disease, anthroposophic medicine strives to recogni.e the uni$ue aspects of an individual personSs
constitution and biographical path.
'hat kind of health issues do you treat(
2 broad range of acute and chronic illnesses, in both children and adults. My training is in family medicine, which ( taught for several
years at the Lniversity of /olorado and Bew #or* Medical /ollege. But now my practice is focused on areas where there are holes in
traditional medical treatments. ( see a lot of children with developmental, learning, or behavioral concernsF children and adults with
digestive problems and allergiesF people struggling with depression, fear, anxietyF and people stuc* in chronic illnesses. The common
thread is the sense that a process is out of balance. That imbalance may or may not manifest in symptoms or abnormalities that can be
measured on blood tests or other diagnostic studies. 'ometimes a personSs illness simply cannot be explained with blood tests or x%
rays, or it only meets four out of five of the standard criteria of any illness. Then a person may not actually meet the definition of an
illness, but he or she is clearly not well. This is where an understanding of process is very helpful.
)ow does anthroposophic medicine view the sub*ect of +%%,+%)%(
The first step is to gain some freedom from the definition of 2DDD 2DAD, because ( do not find it to be therapeutically useful. (t is a
description of the problematic behavior, but it does not necessarily guide you in any healthy directions for solving the problem. ;et me
get more specificOa very important polarity in Wattention deficitX behaviors is the difference between inattention 3not noticing what the
teacher is saying because you are absorbed in your own thoughts, or are unaware of your environment7 and distraction 3not noticing
what the teacher is saying because you are absorbed in what your neighbor is doing and you are too aware of your immediate
environment7. Both can result in the same *ind of learning issuesOnot ta*ing in what the teacher is sayingObut the two different
behaviors are happening for completely different reasons.
:ne child, whom ( will call Winattentive,X may be having trouble connecting with his or her environment, and is probably slow to wa*e
O often called dreamy. This child is generally more closed off from the world, still 3without movement7 in his body, with more activity
happening in his head than in his limbs. This *ind of child usually does not have the hyperactivity component 32DD7.
2 second child, whom we could call Winattentive,X immediately overflows into his environment. This child is in many ways at the
mercy of the environment and is too wa*eful, and totally absorbed by the neighborSs eraser, and how their own shoe fits, and a million
other things that are going on. This child usually wa*es $uic*ly and is always exploring the environment with his limbs
OWhyperactivity.X :f course both polarities are seen in both boys and girls.
)ow do you work with this problem(
2s a starting point, ( generally do not prescribe stimulants li*e &italin. 'timulants can be helpful for getting a child more focused, but
they do not help teach the child how to be more focused. (n fact, when the medication is stopped, the same problems are usually still
present, but now the child 3or young adult7 is @ust older. 'timulants are a temporary measure, but they do not lead to a lasting
improvement.
The approach that ( use is one of loo*ing at the behaviors or impressions that happen @ust before a child loses interest or contact with
the focused activity. 2ll of us have inclinationsOto be dreamy, to always be playing with something in our hands, to be strongly
influenced by low blood sugar, or to regularly move around. Those same inclinations are also reflected in how we sleepOdo we wa*e
$uic*ly or slowlyC is it easy or difficult to release from the impressions of the day when falling asleepC (t is also important to observe
how we eat and how we digestOwe commonly wor* with our food diet in the same way that we wor* with the Wsensory dietX of the
world around us. (f these patterns are true, then they are consistent and point towards a specific therapy. (t can be surprising that when
someone comes to see me for a behavioral or learning problem, ( as* many $uestions about health history, digestion, sleep, habits,
illness patterns and relatively less about the behavior. 0hen someone is coming with a digestive problem ( as* a lot about how that
person notices and interacts with the world around them, and less about the actual digestive issue. The goal is really to gain a holistic
understanding of each personSs situation and Wconstitution.X
( very regularly use natural or homeopathic medicines for a WconstitutionalX treatment, one that balances these strong inclinations. :n
occasion ( also refer to different *inds of movement therapists or special educators. The wor* with the constitutional remedies is done
over several months to a year, but there are often very good changes, with the eventual goal being that the child needs no medicine or
treatment at all. 0or*ing on a constitutional level can also be helpful when wor*ing with imbalances or challenges on multiple levels,
such as sleep, behavior, and illness patterns.
)age ",> of "=>
'hy does +%%,+%)% seem to be so much on the rise(
0e have somehow gotten into thin*ing that a growing child is a small% si.ed adult who simply needs to grow larger and then have a
bul* of *nowledge%content poured in. But a childSs life is actually much more dynamic than that. ( donSt thin* that any child is born
with perfect integration of their thoughts, senses and will impulses. These processes are always dis@ointed, and they have to be
integrated. This integration happens through wor*Othe wor* of physical activity, of imitation, of social interaction. '*ipping over this
integrative process by stressing early intellectual activity and computers is damaging, and it is certainly as*ing for problems down the
road. The childSs body is built, refined and improved by experienceOnot by watching experiences, but by doing experiences. 5irtual
realities do not count. :n many levels we are robbing children of those opportunities. Then in grade school, we suddenly expect
children to be well%integrated in their bodies, and in their senses and get upset when they still want to move or wiggle. Many of the
behaviors identified as 2DDD2DAD are attempts by the child to better integrate or orient themselves in their senses and in their limbs.
0e would not label a toddler 2DAD, because all toddlers are by definition 2DAD. (n many circumstances the Wattention deficitX child
is trying to complete his or her integrative process at an older age because it has not been completed earlier on.
-f schools were better at ad*usting to the student than re.uiring the student to fit into the school/s frame work, there would probably
be a lot less +%%,+%)% diagnoses. $an you comment on that( )ow can schools do a better *ob of helping kids succeed *ust as they
are(
/ertainly schools that appreciate the importance of this early integration process are more properly matching the childSs own
development. The 0aldorf schools do this beautifully. Lsing stimulant medications or simply trying to s$uelch these behaviors does of
course ma*e it easier to function in the classroom, but it does not answer the $uestion of what is the child trying to achieve with these
behaviors. (t is rare that a child is acting out @ust to be belligerentOusually it is an expression of some hole that has not been wor*ed
through in the childSs development.
)ow can parents help with issues of attention, impulse control, and behavior(
8ive your child opportunities to do experiences, not watch experiences. That is the great danger with so much media available to
childrenOmovies, T5, internetOwhich are indeed all virtual realities. They may seem entertaining for the senses, but they are really
depriving a child of much%needed opportunities for this developmental integration. 2lso feed them a diet that does not contain highly
processed foods. &efined sugars and flours are li*e experiencing things through watching them on T5Othey are $uic* and donSt ta*e
much actual initiative on your part, but they are not good physical nutrition, @ust li*e virtual realities are not good developmental
nutrition.
%o nutrition, the arts, nature, and movement play any role in the improvement of these conditions(
#es, exactly, you are getting the idea. The more a child can be given real experiences 3running, climbing, singing, imitating, digging,
planting, chewing7 the greater the gift you are giving them for healthy development. 0hat is strange is that a child will naturally do all
of these things, and children have done them for millennia before we as a society started introducing so many abstractions and
replacements. #ou canSt @ust s*ip over childhoodOit is a process that has to be done. (f we are patient, and allow small children to be
small children and complete their integrative developmental tas*s, then we will see fewer of these behavioral and educational
challenges down the road.
Tracy 'tevens blogs about her life as a homeschooling mom at www.abettereducation.blogspot.com. ?or more information on
anthroposophic medicine and Dr. 2dam Blanning, visit www.dcatherapies.org.
2ttention Deficit Disorder with and without Ayperactivity

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By: 8eorg 'oldner, A. Michael 'tellmann
Der Merkurstab | 57. Jahrgang | 2004 | Heft 1
Translation by Peter Luborsky
- Abstract
The terms "attention disorder and "hyperactivity are applicable not only to certain children but also to the social context of Western
industrialized societies. Individual behavior problems are coupled with individual gifts and creative potentials-a fact which must not
be overlooked in diagnosis or treatment. The article provides a differentiated discussion of the therapeutic options offered by
anthroposophical medicine and homeopathy in general and of their remedies in particular. These offer an effective curatively-oriented
alternative to the use of stimulants (e.g. Ritalin), which are of dubious clinical value as they are purely symptomatic.
)age ",H of "=>
- Keywords
Attention deficit disorder
Hyperactivity
ADHD
ADD
Anthroposophical medicine
Rhythmic system
Anthroposophical remedies
Therapeutic eurythmy
Homeopathy
Craniosacral therapy
Stimulants
We make a thorough, highly detailed biographical anamnesis and family anamnesis and from the start we place particular emphasis
on describing not just the weaknesses, but also-in fact, primarily-the strengths of the child. - H. Khler (1)
What is an attention disorder? The English term "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) has supplanted the term
"hyperkinetic disorder" (2, 3).1 Its leading symptoms are:
- inattention and increased distractibility (= ADD),
- impulsivity, with poor inhibition capacity in the mental and
behavioral spheres, and also (optionally)
- intense urge to move: motor hyperactivity (= ADHD)
The nature of the disorder from which these children suffer is expressed more clearly by the English language than it is in German:
"These symptoms"-see above-"are pervasive and interfere with the individuals ability to function under normal circumstances" (4).
"Pervasive" indicates a behavioral disorder that is "dominant and manifests in different situations. "Normal circumstances refers to
"settings typical of societies with a "Western life style_family (nuclear), kindergarden and school. What it means to "function in
circumstances that adults would consider "normal today is clearly expressed by child psychiatrists Schmidt, Meusers and Momsen in
their work on ADHD: "The hyperkinetic disorder is primarily a disorder of impulse control. Before carrying out an action, we all
normally consider if it sensible, appropriate or right, while these patients_they are referring to children_have the problem that the
will shoots through before reflection and leads to an action that may later be regretted or lead to an unpleasant result (5).
What is presented here as the "normal relationship of thinking to acting reflects exactly the reigning paradigm of thought and
behavior in technologically advanced Western societies. However it fails to take into account the evolution of a childs consciousness
and action. It also fails to acknowledge the existence of an artistic, creative type of thinking characterized by an intense openness to
everything that is new and arises in the moment. As artists or inventors, human beings can free themselves from the calculated
certainty of rationally determined action (theirs could rightly be called a "risk-taking style of thinking and behavior).
It must be pointed out, however, that the leisure-time and parenting behavior of adults tends not to fit the criteria posited above.
One need only think of adult behavior in regard to food, alcohol and tobacco. What is more, it has been proven that parents
consumption of alcohol and nicotine during pregnancy promotes the very symptoms which medicine then diagnoses as ADHD in their
children. There is much evidence that "partner conflict, psychological disturbance in the parents, parenting deficits and disorders in
the parent-child relationship (6) strongly influence and may impair childrens attention, impulse control and movement behavior.
The behavior modeled here seldom bears much relation to the paradigm of planned or considered action!
In fact it is technology_learning to drive safely, having an occupation in a technologically based modern society_that educates the
adult towards a behavioral style with:
- focused attention (shutting out the surroundings as a whole
in favor of exact, primarily visual attention to selected
events)
- planful action directed towards a future result
- relinquishing ones own physical activity, suppression of
ones own movement needs in favor of intellectual control
by way of by machines
The same is true of the economic necessities connected with technology. Moreover, the style set by them penetrates into the
upbringing and education of our children, into our approach to dealing with patients and thus also into the way hyperactive children
are dealt with: Medical, pedagogical and social norms take on the value of technical norms and are implemented as a form of
"management or "self-management. The ability "to function under normal circumstances is thus an historically relative criterion.
In this connection Schmidt, Meusers and Momsen cite a remarkable prognosis made by Rudolf Steiner in 1920, the year of the
inauguration of anthroposophical medicine: "... The human being is not just an intellect, after all; he has something else in his being:
He has sensations, he has feelings, and these have to come to terms with what comes from the technological devices, from
machines. And another feeling arises than what I spoke of before. I spoke of a feeling of longing arising out of deepest deprivation.
What is gathered by the soul in the unconscious from its encounter with technology ... rises up as a reaction; it enters consciousness
in the form of thoughts and ideas, but it comes up as something similar to fear. And in their longing out of deepest deprivation, the
children we will have in school in the coming years and decades will begin to manifest an indefinite but very real fear of life, which will
express itself in anxiety. It will express itself in fidgetiness, in nervousness-I mean this tangibly (7).
This makes clear that the change in consciousness evoked by technology can also be experienced on the soul level as alienation from
life, as imprisonment in an outwardly imposed set of circumstances, as loss of the experience of one's own presence and capacity for
spontaneity. The question is, can the parents, teachers and doctors of these children recognize and consider this aspect, which is the
"flip side of the disturbing ADHD symptoms: the fear of losing ones creative potential. In fact, under different circumstances the
style of perception, impulsivity and driven motor activity that is labeled as ADHD today could even represent advantageous behavior
(typical of the "hunter of pre-industrial societies) (7), and many creative personalities _in Western societies too_display traits of
ADHD.
)age ",J of "=>
Thus, curative educator Henning Khler (9) juxtaposes positive aspects to the negative ones in the following table:

Compulsive drivenness Dexterity in movement ("kinesthetic intelligence)
in many cases
Distractibility "Boundless interest in
the world
Short attention span "Panoramic view: quick
grasp and great intensity of attention during this
short span
Poor listening ability; Dominantly visual,
deficient auditory processing frontally-oriented
and relation to back-space perceptual style
Impulsiveness Great flexibility and
openness to what is new
Urge to assume Longing for trustworthy
leadership over peers authority;
and adults genuine leadership qualities in some cases
A personality that exemplifies these paired qualities well is that of Winston Churchill. Son of a "suspected-ADHD father who devoted
almost no time or attention to his son, as a schoolboy Churchill showed every sign of an attention disorder. He made progress only
when motivated by a personal interest. Throughout his life what gave him most energy were military confrontations. In 1940, after
an already turbulent political career he led Great Britain through what seemed an irrational and hopeless confrontation with Germany,
letting not even national bankruptcy stop him (which all previous "normally functioning British politicians wished to avoid). Churchill,
who had the longest and most successful political career in the history of Great Britain, was awarded the Nobel prize in literature for
his powerful literary achievements and was also quite active artistically as a painter.
Another example is the successful inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who received more than 1,000 patents and was always working on
several inventions at once. He saw sleep as a waste of time and permanently revolutionized the life and sleeping habits of his
contemporaries and future generations with his invention of the light bulb. A total failure at school, at the age twelve he left home
and got by for a time working odd jobs. How would he be diagnosed and treated in our times? Who would recognize and promote
the talent in this "difficult boy?
In literature, Astrid Lindgren created a figure_Michel of Lnneberga_who casts light on many facets of ADHD: his trying qualities, the
suffering as well as the deep understanding of his parents, the lack of understanding of his fellow townsmen who want to buy him a
one-way ticket to America (his mother throws all the money they collected out the window), and finally his path to becoming
chairman of the town council.
In view of these facts, we must object to the definition set down by well-known ADHD expert C. Neuhaus: "The moment abnormal
behavior ceases to have positive repercussions and becomes a source of constant trouble for the individual, it is not creativity but a
disorder (10). Since the days of the Pharisees we have been aware that getting into "constant trouble is not just the fault of those
who allegedly cause it, but equally that of those in positions of societal responsibility who react negatively to abnormal behavior,
seeing the mote in the others eye but not the beam in their own. Hence in composing the definition of ADHD, the authority who
defines what is normal must also be scrutinized. The reason this dimension goes unmentioned in much of the scientific medical
literature is that medical training today is dominated by the scientific paradigm. Yet there is no "normal value that conclusively
separates ADHD as a disorder or disease from the all the possible healthy paths of development in children. The diagnosis, rather, is
based preponderantly on an act of understanding of child behavior. This is underscored by the fact that there is no scientific test for a
diagnosis of ADHD. The German pediatric guidelines make this perfectly clear: "The diagnosis is to be derived from the patients life
story" (11). Even questionnaires have a very relative value; and over extensive psychological testing, the guidelines give priority to
making "a rough evaluation of the child's intellectual capacity and attentional behavior in school based on teacher's evaluations and
grades. Examination of school bag and notebooks (orderliness, completeness, handwriting, organization) will provide an indication of
disorders of visuomotor coordination (writing), attention (careless errors) and weakness in reading and spelling." It becomes clear
that what is being measured by these criteria is the child's adaptation to conditions in the modern nuclear family, the modern
kindergarten (25 children, noise level around 85 dB) and the achievement expectations of modern education; to apply the term
"disorder" here is to move quite far from the concept of pathology as applied to a case of meningitis, oligophrenia or even a psychotic
illness.
It is noteworthy that the diagnosis of ADHD is preponderantly applied to boys. The ratio of boys to girls varies between 3 : 1 and 9 :
1 (4, 12, 13)! For ADD without hyperactivity a ratio of 2 : 1 is assumed, although without hyperactivity "the validity of the ADD type
is problematic" (Steinhausen), i.e. the dividing line from "normal" can "no longer be validly distinguished." On the other hand, ADHD
is considered to be genetically based to a high degree (a number of recent studies put the inheritance rate at approx. 80 %)-yet the
twin studies on which these results are based show no "boy-preference" (cf. 14)! The genetic aspect is assumed to act
pathogenetically chiefly through a disturbance in dopamine metabolism (as yet unproven) as well as other possible neurotransmitter
disorders in the brain, thus causing the abnormalities in these children. This thesis is equally incapable of explaining the sex
difference in rate of affection.
Thus regarding the asymmetrical distribution of ADDH between boys and girls there is an obvious contradiction between the
scientifically measurable aspects (genetics and neurobiology) on the one hand and phenomenological observation (pedagogical and
clinical) on the other. Historically, the development of technology, the industrialization of the workplace and the associated social
changes have been enormously significant. On an historical and social background, some of the crucial traits of the growing-up
experience in societies with a Western lifestyle today are that:
- modern media have dramatically affected family life, sharply
reducing childrens mobility, the alternation of speaking and
listening, collective play and family rituals (e.g. meals).
)age ",K of "=>
- the great majority of girls and boys are brought up by
women (mothers, kindergarden teachers and most
elementary school teachers).
- children generally experience their fathers only during
leisure time or-if parents are separated-every other
weekend at visiting time, or not at all.
- it is increasingly rare for children to experience their own
movement as a meaningful necessity due to the
mechanization of household and transportation.
- significantly, boys seldom experience "typically male
movement patterns-e.g. activities requiring physical
strength and endurance-and when they do these are usually
optional athletic activities, not ordered work with social
significance and value.
- places of freedom (e.g. settings in nature) where children can
experience their own movement, impulses and alternating
attention, are increasingly disappearing.
An appeal is made here to the pediatric world, inasmuch as it is dedicated to serving the individual: Explain to all those in a position
of responsibility-parents, teachers, politicians and those active in disease prevention-how the framework of childrens lives can be
transformed so that problems such as ADHD lose their present pervasiveness and urgency.
In this connection, Henning Khlers book War Michel aus Lnneberga? (Was Michael from Lnneberga?) (9) offers a great many
concrete and practical suggestions that not only help to successfully "manage ADD as an adaptive strategy (cf. 15, 16), but also take
seriously the special capacities and strengths of the affected children and turn them in a productive direction.
1 Diagnostic Aspects
1.1 Anamnesis
All authors are in agreement that a thorough and undisturbed anamnesis conversation with the parents-always both parents if
possible-is of the highest importance for diagnostic purposes. Practically speaking, one may proceed as follows:
- Ask the parents to send an informal letter to their doctor
explaining everything they know of the history of the illness
and their own observations of the child and providing a
description of the familys life circumstances, a list of the
childs other illnesses and treatments received, as well as the
observations of others (relatives, kindergarden and
elementary school teachers).
The advantage of this procedure is that it eliminates the time pressure: Forgotten points can be added later. The parents can
concentrate on gathering and discussing their memories and can express themselves freely without being constrained by the presence
of the child. They can also give voice to the burdens they have borne. In this way the parents come to the anamnesis conversation
prepared-and so does the doctor, who has read the letter beforehand. If the letter is handwritten, the doctor gains additional
important impressions of one of the parents. At the same time a significant part of the anamnesis will already be documented, thus
taking more pressure off of the conversation. A further recommendation is:
- Keep the anamnesis conversation separate from the
presentation of the child.
In any case, whether physician is a pediatrician or a general practitioner, it is essential to allow for sufficient time: as a rule
presently, one hour for the initial conversation in cases of suspected ADHD, regardless of what the fee schedule may permit
(questionable norms come into question as soon as ADHD is involved!). This is the only way to provide the space needed for creative
diagnosis and treatment selection.
Regardless of the patient's present age, it is crucial to begin by inquiring into the first seven years of life. Leading symptoms of a
disorder requiring treatment may be:
Infancy
- persistent recurrent symptoms of an overtired infant (cf. 17,
18), protracted crying phases, motor unrest, irritability,
difficulty falling asleep, difficult to calm
- child is trying and unsettling for the parents; difficulty
establishing a satisfying emotional bond between child and
parents (cf. 19 and literature cited there.)
Early childhood
- temporal dissociation between language acquisition, motor
development and other learning (e.g. toilet training), marked
prematurity/retardation of specific "behavior competencies,
e.g. fine motor skills, language comprehension skills, etc.
- driven, restless motor activity, low endurance (usually
with some significant exception!), unpredictable and
frequent changes in activities, enjoys risky behaviors,
increased accident-proneness
- "socially difficult due to bursts of impulsiveness, disinterest
in listening (often not true when they are told stories alone),
frequent rule-breaking behavior, early and inappropriate
need to lead, highly defiant assertion of autonomy. Because
of this, child and family may find themselves socially isolated
and siblings may be made into enemies or victims.
Disturbance in the ties of family and friendship (with this
)age "", of "=>
particular symptom, the reverse process may be operative-
attentional and behavioral disorders may result from
separation of parents or loss of a loved one, etc.)
- situational aggravation of the problems, especially in
kindergarden. Kindergarden in its present form is usually a
particularly unfavorable setting for hyperactive and
attentionally disturbed children. The picture is different in
kindergardens with small groups that can move freely in
natural settings, such as the "forest kindergardens.2
- This is also the place to inquire into any allergic illnesses and
reactions, get a detailed history of eating habits and
digestion (dysbiosis/fungal illnesses?) and ask whether they
have observed any aggravation of behavioral abnormalities
connected with specific foods or improvements during an
elimination diet.
As we have pointed out above, these behaviors are generally paired with special capacities and "behavioral plusses. Thus, an early
talent may be noticed for acrobatics (many affected children love the circus and circus games), or a climbing ability, a creative gift,
etc.
As a rule, given a careful anamnesis and observation of the 5-year-old child at the 9th preventive care examination, it will be possible
to recognize an attentional disorder with hyperactivity and to treat it satisfactorily without the use of stimulants. The symptoms
linked with ADHD in school-age children are well-known:
- easily distracted, forgetful, lack of care and perseverance
(particularly at unappealing homework and household
chores), disruptive, impulsive, defiant social behavior,
- strikingly bad handwriting, trouble with reading/spelling,
continual speaking, rushed speech,
- affective lability and low self-esteem, outsider position in
contrast to mental gifts.
Once again there is another side: Extremely hyperactive boys are also able to fish quietly with their father for hours, and in
frightening or emergency situations (e.g. a fire) these children do the right thing with amazing sureness and presence of mind and
later show excellent recall of even the smallest details.
Further features of the picture in adolescence:
- leaving school prematurely/repeatedly
- social isolation, continual conflicts with others, few or no
friends
- attraction to dangerous sports, risky behavior in driving, etc.
- continual need for distraction, inner unrest
Issues relating to drugs, addictive dependency on media and computer games and socially problematic experiences with peers are of
growing significance.
Much public attention is now drawn to the danger of leaving ADHD untreated in young people and adults. At issue, however, are not
only those affected but equally the society in which they live. At bottom, the only way to make a difference in the increasing
marginalization of these individuals is though a genuine understanding of their difficulties and specific gifts-not by a suppressive
approach (e.g. use of stimulants)
The controllability of stimulant therapy is also generally unreliable; and for this reason as well, the therapeutic goal in adolescence
must be to provide those affected with the support, treatment and appropriate social integration they need to become and remain
free from daily tablet taking at this stage in their life.
Making a Family Anamnesis
The most important aspects to ask about are:
- The course of the pregnancy and birth. A quick or
difficult birth, intubation at birth, etc., may have caused
lasting disturbances of the craniocervical transition and can
be effectively remedied with appropriate therapy (see below).
In addition, we (the authors) have also observed what
American classical homeopathists and ADHD experts
Ullmann and Reichenberg-Ullmann report, namely that "the
thoughts and feelings experienced by the parents just before
conception and during pregnancy can have a direct effect on
the condition of the child" (20). In their book Ritalin-Free
Kids, these authors offer impressive casuistic proof-
recognized by ADHD specialists-of the efficacy of
homeopathically potentized remedies in these areas (21).
- Exposure to toxic substances (chiefly pharmaceuticals,
nicotine, alcohol and other drugs). The importance of these
factors is generally recognized today (6). Therapeutic
remediation is possible to an extent-chiefly in the first
seven years of life-using approaches requiring practice and
habit change and to an certain degree employing
homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies.
- Constitution of parents and grandparents: During the ADHD
discussion and diagnosis process many parents become
aware for the first time that they themselves display certain
traits (or did so as children) which now confront them in
)age """ of "=>
their children. This realization can often lead to:
- a new understanding of how their child actually feels
- a certain calming of the situation, since in the course their
lives many parents have ultimately made something positive
of their difficulties and would not really want to be
"completely normal"
- a therapeutic opportunity, inasmuch as progress brought
about by learning and behavior change in the parents is
often the most productive.
Frequently when parents recognize that they have a particular style of attention and impulsivity themselves, they develop a new
understanding for one another-and this in itself is a good reason why the parents of a child with "differences" should be thoughtfully
integrated into the treatment. Parents learn that by being more attentive to their own impulsiveness and mastering it-in some cases
giving up drugs, etc.-they are helping their children by sparing them the kind of disappointments and unhealthy experiences they
have had. This also enables them to work through even severe disappointments or difficult separations of their own.
Finally, also important are reports from kindergarten and school, etc., as well as taking up direct contact with teachers. During
treatment a regular common meeting time can be arranged with the parents and class teacher. School notebooks and any pictures,
etc., done by the child should of course be personally perused by the physician.
1.2. Examination and Differential Diagnosis
The preliminary written anamnesis (parent's letter) and parent conversation free up the examination visit so that it can take place in a
relaxed atmosphere. The doctor's aim must always be to experience the child directly: in a one-on-one conversation, a play situation
or at least a wordless dialogue in gestures followed by an appropriately designed physical examination. In this way constitutional
traits often become evident from the first impression of the child's appearance and answering behavior. An essential question is the
child's capacity for dialogue: How does (s)he respond to eye contact and how long will (s)he tolerate it? What does (s)he notice in
the examination room; how does (s)he relate to people and things; how quickly does his/her attention switch?
- Does listening closely to the child permit a successful dialogue? At pre-school age, the chief focus will be on behavioral evaluation
in regard to attention, impulsivity and motor behavior (here again one can use play to draw the child "out of his shell"). Surprisingly
often, school-age children with ADHD issues are capable of voicing a deeply insightful self-evaluation of their situation when a free,
unstressed conversation situation has been created (with parents absent or truly restraining themselves). In many instances issues
that were long hidden come out, to the surprise of all involved, or interests are recognized that lead to important progress. The
primary points to clarify in the anamnesis and examination are:
- Is there a hyperactive disorder requiring treatment according
to the criteria defining ADHD?
- Are there grounds to suspect an attention deficit disorder
(ADD) without hyperactive behavior?
For differential diagnosis, the primary focus is on reactive behavioral disorders caused by stress to the child from:
- family (problems in parents' relationship to child and in
parenting, unrealistic expectations, parental relationship
problems, occupational/economic stresses, problems with
siblings and close relatives; "family secrets" that were never
aired
- kindergarden or school (excessive demands for achievement,
teacher with difficult personality, etc.)
- depressive disorders must also be identified. Among boys
these may well be coupled with hyperactive behavior and in
most cases impair attention (sometimes severely). Also
significant in this connection are:
- peripheral and central hearing disorders (these must always
be eliminated.)
- autistic disorders; in rare cases, psychoses
- endocrine disorders (chiefly of the thyroid gland and
adrenals)
Vegetative lability and hypotonic circulatory condition can be read from skin color, distribution of body warmth, perspiration and
posture; particularly in the 2nd seven-year-period it is important to perform blood pressure checks (also when standing) and measure
blood sugar level (a.m., 2 - 3 hrs. after leaving home). Disorders in the interaction of upper and lower jaw, asymmetries in the
cervical spine, alternation of tensed and hypotonic areas in dorsal musculature and postural anomalies may point towards
- disorders of the craniocervical transition area
as a source of trouble. Preventive care visits (particularly the 7th - 9th) are valuable diagnostically, offering the opportunity to
observe the child's movement patterns and manner of speaking and answering while playing together (at ball or movement games
such as pullstring puppets, etc.) and having the child balance, draw pictures or figure eights, write (writing position) and manipulate
objects in the examining room (fine motor skills). These observations, in conjunction with the developmental anamnesis and possible
later tests, -can provide diagnostic indication of
- competency deficits
An essential component-for differential diagnosis as well-is an evaluation of the child's intelligence and gifts, including a judgment
as to whether the demands placed on the child are commensurate (under-/over-demand). The use of labels such as "highly gifted"
may not always be productive here, since in reality these children largely suffer from great discrepancies-e.g. between their aptitude
for mathematical/logical thinking and for social learning ("emotional intelligence"), or between their artistic gifts and their
reading/spelling ability.
The level of differential diagnostic certainty needed must be decided on individually-i.e., to what degree one should implement
complementary psychiatric testing, pedaudiologic examination, allergological diagnosis including evaluation of intestinal flora,
)age ""+ of "=>
endocrinological diagnosis and an EEG.
In any case, however, the following aims should be borne in mind:
- Before diagnosis: The pediatrician or family doctor should
develop a well-rounded picture of the child and out of it a
preliminary diagnosis;
- After the diagnostic process described: The results and
conclusions should be thoroughly discussed in a group
conversation leading to common agreement on the
therapeutic avenue to be taken. As a participant in the
group, the child should feel helped and supported: As Khler
puts it, "the personal relationship is the actual therapy." A
conversation among all adults concerned has proven of the
greatest value. Primarily, this should include the parents,
kindergarden or class teacher, therapists/curative educators
and the responsible physician (cf. the principle of the
"protective circle," Khler (22)). Through this type of
conversation a comprehensive view of the child, including
both weaknesses and gifts, can arise. Diagnoses, goals and
responsibilities can be discussed and clarified.
2 Therapy
In the authors' practice, the following ADHD-associated disorders have been found to be of diagnostic and therapeutic significance:
- Disorders involving a constitutional dominance of the
metabolic-limb system which manifests as a hyperkinetic
disorder (ADHD)
- Attentional disorders without hyperactivity (ADD). With this
second form particular, competency deficits (including
acquired ones) have proven to be of considerable
pathogenetic importance.
- Disorders in the area of the craniocervical transition.
- Vegetative lability, labile hypotonic circulation.
- Food intolerances; nutritional, digestive and metabolic
disorders.
Therapeutically, a great deal depends on classifying the child's disorder correctly within this schema, so that one can implement a
treatment that has a clear aim and also a curative orientation.
In contrast, the dominant treatment approach using stimulants (e.g. Ritalin) has a purely symptomatic effect; furthermore, around
one-fourth of all children considered to be affected do not respond to stimulants or respond only negatively to them. Even if it is not
always possible to avoid the use of stimulants during the 2nd seven-year period, the authors strive to find a path without stimulant
therapy that aims towards at least partial healing/rehabilitation_i.e. a path towards progressive healing in the child's development.
Stimulants cannot accomplish this. The claim is presently made that stimulant therapy is a kind of substitution therapy for the
metabolism of the central nervous system. When it is contrasted with true substitution such as insulin treatment for diabetes,
however, this claim is found to be a largely hypothetical justification for the therapy. As a general rule, any substitution of substances
can have problematic effects on the equilibrium and ultimately weaken the autonomous development of the child's metabolism. This
in turn leads to continual medical checkups, with doctors warning their patients always to take their pills if they wish to avoid a
relapse. In adolescence at the latest, this frequently leads to massive self-doubts and mis-use of the substances to be taken.
The question is, do not stimulants rather deserve the status of an acute treatment_a last resort when a child remains unresponsive,
socially isolated or unmanageable despite every measure attempted? To closer observation it will also be evident that stimulants do
exercise a suppressive action on many children-particularly in the soul realm, the realm where originality and creativity reside. As
long as the therapeutic aim is healing and not management of a disorder, the use of stimulant therapy on attentionally disturbed and
hyperactive children will represents a sometimes necessary but ultimately unsatisfactory solution.
2.1. General therapeutic considerations
The first therapeutically significant step is to create a detailed clarification of the medical diagnosis that manifests an understanding of
the child and his or her strengths and weaknesses. This creates new interest in the child as a human being_as an individuality that is
only in the process of appearing and still has surprises in store for us. The aim here is to achieve a shared sense of how the child
experiences important life situations and reference persons, and what (s)he is able and not (yet) able to do.
The second step consists in pedagogical counseling of the parents and_in an appropriate way_of the teachers and caregivers (cf. the
idea of the protective circle). On this point there is excellent literature today; among many others we refer again to Henning Khler
(23, 23) and the work of Schmidt et al. (25). For practical purposes the reference guides of Neuhaus (16, 26) and Aust/Hammer (15)
are quite helpful. As widely as their concepts may diverge, in dealing with the children one finds importance points of agreement.
Regarding the media question, the studies of R. Patzlaff (27) are fundamental; numerous literature references are also provided in the
general parents guide by Goebel/Glckler (28). It is important to establish authentic conditions for pedagogical progress by_for
example_drawing awareness to parental relationship crises, economic pressures, etc. and working these through separately so that
they are not played out through the child. In every form of attentional deficit, individually suited dietary counseling also plays a
significant role.
The third step consists in evaluating if the kindergarden, school or nursery group is meeting the childs needs. Frequently changes
are advisable in group size, options for individual help, academic achievement standards, as well as in the amount of time the child
spends in the institution. For example, an all-day school with qualified afternoon care may provide the family with critical relief.
Finally, the authors have repeatedly seen children (age 10 and up) with massive hyperkinetic disorders and very difficult family
situations make excellent progress without any stimulant therapy by spending several years at a curative-education boarding school
based on Waldorf pedagogy. In any case, the children themselves say very soon if they are really profiting from the change and
when this is the case they are willing to accept many unpleasant aspects of the experience. It is important for the advising physicians
)age ""1 of "=>
to acquaint themselves with the various schools and institutions in their area.
Once these initial steps have been taken, the therapeutic approach in a narrower sense can be formulated. For this purpose we
cannot understate the value of
- anthroposophical and homeopathic remedies.
Their action is not substitutive or suppressive like that of stimulants. Rather, when correctly selected for the individual, they
stimulate organismic learning processes. They address the regulation of vital processes, the body of life forces that works in bodily
growth and organic functions_as well as in memory function_while these are maturing. The engagement of the soul element in bodily
functions is facilitated in this way. These remedies act not in an isolated way on the nervous system, but integrally on the organism
as a whole. This is important because it is precisely the relationship of the nerve-sense system to the rest of the organism that is
impaired in ADHD (cf. Pohl 29, Schmidt et al. 25). As a rule the length of administration depends on how long the child needs before
(s)he has accomplished the step in learning and maturation that the remedy has stimulated and is able to stabilize it alone.
Composite remedies with broad indications may require longer periods of administration (several months), while single potentized
remedies will be given for weeks, months or as a single dose, depending on their efficacy and potency. The most remarkable
publication on classical homeopathic therapy in ADHD is a compendium of cases from Reichenberg-Ullmann (30); for anthroposophical
drug therapy one might point to von Zabern (31, 32) and to the general survey by Schmidt et al. (7).
In the authors experience, without a differentiated application of anthroposophical and homeopathic drug therapy it will appear
necessary to resort to stimulants. Since there are few up-to-date survey works based on personal therapeutic experience here, we
shall concentrate on this form of therapy.
- Non-medicinal therapies for ADHD must be approached in a
differentiated way. The following forms of therapy have the
advantage that the children acquire new capacities, or
physical obstacles are eliminated (craniosacral therapy and
rhythmic massage). These are steps towards real healing:
- curative play and practice therapy,
- therapeutic eurythmy and Wegman/Hauschka rhythmic
massage,
- craniosacral therapy,
- artistic modelling (less often painting and speech or music
therapy),
- ergotherapy in conjunction with breathing therapy exercises,
- therapeutic circus work, etc.
For the reasons discussed, these forms of therapy are also preferable to stimulant therapy, which takes a clear third place among
therapeutic approaches. At the same time an ongoing stimulant therapy should not be simply discontinued. In such cases it should
initially be complemented with the therapy forms mentioned above and later reduced or discontinued to the extent possible.
Depending on the childs age, it is important for him or her to be included in evaluating the therapy from the start. Many school
children are capable of judging the efficacy of their treatment very well themselves.
Constitutional Dominance of the Metabolic-Limb System Manifesting as a Hyperkinetic Disorder (ADHD)
The Constitutional Aspect
Constitutionally hyperactive, impulsive behavior with attentional impairment (ADHD) shows a marked relation to the male sex,
although in rare cases it also occurs in girls. It is not unusual for the family anamnesis to reveal disturbed development in earlier
generations (father, male ancestors). Boys are characterized by a relative dominance of the limb forces over the centralizing head
forces (which mediate inner calm and concentration); in these predisposed cases, the dominance appears particularly marked. This
type of constitution favors a "short-circuiting between environmental stimuli and limb activity along with deficient control (and
guidance) of limb movement emanating from the head (disturbed motor coordination is striking in many of these children).
From the embryological viewpoint it is noteworthy that the regulatory connection between the nervous system and the musculature
does not emanate hierarchically from the nervous system, but rather arises as structures of the central nervous system and the
muscle blastemes are "brought into agreement by the organism (i.e. by an unspecified center!) (33). When the central nervous
system is recognized for what it is: a reflective organ necessary to the steering of body movement; and when the limb system is
recognized for what it is: an independent system (34) which together with digestive and metabolic processes comprises the primary
organ of the human will_then and only then does the mediating task become clear which the human being must accomplish during
development. It is in the area of body and limb development that the female and male sexes differ most markedly. An explanation
based on brain metabolism (the dopamine hypothesis), on the other hand, casts no light on the sex-specific character of ADHD.
Interestingly, the primary effect of the nerve on the muscle cell is that of inhibition (embryonically, fibrillation of the muscle cell
interrupted for the first time when the growing nerve fiber reaches and penetrates it), while the original "modus of every muscle cell
is movement. In reality, the success of the mediating task mentioned above is not a process of the nervous system at all, but
depends on the rhythmic system that mediates between the nerve and limb systems and on associated "soul processes (respiration,
circulation, spinal function and craniosacral rhythm - cf. (35). Movement and consciousness must be "brought into congruence out
of ones own forces_that is the task.
As a rule, abnormal behavior on the part children with hyperkinetic syndrome becomes especially pronounced when they are in
socially challenging situations. This too is connected with insufficient development of the rhythmic system, resulting in insufficient
connection and interpenetration of the head and limb forces: The rhythmic system, which provides for a "breathing, resonating kind
of understanding, becomes "fragmented by limb forces and impulses that take on a life of their own. The other children in a group
as well as their parents are soon aware of this and need to feel that their situation is understood by the doctor in detailed
consultations. The hyperactive children themselves also suffer, however, feeling overwhelmed by their own limbs and their
spontaneous actions.
In the metabolic area (just as in children with food intolerances), one should be especially watchful for a labile blood sugar curve.
Otto Wolff (36) points to the fundamental importance of the carbohydrate metabolism in hyperkinetic children. Many of them display
a marked lability of the blood sugar level, which can lead to corresponding hunger phases (primarily in the a.m.) with increased sugar
)age ""= of "=>
consumption and correspondingly greater, reactive blood sugar vacillations. Diet and medication can be effective here.
- It must be borne in mind that by its very nature, will-life
proceeds without memory, comparison or plan; it moves
from the now towards the future. In order for this to occur,
the past must be forgotten. In a child who is carried away by
his will, this means that the function of conscience can be
suppressed and things of value from the past can be
destroyed without any feelings of regret or guilt. Even an
ability to lie without a bad conscience stems from the
unbalanced dominance of the will-life. At any moment,
however, this state can switch to feelings of regret or guilt
once the "intoxication of movement has passed.
A crucial factor in hyperactivity is the child's relationship to the father: Is he present? Is he active in their lives? As a man, by
constitution his role lies in the use of his limb forces; the more harmoniously he does this and models it, the more positive the effect
on the child. It is very important to bring the father into the child's upbringing in an appropriate way.
Ergotherapy, artistic therapies, curative education, school-preparatory work in small groups should always be considered and-most
importantly-implemented at the right moment. How deeply they can change the constitution depends on the time of their use. The
aim is to enable the rhythmic system to mature in the second seven-year period, and in hyperkinetic children the ground must be
prepared for this (particularly at pre-school age). An especially significant aid to children with constitutional ADHD is offered by
therapeutic eurythmy (see below), which can be received quite positively when it is carried out correctly.
Concentration and perseverance is best learnt by these children through meaningful physical activity (they can become very skilled
and engaged in this area, e.g. in handicrafts). Constitutional remedies can have a decisive effect on the symptoms. A selection of
important remedies is presented below.
Overview of therapy options with anthroposophical and homeopathic remedies
Aurum/Stibium/
Hyoscyamus Basic therapy
Sulphur Dominance of the metabolism; egocentric
Magnesite Irritable/aggressive pre-school children;
(Mg carbonicum) short and thin, tendency to abdominal
colics, restless sleep
Calcium phosphoricum Weakness of rhythmic system,
dissatisfaction and frustration
Carcinosinum Frustration at academic failure,
unmotivated, restless
Belladonna Strong awareness, uncontrolled
emotional impulses
Stramonium Split between anxiety and aggression
Veratrum Over-excitability; circulatory and vegetative
lability (renal/adrenal weakness)
Lycopodium Anxious/bullying behavior; digestive
weakness
Mercurius Inaccessible, restless, tendency to
purulence
Bryophyllum Difficulty falling asleep
Argentum nitricum Haste and drivenness
Tarantula Extreme, destructive hyperactivity,
overwhelming urge to move
Tuberculinum Extreme, destructive hyperactivity,
susceptibility to infections
Agaricus Tics, hyperactivity, mild impairments of
the CNS
Zincum Competency deficits, unrest,
distractibility, impairments of the CNS
If the diagnostic process does not directly point towards a single remedy, it is advisable to begin treatment with a broadly acting
anthroposophical composite remedy. In cases of constitutional hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD), a remedy suitable for basic treatment
is:
Aurum/Stibium/Hyoscyamus comp. Glob. WALA
)age ""G of "=>
5 - 10 globuli 2 - 3 x day,
especially for children who are
- hyperactive/driven, and at the same time
- aggressive and
- prone to rivalries and physical confrontations.
This is among the "early composite remedies developed on an anthroposophical basis by the physicians' circle around Ita Wegman,
MD, at the Klinisch-Therapeutisches Institut (in the present form since 1935); the aim was to create a remedy that stimulates the
rhythmic system to overcome "one-sided tendencies" in both the nerve-sense system and the metabolic-limb system (37). To this
end gold, antimony and extracts of Hyoscyamus (henbane) are potentized together to create a new whole. The gold component
(equivalent to D10 in the final remedy) addresses the heart and circulatory system, strengthens wakeful day-consciousness and-as
abundant experience has shown-is particularly effective in cases where the child has too little exposure to the father. Antimony (D8)
helps give structure to metabolic processes (e.g. promoting blood-clotting) as well as to mental life (psychiatrically valuable when the
mind is flooded with an uncontrollable mass of chaotic contents). Hyoscyamus, in the potency used here (equivalent to a D5),
impedes compulsive impulses from passing directly into movement and promotes the development of the rhythmic system (cf. the
toxicity of this solanacean alongside of its rhythmically structured form). The action of this remedy includes a mildly antidepressive
component that is helpful to many of these children.
Use of this introductory therapy stimulates the rhythmic system, and many children and families report feeling an unmistakable
beneficent effect from it; at the same time it gives the physician time to get to know child and parents better and carry out the next
therapeutic steps and conversations.
In the authors' experience, the following single remedies are the primary ones suitable for further individualizing the treatment. The
potencies indicated are those commonly used; in individual cases, when the remedy is a good match but its action is insufficient, a
higher (or lower) potency may lead to success:
Sulphur D12 Glob. (various manufacturers), LM6 - LM12 Dil. starting with 1 glob./drop daily and increasing if possible to 5
glob./drops daily. In case of pronounced reactions, discontinue, decrease frequency or dilute with water.
It is telling that sulphur in mineral form is completely combustible and in its elemental form is involved in numerous metabolic
processes. Sulphur, which is released chiefly by volcanoes from whence it enters the biosphere, always has to do with life and
movement in nature. Potentized sulphur has a fundamental regulating action when the metabolic-limb system and the will-life
associated with it gain too much independence from the soul life. Characteristics of children who benefit from this remedy are:
- a remedy for boys
- body build tends to be slender; pronounced postural
weakness
- intelligent but lazy. Seeks out disputes, likes to argue.
Absorbs much in school despite chatting and appearing
uninterested.
- socially awkward, makes hurtful remarks, puts off others
with arbitrary self-centered behavior; at the same time naive
and gullible (these children are not really hard to understand)
- handwriting nearly illegible, notebook disorderly, e.g. may be
spotted with fat; child cannot (and will not) keep order;
possessions are quickly broken (= high material "turnover
rate!)
- typically display intolerable behavior when hungry, improving
immediately on eating; craving for sweet foods (markedly
improved by remedies); tendency to hypoglycemic phases in
the 2nd seven-year period with behavior problems markedly
increasing in late morning (around 11a.m.).
Medical history may show multiple allergies and descending respiratory infections (frequently treated with antibiotics); hence
attention should be given to possible disturbance of intestinal flora (candidiasis). Eating a sufficiently sturdy breakfast-ideally based
on oak flakes-is beneficial (and not only for this type of constitution).
Magnesite D6 - 12 Trit. WELEDA
1 pea-sized portion 3 x or 1 - 2 x day
is an important and potent constitutional remedy particularly at kindergarden and pre-school age. Like sulphur, it addresses primarily
the life-organization-the child's etheric body. Magnesite too is most suitable for boys. These children "stick out" because of their
willful behavior and their physical and emotional assimilation problems. One gets the impression of a stunted etheric organization
with poorly developed coherence. Let it be recalled here that magnesium in living organisms plays a crucial role in the absorption of
sunlight (chlorophyll), making it a central element in the development of an independent etheric organization and the capacity for
growth and assimilation. Leading symptoms for the application of this remedy are:
- children are short-statured and thin, especially in the first
year of life
- will not eat before 9 - 10 o'clock in the morning
- in most cases do not like vegetables (greens!)
- bristly, contrary, irritable, oversensitive
- seek argument
- tendency to abdominal colics and acidic-smelling diarrhea
- frequently restless sleep
- in many cases such children suffer from family discord
themselves.
Calcium phosphoricum D12, C12 Glob. (var. manufacturers)
5 glob. in the morning
)age ""> of "=>
is a remedy indicated for both sexes. Here the hyperactivity takes the form of a chronic (frustrated) dissatisfaction. Calc. phos. is
synthesized out of two polar components, calcium and phosphorus, corresponding to the condition of continuous conflict found of
these patients between the nervous system and the metabolic-limb system. Notable traits are:
- continual dissatisfaction. The children constantly compare
themselves with others and are very worried that they will be
negatively judged (chiefly in regard to intelligence and
looks). They themselves are very critical of others and
express it. They want to be good-perhaps even the best-
but generally are not. Bursts of rage result from this inner
dissatisfaction and are manifested around learning
difficulties. They are not very creative themselves and thus
are dependent on others, yet they do not behave in a way
that generates much sympathy.
- the soul life with its catabolic action does not unite in a
positive way with the metabolic-limb system, resulting in:
tendency to belly aches and growing pains; poor and
fluctuating appetite; inability to fall asleep until late at night;
additionally in the 2nd seven-year period, a tendency to
headaches triggered by physical and mental exertion.
- tendency to disorders in region of the cervical spine as well
as development of idiopathic scoliosis (girls)-also an
expression of poor integration of the upper and lower person
in the rhythmic region. In older children, the motor unrest
can find an outlet in prolonged athletic activities; quite often
with this constitution, impairments of the growth plates are
observed (Apatite D6 is beneficial here.).
- during puberty initial signs of restrictive anorexia may
appear.
Painting therapy can be very helpful for children with this constitution in the 2nd seven-year period.
Carcinosinum C30, 200 Glob (var. manufacturers),
single doses
is an important remedy in differential therapy with calcium phosphoricum; one should not fail to consider its use. Here too we see a
primary weakness of the rhythmic system. The children in question are fundamentally ambitious in the aims they set themselves
(which are often unconsciously adopted from others), but lacks the energy to achieve them. Feeling disappointed by the world
around them, they continually drive themselves into a corner. Striking symptoms are:
- profound restlessness and poor concentration,
coupled with
- a mood of pronounced frustration and lack of motivation
which cannot be dispelled
- they work hard without satisfactory results until they reach
the point where they stop doing anything for school.
- they have great difficulty undertaking anything on their own
initiative and need a social context in order to become active.
They attach great importance to acceptance by their peer
group and like to travel.
This remedy is also indicated for both sexes.
Belladonna Rh D20 Dil WELEDA 5 drops 1 x day
is among the remedies (along with Hyoscyamus and Stramonium) whose indications include aggressive behavioral disorders. In
relation to ADHD, the ADADHThe following characteristics are typical:
- early awakening of consciousness; children who listen to the
doctor in conversation; one can speak with them: intelligent
children!
- they become aware of their tendency to uncontrolled
behavior at an early age without being able to control it
- they tend to have acute attacks of rage (similarly, they
suddenly develop high fevers during acute infections) with
biting (chiefly in young children), hitting as well as
autoaggressive behavior. Many of their illnesses occur in
attacks, with pain occurring as acute colic pains
- they hate being touched-especially on the head-and any
kind of wrapping or constriction
- they develop fears-fear of thunderstorms, dogs (a fear of
being attacked the way they might attack others!), water and
the dark.
As much as these children reject touch, diapers and tenderness in the daytime, two hours after falling asleep they may run to their
parents' bed in a sweat: When the life-organization expands upwards in sleep and the soul releases its hold, the child enters a crisis
of neediness. The soul of these children does not unite harmoniously with their own body and surroundings, instead appearing
suddenly and overpoweringly like a demon ready to pounce (cf. the toxic process of the deadly nightshade): The children are carried
away by it without being able to guide the process. In these cases Belladonna is a very important constitutional remedy-it is a
mistake to reserve Belladonna for acute illnesses only.
Stramonium D12 Glob. (var. manufacturers),
5 glob. 1 - 2 x daily.
)age ""H of "=>
The doctors first meeting with the child provides a characteristic indication for this remedy:
- child generally displays adapted behavior in the consultation
room, but avoids eye contact or a direct meeting; shies away
out of apparent uncertainty and anxiety; may stutter; acute
illnesses may take an intense course leading to spasms of
the respiratory tract.
- in the home, anxiety is also noticed by the parents at
bedtime (especially the need for light when falling asleep,
fear of being alone)
- this is paired with sudden, unmediated aggressivity that may
be quite intense (as with Belladonna), but the child is less
aware of it-the adapted side knows nothing of the
uncontrolled, aggressive side, resulting in a Dr. Jekill-and-
Mr.-Hyde type of split: the nerve-sense and metabolic-limb
systems become dissociated
- attention is more obviously impaired than in Belladonna
In this difficult situation, Stramonium is a potent remedy that is effective in complementary therapy of ADHD. Regarding the use of
Hyoscyamus in ADHD, the authors use it essentially as a component of the composite remedy Aurum/Stibium/ Hyoscyamus described
above; as a single remedy (Rh D6 Dil WELEDA) it is important in treating forms of epilepsy associated with ADHD-type symptoms.
Veratrum album e rad. D12 - D30 Glob WALA
5 glob. 1 x day or single doses
is another important single remedy (a native poisonous plant). Interestingly, its blossom blends from dirty white into the green of the
foliage with unusually little differentiation (the blossoms are relatively inconspicuous), while the
root-well-developed for a plant of the lily family-is permeated with a powerful toxic process that causes metabolic collapse in the
human being. These patients (cf. the hypotonic, vegetatively labile type) seem to be insecurely anchored in their own body,
circulatory system and metabolism and attempting to compensate for this by constant motor unrest. The gesture of these children is
one of boundless overflowing sympathy, manifested in
- wanting to grasp, touch, hug and kiss everything
- feeling very nervous and inwardly driven
- show a pronounced liking for sour food (which stimulates
astral activity in the digestion)
- strong motoricity alongside of tendency to cool extremities
and quickly developing peripheral cyanosis
- at the same time they show a liking for cold foods ("The
symptom cold is characteristic of all effects of Veratrum,"
says J. T. Kent in his introduction)
- intense abdominal colics, vomiting, diarrhea and (in girls)
dysmenorrhea always associated with circulatory weakness
and coldness all show that the soul organization-the astral
body-does not "feel at home" in this area and cannot
integrate positively with the metabolic-limb organization
External applications for these children should focus especially on the kidneys. We recommend application of
Kupfer-Salbe (rot) WALA or
Cuprum met. 0.4 % Ointment Weleda in the evening
in the kidney region to stimulate spasmolysis and more harmonious interaction of soul and body in the circulation and metabolism.
Lycopodium D12 - C30 - C200 Glob (var. manufacturers)
5 glob. 1 x day or single doses
is indicated in cases of primary metabolic weakness: These children are generally frail, develop slowly, quickly feel sated at meals, do
not like to chew and crave sweet foods; breaking-down processes in the upper abdomen are deficient, resulting in a tendency to
bloating and constipation as well as a high frequency of allergies. The chief liability here on the attention is chronic stuffy nose, which
-like the digestive condition-can be improved medicinally. This remedy is helpful for
- boys
- who are clingy to their mothers but need validation from
their peers;
- are afraid when alone and may sleep with a sibling to avoid
being alone;
- prefer to hide their weaknesses,
- yet are ambitious, expecting a great deal of themselves or
having the feeling that others do.
The hyperactivity is moderate, taking the rather subliminal form of nervous unrest with attentional weakness due to metabolic
weakness and inner nervous tension. It is important to air the issue of parental expectations and to include the father in this
discussion. Supportive measures for these children are yarrow compresses on the liver, adequate fluid intake and use of Hepatodoron
Tbl. WELEDA for regulation.
The chief metallic remedies for ADHD are:
Mercurius vivus/solubilis D15 Trit WELEDA/Glob. DHU
1 pea-sized portion/5 glob. 1 - 2 x daily,
higher potencies also possible
Potentized mercury is helpful mainly when:
)age ""J of "=>
- children are "inaccessible to the doctor,
- they get out of every rule, "slipping through" everywhere,
- they have a tendency to purulent inflammations,
- hyperactivity is pronounced.
One may have the impression that the rhythmic system is becoming independent of the calming/guiding function of the nerve-sense
system (cf. Steiner's description in the Curative Eurythmy course (38). When difficulty falling asleep is also an issue, this points to
Bryophyllum Mercurio cultum D2 or
Rh D3 Dil WELEDA, 7 - 10 drops 2 x daily
On the other hand, silver nitrate
Argentum nitricum LM12 Dil Arcana, 5 drops daily
is indicated when the nerve-sense system does not exert a calming and guiding action in the organism but produces instead an
undirected catabolic tension. This will be manifested in that the child
- constantly feels driven and restless;
- loves movement in the fresh air, external cooling
- suffers from nervous anticipation
- tries to compensate with sugar consumption, which only
further aggravates the nervousness (variable blood sugar
level)
Extreme and destructive forms of hyperactive behavior point to
Tarantula hispanica LM12 Dil Arcana, C12 - C200
Glob. (var. manufacturers) 5 drops/day or single doses
This homeopathic remedy is derived from a poisonous spider, the Spanish tarantula, and exerts an exciting action on the rhythmic
system. It is suitable for girls and boys with pronounced constitutional ADHD: They appear constitutionally strong and have
inexhaustible energy which enables them to blithely ignore all inner and outer obstacles, as immediately becomes clear at the doctor's
office:
- they like to dance and climb
- they can behave deviously and even deceitfully, stealing and
breaking things
- they are constantly asking for attention
- reprimands are manifestly pointless and make no impression
on these children
- a point to note: they may be subject to fear of spiders and
insects
- in the respiratory realm one sometimes notes the
development of stuttering and asthma
An indispensable remedy in the treatment of hyperactive children is the homeopathic nosode
Tuberculinum Koch (old) LM12 Dil Arcana,
C30 - 200 Glob. Gudjons, 3 - 5 drops/day or single doses
Physically one very often notes a chronic susceptibility of the respiratory passages, particularly in the middle ear and lungs;
behaviorally one is struck by a
- cold-blooded destructiveness: No object of value is safe
from these children; without qualms they will smash a
beautiful vase before the eyes of its owner, or a friend's
toys-or, just as soon, one of their own favorite possessions!
- punishments have no effect at all
- they are highly intelligent and in many cases artistically
disposed
- they are unable to remain in one place for long and love to
travel
Compared with Tarantula hispanica children, these children appear to act in a more s
killful, controlled and considered manner. They are capable of deceiving adults, while the tarantula types typically follow their own
impulses thoughtlessly.
In conclusion, we shall mention two more remedies for ADHD which are indicated when the symptoms appear in combination with
other disorders-primarily those of the nervous system.
Agaricus musc. D10 - D30 Dil. WELEDA/Glob (var. manufacturers), 5 drops/glob. 1 x daily or single doses
The fly agaric mushroom has been used in many parts of the world as an intoxicant. The symptoms it evokes are similar to those of
ADHD. As a potentized remedy, Agaricus should be considered particularly for:
- tics associated with ADHD or resulting from treatment with
stimulants
- risky, impulsive and erratic but essentially well-intentioned
behavior
- these children wish to be helpful and good
- in fits of rage they can display tremendous strength
)age ""K of "=>
The anamnesis may reveal prior injury to nervous system (in this case Steiner attributed great therapeutic significance to Agaricus);
clinically as well, these children give the impression of having a neurological inhibition deficit.
Zincum met. praep. D10 - D20 Dil. WELEDA 5 drops x in the afternoon/evening, poss. also externally as Zincum met. 0.1% Ungt.
WELEDA, apply to forehead in the morning
Potentized zinc is of chief therapeutic value in cases where the formation of the nervous system has been impaired through such
factors as extremely premature birth or a convulsive disorders, and competency deficits are prominently in evidence. The symptoms
of these children are:
- very easily distracted, fidgety and restless
- memory is weak and judgment uncertain
- over-excited states alternate with stuporous inactivity
- make frequent slips speaking and writing
- subject to the familiar ,restless legs syndrome (Zincum
valerianicum is indicated here as well), especially in bed
before sleep.
Potentized phosphorus is not used by the authors for children with manifest hyperactivity, as this remedy very often has an
aggravating action in ADD + H. The situation is different in dominant attention deficit without hyperactivity (see below).
Therapeutic Eurythmy
Hyperactive children demonstrate an obvious liking for therapeutic eurythmy exercises and often experience them as beneficial.
Waldorf Schools provide the opportunity for therapeutic eurythmy to take place during the school day. The proven approach is to
conduct it in the mid-afternoon-at first every day if possible, later less frequently. Before commencement of therapy it is vital that
the physician and therapist reach a thorough common understanding. The therapist herself should radiate confidence, joy in
movement and a certain willingness to experiment.
Hyperactive children often appear unprotected, exposed defenselessly to their environment and its influences without any ability to
come to peace or feel at home within themselves. As an introductory exercise, the rhythmic system can be stimulated by expansion
and contraction. Basic vowel exercises with U (oo) and A (ah) then follow: First one can take the U upwards "to the stars and then
down to about heart-level. Then one can make the transition to the A, letting it radiate out as it rises upwards: The inner sensation
is one of growing brighter; the A promotes the connection of the soul with the body-the internalization of the soul-spiritual
individuality.
The first therapeutic eurythmy exercise ever indicated by Steiner was for children who became "more and more fidgety until their
teacher was at a loss what to do (39). For this he recommends a specially executed A-exercise, the "fidget iambus (39). Among
consonant exercises, the B provides a sheath and a boundary, control of nervousness and motor unrest. It can be helpful for the
patient to picture a coat of "blue armor around himself during the exercise. The B can be intensified by the P-gesture; a further
complement-especially important with aggressive, hurtful behavior-is the S. A sound sequence appropriate for children with clearly
hyperkinetic behavior is: MNBPAU, known as the "calming sequence.
Another important and proven benefit comes from offering therapeutic eurythmy to the parents as well. Parents find it a great relief
when they no longer get upset at their children, where formerly they might turn into a copy of their "little dictator. Appropriate
exercises for this purpose are "Steadfast I stand in existence and "I think speech. Like the others, these exercises must be learned
with the help of a trained eurythmy therapist and practiced every day. Only a few minutes are needed, however, and the effects will
be directly experienced and will radiate out into the life of the family.
2.3. Attention and Concentration Disorders without Hyperactivity (ADD) (Competency and Learning Disorders)
Definition and Basic Therapy
Today this concept embraces early childhood brain function disorders, specific learning disorders and attention deficit disorders in the
narrow sense; the concept of ADD without hyperactivity is "problematic as to its scientific validity (cf. (40)). Diagnostically the
concept is inadequate and needs to be made concrete in individual cases. Differing figures are given for the ratio of boys to girls,
while in practice the sexes are equally affected-in complete contrast to hyperkinetic syndrome. The underlying reasons for
attentional and concentrational weakness may be:
- constitutionally slow development
- seasonally decreased concentration due to light deficiency
(winter)
- disorders of the senses and the nerve-sense system)
(classical "competency deficit disorders)
- disorders affecting drive / will life
- over-demand by school or parents (inaccurate estimation of
childs developmental needs)
as well as the aspects mentioned initially as having significance in differential diagnosis. Another important element is that the
unusual behavior is continual and does arise reactively. At the same time excessive academic demand can become manifest in a
relatively acute way-e.g., after a school change. Premature children born before the 32nd week of pregnancy often present a spotty
nerve-sense competency picture that defies easy classification; they frequently have difficulties integrating and processing their
perceptions, while quite often there is also a short attention span with a metabolic background.
The following section presents in detail the possibilities for treatment with anthroposophical and homeopathic remedies-many of
them not well-known. In addition we refer the reader to the literature cited at the end.
A good basic therapy for children suffering from disorders of attention and concentration is the anthroposophical composite remedy
developed by K. Magerstdt:
Kalium phosphoricum comp. Tbl. WELEDA 1 - 2 tbl. in the morning and 1 tbl. at noon before meals.
)age "+, of "=>
Potassium phosphate has an action relating to the liver/gall bladder system; it opens the metabolism in the morning to the catabolic
processes (linked with phosphates) that are necessary for consciousness-for processes of "inner light formation.
This remedy is indicated for all children who:
- display "lack of energy for attention and mental processes
and quickly become exhausted by mental activity (and "turn
off)
- fail to become adequately awake in the morning
- appear exhausted when they are first seen by the doctor due
to the long history of their troubles
- develop mental blocks and headaches from extended mental
exertion
Like Aurum/Stibium/Hyoscyamus, this remedy contains Aurum met. praep. D10 and thus has a mild antidepressive and energizing
action (cf. above). It also contains a low-potency iron-sulphur-quartz preparation (corresponding to the WELEDAs Kephalodoron)
which stimulates incorporation of iron into the digestion and metabolism and thus indirectly has an energizing action. The remedy
has a broad and reliable action and is ideal as the initial remedy of a treatment.
For a certain number of these children, an effective complement will be found in the organ preparation
Glandulae suprarenalis comp. Glob. WALA 5 - 10 glob. morning and noon.
This chiefly stimulates renal function and the day phase of the liver metabolism (cf. also children with vegetative lability and hypotonic
circulation) and is also suitable as an initial treatment. Finally, extracts of rose blossoms,
Rose Elixir WALA 1 tsp. 3 x daily right before meals
provides highly effective support for which is expressly appreciated by many children with attention and concentration disorders. It is
suitable even for small children-cases of extreme prematurity, for example-and has a positive action with:
- unrest and reduced attention span
- low mental endurance and conditions of mental exhaustion
- tendency to tension headaches
The blossom of the cultivated rose, whose color, fragrance and harmonious form affect the soul so positively, is the product of human
cultivation. In this process, vegetative vitality has been transformed into a substance that is devoted wholly to "ensouled nature and
has meaning only in this context.
A similar process must be performed by the human organism in order to make thought processes possible-it is no accident that north
of the Alps, rose cultivation was first practiced in the monasteries. The indication for administering Rose Elixir is to promote calm
concentration on a thought.
One general therapeutic option for children with simple ADD without hyperactivity is offered by low potencies of Coffea, a plant which
itself synthesizes a substance with a stimulating action: caffeine.
Coffea D3 or D4 Dil (var. manufacturers) 5 - 10 drops 2 x daily (morning and noon/afternoon)
can markedly improve attention and concentration in these children while avoiding the undesirable effects of substantial stimulants.
Here again, the underlying principle of action is that of stimulation, not of substantial substitution.
When the background of the ADD symptoms lies in disorders of the nervous system (e.g. sequelae of cerebral hemorrhage, early
childhood epilepsy, etc.) with competency deficits, Arnica can be of comprehensive benefit to the nervous system, particularly in the
form of an oil-dispersion bath (developed by Junge; information provided by WALA as the manufacturer of the oils):
Arnica e flor. W 5% Oleum WALA, 3 - 5 ml/full bath
Internal remedies for this indication, with a view towards stimulating maturation of the nervous system, are:
Arnica D10 - D30 Glob., 5 glob. 5 x day - 2 x weekly in the morning
Hypophysis/Stannum Glob. WALA 5 glob. in the morning

Amnion Gl. D30 Amp. WALA
0.5 ml daily - 1 ml 2 x weekly in the evening
When the child seems "too weak to think by himself" and process what he has experienced, Arnica can be replaced with
Calcium silicicum comp. D6 Dil. WELEDA
5 drops 3 x daily,
a mineral composition which also contains constituents of Arnica; it deepens and prolongs the action of Arnica.
Individual Therapy Options with Single Remedies
Helleborus niger LM6 Dil Arcana, D12 Glob. WALA
5 drops daily / 5 glob. 1 - 2 x day
is the most important homeopathic single remedy for ADD. Interestingly, the winter-blooming Christmas Rose forms high
concentrations of Beta-Ecdysone, a substance that is important as an inducer of metamorphosis in animate organisms (in hormonally
active fine concentrations)-e.g. the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. Its possible function in the maturation of the
)age "+" of "=>
nervous system is being explored (personal communication from Dr. Schlodder, of the company Helixor). Helleborus niger is
indicated when the nervous system fails to develop adequately as the instrument of consciousness (a disorder of organ development
and metamorphosis):
- the children appear absent, "spaced out"
- sensory impressions are insufficiently processed (disorders
of central perception processing)
- intelligence may be impaired, possibly as a result of
inflammatory and traumatic pathologies of the CNS
- no hyperactivity is present, but symptoms are aggravated
from anticipation anxiety (e.g. exam anxiety)
- memory is weak; the children have trouble committing things
to memory
Contrasting with this picture, there is the type of the intellectually bright child who tends to be delicate and mobile by constitution,
sanguine by temperament and empathetic by nature. These generally artistically gifted children have a basic tendency towards
distractibility. Their attention and concentration problems set in primarily during the light-deprived season, at which time they are
also more susceptible to infections, particularly of the respiratory passages. In this case,
Phosphor LM6 Dil Arcana in the morning,
beginning with 1 - 2 drops daily and increasing to
5 drops daily if no unrest sets in
offers an effective constitutional remedy: Phosphorus enables these children to be mentally present and their susceptibility to
infection decreases markedly. This treatment can be complemented with evening embrocations of the back or oil-dispersion baths
with Hypericum oil during the light-deprived season.
Chiefly among girls, one observes a type of temperamentally phlegmatic child who seems to go into "hibernation during the cold
season. Such children are also prone to seasonally aggravated attention and concentration impairment related to light deprivation.
Regardless of season, they would most prefer to sit in front of the television and eat. They like to move about in the water, which
gives them buoyancy (they love trips to the swimming pool). Overall their development is steady although it may be slow. Under
present-day schooling conditions these children may stand out primarily because they:
- seem absent and dreamy
- forget homework and fail to properly note assignments
- appear heavy and sluggish in their movement
- take a long time with every task and have great difficulty
getting started
In the warm season they are much more active, get more exercise outside and also develop more mental activity and flexibility. In
many cases one of the parents recalls having once had similar traits themselves, or may still manifest a certain sluggishness and
phlegmatic temperament. Even so, the continuity of their development_their health_is always clearly recognizable; their problem of
one of adaptation to their environment and to specific seasonal conditions. An effective remedy in these cases is
Calcium carbonicum LM6 Dil. Arcana,
5 drops 2 - 3 x day
Possible complements to this treatment are phytotherapeutic doses of St. Johns Wort extracts, e.g.
Hyperforate, 10 - 15 drops 2 x daily
and insistence on sufficient outdoor physical activity_while the sun is shining_even in the cold season.
If weakness of memory in an ADD child stems from lack of interest_unwillingness to pay adequate attention and poor memory in spite
of ability_then
Cuprum sulfuricum D6 Dil. WELEDA 5 drops 3 x daily
can put the child in a receptive and at the same time relaxed state.
Children who are markedly
- strong-willed, but at the same time
- mentally lazy
can be stimulated towards greater attention and mental order by administering
Stibium met. praep. D6 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip 3 x daily
Additionally, Sulphur D12 Trit. WELEDA,
1 knife-tip in the morning and
Stibium met. 0.4 % Ointment WELEDA
1 pea-sized dab applied to the forehead.
Equisetum limosum - Rubellite D6 Dil. WELEDA
5 drops 2 - 3 x daily
is indicated for children who manifest weakness of the I-organization: They appear slightly sad and depressed and have great
difficulty starting a task_they cant get going or "muster the will to begin.
)age "++ of "=>
Acidum phosphoricum D12 Glob. (var. manufacturers)
5 glob. in the morning, possibly also at noon,
is indicated for children who are quickly exhausted mentally:
- headaches and thirst after school are a leading symptom of
this constitution. These children are also prone to allergic
rhinitis_in some cases perennial_which in turn further
impairs their attention and concentration.
Children who
- manifest difficulties with arithmetic and logical thought but
have no other difficulties_e.g. with reading and writing_
benefit from treatment with potentized natural calcium
phosphate (apatite) and tin:
Apatite D12 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
and
Stannum met. praep. D12 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the evening
as well as
Stannum met. 0.4 % ointment WELEDA
apply a pea-sized amount to forehead in the morning
A deep-acting metallic remedy to stimulate differentiated thought processes is silver antimonide (dyscrasite). The essential action of
potentized antimony is to promote structuring processes in the organism, while silver in high potency has the power to stimulate the
vitality of the nervous system.
Dyscrasite D30 Dil. WELEDA, 5 drops in the evening,
is indicated for children who
- have an attention deficit and mental weakness
- tend to be clumsy and undifferentiated in fine motor
behavior
These children also benefit greatly from learning to play a musical instrument, e.g. the flute, which also supports mental development
(important in the second seven-year period).
In contrast, lead in the form of
Plumbum met. praep. D10 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
is indicated for children who are
- large-headed, with hints of hydrocephalus, and at the same
time physically slender
- markedly retarded in mental development
- late with toilet training in many cases and slow to catch up
developmentally
Children with Disorders of the Craniocervical
Transition
Pathogenetic Connections
From osteopathy and craniosacral therapy we know that the transition from the posterior skull base to the cervical spine in the human
being is very sensitive and susceptible to impairment (41). As background to this issue, it must be recalled that the entire connection
of the osseous skull and the vertebral column-derived from the chorda dorsalis-is an oscillating system of more or less mobile
osseous structures. In the region of the craniocervical transition, the capacity for oscillation and rhythm is subjected to great stress in
neonates and infants (particularly by the birth process), frequently resulting in pathological deformation due to vertebral body
displacement, impairment of normal mobility of the vertebral joints, as well as congenital disorders (42). Scientific studies confirm
today that this region is particularly susceptible to impairment in the first six months of life_in certain cases it may also be linked to
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the incidence of which increases four-fold in children who sleep on their stomach, i.e. with
heads sharply turned (43). Blood supply to the brain is dependent to a considerable extent on the vertebral arteries, and these can
be significantly irritated by impaired balance, vertebral body displacements, as well as impaired mobility in the cervical spine/skull
base area.
From the embryological point of view, B. Christ (44) speaks of the region of "the cervicooccipital transition as a `vital center of the
human being: The earliest embryonal vessels can be detected here; regulation of breathing and circulation is localized in this region;
and central formative processes of the rhythmic system have their origin here-among others, the septation and crossing of the
outflow paths of the heart and development of the intramural nerve plexus of the gastro-intestinal tract, which enables peristalsis
there. This underscores the importance of understanding the spine, and particularly the craniocervical transition, as a part of the
rhythmic system: Disorders of the vertebral column, of circulation and possibly of respiratory regulation and motor activity act
directly on one another here.
Clinically, the pathological picture in question shows restricted rotation, palpable asymmetries of the uppermost transverse processes
of the cervical vertebral bodies and of the pulsations in the region of the cervical spine, as well as asymmetries of the shoulder girdle.
A mixed picture may arise with painful tension of the cervical musculature alongside of relative muscular hypotonia in the vertebral
sections beneath them. Disorders may also affect tonus of the mimic musculature of the face and jaw position. Ex juvantibus, the
)age "+1 of "=>
diagnosis is confirmed by the fact that after appropriate treatment of the cervical spine, the childrens behavior undergoes a marked
improvement_in some cases practically overnight.
In such disorders we recognize a dissociation between head and body which requires further in-depth anthroposophical study. The
result of this dissociation is that the forces emanating from the head pole, which are responsible for forming the body out of the soul-
spiritual individuality of the child, are unable to exert their full efficacy and penetrate the limbs. The will forces that have their
primary action in the limbs enter into a wrong relationship with the impulses from the head pole_they fail to engage properly in the
childs organism. In the first seven-year period, however, the constituting process of the organism is dependent on the metabolic-
limb organizations adapting itself to the head-mediated formative impulses from the childs higher self.
Therapeutic Options
are offered by practitioners of osteopathy or craniosacral therapy who have undergone further training in child neurology/orthopedics
or have been trained in physical therapy on a neurophysiological basis as well as one of the therapeutic fields mentioned. Specific
experience with children is indispensable. The space between treatments should be at least 1 - 2 weeks. Any positive effect should
be recognizable within this time period.
This treatment can be supported and stabilized medicinally by administration of
Disci comp. cum Argento Glob. WALA
3-5 glob. 2 x daily for 3 - 6 weeks
Hypericum D12 Dil. WELEDA/DHU
3 - 5 drops 2 x daily
For early diagnosis and therapy, craniosacral therapy and osteopathy have a significant role to play_primarily in ADHD, but also for
any child with a problematic neonatological anamnesis: In case after case one is struck by the results of this treatment: Infants who
formerly exhibited the classic early symptoms_inexplicably long crying phases, motor unrest, eating, sleep and mood
disorders_become relaxed and calm and find their way into very much better day/night and eating rhythms as well as much more
harmonious motor development.
2.5 Children with Vegetative Lability and
Labile Hypotonic Circulation
What is striking to the doctor about this group of children is the instability of their rhythmic system:
- fluctuating, situationally and positionally dependent
disorders of warmth distribution with varying degrees of
pallor
- cool and sweaty extremities, perspiration of vegetative
origin, dermographism
- tendency to abdominal pain, indefinable and changing
unpleasant sensations, later headaches (tension headache or
migraine-like headaches)
- in some cases a complaining, anxious state with little basic
trust
- nervosity
These frequently-encountered symptoms intensify markedly around the ninth year, during growth spurts and in the pubertarian
separation phase, and then may lead to manifest attention disorders. Disorders of the craniocervical transition can aggravate these
symptoms (see above). As a rule, impairment of attention and concentration is inconstant; among children prone to intense motor
unrest, one can have the impression that they are creating constant motor stimulation in order to achieve adequate body tone (in
cases of pronounced hyperkinetic symptoms, cf. above, e.g. Veratrum album).
A basic therapy suitable for these children is
Cardiodoron mite Dil. WELEDA. 5 - 15 drops 3 x daily.
Its stimulating action on the rhythmic system is comprehensive, so it should not be thought of simply as a "heart remedy. This
action gives it a broad and important indication particularly for the 2nd seven-year period, since this is the age when the human
rhythmic system undergoes its most extensive development (lungs, heart/circulatory system, vertebral column). Roughly half of
these children_primarily those with combined weakness of the heart/circulatory system and the digestion_show obvious benefit from
simultaneous administration of the organ preparation
Glandulae suprarenales comp. Glob. WALA
5 - 10 glob. 3 x daily.
The most important metallic remedy for children of the type described here is potentized iron. If the symptoms match the above
description without hyperactivity or if one is dealing chiefly with boys whose maturation in the 2nd seven-year period has been rather
inhibited and who seem a bit "too soft, then
Ferrum met. praep. D10 - 12 Trit. WELEDA
1 knife-tip in the morning
is indicated. When the problems arise in the context of a growth spurt (the child grows too fast and mentally "nothing works
anymore), an extract of blackthorn blossoms and shoots processed and potentized together with iron oxide has proven most effective
and beneficial:
Prunuseisen Glob. WALA, 7 - 10 glob. 3 x daily
When the child is in a weakened state due to prior illness or emotional issues, etc., or when there is a tendency to hypotonia and
latent depressive states, then a remedy combining Prunuseisen with Levico water and Hypericum is more effective:
)age "+= of "=>
Levico comp. Glob. WALA, 5 - 10 glob. 2 - 3 x daily.
A broadly indicated remedy for hypotonic circulation, attention and concentration deficit is
Skorodit Kreislauf Glob. WALA, 10 glob. 2 - 3 x daily,
primarily to be given in the morning and at noontime.
This composite remedy is based on scorodite (iron orthoarsenate) complemented by Veratrum album and Prunus spinosa. It is helpful
primarily in puberty and adolescence, especially when a remedy is needed for quick tonifying and strengthening. These patients
appear without energy, sluggish and hypotonic, but not off-putting or aggressive.
Cralonin Heel drops, 20 drops 2 x daily for school children
contains hawthorn extracts and thus has a harmonizing and stabilizing effect on blood circulation. It is effective in cases of orthostatic
tendencies as well as anxiety and piercing chest pains without specific cause, which are not uncommon at this age.
Helpful non-medicinal therapy options are rhythmical massage and therapeutic eurythmy (45) (in that order).
In this section focusing on therapy for the rhythmic system, we must emphasize the overall importance of
- clear guidance and rhythmic structuring of the child's day-
particularly the morning and evening hours (cf. also section
7.1)
- lots of outdoor exercise (in all weather) and purposeful
movement (engaging the child in house and garden work,
riding, etc.). Further suggestions are offered by Khler (46).
2.6 Food intolerances
Over the last 20 years, Egger (47) has demonstrated convincingly in numerous publications that the behavior of a portion of
hyperkinetic children can be significantly improved by means of an "oligoantigenic" diet. Hypersensitivity to specific Hyfoods-
primarily sugar, coloring agents and preservatives and phosphate-rich foods-is different in each case.
Generally these are not classical cases of allergy but intolerances ("idiosyncrasies") which have remained unrecognized and cannot be
detected until the chief incompatible foods are methodically excluded in the context of an elimination diet and subsequently re-
introduced on a trial basis. Thus one can start with a basic diet that is known to be compatible and then step by step re-introduce
previously eaten foods according to a set plan, thus recognizing incompatibilities. Sugar and food additives are often found to
aggravate the symptoms. At the same time some patients have a craving for incompatible foods-an aspect that has been studied
from an anthroposophical viewpoint by Otto Wolff (36); directly relevant indications can also be found in the works of Rudolf Steiner
(48).
Anthroposophical understanding highlights the importance of spleen activity for complete assimilation of food in the human organism.
Steiner's picture of the significance and pathology of this organ-activity is remarkably congruent with what is observed in hyperkinetic
children with food intolerances and addiction to sweet or incompatible foods. This aspect also has therapeutic implications (see
below).
In practical terms, one may proceed as follows with this group of patients:
- ascertain the compatible diet by careful anamnesis,
elimination diet and dietary counseling; this is time-
consuming, but absolutely essential for each child. N.B.:
The proof of a positive result is that it is experienced by
parents, teachers and the child.
- stool diagnosis (intestinal flora, pancreatic function),
promotion of symbiosis and mycosis treatment (if
necessary).
- medicinal therapy addressing particularly: food breakdown;
border surface function of the intestinal mucosa; liver and
pancreas.
Sulphur LM6 Dil. Arcana, 5 drops in the morning
is indicated chiefly for vacillating blood sugar levels with the typical sudden sweet-craving and associated aggravation of behavior. It
can often rapidly stabilize the blood sugar level.
Cichorium/Pancreas comp. Glob. WALA/Amp. WALA
7 glob. 3 x daily/1 drink ampule daily,
with its potentized antimony, has a generally ordering effect on hyperkinetic children; similarly, the organ preparation Pancreas has a
positive action not only on the digestion but also on blood sugar regulation.
Lycopodium comp. Glob. WALA, 5 - 7 glob. 3 x daily
is indicated particularly when toxic stress is a consideration.
Lien Gl D6 or Lien/Plumbum Amp. WALA
strengthens spleen function and the immune system associated with the intestinal mucosa (ontogenetically related to the spleen).
Spleen embrocation with Oxalis 10 % Ointment WELEDA,
Plumbum met. 0.1% Ointment WELEDA - possibly in alternation with Cuprum met. 0.4 % Ointment WELEDA
)age "+G of "=>
A midday nap with a warm liver compress (e.g. yarrow tea) also has a beneficial action on the entire digestive and metabolic function;
it is supported by
Hepatodoron Tbl. WELEDA
1 tbl. after both lunch and dinner
The Role of Stimulant Therapy
Stimulants (e.g. Ritalin) do not heal-this must be recalled again and again. Stimulants may be indicated in cases where in spite of
all everything attempted the child remains unreachable and socially isolated or unmanageable: in acute situations aggravated by
family, school or other circumstances. As a suppressive and perhaps substitutive treatment, stimulants represent a therapeutic
principle which is completely comparable to steroid inhalation for bronchial asthma or longterm antibiotic therapy for cystic fibrosis.
Stimulants are an expression of the power of modern scientific medicine: They put psychopharmaceutical drugs into the hands of the
child/adolescent psychiatrist that are comparable with those of other medical specialties, thus increasing his or her status. This exerts
a seductive power while also posing the danger of therapeutic resignation. The therapeutic goal particularly of pediatrics and
anthroposophical medicine is healing: stimulation of the living capacity for self-regulation, strengthening the forces of the individual
personality and patiently working through the child's limitations of body and soul.
The alternative to stimulant therapy is to make an intensive diagnostic and therapeutic effort for each single child. It requires a
differentiated command of healing techniques and remedies, collaboration with the family based on mutual trust and adjustment of
the home and school environment in accordance with the child's needs.
In severe cases of hyperactivity, a boarding school for curative education may make a critical difference during puberty. The path
towards a pediatrics dedicated to the individual and to longterm healing requires the resolution to abstain, if at all possible, from
stimulant therapy.
Georg Soldner, pediatrician
Josef-Retzer-Str 36
D-81241 Mnchen
Dr. H. Michael Stellmann, pediatrician
Haslach
D-83043 Bad Aibling
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2 Steinhausen H C. Psychische Strungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. 3. Aufl. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Mnchen 1996, 5. Aufl.
Urban & Fischer,Mnchen 2002. S.91ff
3 Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Strungen im Suglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter. Deutscher rzte Verlag.
Kln 2003. R 7
4 Nelson. Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th edition, Saunders 2003, p. 107
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Der Merkurstab 56, 2003, 181 - 195, S. 184
6 Steinhausen H. C. Psychische Strungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. 3. Aufl. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Mnchen 1996, 5. Aufl.
Urban & Fischer,Mnchen 2002, S. 95
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Der Merkurstab 56, 2003, 181 - 195
8 Moll G, Rothenberger A. Neurobiologische Grundlagen. Ein pathophysiologisches Erklrungsmodell der ADHD. Kinderrztliche Praxis
2001, Sonderheft Unaufmerksam und hyperaktiv, 9 - 15
9 Khler H.War Michel aus Lnneberga aufmerksamkeitsgestrt? Verlag Freies Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2002
10 Neuhaus C. Hyperaktive Jugendliche und ihre Probleme,
Urania-Ravensburger, Berlin 2000, S. 66
11 Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Strungen im Suglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter. Deutscher rzte Verlag,
Kln 2003, R 7, S. 3
12 Steinhausen H. C. Psychische Strungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. 3. Aufl. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Mnchen 1996, 5.Aufl.
Urban & Fischer, Mnchen 2002, S. 92
13 Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Strungen im Suglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter. Deutscher rzte Verlag,
Kln 2003, R 7, S. 2
14 Schmidt A, Meusers M, Momsen U. Wo ein Wille ist, aber kein Weg - Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom mit und ohne Hyperaktivitt.
Der Merkurstab 56, 2003, 181 - 195, S. 186
15 Aust-Claus E, Hammer P-M. Das ADS-Buch. Oberstebrink, Ratingen, 5. Aufl. 2001
)age "+> of "=>
16 Neuhaus C.: Hyperaktive Jugendliche und ihre Probleme,
Urania-Ravensburger, Berlin 2000
17 Pohl W. Das Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom
menschenkundlich betrachtet. Der Merkurstab 55 2002), 294-298, S, 295
18 Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Strungen im Suglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter. Deutscher rzte Verlag,
Kln 2003, R 7, S. 2
19 Schmidt A, Meusers M, Momsen U. Wo ein Wille ist, aber kein Weg - Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom mit und ohne Hyperaktivitt.
Der Merkurstab 56 2003), 181 - 195, S.183
20 Reichenberg-Ullmann J, Ullmann R. Es geht auch ohne Ritalin, Michaelsverlag, Peiting, 2.Aufl. 2002, S. 115
21 Reichenberg-Ullmann J, Ullmann R. Ritalin Free Kids. 2nd edition 2000
22 Khler H.War Michel aus Lnneberga
aufmerksamkeitsgestrt? Verlag Freies Geistesleben,
Stuttgart 2002, S. 236-238
23 Khler H.War Michel aus Lnneberga
aufmerksamkeitsgestrt? Verlag Freies Geistesleben,
Stuttgart 2002
24 Khler H.Von ngstlichen, traurigen und unruhigen Kindern. Verlag Freies Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2. Aufl. 1994, 4. Aufl. 1997
25 Schmidt A, Meusers M, Momsen U. Wo ein Wille ist, aber kein Weg - Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom mit und ohne Hyperaktivitt.
Der Merkurstab 56 2003), 181 - 195
26 Neuhaus C. Das hyperaktive Kind und seine Probleme. Urania-Ravensburger, Berlin 1999
27 Patzlaff R. Der gefrorene Blick. Die physiologische Wirkung des Fernsehens und die Entwicklung des Kindes. Verlag Freies
Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2000
28 Goebel W, Glckler M. Kindersprechstunde. 13. Aufl. Urachhaus, Stuttgart 1998
29 Pohl W.: Das Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom menschenkundlich betrachtet. Der Merkurstab 55 2002), 294-298
30 Reichenberg-Ullmann J, Ullmann R. Es geht auch ohne Ritalin, Michaelsverlag, Peiting, 2. Aufl. 2002
English original: Reichenberg-Ullman J, Ullman R. Ritalin-free kids: Rocklin, USA: Prima Publishing, 2nd edition 2000
31 Zabern B v. Das Dilemma der Stimulanzienbehandlung unruhiger Kinder. Der Merkurstab 55 2002), 84-87
32 Zabern B v. Kompendium der rztlichen Behandlung seelenpflegebedrftiger Kinder, Jugendlicher und Erwachsener. Erfahrungen
und Hinweise aus der anthroposophischen Therapie. Medizinische Sektion am Goetheanum, Dornach Schweiz, 2002
33 Christ B. Entwicklung der craniocervicalen bergangsregion. In: Humanembryologie. Hinrichsen, V. Hrsg.). Springer Verlag, Berlin
1990, S. 859
34 Christ B. Entwicklung der craniocervicalen bergangsregion. In: Humanembryologie.Hinrichsen, V. Hrsg.). Springer Verlag, Berlin
1990. S. 839
35 Pohl W.: Das Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom menschenkundlich betrachtet. Der Merkurstab 55 2002), 294-298, S. 296f.
36 Wolff O.: Das hyperkinetische Syndrom. Der Merkurstab 1, 1-8 1993)
37 Vogel H H. Organ der Ich-Organisation. Natur Mensch Medizin, Bad Boll 1996, S.171
38 Steiner R. Heilpdagogischer Kurs. Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach, 8. Aufl. 1995, S.16; English translation: Curative Eurythmy,
Rudolf Steiner Press
39 Steiner R. Heileurythmie. Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach 4. Aufl. 1981
40 Steinhausen H. C.: Psychische Strungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. 3. Aufl. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Mnchen 1996, 5. Aufl.
Urban & Fischer, Mnchen 2002. S.91
41 Upledger J E,Vredevoogd J D. Lehrbuch der CranioSacralen Therapie. 4. Aufl. Haug Verlag, Heidelberg 2000, S. 116-187
42 Upledger J E,Vredevoogd J D. Lehrbuch der CranioSacralen Therapie. 4. Aufl. Haug Verlag, Heidelberg 2000. S. 304-309
43 Deeg et al. 1998.--- Bitte ergnzen!!!
44 Christ B. Entwicklung der craniocervicalen
bergangsregion. In: Humanembryologie.Hinrichsen,
V.Hrsg.). Springer Verlag, Berlin 1990, S. 831
45 Khler H.Von ngstlichen, traurigen und unruhigen Kindern. Verlag Freies Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2. Aufl. 1994, 4. Aufl. 1997, S.
34-56
)age "+H of "=>
46 Khler H.War Michel aus Lnneberga
aufmerksamkeitsgestrt? Verlag Freies Geistesleben,
Stuttgart 2002, S. 200f
47 Egger J. Mglichkeiten von Ditbehandlungen
bei hyperkinetischen Strungen. In: Hyperkinetische
Strungen bei Kindern, Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen.
Steinhausen,H. C. Hrsg. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1. Aufl. 1995, 2. Aufl. 2000
48 Steiner R. Geisteswissenschaft und Medizin. Lectures 15. and 16, esp. p. 294. Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach 5. Aufl. 1976;
English translation: Introducing Anthroposophical Medicine, Anthroposophic Press.
49 Steiner R. Geisteswissenschaft und Medizin. Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach 5. Aufl. 1976
0hat Tas* does /hronic (llness )ose to the Auman BeingC

QQ bac*
By: Michaela 8loec*ler, M.D.
Aspects of Prevention and Hygiogenesis/Salutogenesis
- *%stract
Based on an examination of diabetes type 1 and 2, pathogenetic and salutogenic principles are explored. This yields perspectives on
the significance of education and self-education in primary prevention and accompanying psychotherapeutic treatment.
- @ey,ords
Prevention
Diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2
Diabetic microangiopathy
Heredity
Education
Salutogenesis
Primary prevention is concerned not only with the factors that may trigger an illness, but also with the way health is achieved. Thus it
unites pathogenetic and salutogenic research.
Pathogenesis of dia%etes mellitus type 1
In rare cases diabetes mellitus type 1 begins in the initial months of life. Its incidence rises continuously during childhood, reaching a
plateau between the 5th and 7th years of life and then rising again sharply towards puberty. It reaches its peak at puberty with the
second growth spurt. In girls, the highest incidence rate and the onset of puberty both appear 1 to 2 years earlier than in boys, so
that the chief incidence is seen from the 12th/13th into the 14th year and then falls back to one half of this by the end of
adolescence, becoming comparable to the incidence rate in early childhood once more. One has the impression that the onset of
diabetes accompanies the entire period of childhood and adolescent development. On this background, type 1 diabetes reveals a
pronounced developmental-i.e. incarnational-association.
If it is possible to contract this illness as early as the 1st or 2nd year of life, a destiny-related factor must be assumed. In spite of
intensive research, it has not been possible to demonstrate conclusively the existence of hereditary aspects. Avid pathogenetic
research continues but has rarely detected familial clustering. The children themselves bring a karmic-i.e. destiny-related-
disposition to it as their own personal problem. Corresponding antibodies can be detected even in the vulnerable phase of very early
childhood (as we now know, many years before manifestation of the disease), showing that the disease process is progressing,
unnoticed, at a very early date. This suggests that it is strongly influenced by upbringing. In this context, research is focusing on the
role played by environment and life style in the manifestation of type 1 diabetes.
Interestingly, research in this area has made hardly any significant progress in over 10 years. Still, it is known that environmental
influences play a critical contributing role in the causation of type 1 diabetes. A survey article published in 1991 in the /eutsche
Apotheker?eitung refers to a WHO study to be conducted in 58 countries over 10 years; thus its results can be expected this year or
next. Current textbooks (e.g. Berger 2000) emphasize the strong environmental association of this disease as well as its pronounced
impact on today's society in health policy and socioeconomic terms. It would be impossible to overstate the seriousness of the
increase in this disease picture throughout the world. Up to the middle of the 20th century-into the fifties-juvenile diabetes was a
rare disease (the best-known example being Finland). Since then there has been a steady rise: By the 1980s Finland had reached the
highest world incidence at 40/100,000 children, which means 7 children per 1,000 births. The figures for Germany as well, though
relatively low in comparison, must now be raised from 11 (1995) to 15/100,000, and an exponential increase is expected.
)age "+J of "=>
Thus in terms both of economy and of health policy, the most interesting question is: Concretely which influences are involved in the
genesis of diabetes mellitus type 1 and how can its rising tendency be stopped? The most critical issues are clearly the environment,
the upbringing and education of children, the question of primary prevention though structuring the living environment, as well as
avoidance of psychological stressors such as unmanageable stress and trauma. Another factor under discussion is the chronic
immunological overtaxing to which we are subjected. We need to investigate how such autoimmune processes can be triggered.
Pathogenesis of type 2 dia%etes
In type 2 diabetes the pathogenesis is of a completely different nature. Here an unmistakable genetic factor is found-a highly
significant concordance in monozygous twins of 60 - 100%, which is much more significant than the other disease pictures with a
genetic component. It also clearly plays a greater role than the environmental and other risk factors discussed above. After all, the
majority of people in our Western civilization suffer from overweight and lack of movement, yet the majority of these do not contract
diabetes.
Thus it is the genetic factor that plays the key role in type 2 diabetes. But how do the genes receive a predisposition to diabetes? In
the foregoing contributions to this issue, several authors have drawn attention to a quality of thinking that is technical, intellectual
and lacking in inner warmth. In type 2 diabetics one can observe that feeling-imbued personal reflection does not come easily and no
longer plays a leading role in their thinking.
Historically, the quality of thought we are describing developed over the last 200 years. In the year 1800 the industrial revolution
began with the invention of the steam engine for the mechanical production of cotton. It was here for the first time that this type of
thinking-cool, sober, objective, automatic- entered into practical application with mechanical innovations that had a huge and
lasting cultural impact. Since then, it has been seven generations until our times.
The reproductive organs by which the genetic material is passed on harbor creative, flexible life processes: In men, sperm formation
is observed throughout life. In women, however, the ova that mature throughout life until the time of menopause were all present in
primordial form before birth. This provides them with a certain degree of protection from external influences, although all life
processes are ultimately subject to the environment and changeable. From this point of view, the female constitution is always behind
the pace of genetic change; it is the conservative pole, preserving what derives from earlier times. In the male constitution, the
hereditary material connects more strongly with the "here and now."
When we consider that mandatory schooling for all children was gradually introduced in the 19th century, and that in the 20th century
it also became the norm in Eastern Europe and deep into Russia, we are looking at an enormous social change. This development is
accompanied by a penetrating intellectualization process over the course of generations. It was this process that Rudolf Steiner had in
mind when he founded the first Waldorf School after the First World War. In this connection he spoke of the urgent need for a change
in thinking-for health reasons.
Since then research has revealed that human hereditary material is susceptible to environmental influence, that it is in fact an open
system reacting not only to external environmental influences, but also demonstrably to psychological, psychosocial and spiritual
influences-in other words, to qualities of thinking. It is a highly sensitive and complex reactive system. Thus Steiner's indications
appear in quite a different light today. For this reason salutogenic research has been developing increasingly fruitful approaches since
the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. The insight is growing that health represents a highly complex interplay of
numerous factors, a condition of labile equilibrium that merits being studied and nurtured.
6ia%etic microangiopathy
The Berger textbook describes the connection between hyperglycemia and vascular damage as follows (Berger 2000, p. 264): "The
pathogenesis (of diabetic microangiopathy) has a glucose-toxic, metabolic basis. Due to anatomic peculiarities in the vascular supply
of these three tissues (retina of the eye, renal glomerula and nerve tissue), as a result of a biochemically-metabolically induced
endothelial lesion with a secondary permeability increase and thickening of the basal membrane of vessels, it becomes possible for
hemodynamic alterations with multifocal ischemia and hypoxia to manifest in a particularly early and deleterious manner."
Thus this process takes places by way of the blood, through the vascular supply of these three specific tissues. The numerous AGE
(advanced glycation end product) proteins that have been detected are now judged to represent ineffective attempts on the part of
the organism to heal itself by overcoming the unphysiological and (to the cells) lethal hyperglycemia.
In his contribution to this series, Friedwart Husemann has provided a spiritual-scientific description of the "physiological diabetic
constitution" that is always latent in the metabolism of the portal vein blood. Extrapolating from this, one can conclude that in the
three vascular regions particularly endangered by diabetic sequelae, a kind of imitation of the liver - portal vein metabolism takes
place. The rhythmic system merges definitively into the metabolic system in these places: The rhythms stop, and in this extremely
peripheral metabolism, metabolic activity affects blood respiration as if this were portal vein blood. Thus a multiplicity of pathogenic
proteins, lipoproteins and enzymatic peculiarities lead to a kind of liver cell metabolism at the wrong place.
The better I am able to identity with the world and with myself, the more I am a "person" in its original sense of "per-sonare" (to
sound through) and can penetrate and control my organs, the healthier I am. This penetration fails when metabolism occurs at the
wrong place; then a barrier is formed, membrane thickens and substances are deposited because they no longer reach the place of
their natural functions. This progression leads to a practical paralysis of the will, which is so characteristic of type 2 diabetes:
vigorous, energetic, goal-oriented action yields to a certain listlessness, to fatigue and low drive. Yet the energy is not gone; it has
been held within as if the will, no longer able to connect and identify itself through healthy metabolic organs, were withdrawn and
shunted into feeling. This is why one often observes increased emotionality and sometimes lack of self-control, a vacillation between
depression and aggression, because will and feeling have been pressed so closely together.
One of Rudolf Steiner's descriptions of the concept of feeling is "will that has been held back in the soul." When we speak today of
motivation and mean an action that is not yet executed, a readiness to act, then it is this will-embued feeling that enthuses and
)age "+K of "=>
excites us inwardly to the point where the inner movement can be actually turned into an outer deed. The type 2 diabetic may have
quite enough motivation, but cannot so easily direct it into a clearly controlled action. The faculty of thinking, due to its abstractness,
its speed or its lack of warmth, has grown distant from feeling; feeling gets bogged down in the will, so to speak. The will has been
pathologically held back by the impaired metabolism and thinking struggles to maintain the connection.
Consequently, the therapeutic endeavor will be to create new order in the metabolism-based will by way of the thinking-e.g.,
through artistic practice, curative eurythmy, art therapies (see preceding presentations) or substances. The goal will be to enable the
will to direct itself outwards again and for the feeling to re-connect more strongly with the thinking and motivate actions in the right
way, without the patient's being emotionally driven or losing control.
In the textbook referred to above, the pathomechanism of glucose toxicity is vividly described in regard to diabetic microangiopathy.
The striking phenomenon of "glucose memory" is noted: even when the metabolism is optimally regulated and no excess glucose at
all can be detected in peripheral regions, still the faulty metabolism-the metabolic activity of the AGEs-continues. This is attributed
to a retained memory of glucose toxicity. This may well be a reasonable hypothesis, but from the anthroposophical point of view one
must wonder where the glucose gets its toxicity if it flows to the periphery at normal levels. If the glucose toxicity has been shown to
be present through all the years of hyperglycemia, one must wonder if the glucose has not become toxic because this sugar is not
really grasped by the I-organization (for the anthroposophical background to this, see Rudolf Steiner's !heosophy). Hence the cause
must be sought on the spiritual level and cannot be solely explained by the concentration of glucose.
As a working hypothesis, we may thus assume that the I-function is able to permeate the glucose with warmth and to accompany the
warmth processes in the entire sugar digestion process of the organism. The taste of "sweet" is the sense-perceptible archetype of a
taste in which I feel one with myself and the world. Thus the I is already present in the very first experience of taste, the physical
assimilation of sugar. When a person is no longer able to enjoy sugar, really this feeling that is evoked by sweetness; when there is
no place for the grateful feeling of release in the taste of sweetness-this is already the beginning, psychogenically, of the
diabetogenic metabolic condition. When sugar is taken up into the unconsciously active etheric body (fluid organization of formative
forces), the question is how this process can be accompanied in a health-supporting way. Quality-of-life studies essentially always
focus on satisfaction. They are measures of satisfaction. According to Steiner the only lasting way of nurturing the etheric body and
supporting its regenerative, self-healing power is "to cultivate the feeling of satisfaction." If we do not succeed in maintaining a basic
level of satsifaction with life through all its ups and downs, a continuum of a certain inner and outer peace or at least the willingness
to keep making fresh attempts at it, this already has a diabetogenic action on the etheric body.
Absorption of sugar no longer takes place properly in cellular respiration, and healthy permeation with warmth abates. Substances
can no longer be channeled to the right place in relation to the external world or for healthy organ building. An excessive self-
orientation develops, accompanied by the backing up of the will into the feeling life as described above. In moral terms, this could be
described as an excessively ego-oriented gesture; for the lack of warmth towards the world is also experienced on the soul level.
Warmth is the functional vehicle of the entire human organism. If sugar is no longer permeated with warmth on all effective levels-
physical, etheric and astral-it then has a toxic action. In this sense diabetes mellitus is an absolutely central disorder of warmth
regulation and activation, a disorder that confronts the human I with itself.
The vital role of consciousness, of attention, in this process is vividly brought out in the contributions of 2ichael Hecht and /Mrte
Hilgard. The message of this disease-and this applies, differently weighted, to each type-seems to be: "Learn to do some of what
your I unconsciously performs in your organism; learn anew to value your I, its task for your body and the world. Learn to permeate
all you do with warmth; learn to be present; learn presence of mind, presence of spirit."
$ature 8<eredity: and $urture 84ducation:
After seven generations of increasing intellectual overtaxing and growing cold in our thinking, we witness this disease assuming
massive proportions in the highly industrialized countries of the world, possibly abetted by our habitual stress, which functions as the
great adapter to outer circumstances. As present-day human beings we adapt too readily, or not consciously enough, to outward
conditions and therefore our hearts are not fully engaged; ever less warmth is available for the moment at hand-to fill it, to grasp it,
to be creative with it. Diabetes appears today as an endemic disease; thus prevention means a change in life style, a radical change
in our relationship to ourselves, our work and the world. Salutogenesis offers us several quite fundamental indications and prepares
health dispositions for the incarnations to come.
A. Antonovsky (1977) describes the sense of coherence as follows: I am coherent-connected in warmth, in relationship and, yes, in
coherence-when the things of the world are comprehensible to me, when things are meaningful to me. Things tell me something,
they signify something to me and, finally, I find them manageable. These three traits characterize the healthy psyche. When I
understand the world, when I understand and am able to find meaning in myself, when I can deal with my antipathies towards myself
and the world in such a way that even the ugly has meaning for me, motivating me to positive action, and when I can also find the
courage and strength to do it: then I am coherent with myself and the world.
This challenges the core competencies of the I: The I has initiative; it is capable of interest; it can enter into itself and the world; it
can direct its attention. It is that agency within us that can manifest only intentionally, warming our thinking, feeling and willing. It is
the very source of coherence. Thinking without participation of the I will never lead to understanding of the world, no more than
feeling and will without real authenticity, I-presence. Thus primary prevention must be based on promoting the human I and its
understanding of itself; only in this way is it possible.
What task does a chronic disease have? From the pathology one can learn to get an intimation of the task, for the task is the therapy,
so to speak. In the pathology I can 'read' what ails me and together with the physician and therapist I can try to come to terms with
it. This is the proper task of physicians: to follow the pathogenetic model, supplying what is missing, compensating and regulating
imbalances. What the physician needs beyond this as background is the intention and the ability to be the teacher, the mediator of a
comprehensive understanding of health. Strictly speaking, the salutogenic approach sees each disease as containing a piece of health
as well. In this light, illness becomes an inner, moral issue, the task being to recognize what still needs to be dealt with and to take it
on. It becomes a grace of God grace, a gift of fate and, paradoxically, the way to healing. In his lectures for young doctors and
medical students, Rudolf Steiner notes that they should learn to love the illness, since the healing is already contained within it. Or, as
)age "1, of "=>
he says in his lectures for priests and doctors, God Father sends illness for karmic compensation. Illness is always a healing, divinely
sent harmonizer of destiny.
Such statements are still beyond present-day notions of psychogenic moral influence. It is a completely different level, the spiritual
plane, that is addressed here. In the physician's work, there are always three planes to be distinguished and attended to. On the
planes of soma and psyche, particularly focusing on the pathological process, what is "wrong with me" is always experienced as
painful and also as shameful: "Why do I have to go through this now?" Or, "What did I do?" "How did this happen?" And, "Who is to
blame?" One is always inclined initially to look for the guilty party and to moralize, but then to work to make it better. This is the
human plane, the plane of the evolving soul, the plane on which we are continually faced with new lessons. There is, however,
another plane-the plane on which one seeks the deeper meaning and searches for the wisdom in destiny. In the light of repeated
earth lives, an entire incarnation of suffering becomes recognizable as a healing crisis which one can accept with deep affirmation.
The illness of diabetes has such an aspect.
Salutogenic principles
Rudolf Steiner addresses the theme of salutogenesis as primary prevention in early childhood education as follows: "As long as the
child is an imitating religious being, it does no good at all if I admonish the child..." (Anthroposophische PNdagogik, p. 34/35). Here
the critical salutogenic principle, i.e. the strongest source of resistance that the human being possesses, becomes his religious
relationship to God, to other human beings and to the world. The deep reverence that can touch us when we observe the phenomena
of nature is also a religious relationship.
This proves to be the strongest power of resistance in extremities such as holocaust, prison, prolonged famine and all types of stress.
The small child still possesses this capacity constitutionally: the child exhibits devotion to all that surrounds it by imitating it in a way
analogous to religious devotion. This capacity fades towards the ninth year of life. The younger one is, the more one finds everything
worthy of imitation because one comes from the spiritual world with the attitude that things on earth as they are in the spiritual
worlds, namely good. It takes about 9 years before one has weaned oneself of this attitude. Then one begins to judge for oneself
what is good and worthy of imitation. As long as the child remains an imitative religious being, it is no use at all for me to admonish
the child.
To heed words, the soul must be emancipated to some degree from its environment and ready to make a mental representation of
what is said. Words alone are not helpful with a child. But everything that we do in front of the child and with the child is helpful. In
this case the child perceives the inner, moral aspect of the action. Just as the color-blind person looking at a colored surface sees only
shades of gray but not the colors, so the adult sees people's gestures, their looks, their facial expressions, the speed, slowness or
jerkiness of their movements. He sees only the physical aspect but no longer perceives the moral within it. The child still perceives the
moral aspect, albeit subconsciously. In their total devotion to the world, children "see" the thoughts and feelings of those around
them, only not fully consciously. This principle-if taken seriously- would be the core of primary prevention in the first developmental
stage up to the change of teeth: to meet the child with an identification that is religious. For the adult, this means living a life as
permeated with meaning as possible and modeling it to the child, as if to say: This too is a world where God and human dignity have
a place; look towards it with joy! According to Rudolf Steiner, the most important power to stimulate healthy formation of the human
organs, the metabolic organs, is the joy and the "bright faces" of those who teach and raise us.
In 2enschenerkenntnis und @nterrichtsgestaltung, p. 68/69, Rudolf Steiner finds occasion to speak directly of diabetes: "In everything
the teacher does with the child, he must ask himself if he understands what he is doing himself. Why in heaven's name does this
student have to do fractions with me at this moment? Or, why do I have to torment her now with walking a spiral in eurythmy?
Perhaps we would do better to have a talk. Why am I doing this? There is nothing teachers will not accomplish if they stand in the
right relation to their teaching, i.e. if they keep setting themselves the task of attempting meditatively, now and then, to answer even
briefly the question, What are you actually giving to this human being by teaching him history, geography, etc.-gaining clarity about
what one is actually doing. Let us take a few examples to illustrate this. The eurythmy teacher, for example, knows that in doing
eurythmy he is releasing the child's spirit, while the teacher of reading knows that she is embodying, incarnating the spiritual. If she
always keeps this clearly in mind, she will in a sense see,If when she reads wrongly or teaches the child something boring, that the
child is inclining more and more towards a metabolic ailment; the teacher senses that she is producing a future diabetic (type 2 is
meant). Then the teacher becomes aware of the real responsibility involved. If you continually occupy the child with too much boring
reading material, you produce diabetics. That is not intellectual overtaxing-there is nothing finer for a human being than to know a
great deal-the only question is: How is it transmitted? If I am united with my conscience (as the totality of my self-won knowledge)
in coherence, in warmth and in love, it is a wonderful thing if it contains much knowledge. But if it is a massive load of indigestible
information to which the teacher was unable to build up any relation for me, that is spiritually comparable to an organic deposition. It
is cold ballast-unwarmed, unordered and in the wrong place. In other words, intellectual subject matter above all must not be
boring, or else it is diabetogenic and also leads to the various forms of what is called a bad conscience.
"We need a pedagogy that is based on insight into the human being, insight into the child. And in turn such a real pedagogy based on
insight into man will be present in that age when Ph.D. dissertations are accepted with titles such as: "A case of diabetes in a 40-
year-old man traced back to the injurious effects of play in his 3rd-4th year." At that time one will recognize what it means that the
entire human being consists of body, soul and spirit and that in the child, body, soul and spirit are still a unity. Spirit and soul later
become free of the body, and then there is a threefoldness. Then they are so to speak pushed apart in the adult as spirit, soul and
body, and only the body retains what entered it during the period of childhood development as a germ for later life. Now it is a
peculiar fact that in the soul, we experience the consequences (which have entered into the unconscious) quite early; physically, in
the body, we experience them seven to eight times later. If you bring up a child in a heart-felt manner, giving the soul its due in the
4th/5th year of life so that the child has taken it up and her inner world is under its influence, then this will really become apparent in
8th year of life, for example. People still take care not to teach something in the 4th or 5th year of life that does not have a
wholesome effect in the 8th/9th year. But this is the soul effect. The bodily effect-because the body is emancipating itself-reveals
itself more slowly, seven to eight times more slowly. In soul development, the fruits of an influence from the 5th year will be apparent
already in the 8th; but in the body they become apparent after 35 years, after a period that is seven times longer."
(Anthroposophische PNdagogik und ihre 3orausset?ungen, GA 309, p. 38).
Thus pathological symptoms caused by improper play begin to appear starting in the 35th-40th year. And what is improper play?
Mechanical toys, for example, where the entire activity takes place in cars and in electric trains and the child's activity is to control
)age "1" of "=>
them. This already presents us with the picture of a metabolism that is separating from the child. These are no longer toys that are
moved by hand, they move themselves. In other words, feeling and will are squeezed into each other and a separation takes place
from the object, which is steered from without. This is a diabetogenic type of play. First on the soul level and then, once schooling has
made its contribution and development continues along this path, one can only imagine-particularly in our computer age-how
rapidly this endemic disease is now progressing on the physical level too.
What would proper play be in the first seven-year period, while the child is still a religious imitator? The child's imagination-her own
will, her own creativity-always need to supply something that the object does not offer. In other words, the little child recognizes: "I
am needed the whole way along. Everything is unfinished; I need to finish something everywhere. I am needed." That is creative
play.
Primary prevention means asking ourselves the fundamental question what healthy development would look like at the different
stages of life. How can all subjects at school be used in such a way as to best Howsupport the child's sense-based relationship to the
world in this first seven-year period, so that the child can develop joy in existence and identification? In terms of spiritual science, the
primary origin of metabolic diseases-the entire range of them, everything that manifests as acquired metabolic illness in the second
half of life-lies in irreligiousness in the first seven-year period. It is no accident that the Last Supper of the Christian church is linked
to metabolic processes. The critical thing for a child in the first seven-year period is that the world permit communion, that it be
digestible; and this happens through imitation, through the senses, through the development of joy, through interpersonal connection
and contact with authentic adult human beings.
After this phase of life all organs are functional; they have attained their form and from now on the development of the soul stands in
the foreground. In order to develop healthily in life, the soul needs a human being who loves the tender, essential core of the I in
complete trust and full of expectancy. "Children, do you love your teacher?" To Rudolf Steiner this question was the test for whether a
teacher could remain with a class or not. He knew that the period between the ages of 7 and 14 is when one must succeed in finding
coherence with oneself; one must succeed in finding this kernel of love. If not, the capacity for love that awakens fully at puberty
becomes mere sexuality. The morally central being of the I must be awakened, otherwise the body emancipates itself and the young
person is subject to the lure of power and eroticism - the dual dangers of a failed education in the second seven-year period.
But how is this to be accomplished? It is only possible if a relationship develops with the teacher that is based on love, so that the
teacher is able to set boundaries and explain and punish in a way that the students can accept. Then the student senses underneath,
"This is for my best, the teacher really wishes the best, he just doesn't say it." Thus as long as one is not developmentally ready for
the leadership of one's own I, one needs a sort of "substitute I." During this period the teacher is, in the best sense, a kind of guide
for whom one feels love and enthusiasm and under whose shelter one can learn self-reliance of soul.
The third competence to be developed is personal autonomy: After puberty, learning takes place through understanding-through
one's own independent insight. This means there is a difficult balance to be found between one's own self, identification with oneself-
which has already been found on the feeling level-and what one found earlier in the first seven-year period: a religious connection to
the world. This is the task of the third seven-year period. It establishes a basic orientation towards self-education in later life, by
which type 2 diabetes can be prevented or, in the case of an ongoing disease process, the prognosis can be improved.
The healthy human being-the embodiment of all human dignity-is manifested in a religious relationship to the world and to fellow
human beings, founded on a good will that is supported by a healthy metabolism. Out of a loving relationship to the world, to one's
own becoming, to the world's development and to other people, there arises an autonomous, free relationship to the world around
one and to oneself. In this way one's own place in this world can grow to embrace so much that it creates its own meaning. And when
primary prevention is conceived in this way, it can offer a contribution to our understanding and to the therapy of diabetes mellitus.
/r. 2ichaela :lMckler
2edi?inische Sektion der
1reien Hochschule fOr :eisteswissenschaft am :oetheanum -H8E'EF /ornach
?iterature7
- Antonovsky, A. (1997): Salutogenese. Zur Entmystifizierung der Gesundheit. Tbingen, dgvt-Verlag (Deutsche Gesellschaft fr
Verhaltenstherapie).
- Berger, M. H. (2000): Diabetes mellitus. Mnchen, Jena, Urban&Fischer
- Steiner, R. (1981): Anthroposophische Pdagogik und ihre Voraussetzungen. p. 34/35
- Ibid., p. 38
- Steiner, R. Menschenerkenntnis und Unterrichtsgestaltung. Dornach 1986. p. 68/69.
- Steiner, R. Theosophie. Einfhrung in bersinnliche Welterkenntnis und Menschenbestimmung, Dornach 2002.
- Steiner, R. Die Erziehung des Kindes vom Gesichtspunkte der Geisteswissenschaft, Dornach 1992.
Heart-felt thanks go to my pediatric colleague Drte Hilgard for editing this lecture.
Metals and )sychotherapy

QQ bac*
By: &udolf Treichler M.D.
This article deals with the metals as the backbone of anthroposophically oriented therapy of mental diseases. The relationship of a metal to the affected organ will be discussed
briefly. For more specific and detailed information, the reader is referred to the authors chapter on psychiatry in Vol. II Part 2, Fr. Husemann, O. Wolff, "The Image of Man as the
Basis of the Art of Healing. [The Anthroposophical Approach to Medicine, vol. III] The examples given in this article are based on experience in the Friedrich Husemann Clinic,
Buchenbach (Freiburg, Germany) observations by other psychiatrists and doctors of family medicine as well as my own experience. These topics have been discussed in the
"Hochschulwochen fuer Psychiatrie [psychiatry week] held at the Medical Section of the Goetheanum.
)age "1+ of "=>
Sil'er
Through its connection with the reproductive organs, silver points to the beginning of human life, to the embryo. Besides the relationship to the Self-which all metals have in
common-we see that silver has a strong relation to the life-building ether body which is not only active in the processes of mental and physical illnesses but also in their healing.
Silver is therefore often used at the beginning of psychotherapy. It will be easier for a patient to find contact with the therapist and the clinic if he receives silver medication.
Through the silver process the patient will re-enter his body again as he had initially in the beginning of his life. Silver brings about an easier flow of conversation, because
through it, memories are freed from the unconscious and also stimulates the fantasy. Caution is needed here with hysterical patients!
The silver preparation dyscrasite is recommended in this case.
Silver also leads the patient back to the beginning of his illness, creating a new situation from which to start therapy. If the illness developed in childhood or had its
roots there, one has to think especially of silver medication.
This also applies to compulsive neurosis which can originate in childhood, and for schizophrenic psychosis, with its precondition in childhood or adolescence, and to the
anorexia nervosa, a condition, in which the patient does not want to grow up, but rather wants to remain a child.
A silver therapy is indicated when dealing with shock. In experiencing a "shock a patients "astral body gets shocked out of his body, especially out of the region of
the reproductive organs. Spastic conditions in the stomach and intestinal tract point toward a displaced "astral body. Disturbances in sexual functions indicate a malfunction itself
organically in sexual neurosis with disturbance of sexual functions. Silver will help the "astral body to incorporate itself into the reproductive system.
&ndications7 Silver
Initial medication in support of psychotherapy. Assisting psychiatric treatment in all mental disturbances, which have their origin in early childhood. Silver is also the
main medication in the treatment of the aftereffects of shock, of hysteria and sexual neurosis.
Each metal has a regulating, equalizing effect and reveals thereby its relationship to the I, which has to maintain an equilibrium in the whole organ system.
Preparations7
Argentum Praep. is the foremost preparation to restore such a balance.
Argentite, through its sulfur component, is related to the metabolic pole of the body and has therefore a relaxing and healing effect. Argentite is especially indicated
for treatment of a hardened organism and hardened psychological processes. Argentite is excellent as an initial medication in compulsive neurosis. Caution is needed with
redheads or patients with blond hair, who have a "sulfur-rich constitution.
/yscrasite: The antimony combination of silver is particularly useful as an initial medication in hysterical patients. Dyscrasite has the effect of "restructuring the
overflowing body and soul forces of a patient helping to re-establish a normal relationship of those sexual forces which have invaded the soul life.

Potency7 Mostly low (D6) because the effect is directed towards the metabolic system. Give peroral or as injection (subc.)
,ryophyllum: This sprouting, "upwelling hysteria plant-which R. Steiner introduced to treat hysteria-can well be combined with silver. Low potency (50%) per os, D2,
D3 as injections in thin patients, higher potency (D5-D10) with obese patients. ,ryophyllum Argento cultum D2, D3 can be given in mild cases and at the start of a silver therapy.
-opper
Copper reveals a primal relationship to the whole kidney system. The astral body which lives in the air organism and creates the emotional life is also active in the
"incretion (collection) and excretion of urine, thereby dominating the kidney system. With each excitement, with each tempest in the soul, the astral body lifts slightly out of the
kidney system. Left to itself, the astral body tends to succumb to its inborn polarity, pleasure and displeasure gripping it with elemental force. Influences from the world outside
stimulate the astral body to excitement having pleasure or displeasure or leading to apathy and boredom.
These changes weaken the equilibrium of the feeling life, the emotional center of the Self. We find the "cooling and "graying of emotions as an early symptom of a
psychosis. It points to a gradual loss of the patients feeling center. In cases of pathological boredom, e.g. the so-called vacuum neurosis, the main problem is this dysfunction of
the emotions. Copper counteracts the polarization of the astral body and encourages the development of warmer feelings connected with the Self.
&ndications7
The restless, excitable or apathic, neurotic patient and schizoid psychopath. The neurotic and schizophrenic patient who exhibits an emotional deficit and has great
difficulties to get into contact with other people. Prophylactic for restlessness and excitatory states as well as for neurotic patients with periods of apathy.
Preparations7
-uprum praep. in med. potency (mostly D6). Corresponding to argentite: -halkosin, is the sulfur combination of copper. This medication is especially indicated when
the overflowing excitement is combined with bodily dissimilation, as can be observed in thyreotoxic conditions. Peroral D3, as an injection D6 together with ,ryophyllum /+ or
/F.
-upro8Stibium: This medication with antimony [Stibium] helps the forming forces in situations with disruptions of the feeling life.
-uprum8.en /E" /D: This preparation with ren especially aimed at the kidney system. The copper component in this preparation stimulates the enlivening process
and raises the sensitivity.
-hamomilla -upro culta /+" /F: is indicated in cases with symptoms showing too strong a kidney radiation combined with symptoms of emotional disturbance
suggestive of a copper-symptomatology (cramps, hypertonia, etc.).
)age "11 of "=>
2elissa -upro culta /+" /F: should be given in cases where the kidney radiation is too weak with hypotonia, cold sensations and venous congestion.
4icotiana -upro culta /+" /F: is indicated when spasms occur under conditions in which the kidney radiation is too weak.

Mercury
Mercury has a primary relationship to the respiratory organ, the lung. In the lung the astral body is active in inspiration and expiration and is less bound to the organ than in the
kidney. The environment penetrates through the air directly into the human organism. The soul life which unfolds in connection with the lung corresponds with the intimate
relationship to the environment. Pleasure and disgust develop here into the more differentiated feelings of sympathy and antipathy, through which the astral body opens up to
the world or withdraws from the world. The withdrawal of the sensitive soul from the world may intensify and develop into "compulsatory disease. The soul feels itself driven
into a corner, remains full of anxiety and is unable to shed the overpowering impressions of the world. Love of the world can lead to hysteria, during which the astral body
attempts to realize those illusionary concepts which are related to influences of the lung.
Mercury exhibits the described symptoms and disturbances of the soul in homeopathic provings. It has the effect of balancing the respiration of the "soul which
overshoots from one or the other side. In this way, mercury medication helps to produce a contact to the world and to the psychotherapist, which is more dominated by the Self.
&ndications7
A labile patient with inclination to changes in mood alternating between antipathy and sympathy. As intermediate and basic remedy in the treatment of hysteria and
"compulsive diseases.
During disturbances of contact while under psychotherapy.
Preparations7
2ercur. viv. nat., the metallic mercury preparation as injection in med. potency (D10, D15), per os lower pot. For support of psychotherapy the vegetabilized metal
,ryophyllum 2ercurio cultum D2, D3 is recommended.

*ntimony 8Sti%ium:
This half metal brings together in itself the effects of the three planets: moon, venus and mercury (having their paths below the sun) and the corresponding effects of the three
metals: silver, copper, and mercury. Processes of dissociation occur in patients such as schizoid neurotics and schizophrenics resulting in a loss of structure of the soul life. It is
possible that dissolution or dissimilation of organ protein could be the underlying cause of the described changes in these patients. Antimony stimulates the process of new
formation of organ protein: through its silver component in the reproductive organs, through its copper component, the kidneys, through the mercury component the lungs.
Antimony essentially prevents an overshooting of dissolution processes in the organs and stimulates the Self to new formation of protein. Observing the effects of antimony
medication one can see a "structuring effect going all the way from the physical body via the ether body to the soul life. Not only are the inner dissociation processes influenced
beneficially but also the split between soul and world found in these patients. The latter is accomplished through medication with the mercury compound of antimony. The
structure in the soul life of the manic depressive patient can be noted following the antimony treatment.
&ndications7
In addition to the regular schizophrenic patients, the neurotic with schizoid trends and the manic patient.
Preparations7
/yscrasite (Antimony combination of silver) has already been mentioned at the beginning of therapy.
Stibium praep. D6-D10 in cases where dissolution processes are in the foreground, peroral or as injection and also intravenous 5-10ml in schizophrenia.
Antimonite D6-D10, (Antimony-sulphuratum) is better in cases showing stronger dissociation and simultaneous fixation as seen in depressive patients.
-upro8stibium is indicated for the treatment of disturbance of sensitivity in cases of schizophrenia or patients with schizoid character tendencies.
Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose) has major relationships to brain and kidney. It is given as an accompanying plant therapy in the treatment of episodes of excitation and
depression related to soul life influenced by the kidney. Peroral D2, D6, inj. D4-D10.

1old
The metal in the center of the seven metals has its primal relationship to the organ in the center of the physical body, the heart, which is also the central organ for the warmth
organism. These phenomena indicate that the heart is the central organ for the Ego. In the movements of the heart, in systole and diastole, the polar tendencies of the physical
body and the soul are manifested in a most concentrated form. The balance between the systole and diastole is created by the Self entering into the process.
In contrast to the feeling life of the lungs, which either opens itself up to the world or shuts itself off from the world, the feeling life of the heart is more centralized and
radiates into the world. Feelings originating from the heart are filled with responsibility and conscience. Through the voice of conscience the higher Self is speaking. Radiating
into life through the heart the Self is transforming sympathy into love and antipathy into the power of cognition. Through this process, sympathy and antipathy become tools of
the Self. Disturbances in this process affect the heart, the center of existence of the Self. Negative memories of the depressed patient can lead to self-reproach which have their
origin in spastic tendencies in the interaction of Self and heart. This in turn can lead to suicide. If the heart is seized by excitation-rising to rage-the patients life and other
lives are threatened. Physical symptoms of heart disturbances can accompany or replace psychic symptoms: feelings of being oppressed at heart are often associated with guilt
and appear in place of the latter. Tachycardia can appear prior to an attack of rage or replace it.
The neurosis of the heart which is steadily increasing in our time has two components, of which one or the other may be emphasized. Frequently an Ego conflict can be
discovered in the life of the patient. Something he had in mind to do but was unable to realize, leading to an oppression of the heart involving both physical and soul aspects.
Sometimes a responsibility burdens a patient which his Self cannot sustain. The experience of death or of heart-rending departure can cause a heart neurosis when it
is not worked out. Conversations between the physician and the patient can become therapeutically very effective if the heart is really reached and gold medication is able to
provide support. Through the medication of gold the Ego is called upon to find again the center of its existence.
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Working with gold as a therapy makes it very clear, that medication can never replace the patientPs own efforts. Through gold, stages are built for a new healthier connection of
the Ego with the body and life. However, the Ego must go this path alone. In some cases it becomes evident, that gold therapy is not only supportive of Ego therapy but quite
frequently a condition for the effective use of the latter. The Ego may have so strongly entered the heart organ-creating spasmodic episodes as in patients with angina pectoris-
or it may have removed itself from the heart organ too far, as in patients having convulsive tachycardia that it cannot be reached through the "word of the Ego therapy. In this
case, it is the gold medication which has to prepare the way for the world.
While silver is very useful at the beginning of psychotherapy, gold is of great benefit to end a period of psychotherapy. Through gold, the Ego is called upon to take
the development in its own hand and to enter into body and life in a new way, particularly when new possibilities have been opened up through previous therapies.
&ndications7
The depressive patient with self-reproach and thoughts of suicide. The manic patient with megalomania and tendencies towards excitation and rage. To support the
Self in existential crises. In neuroses of the heart. To end a phase of psychotherapeutic treatment.
Potencies are of particular importance. Low potencies (D6) in cases of agitation of the heart including cases of mania; as a preventive measure when the agitation leads towards
a frenzy.
Higher potencies (D12-D20) are used in spasmodic conditions of the heart involving both body and soul and in depressive states associated with qualms of conscience. The higher
potencies facilitate the penetration of the body by the Self. They contribute to a dissolution of cramps without resulting in psychic loosening.
Preparations7
Aurum praep. is most frequently used. 2ercur. aurat. is recommended in the treatment of patients who have suffered a depressive state for a longer period of time
and the disease has become stagnant (D15 inj.).

&ron
Again, the relation to the Ego is emphasized in iron, but it is not so central as in gold. Iron accompanies the Ego in entering the body and earthly environment. The force of
incarnation is strengthened by iron going into the blood and enabling inner respiration in the tissues.
In the lungs the formation of the lung organ itself is influenced by iron in connection with the blood. Through the iron-carrying blood entering the lungs the Ego can develop
steadiness and activity confronting the impressions of the soul life of the lungs. Out of this activity of the Ego arises the courage, which the compulsive neurotic patient has lost,
who is full of anxiety. Iron is, therefore, the essential metal for the treatment of compulsive mental diseases. (Following the induction of therapy with silver medication and
subsequent intermediate treatment with mercury). Iron therapy is also able to give hysteric patients strength in their souls. In support of psychotherapy, iron medication helps
to overcome inhibitions and fears of patients toward an "Ego Therapy.
Preparations7
-inis @rtica 1erro culta per os D3, as injection D6 in patients with compulsatory neuroses. Combination with 1errum sidereum D6-D10 as injection. 2eteoric iron,
which is taken by the lungs during inspiration has a special relationship to the lungs.
=atoprite D6 as inj. or per os. This combination of iron and antimonium is particularly indicated in cases of hysteria. In both diseases additional medication with
Pyrite D6 or Pyrite D8 as inj. is recommended. As accompanying plant remedy 3aucheria D3 trit., D6 inj.
Iron radiates, however, into all organs. In the kidney iron acts in conditions, in which the "kidney radiation is too weak, e.g. hypotonia and at low levels of energy (not weakness
of will). Outstanding symptoms are resignation and apathy. If an excitation occurs at all, it is of secondary nature. Inj. of Solutio 1erri comp.I:landula suprarenalis.
In neurotic patients who are weak in will power and are fearful of action, patients who know everything but are unable to do anything, iron medication will stimulate
the will. Iron medication is central in the treatment of depression associated with a paralysis of will.
Prep. 1errumIAcid. chol.D4 and D6 per os or as inj. together with Oxalis D4. Through this combination with bile acid, which in itself has a relation to the will process,
iron can be directed to the bile process.
In Scorodite, iron is combined with arsenic, the latter enhances astral forces and scorodite has a special relationship to the feeling of fear the depressive patient
exhibits. The patient may, however, be so weak in his etheric forces that he cannot tolerate iron and becomes excited. An asthenic constitution, a tendency to become
prematurely tired and exhausted are signs pointing in this direction. Under these circumstances, iron should be replaced by the plant-iron, magnesium. (Magnesium plays the
same role in the chlorophyll of the plant as iron does in the red blood substance.) HeparI2agnesium D4 or D6 as inj. has proven to be a good medication together with Anagallis
D3 or 70alis D4. 2agnesium is used more frequently in the beginning of therapy. In view of the weakened condition, in which the ether body of patients is frequently at the
present time, induction of therapy with magnesium is important.
Iron has a special relationship to the heart through the blood which is collected in the heart. Here the iron process meets the gold process, the Self in the process of
incarnation. Iron opens the path to both since it strengthens the courage and will of the Self to incarnate.
1errum sidereum is the remedy of choice.
&ndications7 The depressed patient full of fear of life whose will is paralyzed. The hypersensitive, compulsive patient with fear of the environment. The hysterical patient, who is
so to speak flowing out into the environment. The patient with a deficiency of "energy with symptoms of a weak kidney radiation and fear of life. Patients with fearlful inhibitions
towards an "Ego Therapy.
Tin
This is the metal of the liver. It mediates between consolidation and dissolution within the fluid organism, between assimilation and dissimilation. The Ego which radiates through
the bile processes into the ether body is active in the fluid organism but is not submerged as deeply into organ processes as in silver. IN the mercury process of respiration, the
astral body has a looser relationship to the organ process (as compared to the kidney). Similarly in the fluid respiration of the liver the Ego develops a freer relationship (as
compared to the heart). From a certain aspect there is a relationship between the Ego activity in the liver and that in the brain as shown in the formation processes of the brain
and in the plasticity of thinking.
The soul life receives a stronger influence of the Ego through the liver than it is possible through the emotional soul life of the kidneys. The emotional tensions and
relaxation of the soul life of the kidneys engendered by the astral body become changes of mood in the liver. The Ego has internalized that which has been experienced and has
to struggle with the stagnation and explosion of will forces in depression or mania. Tin helps to establish an equilibrium between depressive solidification (pathological form of
assimilation) and manic dissolution (pathological dissimilation). Such a polarity can be demonstrated to a certain extent in the metabolism of the patient. Tin produces the basic
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therapy for the cyclothymic type as well as for the neurotic, who is prone to have depressive or manic changes in mood. Tin is a particularly effective therapy when it is given
between the phases of depression or mania not within the phase.
&ndications7
The cyclothymic patient, the neurotic patient whose changes in mood have a deeper root cause than those of the mercury patient.
Preparations7
In addition to Stannum praep., Arandasite has to be recommended. With this tin-silica combination the effects on the "upper nerve sense pole are increased through
the silica portion. It is useful in patients showing a tendency towards manic changes and in case of depressions (outflowing), potencies D6 in mania, D15 in depressions as
injections or per os.
The effect of tin in vegetabilized form are quite similar.
-ichor. Stanno cultum D2, D3. In patients who are exhausted and exhibit a certain fixation as well as in older patients with depressions, !ara0acum Stanno cultum
D2, D3 is used. Vegetabilized tin is recommended as accompanying therapy in patients who show ill feelings and depressions or manic explosive neurotics. In depressions, it can
be combined with HeparIStannum, in older patients with Stannum mellitum.

?ead
The last of the "upper metals in the metals series has the strongest relationship to the head, to consciousness. The lead process is rooted in the degradation of blood in the
spleen through which forces of the Ego are freed for consciousness, for the spirit.
In this case, the Ego does not act in the ether body as in the liver, it connects itself with the astral body, which also receives stimulation by copper. However, in
difference to copper through which the Ego creates an equilibrium with the astral body, the Ego dominates the astral body through lead. It attempts to transform the forces of the
astral body. For this reason, enthusiasm develops through the activity of the spleen. This also makes it understandable when Rudolf Steiner relates the spleen to the spirit self,
which represents the transformed astral body in the future spiritual evolution of man.
In the spleen, the strongest impulse to transform the earthly is opposed by the strongest impulse for attaining permanency in the earthly. Through the spleen man
can become a heavy mass. Depressions which involve the spleen more strongly within the hepatolienal system develop faster signs of fixation and monotony.
This is the place for the therapeutic action of lead, which is to be used in such cases in addition to liver medications. Moreover, lead should be considered for therapy
of older patients with arterial or cerebral sclerosis. In general, lead medication supports best a cognition therapy. Similar to gold therapy-acting in the realm of the middle-lead
therapy has a relationship to the last phases of psychotherapy, the thoughtful planning of the future.
&ndications7
The old arteriosclerotic patient as well as the young patient, who exhibits a stupefied soul life; who both need support of the processes underlying cognition. In old
age, depression in support of cognition therapy.
Preparations7
In addition to Plumbum praep. the silica combination Plumbum silicicum should be considered. Potencies D15, D20. To tame the astral body in younger patients
exhibiting overshooting processes of assimilation and excitation associated with dull consciousness Plumbum chloratum D3-D10 is recommended. In older patients Plumbum
mellitum D12-D20 is used. Caution in the use of Scleron in depressed patients with cerebral sclerosis. Here D20 is often better than D12 (Scleron).

-onclusion
From the above deliberations can be concluded that therapy-using medicines and psychotherapy in the sense of an Ego therapy-do not only complement and
support each other but one therapy is able to amplify the effects of the other therapy.
For the therapy based on medications, psychotherapy may open up wider horizons. More differentiated relations to personality, biography and life phases are
revealed. The therapeutic action of medicines can be directed more specifically to a particular organ and can take on a more concrete form because psychotherapy is able to
contribute to a refinement of the "psychology of organs. The simultaneous involvement of other organs associated with the major disturbance of one organ process may be seen
more clearly.
Similarly, a widening of the horizons of psychotherapy can be developed through the "sister therapy, particularly in the direction of the cosmos. The organ relations
reveal views into the spheres of the planets, which in turn influence the seven-year periods of human life. Psychotherapy can also take on more concrete forms. Through the use
of a certain medicine the contribution of one can become clearer for the psychotherapist and he will be able to direct his psychotherapy more specifically to one specific organ.
Through such organ aspects a counterweight is developed balancing a psychotherapy which has become too personally involved with the patient resulting in too strong and fixed
bonds of the patient to the psychotherapist.
Psychotherapy work down to the body, medicines work up to the conscious soul life. These two therapeutic processes meet each other. One could ask the question:
in which organ sphere, in which realm of the soul do they meet in one case or another? In the last analysis, it is the meeting, the dialogue between the word of the human spirit
and the words of the worlds in the healing substance, of which the therapist may become aware of in his consciousness.
The Self, carrying out the therapy, moves always between two levels of therapy. Through destiny therapists are more inclined to the one or other level of therapy but
in each case the somatic as well as the psychic realm has to be taken into account. Even though a therapist may not be able or willing to be active in both realms, he should have
both in his consciousness. If he wants to limit himself, he should, if at all possible, cooperate with a colleague, who has a vocational call for and experience in a different field. In
this connection, a statement by Rudolf Steiner should be mentioned that "specialization has become a necessity, but it should be compensated by some form of "socialization.[i]
Exchange and cooperation between therapists, who are predominantly working in the somatic field and those who are predominantly working within psychotherapy,
may help that within the framework of anthroposophic medicine-the patient is not only recognized in his totality, but can also receive an evermore effective therapy.

Address of author: Rudolf Treichler, M.D. Friedrich Husemann Klinik, 7801 Buchenbach. Freiburg, Germany.
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Authorization for this translation has been given by the editor of "Beitraege fuer Erweiterung der Heilkunst, Dr. Gisbert Husemann, for the use of teaching material at the summer
conference in Wilton, NH, June 21-28, 1980.
YiZ &. 'teiner, 'piritual 'cience and Medicine 3The ?irst Medical /ourse7, lecture "J.
The 0or*ing of the )lanets and ;ife )rocesses in Man and <arth

QQ bac*
By: Bernard ;ievegoed
The Planetary Processes in -osmos and in Man
In describing the following seven planetary processes it will be assumed that the reader is familiar with the fundamental works on the connections between planets and
metal, especially with the work of L. Kolisko.

Planet In the sphere of Metals
1. Saturn ) Lead
2. Jupiter ) Planets beyond the Sun Tin
3. Mars ) Iron
4. Sun Gold
5. Venus ) Copper
6. Mercury) Planets nearer than the Sun Quicksilver
7. Moon ) Silver
This sequence has been chosen because when studying the inner effects we can resolve it into three polarities, with the Sun as the harmonizing middle.
First Polarity: 1-7 Saturn-Moon
Sun as middle
Second Polarity: 2-6 Jupiter-Mercury
Sun as middle
Third Polarity: 3-5 Mars-Venus
Sun as middle
Fourth Process The Sun as Middle by Itself
These seven planetary processes are seven qualitative worlds, seven qualities, seven principles of activity. To understand them we must enter their life, must live inwardly
with their impulses of movement, must get to know them by something like the sense of touch.
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S*TAR$
We begin with Saturn, the most distant planet from the Earth, just as the Moon is the nearest one. Both these planets are like gateways: from the planetary Astrality Saturn
leads in the world of Spiritually active stars, the Moon into the Ether spheres close to the earth-Where the Spirit wants to impress its seal right into substance, Saturn must
bestow the direction and the strength to incarnate. Out of the heights, Saturn accompanies every process of incarnation, from the cosmic midnight hour through the gateway of
birth as far as the first thirty years of human life. This is a sublime process, because with the help of the Saturn forces the Spirit reveals itself even as far as dead matter.
In man the Saturn process work in such a way that it enters the hair vortex at the back of the head, radiating into the dead material of his body, wanting to make man a
picture of his individual, Spiritual Ego. From above and behind downwards it radiates through the body, terminating in the skeleton which thus becomes a lifeless image of the
Ego. The skeleton is so sublime because it shows us this picture of the Ego. If Saturn were to work by itself, the whole human body would calcify and within thirty years mans
body would have turned into a beautiful stalactite.
Saturn, at work already throughout the whole embryonic development, places us as a Spiritual being toward the world of space. After the cosmic midnight hour, the human
Ego turns towards the Earth with the help of the Saturn forces and while completing the painful path towards incarnation, all the time becomes denser. During the embryonic life
and in early childhood Saturn crystallizes the skeleton out of the watery organism. Saturn work as a differentiating force within warmth, the most spiritual of the elements.
Where Saturn rarifies warmth, crystallized substance (bone) comes into existence. Where it densifies, the carrier of the element of warmth, the blood (bone marrow) can be
formed. The blood is born in the red marrow of the bones, in the center of the physical, almost lifeless skeleton. Having lived for about three weeks it disappears in the spleen.
Thus we may call the spleen the consummation of the Saturn process, and in that sense a Saturn organ in which the Saturn process dies.
There are two Saturn processes in Man:
1. The incarnating Saturn process, leading to the dead image in space. We can say: through this first Saturn process man (his Ego) dies in space.
2. The resurrecting Saturn process which enable the Ego, in the blood, to fulfill his karma in the course of time.
Saturn is the planet of death and resurrection. The Ego appears twice in Saturn process, once as image in space, as skeleton, once as image living in time, in the blood,
manifesting as biography.
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To summarize all this we can use these two symbols ? ?. Saturn leads the Spiritual to the Physical, but in doing so brings death to appearance in the rigid image. Saturn
leads the Spiritual out of the Physical in the course of human karma; thereby kindling resurrection, the overcoming of matter through the Spirit. In the plant world we shall meet
first and foremost the Primary process, i.e. that of incarnation. Saturn brings to manifestation in the plant the Spiritual archetype of the species. Saturn, the outermost planet,
surrounding the whole solar system, is active as carrier of the Spirit, working from the furthest distances, from the circumference. Saturn can be effective, where it can work from
all sides `comprehensively but now when working from a center. It is active in the Valerian Preparation 507 which envelops the compost heap; fetching the Spiritual inwards.
Such compost can be a healing factor in the soil, because it bestows the faculty of bringing to full expression the Spiritual form of the plant species.
------------
M00$
Next we must describe the Moon process, standing in opposition to Saturn and manifesting wherever certain qualities continue through a sequence of generations. Moon
processes are active in propagation and the stream of heredity, in reproduction, where a new a new organism rises from an old one, where cell is formed from cell, where cell is
linked to cell in steady growth. The Moon is associated with the ever recurring repetition of the same, with the memory of something which has been created before, the ideal of
heredity. She is concerned with the sequence of generations streaming horizontally across the Earth, continuing its existence in time. Moon forces are active wherever we meet
swelling growth: in the individual organism through cell division, in separate organisms through propagation.
If Moon forces alone were active in Man, he would roll through the world like a soft sphere of albumen and the growth forces would continue without end. But in Man this
Moon process finds its limit in the skin, outside of which is ceases to be effective. In front, below, in the region of the bladder, the Moon forces radiate into the reproductive
organs and permeate the whole organism from within outwards, as far as the skin.
Whereas the Saturn process is the bearer of the individual Spiritual forces and manifests in the skeleton, the Moon process is bearer of the type principle, of heredity, and
becomes visible in the skin. (It is significant how heredity expresses itself just in the color of the skin). Human beings with strong Moon forces have a beautiful skin and strong
sexual attraction. The film star is the ideal of the Moon type of mankind. The skin as `Moon skeleton is the image of Heredity-Man.
The Moon processes express themselves as the differentiating factors within the processes of Life, as those of Saturn in Warmth. During embryonic life, out of the skin the
nervous system is differentiated, which is like a skin, place within as an island. This `inner skin is the bearer of a second process: the outer world reflected inwardly through the
nervous system, reaches the level of mans consciousness. The `lifeless reflection can only take place, when the life processes are dimmed. The brain (a `skin island within man)
thus becomes a Moon organ, where the Moon forces come to rest. Physiologically this force which can hold back the processes of mere life and cell division expresses itself as one
of tissue differentiation. The nervous system is the most differentiated tissue-the organism becomes an image of its Spiritual archetype through the potentialities of
differentiation. Goethe called this force in the plant intensification.
The Moon also shows two aspects: firstly growth promotion in the stream of reproduction and heredity, streaming along in time, linking being to being, resulting in the
eternal repetition of the same.
Secondly, by repressing life it assumes the quality of a mirror. The Moon herself reflects sunlight and we use silver for covering our mirrors; and photography is based on
the silvers property of preserving the image of the outer world.
In the plant world the Moon effects manifest in the processes of cell division and growth. Limestone acts within the watery element as mediator of the Inner planetary
forces. The Oak Bark Preparation 505, consisting almost entirely of organic limestone and prepared in the animal skull (the seat of the brain) and kept under water, is the
representative of the Moon processes. Rudolf Steiner says of Preparation 505 that it counteracts plant diseases by suppressing the rampant ethereal element. One could also say,
be setting a limit to the Moon forces (forming a skin).
A deeper study of these processes, of Saturn and Moon weaving one into the other, shows Saturn as the image of the Ego, of what is individualized, placed into space, and
how this becoming an image means death from which the human Ego resurrects by inscribing its image into time in its biography. The Moon, on the other hand, places into the
stream of time what is not individualized, the principle of heredity. The human Ego overcomes this sequence of generations by repressing the life processes, and, in reflecting the
outer world, awakens.

Saturn I
Incarnation as far as the Skeleton
Thus Death as Image in Space
Saturn II
Excarnation-Overcoming of Death
through Resurrection in Time (Biography)

Moon I
Reproduction-Repetition
Flowing on in Time

Moon II
Repression of Reproduction Process
Differentiation in Tissues, Intensification
Image Consciousness in Space

Saturn-Moon: together they weave through the mysteries of space and time, of death and resurrection, of `swimming along in the stream of time and awakening in
consciousness.
------------
JAP&T4R
Jupiter is, in the first place, the great molder of the world. When Saturn in the sublime forms of the skeleton has created the bare image of the Spirit, Jupiter plastically
moulds around this skeleton the semisolid forms in flowing beauty. It is the soul of man which is expressed by these Jupiter forms. The plastic Jupiter forms work from above
downwards, rounding, recreating the celestial sphere in the roundness of the brow. All internal organs are rounded above, sometimes hollowed out below, because the roundness
of the organ below presses into it. The balls of joints are placed at the top end of the bone, the sockets at the lower. The Jupiter forces radiate from the brow into the organism,
modeling in childhood the beautiful architecture of the brain, forming later on the thoughts, and especially those concerned with bringing order into the great universal
connections. Then again working more deeply into the body, they give shape to the organs and muscles.
Jupiter moulds internal organs and surfaces of the body in beauty, but at the same time with super-human gestures. If he alone were at work, at fourteen years of age we
would be like beautiful Greek statues, expressing in bearing and gesture purely and simply the forces of the soul. We would all be Apollo statues, because the plastic force of
Jupiter is the bearer of a sublime and harmonizing wisdom. This finds expression in the way in which our organs are formed out of the watery element. But this plastic force in all
its wisdom, on reaching consummation, would lead to a general rigidity.
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From this rigidity the human Ego frees itself in movement, in features and in gesture. The gesture is plastic soul expression in the element of movement, which is based
upon the muscles and they in turn bestow beauty to the surface of the body. In their alternation between hardening and softening, swelling and contracting, they perform a play
which in its chemistry is deeply connected with the liver. The muscular contraction is due to chemical changes in surface tension, and wherever these occur, in the plant too,
Jupiter forces are at work. The Jupiter activity comes to an end in the liver, the only human organ not permeated by the plastic wisdom-filled Jupiter forces, neither in outer form
nor in its chaotic structure within. But precisely on account of this it can be so active chemically.
In the plant the modeling Jupiter forces above are all at work, and only secondarily the changes in surface tension, where Jupiter and Mercury together regulate the stream
of the sap.
Among the preparations Jupiter is represented by the Dandelion Preparation 506. Jupiters molding forces are handed on in the plant by the silica, the mineral bearer of the
cosmic planetary forces from beyond the Sun. Rudolf Steiner characterizes Preparation 506 as the mediator between the silica forces in the cosmos and those surrounding the
plant, bestowing health and stability.
------------
M4R-AR;
Opposite to Jupiter stand the Mercury forces. Where Jupiter gives rise to harmony and order, Mercury creates chaos, though not an ordinary one, but one which we might
call a `sensitive chaos: movement without direction, but ready to flow into anything which might be suggested from outside. Mercury is streaming movement, adapting itself to
any resistance it may find, flowing around it to the left or right, just as may be possible and with no inclination of its own, but always in remaining in movement. The one this
Mercury never abandons is movement, in this streaming and flowing. What kind of movement results, which direction it takes, that will depend on outer circumstances. Mercury
adapts itself but it always streams. In Man it becomes effective and active in the sphere of streaming where there are no definite and fixed paths: in the lymphatic system. The
blood vessels have their fixed paths, but the lymphatic streams move where it happens to be possible, as long as they reach their next goal: the lymph glands.
Jupiter is active symmetrically, following sublime cosmic laws, Mercury has a tendency to asymmetry. What is oblique or crooked in the human face, or in the plant, is due
to Mercurys interference with Jupiters intentions. Mercury has a sense of humor, is always ready for a joke, and is pleased if the divine intentions do not always quite come off.
Thus the Gods never finish their work, they must go on working, and all remains in a state of flux.
A friend once told me that Jupiter and Mercury reveal their nature in the picture of the king and his jester, the king on his throne orders everything with wisdom, his clothes
are draped symmetrically. But at his feet sits the jester, with asymmetric clothes, half yellow, half red, just as it happens, and he comments on the kingly words and shows that
at times the best laid plans can go astray. Mercury is the great realist and can put up with heat and cold, with sun and shade, but, under all circumstances, is concerned that life
continues, that the plant grows further. If need be, he can even become dishonest and lead the plant into parasitism. The Greeks made Mercury the God of merchants-and
thieves. Both make sure that earthly goods do not remain at one place, but change hands.
But this faculty for adaptation would ultimately lead to utter loss of character; and the Ego avoids this by meeting movement with movement. What happens when two
streams meet and mingle? Whirlpools are created and empty spaces, which in the river form sandbanks. Thus we see in the confluence of Mercury forces a second, organ
forming principle. The organs taking shape as a result of these meeting, flowing movements are different from those resulting form divine images being impressed upon the
Earth.
The plant world reveals most clearly this interplay of these two form principles. If we compare a beech leaf and an oak leaf, we can tell them apart quite easily. But if we
pick some hundred leaves from one beech tree, we shall not find two of them quite alike. This tremendous variability of form is an expression of Mercury forces. Every meeting of
two active forces is a healing process. But true healing is possible only when the one force (be it the human body, be it the plant) can receive into itself the other force, and
something new can result from the meeting.
Mercury is active in the Chamomile Preparation 503 which stimulates plant growth through potassium and calcium. The treatment with the intestines intensifies the
Mercury activity. (With this we shall deal more fully later on).
Here too Jupiter and Mercury weave one into the other: the preordained and wise form of the organs, on meeting with the confluence of Mercury forces, suffers change
according to the particular circumstances. The chemical expansion and contraction give direction to the streaming movement of Mercury (by means of surface tensions). In this
interplay we find the key to all the problems of turgor, the state of tension within the tissues.
Jupiter in all his plastic activity comes to rest in the `muscle-man; then the activity changes into chemistry and overcomes the plastic rigidity in movement.
In wisdom-filled chemical activity the movement of the muscles sucks at the liver where Jupiter comes to rest chemically. (This is in opposition to the usual concept that the
liver sends substances to the muscles. From the aspect of this description it can be understood that the muscles fetch the substances from the liver.) Mercury streaming through
the tissues in fluidity and without regularity, arrives finally at a certain contraction in the lymphatic vessels, coming to rest in the glandular activity. The glands (as terminal points
of streaming fluidity) are the place where this fluid stream leaves the organism. Fluids stream through the whole body, excepting the inverted air sack which we call the lung.
The lung is a gland, but a negative one, it is a hollowing out within the fluid man.
Liver and lung as consummation of Jupiter and Mercury activity, are Jupiter and Mercury organs.

Jupiter I
Rounding Plasticity
Leading to Rigid Soul Forms
Jupiter II
Movement as Gesture
Formed Movement through Chemical
Surface Activity

Mercury I
Streaming Movement
Leading to Obliteration of Individual Forms
Mercury II
Movement as Healing Principle
Plastic Form Due to the Confluence of Movements

------------
M*RS
)age "1K of "=>
Let us now describe the activities of Mars and Venus. Mars, the last of the planets beyond the Sun, is the carrier of movement which is creative but directed towards a goal.
Mars represents the force by means of which the Spiritual archetype of the plant pierces through to, penetrates into the Physical, and which also pushes it out again into the
world. We see Mars at work wherever the plant in its growing point pushes into space, and in so doing conquers space. Through Mars an inner activity is brought into the world,
conquering the world with determination and a sense of direction, revealing its own true nature. Without Mars no plant would exist. Mars forces are at work in the shooting and
sprouting of every spring, with all its conquest of space. To get a true imagination of these Mars forces we should picture to ourselves a javelin thrower at the moment in which
he is about the throw the javelin and is letting go. The strength concentrated upon the target, that is pure Mars force.
The Mars forces radiate into Man between his shoulder blades and permeate him in the iron process of the blood. They radiate downwards into the blood, but they also
radiate upwards into the speech process. It is Mars force which is being formed in the word streaming from the human mouth. The Mars type, is a man in whom Mars forces
predominate, is outwardly active all the time, but spends himself and it unable to preserve what he has created, because he cannot bear that something should be finished.
Rather than care and cultivate, the Mars type destroys what has been created and rebuilds anew. He is carried by a continuous creative urge, and where he meets an obstacle he
is consumed by wrath.
The Ego, when wishing to oppose being carried away by all this activity, must summon strong resistance, because Mars does not yield to soft measures. This process of
opposition results in the damming up of the directed force, and now something happens which may come a s a surprise at first: Where Mars forces is dammed up the world beings
to sound.
The sting of an instrument shows the same phenomenon. The force with which the bow is used, is dammed up by the resistance of the taut string. Force and resistance
struggle with each other, and the string begins to sound. Or we take a metal plate covered with fine sand; we strike it with a bow and sound figures appear indicating that matter
arranges itself according to the principles of sound. We meet this harmonizing principle again in chemistry, where the order in chemical and organic compounds follows musical
laws. Every tone has its own sound figure. The Higher Hierarchies speak into the Ether world, and out of these cosmic harmonies here on Earth substances come into existence
according to the order of the chemical elements. This cosmic music starts form the Mars sphere and is passed on to the Earth through the Chemical or Sound Ether. Within the
animal and human organism, Mars orders and forms the substances, working from within in the Astral Body. In the plant organism the cosmic Mars brings this about.
The iron forces, active in the hemoglobin of the blood, come to their end in the liver, where out of the red hemoglobin the iron-free green-yellowish gall is formed. The
bilirubin is identical with the iron-free hemoglobin and in its formation the iron is held back, it does not enter the gall. Out of this holding back, this damming up, the albumen
forming forces, essential for the building up of the human body, are born in the liver like `sounds figures. This process of protein building in the liver is sounding tone, in which
the substances C-H-O-N-S-P are arranged in sound figures. The driving force bringing this about is the activity of Mars being dammed up. In the plant this process is more
hidden, but here too Mars plays a part, once in the growing outward, again in the forming of protein.
The force of Mars manifests especially in the Stinging Nettle Preparation 504 which harmonizes the iron forces in the soil, bestowing true nutritive value on the plant. This in
turn is connected with a healthy protein building process, but also with starch formation, inasmuch as every starch granule is surrounded by a delicate protein sheath. We shall
deal with this more fully later on.
------------
+4$AS
In contrast to the active Mars processes, the Venus processes are hidden, and we shall truly understand them only by being quite still and listening inwardly. Venus is
connected with the deeper nutrition (of the cell), with the deepest building forces of the organism, where the offered substances are received into the life processes to unfold their
activities by being taken up by higher principles. Venus is connected with the creation of a `milieu, with the clearing of space for something else to unfold. We may think of the
home of a quiet and modest woman with a significant soul. Here people meet one another in the exchange of ideas and all shyness is cst aside. And if we ask why such social
life, so stimulating and fertile, occurs just in this home we must admit that it is due precisely to the quiet personality in the background who perhaps does nothing else but brings
coffee just at the right moment and disappears again. Venus has this ability to make room for something else to manifest. As Mars is associated with speaking, so Venus with
listening. Goethe call conversation more precious than light, because conversation is the harmony between Mars and Venus, in which the one partner is the speaking Mars, the
other the listening Venus, changing parts after a while. Where Mars and Venus truly meet, a third element comes into existence, something new can be made manifest.
Entirely to become Venus, to make oneself into a vessel to receive something higher, would lead to complete renunciation of self. The Ego could no longer exist in an
absolute Venus attitude. The process must revert into its opposite: the Ego overcomes the building up process by `sucking away that which has passed through the life processes,
and does so by means of the kidney-bladder system. The destructive and excretory processes exert their sucking forces from kidney and bladder reaching right into the last living
cell. The Venus process comes to an end in the kidney, the Venus organ. When in the kidney Ether force and substance are separated, the dead matter is excreted and the Ether
forces radiate upwards into the eye, bestowing the force of going forth into the world in the act of seeing. Pathology knows well this secret connection between the kidney and
eye.
Most beautiful is the co-operation between Mars and Venus in the living organism. Protein, formed through the Mars force, nourishes the cells along the Venus path. The
Venus process, coming to an end in the kidney, there produces radiations. These ray upwards and unite with the Mars force with all its determination and direction, to appear
again in the eyes force of vision. The force with which the eye faces the world originates in the kidney radiation. The striking picture of Mars and Venus is such a musical
instrument as the violin. The bow is movement full of aim and purpose, the string stays this movement and begins to sound. But quality is added to the tone only by the
resonance of the instrument which creates a milieu in which the sounding tone can live, only now being born as living tone quality.
It is similar to the growing plant where especially the first two activities of Mars and Venus come into play. The force of the growing point, directed outwards, is surrounded
and filled by the nourishing Venus force; only through both these processes together can the plant grow. Creation and congestion, building up and excretion closely and intimately
co-operate; the dammed up force of the growing shoot makes possible the protein formation, while the force of excretion lives in the bark and its deposits.
Venus forces manifest especially in the Yarrow Preparation 502. The Yarrow is prepared with the Stags Bladder, the end of the kidney sucking process, and thus,
strengthened in its connection with the Venus region, it can receive cosmic substances which enliven, refresh the soil, and balance exploitation. Especially the potassium
processes in the plants are activated.

Mars I
Directed Movement
Growing into Space
Mars II
Tone Due to Staying of Movement
Protein Forming Force
Substance Forming

Venus I
Nurturing Nutrition.
Milieu Forming Receptacle for
Something Higher

Venus II
Excretion
Separation of Substance
from Ether Forces
)age "=, of "=>

------------
T<4 W0R@&$1 0! T<4 SA$
In the center of these three polar processes stands the Sun process. Wherever there is a state of balance, not just a dead equilibrium, but a living interplay, between Saturn
and Moon, Jupiter and Mercury, Mars and Venus, there the Sun is already at work. The archetype of Sun activity is diastole and systole, the expanding, spreading out into space,
and the contracting into a point. But expansion and contraction do not follow a straight line, but are spiral processes. The striving and tending away from the center to the
circumference takes place in ever widening arcs, orientated right from the beginning to the infinite periphery. On the other hand, the contraction form the circumference towards
the center takes place in ever decreasing arcs, with the center as point of orientation right from the start. Those readers who have done some Eurythmy will understand what is
here meant by orientation.
Thus the Sun manifests in two activities: On the one hand contracting, leading everything to the center-on the other hand drawing it out into the infinite distances. We can
call this contrast also `Winter Sun and `Summer Sun, or `night Sun and Day Sun. In the making of the Preparations it is of great importance whether a process is exposed to the
`Winter Sun or to the `Summer Sun. Without a proper understanding of this twofold Sun activity, our measures will remain automatic. The great breathing and pulsating of the
Sun goes through all the planets, both those beyond and those nearer the Sun, causing an external and rhythmic interplay between them. It is the task or the farmer working
with the bio-dynamic Principles, to live with these rhythms and to adjust his actions to these rhythms and life processes of the plant.
In the most beautiful way this Sun rhythm is revealed in the human circulation when the blood disperses form the heart into the infinite periphery of the smallest vessels. In
a great arc it leaves the heart, streaming towards the periphery. On its return journey towards the heart, it flows but slowly to begin with, gathering speed and finally rushing in a
vortex into the right Atrium of the heart. At one time the Sun rhythm condenses the cosmos into substance, then again it transforms the substance into cosmic quality. The two
Preparations by means of which we can handle these two Sun activities, as the need may be, are the Cowhorn Preparations 500 and 501. In the one case it is the Horn-Manure,
exposed to the `Winter Sun. Both preparations are stirred before use, i.e. a rhythmic stirring inwards and outwards takes place, the vortex each time reaching the bottom of the
vessel. With this stirring we subject these Sun-Preparations to a rhythmic, spiral Sun-breathing movement, releasing into activity, the `Summer and `Winter Sun forces bound
and preserved in the Horns.
The plant really is a Sun-Earth-Being, and for this reason the Preparations 500 and 501 are so important. After the Earth has received the compost in which the planetary
forces are harmoniously active, the Sun-breathing process brings al this into movement; and it is for this reason that the Preparations 500 and 501 are applied in the last minute
before sowing and during growth respectively, and in such a way that, in the one case the forces concentrate towards the Earth, thus leading to germination and growth, and in
the other case the substances and forces open towards the cosmos and can thus produce quality and aroma.
"The one will trouble and the one refresh,
So mixed is life in this our mortal flesh.
------------

2 comment on !2ttention Deficit Disorder from an 2nthroposophical )oint of 5iew!

QQ bac*
By: Barbara Massag
(n response to the article !2ttention Deficit Disorder from an 2nthroposophical )oint of 5iew! by 0alter )ohl
in the issue of =D +,,+
To the <ditor:
By way of further bac*ground on this issue, and to encourage further study, ( would li*e to submit a $uote from
a lecture by &udolf 'teiner 3!/ontradictions in the Development of Aumanity!, 82 "KH, lecture ", of Bov. "=,
"K+,, 'tuttgart 7 in which hyperactive children are specifically mentioned. The following is a composite
$uotation from several pages of text.
...The effect of external technology on the will is something that will rise up again as a *ind of a reaction. ... 2nd
human beings will ariseOthey will be seen in the coming generationsOwho will have the sense: !( do not *now
what a human being is, or what ( am myself.! Melancholy and hypochondria will descend upon the souls of the
coming generations. Those teaching in schools will be able to notice it in the classroom as a mood of the
times. ... Today we loo* upon nature devoid of humanityF we come to a stop before the human being. This will
produce the great psychological distress of the coming decades. This distress is a positive force, and born out of
this positive force the capacity will arise to perceive the 3etheric7 /hrist. ... 2nd longing in deepest deprivation,
the children that we will have in school in the coming years and decades will begin to manifest an indefinite but
very real fear of life, which will express itself in anxiety. (t will express itself in fidgetiness, in nervousnessO(
mean this tangibly. ... There is no other cure for this nervousness, which will inevitably ma*e itself felt in the
generation now growing up. 2s the preparation for the /hrist event. ...
Barbara Massag
:bere 'eestra[e "H
D%JJ,JG ;angenargen
)age "=" of "=>
2 )ediatricians (nsight on 2utism
A Pediatrician's Insight on Autism
?&?&P0<7 Please give us a short introduction to your practice.
6r9 *llen7 I have been a pediatrician for 21 years, and I am board certified in anthroposophic medicine,
holistic medicine, and traditional pediatrics. In 2008, my wife and I set up an anthroposophic healing
center near Fair Oaks, California, The Center for Living Health. We work with Susan Johnson, MD, and
William Bento, PhD, as well as eurythmy, craniosacral, art, and extra lesson therapists.
?&?&P0<7 Do you see an increasing number of autistic children in your practice?
6r9 *llen7 Yes, I have seen a significant increase in the number of children with autism in my practice and
in the world at large since the late 1990s.
?&?&P0<7 Could you please outline the basic characteristics of autism, or the spectrum that is currently
described with this word. How has it changed over the last few years?
6r9 *llen7 Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by:
1. Social-interaction difficulties such as: failure to respond to their names, reduced interest in people, and
delayed babbling. By toddlerhood, many children with autism have difficulty playing social games, dont
imitate the actions of others, and prefer to play alone. They may fail to seek comfort or to respond to
parents' displays of anger or affection in typical ways.
2. Communication challenges. Young children with autism tend to be delayed in babbling and speaking and
learning to use gestures, and exhibit an inability to understand body language, tone of voice, and
expressions that arent meant to be taken literally. For example, even an adult with autism might interpret
as sarcastic, "Oh, that's just great! as meaning it really is great.
3. A tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. Common repetitive behaviors include hand flapping,
rocking, jumping and twirling, arranging and rearranging objects, and repeating sounds, words, or phrases.
Sometimes the repetitive behavior is self-stimulating, such as wiggling fingers in front of the eyes.
However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas. Taken together, they
may result in relatively mild challenges for someone on the high- functioning end of the autism spectrum.
For others, symptoms may be more severe, as when repetitive behaviors and lack of spoken language
interfere with everyday life.
Historically, according to the American Psychological Association, the term autism was first coined by Swiss
psychiatrist, Paul Eugen Bleuler in 1908. He used it to describe a schizophrenic patient who had withdrawn
into his own world. The root of the word autism is from the Greek "autos" which means "self." Combine
that with the Greek suffix "ismos" which means "action or state of being, and you get an original root
meaning that roughly translates to a state of being absorbed by one's self or withdrawn within oneself. This
makes sense today because people with autism often seem to be lost in themselves.
The pioneers in research into autism were Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner, who worked separately in the
1940s. The American child psychiatrist, Leo Kanner, studied children who had features of difficulties in
social interactions, difficulty in adapting to changes in routines, good memory, sensitivity to stimuli
(especially sound), resistance and allergies to food, good intellectual potential, echolalia or propensity to
repeat words of the speaker, and difficulties in spontaneous activity. These were children who were
severely affected. Hans Asperger studied a different group of children. His children also resembled those
Kanner studied but they differed in one important respect: the children he studied did not have echolalia as
a linguistic problem. Rather, they spoke like grownups. He also mentioned that many of the children were
clumsy and different from normal children in terms of fine motor skills. These were very able children.
In addition, beginning around the 1940s, parents of autistic children began receiving blame for their child's
autism, particularly the mothers, who were called "refrigerator mothers. The whole idea behind the
refrigerator mother concept was that children become autistic because of the mothers frigidity. The
mothers were supposedly "cold" to their child and didn't interact or play with them and didn't cuddle them.
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Of course, we now know that this is a ridiculous theory and the product of doctors being too quick to jump
to a conclusion.
It wasn't until the 1960s that autism was established as a separate disorder, distinguished from others
such as schizophrenia and retardation. Up to then, autism was treated very similarly to those disorders.
From the 1960s through the 1970s, research into treatments for autism focused on medications such as
LSD, electric shock, and behavioral change techniques. The latter relied on pain and punishment. During
the 1980s and 1990s, the role of behavioral therapy and the use of highly controlled learning environments
emerged as the primary treatments for many forms of autism and related conditions. Other treatments
were added as needed. Currently, the cornerstone of autism therapy is behavioral therapy.
The DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed, 1994, the current edition of
American psychiatry's diagnostic guide) identified a set of separate Pervasive Developmental Disorders that
are considered "autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). These include Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder,
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Retts Syndrome, and Childhood
Disintegrative Disorder.
However, one of the most significant changes with the new DSM-V, which will be formally unveiled in May
2013, is that the separate diagnostic labels of Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder, PDD-NOS, and
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, will be replaced by one umbrella term "Autism Spectrum Disorder. The
new Autism Spectrum Disorder will have new criteria to qualify, and Retts Syndrome is no longer included.
These changes are already sparking quite a controversy in the autism community.
?&?&P0<7 Is the increase in the number of diagnosed "cases a function of improved diagnosis, or could it
be linked to increased stimulation, changes in the ability of teachers-or is there a basic genetic change?
6r9 *llen7 There is a real increase in the number of children with autism. It is true that we are all now
better at recognizing them, and even at younger ages, but that is a direcDr. Allen:t result of the epidemic
of new cases. In 1960, the prevalence of autism was 1:4000. In 2000 it was 1:2000. Now it is 1:88
children in the United States.
When I first started practicing in 1992, I worked in a large, traditional pediatric practice where we would
see 250 or more kids every day. In a practice that large, you get an accurate pulse on the health, or lack
of it, in the community at large. Trends in health are identifiable, such as the increase in diabetes and
other autoimmune disorders in children that we have witnessed in our practice. We were not seeing these
children with ASD in the early 1990s-autism was still rare!
Then, in the late 1990s, I started to notice more children who were not incarnating in a typical way. These
children lacked sparkle in their eyes, and instead, there was dullness there, as if covered with a veil. These
youngsters did not regard the human face with recognition and connection, and smile, but simply looked at
me as if I were one of the many inanimate objects in the room. I was deeply moved. It made such an
impact on me that 15 years later, I can still remember the first child I saw with what would later be
diagnosed as autism. When I first started seeing these children, my colleagues and I were unable to
diagnose them, but I would make a note in their chart about their eyes. Shortly thereafter, autism became
very familiar to me and to the rest of the world.
The increase in diagnosis of autism is not simply the result of overstimulation (and/or other reactive
disorders that might reveal mild symptoms similar to ASD), or the inability of teachers. True, teachers are
having a hard time with these children, but it is not because they are any less capable than teachers of the
past. It is because there is an epidemic of these children who are not incarnating typically, and we are all
still learning about their gifts and challenges. A genetic component has been identified, as there are more
mutations in the genetic make-up of kids later diagnosed with autism versus kids that are not, when
testing cord blood samples. However, this is true in some of the kids diagnosed with autism, but not all of
them.
?&?&P0<7 What treatments have been found to be supportive in a childs life after the diagnosis (therapy,
stimulation, art, music, physical activity, medications, etc.)?
6r9 *llen7 Each child or adult with autism is unique, so each autism intervention plan should be tailored to
address specific needs.Traditional intervention can involve behavioral treatments, medicines or both. Many
persons with autism have additional medical conditions such as sleep disturbance, ADD/ADHD, anxiety,
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seizures and gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Addressing these conditions can improve attention, learning,
and related behaviors.
This can be traditionally done as follows: sleep disturbance (healthy sleep training, melatonin, or
medications); ADD/ADHD (medication); anxiety (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT and/or medications);
seizures (medication) and gastrointestinal (GI) distress (dairy and gluten sensitivity/allergy-food
restriction, probiotics). Objective scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of two methods of methods
of comprehensive behavioral early intervention. They are the Lovaas Model based on Applied Behavioral
Analysis (ABA) and the Early Start Denver Model.
Studies indicate that early intensive behavioral intervention improves learning, communication and social
skills in young children with autism. While the outcomes of early intervention vary, all children benefit.
Researchers have developed a number of effective early intervention models that work best if the
intervention focuses on the core areas affected by autism (social skills, language and communication,
imitation, play skills, daily living, and motor skills); if it provides the child with opportunities to interact
with typically developing peers; and if the program actively engages parents in the intervention, both in
decision making and the delivery of treatment.
Parents and therapists also report success with other commonly used behavioral therapies, including music
therapy, floor time, pivotal response therapy, and verbal behavior therapy. Anthroposophic treatments that
have been found to be beneficial include anthroposophic remedies, eurythmy, rhythmical massage, art
therapy, and speech therapy. Rudolf Steiner said, inEducation for Special Needs,(1) that whenever we
give treatment to a handicapped child, we are intervening in karma, and that this work of the gods we
must undertake as a benefit to us all.
The basic lessons we learn from our Waldorf kindergarten teachers-the benefits of adequate warmth,
sleep, decreased media and overstimulation and good nutrition- are instrumental in helping all children,
especially those with autism.
Growing evidence suggests that a small minority of persons with autism progress to the point where they
no longer meet the criteria for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Various theories exist as to
why this happens. They include the possibility of an initial misdiagnosis, the possibility that some children
mature out of certain forms of autism and the possibility that successful treatment can, in some instances,
produce outcomes that no longer meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. I believe that when a child has
an interruption in their incarnation process, they may reveal symptoms that resemble ASD. If we can meet
them and support them anthroposophically, we can intervene in their karma and help them to heal.
?&?&P0<7 How can an anthroposophic medical outlook help us to understand autism?
6r9 *llen7 Autism can be looked at as an atypical incarnation process. This specific "abnormality reveals
itself in the pattern of symptoms we call autism. Yet, one should ask, what is the purpose of autism? In
anthroposophy, Steiner said that we prepare for our upcoming incarnation in the time between death and
rebirth. The interweaving of the cosmos, the individual soul, and our specific karma come together as we
make plans for what we want to work on in our upcoming incarnation.
Is the purpose of autism one of altruism, to serve as a sacrificial mirror (see below) or as a springboard for
the individual soul to form a future earthly life, as Steiner indicated in his book, Education for Special
Needs?
The essence of autism is a disharmony of the ego function. The ego does not engage the lower
organization (metabolism) sufficiently from the periphery inward. This is reflected into the consciousness
pole, as the centering of the ego in the upper organization is also deficient. The disturbed relationship of
the ego results in a weakened etheric stream from the lower organization, which is too little for a healthy
relationship to the soul forces. Thus, thinking, feeling, and willing cannot be brought together. 2 In a mild
case, this might manifest as a bright child with autism who is hyper-focused on one topic but has
difficulties with others, cant read social cues, cant feel love, has delayed speech, and repeatedly engages
in hand-flapping. A child may come into this life with autism, or autism may develp from a vaccine or
other physical injury, either to the brain or to the gut. If the injury is in the brain, then it causes a reflected
injury in the gut, or if the original injury is in the gut, then the reflected dysfunction occurs in the brain.
?&?&P0<7 What are the social/spiritual implications arising from the fact that so many children are being
diagnosed with autism?
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6r9 *llen7 According to educator Eugene Schwartz, if we look at illnesses as mirrors for the age, we see in
our current mirror, indifference, social isolation, timidity, and lack of empathy. In autism we find
individuals who share these "inbreathing characteristics, and serve as sacrificial mirrors to reflect our
time. 3
Ours is a time of materialism. This excessive materialism distracts us from our spiritual development.
People with autism are handicapped in a way that prevents their spiritual development. This is a sign of
our times. The purpose of autism is to balance out this excessive materialism. Thus autism can be seen as
both the result of, and the remedy for, excessive materialism. We are suffering from the inability to
develop spiritually and deeply connect with our fellow human beings. Autism reveals this to us, and gives
us the opportunity to step away from ourselves and our immersion in the materialistic world, and focus on
helping our children with autism and the world at large. We have to be sensitive, caring, and loving
enough to open ourselves to the gifts that these individuals bring to the world. With healthy empathy and
tolerance, we can support them and learn the meaning and balance of their incarnation. In the process, we
learn to strive for healthy social connection and continue developing our potential as spiritual human
beings.
?&?&P0<7 Can you explain what Rudolf Steiner and Karl Koenig, MD, said about what these individuals
bring to their incarnation?
6r9 *llen7 People who are handicapped bring in karmic blessings and karmic work for parents, siblings,
caregivers-anyone and everyone who has a relationship with them in any way. This is a real Christ healing
impulse to learn social connection, and how to care for our fellow human beings. Each handicap brings a
specific lesson for the individual, parents, family and community.
Rudolf Steiner once said that when we see a child with an "abnormality and we immediately want to "fix
them, trying to get rid of the "abnormality, we in fact are both not learning the lesson they bring, and
might just be driving out a fragment of genius. I believe this is true, as my own son, Kieran, which means
"beam of light, came into this world as an angel -a wake-up call to put me and my family back on our
spiritual path when we were lost in the sea of materialism.
He was born with cerebral palsy and later developed seizures. Conventional medications failed, so Kieran
led me on a holistic journey, including my introduction to anthroposophy, as I searched for things to heal
my son. What I discovered in the process is that they helped to heal me.
Kierans quality of life improved, and he remained with us long enough to complete our life lessons. Then,
two weeks after his seventh birthday, he developed pneumonia and unexpectedly passed. This was the
hardest lesson for me as a father, as a pediatrician, and as a human being, to learn. Yet, I was grateful for
his teachings and for the awareness of his gift even during his lifetime. It was both the most difficult and
the most gratifying experience of my life.
Kieran was a beam of light, an angel on this earth, who deeply touched everyone who was exposed to him.
I believe that children with autism, like my son, are here to be our teachers.
?&?&P0<7 What happens to the parents? I understand that divorce rates are very high in families with
children with autism. Are there resources to support the families?
6r9 *llen7 Parents of children with autism are generally exhausted, isolated and frustrated. The physical,
emotional and financial burdens are enormous, and friends and family shy away. However, the reported 80
percent divorce rate of parents with autistic children is erroneous. Recent studies have found that 64
percent of children with an autism spectrum disorder have two married biological or adoptive parents,
while 65 percent of children who do not have an autism spectrum disorder had two parents. Another study
revealed a 24 percent chance of divorce between autistic parents of autistic children versus a 14 percent
chance of divorce between parents of non-autistic kids. Whichever study you believe is more correct, they
are both much lower than 80 percent.
There are many resources available to families of autistic children and adults. These range from advocates
to financial, diagnostic, books, diets, caregivers, support groups, social programs, education, parental
support, blogs, and attorneys, etc. Some of these can be accessed through the Resource Guide by Autism
Speaks (see below), that offers resources available specific to ones state and zip
code. www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-guide
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?&?&P0<7 What happens when autistic children grow up to be adults?
6r9 *llen7 It all depends on their level of function and how well we've been able to help them to integrate
with the world. A lot has to do with early intervention, understanding individuals with their specific gifts
and challenges, and then putting enough support in place so that these individuals are able to reach
outside of themselves, tolerate their surroundings and be able to interact with them.
Things generally improve as children with autism get older, yet nearly seven years after high school, 35
percent of autistic young adults still had no paid employment or education beyond high school. The
statistics are dramatic: within a decade or so, more than 500,000 children diagnosed with autism will enter
adulthood.
Some of them will have the less severe variants like Aspergers syndrome or "high-functioning autism and
may be able to live more independent and fulfilling lives. But even this subgroup will require some support,
and the needs of those with lower-functioning varieties of autism will be profound and constant as some
will forever live in a supported environment, whether at home or in a group home, and will never hold a
job.
There may be others who lead not only normal, but incredible lives, having so much to offer the world in
the way of creativity and knowledge, as they share their gifts and passions, making the world a better
place for all of us. We just have to be "open to them, and to give them the opportunity without our
traditional "limiting boundaries.
?&?&P0<7 What research is happening that will let us project into the future?
6r9 *llen7 Research is revealing that the risk of autism increases linearly with BOTH the age of the father
AND the age of the mother at conception. Increased risk also happens with low folic acid levels, fever and
flu during pregnancy, etc. There are both genetic and environmental factors currently being investigated.
In addition, there is significant research being done on the gut-brain connection (which is supported by
Steiners view of the interaction or reflection between the upper and lower forces).
An autism tsunami is on the way. With the numbers of children diagnosed with autism skyrocketing, we will
soon have over half a million young adults 18 or older in the United States with autism. This is a global
wake-up call!
&rticles
2 )ediatricians (nsight on 2utism
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