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Editorial: the many ways of homeopathy

by Deborah Collins
This months issue illustrates several different approaches to homeopathy, with
remedies from the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms.
In Claude Ghezis Owl case, we recognize the characteristics of this bird in a
remarkable young girl, the daughter of a shaman, and observe the results as the
remedy helps her to overcome her problems: she becomes less of a night owl and
more of a sociable little girl.
Sam Scarffe vividly describes a woman who deals with her vulnerability in a similar way,
taking on a strong persona, but with a distinctive animal flair to it, for which he
prescribes Tigris with success.
Helene Renoux presents the touching story of a young woman who was certainly on the
descending slope in life, losing a grip on her self-esteem after an abusive situation and
slipping into alcoholism. Menyanthes not only helped her physical complaints but also
helped her to get her head above water, as the plant itself, which strives in a hostile
environment to keep its flower afloat.
Maarten van der Meer also talks of a young woman with a traumatic past and severe
pain, which she refuses to give in to. Here, we see the themes of the Compositae
plants, especially the Eupatoriaceae, between which he makes an interesting
differentiation.
Arul Manickams patient, an elderly woman, collapses under the weight of her stress and
develops ocular palsy this complaint, as well as her anxiety, is relieved by Gelsemium,
which he differentiates with Calcium carbonicum.
And finally, a case from my own files also responds to a well-known remedy, Cinnabaris,
here prescribed for severe depression and sleeplessness, as well as a host of physical
problems in a man who cannot resolve his anger towards his ex-wife.
The beauty of homeopathy is that we have so many different remedies for dealing with
the after-effects of trauma and stress, each one fine-tuned to the individual and their
own way of dealing with the situation. On the one hand, this makes it a challenging
science, one that requires the patience for lifelong studies and the diligence and
commitment to practice effectively. On the other hand, when one begins to master its
intricacies, one is rewarded with a satisfaction beyond measure: seeing ourselves and
our patients blossom. We hope that this issue inspires you to continue your quest,
both in pursuit of your own health and happiness, and that of your patients.
Categories: Editorials
Keywords: editorial
Remedies:

Strange birds: a case of Bubo virginianus

by Claude Ghezi
In 2004, Karla was five. Her father was of Colombian indigenous descent, a Yoga
teacher and shaman. Her mother was French, an artist. They live in a little two-story
house, in a forest central southern France, in the Montagne Noire region, about thirty
kilometres from the closest town, which they overlook.

Her parents, whom I had already seen in consultation, invited me to spend a day with
them, to enjoy the surrounding nature and a sauna. During this visit, they shared with
me their concern regarding their daughter. She is starting school next year and barely
utters a word. She understands all she is told; she smiles, laughs and plays with her
older sister but does not say a word; As if she was observing the world. Their worry
concerns her social life, including school, but not her mental health. With other children,
she is uneasy, keep herself to herself, a bit wary, out of synch, and the others end up
ignoring her.
Watching her, I notice that she sits very straight in the sandpit, where she spends long
moments. If her sister does not play with her or nothing is asked of her, she just stays
there, immobile, looking in the distance, turning her head from time to time, just to
check the origin of a noise. She likes to take refuge in the tree hut facing the house, far
from the noise and the children playing below always quiet, showing no fear or
excitation, as if she has no concern. One could think of autism but she quickly answers
to calls, often with a smile.
She has good appetite. As they follow a vegetarian diet, I ask her mother how it goes
with the children. For Anita, the oldest, there is no problem, she is happy with the food.
For Karla, however, it is different: when she went to the neighbours for a meal, she
literally pounced on the meat dish! So, we put some chicken on the table at home but
we had to tell her to slow down, otherwise she would eat everything at once, without
even chewing the food.
Looking at little Karla, quiet, smiling, proud, kind, never violent or angry, always happy
with her life, calm and serene, I wonder how one could imagine her jumping on red
meat or chicken, wolfing it down without even chewing it and not leaving a bit?
Something else besides her mutism worries us, says her mother. After all, I like her
as she is as if she was the reincarnation of a bruja (witch) but she doesnt sleep at
night. She gets up every night, goes down the ladder and goes to the kitchen or
outside.
Claude Gezhi (CG): Is she sleepwalking?
Mother (M): No, not at all, she is awake, she talks with me.
CG: About what?
M: About her day or what she has seen, what others have done.
CG: So, she talks then! I understand better why you are not worried about her mental
health or a possible deafness!

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M: Yes, but shes tired during the day. She gets up at the same time as us; she doesnt
sleep much.
We enter the house and then I see the ladder mentioned earlier: a hand-made ladder,
very steep and high with irregular rungs, which leads to the bedrooms of the second
floor. There is no handrail; the whole floor opens onto the void.
CG: If my daughter had to go down on that in the middle of the night, Id be very
scared. Do you go down with her?
M: No, most of the time I get woken up by the little mouse-like noises she makes. In
fact, Karla sees the mice in the house, even at night.
CG: She does not turn on the light?
M: No
So, here is Karlas case.
It was too good to be true. I was discovering the world of Birds through Jonathan
Shore, whom I had listened to last year in Paris. This case made me think for the first
time about the idea that there might be a difference between a totem-animal and a
remedy, which represents a real suffering. It is not because Miss X thinks shes an
antelope that she necessarily needs that remedy. Here, however, the suffering was very
real.

What are the elements of this case?

-

She does not speak, except at night

Aversion for company but resembling indifference more than aversion

Desires solitude

Observes the surrounding world, on her guard but without emotion

Desires meat, which she eats without chewing

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-

Proud, imperial but without arrogance

Absent but quickly answering when called

Calm, silent, kind, serene

Fearless of void and darkness

Sees at night; nyctalope

Hears the slightest noise; hyperacusis

Prescription: Bubo virginianus MK, the owl

Follow-ups
Ten days later, she stopped getting up at night and is now sleeping well. She started to
speak like girls of her age and integrated into school without problems; she is now
doing very well. The following year, they left France for Martinique (French West Indies).
Two years later, I got news of Klara from her father, who was in France for a visit: she
was doing well and had taken the remedy once more when they arrived in their new
home.
In 2009, they move to Colombia, in the Guajira region. A friend visited them and told
me that Karlita was doing very well. Shes been baptised by the Indian tribe of the area
Ocolote, which comes from the word Tocolote, meaning Owl!
Photos
Shutterstock; Wooden house high on a tree forest; Maryna Kulchytska
Wikimedia Commons; Profile shot of a great horned owl; Sam Whited
Categories: Cases
Keywords: mutism, insomnia, desire solitude, indifference to others, observing,
nyctalope, hyperacussis
Remedies: Bubo virginianus

I have to be big and strong: a case of Sanguis panther

tigris atlaica
by Sam Scarffe
The patient is a forty-year-old woman suffering from severe premenstrual symptoms.
For about five days before her period, she becomes extremely oversensitive, with
outbursts of rage at her partner, followed by tears. She has repetitive thoughts and
describes herself as 'unstable and obsessive' at this time. She also has intense
headaches in the cerebellum, achy shoulders, and a very sore throat and eyes. All these
symptoms are much worse since the birth of her first child, eighteen months previously.
In the questionaire she writes: I feel depressed in my heart when my period comes, as
I wish to conceive our second child. Each month has become a roller-coaster of
disappointment and sadness. Mainly, I wish to stop putting myself through this."
In the interview room, I find an attractive woman with striking eye make-up. She tells
me she is a full time mother now but formerly worked as an illustrator. Her last project

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was "A spiritual book about 'Who you can be'....taking ten different subjects from
nature".
Patient (P): "People don't like to reveal their vulnerabilities. For instance, the image I
present is not always the real me. I present as confident and brash but I'm really very
sensitive and vulnerable, especially when walking into new situations. If there is
anything slightly inharmonious, I feel tense, my throat gets dry and a rash come up on
my chest and neck. In my mothers house, it's a discordant environment. You can feel
the vibration if people are not being totally honest or totally genuine with you.

I put myself through a brazen period, spent time as a bar manager in London. I
thought you had to be tough, a strong empowered woman. I didn't have empathy for
the vulnerability of others. I was on the attack, not letting anyone see what's going on.
You don't let anyone take advantage of you, take you by surprise. You dont let anyone
get close.
My dad was a poor role model and my mother was weak. I chose to emulate my father
because he was more powerful and seemed to be getting what he wanted. He was also
trying to be something he wasn't a social chameleon like me. It can leave you lonely
because you're not really showing your true self to anyone. You're portraying a
character in order to fit in, you're a control freak.
I've had a lot of romantic rejection. For the first six months, I'd keep up the image of
the perfect, sexy, attractive woman. Then, that would start to crumble because that's
not what I was. I'd start to become clingy and needy, especially around my period. The
guys would show they weren't going to be bossed by me and I'd go to extremes - bossy
one moment, then pathetic the next.
Sometimes, I wake up and feel like a she-devil, really grumpy; quiet, surly and short
tempered for the first hour. I growl a lot. I feel exactly like a tiger, like I'm going to
pounce. I used to have a cat that looked like a tiger.
My child is really divine, a blessing. I feel like a small child myself - lonely, sad and flat.
Each month, I get the stuffing knocked out of me again by not conceiving. I'm trying to
create a happier home. When I was growing up, I didn't see our family as a cohesive
unit. I want my family now to be warm and connected, not cold and separate. I went
the opposite way, became open, big hearted, wanting to connect.
I have repetitive thoughts about my mother. I'm angry about what I'd like to say but
can't, so these thoughts keep going around my head. She said you've got to
compromise in relationships. As a child, I saw her submissive and seething, keeping it

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all in. I'm lonely and isolated. I'd like more girlfriends, someone who understands me,
but by wanting to connect to people I lose myself.
There's a burning in my shoulders, from the top of my back up to the back of my head,
like a vice; gripping and drilling in. My throat is burning dry and sore. Most of my life,
I've had a raging thirst and drink too much water. I love to eat fish +++
"My dreams are always about finding a permanent base. I'm a gypsy. I love nature and
animals, especially warm-blooded mammals. I don't like spiders."
About her eye make-up: "I'm an artist...my eyes are everything!"
Prescription: Sanguis panthera tigris altaica (Siberian tiger blood) 200C
Tiger has themes of being powerful to get what you want, being in control,
concealment, toughness/proving oneself, taking the fathers role, isolation. Vision is
paramount: he can see you but you cannot see him (eye symptoms and burning pains
in the proving).
Telephone call after four weeks: "I've conceived! Now, Im feeling wonderful. Every cell
in my body is joyful...I feel integrated... outside and inside."
Over the next year, I get three telephone calls requesting a repeat of the remedy.
Meanwhile, the patient gives birth to her second child. In a recent card she writes: I
took the last remedy about three weeks ago. I'm feeling really amazing, no crying this
time! I feel really alive and energised, like the remedy is forcing me out of my own
suppression.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Amur Tiger Panthera Tigris altaica; Derek and Julie Ramsey
Categories: Cases
Keywords: severe premenstrual symptoms, difficulty to conceive, headache, raging
thirst, burning eyes and throat, vulnerability masked by assurance
Remedies: Sanguis panther tigris altaica

Keeping her head above water: a case of Menyanthes

trifoliata
by Hlne Renoux
The first time I saw Josette, she was only forty-seven but looked quite a bit older due to
the toll alcohol had taken on her beauty.
She was so weak at that time that I had to visit her in her impoverished flat, with
bottles hidden under the bed and dirt and disorder in all the rooms. This disorder was a
reflection of her inner disorder.
A photograph on the wall showed her some ten years previously, a beautiful, thin, black
haired woman, like a Modigliani painting, with absent eyes looking into the distance, a
terrible reproach to what she would become.
She lived with her husband and son. She should have left her violent husband but
stayed because of the child. An atmosphere of hatred was floating in the entire flat.

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It took me years to try to help her, mainly remaining the spectator of her slow and
implacable fall, with her abusive husband, her selfish son, and last but not least, her
employer. Fearing to lose her job, she had to work endlessly, from early morning until
late in the evening, with illegal timetables, unable to react. Her only faithful friend was
alcohol.
Like a leitmotiv, coldness was around each time she came to my office; like an icy
blowing wind entering my room. She was always complaining of coldness with all her
troubles. An inner feeling of ice accompanied each flu, rhinitis or enteritis.
When her husband retired, he finally decided to leave Paris and live in his parents
house, which he had just inherited. This gave some freedom to Josette, who decided to
move to a new flat with her son, and began an affair with a new friend. She felt much
better, and recovered some beauty and sense of quiet despite her employer, who
continued to abuse her time and threatened her each time she was sick; he even called
my office to collect some information on her. Once I had to call myself to tell him that
Josette was unable to come to work. She was both frightened and delighted to hear me
explaining firmly that privacy laws did not allow me to discuss her condition. I had a
rude person on the phone and look at a very small and terrified Josette in front of me
whispering I hope he wont take revenge afterward

The happiness of her new life did not last long. A few months later, her own parents
died. Her son demanded that they move to their old house; when she saw all the
expenses involved with this move, it became too much again.
She explained that she was drinking so much because life had become too hard for her:
Life is unbearable, I really want it to finish now! She fell down her stairs, drunk. Her
hands and feet were as cold as ice and her back was so painful that she could not even
put her head up. It was already that way before the fall, but worsened afterwards. Her
neck was very stiff, painful and heavy, nearly paralyzed.
She looked like a withered plant, with her swollen and icy feet stuck on the floor, her
painful neck orienting her sight downward. Unable to fight adversity, unable to stand up
strongly, she was just blown away by some cold wave. This gave me the idea of a
remedy for her, and for the first time after all these years, I was able to help her.
Prescription: Menyanthes trifoliata
Follow-up
She immediately stopped drinking and slowly recovered the self-esteem necessary to
face the abusive situations in her life. I still see her from time to time, when she comes
for a repeat of the remedy if she feels she is sliding back into alcohol abuse. She has

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learned to say No to her son and to her employer, and she has not lost their respect or
love.
Menyanthes trifoliate
Also called buck-bean or bogbean, it grows in boggy places. The whole plant is
immersed in cold water, leaving only the head the delicate flower floating, twisting
its neck to reach out to the sun, while cold water is tugging at the roots (the feet).
Many symptoms are better bending the head, like in submissive behaviour. A sensation
of cold wind goes through the whole body, even through the brain.
A strange, peculiar symptom describes the skin feeling too tight; as if the whole body
was too tight.
Some characteristic symptoms in the repertory:
GENERALS - COLD - feeling - Tips of fingers, toes and nose
SKIN - SMALL; he were crowded in a skin several times too
BACK - PAIN - Cervical region - Nape of neck - paralyzed; as if
BACK - TENSION - Cervical region - Nape of neck
Menyanthes is a beautiful flower, simple, and weak, using its energy to keep its head
above the waters surface, needing warmth while it lives in a cold environment. It has
been proved by Hahnemann himself and was proposed to cure intermittent fevers when
fingers, toes, and nose are icy, as well as for cramps in legs.
We can consider that this feeling of weakness and the endeavor to reach the surface are
meaningful indications of this remedy. My patient knows now that she has enough inner
strength to face the hardness of life and to hold up her head in the face of it.
Menyanthes could be a remedy helping to keep ones head above water.
Photo: Shutterstock
Portrait of a woman face underwater; Daniel Korzeniewski
Categories: Cases
Keywords: alcoholism, coldness, icy sensation, weakness, painful stiff neck, violent
husband
Remedies: Menyanthes trifoliata

I won't give in to the pain: a case of Eupatorium

aromaticum
by Maarten van der Meer
The patient is a twenty-year-old woman with a small build and a sharp, hard look in her
eyes, where one reads her distrust. Her voice is also sharp. She places her fingers on
the desk and talks clearly and directly. Her face is expressionless, almost a poker face;
she tells of all that she has gone through in life with a black humour. Her head seems to
distance itself from her body. She has brought a girlfriend with her, a large strong
woman who is protective of her, but treats her like an equal.
She has had Morbus Bechterew for several years now. Her blood sedimentation it too
high, and due to all the medication she takes, she has inflammation of the stomach and
a spastic colon, for which she is not allowed to take medication. She has local
prednisone injections. During the day, she takes tramadol and metotrexate and in the
evenings, she takes morphine for the pain. She sleeps poorly and is very tired.

The first symptoms started when she was seven years old, with juvenile
spondylotrophia. She has inflammations everywhere: all her joints hurt and after
exertion, she has swollen knees and ankles. She has a lot of problems with her ankles
and her sacro-iliacal joint. Stiffness is worse with cold and wet weather.
Her menses has always been abundant and painful; she now uses a contraceptive
injection to curb her menses. She often has bronchitis, bladder infections, and herpes
labiales. She often has aphts in her mouth between her lip and her teeth.
Her father suffered from M. Bechterew, too, from his thirtieth on; his wife has always
had to look after him. Her parents divorced when she was seven; when she was
thirteen her father committed suicide due to all the problems around the divorce,
financial worries, and the fact that no one wanted to have anything to do with him
anymore. He had been aggressive and violent towards her as well as the rest of the
family. She often saw that he hit her mother and threatened to kill her. When her
parents divorced, she felt freed from that evil. I wont give in to the pain, and I dont
want anyone else to know about it.
Analysis
The most prominent feature of the case is the Compositae theme: problems since a
young age, violence, pain, vulnerable. Looking for protection and not finding it. A hard
appearance in order to mask the pain and feelings of weakness.
Causes: fights, parents fighting. Father plays an important role in her life:
Eupatoriaceae.
Within this group, three specimens are known in homeopathy: Eupatorium perfoliatum
(which suits people with a victim feeling), Eupatorium purpurae (for soft and gentle
people), and Eupatorium aromaticum, which I have seen to work well in cases where
suicide plays a role. It has aphts in the mouth as a keynote.
Differential diagnosis
Lacs: Louis Klein talks of the Lacs, the milk remedies, in problems with nutrition and
aggression. People requiring a Lac remedy are more like an open book.
Spiders: threat, alertness. These people do not shut themselves off so much; they are
very alert to any sense of danger.
Solanaceae: these people are highly charged and the sense of danger is quite
abstract.

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Lanthanides: auto-immune, the theme of the shadow, Thulium muriaticum, stage 15,
has issues about being cared for; aphts.
Prescription: Eupatorium aromaticum 6C, one dose. This potency was the only one I
had on hand.
Follow-ups
During the next two weeks, she had a hard time: profuse yellow diarrhoea, fainting, and
the need for a lot of sleep. Her temperature was raised and she had spikes of fever. She
became very angry because her body was not doing what she wanted it to do. She also
panicked because she did not know what to do.
After these tumultuous two weeks, everything suddenly improved. Within three months,
her blood tests were normal and her pain medication could be decreased and finally
stopped. These days, her pain is controllable. She is supple, less stiff. She is emotionally
better as well; much more cheerful than before. I am opener towards my friends and
softer towards myself. I used to degrade myself all the time, saying: You are useless,
no one wants you, who do you think you are. Now, I feel good about myself.
Note about potency: in practice, it appears that a well-chosen remedy will work well no
matter which potency is given, and it hardly, if ever, needs to be repeated. Many
remedies are capable of bringing about a reaction in a given person if it is the correct
remedy, one dose is then enough. The less accurate the remedy is, the more it needs to
be repeated and the more tumult it creates. In case of a relapse, it is often better to
wait instead of simply repeating the remedy; this gives one the chance to see if the
remedy is indeed the right one. If it is correct, the relapse will be temporary or only
partial.
Photo: Shutterstock
Woman hold her knee; Poprotskiy Alexey
Categories: Cases
Keywords: Morbus Bechterew, juvenile spondylotrophia, swollen and painful joints,
aphtae, suicide and violence in the family
Remedies: Eupatorium aromaticum

Shattered and shocked: a case of Gelsemium

by Arul Manickam
Our patient, a middle aged woman, has had a CT scan which shows left third cranial
nerve palsy, due to left posterior communicating artery aneurysm.
The oculomotor nerve is responsible for the majority of eye movement (eye, eyelid, and
pupil). Paralysis leads to ptosis, pupil dilation and impaired movement of the eyeball.
Presenting history
- Drooping of left sided upper eye lids (ptosis) for fifteen days, no pupillary light reflex,
mydriasis (pupil dilation), eye movements reduced
- History of left sided headache for the past five or six years. Throbbing pain in left
temple. Angry when disturbed during headache, scolding others when angry. During
headache, pain in the eye, as if she wanted to pull the eye out.
- Vomiting four to five times, with an odor of neem seed

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Physical generals
- Chilly patient, unable to tolerate winter with rainy weather
- Bowel motions: once every four or five days. Difficulty to pass stool ++
- Sleep: sleepy , overpowering +++
- Sweat: profuse; offensive odor; smell of neem seed
Mental generals
The main incident that affected her is her son-in-laws death, one year previously. She
feels forsaken, with nobody there to take care of her health and her daughters family:
Who will look after my family, who will take charge of my grandchildrens education?
On hearing of her son-in-laws death, she went into a shock and fell down suddenly in
an unconscious state. At the time, her main experience was shattered and shocked.
She has a great anxiety about her grandchildren and family, with a fear that someone
will tell bad things about her grandchildren. She is fearful about having an operation,
wondering if it will end successfully or in her death. She is sympathetic in nature.
Totality of symptoms
- Forsaken feeling
- Intense anxiety, anticipatory
- Shocked and shattered
- Insecurity
- Ailments from grief, shock
- Sleepiness
- Constipation
- Perspiration profuse , offensive
- Left sided paralysis, left sided headache
- Chilly patient
- Ptosis
Prescription: Gelsemium 200 C, one dose
Follow-ups
In the course of the next year and a half, the progress is slow but steady. The patient
regains her energy, is not drowsy, and she sleeps well; she becomes active and
energetic. She has no difficulties with her stool, and her perspiration loses its acrid odor.
More importantly, her eye regains its mobility and the eyelid ceases to droop. Her vision
improves and her eye ceases to water, as it had previously done. Her pupils are dilating
appropriately. Her headaches gradually disappear. In general, she is feeling more secure
in herself and is not so shocked and shattered anymore.

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Differential diagnosis: Gelsemium Calcium carbonicum
A Gelsemium patients reaction is shock: How could this happen? I was just talking to
them yesterday and now they are dead. Gelsemium feels shocked and shattered.
A Calcium carbonicum patients reaction is anxiety from watching or hearing about
cruelty, for instance on TV; they leave the room and close their eyes. Although many
rubrics suit Calcium carbonicum fear of operation, fear of the opinion of others,
insecurity, dependent, horrible sad stories affected her profoundly, profuse, offensive
perspiration, constipation, chilly Gelsemium is better indicated as drowsiness is more
characteristic of Gelsemium than Calc carb. Calcium carbonicum is a right-sided remedy,
here the affinity is the left side.
Photo: Shutterstock
Shattered dancer; Markos86
Categories: Cases
Keywords: intense anxiety, shocked and shattered, insecurity, ptosis, headache,
sleepiness, constipation
Remedies: Gelsemium
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Comments:
Arnon Vered
Posts: 1

Gelsemium

Reply #1 on : Thu October 02, 2014, 01:51:20

Gelsemium is like a close friend that will come to ones help when things
seem dire. It was his sucesses with gelsemium that motivated Hale to
write his classic New Remedies. In the essay on gelsemium Hale states
that there is still much to learn about its possible applications. A century
and a half later this still holds true.Thank you for this interesting case.

October 2014

I'm still angry at my ex-wife: a case of Cinnabaris

by Deborah Collins
Forty-eight-year old man, accompanied by his wife.
Patient (P): Im stressed. I can hardly sleep for the last twenty years. It started with a
depression after my divorce. I am always thinking about my past; family life, all the
lies, the deceptions. I am the youngest of eleven children; it was a turbulent time. I was
always a bit on the outside. I mostly had problems with my siblings, with my parents it
was OK. The others went out and didnt take me with them, so I was left alone at home.
We lived in the countryside with no neighbours, no car. I was always timid, I always felt
alone, on the outside of things. I was always left out if there were games at school,
never chosen to be on the team. At the age of eight, I already had a stomach ulcer from
stress.

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I always have a sore stomach. I cant sleep because of it. I am always irritable, ready
to explode. I feel like Im going to have a nervous breakdown. I feel like throwing
everything, but I hold it all in. Theres a rage inside, its hard.
Wife (W): He keeps everything inside, he never says anything. I notice his changes
first. He says hes OK, but hes not. He doesnt want to do anything, go anywhere, he
just gets closed off in himself and I cant approach him. I know hes afraid that I will
leave, too. I cant bear it anymore (tears).
P: I always had to serve my brothers and sisters they hit me, teased me, humiliated
me. I was operated on a hernia at birth, also on an atrophied testicle. Now, I only have
one testicle and my brothers tease me about that, too. I became sterile because of
mumps and yet, I love children. We tried to have IVF but my sperm was not good. I am
the only one in the family who does not have children. Again, I am different, not like the
rest. We are made to have children, I miss them.
I was bored at school. I would rather work than go to school. I wanted to show that I
could work, be independent. I worked well until secondary school, was top of the class a
primary school, but then at college a teacher scolded me. He compared me to my
brother, who had a bad reputation: If youre like your brother, dont bother coming to
school. Then, I was the last, at the bottom of the class.
I never integrated in the village we live in now; there are lots of blockages, barriers. I
dont trust anyone. I feel inferior to others. I like helping people, but I dont trust them.
Only my mother keeps me alive. She completely accepts my wife. She is very kind.
I am solitary. I want to think by myself, ruminate alone in my corner, or in front of the
TV. Before I have my coffee in the morning, nobody should talk to me I am closed in
myself.
My ex-wife cheated on me with several men. I knew it, but didnt want to know. It
comes back in flashes. I had to be locked up for a month in hospital. I feel disgusted by
her, yet I dont hate her. Im not a bad person. I used to shout at her, I hit her
sometimes. I would go out to avoid doing worse. She would drive me to despair. The
police had to make sure I wouldnt hurt her.
It was a shock when she left me, I trusted her. She took everything, left me with
nothing but huge debts. I am always thinking of her infidelity, how she left me like that,
while I trusted her. I tried to commit suicide several times, ended up in the psychiatric

14
hospital for one month. I took pills, tried hanging myself. My nephew found me, every
time I was saved. Even if you dont really want to commit suicide, you are pushed to do
it. It wasnt really me. You do things without knowing. Theres a whole week of my life
that I know nothing about.
I have lost confidence in everyone. I am afraid that my new wife will leave me too. We
work together, but we never take time to do things together.
W: It is terrible what his wife did, leaving him with a debt like that. I came along six
months later, he paid off all his debts. His whole family just left him alone, didnt help
him. He got out of debt by himself.
Medical history:
Born with one kidney. The remaining kidney is twice its normal size.
Hernia inguinal at birth, operated on. Testes atrophy, one testicle removed.
Mumps at sixteen, infertile. IVF attempts failed.
Ears OK. Tinnitus especially left side. Loss of hearing 30% on left side.
Tonsils enlarged. Throat: often tight, scraping throat all the time. As though there is
something around my throat.
Chronic sinusitis, always swollen nose
Profuse salivation at night. Metallic taste in mouth sometimes. Teeth many teeth
removed, rotten. Parents did not have money for dentist.
Headaches. Feeling of grinding in neck on relaxation
Appendectomy
No heart problems. Palpitations when angry
Trembles when angry, when holding onto something.
Profuse perspiration at night +++ very hot. Never cold, always in a T-shirt. Heat is
always radiating from him.
Gastro-intestinal: stomach problems started in childhood: stomach ulcer at 8 years. I
am always bloated, even though I dont eat much. It is as thought I have chronic
gastritis. Cysts in intestines. Flatulence. Intestines gurgling continuously. Stinking
diarrhoea. Eructations.
Frequent urination at night, gets up 2-3 times.
Tendons are tense carpal tunnel syndrome. Tendinitis in shoulders, had corticosteroid
injections in past. Attributes this to his hard physical work.
Food: Desire: everything but fish. Desire bread and butter, though it brings on
diarrhoea. Desire cabbage, but brings on bloating. Does not drink alcohol.
Dreams: I dream of war: I cant run, I cant save myself. Im blocked, paralysed. I feel
as though my legs are paralysed, like after a fright, a shock trembling. Nightmares +
++ even as a child. Falling or a big block falling on top of me often.
Sleep apnoe : I thought I would die. Could not talk, hardly breathe. Pneumologist
could not find anything. Snores loudly.
Fear: Im afraid of snakes attacking me+++. I dont take any medicine, for fear of
the side-effects.
Analysis
This is a very deep-seated case, with many physical problems right from birth: born
with one kidney, atrophied testicle, umbilical hernia. Stomach ulcer at eight years. His
suicide attempts point to the syphilitic miasm, and the physical modalities point to
Mercurius, although one could also consider a snake remedy. Considering his
problematic relationship with his siblings, one might think of Mercurius phosphoricum,
yet it is his relationship with his ex-wife that prevents him from sleeping, even twenty
years later. He is given Cinnabaris, well-known for its effects on chronic sinusitis as well
as other Mercurius symptoms. Also known as red mercury, Cinnabaris is a sulphate of
mercury. Jan Scholten describes its theme in relationship to the partner: Anger
concerning the partner, I could kill anyone who touches my wife.
Prescription: Cinnabaris 200C, one dose

15

Follow-ups
After a few days, he phoned quite concerned about his mental state. I have stopped
thinking, my mind is empty. What is happening to me? I am usually thinking all the
time. I reassured him that there was nothing to worry about.
Six weeks later: I see a happy couple emerging from their car, beaming, holding hands
and smiling, almost dancing in the parking lot.
What has changed?
P: Everything! The first thing to go was the nightmares, the whole bad history. It was
as though I was still living in the past, all the deceptions of my ex. Then, I was able to
sleep better without those nightmares. Before, it would take hours to fall asleep. I
would get up, watch TV. I was always tired. I sleep well now, I just go to bed too late
midnight and have to get up at 6:00 but I sleep the whole night; a good sleep. Im
not so agitated inside anymore. I used to be angry inside.
Sweat?
P: From time to time. I used to be bathed in sweat all night, had to change the pillow
all the time. Especially my head. No more saliva, from the first day. Still hot, though
less bothersome than before.
Stomach?
P: Its fine. At first, it was swollen as soon as I ate, now its fine. It changed a week
after the remedy. Suddenly, it relaxed, as though it had an elastic around it that let go.
No more eructations. Less diarrhoea, but still a bit from time to time. It used to be
liquid all the time. Now, its solid, and just once per day. I do not feel my intestines
anymore.
Sinuses?
P: They were running and running. I used to go to the doctor to get something for
them, but now they do not run at all. It was running down my throat, now its OK.
Tinnitus?
Less noise in my ears, sometimes I forget it. I used to have it permanently.
Tonsils?
P: Still enlarged, but not painful. No more metal taste. First week, I had a strange
taste in my mouth, now its OK.
Headaches?
P: No more headaches had them twice this last month, but its OK now.
Wrists are still blocked. Tremor is gone.
Emotionally?
P:Everything is working well. I dont take things as seriously as before. I used to think

16
that people were teasing me all the time, I used to take it personally. My wife is very
direct, I thought she was hurting me. I used to think that she would leave me anyway,
now we are happy together. I feel like doing things together with her (wife is beaming).
I used to be thinking all the time, thinking about the situation with my ex it was
exhausting. Now, it is over.
Continuation: I see him from time to time, when he brings family members to the
practice. He continues to remain well and happy. The carpal tunnel syndrome did not
improve with Cinnabaris, but was later resolved with Rhus tox, as it originated from
overuse at his work. He has required two additional doses of Cinnabaris in the space of
two years.
Photos: Shutterstock
Scared and lonely little blond boy; Lesley Rigg
Happy couple smiling; wavebreakmedia
Categories: Cases
Keywords: depression, insomnia, anger at ex-wife, nightmares, profuse perspiration,
tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, digestive problems
Remedies: Cinnabaris

Panorama: seminars and books

by Editor

BOOKS
Birds, Seeking the Freedom of the Sky by Peter Fraser

This book offers a clear differentiation between the different bird species. If Bird remedies
are relatively well known, the differences between the species have been difficult to
establish. The book is well organised, following the scientific classification of order, family,
genus, and species, which makes it easy to work with. Individual remedies are examined,

17
drawing out their individual important aspects, enabling us to differentiate between the
subtle differences of each bird remedy. In total, forty remedies are explored, from the
familiar Falco peregrinus to the less known Pharomachrus mocinno. One down side to this
otherwise interesting book is the lack of accompanying cases, which would have been
welcome to complement the remedy pictures.
"Peter brings a fine focus that penetrates the outer veils to reveal the simpler and truer
nature of things. This leads to brevity of expression as well as concentration of the
material: an aqua vita from which we may sip and understand. The information given is
really useful in practice, helping me to recognise similima. I have been eagerly awaiting
this book." Misha Norland

Wonderful Plants by Jan Scholten

After many years of intensive research, Jan Scholtens long-awaited book on the
taxonomy of plants, Wonderful Plants, is now available in English. Jan Scholtens previous
works on the systematic classification of the elements of the periodic table as
homeopathic remedies was the greatest breakthrough of the last ten years in
homeopathy. His discoveries have been confirmed in thousands of successful cases. Yet,
the main thrust of Jan Scholtens research is not the Mineral but the Plant kingdom. This
can easily be seen in the thoroughness and precision of the information offered in his
monumental new work.
The same natural laws that can be seen in the series and stages of the periodic table also
underlie the taxonomic system of the enormously varied plant families. The path to the
required remedy is not as easy to recognize as with the mineral elements indeed, it is
still evolving! One of the timeless values of this work lies in the essences of the plant
families.

18

Homeopathic remedy pictures for animals by Vicki Mathison

Sixty homeopathic remedies for animals, portrayed with delightful cartoons and trenchant
keynotes - studying remedy pictures has rarely been such fun!
The New Zealand veterinary homeopath Vicki Mathison combines in this work a fine
artistic talent with profound sensitivity for the nature of the animals and the remedies
they require.
"What better way to study than to capture the essence of a remedy in caricature. Vicki
knows the spirit of equus as only a horse-lover can, sensing from the most minute detail
the disposition and mood of the horse before her. Dogs, too, occupy a special place in her
heart and her household, their antics portrayed in cartoon form in such a way that one
sees the animal more clearly than before.
Vicki not only has the ability to crisply draw the essence, she also paints a clear image
with her words. Through her eyes, the remedies come alive and are no longer merely a
list of symptoms. The sadness of Natrium muriaticum, the agitation of Arsenicum, the
restlessness of Iodum all take on an easily recognizable form. As she says, it is so
beautiful to watch an animal show her a remedy picture.
This book will surely find its way into the homes of many animal lovers, whether they are
familiar with homeopathy or not, and into the practices of veterinary homeopaths, for
even those with much experience can be inspired to see animals in a fresh way."

19

Homeopathic Mind Maps - Remedies of the Animal Kingdom by

Alicia Lee

As the practice of homeopathy evolves the methods of case-taking, research, and

analysis become simultaneously more simplified and increasingly more sophisticated.
Homeopaths need new ways of viewing the remedies, a linear model is no longer solely
sufficient and an additional new integrated model is now imperative.
Mind maps are a multi-dimensional concept, which allow the homeopath to view the
remedy in a holistic and visual form. Alicia Lee has created her mind maps using the key
group analysis concepts of Rajan Sankaran and Jan Scholten in a unique structure
allowing the picture to unfold in an intuitive, logical and natural manner. This gives us an
alternative to the previous form of definition, with the old familiar pictures to which we
are accustomed, and allows for key concepts to be highlighted and primary symptoms to
arise from a central scaffold and unfold in a cascade. This form also allows a full view to
be seen at a glance and the relationship of symptoms to emerge in an engaging and
easily assimilated way.Images also assist us to give texture, tone, emotion, sensation and
energy to the remedy picture and photographs are a simple and effective way of
achieving this. The Images on these mind maps are vibrant and powerful and assist in
bringing the mind maps to life.

20

Spectrum of Homeopathy - Insects - October 2014

Have you heard of Anax imperator or Schistocerca gregaria? The first one is the emperor
dragonfly, a particularly magnificent specimen from the dragonfly group, which comprises
a total of 5,680 species. Like all its fellow species, it has sophisticated abilities technically
equivalent to a combat helicopter despite its dazzling beauty, it uses its hooked feet to
snatch its prey in mid-flight.
A young lad with a developmental disorder and severe restlessness could unknowingly
draw this species, as it strongly resembles his favorite Star Wars character: a robot with
two hooked talons and four green-blue illuminated laser swords. The striking similarity of
the boy's robot sketches to Anax imperator led Markus Kuntosch to the potentized but so
far unproved dragonfly: the successful progress of the case indicated that his hunch was
spot on.
What about Schistocerca gregaria, the desert locust, which can mutate from a strange
loner to a swarm weighing several tons, able to strip whole landscapes bare? Only a few
of you will have heard of this insect remedy but it has been proved just as thoroughly as
the related Schistocerca americana. Despite the solid homeopathic data, Jonathan Hardy
and Heinz Wittwer additionally make use of insect themes and the particularly locustlike nature of their patients when prescribing Schistocerca.
Themes and signatures in the sense of a species' biological peculiarities always play a key
role in the homeopathic approach to this ancient and most species-rich class of animals.
This is also true of such well-known remedies as Apis mellifica, Formica rufa, or Coccus
cacti, as shown by the cases presented by Sigrid Lindemann, Rajan Sankaran, and
Shekhar Algundgi. Ulrich Welte gives us a glimpse of the impetuous, erratic charisma of
Cantharis vesicatoria, primarily known as a bladder remedy.
The work with themes and signatures also enables an initial homeopathic differentiation
within the confusing kingdom of the insects. A fascinatingly original approach is taken by
Peter Fraser with his contribution on the style of nutrition found in the insects. You are
what you eat is his motto and, indeed, the differentiation between blood-sucking insects,
cannibals, plant-eaters, coprophagous (feces-eating), and nectar-sucking insects is a rich
vein of new homeopathic knowledge. The same is equally true of the question of
parasitism, which Jrg Wichmann and Angelika Bolte address using Coccus cacti and
Hirudo medicinalis, and Jean-Thierry Cambonie with Sarcoptes scabiei. Ulrich Welte

21
supplements these observations with information on bugs, fleas, and other nuisances.
The equally annoying housefly, Musca domestica, and the mosquito, Culex musca, are
carefully analyzed in terms of their stress patterns by Andreas Richter.
Turning to the large crawling insects, we must not forget to examine the common
cockroach, which is reputed to be so tough that it can even withstand a nuclear
catastrophe. In her contribution on the Indian variant Blatta orientalis, Bhawisha Joshi
first provides an overview of the general themes of insects, seeking overlaps with other
remedy groups, such as spiders, rodents, or the fourth series of the periodic table.
For an ardent illustrator, the insects are obviously a real godsend, if not always terribly
appetizing see Fraser's remarks on cannibalistic and coprophagous insects. Disgust is
an important theme of these animals, as is beauty. When in doubt, we have chosen
beauty for the illustrations! Accordingly, we chose a butterfly rather than a cockroach to
grace the cover of this issue. Lepidoptera represent this theme for the entire class of
insects. Patricia Le Roux's book drew our attention to the use of butterfly remedies for
hyperactive children who lack a sense of orientation. With the contributions of Jonathan
Hardy, Alize Timmerman, and Jenna Shamat, we can see how these remedies are also
connected to adult themes, such as love and metamorphosis, death, and rebirth.
Even this multifarious issue with its wide range of example cases can come nowhere near
representing the stupendous breadth of the insect spectrum. For the moment, we have to
accept that this is still largely unmapped terrain for homeopathy, in which themes and
signatures can play an important role in orientation, but without replacing the need for
new remedy provings. With this issue of SPECTRUM, we would like to give you a feeling
for the special energy of the insects and encourage you to engage more closely with this
intriguing kingdom.