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Feb 28, 2009

Argentum Metallicum

Argentum Metallicum is the other name for silver. Pure silver cannot be absorbed into the body. However, when silver is combined with other elements, the body is able to absorb its compounds. In Greek medicine, it was used in the form of silver foil as a tonic, but pure silver cannot become a part of the body tissue. Unfortunately, these days lead is beaten into the form of a foil and sold as silver even though lead is very harmful to the health of a person. As far as homoeopathy is concerned, any metal which comes into contact with the lining of the skin or the inner lining of the gut is absorbed into the body, although it may not be detectable by any sophisticated gauges. The main effect of the Argentum Metallicum is on the elastic cartilage bones, which become thick and hard. The thickened nasal bone can cause difficulty in breathing. Small bones of the ears develop nodular thickening. This process of progressive thickening of the bone can lead to cancer formation. Argentum Metallicum works profoundly on the brain cells. The cells start melting away slowly, and premature senility sets in. The capability to comprehend deteriorates. This weakness starts in the central part of the brain and then spreads gradually to other organs of the body. Mental faculties start failing. Hands and feet start to bend. The memory becomes weak to the extent that the patient goes out of his senses and talks nonsense. The ability to think decreases. Serious thinking causes dizziness. This is a danger signal and indicates the degeneration of brain cells. In such cases, Argentum Metallicum in high potency should be administered without delay and repeated every fifteen to twenty days or monthly. The inhaler used by asthmatic patients also contains a poisonous substance which, like Argentum Metallicum, makes the brain

Antimonium Crudum

The salient feature of Antimonium Crudum is that the gastric function is badly affected. There is a coating on the tongue, which is essentially thick and white unless altered by the colour of food taken, e.g. the coating can obviously turn brown after eating chocolate or drinking tea. The Antimonium Crudum patient eats a lot and constantly so, until the sudden functional failure of the stomach sets in. Antimonium Crudum is a profound and widely effective medicine. It stops the vomiting following excessive eating. It is very useful in deep warts and corns of the feet. Sometimes, streaks on nails or their irregularity may be a sign of deep-seated disease. In the Antimonium Crudum patient, raised warts develop near finger nails. The nails either become loose or shrivel and streaks appear on them. The same happens on the feet. The gums swell and recede from the teeth and the teeth decay. If this is a prominent feature, then it is diagnostic of Antimonium Crudum. In Antimonium Crudum and Antimonium tart, the toothache may be of neuralgic nature. In Antimonium Crudum, the stools

Apis Mellifica

Medicinally, bee venom is used in several diseases. In ancient times, it was used to treat insect bites and stings. Apis is especially useful in the illnesses caused by honeybee stings and like ailments. The typical pain of the Apis patient is fraught with burning and piercing sensation. Cold application relieves the pain while heat aggravates it. The symptoms usually begin on the right side and then spread to the left. The skin feels sore and cannot tolerate any pressure. Even the touch of cloth is unbearable. The patient feels intense heat in the blood and is relieved by exposure to the open air. He is worse for heat (feeling heat). Apis is very useful in every kind of inflammation and swelling aggravated by exposure to heat or heat application. This is the best remedy for Meningitis also. When used promptly, it also prevents the subsequent development of epilepsy whereas even if Meningitis is cured by conventional treatment, some long-term complications persist, one of which is

Anthrakokali

Anthrakokali is very useful in skin conditions associated with itching, dryness, fissuring and blister formation, as well as in cracking at the nostrils and the nails, followed by the formation of sores. Typically, the mouth and the throat are very dry. Excessive bile formation leads to vomiting, the abdomen distends with wind, the thirst is intense and there is copious urination. Potency : 30

Anthracinum

Anthracinum is prepared from the putrefied matter taken from the spleen of sick sheep. It is a first-rate treatment for ulcers and bleeding. Most homoeopaths use it sparingly but I have found it to be very useful in my practice. Abscesses developing in inflamed glands are hard and bundled together. They exhibit an ugly, bluish discolouration and are painful, but do not progress to softening and pus formation. For such boils, Anthracinum is a sure-shot homoeopathic remedy, resulting in cure within a month or two. Chronic wounds and ulcers of the internal organs, which exude blood and have a tendency to turn into cancer, can possibly be treated with Anthracinum. Anthracinum is also very useful in the treatment of deep wounds, which rip the skin apart and bleed. In view of this symptom, I am of the opinion that Anthracinum would also be beneficial in Ulcerative Colitis (in which, the lining of the large gut disintegrates, ulcerates and bleeds). In the allopathic system of treatment, there is no definite cure for this disease. The medicines used only temporarily control the disease, and have side effects. Only the surgical removal of the diseased part of the colon offers cure. When a disease has been merely suppressed by inappropriate medication, this may lead to Ulcerative Colitis. I have found Anthracinum to be very useful in such medically induced colitis. Anthracinum not only has the capability of curing chronic sores and abscesses, but also prevents their recurrence. Anthracinum can be useful in combating the persistent, dark bleeding from any part of the body. Antidotes: Apis, Camphor, Carbo Veg, Kreosote, Silicea, Rhus Tox Potency: 30 to 200

Ammonium Carb

This is a profoundly effective medicine, which works on blood circulation. Its effect resembles several kinds of snake venom. Ammonium Carb has been successfully used in the Sindh province of Pakistan by eminent homoeopaths, for the treatment of snakebites. The resulting bleeding is thin and dark. The dark colour signifies that the inner lining of the nose, mouth, pharynx, stomach and intestines are no longer intact, they have either ulcerated or ruptured. The same also happens following a snakebite. The blood that comes out is dark and thin. Ammonium Carb is extremely useful in combating such conditions. In some diseases, the lining of the blood vessels becomes permeable and cannot retain the red cells. For such diseases, there are other useful remedies described elsewhere in this book. Dark blood is usually indicative of a severe illness, which may lead to death, unless treated promptly. There are also other remedies for the dark bloody discharge, as mentioned in other places of this book. The dark bloody discharge occurs in in serious illnesses. This requires urgent treatment otherwise the patient’s life will be in danger. To distinguish between different remedies, one has to keep the differences of different remedies in mind. Otherwise, only the mere presence of this symptom will not help. For example, the dark blue bleeding of piles is a result of failure of the portal venous system, rather than the effect on the inner lining. This system of circulation is related to the liver and the veins of the intestines draining into the liver. The veins contain dark blood. Portal system dysfunction may be treated with Sulphur or Hamamelis. However, if the dark blood is exuding from the broken down lining of the kidneys or intestines, Ammonium Carb is the ideal remedy in this critically serious condition. In snakebites, the blood may either clot or flow freely. Bleeding is from the junctional area (i.e. where the outer skin and the inner lining meet), such as the roots of the nail, lips, and other natural orifices. Whenever there is such bleeding, this is a sign of snake venom and similarly that of Ammonium Carb. Female Ammonium Carb patients may become hysterical. Their symptoms aggravate with sleep (as in Lachesis). Puerperal fever or Ammonium Carb 62 other fevers due to blood poisoning (toxaemia or Septicaemia) can influence the mind. The patient experiences strange, dreadful dreams. Detailed analysis of such dreams can help in making a proper diagnosis. If the patient sees snakes in his dreams, it indicates Natrum Mur, although, snake venom is Lachesis, rather than Natrum Mur. If the patient sleep walks, it indicates Silicea. Such patients may walk long distances and then come back to their bed. One such patient got up during her sleep and picked up the bedding and took it to another house. Finding the door of that house locked, she dropped the bedding there, returned home and lay back on the bed devoid of bedding. In the morning, she did not remember anything about it at all! Restlessness during sleep, or non-satisfying sleep should be properly looked into, so that a diagnosis may be established and correct treatment offered for natural relief. An offensive discharge from the ear should lead the homoeopath towards Ammonium Carb. Ammonium Carb is very useful in chronic illnesses of the ears associated with putrid discharge. In a chronic illness, the patient may be on the verge of death. The affected tissues start decaying and dying. The deadly odourous discharge from the ear results from the destruction of the inner lining of the ear. Ammonium Carb should be used in these patients on a permanent basis. Pulsatilla will offer immediate relief in case of a sudden, severe earache associated with restlessness, provided the patient is of mild nature and has the sobbing tendency. Chamomilla would be the best remedy if the patient suffering from earache is also irritable. Allium Cepa is good if the earache is secondary to a nasal cold. If there is lots of blood congestion of the ears associated with a reddish glow on the face, one should also add Belladonna 30 to Pulsatilla. Ammonium Carb is useful in diseases of the glands and chronic diseases of the lungs. Sometimes the lymph glands of the neck enlarge, become firm and then harden due to chronic inflammation and may resemble cancerous glands. So Ammonium Carb is also useful in cancerous conditions of the lymph glands. When the skin diseases are suppressed due to some kind of treatment, the diseases settle in the lymph nodes making them hard and subject to cancerous Ammonium Carb 63 transformation. Even if cancerous, such lymph adenopathy is very amenable to Ammonium Carb. Antidotes Arnica, Camphor Potency: 30 or as high as needed

Ambra Grisea

Ambra Grisea is a useful homoeopathic remedy for thin, lean, short-tempered, irritable and easily provoked children as well as adults. Over-sensitivity is its peculiar feature. Vertigo and loss of balance can manifest in early age, which normally happen in old age. So this remedy can also be very useful in common old age ailments. The Ambra Grisea patient is usually very sad, even if there is no specific underlying cause. Ambra Grisea is the correct treatment of the patients who remain sad, like to sit aloof in the dark, become depressed over trivial matters, lose all zeal to live, show total indifference to their surroundings and start showing physical signs of ageing prematurely. They feel dizzy. The head and the stomach feel weak. The forehead feels heavy and the head hurts with variable intensity. There is drowsiness too. The memory is weak. The hairs on the scalp fall easily. When bleeding from the nose and gums occurs, it is copious. Gas accumulates in the stomach. Belching is sour, but the feeling it produces in the stomach is that of soothing, rather than burning. In Ambra Grisea, a lack of concentration is natural. The head feels numb and this feeling spreads over the whole body. Ambra Grisea ailments tend to remain localized only on one side like in Bryonia, Belladona and Spigelia. They are present and remain strictly either on right or left side. Typically, the Ambra Grisea patient cannot tolerate music. The music intensifies the headaches, mental anguish as well as the physical symptoms. In other words, instead of comforting the person, the music provokes mental and physical commotion. In Ambra Grisea, symptoms of old age, such as numbness of the hands and feet, palpitation and flabby muscles creep in rapidly. Ambra Grisea is very useful in minimizing the effects of sudden shock. I have often used Ambra Grisea on women who have been Ambra Grisea 60 deeply grieved due to sudden emotional shock. In transient emotional shock, however, Ignatia is the best. Antidotes: Camphor, Coffea, Nux Vomica, Pulsatilla, Staphysagria Potency: 30 to 200

Alumina

The chemical compound Alumina is prepared from aluminium, a metal from which numerous utensils are made. Most cooking pots and bathroom appliances are made from it. Early on, this metal was very costly, only the rich and the elite could afford aluminium pots. Now, due to industrial development, this metal is vastly available and is quite cheap with the poor tending to use these utensils the most. Modern research has indicated that the prolonged use of aluminium pots for cooking produces a very harmful effect on the health of the users. This poison affects slowly, but becomes a permanent part of the human body. The aluminium constricts the walls of blood vessels. Cholesterol starts depositing itself inside the blood vessels. Progressive narrowing or even total blockage can ensue. Thus, cholesterol can cause a heart attack due to the blockage of the arteries leading to the heart. Similarly, it affects the blood vessels going to the brain. This process of progressive hardening and narrowing of the arteries is called “Arteriosclerosis". The ageing process starts to manifest itself fast. The memory becomes weak. The blood pressure fluctuates. Mental and physical deterioration sets in. Alumina, being a slow acting remedy, should be used for long periods extending over years. To achieve permanent cure, one should use Alumina in high potency at long intervals, such as 1000 or 10,000 given once in a month. A potency 200 will have to be given every ten days, extending over many months or years. In the beginning of the treatment, no beneficial effect will be noticed. Once the improvement begins, the dead and dying fibres of the circular muscles start reverting to life. The patient must be told to continue the treatment for at least a year or two without fail in order to get relief from this long-established disease. The Alumina itch does not exhibit lumps or bumps. At first, the itching begins on apparently clean, healthy-looking skin. Itching leads to inflammation which leads to formation of pimples or, on scratching intensely, blister formation. One may bleed as a result of scratching. The affected part becomes insensitive and subject to infection and further complication. In general, (unlike Alumina), in Alumina 56 most of the remedies, the bumps over the skin appear first and the itching comes on later. The eyelids swell and become thick and heavy. The eyelashes fall. The vision becomes blurred. The eyes are very sensitive to light, especially in the morning. The eyelids are sticky and the objects look pale or yellow. The stomach fails to function. There is a complete loss of appetite and dislike for meat. The patient craves to eat indigestible things like clay and coal. The stomach becomes inflamed and goes into spasms. One of the main features is marked acidity. Nothing tastes right. There is frequent acidic belching. Alumina is useful in all these symptoms. The dysfunction of the stomach is due to the narrowing and thickening of its blood vessels. Alumina is very useful in acute hyperacidity, as well as the chronic illnesses of the stomach. It relieves long-standing haemorrhoids. It also relieves acidity in both men and women. It is particularly useful in the leucorrhoea associated with acidic discharge. This discharge is so acidic, that it may lead to other illnesses. Normally, women do not get constipated during pregnancy, in Alumina however, they do. Constipation associated with pregnancy, which is transient or of long-standing, will respond to Alumina administration. Alumina is very important in a chronic cough originating from the lungs, as are Bacillinum, Phosphorus, Arsenic, Iodide and Kali Carb. If the other symptoms of Alumina are also present, this would be the most appropriate remedy. In Alumina, typically, reasoning and decision-making deteriorate. One may not easily decide one way or the other. The mind becomes cloudy and suspicious. Whatever the patient sees or hears, it appears to him as if somebody else is seeing or hearing it. He loses his self-identity. Sometimes, he wishes to occupy someone else’s mind so that he may observe things better. This slowly progressive trend of his drives him insane. However, he is not dangerous to others, he simply gets lost in himself. Mentally, the patient shows impatience. For him, time stands still, but he likes it to pass quickly. At the sight of sharp weapons, he is afraid, Alumina 57 lest he may hurt himself. Such patients frighten others by pretending to commit suicide, though actually they do not do so. Sometimes, people look down from a height and others get terrified, in case they may leap to their death. The Alumina patient is very sad and sallow. He has the desire to distance himself from his surroundings. He worries that he may be going insane. Such negative thoughts are at their climax in the morning. Sometimes, the alumina affects the throat muscles, resulting in difficulty in swallowing. Due to weakness of these muscles, the food may enter the windpipe or nose. Paralysis may affect the sphincter muscles of the bladder and the rectum, resulting in difficulty in passing urine and stools. The patient has to strain his abdominal muscles, even if the stools are soft. Urinary symptoms resemble those of enlarged prostate gland. Many a time, the stools resemble the droppings of a goat, camel and horse, in the shape of small or large balls, which stick to each other. The stools may be soft or thick but are difficult to pass. In Graphites and Plumbum too, stools are similar. The urine may leak unknowingly due to the paralysis of the muscles of the neck of the bladder. Involuntary defeacation can also occur due to weakness of the sphincter muscles at the anus. The Alumina patient experiences dizziness and imbalance during walking. The feet tend to be numb. Pain radiates from one point to all directions, like the spokes of a wheel. When all these symptoms are together, Alumina is the remedy. The movements of the limbs, lower as well as upper, may not remain under voluntary control, thus resulting in a staggering gait. In this situation, long term use of Alumina is beneficial. In Alumina, catarrhal and skin symptoms are very frequent. The patient has chronic catarrh, which is full of dry encrustations with long strings. The catarrh may result in the dimness of the eyesight. The inner linings (mucus membranes) of the stomach, intestines and kidneys become inflamed. Headache also, is common with the cold. Alumina 58 Like the mucus membranes, the skin also becomes subjected to many ailments. As a result of intense itching, the skin becomes thick and sore and may even ulcerate. As in Sulphur, the warmth of the bed intensifies the itching. The face feels as if a cobweb is spread over it. The tip of the nose shows cuts. The eyes burn and trachoma may develop. Alumina affects both flexor as well as extensor muscles (the flexor muscles bend the joints, while the extensors stretch the joints). Salt, alcohol, vinegar, chillies, potatoes, and fizzy drinks aggravate the symptoms of Alumina. Piles and anal fissuring are typical of Alumina. Male sexual impotence and nocturnal emission are common. The prostate gland enlarges along with the feeling of heaviness and fullness around it. Sexual organs become partially paralyzed. The man becomes sexually impotent in spite of being in good general health. As a result of prolonged catarrh the women develop chronic leucorrhoea. The uterus tends to sag downwards, much more so on standing and walking. If gonorrhoea has merely been suppressed by some kind of treatment, but not cured, the residual inflammation of the pelvic organs results in the sensation of heat and discomfort. Alumina may be of use in this situation. The cough of Alumina may be associated with sneezing and the throat feels as if it is being gently tickled with feathers. In Alumina, at the point of backache, the patient feels intense heat, as if a hot iron has been placed on the numbed part. The soles of the feet become soft, swollen and tender. The side the patient sits or lies on becomes numb. The legs tend to be numb also. The patient feels cold and likes to wrap himself well, but he likes the face to be exposed to the cool breeze. The patient likes the warmth of the bed for a while, but intense itching begins when the bed becomes too warm. The hands usually remain cold and warm up slowly on retiring to bed. The skin is dry and sweats only sparingly, or not at all. Adjuvant: Bryonia Antidotes: Ipecac, Chamomilla

Alumen

Alumen is the common alum, which is used to control bleeding from any wound. It is famous for clumping together the suspended particles in a solution (colloids). However, it cannot clump suspended matter in air or in gas. The venom of several kinds of snakes acts similarly on the blood. The clots/clumps thus formed, precipitate heart attack by blocking the blood vessels of the heart. If Alumen is directly added to the blood, it will clump the red and white cells, but the fluid part of the blood i.e. serum, which contains the 12 salts in a properly balanced form, is not affected by it. The alum is also used to clean dirty water. The dust particles in colloidal form precipitate to the bottom of the container and the clean water comes to the surface. In this process, a slight amount of alum remains in the water. Therefore, Alumen symptoms are not uncommon in areas such as the Sindh province in Pakistan. In Alumen, the patients develop deep ulcers or abscesses. The abscesses may gradually progress to cancer formation. Chronic ulcers, as well as cancer of the tongue and throat can develop. The lymph glands become swollen and indurate. The tonsils enlarge and become firm. Hard nodules develop in the uterus, as well as in the mammary glands (the breast). Like Sulphur, there is a feeling of heat and pressure on the scalp. Being very sensitive, the patient of Sulphur cannot tolerate the pressure of the hand or even the touch of a cloth, while the patient of Alumen feels comfort with pressure. In Alumen, the muscles are very weak as in Plumbum. In other words, the paralytic features of Alumen and Plumbum are very much similar. All these ill effects of Alumen, as already mentioned, are amenable to the homoeopathic potency of Alumen, irrespective of the cause of the symptoms. If these symptoms and signs are of Alumen and the constitution of the patient is also of Alumen, then Alumen will offer . Alumen 54 cure. In addition, prolapsed uterus due to weaker pelvic muscles will also get better with Alumen. One of the salient features of Alumen is persistent hoarseness of the voice. Transient hoarseness is treatable with Borax, Coca or Arsenic. However, as a matter of principle, one should not merely depend upon hoarseness of the voice to establish the diagnosis. Other relevant features of these remedies should also be sought. The illnesses of the throat will benefit from this proper constitutional remedy. Persistent hoarseness is the nature of Alumen. Alumen acts profoundly and for long time. Nevertheless it can also cure acute illnesses. It is very useful in diseases of the intestines, obstinate constipation and intractable bleeding tendency. It is of great use in the breathing problems of the elderly. It is also very beneficial in relieving the tightness of the air passages, difficulty of swallowing liquids and the indurate glands under the tongue. A severe headache associated with heaviness of the head is also a symptom of Alumen. Pressure applied locally offers comfort. All the muscles feel weak. The cold weather aggravates all the symptoms except the headache, which the cold relieves. Antidotes: Potency: Chamomilla, Nux Vomica, Sulphur, Ipecac 30 – 200

Aloe

This medicine is prepared from a plant called Kanwar Gandal in Urdu. Its main characteristics are flatulence, diarrhoea and the tendency to vomit. Hundreds of medicines can be used in this kind of symptom complex, but they have their own additional, distinctive features as well. In Aloe and Lycopodium, typically, one gets diarrhoea after ingesting oysters. Aloe should also be considered along with Lycopodium wherever a patient suffers from diarrhoea after eating seafood. In the patients of Aloe and Lycopodium, the abdomen is bloated in the right lower part. Generally, homoeopaths suggest one of the three remedies for distension of the abdomen: Carbo Veg for the fullness and distension in the upper part, Lycopodium for the distension of the right lower abdomen and China when the whole of abdomen is tense. However, distension of the abdomen is also a symptom of other homoeopathic medicines, which will need to be used as indicated. The above three have been mentioned in most homoeopathic books as quick fixes for immediate use. Prolonged abdominal distension may lead to colicky pains. In emergency situations, especially if the condition of the patient is deteriorating fast, the standard formula as detailed above should be adopted. Nevertheless, real, lasting relief will only be offered by a proper constitutional remedy. Nux Vomica is very useful when the intestinal movement is sluggish. Carbo Veg will be more appropriate if the patient passes offensive wind. In the Carbo Veg patient, there is a spasm at the pyloric end of the stomach due to hyperacidity. The food becomes stagnant and decays. The stomach becomes distended with foul smelling gas. China is useful in abdominal distension only where other signs of China are also present, i.e., patient has dryness in constitution and generally displays signs of the ill effects of Malaria. Sometimes, the wind or gas becomes trapped in the intestines due to a lack of digestive secretions from the stomach, liver, pancreas and the intestines. China is especially useful in this kind of distension. . Aloe 52 Returning to the main subject of Aloe, ingestion of seafood, especially oysters, is immediately followed by diarrhoea. Along with nausea and vomiting, the patient suffers from headache, starting from the forehead. The eyes are red, heavy and difficult to open. The lips are dry. Chewing produces an audible noise in the ears. Sometimes, Aloe patients bleed from the nose as they wake up in the morning. The mouth tastes bitter. Typically, there is pain under the ribs on the right side. Loose motions are associated with gripe. The piles hang in bunches and feel burning hot. Cold applications offer relief. If the patient is constipated instead of having loose motions, the lower part of the abdomen feels severely tense. Meat does not bother the patient of Aloe, yet the patient does not like to eat it. Aloe women experience aggravation of their symptoms during their menstruation period. Walking and standing becomes difficult. The uterus feels full and heavy due to pelvic congestion. The periods appear earlier than usual and are excessive (Menorrhagia). Another sign of Aloe is irritation of the throat and coughing. The joints ache. The symptoms are worse in the morning, more so in the hot, dry weather. The cold weather and open air offer relief. Mostly the symptoms start or intensify after food intake. Adjuvant: Sulphur Antidotes: Sulphur, Opium Potency: 30

Allium Cepa

Allium Cepa is prepared from the red onion and is very helpful in nasal catarrh of the winter season. Its symptoms resemble those caused during the peeling of onions. The throat becomes hoarse, nasal secretions are watery and acidic. The eyes water, but do not get red or irritated. (Euphrasia causes watering from the eyes with burning type of itch and redness.) The other point of difference in Allium Cepa is that there is a persistent cough day and night. In Euphrasia, as the nasal secretions pour out of the eyes during the day the cough is less frequent, but at night the cough gets aggravated due to the dripping of the nasal secretions in the throat or into the lungs. The patient wakes up and experiences severe bouts of coughing. The cough steadily starts easing off in the morning. The eyes start watering and redness occurs. Allium Cepa does not produce redness in the eyes, instead it involves the ears which ache, discharge and become partially deaf. If it happens as the result of a nasal cold, it can respond favourably to Allium Cepa, or other remedies like Chamomilla, Pulsatilla and Ammonium Carb should be sought as indicated. In Allium Cepa, the symptoms tend to migrate from the right to the left. This also happens in Lachesis, where the symptoms start on the left side, and as the body defence responds, they migrate to the right side. The venom of the majority of the snakes mostly affects the left side of the body. It is strange but interesting to know that snakes hate onions. In the Sindh province of Pakistan, people spread onions around their beds to keep the snakes at bay and this method works. In Allium Cepa, the symptoms of illness are aggravated by rest and relieved by movement. At night, the symptoms worsen. One catches cold in cold and damp weather, and feels relieved in open air. Along with the cold, there is headache, especially on the right temporal area to the forehead. The cold affects the left nostril before the right. Allium Cepa is very helpful in whooping cough and chicken pox. Allium Cepa is very good in vomiting, indigestion and the passing of Allium Cepa 50 foul gas in the early course of chicken pox. It is also good in the abdominal pain of children. In Allium Cepa, abdominal pain causes an urge to pass urine with burning pain at the bladder. The urine is reddish in color. Along with cold symptoms there is frequent urination. The voice is hoarse, the throat is irritated and the windpipe hurts. There is severe coughing and repeated sneezing. The back of the neck hurts. The patient feels chills from the back downwards at night. Consequently, the patient has to pass urine frequently. Sometimes along with the nasal catarrh, tiny little red pimples appear with a piercing sensation. Some areas of the body feel burning hot. Allium Cepa is useful in neuralgic pains especially of the face, teeth, head and neck. Adjuvant: Phosphorus, Thuja, Pulsatilla Antidotes: Arnica, Chamomilla, Veratrum Album Potency: 30 to 200

Agnus Castus

Agnus Castus is mostly related to diseases of women. After childbirth, the muscles become weak, stretched and flabby. They do not revert to their original tone and physical status. (This is just like a stretched out piece of rubber which loses its elasticity.) The uterus feels like it is sagging downwards. Menses are scanty. Infertility and hatred towards conjugal relationship develops. Leucorrhoeal discharge is yellow. The woman feels uneasy, sad and depressed. She is usually sad and sallow. She may develop hysteria. The uterus remains inflamed. The nose bleeds. Agnus Castus is a treatment of choice in this symptom complex. The Agnus Castus patient thinks of committing suicide and is indifferent to the world around her. She prepares herself for impending death. In Arum Mur, the tendency to commit suicide and depression are prominent features which become part of the patient’s temperament. But in Agnus Castus, such tendency is transient and short-lived. The patient has a weak memory, she is absent-minded and neurotic, she lacks courage and lacks determination. She feels pain on the temporal areas and forehead, aggravated by movement. The patient is hypersensitive to light (as in many other remedies) and develops headache due to light-hypersensitivity. In case the headache is already present, it becomes unbearable in light, so much so that the eyes cannot be opened. Graphites is good in isolated light-sensitivity without the symptoms of Agnus Castus. The bony bridge of the nose is painful but feels better with pressure. The patient can be unusually sensitive to certain kinds of fragrance. The cheeks itch and tingle, this is specific in Agnus Castus. There is wind in the tummy. The stomach rumbles. The intestines seem to be falling downwards, and the patient holds on to the drooping belly. Agnus Castus 48 Agnus Castus is useful in certain male sexual disorders, such as sexual weakness and impotence, secondary to the pubertal misconduct. It also relieves nervous disorders (like Kali Phos). Adjuvants: Caladium, Selenium Antidotes: Camphor, Nux Vomica Potency: 30 to CM

Agaricus Muscarius

The most salient sign of Agaricus Muscarius is shaking of the body, secondary to mental stress and weakness of the muscles. The hands are tremulous, the limbs display jerky movements and the whole body quivers. Jerky movements are also a characteristic of Actea Racemosa (Cimicifuga), with the difference that the violent movements are on the same side as one lies on, while in Agaricus, the whole body quivers. Tremors and spasms both exist. The eyes also shake and sway. The eyesight is not focussed. I once happened to see a young man suffering from this ailment which was progressing with age. Agaricus Muscarius significantly benefited him to the extent that he could do his regular work normally. In Agaricus, eye symptoms are very prominent, such as double vision, black spots dancing before the eyes, squinting, burning and irritation of the eyes and a feeling of fatigue. It is difficult to focus the eye on one particular point. Reading becomes difficult, the eyeballs swing like a pendulum, and the discharge of the eye is yellowish and sticky. The mind becomes weak. Concentrated studies and mental work cause fatigue. Such children are very stubborn in nature, irritable and sensitive. If checked harshly, they may go into mental shock and become unconscious (more so in the case of Aesculus). Agaricus should be given to children even if rolling movements of the eyeballs are absent. Some children are basically mentally weak, more so in the morning. They cannot understand any new idea. They are sluggish, physically as well as mentally. As the day passes, they become mentally alert, normal and cheerful by the end of the day. These symptoms are very similar in Agaricus and Aesculus, except for their timing. In Agaricus, weakness of nerves can induce deafness. Exposure to cold causes earache, with redness and burning of the skin. The feet burn, itch and become red. Sometimes in extreme cold, if one enters a heated room, hands and feet start to itch and become red and swollen. This condition is called Chillblain. Any condition in which the blood Agaricus Muscarius 44 accumulates in one particular part of the body causing distension, redness, itching and pain, will be relieved by Agaricus Muscarius. Similar conditions can be found in some allergies (for example, during the treatment of malaria). If associated with other symptoms and signs of Agaricus, Agaricus Muscarius will cure these without the help of any other anti-allergic treatment. One or at the most two doses will suffice (by the grace of Allah). Sometimes, Phosphorus may also be helpful in such a situation. Some children happen to stammer. Stammering is in fact due to some kind of fear. It should be treated psychologically also. In general, Stramonium is very useful in deep mental and neurological conditions, but has not been found sufficiently effective in the treatment of stammers. So one must carefully scrutinize the cause of the illness before suggesting any remedy. Agaricus may be one possible remedy for stammering. In Agaricus Muscarius, the illness has fleeting tendency. Sometimes women, during their nursing period, may have been subjected to mental shock (due to some severe accident, grief or mental pressure), causing the milk production (lactation) to be suppressed. If the milk is insufficient due to the mental shock, Agaricus can be very useful. Pulsatilla will be the right medication for Pulsatilla type patient. Other remedies used for normalizing lactation are: Agnus Castus Bryonia Causticum Lac Defloratum Phytolacca Silicea Aconite Asafoetida Calcarea Carbonica Chamomilla Phosphoric Acid Secale Urtica In Agaricus, like Aesculus, the pains tend to radiate downwards. Being related to the nerves, the pains are not dull and localised; instead, they may radiate to one side and then to the other. In such a case, Agaricus is more effective In Agaricus Muscarius, the abdomen is full of wind (or gas) due to sluggish intestinal movements. In such cases, Nux Vomica is also very promptly effective. It restores the intestinal mobility in transient as well as established condition. Sulphur works for prolonged periods and Aconite works temporarily. Nux Vomica is between the two. Agaricus Muscarius 45 The Agaricus patient is usually very quiet. Typically the facial muscles twitch. The intestinal muscles also fasciculate, but do not have the propulsive power. In such a case, Agaricus is the remedy. In Agaricus Muscarius, one experiences hallucinations as a result of blood poisoning due to the toxins produced inside the uterus. If the uterus does not expel the placental membranes after the childbirth, it can affect the mind. In this condition, Pulsatilla is a good general remedy for the natural cleaning of the uterus. If the infection sets in the uterus and Puerperel fever develops, Sulphur 200 and Pyrogenium 200 should be given. If there are hallucinations and milk formation in the breast is decreased, Agaricus Muscarius will be very advantageous. In the case of infection, Silicia, Kali Mur, Ferrum Phos and Kali Phos, all six 6X, should be mixed and given in addition to Sulphur and Pyrogenium. In Agaricus, we see eczema also. It is recognised by the blisters containing yellow exudate, which develop along the course of the nerves. It is often seen that the neurological conditions can transform into eczema. In some other conditions, vesicles develop along the course of the peripheral nerves, such as in herpes. But Agaricus is not the remedy for herpes. Herpes of different kinds is a very painful disease. It should be clearly recognised and treated timely to avoid dangerous complications. Previously, I used to prescribe Silicia, Kali Phos and Kali Mur for herpes which helped to some extent. Later on, I found that the best treatment for herpes was that as for snakebite, i.e. Arnica 200, Ledum 200 and Arsenic 200. This combination offered unusually quick cure (when I used this formula on late Aftab Ahmad Khan Sahib during a severe attack of herpes). Due to the frequent mutation of the herpes virus and changing pattern of the disease, in my knowledge there is no one standard remedy which would be of use all the time. The Agaricus patient does not have full control on his limbs. Things drop out of his hands. Crockery frequently falls and breaks. His grip is not strong enough. Severe muscle pains and spasms occur in the limbs. Hands and feet twist violently. Agaricus Muscarius 46 In Agaricus, the symptoms aggravate after taking food, in the open and in cold weather. Sleep fails to improve the symptoms. The patient feels drowsy all day. Itching and burning are conspicuously present. Antidotes: Cinthium, Coffea, Camphor Potency: 30 to 200

Aethusa Cynapium

Aethusa Cynapium, if truly analogous to the disease complex, works wonders. In allopathy, there is no match for this Homoeopathic remedy. This is the best remedy for wasting disease of the children (marasmus). The child cannot digest milk; he throws up as soon as he drinks milk. The vomiting renders him very weak. He feels hungry, takes milk-feed and immediately vomits again. The constipation is severe. If diarrhoea ensues, the stools are small. Firstly, they are yellowish in colour and then, turn greenish (bile-coloured). There is intense griping in the abdomen. In addition to diarrhoea, there is a tendency to repeated vomiting of clotted milk. The majority of the children are severely constipated. Diarrhoea is rare. The child is usually drowsy and steadily goes on getting weaker. Once a marasmic child was brought to me who looked terrible. His head was large, his face drawn and shrivelled, and his body was just a bony skeleton. His parents told me that they had tried many medicines but to no avail, since the child was constipated for over a month, and threw up after every milk feed. I gave him Aethusa. Soon his constipation was relieved, he could digest milk and his condition started improving. Within a week, the child became hale and hearty. Marasmus is also found in Abrotanum. In Abrotanum, the wasting begins in the legs and then spreads upwards towards the chest and neck. In Aethusa, wasting involves the entire body simultaneously. Another sign of Aethusa is that with heat, the sickness migrates towards the head. For a child with some mental deficiency and a tendency to throw up milk immediately after feed, Aethusa is the remedy. Aethusa will cure his mental as well as abdominal problem. With conventional allopathic treatment, if the child is treated for his abdominal problem, he will become mentally ill, even insane. Clear-cut symptoms of Aethusa warrant the use of Aethusa alone. In Aethusa Cynapium, the illness comes on with full force followed by mental and physical exhaustion, drowsiness and delirium. The patient is extremely superstitious and hallucinates about cats, dogs and mice. He lacks concentration. He is sad and feels uneasy. The head feels tied up in a vice. There is pain at the back of the head, which Aethusa Cynapium 40 radiates down the neck, shoulders and upper back. This pain is relieved by pressure or lying down, as well as after passing stools and wind (flatus). Hairs feel stretched. There is drowsiness, dizziness and palpitation. When dizziness ends, the head starts feeling warm. The eyes are very sensitive to light. The margins of the eyelids swell. The eyeballs roll around during sleep. The eyes are drawn downwards. Things appear larger than their actual size. The ears ache, with a feeling of discharge of warm fluid with hissing sounds. Thick nasal secretions causes blockage of the nose. The tip of the nose feels sore. An ineffective desire to sneeze is typical of Aethusa. Red marks appear on the face. The jaws hurt and feel stiff. The tongue is dry and feels too long. Burning and blisters of the throat make swallowing difficult. At times, due to difficulty in breathing and feeling suffocated, the patient may not even speak. The chest feels tight. Aethusa is very useful in diseases of the women. During menstruation, if there is excessive watery bleeding and painful swelling of the breasts, uterine discomfort and sluggish intestinal movements (peristalsis), vomiting soon after eating without nausea, along with some other peculiar symptoms of Aethusa Cynapium, they will all respond to Aethusa. The symptoms of Aethusa intensify early in the morning, at about 3 to 4 a.m., with cold water and in warm bedding. All the symptoms, except mental, subside in the open air. Aethusa is very good in teething diarrhoea of children. In Aethusa patients, there may also be numbness of the arms and feet, and developing cramp. The elbows are spastic. Fingers and thumbs clench. There is numbness in the hands and the feet. Aethusa is useful in epilepsy too. The limbs feel cold and tight along with frothing from the mouth. The child cannot hold the head up, vomits immediately after milk feed and then demands milk soon after. Aethusa is considered useful by some homoeopaths for students who get confused and very apprehensive in the examination hall. One dose of Aethusa Cynapium 200 taken on the morning of the exam is found very useful. Adjuvant: Calcaria Carb. Potency: 30 to 200

Aesculus Hippocastanum

The most salient feature of Aesculus Hippocastanum is mental confusion. Physical and mental fatigue can naturally result in some sort of mental confusion and restlessness but in Aesculus, the mental confusion is aggravated by sleep. On waking up in the morning, the patient is confused and disorientated as to where he is and what is going on around him. A healthy person can also feel lost in a strange place following a journey, but this confusion is very short-lived. In the Aesculus patient, the mental confusion is very prolonged. The memory is weak, and there is feeling of anger or grief along with a dislike for every kind of activity. The Aesculus children have poor memory. They are angry by nature and if they are startled in sleep, and if treated harshly, they can go into mental shock and become unconscious. Sometimes, it can lead to epilepsy. Aesculus is not only for children, but it can be used in patients of all ages. Congestion of the eyes is a very salient sign of Aesculus Hippocastanum. This is due to the weakness of the blood vessels of the eyes. The eyes become red on slight increase of pressure. Some Homoeopaths call it the piles of the eyes. The eyes feel heavy and watery. The eyelids and the area below the left eye exhibit twitching of the small muscles and the eyeballs hurt. An Aesculus patient generally feels cold. Pain is alleviated by heat application. Pains fleet around the whole body, as in Pulsatilla. However, the Pulsatilla symptoms however are aggravated by heat, and cold relieves them. The Pulsatilla patient has the tendency to remain grieved, but with a mild temperament. The Aesculus patient also inclines to be in a state of grief, but is hot-tempered and feels better by heat. In an Aesculus patient, the back constantly feels weak and tired. The backbone also is weak. The patient staggers on walking due to Aesculus Hippocastanum 36 the weakness of the back and legs. He finds it difficult to stand up after sitting down. There is pain between the shoulders and back of the neck. The pain in the right shoulder and the chest gets worse on deep inbreathing. Hands and feet burn and hands become red on washing them. There is a fleeting type of stiffness and aching of the joints. There are lightning spells of a piercing type of pain, which get better with heat application. All these symptoms are in the domain of Aesculus Hippocastanum. In Aesculus, there is a unique kind of piles consisting of large, bluish warts, like bunches of grapes, associated with severe burning. The pain becomes worse on standing and walking. There is burning at the anus and dryness and a feeling as if some small sticks are lodged in the rectum. Stools are hard, dry and are passed with difficulty and after defecation, there is intense pain. In Aesculus, kidney pain is also very evident especially in the left kidney. Urination is frequent, scanty and associated with burning. Urine is dark-coloured. Women experience severe backache, weakness during the menses and a feeling of sagging of the uterus that is typical in Aesculus. Leucorrhoea is dark yellow coloured and thick and sticky. In Aesculus, there are symptoms related to the heart also, such as burning pain over the heart, rapid heartbeat, pulsating blood vessels, and a feeling of heat over the chest. Other features of Aesculus are a feeling of constant discomfort, burning and severe nausea after food intake. Digestion is weak. A heavy feeling of the stomach as if there is a weight on it, food turning acidic, excessive sour belching, a metallic taste in the mouth, copious sticky sputum and a thick yellowish-white coating on the tongue are all characteristics of Aesculus Hippocastanum. The throat feels hot, dry and sore. While swallowing, the pain goes to the ears. In Aesculus Hippocastanum, the symptoms aggravate with cold, walking around, after eating and on getting up after sleep. The discomfort of piles also gets worse in cold weather. Lying down in the open, and rest relieve the symptoms. Aesculus Hippocastanum is also very useful in varicose veins. Varicose veins commonly occur in women during pregnancy in Aesculus Hippocastanum 37 the form of blue spider webs and distended tortuous veins which can be really bothersome. Antidote: Nux Vomica Potency: 30 to 200

Adrenalin

Adrenalin is the secretion of the glands situated above the kidneys called the Suprarenal Glands. It keeps the function of other glands in balance. All Adrenalin patients exhibit symptoms resulting from anger, fear and terror. The heart beats faster and the blood pressure rises. There is a feeling of suffocation and tightness. The peristaltic movements of the intestines become sluggish and the mouth is dry. It has the property of constricting the muscles in the walls of the arteries. In Homoeopathy, it is used to stop any kind of bleeding, whether it be in the lungs, nose, intestines, uterus or somewhere else. In case the signs and symptoms do not point to one particular medicine, Adrenalin should be used right away. It has been especially found useful in the control of bleeding from the nose. Some surgeons use it before an operation to decrease the blood loss. One expert physician has described it to be useful in angina and similar symptoms, like pain over the heart area and behind the sternum (chest-bone), which gets worse on walking. Adrenalin is also useful in the suffocating tightness of the chest. High blood pressure, secondary to contraction of the arteries can also be treated with Adrenalin in Homoeopathic potency. This is not my own observation; I have just presented the opinion of other physicians. Adrenalin should be put to use with extreme care, after careful evaluation of the patient. I have certainly found it useful in some illnesses like blood in the urine, or if the urination is frequent and plentiful and associated with scalding before and after passing the urine. These symptoms are also found in Natrum Mur. Adrenalin is very useful in corns of the toes. The Adrenalin patient complains of tiredness at the legs and feels pain and cramps in the calves. Potency: 30 to 200

Actaea Racemosa

This remedy is also called Cimicifuga. It is extraordinarily effective in women’s diseases, especially those complicating pregnancy. Normally, if during menstruation copious bleeding occurs, most menstrual complaints cease automatically. But in the case of Actaea Racemosa, the more the bleeding, the more is the pain and associated discomfort. Sometimes, the symptoms continue even after the cessation of the menstrual period. Actaea Racemosa is very useful for joint pains. The tissues hurt like an abscess. There is a lightning type of pain in the muscles of the neck and back, spreading in all directions. Rest relieves the discomfort, while movement makes it worse. Cold and humidity relieve the symptoms. In Actaea Racemosa, there is also shifting of the disease from one part of the body to another, like Abrotinum. Generally, the physical illnesses transform into mental illnesses. If the physical illnesses in children are suppressed by some kind of treatment, mental symptoms appear and can produce conditions like hysteria. A sensitive girl of a touchy disposition will become totally silent. If called in a loud voice, she will simply start crying. She would be indifferent to the rest of the world, and seem totally lost in herself. In such a case, Actaea Racemosa is the best possible remedy. This remedy is deeply related to sadness. Grief and sorrow can result in physical illnesses. Mental shock in sensitive women can result in irregularity of the menstruation, joint pains or other physical illnesses. Mental shock will make them fearful and superstitious. They will not even like to take any medicine in case it is mixed with poison. If there is preponderance of suspicion in addition to other symptoms, two doses of Actaea Racemosa can clear the symptom of suspicion and make the patient well again. In Actaea Racemosa, there are symptoms of two apparently opposing remedies. In some aspects, it is like Bryonia, and in another aspect, like Rhus Tox. In Bryonia, it is movement, and in Rhus Tox, it is rest which aggravates the discomfort. In Actaea Racemosa, the person will feel discomfort on whatever side he or she lies. There would be Actaea Racemosa 30 twitching of the muscles. The headache is mostly behind the eyeballs and the back of the head, which is relieved by pressure, but movement makes the headache worse. The person feels dizzy and there is heaviness in the head. The vision becomes dim. Engrossed deep in studies, worry and bladder symptoms cause headache. Like Abrotinum, in Actaea Racemosa, constipation and diarrhoea alternate with each other. There is severe pain in the stomach, which gets better on bending forward. Due to pressure on the backbone and over the reproductive organs, there is a tendency towards nausea and vomiting. Young girls experience severe vomiting during their first pregnancy, which does not seem to be relieved by any medicine. In such a case, one should study carefully the temperament of the patient and the symptoms of the ailment before prescribing any remedy. If the patient is of Actaea Racemosa type, then she would definitely get better with Actaea Racemosa. In feeble-minded women, at the time of delivery, the labour pains, instead of pushing down to facilitate the childbirth, scatter right and left, causing spasms over the hips. This is the main feature of Actaea Racemosa. Actaea Racemosa, when given in time, will normalise the direction of labour pains and facilitate the childbirth. Caulophyllum is another very important remedy at the time of child delivery. In Caulophyllum, instead of pains bearing down, they scatter down inside of the thighs and the mouth of the uterus does not open. Sometimes, physicians and midwives try to alleviate this problem by using ergot but instead this closes the mouth of the uterus tightly and makes the woman suffer further. Unfortunately, some women die in such circumstances. Once, while I was in Anwarabad, Sindh (Larkana), in a convention, a person came to me and very humbly submitted that his wife was in the process of labour but the mouth of the uterus was tightly closed, and there was a danger that his wife might die. I took Colophylum out of my travel bag and gave it to him to give to his wife. Within ten to fifteen minutes, a healthy baby boy was born normally. Homoeopathic medicines should not be taken lightly. Their timely use can save from potentially serious complications. Women with weak uterine muscles and associated organs abort repeatedly or conceive after great difficulty. Colophylum may be very useful in such women. At the time of labour, Gelsemium should also Actaea Racemosa 31 be kept in mind, like Actaea Racemosa and Colophylum. If during labour, the pains remain localized at the back and after bearing down return to the back, then Gelsemium would be very useful in such a case. In Kali Carb, instead of bearing down, the labour pains scatter to the outer side of the thighs. In Pulsatilla, due to nervous disability or fear, the labour pains are very weak and rare. In Actaea Racemosa, the periods are irregular or delayed. There is severe spasmodic pain at the uterus and in the back. The organs feel heavy. A typical Actaea Racemosa woman is very lazy, sad and confused. Her mind is clouded. She observes dreadful dreams, speaks constantly but does not concentrate on anything. She becomes easily frightened; especially the fear of death prevails in her mind. This reminds one of Aconite. In Actaea Racemosa, there is irritation of the throat, a dry cough is very bothersome at night and becomes worse on talking. The heartbeat is fast while the pulse is weak and irregular. There are symptoms of angina, like numbness of left arm, which is typical of Actaea Racemosa. The muscles and bones of the back hurt a lot. The neck and the upper part of the back are very stiff. There is sense of discomfort and restlessness of the arms and legs. The person feels itching, and there is jerking of the limbs. There is lack of sleep and the mind remains perturbed and undulating. The person feels as if his head has grown bigger in size. The ears are very sensitive to noise. The symptoms of Actaea Racemosa are aggravated in the morning and in cold weather, except the headache, which gets better in hot weather and by taking food. Antidotes: Aconite, Baptisia Potency: 30 to CM

Aconitum Napellus

Once the art of homoeopathic treatment is fully understood, day-to-day ailments can often be controlled at the outset and complications can be avoided. In the early stages of all ailments, Aconite is at the top of the list. Its full name is Aconitum Napellus, though it is commonly called Aconite. Aconite is a poison which affects different parts of the body. In the traditional books on medicine, there is some mention of it among other poisons. However, the minutely detailed account of Aconite is based on proving of Aconite done by Dr. Hanneman and other experienced Homoeopaths on themselves. In the process of proving, Aconite, or any other poison, is not used in pure form. Instead, as Dr. Hanneman suggested, by example of Aconite, the poison is diluted to the extent that it virtually loses its harmful effect on the body. However, if given repeatedly to a healthy person, it will overwhelm the body and produce its injurious effects in a mild form. These effects are temporary but noticeable enough for the nature of the poison to be studied in minute detail. Through this proving technique, the characteristic features of the Aconite were revealed. These are great fear, suddenness, and severity of illness. The sickness comes on suddenly and the patient thinks that he will not be able to survive. Aconite is usually considered to be the remedy of dry and cold weather because the diseases related to it are contracted in such weather, though not necessarily so. In general, any sudden, severe illness of any weather associated with intense fear of death should be treated with Aconite. Aconite given along with Rhus Tox at the onset of a severe illness becomes more widely effective. In my opinion, it is a substitute for Aspirin and a very good one. In all such ailments in which there is restlessness and fever with a feeling of something untoward in the offing, Aconite 200 and Rhus Tox 200, two or three doses given in the early stage of disease, offer almost immediate relief. Aconitum Napellus 26 Once my security officer, (Retired Major Mahmood Ahmad), accompanied us for cycling. It was pouring with rain and the weather was very cold, we were all soaking wet. The next morning, he was caught up by high fever and severe body aches. He was given Aconite 200 combined with Rhus Tox 200 and Arnica 200 combined with Bryonia 200 alternatively, every half hour. In a few hours, there was no trace of the ailment left, and Major Mahmood Ahmad Sahib healthily returned to his duty. However, after getting wet in the rain in cold weather, one should not rely only on Aconite and Rhus Tox, but Arnica combined with Bryonia should also be given alternatively. I discovered this prescription, after long experience. It acts on the diseases of the intestines, lungs, and in typhoid fever, as well as on malaria and dysentery promptly. Many a time, the disease is not completely controllable with this combination, and the analogous remedy will be required for complete recovery. In influenza, this combination formula may not work at all, unless given right at the onset of symptoms. If treatment is delayed, then other indicated remedies would be required. Diseases may be divided into two categories according to their duration. Regarding their duration, the diseases can be: 1. Acute i.e. the ones which come on with sudden severity and disappear just as fast. 2. Chronic i.e. the ones which gradually establish themselves in the body over a long period. Some of them stay for a relatively short period such as typhoid, while others linger on for a long time, such as tuberculosis, asthma and chronic enlargement of the glands sometimes leading to a transformation into cancer. Aconite is the topmost remedy in acute diseases. Kidney pain (renal colic) immediately responds to the administration of two doses of Aconite 1000 and Belladona 1000 repeated every fifteen minutes, in most patients. However, if the colicky pain is relieved by heat, the above combination will not work as it works only where heat aggravates. In such cases, one dose of Colocynth CM will offer immediate relief, or Mag Phos 6X dissolved in water and sipped, will relieve this spasmodic pain. But Aconite and Belladona will work well if the colicky pain is relieved by cold application. Aconitum Napellus 27 Aconite will work immediately in sudden, severe dysentery if associated with an element of fear. There is no match for Aconite in acute dysentery of dry, hot weather. Aconite is useful in heart disease also. My late father, a well-experienced homoeopath, used to prescribe Aconite and Crataegus together in Mother Tincture form. The combination of these two works like a tonic for the heart muscle. Eight to ten drops of Crataegus Q and only one to two drops of Aconite Q are mixed in water. Aconite being a strong poison should not be used in a larger quantity. Large amounts could be dangerous. Aconite is useful in a patient with a rapid heartbeat. Unusually rapid heart and lack of sleep may be secondary to distension of the stomach with gas or mental anxiety. Fear, bad news or apprehension for an examination or some other worry may also cause palpitations of the heart. Aconite 30 or 200 will promptly restore the heartbeat to normality and the mind will be set at peace. Aconite is of great use in some mental illnesses too. When a sudden calamity or depression causes mental shock, or there is an unreasonable sense of fear from everything, Aconite at the outset of symptoms will benefit significantly. Once the disease has already established, other remedies should be given. In this respect, Sulphur is the most salient. Sulphur carries on the action of Aconite on a long-term basis, while Aconite exhibits the same symptoms in the short term. Aconite is very useful in common diseases like bacterial food poisoning after the ingestion of stale rotting food, resulting in sudden severe diarrhoea or dysentery. Blood-mixed dysentery of the rainy season associated with fear is well controlled by Aconite. In some illnesses, the patient violently screams with fear, and feels dizzy. For example, in case a dog suddenly jumps on somebody along the way and they feel terrified and dizzy. Aconite will promptly benefit in this situation. Aconite and Belladona together are very good in the sudden inflammation of the eyes. They are complementary to each other, and should be started right away without waiting for further symptoms. However, where the signs and symptoms evidently pertain Aconitum Napellus 28 to either of the two, only that one should be used. It will work precisely and for long time. Aconite is good in sudden severe earache due to exposure to cold. Typically, every pain or ache of Aconite is associated with a throbbing sensation. The patient cannot tolerate noise or loud music. Aconite is similar to Pulsatilla in that the feverishness and discomfort is more evident on one side of the face. One cheek may be red and the other pale. This is common in children. Early administration of Aconite will offer prompt cure. In case the delay has already occurred, Pulsatilla, Lycopodium or Natrum Mur should be tried. If due to cold, there is severe toothache or soreness in the throat, Aconite would definitely be needed. If there is congestion of a part of a body due to the increased blood flow and pressure, spontaneous bleeding may start internally or externally. Whatever the reason of this sudden episode associated with sense of fear, Aconite should be administrated without any reservation. If due to a sudden mental shock, there is a stoppage of urine, Aconite should be given. The prompt use of Aconite in the case of bad news of somebody’s death or financial loss will save the person from delayed deleterious effects. Some doctors believe that Aconite is more useful in women than in men. The internal diseases of the women and inflammation of the uterus can be controlled if Aconite is given at the beginning of the disease. The Aconite illnesses subside in open air, but get worse at night in a warm room or if there is dry, cold air. Adjuvants: Sulphur, Coffea, Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Phosphorus, Spongia Antidotes: Nux Vomica and Sulphur Potency: Mother Tincture or usually 30, 200, 1000 or CM, depending upon the situation and the experience of the homoeopath.

Acetic Acidum

Acetic acid is considered useful in (the treatment of) cancer of the stomach. The Acetic acid patient suffers from a severe cutting type of pain in the stomach, associated with intense thirst, nausea and burning in the stomach. Generally, burning and swelling of the body is common to all acids. If the patient becomes gravely ill after surgery and feels very weak, the administration of Acetic acid may be very helpful in restoring his condition. In such cases, Strontium Carb and Carbo Veg are also very useful. It is stated that the Acetic acid 1X applied on the stomach can dissolve the cancerous mass of the stomach. Acetic acid 1X has the capability of softening the tumour and converting it into pus. Dr. Owens is of the opinion that in epithelial cancers, Acetic acid should be administered internally as well as externally. Typically, severe burning in the stomach and the chest, followed by cold sweats on the forehead, are salient features of Acetic acid. The Acetic acid patient suffers from debilitating diarrhoea. Acetic acid is considered useful in diabetes also. If there is marked weakness associated with frequent fainting fits due to lack of blood (anaemia) and there is difficulty in breathing, Acetic acid will be found very effective to relieve these symptoms. Specifically, in Acetic acid, the patient sweats during high fever, red spots appear on the left cheek, but there is no thirst. Another special characteristic of the Acetic acid is backache which gets better only by lying on the stomach (prone position). Potency: 3 to 30, should not be repeated too frequently.

Absinthium

The main action of Absinthium is on the brain. It is very useful in epilepsy. In the epilepsy associated with bluing of the body (Cyanosis) and violent twisting of the hands and feet (as in Cuprum), Absinthium may also be indicated. Before the epileptic fit, there is intense nervousness, restlessness, nausea, visual hallucinations and delusions. The body trembles and the tongue may be caught between the teeth. There is froth at the mouth and then the patient becomes unconscious. In addition to the mental anxiety, there is loss of sleep. Hysteria may also ensue. The clinical picture of Absinthium epilepsy is similar to that of having ingested poisonous mushrooms. One should be very careful in picking mushrooms from the fields because many of them are very poisonous. Only the experts can properly recognise them. The Absinthium patient is afraid of going into the open and being at high altitudes. He feels dizzy and may fall backwards. His memory is weak and he is very superstitious. He becomes indifferent to everything. His mind is confused. The pupils are unequal in size and move in different directions. The vision is blurred and there is pain at the nape of the neck (as in Gelsemium). The Absinthium patient also exhibits gastric symptoms such as loss of appetite, indigestion, belching, nausea, vomiting, fullness of the stomach and intense flatulence. The patient is usually constipated. There is frequent urination and the urine is deep coloured and has a foul, pungent odour. Sometimes, the tongue becomes swollen and protrudes out of the mouth. It trembles and speech is difficult. There are symptoms of numbness and weakness. Women who go into menopause prematurely will benefit from Absinthium. It will reinstate their menstrual cycle if other basic features of Absinthium are also present. There is a heaviness in the chest over the area of the heart. The heartbeat is rapid but irregular. The throat feels scalded, sore and swollen, and the person feels as if a ball is stuck in the throat. The Absinthium 22 feet are very cold, the back and shoulders hurt, the muscles quiver and there may be tonic convulsions. Potency: 30 or more, or less according to the experience of the homoeopath

Abrotanum

The name Abrotanum brings to one’s mind the subject of transfer of a disease from one organ to another. In English, this process is known as metastasis. It means that the disease shifts from one part of the body to another. For instance, in the case of mumps, the parotid glands (situated below the ear) swell, and when the disease becomes suppressed at this place, it transfers itself to the reproductive organs. There are many reasons for it being suppressed, for example it could be due to the use of antibiotics, or through local application of poultices. Sometimes it could be due to sudden exposure to cold in high fever. Among all medicines used in the migrating type of ailments, Abrotanum is one of the most salient ones. Sometimes, by the suppression of diarrhoea, the patient experiences sudden severe pain in the joints and at other times, the heart may be affected. Similarly, sudden cessation of menstruation may result in mental or other ailments. We shall continue talking about the migration of a disease from one place to another in the context of different remedies so that one may be able to understand well, the indication and usage of remedies for shifting the illness back to where it started. If a patient suffers from gout or rheumatism, yet at the same time experiences restlessness as if the blood through the heart seems to be scraping the heart, and also he has Epistaxis or blood in the urine, then he is very likely to get cured by the use of Abrotanum. The basic nature of the Abrotanum patient is that loose frequent stools (diarrhoea) give him relief by excreting the harmful products that would have otherwise involved the joints. In such a patient, Abrotanum will also gradually cure diarrhoea as well as joint pains. If the joint pains are suppressed by using some remedies, or by local heat application and the patient contracts pleurisy instead of diarrhoea, then it becomes imperative for the Homoeopath to retrace the course of sickness back to its origin. If the joint pains had preceded the development of pleurisy (inflammation of the outer lining of the lung which causes pain on deep breathing and much more so on coughing), then surely the remedy in this case would be Abrotanum. Abrotanum Abrotanum 20 will cure the pleurisy but may initially cause the recurrence of joint pains, which will eventually be cured by continued use of Abrotanum, Insha Allah. Abrotanum is also very useful in the generalised wasting disease of the children (marasmus) when its basic features are also present. For the treatment of marasmus in children, Aethusa, Natrum Mur and Calcaria Carb are also well known remedies. In Calcaria Carb, the wasting affects the legs, while in Abrotanum it starts at the legs but extends to the upper body. This symptom alone is sufficient to suggest that Abrotanum is the remedy to be given in potency 30, three times a day. This could bring complete cure, by the Grace of God. If the joint pains get better but the heart becomes affected, one should not ignore Abrotanum in addition to the other remedies for the heart. Sometimes on the sudden cessation of diarrhoea, joint pains and bleeding piles develop, Abrotanum would still be the right choice. Such a patient feels excessive cold. His symptoms aggravate in cold and humid weather. He often complains of backache worsening at night. The backache of Abrotanum always worsens at night irrespective of any specific time, but the backache of Kali Carb is specific for late night or very early morning hours around 3-4 am. In such a patient, if we find the core symptom of ‘amelioration by onset of diarrhoea’, then the back pain will also be cured by Abrotanum. The general improvement of symptoms with the onset of diarrhoea is also present in Natrum Sulph and Zinc, but to make proper diagnosis, their salient features should also be present in a patient. Abrotanum pains are sometimes of cutting or piercing nature, which can involve the ovaries, in addition to the joints. A patient having pains at the ovaries and the joints and backache, aggravated at night, the symptoms subsiding with the onset of diarrhoea, will also immensely benefit from Abrotanum as the cure for her infertility. Potency: 30