Acolleagueofminetellsofasix-month-oldbaby
whowastreatedatalocalhospitalasanemergency
out-patientinastateofcollapse.Thenurseonduty
wasastudentofmycolleague'sanddiscoveredthat
themotherhadbeengivingherbabyChamomilla6
severaltimesadayforcolicsincesoonafterbirth.As
soonasthehomeopathicremedywasdiscontinued for
aperiodoftimethemuscletonereturned. Itisimportanttobeonyourguardagainstthis
over-useofhomeopathicmedicines.Readcarefully
Chapter6beforeyoustartprescribing. Confusionofthesymptompicture
Ifaremedyhasnotbeenprescribedonthewhole
personitwillworkinalimitedway,curingarestricted
numberofsymptoms.Inthesecasessomecomplaints
remainanditispossibletoendupgivingoneremedy
afteranotherinordertotryto'getrid'oftheremaining
symptoms.Intheendthewholepicturebecomesso
18•'Homeopathy isaformofherbalism' MYTHSANDMISAPPREHENSIONS
changedthatitisdifficulttofindthesimilimum(that
singleremedythatwasneededattheverybeginning). Theprofessionalhomeopathhasdifferentwaysof
dealingwiththisphenomenon inordertogetback
totheoriginalsymptompicture.Ifyoufindthatyou
areprescribingoneremedyafteranotherwithonly
limitedeffect,thendogetprofessionalhelp. Suppression
Ahomeopathicremedycancureasuperficialsymp-
tomsuchasaskineruptioninthesamewaythat,fc
example,theapplicationofaCortisonecreamcan. Thiswillonlybethecaseiftheremedyhasbeen
prescribedontheskincomplaint(singlesymptom)
withouttakingintoaccountthewholepersonandor
thecause.Theeffectistopushthediseasefurtherinto
thebody(seeLawsofCure,page15).Constitutional
treatmentwilloftencommencewiththeoriginal
symptomresurfacing.Suppression isnotcommonin
homeopathybutispossible.Inself-prescribing, ifyour
complaintdisappearsbutyoufeelmuchworsein
yourself(i.e.vourmoodsandvourenergy)thenitis
likelythatyouhavemadeapoorchoiceofremedy-
antidoteitandgetsomeprofessionaladvice. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
herbalism'
Inmyexperience,thisisthecommonestmythofall. Whileitiscertainlytruethataproportionofthe
remediesahomeopathusesarebasedonplants,and
though,asinhomeopathy,theherbalistprescribeson
theindividual,theprinciplesthatgovernthetwo
therapiesarequitedifferent. Manyplantshaveknownhealingproperties;herb-
alismisconcernedwiththeknownsphereofactionof
aplantbasedonitschemicalconstituentsaswellasits
knownhealingqualities.Herbalismhasexistedfor
thousandsofyears-foraslongaswehaverecords-in
someformoranotherandhasitsrootsinmother
earth.Itistheonlyformofmedicineusedbyanimals. Homeopathy,ontheotherhand,isbasedona
verydifferentsetofprinciples(seeChapter2). Homeopathicremediesarenotusedinthematerial
dose;noraretheybasedsolelyonplants,usingas
theydopoisons,metalsanddiseaseproducts. Homeopathsgenerallyprescribeoneremedyatatime
ratherthanthemixturesofplanttincturesthatherb-
alistsemploy.And,ofcourse,homeopathy inits
modernformisamere180yearsold. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
vaccination'
Peopleoftensavthattheyunderstandhomeopathyto
belikeavaccinationinthatthepatientisgivenasmallquantityofthediseasehealreadyhasinordertomake
himimmunetoit. Thisisnottrue.Homeopathyandvaccinationhave
similar,notthesame,conceptsandverydifferentprac-
tices.Vaccinesworkonthephysicalbodyinavery
specificway,inthattheystimulatetheimmunesys-
temdirectlytoproducespecificantibodiesas(/that
personhadcontractedthatparticulardisease;inso
doingtheyare,ofcourse,stressingtheimmunesys-
tem.Manyvaccineshavebeenknowntoproduce
permanentsideeffects.Theymustbetestedonani-
malsandthenonhumanstoverifytheirsafety,and
eventhenchildrenandadultsareoftendamagedona
physical,emotionalormentallevel. Ahomeopathicremedyworksinatotallydifferent
way,asareadingofChapter2willagainbearout. Homeopathicremediesaffecttheenergypatternsor
thevitalforceofapersonandbysodoingstimulatethe
bodytohealitself.Theyareadministered orallyina
diluted(andsafe)doseasopposedtobeingintroduced
directlvintothebloodstream,asisthecasewith
vaccination,therebybypassingthebody'snaturalde-
fencesystemandstressing itinawaythatisnotfully
understood.Homeopathicmedicinesarenottestedon
innocentanimalsanddonothavesideeffects. Myth:'Homeopathicremediesare
placebos'
Thismythcanberephrasedtoread'Youneedto
believeinitforittowork. 'Thisispatentlyridiculousto
anyonewhohasexperiencedorprescribedasuccess-
fulhomeopathiccurefor,say,aheadinjuryora
middle-earinfection. Aplaceboisanunmedicated pillwhichthepatient
believescontainssomethingthatwillcurehimorher. Double-blind trialsalwaysinvolvetheinclusionofa
controlgrouptakingaplaceboinsteadofthemedicine
beingtestedinordertoruleouttheindividual's
'suggestibility'. Itisbecausehomeopathicremediesdonotalways
workthattheyaresometimesbelievedtobeineffec-
tive,and,becauseroutineprescriptionssuchasRhus
toxicodendronforrheumatismandChamomillaforteeth-
ingbabiesarefreelyavailablefromhigh-streetchem-
ists,peoplearewronglypersuadedintothinkingthat
theyneednotconsultahomeopath(oranadequate
first-aidbook).Iftheremediesdonotworkitis
assumedthathomeopathydoesnotwork;iftheydo
workitisattributedtoaplaceboeffect-somedouble
blind! Homeopathicmedicinesworkeffectivelyonbabies
andanimals,neitherofwhomareopentobeing
affectedbyplacebos. Itisalwaysessentialtoindividualisetheremedyto
fitthepatientandnotthedisease,toensurethatthe
MYTHSANDMISAPPREHENSIONS 'Homeopathy ismysteriousandunscientific' •19
underlyingprinciplesareobservedsothattheelement
ofchanceisdecreasedandhomeopathycanbeseento
work. Ofcourse,therearemanypeoplewhowillrecog-
nisetheexperienceofconsultingapractitionerwho
inspiresbeliefandhope,wholeftthemfeeling
buoyantandencouraged.Butifthisinitialrapportis
notbackedupwithgoodsolidprescribing,thenno
amountofthatpositive'transference' willcurethe
patient. Myth:'Homeopathy ismysteriousand
unscientific'
Thefactthathomeopathicmedicinesarepreparedina
pharmacyoralaboratoryandthattheirpreparation
involvesaparticulartechniquesubjecttopreciseand
clearlystatedcontrols(itdoesnotinvolvemysteriousandsecretprocesseswhichputitintotherealmof
whitemagicoralchemy)isenoughtoconvincemany
peopleofitsvalidity. Homeopathshavetraditionallyjustifiedtheirprac-
ticebytheirresults,withoutfeelinganeedtoexplain
howtheirmethodswork.Thehomeopathicphilos-
ophyordoctrineisasetofrulesforpractice-onethat
hasn'tchangedsinceitwasformulated180yearsago. Theserulesandprinciplesconstituteaunifiedhypoth-
esiswhosevalidityistestedoutempirically-with
curedpatientsconfirmingthehypothesis. HarrisCoulter,inhisbookHomoeopathicScienceand
ModernMedicine(ThePhysicsofHealingwithMicrodoses),
discussesthisissueatgreatlengthandalsodescribes
manyofthetrialsthathavebeenconductedoverthe
pastfiftyyearsorsousingplants,animalsand
humansascontrolstoprovetheeffectivenessof
homeopathicmedicines. •4-
TAKING
THE
CASE
Itiswellworththeefforttoapproachfirst-aidprescrib-
ingseriouslybyteachingyourselfhowtotakeacase
andhowtoworkouttherightremedy.Thatisthe
majorconcernofthisbook:tohelpyoutoprescribein
thesamewaythataprofessionalhomeopathwould. Therearemanybooksonthemarketthattakethe
'symptomaticapproach',directingyoutoaremedyon
thestrengthofonesymptomorcomplaint.Inmy
opinionthisisnotthoroughenoughandtheresults
cannotbeguaranteed.Inthisbook,therefore, Ihave
takenamoreclassicalapproach,whichinvolveslook-
ingatthewholepersoninamoredetailedway. ThroughoutthebookIhaveassumedthatyouare
prescribingforsomeoneelse.Ifyoufallillandwishto
prescribeforyourselfthenthesameprinciplesapply,
butitisimportanttorememberthatitisdifficulttobe
objectiveaboutyourownsymptoms,andyoumay
befooledintoprescribingthewrongremedy.For
example,youmayfeelquitenormalandcalmin
yourselfwhileeveryonearoundyouhasexperienceda
sharpincreaseinyourlevelsofirritabilityandtouchi-
ness;and/oryoumayalreadyhaveforgottenthe
drenchingyougotthedaybeforeyoufellill.Itcanbe
mostusefultotalkthroughyourcasebeforeyou
self-prescribe.Somepeoplearehighlycompetentat
knowingexactlywhattheir'symptompicture'isand
areclearaboutthestressesthatleduptotheirillness;
othersneedmorehelp.Dogetthathelpifyouneedit. Beforeyoubegintotakethecase,checkthatthe
complaint iswithinthescopeofthisbook.Don't
attempttoprescribeforachronicdisease;thesealways
needprofessionalattention.Seealsopages203-26
fordiseasesyoucantreatusingthisbook. TheSymptomPicture
Ihaveusedthewordcomplaintthroughoutthebook
tomeanthediseaseitself,orratheritslabel;forexample'sorethroat'or'cough'.Thesymptomsare
thevisiblesignsofthecomplaint.Sayyourchildis
complainingofabarkingcoughthatisworseatnight
andbetterforsittingup.Thecomplaintisthecough,
andthesymptomsarebarking,worseatnightand
betterforsittingup.Sothecomplaintexpressesitself
throughthesymptoms. Thesymptompictureisadetailedaccountofwhatis
wrongwithyouasawholewhenyoufallill.Your
symptoms-thesignsorindicationsofyourbeingill-
areaformofexpressionandacallforhelpfromyour
body.Ahomeopathicprescriberisasymptomsleuth! Inorderforaremedytoworkwellyouneedtomatch,
asaccuratelyaspossible,thepatient'ssymptompic-
turewiththatofaremedypicture-thecollectionof
symptomsproducedbytheremedyinitsproving,as
setoutintheMateriaMedica.Itdoesn'thavetobe
identical,merelysimilar. Yourobservationsarethereforeveryimportant. Youarenotsimplylookingforachesandpains;you
needtogetapictureofthedifferencesinthepatient
fromhernormalstateofhealth.Gatheringinfor-
mationisnotalwayseasy.Lookforclear,strongly
markedsymptoms;vague,'well ...sometimes'
symptomsdon'tcountunlesstheypresenta'change-
able'symptompictureinthemselves. Certainsymptomsarealwayspresentinanygiven
diseaseandareindicatedinitsname.Forexample,
painduringurinationisusuallycalledcystitis;certain
typesofskinrashesarecalledeczema;inflamed,blood-
shoteyesareoftencalledconjunctivitis.Homeopathy
doesnottreatthelabelleddiseasealone-thecystitis,
theeczema,theconjunctivitis; ittreatstheindividual
whoissick.Notwocasesofcystitisareexactlythe
same.Everylabelleddisease(orcomplaint) isalsoac-
companiedbysymptomspeculiartotheindividual
whohasit,anddiffersfromanothercaseofthesame
'disease'. Itistheseindividualcharacteristics inthe
patientthatguideustotherighthomeopathicremedy. TAKINGTHECASE TheSymptomPicture•21
Simplytowriteheadache'orcough'isnotenough. IfyoulookeitherofthesesymptomsupintheReper-
toryyouwillfindmanyremedieslisted.Itisthe
particularsymptomsofthepatient'sheadacheor
coughthatenableyoutobegintonarrowdownthe
choiceofremedies,toindividualisethecase.One
personwithaheadache,forexample,willhavea
throbbingforeheadthatfeelsbetterforfreshair,while
anotherwillhavesharppainsinthetemplesthatare
betterforwarmthandlyingdown.Theycallfordiffer-
entremedies. Forhomeopathicpurposes,symptomsaredivided
intothreecategories:general,mental/emotional and
physicalcomplaints.Seepages227-8fordefinitions
andcheckliststousewhilenote-taking. Note-taking
Itisessentialthatyouwritedownyourpatient's
symptoms,andalsothatyourecordtheremedyyou
giveaswellasitsresult.Evenifyouwriteonlyafew
wordsplusthedate,thenameandthepotencyofthe
remedy,thatwillsufficetoremindyoushouldthe
sameproblemrecur. Isuggestyouopenaloose-leaffilemarked'Health'
anduseitforkeepinginterestingarticlesaswellasfor
keepingnotesonthepeopleforwhomyouprescribe. Thecase-takingquestionnaireonpage227should
remindyouofthequestionstoasktogettheinforma-
tionyouneed.Makeyourquestionsgeneralrather
thanspecific.Trynottoputwordsintoyourpatient's
mouth. General Specific
Howareyoufeeling?Areyoufeelingsad? Howpainfulisit?Doesithurtalot? Canyoudescribethepain?Isitthrobbing? DoesheatorcoldhelporIsitbetterforheat? aggravate? Canyoutellmesomemore
aboutwhathappened? Isthereanythingthatmakes
youoryoursymptomsfeel
betterorworse? Givesomeattentiontoyourfirstimpressionsof
whatishappening:theyareanimportantandreliable
sourceofinformation.Sayyourchildwakesupinthe
nightscreaming.Yougointoherroom.Whatdoyou
immediatelysmellandsee?Whatnotedoyouhearin
thescream?Isitoneofpainoroffright?Orsayyour
bestfriendhasfluandyouhavebeenaskedtocome
andhelp.Youwalkintotheroomandwhatdoyousee
beforeshehasorganisedherselftobesociablewith
you?Istheroomtidyormessy?Isithotorcold?Does
shelookvervsadandtiredbeforeshemakesaneffortto'befine'?Donotignorefirstimpressions:theycan
provideyouwithmoreinformationthananhour's
casetaking. Ifremediesdocometomindasyouaretalking,do
notignorethembutwritetheminthemargin:those
initialinstinctscanbeinspired.Generallyspeaking it
isbettertoforgetaboutworkingoutaremedywhile
youtakethecase;thisanalyticalpartcomeslater. Concentrateonusingyoursensestopickupcluesand
onbeingreceptivetowhatyourpatientistellingyou. Whatdoyousmell? Thesmellisoftenthefirstthingyounoticeonwalking
intoasickperson'sroom.Smellthehead/neck/hands
ofafeverishorsickchildandyouwillfindthat
perspirationcansmellsweet,sour,salty,mustyor
offensive.Smellthebreath,too.Otherdischargescan
alsosmell'interesting'; forexample,thestoolsofa
teethingbabycansmellverysour,theurinestrong,
thevomitoffensive. Ifthesmellisstrongandyoucan
describe itclearly/writeitdownanduseitasa
symptom. Whatdoyousee? Inthecaseofanillness,notethecolourandexpression
onthefaceofyourpatient.Inthecaseofanaccident,
notewhetherthecolourhasdrainedfromthefaceofa
shockedpersonoriftheyhavebecomeflushedand
lookanxious. Lookforclues:drinksnotdrunk;coverspiledhigh
or,alternatively,kickedoff;restlessness; log-like
patientswhogroanifyousitontheedgeofthebed
anddisturbthem;andsoon.Youwilloftenlearnmore
thanthepatientherselfisawareof. Whatdoyoufeel? Feeltheskintofindoutwhetherthereissweat.Ifso,is
ithotorcold,stickyorwatery?Adryskinwithafever,
forexample,isanimportantsymptom.Checkthe
partsofthebodytofeeliftherearetemperature
variations-hotheadandcoldhands,forexample-or
whethersomepartsofthebodyaresweatyandothers
aren't.Perhapsyourpatientiscomplainingofan
inner,burningheatwhiletheskinfeelscoldtothe
touch? Whatdoyouhear? Whatnoisescanyouhear?Somesickchildrenmoanin
theirsleep;othersmightwhineforattention ifthey
thinkyouarenotlisteningandstopwhenyouenter
theroom(orviceversa! ).Listentothetoneofthe
voice.Isitresigned?Anxious?Sad?Angry?Eventhe
grindingoftheteethinachild,eitherduringthedayor
insleep,canbeavaluablesymptom. Letyourpatienttalk,withoutanyinterruptionfrom
youifpossible.Thisinitselfcanbehealing,andcan
22•WorkingOuttheRemedy TAKINGTHECASE
alsoprovideyouwithinformation.Forexample,the
Lachesispatienttalksincessantly,jumpingfromone
subjecttoanother,whiletheBryoniapatientwillnot
wanttotalkatall. Somepeoplewillreplynegativelywhenasked
aboutthemselvesortheirsymptoms:'I'mnotwell';
'He'snotbad';'Itisn'tmuchbetter';'Itdoesn'thurt
thatmuch'.Theserepliesdonottellyouwhatis
actuallyhappening.Questionslike'Howareyou,
then?','Whatareyoufeeling? 'cansometimeshelp,
butpeoplewhospeakinnegativesoftenneedcareful
questioningtotellyouwhatiswrong.Inanswerto'It
doesn'thurtthatmuch,'youcouldask'Isthepain
stoppingyoufromdoinganything? '(thatis,'How
seriousisit? ').Thenyoucangoontogivealistof
differenttypesofpainandifyourpatientalightson
one,saying'That'sit! ',thenwriteitdown.Iftheyare
notsure,goontoanotherquestion. Finally,remember ...
Donotdiscountanything!Whatotherinformationdo
youhaveaboutthatperson?Whathasbeengoingon
inherlifelatelythatmightbepartofwhysheisfeeling
sicknow?Whathaveyoubeentoldbyhermother/
father/son/neighbour? Haveyougiventhispersona
first-aidremedybefore,sayforaflu?Didtheremedy
workwell?Ifthatremedyworkedmarvellously,con-
siderwhether itmightbeindicatedagain. Ihaveincludedanumberofchecklists(page227)to
helpasremindersuntilyouaremorefamiliarwjththe
processoftakingahomeopathiccase. WORKINGOUTTHEREMEDY
Classifyingthesymptoms
Havingtakenyourcase(notedyourpatient'ssymp-
toms),followthesebasicstepstoselectyourremedy:
chooseyoursymptoms;repertorise;differentiate. (Youwilldevelopyourownwayofworkingandbe
abletotakeshortcutsasyoubecomefamiliarwiththe
processes.) 1Chooseyoursymptoms
Gothroughyourcaseandunderlineallthesymptoms
thatstandoutclearlyandstrongly. Itisbesttoleave
vagueorunclearsymptomsaloneforthemoment,but
theymayswayyourdecisionattheendifyoucan't
makeupyourmindbetweentwoormoreremedies. However, ifyoucanprescribearemedyonthestrong
symptomsofyourcase,yourprescription ismore
likelytobeeffective. Whereverpossible,chooseatleastthreestrong
symptoms,eachfromadifferentsymptomgroup.Youcanprescribeonasinglesymptombutthisisrarely
successful:tomakeaneffectiveprescriptionyouneed
atleastonesymptomfromeachofthemaingroups-
general,physicalandmental/emotional. Ifyouwork
outaremedybasedonasymptomfromeachofthese
groupsyoucanbeconfidentthatithasagoodchance
ofworking.Ifyouaddinastresssymptomyoucanbe
evensurerofyourprescription,andsoon.Inother
words,themoresymptomsthatfittheremedypicture
thebetter. Writedownthe'symptomsonaseparatesheetof
paperoronablankrepertorisingchart(seepage230). 2Repertorise
Asyoubecomemoreandmorefamiliarwiththe
remedypicturesyouwilllearntorecognisetherem-
edyyourpatientneedswithoutrepertorising. Infact,
'repertorising'soundsmuchmorecomplicatedthanit
is.SimplylookupintheRepertoryeachsymptomyou
havenotedandlisttheremediesthatoccurundereach
symptom(oralternatively tickthemoffonthereper-
torisingchart).Whenyouhavecompletedthelistyou
willbeabletoseeclearlywhichremedyorremedies
occurmostoften-i.e.whichcontainallthesymptoms
onyourlist. 3Differentiate
Insomecasesonlyoneremedywillcontainallyour
symptoms.GototheMateriaMedicaandread
throughthefullremedypicturetocheckthatit'fits'.If
itdoes,thenprescribethatremedy,followingthe
potencyanddosageguidelinessetoutonpage27. Often,however,morethanoneremedywillcontain
allyoursymptoms,orseveralremedieswillhavemost
ofyoursymptomsandnonewillhaveallofthem.If
morethanoneremedyisindicatedaccordingtothe
repertorising chart,choosingbetweenthemcanbe
difficult; itisoneoftheskillsthatmakesacompetent
homeopath.Youneedtoreadthrougheachofthe
remediesthathasallormostofyourpatient'ssymp-
tomsandpicktheonethatfitsbest. Ifyoucan'tfindaremedythatfitsyourpatient's
picture,thengobacktoyourchartandseeifyouhave
missedanyremedies.Alsocheckyourcaseformissed
symptoms.Addthesetoyourlistandrepertorise
them.Thenreadthroughanynewremediesthat
emergethroughthisprocess.Repeatthesestepsuntil
youfindaremedythatfitsyourpatientandhisorher
symptoms. Ifyouarereallystuck,youmayhavetogo
backtoyourpatienttogetnewinformation. Thiswholeprocessisbroughttolifeinthesample
cases(pages231-44);makesureyoureadthembe-
foreyoustartprescribing. NBYourgeneralandemotional/mentalsymptoms
maypointtoaremedythatdoesnotlistthecomplaint
TAKINGTHECASE WorkingOuttheRemedy •23
thatyouaresufferingfrominitspicture.Forexample,
youhavefluandarefeelingrestless,irritable,hotand
botheredandextremelythirsty.YoufindthatSulphur
comesupstronglyforallyoursymptomsbutisn't
listedunderFluintheRepertory.Theclosestremedy
isBryoniabutBryoniaisn'trestless.Readthroughboth
remedypicturestoseewhichonefitsbest;itwill
probablybeSulphur-theonethatdoesnothavefluin
itspicture-inwhichcaseSulphurwillworkmore
effectivelybecauseitcoversthewholepicture.Ifthestronggeneralandemotional/mentalsymptomspoint
tooneremedythengiveitevenifitdoesn'thaveyour
physicalcomplaintlistedinitspicture. Conversely,certainremediesworkwellwhenpre-
scribedonthephysicalsymptomsalone,forexample
Natrummuriattcumforcoldsores.However, itwill
workmuchbetterifthereareotherNatrummunaticum
symptomsfromthegeneraland/ortheemotional/
mentalsections. PRESCRIBING
WhentoPrescribe
Neverrushintoprescribing,anddon'tthinkthatyou
havetogivearemedyjustbecauseyouhavethebook
andsomeonewantsyouto.Ifyoudon'tfeelright
aboutprescribingoraboutgivingaremedytosome-
one(forexample,ifyoudon'tknowthepersonvery
well),thendon'tdoit.Letthemgotoaprofessional
homeopath iftheyhaveone,ortotheirownGP.If,
whenyouhavetakenthecase,youareatallunsure
aboutyourchoiceofremedy-ifnoremedyisstrongly
indicatedforyourpatient-thendon'tprescribe. Thereareonlyninety-sixinternalremediesinthis
MateriaMedicaand,althoughtheycoveraverylarge
numberofacuteconditions,theywon'tcoverthemall. Ifyouareprescribingforanacuteillnessandyour
patientisalreadyunderthecareofaprofessional
homeopath, itisessentialthatthehomeopath iscon-
sultedbeforeyouprescribe. Itisbettertogivenothing
thantointerferewithwhatmaybeanaggravationof
somesortandthereforenotfullyunderstoodbyyou. Inanaccidentoranemergencyyoushouldgivethe
indicatedremedy(Arnica,AconiteorHypericum,for
example)immediately,butmakesurethatyouwrite
downtheremedyandtheresponsessothatyoucan
passontheinformation totheprofessional
homeopath. whomtoPrescribefor
Babiesandchildrenrespondverywelltohomeopathic
treatment. Ifforsomereasontheydonotrespondto
yourfirst-aidprescriptions,seektheadviceofapro-
fessionalhomeopathratherthanstruggleonwiththe
possibilityofmakingamessoftheircase.Aschildrengrowupitisalwaysusefultoaskthemiftheyneeda
remedy,iftheyneedhelptogetbetter.Weallhavethe
abilitytohealourselves;thehomeopathicremedytaps
thisresourceandputsusintouchwithit.Many
childrenhaveandcandeveloptheabilitytoheal
themselves iftheyareencouragedtodoso.Myown
childwillnowalwaystellmeifheneedsaremedyafter
anaccidentorinanacuteillness.Mostlyhesaystome,
'It'sOK,Mum,Idon'tneedanything. Icangetbetter
bymyself. 'Ifyouintroducethisconcepttoachildit
willbepickedupquitequickly.Adultstakealittle
longer! Whenprescribingforadults,howeverclosethey
maybetoyou,youshouldrememberthisrule:pre-
scribeonlyifthepatientasksyouforhelp.Over-
zealousnesscanbeveryoff-puttingandifyouforcea
remedyontosomeonethechancesofitsbeingsabo-
tagedbyantidoting(seepage27)areveryhigh.Ifthere
isanimprovement, itwillbeattributedtoacoinci-
denceanyway.Itisalwayspossibletoofferhelpand
leaveitatthat,butdon'tgetintothewayofthinking
thatyoucancureanybodyandeverybodyoftheir
complaints. Ifsomeonecomestoyou,thenfine.Byall
meanstakethecaseandseewhatyoucando,butdo
notimpingeonotherpeople'srightstolookaftertheir
ownhealthintheirownway. Ifyouareself-prescribing, itisalwaysadvisableto
discussyourremedywithafriendtomakesurethat
youarenotdeludingyourselfaboutyourtruestateof
bodyandmind. THEREMEDIES
Theformsavailable
Homeopathicremediesaremostcommonlyavailable
intabletform.Thetabletsaremadeofsugarofcow's
PRESCRIBING TheRemedies•25
milk,orsaccharumlactose,commonlyknownassac
lac;thishasbeenfoundtobetheidealmediumforthe
potentisedremedy.Saclaccomesinseveralforms-
hardorsofttablets,globulesorpowders.Most
homeopathicpharmacieswillautomaticallymakeup
remediesintheformofhardsaclactabletsunlessthey
arespecificallyaskedotherwise. Listedbelowarethedifferentformsahomeopathic
remedycantake.Ineachcaseafewdropsofthe
potentisedremedyinalcoholisusedtomedicate(or
moisten)thebasesubstance. Softtablets(saclac).NewEraTissueSaltsusethese
tabletswhichdissolvequicklyandeasilyunderthe
tongueandarealsoeasilycrushedforadministering to
babies. Hardtablets(saclac).TabletsmadebyWeledaand
Nelson'sfallintothiscategoryanddonotdissolveas
easilyasthesofttablets.Theyshouldbechewedand
heldinthemouthforafewsecondsbeforebeing
swallowed. Globules(saclac)aretinyroundpills,likepoppy
seeds.Itisusuallysuggestedthatalidfulbegivenasa
singledose,thoughtheoreticallyonegrainshould
suffice. Sucroseissometimesusedasthemedium.Sceptics
arealwaystakenabackwhenacoupleofgrainsof
sugar'areseentocureaseverelybruisedhead.Ifind
thatafewgrainstippedontothepalmofthehandand
dissolvedonthetongueareenough. Alcohol.Childrenoradultsknowntobeallergicto
cow'smilkmayaskfortheirhomeopathicremediesto
bemadeupinliquidform.Theseremediescomein
dropperbottlesandthepotentisedsubstancehasbeen
addedtoanalcoholbase.Thedoseiseitheradminis-
teredneat(althoughchildrendonotusuallylikethis)
ordilutedinwater.Adoseof6-10dropsisadequate. Powders(saclac).Mosthomeopathicpharmaciescan
makeupremediesinpowders.Thesearewrapped
individuallyinsmallsquaresofpaperandarecon-
venientifyouneedonlyafewdosesofanunusual
remedythatyouareunlikelytowantagain,orifyou
needtosendsmallquantitiesbymail-especially
abroad.Theyshouldbedissolvedunderthetongue
likesofttabletsoraddedtoasmallamountofwater
andsippedasfrequentlyasneeded. Wafers.Selectedpharmaciescanmakeupremediesin
wafers,which,likepowders,arewrappedindividu-
ally.Thewafersaremadeoutofricepaper,whichis
usefulforpeoplesensitivetomilkandsugar. Storingremedies
Homeopathic tabletswillkeeptheirstrengthforyears
withoutdeteriorating.Remediesmadeoverahun-
dredyearsagostillworkwell.Theymustbestoredinacool,dark,dryplacewiththeirtopsscrewedon
tightly,wellawayfromstrong-smelling substances,
becausestrongsmellsdomakethepillslosetheir
potency. Itisnotagoodideatokeepthemina
bathroomcabinetalongsideperfumes,coughmix-
tures,etc.,orinaspare-roomcupboardwiththe
mothballs.Asealedplasticcontainerlikeanice-cream
tubisgoodforstoringloosebottles.Oryoumay
choosetopurchaseoneoftheready-madekitsthatare
availablefrommanypharmacies,toyourownspeci-
ficationsifyouwish.Theappendixonbuildingupa
first-aidkitwillhelpyouwiththis(seepage249). Itiswisetokeepalltabletsoutofreachofchildrenas
amatterofcourse.Ifyourchildgetsherhandsona
bottleofpillsandeatstheentirefirst-aidkitinone
glorioussecretfeast,donotpanic.Yourbankbalance
istheonlythingthatwillsuffer.Asingledoseatone
timeisasingledose,whether ititisonepillorone
bottleofpills-forexample,eatingafullbottleof
Chamomilla6tabletswouldhavethesameeffectas
takingonesinglepill. Howtotakeremedies
Whentakingahomeopathic tablet,carefullytipone
intothelidofthebottle.Ifyoutipmorethanoneout,
tiptheothersbacksothatonlyoneremains.Tipitout
ontothepalmofthepatient'shandandthenreplace
thelidonthebottle.Thepatientcantouchhisorher
owntablet,butifyouaregivingtheremedytosome-
oneelsetrytoavoidtouching it.Neverputbacktablets
thathavefallenoutontothefloororanywhereelse.In
sodoingyoumaycontaminateyourstock;always
throwawayanythathavebeendroppedorare
unused. Ideallytabletsshouldbedissolvedunderthetongue
wheretheyarereadilyabsorbedintothebody;ifthey
areswallowedwholetheybecomemixedwiththe
stomachacidsandarethoughttoworklesseffectively. Itispreferablenottoeat,drink(exceptwater),
smokeorbrushyourteethfortwentyminutesbefore
andaftertakingaremedy.Thisgivesitthebest
possiblechanceofworking. Itissometimesdifficult
withbabiesandsmallchildren;ifyouhavemanageda
five-minutegapeithersideoftakingtheremedyyou
areprobablyOK.Thetwenty-minutegapmakessure
thatanyresidueoffooddoesnotaffecttheaction
oftheremedy. (Homeopathstendtodifferintheir
opinionsonthissubject.) Manyofthehomeopathicremediesavailableinthe
high-streetchemistorwholefoodshopgivedosage
instructionsonthebottle.Theyoftensuggestdifferent
dosesforadults(twotablets)andchildren(onetablet). Thisisillogical,giventhatthereisnotameasurable
quantityofthemedicineinthetablet.Thesizeofthe
doseisimmaterial; itishowoftenthatitistakenthat
26•HowManyDosesandHowOften? PRESCRIBING
counts. Ialwaysinstructmypatientstotakeone
tablet,whethertheyareyoungorold. Givingtabletstobabiesandanimalsorsemi-
consciouspatientscanbedifficult.Theycanbe
crushedbetweentwospoonsandgivenasapowder
whichpreventsspittingoutandalsowon'tcausethe
patienttochoke.Ifnecessary,alittlespringwatercan
beaddedtothecrushedpowderonthespoon,orthe
tabletcanbedissolvedinaverycleanglasswithalittle
water.Itshouldbestirredvigorouslyandthengiven
asneeded,ateaspoonful atatime.Intheseinstances,
theglassandspoonshouldbescoured(withboiled
water)afterusesothatthenextpersontousethem
doesn'tgetaninadvertentdoseoftheremedy. HowManyDosesandHowOften? Havingselectedtheremedyforyourpatient,youwill
needtodecideonthedose.Thiswilldependuponthe
urgencyofthecase:frequentdosesforanacuteillness
thathascomeonsuddenlyandstrongly,andless
frequentdosesforaslowlydevelopingillness.Some
earacheswithveryseverelydistressedpatientsneed
theirremediesrepeatingeveryfiveminutes;ahead
injurymayneedtheremedyrepeatingeveryhalf-
hour;andaslowlydevelopingflumayneedaremedy
everyfourhoursorthreetimesaday.Thedosage
chart(page27)willhelpyoutodecidehowoftenyou
shouldgivetheremedyyouhaveselected. Prescribeuptosixpillsaccordingtotheurgencyof
thecase.Ifyouhavegivensixpillsandtherehasbeen
nochangewhatsoever,thenitisprobablythewrong
remedy. Onceyouseethatahomeopathicremedyhas
startedtowork-onceyounoticeadefinitereactionor
changeresultingfromtheremedy-thencontinue
withthesameremedybutgiveitlessoften(thatis,
increasethegapsbetweenthedoses)asthepatient
continuestoimprove. Oncethereisamarkedimprovement-onceastrong
positivereactionhasoccurred-itisessentialtostop
takingtheremedyaltogether.Thisistheabsolute
oppositeoftheinstructionsyoureceivewhentaking
orthodoxmedicines(forexample,antibiotics),where
itisoftennecessarytofinishthewholecourseofpills. Ahomeopathicremedyactsasatrigger,acatalyst- it
stimulatesthebodytobegintohealitself,andonce
thathashappenedthebody'sownhealingprocess
willtakeover.Insomecases,takinganothertablet
afterthisreactionhasoccurredcanactuallystopthe
remedyworkingandevenexaggeratethesymptoms
(see'Provings',page11),andconsequentlyyou
canbepersuadedintothinkingthatitwasapoor
prescription.WHATPOTENCY? Homeopathicremediescomeindifferentpotencies,as
wehaveseen(page13).The6X,6Candthe12Careall
safepotenciesforthehomeprescriber.The6Xand6C
arethemostwidelyavailable;theyarefineforfirst-aid
prescribingandarethebestpotenciestouseforless
seriouscomplaints. Ipersonallypreferthe12Cfor
first-aidasitisslightlystrongerthanthe6C.Ifyouare
orderingakitfromapharmacyyoucanorderthe
remediesinapotencyofyourchoice. Manypeoplestockremediesinthe30Cpotency-
thehighestofthelow-potencyrange.Asitisstronger
stillthanthe12C,fewerdosesareneeded.Ittendsto
workfasterandisusedformoreseriouscomplaints,
suchasbadburnsorheadinjurieswithconcussion. Isuggestthatfirstofallyoubecomefamiliarwith
the6X,6Cand12Cpotenciesinordertounderstand
howtheyworkbeforetryingthe30C. Dosageguidelines
•Stoponimprovement. •Startagainifthesamesymptomsreturn-i.e.repeat
asneeded. •Ifyouhavegivensixdosesandhavehadnore-
sponse,stopandreassessthecaseorseekadvice. •Changetheremedyifthesymptompicture
changes. •Ifthepatientisalreadyreceivinghomeopathic
treatment, ifpossibleconsultthehomeopathbefore
prescribing(unlessitisanemergency). ALWAYSSEEKPROFESSIONALHELPIFYOUR
SYMPTOMSRECURORDONOTIMPROVE. ASSESSINGTHERESPONSE
TOAREMEDY
Iliketothinkofahomeopathicremedyasapebble,
whichwhenthrownintoapondsimplygoes'plop'.It
istheripplesthatitcauseswithinthebodythatarethe
healingresponses.Thejoboftheprescriber istoget
thepillasclosetothemiddleofthepondaspossible. Ifyouhavegivensixdosesandhavehadnosignifi-
cantresponsethentheremedyyouhavechosenis
likelytobewrong.Youneedtoreassessthecaseand
checkyourrepertorising.Didyouhavemorethanone
remedytochoosefrom?Howdidyoumakeyour
choice?Checkyoursymptoms. Ifyouareconvinced
thatyourchoiceofremedywascorrect,thenpersevere
foranotherthreetosixdoses-unlessyourpatientis
seriously ill,inwhichcaseseekimmediatepro-
fessionalhelp. PRESCRIBING Antidotes •27
DegreeofSeriousnessDOSAGECHART
PotencyDosage
Veryserious
Symptomsneedimmediateattentionandareusually6C,12Cor30C
accompaniedbygreatpain-e.g.earache;headorback
injury;second-orthird-degreeburn;cystitis,etc. Serious
Symptomsneedhelpwithinabout24hoursandare6Cor12C
notnecessarilyaccompaniedbypain-e.g.bad
cough;abscess;foodpoisoning;vomiting,etc. Lessserious
Symptomscanwaitadayortwotobetreated-e.g.6Cor12C
sorethroat;flu;teething;chickenpox,etc. Notserious
Symptomsareusuallymildandneedlonger-term 6Xor6C
treatment-e.g.anaemia;exhaustion, etc.onedoseevery5-30
minutes
onedoseevery1-2hours
onedoseevery4-8hours
onedose3timesdailyfor
upto10days
STOPONIMPROVEMENT.REPEATASNEEDED
Havingreassessedthesymptompicture,youmay
decidetoselectanotherremedy.Thesameguidelines
applyagain.Giveuptosixdoses,accordingtothe
urgencyofthecase.Ifyoubecomeunsure,however, it
isbettertostopprescribingandgetprofessionalhelp
orletnaturetakeitscourseratherthanmessupyour
patient'ssymptompicturethroughinaccuratepre-
scribing. Itisneverdangeroustogivethewrong
remedy,butitisunwisetocontinueprescribing if
thereisnoresponse,especiallyonapotentially
seriousillnesslikeanearinfection. Writedownexactlywhatyouhavedoneateach
step,withnotestoexplainyourreasons,plusthe
resultsofyourownprescribing. Ifyoudecidetodo
nothingandyourpatientgetsbetter,makesureyou
writethatdowntoo.Although itishardtoimagine, it
istheeasiestthingintheworldtoforgettheone
brilliantremedyyougaveyourdaughterforacough,
andheresheiswithanotheronesixmonthslater ...
Don'tforgetthatinanacuteillnesslikeanearacheor
abruisedhead,one,twoorthreedosesmaywellbe
enoughtobeginthehealingprocess.Ifyourpatient
feelsbetterintermsofmoodandwell-beinghewillget
betterevenifhisphysicalsymptoms-thecough,flu
orwhatever-remainthesameorgetslightlyand
temporarilyworse.Ifyourpatientand/orhissymp-
tomsimproveforawhileandthenrelapse,arepeat
doseofthesameremedymaybenecessary-butonly
onreturnofthesymptomsforwhichtheremedywasoriginallyprescribed. Ifthesymptompicturechanges,
itislikelythatyouwillneedadifferentremedy. Thehomeopathicaggravation
Thisisthetermgiventotheworseningofsymptoms
thatcanoccurafteraconstitutionalremedyhasbeen
taken.Thiscanhappenduringanacuteillness.The
symptomsapatientcomplainsofmayworsenoran
oldsymptommaysurfacetemporarily(see'Lawsof
Cure',page15).Theremaybeamoregeneralclearing
out,or'healingcrisis'asitisoftencalled,intheformof
astreamingcoldordiarrhoea.Theaggravationcan
occuronamental/emotional levelwithsomepatients
feelingveryweepyif,forexample, itissuppressed
griefthathascausedthegeneralloweringoftheir
healthand/orthecomplaint. Thehigherpotencies(200Candabove)areespec-
iallyrenownedfortheirabilitytocauseaggravations
andthatisoneofthemainreasonswhyafirst-aid
prescribershouldsticktothelowerpotencies. ANTIDOTES
Thesubjectofantidotesalwaysarousesheateddis-
cussionamonghomeopaths.Therearethosewho
believethatcoffeestronglycounteractstheeffectsofa
28•Andfinally. PRESCRIBING
homeopathicremedy,whileothersbelievethatithas
noeffectwhatsoever. Ihavetakenapositionsomewhereinbetween. I
believethatsomepeoplearesensitivetotheeffectsof
coffee.Thesepeopleareoftengenerallysensitiveand
findcoffeeextremelyenervating,givingthempalpita-
tions.Insuchcases,remediesmaywellbeantidoted
bycoffeeanditiswisetostopdrinking itwhilethe
remediesarebeingtakenandforashorttimeafter-
wards.Ifyouaresensitivetocoffeeandstopdrinking
itwhileyouaretakingyourremedy,thennote
whetheryoursymptomsreturnwhenyoustartdrink-
ingcoffeeagain.Iftheydo,youmayhavetostop
drinking itandtakeanothershortcourseofthe
remedytoclearyoursymptomsoncemore. Thefollowing allcounteracttheeffectsofa
homeopathicremedytosomeextent.Theyarenot
necessarily'bad',butastheactionofaremedycanlast
foraslittleasafewdaysorforaslongasafewmonths,
theyarestrongenoughtostopitworkingandshould
beavoidedwhileitisbeingtakenandforseveral
weeksafterwards. Camphor.Inmothballs,tigerbalms,deep-heat
ointmentsandmostlipsalves. Coffee.Seeabove. Menthol/eucalyptus. Incoughmixtures,Karvolcap-
sules,tigerbalms,Fisherman'sFriend,Vick,Olbas
Oil,etc. Peppermint.Inregulartoothpaste,peppermintteas
andstrongpeppermintsweets(natural,freshmintin
cookingisfine).Asalternativestoordinary,minty
toothpaste,usefenneltoothpaste(availableatmost
health-foodshops),saltwaterorbicarbonateofsoda. AsolutionofCalendulawillactasanefficientmouth-
wash,bothathomeandatthedentist(seeExternal
MateriaMedica). Recreationaldrugs.Cannabisandother,stronger
drugscounteracttheeffectofhomeopathicremedies
andshouldbeavoided. Thedentist.Dentist'smouthwash,toothpastefor
cleaningtheteethandoilofclovesallcounteractthe
effectofhomeopathicremedies,soitiswisenottovisit
thedentistifyouaretakingaremedy.Itissensibleto
avoidhavingX-rays(unlesstheyareessential). Basically,anystrong-smelling orstrong-actingsub-
stancewillaffectahomeopathicremedy.Somepeoplehavefoundthataverystronglyspicedcurrywillhave1
anadverseeffect,asmightanightofheavydrinking. Anemotionalorphysicalshockcanalsostopa
remedyworking.Forsomepeoplethiscanmeanabad
pieceofnews;forothersavisittothedentistwiththe
stressandstrainoftreatmentcanquiteeasilycounter-
acttheactionofaremedytakenashorttimebefore. Ifyourremedyhas'stoppedworking'(youtookit
andyoursymptomsclearedforaperiodoftimeand
nowtheyhavereturned),alwaysaskyourselfifyou
haveantidotedtheremedyinanyway.Ifyouthink
youhave,thenrepeatyourlastremedy-sometimesa
singlerepeatdoseisenough. AndFinally ...
Iwouldencourageanyonewhoistakingfirst-aid
homeopathicprescribingseriouslytoenrolforashort
homeopathic first-aidcourse.Manyadulteducation
collegesruncoursesandmanyhomeopathicprac-
titionersalsoruntheirownonaprivatebasis.Being
signedonwithalocalhomeopath isalsoimportantas
thereisthensomeonewhoknowsyourcase(orthatof
yourfamily)withwhomyoucancheckwhetherthe
stepsyouwishtotakeareappropriate. Iencouragemy
patientstoringinwithalistofsymptoms if,for
example,theirchildhasflu,andmakesurethatitisall
righttogive,say,Gelsemium,orwhetheritwillinter-
ferewiththechild'slong-termconstitutional treat-
ment.Thisalsoenablesthemtoconfirmtheirchoiceof
remedyintheearlystagesofgettingtoknowthe
remedypictures. Lastbutnotleast,Ihopethatthisbookwilldemys-
tifyhomeopathy foryouandthatinunderstanding
thehomeopathicprocessyouwillalsostarttobecome
familiarwithyourownprocessesoffallingilland
willthereforebeabletousehomeopathicmedicines
appropriatelyandeffectively. BEFOREPRESCRIBINGTURNTOPARTIIIFOR
FURTHERINFORMATIONONWHENANDHOW
TOPRESCRIBE. PARTII
THEMATERIA
MEDICAS
ANDREPERTORIES
Inthispartofthebookyouwillfindonesectionlistingremediestobe
takeninternallyandoneforthosetobeusedexternally.Eachofthese
sectionsisdividedintotwo:aMateriaMedica,listingtheremedy
pictures,andaRepertory(index)ofallthesymptomslistedinthese
remedypictures. EXTERNAL
MATERIAMEDICA
ANDREPERTORY
Introduction
Externalremediesarenottruehomeopathicremedies;
theyhavenotbeenproved,ortested,onhealthy
individualsinordertoestablishtheirsymptompic-
tures,andtheyhavenotbeenpotentised.Theyare
basicallyplantextractsandtheindicationsfortheiruse
havedevelopedoutofherballoreoverthousandsof
years.Ihavechosentheremedies Ihavefoundmost
effectivefrommyownexperience. Theremediesarelistedinalphabeticalorder,and
preciseinstructionsaregivenforusingeachone.The
symptoms,orcomplaints,foreachremedyarealso
listedalphabeticallywithineachentry. Externalremediescomeinvariousforms(seebe-
low)andnexttoeachsymptomareinstructionsforthe
mostappropriateformtouse.IntheentryforArnica,
forexample, IsuggestyouuseArnicaoilorointment
forbruisedmusclesandArnicatinctureforawasp
sting. Tinctures,oils,ointmentsandcreamsaresoldby
homeopathicpharmacies(andsometimesstockedby
ordinarychemists).Lotionsareusuallymadeupat
homebydilutingtinctures,andinstructionsforthis
aregivenbelow. Tinctures
Atinctureisasolutionoftheplantinalcohol-usually
aoneintendilution.Itispreparedbyhomeopathic
pharmacies. Lotions
Alotionissimplyadilutionoftinctureinwater,used
forburns,garglingordouching.Lotionsdonotkeep
soyoushouldkeepastockoftincturesandmakeup
lotionsasandwhenyouneedthem.Basiclotion:
Dilute5dropsoftincturewith1tablespoonofcooled,
boiledwater,orforalargerquantityuse40dropsto
V\pint(40drops=approximately Viteaspoon). Stronglotion:
UseonlywhereindicatedintheExternalMateria
Medica. Dilute10dropsoftincturewith1tablespoonofcooled,
boiledwater,or40dropstoVspint. Eyebaths
Add2dropsoftincturetoaneyebathofcooled,boiled
wateranduseinthenormalway. Ointments
Tomakeanointment,thetinctureisincorporatedinto
alanolinbase,whichservestosealcutsfromdirt. Ointmentsarenotwatersolubleandsodonotwash
offeasily.Somepeopleareallergictolanolin(particu-
larlythosesensitivetowool),soit'sworthtestingit
overnightonasmallpatchofskin.Ifthisproducesany
rednessorirritation,avoidusingointmentwhere
possible. Creams
Acreamisaremedytinctureinanaqueous(water-
soluble)base,whichwashesoffeasilyandisn'tsticky. Itiseasilyabsorbedbytheskinandisgoodforareas
thatarenotgoingtogetwet,andforpeoplewhodon't
likestickyointments. Oils
Tomakeanoil,theplantmaterialiscrushedand
maceratedinoilandallowedtostandforaperiodof
timebeforebeingstrainedreadyforuse.Ihaveindi-
catedineachinstancewhereanoilmightbemore
usefulthan,say,acreamoralotion. NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDONTS. 32•AesculusandHamamelis(Aesc./Ham.) EXTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
NBBEFOREPRESCRIBINGFORANY
COMPLAINTITISESSENTIALTOREADTHE
GENERALADVICEANDDOSANDDON'TS
LISTEDONPAGES203-26. AesculusandHamamelis
(Aesc./Ham.) Piles
Acombinationofthesetwoherbsinanointmentor
creamprovidesrelieffrompainfulpiles,butyou
shouldseekprofessionalhelpsothattheycanbe
treated'fromtheinside'topreventtheirrecurrence
(seepage222). Arnica(Am.) Warning:neverapplyArnicaexternallytoopen
wounds,cutsorgrazes-thatis,tobrokenskin-asit
cancauseanastyrash. Bedsores
Useforthefirststageofpressuresorescausedbya
longconfinementinbed. Bruises
Applytheointment,creamorlotiondirectlytothe
affectedpart(remembering touseitonlyonunbroken
skin)assoonaspossible.Ifyoucandothisbeforethe
bruisehasstartedtodiscolour(evenifithasalready
swollen), itwillsimplybere-absorbedbythebody,
especially ifyoutakeArnicainternallyaswell.Rub
ointmentorcreamingently,orifyouareusinglotion
applyitonapieceoflintorgauzeandkeepinplace
untiltheswellinghassubsided-usuallyamatterof
severalhours. Corns
Applytheointmenttwoorthreetimesadayforrelief. Soremuscles
RubArnicaointmentoroilintosore,bruisedmuscles
afterexertion(suchasgardeningorskiing)andtake
theappropriateinternalremedyifyoursymptomsare
severe. Sprains/strains (firststage)
RubinArnicaointmentorcream,orwrapthesprained
jointinalotion-soakedbandage.Thiswilldealwith
theinitialswelling. Waspstings
Dabthewoundwithneattinctureimmediatelyafter
beingstung.Calendula (Caien.) Warning:Calendulahelpsthelayersoftheskin(the
epithelium)to'knit'backtogetherandwillmenda
cleanwoundinamatterofhours.Ithealssorapidly
thatitcansealdirtintothebody,soalwayscleanthe
woundverycarefullybeforeapplyingCalendula. Burns/scalds(seconddegree)
UseCalendulacreamorlotionforthelaterstagesofa
burnoncethepainhaspassed.Calendulawillpromote
newskingrowthandisespeciallyusefulwhere
blistershavebroken. Childbirth
MassageCalendulaoilintotheperineumduringlabour
tosoftentheareaandtohelpmakeanepisiotomy
unnecessary. Crackednipples
IfPhytolaccahasfailedtohelp,applyCalendulaoint-
ment,orcreamifsensitivetolanolin,tohealcracked,
painfulnipples. Cuts/wounds
Applyointmentorcreamtominorcuts,andbandage
ifnecessary.Forseriouswoundsapplylotionona
pieceoflintorgauzeandkeepinplace.Useaplant
sprayfilledwithlotiontokeepthedressingdampbut
donotremovethedressinguntilthebleedinghas
stoppedandhealingiswellunderway. Eczema/rashes
Calendulalotionorcreamisespeciallyusefulforsooth-
ingeczemaorrasheswheretheskinhascrackedor
beenscratchedraw.Itwillnottreattheunderlying
causeoftheeczema;youshouldseekprofessional
helpforthis. Handcream
Calendulacreammakesamarvelloushandcreamafter
gardeningorworkingonthecarwhentheremaybe
littlecutsintheskin. Mouthwash
Useastronglotionaftertoothextractionsorafterany
sortofdentalworkwherethegumshavebeencut. Nappyrash
Useointmentorcreamseveraltimesdaily,making
surethatthewholeareaiscleananddryfirst(wash
withwaterandamild,unscentedsoap).Seealso
Symphytum. Sunburn
Usethelotionorcream(seeBurnsabove). EXTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Hypercal •33
Thrush
Forvaginalthrushdouchewiththefollowingmixture
torelievesorenessanditching:makeonepintof
chamomiletea(onepintofboilingwatertoonetable-
spoonofdriedchamomileleavesoronechamomile
teabag).Leavetocool,strain,add40dropsofCalen-
dulatinctureanddouchetwicedailyforuptoaweek
only.Youcanbuyare-usabledouchefromlarger
chemists(notthedisposabletypewhichcomeswith
itsownsolution).Douchingwillnotcurethecom-
plaint;itwillonlyhelpduringtheacutephase(see
page225),andyoushouldseekprofessionalhelp. Euphrasia(Euphr.) Eyeinfections/inflammations/injuries
UseEuphrasiawhenevertheeyeneedsbathing-
whether itissoreaftertheremovalofdirtorgrit,after
swimminginachlorinatedpool,whenirritatedby
hayfeverorwhenactuallyinfectedorinflamed. IfEuphrasiadoesn'thelp,useHypercaltincture
(seeopposite).Somepeoplefinditmoreeffective,
especiallyinthecaseofinfection. Itisessentialtousecooled,boiledwaterinan
eyebath,andtocleantheeyebathitselfwithboiling
wateraftereacheyeisbathedtopreventthespreadof
infection. HAMAMELIS(Ham.) Hamamelis,orwitchhazel,iswidelysoldinchemistsas
distilledwitchhazel,butitisneitherasastringentnor
aseffectiveasthetinctureavailablefromhomeopathic
pharmacies.Usethedistilledformifthisisallyoucan
find. Bruises
Hamamelisisusefulforbruiseswheretheskinhasbeen
broken(Arnicaisforuseonunbrokenskinandis
thereforeinappropriate).UseHamamelisinthesame
wayasArnica,asanointment,creamorlotion. Piles
Applyacompressofthelotion(youcanuseasmall
sanitarytowelorastripofcottonwool)toprovide
instantrelieffrompain .Keepinplaceforawhile(upto
anhour,twicedaily)toreduceinflammation. Alternatively,AesculusandHamamelisointmentor
creammaybeappliedasoftenasnecessary. Itis
essentialthatthecorrectinternalhomeopathicremedy
isgivensothatthepilesaretreatedfromtheinsideand
realhealingcantakeplace.Varicoseveins
Applythelotiontovaricoseveins,especiallypainful
ones,bywrappingtheleginlotion-soakedbandages. Leaveinplaceforaslongaspossible,untilthediscom-
forteasesandthenuseonlywhenneeded.Anelastic
(tube)bandageoverthetopwillkeepbandagesin
place. HYPERCAL®
ThisisamixtureofCalendulaandHypericum;the
combinedhealingqualitiesofthetwoplantsmakeit
especiallyeffectiveinsoothingandhealingwounds. Childbirth
AfterchildbirthHypercal9willhelptohealacutortorn
perineum.Applyastronglotiononasmallpador
compresstotheaffectedarea,keeping itinplaceforup
toanhouratatime,andrepeatingeveryfourhoursfor
severaldays. Coldsores
Diluteoneparttincturetothreepartscooled,boiled
waterandapplythisstronglotionfrequentlyto
coldsoresassoonastheyappear,oruseointment. Taketheappropriateinternalremedyatthesame
time. Cuts/wounds
Useointment,creamorlotiontohealwoundsjust
asyouwoulduseCalendulaorHypericumontheir
own. Soakcutfingers,toesorelbowsinabasinofwater
intowhichateaspoonofHypercal9tincturehasbeen
addedandgentlyremoveanybitsofdirt.Theclean
woundcanthenbedressedwithasmearofthecream
orointment. Eyeinfections/inflammations/injuries
AsanalternativetoEuphrasia,use2dropsinan
eyebathtohelpclearinflammationcausedbydust,
foreignbodies,infectionorinjury.Seekprofessional
helpifthesorenesspersists. Mouthulcers
Usethemouthwashbelowfrequently,aswellas
takingtheappropriateinternalremedy. Mouthwash
Thismouthwash isgoodformouthulcers,inflamed,
soreorspongygums.Makeastronglotionbydiluting
40dropsoftinctureinVspintandswooshitwell
aroundthemouthafterbrushingyourteeth,then
massageitintothegumswithyourfingers. 34•Hypericum(Hyp.) EXTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Sorethroat
DissolveoneteaspoonofseasaltinV\pintofhot
water.Add40dropsofHypercaltinctureandgargleas
frequentlyasnecessary. Hypericum(Hyp.) Hypericumsoothesandhealswounds,especially
wherenerveshavebeendamagedandtheinjuryis
painful.Thepainsofa'Hypericumwound'aretypically
shootingand/orsevere. Boils
Applythelotionexternallyasacompress(onlintor
gauze)andrenewiteveryfourtosixhourstorelieve
painandencouragehealing.Itisimportanttotreata
tendencytoboilsfromtheinsidesoseekprofessional
helpifyouhavearecurringproblem. Burns(seconddegree,withblistering)
SoakgauzestripsorlintinHypericumlotion,wringout
andlayovertheburnedarea.Keepthebandages
dampbysprayingtheareawiththelotion.Donot
removetheclothuntilthepainhasceased.Hypericum
isalsousefulinthefirststageofaburnonanerve-rich
andthereforeverypainfulpart.Givetheappropriate
internalremedy. Cuts/wounds
Uselotiontobatheandcleandirtycuts/wounds,
andapplyointmentbeforebandaging.Hypericum is
especiallygoodwherethereareshootingpainsinor
aroundthewoundandforinjuriestonerve-richparts
(crushedfingersandtoes) .Ifacompressisappliedtoa
crushedfingerortoeandkeptdampforafewdays,a
damagednailcanbepreventedfromtakinganodd
shapeoncehealed. Insectbites
UseneatHypericumtinctureonanyinsectbite.If
swellingpersists,applythelotionasacompress,and
keepinplaceforaslongasittakesfortheswellingto
diminish. Piles
UseacompressofHypericumlotion(orointment if
preferred)forbleedingpileswithsevereshooting
pains.Repeatasnecessary,butseekprofessional
help. Sunburn
SeeBurnsabove.LEDUM(Led.) Insectbites/stings
UseLedumtinctureneatoninsectbitesandstingsto
preventswellinganditching. Manyhomeopathicpharmacieshavetheirown
preparationsforrelievingbitesandstings.Theseare
generallymixturesofanumberofremediesandare
appliedneatasabove. Ifyouareoftenbittenandaresensitivetoinsect
bites,youwillbenefitfromconstitutionalhomeo-
pathictreatment(seepage205),especially ifyour
responseisextremelysevere. Phytolacca (Phyt.) Crackednipples
Applythetinctureneatforspeedyhealingofnipples
thataresoreand/orcrackedthroughbreastfeeding. Sorethroat
Useastronglotionasagargle(40dropstoVepintof
cooled,boiledwatertowhichateaspoonofseasaltcan
alsobeadded).Taketheappropriateinternalremedy. PLANTAGO(Plant.) Earache
Diluteafewdropsoftincturewithequalquantitiesof
warmalmondoil(orcooled,boiledwater)anddrop
intothepainfulear.Followtheseguidelines:
1Heataspoonbydippingitinboilingwater,then
pourtheoilandthetinctureintoitandwait30
secondsforthespoontocoolandtheoiltowarm. 2Tiptheheadononeside. 3Droptheliquidintotheear. 4Pullthelobeoftheeardownandroundandoutvery
gentlysothattheliquidgoesrightintotheear. Somechildrenwillnotallowanythingtobeputinto
theirearswhentheyareinpain.Donotforcethison
them.Offerinsteadawarmhotwaterbottlewrapped
inasofttowelforthemtolieon;ifthatdoesn'thelptry
anicepack(crushediceinaplasticbaginathin,soft
towel).Orwraptheheadtightlywithascarf.Oneof
thesemeasuresmightoffertemporaryreliefandalso
guideyoutothecorrectinternalremedy. NBSEEKPROFESSIONALHELPIFPAINIS
SEVERE. EXTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Symphytum(Symph.) •35
Toothache
Applyneattincturetotheaffectedtoothorswooshthe
mouthoutfrequentlywithastronglotion(40drops
tincturewithVspintcooled,boiledwater). PYRETHRUM (Pyr.) Insectrepellent
Applythelotiontoallexposedareasofskin,andcarry
aspraybottleofthelotionwithyoutorenewthe
applications.Somepharmacies sellPyrethrumina
spray,otherwisebuythetinctureandmakeafresh
batchoflotiondaily.Somehomeopathicpharmacies
alsoproducetheirown'anti-bitelotion'whichcanbe
dilutedandusedasabove.Experimenttoseewhich
suitsvoubest. RESCUEREMEDY(RR)
Thiswonderfulall-purpose'remedy'isbasedon
flowersandcomesinacreamorasatincture.Ithas
beenknowntohelpanythingfrombruises,coldsores,
crackednipples,eczema,insectbitesandstings,
nappyrashandpilestosunburn.IfRescueRemedy
isallyouhavethenuseit.(Seepage250. )RUTAGRAVEOLENS (Ruta.) Bunions/corns
Applytheointmenttwicedailytoeasepain. Bruises
Thisisforwhenbonypartsofthebodyaresoreaftera
knock,afterArnicahasreducedtheswelling,butthe
sorenesspersists.Shinbones,elbowsandkneecaps
areallpartsthathavelittleprotectivemuscleandthe
coveringtothebonecantakelongertoheal.Rutacan
speeduptheprocess.Applytheointmenttwoorthree
timesdailyuntilthepaineases. Eyestrain
DilutetwodropsofRutatincturewithaneyebathof
cooled,boiledwater,tohelpeyesstrainedbytoo
muchstudy,reading,orworkingataVDU. Sprains
UseRutawhereRhus-t.hasn'thelpedandthecovering
tothebonemayhavebeendamaged. Ihavefounda
mixtureofRhus-t.andRutainanointmentwonderful
forsprainsandstrains. Tenniselbow
Applyointmentorcreamasnecessarytorelievethe
pain .Donotfurtherstressthejointbymorestrenuous
activity. RHUSTOXICODENDRON (Rhus-t.)
Jointpain
Rhustoxicodendronointmentrubbedintojointscan
providereliefforsufferersfromrheumatismand
arthritis. Sprains(secondstage)
Aftertheswellinghassubsided(withapplicationsof
Arnicaointmentorcream),applyRhustoxicodendron
ointmenttwicedailytothesprainedjoint,andban-
dagetightly.Usethejoint/limbaslittleaspossibleand
keepitelevatedtogiveitachancetoheal.Rhus-t.is
especiallyusefulwhereligamentsaretorn. Strains
Afterliftingorover-exertion,theointmentcanhelp
enormously,especially ifyouhavethetypicalRhus
symptoms:stiffnessonbeginningtomove(ongetting
up,forexample),improvementwithcontinuedmove-
ment,butareturnofthepainfulstiffnessifyouoverdo
itorsitdownagain.Symphytum(Symph.) Cuts/wounds
Symphytum isagoodall-purposeointmentorcream. Useonminorcutsonceyouhavecleanedthem. Nappyrash
WhereCalendulahasn'thelped,Symphytumointment
oftenwill.Ifitdoesn't,yourbabywillneedconsti-
tutionaltreatmentfromaprofessionalhomeopath. Itisworthaskingyourmidwifeorhealthvisitorfor
simplepracticalmeasurestohelpthiscomplaint.For
instance,dryingababy'sbottomwithawarmhair-
dryer(atasafedistance)beforeapplyingointments
helpstoclearastubbornrash.CautionTestthehair-
dryeronyourowninnerforearmfirstandtakegreat
care. Sprains
ApplySymphytumointmenttosprainsthatdon'tre-
spondtoRutaorRhus-t.within48hours.Alsotake
Symphytuminternally,astheremaybedamagetothe
boneitself. NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS. 36•Tamus(Tarn.) EXTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
TAMUS(Tarn.) Chilblains
Applytheointmenttwotothreetimesdailybeforethe
chilblainsbreaktostopitchingandtospeeduphealing. Warning:neverapplytoachilblainwheretheskinhas
broken.treatedwithrespect.Theyarecuredsuccessfullywith
constitutionalhomeopathictreatment,sodonotsup-
pressthemwithacidsfromthechemistorhavethem
cutout.Homeopathshavefoundagainandagainthat
suppressingwartsinthiswaycanleadtothedevelop-
mentofmoreseriouscomplaints. THIOSINAMINUM (Thios.) Scars
Thiosinaminumreducestheswellingofabadlyhealed
scar-wheretherearelumpsandbumps(keloids)-as
longasitisusedsoonaftertheevent(withinthree
months),butitisstillworthtryingonolderscars.Itis
usefulforlumpyscarsfollowingappendicectomies,
episiotomies,andsoon.Aprofessionalhomeopath
willalsotreatthesewithinternalremedies. Thuja(Thu.) Warts/verrucas
NeatThujatincturecanbeappliedtwicedailyand
Thuja6takenorallyforuptotendays. Warning: ifthisremedyhasnoeffectseektheadvice
ofaprofessionalhomeopath.Thecontinueduseof
Thujaisnotadvisableasthesymptomsfromthe
provingareunpleasantanddifficulttogetridof.Itisa
deep-actingremedythatshouldnotgenerallybeused
inafirst-aidkitforself-prescribing.However,sinceit
ispartoftherangestockedbymanychemists Ihave
includedtheminimumindications forsafe
administration. Itisnowacceptedthatyoudonot'catch'verrucasin
swimmingpoolsaswascommonlybelieveduntilre-
cently.Homeopathsbelievethatwartsandverrucas
arepartofanoverallsymptompictureandneedtobeURTIGAURENS(Urt-u.) Beesting
Dabonneattinctureandtaketheappropriateinternal
remedy-
Bums(minor)
Forminorburnswithrednessbutnoblistering,apply
cream,ointment,oracompresssoakedinlotion.Take
theappropriateinternalremedyifneeded. Eczema/rashes
Urticacreamorlotioncanrelievetheitchingofeczema
oranyrash,especially ifititchesandstingsandthen
burns.Itisessentialtoseekprofessionalhelpforthis
condition. Sunburn
Applylotionorcreamtosunburnedareas,repeating
accordingtotheseverity.UseamixtureofHypericum
andUrticatincturesinthelotioniftherearesevere
shootingpains(20dropsofeachtinctureinV*pintof
water)andtaketheappropriateinternalremedy. VERBASCUMOIL(Verb.) Earache
Dropthewarmedoilintotheeartorelievepain
andpromotehealing.Followtheinstructionsunder
Plantago(page34). EXTERNALREPERTORY
TheExternalRepertoryisanindexofthesymptoms
listedintheExternalMateriaMedica. BedsoresAm. BeestingsseeStings
BoilsHyp. Bruises
onunbrokenskinAm.,RR
onbrokenskinHam. onbonesRuta
Bunions/corns Ruta
Burns/scalds
minorUrt-u. seconddegree(withblistering)Calen.,Hyp. ChilblainsTamus
ChildbirthCalen.,Hypercal*
ColdSoresHypercal®,RR
Conjunctivitis seeEyeinfections
CornsAm. CrackednipplesCalen.,Phyt.,RR
Cuts/wounds Calen.,Hyp.,Hypercal®,RR,Symph. EarachePlant.,Verb. Eczema/rashes Calen.,RR,Urt-u. Eyeinfections/inflammations/injuries Euphr.,
Hypercal®
EyestrainRuta
GargleseeSorethroatHandcreamCalen. HerpesseeColdsores
InsectbitesHyp.,Led.,RR
InsectrepellentPyr. JointpainRhus-t.
MouthulcersHypercal9
Mouthwash Calen.,Hypercal9
NappyrashCalen.,RR,Symph. PilesAesc./Ham.,Ham.,Hyp. PinkeyeseeEyeinfections
ScarsThios. SoremusclesAm. SorethroatHypercal9
,Phyt. Sprains
firststage(withswelling)Am. secondstageRhus-t.,Ruta,Symph. Stings
beeLed.,RR,Urt-u. waspAm.,Led.,RR
StrainsAm.,Rhus-t.
SunburnCalen.,Hyp.,RR,Urt-u. TenniselbowRuta
ThrushCalen. ToothachePlant. UlcersseeMouthulcers
VaricoseveinsHam. Warts/verrucas Thu. WaspstingsseeStings
INTERNALMATERIA
MEDICA
ACONITUMNAPELLUS(Aco.) Familyname:Ranunculaceae
Othernames:monk's-hood;wolf's-bane;common
aconite
Thisplantgrowsinmoistpasturesandwastelands
inthemountainous districtsofEurope,Russiaand
CentralAsia.Itgrowstoaheightofbetweentwoand
sixfeetandhasbluish-violethoodedflowers. Aconitecontainsadeadlypoison(therootpos-
sesses90percentmorethantheleaf),whichissaidto
bemorepotenteventhanprussicacidandisthepoisonthatwasusedbytheancientGreeks-infact
throughouthistoryithasbeenrenownedmoreforits
powertokillthantoheal.Itissaidthatthehuntsmen
oftheAlpsdippedtheirarrowsinitwhenhunting
wolves-hencethenamewolf's-bane. AccordingtoMrsGrieve(AModernHerbal),Aconite
andBelladonnaweretheingredientsofwitches''flying
ointments',withtheircombinedactions(palpitations
anddelirium)producingasensationofflying! HahnemannpublishedhisprovingsofAconitein
1805,anditsoonbecameawidelyusedremedy,
especiallyforfeversandinflammations,whichuntil
thenhadbeenlargely'cured'bybloodletting.Andso
itbecameknownasthe'homeopathic lancet'. Thehomeopathicremedyispreparedfromthe
wholeplant(excepttheroot),whichistakenatflower-
ingtimeinJune/Julyandchopped,poundedtoapulp
andthejuiceexpressed,mixedwithalcohol,andthen
succussed. GENERALSYMPTOMS
Complaintsfrom:colddrywind;fear;gettingchilled;
shock.Facered.Onsetofcomplaintsudden.Likes
colddrinks.Painsunbearable.Palpitations.Sweat:
hot;oncoveredpartsofthebody.Thirsty.Taste:
mouthtastesbitter. Betterforfreshair. Worseatnight;fortouch. Thisremedywillworkonlyattheverybeginningofan
illness-withinthefirsttwenty-fourtoforty-eight
hours.Thesymptomsareoftenaresultoffright,shock
orbeingchilled.Someonewhohasbeenveryangry
canalsobringonanAconitestate.Exposuretoa
draught,oracold,drywind,cancauseawiderangeof
symptoms(colds,coughs,cystitis,etc. ).Ifinpain,the
pains-inthehead,throat,teeth,orwherever-are
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Aeoniturnnapellus(Aco. )•39
intolerable,andwilldrivethesepeopletodespair. Generally,peoplewhoneedAconitewillbeworseat
night;thoughtheyareusuallyOKongoingtobed,
theywakeuparoundmidnight(usuallybeforemid-
night)withthecough,croup,earache,etc.Theywill
notwanttobetouched(examinedorinterferedwith)
andwillbebetterforsomefreshair. EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Anxious:whenchilled;generally;duringafever. Expression:anxious;frightened.Fearful:inacrowd;
ofdeathduringpregnancy/labour.Screamingwith
pain.Sensitivetonoise.Tearfulduringafever. SomeonewhoneedsAconitelooksanxious,andhas
shocked,staring,glassyeyes(thepupilsmaybedi-
lated). 'Aconiteshock'istheoppositeof'Arnicashock'
inthatapersonneedingAconitewillbeextremely
distressed(anxiousandfearful).Theymaywellbe
inconsolable.Theyarescaredofgoingoutintoa
situationwheretherewillbelotsofpeople.Their
painsmaybesevere,especiallyinchildbirth,for
example,andpatientsmaysay,'Iwanttodie'.Aconite
typesmayalsoscreamwiththepain. PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Chickenpox
SymptomsWith Aconitegeneralandemotionalmental
symptoms,andfever. Commoncold
SymptomsWithheadache(seebelow). Causesshock;gettingchilled;cold,drywind. GiveAconiteatthefirstsignofacoldifthestressisas
above. Cough
SymptomsCough:barking;dry;hoarse;irritating;
short;tickling.Breathing fast. Worseatnight;duringfever;dry,coldair. Causescold,drywind. Alltheairpassagesareirritated. Itisoftenworseat
nightafterbeingoutinacold,drywind(especiallya
northoraneastwind). Croup
SymptomsSymptomsofCough(above). Unlessyouhavestrongindicationsforanotherrem-
edy,thisisthefirstremedytothinkofgivingfor
croup.Cystitis
SymptomsPainspressing. Causesgettingchilled. Earache
SymptomsPainsunbearable. Causesgettingchilled;cold,drywind. Eyeinflammation
SymptomsEyessensitivetolight;whitesofeyesred. Pains:aching;burning.Withacommoncold. Causesgettingchilled;foreignbodyineye. Worseforcold,drvwind. Fever
SymptomsHeat:alternatingwithchillsatnight;
burning;dryatnight.Pulse:fast;strong.With
ANXIETY. Betterforuncovering. Worseatnight;intheevening. Causesgettingchilled. Thepersonfeelshotinsideandchillyexternally.The
cheeksmayalternatebetweenhotandredandpale
andghostly(thecolourmaydrainfromthefaceon
gettingup);oronecheekwillbehotandredandthe
otherpaleandcold,especiallyinteethingchildren. Thosepartsofthebodythatarecoveredwithclothing
becomesweaty;thepersonmaykickoffthecovers. Thereisaburning,unquenchable thirst;everything
tastesbitterexceptwater,andeventhattastesbad. Headache
SymptomsPains:burning;bursting;throbbing. Causesfright;shock;gettingchilled. Injuries
SymptomsCuts/woundsbleedfreely.Withshock
(seebelow). Aconitehelpswithwoundsthatarebleedingexcess-
ivelywherethecharacteristicshockispresent. Insomnia
SymptomsRestlesssleep.Anxiousdreams. Measles
SymptomsOnsetsudden.Skinrash:itches;burns. Withfever;cough. Suddenonsetwithrestlessness, fever,coughand
thirst. NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS. 40•Agaricusmuscarius(Agar) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Mumps
SymptomsOnsetsudden.Withfever. Periodproblems
SymptomsPeriodlate. Causesfright;shock;gettingchilled;pregnancy. Shock
Causesinjuries;surgery;childbirth. ThisisaccompaniedbytheextremeAconite-typefear
andanxiety.Itisusefulduringorfollowingoper-
ations,andforshockedmothersand/orbabieseither
duringorafterlabour,especiallyafastlabour.The
mothermayexperiencesomeshakingwiththeshock,
whereasthebabymayjustbeverystill,withan
anxiousorfearfullookinitseyes. Sorethroat
SymptomsPains:burning;stitching. Causesgettingchilled. Teething
SymptomsCheekshotandred.Withsymptomsof
fever(seeabove).Painfulinchildrenwithrestless
sleep. Childrentossandturnintheirsleepandbitetheirfists
andscream.Theteethingmaywellbeaccompaniedby
fever. Toothache
SymptomsPains:tearing;ingoodteeth. Causescold,drywind. Retentionofurine
SymptomsInnewbornbabies;inchildrenwho
catchcold. Thisisespeciallyusefulfornewbornbabieswhodon't
pee,whohavebeenshockedbythebirth(especiallya
fastlabour). AGARICUSMUSCARIUS (Agar.) Naturalorder:fungi
Commonnames:flyagaric;bugagaric;toadstoolThispoisonoustoadstoolgrowsindryplaces,es-
peciallyindrypinewoods,inEurope,Asiaandthe
USA.ItisuncommoninEnglandbutabundantin
somepartsofScotland. Agaricusisthoughttobetheoldestofhallucinogens
usedforritualisticpurposes.Medicinemenatethis
toadstooltoachieveecstaticstates(althoughthese
periodsofgreatanimation,whichwereoftenaccom-
paniedbydancing,singingandtalkingtoimagined
persons,alternatedwithtimesofdeepdepression). It
wasalsoemployedatonetimeinthemakingof
alcoholicbeveragesbutthispracticewasbesetwith
dangersinviewoftheterribledeathsthatsometimes
occurredfromthepoisonings. Forthehomeopathicpreparation,themushroom is
wellwashed,mashedinamortar,thenequalpartsof
alcoholareaddedtoit.Thisislefttostandforthree
daysbeforebeingstrainedandsuccussed. GENERALSYMPTOMS
Clumsy:tripseasilywhilewalking.Trembling. Twitchy. Worseforcold. Thisremedyisaspecificcureforchilblains,especially
ofthefeetandtoes,and,usedwithTamusointment,
willcuremostcasesofstraightforward chilblains
wherenootherstrongsymptomswouldleadyouto
prescribeamore'important'remedy. INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Alliumcepa(All-c.)•41
GeneralsymptomsofpeopleneedingAgaricusare
tremblingandtwitchiness,whichmaybesobadthat
theydropthingsorstumblewhenwalking.Theyare
generallyverysensitivetocold,dampweather. Therearenomarkedemotional/mentalsymptoms. PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Chilblains
SymptomsChilblains:burning;itching;red. Worseforcold. Chilblainsareonthehandsandfeet,orveryoc-
casionallyontheears,butwhichareworseonthefeet. Theyareterriblypainfulwhenthehandsorfeetbe-
comecold. Headache
SymptomsEyes/eyelidstwitching. Worseinthemorning. Causesalcohol;nerves. Alliumcepa(aii-c.)
Familyname:Liliaceae
Commonname:commonredonion
Thisplantisuniversallycultivatedasagardenveg-
etable,andithasbeenrenownedforhundredsofyearsamongcountryfolkandherbalistsforitshealing
properties. Ithasbeenusedinavarietyofways:
externallyasapoulticeforacne,chilblainsandarthri-
tis(todrawoutinflammation),andinternallyasa
bloodpurifierandtocleartheintestinesofworms.The
juicehasbeensniffedupthenostrils,droppedintothe
earsorappliedto'blemished'skin;onionwinehas
beenbrewedforthosewithweakchests;andthe
wholeonionhasbeenroastedwithhoneyorsugarfor
stubborncoughs. TheancientEgyptianssworebytheonion,and
consumedvastquantities.Theyhaveevenwor-
shipped it.Inittheysawsymbolisedtheuniverse,
sincetheybelievedthevariousspheresofheaven,
earthandhellwereconcentric,liketheonion'slayers;
andthereforeEgyptianpriestswereforbiddentoeat
it. Forthehomeopathicpreparationthefreshbulbis
gatheredinJuly/Augustandchopped,thenpounded
toapulpbeforeitismixedwithalcoholandsuccussed. GENERALSYMPTOMS
Homeopathically, thecommonredonionisusedonly
forthosesymptomsthatitiscapableofproducingina
healthyindividual,thatis,streamingeyesandnose. Anyillnessthatproducesthesesymptoms-beita
coldorhayfever-canbecuredbyAlliumcepa. Euphrasiaisverysimilarinthatittooproduces
streamingheadcoldsorhayfever,butthereisan
importantdifference:inAlliumcepathenasalcatarrh
burnsandtheeyedischargedoesn't.Thereverseis
trueofEuphrasia,wherethenasalcatarrhdoesn'tburn
andthedischargefromtheeyesdoes. Therearenomarkedemotional/mental symptoms. PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Commoncold
SymptomsNasalcatarrh:burning;onesided;pro-
fuse;watery.Witheyeinflammation;headache;
sneezing;sorethroat. Betterforfreshair. Worseinastuffyroom. Causescoldwind;gettingwetfeet. Thenasaldischargemaybeonesided,thatis,onlyone
nostrilmaystream.Thecoldsymptoms,especiallythe
sneezing,willbegenerallyworseinawarmroom. Cough
SymptomsCouch:hacking;irritating;painful.Tick-
linginlarynx.Voicehoarse. Worseforcoldair. Thecoughisgenerallybetterforbeinginawarmroom
(thisistheoppositeofthecoldsymptoms). 42•Antimoniumcrudum(Ant-c.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Eyeinflammation
Symptomsofacommoncold(seeabove).Dis-
charge:bland,non-irritating;profuse.Eyeswatering. Hayfever
Symptomsofacommoncold(seeabove)andeye
inflammation (seeabove). Worseinthespring;inAugust. Antimoniumcrudum(Ant-c.)
Othernames:antimoniisulphuratum;sulphuretof
antimony;nativesulphideofantimony
Blackantimonyoccursbothasachemicalcompound
andincrystallineformasthemineralstibnitewhichis
foundinmanypartsofEuropeandtheUnitedStates. Ithasbeenusedasaveterinarymedicinetocure
horseswithsoreheelsandtofattenpigsandlean,
scabbycattle.TraditioninfactrelatesthataGerman
monkthrewsomeantimonytohispigsandobserved
that,afterpurgingthemviolently, itimmediately fat-
tenedthem.Thismadehimthinkthatbygivinghis
fellowmonksadosetheywouldlikewisebethebetter
forit.Theexperimentfailed,however;theyalldied
andthe'medicine'henceforthwascalledantimonyor
anti-monk.
The_Complete_Homeopathy_Handbook_by_miranda_castros.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Acolleagueofminetellsofasix-month-oldbaby
whowastreatedatalocalhospitalasanemergency
out-patientinastateofcollapse. Thenurseonduty
wasastudentofmycolleague'sanddiscoveredthat
themotherhadbeengivingherbabyChamomilla6
severaltimesadayforcolicsincesoonafterbirth. As
soonasthehomeopathicremedywasdiscontinued for
aperiodoftimethemuscletonereturned. Itisimportanttobeonyourguardagainstthis
over-useofhomeopathicmedicines. Readcarefully
Chapter6beforeyoustartprescribing. Confusionofthesymptompicture
Ifaremedyhasnotbeenprescribedonthewhole
personitwillworkinalimitedway,curingarestricted
numberofsymptoms. Inthesecasessomecomplaints
remainanditispossibletoendupgivingoneremedy
afteranotherinordertotryto'getrid'oftheremaining
symptoms. Intheendthewholepicturebecomesso
18•'Homeopathy isaformofherbalism' MYTHSANDMISAPPREHENSIONS
changedthatitisdifficulttofindthesimilimum(that
singleremedythatwasneededattheverybeginning). Theprofessionalhomeopathhasdifferentwaysof
dealingwiththisphenomenon inordertogetback
totheoriginalsymptompicture. Ifyoufindthatyou
areprescribingoneremedyafteranotherwithonly
limitedeffect,thendogetprofessionalhelp. Suppression
Ahomeopathicremedycancureasuperficialsymp-
tomsuchasaskineruptioninthesamewaythat,fc
example,theapplicationofaCortisonecreamcan. Thiswillonlybethecaseiftheremedyhasbeen
prescribedontheskincomplaint(singlesymptom)
withouttakingintoaccountthewholepersonandor
thecause. Theeffectistopushthediseasefurtherinto
thebody(seeLawsofCure,page15). Constitutional
treatmentwilloftencommencewiththeoriginal
symptomresurfacing. Suppression isnotcommonin
homeopathybutispossible. Inself-prescribing, ifyour
complaintdisappearsbutyoufeelmuchworsein
yourself(i. e. vourmoodsandvourenergy)thenitis
likelythatyouhavemadeapoorchoiceofremedy-
antidoteitandgetsomeprofessionaladvice. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
herbalism'
Inmyexperience,thisisthecommonestmythofall. Whileitiscertainlytruethataproportionofthe
remediesahomeopathusesarebasedonplants,and
though,asinhomeopathy,theherbalistprescribeson
theindividual,theprinciplesthatgovernthetwo
therapiesarequitedifferent. Manyplantshaveknownhealingproperties;herb-
alismisconcernedwiththeknownsphereofactionof
aplantbasedonitschemicalconstituentsaswellasits
knownhealingqualities. Herbalismhasexistedfor
thousandsofyears-foraslongaswehaverecords-in
someformoranotherandhasitsrootsinmother
earth. Itistheonlyformofmedicineusedbyanimals. Homeopathy,ontheotherhand,isbasedona
verydifferentsetofprinciples(seeChapter2). Homeopathicremediesarenotusedinthematerial
dose;noraretheybasedsolelyonplants,usingas
theydopoisons,metalsanddiseaseproducts. Homeopathsgenerallyprescribeoneremedyatatime
ratherthanthemixturesofplanttincturesthatherb-
alistsemploy. And,ofcourse,homeopathy inits
modernformisamere180yearsold. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
vaccination'
Peopleoftensavthattheyunderstandhomeopathyto
belikeavaccinationinthatthepatientisgivenasmallquantityofthediseasehealreadyhasinordertomake
himimmunetoit. Thisisnottrue. Homeopathyandvaccinationhave
similar,notthesame,conceptsandverydifferentprac-
tices. Vaccinesworkonthephysicalbodyinavery
specificway,inthattheystimulatetheimmunesys-
temdirectlytoproducespecificantibodiesas(/that
personhadcontractedthatparticulardisease;inso
doingtheyare,ofcourse,stressingtheimmunesys-
tem. Manyvaccineshavebeenknowntoproduce
permanentsideeffects. Theymustbetestedonani-
malsandthenonhumanstoverifytheirsafety,and
eventhenchildrenandadultsareoftendamagedona
physical,emotionalormentallevel. Ahomeopathicremedyworksinatotallydifferent
way,asareadingofChapter2willagainbearout. Homeopathicremediesaffecttheenergypatternsor
thevitalforceofapersonandbysodoingstimulatethe
bodytohealitself. Theyareadministered orallyina
diluted(andsafe)doseasopposedtobeingintroduced
directlvintothebloodstream,asisthecasewith
vaccination,therebybypassingthebody'snaturalde-
fencesystemandstressing itinawaythatisnotfully
understood. Homeopathicmedicinesarenottestedon
innocentanimalsanddonothavesideeffects. Myth:'Homeopathicremediesare
placebos'
Thismythcanberephrasedtoread'Youneedto
believeinitforittowork. 'Thisispatentlyridiculousto
anyonewhohasexperiencedorprescribedasuccess-
fulhomeopathiccurefor,say,aheadinjuryora
middle-earinfection. Aplaceboisanunmedicated pillwhichthepatient
believescontainssomethingthatwillcurehimorher. Double-blind trialsalwaysinvolvetheinclusionofa
controlgrouptakingaplaceboinsteadofthemedicine
beingtestedinordertoruleouttheindividual's
'suggestibility'. Itisbecausehomeopathicremediesdonotalways
workthattheyaresometimesbelievedtobeineffec-
tive,and,becauseroutineprescriptionssuchasRhus
toxicodendronforrheumatismandChamomillaforteeth-
ingbabiesarefreelyavailablefromhigh-streetchem-
ists,peoplearewronglypersuadedintothinkingthat
theyneednotconsultahomeopath(oranadequate
first-aidbook). Iftheremediesdonotworkitis
assumedthathomeopathydoesnotwork;iftheydo
workitisattributedtoaplaceboeffect-somedouble
blind. Homeopathicmedicinesworkeffectivelyonbabies
andanimals,neitherofwhomareopentobeing
affectedbyplacebos. Itisalwaysessentialtoindividualisetheremedyto
fitthepatientandnotthedisease,toensurethatthe
MYTHSANDMISAPPREHENSIONS 'Homeopathy ismysteriousandunscientific' •19
underlyingprinciplesareobservedsothattheelement
ofchanceisdecreasedandhomeopathycanbeseento
work. Ofcourse,therearemanypeoplewhowillrecog-
nisetheexperienceofconsultingapractitionerwho
inspiresbeliefandhope,wholeftthemfeeling
buoyantandencouraged. Butifthisinitialrapportis
notbackedupwithgoodsolidprescribing,thenno
amountofthatpositive'transference' willcurethe
patient. Myth:'Homeopathy ismysteriousand
unscientific'
Thefactthathomeopathicmedicinesarepreparedina
pharmacyoralaboratoryandthattheirpreparation
involvesaparticulartechniquesubjecttopreciseand
clearlystatedcontrols(itdoesnotinvolvemysteriousandsecretprocesseswhichputitintotherealmof
whitemagicoralchemy)isenoughtoconvincemany
peopleofitsvalidity. Homeopathshavetraditionallyjustifiedtheirprac-
ticebytheirresults,withoutfeelinganeedtoexplain
howtheirmethodswork. Thehomeopathicphilos-
ophyordoctrineisasetofrulesforpractice-onethat
hasn'tchangedsinceitwasformulated180yearsago. Theserulesandprinciplesconstituteaunifiedhypoth-
esiswhosevalidityistestedoutempirically-with
curedpatientsconfirmingthehypothesis. HarrisCoulter,inhisbookHomoeopathicScienceand
ModernMedicine(ThePhysicsofHealingwithMicrodoses),
discussesthisissueatgreatlengthandalsodescribes
manyofthetrialsthathavebeenconductedoverthe
pastfiftyyearsorsousingplants,animalsand
humansascontrolstoprovetheeffectivenessof
homeopathicmedicines. •4-
TAKING
THE
CASE
Itiswellworththeefforttoapproachfirst-aidprescrib-
ingseriouslybyteachingyourselfhowtotakeacase
andhowtoworkouttherightremedy. Thatisthe
majorconcernofthisbook:tohelpyoutoprescribein
thesamewaythataprofessionalhomeopathwould. Therearemanybooksonthemarketthattakethe
'symptomaticapproach',directingyoutoaremedyon
thestrengthofonesymptomorcomplaint. Inmy
opinionthisisnotthoroughenoughandtheresults
cannotbeguaranteed. Inthisbook,therefore, Ihave
takenamoreclassicalapproach,whichinvolveslook-
ingatthewholepersoninamoredetailedway. ThroughoutthebookIhaveassumedthatyouare
prescribingforsomeoneelse. Ifyoufallillandwishto
prescribeforyourselfthenthesameprinciplesapply,
butitisimportanttorememberthatitisdifficulttobe
objectiveaboutyourownsymptoms,andyoumay
befooledintoprescribingthewrongremedy. For
example,youmayfeelquitenormalandcalmin
yourselfwhileeveryonearoundyouhasexperienceda
sharpincreaseinyourlevelsofirritabilityandtouchi-
ness;and/oryoumayalreadyhaveforgottenthe
drenchingyougotthedaybeforeyoufellill. Itcanbe
mostusefultotalkthroughyourcasebeforeyou
self-prescribe. Somepeoplearehighlycompetentat
knowingexactlywhattheir'symptompicture'isand
areclearaboutthestressesthatleduptotheirillness;
othersneedmorehelp. Dogetthathelpifyouneedit. Beforeyoubegintotakethecase,checkthatthe
complaint iswithinthescopeofthisbook. Don't
attempttoprescribeforachronicdisease;thesealways
needprofessionalattention. Seealsopages203-26
fordiseasesyoucantreatusingthisbook. TheSymptomPicture
Ihaveusedthewordcomplaintthroughoutthebook
tomeanthediseaseitself,orratheritslabel;forexample'sorethroat'or'cough'. Thesymptomsare
thevisiblesignsofthecomplaint. Sayyourchildis
complainingofabarkingcoughthatisworseatnight
andbetterforsittingup. Thecomplaintisthecough,
andthesymptomsarebarking,worseatnightand
betterforsittingup. Sothecomplaintexpressesitself
throughthesymptoms. Thesymptompictureisadetailedaccountofwhatis
wrongwithyouasawholewhenyoufallill. Your
symptoms-thesignsorindicationsofyourbeingill-
areaformofexpressionandacallforhelpfromyour
body. Ahomeopathicprescriberisasymptomsleuth. Inorderforaremedytoworkwellyouneedtomatch,
asaccuratelyaspossible,thepatient'ssymptompic-
turewiththatofaremedypicture-thecollectionof
symptomsproducedbytheremedyinitsproving,as
setoutintheMateriaMedica. Itdoesn'thavetobe
identical,merelysimilar. Yourobservationsarethereforeveryimportant. Youarenotsimplylookingforachesandpains;you
needtogetapictureofthedifferencesinthepatient
fromhernormalstateofhealth. Gatheringinfor-
mationisnotalwayseasy. Lookforclear,strongly
markedsymptoms;vague,'well. sometimes'
symptomsdon'tcountunlesstheypresenta'change-
able'symptompictureinthemselves. Certainsymptomsarealwayspresentinanygiven
diseaseandareindicatedinitsname. Forexample,
painduringurinationisusuallycalledcystitis;certain
typesofskinrashesarecalledeczema;inflamed,blood-
shoteyesareoftencalledconjunctivitis. Homeopathy
doesnottreatthelabelleddiseasealone-thecystitis,
theeczema,theconjunctivitis; ittreatstheindividual
whoissick. Notwocasesofcystitisareexactlythe
same. Everylabelleddisease(orcomplaint) isalsoac-
companiedbysymptomspeculiartotheindividual
whohasit,anddiffersfromanothercaseofthesame
'disease'. Itistheseindividualcharacteristics inthe
patientthatguideustotherighthomeopathicremedy. TAKINGTHECASE TheSymptomPicture•21
Simplytowriteheadache'orcough'isnotenough. IfyoulookeitherofthesesymptomsupintheReper-
toryyouwillfindmanyremedieslisted. Itisthe
particularsymptomsofthepatient'sheadacheor
coughthatenableyoutobegintonarrowdownthe
choiceofremedies,toindividualisethecase. One
personwithaheadache,forexample,willhavea
throbbingforeheadthatfeelsbetterforfreshair,while
anotherwillhavesharppainsinthetemplesthatare
betterforwarmthandlyingdown. Theycallfordiffer-
entremedies. Forhomeopathicpurposes,symptomsaredivided
intothreecategories:general,mental/emotional and
physicalcomplaints. Seepages227-8fordefinitions
andcheckliststousewhilenote-taking. Note-taking
Itisessentialthatyouwritedownyourpatient's
symptoms,andalsothatyourecordtheremedyyou
giveaswellasitsresult. Evenifyouwriteonlyafew
wordsplusthedate,thenameandthepotencyofthe
remedy,thatwillsufficetoremindyoushouldthe
sameproblemrecur. Isuggestyouopenaloose-leaffilemarked'Health'
anduseitforkeepinginterestingarticlesaswellasfor
keepingnotesonthepeopleforwhomyouprescribe. Thecase-takingquestionnaireonpage227should
remindyouofthequestionstoasktogettheinforma-
tionyouneed. Makeyourquestionsgeneralrather
thanspecific. Trynottoputwordsintoyourpatient's
mouth. General Specific
Howareyoufeeling. Areyoufeelingsad. Howpainfulisit. Doesithurtalot. Canyoudescribethepain. Isitthrobbing. DoesheatorcoldhelporIsitbetterforheat. aggravate. Canyoutellmesomemore
aboutwhathappened. Isthereanythingthatmakes
youoryoursymptomsfeel
betterorworse. Givesomeattentiontoyourfirstimpressionsof
whatishappening:theyareanimportantandreliable
sourceofinformation. Sayyourchildwakesupinthe
nightscreaming. Yougointoherroom. Whatdoyou
immediatelysmellandsee. Whatnotedoyouhearin
thescream. Isitoneofpainoroffright. Orsayyour
bestfriendhasfluandyouhavebeenaskedtocome
andhelp. Youwalkintotheroomandwhatdoyousee
beforeshehasorganisedherselftobesociablewith
you. Istheroomtidyormessy. Isithotorcold. Does
shelookvervsadandtiredbeforeshemakesaneffortto'befine'. Donotignorefirstimpressions:theycan
provideyouwithmoreinformationthananhour's
casetaking. Ifremediesdocometomindasyouaretalking,do
notignorethembutwritetheminthemargin:those
initialinstinctscanbeinspired. Generallyspeaking it
isbettertoforgetaboutworkingoutaremedywhile
youtakethecase;thisanalyticalpartcomeslater. Concentrateonusingyoursensestopickupcluesand
onbeingreceptivetowhatyourpatientistellingyou. Whatdoyousmell. Thesmellisoftenthefirstthingyounoticeonwalking
intoasickperson'sroom. Smellthehead/neck/hands
ofafeverishorsickchildandyouwillfindthat
perspirationcansmellsweet,sour,salty,mustyor
offensive. Smellthebreath,too. Otherdischargescan
alsosmell'interesting'; forexample,thestoolsofa
teethingbabycansmellverysour,theurinestrong,
thevomitoffensive. Ifthesmellisstrongandyoucan
describe itclearly/writeitdownanduseitasa
symptom. Whatdoyousee. Inthecaseofanillness,notethecolourandexpression
onthefaceofyourpatient. Inthecaseofanaccident,
notewhetherthecolourhasdrainedfromthefaceofa
shockedpersonoriftheyhavebecomeflushedand
lookanxious. Lookforclues:drinksnotdrunk;coverspiledhigh
or,alternatively,kickedoff;restlessness; log-like
patientswhogroanifyousitontheedgeofthebed
anddisturbthem;andsoon. Youwilloftenlearnmore
thanthepatientherselfisawareof. Whatdoyoufeel. Feeltheskintofindoutwhetherthereissweat. Ifso,is
ithotorcold,stickyorwatery. Adryskinwithafever,
forexample,isanimportantsymptom. Checkthe
partsofthebodytofeeliftherearetemperature
variations-hotheadandcoldhands,forexample-or
whethersomepartsofthebodyaresweatyandothers
aren't. Perhapsyourpatientiscomplainingofan
inner,burningheatwhiletheskinfeelscoldtothe
touch. Whatdoyouhear. Whatnoisescanyouhear. Somesickchildrenmoanin
theirsleep;othersmightwhineforattention ifthey
thinkyouarenotlisteningandstopwhenyouenter
theroom(orviceversa. ). Listentothetoneofthe
voice. Isitresigned. Anxious. Sad. Angry. Eventhe
grindingoftheteethinachild,eitherduringthedayor
insleep,canbeavaluablesymptom. Letyourpatienttalk,withoutanyinterruptionfrom
youifpossible. Thisinitselfcanbehealing,andcan
22•WorkingOuttheRemedy TAKINGTHECASE
alsoprovideyouwithinformation. Forexample,the
Lachesispatienttalksincessantly,jumpingfromone
subjecttoanother,whiletheBryoniapatientwillnot
wanttotalkatall. Somepeoplewillreplynegativelywhenasked
aboutthemselvesortheirsymptoms:'I'mnotwell';
'He'snotbad';'Itisn'tmuchbetter';'Itdoesn'thurt
thatmuch'. Theserepliesdonottellyouwhatis
actuallyhappening. Questionslike'Howareyou,
then. ','Whatareyoufeeling. 'cansometimeshelp,
butpeoplewhospeakinnegativesoftenneedcareful
questioningtotellyouwhatiswrong. Inanswerto'It
doesn'thurtthatmuch,'youcouldask'Isthepain
stoppingyoufromdoinganything. '(thatis,'How
seriousisit. '). Thenyoucangoontogivealistof
differenttypesofpainandifyourpatientalightson
one,saying'That'sit. ',thenwriteitdown. Iftheyare
notsure,goontoanotherquestion. Finally,remember. Donotdiscountanything. Whatotherinformationdo
youhaveaboutthatperson. Whathasbeengoingon
inherlifelatelythatmightbepartofwhysheisfeeling
sicknow. Whathaveyoubeentoldbyhermother/
father/son/neighbour. Haveyougiventhispersona
first-aidremedybefore,sayforaflu. Didtheremedy
workwell. Ifthatremedyworkedmarvellously,con-
siderwhether itmightbeindicatedagain. Ihaveincludedanumberofchecklists(page227)to
helpasremindersuntilyouaremorefamiliarwjththe
processoftakingahomeopathiccase. WORKINGOUTTHEREMEDY
Classifyingthesymptoms
Havingtakenyourcase(notedyourpatient'ssymp-
toms),followthesebasicstepstoselectyourremedy:
chooseyoursymptoms;repertorise;differentiate. (Youwilldevelopyourownwayofworkingandbe
abletotakeshortcutsasyoubecomefamiliarwiththe
processes. ) 1Chooseyoursymptoms
Gothroughyourcaseandunderlineallthesymptoms
thatstandoutclearlyandstrongly. Itisbesttoleave
vagueorunclearsymptomsaloneforthemoment,but
theymayswayyourdecisionattheendifyoucan't
makeupyourmindbetweentwoormoreremedies. However, ifyoucanprescribearemedyonthestrong
symptomsofyourcase,yourprescription ismore
likelytobeeffective. Whereverpossible,chooseatleastthreestrong
symptoms,eachfromadifferentsymptomgroup. Youcanprescribeonasinglesymptombutthisisrarely
successful:tomakeaneffectiveprescriptionyouneed
atleastonesymptomfromeachofthemaingroups-
general,physicalandmental/emotional. Ifyouwork
outaremedybasedonasymptomfromeachofthese
groupsyoucanbeconfidentthatithasagoodchance
ofworking. Ifyouaddinastresssymptomyoucanbe
evensurerofyourprescription,andsoon. Inother
words,themoresymptomsthatfittheremedypicture
thebetter. Writedownthe'symptomsonaseparatesheetof
paperoronablankrepertorisingchart(seepage230). 2Repertorise
Asyoubecomemoreandmorefamiliarwiththe
remedypicturesyouwilllearntorecognisetherem-
edyyourpatientneedswithoutrepertorising. Infact,
'repertorising'soundsmuchmorecomplicatedthanit
is. SimplylookupintheRepertoryeachsymptomyou
havenotedandlisttheremediesthatoccurundereach
symptom(oralternatively tickthemoffonthereper-
torisingchart). Whenyouhavecompletedthelistyou
willbeabletoseeclearlywhichremedyorremedies
occurmostoften-i.
The baby was treated as an emergency out-patient at a local hospital.
What is the case of a 6-month-old baby who was treated at a local hospital as an emergency out-patient?
Homeopathy is based on a different set of principles and does not solely rely on the use of plants, unlike herbalism.
What is the difference between homeopathy and herbalism?
It is essential to take a detailed account of the patient's symptoms to ensure a successful prescription.
What is the importance of taking a detailed account of a patient's symptoms?
Homeopathic remedies should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, and not near strong-smelling substances.
What is the recommended way to store homeopathic remedies?
The patient should seek professional help if the current remedy is not working, and the homeopath should be consulted before prescribing another remedy.
What is the advice for prescribing a remedy for a patient who is already receiving homeopathic treatment?