CASES

 Belladonna

CASE1

GOAT

A: Recently, she has dropped young ?

F: (Farmer) Yes, on Wednesday.

A: Today, it is Sunday. The left udder and the teat are inflamed. Can the young goats drink at the udder ?

F: No, it hurts.

A: How is her behaviour at the moment ?

F: Aggressive.

A: Easily angry.

F: Yes.

A: Does she lie in the sun ?

F: No, she wants the shadow.

A: How many young goats does she have ?

F: Three.

A: One is dead, so still two. Does she eat well ?

F: Well, yes.

A: She let the young goats drink on the other side. Now, I will give her something and after a few days I will record her again and then she has to be healthy again. So, today 3 times a tablet under the lips and we will examine her tomorrow again.

What did I give her ? Aggravation by the sun, aggravation by touch and a left sided inflammation of the mamma, and the farmer told me, that she is very jealous. She is jealous when the other goat - they have 2 goats - comes near to her children. You see, there are 4 little goats, 2 belongs to this goat and 2 belongs to the other. What did I prescribe ? Lachesis. Why not Belladonna ? Because of the inflammation on the left side, therefore Lachesis. And the reaction ? Nothing ! The next day I came back and saw that nothing had changed; very strange. Then, the farmer told me that she had been very thirsty when the inflammation started, and I saw, how she drank half a big bucket with water. She was lying there and she did not move very much, but she was not lying on the painful side, but on the right side. But she was so thirsty and wanted to be alone, that was my idea about the emotional side. The farmer told me that goats usually drink quite a lot - I did not know. Then, I prescribed which remedy ? Bryonia, because of the large thirst, and besides, look at the rubric "chest, swelling, mammae" (p. 881). That is what I could see. I did not touch the goat, not felt her, if she was hot and that was my fault. Because I only looked at her, I said, "Oh, she is jealous, does not tolerate the sun, aggravation from touch, left-sided, so she will get Lachesis." And now comes the next very important symptom of the remedy we are talking about. Then, I examined the goat, because there was no reaction on Lachesis and Bryonia. First, I drank 2 beers and then I examined her. What was the remedy and how fast did it work ?

FEEDBACK (MAY 14, 1987)

(The young goats drink at both sides)

A: I was here on Sunday. Because the udder inflammation was on the left side, did not tolerate the sun and because she was jealous, we gave a remedy in C 30 potency. The next day there was no reaction. That was on Monday. I came back in the evening and you told me, that she was very thirsty when she had the inflammation. She drank half a bucket all at once. You also said that in general goats drink very much all at once.

F: But this was more than normal.

A: She was also lying in a certain way, she did absolutely not move at all. Then, I gave her a remedy again and she did not react to that remedy either. Then, I came back on Thursday in the forenoon and examined her. The udder was hot and red and she could not tolerate that I touched it and then I gave her a remedy in M potency.

During the examination I felt the heat before I touched the udder, it was so hot. Then, you can take the rubric "hot swelling of the mammae". The remedies here are Belladonna, Bryonia, Calcarea, Mercurius and Phosphorus. Lachesis is not there. Besides "sensitive to touch": Belladonna, "aggravation in the sun": Belladonna; "thirsty": Belladonna, and the heat is another symptom of the Belladonna inflammation. The symptoms came suddenly; second, she is very sensitive to touch; and third, it is very, very hot. Kent writes that you can feel the heat from a distance of 20 cm. And that was the case here. She was not lying on the painful side, she was lying on the other side. Because I did not examine the goat I could not feel the heat and therefore I gave twice the wrong remedy. Here, the local symptoms are the most important. Lachesis has also the sensitiveness to touch, but this intensive heat and redness, that is Belladonna, even when it is on the left side. That is a very important lesson ! How quick did she react ?

A: How many times has it been given ?

F: Once.

A: When ?

F: At half past three and at 7.00 p. m it was already better.

Yes, at 7.00 p.m. we milked her, already after 3 hours.

A: And the next day everything was all right.

F: Yes, unbelievable.

A: And what did the farmer's wife of the neighbour say ?

F: She said, "You have to call the veterinary surgeon, the goat needs penicillin injections." She has experienced it with her cows. The veterinary surgeon came there three times in three days.

A: So, that is a proof, because the goat does not know me and it is surely not the colour of the tablet that plays a role. Second, I only give the right remedy the third time and it was always the same kind of tablet. The expectation of the goat does certainly not play a role.

You see, the young goats could drink of the udder again after three hours.

Do not forget, when a woman after delivery has an acute inflammation of the breast, with very high fever, usually on the right side, but also often on the left side, the first remedy is Belladonna. Normally, the fever goes immediately down after Belladonna and a few days later the same inflammation starts on the left side - and then it is which remedy ? Lycopodium. This is a sequence I have seen three times.

A woman called me, after delivery she had suddenly high fever, 39° C. She told the gynecologist that she does not take antibiotics, but calls me. I told her to take Belladonna and that the inflammation probably will change from the right to the left side and then has to take Lycopodium. And indeed, it happened so.

That is a sequence I have seen three times up to now, and you do not see so often mammary inflammation. So think about this after delivery, especially after delivery - first Belladonna and after Belladonna follows Lycopodium.

Or in another case there was first Bryonia, then Belladonna and then Lycopodium. She was very, very pale, very sick, very thirsty with a dry mouth and I gave her Bryonia. After Bryonia the fever went down and suddenly another fever arose, but it was a complete different fever: heat, more sensitive to touch and central congestion - Belladonna. Afterwards she went to Lycopodium and later on she needed Natrum muriaticum. Lycopodium and Natrum muriaticum are complementary.

CASE2

Belladonna

BOY, 11 YEARS OLD

This is a case with high fever and cerebral symptoms

A: He came with pain in the joints, high fever and a little pain in the throat.

This patient is in treatment for his pain in the bones for a long time, a kind of growing pains. Now, he comes with this acute disease

This boy needs which constitutional remedy? Calcarea carbonica

And what did I do in this acute situation? I saw him the last time half a year ago and now he comes with high fever, pain in the throat and so on

I repeated Calcarea carbonica 10M, and what happened? Nothing. You can not do everything with a constitutional remedy. There are homoeopaths who say that the constitutional remedy solve all the acute problems, but that is not true

A: With the examination there was nothing to see in the throat. He is someone whom I treated because of growing pains and a kind of rheumatic pain. He reacted very well to Calcarea carbonica. The last time the remedy has been given in September 1987. Because the remedy helped him so much and the symptoms were not too peculiar I repeated the remedy in 10M potency. How did it go?

MP: Yesterday? It hasn't improved.

A: What happened?

P: At the beginning I had pain in the ear.

MP: Last week he had an inflammation of the ear.

A: How has this been treated?

MP: With nose drops. It was not so bad. A little bit red. I thought, it would go over, but indeed it may have to do something with it.

A: You are licking very much. Why?

P: I have dry lips.

A: Also a dry mouth?

P: Yes.

A: Yesterday, he took Calcarea. How did it go?

MP: When we came home he had 40° C fever. He woke up and was weeping from headache.

A: Headache?

MP: Yes, very strong headache last night. I took him in my bed because I didn't trust it. One moment he was laughing, the other moment he was weeping, and he started to jabber, to talk.

What does it mean? One moment he is laughing, the next moment he is weeping and suddenly he starts talking incoherent things. Last night he had a delirium, a delirium with high fever. Where can we find this in the Repertory

Answer: "Delirium during chill in fever.

A: No, that is not the corresponding rubric. We are looking for "delirium in fever". In the rubric "delirium during chill" you see Belladonna, Natrum muriaticum and so on, but here it means a delirium at the beginning of an attack, for example, a malaria attack, that starts with very strong chilliness

But I asked for the rubric "delirium in fever" - "Fever, intense heat" (p. 1287). In this case it concerns about this rubric and here are all the dangerous remedies. "Fever, intense heat, with convulsions", there you see all the convulsive remedies. Belladonna and Stramonium are the two capital remedies. He had a delirium and this rubric is very important for acute cases

MP: And when I said to him, "What is the matter?" sometimes he heard me, sometimes he didn't. At 4 o'clock he went back to his own bed, but then I gave him an ASPRO, because I didn't trust the case.

A: You gave him an aspirin. Last night he was a little bit confused.

MP: Yes. I was very restless.

A: He was not particularly red, was he?

MP: He had it now and then when he has lain in bed and got up.

Now and then he was red, this means that we have to differentiate between two remedies. There is still a remedy where we have to think of, because he ...did so and because he had a very dry mouth

We have to differentiate between Bryonia and Belladonna. He is pale, not red, but from time to time he becomes red suddenly. If a patient who is pale comes, do not reject Belladonna! Belladonna is normally very congestive, with red eyes. You can see the pulsating of the veins. It is a very healthy redness, a over-healthy redness, but it is not the plethoric redness of Sulphur. The redness of Sulphur is darker, that of Belladonna brighter, more superficially, a redness on a white face. Behind Belladonna you can see Calcarea. The redness of Sulphur is a redness on a dark face. Anyway, Belladonna does not always have to be red. If someone is as pale as this boy 99% would not prescribe Belladonna, because he is not so congestive

Question to the difference between Apis and Belladonna

A: I can not give you the difference between the redness of Belladonna and Apis, but in general Apis is paler and it is a complete other state. Apis is a state that comes and stays, and Belladonna comes suddenly and goes away and in acute cases you see these large, big pupils in Belladonna

Do no forget that Belladonna can also be pale

A: If he got up he became red and when he was sitting still he became pale again.

MP: Yes.

The character of Belladonna is a suddenness, a sudden redness, that disappears again. Also the colic pain of Belladonna; it comes suddenly, the child is weeping and it is over suddenly. If you think of Colocynthis in such a case - no, Colocynthis has not this suddenness. Colocynthis is lying there and is turning away from his parents. Belladonna is suddenly. It is a very important remedy in acute invagination and strangulation ileus. You may not touch their abdomen, slight touch aggravate. That is very important in Belladonna

And a third symptom of Belladonna we will see later

A: Now, he is complaining about headache. Where exactly do you have headache? P: (Indicates the forehead)

A: So, at the front.

MP: Is it still pressing?

P: Yes.

MP: And the throat?

P: It hurts when I swallow.

A: Where exactly?

P: Above in my mouth.

A: Between the nose and the throat?

P: Yes.

A: When you are walking do you have pain? Where?

P: In my left leg.

A: What about the pain in the throat when swallowing?

P: I don't know.

A: While walking you feel the pain in the thigh?

P: Yes, here.

A: In the thigh, but not in the joint. What do you feel exactly while walking?

P: A stitch.

A: How much fever has he?

MP: 39.5° C.

A: Is he paler than normally?

MP: Yes.

A: Bend your head forwards. What do you feel?

P: Pain in the forehead.

A: Do you think that you have more headache when you are sitting upwards, or when you are bending your head?

P: No. When I lie down I have more pain.

A: When you lie down?

MP: That is what he said when he had to lie down. "I can not lie, because it hurts." But once he lies down, probably it is over.

A: The moment he lies down he has pain.

MP: Yes.

A: Lie down on the examination table. Now, lie down. Do you have pain?

P: (Lies down) Yes, here. (Indicates the forehead)

A: Now, you have lain down for a while. Does it still hurt?

P: No, now it is over.

A: Now, sit upwards. Do you have pain?

P: (Is sitting upwards) Yes.

A: Now you are sitting for a while and it is over.

P: Yes.

A: Now, we will do this again and I take care that it does not hurt. (While lying down and sitting upwards he presses the head of the boy very strongly with both hands together) Were the pains less now?

P: While lying down it was still hurting a little bit and while sitting upwards I didn't feel anything.

A: When you are sitting like that do you have pain?

P: A little bit.

A: (Presses the head between the hands when sitting) And now?

P: Still.

A: (After pressing a while) Now?

P: Nothing anymore.

Differential diagnosis to which remedy? To Bryonia, because the patient is so pale. The paleness makes me immediately think of Bryonia and it was also in the rubric "delirium in fever"

Until now the remedy is not clear yet, because Belladonna also has the amelioration from hard pressure - "Head, pain, hard pressure amel." (p. 146)

A: Put out your tongue! It is normal. There is nothing to see in the throat. A slight red tympanic membrane, light reflex on both sides. Surely, not an acute otitis media.

P: Now it hurts again.

That is a very important information: he has not done anything and suddenly he has pain again. That is not Bryonia, because the pain starts again without any movement. Bryonia has pain only with movements. If he lies down, this is a movement, this causes pain; hard pressure ameliorates, that indicates Bryonia, everything indicated Bryonia. But now he is sitting there and he says that the pain is there again. That is not Bryonia. Besides, the pains come suddenly, that is not Bryonia

A: How does the pain feel exactly? You say that it hurts.

P: A kind of push. It is pressing. It comes suddenly and then it remains a while.

Does everyone knows this rubric? In "generalities, pain appears and disappear suddenly.

These are important rubrics: pain appears suddenly, disappears gradually, appears and disappears gradually. That is very important. This is the reason, because of the sudden appearance and the disappearance of the pain and because it is complementary to Calcarea I gave Belladonna 10M. And you see he was pale, Belladonna does not have to be red necessarily

A: The pain comes suddenly?

P: Yes.

MP: It does not stitch, it is more pressing?

P: Yes.

A: How long lasts the pain when it comes?

P: Three minutes. Then it lasts a while and then it starts again hurting.

A: There are periods that you don't have pain and then the pain comes back?

P: Yes.

MP: But yesterday evening the headache remained constantly?

P: Yes.

A: Let me feel the feet.

They are a little bit cold. What did he tell last night?

MP: When he was jabbering?

A: Yes.

MP: It was about an apparatus. I didn't understand a word. Then he was laughing again.

A: He often laughs.

MP: Yes. Then, he was weeping again and said that he had headache.

A: Did the light have to be switched off?

P: Yes.

A: He couldn't tolerate the light?

MP: No, it hurts.

A: This morning he was better?

MP: Yes. He stood up and said, "Now I am better."

A: And when did it start again?

MP: An hour later he was lying down again. He had 38.5° C fever. It isn't infectious, is it?

A: No, no.

P: I still have headache.

A: You always have headache, but often it comes up very strongly and then it is gone?

P: Yes.

MP: Did you have headache the whole day today?

P: Not the whole day. Sometimes the headache is gone.

A: You just said that the headache comes up suddenly and disappears suddenly.

P: Yes.

MP: When he is lying down it is completely gone.

P: It is but it comes back after a while, also when I lie down.

A: Does this start gradually or suddenly?

P: Suddenly.

A: So three times one spoonful with one hour in between. Your telephone number is on the medical card?

MP: Yes, why?

A: I will call you.

MP: I have to go away at 7.00 o'clock, but there will be someone at home. Or can I call you?

A: I will call and inform. This evening it has to be better.

FEEDBACK (2.26.1988)

A: How did it go?

P: The pain in the throat is much better and the headache also.

A: Is the headache completely gone?

P: I still have a little bit headache.

A: How long did you still have fever?

MP: Until tonight.

A: Until when tonight?

MP: Until 12.00 o'clock, about half past two it was less.

A: Did he sleep well?

MP: Yes, he did. He woke up twice.

A: Did he still have a delirium?

MP: No, he hadn't.

A: You didn't have headache, respectively very little headache the whole day?

MP: Still a little.

A: What about your leg?

P: All right.

A: Then we don't need to do anything else.

How much fever does he still have?

MP: 37.5° C.

A: And yesterday, constantly 39° C.

MP: About 40° C. Do you want to have a look at his finger?

Now we know the causation for his fever

A: Show me.

MP: It started with a little cut.

A: That might be the reason. A kind of erysipelas.

If Calcarea children get inflammations with an intense redness, even when it concerns small inflammations this kind of fever can appear

So look at the patient from top to toe. I forgot to ask if he had something else, but this little inflammation was the causation for his Belladonna fever

MP: It can't go on further?

A: Don't worry about that. You don't need to do anything else.

MP: By what is the fever caused?

A: It does not interest me. The main thing is that he feels better.

MP: But it interests me.

A: You can not give an explanation for that. For us it is important that he is doing well.

CASE3

Belladonna

BOY, 14 YEARS OLD

A: You were here on Sunday and he had fever. Tell us, how it started.

MP: He played football in the morning. At half past eleven he came home, completely pale and ill and had headache and pain in the abdomen. Then, we called you. At 3.00 p.m. he came here and got a remedy. At 5.00 p.m. he started vomiting, at last nothing but mucus. He didn't sleep the whole night from Sunday to Monday and spit mucus.

A: What kind of mucus?

MP: Real mucus. He always had the tendency to vomit and in fact he couldn't vomit anymore. He cannot eat and not swallow.

A: Still now?

MP: Yes.

A: I examined the ears and the throat. The only thing I can see is a red uvula. Maybe it is a little bit swollen, but not remarkable. What do you feel exactly when you swallow? You can't swallow?

P: That is very difficult. It chafes in the throat as if a loose skin hangs in the throat. It only goes with difficulties.

A: So a loose skin in the throat. Do you have pain when swallowing?

P: Yes.

A: What kind of pain is this?

P: It chafes very strong. How shall I say? It just chafes. I can not swallow, it doesn't go through.

A: At which side does it hurt?

P: Here.

A: There in the middle, not at one side anymore.

P: No.

A: At the moment you are swallowing do you have pain at other places?

P: No.

A: When you have played football did you get wet?

P: No, it didn't rain.

A: You played football as usually?

P: Yes.

A: And you didn't notice anything before the game?

P: A little bit pain in the throat.

A: You don't feel anything in your ear?

P: Now and then stitches.

A: In which ear?

P: In the right.

A: Do the stitches come and appear immediately?

P: No, they last a while and then they are gone.

A: Do they come suddenly?

P: Yes.

A: So the throat feels rough when swallowing?

P: Yes.

A: Also when you don't swallow?

P: No. But when I speak I have the feeling as if there hangs loose skin. When I am quiet I don't feel anything.

A: If you are quiet you don't have pain at all?

P: No.

A: Are you thirsty?

P: No.

A: Do you have a dry mouth?

P: Yes, but no thirst.

A: Do you have stitches now and then in the ear?

P: Yes.

A: Not when swallowing?

P: No.

A: They come suddenly?

P: Yes.

MP: Do you have headache?

P: A little bit.

A: Where do you have headache?

P: Here on the forehead. When I lie down I don't have headache, but when I walk about.

A: When you are running you have headache?

P: Yes, but only a little bit.

A: Cold hands or feet?

P: No.

A: Did he sleep last night?

P: Yes, more than the night before.

MP: He got DISPRIL.

A: If you don't move you don't have pain?

P: No.

A: And the pain comes suddenly?

P: Yes, in my ear.

A: It is strange that it is only at the right side. Does he like to play football?

MP: Yes. He likes all kinds of sport.

A: Can he run well?

P: It is all right. It depends on the distance. Long distance is better than short distance.

A: You have headache while walking?

P: Yes.

A: Does he have fever?

MP: No, not today anymore. The pain in the ear only appeared today.

A: The sudden appearing pain in the ear also comes when you don't move?

P: Yes, also when I sit still.

A: How does the headache feel?

P: How shall I say this?

MP: Often he has strong headache, but today it goes better. Often he does not know where to go from headache. Then he pushes his head in his cushion.

A: What do you mean?

MP: Then he pushes on it. But today it is less.

A: There is no difference whether he lies down or does not lie down?

MP: No, it is the same.

A: The pain in the ear comes suddenly. Does it also disappear?

P: It comes suddenly and disappears suddenly.

A: Did you dream last night?

P: No.

MP: In fact he dreams quite a lot. Sometimes, he comes to our room because he has bad dreams and is anxious.

A: Does he have a hot-tempered character?

MP: He has his own will. Or what do you mean? He can persevere in school.

A: All right.

FEEDBACK (3.2.1988)

A: You were here yesterday in the afternoon.

MP: Yesterday evening at half past six.

A: Now it is 11.00 a.m. Tell me how did it go?

P: I took the first spoon before the meal. Then I ate. Afterwards it was a little bit better. Then I took the second spoon, about 9.00 o'clock. I lay down on the couch and watched a little bit television. At 10.00 o'clock I took the last spoon and went to sleep. When I got up this morning it was over. I still have a little bit pain in the throat and the stitches in the ear are away.

A: Do you have headache?

P: No.

A: Do you feel well? You go to school tomorrow?

P: Yes.

Belladonna

Which remedy do we think of when you can feel the heat from a distance, when it is red and swollen? Of Belladonna - and it is on the right side. Belladonna has the preference of the right side, like Apis and others. But Belladonna has to have an aggravation from slight touch. That was not so clear in this case

A: This situation started immediately. You had pain with 40° C fever and had a red appearance.

- If they can't tolerate the slightest touch, when it is warm and swollen, heat with fever and on the right side, it is Belladonna.

- He had a red face, was sneezing and had a real Stramonium behaviour.

- He was kicking, hitting and didn't sleep the whole night.

- Besides he had a fear of dark.

- So I gave him Stramonium.

- The cough disappeared, but he didn't change in his behaviour at all.

- It was still the same, he didn't sleep the whole night.

- The mother called me and was really angry.

- I didn't know why the boy had this red face.

- I gave him Belladonna and the next night he slept.

- I don't understand, why?

- Vithoulkas says, "If Belladonna doesn't work in high fever, you have to give Stramonium.

- That is right.

- But to differentiate both from the beginning is very difficult.

- The only difference is the fear of dark."

- Remark : "Pierre Schmidt added Belladonna in 'fear of dark'."

- A : Yes, I also had a case with fear of dark and it was Belladonna.

- In which degree did Pierre Schmidt add it?

- Answer : "First."

ANOTHER CASE

Parotitis

Dd bry., bar-c.

- Boy, 8 years old

- A : Turn your head this side so that I can see that it is a swelling of the parotid.

- A : Does it hurt when I touch it?

- P : Yes, it hurts here below.

- A : Does it hurt?

- P : No, a little bit.

- So not particularly a strong pain on a slight touch.

- A : Not bad, or?

- P : No.

- A : It is not red, only swollen, also not particularly warm.

- If they can't tolerate the slightest touch, when it is warm and swollen, heat with fever and on the right side, it is Belladonna.

Another case

Then you delivered and you called from the hospital that you had an inflammation of the breast immediately after delivery, with very high fever. You were cold, had cold hands and feet, the fever appeared suddenly and was very high, and the breast abscess was on the right side. Your husband came to take a remedy for you and in how much time did the fever disappear?

P: The next day the fever was gone.

A sudden inflammation of the right breast with cold hands, cold feet and high fever is which remedy?

Belladonna.

Just rubrics

HEAD,CONGESTION,sun, from exposure : Acon., bell., cact., gels., glon., verat-v.

Extra

Which remedy do we think of when you can feel the heat from a distance, when it is red and swollen? Of Belladonna - and it is on the right side. Belladonna has the preference of the right side, like Apis and others. But Belladonna has to have an aggravation from slight touch. That was not so clear in this case

Besides, we see a kind of yellow tint. Which remedy has this yellow skin tint after an accident? Arnica. First bluish and then yellow.

Do you know what Vithoulkas says? If you have a clear Belladonna picture, but Belladonna does not act, then you give Stramonium. The differential diagnosis between Belladonna and Stramonium is very, very difficult

---------

when someone with wet hair comes out of the swimming pool, does not dry himself and has a cold or fever since then, you see Belladonna and Pulsatilla

A : Yes, Belladonna has this also, but she has had Belladonna before and you don't give Belladonna because it goes from right to left, but because of the suddenness of the fever and the coldness of the extremities during fever.

- The onset of Belladonna after delivery is Belladonna fever with central congestion and cold hands and feet, worse in the afternoon and at 3 o'clock at night.

- And usually, it is on which side?

- On the right side.

CASES