CASES

CASE1 v2

Nux vomica

Woman, 47 years old

This patient is a dentist and her complaints are tics, jerkings and so on. Therefore she got from another homeopath Phosphorus and you will see the further development, why.

What do you observe yet?

A vertical line on the forehead. Where can we find this in the Repertory?

Look on page 50:

MIND, FROWN, disposed to : Hell., lyc., mang., nux-v., stram.

MIND, frown, disposed to: Hell, lyc, mang, nux-v, stram.

There are Helleborus, Lycopodium clavatum in chest symptoms, in children with cough who frown the forehead, Lycopodium clavatum is the first remedy you have to think of. Further Nux vomicua, Manganum and Stramonium.

Another symptom which you can observe is the swelling under the eyes.

A: You have this problem since 1985. You are a pharmacist and you work very hard, don't you?

P: Yes.

A: You also have a family.

P: Yes.

A: You took LEXOTANIL and ROHYPNOL and then you came into the menopauze. Your main problem was a kind of twitching in the head and a kind of shooting in the head, in the left upper arm and in the left leg. You have suffered from these complaints for two years.

P: Yes, since about one year.

A: Then you also had nightly flushes of heat, which came from the stomach and went upwards to the throat. This caused an oppressed feeling in the region of the throat. Therefore you became into a panic at night.

If you look in the Repertory under the rubric on page 500 you find some capital remedies.

STOMACH, heat, flushes

STOMACH, HEAT, flushes : Abrot., acet-ac., acon., aesc., aeth., agar., aloe., alum., alumn., am-c., anth., anthr., apis., arg-n., ars-h., ars-i., Ars., aur-s., bapt., bar-c., bar-i., bell., benz-ac., brom., Bry., calc., camph., cann-i., canth., carb-ac., carb-an., carb-s., caust., cedr., cham., chel., chin-s., chlf., cic., cimic., cina., cinnb., coc-c., coca., cocc., cod., colch., coloc., con., corn-f., crot-t., cupr., dig., eup-per., fago., ferr-ar., ferr-i., ferr-p., ferr., fl-ac., gels., glon., grat., gymn., hell., helon., hydr-ac., hydrc., hyos., iod., ip., iris., jatr., kali-ar., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-chl., kali-n., kali-s., kalm., lac-c., lach., lact-ac., laur., led., lob., mag-m., manc., mang., meny., merc., mez., myric., nat-a., nat-c., nat-m., nat-p., nat-s., nit-ac., nux-m., Nux-v., ol-j., olnd., op., ox-ac., par., petr., phos., phyt., plat., plb., podo., ptel., puls., raph., rat., rob., ruta., sabin., sang., sars., sec., seneg., sep., squil., stry., sul-ac., sumb., tab., tarent., ter., thuj., valer., verat-v., verat., vesp., zinc-m.

There is no rubric in the Repertory which says that the heat is extended to the throat or to the head.

The next symptom is twitching in the head.

You find this symptom in the rubric on page 230:

HEAD, shocks, blows, jerks etc.

But we cannot use this rubric because it is too big.

P: Oh yes, I was really in a panic.

A: You got out of bed, didn't you?

P: Yes.

A: Besides you were sensitive to bright light and towards smells, strong smells and noises, even sensitive to the banging of cutlery.

P: Yes, a lot.

Up to now we have some information.

First of all it is very important to know what the patient does in his life. She is a pharmacist and she works very hard. You know that a pharmacist has to take care about her husband and her children besides her job. We can say that she has a very industrious life. She works on the intellectual level, not so much with her hands.

Second, she says that she has flushes of heat coming from the stomach. In the meantime we know that she is somebody who does quite a lot of mental work, who works very hard, who has a lot of stress; besides she has the tendency to frown the forehead, she has swellings under the eyes which indicates that she is not relaxed, that she has a lack of sleep and the flushes of heat which comes from the stomach.

Now we can think that she is in the climacteric period and therefore we take the rubric "during climacterium", but be careful because this rubric is surely too small. I think it is dangerous to start from this rubric.

As a last symptom she said that she was hypersensitive to noises.

A: You started eating because you didn't feel well and you gained 15 kilos in one year.

P: No, even 20 kg.

Not only thin people, but also obese people often need this remedy.

A: By character you are very precise, everything has to be put in its own place, the picture may not hang wry and so on and so on.

P: Yes.

A: And you are also hot-tempered.

P: Well yes, by character I'm no hot-tempered, but then I was.

A: You had clearly fear of heights and you became dizzy standing on a high place.

She also told us that she was sensitive to odors, didn't she?

So sensitive to all kind of impressions which come from outside, towards noise, odors and so on.

And she is very fastidious. Maybe you could think of Arsenicum album, but her appearance doesn't fit. I don't know whether she has make up, but with her I have the impression that she is rather plethoric. Normally, Arsenicum album is pale, has dark hair, is rather thin and you always find anxieties.

The most important symptom of Arsenicum are the anxieties, and there is the fastidiousness because of these anxieties.

This remedy is fastidious because they want to have results, they are always under stress, therefore these people are always organizing, they act very quickly, everything has to go very quickly, and when it doesn't work out this way, the way they imagine, they get an outburst.

A: You had nightmares.

P: Yes, every night.

A: You slept on the back, before on the right side, but you could never sleep on the left side.

For this reason she got Phosphorus. But if you watch her way of sitting you can not see any Phosphorus element. Phosphorus leans forward over your desk, "Yes, yes, Doctor, yes, yes", or they are the opposite, namely rather aggressive or completely depressed. I don't think you find one of the three elements in this woman; the way she is sitting there, the way she is behaving, you don't see anything particular.

Nevertheless this remedy is also a sympathetic remedy. They can't see terrible things; when they are affected by something tears appear in their eyes; in injustice and suffering of other people they sympathize, as we also know of Calcarea, Pulsatilla and some other remedies.

A: You also had a vertical line on your forehead which became smaller now.

Besides you took sleeping tablets. You woke up after 5 hours sleep.

You couldn't bear the sun, you became sick immediately.

P: Yes.

A: You couldn't bear any thight clothes by which you got a kind of choking feeling.

In a woman in climacterium with flushes of heat who cannot bear the sun first of all you think of which remedy?

Audience: Pulsatilla.

A : Pulsatilla? Yes? Good, this is also right, but the remedy which I mean is Lachesis. Lachesis is the first remedy in women in climacterium who cannot bear the sun and who cannot bear thight clothes.

All right, you have to think of Pulsatilla, but not with this kind of appearance, it cannot be Pulsatilla, even when she has a lot of Pulsatilla symptoms. This patient is too strict, too hard - I don't know how I should express it, but in Pulsatilla you feel immediately the softness when you talk with them; and when you touch the emotional level in Pulsatilla immediately tears are coming from their eyes, no matter whether it is a man or a woman.

Where did I start? Oh, with the aggravation by the sun. This remedy is also in this rubric, it has to be there. In general it is a chilly remedy, but it doesn't bear too much warmth, whether it is the sun or an excessively warm room. We also know this of Pulsatilla, which is in fact chilly, but she doesn't bear an excess of warmth, also not the sun. We find this symptom also in Natrum muriaticum and Natrum carbonicum, but for Natrum carbonicum she is not friendly, not kindly enough.

Further this patient has fits of fainting in a warm room.

You find this in the rubric on page 1361:

GENERALITIES, FAINTNESS, warm room : Acon., ip., kreos., lach., lil-t., lyc., nat-m., nux-v., Puls., Sep., spig., tab.

GENERALITIES, faintness, warm room

The remedy is also in this rubric and in the meantime everybody knows of which remedy I'm talking: Nux vomica.

Another symptom of Nux vomica is that they do not bear when the clothes are too tight.

In this case there are many symptoms which indicate Lachesis, namely, she cannot sleep on the left side. Lachesis is a very important differential diagnosis in this case.

A: Besides you had varicose veins, more on the left side than on the right side. You were jealous and you could talk very well. You never had excessive bleedings during the menstruation. Sometimes you woke up from dreaming at night, you were easily too warm.

Look in the rubric on page 1255:

dreams, from : Agar., arn., atro., aur., bad., bar-c., bell., bry., cham., coca., colch., coloc., gran., graph., hep., hyper., lyc., lyss., mag-s., merc., nat-m.,nux-v., ph-ac., phos., plan., puls., sars., sil., stann., staph., Sulph.

SLEEP, waking, dreams, from: ... Sulph

A little bit higher you find the rubric:

SLEEP, waking, difficult, morning: ... Calc-p ...

morning : Alum., Calc-p., calc., caust., nux-v., ph-ac., thuj.

Which anxiety do we find in Calcarea phosphorica children?

The opposite of Borax veneta, namely anxiety when lifted from the craddle. The child has difficulties in waking up, it is not awake yet and when it is lifted suddenly from the craddle he becomes anxious.

If somebody says that they are easily too warm immediately you think of a warm remedy. But be careful herewith.

A: You were hypersensitive to coldness, you need a lot of fresh air, the windows always had to be open. You didn't easily perspire, but if you did, strange enough you perspired on your thighs.

She says that she is perspiring on the thighs.

Look in the Repertory on page 1182:

Thigh : Acon., Ambr., Ars., bor., caps., carb-an., coloc., crot-t., dros., eup-pur., eupho., hep., hyos., kali-bi., merc., nux-v., rhus-t., sep., sulph., Thuj.

EXTREMITIES, perspiration, thigh: Ars ... nux-v ... Thuj

A: You liked chocolate a lot and all sweets things and highly seasoned food.

P: Yes, rather a lot.

A: You didn't bear red win at all, also no coffee.

P: No.

A: You also had an aversion to oysters.

Before you had stool every day, but lately you suffered from constipation. You could have stool, but it was unsatisfied.

This is typical and you will always see in Nux vomica that they have an urge for stool, but the stool is never satisfied, never sufficient enough.

The most pain of Nux vomica is accompanied with urge for stool; pain in the abdomen, crmaps, colics, there is always an urge for stool. This is very, very typical for Nux vomica.

Look in the Repertory on page 633:

colic, during : Coloc., Ind., Nux-v.

RECTUM, urging, colic, during: Coloc, ind, Nux-v

Usually there is an urge for stool in all kinds of pain, cramping pains. In kidney colics, kidney pains they extend to the genitals or the bladder with an urge for stool. When they have to urinate they can urinate only a few drops. This is also typical for Nux vomica. This constant urge is an expression of spasm, and you will always see this again.

Also in children it is a very important remedy. Up to now we only knew Nux vomica especially as a remedy for business people, doctors, people who work too hard. I think 50% of us need Nux vomica from time to time, also I had to take it because I worked too hard.

But the world is changing , women work as well as man, they come into stress and you will see that more and more women will need Nux vomica as well. There is another period in life, another age, in which Nux vomica often will be needed, and this is in children. We will talk about this later.

The main idea of this remedy are cramps, shocks, spasms, and these are the main complaints of this patient, cramping shocks in the arms and the legs.

A: You were excessively nervous, tense.

After the first consultation on June 24, 1986 I gave you the remedy in M potency. On July 31 you came back and you said that the perspiration on the thigh disappeared, the shocks in the head and the arms were less, no flushes of heat at night, only once. You haven't had your menstruation for six months and then it came back just like before. You were less sensitive to noise. You were astonished yourself that you could do without tranquilizers.

The first few weeks after the remedy you slept well, but during the holidays you had to take again sleeping tablets. After the holidays you could stop them and you slept rather well, except for 2 or 3 days before the menstruation. The flushes of heat were completely gone.

You still suffered from the varicose veins in the left leg, as if there was a kind of tension.

Now and then you were anxious at night and you still had this unsatisfied urge for stool.

The last ten days you didn't take any sleeping tablets and you started working. It was rather good. Since four days you don't sleep well anymore, because somebody moved. Now you can bear the silence again, whereas before you couldn't.

This is very interesting: she couldn't bear the silence. You can see this in people in which the disease has developed very far. They can't calm down.

As long as Nux vomica is in balance they do what to keep in balance?

Audience: Drinking beer.

A : Yes, yes, during the day the stress and in the evening a beer. At the last seminar I always said, "Let's drink a beer", but then the idea behind it was Kali bichromicum. Now lets put out mind into another direction and let's drink a beer because we have worked mentally for six hours. The spontaneous reaction of Nux vomica after mental work is indeed the desire for beer, then another beer or a glass of wine, and then to be able to sleep, a glass of whisky or brandy. In the morning they wake up with a hangover. In this way they are killing themselves slowly.

But the sponteneous reaction of a Nux vomica person who is in balance is which?

This patient says that she cannot bear the silence.

Audience: He would like the silence.

A : Yes, he wants silence. When he worked form 7:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. he takes his newspaper and he takes a rest. He goes to his room and he wants his rest. That's the way Nux vomica reacts as long as he is in balance. Because of the stress he needs Nux vomica, but he can balance this.

You can see this in the Repertory on page 70:

MIND, quiet disposition, wants to be: ... nux-v ...

MIND, QUIET DISPOSITION, desires repose and tranquility : Nux-v.

MIND, quiet disposition, wants to be,

desires repose and tranquility: Nux-v

He doesn't want to be disturbed, he doesn't want to hear music or any other noise, he just wants to rest.

After a nap when he hasn't been disturbed he feels good again. This is typical for Nux vomica: short sleep ameliorates, but only when he hasn't been disturbed. This is one of the most important key-notes of Nux vomica.

Do you have the additions for this rubric?

It is a new rubric:

SlEEP, short amel.: Carc, calad, fl-ac, kali-bi, meph, nux-m, nux-v, ph-ac, senec

SLEEP, SHORT : Acon., agar., anag., ant-c., ant-t., arg-n., arn., ars-i., bov., cupr., kali-c., lyc., mag-c., merc., morph., myric., nat-a., nat-c., nit-ac., nux-v., ox-ac., par., phos., plat., ruta., sin-n., spong., thuj., verat-v.

Nux vomica is a spastic remedy. You will see spasms everywhere and they have an excessive sensitivity to everything. With which remedy could we easily mix up, a remedy which is also chilly, easily angry, hypersensitive, but only his way of reacting is different. He holds everything in, until he can't hold it any longer and then suddenly he has an outburst. Which remedy is this?

Audience: Ignatia.

A : Yes, it might be, but do you think Ignatia would withhold things a long time?

I think the sudden reaction to external influences is typical for Ignatia. We will see this later on.

Hepar is an important differential diagnostic remedy to Nux vomica. You know that Nux vomica likes fat and highly seasoned food; Hepar Sulphurhas the same desires. Both are chilly and are easily angry, but Hepar tries to withhold its anger and then comes the anxiety and the depression. Nux vomica doesn't withhold anything, he can't, he just throws things out.

The essential thing in Nux vomica are the spasm. You see them all over the body, spasms in the eyes, the stomach, the abdomen, the rectum, the testicles, the feet, everywhere.

A: Very seldom you had syncopic attacks.

Then you came back and said that the electric shock in your head has gone. You had some pain in the throat and once you took VIBRAMYCIN. The pain in the throat were as if the throat was completely open while swallowing. It extended to the left ear.

P: I don't know it anymore.

A: Originally the pain started on the left side and went to the right side. You were easily cold in bed, you had headache and fever. This went away.

You said that you became ill from all medicines.

P: Yes.

A: You sleep very well and sometimes you have numb hands or legs at night. Sometimes your left foot sleeps during the day. Now and then you wake up at night.

Because of the acute state I gave you a remedy to dissolve. You came back on September 16 and the vertigo in the head was a lot better, the shocks were gone. The biggest problem was your sleep. You fall asleep well, but you wake up between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.

This is the time of waking up, about 3:00, 4:00 a.m. After

CASE2 V2

Bleeding from the lungs

Nux vomica

Man, 50 years old

This man had bleeding coming from the lungs and everybody thought he had cancer.

P: This is the first time I'm here.

A: Yes, but I've known you before and I knew which remedy you needed, because your son told me about you. I gave you the remedy and since then you are doing well.

I know him because he is my uncle. In the village where he lives he is known as an angry, easily offended man.

A: Let's see what is the problem. Originally you have been in the hospital in L. Tell me about this.

P: No, it was in P. I had very severe bleeding from the left lung.

A: What kind of bleeding?

P: It came from the left lung. When I was washing myself suddenly blood came out of my mouth.

A: What color did it have?

P: Red.

A: Real red blood?

P: Yes. Of course I was in a panic and immediately I went to G. The next day I had surgery, this means, they gave me anesthesia and looked inside, a bronchoscope - of course I don't know what they did there, but I have had infusions for three or four days. They told me that they couldn't do anything else for me, if there would be something else I had to go to the University hospital.

A few months later I had bleeding from the lungs again and then they sent me to the University hospital.

A: And what did they find there?

P: Yes, what did they find there? They examined me three times and then they discovered a spot on my left lung. Now and then it is opening.

A: That's what they told you?

P: Yes.

A: And that's where the bleeding comes from?

P: Yes. I didn't get radiation, but they went with needles through the mouth and the esophagus. Calcium came out and afterwards two physiotherapists knocked me while putting the leg upwards.

A: With the second bleeding you were in the university hospital in P. How have you been treated afterwards?

P: Afterwards I didn't have any treatment.

A: Did you still have bleeding afterwards? When did you have the last episode of bleeding?

P: Since October I have been seeing Dr. X and until June it was not so bad.

A: So when did you take the remedy the first time?

P: In February.

A: In February 1986 and then once in June, I think at the beginning of June you had slight bleeding.

P: Yes.

A: How often did you have this the previous years?

P: I can't say it, a few times, but it was not as bad as the time when I was in the university hospital.

A: No, I mean after P, how often did you suffer from this?

P: Once every two, three months.

A: This is a clear amelioration, because you didn't have bleeding from February until June.

P: Absolutely.

A: So the remedy is correct, I'm sure. But now let's go one step back. Before you had complaints with your lungs, did you have other diseases?

P: Well yes, in fact I never had really diseases, no.

A: Did you ever have surgery?

P: No, never. I suffered from hemorrhoids, but I didn't have surgery for that.

A: But what did they do?

P: They cauterized them.

A: Wasn't that surgery?

P: Basically I don't think so.

A: They cut away a piece.

P: Only a little bit.

A: Before you had hemorrhoids?

P: Yes, rather severely.

A: According to us hemorrhoids are reactions of the body to stay in balance and the bleeding you had is also an attempt of the body to stay in balance.

What did you do? The hemorrhoids were bad and you had surgery. In which year?

P: Well, I wish I could tell you! I don't know anymore.

WP: About 1970, somewhere in the seventies.

A: That was about 10 years ago.

P: At that time I was in the hospital about 11 times.

He had surgery for hemorrhoids 11 times. This means that the hemorrhoids have been suppressed and this suppression is the cause for the bleeding of the lungs.

Where can we find this?

Look on page 833:

CHEST, haemorrhage, haemorrhoidal flow,

after suppression of

CHEST, HAEMORRHAGE, hæmorrhoidal flow, after suppression of : Acon., carb-v., led., lyc., Nux-v., phos., sulph.

Millefolium is an addition.

In the next part you will hear something about his character and the reason for his hemorrhoids. One of the remedies in this rubric has to be his remedy: Lycopodium clavatum or Carbo vegetabilis, Phosphorus, Sulphuror something like that.

A: You had surgery a few times.

P: Yes, if you call this surgery.

A: After the surgery the bleeding stopped and then blood came out of the lungs.

P: I don't know, I can't judge this.

A: At least this is my theory.

P: I always ate well and nevertheless I lost weight.

A: At what time?

P: It was in 1963 or 1964.

Although he eats a lot - he says, "I eat like a horse," - he remains thin.

The remedy is in the rubric on page 478:

STOMACH, appetite, ravenous

But it is not in the rubrics on page 479:

STOMACH, APPETITE, RAVENOUS, emaciation, with : Abrot., Calc., Iod., Nat-m., Petr., phos., psor., sulph., tub.

STOMACH, appetite, ravenous, emaciation, with

STOMACH, APPETITE, RAVENOUS, marasmus, with : Abrot., ars-i., bar-c., bar-i., calc-p., Calc., caust., chin., Cina., Iod., lyc., mag-c., Nat-m., nux-v., petr., sil., sulph.

STOMACH, appetite, ravenous, marasmus, with:

... nux-v ...

I don't understand why they made a difference between emaciation and marasmus. Does anybody know why? To me there is only a difference between kwashiorcor and marasmus, but not between emaciation and marasmus.

Remark: Marasmus is something tubercular.

A: Aha, marasmus is tubercular.

P: I only weighed 57 kilos and I could eat like a little horse, couldn't I? Well 13, 14 slices of bread a day.

Then I went to Dr. X and he told me that he didn't want to see me as long as I didn't stop smoking. I stopped smoking and at that time I gained some weight. At that time I didn't have bleeding.

A: That's all you experienced?

P: I didn't have any other diseases.

A: Tell me something about your character.

P: Like the old Geukens.

He means the brother of my real father.

P: A hot-tempered character. I can't rest as long as there is still work to be done. Nobody can give me explanations, it is important that everything goes on, long explanations are not needed. When the others are still working on their first task I have already started a new task.

A: Does the work have to be exactly in order?

P: No, not so much; it's not so strong yet.

A: Are you very precise in your job?

P: Well yes, as precise as possible.

A: Do they say something about you as foreman? What do other people think about you?

P: Some of them complain, some of them praise me. I have friends, but also enemies. This is logical, isn't it? If you work with 17 or 18 people you can't do well for everybody. There are 17, 18 different characters. But principally it is all right.

A: But the fact is that you are very hot-tempered.

P: Yes, that's right. I'm easily offended, but I know somebody who is offended easier.

A: Can you tolerate strong noises?

P: No, I can't tolerate this, for example, when the television is too loud. At the moment it is better, probably because my hearing is worse.

A: Or because you had the remedy.

P: Well yes, it might be.

A: Can you tolerate tight clothing?

P: Not so well.

A: Do you sleep well? Do you wake up early in the morning?

P: When I don't have to get up I can sleep.

A: And before?

P: I could always work, I was always thinking about work and therefore I couldn't sleep.

A: Did you dream of work?

P: Yes.

A: When did you wake up?

P: ...............

This was impossible to translate, it was dialect. He said, "When I worked at night" - he worked in the factory at night, the cause is lack of sleep - "then I went to bed at 6:30 and I woke up at 10:30". So he slept four hours and then he started working again. This was the cause for his hemorrhoids, lack of sleep.

Now, after the remedy, he can sleep until 8:00 o'clock, he sleeps a lot better.

Night watching, lack of sleep is one of the causes for Nux vomica states. It is in the rubric on page 1402:

GENERALITIES, sleep, loss of, from: ... Cocc ...

Nux-v ...

GENERALITIES, SLEEP, loss of, from : Ambr., bry., caust., chin., cimic., Cocc., colch., cupr., ip., lac-d., laur., nat-m., nit-ac., Nux-v., olnd., op., ph-ac., puls., ruta., sabin., sel., sep.,sulph., zinc.

This is very important especially for older Nux vomica people. If they had to work at night they all would have problems: stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, sleeplessness in daytime and so on.

A: Often you had night duty?

P: Yes, every two weeks.

A: What did you like to eat at that time?

P: Oh, I like to eat everything.

A: Do you have a good sense of smell? Can you tolerate bad smells?

P: Oh yes, rather.

A: Are you somebody who is easily too warm or are you somebody who is easily too cold?

P: I can't tolerate the warmth but also not the cold.

You know the hypersensitivity of Nux vomica to every excess: noise, cold and so on. Here you could easily confuse it with Mercurius, because of the sensitivity of Mercurius especially to cold and warmth.

A: Can it be warm when you are working?

P: No, no.

A: Do you have salivation from the mouth at night?

P: No, not that I know.

Remark: He is winking with his eyes.

A : Yes, good, observations are very important.

You find this on page 270:

EYE,WINKING : Agar., am-c., anan., apis., arg-n., aster., Bell., caust., chel., chin., con., croc., cycl., Euphr., fl-ac., glon., ign., mez., nit-ac., nux-v., op., petr., plat., spig.,sulph., sumb.

EYE, winking: ... nux-v ...

A: Can you become so angry that you could kill anybody?

P: No, not so angry.

A: And before?

P: Yes, when I was young, then I could.

A: Now you are more quiet?

P: Yes, now I'm a lot more quiet, there is an enormous difference.

A: But before you could become so angry that you could kill somebody.

P: Yes, I could grab somebody.

They can become very, very angry, even with an impulse to kill.

Remark : He worked in shifts so that one week he worked during the day and the other week he worked during the night. Isn't lack of sleep an effect experienced by somebody who only works at night?

A : No. I think both cause lack of sleep. Normally we should get up with the chickens and go to bed with the chickens. Now people stay awake until 12:00 o'clock at night, to enjoy life and in the morning they have problems getting up.

But I wanted to say something about the impulse to kill. They can become very very angry as we can see in Hepar. The differential diagnosis between Hepar and Nux vomica is often not easy. The irritability of Hepar is terrible, also of Nux vomica, but where is the difference between them?

You know of Hepar that he is already irritated by the slightest noise. Somebody is sitting with many other people in a bus, one is turning the paper, another one smells very strongly, a Sulphur woman is sitting there with a lot of make-up, another one is sleeping and is grinding his teeth. Nux vomica is sitting here and there Hepar. Tell me how they will react. What does Hepar do and what Nux vomica?

Answer: Hepar doesn't go along with the bus.

A : Yes, when he sees this he wouldn't even enter the bus. But let's suppose he didn't see this beforehand.

Answer: He can't control his anger.

A : No, no, he is controlling his anger. He is sitting with set teeth and turns everything inside out, while Nux vomica explodes. There is a difference on the mental level.

Remark: Hepar would set fire to the bus.

A : Yes, Hepar would set fire to the bus.

Remark: And if somebody would sneeze in his face he could kill him.

A : Yes, maybe. Anyway Hepar reacts in a way that he would withhold his anger. Then he gets anxiety from this, anxiety for his own danger. He feels that he could kill and because of this anxiety he withdraws himself and he has an aversion to company.

In Nux vomica it is rather a sudden impulse and then they shout. They show it.

Both are chilly, both like highly seasoned food, pungent food and fat. Hepar prefers sour, sour things, mustard. The typical Hepar lunch is a German specialty, trotter with sauerkraut and mustard.

The target organ is the skin. Hepar is one of the most important remedies in eczema and in asthma from suppressed eruptions.

Hepar is a lot more chilly than Nux vomica and they tolerate the sun, Nux vomica doesn't.

A: Can you tolerate your wife snoring at night? Or doesn't she snore?

P: No, she doesn't snore.

A: Did you ever sleep with a snoring woman?

P: No.

A: Can you tolerate it when the house is untidy?

P: No, in fact not.

A: You don't like a mess, you prefer that everything is cleaned up.

What do you prefer to eat? Which are your desires?

P: Well, desires? French fries.

A: Can there be mayonnaise on it?

P: Always.

A: What kind of meat do you like to eat?

P: No matter which.

A: Can it be highly seasoned?

P: Yes, spicy.

A: Do you like pungent a lot?

P: Oh yes.

A: Also fat?

P: Yes, a lot of fat.

A: And before you also liked to drink a glass of beer?

P: No, in fact not.

A: But a Dutch gin, didn't you?

P: Yes, but not every day.

A: I mean, in the past.

P: Not so much. Every few months, when the neighborhood had to celebrate something. You can't be drunk every day.

A: The picture is clear.

You sleep on the left side?

P: No, on the right side.

A: Do you sleep on the right side now? Why? Because your wife sleeps on the left side?

P: Yes, she sleeps on the left side.

A: You don't like somebody breathing into your face. And the window is at your side?

P: Yes.

A: Good. What about your stool? Do you still have constipation?

P: No.

A: Before you had.

P: Yes.

A: Summarizing you could say that everything corresponds to the homeopathic remedy.

In September you still had slight bleeding, but not since.

P: No, nothing since.

A: Do you remember that you were ill after the last remedy?

P: Yes.

A: Tell me about it.

P: Headache, nothing but headache, three days in a row.

A: Tell me what you felt.

P: As if I wasn't really there anymore, and a headache.

A: Before you never had a headache?

P: No.

A: Neither in the morning while getting up?

P: No.

A: Only when you drank too much beer.

P: But I haven't drunk any beer.

A: So three days a headache. What else did you feel?

P: Nothing.

A: This was a good reaction. The remedy fits very well. The cause of the bleeding from the lung is the suppression of the hemorrhoids. That is all. You don't have to worry that there is something serious with your lung. There isn't.

P: No? But there is a spot.

A: This is of no importance. When you have another X-ray next year the spot will be gone.

P: Do you know what I have at the moment?

Now and then I'm really tired, just tired. Some days when I start in the morning I'm already tired at noon. I can't go on working anymore. Always tired.

A: What do you mean by tired? But you work very hard.

P: Very hard? Well yes.

A: Good. It is not so bad. I will give you the remedy and then you will feel a lot better.

That the bleeding came back means that your energy decreased. But I just think that you work too hard. I don't mean the work on the farm at home, but you are also building a house for your daughter. I think this is too much, but of course this is none of my business. This also takes a lot of energy.

P: I also lost about 6 kilos.

A: You can go on working, but not too much, a little bit slowly. Don't wear yourself out. This is probably the reason for the relapse and why you are so tired. Maybe you'll be even more tired for a few days and you need to sleep more. This is a reaction.

P: After I got the last tablet I could sleep and sleep and sleep. When I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. I fell asleep after 10 minutes.

A: Your wife was happy that you could sleep.

P: She said, "He is always lying in bed."

If somebody leaves at 7:00 a.m. I hear it. I turn over and then I sleep on the left side - no, not on the left side - well, anyway I fall asleep for another hour.

A: Do you turn to the right side?

P: No, on the back, and then I fall asleep again.

A: Do you have fear of heights?

P: In the past I never had, not even in the top of a tree.

All right. This was the case. Are there any questions?

Question: What was the clinical diagnosis of the bleeding from the lung?

A : They couldn't diagnose anything in the hospital. They saw something on the X-ray, took a biopsy and detected that it was not cancer.

Nevertheless his family said that he had cancer and I told them that first he had to come to the Center before I could do anything for him and then he came.

Later on he had an ischias, he was cursing from pain. This was a few years ago and now he is doing well.

Remark: He doesn't seem to be very irritable.

A : He already received Nux vomica a few months ago.

Remark: And before?

A : It was terrible. When he was young he even hit his wife. In the village where he lives he is known as the most angry man in the world. In the factory everybody is afraid of him, he can become very, very angry. It was impossible to live together with him. Now he is a lot more quiet, a lot calmer.

Question: Why did you ask about fear of heights?

A : Oh, normally I always ask this, to see which constitution is behind. But it is difficult to talk about constitution.

His brother came three times to me, three times with bleeding from the lungs the cause of which was an ulcer of the stomach. He was cured with Mercurius, not with Nux vomica. Mercurius because of the internal anger.

I'm sure if you follow your patients for many years that you can see in men - not in women - that Nux vomica, Mercurius and Aurum metallicum are complementary to some extent, dependent on the situation in which the patients live. I know this from my own experience.

Question: Are you sure that these remedies are complementary?

A : I mean the following: if you treat your patient for maybe 10 years, then you can see in one and the same patient in one year that he reacts very well to Nux vomica, then he comes with another complaint, for which he needs Mercurius and a little while later he needs Aurum metallicum. These three remedies may be indicated in one and the same person. I mean complementary not in the sense that after the first remedy new symptoms of the next remedy appear, I don't mean this, but that one and the same person may need these three remedies.

CASE3 v2

Hernia inguinalis

Nux vomica

Boy, 1 year old

A: The hernia was in the left groin and it couldn't be replaced. It couldn't be put in the right place again.

FP: No.

A: You are in the military.

FP: Yes.

A: At that time we sent you to the pediater (pediatrician) and he diagnosed an inguinal hernia. You already had an appointment with the surgeon and before you came here on February 29. They advised you to have him operated, but I said, "Just wait." I gave you a remedy in 30C, you dissolved it in water and gave him a spoonful a few times. I advised you to wait a few weeks to see how this would develop.

Tell me, how did it develop?

MP: The inguinal hernia became smaller gradually and then it disappeared completely.

A: In how much time did it disappear?

MP: Within 4 or 5 weeks. In fact you don't see anything anymore. The last time you could still see a little swelling, but now you don't see anything anymore.

A: Will you please take off his clothes and show it.

MP: (Takes his clothes off and shows the groin)

A: Now you hardly see anything.

What about his eyes? Is he still squinting?

MP: No.

The combination of this spasm, namely convergent strabismus and hernia in children has only one remedy, Nux vomica.

Don't forget this is an expression of spasm, of stress. Try to put yourself in the child's position when it comes into the world, with all the stress, the injections, the anxieties and the hurriedness to reach the hospital in time. Then you can imagine that this could be Nux vomica. You understand why Nux vomica is indicated in sniffling children with a chronically obstructed nose, in children with cramping pain. They are fed and after eating they have this cramping pain, they push and push, but there is no stool. You give them Chamomilla - and they behave like Chamomilla, they shout and so on - Colocynthis, Plumbum and so on, but nothing helps; it is Nux vomica. The cause may be all the injections and the stress during birth.

Look on page 1369:

GENERALITIES, intoxication, after: ... Nux-v ...

GENERALITIES, INTOXICATION, after : Acon., agar., am-m., arg-m., bell., bry., carb-v., chin., cocc., coff., ip., kali-c., kali-n., kreos., laur., nat-m., nux-m., Nux-v., Op., ph-ac., puls.,rheum., samb., spong., squil., stram., teucr., valer.

Before I thought that Nux vomica was only a remedy for men, for businessmen, but today I see it differently.

The main idea of Nux vomica is the spasm and if you look closely you see that an inguinal hernia is the expression of spasm in the intestines.

Look on page 552:

Inguinal : Aesc., all-c., alum., am-c., apis., asar., aur., berb., calc-ar., calc., carb-an., carb-v., cocc., coff., dig., ip., lach., Lyc., mag-c., mill., mur-ac., nit-ac., Nux-v., op., petr., phos., prun-s., psor., rhus-t., sars.,sil., spig., staph., sul-ac., sulph., ter., thuj., verat., zinc.

ABDOMEN, hernia, inguinal: ... Nux-v ...

In the sub rubric there are three capital remedies:

ABDOMEN, hernia, inguinal, strangulated: ... Bell ...

Nux-v ... Op ...

The Belladonna child is lying a little bit drawn up and suddenly it starts crying. It is a kind of local congestion and the pain comes up suddenly and disappears again. Very often it is accompanied by inflammatory symptoms, for example, the redness of the face and the cold extremities and the sensitivity to touch.

In Nux vomica the pain is constant and they are also sensitive to touch.

The Opium child lies completely still, it is a little bit sleepy and you wonder why this child is so quiet, why it doesn't weep, although it must have a lot of pain. In Opium it is a paralytic state of the intestines, while in Nux vomica it is a hyperactivity, a spasm of the intestines. This is also the cause for the constipation in children and for the inversion of the feet. Nux vomica children turn their feet inwards.

Look on page 1019:

INVERSION, foot : Nux-v., sec.

EXTREMITIES, inversion, foot: Nux-v ...

It can be so bad that they have to be put in the right position by plasters or splints and things like that. If you see somebody walking with his feet turned inward you have to think of Nux vomica.

Another symptom which you can observe is the eyes. You see the same spasm in the eyes as you can see in the feet, they are also turned inward, a convergent strabismus.

I knew a girl very well, but I didn't realize for a long time that she needed Nux vomica. She was very irritable, walked with her feet turned inward and had inversion of her eyes. She explained that she had to take medicines and her mother said that in general she was very sensitive to these medicines. If the convergent strabismus is aggravated by medicines this is one more reason for Nux vomica.

MP: But he still has the tendency to squint.

A: In which sense?

MP: The pediater (pediatrician) said so.

A: Put him there. (Is examining the inguinal region)

It has completely disappeared. I don't feel anything anymore. I had the impression that sometimes there was inversion of his eyes.

MP: The pediater (pediatrician) said that it was because the bridge of his nose is too large.

A: But then his eyes should turn outwards.

MP: I don't know. That's what the pediater (pediatrician) said.

A: But you noticed that there was something wrong with his eyes?

MP: No, no, I didn't notice it, but others did.

A: Well yes, it is very minimal, but hasn't it improved lately?

MP: Yes, I think so, in the beginning it was worse and now it is less.

A: Have you seen the pediater (pediatrician) again?

MP: No, I haven't been there anymore, I cancelled the appointment by telephone.

A: You also saw the military doctor?

MP: Yes, he was the first who said that he had to be operated. He examined him and he said that it was an inguinal hernia and he sent me to the hospital, but first I came to you. We have seen a pediater (pediatrician) in L. who said that it was an inguinal hernia and then I went to the surgeon.

A: But you didn't go there in the meantime? Or did you, when it was better see the doctor once again for a check up?

MP: No, no, then we came to you.

FP: During the week we came here he should have had surgery.

A: But before you saw another doctor who said that it had to be operated even if it was gone.

FP: No, it was during that week that he had to be operated. We made an appointment so that they could examine it again because the swelling was less.

A: But you didn't have him operated?

MP: No, we didn't. I just cancelled it.

A: And what did they say?

MP: I didn't talk to the doctor, I just cancelled the appointment.

A: The previous time you told me that a doctor said that the inguinal hernia had to be operated, even when it was gone.

MP: Yes, he said that the intestine went back into place, but that the opening in the abdominal wall can't disappear with Homoeopathy. We didn't go back for this problem, but when my husband broke his toe he started talking about it. He said that he can't get rid of it with Homoeopathy.

A: Oh yes, that's what I meant.

The inguinal hernia came back once again, I repeated Nux vomica 30 and it disappeared again. He came back last week and up to then there hasn't been a relapse.

You don't have to be afraid of children with hernia, strangulated hernias. The only thing you have to do is to wait four or five hours. You give the remedy and you wait a few hours. Don't send them too quickly to the hospital, it is not necessary.

Also in children think of Nux vomica. The strabismus is convergent, just like the feet; they are turned inwards, not outwards. Also in pylorospasm Nux vomica is a very important remedy.

According to Phatak and Clarke Thuja has to be added in the rubric on page 552:

ABDOMEN, hernia, inguinal, children, in

CASE4 v2

Nux vomica

Girl, 10 years old

What you often observe in children and which often seems to be a problem is cramping pain and vomiting in children who don't tolerate milk.

Look in the Repertory of Boericke on page 771 there you will find a rubric:

STOMACH, cardiac orifice

STOMACH, cardiac orifice,

spasmodic contraction, painful, cardio-spasm:

... Nux-v, ...

This means "cardio spasms".

But on the other hand there is also the sub rubric "dilatation", this means "gastroptosis", a dilatation of the cardiac orifice.

STOMACH, cardiac orifice,

dilatation (gastroptosis): ... Hydrast. mur ...

Nux-v ...

I don't know the remedy Hydrastris muriaticum. What does this mean?

In children you often see that they eat, have cramps afterwards and vomit everything. They say that the cause is an opening of the cardiac, but in reality this is a constriction of the stomach and a spasm of the pylorus.

Look in the rubric on page 533:

stomach, vomiting, forcible : Con., glon., iod., jatr., manc., merc-c., mez., mosch., nux-v., petr., sanic., stry., Verat.

STOMACH, vomiting, forcible: ... nux-v ... Verat

Veratrum is the only capital remedy.

Remark: Didn't you ever talk about enthusiastic vomiting?

A : Yes, in Phosphorus. Phosphorus vomits with his whole body. But this forcible vomiting means that it comes out with a very strong force, a stream.

The most important remedy in spasm of the pylorus, stenosis of the pylorus is Phosphorus, but I would like you to pay attention to Nux vomica.

In our Repertory the constriction of the pylorus is not mentioned, but it should be added.

Comparable rubrics are:

STOMACH, narrow, pylorus feels too

(on page 504)

STOMACH, NARROW, pylorus feels too : Calc., chin., lyc., nux-v., phos., sulph.

STOMACH, obstruction of pylorus, sensation of

(on page 511)

STOMACH, constriction, pylorus, of

A new rubric in the Repertory of Boericke is

STOMACH, constriction, pylorus: cann-i, cinch, hep,

nux-v, phos, ornithogalum, sil

China is an addition of Phatak.

Also the constriction of the cardiac orifice is an expression of the general idea of spasm in Nux vomica.

Intolerance of milk is a symptom of Nux vomica. Of course a lot of other remedies have this symptom, and the most important in newborn children is Aethusa. But the way of behaving, the cramps, sometimes the slight strabismus, the way of vomiting and the constipation you have to think of Nux vomica.

This patient comes for headache, constipation and nauseousness while driving in a car. She has dark skin, dark hair so her appearance makes me think of Sepia officinalis.

A: She was here in August 1987. The problem was fever, 38.5°C, headache, dizziness, pain in the throat, coughing and a tendency to vomit while driving in a car. She was not thirsty during the fever and had a headache after eating. Clinically nothing could be found. She likes to romp, to ride on a bicycle, likes music a lot. I gave her Sepia officinalis. The next day she did well. Then she had fever all day long. It went down gradually, she became more vivid. Then she had abdominal pain, pain in the back and headache in school. When she came home in the evening, suddenly she had very severe head and backache. She was unmanageable and didn't say a word. Then I gave her Sepia officinalis 10M, but there was no amelioration, maybe slight. She was very pale and the pain in the stomach became worse. She was weeping, also during sleep and had pain in the rectum during stool. She always felt nauseous while driving in a car. She was in a bad mood, didn't want to be touched. She had constipation, difficult stool and she had stool with abdominal cramps.

In this case you see what may happen. We send our children to school, make sure they learn as much as possible and this constitutional Sepia officinalis child comes into a Nux vomica state. She is stressed because she has to learn so many things and comes home with a headache because of the mental exertion. She also has abdominal pain with constriction in the rectum.

You know that Nux vomica is capital in the rubric on page 608:

CONSTRICTION, contraction, closure, etc. : Acon., aesc., aeth., agar., alum., am-c., arg-n., ars., bell., benz-ac., berb., bor., cact., calc-s., calc., camph., cann-s., carb-an., carb-v., Caust., chel., chin., cic., cimx., cocc.,coff., colch., coloc., cop., crot-t., der., ferr-ar., ferr-i., ferr-p., ferr., fl-ac., form., graph., grat., guare., hipp., hura., hyos., Ign., kali-ar., kali-bi., kali-br., kali-c., Lach., laur., Lyc., mang., meli., mez., nat-c., nat-m., nat-p.,Nit-ac., Nux-v., op., phos., Plb., rat., rhus-t., sars., sec., sep., sil., sol-t-ae., staph., stront., sulph., sumb., syph., tab., ther., thuj., verb.

RECTUM, constriction: ... Nux-v ...

In this modern life we push our children into a Nux vomica state. That's exactly what happened in this case. This can bring the children into a terrible state, with terrible pain and quite a lot of suffering.

Nauseousness while driving in a car is a Sepia officinalis symptom as well as a Nux vomica symptom.

Clarke writes that Nux vomica is a patient with dark hair, with states of mental exertion and people who have a sedentary life.

You see that Nux vomica and Sepia officinalis both have dark complexion and often this makes the differential diagnosis very difficult. As you will see later on these two remedies are complementary.

Don't forget the blue discoloration in Nux vomica. They have a blue face, blue lips, even blue fingernails during chill.

chill, during : Bry., cact., lach., nat-m., Nux-v., petr., Stram., sulph., tub.

Look on page 358:

FACE, discoloration, bluish, chill, during: ... Nux-v ...

These are Nux vomica children, children who'll have a completely blue face when they are cold. This is also an expression of spasm.

A: I gave her a remedy and the complaints disappeared completely.

MP: Yes, all the complaints have disappeared.

A: The headache is gone, the abdominal cramps are gone, and the stool is normal again. Did she still have fever?

MP: No.

A: Also no cold?

MP: No. Last week we noticed that she had salivation at night which was slightly colored. I don't know whether this is important.

A: Salivation at night.

MP: Yes. It was a little bit bloody, I could see it on the pillow.

Look in the rubric on page 416:

MOUTH, saliva, bloody: ... Bufo ... nux-v ...

MOUTH, SALIVA, bloody : Acon., am-c., arg-m., arn., ars., aspar., bad., bell., bry., Bufo., calad., camph., canth., carb-s., carb-v., cic., clem., Crot-c., crot-h., dros., eug., gels.,hyos., indg., jatr., kali-i., Mag-c., merc-c., merc., nat-m., Nit-ac., nux-v., op., Phos., rhus-t., sec., staph., stram., sulph., thuj., vip., zinc.

Why does Bufo have bloody saliva?

Because they bite on their tongue and their cheeks.

At the moment I'm very much interested in epileptic states and I found a very interesting remedy. I was looking for a remedy for a girl with epilepsy who had these spasms once when she was 6 months old and had a fever. Nobody knew why she had fever then. Now, at the age of 16, 17 years these convulsions came back together with spasms during the menstruation.

First of all you have to know why she had these spasms when she was 6 months old. A possible cause could be dentition, this would mean spasms during dentition.

Look on page 1352:

GENERALITIES, convulsions, dentition, during:

... art-v ...

There you see the remedy Artemisia vulgaris. It is a remedy especially for convulsions during fever. It is not in the rubric "convulsions during heat" on page 1354, but Hering describes it. These children have fever during dentition and often convulsions also.

They have convulsions during sleep with biting of the tongue, biting of the cheek, convulsions after emotions, and as we already said, especially during dentition. These convulsions appear again during puberty. In the meantime they haven't had any epileptic attacks, only during dentition and at puberty. Artemisia vulgaris is a very interesting remedy, especially for girls, for whom you have to think of Staphisagria, or because of the irritability and hypersensitivity, of Nux vomica.

Hyoscyamus also has convulsions in children during fever. These are especially in hysterical girls at puberty with severe cramping abdominal pains during the menses.

Also, Artemisia vulgaris has convulsions after a fright.

Nux vomica has convulsions during fever in children, also convulsions with unconsciousness. With these convulsions the eyes and the feet are turned inwards.

A: So bloody saliva. Does she have other complaints?

MP: Basically, that's all. Otherwise she doesn't have any other complaints. Maybe one more question, Could this be caused by psychological tensions?

A: Why?

MP: At the beginning of the new school year, at the end of August, at the beginning of September she had a lot of stress because she was going to have a new teacher who is known to be very angry and severe.

Is this normal that a child can have fever because of psychological tension?

Look in the Repertory on page 1281:

FEVER, anticipating: Nux-v

FEVER, ANTICIPATING : Nux-v.

This means that they have fever when they have to do something special and become anxious, for example, to go to school or when they expect a very hot-tempered teacher. Then they will have a fever, they become ill.

You see that anticipating fear is not only a mental symptom and some other remedies like Arsenicum will have complaints from this. In this patient we could also think of Arsenicum from the appearance, but she is a little bit too plethoric for Arsenicum.

You can have fever from anger. Not only bacterium cause fever; you don't have to believe in microbes as the cause of fever.

I would like to draw your attention to another point. Wherever you read something about this remedy, every time they write about convulsions with consciousness.

Nux vomica causes spasms and convulsions, for example, in children, when they have fever. Do not only think of Hyoscyamus or Opium, it might also be Nux vomica. Also in real epileptic attacks after exertion, even in small children Nux vomica might be the remedy. Opium is known for arrested respiration during an epileptic attack, but this might also happen in Nux vomica. Convulsions from anger, convulsions during chill, convulsions from fright, all this can be Nux vomica.

In this case it is a combination of the symptoms of spasm and fever because of anticipation, because of the beginning of a new school year.

A: Of course, stress might be the cause.

MP: Once she had this during an examination, therefore we were thinking in this direction. Can this have something to do with it?

A: Yes, she might need this remedy when she is in a stressful situation. This is interesting.

Now you know what she needs when she has this abdominal pain again. I will give you the remedy in a tube to take home and when the abdominal pain comes back she has to take this remedy.

MP: And what about the headache? The previous time she had a headache.

A: But she doesn't have it anymore.

MP: No.

A: That was an aggravation, it is not a problem anymore.

CASE5 v2

Nose obstruction

Nux vomica

Boy, 6 years old

September 30, 1987

This is a case of nose obstruction and asthmatic respiration, shortness of breath.

A: His problem is an obstructed nose, isn't it?

MP: And he had shortness of breath.

A: I gave him a remedy in 1985 and since then he is doing well.

MP: Yes, up to 4, 5 weeks ago.

A: When is his nose obstructed?

MP: Especially at night, but lately day and night, he has it always.

A: And when is the shortness of breath worse?

MP: At night. As soon as he goes to bed he starts coughing.

When somebody comes and says that he has an obstructed nose you just take the rubric "nose, obstruction", but usually they come and say, "I have a cold."

Which rubric do you have to take then?

This is the rubric "coryza", coryza with discharge or coryza without discharge. This means also dryness of the nose, but with a cold. The dry coryza without discharge is worse at night, as she says in this case.

This dry coryza is a very important rubric. In such a case, when there is no discharge you can take the rubric "nose, obstruction" or "coryza, dry". All of us seldom use these rubrics, but you find a lot of information in these rubrics, to find the right remedy, for example, for coryza dry alternating with discharge. When is the nose dry and when is it running?

A: Did he have shortness of breath last time when there was dust in the house?

MP: When I cleaned his room twice a week it was not bad.

A: What did you mean by "free of dust"? Did everything have to be without any dust?

P: Yes. He doesn't have an eiderdown, but a synthetic cover.

A: Do you still do this like in the past?

MP: Yes, I always do.

A: And when you don't do this does he have complaints?

MP: I try to clean properly, because I think it is better to make everything free of dust.

A: When he goes to bed he starts coughing, doesn't he?

MP: Yes.

A: Does he cough a lot at night?

MP: Yes, it can last for one hour and then it becomes better. By the morning it is over.

A: How was it when he was a child?

MP: He had already started coughing when he was still in the cradle.

A: Did he also have an obstructed nose then?

MP: Yes. He was sneezing and he had a very severe cough. The nurse who visited us during the day said that most of the baby's have this and that it will go away. Otherwise he doesn't have any particular complaints.

It is typical that this child is sniffling all the time.

Look on page 351:

in new-born infants : Dulc., Lyc., Nux-v., puls., Samb.

NOSE, snuffles, in newborn infants: ... Nux-v ...

Sepia officinalis is an addition.

A: Does he have other complaints?

MP: No.

A: Does he often pull up his nose?

MP: Yes, he often does.

A: Tell me something about his character. What is characteristic for him?

MP: He moves a lot; very, very much. When we make agreements at home he sticks to these agreements very strictly.

A: He is not like the other children.

MP: No, in fact not. When we make agreements this works out very well. But in school we had many problems with him last year.

A: Why?

MP: The first school year it was all right. He had a teacher who understood him. This was very good and he had very good marks, about 90%. The second year he had a female teacher who couldn't stand him because he was so restless and in this way he disturbed the education. His marks went down to 44%. This is impossible.

The last trimester he had another teacher and his marks went up to 88%. Then he was doing well again. Now, this year he has a teacher whom we told immediately he was hyperkinetic and now everything is all right.

FP: He can't sit still.

MP: Sometimes he can.

A: When do you get up in the morning?

P: At 8:00 o'clock.

A: So at 8:00 o'clock. When do you have breakfast?

P: I drink warm milk.

A: I mean, when, at what time?

P: I don't know.

MP: At a quarter past 8.

A: Exactly?

MP: Yes, it is always at the same time.

A: Does he want it this way?

MP: No.

A: When does he go to school?

MP: At half past 8.

FP: He has to be there at a quarter to nine.

A: When he leaves too late how does he react?

MP: It is not so bad. When he comes home from school we tell him, "First you do your homework until ...., then you may watch television, and then you go to bed at 8:00 o'clock", then everything turns out fine. If we don't make these agreements he will do all kinds of things in between, like playing outside, watching television and so on.

A: Everything has to be scheduled, then it is all right. Does he want everything to be scheduled?

MP: Yes.

A: Is he very tidy?

MP: Yes, very much. At home his books are placed precisely.

A: Is he really a perfectionist?

MP: Yes.

P: First the big ones, then the small ones, that's the way they have to be on the shelf.

A: Always from the big ones to the small ones. May they stand wry?

P: A few times a month I put them in order.

A: He cannot see that there is a book which doesn't belong there.

MP: No. Also in his school bag everything is put in order.

A: Exaggerated for a child?

MP: In fact, yes. Only his handwriting is sometimes disordered. He sits in a cramped position while writing and then he makes mistakes and he strikes it through and things like that.

A: Is he very tidy concerning his clothes?

MP: Yes.

P: At least with clothes which I like. When they are not beautiful I don't care, then I complain.

A: Does he often complain?

MP: Yes.

A: Does he easily contradict?

MP: Yes, he contradicts his mother, not his father.

P: My father is severe.

A: Is he easily too warm?

MP: At night he is, isn't he?

P: Well yes.

MP: He doesn't wear pajamas at night.

A: But he is covered up?

MP: Yes, he is. And the covers have to lie precisely, it has to cover him very precisely. When he wakes up at night and tosses about I have to get up to put the cover in order.

P: I'm a little bit anxious in the dark.

You know that Nux vomica is covered up the same way as Hepar sulphuris? They are covered up all over, they don't tolerate any draft of air, the arms can not come out of the cover.

This is exactly the same when they have fever, and it is a very important symptom that they are very warm under the covers during fever. Like which other remedy?

Rhus toxicodendron. Both are very, very warm, but they can't uncover. Rhus toxicodendron is very, very restless, while Nux vomica lies very still, in order not to produce a draft of air.

You also know the sneezing while uncovering a part of the body, a symptom of Mercurius, Hepar sulphuris and Nux vomica.

A: Can you tolerate it when the cutlery doesn't lie in order in the drawer?

P: No.

A: I will give him the remedy and I would like to see him again after one month, to see the result of the remedy. I know that this remedy has helped him for a few years, but I would like to record the feedback as proof.

If somebody says that he always has asthmatic attacks whenever he is excited and you are looking for a remedy first of all you have to think of Nux vomica; spasms from excitement. A child is excited and then has an asthmatic attack - and he becomes easily excited. As I already told you the spasms are an essential point in Nux vomica, and the second point is the hypersensitivity. They are easily irritable, they are not only easily angry, but in general there is an exaggerated sensitivity. This is the second important point in Nux vomica.

FEEDBACK (November 4, 1987)

A: One month ago, in September you were here for an obstructed nose. At night he was coughing a lot. How did he react to the remedy?

MP: Very well. He doesn't cough at night anymore. Immediately the next night he didn't have to cough anymore, suddenly it was gone. He did very well for one month, but now he has a cold. The nose is obstructed again.

A: Very well. And this was immediately after the remedy?

MP: Yes, immediately the next night it was completely gone.

This week he came home from school soaking wet.

He came home from school and was wet all over. I think there is a mistake in the Repertory.

Look on page 1421:

getting : Am-c., ant-c., apis., ars., bell., bor., bry., calc-p., calc-s., Calc., camph., carb-v., Caust., chin., colch., dulc., eupho., hep., ip., lach., lyc., nit-ac., nux-m., phos., Puls., Rhus-t., sars., sec., Sep., sulph., verat., zinc.

GENERALITIES, wet, getting

Everywhere you see Nux moschata in getting wet in general, getting wet feet, getting wet during perspiration. I think that the translation is wrong and I changed everything to Nux vomica.

A: Does he have an obstructed nose now?

MP: Yes, but he doesn't have to cough so much. This is because he came home from school last week soaking wet. The hair was wet, his shirt was wet and since then he has it again.

The modalities which are described in Clarke are: aggravation from draft of air, from cold air, from cold water and from getting wet.

You see that he is doing better immediately after the remedy, one day later. Now, after getting wet I repeated the remedy and then everything was all right.

CASE6 v2

Hay fever

Nux vomica

Boy, 12 years old

May 9, 1988

A: He was here in 1986 and the last time in May 1987. Now it is one year later, May 1988. The problems always come back in May, don't they?

MP: Yes, in 1986 we came in June, then we came later.

A: Tell me what the problem is.

P: Hay fever is the problem.

A: And what are the symptoms?

P: When I get up in the morning my nose is itching.

A: Does it itch when you get up or when you are still lying in bed and are waking up?

P: In fact when I get up.

A: Not while you are still lying in bed?

P: Yes, even then.

Why do I ask this?

When they get out of bed it is colder and then normally they have an obstructed nose or start sneezing.

A: So in the morning while waking up itching in the nose.

P: Yes. I start scratching.

A: Do you have to sneeze then?

P: Sometimes.

A: Not always?

P: No.

A: It is itching. What else do you feel besides the itching?

P: Also in the throat.

A: What do you feel in the throat?

P: A kind of itching.

A: Where?

P: Here.

A: All at the back?

P: Yes.

Where does Nux vomica have itching?

Audience: In the Eustachian tube.

A : Yes, in the Eustachian tube. They feel it in the throat and the ear. They do not know the Eustachian tube. If somebody says that he has an itching in the throat and the ear you have to think of the Eustachian tube, and in the rubric "itching in the Eustachian tube" Nux vomica is capital.

EAR,ITCHING,eustachian tubes : Agar., arg-m., calc., caust., coc-c., coloc., Nux-v., petr., Sil.

A: Does it only itch in the throat or somewhere else? Where does it itch especially?

P: Also in the ears.

A: And how is it between the throat and the ear? And in the mouth?

P: No, I don't think so.

Of which remedy do you have to think when you see this boy?

Audience: Sepia officinalis.

A : And which other remedy?

Audience: Carcinosinum.

A : Yes, Carcinosinum. Nobody can make a differential diagnosis between Nux vomica, Sepia officinalis and Carcinosinum only on the appearance.

Up to now we didn't have any patient who reacted well to Carcinosinum who didn't have this dark complexion. Everybody who attended the Carcinosinum Seminar will agree with me. Up to now it is so, but maybe we will have to change our minds.

Remark: I have a patient with blond hair ... (rest not understandable)?

A : And the skin?

Audience: Also white.

A : White skin. And she reacted well?

Audience: Yes, very well.

A : And how long did the remedy work?

Audience: 7 to 8 months.

A : 7 to 8 months with one dose of Carcinosinum 200.

You see I already have to swallow what I just said. They can be white as well. But we had 12 or 13 Carcinosinum cases and there was not one blond patient who reacted well to Carcinosinum. I would like to see your case.

With this patient I also think of Carcinosinum, especially because his sclerae look bluish; but you can also see this in Sepia officinalis.

A: You have itching in your nose and in your throat. What do you do for this itching in your throat?

P: I do this.

A: You don't touch it with your hands, therefore you try to scratch by swallowing.

This is a child who reacts very quickly. You could see this a while ago the way he looked to his mother. These people are on the edge of their nerves, they react very quickly.

A: Do you have itching inside your nose?

P: Yes.

A: Is your nose also obstructed?

P: No.

A: What about your eyes? Do you have problems with them?

P: Not so much with this one, but I have with my left eye.

A: What do you feel?

P: It also itches.

A: So itching more in your left eye. Also in the morning?

P: No.

A: When?

P: In the afternoon.

A: Especially in the afternoon?

MP: I think when he is outside.

A: Does the weather play a role?

MP: Yes, when it is raining he doesn't have it, or anyway it is not so bad.

This is the most important keynote, namely the amelioration from wet weather. Another remedy has this also, with this kind of coryza. What is the remedy?

Audience: Causticum.

A : Yes, Causticum, and also Sabadilla. The differential diagnosis between Sabadilla and Sepia officinalis, which are complementary remedies and Nux vomica is not easy. Sabadilla has the amelioration from wet weather, Nux vomica also, and Hepar sulphuris. In Hepar warm wet weather ameliorates. What desire has Sabadilla?

Audience: Onions.

A : And what else?

Audience: Honey.

A : And what else?

Pudding. Honey, onions and pudding are the desires of Sabadilla.

A: So worse with dry weather?

P: Yes.

You know that you have to take the rubric "dry weather aggravates", don't you? This is the opposite of the aggravation from wet weather. In this rubric you find almost all the hay fever remedies. There you see Alumina, Arsenicum, Asarum, Carbo animalis, Carbo vegetabilis, Causticum, Hepar sulphuris, Kali carbonicum, Nux vomica, Sabadilla, again Sepia officinalis, Silicea, Spongia, Staphisagria and also Sulphur.

These are very important hay fever remedies by which Carbo vegetabilis, Kali carbonicum, Sulphurand Hepar can go to asthmatic attacks.

I start from this rubric when the patient says that the hay fever is aggravated from warm, dry weather and ameliorates from rainy weather, if there is indeed a connection to the weather. Then I try to differentiate the remedies in this rubric.

Question : ... warm wet weather?

A : In Hepar. Cold wet weather is not good for Hepar, only warm wet weather.

MP: When he is scratching his nose it starts bleeding.

A: Does he bore with his finger into his nose?

MP: Yes, and then it starts bleeding. When it is very bad he also has swollen eyes.

A: You saw this once in 1984. The very first time your eyes were swollen.

P: Yes.

Nux vomica is in the rubric "picking nose". You know this also of Arum triphyllum, Teucreum and Cina.

A: Does he have other complaints?

MP: Something else?

P: No.

A: What kind of character does he have?

MP: He is a very nice boy, very nice.

A: This is not true, is it?

Somebody told me that they can be very mild children, just like Sepia officinalis. He also is very mild, very lovely.

A: He isn't easily angry?

MP: Yes, sometimes he is. He can also become angry, but in general he is very sweet.

A: Is he learning well in school? Is he doing his best?

MP: We can not complain. He does the best he can. There is some competition in the class of who will be the best.

A: Does he belong to them?

MP: Yes, don't you?

A: How many marks did he have?

MP: He always had good marks. Now he is in his fifth year.

A: Do you think that he is very precise in learning?

MP: In everything he is very precise.

A: What do you mean?

MP: Everything has to be exact, otherwise it is not good for him.

A: Does he treat his books very carefully?

MP: When he wants to he does it very well. When he has an oral examination he learns it by heart, he knows everything and yet he is afraid he won't succeed. He is rather nervous before examinations.

A: When does he get up in the morning?

MP: At half past seven.

A: Is he always punctual?

MP: About. During the holidays he sleeps longer, but otherwise he gets up at half past 7.

A: And how is his room? Does he have his own room?

MP: Yes.

A: Is he tidy?

MP: No, certainly not.

A: Is he very precise?

MP: Yes, everything has its own place. Nothing can be placed in the wrong place.

A: Does he do something else besides the school?

MP: Yes, he follows music.

A: That's what I thought.

You will see this in other cases. Many of these Nux vomica children make music besides their studies at school. They like music, they are good musicians and they have a very good feeling for rhythm.

Our previous Belgian Minister of Economy is the most beautiful Nux vomica person you can imagine. He studied economics at the University and he is a brilliant conductor of classical music; a very controlled, narrow man, who walks exactly the way I described.

And he is a socialist. This is unusual, because Nux vomica usually is liberal.

MP: At the moment he is still learning the notes, after two years he may play an instrument.

A: Does he have other hobbies besides music?

MP: At home he plays football, but otherwise nothing. He also has to study catechism, this is additional.

He takes the music school very seriously. You don't have to push him to practice, he does it all on his own.

A: All right.

Since 1984 I have given this boy Nux vomica every time, always with good success.

Question : ... (not understandable)

A : This does not mean that maybe he does not need Carcinosinum, but who knows the hay fever of Carcinosinum?

Up to now nobody. Nux vomica might be a superficial prescription, but we have to choose the remedy according to the symptoms of the Repertory. As long as Carcinosinum is not an addition in this kind of hay fever with itching of the palate and the Eustachian tube we may not prescribe it. This was also his only complaint. If there would be some other problems, for example, difficulties in reading or in talking, and he had to go to a speech therapist for these problems, or for example, he is suppressed at home or something like that, then we would have real reasons to give Carcinosinum.

Question: Did you ask particular questions for Carcinosinum?

A : No, I didn't, because he has reacted well to Nux vomica since 1984 and we don't have the right to change the remedy as long as we see progress and no other symptoms appear.

FEEDBACK (July 8, 1988)

A: He was here in May 1987 and 1988 and his problem was hay fever. In the morning he had itching in the nose, in the throat and in the eyes, it was better with wet weather.

How was the reaction?

P: Good. I suffered from it only in the beginning. Afterwards I had a cold, I was coughing and so on. Then it was better.

A: Do you still have it at the moment?

P: Yes, now and then.

A: And what do you think?

MP: It is much better I must tell you. He still has itching in his eyes and in his ears, I think, and the last few days I hear this noise in his throat a little bit, it appears when he swallows. In general he is a lot better.

A: We can say that it is a good reaction.

What do you do during the holidays? Fishing?

P: Yes, maybe.

A: I will give you a few tablets to take home which you will save.

Question: ... vivid like Phosphorus.

A : No, Phosphorus is slow, Phosphorus is not vivid. His movements are slow, he doesn't have these quick motions. In the rubric, "slowness in motion" Phosphorus is capital.

Typical for Phosphorus is that they react immediately on the emotional level, quick reaction, but on the physical level they are rather slow. This is a particular characteristic of Phosphorus.

CASE7 v2

Chronic coryza

Nux vomica

Boy, 15 years old

There are Nux vomica cases of children where you try to find the right remedy for two, three years and if you finally find Nux vomica and give it the case will be solved very quickly.

This patient has been treated by many different doctors since 1981. It took a few years until we found the right remedy. You repertorize and repertorize all the possible local symptoms, but without taking into account the rubric "dry coryza". In the rubric "dry coryza" you find a lot of information: dry coryza at night, fluent during the day, here Nux vomica is capital. Dry coryza outside, fluent coryza in a warm room. You can find all this in this rubric.

This is a very interesting case with chronic coryza, already for many years. He also received Phosphorus, because he has the appearance of Phosphorus: blue eyes and red hair, but when I talk to him you will see how immovable he is, how he withholds his feelings. This would be impossible for Phosphorus. The chest is immovable in Phosphorus. The chest is immovable because of the stiffness of the chest. Therefore Phosphorus is number one in the disease of M. Bechterew. But everybody knows this.

A: You came the first time on February 14, 1984 with the problem of skin allergy. You have had this problem already for three years.

How old are you now?

MP: 15 years old.

A: In 1984 you were 11 years old and three years before when this problem started you were 8 years old. You had an allergy to house dust. You don't know the reason.

You will hear about the reason later, but you can forget that the cause was an allergy to house dust. As homeopaths we don't have to take this information into consideration.

MP: No. In the beginning he always had a cold. He had cough syrup. This helped him, but as soon as he stopped this syrup the cough came back. The doctor said that we couldn't go on this way. He did a blood test and it showed an allergy to house dust.

A: How has this been treated?

MP: First he has had desensitization injections for quite a while, every fourteen days, but it didn't help at all. We emptied his room and so on.

A: Here I read that he has been desensitized for one year. But it didn't help.

P: No.

A: Did he have other treatments?

MP: No.

The mother of this patient has been cured by a colleague in the Center of psoriasis from which she suffered for many, many years. When she undressed herself it started itching terribly, and on account of this symptom my colleague gave her a remedy and the psoriasis disappeared.

This remedy was Rumex crispus. Itching from undressing, there is only one capital remedy.

In this case we can see that we don't know so much about many remedies. Therefore we must dare to gave a remedy even if we don't know the mental picture, when the remedy is strongly indicated by other symptoms.

If somebody comes to you and says that he is dizzy when watching a moving train and becomes nauseous when he looks at it for a long time, which remedy would you prescribe?

Answer: Jaborandi.

A : Yes, Jaborandi. We have to prescribe such remedies, even if we don't know the philosophy.

A: The reason for the allergy to house dust must have started at about the age of 8.

MP: We didn't notice anything, he always had a cold.

A: Did something particular happen when he was 8 years old? Has something changed in his life?

MP: Not that I know of.

A: He is somebody who undertakes several things, not only learns, but also follows an education in music. What else?

MP: He is especially occupied by nature.

A: When did he start the music education?

P: When I was in the third school year.

A: Then you were 8 years old. Do you remember that he had this allergy before he started this music education?

MP: No.

A: It appeared after he started the music education.

This is the reason, not the house dust. The fact is that he did many more things, more mental work at the music school, this the reason for the allergy. It is strange that a child never had coryza and suddenly starts sneezing at the age of 8. Why? Or when a child suddenly has epileptic attacks. There must be a reason for that. In Nux vomica it is too much mental work.

MP: In kindergarten he has had headaches for quite a long time. It disappeared only in the first school year. He has always been a very good pupil. First they thought that he could skip the last year of the kindergarten. He was much smarter than the other children.

A: He could go to school at a much younger age.

MP: He was 6 years old, the normal age, when he went to school.

A: At the age of 8, in the third school year, he started music education, and then the hay fever appeared.

Question: Is it possible that the hay fever started when he started the music education?

Audience: Yes, because everything that diminishes the energy might lead to a reaction.

A : You see that he was the best of the class, he could even skip a class and then there came an additional stress, the music school.

A: He had to sneeze at night, because he woke up. Especially when he uncovered himself he had to sneeze. When he was warm again it stopped. There was a lot of watery discharge from his nose.

"Sneezing from uncovering", that's the way he said it, didn't he? It is not because of the dust, but because of the draft of air. When he uncovers himself he starts sneezing. You can add Nux vomica in the rubric "sneezing from uncovering".

Remark: No!

A : No? Good, why? So you better not add it. You had better take the rubric "undressing aggravates" in the general rubric, Nux vomica is capital.

Do you have other propositions?

Audience: After rising.

A : Hm, sneezing after rising. I think Nux vomica is sneezing because he is cold and because of the draft of air, not because he is rising.

A: This was when he came from the cold to the warmth. The nose was obstructed outside in the cold.

MP: Yes, he always had to sneeze then.

A: When he entered the house his nose started running.

MP: Yes.

A: Here I wrote down that he had to blow his nose less in the fresh air.

MP: Yes.

A: He had an obstructed nose outside and the sneezing started when he came into contact with the cold.

If you study the coryza of Nux vomica you see that the coryza is how in the open air? Does the nose run or is it obstructed?

It might be both.

Look in the Repertory on page 329:

warm room : All-c., ant-c., carb-v., cycl., merc-i-r., merc., nux-v., phos., sep.

NOSE, coryza, warm room: ... nux-v ...

And in the rubric on page 328:

air, open, in : Calc-p., naja., Nux-v.

NOSE, coryza, discharge, without, air, open, in:

... Nux-v

So be careful!

Usually the nose is running in a warm room and it is obstructed in the open air. Usually, but the opposite is also possible.

Look at the rubric on page 327:

warm room : All-c., cycl., merc., nux-v., Puls.

NOSE, coryza, discharge with, warm room: ... nux-v ...

This is exactly what he says. When he enters a warm room his nose starts running.

A: His nose is obstructed and he is snoring at night. It is worse in spring and in autumn. Here I also wrote down that the obstruction of his nose is better in the open air, but this is not sure.

You know that autumn aggravates.

A: He is rather chilly, sits in the shade, burns in the sun, likes to sit inside to read. He is not a person who likes to do physical exertion. He doesn't like activities so much, he is more contemplative. He likes to sit.

Contemplative means that he has a sedentary live, that he learns a lot, makes music, but he doesn't run about in the open air.

A: Further he doesn't have any tendency for bleeding, because my colleague thought of Phosphorus.

He likes to eat French fries and pizza, he is not really a fan of sweets. He likes spaghetti and bread a lot; whipped cream and salt. Otherwise there are no other problems, the stool is normal, the sleep is bad. Once he falls asleep he sleeps the night through, but he has difficulty in falling asleep.

He plays the violin, is very musical. He prefers classical music. He has to think all the time, as you said during the first consultation. He is always somewhere else with his thoughts. This means that he is very much occupied on the mental level, always deep in thought.

At home he tells a lot about school, so he is not a person who is closed by character. He is self-confident. He can read well and he is not a person who doubts. He weeps easily, if things are not right or when he is annoyed. It is still so because his character hasn't changed, he is the same person he was. He is angry when he is offended. What do you mean? Tell it yourself.

P: What do you mean?

A: Well, if somebody annoys you you easily become angry and you start weeping.

P: This is not so bad anymore, it is better.

A: Before it was bad.

P: Yes, it was.

A: Describe it, what do you mean?

P: Well yes.

A: Don't you know it?

P: No.

A: Is he easily hot-tempered?

MP: Not so much.

A: So, let's go on. He is very intellectual, physically unfit, rather theoretically-minded. He doesn't have a lot of friends and not a real close friend. Here it says that he is tidy, and this is underlined. Also easily offended, easily hurt. He has the best marks on the examinations and he wants to be perfect in school. Can you describe this perfectionism in everything once again?

MP: In fact he always had this. When he makes something - even in the kindergarten it was so - then everything has to be in the right place. For example, when they made a turtle every scale had to be glued to the carcass precisely, it had to be perfect, otherwise he was not satisfied.

A: Everything has to be in the right place.

Details are very important.

Question: ... (not understandable)

A : He weeps after anger. He wants peace. This is also one of the most important points in Nux vomica and you also find this in the Repertory on page 70:

MIND, quiet disposition, wants to be: ... Bry ... Gels ...

MIND, quiet disposition, wants to be,

desires repose and tranquillity: Nux-v

Gelsemium especially in fever.

He doesn't want to be disturbed, he wants the tranquility, and if somebody disturbs him he becomes angry and then he starts weeping. That is what is meant with "weeping after anger".

You find this on page 93:

anger, after : Arn., bell., nat-m, nux-v., plat.

MIND, weeping, anger, after: ... nux-v ...

In general Nux vomica is very serious at this age. Work is the most important thing in their life. They don't have friends, work is the only thing which they are interested in.

In Nux vomica there is a very strange combination, namely economy and music. Often they are very intellectual people, whose profession is economics and their hobby is classical music.

MP: When he starts something it has to be finished completely. When he was older he invented a game himself and everything had to be drawn and glued precisely. He was not interested in ready games.

A: He is very precise about details and it was also important that all the details fit.

MP: Yes.

A: This is his perfectionism. He is not only precise in things which he does, for example, handwork, but also concerning time. We discussed this later, when we had found the remedy already.

Tell me something about his time schedule.

The essential idea of Nux vomica is the schedule. They do this at this time and that at that time. The fastidiousness concerning the time is expressed in their schedule and their punctuality.

MP: He plays piano and another instrument.

A: Can you describe his schedule for the day?

MP: In the morning he starts practicing the violin. He gets up at 6:00 a.m.

A: Exactly at 6:00 a.m. ?

MP: About 6:00 a.m. . Then he has breakfast, he washes himself and gets ready. He plays the violin until 7:00 a.m. .

A: When do you start playing the violin?

P: At half past 6.

A: You start playing the violin at half past six. Until when? Until 7:00 a.m. ?

P: Yes.

A: And then?

P: Then I play the piano.

A: How long?

P: 25 minutes.

A: Until 7:25 a.m. you play the piano. And then?

P: Then I have to get ready for school.

A: When do you go to school?

P: About 20 minutes to 8:00 a.m. .

A: So at 20 minutes to 8:00 a.m. you leave for school. This is a very timed morning.

MP: Yes, because all three children play piano and they all want to practice. They all want to practice half an hour and we only have one piano.

A: Does he mind arriving late to school?

MP: Normally he leaves on time, so that he arrives on time.

A: You don't like to arrive too late?

P: No.

A: You can't tolerate that?

P: No.

A: Why is he so easily offended?

MP: I think that he can tolerate more.

A: But it is because of the treatment.

MP: Before when you said something about him which he didn't like it was very bad for him.

A: Bad in which sense?

MP: He started weeping, anyway in the past he did. You could not affect him personally.

A: Do you think that he is haughty?

MP: No, in fact that is not true.

A: But easily offended, very sensitive.

MP: Yes. When he wants something for sure, you may not contradict him.

A: In other words: when he knows he is right he cannot tolerate contradiction. Everything has to be done the way he wants. He doesn't give a haughty impression, he is not conceited, but he is a workaholic.

MP: Yes, he is in this sense.

A: Concerning his music.

MP: He always has a lot of things to do and sometimes it is difficult for him to decide how he should spend most of his time.

A: Does he do other things?

MP: Yes, he takes part in a nature program of the association of the nature friends. He spends a lot of time with them. He really has to plan when he has to do this and that, otherwise he doesn't have enough time.

A: His schedule is overcrowded?

MP: Yes.

A: You live near a nature reserve.

MP: Yes, but he goes to G.

Here you see the difference between Nux vomica and Aurum metallicum. Both are intolerant to contradiction, both are workaholics, but Nux vomica sticks to his work and doesn't want to be disturbed. He does one after the other, from then to then he plays the violin, from then to then he plays the piano and so on. Aurum metallicum can do three, four things at a time. He is smoking, drinking, reading, answering the telephone and so on, all at one time.

The fastidiousness, the preciseness of Nux vomica is the essential point which differentiates from Aurum metallicum. In Nux vomica every detail is important, every single step has to be done properly. In Aurum metallicum the realization of the idea is important. The way he realizes his ideas is not so important; what is important is that he realizes his project.

Remark: Arsenicum is also .... (not understandable)

A : Yes, but the fastidiousness of Arsenicum is based on anxiety. You know the anxiety of Arsenicum, to be contaminated. That is the reason they are so precise, so fastidious.

A: Do you think that he is also fastidious in observing nature?

MP: Yes, I think so. He joined somebody who observes birds and who marks them with rings for the association of protection of birds. When I asked him whether he shouldn't take something to read in the meantime he answered me that he had to keep an eye on the birds all the time, that he has to pay close attention because you could easily miss the birds. Sometimes he comes back and he marked only one bird with a ring, and it took many hours to do this.

A: My colleague gave him Natrum muriaticum at that time, without any result.

Further here it says that he is very sensitive to coldness, he is chilly even when the refrigerator is opened. It indicates the remedy, but then we didn't find it.

Chill with the least draft of air. Even when he opens the refrigerator he is chilly. The chilliness in Arsenicum is caused by anxiety, that is the difference.

A: At that time he was weeping for the slightest thing and therefore he received Pulsatilla at that time.

You see that he is very punctual, very disciplined concerning time.

PAUSE

Ananda Zaren made a very important remark, namely that Nux vomica babies have the wish to escape from the uterus. Does this mean that labor is too early?

Ananda: They have such a strong desire to come out quickly that labor is precipitous.

A : Ah, a very quick birth. Once I had such a case, a birth where I had to go very, very quickly, otherwise the child would have been born before I arrived.

This is one point and secondly, they drink from the breast when it is dark and when there are not so many people sitting around. With bright light and with many people they do not drink properly. Therefore it is good for the mother when they feed their child in a quiet surrounding.

Before I told you that Nux-vomica cannot turn over in bed, otherwise they will become cold.

Look in the Repertory on page 1263:

CHILL, BED IN, turning over in : Acon., bry., caps., hep., lyc., nat-m., Nux-v., Puls., sil., staph., stram., sulph.

CHILL, bed, in, turning over in: ... Nux-v ...

When he has fever he cannot turn over in bed although he is very very warm, because immediately he becomes cold.

On the same page you can see the rubric:

CHILL, bed, in, rising from agg.: ... Nux-v ...

This patient has another interesting symptom.

A: He talked very early, already very clearly even when he was in kindergarten, correct and right. He worked very hard on all levels and therefore he received Aurum metallicum. He was sneezing more in the evening and at night, then he didn't sneeze for 10 days and he had a relapse. On the mental level nothing changed.

He didn't sneeze so much during the day. You could hear him breathing very strongly while eating. There was tingling in the inner corners of the eyes. Shortness of breath after hot soup. He didn't like to be in the sun, it was too warm for him, but in the wind it was too cold. He likes walking.

He received Sabadilla, but this didn't help either.

Then we tried Rumex because of the family history - his mother has been cured of psoriasis with Rumex and also because of the sensitivity to cold, but without result.

Later on he received Phosphorus again because he was more thirsty, liked highly seasoned chips with paprika and was sympathetic.

Don't forget that Nux vomica can be very sympathetic. They can weep, when they see something sentimental on television or in theater.

A: I wrote down that he has a very closed character. Can you describe this more precisely? In which sense is he sympathetic?

MP: Now I wouldn't say he is sympathetic. In fact he is the toughest of the family. Two years ago my mother-in-law died and this didn't affect him at all.

A: In this way he is hard. Is he sympathetic in other ways?

MP: Yes, when somebody is ill he wants to know how this person is doing.

A: He is also very distracted and forgetful and likes to correct people in discussions. Because he had a lot of flatulence and didn't tolerate onions he received Lycopodium clavatum, again without any result.

On June 8, 1987 there were the following symptoms: sneezing especially in the morning, while waking up and uncovering in cold air. Finally he received Nux vomica M, to which he reacts very well every time.

MP: Yes.

A: Only once after a tetanus vaccination he had a relapse and didn't react to the remedy anymore. We waited a while and then he reacted again to 10M potency and since then he is doing well.

MP: Yes, even now when he has a relapse it is not as bad as before. In the morning he has to blow his nose a few times, before he needed four to five handkerchiefs every night.

He doesn't have to gasp for air after eating. He hasn't had this since then.

A: He is still dressed very nicely.

MP: Yes, in this sense he is still very precise. Also when we buy shoes, they may show 100 pair of shoes, but he chooses one pair and it must be these, and no other.

A: He knows exactly what he wants.

Are you sensitive to odors?

P: I have to sneeze from strong odors.

A: Can you disturb him when he is working in his room?

MP: You had better not.

A: Does he become angry?

MP: Not immediately, maybe if you disturb him 10 times.

A: Does he tolerate music playing loudly?

MP: Yes, often the children play the music very loud.

A: Is he always so silent?

MP: Normally he talks more. But he is not as loquacious as his brother, he can never shut up, but he makes himself heard.

You see that you may search a long time before you find the remedy, because we are not used to think of this remedy in children and young people.

This patient has been cured for a few years, he is doing very well. A few days ago I saw him for an influenza, a Nux vomica influenza. You might easily confuse it, because Nux vomica also has heaviness in the extremities like Gelsemium and Rhus toxicodendron.

Look in the Repertory on page 1015:

EXTREMITIES, heaviness, tired limbs, fever, during:

Calc, Gels, Nux-v, Rhus-t, sulph

These are all the influenza remedies.

Question: You said that nothing can disturb the remedy ..... vaccination ...

A : Yes, a vaccination can disturb the remedy. If a remedy works very deeply on the mental level and it is given in a high potency quite a lot of things have to happen to antidote it, but a vaccination can antidote the remedy surely.

I remember a boy with asthma, who had been cured for many years and with whom the asthma came back after a tetanus vaccination. I repeated Calcarea - it was his constitutional remedy - and the asthma disappeared again.

A doctor from our Center who is very much occupied with vaccinations says that the constitutional remedy often cures symptoms due to vaccinations. Also Thuja is an important remedy for symptoms due to vaccinations, but the constitutional remedy can solve the problem caused by vaccination.

CASE8 v2

Acute enteritis

Nux vomica

Woman, 40 years old

A: You say you have an influenza. What do you feel exactly?

P: Yesterday evening I was warm, but nevertheless I had cold shiverings on my back. This morning I had a constricting feeling. I cleaned the house, but I couldn't go on. When I sat down I had cramps.

A: Where?

P: In the region of the stomach and in the abdomen.

A: When you sat down you had cramps?

P: Yes, while eating.

A: What did you have to do?

P: Nothing further. At noon I ate a slice of bread. I can't live a whole day without solid food, you don't get on your legs properly either. Therefore I ate a slice of bread at noon and it lasted one hour before I had to go to the toilet.

A: Do you have diarrhea?

P: I think so, because yesterday I had to go three times, otherwise I don't.

A: Is there an urge when you have to go to the toilet? Does it come suddenly? Do you have to run to the toilet?

P: No. I feel it and I can hold it, but not a long time. Then it shoots out when I go.

A: When you hold your stool do you have abdominal pain?

P: Yes.

A: When you feel that you have to go and you wait you get more abdominal cramps.

P: Yes, normally.

This is the famous rubric "stool with colic". She has pain, then she feels that she has to go to the toilet. She can withhold it, but the longer she holds it the worse the pain becomes.

ABDOMEN, PAIN, STOOL, AFTER, amel. : Agar., carb-s., cinnb., coc-c., Coloc., ferr., gamb., gels., indg., mag-c., naja., nat-a., Nat-s., Nux-v., puls., seneg., sulph., verat.

A: Do you also feel something in your extremities?

P: Yes. At the moment it is all right, but this forenoon everything was heavy.

A: No pain?

P: No, not really pain. It doesn't really hurt.

A: When did you have diarrhea the last time? Not a long time ago?

P: No.

A: When did you have diarrhea the last time?

P: About two o'clock. Now it is a quarter to five.

A: Do you have other complaints besides the diarrhea and the abdominal cramps and the lame feeling?

P: I have a heavy head. At the moment it is better, but I have this cold already for 14 days and for 14 days I have been coughing.

A: Now I will give you a remedy and normally you have an appointment on February 1, but you must inform me before how quickly you reacted to the remedy.

FEEDBACK

A: You were here on January 18. This is about 14 days ago. With sudden cramps and so on. I gave you a remedy. Now you come because you have an appointment. Tell me how did it go?

P: I took the tablet here and then I drove home. It was about 5:00 p.m. when I took the remedy. At 6:00 o'clock I ate soup and I didn't have cramps while eating. Later I ate again a slice of bread and I didn't feel anything. The next day I had to go to the toilet twice, but otherwise not. Until Thursday I still had to go to the toilet two to three times. First I thought, it was coming back, but it didn't.

A: The cold shiverings also disappeared?

P: Yes.

A: That was very quick.

P: Yes, surely. I was satisfied.

A: That's all I want to know.

The remedy was Nux vomica.

CASE9 v2

Nux vomica

Man, 48 years old

October 26, 1987

This is the typical appearance of a - let's say - an almost constitutional Nux vomica patient. He is relatively thin, not fat, and the wrinkles on the forehead clearly indicate Nux vomica.

A: Your problem is headache.

P: Yes, when I eat or drink something wrong. This is not always the case, but when I drink a few glasses of beer or strong alcoholic drinks or when I eat something wrong, especially things with chocolate or pudding or something like that, this influences my headache. The consequence is that I easily have headache and I become nauseous. Usually it is on the left side.

A: Where?

P: Behind the left eye, the pain is concentrated there. It might last two days.

A: When you have a headache when does it start?

P: Usually by noon. Often after lunch. Sometimes I get up in the morning with headache, but usually it appears only by noon, about 11:00 o'clock, 1:00 o'clock or 2:00 o'clock. Maybe before or after lunch.

A: Not always at 10:00 o'clock?

P: No.

A: You never wake up with a headache?

P: Yes, it happens when I drank a few glasses of beer the evening before. Then I wake up from headache about 5:00 a.m.

A: What kind of profession do you have?

P: I'm a sales representative.

A: In what?

P: In medicines.

A: Is this a stressful profession?

P: Not particularly. I'm not convinced that the stress has a direct influence on my headache. At times when I have quite a lot of work the headache is certainly not stronger than otherwise, sometimes it is the opposite, that I have less headache.

I noticed myself that movement in the open air is not as good. I have a sedentary life. Always in and out of the car. I visit pharmacists and sell ointments and whatever these people need. In fact it is not so strenuous. When you do this kind of job for 10 or 11 years there is a lot of repetition.

A: Strangely enough it is always on the left side behind your eye.

P: Sometimes it occurs on the right side, but this is very rare. Probably it has other causes, because of the cold or something like that, but usually it is on the left side. When the pain lasts for two days then it is usually behind the left eye and there are terrible stitching pains which make me moody.

The last few months I also have another symptom: pain extends upwards from the neck. It starts at the back of the head and it extends forward. But this occurred only the last few months. I had it once, but this was more in my neck. I went to a physiotherapist and he gave me massages.

A: Does it extend from the neck to the forehead?

P: Yes. When I sit in the car at noon and I sleep half an hour, in this strange position in the seat of the car, then my head hurts. It has something to do with that.

A: And this extends to the forehead.

Nux vomica people need their siesta, half an hour is enough. It seems that they become tired after lunch.

Look on page 1250:

SLEEP,SLEEPINESS,DINNER,after : Acon., Agar., alum., anac., ant-c., ant-t., apis., aur., bapt., bar-c., bar-m., berb., bov., calc-p., calc., cann-s., canth., caps., carb-an., carb-s., carb-v.,caust., chel., chin., cic., cimic., cinnb., clem., coca., croc., cur., cycl., dios., euphr., ferr., graph., grat., ham., hura., ign., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-n., lach., laur.,Lyc., mag-c., mag-m., mez., mur-ac., nat-m., nat-p., nat-s., nux-m., Nux-v., ol-an., ox-ac., par., ph-ac., phos., phys., plat., plb., ran-b., rhus-t., sil., squil., sulph., tab., tarax., thuj., til., verb., vib., zinc.

SLEEP, sleepiness, dinner, after: ... Agar ... Lyc ...

Nux-v ....

There are three capital remedies.

He drives somewhere to the woods, sleeps half an hour, then he is better and he can go on working. This is typical for Nux vomica. Half an hour undisturbed sleep makes them feel good.

P: Yes. It extends to there and then I also have a headache; so it extends from the back of the head through the head to the spot behind the left eye. But these are not the strong pains which I usually have; not like a migraine or when the pain is in the head. In general it is vexatious and it is a tedious feeling.

A: In fact you can't give a particular cause for it? When did it occur the first time?

P: What? In the neck?

A: No, I mean the headaches we are talking about.

P: I have had it especially the last few months.

A: But your headache and the migraine.

P: In fact I can't mention any other cause for it, besides the fall which I had at the age of 16 years.

A: Have you had headaches from the age of 16 years?

P: Yes, since the fall I have had headaches. I remember that I was playing football, and first I took something for the headache. A ball hit my head.

This makes us think of which remedy?

Audience: Natrum sulphuricum.

A : Yes, because the headache which starts in the neck and extends through the head to the forehead is a Natrum sulphuricum symptom, and because the cause is an injury to the head.

P: I remember that I was in the military hospital because of a headache. At the beginning of education I had fewer complaints, but when I worked at the desk - I was a clerk, I had to write -, I constantly had a headache. Therefore I went to the doctor and was hospitalized. They examined everything, bored the nose, because they thought that it was an obstruction like sinusitis. It didn't help anything. It was always during work. I always received painkillers for it. I still remember, because I always carried painkillers in my car in case I needed some. When it really disturbed my work I took some painkillers, laid down for half an hour and then go on working. This has gone on for 30 years. I took a lot of painkillers to be able to do my job.

We forget this remedy in effects from injuries. Clarke describes, that the causation of this kind of state is anger, coffee, debauchery, masturbation, sexual excess and injury. In the rubric "injury of the head" we don't find the remedy, but it is one degree in "effects from injuries".

P: It also occurs often during the weekend, I have to tell you this. It always started on Sunday by noon. The pain increased and I couldn't tolerate it anymore. Therefore I have been in L. and I saw a lot of other doctors. They all gave me medicines and I took everything, everything you can find in classical medicine.

He has these headaches also on Sunday; not only Sulphur has an aggravation from sleeping long.

Look on page 1402:

GENERALITIES, SLEEP, long agg. : Ambr., anac., arn., ars., asaf., bell., bor., bry., calc., camph., carb-v., caust., cham., cocc., con., dig., euphr., ferr., graph., hep., hyos., ign., kali-c., kreos., Lach., lyc., mag-c., nux-v., ph-ac., puls., rhus-t., spig., stram., Sulph., verat.

SLEEP, long, agg.

Many people who have a headache on Sunday or Saturday when they don't have to work and sleep long need Sulphur, but there are also other remedies who have this symptom.

A: There were periods when you really suffered from headaches.

P: I should say that it usually occurred during the weekend. In the last few months I almost constantly have a headache, often 3 to 4 days in a row. But now they start in the cervical region, extend forward and stick behind the eye. For quite a while it occurred only during the weekend. Of course, I worked rather hard.

A: Whether you stay long in bed or not didn't play a role?

P: It could have an influence.

A: Can you stay long in bed?

P: Really long, well yes. I have problems sleeping.

A: Why?

P: I don't know myself. I hear everything, the slightest noise wakes me up immediately. I'm not a deep sleeper.

A: You wake up from the slightest noise.

P: Yes, then I have problems falling asleep again.

A: Can you tolerate noise?

P: No, I can't tolerate it very well. Noise and light, these are two things which I don't tolerate very well. When I drive a car I almost always wear sunglasses.

He is so sensitive to the sun.

A: Do the headaches appear slowly?

P: They don't come suddenly, they come on slowly. Sometimes I wait and I think, "It won't be so bad", and I don't take anything, but finally, after two, three hours or when I come home in the evening and it becomes worse and worse, I do take something.

A: And the headaches become worse slowly?

P: They become worse until they climax. In the last three, four years the real bad attacks are less frequent. Before it was like a crescendo, it increased and then I had such pain that I did everything to make it disappear, for example, cold applications.

A: Did that help?

P: Yes, for a short period. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but it helped a little bit.

A: Does it still help when you use cold applications now?

P: Now I don't do it anymore because I don't have these strong attacks of pain anymore.

When I press my eyes it helps. The strongest pain was always behind my eye.

So, this was very good. When I have a headache now and I take an icy cold wash cloth and I wash my face it is a relief, a real relief.

A: Is it a stitching pain?

P: Yes, really stitching, you can compare it with toothache.

A: Does movements do any good? When you go outside, just the movement, without strong exertion?

P: What I feel with strong physical exertion - maybe this was also a reason before - when you have a house, you want to work on it on Saturday. During the week I don't do any exercise, and then on Saturday it was a long day with very strong physical exertion. At the end of the day I had the impression that the strong physical work was not so good for me and this also played a role.

Also the irregularity in eating. During the week usually I eat very regularly, but on Saturday irregularly and on Sunday I sleep longer and I also eat irregularly, this also has an influence.

A: Also sleeping long? When you stay in bed long?

P: Yes. When I really sleep and I don't wake up, then not. But when I wake up at 8:00 o'clock or at 7:00 o'clock and then stay in bed until 9:00 o'clock then I have it. This has an averse effect.

A: On which side do you sleep?

P: On the right side.

A: Why? You never sleep on the left side?

P: When I have a headache I do, because I have fewer complaints then.

Lying on the painful side ameliorates.

Look on page 142:

amel. : Anac., arn., bry., hipp., ign., nux-v., plan., puls., sep.

HEAD, pain, lying, painful side, on: ... nux-v ...

P: Otherwise I usually sleep on the right side, usually on the back.

A: That is strange.

P: I always turn my back to my wife.

A: Do you really have less pain when you are lying on the painful side?

P: Yes. I'm also a person who likes everything perfect. My wife says that I'm often tense internally.

A: Do you really want everything perfect?

P: At least my wife says so. My family doctor also.

A: And why?

P: I have to admit that it is true. When I start something then it has to be finished perfectly. I'm not easily satisfied.

A: You don't like disorder, like for example, here on my writing desk, where everything is in disorder?

P: It is not so bad, there is not so much disorder.

A: In which sense are you precise?

P: For example, when I'm papering the walls, the paper has to be glued perfectly.

A: Everything has to be exact?

P: Yes, the edges must fit next to each other smoothly. Of course I don't always succeed.

How can you translate this into the language of the Repertory?

Audience: Fastidious.

A: Are you punctual?

P: No. I come a quarter of an hour late. If they say to me that I have to come about 3:00 o'clock it might happen that I only come a quarter past 3:00, anyway, when it is not so important.

A: But you keep your appointments?

P: Yes, I observe them, then I'm punctual. I mean that I don't necessarily want to be the first person as far as the family parties are concerned, I prefer to go somewhat later.

A: You wear a tie. Can you tolerate when the first button on your shirt is buttoned up?

P: Today I wear a shirt with a wide collar.

A: Can you also tolerate a tight collar?

P: Yes.

A: And the belt?

P: It can not be too tight. Now I don't wear a belt, but I do in the summer.

Where do you find this in the Repertory?

Look on page 541:

ABDOMEN, clothing, sensitive to

ABDOMEN,CLOTHING, sensitive to : Apis., Arg-n., benz-ac., Bov., Calc., carb-v., caust., chin., coff., Crot-c., crot-h., eup-per., graph., hep., kreos., lac-c., Lach., Lyc., merc-c., nat-s., Nux-v., puls., raph., sars., sep., spong., stann., sulph.

A: Do you sleep well?

P: No, I sleep badly. When I sleep better, it does me good.

A: What do you mean sleeping badly?

P: I don't have a fixed time for going to bed. In fact in the evening I'm lively and in the morning I'm still tired. I think this is a family trait. I always had difficulties going to bed in the evening.

A: Do you dream?

P: Seldom.

What kind of dreams do they have?

Audience: Sexual dreams.

A: Yes, but I think Phosphorus and Graphites are the first remedies.

Audience: That their teeth are falling out.

A: This is interesting. I never knew this.

Audience: About business.

A: Yes, about their business, but not in the sense of being busy like in Bryonia alba and Rhus toxicodendron, but about their job.

A: Do you often lie awake in bed?

P: Yes, often. I often lie in bed and think.

A: About what?

P: When we had a meeting or about things which I'm occupied with at the moment.

A: How is your stomach?

P: Not very well. I always had problems with my stomach. Stomach, liver and everything which goes along with that. When I eat or drink something wrong I feel it immediately. My stomach doesn't digest properly. I don't have any appetite and I feel it immediately in my head. I have to be careful concerning food.

What do we call this kind of headache?

Audience: Gastric headache.

A: Yes, gastric headaches on page 140.

HEAD, PAIN, gastric : Acet-ac., acon., aesc., ail., alum., am-c., anac., Ant-c., apis., arg-n., arn., ars., asar., atro., bell., berb., bism., Bry., calc-p., calc-s., calc., caps., carb-v.,caul., caust., cham., cic., cina., cocc., coff., coll., eup-per., form., gamb., gels., glon., hydr., ign., indg., Ip., Iris., kali-ar., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-p., kali-s., lach., lept.,lyc., naja., Nux-v., op., par., phos., phyt., plat., Puls., rob., Sang., sep., sil., stict., Sulph., tab., tarent., verat.

A: I have the impression that you are an irritable person.

P: That's true. I can get excited about all kinds of things. It doesn't last a long time, but I can't wait for even a quarter of an hour. When something doesn't fit immediately ...

A: How is your stool?

P: Not good, when I don't do anything for it.

A: How is it when you don't do anything for it?

P: Irregular.

A: What do you mean?

P: First I am constipated and when I have stool it comes out with difficulty, except when I eat something wrong. Then it comes out quickly. There is no regularity.

A: Do you think that you often have an urge for stool?

P: Yes, and then I can't have stool.

One of the most important points is the ineffectual urging.

A: Do you sometimes have cramps in the abdomen with the urge for stool?

P: Normally not. The last three, four years I have spasms in the intestines.

A: Did you ever have hemorrhoids?

P: No. I think these are functional spasms because I'm nervous.

Two years ago I had surgery for the polyps in the bladder. The polyps were malignant, but the bladder was not affected. At that time I was under very much stress and I had a lot more spasms. This is over now.

He had polyps in the bladder and therefore he had surgery.

Question: Is Nux vomica an addition?

A : No. When you see this man it completely fits the remedy, but don't forget to remain flexible.

You see that he has warts on his face. Which remedy has this and also polyps in the bladder?

This is Thuja.

As I told you the difficulty is that you see clearly the picture of this remedy, but you cannot expect that he will only need this remedy for the rest of his life. New symptoms will appear and then you must give another remedy. But now his face indicates that he will need Thuja in one of the following years.

Question: What about Lycopodium clavatum?

A: It could be, it could also be Phosphorus. You know that polyps of the bladder are usually precancerous. I have also had good results with Conium maculatum. Conium maculatum, Calcarea, Thuja, these three remedies are the most important for me.

A: How did you notice that you had polyps of the bladder?

P: Because there was blood in the urine. I woke up in the morning and blood came out of the urethra. During the examination afterwards they found polyps.

We have to be very careful with the allopathic diagnoses. You know that Nux vomica has bloody urine, it is second degree. And also when the cause is only a varicosity, the allopaths say that these are polyps, because they receive more money for this kind of diagnosis. There is more money for a polypectomy than for a coagulation.

Convince yourself with what the X-ray shows, whether these are polyps or not.

A: Have you had any other diseases in the past?

P: No.

A: How is your appetite?

P: Normally it is good. I have to pay attention to what I eat. I like to eat fat cheese, but I have to be careful with it, also with liver sausage and fat sausages. I don't tolerate it so well.

He likes fat, cheese and so on, but he doesn't tolerate it. Look which remedies have desire for fat.

P: Usually I eat bread, in the morning I eat toast with quark (soft cheese) and at noon I eat sandwiches. In the evening I eat a warm meal at home.

A: What do you prefer to eat?

P: I like very much dainties, for example, I like marmalade a lot.

In desire for sweets the remedy is there also.

P: I like to eat all kinds of vegetables. I also like fruit very well, but I tolerate only ripe fruit, especially preserved fruit. Raw fruit is dangerous, especially cherries and so on.

A: On which side do you sleep?

P: On the right side.

You see the differential diagnosis with Lycopodium clavatum. If somebody likes sweets a lot and sleeps on the right side, first you have to think of Lycopodium clavatum.

P: It's very difficult for me to relax. I'm always occupied with something.

A: Are you thirsty?

P: No, I have to force myself to drink.

A: Are you really as self-secure as you look?

P: Yes, I'm self-confident.

A: Do you also feel internally this way?

P: Yes, absolutely.

A: In every way?

P: Yes.

Do you feel what's going on?

He says that he likes especially sweets, I see his wrinkled forehead and maybe these were polyps which he had in the bladder, he sleeps on the right side. All together it could be Lycopodium clavatum.

Remark: Disorder stomach from fruit.

A : Yes, it could be Lycopodium clavatum. I try to confirm this. The second question you ask when you ask for the mental symptoms of Lycopodium clavatum is for the self-confidence. But he says no, he feels secure.

A: You also like dainties?

P: Yes, but also sour things. I like eating herring a lot, but after two days I'm still burping it up. That's why I don't eat it.

He also likes sour, sour herring.

And Lycopodium clavatum, does he like sour herring? No, impossible.

But you see, he likes sharp things, sweets, things which are really tasty.

A: And highly seasoned?

P: I like that. In fact I like everything.

Aha, highly seasoned food, desire for fat, desire for sweets, desire for sour and so on. This is something different. Usually, Lycopodium clavatum likes something sweet as a dessert, some chocolate or something like that.

A: And fat?

P: Yes, also, the normal sausages.

A: Do you like to drink a glass of beer?

P: Yes, but after three or four beers it starts rumbling in my abdomen, then it doesn't taste good anymore.

A: Are you rather chilly?

P: No, not really.

A: Do you put your arms above the covers or do you put your feet out of the covers?

P: No, I'm completely covered up. I don't wear many clothes in bed. I never wear a pajama jacket.

A: Do you sleep with a naked upper body?

P: No. I wear a light T-shirt. The arms are not covered up, but I put them always under the covers.

This is something very important in Nux vomica: they are so chilly.

Besides which is the chilliest remedy?

Audience: Arsenicum.

Audience: Hepar.

A : This is difficult to say. Anyway Hepar, Arsenicum, Psorinum and Silicea are very chilly.

Remark: And Nitricum acidum.

A : Compared to the remedies which I just mentioned Nitricum acidum is not so chilly.

He has to be covered up and everything has to be under the covers. Where can we find this?

Look on page 1410:

GENERALITIES, uncovering agg.

GENERALITIES, UNCOVERING agg. : Acon-f., acon., agar., am-c., ant-c., arg-m., arg-n., arn., Ars., asar., atro., aur., bell., benz-ac., bor., bry., camph., canth., caps., carb-an.,cham., chin., cic., clem., cocc., coff., colch., con., dios., dulc., graph., hell., Hep., hyos., ign., Kali-ar., kali-bi., Kali-c., kali-i., kreos., lach., Lyc., lycps., mag-c., mag-m., Mag-p., meny., merc., mur-ac., nat-c., nat-m., Nux-m., Nux-v., ph-ac., phos., puls., rheum., Rhod., Rhus-t., rumx., sabad., Samb., sep., Sil., Squil., staph., stram.,Stront., thuj., Zinc.

single part agg. : Bry., Hep., nat-m., Rhus-t., Sil., squil., stront., thuj.

Remark: There is another rubric on page 1265.

CHILL, CHILLINESS, slightest movement of the bed-clothes : Acon., Arn., calc., Nux-v., rhus-t., stram., sulph.

A : Yes. This is very typical for Nux vomica.

CHILL, chilliness, slightest movement of the bed-clothes:

... Nux-v ....

Remark: And chill, hand out of bed.

A: Do you have cold feet?

P: Only when I have a headache. It goes every time along with it.

A: Do your fingernails break easily?

P: No.

Coldness of the feet during headache makes me think of which remedy?

Of Silicea. That's why I asked about the fingernails.

A: Do you take medicines at the moment?

P: Yes, painkillers for the headache and tranquilizers when I really have to sleep well. Then I can relax better.

A few years ago I was in a theater play and during the rehearsal I was so excited that I had disturbances of the balance. The family doctor prescribed tranquilizers and something for blood circulation. Eight days later I could perform in the play very well.

Vertigo and performing in the theater is which remedy?

Actors, hoarseness, vertigo this is Argentum nitricum. They are very warm-blooded.

A: Are you always in a hurry?

P: Yes, in fact I don't know myself why.

A: Are you nervous when you have to do something?

P: No.

A: Do you still perform in theater?

P: Yes, but apparently I won't get a role this year. I step in an emergency. When I don't have to I don't accept a role, because it is an additional burden for me which takes quite a lot of my energy.

A: You don't tolerate noise or strong light.

P: No, I don't tolerate that.

A: I would like to see you after two months for a check up.

Alcohol is forbidden in your case.

P: All right.

He didn't come back the same year, he just telephoned me. In 1989 he had to come back because he had a relapse.

FEEDBACK (April 12, 1989)

(The sound in the first part of the video is missing)

P: Two months after the remedy the headaches were a lot better. I could drink a few glasses of beer without any problems and I didn't have problems with food anymore. Before I woke up from headaches when I drank beer.

A: Since when have the complaints come back?

P: For about 1/2 year. I should have come back sooner.

A: Can we say that you did very well for about one year?

P: Yes, I felt very well for a long time, I didn't have headaches. In between there were some periods where the headache came back in the evening slightly, but never to the same extent as before.

Now I have severe attacks of migraine which can last two days.

Lately I have more complaints with my neck. It seems to be arthritis. It extends to the back of the head. Especially while driving a car I have complaints, when there is a draft of air.

A: Are you so sensitive to drafts of air?

P: Yes. It is not the same pain as before which extends to the back of the eye. More or less it sticks to the back of the head. While riding a bicycle when I have to lift my head I get this kind of pain. I have a racing bicycle. Maybe it is time to buy a grandpa bicycle.

A: How does the pain feel in the back of the head?

P: It's more of a prickling (or stinging) or stitching pain.

A: Not a feeling of pressure?

P: No.

A: When you push on it does it ameliorate?

P: No, it becomes worse. When I have a migraine and I press on my forehead it ameliorates.

A: But the migraine is not so bad at the moment?

P: It is, lately I have migraines. It went away after the last treatment here.

A: And now it becomes worse again?

P: Yes, the same symptoms as before appear.

A: Is there still a lot of stress at your work?

P: Yes, that's the way I am. It's difficult for me to relax, even when I go on holiday.

A: How long were you rid of your migraine?

P: Surely one year.

A: Does the stomach also play a role with it?

P: Yes. The food plays a very important role.

A: The disposition to drink beer is still there?

P: Of course. That's very moralistic.

A: I told you that for the time being you were not allowed to drink alcohol.

P: I didn't drink for a few months.

A: And then you were doing better?

P: Yes.

A: For me it is easy. Because you were doing well for such a long time we will repeat the remedy. Did you have problems with the polyps in the bladder?

P: No, not anymore since the surgery.

A: And your stool?

P: It is still a problem.

A: Do you still have the feeling that not everything comes out?

P: It's more constipation. I pay attention to my food.

A: Then I will give you a few tablets to take home. For the time being you have to be careful with alcohol.

P: Am I allowed to drink a few glasses of beer during the weekend when we go on a visit? You cannot always say "no".

A: All right.

This is a typical Nux vomica case like everybody knows him.

Question: ... (the idea is: whether Thuja wouldn't be indicated in this case)

A: I think he is a well-educated man, at the consultation he is a little bit guarded, but as you see on the whole he is Nux vomica.

Up to now we cannot give Thuja in this case; this doesn't mean that he won't develop towards Thuja, but he was doing well on Nux vomica up to one year. This is too long to doubt about a remedy.

Question: What do you mean by "gastric headaches".

A : This means that they have headaches when they eat something and when they can't digest properly. There is a relationship between the stomach pain and the headache or indigestion and headache.

In many cases you can prescribe constitutionally when the symptoms exist from childhood up to the present. But as you know we are very much influenced by vaccinations, antibiotics and so on so that you can easily come into a Thuja or a Tuberculinum bovinum Kent state.

I remember a child the parents came with when it was very small, a wonderful Calcarea child. After some time it started coughing and coughing, it was emaciated and became pale. I gave him Tuberculinum bovinum Kent. A long time after Tuberculinum bovinum Kent other problems appeared, he was discontented and dictatorial. He reacted wonderfully. You see: Calcarea, Tuberculinum bovinum Kent, Lycopodium clavatum. Nobody knows how he will develop further. It is possible that he might progress to Sulphur, but all these developments from one remedy to another take years. There are a lot of influences after which you have to give Thuja and some time after Thuja another picture appears.

This is very important in Homeopathy and we have to be flexible and know the pictures of the remedies. Sometimes you also have to give a small remedy because a particular symptom is present very strongly and afterwards you will see that the patient will develop very well with other remedies.

CASE10 v2

Nux vomica

Case

Woman, 35 years old

This is the same patient as the last case with an acute throat inflammation. I show you this case to indicate the kind of throat pain this remedy has. It is typical throat pain for this remedy.

She has received Sepia, Ignatia and Natrum muriaticum, and in the meantime she also needed this remedy, Nux vomica. There is a clear relationship between these remedies: Sepia, Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum and Nux vomica, they are all complementary, and Alumina is the chronic of Sepia.

P : I had pain in my throat and my ear.

A : You had pain in your throat.

P : Yes, terrible. It has never been as bad as this in my whole life.

A : And where did you have pain?

P : Here (points to the right side of the throat).

A : There, on the right side, and it extended ...

P : ... to my ear, at the end even to my head.

A : This was only on swallowing.

P : Yes.

You find this symptom on page 460:

THROAT, PAIN, EXTENDING TO EAR, swallowing, on : Ail., brom., elaps., gels., kali-bi., kali-c., kali-ma., kali-n., lac-c., lach., merc., Nit-ac., Nux-v., par., phyt., tarent.

THROAT, Pain, extending to ear, swallowing, on: ... Nit-ac, Nux-v ...

What kind of pain does Nitricum acidum have?

Audience: Like a fishbone.

A : Yes, like a fishbone, a splinter-like pain. And what does Phytolacca do when the pain radiates to the ear?

They bend their head forwards on swallowing, so that the chin touches the sternum. This is a typical Phytolacca movement.

A : Besides you had fever.

P : Yes, 38° to 39° C. I perspired a lot, although I didn't do anything at all.

A : The right tonsil was inflamed. Let's have a look.

P : Aaaah.

A : (looks in the patient's throat) It's completely gone now. At that time you wanted to be left in peace and warmth. But you had pain everywhere?

P : Yes, the extremities hurt before the fever.

A : As if you didn't tolerate this fever. The extremities hurt especially on touch.

P : Yes, exactly.

A : Warmth felt good.

P : Yes.

Here again you have the symptom which you find on page 1126:

EXTREMITIES, Pain, sore, chill, during : Arn., bapt., nux-v., rhus-t., tub.

EXTREMITIES, Pain, sore, chill, during: ... nux-v ...

She couldn't tolerate even the slightest touch. You find this symptom on page 1407:

GENERALITIES, Touch, slight, agg. : Ars., Bell., Chin., coff., colch., ign., Lach., mag-m., Merc., mez., Nux-v., ph-ac., phos., stann.

GENERALITIES, Touch, slight, agg.: ... Nux-v ...

P : I was completely covered up. I thought, that would help to become healthy more quickly.

A : Then I gave you a remedy. How quickly did it disappear?

P : I took the remedy at 11.00 o'clock and I thought it would have disappeared by 2:00 or 3:00 o'clock, but no. I took another spoonful at 2:00 o'clock, because it was still as bad, and I took another spoonful in the evening. I was afraid, I thought, it would get worse, that wouldn't help.

A : But in the evening the pain in your ear was better.

P : Yes, it was not as bad.

A : But not the pain in your throat.

P : I fell asleep and it disappeared at night. I still felt something, as if you are chafed when the skin is torn open. Yesterday morning it was completely gone. In the morning when I got up I took a spoonful once again.

A : So the next day everything was gone.

P : Yes, I still feel a little bit, very vaguely. Do you know what I mean? As if you still feel that there has been something wrong.

A : All right. You reacted very quickly.

P : Yes.

EXTRA

She came home with her child and was very, very irritable, very precise, very fastidious. She told her husband what he had to buy, and when he didn't buy the things she wanted she became angry. I gave her Nux vomica and the reaction was wonderful.

A: You also had pain in the back and it improved. Everything improved with warmth. You needed this remedy once again in January 1987, again because of the irritability, you slept very little because of the children, you were cold and you dreamt about work. You are very precise in your work and you are in some way a businesswoman. I repeated the remedy once again and you reacted very well immediately. It concerned again the irritability, and then you had an acute influenza.

Nux vomica is a very important remedy in children, a remedy which we don't think of easily, but it is very, very important. Maybe this state appears because of the medicines they had or because of the stress of the mother or I don't know what. I don't know exactly.

- A : Yes, you could mix up with Nux vomica : desire highly seasoned food, easily offended, desire fat, chilly, tendency to be ill, and suicidal.

Another case

A: This improved gradually and you came back on December 12, 1986 and you were desperate, despair of recovery. You felt the need to sleep with your husband, you were very precise. When your husband did some shopping he had to buy exactly what you asked for, otherwise you became very hot-tempered. You were in a very, very bad mood. I gave you a remedy for this great irritability, the enormous punctuality and your chilliness and immediately afterwards you were clearly less depressed and you said that you felt a lot better psychologically.

This was which remedy?

She came home with her child and was very, very irritable, very precise, very fastidious. She told her husband what he had to buy, and when he didn't buy the things she wanted she became angry. I gave her Nux vomica and the reaction was wonderful.

Another case

A: You also had pain in the back and it improved. Everything improved with warmth. You needed this remedy once again in January 1987, again because of the irritability, you slept very little because of the children, you were cold and you dreamt about work. You are very precise in your work and you are in some way a businesswoman. I repeated the remedy once again and you reacted very well immediately. It concerned again the irritability, and then you had an acute influenza.

ANOTHER CASE

EXTREMETIES, PAIN, SORE, BRUISED, heat, during : Arn., ars., bell., Chin., nat-m., nux-v., phos., Puls., rhod., tub.

- This and also in "chill, during" in both rubrics there is Tuberculinum.

EXTREMETIES, PAIN, SORE, BRUISED, chill, during : Arn., bapt., nux-v., rhus-t., tub.

- Everybody gives then Nux vomica, because it looks like an influenza or Rhus toxicodendron, when the pain is better by motion.

- Pain in the abdomen with urging, is which remedy?

- Nux vomica.

- "Urging during colic" is a very important symptom for Nux vomica on page 633.

colic, during : Coloc., Ind., Nux-v.

- P: Yes, absolutely.

- A: So you wake up and you think of your work.

- P: Yes.

- Nux vomica.

- A: So, you go to bed while thinking of your work.

- P: Yes, I go to bed with it and I get up with it, I'm only thinking of my work.

- A: Are you easily too cold?

- P: Yes, easily cold hands and cold feet.

- A: Can you easily tolerate noise?

- P: Yes.

- A: And strong light?

- P: Not so well.

- A: For example, noise and strong light in the discotheque, do you tolerate that?

- You won't get a headache from it?

- P: No.

- Sensitive to noise: Nux vomica, to bright light: Nux vomica.

Jonathan shore

Nux vomica

CASE11

Lauren G. age 3 years

1/27/89

(Can't approach child, will not be friendly.)

Has been treated with Silicea in the past with good action.

Recurrent colds with high fevers.

Irritability (3).

Wakes extremely irritable and angry (3).

From afternoon nap (3).

In morning (2).

Obstinate (3).

Wilful (3).

Demanding (3).

Frequently waking at night and will not sleep alone after this.

Wakes especially 2 a.m. (1).

Pushes and hits everyone except mother.

"Go away, you are ugly."

Picky eater (2), prefers liquids (2).

Desires sweets (3), cheese (2), nuts (1), butter (2), salt (1), shrimp.

Averse meat (1).

Thirst cold drinks (1).

Fears dark (2), strangers, all right alone as long as she knows mother is in the next room.

Stool / urine strong odour.

Constipation (2) with normal stool.

Holds stool in as painful (2).

Likes to stay up late (1).

Sleeps abdomen (1).

Remedy.

10/30/89

Good response to remedy in January 1989.

Otitis 9/25/89 responded to Hepar.

Tired lately. Few colds, one otitis.

Less irritable, but hitting again. "Makes me feel good."

Gets very frustrated if can't get things right.

Fear dark (2). Mother says this didn't really change.

Dances to loud music.

No problems in school. Quite popular, a leader.

Large stools with no pain / no problems at all.

Does not like to be alone. Demands a lot of attention.

(Much more open, friendly and pleasant.)

Cannot stand to be touched on the top of her head.

Little shy.

Desires liquid foods (2), rather drink than eat.

Cheese (2), spicy (2), liquids (2), sweets (3), salt (2).

Sleeps abdomen.

Fears the sea.

Perspires feet.

Remedy.

7/5/90

Now has relapsed to previous very irritable state.

No tenesmus with stool.

Remedy.

EVALUATION

JS: When I look at this case I cannot remember the second prescription; I cannot be sure what it was. I know the first one and the last one, but I have to admit that I will have to guess at the middle one. So this is a little girl, three years old and what is our approach to this case?

AD: The main problem is the great irritability and the fears. And besides that there are still problems ...

JS: And besides there are still problems, so the remedy is very clear.

AD: For me it is Cina.

JS: Ah, not so clear. She says that it is Cina. It is not incorrect. And why?

AD: ...

JS: She chose the remedy because of the irritability and because she is unfriendly to other children, which is uncommon in that age. Hard to handle, fear of the dark and sleeps on the abdomen, which is Cina once.

JS: Yes, this is an absolutely correct way to think about this case. That is why I wanted to start with the cases, because I feel now that we are beginning to be able to talk to each other. That we have a few days and that you get a feeling for my way of thinking and so now the cases become easier. It is true I put in the beginning some very difficult cases, just to make the contrast between an easy case and a difficult case, and so now the cases are a little bit easier, but still they are not that easy. However, what is the sort of irritability of this child? When you say Cina, how is that irritability?

AD: Very angry.

JS: Very angry and what do they do? They throw and they hit and they scream, more like Chamomilla. How is this child? This child is very, very irritable and very angry, but is there actually ... There is something about the way this child is, that we need to understand as well. This is essence prescription.

JS: I am asking: "How do we qualify the irritability of this child?"

AD: It seems like it is aggravated by sweets?

JS: Yes, but more than that?

AD: Cannot bear the presence of people.

JS: The first thing says: can't approach the child, will not be friendly. This is a very sullen child. The child is sitting there and you come, you say: "Hello.” She says: "Hhhuuu." Aggressive, but not so much screaming. Like you see a dog which is not so friendly and you come close to the dog: "Hjjjaaa," you see the teeth come. Can't approach the child, will not be friendly. Then it is true, she is very irritable; irritable, angry and obstinate. Pushes and hits everyone, except the mother, which is quite interesting. But when it says: pushes and hits there, it is not underlined so strongly. But what does she say: "Go away, you are ugly!” So this is not so much a child who is being physically aggressive, like that. The child has this feeling inside, that she does not like people. Do you agree?

JS: This is sort of just from the case, unfortunately I don't have any of these things on video, but we can understand from the way the case is written. This is what I am saying: "Everything is important.” And we don't have to read so much between the lines, we don't have to make things up, but if we take what is given and we really reflect on it, and we try and put each piece together into a relationship one with the other, we get some feeling here. So this is a child who is like this: feels not good inside and doesn't really like people, this is what I say: "Sullen.” And then coming from this there is a sort of anger and irritability. So Cina.

JS: Other remedies? Of course we have to think of Chamomilla, despite what I just told you, of course this kid is very irritable, very obstinate and very difficult to handle and is pushing the other kids. If you don't think: "Chamomilla," then you are not thinking correctly. Other thoughts?

AD: Nitricum acidum?

JS: Yes, by how I described, I think that is a way we have to think.

AD: Kali phosphoricum.

JS: Kali phosphoricum. I do not have really a lot of experience with Kali phosphoricum, but I believe Kali phosphoricum would be too weak, there is a lot of weakness in Kali phosphoricum. Phosphoricum acidum can also be quite irritable. Phosphoric acidum is one of the remedies which has great apathy, great weakness, but you will be surprised to see that Phosphoricum acidum is quite irritable (3), but it is not the sort of aggressive irritability.

AD: It says in Phatak ...

JS: I don't have a lot of experience with it, but my sense of it ... If you read what else it says, you get the idea that the remedy carries a lot of weakness; a neurasthenia and they probably fly into a tantrum, because their nerves are in such a delicate state, that a little stimulus makes them collapse. And the way that children collapse, is they fall on the floor and: "Whaaa!!" and the mother says: "Oh, the child is tired.” But this little girl, this is much more ... This aggressiveness, this irritability is much more central in the case. With Kali phosphoricum it would have to be something more on the outside. Other thoughts?

AD: Lycopodium.

JS: Yes of course, Lycopodium. She wakes up ... I mean, so strong, underlined three times; every time she wakes up she is so irritable. What is the main remedy for that?

AD: Lycopodium.

JS: Lycopodium. And then what else is there for Lycopodium?

AD: Wants the mother in the next room.

JS: Yes, a keynote for Lycopodium. And then she has desire for sweets very strong, so Lycopodium is a serious consideration.

AD: And Silicea?

JS: She has been given Silicea. Many things for Lycopodium. Other thoughts?

AD: Kali carbonicum?

JS: No, for the same reasons as Kali phosphoricum. This is not capricious, this is too strong in one direction for Kali carbonicum.

JS: What about giving again the Silicea? You see, here it says: has been treated with Silicea in the past with good action. Now, when a remedy has been given and has acted well, you don't go away from that remedy, without very good reasons. So I am not saying: "Yes, we give this child Silicea.” But it must be there as a consideration. After all, have a look in your repertory under irritability in children, and you will see Silicea is at least a two (2). And then we know that Silicea is averse to consolation, very strong (3). I think it is a three. And they don't like to be spoken to, Silicea has this characteristic (IB: spoken to, averse to being; Silicea, 1). But the feeling here, is that even though Silicea might have worked, this is too much irritability for Silicea. The same as all the others, it is too strong.

JS: But because Silicea has worked well, we have to consider a complementary. Don't forget this! When a remedy has acted, the complementary remedy has almost the weight of a keynote. For a prescription that you can rest on, you have to have three legs. If you have a stool which has two legs, or one leg, it is very easy to fall over. Three legs, you have stability. So if you have three good keynotes in a case, keynotes coming from different areas of the case, you can rest on something. And when a remedy has acted, its complementary remedies form one of those legs of the stool.

AD: I think of Sanicula.

JS: All right, we can add that in, it is as good a thought as any. So don't forget that Silicea has worked well. What do you think about Stramonium? Who says: "No?” Why do you say: "No?"

AD: I think Stramonium would have much more the fear of the dark.

JS: You don't think there is enough violence in this case to outweigh? Fear of the dark is twice, the child is very irritable, pushing, hitting, insulting.

AD: Stramonium is not even a one for irritability in children (IB: irritability in general; Stramonium, 2).

JS: But if I say to you: "Stramonium is irritable.” Will you say: "No!"

AD: Yes.

JS: You will say it is not irritable?

AD: No, it is.

JS: No, it is irritable. So it doesn't matter it is not in the repertory, the nature of the remedy ... Any child who needs Stramonium, is going to be pretty irritable in one way or an other. Now, it may be not this sort of irritability, because here there is not enough what?

AD: Violence.

JS: Right, there is not really violence here, there is not violent imagery. It is: "Go away, you are ugly.” Not: "I will kill you.” If it was: "I will kill you!" then maybe it goes much more to Stramonium. But it is not that, it is: "Go away you are ugly," you disgust me: "Yuck, go away.” So one remedy of course, no one has thought of yet ... Here is a case, it was exactly like that, very irritable, with fear of the dark, but also stool problems - this is the other problem. This child has two problems: very irritable, with constipation.

AD: Nux vomica.

AD: Calcarea carbonica.

JS: Too irritable. You understand, what does it mean, the essence? I gave it up, I said: "This is essence prescription.” What does it mean, essence? It means that the nature of the remedy must be the same as the nature of the patient. Now we understand this case is a case of irritability, now Calcarea carbonica has the essence irritability?

AD: No.

JS: So how can you give Calcarea carbonica here? No matter Calcarea carbonica has irritability, has blood of irritability - it is irrelevant here.

JS: But, someone said it: Nux vomica. Yes, this is a case of NUX VOMICA, because what is the constipation of Nux vomica? You see it says here, constipation with normal stool. Holds stool in, as it is painful. Now we can say: "All right, I believe Sanicula has this tendency to cross their legs and retain the stool.” Also Sanicula has what they call: "Bashful stool," a stool which comes out halfway, and then recedes. It is a big keynote for Silicea, but Sanicula has it and Thuja has it. But we can take a little leap of fate here. And we theorize that this whole stool is painful, this of course is probably the mother's interpretation. And probably what is happening with this child is there is the tenesmus of Nux vomica. The straining with the reverse peristalsis. So she is straining, straining, straining and at the same time as the bowel is pushing down, the rectum is closing up and the stool won't come out and the mother says: "She holds the stool in, because it is painful."

JS: But why don't you go back and have a look at the other Nux vomica case, paper case four (Zoe T.). What is common between these two kids? It is interesting, it is not so obvious, but you get the ... Who would say?

AD: The irritability.

JS: Definitely the irritability, yes. And what about the irritability.

AD: One hits and the other bites.

JS: Yes, there is the aggression towards other people. And you see, what does the case say, this one we have just done says: "Can't approach the child, will not be friendly.” The other case says: "Bit me when I took her toy away.” You understand the feeling here of the remedy. This is a remedy, they just don't ... They say: "Uhhh.” They don't like people there; you come near me: "Go away, you are ugly!” You take my toy: "Hahhh (IB: biting).” It is interesting in these children, that it is not quite the screaming, aggressive, throwing, tantruming anger. It is more a sort of misanthropy - I think is the English word - a dislike of people. This is just my idea now which is coming out of these cases, but maybe if you see it in this way, and then you will see some cases yourself.

AD: Remark (...).

JS: The fear? Right, Nux vomica has fear of the dark, absolutely. I have seen enough ...

AD: It is not in the repertory.

JS: I don't care it is not in the repertory. It should be added. Nux vomica has fear of the dark. You will see all the cases of the children with Nux vomica here, all have fear of the dark. And this is actually a very interesting thing for me, because I have seen an adult. A woman came and she had this fear to be in a room by herself, because she had a feeling that there were ghosts coming. That there were sort of spirits in the room. And Nux vomica absolutely removed that fear. And this coincides with this idea of the fear of the dark that I have seen in children.

JS: And even more, we are just talking, I just give you my experience about this, because it has been interesting for me; I have seen a very difficult case and maybe some time in the future I will show you, a Strychninum case. Strychnine of course is the active ingredient of Nux vomica. I struggled with this case for eight years: this remedy, that remedy; I gave Phosphorus, she had terrible fear of insanity and terrible panic attacks. Many, many things. And finally I understood that this was Strychninum, and some time after the remedy, she came back and she told me: what is happening to her now, in the middle of the night when she used to get her panic attacks, is: she is going back to her childhood. She is reliving, she feels again exactly the same feelings and as if she is standing in the living room in the house and there is something in the room, or something has happened there, some sort of psychic experience of which she is absolutely terrified. I am just saying this, because there is a connection here between this fear of the dark and this other woman who had the fear of the ghosts and this Strychninum with the psychic experience; there is something here in Nux vomica which we don't fully understand. It is true, it is usually a fearless remedy. You know, fears are not a big thing around this remedy, but I think that in the children, you can see fear of the dark, definitely.

JS: So, this is common here in these cases: pretty obstinate, wilful children. You see this one says: obstinate (3), wilful (3), demanding. And the other one says: demanding - not underlined, but still - obstinate (2), mischievous. The same sort of forcefulness.

AD: The central idea of can't be approached, can't that be covered by the rubric: aversion being approached?

JS: The idea of can't be approached, can it be covered by the rubric: aversion to being approached. Yes. I would say that is.

AD: That was for me more or less the misleading idea to go to Lycopodium.

JS: Lycopodium, what is the essence of Lycopodium?

AD: Cowardice.

JS: You understand: cowardice. Now in a child, where does the bravado come from? You know Lycopodium is very haughty, yes? "Well, my good man ...” They are puffed up like this, where does that come from?

AD: It is a defense mechanism.

JS: It is a defense mechanism. So in a three-year-old child it would have to be very sophisticated to develop already such a strong defense mechanism. As to be so aggressive, so demanding, so wilful. This is why you get the feeling here; we think of Lycopodium, but the pathology is not quite right and there is something about the degree of force, which is too strong. The essence here is irritability. This is not the essence of Lycopodium.

JS: The essence is not necessarily something which is, for me anyway, tremendously complicated and a thousand different variations of subtlety. This is very nice for Sulphurs (IB: theorizing), but it can be a more simple thing. We understand, the central idea of Nux vomica is irritability. We say a case here, where the central idea is irritability. And then these two things come together.

AD: Remark (...).

JS: Yes, it is very good for Lycopodium and Lycopodium is a serious consideration here, but I still feel that the main thing about this case is not those other things. It is the irritability, that certain sort of irritability, which is confirmed by the stool. You see, we are in an area here: maybe we give Lycopodium and it would have been ...

JS: And also, the one I left out: Nux vomica is a complementary to Silicea. So now we have the complementary remedy as well, for me this outweighs these other features of Lycopodium. Nux vomica is a complementary of Silicea. The irritability of Silicea, when you give Silicea ... We don't know how this child was before, but the child maybe had these recurrent colds and she was more on the weak side and she was getting sick the whole time and had some swollen glands and some sweating and she got Silicea. And Silicea worked and it brought out her real nature, which is this very morose, sullen, hateful; a hateful sort of child - and then it is Nux vomica.

AD: I thought about Chelidonium.

JS: What about Chelidonium? I have never given Chelidonium to a child. I rarely give Chelidonium to an adult! And I would say for Chelidonium, I myself would want to see some liver problems. Because I don't know enough about that remedy; the remedy is small enough that I myself would not feel free to give it, without some very distinctive keynote: some liver problems, some pain under the angle of the scapula; something like this would maybe push it to Chelidonium. But that is just for me, maybe you know something which I don't ... Also, against Lycopodium is thirst for cold drinks. Against, be careful. I am not saying: "Someone has thirst for cold drinks, you cannot give them Lycopodium.” But especially for Lycopodium it is a bad sign. In other words, if you think you have Lycopodium, and you ask them: "What do you like?" and they say: "I like cold drinks," something goes: "Oh, oh," and you start to look again. And maybe you can't find anything better, you have to give Lycopodium, but it is bad for Lycopodium.

JS: Now you understand this thing: fears the dark, okay as long as she knows her mother is in the next room. I am saying there is something here with the Strychninum, with Nux vomica, where they have a feeling of other entities around. And maybe this is why in this case, the child is wanting the mother to be there. Not because she is cowardly and afraid of people coming from the outside to break in; but because like Sepia. Sepia also has fear of ghosts, but it is a different thing. But it seems that in any event the remedy worked well, this of course is the final arbitration, that is why you only see my cases where the remedy worked, because if I brought you cases where the remedy didn't act, we could spend the whole five days talking like this.

AD: I still think it is Chelidonium.

JS: Well, it is true, perhaps it is not Chelidonium (IB: Nux vomica). How do we know? If she was jaundiced ... I don't know, I don't know enough about Chelidonium to really debate this point.

JS: So we gave her the remedy and she did well from January of '89 towards the end of September of '89. In the end of September, she had an otitis.

AD: What was the remedy then?

JS: She probably got Nux vomica C 200 and she had a good response. And then she had an otitis and I gave her Hepar and then after the otitis what is happening? She is getting some relapse. Now this was not my case, but I remember reasonably or not reasonably that I was quite upset that the remedy was prescribed for the otitis. And this is a delicate point, because after all it is nine months after the prescription and to prescribe for the otitis is not an unreasonable thing. But at the same time you have a feeling with this child, that this is quite a deep problem. Even though the case is not sort of very confused or messed up and there is quite a bit of order in the case. Still for a child of three years old to be so unlikeable, is not a good sign. So I myself would have preferred to try and right the otitis without a prescription.

JS: In any event, she has the otitis, the Hepar works and now she is a month after the otitis. She is tired, she is less irritable, but she is starting to hit again. It says: "It makes me feel good to hit.” She gets very frustrated if she can't get things right. She has fear of the dark and the mother says: "This didn't really change.” I don't trust actually the mother, but anyway we have to take it like that. She dances to loud music, she has no problems in school, she is quite popular now, she is a leader. She still has large stools, but she has no trouble. Now the rectal trouble is gone. She does not like to be alone, she demands a lot of attention. She is much more open, friendly and pleasant. Now she desires liquid foods rather than solid and spicy and sweets and she sweats on her feet and we are very anxious to give her ...?

AD: Lycopodium.

JS: Still Lycopodium?

AD: Sulphur.

JS: Sulphur! The keynote for Sulphur is: drinks much, eats little. It is in all the books. And now she is sweating on her feet and she has got the sweets and the spicy. If it was me: Sacch. lac. here, or if we have to: Nux vomica C 200. No reason now to go to a different remedy.

AD: Probably these are the complaints she had before, when she got Silicea.

JS: Yes, maybe. Although I would have imagined there would have been more in the case for Silicea itself, because now she is not having any trouble with the stools, but it is true, she is sweating on the feet. But here, you see the child is quite a bit better. Even now, I mean after all it is ten months and she is doing well at school and she is popular with the other kids and she is much more open and friendly and pleasant in the interview and her bowels aren't giving her much trouble. So are we worried that she has some perspiration on her feet, or that she has had a few colds? It is nothing.

JS: Well, she is less irritable, she is starting to hit again, it makes her feel good. How do you understand? Nux vomica likes to smash things. They want to express themselves like that and to smash. So she doesn't smash, but this kind of thing is quite in keeping with the remedy. So either she gets another C 200, let's say probably it is placebo here. The best prescription here is placebo. And now we see about nine months after that she relapses, but the stool problem is not there. Now what do we do? You understand for me the stool problem was very important in the prescription. For me it was what I call a confirmation. I like to have confirmatory symptoms, no matter how much you reason about your essence, it is still a sort of theoretical thing and what you like is some definite material evidence, to support your theorizing; at least what I like. So the stool was very important for me and now it is not there. But the child is very irritable, she is back into that really bad state. What are we going to do?

AD: Repeat Nux vomica.

JS: Who says: "Yes," who says: "No.” Why not?

AD: Because one of the legs of the stool is missing.

JS: But maybe we have an artificial leg, the artificial leg says: when a remedy has acted well, do not go away from the remedy that has acted well. So we make an artificial leg. Someone has other comment?

AD: Remark (...).

JS: You would give Chelidonium?

AD: No, I would take the case anew.

JS: Yes, I agree, we have to assume that the case is taken and it is the same problem.

AD: ... and therefore I doubt a little and when the whole picture relapsed, I would try to find out a more close remedy.

JS: So she says, very good, that she feels that Nux vomica was in the region, but not exact, there is a better remedy, although Nux vomica has dealt with much of the case, that she would search very hard for a remedy which is even better at this time, when the symptoms have relapsed. However, what we have is the case has now relapsed to everything, but still ... I agree. You took the words out of my own mouth, but still here we give Nux vomica 1 M, but I cannot argue with that reasoning. Although I would say I feel we are looking now from January of '89 through July of '90, it is not bad. We are not talking about relapse after two months or three months. I mean, this is a year and a half. I feel if we go away and we give a different remedy now, we run a great risk; a greater risk than Nux vomica not working. The worst thing that happens now: we give Nux vomica and it doesn't act. But if we try to be too clever, then maybe we will ... Once you make the wrong turn, and you go on the wrong road, maybe you will never come back. I have cases where I have seen now I took the wrong turn, two years later, three years later ... I am looking at the case and I say: "Oh my God. The remedy I gave then was the right remedy, why did I ever go away from it.” So we have to be very careful and even though the tenesmus has not come back, I can't see anything to do but to repeat Nux vomica and I believe ... This is my wife's case and we had very similar arguments, she said: "No," and I said: "Yes," and so before I came I asked the check-up and she said: "The child is much better.” Now maybe still there is another remedy, I don't know. I mean I am not going to say: "This is the only remedy that this child will ever need," but definitely this is a Nux vomica case.

CASE12

Christopher P. age 7

3/29/89

Recurrent infections since three months.

Began with high fever 105. Spike up and down since three days.

Epistaxis with the fever.

Then rhinitis and cough.

Past week has pain in left ear.

Now has rhinitis.

Past history unremarkable physically.

In past; school problems, lying related to step brother with drug problem.

New sibling since February. No apparent jealousy.

(Contradicts mother constantly (2).)

(Very irritable in office, because he was being spoken about (2).)

Ashamed and embarrassed to speak about problems (2).

Will not cry in front of others (1).

Extremely irritable if woken in morning (3).

Allergic to all furry animals (2).

Fear robbers (2), dark (2).

(Not a likeable child, adult and sullen. Skin has yellow caste.)

Loner, not popular at school.

Restless (2).

Problems at school. Poor concentration (2).

Warm (2).

Deceitful (1), devious.

Nasal obstruction (2), mouth breathes at night.

Flatulence (2).

Desires sausage (2), sweets, bacon, eggs, lemonade.

Averse tomatoes (1), spicy, mushrooms.

Thirst cold.

Offensive perspiration feet (1).

Remedy.

5/17/89

Looks quite different. Much more outgoing, cheerful, communicative.

Behaviour problems at school subsided. Doing well.

No infections / colds.

Nasal obstruction slight ameliorated, but still coryza.

Fears markedly decreased.

No longer irritable in the morning.

Enuresis is much improved.

Remedy.

6/21/89

Mother says still a problem.

Manipulative (2), bossy - especially at home.

Aggressive (2).

Enuresis returned.

Remedy Lycopodium 30 C.

7/21/89

Serious behaviour problems.

Hitting (1), aggressive (2) and very mean to other children.

Malicious towards little sister (2).

So angry he can't help himself (2), just comes on so suddenly.

Hardness, doesn't care if scolded.

Fears are returning, dark, robbers.

Hates the wind (2).

Hates fat (2).

Suspicious (1) and contradictory.

Remedy.

2/15/90

(Child is pleasant, friendly, cooperative.)

Mother is terrible historian.

She has history gonorrhoea at least twice.

Not doing well in school.

Restless (2), poor concentration (2), always talking to the other children.

Constant rhinitis (1), aggravated left side (2), excoriating (1).

(Allergic salute (2).)

In past nasal obstruction was much worse, now looser and excoriating.

Enuresis is ameliorated, malicious is ameliorated (2), not aggressive to little sister at all.

Can get angry, throw and bang, but only in his room when confined there.

Hates restriction (1), being told what to do.

(Child by previous marriage, part time with either parent, observes that mother does not really like him.)

Hospitalized in December '89: bad flu, dehydration.

Stomach aches (1), wakes in morning with this.

Feels as if will vomit (1), feels it in his throat.

Hates fat (3), obsessed with this (2).

Desires pasta, salami, bacon, sausage.

Fear dark, robbers.

Bad dreams about robbers.

Cat allergy much ameliorated (2).

Weeps easily, likes consolation.

Does not like the wind.

Remedy.

EVALUATION

AD: How much is hundred and five degree?

JS: Hundred and five degree is Fahrenheit, I don't know the centigrade, but I think it is at least forty or something. Forty is a hundred and four I think, so it is high. And it is up and down since three days and he has epistaxis with the fever. This is not immediate, but this is how it goes with his episodes; at the moment he is not in the acute phase. It doesn't make it quite clear here. Then he gets rhinitis and a cough and the past week he has had some pain in his left ear and now he has rhinitis, so he is not in the acute episode. His past history is physically unremarkable, in other words he has not had many illnesses at all. But he has had school problems. He was telling lies and it had something to do with his step brother who has had drug problems and it wasn't very clear actually, but there was difficulty at school. And now he has a new sibling (IB: brother or sister) since February, I guess maybe his mother has had a child. And he is not jealous apparently and then there is a note, that he contradicts his mother constantly. Everything his mother says, he says: "No, it is not that way.” We don't know exactly about what, but you know the kids, the mother says: "He likes to drink milk," he says: "No, I don't like to drink milk.” She says: "Yes, he likes to wake up early in the morning," he says: "No, I like to sleep late.” She says: "Yes, he doesn't like to go to school," he says: "I like school.” This sort of thing, contradicts.

JS: He is very irritable in the office and especially he was irritable, because he himself was being discussed. He does not like his problems to be discussed. He is ashamed and embarrassed to speak about his problems. He won't cry in front of others. He is extremely irritable if he is woken in the morning. He is allergic to all furry animals. He fears robbers and the dark. He is not a likeable child. He is sort of more adult, he is not very child-like, he is sullen. He is sitting there and he is irritable: "Don't speak about me. Don't say that. I like milk.” This is his sort of response. And his skin has a yellowish colour to it. So this is a seven-year-old child, you can imagine, you have to think for yourself: how is this child in the office. He is not so restless and stuff, but you can imagine, he is sitting there in the chair and his mother says: "Oh, he likes this," and he says: "I don't like that.” This sort of feeling, you get the idea. So, he is a loner, he is not popular at school. He is obviously the same with the other kids as he is in the interview. He is restless. He has problems at school, he has poor concentration, he is warm-blooded, he is deceitful and devious. He has nasal obstruction. He mouth-breathes at night. He has a lot of gas, he likes sausages, sweets, bacon, eggs and lemonade, he is averse to tomatoes, spicy and mushrooms, thirst for cold, he has offensive perspiration on his feet.

JS: So it is a fairly complicated case actually. I think you probably agree. And it is interesting when we read it like this, that this is a guy who had no physical problems until fairly recently. And now he has got nasal obstruction and gas and allergies to all furry animals. So obviously his mother is not such a good historian herself. See, there are sort of contradictions in the case. So we read the case now and we think: "Well, what is this guy's problem?” "Who is this person? What is their problem?” Do we give him Belladonna? No, although he has this very high fever and epistaxis with the fever, we can look at that rubric. But at the moment this is not really his problem.

JS: What is his problem? What sort of a person is this?

AD: Discontent.

JS: Yes, I would agree. He is discontented, but in which way? What is the nature of his discontentment.

AD: Is he jealous?

JS: No, he is not jealous. It says there that there is his new brother or sister, and there is no apparent jealousy. And I think we can accept that, because if this child was jealous, he would be demonstrating it.

AD: He is closed.

JS: Yes, definitely he is closed. So he is sort of discontented and closed.

JS: But more than that, why is he closed?

AD: He doesn't like people.

JS: He doesn't like people, right. He doesn't like to be spoken about, he doesn't like the other kids. You see he is not a likeable child. He is sort of adult child. Not adult in the sense like Natrum muriaticum, who is very responsible and like this; he is adult, because he is not childlike. He is not sort of free, he is sitting there like this (...). He does not play with the other kids, he is not popular, this is what makes him sort of adult. There is a sort of miserable seriousness about him. And then we combine this. And then it is more than that even, because there is something else which it says about his personality.

JS: What else does it say? Deceitful, devious. This is not a nice guy, I think we could all agree on that, this is not the sort of child which you would wish to have. Difficult to handle, but not like the Tuberculinum. You understand, we are looking here at a different colour of event. We can think about it as if ... I mean we are all sitting here in the room and we have a single orange light. Everything looks orange. We change the light and we make it blue and everything looks blue. Even though it is the same things, it is coloured by different light. So these are difficult children, unpleasant, not easy to handle, but the reason, the colour of it, is quite different here. You don't get the feeling of this child that he is looking for trouble; it is a sort of indrawn miserable kind of thing. We would agree, I am sure, that this is the child's problem. No matter he gets high fever or snot in his nose.

AD: I feel the embarrassment is a much more central idea here, than the deceit or the deviousness. Because you can explain that because of some other symptoms.

JS: So you feel that the embarrassment is strong.

AD: I can imagine that one has a kind of embarrassment about one's family, that one starts to lie to make up for things.

JS: So he says that when one is embarrassed about one's family, it is easy to make up stories around that.

AD: And he is more or less trying to ruin the interview by contradicting his mother, he does not want the embarrassment. He uses that means of contradicting the mother to stop the interview more or less.

JS: He feels that the contradiction of the mother is more a protection against the embarrassment, rather than something which is coming of itself.

AD: It explains some other symptoms.

JS: Yes.

AD: ... more or less a mix up of all the symptoms and then trying to see the embarrassment in the other symptoms.

JS: So if you take being embarrassed as a central theme, you can explain many things around that, yes? That is very good. Well, and so, what remedies come from this idea?

AD: If this is a good reason, I start thinking about Sulphur.

JS: I agree, I think your way of looking is very interesting, I myself did not think of it that way, but it is perfectly a valid way. Yet I don't agree that that would lead me to Sulphur. But Thuja was a remedy that I thought of with this case. And that is why I asked you, because I thought: "I can't remember how I reasoned.” Yet I thought of Thuja and this can be coming close to the idea of Thuja. Much more likely to be embarrassed about his complaints. And when I looked at what I had listed I couldn't think why I thought of Thuja, but I did.

JS: So we have this idea here of this child who is not a likeable child. Who has, we agree, some self-consciousness about him definitely. But he is sort of adult and not likeable, sullen, aggressive to his mother, irritable. So of course again the remedy Nitricum acidum we have to think of. This kind of idea. And now we look quickly at his physical pathology, nasal obstruction, flatulence. His physical pathology is not so much relative to the intensity of his emotional problems. But he desires sausage, bacon ... We look, is this Tuberculinum? No, even though there is stuff there. Sanicula? No not really.

AD: What about Lycopodium?

JS: Yes, absolutely Lycopodium again comes up for consideration here. The remedies that I have here in thinking about his case: Thuja, Nitricum acidum, Lycopodium and of course the remedy I gave?

AD: Nux vomica.

JS: NUX VOMICA. You see, the same sort of idea as the other children. The sort of sullen, misanthropy, dislike of people.

AD: You thought about Thuja, but Thuja would be more likeable in the office.

JS: Yes, right. Except you see, it may be that this is a child and the child feels very badly about himself and hasn't yet learned, because it takes a lot of practice to acquire a skill of really hiding oneself, he hasn't quite learned and then the mother is saying: "Oh yes, he is bad, he does this, he does that," and the child says: "Don't talk about me!” I mean, this is how I would understand it. But we didn't give Thuja, maybe just for the reason that you said, but it was a sort of a consideration for me.

JS: You see again: fear of the dark, fear of robbers. And now the child is contradicting, very strong, a good symptom for Nux vomica. Nux vomica, I am sure you will see it there for deceitful as well (IB: deceitful; Nux vomica is added, 3); it covers the case fairly well.

AD: Could you add Nux vomica in fear of robbers?

JS: No. I don't know about that, but I would add it as fear of the dark.

AD: You say it is a kind of essence of Nux vomica, misanthropy, and it isn't in the rubric.

JS: I am not saying anything. I am simply presenting you these cases which I have from my experience, and in fact before today I never thought of it like this. But I was thinking this morning or last night: "What are we going to do today?" and I thought: "This is interesting about these Nux vomica kids," and now as we look at the cases more closely, it is very interesting that they really do have this sort of misanthropy ( DON’T LIKE OTHER PEOPLE ) . So you know now as much as I know. And you can do with it what you will. In any event we give the child Nux vomica and he comes back a couple of months later and how does it say?

AD: Nux vomica is not listed on the misanthropy.

JS: Well, I have just chosen this word. But this seems to apply. Does anyone have any other thoughts about this?

AD: Remark (...). What I miss here, they always want to be the best and he is withdrawn, I should think he would do something else in which he would be very good, but ...

JS: But this is very interesting, the other thing is these are fairly young children and so maybe this idea of the driving ambition is a later stage ...

AD: I saw a video presented by Bill Gray, and he showed us the videos of the film: seven to twenty-eight up (IB: see volume Bill Gray, 1988). It was a small boy, he was seven years old and the first thing he said was: "I need to fight!” (IB: "Is it important to fight?” "Yes!”).

JS: But this is the problem with that, it is very nice to talk about it, but that is why there is nothing better than cured cases. Because otherwise we can make wonderful theory ... Ilse said: "Will you take life cases?” and I said: "No.” I will not see life cases, because I am not a master homoeopath and I will see the case and will make a wonderful story for this remedy or that remedy and maybe it is the biggest nonsense. The remedy doesn't work and you go away and your head is filled with this nonsense that I have talked to convince myself and you about how great this is exactly the remedy for this person.

JS: So that is why we do cured cases, then we cannot argue, you can't say to me: "Nux vomica did not work in this case.” This is the point. So I don't care there is no ambition in this case, it is very interesting, but it isn't there, yet the remedy works. So we have to assume that you don't have to have ambition. And at the same time I will say that most of the adults that I have seen, they all have a pushing, pushing, pushing. Definitely. Very irritable people. And the main irritability is about obstructions which get in their life. But these kids who I gave Nux vomica to for reasons other than what we are talking about, it appears when we look at the cases that they have these characteristics. And this is what I am saying: I leave it to you. Make what you want of it.

JS: So anyway, it turns out the child opens up. No question about it, he looks quite different. And this is a very important thing, in the beginning when I started to practice, I never trusted; I walked in the waiting room and the person would look different and I thought: "No ...” The impression you get is very important. Sometimes you go out in the waiting room and I look at the person and I know they are better. I know! No matter they come in and they sit down and they say: "It didn't work.” I don't let them of the hook. I will go and go and go and go, because I know, I can see! I don't see aura or anything, when you see the person the first time and they are like this (...) and then you see them sitting there like that (...). I mean you see that this is different energy. So it is very important, he looks quite different: he is more outgoing, he is more cheerful, he is more communicative, the behaviour problems at school subsided, he is doing well, it says: no infections, no colds. You see the fears are markedly decreased. This is a very interesting case actually. The enuresis which didn't even come up, is improved.

JS: Now what is interesting here, is you have to see: what does it mean when symptoms get better after you give a remedy. There are two possibilities. How to evaluate symptoms which get better after a remedy? We are assuming a curative action of the remedy. Does this mean that Nux vomica has a fear of robbers? How do you evaluate this?

AD: Maybe.

JS: Why not definitely?

AD: You have to have a number of cases where ...

JS: No.

AD: Remark (...).

JS: Right. So what do we say? You see, if the remedy is right, it will increase the vitality. And when the vitality increases many symptoms will fall away - for a while. You understand? For a while, in the first blush of the romance, everything is wonderful. And then when things settle down the symptoms which are really the symptoms of the remedy will stay away and those which are not actually going to be dealt with by this remedy, will start to come back. So you have to be a little careful, you see this is why I am not saying now: "Oh yes, fear of robbers.” But anyway the fears are much improved, no question about it and so we can see the remedy has acted deeply.

JS: And now one month later he comes back and the mother says: "It didn't work.” He is still a problem, he is manipulative, he is bossy, he is aggressive, the bed-wetting has returned and the prescription is made of Lycopodium. What would you think?

AD: Not bad.

JS: Someone who has a more positive reaction? Not bad, not good. What do you think?

AD: Repeat the Nux vomica.

AD: I think it is too early.

JS: Yes. A terrible, terrible mistake. A big mistake. Here you have a case, a bad case. A sullen, miserable, mean little bastard. You give him a remedy and he comes back to us later and he is smiling and he is happy and he is friendly and the fears are gone and the enuresis is better. I mean, you must know in your heart that this remedy has worked deeply. Deeply and beautifully. And then a month later they come back and they say: "Did not work! He is bad, this has returned, that has returned.” You don't believe a word of it. You know in your heart that if you throw something up, it has got to fall down. I mean this is a lawful occurrence. And if a remedy acts so deeply, the case does not relapse in a month or in two months, it does not happen, it is against God! Unless of course a truck fell on his head, or both of his parents were killed in an automobile accident, but just out of the blue: no. Very, very big mistake here to make another prescription in this case.

AD: What about drinking coffee?

JS: Yes of course he is only seven years old, so maybe he was using heroine, that is possible, I mean that is not out of the question. But we are assuming for purposes over here, that there was no obvious antidoting factor.

JS: So prescription of Lycopodium is made and now he comes back a month after that, and what happens. Now he has serious behaviour problems. He is hitting, he is aggressive, he is mean, he is malicious, he is so angry he can't help himself, he is just bursting out. He has hardness, he doesn't care if he is scolded. Defiant. The fears are returning. He hates the wind, he hates fat, he is suspicious and he is contradicting. So now? We are going to give him Tuberculinum? You see how the reasoning goes, how you lose your case. Now I let the cat out of the bag and I told you how terrible it was to give the Lycopodium. And I had said to you: "Lycopodium, good prescription, not bad ...” And then we would never give Nux vomica again, because we reason that we gave the Nux vomica and although it seemed to work, it only worked temporarily and so he relapsed and now we gave him Lycopodium which might have worked for a week and now the case is back and now we need to find the really right remedy. We have to look for the really right remedy and so now we are looking to Tuberculinum, you see, for the really right remedy, or something like that and the really right remedy is ...?

AD: Nux vomica.

JS: NUX VOMICA, yes. Yes, I am sorry actually, I should have been more cagey about this, let you into the trap a bit more, but this is really what happens all the time. When a remedy acts well, please be careful. So we give Nux vomica again.

AD: Question (...).

JS: I don't know. Maybe C 200, maybe 1 M. The case looks even more like Nux vomica, it is true, he is now malicious and mean and he has these outbursts of anger, we justify to give 1 M.

AD: 10 M.

JS: Well, you know 10 M ... You see, she says: "10 M.” Always there is doubt in me, I don't know about you, but in me always there is some doubt. So I say: "Yes, this is definitely a case for Nux vomica, we have to give Nux vomica again.” But what if it is not and I give him 10 M - unnecessarily, you understand? Just because I am saying: "I am going to show them. I am going to give him bang.” And I give him bang, except it goes bang here (IB: downwards). And you only have to do this once or twice, that is all and you never do it again.

JS: And I tell you any person ... If you meet someone who is in the healing profession and they offer to help you: run, run so fast, go!! Because no one who has had any real experience, offers to help anyone, until they really beg them. Because you know that someone is suffering and you can make their suffering worse. And unless they are saying: "Please, help me," you don't interfere. And those who are just out there and: let me, let me ...! Just run away. It is the sign of inexperience, I won't say incompetence, but it is definitely a sign of inexperience.

JS: About the 10 M: it is not necessary to hit harder than is needed. That is why not 10 M. I rarely use 10 M unless there comes the time, I am just more cautious. I don't like to have people calling me up after I give them the remedy, three days later when they are lying on the floor, and they say: "It was just that remedy and I got this stomach cramp, agg, I can't breathe, agg.” I mean, who needs it. Don't let anyone tell you homoeopathy is harmless. Anything which can do good, can do harm. If it can't do harm, it can't do good.

JS: So we give the Nux vomica, what ever potency, and we see he comes back 2/15/90, which is five, seven months later and he is pleasant, friendly and cooperative. And then it turns up the mother is a terrible historian. The mother mislead very much the case. She has a history of gonorrhoea, at least twice. He is not doing well in school. He is restless, he has poor concentration, and now he is always talking to the other children. You see how different things are. He has constant rhinitis, it is worse on the left side, it is excoriating. And he gives the allergic salute. In the past the nasal obstruction was much worse, but now it is loose and it is excoriating. The enuresis is better, the maliciousness is better, he is not aggressive at all now to his little sister, he can get angry and throw things and bang, but only in his room when he is confined in his room - perfectly normal, no pathology there. He hates being restricted, he doesn't like being told what to do. And now it turns out that this is a stepchild and he spends part of the time with either parent and the practitioner observes that his mother really doesn't like him.

JS: In December he had a bad influenza and he was dehydrated and he had to be put into the hospital to be rehydrated and observed. So now he has some stomachaches, he wakes in the morning with them, he feels as if he will vomit, he feels it in his throat, he hates fat and he is sort of obsessed almost by his aversion to fat. Even if it looks like it has fat he won't eat it. But he desires pasta, salami, bacon and sausage. So obviously there is something going on here which is not so clear. You see he has fear of dark and robbers, but not at all so strong.

JS: But the fears are actually still there. Now he has bad dreams about robbers, the cat allergies are much better. Nux vomica has removed the allergy to cats and we don't say: "Furry animals," because he has not been exposed to other animals, except for cats. And I know this, because this point of course was of great interest to me, because it is very hard to find remedies other than Tuberculinum, which have allergy to cats. I think this is just one case, but there is no doubt in this case that this remedy has removed the allergy to cats. He weeps easily, he likes consolation. So now, what are we going to do?

AD: Nothing.

AD: Give him Pulsatilla.

JS: Why Pulsatilla? Now there is some sophisticated reasoning in this case, which is not absolutely essential to the case itself, but which I remember as a part of my process, first of all: does this child need a remedy? Who says: "No," and who says: "Yes.” You say: "Yes," why do you say: "Yes?"

AD: ...

JS: I didn't say "What," I said: "Why?"

AD: His mother had gonorrhoea.

JS: But if my father had syphilis, do I need a remedy? You can't say that he has to have a remedy, because his mother was sick. You have to be able to justify it, from that this child, at this point, in this time ...

JS: Does he need a remedy or does he not need a remedy? Is the case the same or is it different? The case is different, yes? In which way is the case different?

AD: On the psychological level the patient is much better, and he now has symptoms from Nux vomica on the physical level. The stomach problems are typical symptoms from Nux vomica. But on the whole he is much better.

JS: Yes, he is much better. So you say that the case is different but it is not really different, because it is still a Nux vomica case. What are the strong features in this case? How is he doing with his academic work? Not so well. The first case says: problems at school, poor concentration. And now it says: restlessness and poor concentration. So it seems that his mental capacities, his abilities have not been actually improved. And in fact this is now almost his main complaint.

JS: Also he has a constant rhinitis and a lot of allergic symptoms, because he is doing this (...) the whole time (IB: allergic salute).

JS: What remedy would you give for the rhinitis?

AD: Allium cepa. But I wouldn't do it.

JS: But why would you give Allium cepa?

AD: Because of the rhinitis, excoriating.

JS: Excoriating and left side! Left side excoriating rhinitis: one remedy, Allium cepa. You see, just like that. Now what does that tell us? Who understands?

AD: There can be Phosphorus (IB: Phosphorus is a complementary remedy).

JS: Phosphorus, right - the remedy is PHOSPHORUS, this child gets Phosphorus. Here he is, how is he now? Pleasant, friendly, open. How is he in school, he spends all his time doing what?

AD: Talking.

JS: Talking to the other children. He has fear of the dark and robbers. He has bad dreams about the robbers.

AD: He likes consolation.

JS: He likes consolation. And what is the thing in the case, how is his mother? She doesn't like him. You think he feels this or not? Very much. So he is in a very difficult position, because he is sensitive now, he has been opened up, and he feels this from his mother, and this maybe is even what makes him as irritable as he is now. Some reaction like this, I don't know. But, we give him Phosphorus and he is doing very, very well.

AD: Is it normal to expect that within seven or eight months the mental aspect should have changed?

JS: Is it normal to expect that within seven or eight months the mental aspect should have changed? Rephrase your question.

AD: Well, you see a lot of emotional trouble with all this irritability and above that mental problems. Now within the seven months Nux vomica acted ...

JS: So she says that when we look at the first case, we see there is a lot of emotional trouble and even above that there is some mental trouble. And Nux vomica acts very well, and the emotional trouble goes away, but the mental trouble doesn't go away and do we say that within seven months or so, it is reasonable to expect that the mental has improved? Absolutely! You see this is not a sixty-year-old person with ten years of tranquillizers and this and that; this is a young child, where the mental trouble is not so severe and he has not received any suppressive medication. And this should absolutely be cleared up, sure! It is unacceptable. So of course this raises many questions here about the follow-up prescription. This is the next seminar, here we can't do more than open this question, it is a big deal. So I brought some of these cases to sort of open the question.

AD: Because the child is Phosphorus, is he picking up the problems from his stepbrother who has trouble with drugs?

JS: And therefore you mean he is going into a Nux vomica state, because the problems are in his home? I don't know. I understand what you are asking and I feel I don't know

CASE13

Zoe T. age 18 months

12/6/88

(Bright, restless, demanding, into everything.)

Flu since six weeks. Rx antibiotic three weeks ago for bronchial infection.

Began with diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite.

Vomiting with fever initially.

Now: Cough (1), aggravated at night.

Gags (2) with cough

Aggravated motion (2)

Aggravated when overheated (1)

Ameliorated in open air (2), desires open air (2).

Perspires vertex (2), waking and sleep.

Heat on vertex (2).

Aggravated by twilight (2).

Obstinate (2), mischievous (2), bites (2).

(Bit me when I took her toy away.)

Fearless.

No remorse, can't make her feel guilty.

Fastidious (3).

Vomits undigested food (2) if ill.

Diarrhoea has fishy odour.

Syndrome: fever, vomits undigested food, greenish, fishy stool, then to chest.

Sleeps right side.

Desires salty (1), eggs, sweets.

Thirst for warm (1).

Desires open air in general (2).

Remedy?

EVALUATION

JS: This case is not so difficult as I thought. This is Zoe T. and she is eighteen months old. Now we follow the scheme (IB: of case-analysis). We look at the case; who would like to say what the thinking is about this case? Not the remedy. Before we come to the remedy there are many observations about the case which we have to make.

AD: What about the fastidiousness?

JS: What about the fastidiousness. This is not my case, this is a case on which I consulted. So I can't give you the exact symptoms. Most of these cases are not cases which I have taken myself, because when I take my own case, I don't type it up. So almost all these cases you have, are cases in which I have not seen the patient. They are paper cases for me, they are paper cases for you. The only advantage that I have is that I have been in contact with the practitioner, so I have been able to ask questions to clarify matters for myself. But essentially the information which you have is all you need. And this is the rule for paper cases: you have all the information that you need. If it isn't there, you don't need it. So we see fastidious (IB: underlined) three times; it is strong. But I want to know the thinking.

AD: A year-and-a-half. How fastidious? How is a child of a year-and-a-half fastidious?

JS: Yes. You mean: "What does it mean, fastidious in an eighteen month-old?” Well, what is fastidious in an adult? They put everything away in its place and they like to have their clothes clean and neat. The kid is fastidious. But what is the point here, why do you bring this up?

AD: And in a child of that age ...

JS: Though it is not the only symptom, but yes. So it is very peculiar. But that is not enough for me. I want to know your observations about the case. So you have one observation, that in the case there is something which is very peculiar. That is the only observation so far. Never mind it is fastidious. I am asking you to look at this and think about the case. I want to know how you approach this case. I am asking you to reason.

AD: Remark (...).

JS: Yes, not only is the child fastidious, the child is also restless and demanding.

AD: Fearless.

JS: So what? I am not asking you for symptoms, I am asking you for a process of reasoning.

AD: Egotistical.

JS: No, I am asking you your thought. When you see this case, how do you think about this case? What is different between this case and the two paper cases we have discussed so far. Do you see a difference?

AD: Yes, the child is more aggressive and is expelling outside.

JS: No.

AD: There is not a clear essence.

JS: Right, number one: there is not a clear essence! You cannot say that you understand this child. So the first thinking you do is you reason, not: "This symptom, that symptom.” You say: "I look for the essence, I don't see a clear essence.” And at the same time, simultaneously with this, I see that there are things in the case which are really quite peculiar. Yet there are more observations which I need. There is another observation which I am particularly looking for, but anyway we will get to it. When you read through this case, what strikes you? Not what symptom strikes you, but what process?

AD: Every time she gets ill the same thing happens.

JS: Yes, that is one thing, but now she has what? I agree that there is a certain sequence of events. What else?

AD: Any time the motion aggravates.

JS: Yes, but still: what is the thinking? Why do you choose this thing? Why not choose aggravated by being overheated, or fearless? I am not asking you to grab on to some twig and hope that it will save you from drowning. I want you to think. I mean, it is like this: you are there in the case and you are spinning around like that and maybe you fall into the chair - and maybe not. So you have to think. You start and you start to walk in the direction and finally you get there. It doesn't matter about the remedy. If you don't think about this case properly, you will never come to the remedy, unless it is luck, like roulette. So what is interesting about this case?

AD: I think she is very ill, with a lot of symptoms for an eighteen month-old.

JS: Right, there are many symptoms from different remedies. It is such a simple observation. Heat on the vertex, what is the remedy?

AD: Sulphur.

JS: Sulphur. Cough ameliorated in the open air and desire for open air, what is the remedy?

AD: Pulsatilla.

JS: Fastidious, Arsenicum.

AD: Carcinosinum.

JS: Carcinosinum, right. Worse in twilight? Phosphorus, Pulsatilla. Obstinate, mischievous, bites. Children who bite, what is the remedy?

AD: Belladonna.

JS: Belladonna. This is what is interesting about this case. Not that there is this symptom or that symptom, but there is no essence, there is no totality really. There are symptoms from many different remedies. So we can't really see essence, essence is out; totality is pretty much out. We will not get a real totality from this case. Maybe you can try if you want, but I don't think we will find it.

AD: I have it in the computer; I can show it.

JS: Yes, let's see it. Maybe there is a totality, I don't know. I just assumed there wasn't. Let's see what it says. Not the Expert System, just the totality of symptoms. Because I did look and it is true, the remedy which the computer got, covers many of the symptoms. The remedies are: Calcarea, Sepia, Lachesis, Phosphorus, Arsenicum, Pulsatilla, Anacardium ... All very much the same gradation, right? No totality. Of course I will say in the past I have studied this case. Obviously I didn't sit down and say: "This is the remedy," but probably I didn't do a complete repertorization. I can see there is no real totality, because when you have symptoms from so many different remedies ... There is no totality.

JS: What is the next step if we don't have a totality, what do we look for? The presenting complaint, or the main pathology. What is her presenting complaint now?

AD: Cough.

JS: Cough, yes. And with the cough she gags and it is worse when she moves and it is worse when she is overheated, it is much better in the open air and she craves the open air. So, the first remedy is what?

AD: Pulsatilla.

JS: The first remedy definitely is Pulsatilla. Now, can we give Pulsatilla on this information?

AD: No.

JS: Why not? On this information here?

AD: She is too aggressive.

JS: Can we give Pulsatilla on the information of the presenting complaint?

AD: No.

JS: Right. Why can we not give Pulsatilla on this syndrome?

AD: More general information.

JS: No, it is pretty specific. Now we are looking at the presenting complaint or the main pathology, either one, they are interchangeable. Here her presenting complaint is this cough. And when we look at it, the first remedy we see is Pulsatilla. And I am saying: "What is the trouble with Pulsatilla here?"

AD: The cough is only underlined once.

JS: So the symptom itself is not very strong. True. It is a good point, but the modalities are underlined quite strongly here, so the symptom is well-clarified. You have to weigh that against the other one. There is a better reason.

AD: Pulsatilla is better for motion.

JS: Right. First of all Pulsatilla is better for motion. Now we can't say: "That means we can't give Pulsatilla," but it is a problem for us, because it is quite strong. And then the cough, it is true, is worse at night. But what is the characteristic of the Pulsatilla cough?

AD: Sitting ameliorates.

JS: And what does it mean, sitting ameliorates? It means when they lie down, the cough starts and they have to sit up. That is not there, and she is worse for motion. And then the cough itself is not maybe even so much the big problem.

AD: It is not written for the sitting or lying.

JS: So the point is, that when we look at it superficially, we think: "Ah this is Pulsatilla, because it is a cough which is better for being in the open air.” But it is not really ... When we take the presenting complaint or the main pathology, it has to fit the remedy very well. Then we look at the rest of the case, and of course it cannot be Pulsatilla. So not only do we not have a very good picture for the presenting complaint, but it is seriously contradicted by other evidence in the case. So we drop that, and we are in deeper trouble now. And we go to the next thing. What is unusual or peculiar in the case?

AD: Gags with cough.

JS: Give me your pen.

IB: She (audience) gives her pen.

JS: Did you bite me?

AD: No.

JS: Do you think that is more unusual than gagging with cough? What does it say: "Bit me when I took her toy away.” Gags with cough? Forget it! It is nothing compared to her degree of aggressiveness. I mean, this is an eighteen month-old kid. And the kid is playing with a toy and you say: "Here, give me the toy," and ... (IB: the kid bites). I mean, even dogs hardly do that. This is a big deal. So what is peculiar here, is a degree of aggressiveness.

AD: And fearlessness.

JS: And fearlessness? No, you don't have to be fearful at eighteen months old. It is not pathological not to be fearful when you are eighteen months old, it is more a sign of health. What is there to be afraid of at eighteen months old, really. That the stock market will collapse? Of course the fearlessness is there, but we can't say it is peculiar. The other peculiarity in the case which many people saw right in the beginning, but didn't know what to make of it? Fastidious. Even more unusual than the aggressiveness is the fastidiousness.

JS: So would you agree that we have to have a remedy which is aggressive and which is fastidious?

AD: Nux vomica.

JS: Right. What is aggressive and fastidious? NUX VOMICA. This is a case of Nux vomica and now have a look. Cough ameliorated in the open air (1). Cough ameliorated by motion (1). The point is, is the remedy covering the case? You never give Nux vomica for this cough, but this is a Nux vomica child and she has a sort of Nux vomica cough. Now what is the physical essence of Nux vomica? It is hard to put the question to you exactly, but in its physical manifestations Nux vomica has a very particular way of reacting. If you read Kent, you should know this.

AD: Irritated.

JS: No, not enough. The irritation takes a particular quality in the physical body. What is the Nux vomica cystitis? A very common remedy for cystitis, what is the characteristic?

AD: Cramping.

JS: But what sort of cramping? What happens? Who has treated cystitis with Nux vomica? No one? Doesn't anyone in this part of the world get cystitis? You must have a low cure rate here.

AD: Urging without effect.

JS: Urging without effect. Right. What is the stool of Nux vomica?

AD: The same.

JS: The same. It is anti-peristalsis. It is working against itself. The bowel is pushing down and at the same time ... (IB: there is anti-peristalsis). So the sort of cough you might expect from Nux vomica is like this. Maybe it is not in the book. Gagging with cough (-), retching with cough (2). Maybe it is. But this sort of cough is quite in keeping with this idea. Start to cough and spasm. What sort of coughing is that? When you cough, you cough from your lungs, not your gastro-intestinal contents; it is odd. So this is clear. And now you see: no remorse. Can't make her feel guilty. This is the child here: hard and mean and fastidious. Eighteen months old, but she needs Nux vomica.

JS: So you see: diarrhoea has a fishy odour, what is the remedy?

AD: Sanicula.

JS: Sanicula. You see here many different remedies. Of course, Carcinosinum; can we give her Carcinosinum?

AD: No.

JS: No, it is not a Carcinosinum case. Medorrhinum? No, not really. The essence of this case is this hard, aggressive behaviour, mean, irritable and fastidious. So you understand, what I am saying is that you have to think about the case in an ordered way. You can't expect your cases to be ordered if your mind is in chaos. It has to be ordered.

AD: How do you differentiate Calcarea carbonica in this case from Nux vomica?

JS: How do you tell the difference between you and me?

AD: You are a man and I am a woman.

JS: Right. It is sort of obvious. I will tell you: "This is never Calcarea carbonica.” Never, I would die first.

AD: It also has fastidiousness and biting.

JS: Forget it. Yes, you have two arms - I have two arms. You have two eyes - I have two eyes. Am I you? Never!

AD: You find the differentiation because this kid is too aggressive?

JS: Much too aggressive and much too fastidious and much too disordered. No symptoms for Calcarea carbonica in this case. Don't forget, a polychrest has every symptom under the sun. Calcarea carbonica has ten thousand symptoms, something like that. In Allen's keynotes it occupies I don't know how many pages, twenty pages of symptoms; if you look for it - you find it. But is the pattern of Calcarea carbonica the pattern of this child? Not at all. It is obvious that you and I are not the same, but we have many things in common.

AD: Why not Arsenicum before Nux vomica, because of the desire for warm drinks?

JS: Who would like to answer her? I want a good answer from someone.

AD: I don't think the Arsenicum child will bite, will be so aggressive.

JS: Yes, it is correct, but it is not quite a good enough answer.

AD: ...

JS: You see, your thought is too peripheral. You grab on to the outside of things.

AD: Arsenicum has a lot of fears.

JS: Yes, Arsenicum is fearful and insecure. And that has nothing to do with this case. The thought is too peripheral: warm drinks here is totally irrelevant. Nux vomica, warm drinks? Of course. Nux vomica is one of the main remedies for being ameliorated by warmth - in everything. The bladder infection, the stomach pain: better from warmth. But that is not the point. The point is, you mustn't take a case like this, which has quite deep mental pathology, and reason from superficial physical manifestations. Let me give you an example.

AD: Phosphorus could be a possibility because of the biting, mischievous etc.

JS: What is the essence of Phosphorus? What it is the central thread that generates the whole picture?

AD: Attractive.

JS: No, what is the pathology of Phosphorus?

AD: Diffusion.

JS: Diffusion. Phosphorus is a remedy in which the barrier between the person and the outside is too open. The screen which separates them from the world around, the mess, is not like chicken wire, it is like this: everything comes in and everything goes out. Now how can it be that someone who is so open like that, who has this sort of relationship, can be so biting and so aggressive? So it is listed in the repertory; what does it mean? That you find it in the book there? What did I say about the staging of remedies? Where will you find this symptom in Phosphorus? In a mental home. Not in a child! This symptom in Phosphorus, they have to be absolutely insane. Maybe they have delusions, hallucinations that you are coming to kill them, but not in this case. Also fastidious to this degree implies a tremendous contraction and order and Phosphorus is just going out like this. This is not Phosphorus.

AD: And what about Tuberculinum?

JS: Yes sure, what about Tuberculinum. What is the main thing about this case?

AD: The aggressiveness.

JS: And?

AD: The fastidiousness.

JS: Right. And the other remedy which is so aggressive and so fastidious is?

AD: Nux vomica.

JS: That is what about Tuberculinum.

AD: A big pathology for such a small child; can you say it is inherited?

JS: Yes, this is what I was trying to say before. I believe the general level of health is going down. And the reason I believe it, is that children of eighteen months old are showing symptoms of remedies which they should not be showing. An eighteen month-old child should not be showing the mental symptomatology of Nux vomica. So if it is showing, it means that the system is really quite broken down. And in eighteen months, it must be coming ... maybe the mother must have done drugs, you see. Lots of cocaine, something like that to break down the nervous system of this child, so at eighteen months it is showing this sort of pathology. Absolutely. And that is why also, in a case like this, you have to be careful, because this is a young child and the vitality is not so good. You give the wrong remedy and you really, so-to-speak, screw up the case. It is very tricky, a case like this. And that is why you have to think about it in the right way. If you come too superficially you will just change things around and change things around ... and more and more, it will mess up.

AD: The Expert System doesn't give an answer, but it says: consider Anacardium. Because of the violence, the anger, the twilight, the heat, the vomiting ...

JS: That is an interesting thought. I don't know, maybe Anacardium would have been a better remedy. But no, it is an interesting thought. Although I would say here, for Anacardium, at least in my experience, you need to see a sort of aetiology. In the cases of Anacardium that I have seen, I have been able to perceive the aetiology. Do you understand what I mean with the aetiology? You can see where the Anacardium state is coming from, and here it is not like that. I think even the child must be too young to be Anacardium, it can be Nux vomica - but too young to be Anacardium, maybe. And I would especially say in this case here, why not Anacardium? Now that I think about it, a very big reason. Anacardium, lack of confidence. The main remedy, lack of confidence is what?

AD: Anacardium (3).

JS: Anacardium! You see Lycopodium is not so strong as Anacardium in lack of confidence. But if you look under cowardice, you will see Lycopodium (3) is very strong and Anacardium is not so strong. But what I am saying is, with this child here, this sort of aggressive fearlessness, I think Anacardium would have to be more beaten down. Quieter, at this stage. So maybe Nux vomica is still a better prescription.

AD: I was thinking in the beginning of Kreosotum. I was thinking maybe it was a child with dentition problems.

JS: If there was dentition, Kreosotum probably would have been the remedy. But this problem is more in the nervous system than in the dentition.

CASES