Antimony is a metal which lies in the periodic table between Arsenic and Bismuth. The remedies of the group Phosphorus, Arsenicum, Antimonium and Bismuthum shut out or exclude others and isolate themselves. Phosphorus feels that he is not getting enough attention and feels secure only when amongst a lot of friends, receiving a lot of attention and love. Arsenicum views the world as threatening and feels isolated and insecure; he feels secure in the company of only a few. Antimonium feels that he has been disappointed and needs to isolate himself; he feels secure in the company of still fewer people. Bismuth feels very alone and will be secure in the company of only one person, i.e. the mother.
Antimonium crudum is the sulphide of antimony. In it, we see the Antimonium feeling of being let down and disappointed by others, and therefore the need to narrow one’s circle, to isolate oneself. Also present are the Sulphur symptoms of theorizing and fantasizing. These combine to make Antimonium crudum a person who has narrowed himself down, and who starts fantasizing.
The patient finds the world around him so disappointing that he simply shuts it out, and conjures up an illusionary, ideal world that he starts living in. He longs for that which he misses or has been disappointed by: he becomes nostalgic and longs for the past, for his native land, for the ideal woman – the woman of his dreams. He becomes poetic and sentimental. Poetry often expresses his inner wishes. He is lost in this idealization. It differs from Cannabis indica or other drug remedies, because he does not create a fantasy, but only longs for and creates his ideal and becomes very sentimental. Whereas Cannabis indica fantasizes, Antimonium crudum idealizes. Antimonium crudum’s idea is a perfection of the real, perhaps practically impossible, but fundamentally reality based. The fantasies of the “drug group” of remedies, on the other hand, are fundamentally not of this world to begin with. For example he may be disappointed in love and then projects all his idealizations onto another woman, and she becomes his dream girl. He does not want to face the reality of things because reality is so disappointing that he could become suicidal. He becomes dull, does not want to be touched or approached, does not want to be looked at or spoken to, does not like any attention. He is fond of solitude, and especially likes to be by himself in the moonlight. The physical symptoms are the desire to overeat, and aggravation from the same. It also has ailments from vaccination.
Rubrics:
- Ailments from love, disappointed.
- Sentimental in the moonlight.
- Verses makes.
- Fancies, exaltation, of.
- Looked at, cannot bear to be.
- Anger when touched.
- Suicidal disposition.
- Dreams, native country.
- Dreams, seeing again an old schoolmate.
- Desires, woman, ideal.
Phatak’s Materia Medica:
So busy with oneself, one forgets to urinate or defecate, eats only when asked… Nervous, hysterical women and girls who are overcome by mellow light from stained glass windows.
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To read about the philosophical approach to developing these remedy pictures, see Dr. Sankaran’s introduction to Soul of Remedies:
Great philosophical thoughts. Fantastic comparison and individualization. Salute to Dr Rajan Sankaran.
Very nice and philosophical idea flows in a very sweet and melodious voice in “The Soul of Remedies.” Thank you Dr. Shankaran.