Materia Medica

Curare or The Metal Lung

Written by Marc Brunson

The central imaginary suffering of homeopathic remedy Curare is a feeling of powerlessness with incapacity to act on the environment. ‘It is a living person in a dead body’ explained F. Moussier.

The work on this remedy was helped by cases presented by M. Paulus, F. Moussier, J. Vimond and L. Klein.

We start by asking the same question again: what is strange, bizarre and curious about the substance that makes this remedy and makes it different from others? What is its personality?

There is not ‘one’ curare but there are several sorts of curare. They all are a mixture of poisons that aim at paralyzing the victim (including respiratory muscles) with conservation of sensitivity and conscience. The poison does not act through ingestion but by penetration into the body.

With the help of my colleagues of a study group (Petroleum) I have come to the following vision of the remedy:

The central imaginary suffering of Curare is a feeling of powerlessness with incapacity to act on the environment.

‘It is a living person in a dead body’ explained F. Moussier. (delusion somebody is trying to awake him). Personally, the remedy makes me think of hospitalized people living on an artificial/metal lung. (artificial respirator).

The poison is applied to the points of the arrows to immobilize the pray that will be eaten by the hunters. Curare is therefore a victim: he dreams of being menaced, followed, he tries to hide and to defend himself. Louis Klein wrote: ‘Curare feels abused by others and in turn is abusive with them.’

What aetiology is susceptible to awaken the sense of helplessness? The literature offers the following:

– mistreated children and women

– living with an abusing, tyrannical, drunk, jealous, etc. partner.

– epilepsy from bad news

– ailments during convalescence (Vermeulen)

The reaction will be the following. His condition of victim, will develop resentment and frustration toward the world around him and cause Curare to react with violence toward others, himself and the world.

– chases persons

– cruelty

– desire to kill

– kleptomania

– misanthropy

– want of moral feeling

– striking (in children)

– wicked disposition

– striking himself

– tears himself

– destructiveness

In his virtual metal lung, curare will exacerbate sensations and sentiments. There is also an increased sensation of nostalgia. (fits of ecstasy at night, as if caused by hearing music, injuries of nerves with great pain, regrets for the past.)

There is also an important tendency for reclusion. In the cured cases this is expressed as a ‘need to charge his batteries.’ (aversion to be spoken to, aversion to company, avoids the sight of people, shuts herself up). Curare also desires to be directed and guided in his enterprise.

Before paralysis sets in, there may be an excess of action toward the environment. He has dreams (when awake) of luxury and grandeur with vanity.

Françoise Moussier says: ‘ It is immobile action’. Regardless its moral paralysis (or because of), Curare tries to act, to influence its entourage and environment.

In the cured case by Michel Paulus, comments made by Simone Fayeton insist on the theme of dirtiness. Cleanliness of the environment is what individuals normally desire, by way of reaction (or incapacity) Curare will resort to dirtiness. This reminds the dirtiness of the paralyses person in the metallic lung who will only be clean by the nurses’ intervention. (delusion everything is dirty, delusion appears foul)

To escape this moral immobility can be an another way of living its suffering; desire to travel, somnambulism, convulsions, restless sleep, puts feet out of bed; this seems more a way to escape because there is no mentioning of intolerance to heat in Curare.

There is vertigo when looking at moving objects.

Like in most remedies the physical tropisms are not random:

There is lots of paralysis:

– weakness after any excess

from loss of fluids

old people

– faintness

– reflexes diminished

– catalepsy

– conduct, automatic

– coma vigil

– muscular dystrophy

– myasthenia gravis

– poliomyelitis

– paralysis of the upper eyelids, especially the right

– cannot swallow properly, liquids come through the nose on swallowing, liquids taken are forced through the nose, swallowing difficult must drink in order to swallow, swallowing impossible from paralysis.

– Facial paralysis, especially the left side

– paralysis of the tongue which is pulled to the right

– menses absent, molimen only (as if nature makes a great effort to realize the appearance of the menses.)

– paralysis of the lower limbs starts with heaviness, then follows stiffness, pain, weakness and ataxia. The paralysis is often localized. A typical modality is ‘while playing the piano’ (artists often have increased senses!)

Even when paralyses, senses are exacerbated. Curare has the sensation of something alive in the abdomen.

The owner of a cow cured with this remedy (Dr Jani Vimond, France) said that he had the feeling that his cow said: ‘Get me out of here, deliver me!’

One verified symptom can be added to the repertory:

Stomach, Nausea, when retains urine. (1/1)

Summary:

Sentiment of incapacity to act on his environment.

(Possibly after having been abused, or impression of having been abused)

As a consequence he may develop the following reactions:

(Needs to escape from this prison.)

– exacerbation of sensations

– rancour, frustration

– violence against himself or others, abuses

– excess of all sorts: strength, luxury

– enclosed into one self

– paralysis, needs a guide

– dirtiness

– total abandonment.

About the author

Marc Brunson

Marc Brunson

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