Clinical Cases

Arnica montana in a One, and a Two, and a Three

Written by Jennie French

Even the most common and basic Homeopathic remedy, such as Arnica montana, is profound in its application. The following are three examples of using Arnica montana that you may encounter.

Even the most common and basic Homeopathic remedy, such as Arnica montana, is profound in its application. After handing out this remedy for bumps and bruises, every now and again, a special situation calls for this seemingly familiar remedy, and a whole new world of understanding opens up. The following are three examples of using Arnica montana that you may encounter.

Great Dane Bite

I was called to a home where two 2nd year homeopathic students were baffled.

A Great Dane breeder, Mary, had stuck her face in harm’s way during a breeding and was accidentally bitten by the female (muzzling is standard procedure during breeding as biting is normal and these big dogs can do damage.)

Mary had received four punctures and 2 deep gashes on both sides of her face but the plastic surgeon did an excellent job and ultimately there was no visible scar.

However, at this moment the two students were perplexed because they had given Arnica montana 200c, immediately, on the basis that it is a primary trauma remedy. The remedy worked for awhile, and then stopped. They repeated the dose and nothing happened.

The breeder’s face was still very swollen, suppurating at the punctures and stitches with a golden pink fluid. Mary was in pain and cranky. When I walked through the door she made an exclamation “oh no, not someone else, I’m fine, leave me alone”. After a moment she recanted and let me come in but I only had to stay a few seconds. I knew the remedy still had to be Arnica montana, just a different potency.

Classical work is never routinist but there are a few “laws” of practice outside of the Organon, one being, if the remedy has worked and stopped, repeat in a higher potency. As master homeopath Vasillis Ghegas says “you never leave a remedy that is working”.

There exists a hierarchy to choosing potency which is not iron clad because we try to give the potency which best matches the vital force of the client. New homeopaths are very thrown by this because it is part of the art side of homeopathy that develops over time and experience. That being said, the following does help us in just such a situation.

30C – very physical in application

200C – physical but deeper acting…coming into the emotional arena

1M – emotional body, coming into the mental realm

10M – mental/spiritual body

It is also best to raise the potency (i.e.: 30C..200C…1M not in the other direction) so, because Mary had already had 200C, I gave a 1M. She immediately developed a headache (aggravation) and asked us all to go downstairs as she needed to sleep.
This was good news, an aggravation often occurs when you give higher potencies quickly (it had only been 2 hours since her last dose of 200C) and, going to sleep is what the body does to repair. In fact, that’s the only way to get rapid deep healing…we need our sleep.

Downstairs the family and students launched into speculation and I reassured them she would be fine in just a little while, but the group was not buying it because they thought I had made it worse. As homeopaths, we need to be strong in our convictions, be brave.

One hour later Mary emerged from the bedroom, looking refreshed, grabbed her child and swung her laughing through the air.

The suppuration had stopped, the swelling was gone, the headache was gone and all that was left was happiness and freedom from pain.

A Jack Russell Tale: Paralysis, Seizure and Kidney Failure

Skipper was seven years old and frozen. In addition his Kidneys were starting to fail due to 6 ½ years of an anticonvulsant drug, Dilantin. He couldn’t walk, lie down, get up, bend to drink water and so on. His owners had taken him for cortisone shots but as soon as the drug wore off, Skipper would freeze up again and just stand still, whining. To give more cortisone might damage the liver so the owner called me before having Skipper put down.

What works on a dog, will work on us. (This similarity is why, tragically, we test all of our newly developed drugs on dogs.) It’s a shame we homeopaths are not given the same freedom to work on humans as with dogs, because if we were the same results could be expected.

The back story held the answer. As a young pup, the owner had accidentally rolled over Skipper with the car. They rushed him to the animal hospital where the surgeon did a great job. Rather than use a cumbersome, heavy plaster cast on such a tiny pup, Skipper was pinned together. It worked very well, Skipper was given pain medication and within just a few days he was back to running the household. He was also given antibiotics but not acidophilus.

Suddenly Skipper began to have seizures. First one on one day, than three in one day, then he had a day of repeated seizures. Skipper was rushed back to the animal hospital and put on Dilantin.

If I did not work classically, I might have looked up the list of seizure remedies where Arnica montana is only a grade (2) and have gone off in the wrong direction.

From a classical perspective it all made sense. Had Skipper been given Arnica montana immediately after the surgery, (or even acidophilus during the three weeks of antibiotics) his immune system would not have been taxed to the breaking point. I doubt he would even have developed the seizure disorder. But his body had never fully recovered from the trauma.
Obviously, he still needed the Arnica montana so I gave him a 200C. I chose that particular potency because he was little, yet needed a high potency because he got emotional over his condition and cried.

The results were excellent and the next day Skipper was up and running around even though the cortisone was out of his system.

As with many of my new clients, I didn’t hear this on the first day but instead, I heard it on the third day of continued health.
I know why my clients don’t always call immediately because I was the same. I would think, “is this really happening?” and then, “I’d better wait and be certain”.

The biggest win came a few days later when the vet reported that Skipper’s kidneys were fine, no more failure. At that point I suggested she talk to her Vet about decreasing the drug. I hope she did, because that was one healthy little dog.

George Vithoulkas and the Miracle Chicken

During one summer session at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy on Alonissis, Greece, George shared a funny story.

It seems his neighbor teaches him how to garden in exchange for George keeping the farmer’s family healthy. They are close friends.

One day, during class, the neighbor came by with a chicken that had just died from fright due to a large dog’s presence in the hen house. The dog had not harmed the bird and the farmer wanted George to have it for dinner.

George thanked him. The farmer left. George offered the chicken to his students as he was not about to pluck the chicken. Neither did any of the 150 international students jump to the task, so, George used the moment to show something about Homeopathy.

He opened the bird’s mouth, dropped in one pellet of Arnica montana 30C down the gullet and set the dead bird on his desk. A few minutes passed and suddenly with a big squawk, the bird was back! Oh yes, he was not pleased to be indoors and rising with a great beating of wings, scattered class notes and water glass as he left post haste.

“This” said George, “is the true strength of homeopathy.”

About the author

Jennie French

1 Comment

  • Homeopathy should be the one and only treatment procedure to be used worldwide! Thanks, blessings and joy to all the students and Masters of this amazing holistic medical science!

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