Revisiting: Pink Eye!

Hi Mom!

Hello Miss Shana!

Mom, it’s once again time for the Quiz!

Do you have any announcements to make?

No one died this month.

Good!  And now for the quiz!

Wait, Mom!  I have some interesting news to share.

This better be good, Shana!

Apparently The Doobie Brothers….

are planning a new album soon with guess who?

Uh…….

Michael McDonald!!!!

Remember?  He was late coming to the Doobie Brothers because they already had a lead singer (Tom Johnston, see below),

but he had to be hospitalized due to a bleeding ulcer; so, guitar player, Jeff Baxter,

who used to be in Steely Dan with Michael McDonald….

What?  They both came from Steely Dan?

Yes, Jeff brought Michael into the Doobie Brothers as a replacement for Tom Johnston, and when that happened, the group took off into the Stratosphere with “What A Fool Believes”, which won the Grammy for “Song Of The Year” in 1979, written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins, followed by other soul-influenced hits like “Minute By Minute”, “Real Love” and “Taking It To The Streets”, and then Michael left for a solo career.  Well, that’s why it’s such big news that he’s re-joining the group!!!

You know, you’re right, Shana.  The Doobie Brothers were very successful even before Michael McDonald, with songs like “Long Train Running” with original lead, Tom Johnston.  In fact, let’s switch over to our Maryland correspondent, Jon Gillespie (my nephew), with more pertinent Doobie Brothers information.

And by the way, Mom, Jon is much cooler than you are!

He is not!

  Jon Gillespie on keyboards.

Now, watch what happens when Michael McDonald joins the group, nothing about them is the same!

And I’ll bet Steely Dan was like, “And we stuck this guy in the background???  And then we let him go????”

Anyway, we look forward to the new album featuring both Tom and Michael!  And Mom, you forgot to mention that Kenny Loggins wrote and sang “House At Pooh Corner”.

You know, Shana, you were doing so well up to now!

Who’s in the Quiz this month?

“Ulysses S. Grand”.

Who?

“Ulysses S. Grand”!

Don’t you mean Ulysses S. Grant?

No, Shana.  Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States.  This is “Ulysses S. Grand”.

Well that is the stupidest name I’ve ever heard!  What was wrong with him?

Conjunctivitis.

What?

Pink Eye!

Feb. 28, 2024

Elaine, my son, “Ulysses S. Grand”, is having trouble with his eyes.  His eyes have been bothering him for quite a while.  Remember me emailing you about the hives?  Well, I did use Apis 200C and it seemed to help some, but never took it all away.  I muscle-tested and asked one time “Is this the best remedy for him?” and got a “no”.  But when the baby, “James Fennimore Clapper”, got sick … I turned my attention to him, and now “Ulysses S. Grand” has pink eye in both eyes.  It started with his left eye and now it just got to both eyes.

He woke me up around 5:30 am today and yesterday saying his eyes hurt.  I muscle-tested and he took Hepar sulph 200C.  He said that it helped his eyes.  His eyes are blinking constantly.  He does have some goop in them.  His eyes are the most red out of any of us.  He doesn’t test for Pulsatilla nor Euphrasia.

He hasn’t been pooping every day like he used to.  He had one REALLY gross diarrhea (over a week ago) that was BRIGHT green.  Poops seem to be normal now but not daily.  “Ulysses” says his nose feels dry.  Every once in awhile he will say his belly hurts – this morning it hurt, he asked for our sourdough bread and then he was fine.  Other times it hurts and then he poops and he’s better.

He also NEVER wants to go to sleep!  He fights going to sleep EVERY NIGHT and then needing a snack or just doing anything to not sleep.  He also seems to not want to play with his brother, “Luciano Pavaroni”.  He says when his eye hurts it burns, itches, feels dry and throat is painful when he swallows.

He’s been more sassy, easy to get upset, wanting to be alone.  He also seems to want apples and our sourdough bread a lot.

In terms of what he says, that would be:  “I want my way, I want to be alone, I’m never tired, I don’t want to do school (we homeschool).”

So, there you have it, what do you think?

I think he needs a dose of _________200C.

Thurs., Mar 7 at 1:08 AM

Elaine, “Ulysses” seems to be doing a lot better.  I don’t see his eyes itching as much.  He is playing with “Luciano” more – He has been extra snuggly with me lately.  Like coming in and sitting on my lap and telling me to never let him go.  I don’t think he’s done that in a REALLY long time!

____________________________

OK, everybody, that’s it!  What do you think the remedy is?  Write to me at [email protected] and let me know, the answer will be in the April ezine.

Mom, I think we should go out with “Real Love” by The Doobie Brothers, featuring the Great Michael McDonald.

I think you’re right, Shana!  

Shana, I think we spoke too soon about there being no deaths to report.  This just in.  Jean Knight died (“Mr. Big Stuff”),  Fanita James of The Blossoms (“He’s A Rebel”) and Mary Weiss of The Shangri-Las died (“Remember: Walking In The Sand”).

   Jean Knight

   Jean King, Elvis, Fanita James and Darlene Love

(The Blossoms)

  Mary Weiss of The Shangri-Las

Quick story, I know some of you are going to say, “Elaine, ‘He’s A Rebel’ was sung by The Crystals.”  Nope, sorry!  It was by The Blossoms!  Producer, Phil Spector, had to rush the song out because he heard Vicky Carr was coming out with “He’s A Rebel”.  And The Crystals were nowhere to be found!  (They were touring.)  So Spector grabs his back-up singers, The Blossoms, and says, “I need for ‘He’s a Rebel’ to come out right away!”  So he rushes the Blossoms into the studio; the record goes all the way to #1, but the record label credits The Crystals!  The Blossoms couldn’t tell anybody that they had a #1 record!

RIP, Fanita.  Everyone knows you had a #1 record now!

Mom, aren’t you forgetting to tell the story about Daddy and The Shangri-Las?

So what happened was, Daddy went to one of Dick Fox’s concerts showcasing a fake Shangri-Las group, and he testified that the fake girls were on stage making comments like, “And here’s our #1 record!”  Mary Weiss said that Daddy was the only one willing to help them, which I find mind-boggling; but…. apparently the Shangri-Las prevailed!  See thank-you letter below:

  

So, here’s a funny story, at his deposition, Rick was asked what record he was known for and he said, “Get A Job”, and then, for some reason, they wanted to know who owned the Master Recording—maybe they were fishing for some connection between him and the Shangri-Las that would disqualify his testimony; so Rick said, “Bell Records, by virtue of stealing it legally.”  And one of the lawyers said, “That’s impossible on the face of it!”  And the Shangri-Las lawyer said, “Do you want Mr. Lewis to explain ‘adverse possession’ to you?” 

Ha-ha!  OK,  Shana, find me “Remember: Walking In The Sand”.

Check!  

Ladies and Gentlemen, the real Shangri-Las!

RIP, Mary Weiss!

---

VOTES

Argent-nit.

Belladonna-2

Sulphur-2

Chamomilla

 

OK, the moment of truth has finally come!  Who’s here first this time?

Hi Elaine ,

Hi Neil….

Not sure if my email regarding quiz was sent, so, sorry if I’m repeating myself.

No, this is the first vote I’m getting from you.

I’m going for Argent-nit for ‘pink eye’.

It is bold under Conjunctivitis, which is pink eye.

It had pus from eyes.

It has grass green stools which was mentioned

I know, but, it went away on its own, so, all that symptom can do is cause confusion now.

It does not have a desire for bread, but it’s sourdough specifically thats craved, so looking under sour, Arg-nit is there!

Neil, have you ever tried sourdough bread?  It’s delicious!  I don’t know how much we can make out of this.

The temperament I’ve not taken much notice of as anyone who’s had pink eye will know how miserable it makes you, although I did think of Chamomilla but think its irritability is far more intense and its not mentioned under conjunctivitis.

Neil, I wouldn’t characterize his mentals as “irritable”.  They were very specific.  He was refusing to do a lot of things: going to bed, doing his school work… and he handed us a gift with “started on the left and moved to the right”.

Oh, Lycopodium, silly me.

Neil, Lycopodium starts on the right and moves to the left.

But Arg-nit did feature in lot of other rubrics to be fair.

Remember the Hierarchy of Symptoms?  All symptoms are not equal.

Ok, last shot…Lachesis!

Yes!  It’s Lachesis!  I see Edina is here….

 

Hi Elaine,

Hi Edina!

After reading this I was thinking of Belladonna.  Kids become difficult and obstinate when ill.

Also one of the main remedies for conjunctivitis with redness, dryness and burning.  Plus sore throat.

Didn’t see it listed with apples, but I did for desires bread.

Edina

Edina, “Starts on the left and moves to the right” is a keynote of what remedy?

Lachesis, Sabadilla and Lac caninum.  I assume it’s Lachesis.  Wait, I’m looking in the back of Kent with the left, right sides…. The only capitals are HEP, SPONG, SULPH.  Then right, sulphur is in italics.  Because of the burning and redness, Sulphur would be best.

It was Lachesis.  Edina, you’re not using Kent’s Repertory, are you?  It’s way out-of-date; it would be like driving a car from the 1930’s.  But, there’s more than just “starts on the left and moves to the right” that goes for Lachesis, there’s the aversion to going to bed that also goes for Lachesis; as does, “I want things my way!!!”  Lachesis has an aversion to restrictions, which we know best by the Clothing rubrics in Generals — “Clothing, looseness of, amel.” “Clothing, pressure of, agg.”, and in the Mind chapter, “Marriage, unendurable, the idea of, seemed” and finally, “Contrary, disagreeable” and “Domineering disposition”.

Oh look, it’s Maria from Greece!

 

Hi Elaine and Shana,

Hi Maria!

For this month I vote for Sulphur.  Aconite crossed my mind too, because of its use to eye issues, but I will stick to Sulphur.  It has all the elements of the case I think:

Pink eye, itching, burning, desire apples, overactive.  It even covers the hives thing.

If I am wrong I will try again.

I guess you’ll have to try again.  You know Maria, what Robin Murphy always says: if you see a keynote of a remedy, give the remedy!

Lachesis?

Yes!!!  The whole case is Lachesis!  Lachesis hates to go to bed.  Lachesis doesn’t cooperate, hates restrictions, being told what to do.  They can’t work under anybody, they have to be the boss.

They’re the same way about clothing, tight clothing, they can’t bear it.  Tight situations, claustrophobia, can’t escape; this is why they hate marriage, feel trapped; they hate warmth, too suffocating; they have a big issue with “suffocation”.  If you tell them what to do, you’re suffocating them, they hate that!

Great quiz Elaine!  I guess  we have a certain picture of a remedy in our mind and we miss it if it is presented a little differently.

I know.  That’s why the more cases we do, the better.  Don’t look now, but, the gang from Slovakia is here!

 

Hello Elaine and Shana,

Hello Miroslav an Jitka!

We are sending our selected remedies for the boy with pink eye, whom you chose such a horrible nickname. 🙂

D’oh!

Miroslav chooses: Chamomilla

Based on symptoms: irritable, wants to have everything his own way, insomnia, wants to be alone, green diarrhea,

Eyes, inflammation (probably, since the scleras are red with pus in them) I would try Chamomilla.

 

Jitka chooses: Belladonna

I think you recommended Belladonna to the boy.  Belladonna is

– for red, hot, burning, itchy eyes

– agglutination of the eyelids

– dryness of the nose

– great dryness and burning in the throat

– suppressed stool and constipation, thin, green, dysentery;

– timidity, disposition fearful, mistrustful, and suspicious

– nervous anxiety, restlessness.

To compare remedies I used MM according to J.H. Clarke.

Miroslav and Jitka, remember what Robin Murphy always said?  If you see a keynote of a remedy, give the remedy!  Do you see a keynote of a remedy here?

Miroslav’s second opinion on the case is as follows:

Dryness, burning, redness, EGOISM, insomnia, green diarrhea, craving for juicy things – apples… Sulphur…?

Jitka’s opinion on correct remedy is like this:

I honestly don’t know what the keynote is in this case, I just focused on the red inflamed eyes.  From remedies that are most often used for conjunctivitis I selected Nux vomica for second attempt, which is worse in the morning.  But I think that’s not the keynote.

Miroslav and Jitka, If I said to you: Starts on the left, moves to the right; what would you say?

Lachesis?

Yes!!!!!!  Hey everybody, Vamsi’s in the house!!!!

 

Dear Elaine,

I know I am really really late and you must be finalising the Ezine Quiz.

Nevertheless, I would surely try out the quiz..

General symptoms:

Eyes Red, throat dry, itchy –

Inconsistent stools…

Rare symptoms –

Does not want to sleep, Active always, I want my way, I want to be alone.

It looked like Arsenicum at first sight but Arsenic people fear being alone.  And moreover, I want my way…this is quite a strong statement.

Not sure but it looks like it is Sulphur…(Redness rules.  Alone thinkers, and Leaders).

A bit confusing one for sure, Elaine… Please let me know…

Well, you’re right, Vamsi, it is kinda late and I have to turn in the Quiz answer now; but, this case handed us a real gift when the mom said the pink eye started on the left and moved to the right.  But, did anyone care?  Noooooooo! 

I’m sure you know by now it’s Lachesis.  But the refusal to go to bed is another clue!  There’s a rubric “Mind: bed, aversion to”.  Lachesis is a 2, there are no 3’s in that one.  The next peculiar symptom is bossiness.  Everything has to be “his way”.  You can use “Domineering Disposition” or “Contrary”; either way, Lachesis is in Bold.  So, yes, it was Lachesis.

And again, look at what you did.  You started out listing the “Particulars”—even though you called them “Generals”, which they’re not: Red eyes, dry, itchy throat, inconsistent stools… none of this matters if you’ve got mentals and keynotes to go on.  Remember the Hierarchy of Symptoms?  The Particulars are over-ruled if you’ve got mentals and keynotes.  And what are Particulars again?  They’re the symptoms that start with the word, “My”:  My eyes are red, my stools are inconsistent, my throat is itchy and dry.  The Generals start with the word “I”: I don’t want to do my schoolwork, I don’t want to go to bed, I want everything my way!  The “I’s” over-rule the “My’s”. 

Maybe you should read “Repertory Round-Up, part 4” again.

Cheers

Vamsi.

OK, everybody, time to congratulate our winners!  Uh-oh, we don’t have any!  Well, you’re gonna try again with this month’s Quiz, right?  See you back here in April, Shana’s birthday month!

Bye-bye!

________________

Elaine Lewis, DHom, CHom

Elaine takes online cases. Write to her at [email protected]

Visit her website: https://ElaineLewis.hpathy.com