Case taken March 2015 – Patient is a 66 year old woman who has been given a diagnosis of chronic eczema. She’s had itching, burning, discoloration and blistering of the skin on her shins for 18 years. She’s had a hip replacement and she often gets nasal congestion.
Tell me what is happening?
It starts to itch and then I get blisters, I have to moisturize everyday otherwise I get flakey.
What happens if you don’t put moisturizer on?
It’s flakey-crusty, dry and is whitish opaque, like a very thin scab, feels like a sun rash.
What is the look of a sun rash?
It looks like a heat rash, I don’t feel the heat, I feel bumps, they look like a blister
What is the look of a blister?
Rough. When they are blisters they are not rough (rough is denied).
When I scratch the blister I break the skin. It feels hot in that area. Not hot, hot, but warmer. (Hot is denied)
Describe the feel of the itch?
It is more of a burn, burning sensation, I rub it to soothe I; I make it hotter.
When you say skin is dry that is a conclusion. What is the look and feel of the skin that makes you say it is dry? Rough and flakey Rough feels like?
Papery, rough, like rough crumpled paper, like when it has been wet and dried. crooked, it feels papery, or maybe not a rough, not a thick bark, flakey feeling and dry, (At this point rough has been denied again as well as thick bark)
Very good, Forget your skin, image of thick bark.
Dark brown, thick, deep cracks. Huge big flakes of bark, it is beautiful.
Flakes of bark make me see them?
Deep fissure, the actual thick bark is in layers, scaly layers. When I run hands around it, I feel deep cracks, I can see from inside to outside, all layered over time, peeling away from the next layer, layer of one of top of the other.
(Note the word rough was denied but when an image was asked the word that comes from this image is crack. So the crack becomes important not “thick”)
Patient is sniffling. I ask what is happening with your nose?
I have had this blocked nose. I can hear ears are all liquidy inside.
What is the sound you are hearing?
Like bubbles floating, bubbles squeezing through a little hole. Like When you rub a balloon you get that rubbery sound.
(This makes no sense rubber comes from unconscious, in the realm of hearing)
Very good, forget your blocked nose first image of rubber?
Eraser -Flexible, not pliable, smooth, some resistance on it, not like glass, if I pressed it gave a little bit, I could mold it or shape it, I would say it is rubbery. (Glass is denied here) also saying I can mold it or shape, can’t do that with eraser )
Can you mold an eraser?
No
I could bend or squeeze it. It would bounce into shape, okay not mold that is the
wrong word.
First image of something you can mold?
Plasticine, cool to the touch, also flexible, holds its shape, you can form anything, you can roll it into a worm, make it into a ball or square.
What were you going to say?
Snake
What is the property of the plasticine that makes you say you can mold it?
Pliable and flexible, doesn’t bounce back, hold shape you give it. (Property of elasticity is denied)
Is pliable and flexible the same thing?
I don’t think so. Flexible you can bend it, pliable you can’t stretch, but you can shape it.
Anything coming out of nose?
Not running it is blocked, when I blow something does comes out.
Describe the discharge.
It’s not yellow, I guess a creamishcolour, texture is not thick, not runny, lot of liquid as well, not at all gelatinous
Any taste?
No
Not watery liquid, its wet, its slippery wet, little bit of substance, makes it slippery, then the thicker stuff, creamy colour, not yellow.
What is the difference in texture of thicker stuff compared to slippery stuff?
Thicker stuff like oysters
What is the texture of oysters?
Texture is not like the oysters that is not so much like what comes out of nose. Oyster is rubbery. (First she says it is like oysters then denies it)
What were your fears as a child?
Scorpions
What image do you get, when I say scorpion, make me see it.
2 inches long, tail that comes up when angry, with a terrible sting, two pinchers, ugly and dangerous, the most fearful thing they hide in shoes and closets and give me the creeps, they terrified me.
Make me see the pincers.
2 arms come out the front, 2 arches, a little claw Make me see the Claw?
Something that can hold its prey, it can hold it with pinchers and sting it to death.
I can’t say it is like a lobster, claws much smaller but has the same effect.
Very good, forget the scorpion make me see lobster claw?
Pinkish, much bigger than scorpion claw, clamp like, each arm has a clamp.
If they are together, like one pointed together when they open them that pointed claw opening, with little grips, inside the claw. Like shark’s teeth, like little needle points help hold onto whatever. To grip their clay, their prey. To make sure they keep their grip.
Very good, forget the scorpion, first image of clay, make me see it. Pick it up for me. Of clay (surprised, she doesn’t realize what she has said which indicates further that the clay has come from the unconscious).
It is damp, softish, you can work it, squeeze it through fingers, you can mould it into any shape you like, you can mold it into balls and let them dry in the sun and they become little rocks. You can do lovely things with it in potteryYou get a ball of clay, you work away at it, until you have made it soft and pliable
Before that it feels like?
It is soft, like dough, get a batch of dough, you work it and it becomes more elastic maybe, work it make an indentation.
What do you mean more elastic?
Like dough, you can stretch it, you pull it, punch it, once you got the temperature right.
What is the right temperature?
When cold not as easy to work then it becomes easier to work.
What is temp then?
Body temp, you shape it into avase Paint it, leave it to be fired?
What does fired mean?
Heated to intense temperature, so pottery instead of clay.
What is the feel of the pottery?
Stone ware, like a stone. Cold, hard, breakable, it is paintable. It is heavy.
Analysis
The remedy is clay which is aluminum silicate:
Aluminum silicata1M
The words of the case are the metal words (malleability, elasticity, pliability, rubber (which covers the property of elasticity) and crack. The leap is when the patient makes a slip, when she says clay instead of prey. Clay is a substance that has malleability and plasticity. The patient did not say it but clay cracks. This is an objective part of how the substance behaves. Clay is made of aluminum silica.
If a patient requires a metal as a remedy they will use words that are characteristics of the metals namely malleability, ductility, elasticity, plasticity and lustre in their main complaint in either denials, slips, absurdity or corrections. (DivyaChabra, leap to the simillimum method).
Glass is denied many times in this case. Glass is made from sand which is primarily silica. That lends further understanding to aluminum silica being the required remedy. Due to space consideration I could not present the case in its entirety. I could not show other areas of the main complaint that were investigated The areas of food and dreams were also not shown.I included my questions and her most relevant answers to show where words are denied (doesn’t bounce back
Follow up 13 April 2015
I am doing fine, from the minute I took the remedy started to have relief, eventually everything gone except the color of my skin not quite normal.
Next morning I had no burning which I used to get each morning.
The burning has just started to return. Nasal congestion went away after the remedy and hasn’t returned. 90% better.
Remedy was repeated as burning was beginning to return.
Follow up July 20 2015
I’m fine, just yesterday, started getting thing on right leg, it just feels bumpy, if you ran hand over piece of corn, just under the skin. Apart from that been fine, used perfume occasionally, not as careful as I would be, huge improvement.
Remedy repeated
Follow up Feb 2016
Skin is fine. Still uses moisturizer but no more eruption, burning or itching or blisters.
Follow up August 17 2018
Skin sometimes has a slight itch. After a dose of the remedy it goes away completely. No nasal discharge, sleep is really good, energy is fantastic.
