Tidbits-21: What Do We Know About?

What Do We Know About Staphysagria?

Staphysagria is so sensitive, so touchy on the mental/emotional plane that almost anything you say to him might be perceived as an insult! And as Mati Fuller says in her book Beyond the Veil of Delusions, Staphysagria seems to attract insults. The result can be a violent outburst or the throwing of objects, sometimes at the person who made the innocent remark.

“Oh! So you think I’m an idiot!”

“I only said that maybe we should stop and ask for directions.”

“You think I can’t read a road map!”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Why else would you say we should stop and ask for directions?! You think I’m stupid!”

Obviously, this person is carrying around a lot of suppressed anger, always just below the surface, and if you say the wrong thing at the wrong time, look out!

 

What Do We Know About Silica?

Silica lacks energy. Due to imperfect assimilation of nutrients, she’s nutritionally deficient, tired, nervous, slow, over-sensitive physically and mentally, weak, thin and pale. She knows she only has so much energy, so she delegates her time in a measured way. “I can only do but so much, only go but so far, only spare but so much time…”

Silica is always thinking about her energy, how much of it she has left, how much more of it she can spare. Whereas Lycopodium might say, “I can’t give a speech because I’m afraid everyone will laugh at me,” Silica will say, “I can’t give a speech because I don’t have the energy!” Silica is very cold! Hands and feet are cold. Silica will be wearing a hat and coat even in warm weather and truly, Silica will be the last one to jump in the swimming pool!

 

What Do We Know About Caladium?

Caladium draws flies! Probably fleas and mosquitoes too! (Same with Calc-carb and Thuja.) Now, the thing you should know about Caladium is: itching!!! You know those vaginal yeast infections with the horrible itching???? Caladium!!!!!  Mosquito bites???? Caladium!!!!  Itchy rash? Caladium!  And the itching is better for cold bathing like Apis. There is also a big craving for tobacco, so, this is a lung cancer remedy too.

 

What Do We Know About Nitric Acid?

Irritable, stubborn, vindictive, hate-filled, unmoved by apologies, cursing, foul language, tired of life, anxiety about his disease…a real Negative Nelly!

But wait, there’s more!  Offensive-smelling urine, rectal fissures, sores in mouth, in corners of mouth, offensive discharges, looks like Mercury in dental problems, especially left-sided dental abscesses, toothaches; old people, debilitated, chilly, with chronic disease, prone to foul smelling diarrhea, splinter-like pains, hopeless, despairing and a real pest!

“I’m not well yet!  Your medicine stinks!  You doctors don’t know anything!  No, I’m not any better!  Nothing makes me better!  No, I’m not breathing any better!  I’m not sleeping better either!  You people are a bunch of jack-asses!”

 

What Do We Know About Causticum?

They hate injustice! Che Guevara was probably a Causticum.

He could have settled in with a cushy job as Fidel Castro’s right-hand man in Cuba for life; but no!  He had to go to Bolivia to fight for the tin miners, and there he was assassinated, thanks to the CIA.  (Thanks a lot, CIA, for making the world a safer place–for the mining industry!)

You will find Mr. Causticum at a family dinner arguing with Uncle Ned about global warming and income inequality while the rest of the family’s eyes glaze over.

Causticum has a lot of uses.

Think, for example, of incontinence or bed-wetting when the cause is over-distention of the bladder due to holding the urine all day because of not being able to take a bathroom break, or refusing to take a bathroom break for one reason or another. Causticum has burns, burning sensations and rawness. Local paralysis is a big keynote. Paralysis of single parts. Give after surgery for paralysis of the bladder and avert the need for a catheter. An odd symptom in epilepsy is “runs in circles, then falls down”. Coughs are better for cold drinks, like Cuprum, and here’s another peculiar Causticum symptom, they are better in damp, wet weather and worse in clear dry weather, exactly the opposite of what you’d expect from most people.

Facial paralysis, lost voice, stuttering. Loses urine on coughing and sneezing.

 

What Do We Know About Kali Carb?

Self-sabotage! If you’re not thinking “self-sabotage” regarding your patient, then she’s not Kali carb! These people need the security, company and support of family and friends because they have a sense of internal weakness, irresolution and a dread of being alone, but as soon as a family member tries to help, Kali carb treats him outrageously! They quarrel with their family, and family members become exasperated! The other thing about Kali carb is that they are very conservative, serious, critical, stubborn, conventional, dutiful, loyal, conservatively dressed, dogmatic, rigid, follow the rules explicitly, have a secure job in a very conservative profession.

(“I am a government bureaucrat! I don’t have to think! The rules are very explicit!”) and lack confidence, which is why they are so dogmatic and conservative–so that all their props, their “team”, will hold them up and speak for them. “I’m too scared and confused to think for myself, so I follow all the rules!”

They can become overwhelmed by duty and expectations. “Mind: duty, too much sense of duty.” Kali carb will often belong to a team of some sort, since he has a horror of being alone. It could be a sports team or church or political party, he will do anything to find company. Then why does he treat company so outrageously? Mati Fuller would explain it by saying that according to the delusion rubrics, it appears that in the original story, Kali carb was attacked and robbed and many people died in the event. (Delusions: will be murdered, Delusions: sees thieves, Delusions: sees dead persons); so, what do you do when a traumatic event is never resolved? You keep creating it over and over again! This is why even though he keeps trying to avert the original story by surrounding himself with support persons, friends and family, he is simultaneously compelled to precipitate it by treating his support group outrageously which could cause them to abandon Kali carb and precipitate his worst fears– being alone and vulnerable to thieves and murderers. Thank you Mati! You might want to buy Mati’s book.

What are some of the things we associate with Kali carb?

1. Stomach distention, as if it would burst, tympanitic abdomen–everything she eats or drinks turns to gas. Flatulence. You might confuse Kali carb with Lycopodium but the aggravation times are different with Lycopodium being worse from 4-8 p.m. and though they both crave sweets, Kali carb also craves sour.
2. Sharp pains, stitching pains
3. Wandering pains
4. Backache, backache during menses or labor, better hard pressure
5. Aggravation time: 2-4 a.m.
6. Asthma, better sitting up or bending/leaning forward, worse 2-4 a.m.
7. Fishbone sensation in the throat like Hepar sulph and Nitric acid
8. Weakness
9. Cold weather agg., better warm air, open air, worse draft
10. Worse touch
11. Worse exertion
12. Anxiety with fear when alone
13. Easily startled
14. Asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, dry hard cough at 3 a.m. with stitching pains, hydrothorax, chest symptoms > leaning forward
15. Desire for sweets and sour
16. Weak, rapid, intermittent pulse
17. Back and legs give out
18. Pain from hips to knee, backache extends downward
19. Sciatica, lumbago
20. Nose stuffs up in warm room, thick yellow discharge, post-nasal drip
21. Wakes at 2-4 a.m.
22. Sensation as if stomach were full of water
23. Anxiety felt in stomach
24. Chilly, may have hot hands
25. Sweats with slightest exertion
26. Swallowing difficult, food stops half way down esophagus
27. Sweat, backache and weakness, according to Farrington, constitute a grand characteristic
28. Eating agg.
29. Headache, better tight band tied around the head
30. Drowsy while eating

What Do We Know About Carcinosin?

They over-work, take on too much responsibility, everything has to be perfect, no one can help, it has to be all Carcinosin, she wouldn’t dream of asking for help. They’re martyrs. They sacrifice themselves for others. Apparently, they believe that if they can save or rescue others, they will finally be loved and appreciated; but, of course, needless to say, Carcinosin never gets the appreciation that’s due her!  “Boundaries” is a big word in Carcinosin. They have trouble setting boundaries, trouble saying “No”, trouble keeping people out of their space.

In Carcinosin, you will see a history of having too much responsibility at too young an age, such as having to care for sick parents or having to care for younger siblings.  You may see a history of unending fear, of living with a despotic parent, or a history a very serious disease in childhood, like pneumonia; or, the inexplicable absence of any of the childhood diseases.  What do we tend to see in a Carcinosin case?

1. Love of music
2. Desire for dancing
3. Love for animals, rescues animals   
   

   How do I look?

    

4. Sympathy for others, like Phosphorus. In fact, it can sometimes be very hard to distinguish Carcinosin from Phosphorus. They are warm, humane and caring; but, Carcinosin has to be perfect! She has anticipatory anxiety because she worries about the perfectness of whatever she’s doing. If she’s planning a party–it has to be perfect! And since she’s fastidious, this can involve every imaginable detail needing to be attended to! Of course, she will ask no one for help!
5. Fastidious for neatness, cleanliness.
6. She has an artistic bent, so, her decor is fussed over for color coordination, symmetry, matching fabrics, tasteful art work, etc.
7. Well-dressed, good taste
8. Well-mannered
9. Like Calc-carb, they accept their disappointments with resignation, not complaining
10. Anxiety about health, fear of disease
11. Craves chocolate
12. They may sleep on the abdomen like Medorrhinum
13. Many moles
14. Amel. at the seashore
15. Loves the excitement of thunderstorms like Sepia
16. Cancer and diabetes in the family
17. Very sensitive to reprimands, takes everything in bad part
18. Consolation agg. like Nat-mur. In fact, as you can see, Carcinosin looks like so many other remedies, you should be thinking about Carcinosin when you literally can’t decide.

Bye-bye!

________________________

Elaine Lewis, D.Hom., C.Hom.

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

Visit her website: elaineLewis.hpathy.com