Materia Medica

A Study of China

Written by Marc Brunson

China materia medica and complete drug picture of homeopathy remedy China. Learn all the signs and symptoms of homeopathic China by Marc Brunson.

To grow or to re-grow is hard work.  For me it was about re-growing.

Kiss is a female Tervuren Shepherd I saw in October 1994.

She has a thick coat but underneath it she is rather thin.

Mother and daughter who bring the patient explain in quick succession that Kiss’s troubles started a while ago.  During the warm weather in July, she became very tired.  The owners thought this was due to the warm weather and decided to shower her three times per day to make the heat more bearable for Kiss.

In hindsight, the weather was not the cause of this weakness.  Fours days after the start of this episode, Kiss started to limp on her right fore leg and developed a temperature.  The local vet administered antibiotics and anti-inflammatory treatment to no effect.

Kiss then lost the use of her hind legs.  The vet announced there were heart problems and after many pills and scares, Kiss had improved by the end of August.

Mid-September her temperature rises again.  She also suffers with tracheitis.  The temperature is controlled with antibiotics but then follows a series of recurrent bouts of fever that last several days.  Not knowing what to do, their vet suggests consulting a homeopath (!).

When I see her, her temperature is slightly raised.  As per usual during the febrile crisis, she has a very poor appetite, doesn’t drink and suffers with diarrhoea.  This time there are also mobility problems.

Kiss usually does not have a good appetite and prefers treats.  This summer she really enjoyed the ice cream.

When she accompanied her mistress during house visits, Kiss would always finish the food bowls of the other dogs.

‘She loves lying in puddles and does not care about the rain.  As long as she can observe us, she does not care where she sits or lies.’

She does not adapt to her family’s timetable: she goes to bed early and rises early.

When she is well she is very playful and plays with other dogs and even the horses in the yard where her owner goes riding.  She behaves well, she is obedient, and sociable.  But when she is with her owner at a client’s house, she will guard the house and won’t let anybody in.

When children run and when joggers come by, she has a tendency to nip the backs of their legs.

She is very attached to the daughter.  When she stays away at night, Kiss will wake up her owner several times during the night.

In the previous month of May, the son left the house, taking his dog with him.  Did this upset Kiss?  It does not appear so.  When he returns with his dog, they are both very warmly welcomed by her.

Kiss has frequent hiccoughs, yawns often and has a tendency to stretch.

There is a high white blood cell count and it is obvious that Kiss suffers with metritis and arthritis.

The following remedies were used:

1) Carbo veg 30K, 5 times in three days.

Six weeks later, a new episode of fever starts.  One dose of Carbo-veg 200K makes no difference, neither do the following prescriptions:

2) Pulsatilla 30K and 200K

3) Ignatia 30K

4) Arsenicum A 30K

5) Phosphorus 30K

6) Silicea 30K

7) Lachesis appears to make a difference:  30K twice, then 200K twice, then one 1M dose.

Maybe Kiss improved after six weeks regardless the remedies.

Other remedies were used:

8)   Nat-m 30K

9)   Sulfur 12K, 200K twice

10) Calc-p 30K

They did not prevent a next episode of fever from starting six weeks later.

11) Merc-sol in 12K sorted out the problem, but frequent relapses meant regular repetitions of the remedy in rising dilution over several months. After a while the remedy stopped working. Verat-a and Crot-h made no difference.

When finally after one year I started to use China, there was a marked improvement after every dose (30K twice, and 200K twice) and the whole episode was over in 2 months without a recurrence in the following 4 years.

A simple repertorisation indicated China right from the beginning (Diarrhoea after fever, thirstless during fever, recurrent fever).  This was a typical case of the owners insisting on showing me one tree and not allowing me to see the wood for the trees.

The remedy China:

The tragic destiny of China.

The history of the discovery of Quinquina and its exploitation is full of tragic episodes.

The following is an extract of the book “La medicine par les plantes (The use of plants in Medicine)” by J. M. Pelt.

Contrary to Sarsaparilla and Coca, the bark of Quinquina was imported a hundred years after the discovery of the New World.

The Indians in South America kept its virtues secret for a long time.  Even when the Countess of Chinchon was cured using the medicine prepared from the bark, it took a long time before the connection was made between the curing medicine and the bark of Quinquina.  In Europe, the medical establishment hesitated a long time before admitting its efficacy.  Only the Jesuit orders recognised its merits and distributed the powder that became known as the powder of the Jesuits.

In the 17th Century, one English doctor (Talbot) made himself rich using the powder during an epidemic of paludism.  He kept its origin secret for his own benefit.

Louis XIV paid a huge amount of money to obtain the secret from Mr. Talbot.  When Mr Talbot died, Louis XIV revealed the secret of this efficacious medicine and the medical establishment was forced to recognise its value.  The price of the bark increased and so did the number of bitter tasting imitations.

It was time to discover which tree produced the medicine.  Just like its recognition as a medicine was eventful, the history of the identification of the tree is littered with failings and calamities.  Intrigues, contests and tragedy stopped Jussieu, Contamine, Mutis and Caldas from publishing any useful information about the Quinquina.

It was only at the beginning of the 19th century that Von Humbold published the first reliable observations concerning the different species of trees producing the medicine.  He also warned the authorities to prevent the systematic culling of the trees that could cause their eradication.

During this time the rich and powerful English and Dutch Indian companies tried to grow the trees in their colonies.  Because the South American Indians had kept the nature of the right trees a secret, the companies’ efforts only produced trees with insufficient quinine content for the production of the medicine.

J. M. Pelt writes in his book, citing Mme Duran Reynald: “It is as if the story of the tree of fever is about malediction and unfortunate destiny for all who get involved with it.”

The trees grows high in the mountains, on the west flanks, exposed to strong rainfall. They do not form thick forests but are disseminated left and right.

The persecution of the Quinquina tree has been relentless.  Man has continuously removed the bark of the tree causing the sap of the tree to flow freely (China and haemorrhages)

1) The experimenter of China remembers the suffering that man caused the tree.

– Dreams of events long forgotten

– Fear something will happen

– Fear of people, evil and ghosts

– Dwells on past disagreeable occurrences (2)

– Sees people on closing eyes (3)

– Excitement after hearing horrible things (2)

– Dreams Anxious (2)

He remembers being persecuted, tormented:

– Delusions pursued by enemies

– Delusion persecuted (3)

– Delusion tormented (2)

– Delusions vexations and offences

– Despair with pains

He did not expect this to happen:

– Shrieking causeless during cheerful mood (2)

– Shrieking sudden

– Shrieking sleep during

– Naive but very intelligent (2)

– Starting during and from sleep (2)

The bark has been removed using a knife (dreams cutting, dreams injuries, dreams of being stabbed, fear of knifes, dream of danger, dream of death of relatives- of his mother, dreams frightful (2), …)

This wound will haunt him for the rest of his life: he has become hurt for life, hypersensitive (2):

– Sensitive to moral impressions

– Sensitive to sensual impressions (2)

– Sensitive to touch

– Sensitive to noise (3)

– Admonition aggravate, even kindly, weeping from admonition

He keeps physical and moral marks:

– Slight touch aggravates. (3). Touch aggravates. (3), touching anything aggravates., Slight pressure aggravates. (3), clothing aggravates. (2) but Hard pressure amel. (3)

Vermeulen writes: China avoids superficial contacts and desires deep friendship.

The hypersensitivity is not only physical but also moral:

– Fear of being touched (2)

– Sensitive to touch

– Aversion to being touched (2)

– Fear of being hurt

– Anger, morose, and weeping, caressing from

Even a simple look is sufficient:

– Cannot bear to be looked at (3)

The sensation and many pains in the materia medica remind rituals of torture:

– A knife entered between the eye and the orbit to remove the eye.

– Pepper on the tongue, a stone between the shoulders

– Periostium being pulled off with a knife

– Cold shower

– Clothes too tight around the extremities

– Needle like pain

– Anxiety torturing (2)

These mutilations have stopped China from growing and to realise himself:

– delusion hindered by everyone (2)

– delusion hindered at work (2)

2) China accuses the others of being responsible for his fate.  This determines the relation of the patient to others: isolation, reproaches, disdain, cynicism, stand off.

Isolation

– Aversion to company (2)                    – reserved

– Aversion to all persons                       – reflecting

– Wants to be quiet                               – introspection (2)

– Refuses to answer (2)              – selfishness

– Answers laconic

– Conversation aggravate

– Indisposed to talk (2)

Reproaching

– Indignation

– Reproaching others (3)

Disdain

– Abusive

– Foppish

– Haughty

– Insolence

Then follows anger, vengeance, cynicism …. To the point of frightening himself:

– Anger, inclined to vex others (3)                                   – want of moral feeling

– Anger, so angry he could have stabbed anyone           – cruelty

– Desire to kill loved ones                                                 – ungrateful

– Desire to kill with a knife (!)                              – unsympathetic

– Rage leading to deeds of violence                                 – Fear of killing (2)

– Malicious with anger (2)                                                 – fear to fly into rage (2)

China then becomes disobedient (2), dictatorial (2), contrary, intolerant of contradiction, redness of naughty children.

Escape is a solution to be contemplated:

– Escape attempts to, jumps up suddenly from bed

– Jumps out of bed (3)

– Restlessness tossing about in bed (2)

– Roving senseless

– Runs about (2)

– Alcoholism (3)

The whole story causes China to become unhappy (2)

– Delusion unfortunate                              – discontented (2)

– Delusion forsaken, he is                          – discouraged (2)

– Forsaken feeling                                     – inconsolable (2) (even to suicide)

– Sentimental                                             – dreams of misfortune

– Feels unfortunate

– Complaining                                            – desire to be cheerful

– Lamenting

Regardless of these sentiments, there is no desire to reconcile with the world:

Consolation aggravates.

– Anger from caressing (1- 1) morose and weeping from caressing

– Fear of being pitied

Every time he feels wounded, every time he feels something is taken away (2) or when something fails, his case gets worse.  There are many rubrics illustrating this.  I will produce a sample (subjective choice).

Mental

– Ailments from mortification (2)

– Ailments from grief

– Ailments from sexual excesses (3)

– Confusion of mind during perspiration (2)

– Delirium after depletion (2- 1) and from loss of fluids (2- 2)

– Excitement after haemorrhage (2- 1)

– Forgetful from loss of fluids

– Irritability coition after (2)

– Sadness and indifference perspiration after (3)

Physical (only a limited sample is given here)

– Weakness (3): from Diarrhoea (3)

Emission after (2)

In haemorrhage (3)

With leucorrhoea (3)

From loss of fluids (3)

Menses after (2)

In nursing woman (2)

From perspiration

3)  Like the tree, China has only one solution: to reconstruct himself (3) and to continue to grow (3).  He is persuaded he will be stopped from doing so (dreams disputing about money) he decides to mobilise its strength when the other are not there (2); this is in the evening (3).  In opposition, waking is the worst time of the day.

– Canine hunger at night (3)                                 – dullness on waking (3)

– Theorizing evening (2)                                        – anxiety, irritability on waking (2)

– Making many plans (evening (2) and night (3))

– Clearness of mind (3) (evening (3) night (2))

– Hopeful

– Full of desire, indefinite (1- 8)

– Weeping about an imaginary need (1- 1)

– Desires activity

It is obvious that it is all about projects rather than realising the projects: I would like to but I can’t.

– Dullness after dreams

– Intentions contrary to speech

– Capriciousness (2)

China knows/imagines the reconstruction to be inefficacious (3), deemed to fail (fear of failure, dreams falling from height).  Many symptoms show these feelings: anxiety, hypochondria, laziness, restlessness, sadness eating after (2).  Physical symptoms indicate the same: Ravenous appetite with emaciation (3), Diarrhoea painless night only after eating in the daytime (3).

Whatever China tries, it does not realize itself.

– Fancies lascivious with impotence (2)

– Irritability with weakness (3)

– Irresolution in acts

Even when attempts suicide

– Suicidal disposition but lack of courage (3)

China then gives up

– Inclination to sit (3)

– Unconscious if he remains erect (1- 1)

– Slowness (2)

– Want of self confidence (2)

…or lives in hope:

– gambling

… chooses to be different:

– extravagance

– crank

…realising himself constitutes a real problem for China (2).  That is why we find China in:

– Carefulness serious (3)           and                   Chaotic (3)

– Bulimia (3)                                and                Anorexia (3)

– Envy (2), avidity (2), greedy (2), gourmand

– Appetite increased (2) fever during (2)

Instead of choosing this materialistic, physical path to realisation, China can react in an opposite way: by ignoring the value of everything:

– Things seem unattractive (1 – 1)                    – anorexia nervosa (3)

– Objects seem unworthy (2 – 1)                      – indifference  to drinking

– Contemptuous of everything (2)                               to eating

to making money

to pain

– dreams are unimportant

– tranquillity (2)

…in some case he can even ignore his own body:

– delusion did not touch the bed when lying

– delusion he is light, incorporeal

– vertigo walking, as if gliding in the air with sensation as if feet did not touch the ground (2)

…or in the absence of other develop as an artist:

– ability for art

– desire to be read

– desire to write

– verses making

I would like to end this work with the rubric, fear of dogs (3).  The dog is the enemy that comes to bite you by surprise and takes a piece of meat out of you.

Conclusion: China blames others around him for the fact that he cannot accomplish things.

—————————————-

Marc Brunson

About the author

Marc Brunson

Marc Brunson

4 Comments

  • i found this article to be profound and exciting in seeing how the author works with the rubrics in an artistic, metaphorical way.

    it was also fascinating to note that CHINA may be of assistance to the author-as-patient, as well, given the notes of blame and abdication of personal responsibility as the homeopath:

    “This was a typical case of the owners insisting on showing me one tree and not allowing me to see the wood for the trees.”

    thanks for this great article; i really enjoyed it.

  • Carroll Dunham (1828-1877),China is excited nervous system alternating with depression as against belladona where only excitation is there.this affects quality quantity of blood which becomes thin watery as vital proteins of blood plasma dissolve creating extreme debility with sensitive scalp roaring ears.there is watery diarrhoea excess sweating and urination as body defence expels excess water.skin goes earthy pale due to chlorosis anemia causing varicose veins are visible.liver spleen enlarge due to hyperaemia.solar plexus affected loss appetite every food turns gas due to atony intestines.clinical minded doctors note is lienteria ,atrophia infantilis senilis hydrops atony anaemia.thirst in cold stage menses thin watery.pulse quick soft.Pulsa is only pale blood quality intact anemic suppressed menses.Ferrum is vascular erethism.arsenic is nearest analogue so chin arsenic 30c is best for general debility.china is peculiar remedy where apart from acuteness of normal senses skin is also sensitive like DHAKA Malmal cloth which can pass through a finger ring called by homeopaths nerves on fret.

  • CHINA,as per TF Allen is protoplasmic poison hinders elimination nitrogenous waste,lead to anaemia pale sunken face Leucocythemia dropsical swellings optic neuritis and tendency to perspire nausea acid dyspepsia night time diarrhea emaciates.over sensitive sensory esp noise one takes course to stubborn silence being too weak to face worldly even minor impressions as per Gallavardin.

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