No matter what you want to call it … (if you’re squeamish, just know we’re talking about diarrhea and skip forward to the next paragraph). If toilet humor is your thing, here we go: Number 3, Chocolate Thunder, Poo Stew, Rectum Rapids, Turd Tea, Emergency Evacuation, The Squirts, Brown Bomb, Liquid Lunch, Poop Soup … I’ll stop now. (If you would like a few more unseemly names, see Travelers’ Diarrhea.)

Don’t worry, I won’t continue with the graphic descriptions. What follows is a long list of situations where one might experience diarrhea and the most highly indicated remedies for each.

Once again, if you are experiencing diarrhea beyond an acute bout, please seek professional medical advice.

Before embarking on my long list of unfortunate bottom-related circumstances, let me share one of my first amazing homeopathic "wowee!" moments. We were traveling and my then young teenage son was very sick in the night with suspected food poisoning. I was hemming and hawing, trying to remember what I had learned about remedies. I went with Veratrum album and within minutes everything stopped. I mean, everything completely stopped. He slept the rest of the night and woke up fine and dandy. “Better out than in” is what we say around here! As a result of this experience, I keep a little vial of Veratrum album in my little travel kit that accompanies me every time I leave the house with my suitcase.

Veratrum album is my go-to homeopathic remedy for if things are coming out of both ends. What else may point to the use of this remedy? The diarrhea (or vomiting) may be violent, voluminous and relentless. Collapse following diarrhea (not the only well indicated remedy in this rubric, but a good place to start). The person may be cold: cold limbs, generally chilly, and/or clammy. Diarrhea with perspiration. Diarrhea after eating fruit; diarrhea after eating cucumbers (technically a fruit, after all). Diarrhea during menses. Diarrhea which is made worse by movement/motion (Bryonia is another one to think of for this symptom). And, here’s one more unusual concomitant symptom for Veratrum album: hiccups during diarrhea. Isn’t that just what you need in that situation?!

Children & Diarrhea:
If you have an infant with diarrhea, administer Podophyllum on the way to see the doctor — dehydration can set in quickly.

Diarrhea while cutting teeth: Chamomilla. Chamomilla is such an excellent remedy for children, in general, and it doesn’t let us down in this situation, either (but these symptoms are not confined to children. With everything homeopathy, if the symptoms match, the remedy would be effective for man, woman, child or animal. Diarrhea with abdominal pain. Diarrhea: following anger; after taking a cold; after eating and, specifically after eating rhubarb. Emotional diarrhea or from excitement. During hot weather. Painless diarrhea. And, here is a rubric unique to Chamomilla (but hopefully you wouldn’t find this in a child!): diarrhea after smoking.

The Elderly & Diarrhea:
Like children, the elderly, too, have some remedies with great affinity to their age. In this particular situation, I would lean toward China officinalis.

China is so good for enfeebled people, as can often be found in the later years. In particular, China is useful for weak digestion; dyspepsia/indigestion; flatulence; chronic belching.

Dysentery, in simple terms, involves frequent bowel movements with blood and mucus in the stool, often accompanied by cramps and pain. Give some China while on the way to see a doctor. Please seek medical assistance if you are experiencing these symptoms.

If diarrhea and constipation alternate in older individuals, consider Antimonium crud.

On to the general list…

If experiencing abdominal pain, and it feels like diarrhea is imminent, Aloe would be my first recommendation. There may be accompanying weakness. Diarrhea after eating and in particular, diarrhea following the slightest dietary indiscretion. Walking makes it worse. Lots of toots during the diarrhea.

There are a few rubrics where Aloe and Sulphur “tie” when it comes to diarrhea: burning pain in the rectum; being driven out of bed in the morning, needing the toilet desperately (Sulphur has the specific times of 5-6 am); painless diarrhea; standing makes it worse.

Where Sulphur “wins out” over Aloe: diarrhea after beer and nighttime diarrhea, especially after midnight.

If the diarrhea alternates with another symptom, such as:

• rheumatism: Kali bich
• a heat sensation in the head: Belladonna
• headaches: Podophyllum
• asthma, especially at night: Kali carb
• diarrhea every other day: China

Diarrhea and emotions:

• after anger: Colocynthis
• after anticipation/anxiety: Argentum nitricum or Gelsemium. If nausea is part of this picture, also consider Nux vomica.
• feeling cheerful despite chronic diarrhea: Calc carb, which is a little unusual when it comes to elimination — they don’t mind being constipated and apparently chronic diarrhea doesn’t bother them, either!
• irritability: Bryonia
• with mental restlessness: Arsenicum album

Feeling wiped out after all that wiping? China is a good place to start. If the weakness is particularly pronounced, also consider Phosphoric acid. If the act of wiping actually causes pain: Graphites.

Diarrhea during pregnancy: Phosphorus

Diarrhea during menopause: Lachesis

Diarrhea following an injury: Arnica

If it’s coming out as from a hydrant: Podophyllum

If it has a really noxious smell: ​Baptisia

Diarrhea following the consumption of:

• after a debauch: Nux vomica
• ice cream: Arsenicum album or Pulsatilla
  • if ice cream after diarrhea makes you feel better: Phosphorus
• chocolate, sugar or sweets: Argentum nitricum
• pastries: Pulsatilla

If you find your appetite increases with diarrhea: Petroleum.

Cold hands with diarrhea: Phosphorus
Cold feet: Lycopodium
Cold limbs: Arsenicum album, Camphora and Veratrum album

Positionally speaking:
If lying down make it worse: Dioscorea
If lying down makes it better: Bryonia (though it may be worse lying on your side)
Sitting upright makes it worse: Bryonia

Time of day:
If it starts after you have risen from bed and moving around: Bryonia or Nat sulph
After midnight: Arsenicum album or Sulphur
If the diarrhea causes sleeplessness: Phosphorus

I changed my mind. I will use one more dysphemism: the sharts, also commonly referred to as “gambled and lost” (Flanagan 2010). If you are having diarrhea during rectal flatus, there are a number of well indicated remedies, but I would start with Aloe — the remedy for an insecure rectum (click that link to read the previous article with the same name.)

What would cause an “insecure rectum?” Let’s go back to Giulia Enders’ Gut for this explanation. Apparently we have a pair of “sophisticated” sphincters which Enders takes a few pages to explain and I am going to try and shrink it down to the bare essentials using her words, (but her full explanation is certainly worth a read). “The outer muscle is a faithful servant of our consciousness. When our brain deems it an unsuitable time to go to the toilet, the external sphincter obeys and stays closed with all its might. … Our internal sphincter is a no-nonsense little guy. His motto is, ‘If it’s gotta come out, it’s gotta come out!’ … The external sphincter, on the other hand, has to deal with the vagaries of the outside world and its many options.” Suffice it to say, we need these two sphincters to communicate well.

A few more remedies for involuntary stool (not necessarily diarrhea):

• on bending over/stooping: Ruta
• during coughing or sneezing: Phosphorus or Sulphur
• on laughing: Sulphur
• on moving: Phosphorus or Phosphoric acid
• on beginning to move: Rhus tox
• during sleep: Podophyllum
• on walking: Aloe

As you can see, homeopathy can be invaluable when it comes to diarrhea — there is a homeopathic remedy for almost any situation!

​
Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

References:

Enders, G., 2015. Gut : the Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ. Greystone Books.

​Flanagan, D., 2010. Everybody poops 410 pounds a year : an illustrated bathroom companion for grown-ups. Berkeley, Ca: Ulysses Press.

Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus software.

The Bristol stool scale was developed at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1997 and is based on the poops of approximately 2,000 people. Developed by Dr. Ken Heaton, this scale makes it a little easier for people to discuss what comes out the other end.

One way of looking at this scale is to think about how much water is in each type of poop. 1 & 2 are very dry and may be seen when one is constipated. 6 & 7 are considered diarrhea — plenty of water in these poops. #4 is Goldilocks (Goldilogs?!) and 3 & 5 are either side of “just right” and considered pretty good. NOTE: if you consistently pass either the hard poops or the mushy poops, OR, if you switch back and forth between the two, then you may want to speak with a physician.

Let’s talk about how these poops come about. For this information, I’m going to rely primarily on Gut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders* (2015). (Sometimes word for word and sometimes paraphrased. Rest assured, all this technical info is coming from here, unless otherwise mentioned.)

Poops are 3/4 water. 1/3 of the solids are bacteria. Another 1/3 is indigestible vegetable fiber. (The more fruit and veg you eat, the more feces you excrete per bowel movement.) The last 1/3 is stuff your body wants out: remains of medicines, food coloring or cholesterol.

Enders says the type of poop can indicate how long it takes for the indigestible particles to pass through one’s gut. With this in mind, she says Type 1, the rabbit pellets — the hard, little lumps — can take around 100 hours to pass through the system. On the other end, Type 7 — the diarrhea — can whiz through in 10 hours (or less!). Let me add here that Lewis and Heaton (1997) found the Bristol Stool Scale is a useful guide to intestinal transit time.

If you are in the envied position of regularly doing 3s and 4s, Enders says to make sure to observe how quickly they sink. If they sink too quickly it may indicate they still contain nutrients that weren’t digested properly.

Kate Deering, author of How to Heal Your Metabolism (2015) describes a healthy feces as "firm, about 6-8 inches in length and about an inch in diameter." She continues: "If you are having a hard time eliminating you may be dehydrated and need to add in more minerals (primarily salt), fruit and water-containing foods to your diet."

How long should it take to poop?

That’s a trickier question than it first appears to be.

Soft Matter journal (Yang et al. 2017) says the average mammal — regardless of size — takes just 12 seconds to poop.

According to Mayo Clinic (Rajan 2019), it takes about 6-8 hours for food to pass through the stomach and small intestine. Then it moves into the large intestine for further digestion, absorption of water … taking about 36 hours to get all the way through the system.

Dr. Sonpal (Migala 2020) says it should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete a poop with “minimal straining.”

What’s the best way to get the poop out?

Back to Gut again, an Israeli doctor, Dov Sikirov, had 28 test subjects poop in three different positions (normal toilet, half sit/half squat on a low toilet and squatting without a seat) and recorded how long they each took and recorded how much straining each position required: “The results were clear. In a squatting position, the subjects took an average of 50 seconds and reported a feeling of full, satisfaction bowel emptying. The average time when seated was 130 seconds and the resulting feeling was deemed to be not quite so satisfactory.”

Japanese researchers wanted a bit more assurance and they actually fed their volunteers “luminous substances” and x-rayed them while pooping in various positions. Again from Gut, “squatting does indeed lead to a nice, straight intestinal tract, allowing for a direct, easy exit.”

Long story short here: if you have problems getting the poop out, try a squatting stool* (Do a quick search for “squat” and “toilet” and see the options available.)

OK, back to the Bristol Stool Scale…

NOTE: If you experience the following symptoms during bowel movements (pain, blood, excessive mucus), especially if they are ongoing, or, if you have recently had a change in bowel habits, be sure to seek professional medical advice.

Homeopathy is all about balancing the entire system. The best way to do this is with a full consultation with a professional homeopath who is taking all sorts of everything into consideration. With that in mind, a good stool remedy is a good stool remedy. Bryonia may be my go-to remedy to think about for constipation (a “3” in Murphy’s repertory), but it’s also listed under the opposite: forcible, sudden, gushing, but this time it is a “1”. I am putting out a few remedies to consider for various stool issues, but don’t lock yourself into a hard-line of thinking here — there is flexibility. Don’t get stuck into, “but Bryonia is a dry poop remedy” way of thinking — Bryonia can be a good remedy for stools, in general.

Type 1: also known as rabbit droppings. I have known young mothers who didn’t mind when their little ones had these — they could skip the diaper change and literally just pull the little pellets out of the diaper and carry on with the day. Easy? I suppose so. But if your little one is popping out this kind of poop, there might be some dehydration issues going on. Seriously. Don’t take this as normal.

Homeopathically, we could look at rubrics such as: Stool, Balls, Stools like; or, like small balls; or, like laurel berries. There are lots of good remedies listed for this, but I would start with Alumina, Bryonia, Nat mur or Plumbum. (Can I just say how much I love the name Plumbum? It’s Latin for lead and I think it’s just perfect — it’s helpful for plumbing the bum and getting the lead out when one is all bunged up 🤣.)

Dry stool is an even bigger rubric with a lot of the above-repeating rubrics. However, I would start with Bryonia or Nux vomica. If it’s a dry and crumbling stool, Alumina. If it’s a dry stool which kind of starts and stops and then recedes, start with Silica.

Type 2: still dry, but this time the pebbles have been fused together. For this one, all of the above dry stool remedies are worth considering, but I would probably start with Nux vomica. If it’s a lumpy stool covered with mucus**, start with Alumina. A dry and crumbling stool, Alumina or Nat mur. A lovely rubric: Stool, Sheep, dung, like - agglutinated, masses of: Plumbum.

Type 3: is a little tougher to distinguish, homeopathically speaking. 3 is moving toward the “Goldilog” so perhaps just a little more fluid in your diet should do the trick?

Type 4: smooth sailing — keep up the good work!

Type 5: the pediatric Bristol Stool Form Scale describes this as “chicken nuggets” — soft blobs with clear-cut edges (passed easily). Like Type 3, I think we’re hovering around “good to go” — there may not be an issue here that needs to be addressed.

Type 6: A mushy stool — not formed. If it looks like corn meal: Bryonia. Other remedies to consider: Rhus tox and Podophyllum. If it’s an involuntary soft stool, start with Aloe.

Type 7: entirely liquid — now we’re moving into total diarrhea territory and there are many, many remedies to address this. I will be writing more in-depth about diarrhea shortly, but for today, let’s just start with Arsenicum album, China officinalis or Phosphoric acid.

Once again, if your regular stool is not hovering around 3, 4, and 5, please seek a professional medical opinion.

Don’t forget to check out the deposits you make into the porcelain bank! Any regular stools on either end of this scale should be evaluated by a medical professional.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this book, I just really like it — very fun and highly readable!

** (Note: A small amount of mucus on the stool is usually not a cause for concern. Mucus lines your intestines to keep your colon running smoothly, among other tasks. However, if there is excessive mucus in or on the stool it may be a sign of an underlying condition such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, food poisoning, bowel obstruction or blockage, cancer of the rectum or colon. If you have excessive mucus or even a small amount of mucus which is on-going, seek professional medical advice, especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever or weight loss (Mayo Clinic). Check out this article for more information.)

As summer winds down, the cicadas seem to be winding up. Boy, they have been noisy this year! When they take a break, the silence makes me realize that living with something like tinnitus must be very trying, indeed!

Tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2018), the perception of outside noise when no actual external stimulus is causing the sound, affects 15-20% of people of all ages but it is especially common in older adults. Sometimes there is an underlying cause that can be addressed to fix the tinnitus, but usually, treatments to make the tinnitus less noticeable are used (things like hearing aids, sound generators). Common causes are hearing loss, ear infection or ear canal blockage, head or neck injuries and medications (Mayo Clinic 2018).

Like so many chronic conditions, we are told there is no cure. Half the people who experience tinnitus do not have measurable hearing loss. A small percentage of people suffering from tinnitus experience serious debility in their daily lives (Prutsman 2023).

Homeopathically speaking, there are some remedies that can help though it’s not usually a quick fix, so be prepared to be patient. 

There are a lot of rubrics and remedies associated with hearing noises in the ears — some of them quite specific as to the sound (for example, hearing bagpipes in the distance — Nat carb) or, specific circumstances or specific times of day when the noises occur.

A few remedies pop up more often than others: Petroleum, Lycopodium, and China officinalis, in particular. There is a theme amongst these remedies of sensitive hearing, hyperacusis, which is a common complaint of tinnitus sufferers (Hebert et al. 2013). It never ceases to amaze me how homeopathy figured this stuff out a hundred plus years before the research was done! 

Petroleum is associated with chronic eustachian catarrh, (mucus or gunk in laymen’s terms). Conversely, there may be a dryness or a disagreeable feeling of dryness in the ears. There may be itching deep inside the ear or, diminished hearing in general. There could be an over-sensitiveness of not only hearing, but also of touch and smell, too.

Impaired hearing with noises in the ears; impaired hearing in old people or, progressive hearing impairment.

The sounds which may be heard for which Petroleum may be of benefit: bells; humming; constant roaring or rushing water; cracking; whizzing or the sound of wind.

Lycopodium may help when there is a swelling of the ear with discharge. Perhaps, a sensation as if hot blood has rushed into the ears.

Impaired hearing with discharge from the ear. Sensitive to noises and sounds, particularly music.

The noises which may be helped with Lycopodium are: roaring, humming, whizzing and rushing.

China officinalis is for a great over-sensitiveness of the nervous system — all sights, smells, hearing and taste are too strong. The external ear may be sensitive to touch.

Impaired hearing with constant noises in the ears, possibly with a headache.

The noises which may be helped by China officinalis are humming; ringing, especially with an accompanying headache; roaring; ticking as of a distant watch; buzzing; noises as if hearing singing.

Back to the bagpipes of Natrum carbonicum… this remedy isn’t as prominent as the remedies listed above, but there are some interesting things associated with it.

There may be a stopped sensation with diminished hearing. Sensitive hearing, particularly to music - they can’t bear it or, the rumpling of paper.

Bubbling noises or as if a bubble is bursting; sounds seem to come from the left side when they really come from the right; and, the illusion of hearing singing. And, though they can’t stand hearing music, they have the delusion they are hearing music — that must be frustratingly awful!

A list of a few noise rubrics and some corresponding remedies:

• If you hear noises in your ears when blowing your nose: Calc carb or Hepar sulph.
• Buzzing is a big one with a lot of possibly indicated remedies, but some good places to start would be Argentum nitricum, China off, Lycopodium, or Nux-vomica.
• If the noises occur only at night, try Dulcamera or Graphites.
• Cracking sound: Kali carb or Petroleum.
• In bed, or, lying down makes it worse: Sulphur
• Hearing noises during a headache: China off.
• Humming: China off, Lycopodium, Phosphorus or Sepia
• Difficulty hearing with the noises: Causticum or Lycopodium
• Rushing water: Chamomilla
• Boiling water: Lycopodium
• As of wind: Petroleum
• If it is synchronous with the pulse, it’s an easy one to remember: Pulsatilla, or, Puls for short.

Book a focused consultation and see if we can take the focus off those noises for you.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Cleveland Clinic, n.d. Tinnitus: Causes, Treatment & Prevention [online]. Cleveland Clinic. 

Hebert, S., Fournier, P. and Norena, A., 2013. The Auditory Sensitivity is Increased in Tinnitus Ears. Journal of Neuroscience [online], 33 (6), 2356–2364. 

Mayo Clinic, 2018. Tinnitus - Symptoms and causes [online]. Mayo Clinic.

​National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2018. Tinnitus [online]. NIDCD. 

Prutsman, Dr. J., 2023. Tinnitus [online]. Sound Relief Tinnitus & Hearing Center. 

Reference list:
Alton, J. and Alton, A., 2021. The survival medicine handbook : the essential guide for when help is NOT on the way : a Doom and Bloom guide. United States? Doom And Bloom Llc.

Anon., 2022. Tea at the Treedome [online]. Encyclopedia SpongeBobia. 

Armstrong, L. and Johnson, E., 2018. Water Intake, Water Balance, and the Elusive Daily Water Requirement. Nutrients [online], 10 (12), 1928. 

Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Calabrese, J., 2015. Ditch the Gatorade and Make My Sons’ Homeopathic Electrolyte Drink [online]. joettecalabrese.com.

Cox, G., Broad, E., Riley, M. and Burke, L., 2002. Body mass changes and voluntary fluid intakes of elite level water polo players and swimmers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport [online], 5 (3), 183–193. 

danastore, 2018. USING HOMEOPATHIC CELL SALTS TO HELP PROMOTE FASTER RECOVERY FROM HARMFUL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN ANIMALS by Judy Hoy [online]. Homeopathic.com. 

First Aid for Pets, 2018. How to tell if your dog is dehydrated | First Aid for Pets [online]. firstaidforpets.net. 

Goehring, M. T., Farran, J., Ingles-Laughlin, C., Benedista-Seelman, S. and Williams, B., 2022. Measures of Skin Turgor in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Wound Management & Prevention [online], 68 (4), 14–24. 

Goucher, T. K., Hartzell, A. M., Seales, T. S., Anmuth, A. S., Zanghi, B. M. and Otto, C. M., 2019. Evaluation of skin turgor and capillary refill time as predictors of dehydration in exercising dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research [online], 80 (2), 123–128. 

Hew-Butler, T., Smith-Hale, V., Pollard-McGrandy, A. and VanSumeren, M., 2019. Of Mice and Men—The Physiology, Psychology, and Pathology of Overhydration. Nutrients [online], 11 (7), 1539. 

Kight, B. P. and Waseem, M., 2020. Pediatric Fluid Management [online]. PubMed. 

Ma, N., J, P., Ja, M., Jr, M. and M, V., 2006. Acute Mountain Sickness: Influence of Fluid Intake [online]. Wilderness & environmental medicine. 

Maughan, R. J., Dargavel, L. A., Hares, R. and Shirreffs, S. M., 2009. Water and Salt Balance of Well-Trained Swimmers in Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism [online], 19 (6), 598–606. 

Mayo Clinic, 2020. Water: How much should you drink every day? [online]. Mayo Clinic. 

Murphy, R., n.d. Repertory, version 3. Accessed through Radar Opus software.

Norland, M., 2016. Get Well Soon -- A Guide to Homeopathic First Aid. Yondercott Press.

Raab, C. P., 2021. Dehydration in Children - Children’s Health Issues [online]. Merck Manuals Consumer Version. 

Schmukler, A. V., 2006. Homeopathy : an A to Z home handbook. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Sengun, S., Uslu, A. and Aydin, S., 2012. Application of multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis method for the detection of dehydration status in professional divers. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) [online], 48 (4), 203–210. 

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, 2018. Kids Health Information : Dehydration [online]. www.rch.org.au. 


Further Reading:
Huey, R. B. and Eguskitza, X., 2001. Limits to human performance: elevated risks on high mountains. Journal of Experimental Biology [online], 204 (18), 3115–3119.

Saat, M., Singh, R., Sirisinghe, R. G. and Nawawi, M., 2002. Rehydration after Exercise with Fresh Young Coconut Water, Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Beverage and Plain Water. Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY and Applied Human Science [online], 21 (2), 93–104. 

Smith, D., 2018. Homeopathy, Tissue Salts & Bach Flowers for Pregnancy, Labour & Post-partum. bubiroo books.

Rufus’ dollops had literally dropped to nothing for a while. Then there would be another and we repeated the Aloe and they would disappear again. Then, they just kept coming, regardless of what we tried. A package was waiting every morning and sometimes 1 or 2 more times during the day and evening. 

A change had occurred, though, that could be helpful to finding another remedy. His stools became lienteric. From Merriam Webster: "containing or characterized by the passage of undigested or partially digested food — used of feces or diarrhea."

We were literally getting ready to walk out the door for a few days away, so I took a quick look at Murphy’s repertory which shows a couple of possible remedies that fit the idea of both his loose/easy stool as well as  lienteric stool.

I left 4 bowls of food in the fridge for the dog sitter to give him, each with China officinalis wedged into some pieces of meat.

There has not been a dollop since. Not the usual morning offering nor the evening drop off. And, I think he looks a little happier about life. He seems to be sleeping less. He comes to sit by us in the day rather than staying by himself. But, we've been here before… so, stay tuned! I am hopeful but not certain.

Cinchona officinalis (or, China officinalis, AKA China, or Peruvian Bark) — from which we get quinine is also the first homeopathic remedy to be “proved” by Samuel Hahnemann. He devised his theory of “like cures like,” then he tried it on himself. Thus he “proved” his theory. (Look for an upcoming article on this topic.)

At it’s worst, the Cinchona patient is “despondent, gloomy, has no desire to live, but lacks courage to commit suicide” (Allen 2017, p. 100). Could Rufus have been in that state? Dunno. “Gloomy” could certainly be a word attributed to his disposition recently.

Cinchona also has “drawing or tearing; in every joint” (Allen 2005, p. 100). We know he has this going on. You can see it and hear it when he stands up or drops down.

Cinchona is an excellent remedy for the elderly, the weak or the recuperating. We believe Rufus to be on the older side. (He has been with us for 5-1/2 years and the vet estimated he was 4 or 5 at that time.) Cinchona is part of the 3rd line Banerji Protocol for Malnutrition with loss of weight (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 131). That could fit old Rufus. His harness seems pretty loose these days despite our not altering his diet. When he first joined our family, he was only 85 pounds (and was missing a great deal of his fur, plus mange, plus fleas and yeast infections — I had forgotten how unwell he used to be!) Though the vet recommended a chicken and rice diet for him, we quickly learned that rice was not his friend and he has been grain free ever since and last we checked, he was about 130 pounds. But, there is absolutely no question that he was malnourished upon arrival here. Bone broth has been an amazing thing for this lovely beast and I credit that, along with cell salts and well chosen homeopathic remedies, for getting him back to health. 

Homeopathy is definitely not an exact science and it is not at all unusual to need to zigzag your way through a case. I hope we are at the end of Rufus’ dollops, but in the event that we are not, I am prepared to follow his symptoms to make sure that his remaining years are as pleasant as possible — for him, and for us!


Julia Coyte, CHom
classicallypractical.com

#wellnessawaits. #homeopathycanhelp

Allen, H. C., 2017. Keynotes : rearranged and classified with leading remedies of the materia medica and bowel nosodes including repertorial index. Noida, U.P., India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.
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