We are definitely in the dog days of summer here in the desert southwest. It is monsoon season but the rain is not landing on us. We do have a couple of rooms in the house that have a little air conditioner, the rest of the house is cooled with a swamp cooler. For the most part, I definitely prefer the swamp over refrigerated air — the windows need to be open for them to work properly (we still hear the birds and the the little fountain!) and we’re not hermetically sealed inside and they add some much needed moisture into our desert house. For those unfamiliar, a swamp cooler is an evaporative cooler, meaning it only works during low humidity. How high does the humidity need to be for the swamp cooler to turn the house swampy? Not very — once we go above 30% humidity, it starts to feel fruitless. See here for more information. As I write this, the swamp has cooled our porch down to 80 (from the 99 outside), but with 56% humidity I have the unusual (for us) experience of a water glass covered in condensation.

These hot and (relatively) humid days, remind me of the movie 12 Angry Men. Have you seen it? The original film with Henry Fonda (1957)? Fantastic movie. If you haven’t seen it, put it on the list — again, the original black and white movie. (You’ll get over it not being in color soon enough. You can do it.)

​12 Angry Men is about the 12 jurors stuck in a jury room where one juror holds out against the others — and, of course they have to confront their own biases and demons while enduring a hot, sweaty environment.
There’s so much to say about this movie — swimming against the current… doing what is right even though you’re alone and it’s difficult… bias, prejudice and yes, anger.

I’m not the only homeopath who watches a movie and wonders what homeopathic remedy may benefit each character. (See also, Fictional Wounds for a previous take.) I wish I had taken notes during the movie to flesh out the characters and their anger. In hindsight, it was really only 11 angry men and 1 who was determined, rather than angry.

With these memories of this movie popping into my head with these hot and sweaty days, I thought I would take a look at different kinds of anger. Well, sort of — more of how anger is expressed or what sets it off.

Let’s now look at our 12 angry men. It has been a couple of years since I last watched it and I didn’t take notes, so I did ask Grok for a review of the characters to refresh my memory (turns out I did pretty well without any notes — the movie must have made a bigger impression on me than I realized!)

1. A man who just had to be right
2. A man who was angry with the idea of missing his ball game
3. A man who was really angry about his estranged son and his anger colors his thoughts on the defendant.
4. A man who was openly angry about immigrants.
5. A timid man who would get annoyed at being ignored or talked over.
6. A man who was angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing.
7. A man who would get angry when he felt older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved.
8. A man, the foreman, who was frustrated by the lack of order — he was trying to keep things proper and run an efficient meeting.
9. A man who was indignant about how he saw prejudice clouding judgement.
10. A man who was angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system.
11. A man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced.
12. The not very angry man, our protagonist, who was determined, rather than angry — he was frustrated by the rush to convict without giving it the attention the situation deserved.

Let’s ruminate on some anger remedies (and, rubrics)!
Are there other rubrics? Absolutely! It’s a movie, I went very surface level, here! Note: I used Murphy (via RadarOpus) unless otherwise noted and I kept it to just two possible remedies for each man — just enough to get a broad overview of the anger aspect of each remedy.

For the man who had to be right (#1) I would consider Platinum metallicum or Lycopodium.

• Platina is known for its haughtiness and arrogance and a fear of losing control over themselves or their environment
• Lycopodium has a fear of failure and a strong desire to be seen as competent and knowledgeable — leading to the need to always be right.
  • Rubrics used:
    • Mind - CONFIDENT - excessive, self-esteem
    • Mind - SELF, general - self-sufficient, needs no help from others - overly confident
    • Mind - PRESUMPTUOUS
    • Mind - CONTRADICTIONS, general - intolerant, of

#2, the man who was angry about missing a ball game, Ignatia or Gelsemium.

• Ignatia is known for anger with anxiety and silent grief; it may alternate with cheerfulness or anger from bad news.
• Gelsemium is the anticipatory anxiety remedy. This man was anticipating his ball game and he was angry he couldn’t attend.
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - ANGER, general - refused, when things he wants are
    • Mind - ANGER, general - trifles, at
    • Mind - SELFISHNESS (Gels is not in this rubric)
    • MIND - Emotions effects - Anger, bad news, disappointment, vexation (Boericke)
    • Mind - ANGER, general - vexation, from
    • Mind - ANTICIPATION, general - ailments, from
    • Mind - DISAPPOINTMENTS, ailments from
      
      

The 3rd man was really angry with (at?) his estranged son. This one was trickier because there is most likely so much underneath this anger. For the sake of this discussion, however, I would be looking at Natrum muriaticum and Lycopodium (and in this situation, it’s even trickier because both remedies are included in some very important rubrics).

• Nat mur dwells on past unpleasant memories — how in the past is this estrangement, I don’t recall (or, they never said). They are easily provoked to anger and has a disinclination to mental work (like jury duty, I am assuming).
• We looked at one aspect of Lycopodium anger above, let’s look further. Lyc has complaints brought on by fear and fright, chagrin, anger, vexation, anxiety. Might this man have been fearful for/of his son or embarrassed that his son was keeping his distance from him?
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - ANGER, general - absent, persons while thinking of them, angry at
    • Mind - ANGER, general - grief, with silent
    • Mind - ESTRANGED, feels - family, from
    • Mind - ABANDONED, forsaken feelings - ailments, from being
    • Mind - DISCORDS, ailments from

Man #4 is an angry bigot. The top 2 remedies are Causticum and Lycopodium.

• Causticum — has (most of) the word “Cause” in it. These are people who get angry over an injustice.
• Lycopodium, Farrington (1935) tells us, is “irritable, malicious and intolerant of contradiction, and goes about seeking a quarrel. … He is restless, and full of anxiety and fears. At times he may be haughty and domineering…”
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - PREJUDICED, attitudes
    • Mind - INTOLERANCE
    • Mind - CRITICAL, censorious
    • Mind - INTOLERANCE - ailments, from
    • MIND - PREJUDICED - traditional prejudices

Our 5th man is timid and doesn’t take kindly to being talked over. Here comes Lycopodium again, as well as Staphysagria.

• Turning to Farokh Master (2017), Lycopodium has an “extreme lack of confidence in his own abilities… This arises from being verbally criticized by dominating parents.” (Was the 5th man dominated by his parents? We don’t have that answer.) Cowperthwaite (1909) adds: “morose, peevish, vehement, angry, timid. Easily aroused to anger.”
• Staphysagria is well known for its suppressed anger and I don’t think it’s hard to see how suppressed anger can lead to timidity. Master, this time from his book Suppressed Staphysagria (2003), says: “He gets angry when any injustice is done but does not retaliate due to timidity.”
  • Rubrics used:
    • Mind - TIMID
    • Mind - CONFIDENT - alternating, with - timidity (Staph)
    • Mind - TIMID - public, about appearing in, to talk (Lyc)
    • Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from
    • Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long

Juror #6 is the man who is angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing. Once again, we are comparing between Staphysagria and Lycopodium.

• I am going to make the assumption that shame (See, also: Shame.) plays a role in this man’s anger. Staphysagria is a big shame remedy. Murphy (2003) says: Great indignation about the things done by others or by himself, grieves about the consequences. Humiliation, deep guilt and shame.… Very sensitive as to what others say…”
• Lycopodium shame, however, according to Jonathan Shore (1990): “Humiliation and shame, as opposed to indignation.… Indignation is a certain sort of anger, righteous anger. Mortification is anger with shame, humiliation.”
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - ANGER, general - ailments, from - suppressed, from
    • Mind - DOMINATION, by others, ailments from - history, of, a long
    • Mind - SHAME, ailments from

Angry man #7 is the one who would get angry when he felt the older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved. Colocynthis and Causticum.

• Colocynthis cannot tolerate injustice. Arndt (1904) tells us Colocynthis is “useful in troubles caused by anger or indignation.”
• As we learned above, Causticum believes strongly in justice. Master (2017): “Cannot tolerate injustice; very strong morals and an innate sense of what is right and wrong.”
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • MENS - SYMPATHETIC, compassionate - misfortune of others, greatly affected by (Mangialavore)
    • MENS - AILMENTS from - misfortune of others (Mangialavore)
    • R.R. - Mind; Anger, irascibility; injustice, from (Viva: Reliable Rep)
    • Mind - ANXIETY, general - others, for
    • Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate

#8 (should probably be #1 since he was the foreman) is frustrated by the lack of order — he worked hard to keep thing running properly. Aurum metallicum and Calcarea carbonica are two remedies which take their responsibilities seriously.

• Aurum met can be angry with himself and his mistakes or about business matters; there may be some anxiety with the anger.
• Calc carb may have some anxiety with the anger or, just thinking about former stresses may bring on some anger.
  • Rubrics used:
    • Mind - CARES, full of
    • Mind - RESPONSIBILITY, general - ailments, from too much
    • Mind - CARES, full of - trifles, about
    • Mind - ANXIETY, general - business, about
    • Mind - BUSINESS, general - cares, worries about business
    • Mind - WORRIES, tendency, to - business, or work
    • Mind - ANGER, general - business, about

The 9th man was indignant about how he perceived others’ prejudices clouding their judgement. The two remedies I would think about for this man are Nux vomica and Ignatia.

• Nux vomica is an irritable sort who gets easily annoyed by lots of things. According to New England Journal of Homeopathy (1995), Nux vomica “gets very angry at injustice. She does not watch the news, because it depresses her.”
• Looking further at Ignatia from Shore (1990): “Except… you see she has this feeling for the children being teased… but it is not really like Causticum. It is not a question of injustice; it is a question of pain. … It is just sort of a passing thought, especially when she was talking about how she didn’t like it when other kids were being teased.”
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - CONTEMPTUOUS
    • MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency (Mangialavore)
    • MENS - ANGER, irascibility - tendency - contradiction, from (Mangialavore)
    • MENS - IRRITABILITY - injustice, from
    • Mind - INJUSTICE, general - injustice, cannot tolerate (Mangialavore)

Juror #10 is the man who was righteously angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system. This was a harder one to figure out, but I came down to Kali carb and Cuprum metallicum.

• Kali carb, from New England Journal of Homeopathy (1996): “As a result of their perfectionism and self-containment, Kali carbonicum individuals develop a deep Resentment [sic] of any person who appears to be breaking the rules without evidence of conscience or remorse. They are driven to be ‘good’ by their internal critic, while they judge and condemn anyone who does not conform to their idea of correctness. Eventually they are filled with resentment and display a chronic Irritability [sic].”… “If, however, their partner embarrasses them by breaking a rule of behavior they can become quite angry and are unable to recapture the view of their partner as a good person.”
• Vermeulen (2004) says Cuprum metallicum is “Very respectful of RULES; angry when others do not respect them.… He is a lover of leadership, rules and regulations.”
  • Rubrics used:
    • MENS - LAW, very respectful (Mangialavore)
    • Mind - DUTY - sense, of duty, too much
    • MENS - DUTY - great sense of

#11 is a man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced. This one, too, has so many underlying possibilities, it’s hard to get a handle on it, but I am going to make a couple of assumptions in my rubric choices. The main remedy that comes up is Nux vomica but further down the way were two rubrics that led me to an interesting choice of remedy that I would not have thought about: Ipecac.

• Nux vomica is a big “business” and “work” and “anger”remedy, but it also has some selfishness, too. When we put together a man who is irritated at an inconvenience for his civic duty, perhaps some of these rubrics point us to Nux.
• Buck (1895) says Ipecac is “Angry for the smallest trifle.” Clarke (1902) reminds us: “Irritability, and disposition to be angry.”
  • Rubrics chosen:
    • Mind - SELFISHNESS
    • Mind - LAZINESS, behavior - business, when transacting
    • Mind - GLOOMY, morose - business, does not proceed fast, when
    • Mind - ANGER, general - business, about
    • Mind - MUTTERING, general - business, matters, about (Note: it has been too long to remember if this character muttered, but it felt right. Regardless, it’s an interesting rubric.)

Our final juror, our protagonist, was not actually angry but very determined and was frustrated by the rush to convict someone without giving it the attention the situation deserved. In this instance, there is nothing to be addressed, homeopathically speaking. However, here are a few rubrics that could be used in conjunction with this man:

• Mind, general; determination, general (Viva: Murphy Meta)
• Mind, general; determination, general; strong (Viva: Murphy Meta)
• Mind - OBSTINATE, stubborn, headstrong
• Mind; Dutiful (Viva: Reliable)
• Mind - JUSTICE, obsessed with
• Mind; Integrity, sensation of; concerned about his (Viva: Reliable)
• Mind - VEHEMENCE
  
  

There is one more character in this movie: the weather. It was hot and muggy with all the men sweltering with just one measly fan in the room.

• Mind - STUPEFACTION, mental - weather, during hot
• Generals - HOT, weather - agg.
• Generalities; Weakness, enervation; weather; hot (Viva: Reliable)
• Generalities; Weather; hot weather; ailments from (Viva: Reliable)
• Mind; Weather; sultry, agg (Viva: Reliable)

Since I have the information sitting in front of me, Antimonium crud and Lachesis are the predominant remedies from these hot weather rubrics.

12 Angry Men nicely illustrates the individualization of homeopathy — there is not one remedy that would address the various expressions of anger in all these men. Their past experiences and the way their anger shows up and what they do with that anger — these are all very important considerations in finding a suitable homeopathic remedy.

This article has been rolling around in my head since I last saw this movie a couple of years ago and I now know why it took so long to see the light of day — it’s actually a really big topic. (Look for the Digging Deeper into Angry Remedies soon.)

It turns out, though, that I was more than happy to while away some of these really hot days sitting in front of my fan, listening to my little fountain outside the open window and finally putting some possible homeopathic remedies to these characters.

​Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Arndt, H. E., 1904. First Lessons in the Symptomatology of Leading Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Buck, H., 1895. The Outlines of Materia Medica & Clinical Dictionary. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishers.

Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Cowperthwaite, A. C., 1909. A Text-book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Characteristic, Analytical and Comparative. accessed through Radar Opus software.

Farrington, H., 1935. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : A study course for graduate physician.

Master, F., 2017. Clinical observations of children’s remedies. New Delhi, India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.

Master, F. J., 2003. Suppressed staphysagria. B. Jain Publishers.

Murphy, R., 2003. Homeopathic medical repertory : a modern alphabetical repertory. Blacksburg, Va.: H.A.N.A. Press.

New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1995, 4 (2).
accessed via Radar Opus software

New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1996, 5 (2).
accessed via Radar Opus software

Shore, J., 1990. Seminar Glasgow [Scotland]. Presented at the Seminar Glasgow. Accessed through Radar Opus software
​
Vermeulen, F., 2004. Prisma : the arcana of materia medica illuminated : similars and parallels between substance and remedy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss.

​Today, I’m going to have a little fun and see how we can address “Ted’s” stab wound. (For this exercise, I will be focusing (for the most part) only on highly indicated remedies for this type of wound, though, in real life, I would look at all possible remedies. It’s important to note that there is also crossover between these remedies and symptoms. For instance, “anger” is a 4 for Staphysagria and a 2 for Ledum and Apis - therefore the rubric only shows up in my list under Staphysagria.)

Homeopathically, there are a few big remedies to consider. Note: these would be the same remedies which would be useful in the moment, at the time of the stab wound. I have the added benefit of a little insight into Ted after reading this book and will supply relevant quotes when available. (If a symptom shows up in multiple remedies, I will only put the quote in the first instance, unless there are multiple quotes which fit the bill.) Other symptoms I will include simply from the general sense of the character from the book. It’s a little like taking a homeopathic case! Of course, there is so much more to this than I am writing here. People, even fictional characters, are highly nuanced. I have over-simplified this entire process tremendously… but I had fun doing it!

We’re not entirely certain when this stabbing occurred, except we know he was an adult. Did Ted’s history play a part in the ramifications? Probably. All the background of a person will then lead to how a person reacts when such a trauma occurs… miasms, genetics, epi-genetics, environment, experience… it’s all in there in each of us.

Looking up “stab” in Dr. Murphy’s Meta Repertory (found in Similia software**), five remedies show up as highly indicated (but I only included 4 of them): Apis, Calendula, Hypericum and Ledum. Those familiar with homeopathic remedies might be saying, “But what about Staphysagria?” Good question. keep reading to find out what I learned about this.

For this exercise, I focused primarily on the big 3 or 4 point symptoms in MIND and GENERAL and a quick scan through other highly indicated rubrics from things I remembered from the book.

​In alphabetical order:

APIS
From Murphy’s Materia Medica, causations (among others): Grief. Fright. Rage.

MIND:

• absent minded (while there is one reference to Ted “absentmindently” doing something, we don’t know if this fits well, in general)
• alone, mental, ailments from, (see abandoned, neglected)
  • He’s thought so many times as an adult that it’s a lie that people are scared of being alone, because what we fear is being abandoned. You can choose to be alone, but no one chooses to be left. (p. 177)
• anxiety, general
  • He tosses it in the trash can, glances at the mirror, an anxious and overwhelmed man with skin as soft as room temperature cheese glances back. (p. 177)
• jealousy, feelings
  • Ted felt deeply ashamed that he was jealous of that. (p. 79)
• touch, general - agg
  • The entrance to the train fills with a slow line of frustrated passengers, the man and the teenager stand on the platform and wait till last, anxious that they might touch or be touched by some stranger in the throng. (p. 184)

PHYSICAL:

• bladder, pain; urging to urinate, frequent
  • He feels a sudden urge to pee far more often now than he was prepared for, his body has started to wake him at night, he presumes it’s getting its revenge because it’s annoyed he’s keeping it alive. (p. 127)
• walking, limping, spontaneous (we don’t know if his limp is consistent or spontaneous, but it’s the only of our remedies in this rubric.)

CALENDULA
is another good remedy for wounds, but unfortunately, it has not been proven very well (in the traditional sense) but let’s see what we can find. Because of the dearth of level 3/4 rubrics, I opened this MIND search up to levels 1 & 2, as well. (Colin Griffith does have more information on Calendula in his “New Materia Medica Vol. 3,” but that’s a whole other topic which I will (happily!) get to one day soon.)

From Murphy’s causations: Cuts. Punctures. Stabs. Surgery. Wounds.

MIND:

• abuse, ailments from (all the characters suffered varying levels of abuse)
• anxiety, general (there’s a lot of crossover between anxiety and fears but Ted has helped us out with this one…)​
  • People say that anxiety is fear for no reason, but Ted’s brain is very helpful when it comes to providing suggestions. (p. 278)
• depression, sadness - wounds, after
• fears, general, phobias - happen, something bad will 
  • How many phobias do you actually have, Ted? I have just enough! he snaps.” (p. 179)
• fears, phobias, knives of
  • He still has nightmares about both knives. (p. 130)
• startled, starting - fright, from or fear, after
  • Bastard, Ted whispered with his fists clenched, furious with himself for being so easily startled. (p. 311)
• wounds, mental ailments from

​
GENERAL:
Interestingly, those who may benefit from Calendula may be ameliorated by walking.

HYPERICUM
From Murphy’s materia medica: “It is called for in nervous depression following wounds, effects of shock and fright… Pain in old scars.” From Murphy’s causations (among others): ill effects of fright… punctures, lacerations… wounds, stab wounds

Note: Hypericum has only one 3/4 level rubric under the MIND section in Murphy, so I added lower level rubrics for this one, too.
​
MIND:

• sensitive, mental, oversensitive, emotional - pain, to (the only level 4 rubric for Hyper Mind)
• anxiety, general
• fears, general, phobias
  • Because the question presupposes that I stopped being scared. (p. 131)
• fright - ailments from
• frightened easily
  • His brain is so stupid, it can no longer tell the difference between threat and reality, he’s just frightened of everything all the time. (p. 263)
• moaning, groaning, pain, from
  • Do you always moan this much? Is that why someone stabbed you? (p. 130)
• startled, starting
• wounds, mental ailments from

Not a lot of the General or Physical rubrics for Hypericum appear to fit Ted well.

LEDUM
From Murphy’s materia medica: “Ledum is for punctured wounds, produced by sharp-pointed instruments or bites, particularly if the wounded parts are cold, this is the remedy… Causations: ill effects punctured wounds, recent or chronic injuries.”
​
MIND:

• fears, general, phobias - men, of
  • Throughout his life, Ted has been frightened of men. (p. 253)
• serious, disposition
  • We are NOT the same age. We might have lived the same number of years, but we sure as hell aren’t the same age. You’ve been eighty years old since we were twelve. (p. 363)

There are other, lesser MIND rubrics which “fit” Ted but I will include only this one:

• wearisome, burdened feeling
  • He feels like yelling at the box of ashes that he isn’t ready for this responsibility… I can’t even look after shoes, and you’ve left me with a person, he thinks angrily. (p 105)

GENERAL:

• walking, general - agg (this could be the other parts of Ted limping, not just his leg wound)

STAPHYSAGRIA
Has a reputation for “clean” wounds, not jagged, just as a knife would create. Dr. N.M. Choudury, senior professor of Materia Medica at Bengal Allen Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital in Kolkota, says: “We use it both internally and externally for injuries caused by sharp cutting instruments such as knife, glass, etc.” Why it’s not this clear in the repertories, I have no idea. I asked Viva (homeopathic) AI*** why Staphysagria doesn’t show up in the “stab wounds” rubric and it says,
“Staphysagria is more commonly associated with emotional trauma and conditions resulting from surgical procedures rather than purely physical injuries like stab wounds. While Staphysagria can be useful for wounds, it is particularly indicated when there is a history of emotional trauma (which Ted has in spades) or when the injury is associated with feelings of anger, resentment, or violation.)

To find appropriate rubrics for Staphysagria and knife wounds, one needs to search a little differently for that:

• Clinical - cuts (or “wounds,” they’ll both get you to the same remedies — (Apis and Ledum are both listed here but not so prominently)
• Clinical - cuts, general - incised (Apis is not in this one, but the others are)
• Clinical - cuts, general, sharp, instruments, from glass, etc (Calendula and Hyper are included)

​
From Murphy’s materia medica: “Surgery. Lacerated tissues.” Causations: “Ill effects of anger and insults, anger suppressed or reserved. Humiliation.”
​
MIND:

• abandoned, feelings, forsaken
• abuse, ailments from (all the characters suffered varying levels of abuse)
• anger
  • Angry at himself, angry at the artist, and most of all angry at death for having such good taste. Always taking the best first. (p. 105)
• anger, grief, with silent
  • The most frightening thing about his dad dying that summer when he was fourteen wasn’t the grief he had felt, but the anger. (p. 247)
    • indignation, with
    • anger with himself
• anxiety, exaggerated
  • Everyone should be afraid of flying! (p. 69)
• cares, full of
  • Ted? He had made it his responsibility that none of the people he loved would die. That’s a terrible burden for a person. Your shoulders creak, your skeleton shrinks, in the end you can hardly walk. (p. 85)
• domination, by others, ailments from - children in, history, of, a long
  • When he was young, his big brother, six years older, used to beat him up like it was a game. (p. 253)​
• fears, hurt of being, emotionally
• grief, sorrow, general ailments from
  • The only thing we can take for granted is that everyone we have ever met and everyone we have ever known and everyone we have ever loved will die. So how great must our imaginations be for us to even summon up the enthusiasm to get out of bed each morning? (p. 39)
• grief, sorrow, general - silent
• love, disappointed, ailments from
  • If you have loved anyone as much as Ted loves the artist, so much that you’re prepared to be mistaken for someone else just to see your friend’s face light up for a couple of seconds, then you know what he feels. (p. 48)
• memories, recalls disagreeable
• mourning, feelings
• suppression, emotions, of, agg
• wearisome, burdened feeling
  • He feels like yelling at the box of ashes that he isn’t ready for this responsibility… I can’t even look after shoes, and you’ve left me with a person, he thinks angrily. (p 105)

GENERAL:

• trembling
  • He’s holding his suitcase in one trembling hand, the ashes of his best friend in the other. (p. 87)

PHYSICAL:

• bladder, urging to urinate - frequent

Anybody out there getting stressed out watching the news?

I suppose this post could have been written at any point in history, but 2024 seems to be gearing up for a new level of stressful watching/listening/reading.

If you find yourself getting upset by the news, have a think about a few of these homeopathic remedies:

Ignatia is a good place to start. (SEE: Homeopathy Can Make a Heavy World a Little Lighter)
Homeopathic Ignatia can be found in the following rubrics:

• Ailments from bad news
• Anger about bad news
• Shock from bad news
• Sleeplessness after sad news.
• Mental/emotional excitement after bad news

Now, a short list of a few other remedies which may be applicable (as found in a quick look of Robin Murphy's Repertory):

Obsessive compulsive disorder (as may be acutely exhibited through an irrepressible need to keep checking the updated news feeds): Nux vomica or Argentum nitricum

Trembling with anger: Staphysagria or Gelsemium

Trembling from anxiety: Gelsemium or Argentum nitricum

Trembling as if frightened: start with Gelsemium but also Aconite, Coffea, Ignatia

Headaches following depressing or sad news: Gelsemium or Ignatia

Shock from hearing bad news: Gelsemium, Ignatia or Calc carb

Vertigo from bad news: Calc carb

Obsessed with justice: Causticum

If all these thoughts are creating anxiety: Argentum nitricum

If all of these stories and images and thoughts keep you from sleeping: Coffea

If all these thoughts are keeping you from concentrating: Nux vomica

If your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the future: Argentum nitricum.

Persistent thoughts: Argentum nitricum is the place to start, but also: Calc carb or Nat mur.

Witnessing traumatic events: Aconite

Rapid thoughts: Coffea

Repetition of thoughts: Argentum nitricum

Shock from bad news: Calc carb, Gelsemium and Ignatia

One more thing to do, as seen on many on-line posts…

unclench your jaw.
soften your forehead.
relax your shoulders.
breathe.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

Pooping is under appreciated. We all do it. Some of us appreciate it. Some of us find it a nuisance. Some of us struggle with it daily. Some of us find it funny. Some of us find it disgusting (there may be some scientific evidence for this one (Curtis et al. 2011). Some of us find it embarrassing. Some of us find it unseemly and certainly not a topic for polite discussion.

If you find yourself in that last category, I hope to change your mind starting today and continuing over the next couple of weeks because poop is so amazingly important!

Don’t believe me? Try not having a poop for a few days and see how you feel!

Not surprisingly, finding a good homeopathic remedy for an individual can be helped along with some fecal details. It’s one of those little tidbits that really can relay a lot of useful information. Also not surprising, lots of people have poop issues but they never bring it up until after the fact. (After the fact: "My constipation is better after that remedy" after never having mentioned the problem.) Even if a homeopath asks directly about pooping, it is not uncommon for the answer to be along the lines of, “all good there” — implying "move on". (If you find yourself in a homeopathic consult, put whatever squeamish embarrassed-ness you may have aside and fling those poop facts out there!)

If you’re not in the habit of taking a peek after you poop, I suggest you re-evaluate that decision. If you don’t look, who else is going to … until it’s too late and you find yourself at the doctor’s office leaving a stool sample to find out what is going wrong? Keeping an eye on your deposits can help you keep an eye on your health.

Back to how important poop is…

Poop takes waste from our bodies — preventing the build up of toxins and maintaining a healthy gut.

Poop can have an effect on our psychological wellbeing.

Poop reflects our physical health. The color, consistency and frequency of poop can indicate an underlying health issue such as digestive problems, infections, or nutrient deficiencies. Stool samples are used to diagnose infections, detect bacteria, viruses or parasites and also to screen for medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer.

So, that’s a lot of poopy talk, but what is this poop we are actually talking about, anyway?

According to Taber’s Medical Dictionary, feces is bodily waste such as food residue, bacteria, epithelium, and mucus, discharged from the bowels.

People poop generally once or twice daily (1.2 times a day on average), totaling about 1.8 oz to a whopping 28 oz for the average adult and between 2.6 oz and 13 oz per day for children (Rose et al. 2015). For reference: a tennis ball weighs about 2 oz. A can of soda weighs about 12 ounces. On the high end of this scale, 28 oz equates to 1.75 pounds which is approaching the weight of a typical pineapple sold in grocery stores (Measuring Stuff 2022). 😳

Where does all this stuff come from?

Poop is (generally) made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter. 30% of that solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30% indigestible food matter such as cellulose; 10-20% is cholesterol and other fats; 10-20% is inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2-3% is protein (Britannica 2019). (Short hand: 10 parts water, 1 part bacteria (dead and alive), 1 part indigestible fiber and 1 part mixture of fat, protein, dead cells, mucus (Richman and Sheth 2007).

With all the basics out of the way, let’s get back to homeopathy.

In preparing for this mini-series on poop, I was browsing through my little assortment of poop books. (What? Don’t you have one of those?!) Judging by my quick look on the internet, my poop book collection is woefully slim … there are poop log books which claim to help you improve your gut health; poop coloring books; books about how to poop in the woods; an absolute ton of books for kids about pooping; and, a surprisingly large number of bathroom guest books 😳. (I guess that’s one way to encourage people to talk about this heretofore forbidden topic.)

To get us in the poop mood, however, I am going to be relying on What’s your Poo Telling You? By John Richmond and Anish Sheth, M.D.

The very first page of the introduction talks about “the feeling of unbridled elation that results from unleashing the perfect poo. Although difficult to achieve, this Poo-phoria lends a feeling of ecstasy, even invincibility, that some have likened to the perfect buzz.”

Cheerfulness after a stool is a symptom in a few homeopathic remedies, but Natrum sulphuricum is the most highly indicated. (Paradoxically, anxiety, confusion or weakness following a stool may also indicate Nat sulph. Men who may benefit from Nat sulph also may have an increased desire for sex during stool. In short, if there are residual emotions following a stool, Nat sulph may be worth considering.)

* If you experience ANY of these physical symptoms, or, if you have recently had a change in bowel habits, be sure to seek professional medical advice. In particular, pain, blood, excessive mucus, especially if they are ongoing, should be evaluated professionally.

What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nat sulph?

• Cramping abdominal or intestinal pain which is better following a stool.
• Loud flatus during a stool or sputtering flatus.
• Urging for stool but only flatus is passed.
• Clay-colored, green, or yellow-colored stools.
• Copious stools.
• Thin, liquid, watery stools.
• Rumbling, gurgling, rolling noises before stool.

What if having a poop leaves you little irritated instead of cheerful?

In that case, I would look to Nitric acid.

What other intestinal indicators may lead you to Nitric acid?

• Abdominal pain during and after a poop.*
• Constipation.
• Pain in the rectum following evacuation. This pain may be cutting, burning, sharp, sticking, stinging or tearing.
• Stools like balls; like sheep dung.
• Bloody streaks in the stool*. (This may be from hemorrhoids but any blood in the stool should be evaluated by a medical professional.)

If you find yourself in a state of tranquil serenity following a stool, that may lead you to Borax. Borax is a smaller stool-related remedy, but other indications may be:

• Light-colored stool
• Stools with a transparent or white slimy mucus.
• Painless diarrhea.

Borax can be an excellent remedy for babies, so if you have a little one who has some other issues which may need addressing but who blisses out after filling their nappy, take a look at Borax.

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.

It’s important to remember in these situations that cheerfulness, irritation or tranquility after a stool is not something pathologic — it’s not a problem and it doesn’t need to be addressed. These symptoms may just be useful in leading you to an overall remedy for an individual (or, an animal). However, some other stool related symptoms may be calling for attention and the post-evacuation mood might help you get to the best remedy.

Back to our book to round out this opening article on emotions and poop…

Number 3… AKA diarrhea. I will be writing a longer article on diarrhea shortly, but today, going with the emotions involved with pooping, I will just mention a few remedies where mental/emotional symptoms are the leading indicator of a remedy for diarrhea.

When diarrhea is triggered by emotions, the first remedies to consider are Argentum nitricum and Gelsemium.

I have written about Argentum nitricum a few times before (see: What Goes Up; Feel the Fear; My Little Bag of Wellness).

Gelsemium is an absolute go-to remedy for anticipatory anxiety (see: Back to School; The Big Goodbye). Gelsemium is bold type and underlined for ailments from anxiety. Nervous tummy sending you running to the toilet? Gelsemium. Another emotional diarrhea symptom for Gelsemium is diarrhea from bad news.

Arsenicum album could be considered here, too, especially if there is any burning pain associated with it. (I see a new article in the making, comparing Arg-nit, Gels and Ars. Sit tight. I’ll get to it one day.)

If it is diarrhea after anger, Colocynthis is the remedy to grab for ailments from anger. Homeopathic Colocynthis pains are almost always better by pressure and by warmth -- bending double or a hot water bottle helps the abdominal pains associated with the diarrhea. (I see where you're going with that thought and yes, it can be very helpful for menstrual cramps.)

Diarrhea following chagrin or humiliation: Staphysagria.

Diarrhea following grief? Phosphoric acid is another remedy for diarrhea after anticipation, but it is an even bigger grief remedy… weakness and sorrow and depression, mental exhaustion.

Diarrhea after mental exertion? There’s a 3 way tie between Arg-nit, Nux vomica and Picric acid (see: Taxing Remedies for more info on Pic ac).

How about the other side of things, like excitement? Aconite, Argentum nit, Arsenicum album or Gelsemium. If that excitement is coupled with fear, then stick with Aconite.

Sudden diarrhea following joy? Coffea cruda (see: Silence, Please!)

One last emotion to talk about in regard to poop and that is fear. Touched on a couple of lines above, Aconite is the place to start for all things fear. There can certainly be a bit of crossover with anxiety, but fear, to me, is a result of a threat or impending danger and anxiety is a response to an anticipated or expected danger.

However, a fear of losing control of one's bowels is a genuine fear, especially if one is already experiencing some goings-on in that area. Homeopathic Aloe is the remedy for an insecure rectum. Involuntary stool, with or without flatus. Involuntary stool following urination. 

Tune in next week for the second installment of the Doo-Doo Documents: The Bristol Stool Scale.

​
Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

​#wellnessawaits

Reference list and poop-related books:

Britannica, 2019. Feces | biology | Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica [online].

Choi, B., 2024. Fun Poop Facts Kids Should Know • Human Body Learning [online].
Human Body Learning. 

Cohen, M., 2023. Mucus in Stool: Is It Normal & What Does It Mean? [online]. The IBS & Gut Health Clinic. 

Curtis, V., de Barra, M. and Aunger, R., 2011. Disgust as an adaptive system for disease avoidance behaviour. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences [online], 366 (1563), 389–401. 

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

Holzwarth, W. and Erlbruch, W., 2007. The story of the little mole who knew it was none of his business. London: Pavilion.

Mayo Clinic, n.d. Mucus in stool: A concern? [online]. Mayo Clinic.

Measuring Stuff, 2022. Things Around The House That Weigh 2 Pounds – Measuring Stuff [online]. Measuringstuff.com. 

Richman, J. and Sheth, A., 2007. What’s your poo telling you? San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books.

Rose, C., Parker, A., Jefferson, B. and Cartmell, E., 2015. The Characterization of Feces and Urine: A Review of the Literature to Inform Advanced Treatment Technology. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology [online], 45 (17), 1827–1879.

Tarō Gomi, 2020. Everyone poops. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

The Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, n.d. The Scoop on Poop [online]. Gastrointestinal Society. 

Venes, D. and Clarence Wilbur Taber, 2013. Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary. [22nd ed., ISBN: 9780803629776]. Philadelphia, Pa.: F.A. Davis.

So there I was, basking in the purity of the White Sands. The day before was unbearably hot… all… day… long. I mean seriously hot. In fact, we were supposed to visit White Sands yesterday afternoon but the thought of said dunes in that heat was too much. We opted for an early morning visit the next day instead.

Excellent choice!

The sand, (well, the gypsum,) felt amazingly cool as we climbed the first dune. I left the rest of the hiking of the dunes to the more intrepid among us and I wallowed in the marvel that is this amazing place.

I was lying on my back, hat over my face, loving every second of this and contemplating making a sand angel cuz it felt like the appropriate thing to do. My arms were stretched out to either side, just about ready to go and, “Ow!”

I frantically brushed at my arm and as I looked to see what got me, a little red head was still attached to my bicep.

How could something so awful be hanging out in such a pure and marvelous landscape?

To be fair, shortly after arriving on the top of the dune, I looked down and saw a red ant. Then I saw many more red ants. I knew they were there and I should have paid heed. Alas. Live and learn.

Back to the red menace… I leapt up and got down the dune incredibly quickly. (Bounding down the dune was so much fun — if you go, forget the sled! They sell you a sled at the ranger station and then they buy it back from you for less than you paid. Sometimes you can find a perfectly good sled in the garbage, FYI.) I dug out my kit of 100 miniature vials of homeopathic remedies that always travels with me and immediately went for the Apis. 

I did a couple doses of Apis but the thing was still incredibly painful. I then switched to Ledum. Still really not any improvement. Then, I looked at the bite and saw a large welt developing, coupled with the intensely painful itching… Staphysagria.

That one brought some relief, both to my arm and to my mood. I then alternated between Staphysagria and Apis every few hours for the rest of the day.

This was on a Sunday. By Tuesday, it felt like it was getting worse. It was hot. It was itchy. It hurt. It felt like it was getting much bigger. Infection setting in?

I moved to Hyper/Ars: Hypericum mixed with Arsenicum album. This, too, was helpful. It contained the spread and it shrunk in size just a little bit, but then it began to spread again.

I tried a little Plantain ointment. That certainly didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t the answer. By Wednesday morning, I had decided to try a completely different route and I dug out my little canister of PRID Drawing Salve*. 

My one little bite was pretty big by now so I dabbed the sticky brown stuff on my arm and had to use 2 bandages to keep it from getting on everything.

PRID Drawing Salve has been around for over 50 years, and, as the package says, it is a “pain relief & irritant drawing salve” for splinters, thorns, ingrown hairs, insect bites, boils, minor cuts and scrapes.

What’s in it?

As I mentioned above, this stuff is sticky. Among its ingredients: beeswax and wood rosin (the internet tells me this is a natural resin from the sap of pine trees.)

Homeopathically speaking, PRID contains low X potencies of Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Ichthammol, Silicea and Sulphur -- all excellent choices for infection. 

I have written previously about Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Hepar sulph, Silicea and Sulphur. (You can search for articles on these remedies on Ruminating on Remedies.)

While digging a little deeper into Echinacea, I have learned some interesting things from herbalist Matthew Wood (I highly recommend picking up Wood's Earthwise Herbal books). (Note: I accessed this through Radar Opus software and I don't see which of his many books correlates to this title.)

The Indians of the Great Plains used the western purple coneflower, Echinacea, "to treat snake bites, insect bites, septicemia and various kinds of poisonings" (Wood).

Dr. Robin Murphy notes that homeopathic Echinacea is a great remedy "when boils progress to the stage where they appear about to point then stop and do not suppurate. Echinacea helps in carbuncles with similar symptoms, a bluish-red color and intense pain" (Murphy n.d.). (I have to say, this sounds a little like where it felt my ant bite was going.)

Ichthammol (or, Ichthyolum), however, is a new remedy for me.

Dr. Robin Murphy tells us this is an “unproved” remedy**, (made from shale oil), which comes to us from old-school therapeutics as an external application which has been used for psoriasis, eczematous dermatitis, leg ulcers, seborrheic dermatitis and furuncles (Boyd 2010).

Like Echinacea, Ichthammol is said to be a powerful anti-septic.

When I removed those first 2 bandages a couple hours later, the swelling and redness had shrunk considerably. I did feel the need to apply the PRID two more times and then that was the end of that. I am now a day shy of two weeks ago from getting this bite and I have no pain, but I do have a residual reddish mark. The other day I could see and feel 4 little white bumps so I think I suffered more than 1 nibble.
​
The downside of using a combination remedy is that it is impossible to know which remedy worked. Having said that, who cares? I am interested in positive results -- it really doesn't matter to me how I get there. Might it be more elegant to take a single dose of the appropriate homeopathic remedy. Sure! In this case, might the drawing part of this salve have played a role? Could be.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits


* I have no affiliation with this company or this person.

** Ichthammol is listed in Bradford’s Index of Homeopathic Provings (1898), so 🤷‍♀️.

I was on a plane, on my way to a wedding last week and the thought occurred to me that a homeopathic remedy kit would make an excellent wedding present.

Why? For myriad reasons, but the one that comes first to mind is based on the nugget I read many years ago that newlyweds are more prone to knife accidents in the kitchen.

Why? Apparently newlyweds have never used sharp knives until they have been gifted some for their wedding*.  (Perhaps this is old news and no longer relevant to today’s modern living with access to quality goods long before getting hitched, because I couldn’t find anything on my quick search of the internet.)

Back to those cuts. If it’s a bad or deep cut — seek medical attention, otherwise, after cleaning the wound, try one of these:

If it’s a clean slice, start with Staphysagria for relief and healing.

If it’s a jagged cut, start with Calendula for relief and healing.

If nerves are involved, you may need to add Hypericum for relief and healing.

A while back, I did a doozy, and the details of that injury can be found in that link.

(If you are a recipient of some knives, be sure to give the kind gifter a penny, otherwise, as the saying goes, you are at risk of severing the relationship!)​

Stay on the safe side and give a homeopathic remedy kit, instead!

For some ideas of kits*:

• Taproots has a great assortment of kits in small, travel sized glass vials. 
• Hahnemann labs has a nice assortment, all in 2 dram glass vials. 
• Helios in the UK has a few kits in glass vials in a hard case for traveling. 

For more kit ideas, see here.
Now you're all set for wedding season gifting ideas


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with any of these companies, I provide them here only for convenience.

Reference list
American College of Emergency Physicians, 2022. Urinary Tract Infections — Know When to Go to the ER [online]. www.emergencyphysicians.org.

Chand, K. S. and Kapoor, P., 2020. Two Case Reports of Integrated Management of Antibiotic-Resistant Urinary Tract Infection. Homeopathy : the journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy [online], 10.1055/s0039-1696992. 

ER of Texas, 2022. When to go to the ER for Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms [online]. ER of Texas. 

Ianiro, G., Tilg, H. and Gasbarrini, A., 2016. Antibiotics as deep modulators of gut microbiota: between good and evil. Gut [online], 65 (11), 1906–1915. 

LaMotte, S., 2021. Doctors treat female UTIs with wrong antibiotics nearly half the time, study finds. CNN [online], 24 February 2021.

Mattoo, T. K., Shaikh, N. and Nelson, C. P., 2021. Contemporary Management of Urinary Tract Infection in Children. Pediatrics [online], 147 (2).

Pannek, J., Jus, M. C. and Jus, M. S., 2012. [Homeopathic prophylaxis of urinary tract infections in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction]. Der Urologe. Ausg. A [online], 51 (4), 544–546. 

Pannek, J., Pannek-Rademacher, S., Jus, M. S., Wöllner, J. and Krebs, J., 2018. Usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in individuals with chronic neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine [online], 42 (4), 453–459. 

University of Utah, 2018. ER or Not: It’s Difficult to Pee [online]. healthcare.utah.edu. 

Wawrysiuk, S., Naber, K., Rechberger, T. and Miotla, P., 2019. Prevention and treatment of uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections in the era of increasing antimicrobial resistance—non-antibiotic approaches: a systemic review. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics [online], 300 (4), 821–828. 

It’s a jungle out there in the summer! All this talk of creepy crawlies is making me itchy! Keep some of these homeopathic remedies at hand in case of attack!

​

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


* I have no financial affiliation with this company, I just like their products.

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.


Anagnostou, K., 2018. Anaphylaxis in Children: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Management. Current Pediatric Reviews [online], 14 (3), 180–186.

Benzoni, T. and Cooper, J. S., 2021. Tick Removal [online]. PubMed. 

Cleveland Clinic, 2021. Caterpillar Rash: How to Spot and Treat It [online]. Cleveland Clinic. 

Coffman, S., 2021. Herbal medic : a green beret’s guide to emergency medical preparedness and natural first aid. North Adams, Ma: Storey Publishing.

Forgey, W. W., 2020. The prepper’s medical handbook : how to provide medical care when you can’t rely on anyone but yourself. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press.

Homeopathy Plus, 2020. The Cinchona Experiment [online]. Homeopathy Plus. 

Lessell, C. B., 1999. The world travellers’ manual of homoeopathy. Saffron Walden: C.W. Daniel.

Magyar, A. C., 2020. How To Make A Plantain Tincture + 8 Ways To Use This Healing Plant [online]. Rural Sprout. 

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

Permin, H., Norn, S., Kruse, E. and Kruse, P. R., 2016. On the history of Cinchona bark in the treatment of Malaria. Dansk Medicinhistorisk Arbog [online], 44, 9–30. 

Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kander, Germany: Narayana Verlag.

Ross Russell, A. L., Dryden, M. S., Pinto, A. A. and Lovett, J. K., 2018. Lyme disease: diagnosis and management. Practical Neurology [online], 18 (6), 455–464. 

Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines, 2022. How to Remove A Tick [online]. HealthyChildren.org. 

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

Sue, 2014. Gigantic black horse fly [online]. Back Yard Biology. 

Watts, M. M. and Ditto, A. M., 2019. Anaphylaxis. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings [online], 40 (6), 453–456. 

Funny how the world works. I have been thinking of writing a post about recovering from surgery and lo and behold, not long ago, I awakened to a text saying my oldest son was in the ER experiencing terrible stomach pain. 

Yes. You guessed it. Within 12 hours, he had his appendix removed*.

Always remember… the procedure may be simple, but recovering from removing a piece of your anatomy is never simple!

He was prescribed and he filled all of the meds the doctors recommended. Has he used them? Nope. (I take that back. He took one single Tylenol the first morning.)

How did we address this post-surgical pain? With 2 little tubes of homeopathic remedies: homeopathic Nux vomica and Helios’** homeopathic combination remedy, "Surg".

Why Nux vomica following an appendectomy and anesthesia? 

Dr. Ratera (2016, p. 310) lists Nux vomica among a selection of only 11 remedies for use following general anesthesia, including narcosis (“a state of stupor, drowsiness or unconsciousness produced by drugs”). 

Schroyens (2012) lists Nux in the following rubrics in his homeopathic repertory:

• Stomach, nausea, operation on abdomen, after; Including cramping pain.
• Vomiting following an operation.
• General ailments following an operation.

In addition to those “official” symptoms, Nux vomica is the remedy to turn to when you have things in your system that shouldn’t be there — (see:  Garbage in, Garbage out and Too Much!). 

Once upon a time, our Great Pyrenees, Rufus, had a minor procedure and he was not waking up following the anesthesia (see definition of Narcosis above). When I set out to his vet appointment, I didn’t know he was going to be put under, so, I didn’t bring any remedies with me. But, I always have Nux vomica 200c in my purse, (see: My Little Bag of Wellness). I slipped 2 pellets in between his gum and his cheek and he literally popped out of Neverland and was able to stand up and walk to the car. Did I mention he’s a big dog? There was no way I was going to be able to carry him to the car. We got home and he curled up on his bed and was back into a very deep sleep. Another dose of Nux placed between his gum and his cheek and he got up and drank some water. I think we did 1 final dose of Nux later that evening and he was back to his normal self.

My son didn’t want to take the Nux immediately. They told him that having the anesthesia in his system would help him to sleep that night and since it had been a long time since he had any sleep, that’s the route he chose.

The other tube of homeopathy he used was a beautiful mixture of homeopathic remedies from Helios pharmacy they call “Surg.” Surg is a combination of Arnica, Bellis perennis, Calendula, Hypericum and Staphysagria.

Homeopathic Arnica is probably the most researched homeopathic remedy. Below is a good handful of summaries and links to the actual papers.

ARNICA & SURGERY RESEARCH:

Anesthesia recovery and Analgesia in dogs -- Arnica & Papaver
“The Arnica group required rescue analgesia later than the others.” (I’m willing to bet the rescue analgesia could be have been avoided all-together if further doses of Arnica were provided.)

Postoperative Sore Throat (This is a case report.)

Knee Surgery
“In all three trials, patients receiving homeopathic arnica showed a trend towards less postoperative swelling compared to patients receiving placebo.”

Post-tonsillectomy analgesia
“The results of this trial suggest that Arnica montana given after tonsillectomy provides a small, but statistically significant, decrease in pain scores compared to placebo.”

​Healing of Wounds following surgery, compared to diclofenac
“After foot operations, Arnica… can be used instead of diclofenac to reduce wound irritation.”

Effectiveness and Safety of Arnica montana in Post-Surgical Setting, Pain and Inflammation. This is a review showing “arnica Montana is more effective than placebo when used for the treatment of several conditions including post-traumatic and postoperative pain, edema, and ecchymosis.”

Varicose vein surgery Varicose vein surgery
“The results of this pilot study showed a trend towards a beneficial effect of Arnica… with regard to reduction of hematoma and pain during the postoperative course.”


Is Homeopathic Arnica Effective for Postoperative Recovery? A Meta-analysis of Placebo-Controlled and Active Comparator Trials
“Homeopathic Arnica has a small effect size over and against placebo in preventing excessive hematoma and other sequelae of surgeries. The effect is comparable to that of anti-inflammatory substances.”

Is there a role for homeopathy in breast cancer surgery?
“A. montana… could reduce post-operative blood and seroma collection in women undergoing unilateral total mastectomy.”

Use of Arnica to relieve pain after carpal-tunnel release surgery
“…there was a significant reduction in pain experienced after 2 weeks in the Arnica-treated group.”

RESEARCH on ARNICA combined with other homeopathic remedies listed in “Surg.”

Healing of Surgical Wounds -- Arnica & Staphysagria
The table provided in this study shows the number of days needed to complete healing of the surgical wound for the control group and the groups assigned either Arnica or Staphysagria.

Homeopathic Mixture Accelerates Wound Closure -- Arnica, Calendula, and Hypericum
“A homeopathic remedy… accelerates in vitro wound scratch closure of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.”

The effect of the homeopathic remedies Arnica montana and Bellis perennis on mild postpartum bleeding
“Treatment with homeopathic Arnica montana and Bellis perennis may reduce postpartum blood loss, as compared with placebo.

RESEARCH on Arnica and homeopathic remedies not listed in “Surg.”
Perioperative Homeopathic Arnica and Bromelain
"A systematic review of the literature demonstrates the potential for arnica and bromelain to improve perioperative outcomes including edema, ecchymosis, and pain control."

RESEARCH on Hypericum:
Hypericum perforatum to Improve Postoperative Pain Outcome After Monosegmental Spinal Sequestrectomy (HYPOS)
“Although no significant differences between the groups could be shown, we found that patients who took potentiated Hypericum in addition to usual pain management showed lower consumption of analgesics.”

Homeopathic treatment for peripheral nerve regeneration
“Hypericum improves functional recovery of peripheral nerve regeneration in rats.”

Note: Most of the research on Calendula, Hypericum and Bellis perennis  centers on herbal or mother tinctures. 

Historically speaking, in homeopathic terms, these last three remedies have a terrific reputation for post-surgical and wound healing with claims that it can promote healing and reduce risk of infection. Dr. Robin Murphy spoke often in his seminars of the healing qualities of Calendula and names it the number one remedy to use following surgery, noting the homeopathic remedy can be taken internally as well as topically. (Note: to use topically, a pellet of homeopathic Calendula can be added to clean water and used as a compress. Or, “Calendula, mother tincture, 15 drops to a wineglass of boiled water. This will cleanse the abraded surface and prevent sepsis. Calendula 6 given three to four times daily by the mouth will assist the healing process” (Shepherd and Robinson 1995).

Calendula and Hypericum tinctures are often used together following surgery or for wound healing in general. 

Dr. Dorothy Shepherd*** says, “I have never seen a cleaner wound surface or more rapid healing in a torn perineum than those which were treated with Calendula sprays, and it was much more efficacious, and more rapid than the strongest antiseptic, nor was there any rise in temperature after!” (Shephard 1989).

Bellis perennis is the common daisy. When I first learned about this remedy, the story was told about the soldiers in the war marching over fields of daisies. They were tired and they were sore and they were bruised and they didn’t realize the little flowers they were tromping over actually held the key to their ails. “Bellis perennis is long-flowering and surprisingly tough. It is resilient to the damage of mowing and human footfall, bouncing back” (Evans 2020).

The National Center for Homeopathy says it is most often used to speed surgical healing.

In addition to being helpful after surgery, Bellis can be used to assist in the healing from “long-unresolved or repeated trauma from accidents and injuries; physical, emotional or sexual abuse” (Evans 2020). Bellis is “especially useful in soft tissue injuries …. Similar to Arnica, it acts on muscle fibers and blood vessels with intense pain … deep trauma … especially in pelvis and abdomen” (Ratera 2016).


If you or a loved one has a surgery scheduled in the near future, contact Helios for a tube of “Surg” or, grab a tube of each of the remedies included in that combination (Arnica, Bellis perennis Calendula, Hypericum, and Staphysagria) and make your own combo remedy to help speed your recovery along. (Note: A good way to make your own combo remedy is to drop a pellet or two into a bottle of water and take sips as needed. Remember, every sip is a dose, so it's wise to have a water for drinking and a bottle for healing.)


For further research on the potential benefits of homeopathy, see: https://classicallypractical.com/research.html.



Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


* Are there homeopathic remedies that can help with an inflamed appendix? Yes, there are, and perhaps I will write about those one day. In the mean time, if you are suffering from appendicitis, or, other severe stomach/abdominal pain, please go to the ER or talk to your physician.

** I have no affiliation with Helios; I just like their products.

*** Dr. Dorothy Shepherd was an orthodox physician who turned to homeopathy, saying, “I must admit that homeopathy has never let me down.” She had a homeopathic clinic in London during the war (Anon. 2009).

Reference list
Anon., 2009. Dorothy Shepherd (1885 - 1952) [online]. www.sueyounghistories.com. 

Anon., 2022. Bellis perennis [online]. National Center for Homeopathy. 

Evans, J., 2020. Asteraceae: remedies of the sunflower family. Harlem, NL: Emryss.

Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kander, Germany: Narayana Verlag.

Schroyens, F., 2012. Synthesis : repertorium homeopathicum syntheticum. Accessed through Radar Opus software. London: Homeopathic Book Publishers.

Shephard, Dr. D., 1989. The magic of the minimum dose : experiences and cases. Saffron Walden: Health Science Press.
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Shepherd, D. and Robinson, G. E., 1995. More magic of the minimum dose : experiences and cases. Saffron Walden, Essex: C.W. Daniel Co.

Reference list
Cell Salt Tissues, 2022. Buy Schuessler Salts | Cell Salts Tissue Salts World [online].

Downing, M., 2009. Spring forward : the annual madness of daylight saving. Berkeley: Counterpoint.

Folyovich, A., Biczó, D., Jarecsny, T., Al-Muhanna, N., Jánoska, D., Béres-Molnár, K. A., Dudás, E., and Toldi, G., 2020. Daylight saving time and the incidence of thrombolysis to treat acute ischemic stroke. Revue Neurologique[online], 176 (5), 361–365. 

Manfredini, R., Fabbian, F., Cappadona, R., De Giorgi, A., Bravi, F., Carradori, T., Flacco, M., and Manzoli, L., 2019. Daylight Saving Time and Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine [online], 8 (3), 404. 

Morrison, R., 1993. Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Accessed through Radar Opus. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Pub.
Murphy, R., n.d. Homeopathic Remedy Guide. accessed through Radar Opus.

Prerau, D. S., 2006. Seize the daylight : the curious and contentious story of daylight saving time. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press.

Rishi, M. A., Ahmed, O., Barrantes Perez, J. H., Berneking, M., Dombrowsky, J., Flynn-Evans, E. E., Santiago, V., Sullivan, S. S., Upender, R., Yuen, K., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R. N., Carden, K. A., Kirsch, D. B., Kristo, D. A., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Olson, E. J., Ramar, K., and Rosen, C. L., 2020. Daylight saving time: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine [online]. 

Zhang, H., Dahlén, T., Khan, A., Edgren, G., and Rzhetsky, A., 2020. Measurable health effects associated with the daylight saving time shift. PLOS Computational Biology [online], 16 (6), e1007927.