I know, I know, you all are surprised after read this title. But it is true.
Each and every remedy talks with us and share its knowledge to us. I talk with many medicines for so long time and I reach upto some conclusion about their individual and unique talking sense. I would like to share that conclusions with you people.
Our Materia Medica and repertory are replete with innumerable expression of speech. Let me share some of them:
1 ) Lachesis mutus
Lachesis is very garrulous and chatty and he wants to talk constantly. He yearns to be out of the cage and is upset by any bondage.
He doesn’t like to be interrupted and he puts all of his energy through the route
Thought —> Passion —> Obsession —> Compulsion —> Action.
Lachesis has tremendous energy and associated with it is possessiveness and competitiveness.
He is venomous and sarcastic in disposition and when you combine all these features together it is not difficult to recognize what kind of speech Lachesis can have!
Lachesis energy is focused in the vocal cords and this is his strength. He can’t remain silent and is always interested in casting his opinions, arguments, discourses, beliefs and prejudices.
A sensual Lachesis may talk on sexual subjects or during a fit of anger, may use sensual language.
A jealous Lachesis can use very strong and threatening words.
Lachesis has a sharp tongue and he can abrade others very badly and easily. Contemptuous laughing often accompanies his speech. He jumps from one subject to the other, doesn’t stick to any subject and it is difficult to control his speech.
Speech rubrics are covered by Lachesis:
• Bombast
• Loquacity
• Confused
• Foolish
• Hasty
• Incoherent
• Loud
• Nonsensical
• Slow
• Wandering
2 ) Hyoscyamus niger
Hyoscyamus is like Lachesis in many respects. Suspiciousness, jealousy and sexuality run parallel. Apart from acute psychotic episodes, Hyoscyamus has lascivious mania or has great hilarity where he laughs at everything or has rage where he strikes, bites, fights, insults, scolds and kills. In all these acts, Hyoscyamus has exaggerated gestures.
Hyoscyamus is immodest in acts, gestures and expressions. Speech is harsh, quarrelsome, irritating and threatening. Hyoscyamus has foolish laughter, animated and hurried talk. He becomes speechless from fright. He makes gestures of the hands as if brushing the face or as if brushing something away. Also, picking at bedclothes; plays with hands; reaches out for things.
In a fit of anger, Hyoscyamus can use sensual and filthy language. Rubrics related to speech in Hyoscyamus are:
• Babbling
• Confused
• Foolish
• Hasty
• Incoherent
• Intoxicated
• Loquacity
• Loud
• Nonsense
• Prattling
• Unintelligible
• Vivacious
• Wandering
Discussion on Some Remedies
1 ) How will you understand the theme of childishness in a patient?
Apparently through the element of voice and intonation. We all know Baryta carb. for childishness, but don’t forget Argentum nit. Both have a childish voice.
2 ) Will you think of Carcinosinum for softness?
It has the central thread of softness: Emotions, mind, tumour, abscess, skin, music, light, dancing and speech. No doubt that the perfectionist, confident, soft spoken and affectionate Carcinosinum is liked by all!
3 ) Perfectionist Lycopodium has a commanding voice; he dictates so that others should follow; when it comes exposing his inner weakness, he manipulates well because he is a talented liar.
But no remedy can match Tarentula as far as lying is concerned. His lying is more sophisticated and talented and a concerned person understands that he has been deceived after a long time. The plot has been designed so superbly that he escapes from the consequences.
4 ) Who will forget Pulsatilla?
Truly feminine voice, full of gentleness and polite tone, with a tinge of childishness and ever ready to grab sympathy from you. And do you know that she will conquer through stooping, being submissive and yielding? Pulsatilla speaks less and weeps more; each weeping spell is like a sentence and remember, the tank of water kept above her eyes is always full. The clingy Pulsatilla starts weeping as soon as the parents go away from her. Parental cuddling manages to check the flow of tears, which begins as soon as the parents keep the child down. A talkative Pulsatilla child usually becomes taciturn and mops about pouting instead. This goes with the yielding character of the type.
5 ) Ignatia, both hysterical and non-hysterical type, is also gentle and has a weeping disposition. Sighing, sobbing, moaning and groaning characterize Ignatia. Sadness affects the voice to the extent of becoming low in Ignatia.
6 ) There are two remedies which must be considered for low feeble voice– Phosphoricum acidum and Psorinum. Both are pessimistic and with depleted energy. They lose interest in life and the vocal cords amply demonstrate it. The performer, Argentum nit., when afflicted with anticipatory anxiety, develops the trembling of voice, as the target organ is vocal cords.
Loud voice is typical for Caust., Lyc., Lyss., Pall., Plat., Sulph. and Verat. In each remedy, the personality is different and it manifests differently in the quality of voice.
A ) In Causticum the loud voice is for the sake of fight for justice. His empathetic nature compels him to work for the welfare of others and while he is showing his anger against the people who are the offenders, his voice becomes loud. The voice quality has the capacity to induce sympathy in others. The talk is emotionally charged and goes a long way in keeping an impression.
B ) Lycopodium talk is very dictatorial and commanding (‘speaks with an air of command’- Hering) and it has the capacity to make others subordinate before him. The confident Lycopodium has a steady voice and a clear tone. Often, the harsh voice takes over.
C ) Lyssinum is much more aggressive than Lycopodium or even Lachesis. It barks in a loud voice and his reaction is fierce and it has the base of humiliation.
D ) Palladium longs for appreciation and the quality of voice has a content of it and if he doesn’t receive it, he identifies it with insult and thinks that he has been offended and during the fit of anger, he may express it through violent language and a loud voice.
E ) The loud voice of Platinum is proportionate to her domineering, arrogant and contemptuous nature.
F ) Veratrum’s loud voice springs from his grandiosity, superiority complex and egotism.
G ) Sulphur talks in a rough and coarse way. His basic character of being heated easily at the physical level is also present at the mental level. He explodes easily in anger like a volcano and being hurried, his talk is also rapid. Catherine Coulter describes,
‘The type is often argumentative, finding in verbal combat an outlet for his heat and pugnacity. It is often a Sulphur who fires off the first shot. Since he enjoys an argument for its own sake, both as a form of mental exercise and as an exchange of ideas, he is not particular about the topic chosen for this purpose and is ever ready to jump in with both feet into any chance battle.’
I hope you all enjoys a lot in this discussion.
Thank you our faculty members of Department of Materia Medica at RHMC.
THANK YOU …….
HAVE A GOOD DAY …….
