“Our cheerfulness in social life does much depend upon the liver.” – Dr JC Burnett
“You will not be surprised to find that heart and liver affections are associated with hopelessness and despair.” – Dr JT Kent
In parts 1 and 2 we have seen the importance of Boericke’s Materia Medica (why to study Boericke), criticism of ‘doctrine of signature’, augmented drug picture of Chelidonium etc.
Here in the third part of Chelidonium we shall study mind of Chelidonium, remedy relationships of Chelidonium and a few proving symptoms of the same. I shall start with statements from Dr Andre Saine and Dr Garth Boericke,followed by the mental symptoms ,followed by proving symptoms from Materia Medica Pura and in the end remedy relationships of Chelidonium.In the last and fourth part we shall see the physical symptoms of the proving of Chelidonium.
When Hahnemann started to develop homeopathy, he cleaned the table of all theories, speculation, fancies, products of imagination, opinions. He says all these are irrational medicine. He developed a system, where mistakes and error would be minimal. He developed a system on pure observation and the pure observations were put in a book called Materia Medica Pura, pure from speculation, pure from theories. (Dr Andre Saine)
The most reliable Materia Medicas are the ones coming from reliable, objective observers, the ones we are able to confirm in practice.
Hahnemann’s Materia Medica is most reliable (except where symptoms were mistranslated from German language)
Many times when a patient has a nice symptom you will find it in Hahnemann almost word for word, because he was a very careful observer and particular in writing the language of the patient or the prover. In my experience there is no other Materia Medica that will do that.
(Dr Andre Saine)
In Materia Medica Pura the indications of our medicines are expressed in non-medical terminology, for Hahnemann, realized with remarkable foresight that ,if the indications were couched in the medical terms of his day, such indications would rapidly become obsolete as medical science progressed and new names and new knowledge of pathology,physiology,and chemistry were acquired. But he realized that symptoms do not change even though a new name is given to a disease.Hence, a medicine given for a certain symptom is just helpful today regardless of a new nomenclature or conception of the cause. (Dr Garth Boericke)
Dr G Nagendra Babu in his book ‘Introduction to Materia Medica’ writes that
Materia Medica pura is the first official book of Homoeopathic Materia Medica published by Master Hahnemann. It is the collection of unaltered,’pure’, expressions of the pathogenic effects of drugs and of the derangements they are capable of causing in the healthy provers. Hence it is called Materia Medica Pura. It is the first step to practically apply the working principle of Homoeopathy ‘Let like be treated by likes’.
The following mental symptoms are mentioned by Phatak
Aversion to mental exertion or conversation.
Despondent.
Anxiety as if she had committed a crime; fear of getting crazy.
Feels like crying with ill humour or without any reason.
Restless; hence agile.
The following symptoms are mentioned by Franz Vermeulen in ‘Focus Materia Medica’
Less intellectual then Lycopodium. More practical.
No-nonsense, down-to-earth, rational, realistic, strong-minded, SCEPTICAL, can only be convinced by physical proof [only believes he is improving when X-ray unmistakably show it].
Dominant more so than Lycopodium, NOT IMPRESSED by AUTHORITY, [Lycopodium has more cowardice; only dominant and dictatorial at home; Chelidonium is also dominant outside the house]
Definite sense of what is right and wrong; strong-minded. “Never wastes time with analysing emotions. “Not overtaken by their emotions. Wants to be sure about health [interesting delusion: Delusion he has ruined his health]
The following rubrics are from Kent’s repertory
MIND – DELUSIONS, – die, – thought he was about to: (1) Chel. + (15)
MIND – DELUSIONS, – disease, – has incurable: (1) chel. – (4)Arg-n. cact. plb. Sabad.
MIND – DELUSIONS, – health, he has ruined his: (1) chel.
The following symptoms are mentioned by Dr Kavita Chandak in her book ‘The visual language of Homoeopathy’
Central theme – Toxic stagnation within the hepatobiliary system reflected in both body and mood
- Dull, oppressed, despondent state with aversion to exertion.
- Sluggish mind, confusion, and forgetfulness; drowsy yet unrested.
- Irritable and discontented; seeks solitude, dislikes contradiction.
- Anxiety felt in the region of the liver; sense of impending illness.
- Better when busy; worse from rest or inactivity.
Mental symptoms from Materia Medica Pura (mind symptoms are mentioned at the end in ‘Materia Medica Pura’; in ‘Chronic diseases’ they are mentioned first)
- Extraordinarily depressed, full of gloomy thoughts about the present and future, causing him to weep; he could get no rest in any place. [Myr.]
- Sad to weeping, and depressed about the present and future. [Wth.]
- Cheerful disposition. [Lr.]
The remedy relationship of Chelidonium from Allen’s keynotes
Chelidonium antidotes the abuse of Bryonia, especially in hepatic complaints.
Compare: Acon., Bry., Lyc., Mer., Nux, Sang., Sep., Sulph.
Ars., Lyc. and Sulph. follow well, and will often be required to complete the cure.
Boger’s synoptic key says the related remedies are – Bry. Kali-bi. Merc. Op.
Boericke mentions in his Materia Medica
Sulph. often completes its work.
Complementary: Lycop.; Bryon.
Antidote : Chamom.
Compare : Nux; Sulph.; Bry.; Lyc.; Opium; Podophyl.; Sanguin.; Ars.
Suggested further reading for remedy relationships
- CB Knerr’s book ‘Drug relationship’
- Remedy relationship tables in Kent’s repertory and Boericke’s Materia Medica
- Concordance section in Boenninghausen’s therapeutic pocket book
- Work of Dr Ajit Kulkarni Sir in his Absolute Homoeopathic Materia Medica
References
- Materia Medica Pura – by Samuel Hahnemann
- Pocket manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica – by Dr William Boericke
- Materia Medica of Homoeopathic medicines – by Dr SR Phatak
- The visual language of Homoeopathy – by Dr Kavita Chandak
- Homoeopathy – by Dr Garth Boericke
- Teaching :Psychiatric patients: Pure Classical Homoeopathy – by Dr Andre Saine
- Introduction to Materia Medica – by Dr G Nagendra Babu
- Focus Materia Medica – by Franz Vermeulen
- Synoptic key – by Dr CM Boger
- Kent’s repertory
- Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica – Dr JT Kent
- 200 years of Homoeopathy – Dr KD Kanodia
