Alumen Common potash alum. Alum. Potassic-Aluminic Sulphate. An astringent double salt, found as a mineral near the volcanoes of the Lipari Isles, in Sicily.   The essential features This remedy should be understood as having mainly two phases, two states of pathological action upon the human organism. In the first it produces conditions where we see extreme dryness of the mucous membranes (coition is almost impossible), and skin which becomes rough, indurations and hardening of glands and tissues of tongue, of rectum, uterus, mammae etc with a tendency to malignancy, ulcers with indurated bases, epitheliomas, scirrhus etc. There is a tendency in this remedy to greyish black manifestations such as eruptions, stool which is black, dark pseudomembranes on throat etc. The second phase is one of paralysis, paralytic weakness, especially in rectum (severe constipation) and bladder (no power to expel the urine, runs perpendicularly),  with constricting feelings like that of a tight band especially on extremities. Also paresis, sluggish action of muscles, varicose veins that become relaxed and bleed, hemorrhages of various types especially from rectum, etc. Sometimes read more [...]

Alumina silicata Andalusite rock - Alumina 63, Silica 37 parts.   The essential features This is another interesting remedy about which we do not have enough information. Most of the symptomatology comes from Kent and from the few cases where I have prescribed it so far. I am convinced that this is going to prove to be a very important remedy once we know more about it. You may need this remedy in the deepest and most stubborn cases you meet in your homeopathic career. It is a remedy that contains in its pathogenesis elements from all three remedies : Alumen, Alumina and Silica and yet it has its own individuality. What is striking in my experience is the fact that those patients who need this remedy may present symptoms which are not very obtrusive, but deep and disturbing on a permanent basis. It seems that once an Alumina silicata symptomatology sets in there is no interval in the suffering of the patient, it is there all the time, day and night. In this way the patient becomes a victim of the most deep and annoying symptomatology. This subtle but incessant suffering becomes a great element of this remedy. For instance a woman may take to her bed for most of her read more [...]

Allium Sativum Garlic. N.O. Liliaceae. Tincture of fresh bulb   The essential features Allium sativum is another remedy to be classed among the neglected remedies in our Materia Medica. I consider it to be an important and valuable remedy in certain cases for which Bryonia, Kali bichromicum, Sulphur, Lachesis, belladonna etc. are given today. It corresponds to fleshy people with voracious appetites, with chronic spastic colitis where there is a lot of gas that cannot come out and that causes pain. There is a pressing pain - from within outwards - in the upper abdomen and along the transverse colon which is aggravated from stepping. Walking causes excruciating pains (Bell). They have to lie down to get relief or sit in a bent forward position and press with both hands. Allium sativum people are obliged to keep to a particular diet, for fear of immediate aggravation in their digestive problems from any deviation in their eating habits. They may develop heartburns, gas in the abdomen, eructations with much saliva, and strong pressing pains, pressure from within outward. They have a feeling as if everything inside the abdomen is dragging down (Sep). In comparing read more [...]

Allium cepa Common red onion N.O. Liliaceae Mode of preparation: For Homeopathic use we use the tincture of the onion or of the whole fresh plant. This is gathered from July to August.   The essential features Allium cepa has established an undisputed reputation for acting upon the upper respiratory system and in curing common colds that settle in the nose and travel   downwards, with a watery, acrid discharge from the nose while at the same time there is redness of eyes with lacrimation which is bland. It affects primarily the left side of the nose and later on moves to the right side. There is aggravation from warm room and in the evening and amelioration from open air. In my experience this remedy has been misused for this ailment (common colds) and has been prescribed too frequently when other remedies should have been indicated. A note of warning: since this remedy has in its pathogenesis the tendency to drive the inflammation from the uppermost part of the respiratory system -the nose- downwards -towards the larynx and bronchii-, I have observed in especially sensitive patients with a tendency to developing allergic asthma that their respiratory difficulties read more [...]

Agnus Castus Vitex agnus castus English: Chaste tree French: Gattilier commun German: Keusch-lamm N.O. Gattiliers or Verbenaceae, Vitices Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] - Didynamia angiospermia Mode of preparation: The juice of the ripe berries, leaves and flowers are mixed with equal parts of alcohol. History: Agnus castus means chaste lamb, and its name hints at the remedy's special action. The leaves of this plant were used to adorn the beds of Greek women during the absence of their husbands so as to prevent any impure thoughts from entering their minds and also by medieval monks to repress sexual desire. In the actual provings the remedy has shown that it does repress sexual instinct and desire.   The essential features Agnus castus is a remedy which, I believe, will be increasingly needed in modern societies, especially by the younger generation and especially by homosexuals. It is a remedy that first excites the sexual sphere to the point of perversion and eventually depresses it, resulting in a decline in sexual power and joy and a depletion of bodily fluids. The individual feels that he has squandered his vital fluids, that he has read more [...]

Agaricus Muscarius Amanita muscaria. Agaricus imperialis. English: Bug agaric French: Agaric moucheté, Champignon rouge German: Fliegenschwamm, Fliegenpilz Italian: Amanita Russian: Moucho-more N.O. Fungi; Class I. Thallogens Vegetable family [Jussieu]: Cryptogamia Preparation: Agaricus is collected in the hottest months and hung up by a string in the air to dry; some dry of themselves on the ground and are said to be far more narcotic than those artificially preserved. To render it proper for homeopathic usage, the stalk and the cap are cleaned, and after the epidermis is removed, it is cut into small pieces, on which an equal quantity of alcohol is poured. From the tincture thus prepared the alcoholic attenuations are produced.   The essential features Agaricus is a remedy which is needed more often in our times than in the past since its psychological picture corresponds closely to many of the contemporary anxiety states encountered with increasing frequency today. The psychological pathology of Agaricus typically manifests in dependent, weak-willed individuals. These persons have from an early age established a pattern of seeking the read more [...]

Aethusa Cynapium Aethusa cynapium. Fool's Parsley. N.O. Umbelliferae. Tincture of whole flowering plant.   The essential features Unfortunately, nowhere in our homeopathic literature do we find a clear description of the chronic conditions of the remedy Aethusa. The remedy has been considered mainly for acute conditions. Of course, Kent has beautifully described the acute picture of the remedy: aggressive gastric and intestinal conditions where "The child has the appearance as if it were dying, pale hippocratic face..." However, certain clues, which appear in the Materia Medicas, the Repertory and other sources, when combined with information gleaned from clinical cases, have helped establish a picture of the chronic state of Aethusa. With regard to the mental-emotional characteristics, we frequently find that the Aethusa individual remains separate from others -- a man apart. He is withdrawn, but in a very singular way. Inside he experiences very deep, intense emotions, yet he does not communicate these emotions to other people. He may be moved to tears, but tears do not come. He may feel friendly, but he appears aloof. It seems that at a certain point in read more [...]

Aesculus Hippocastanum Hippocastanum vulgaris. Horse chestnut Natural order: Sapindaceae. Homeopathic preparation: Tincture of the ripe, fresh nut.   The essential features Aesculus has established a wonderful reputation, and rightly so, for painful and enormously protruding hemorrhoids, purple in colour, that have a reflex action upon the sacral, the lumbo-sacral or the sacro-iliac regions with excruciating pains. These two areas, the rectum and the sacral region, can be affected in sequence, either the sacral area is affected first and then the hemorrhoids appear or the painful hemorrhoids protrude first and then there is a reflex pain in the sacral area. Bleeding is not common but if it occurs it relieves the pain somewhat. The above is the "keynote syndrome" on which you may prescribe the remedy with a lot of confidence, but Aesculus can cure much more than this. It has, like every other remedy in our Materia Medica a concrete, definite and singular action upon the constitution that can be expressed by the words venous stasis with venous engorgement. The venous system is in a state of flabbiness, of stagnation, of sluggishness, of laziness that permeates read more [...]

Adrenalinum Adrenalin is also called Epinephrine. It is a sarcode and it is obtained as an extract from the adrenal or suprarenal glands. In Homeopathy we use the tincture or trituration. Practitioners should take special care when using this extract, to find out the exact composition origin of the remedy used by the pharmacy.   Physiological action Adrenalin or epinephrine is a 3, 4 - dihydroxy-a (methylaminomethyl) benzyl alcohol. It is a catecholamine and the chief neurohormone or neurotransmitter of the adrenal medulla. It has a sympathomimetic action on adrenergic a and b receptors resulting in increased heart rate and contraction, vasoconstriction or vasodilation, relaxation of bronchiolar and intestinal smooth muscle while corresponding sphincters are stimulated, lipolysis, etc. Epinephrine and generally catecholamines increase metabolic rate, and stimulate the breakdown of stored fuel with the production of substrate for local consumption; for example, glycogenolysis in the heart. It also contributes to the regulation of the volume and composition of extracellular fluid, promoting cellular uptake of potassium in the renal tubule. Epinephrine along with the other read more [...]

  Aconitum caule simplici; Aconitum vulgare English: Large blue wolfsbane, Monkshood, Aconite, Helmet flower, Friar's cap. French: Aconit napel, Napel, Aconit. German: Napel Sturmhut, Eisenhut, Blauer Sturmhut Italian: Napello Spanish: Napelo. Dutch: Monnikskap Danish: Dreumunke Swedish: Stormbat Russian: Borets Natural order: Ranunculaceae Family: Jussieu [vegetable substance] - Polyandria trigynia, L. Mode of preparation: The juice of the fresh herb is prepared and mixed with equal parts of alcohol, yielding the mother tincture.   The essential features In the beginning years of my practice I used Aconite only for acute inflammatory conditions, like everybody else in the homeopathic world, because of the wrong assumption that Aconite was indicated only in acute, febrile conditions. It was only later that I discovered that it was also very useful for what could be called chronic conditions, especially chronic phobic or anxiety states. Since that time we have been using it at the Center of Homeopathic Medicine in Athens quite frequently for such chronic conditions with very good results. Actually Hahnemann had made a similar read more [...]