Materia Medica (2)
ALL THE BETTER TO EAT YOU WITH…..
an appetising look at Drosera, Sarracenia and Nepenthe
These are all carnivorous plants that capture their prey in various ways.
Drosera is the sundew that has sticky hairs with glands at the end that take on the appearance of drops of dew. It is these sticky hairs which trap the prey and the glandular hairs turn towards the prey in a very slow but visible manner. It can take anything up to 14 hours for this to happen – so SLOWNESS is characteristic, coupled with issues of INABILITY.
On the physical plane this is seen as an inability to raise mucous which is deep in the respiratory tract.
Drosera has an affinity to many types of cough including whooping cough. The cough is very deep, choking, hoarse, harassing, spasmodic. The cough effects the voice which becomes hoarse and cracked. There is a sensation as if something is stuck in the throat and swallowing becomes difficult.
On an emotional level this ‘inability’ is all about being trapped. Thus anxiety about the future develops along with a feeling of being persecuted or pursued. They want to go home and not be trapped where they are. Being trapped creates a mixture of impatience and indifference; a mixture of restlessness, rage and sadness and sluggishness; courageous and yet cowardly. Being trapped is the ultimate in bad news to them so there is ‘ailments from bad news’. Feelings of suspicion evolve.
Drosera also has an affinity to the alimentary tract – they cannot eat pork or sour foods and fatty foods make them nauseous. Many foods taste bitter, especially bread. Blood and bile is easily vomited. There are shooting pains and a clawing sensation in the pit of the stomach, it feels as if it has been beaten. Stools are often bloody and mucous like.
Sarracenia is the purple pitcher plant. This is a more than adequate description. Pitcher like traps with heart shaped hoods develop at the end of stalks. The traps are passive and made up of leaves folded around themselves. The traps contain nectar and fine hairs which trap the prey – the idea being that once inside the prey falls to the bottom of the pitcher and is unable to get out again. Unwitting suicide due to the temptation of nectar that overrides common sense and survival.
Thus capriciousness and cheerfulness preside but this soon develops into a state of fearfulness, restlessness, sadness and weeping. They try to hang on to the minutiae of life and become conscientious about trifles. Apathy alternates with mental activity, as is often the case in states of being trapped – the need to escape vies with an acceptance of fate. This alternation is represented as a sensation of being split – the head feels as if it has been knocked and split into two and general pains feels as if they are zig zagging. Sleep is difficult and spoilt by frightful dreams. A state of envy matures into feelings of disgrace and the delusion of having committed a crime – that of their own downfall.
The heart becomes heavy, irregular and congested. Congestion is felt throughout – the eyes feel swollen; lungs feel as if suffocating; the uterus feels swollen; the rectum feels swollen and inflamed.
Sarracenia also has an affinity to variola, herpes, psoriasis and small pox. Pains are felt in the bones. Some senses are paralysed – that of hearing and smell.
They are hungry all the time, even after having just eaten. A curious symptom is to feel really sleepy when eating, can even fall asleep during a meal. It is difficult to keep food in the stomach though and there is copious vomiting – one reason why they feel hungry all the time. The stomach feels distended and torn and morning diarrhoea develops.
Nepenthe is similar to Sarracenia in as much as it also has a passive pitfall trap and the shape resembles the pitcher.
Nepenthe also has alternating states. It has an affinity to hyperthyroidism on the one side that is characterised by irritation, impatience, trembling, jangling nerves and physical tension, fatigue and exhaustion on the other.
Unlike Sarracenia though this remedy has a feeling of optimism. Nepenthe has an affinity to diabetes insipidus, herpes, torticollis (torticollis is all about muscles, spasms, reflexes and links again with the feelings of being trapped), menstrual disorders and infertility (due to congestion again), duodenal ulcers, narcolepsy (escape through sleep), digestive migraines and cancer of the stomach.
There is a sense of a lump in the heart that is also linked to the digestion. The whole body feels as if swollen.
The mouth feels as if made of parchment. The teeth are usually in poor condition giving rise to a taste of iron in the mouth. Another strange taste is that of pimentoes. The mouth is dry and burning. There is a particular aversion to tobacco.
There are hunger pangs but thirst is greater. There is a lot of gastric dyspepsia and like the other remedies the stomach feels bruised. There is also a sense of a hard swelling in the stomach. This causes a need to gasp and gasping is common amongst the carnivorous plant remedies – it has to do with being caught and escaping – inhalation and expelling. Stools can be difficult to expel.
But there is no exile for these carnivorous remedies. They are all about being devoured without rescue and the optimism found in Nepenthe is hope without promise.
USING THE BEST CHINA
USING THE BEST CHINA - a comparison of China officinalis; China arsenicosum; China boliviana; Chininum muriaticum; China salicylicum and China sulphuricum.
There is a validity in studying a group of related remedies. The fact that they are connected should mean there has to be similarities but we also have to look at their important individual differences which renders them homeopathically more useful.
As a whole the China group has EXTREMES and what appears to be contradictory elements, creating a push and pull. SENSITIVITY is at the core of this and will be encountered in all the Chinas - sensitivity being a sensation of being pushed, pulled or caught between these extremes.
This sensitivity can be on a par with that of Phosphorus which can take one to a psychic or spiritual level (perhaps the truer meaning of 'AIR CASTLES' which is a high ranking symptom of all the China group).
Another strong symptom within the China family is PERIODICITY, and again, I think this is made more likely where there are extremes present within a remedy symptom picture. It is like a tight line being drawn which periodically breaks, it has to because the stress is otherwise too overwhelming.
I thought it would be useful to make a journey out of each remedy, a journey from one extreme to the other, incorporating possible causation and likely as well as unusual diseased states that might be encountered along the way. Bearing in mind that someone can present with their diseased state at any part of the journey, one needs to be able to work backwards as well as forwards in identifying where the case really begins.
CHINA ARSENICOSUM
The first extreme is fright which establishes a more permanent state of anxiety which is coloured by impatience and irritability. The impatience will show as a discontent with everything, overly conscientious about trivial matters which, in itself, is driven by suspicion. This can be day or night but the characteristic Arsenicum influence will make the suffering worse at night, driving them out of bed. The irritability factor will be of a complaining nature "turn the TV down!!", "stop making so much noise!!" - so very sensitive to the disruption that noise causes (they actually have a constant ringing of bells in the ears) - perhaps the original fright had noise as a harmful sensation. Another disruption is their reaction to criticism as they are very easily offended, and to counteract this they become very critical in their outlook on life, not just the trivial matters now, it will extend to everything and can even develop into real anger.
The permanent state of fear is ongoing and shows itself with the anxiety but more specifically at night, with a fear of evil, of ghosts. At a more advanced stage delusions can develop along the same lines which causes them to become sleepless. This mental and emotional strain will produce a plethora of physical symptoms - the digestion (as in Arsenicum) is easily disorganised, lots of colic pains > pressure; diarrhoea is common especially from fish and eggs; craving for sweets and water. The China group is always thin and there is a definite possibility of eating disorders which may have evolved out of the initial causative fright.
Pathology will deepen along the lines of recurrent fevers, back pain, chronic rheumatism, angina with suffocative attacks, asthma (history of smoking is likely) and epilepsy. China arsenicosum has an affinity to scarlet fever and diptheria and there might well be a history of these in the family background. It is both syphilitic and tubercular.
The final end of journey extreme is complete prostration, worn out by intense periodical attacks of any of the above. There will then be indifference, indolence, confusion and dullness, despair and loathing of life, sentimentally sits and thinks only about the past, refuses to talk and is weepy, anxious and timid.
CHINA BOLIVIANA
This China is very similar to China Officinalis - the two extremes being timidity and rage which alternate with each other rather than an either/or situation.
The first extreme is a very active mind and continually making many plans and constantly thinking only of the future which is the other extreme in the distance, at the end of the journey (common to all the China's). So there is a lot of control in putting all the desires and plans into place.
Expectation then becomes another form of stimulation, like an over excited child. But they appear to suffer not so much from the potential disappointment that must ultimately occur with so much planning - quite the reverse (you'll like this) - they suffer from excessive Joy!!!! It is the enjoyment of the stimulation which beleaguers them, suffering from the over stimulation, just as in China arsenicosum when the causative fright could be described as being over stimulating but lacking in the enjoyment factor.
Initially the timid state requires stimulation to wake it up and once this is achieved we have a very busy person, full of desires and plans, thinking only of the future. But why the gap? Why make plans for the future and not for now? Probably because one could not revel in the anticipation so much.
But beware this state of busy enjoyment, because gloom and disappointment does become part of the roller coaster journey. Gloom alternates with serenity, one compensating for the other. China's like to sleep and dream, it always >>>, but remember we are moving towards the other extremity which is rage and it is interesting to note the descriptive terms which come out of the provings, all of which are very 'active' with a hint of violence.
Vertigo as after a drunken fit
Violent stabbing pains in left eye
Cough with dagger like pains in right lung
Sensation as if a dagger buried in the lungs, pain extends to liver
Detonation as of a canon in right ear
Violent cold in the head
Biting sensation in anus as from worms
Any sudden movement of neck causes a snap or crack
Dreams are generally of a serene nature, as I said, China's like to sleep, it refreshes but they can still find time to enjoy their dreams which are all about the sea, fishes, swimming, and going on a journey!! But, to counter this they also dream of vomiting worms.
So onwards to the fits of rage, the other extreme of the journey. The rage can be violent (as rage usually is), blaspheming and swearing is common during these episodes.
CHINA OFFICINALIS
The most well known of all the Chinas and it has a more diverse range of extremes, sometimes making it more difficult to locate the causation of what can become an extremely troubled and destructive state. In many ways China officinalis brings together ALL the China group, fusing many of the aspects into one remedy.
China is part of the Rubiaceae family which also includes the Coffees - another indication of the need for stimulation, industry, theorising and making of many plans, creative, hyperactive and excitable, sleepless - then comes the exhaustion and fatigue, the need to sleep or meditate to calm down. Physically there is a need to literally 'discharge'.
But with China officinalis there lurks a driving force which underlies their extreme sensitivity, and that is one of torment, persecution and fear. You might be able to trace the case of an adult China back to pre-teenager years - they would have been creative and artistic children but somewhat moody and introverted as well, quite self willed and disobedient - the typical angst that often accompanies creativity. As they get older the creativity becomes more intense and they become crowded out with all that they wish to accomplish in life. They are idealistic in their outlook and ambitions, they become enclosed in a brooding, theoretical, sleepless and sensitive state, very touchy and fly into a rage if offended (most teenagers then :-)). Just like Nat mur they will remember every bad word said against them and hang on to past grievances.
The physical complaints will begin now if they haven't already, as there is a real need to discharge in the form of haemorrhages, diarrhoea with flatulence, excessive suppuration. There will be periodic bouts of these - periodicity being such a strong symptom of all the Chinas. And these discharges completely wear them out.
If the physicals recover they will return to the need for stimulants, either mental, emotional or physical, continue making plans, expressing their creativity and developing a taste for substance stimulants such as alcohol. The will is weak and so alcohol soon takes a grip.
Increasingly they want to live alone and seem to become gloomy and depressed, a much deeper form of being introverted. They are still plagued by periodical bouts of physical complaints, each time getting weaker and weaker, worn out and more difficult to recover. Apathy sets in and they lack courage to execute any of their many plans. The thinking becomes muddled and diffused, all over the place, easily confused. What was once planned and laid out to perfection becomes like a broken jigsaw that cannot be put back together - a kind of dyslexic vision.
The early brooding nature moves into 'attack' mode as their fears and anxieties take over, their chosen defence mechanism is cruelty. They often have a great fear of animals and will be cruel to them. Delusional states might come now as the diseased state progresses to persecution, schizophrenia and possibly suicide - you cannot reach out to them, you will be unworthy to them and consolation of any kind is lost. The physical discharging state can become internalised into rheumatics, gout, gangrene, liver complaints such as gall stones, lungs also become a target with suffocative catarrh, asthma and haemorrhage from the lungs. A turbulent journey indeed.
CHINA MURIATICUM
This is the gin and tonic remedy within the group - that wonderful age old colonial drink, drunk by the british in India, loads of quinine in the tonic giving it that slightly bitter taste and mixing deliciously with the dryness of the gin.
I labour this point because alcoholism is one of the extremes of this remedy (I would say common to all of the China group). There is a great sensitivity to alcohol and tobacco, causing headaches which affect the eyes.
Quinine is well known to have an affect on the eyes. A great deal of damage is done to the eyes when quinine was/is used as an allopathic drug to alleviate the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
The other extreme is complete prostration and weakness but on a more intermittent level rather than a chronic state and usually accompanying the physical complaints.
So, one extreme = alcohol = liver damage = irritability, the ongoing dependency on alcohol = a very pitiful state. Perhaps this is the muriate component at work, lots of self pity which has evolved out of a lack of love and nurture.
The other extreme is the craving for tobacco = lungs = broncho-pneumonia with a cough which causes fatigue and weakness, rattling in the lungs but no ability to expectorate.
Fusing these extremes are lots of headaches, fevers and chills (at 5 am, the morning after the night before!), neuralgic pains, ulcerations of the cornea and other eye affections, gastritis.
A strange sensation is one of feelings of enlargement, especially the eyes and tongue.
CHINA SALICYLICUM
Salicylates are found in many plants and they are both acrid and sweet, already we have two extremes. They also have disinfectant, antiseptic and preserving qualities.
Although China salicylicum has yet to be proved (??), Salicylic acid is a remedy in its own right and would bring to China salicylic affinities such as Meniere's disease, deafness with vertigo and lots of noises in ears such as music, bees and flies, plus arthritic and rheumatic conditions especially in the acute phase. There is also Diabetes, asthma, ulcers and canker sores, gastric conditions dominated by flatulent dyspepsia, urticaria and ailments from suppressed foot sweat. But all of this with china aspects, to distinguish it from Salicylic acid - sensitivity, periodicity, expansion and prostration, sweetness and acridity, creative and destructive.
CHINA SULPHURICUM
This remedy also lives in the future tense - as with all the China group there are many plans to be made, fantasies, very inventive and proud of what they might do but are prevented and obstructed, letting opportunities go by - this is the sulphur part, so irresolute.
One extreme then is ambition, getting very excited about the future, accompanied by the need for praise, greedy for praise (greedy is again the sulphur at work). But they are also anxious about the future and then they encounter the obstruction which is often fear - fear of misfortune, fear of evil and this renders them indifferent, discouraged, sluggish and irresolute and they never realise their ambitions. Then very sad, tearful and depressed which can turn into rage and intense restlessness and no goals, a loss of ambition.
These periodic fits of anxiety often make them speechless and deaf as a way of shutting out the world. The sensation is that of sinking, sinking away from the future and falling backwards which negates their ambitions and this becomes the obstruction. Delusion the bed is sinking, weak and nervous with an inability to remain standing (again, the sulphur influence), they fall down, want to lie down and not go forward. Ambition is stunted by irresolution and when stuck like this more physical complaints appear.
They are oversensitive like all the Chinas, especially to external influences and the sensitivity centres around the spine, joints, ears kidneys, bowels and skin.
There is also a sensation of a foreign body lodged, causing an obstruction in various parts of the body. But they try to keep their ambitions intact with extravagant dreams and fantasies.
So next time you get out the China, make sure it is the best one.
Other files to download
Symphytum.pdf - Humpty Dumpty
Ceanothus.pdf - A Nice Cup of Tea and a Piece of Ague Cake
Kaliums.pdf - Weak but Controlling
CoccInd.pdf - Stupified and Lost
