Aconite (Wolfsbane)
Early stages of colds, fevers, inflammations. Complaints come on suddenly. Possible causes: cold/ dry wind; fright / shock. Characterised by extreme restlessness and fear. May specifically have an unfounded fear of death. Dry. hot skin. Symptoms worse evening / around midnight. Thirsty for cold drinks. May say everything tastes bitter, except water. Better: fresh air. Worse: touch.
Antimonium tartaricum (Tartar emetic)
Rattling cough, where the patient is unable to expectorate (cf. Ipecac) and has copious mucus. Feels breathless, weak, drowsy and limp. May be irritable. Much yawning and sweating. Tongue is coated white. Thirst for cold water, little and often. Desires refreshing foods e.g fruits.Better: expectoration; sitting up; cold drinks. Worse: warmth; Lying down; 4pm; company
Apis mellifica (Honey Bee)
Bites and stings. Oedematous swellings. Parts feel contricted. Redness. Pains burning and stinging. Restlessness. Thirstlessness. ‘Styes, also prevents their recurrence’ – Boericke. Sore throat with stinging pains and swollen uvula. Better: cold applications. Worse: heat; 4-6pm.
Argentum nitricum (Silver Nitrate)
Fear of flying. Anticipatory anxiety and gastro-intestinal problems (belching / flatulence). Suits warm-blooded people with a tendency to feel hurried and impulsive. They may have a fear of failure when having to perform in public. Their fear is justified, as they often rush through things and get into a mess. (cf Gelsemium & Lycopodium). Pains splinter-like. Better: open air; walking fast. Worse: crowds; sweets (gets diarrhoea).
Arnica (Leopardsbane)
Accidents / shock / physical exhaustion. First choice for most minor accidents, falls, injuries or physical ordeals. Swelling and bruising. Patient has a fear of being touched because of the pain, and may want to be left alone. May claim to be alright when they clearly are not. Classic response of someone in shock. Upper body is hot, whilst lower is cold. Memory may also be poor. Better: Lying down. with head low. Worse: jarring; Lying on injured part.
Arsenicum album (White arsenic)
Acute food poisoning. Characterised by great physical prostration with mental restlessness. Patient does not want to be left alone and is anxious or fearful. Cant bear the sight or smell of food. Pains and discharges are burning, yet the patient feels chilly and all symptoms, except headache, are better for heat. Thirsty for frequent sips of usually hot drinks. Hayfever with watery discharge. Better: warmth; Lying down; Worse: midnight – 3am.
Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)
Minor fevers. Inflamed area or entire patient is burning, throbbing and hot. The eyes are glassy and the pupils dilated. Onset of complaints is sudden. Possible cause: chill to the head. Pains are intense and throbbing. Rapid pulse. Patient is angry, with acute senses, in a world of their own. Photophobia. Thirsty, may crave lemonade. Better: Iying down. Worse: touch or jarring movement; 3pm.
Bryonia (White Bryony)
Dry, painful coughs. Dryness of all mucous membranes. Great thirst for large amounts at long intervals (opposite of Arsenicum). Patient lies absolutely still; all symptoms are much worse for the slightest movement. Pains are stitching. A”bear with a sore head” who is irritable and resentful of being questioned or fussed over. Better: firm pressure. Worse: 9pm; after eating cabbage or beans.
Calcarea carbonicum (Oyster shell)
Slow difficult teething. For children going through major developmental changes. Classically fat, fair and flabby. Chilly. Easily over exerted aand very sweaty (esp. back of head). Sour smelling. May fear many things (eg the dark; monsters; animals; insects). Apprehensive, worse towards evening. Slow developers, particularly poor at assimilating their food. Slow dentition in children. Gets a cold at every change of weather. Craves boiled eggs. Better: constipation; dry weather. Worse: heights; getting cold or wet; teething; milk.
Cantharis (Spanish Fly)
Minor burns and scalds. Cystitis, where there are burning pains before, during or after urination. Urging to urinate. Intense mental and physical irritation. Onset is sudden and violent. Pains are cutting and burning. Patients have a burning, intense thirst, but are worse after drinking (especially cold drinks). Better: cold applications. Worse: touch.
Carbo vegetabilis (Vegetable Charcoal)
Many digestive disorders, especially wind (cf Lycopodium). Upper abdomen/stomach very bloated. May be brought on by over-indulgence. Nausea in the morning. Slow digestion. Tickling cough with burning in the chest. Better: cool air; being fanned; burping. Worse: warmth; dehydration; before sleep; tight clothing.
Chamomilla (German Chamomile)
Teething children especially if child has one red cheek. Characterised by over-sensitivity. Pains are intolerable and appear to be out of all proportion to the illness or injury. Suited to bad-tempered children who are only quiet when carried and constantly request, then reject things. They are hot and sweaty (esp the head). Better: for being uncovered. Worse: 9pm to midnight.
China officinalis (Peruvian Bark)
Debility from dehydration. Delicate types whose senses are too acute. Emotionally and physically exhausted. Ringing in the ears. Complaints arise after loss of fluids / dehydration (eg after a fever or diarrhoea). Bloated abdomen, but not relieved by burping (cf Carbo veg). Better: hard pressure; lying down; fasting; loose clothes. Worse: light touch.
Drosera (Sundew)
Spasmodic dry cough which leads to wretching / vomiting or nosebleed (cf Ipecac). Coughs follows each other rapidly. Better holding chest. Sensation of feather in throat. Cough is deep and hoarse. Dry sore throat. Emotionally stubborn or suspicious. Symptoms are worse after midnight, warmth of bed. Better: sitting up; open air. Worse: lying down; talking; warmth.
Gelsemium (Yellow Jasmine)
Acute influenza with shivering up and down the spine. Characterised by lethargy and apathy. Wants to lie down. There is complete physical prostration but coupled with mental alertness. Patient trembles, has aching muscles and heaviness especially of the head and eyes – even the eyelids droop. Diarrhoea from emotional excitement. Better: for sweating or urination. Worse: physical exertion.
Hepar sulph. (Hepar sulphuris calcareum)
Painful, infected wounds. Unhealthy skin; every little injury suppurates, acne. Characterised by hyper-sensitivity to everything: pain, touch, cold, noise, exertion. One of the chilliest known remedies. Wants to wrap up warm. Very irritable to the slightest thing. Pains stitching and splinter-like (cf Arg Nit). Dry, hoarse cough, worse when getting cold or uncovering. Better: heat, damp, Iying in warm bed. Worse: uncovering, cold.
Hypericum (St John’s wort)
Injury to nerves especially of extremities and sensitve parts. First aid for lacerated wounds from sharp instruments or any injury to nerve-rich areas (e.g.from slamming door on fingers, toes or falling on the coccyx). Pains are extreme and shoot along the nerves. Punctured wounds, Injured nerves from bite of animals. Generally worse for motion or pressure.
Ignatia (St Ignatius Bean)
Recent bereavement or emotional shock. Symptoms which follow acute loss, grief or disappointed love. May not be able to accept what has happened and reacts with a sense of disbelief. Other signs may include hiccoughs, involuntary sighing or yawning. Fainting and hysteria. Better:warmth. Worse: tobacco: fresh air
Ipecacuanha
Remedy for nausea. Vomiting of food or bile brings no relief. Sudden bright red haemorrhages (nosebleeds; piles; periods). Spasmodic respiratory complaints with tightness of the chest. Dry cough with gagging, nauesea and difficulty expectorating (cf Ant Tart). Thirstless. Constant salivation and clean tongue. Better: open air. Worse: over-eating.
Kali bich. (Potassium dichromate)
Painful sinuses, colds and sinusitus. Its main characteristic is a very stringy, sticky thick yellow / green discharge, which smells (cf. Pulsatilla). Those who become ill after getting chilled and are chilly whilst sick. Despite this chilliness they feel worse in summer. Pains are often in a small well-defined spot, but they can “wander”. Better: warmth. Worse: on waking; at night; after eating.
Lachesis (Bushmaster Surukuku snake)
Left-sided complaints or begin on left, move to right (especially sore throats). Warm-blooded. Hot flushes during menopause. Talkative, amusing but with an over-active mind. Can be suspicious and jealous. Intense. Better: open air; cold drinks; during or after period. Worse: menopause; alcohol; anything tight around the neck; after sleep; heat; heavy weather.
Ledum pal. (Marsh Tea)
Puncture wounds and black eyes. Wounds and bites from both animals and insects. Pains are sticking, tearing and throbbing. Area is swollen, blue and cold but, strangely, feels hot to the sufferer. “Ledum is an antidote to the stings of insects’ – Boericke. Better: cold applications. Worse: heat.
Lycopodium (Club Moss)
Anxious and apprehensive. Lack of self confidence especially when doing new things or speaking in public. Fine once they get started (cf Arg Nit who hurries too much and does fail). Can be charming, but may be dictatorial at home. Complaints right-sided or move from right to left (opposite of Lachesis). Lots of wind. Bloated stomach and abdomen. Tendency to flatulence. Better: warm drinks; sweets; motion; open air; passing wind. Worse: 4pm-8pm.
Magnesia phos. (Magnesium Phosphate)
Neuralgia of the head and face releived by warmth. Cramping in muscles or shooting pains. Headaches, toothaches, menstrual pain. Sensitive or nervous types who often talk about their pains. Childrens colic with flatulence during teething, better bending double. Bloated, full sensation in the abdomen. Better: heat; firm pressure. Worse: cold; uncovering; touch, night.
Mercurius viv. (Quicksilver)
Mouth ulcers. Suits those people who are human thermometers, incredibly sensitive to both heat and cold, better moderate temperatures. They have very smelly breath and yelloow green discharges (which may be streaked with blood). They are prone to swollen glands / colds and sweat profusely. Sore throat with constant desire to swallow. Excessive saliva, especially at night, but they are extremely thirsty. Worse: in bed at night.
Natrum mur. (Sodium Chloride)
Cold sores on the lips. Very sensitive people who remember the smallest slights for a long time. Feel everything so acutely they tend to protect themselves by shutting themselves off. They feel worse for consolation, except from a chosen few (or one). Silent grief (the stiff upper lip). The middle of the lower lip may be deeply cracked. Discharges like egg white. Crave salt. Better: lying down; resting; sweating. Worse: heat especially of the sun.
Nux vomica (Poison nut)
Hang-overs and over-indulgence in rich food. People who need this remedy are very chilly. Emotionally they tend to be tense, irritable and over-sensitive. They suffer from digestive complaints and nausea although they feel much better for vomiting, they find it difficult to do so. They often work and play very hard, surviving on a ‘diet’ of coffee, alcohol and tobacco, despite the effect it has on them. For best results take the remedy a few hours before going to bed. Better: rest; warmth and hot drinks. Worse: in the morning.
Phosphorus (Yellow Phosphorus)
Dry coughs, laryngitis and the affects of anaesthetics. Lovely, bubbly, affectionate and sympathetic types. Their poor boundaries mean they can become exhausted by the problems of others. Overly impressionable. Riddled with fears and anxieties. Burning heat and pains. Tendency to bleed easily. Desire spicy food; ice-cream. Better: cold drinks; eating; sleep (even a short nap). Worse: sudden weather change (especially storms); missing a meal; lying on left.
Pulsatilla (Wind Flower)
Childhood ear infections. Symptoms and the patients themselves are very changeable. Emotionally they are moody, tearful and crave company. Children are clingy and whine. Pulsatilla types are thirstless and are much worse for being in a stuffy room; their mood improves dramatically when they go out in the fresh air. Discharges are thick, bland and yellow-green. Complaints may come on after getting wet, chilled feet. Better: bathing; crying; movement; pressure. Worse: twilight; wet, windy weather.
Rhus toxicodendron (Poison Ivy)
Sprains and strains. Stiffness, coupled with terrible restlessness. Pains usually around joints, which ache, feel sore, bruised. The pain is worse on first movement, with a tearing or stitching sensation, but this eases after continued movement, provided it is not too strenuous. During colds, fevers, flus, a triangular red tip at the end of their tongue is an excellent confirmatory symptom. Children who crave cold milk. Better: heat; gentle motion. Worse: damp, cold weather.
Ruta graveolens (Rue)
Strains and sprains of tendons. Injuries to cartilage and bone surface. It is less restless than Rhus Tox. Bone feels damaged. Injuries to wrists, knees, ankles or bones with a thin covering of flesh (e.g shins). Eye strain followed by headache. Better for movement. Worse: lying on the affected part.
Sepia (Cuttlefish ink)
Symptoms from hormonal changes in women. For those who are worn out and have a dragged-down, heavy feeling. Indifferent to loved ones. Chilly. Weepy. Dislike sympathy, prefer to be alone. Desires acidic things and chocolate. Better: vigorous exercise; eating; warmth; open air. Worse: during menstruation; missing a meal; pregnancy.
Silicea (Pure flint)
Suits chilly types, who keep getting infections which are very slow to clear up. Abscesses and boils. Thirsty. Perspire easily. Offensive sweat on the feet, underarms and hands. Better: heat. Worse: cold, damp, wet weather. ‘Promotes expulsion of foreign bodies from tissues’ – Boericke
Staphisagria (Stavesacre)
Mental and emotional effects after invasive surgery. Appear sweet and calm, but may feel angry, resentful, humiliated. Feels boundaries have been violated. Very sensitive to what people say about them. Ill effects of insults. Doesn’t want to be touched. Recurrent styes. Cystitis after sex, burning when not urinating but urging and pain after. Better: warmth; rest; breakfast. Worse: missing a meal; tobacco; exertion.
Sulphur
Red, burning or itchy skin problems, worse from scratching and washing. Warm-blooded, wants doors and windows open. Heat in the hands and the soles of the feet at night. Weakness with an empty sinking feeling in stomach at 11am. Desires sweets; spicy food. Burning pains. Offensive corrosive, burning discharges. Itchy. Better: fresh air. Worse: warmth; bathing; 10-11am.